A Tea Party For The Post-Apocalpyse (IC)

[Thanqol]

"As far as her mom was concerned, tea fixed everything. Have a cold? Have some tea. Broken bones? There's a tea for that too. Somewhere in her mother's pantry, Laurel suspected, was a box of tea that said, "In case of Armageddon, steep three to five minutes."

- Aprilynne Pike


A Tea Party For The Post-Apocalypse


IC Thread 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287952)
IC Thread 2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?318780-A-Tea-Party-For-The-Post-Apocalypse-II-%28IC%29-Truth-and-Beauty)
OOC Thread 1 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285974)
OOC Thread 2 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310372)
OOC Thread 3 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?347128-A-Tea-Party-For-The-Post-Apocalypse-III-%28OOC%29-Hope)


@DISPLAY 0/REC
#LOAD OS#
$*$(10104%8$*!
RICHCO TERMLINK PROTOCOL ACCEPTED

#SLIDE 001: THREE PONIES - EARTH, PEGASUS, UNICORN - SITTING AROUND TEA. SMILING#

AUDIO:
Ponies will do some strange things for love.

#SLIDE 002: EARTH PONY IN WORKSHOP, CONSTRUCTING#

AUDIO:
The Ministry of Wartime Technology was founded on the principles of love, dedicated to using Earth Pony ingenuity to overcome the most complex problems facing the world. Power Armour, automated weapons systems, robotics, heavy industry - all these wonders were all ultimately forged in the love of a sister for her brother.

#SLIDE 003: UNICORN PONY IN LAB, MEDITATING ON SPELL#

AUDIO:
The Ministry of Arcane Technology was also built on love, this time the affection of a student for her teacher. Though the Ministry of Arcane Technology could well have mastered the oldest spells of Starswirl, spells that could have won the War or saved the world, they turned instead to the quixotic task of recreating the race of Alicorns as a loving tribute to Princess Celestia.

#SLIDE 004: PEGASUS PONY, SILHOUETTED BY MEGASPELL BLAST#

AUDIO:
And the Ministry of Peace...

Well, they were built on the greatest love of all. The Ministry of Peace was built on universal love. Every creature equally valued, equally loved. The Ministry of Peace was built on a love that could not be compromised. It was love that made the Ministry of Peace demand that all live or none live.

#SLIDE 005: BURNING CRATERS#

AUDIO:
They did not foresee the ponies would choose 'None'.

Who could have?

#SLIDE 006: CRYSTAL EMPIRE#

AUDIO:
Love, too, created the Crystal Empire. Under the benevolent wing of Princess Cadence, love and harmony radiated out, uniting the ponies of the North. Love cast out King Sombra and made the North shine like a beacon. And even though she died her love lives on. That love forms the foundation for everything the Empire has done since.

#SLIDE 007: CRYSTAL EMPIRE, CRACKED#

AUDIO:
But ponies will do some strange things for love.

$#@*$$: /TERMINATE SEQUENCE
/UNLOAD OS
#DISPLAY TITLE SLIDE#

WELCOME TO THE NORTH

[Thanqol]

18/10/2277

STABLE 73:

"Good morning everypony! I'm Skyfire, your unbearably sexy Royal Voice, and welcome back to Royal Voice Radio. Guess what, you handsome equines? This is the 200th anniversary of the Great Sealing! As you might have heard on the rumour mill that means that today's the day that we open the Stable door and step out into a pristine new Equestria to repopulate the land above!

"There's some super news that comes with that. First off, Overseer Blueblood VIII has told me to tell you that he is hereby ending the One Foal Policy - that's right, folks, you've finally got free reign to bang as many ponies as you want! In fact, you're encouraged too - from what the projections show chances are that everypony up there is gonna be super dead so we've got to recreate an entire civilisation from scratch. Which means banging. Banging everywhere.

"Secondly, I know you're all excited, but it's only Stable Security and aristocracy allowed at the door opening ceremony. We don't know what's going to be up there so we're taking it slow. The projections show a 3% chance that the land above is occupied by zebras, so if that happens we're going to have to come out horns blazing.

"And finally, if you've been listening to those revolutionary nutjobs and have got it in your head that now's the time to overthrow the unicorns, I'll just point out that we're the only ones who can cast the RadAway spells. So y'know, if you want to die a horrible death of radiation in the snow as your organs liquefy and your tongue dissolves in your mouth, can you just go and do that without inflicting it on the rest of us?

"Super thanks, guys. And now, to set the mood, here's some music (http://youtu.be/ZISo1NFO7AQ). Feel the patriotism, everypony! Skyfire out!"

*

STABLE 73, EXTERIOR:

"Everypony, combat positions. We have no idea what's going to come out of that Stable," said Big Blue, the pegasus stallion in charge of this HREC expedition. He had the politeness to be both big and blue, and carried that same level of polite directness into everything he did. There were a lot of pegasus ponies and griffons with this command - Rosemary was the only unicorn, and there were two Earth Ponies in Hostile Incursion Armour. The non-fliers had all been towed along in carts across the mountains.

It had been clear skies for the most part, but in the day they'd spent camped outside the Stable the weather had taken a sudden dark turn. Flashes of lightning were on the horizon. Signs of a storm, or a blizzard. Nasty - HREC was hoping they'd be able to ride it out in the Stable.

"Remember, from what we've been able to dig up about StableTec they didn't always have the best of ponykind in mind when they built these things. Luna, you're on point, talk them down if they're capable of being talked down, but if that door opens and a swarm of feral ghouls comes pouring out I want you back behind the Incursion Suits. Any objections, your highness?" said Big Blue, double checking his laser rifle and air filters.

Most of the team was doing the same. There were stories about Stables. The Republic in particular would not shut up about some of the deranged crap they found in the Stables they cleared out - as though that justified massacring the populations to the last.

[Balmas]

As the pegasus grunted out his commands, Gabriel sighed and stubbed out his cigarette on a nearby rock. There wasn't much point in attempting to be stealthy, though the dirt rubbed into his armor testified of the token effort made. Still, not much use having a light screaming, "Here's a head! Shoot it!"

A Stable. Even from here, he could see the bold 73 writ large in faded gold paint. Never could tell what was inside a stable; like Big Blue said, it could be inhabited, or it could just as easily be infested with ghouls.

He smirked as he checked the load in Maria. Given the choice, he'd take the ghouls. They tended to be stupider, and unless you had the bad luck to run into one of the more advanced kind, were easier to kill. What's more, he didn't have to feel bad about killing ghouls; way he saw it, he was just finishing the job the apocalypse started.

"Kind of odd that the Republic isn't here," he murmured to the griffon on his right. "You'd think that they'd want in on a new stable." Quietly, Gabriel tapped at his Pipbuck, and scanned the immediate area for any hostiles.

[Thanqol]

"Kind of odd that the Republic isn't here," he murmured to the griffon on his right. "You'd think that they'd want in on a new stable." Quietly, Gabriel tapped at his Pipbuck, and scanned the immediate area for any hostiles.

"We've had scouts watching the passes for signs of an armoured column for five months now," said Big Blue. "And you'd need to move a lot of bears to take down a Stable, so if they were going to try anything we would have seen it. They probably got bigger problems with the Empire these days, plus it's a bitch to get through these mountains on hoof."

[BlasTech]

"Still, it's all the more reason to keep a keen watch, wouldn't you say?" came another voice from behind the trio.

The voice's owner, a unicorn mare with a dark blue coat with an equally cool voice, had walked up from the rest of the party to inspect the vault door.

"In the incredibly unlikely event this place actually has something useful inside it," she continued, "it would be good if it didn't end up in the paws of someone who was likely to shred and or eat it on principle."

"And that also holds for anypony who might still be alive and sane in there too."

In the last few years, Rosemary had seen more than she wanted to regarding the Republic's stance on vaults and their inhabitants, and a repeat of that here was relatively high on her list of things she didn't want. It ranked somewhere slightly above the return of King Sombra, but still lower than the thought of another day stuck in the byzantine bureaucracy of HREC back in the Empire.

"Sir ... Highness" she finished, nodding to the pegasus and alicorn respectively before making to head to her position just back of the front lines. As her butterfly-emblazoned medic's saddlebag proclaimed, her job was not to get herself shot, but to keep alive anyone else who was stupid enough to give it a try.

That, and to follow in afterwards and sweep up whatever crumbs this bread tin would yield.

[the_druid_droid]

Luna turned and gave Big Blue a smile. "Your concern is appreciated, Commander. Rest assured I have no intention of being eaten or otherwise mauled today, and I will take all necessary precautions to that end."

Her tone was light, even a little flippant, but it was taking every bit of willpower Luna had to keep her hooves from shaking as she stepped up to the weather-beaten Stable door. Inside her chest, there was a hurtling vortex of emotion - a hurricane of nervous excitement and joy and fear and a hundred other things she didn't even have a name for. It felt like coming down from Dash, and made her heart hammer so loudly in her ears she wondered if the others could hear it too. Today, it was finally time to act on her plans instead of just brooding over them in her rooms at HREC, and Luna wanted it to be perfect. She needed it to be.

Still watching the huge metal door for any signs of movement, the alicorn extended her wings, raised her head, and prepared to welcome the ponies inside to the Crystal Empire as her first official act in the Wasteland.

[Thanqol]

"In the incredibly unlikely event this place actually has something useful inside it," she continued, "it would be good if it didn't end up in the paws of someone who was likely to shred and or eat it on principle."

"And that also holds for anypony who might still be alive and sane in there too."

"Unlikely? Stable 63 had a full magical archive and Megaspell firing chambers. Stable 67 had an industrial core to rival anything the Empire still has. Stable 64 had enough money to kick off a hyperinflation - if anything, the odds of this place having something useful are really good right now," said Big Blue.


Luna turned and gave Big Blue a smile. "Your concern is appreciated, Commander. Rest assured I have no intention of being eaten or otherwise mauled today, and I will take all necessary precautions to that end."

"Glad to hear, highness," said Big Blue. "All right, Pip Buck says ETA of twenty minutes until the door opens, everypony check your kit and sit tight until then,"

[Balmas]

Laying down, Gabriel pulled Maria forward, and began slowly nicking bits of wood out of the stock. The scrimshaw had been a work in progress for years, and was always getting more elaborate. "So," he said cautiously, "Princess. What's your story?"

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees winced slightly as the anthem kicked in. "Certainly puts me in the right frame of mind." She grumbled, over the top of the trashcan fire. The disputed districts hummed with anticipation, no one really believed the Radicals would let opening day go by without at least trying to ruin it. Once upon a time, the idea might have appalled Trees, or enthralled her. Now, all it meant was her best chance to slip away in the confusion.

Time was getting short. She'd prepared as best she could, supplies were together. All that was really left was getting as close to the stable door as possible. A couple of Earth ponies gave a half hearted cheer in her general direction, her celebrity still hadn't faded much. Her face blushed with a touch of shame and irritation.

Best to make her way through the maintenance department. The sheer amount of grease was usually enough to keep the place Unicorn free, and it opened up right next to the stable door. All that would leave is taking Skyfire up on their suggestion, though she wasn't convinced it was being genuinely offered, even once you got past the usual scare language.

[Deadly]

Blue - the little one in this menagerie - cruised through the lose ranks of gathered ponies with an air of ease, her coat and armor as pristine as one could hope to achieve in the Wasteland. She liked to make room for new dirt, as she put it, and dirt was never in short supply so there was always a need for real estate.

She gave a nod and a wave here and there, a word of encouragement, or just a generic look of confidence. Blue was ready.

When Big Blue gave the time, she paused and turned, checking her armor and testing her blades. Satisfied with their performance, she began to wait, something Blue was not particularly fond of. At least not if it involved staying in one spot.

[Thanqol]

Best to make her way through the maintenance department. The sheer amount of grease was usually enough to keep the place Unicorn free, and it opened up right next to the stable door. All that would leave is taking Skyfire up on their suggestion, though she wasn't convinced it was being genuinely offered, even once you got past the usual scare language.

It was a cramped walk through the maintenance tunnels, even for a Stable pony. It was hot, too, because this was where all the heating vents for the industrial tech was pumped and cycled back into the living areas.

It was hard to tell if Skyfire's offer was genuine, partly because Skyfire was two completely different ponies. One was incredible, animate, inspired, gleaming with fire and promise - but the second she stopped entertaining it was like a light flicked off behind her eyes. When she wasn't on stage or behind a microphone she could barely speak. She'd heard a rumour that the stagepony had a chem problem and she could believe it.

Either way, she found her way out to the end of the maintenance corridor and cracked the door open. There stood the cream of the Canterlot aristocracy: Prince Blueblood VIII and his elite unicorn fellows. Skyfire was there too, indicating that her message must have been pre-recorded. Together these two score and ten represented the very best of the Old World's magical bloodlines, the descendants of the most powerful magicians and aristocrats from before the War. They were each - according to the stories - living treasures, archives of great stores of mystical knowledge, inheritors of techniques that would have been lost for-ever if Stable 73 had not been built to preserve them for future generations.

They were an incestuous group, too, with elaborate relationship diagrams, calculations about bloodlines and genetics, carefully orchestrated marriages and occasional bitter vendettas. The combination of power and blood was rarely seen without poison, lies and spite.

They were flanked by Stable Security on all sides. They were all watching the timer at the top of the Stable door tick down, second by second.


When Big Blue gave the time, she paused and turned, checking her armor and testing her blades. Satisfied with their performance, she began to wait, something Blue was not particularly fond of. At least not if it involved staying in one spot.

"How you doing, cousin?" said Big Blue.

Big Blue had decided, as soon as he'd met Resonant, that they were related somehow due to the fact that both their last names ended with 'Blue'. Completely without prompting, prying or reasoning he'd started to treat her as family and ignored any protestations to the contrary.

He was pleasant enough about it, polite and direct as always.

[Deadly]

"How you doing, cousin?" said Big Blue.

Big Blue had decided, as soon as he'd met Resonant, that they were related somehow due to the fact that both their last names ended with 'Blue'. Completely without prompting, prying or reasoning he'd started to treat her as family and ignored any protestations to the contrary.

He was pleasant enough about it, polite and direct as always.

Blue had stopped obsessing over it eventually, after it became clear that there was no reasoning behind it. And for all she knew it could very well be true. She didn't know much about her family, especially on her mother's side, so who could really tell if this stallion was related? And even if not, she could certainly have found worse cousins than this guy.

It didn't seem to do any harm, and she didn't have any other family left that she knew of, so Blue had accepted that fate had chosen this cousin for her, in spirit if perhaps not in blood. And wasn't that really all that mattered?

Blue had decided so.

She gave her chest a single hard thump with a hoof and smirked. "Great! Whatever comes out that door, we're ready!"

[Thanqol]

She gave her chest a single hard thump with a hoof and smirked. "Great! Whatever comes out that door, we're ready!"

"Hmm," said Big Blue, looking like he was imagining situations where that wouldn't be true. "What if it's Hellhounds? I don't think we're packed for Hellhounds."

[Deadly]

"Hmm," said Big Blue, looking like he was imagining situations where that wouldn't be true. "What if it's Hellhounds? I don't think we're packed for Hellhounds."

"Hellhounds schmellhounds, what if it's Sombra himself?" Blue folded her hooves over her chest as she hovered above the ground. "Don't be such a downer, cous. Worst case? We pull ourselves out of here."

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees hunkered down in the corner by the door, peaking out the crack to keep an eye on the clock and the grand stable door. She really couldn't bring herself to be down on Skyfire. Sure, she said some terrible things sometimes in aid of propping up the Unicorn status quo, but she was funny with it and she couldn't help empathising with someone who so openly sought oblivion in chemical arms. Stable 73 would do that to you sometimes.

She shifted, relishing the cramped, uncomfortably hot hiding spot. Time to freeze in the wide open air soon enough. Who knows? This could be the last time she'd ever truly be warm, depending on who you listened to.

It would be nice to just walk out there and declare she was leaving, but whatever promises Skyfire might have made, she wasn't prepared to take such risks in the name of petty drama. Besides, she had a strong feeling that just because her Mother and the other Radicals hadn't put an appearance in yet didn't mean they wouldn't be doing so soon. So she waited, taking the quiet as an unmissable opportunity to eavesdrop on the Unicorn delegation whilst they waited to greet the outside world.

[BlasTech]

"Unlikely? Stable 63 had a full magical archive and Megaspell firing chambers. Stable 67 had an industrial core to rival anything the Empire still has. Stable 64 had enough money to kick off a hyperinflation - if anything, the odds of this place having something useful are really good right now," said Big Blue.

Rosemary simply gave a tight smile in response before settling in to a small divot in the ground to wait out the countdown. She refrained from pointing out how little any of those items had helped fix the wastelands, particularly those which had only ended up strengthening those nutjobs in the Republic of Bear.

Instead, she just busied herself with checking the charge on her plasma pistol.

[the_druid_droid]

"Glad to hear, highness," said Big Blue. "All right, Pip Buck says ETA of twenty minutes until the door opens, everypony check your kit and sit tight until then,"

Luna's wings drooped a little at the announcement. Rationally of course, there was no reason to expect that they would arrive at precisely the moment the doors opened, whatever romantic pictures her imagination might paint. Even if you could coordinate something like that, it probably wasn't wise to appear without any time to scout out the location beforehand for hostiles, but at the moment Luna's nerves felt like they were stretched taut, and twenty minutes might as well have been a lifetime.

She was just trying to work out how many re-inspections of her armor would be needed to fill the time, when Gabriel asked his question. She welcomed the distraction.

"Oh... Gabriel?" Luna relaxed her royal posture and took a few steps over toward the griffon. "I suppose that depends on what story you're interested in. One would be fairly short, while the other is likely too long to tell at the moment. If you want to know what I've been doing in the Wasteland, the answer is that I have primarily been focusing on my studies and other assorted duties at HREC prior to this mission. It's something of a debut for me."

Since when is staring at the ceiling and eating junk food a duty?

Luna shoved the thought away - she was finally taking action, and even if the last few years hadn't been very productive, that was all behind her now. It was time to focus on the future, and that brought a genuine smile to her face, as she watched Gabriel continue his carving.

[Balmas]

"Trying to figure out what to think of you," he said, dragging a talon to detail the wings of a pegasus. "So far's I know, the princesses lived in Equestria, and got bombed to Tartarus and back." Another scratched formed the edge of a battle-saddle. "So, why're you here, instead of dead two hundred years ago? Are you the real deal? I'm kind of torn between hatred and pity, to tell the truth." His voice never varied from casual, monotone statements of fact, as if discussing whether it might rain or not.

[Thanqol]

"Hellhounds schmellhounds, what if it's Sombra himself?" Blue folded her hooves over her chest as she hovered above the ground. "Don't be such a downer, cous. Worst case? We pull ourselves out of here."

"Hmm," said Big Blue, clearly thinking about it logically. "Yeah, we do. You know the Plan B - scatter, stay with your group, make your way back to the Empire for rally and debrief."


Trees hunkered down in the corner by the door, peaking out the crack to keep an eye on the clock and the grand stable door. She really couldn't bring herself to be down on Skyfire. Sure, she said some terrible things sometimes in aid of propping up the Unicorn status quo, but she was funny with it and she couldn't help empathising with someone who so openly sought oblivion in chemical arms. Stable 73 would do that to you sometimes.

She shifted, relishing the cramped, uncomfortably hot hiding spot. Time to freeze in the wide open air soon enough. Who knows? This could be the last time she'd ever truly be warm, depending on who you listened to.

It would be nice to just walk out there and declare she was leaving, but whatever promises Skyfire might have made, she wasn't prepared to take such risks in the name of petty drama. Besides, she had a strong feeling that just because her Mother and the other Radicals hadn't put an appearance in yet didn't mean they wouldn't be doing so soon. So she waited, taking the quiet as an unmissable opportunity to eavesdrop on the Unicorn delegation whilst they waited to greet the outside world.

"Champagne," said Blueblood. "This is a situation that calls for champagne."

"All the champagne was drunk by Blueblood V," said an elderly unicorn, Ether Eyes. "He kept having special moments he wanted to celebrate."

"Special moments!" Scoffed Blueblood VIII. "I give not the slightest whit about his special moments. What he accomplished was that he was born in a Stable and he died in a Stable."

"Nevertheless, he was the Overseer at the time," said Ether Eyes.

"Ha!" scoffed Blueblood, "Overseer! Why, that pompus fool - regardless! What do we have?"

There was a little bit of muttering amongst the unicorns.

"I've got some earth pony moonshine," said Cottonwood hesitantly.

"By Discord's searing genital rash, do we have anything else?" said Blueblood a little desperately. "Skyfire?"

Silence. Skyfire in particular just gave her blank, switched-off stare. The Prince sighed. "Well, this Stable couldn't open a second too soon. Go on, pour it out, pour it out, we may as well make do with what we have. I imagine there'll be a fair bit of that in the days to come."

There was silence other than the hum of magic as the bottle of liquor was produced and glasses were poured. Prince Blueblood walked to the front of the group, turned and lifted his glass to the unicorn nobility. "Well, congratulations everypony. We survived this abysmal pit for two hundred years. May we never return."

Some of the ponies, the less educated ones, took drinks of the moonshine. They coughed and sputtered and spat what they could of it out. Those who were more world-wise gently sniffed the glass instead. Blueblood sniffed, grimaced, and then tossed the glass over his shoulder. It sizzled against the wall.

There were only a few minutes left on the clock.

[Tiki Snakes]

With the faintest hint of a smirk and a brief flicker of exasperation, Trees likely shared that last sentiment if nothing else.

What a waste of perfectly good battery acid, though. She thought.

[Thanqol]

With the faintest hint of a smirk and a brief flicker of exasperation, Trees likely shared that last sentiment if nothing else.

What a waste of perfectly good battery acid, though. She thought.

The clock hit two minutes, and then suddenly the Stable door lights came on. A brief musical cue played, and then a voice - Scootaloo's voice, heard in all StableTec automated announcements - began speaking.

"Congratulations, ponies of Stable 73! If you are hearing this message it means that you have risen above the challenge that was posed to you. This Stable was deliberately staffed with some of Canterlot's highest aristocracy and some of Equestria's lowest-class beggars and criminals as an experiment on how class divide can be overcome. If you are hearing this message, there are still proportionate numbers of earth ponies and unicorns alive in the Stable, so congratulations! You have evidently worked out a system of government and friendship that has enabled these two opposite halves of ponykind to productively work together!

"You're going to need that co-operative spirit in the days and years ahead, so hold onto it! The post-Equestrian wasteland will be a dangerous place and you'll need friendship and community to live through it. The Stable door is now open and you may come and go as you please, but remember! Check with your Overmare that conditions outside are safe!"

Before this information had time to sink in properly, there were the sound of sirens and the complex door mechanism reached out to begin unsealing the front Stable cog.

[the_druid_droid]

"Trying to figure out what to think of you," he said, dragging a talon to detail the wings of a pegasus. "So far's I know, the princesses lived in Equestria, and got bombed to Tartarus and back." Another scratched formed the edge of a battle-saddle. "So, why're you here, instead of dead two hundred years ago? Are you the real deal? I'm kind of torn between hatred and pity, to tell the truth." His voice never varied from casual, monotone statements of fact, as if discussing whether it might rain or not.

Luna frowned, but quickly recovered to a more placid (and she hoped, regal) expression, clearing her throat. "Well, you are entitled to your own feelings in the matter. And you are correct - I died over two centuries ago. However, you may have heard of Twilight Sparkle's efforts to resurrect a Princess? HREC has taken over that line of research and after a great deal of effort brought it to a conclusion, such that I might stand before you today."

As she spoke, Luna's smile returned, although it was softer and a little shy. "I may not yet have attained the... stature I once possessed, but that is as it should be. The Sidereal Throne demands much of one who would ascend it, or it would not be worth pursuing. Being here today is the first step in extending my claim upon it from mere custom to genuine right."


Before this information had time to sink in properly, there were the sound of sirens and the complex door mechanism reached out to begin unsealing the front Stable cog.

At the sound of the Stable door opening, Luna quickly returned to her position at the head of their little party, wings once again spread and head elevated, as befitted a Princess.

[Balmas]

So, she'd no bloody clue either, then. Resurrection from the dead? Yeah, right. If the people of back then had been so friggin' advanced, they wouldn't have needed to bomb the crap out of each other. It wasn't like they needed princesses, either; after all, they'd done an extraordinary job of making sure that everyone else was screwed alongside them.

Gabriel watched Luna stalk off, quietly flicking off the safety on Maria. Maybe he'd be doing a favor if he were to just pull the trigger right now, but he couldn't really do that. The contract said protect, so protect he would. Accordingly, he twitched his aim away from the head full of silver-blue hair, and instead waited for the familiar sound of shrieking gears. It was time to earn his caps.

"Come on," he muttered. "Let it be ghouls. Or Radroaches. Or abandoned."

[BlasTech]

The spark cell clicked as Rosemary slotted it back into place with a little more telekinetic force than was strictly necessary. She'd almost told that griffon to step off when he'd begun questioning Luna. Where had that thought come from? But her own curiosity had stayed her tongue.

Instead, she'd simply listened as the 'Princess' had answered ...

HREC.

Could they have really done it? Most likely not, she admitted. Which meant that something else was going on here. Exactly what, she didn't know, but at the end of the day it meant an experiment. Another glorious *yay*ing HREC experiment. And to make matters worse, it was one that she was likely now a part of.

Brilliant.

She hunkered down, her pistol floating along besides her in a light green field of magic, as the great gears of the stable door began to do their work.

[Deadly]

"Hmm," said Big Blue, clearly thinking about it logically. "Yeah, we do. You know the Plan B - scatter, stay with your group, make your way back to the Empire for rally and debrief."

"Exactly," Blue said and turned her attention back on the door. She didn't seem to pay much attention or even notice the conversation with the princess nearby.

[Tiki Snakes]

The clock hit two minutes, and then suddenly the Stable door lights came on. A brief musical cue played, and then a voice - Scootaloo's voice, heard in all StableTec automated announcements - began speaking.

"Congratulations, ponies of Stable 73! If you are hearing this message it means that you have risen above the challenge that was posed to you. This Stable was deliberately staffed with some of Canterlot's highest aristocracy and some of Equestria's lowest-class beggars and criminals as an experiment on how class divide can be overcome. If you are hearing this message, there are still proportionate numbers of earth ponies and unicorns alive in the Stable, so congratulations! You have evidently worked out a system of government and friendship that has enabled these two opposite halves of ponykind to productively work together!

"You're going to need that co-operative spirit in the days and years ahead, so hold onto it! The post-Equestrian wasteland will be a dangerous place and you'll need friendship and community to live through it. The Stable door is now open and you may come and go as you please, but remember! Check with your Overmare that conditions outside are safe!"

Before this information had time to sink in properly, there were the sound of sirens and the complex door mechanism reached out to begin unsealing the front Stable cog.

Locked in a cold metal hole in the dark, a prison sentence for two hundred years worth of Earth Ponies for the crime of being born in Stable 73 with the guards chosen by the sole virtue of who squeezed them out into the world. All to test some high minded philosophy.

"If she wasn't already dead and gone, I might just have to kill her." Trees seethed at the voice in a cold fury.

Caution be damned. Trees rose, sweeping the door to one side and walking brazenly out into the entryway to meet the opening of the stable door head on. Her cold weather cloak caught in a brief gust of warm air from the maintenance corridor.

"I've had enough of this damned crypt and it's stupid games to last a thousand lifetimes." she snarled, heading slowly but deliberately for the Stable door as it began to unseal. "It's over!"

[the_druid_droid]

Luna continued to watch the Stable door grind ponderously open, unable to make out any sounds of celebration or calamity inside over the squeal of metal and the blaring sirens. Still, she would know soon enough, and her smile grew with every inch of progress the steel door made.

[Thanqol]

Locked in a cold metal hole in the dark, a prison sentence for two hundred years worth of Earth Ponies for the crime of being born in Stable 73 with the guards chosen by the sole virtue of who squeezed them out into the world. All to test some high minded philosophy.

"If she wasn't already dead and gone, I might just have to kill her." Trees seethed at the voice in a cold fury.

Caution be damned. Trees rose, sweeping the door to one side and walking brazenly out into the entryway to meet the opening of the stable door head on. Her cold weather cloak caught in a brief gust of warm air from the maintenance corridor.

"I've had enough of this damned crypt and it's stupid games to last a thousand lifetimes." she snarled, heading slowly but deliberately for the Stable door as it began to unseal. "It's over!"

"What the - get that earth pony out of sight!" cried Blueblood.

Trees was lucky that Ether Eyes was quickest on the draw. The magic struck her in the back and crackling energy ran through her body and suddenly -

There was no body left.

She was incorporeal. Ghostly. Surrounded by faded blurs and rushing wind. She could still see the unicorns, and see the HREC group outside the Stable, but they were blurred and marked in the colours of their spirits and their voices sound as though they were spoken through water.

Blueblood recovered instantaneously, all the HREC team had seen was a flash of light just as the Stable had opened.

Skyfire stepped up in front of the unicorn group, a white unicorn with a pitch black mane and a brilliant smile. Her mane had white streaks, giving the impression of stripes - perhaps a zebra somewhere in her bloodline? Regardless, the effect made her look exotic and alluring, and her presence easily dominated the meeting. When she was on, she was on.

"Hail! I am Skyfire, the Royal Voice, speaking on behalf of the Overseer, Prince Blueblood the Eighth!"

[BlasTech]

Rosemary's ears twitched as the voice boomed out of the opening vault. Has she heard that correctly? A prince?

Furiously, she wracked her brains, trying to recall what the old texts had said regarding male members of the royal family. All she could remember right now was that it was only the princesses that held the really significant magical powers. Or at least, that was how it was supposed to be. There was Prince Shining Armour, of course, but was he the rule or the exception?

Before she could help herself, she'd popped her head up over her bit of cover for a look. It was only afterwards that the thought that voices meant no hostiles really processed.

Well, now we can add a genuine prince to our collection. She thought, shooting a look towards Luna to gauge her reaction.

Assuming he is genuine She added.

[Balmas]

Dammit. Voices, intelligent voices, meant that the stable was still inhabited. It'd somehow survived the apocalypse whole and undamaged, and that meant lots of loot for the HREC.

Which meant, unless the stable dwellers were the most agreeable idiots ever and wanted to just hand over everything they owned on the spot, he'd probably be ordered to go in an slaughter all resistance.

Wonderful. He hadn't had his monthly bloodbath, after all.

And a prince, on top of everything. As if there wasn't enough screwed up here already.

"One order of bloodbath breakfast, side of Prince-kabob, coming up," he muttered under his breath.

[Tiki Snakes]

"Aaaaaah!" Said Trees. Or at least, she tried to. It was hard to tell whether anyone could actually hear her, what with her not currently having lungs. Still, it seemed the appropriate response, so after a brief pause she gave it another try, having a good old go at running around in a panic into the bargain, or at least as much as one can do when confined to vaguely flailing limbs that may or may not technically exist.

It was strangely reassuring.

Unsure what else to do exactly, Trees settled for a spot of wailing and moaning with a side order of trying to float in the general direction of the blurry underwater figures in the bright swathe of light that presumably passed for the outside world when one had been Ether Eyes'd.
It seemed appropriate somehow.

[I've no idea if Trees actually can move or make noise that other people can hear right now, so probably best not to react till Thanqol can adjudicate.]

[the_druid_droid]

"Hail! I am Skyfire, the Royal Voice, speaking on behalf of the Overseer, Prince Blueblood the Eighth!"

"Hail and well met, Skyfire! In the name of Emperor Shining Armor, I welcome the ponies of Stable 73 to the Crystal Empire, and extend to you the protection of the Hazardous Resources Excavation and Control Corporation until such time as you have secured a foothold within the Empire!" Luna was positively beaming, thrilled by Skyfire's sense of moment, and the presence of genuine unicorn nobility within the Stable. It was becoming clear why HREC had chosen this to be her first official mission.

[Thanqol]

"Aaaaaah!" Said Trees. Or at least, she tried to. It was hard to tell whether anyone could actually hear her, what with her not currently having lungs. Still, it seemed the appropriate response, so after a brief pause she gave it another try, having a good old go at running around in a panic into the bargain, or at least as much as one can do when confined to vaguely flailing limbs that may or may not technically exist.

It was strangely reassuring.

Unsure what else to do exactly, Trees settled for a spot of wailing and moaning with a side order of trying to float in the general direction of the blurry underwater figures in the bright swathe of light that presumably passed for the outside world when one had been Ether Eyes'd.
It seemed appropriate somehow.

[I've no idea if Trees actually can move or make noise that other people can hear right now, so probably best not to react till Thanqol can adjudicate.]

Trees could move, could make noise, kick up a fuss, but she seemed to be the only one who could hear her. It was like being a ghost.

She was pretty sure she wasn't a ghost though. She still felt warm, and colourful, and vibrant, and alive. There was an incredibly tense apprehension bordering on fear, though - without her body she was vulnerable in a way that she'd never been before. Like she'd wandered into the Everfree after dark and there were monsters on the prowl.

For now, though, she emerged into the glowing open for the first ever time. In this spiritual reflection of the world, the mountains were immense, taller than the world, the blizzard on the horizon was thick and dense and filled with intent, and the sun was an empty shell with no more splendour than a 40 watt lightbulb.

The sky it hung in, though.

Ah! The sky!


"Hail and well met, Skyfire! In the name of Emperor Shining Armor, I welcome the ponies of Stable 73 to the Crystal Empire, and extend to you the protection of the Hazardous Resources Excavation and Control Corporation until such time as you have secured a foothold within the Empire!" Luna was positively beaming, thrilled by Skyfire's sense of moment, and the presence of genuine unicorn nobility within the Stable. It was becoming clear why HREC had chosen this to be her first official mission.

"It is good to -" Skyfire glanced sideways at Blueblood, taken aback by some unexpected prompt.

"There is no need for the Royal Voice when addressing other members of royalty," said Prince Blueblood VIII. His expression was impossible to fathom in any direction. "Lady Luna, I am most glad that you also survived the storm that passed over Equestria two hundred years past. As a diplomatic gesture to confirm the friendship between our two nations I am prepared to accept your hoof in marriage."

[Deadly]

Blue stared blankly at the scene while the princess did her thing.

"What a douche," she commented in the privacy of her own mind. "Oh, I'd love to see the princess slap a ring around his crown jewels. Nice and tight."

"But they don't make rings that small."

[Tiki Snakes]

Torn by the conflicting emotions of wonder and terror, Trees settled for hiding off to one side, flopping down and staring at the immensity of the sky.

Totally worth it, she thought to herself woozily, Blueblood and the strangers largely forgotten.

[Balmas]

Oh, he had to be kidding. Gabriel bit off the sarcastic remark that was already swarming up his throat. After all, nobody would hire a griffon that couldn't use diplomacy if diplomacy required it.

Now, how to react? His finger hovered near the trigger, waiting for Luna's response.

[the_druid_droid]

"It is good to -" Skyfire glanced sideways at Blueblood, taken aback by some unexpected prompt.

"There is no need for the Royal Voice when addressing other members of royalty," said Prince Blueblood VIII. His expression was impossible to fathom in any direction. "Lady Luna, I am most glad that you also survived the storm that passed over Equestria two hundred years past. As a diplomatic gesture to confirm the friendship between our two nations I am prepared to accept your hoof in marriage."

Luna was not entirely sure where Blueblood had procured the chariot he'd just run her over with, but she managed to restrict her reaction to a momentarily blank expression and a droop of her wings. The briefing had decidely not covered this possibility, although HREC had made the point very clearly that above all, diplomacy was necessary when dealing with Stable dwellers. These ponies had been locked underground for over two centuries, and they would need time to adjust to life on the surface.

Some would apparently need more adjustment than others.

"Your offer is most... gracious, Prince. However, I am presently unable to respond to it in a fitting manner. Indeed, I would urge you to take some time to familiarize yourself with life on the surface again before stepping once more into the business of politics and royal life. It is true that the Crystal Empire has weathered much the worst of the war, but danger is still present and attention to matters of survival remains paramount. I am sure there are many Stable ponies whose lives will depend on your judgement in the days to come. If you will permit us, we will provide you with the tools and information necessary to choose wisely, for their sakes as well as yours."

[Thanqol]

Blueblood VIII nodded. "I accept your offer of betrothal, then," he said. "Now if you don't mind, before we proceed one would direly appreciate an opportunity to take a look at the sky. One hears stories about it,"

Without waiting for further cues, Prince Blueblood started to walk, and the unicorn masters walked along behind him.

[BlasTech]

Despite the obvious answer, Rosemary couldn't help wondering where the hay this guy had come from. Less than two minutes outside and he'd already married himself off to the first princess he'd come across.

She couldn't decide whether that was brilliant or idiotic.

That was the trouble with ponies like him, it was so hard to tell the difference between skillful but arrogant, and stupid but lucky. Either way, it probably meant trouble.

[Balmas]

Stupidity is not a capital crime. Neither is arrogance; I'm lucky there. Gabe moved his claws away from the trigger, certain that if he didn't, he'd wind up winging someone.

That's be good for business, wouldn't it? "Hire me! I'll solve all your diplomatic needs!" He grinned at the thought, and stared at the party of unicorns, checking for weapons.

Problem was, even an unarmed Unicorn could be a threat. You could never tell, just by looking at them, what they could actually do with those horns of theirs.

[the_druid_droid]

Blueblood VIII nodded. "I accept your offer of betrothal, then," he said. "Now if you don't mind, before we proceed one would direly appreciate an opportunity to take a look at the sky. One hears stories about it,"

Without waiting for further cues, Prince Blueblood started to walk, and the unicorn masters walked along behind him.

Someone will sort this out, surely... HREC can sort it out. I hope.

Luna recapitulated her blank look, and wondered just what she'd done wrong. Apparently in diplomacy changing the subject was not always enough... Should she have been more direct with her answer?

Or possibly Blueblood was mocking her, somehow aware that she was not yet in full possession of her throne?...

That thought stopped her dead, and she tried to divine what the unicorn might be thinking, but his face looked as blank as when he'd first stepped out of the Stable, and after a moment, Luna caught herself staring and shook her head to clear it. Whatever the case might be, issues of marriage and insult could be dealt with later; right now, there was work to be done and little enough time in which to do it.

Folding her wings back to her sides, Luna approached the party of nobles and spoke once again. "The sky is certainly lovely, especially compared to a concrete roof," how well she knew that, "but there is something I would ask you, if I may? To be candid, it has been a rather long journey from the captial, and the weather seems menacing at present. If you would permit us to shelter with you in the Stable until it blows over, I think we all might make a better start than if we were to head off immediately for the Empire. Assuming of course that you are not in dire need of food or medical supplies?"

[Thanqol]

"Oh, yes... medicine..." Blueblood VIII murmured as he and his unicorns walked out under the open sky.

There were quiet gasps and shaking legs. Some of them clung to each other for support. They walked in an extremely tight group a few steps out of the stable and paused in the daylight, blinking up at the enormity of the mountains around them. It was not an unspectacular vista even to jaded eyes.

In that moment they were not a group of Unicorn masters. They were a group of stable ponies viewing the sky and mountains for the very first time.

[Deadly]

Blue's eyes followed them, but she said nothing. It was going well so far. Whatever little she thought of their leader, it was good to see ponies had survived in there and were showing signs of not being completely insane and murderous.

[Balmas]

Gabriel sighed, a smile hovering at the edges of his beak. Maybe things would work out after all. If nothing else, it seemed like the bloodbath had been delayed.

Letting his rifle droop to point at the ground, he took the liberty of scanning the area around them for red bars. It'd be just their luck to settle everything peacefully, only to be attacked by raiders.

[Tiki Snakes]

Tension ebbed away from Trees. On some deep level, she recognised the threat from the blizzard. Both to her plans and more immediately her own wellbeing. She was instinctively aware of her immediate fragility, little more than a soul, torn free of it's protective shell.

But she was outside. And there was the sky, and the sun and the mountains. She'd won. She'd made it to the real world. No matter what followed she was a free pony and they could never take that away from her, not really.

She sighed, ethereally. It'd be nice to simply stare at the sky a while longer, but she had to admit there was probably stuff going on around her that was important, too. She cast her gaze across the gathering, taking in the blurry strangers and the gawping Stable 73 Unicorns for the first time.

[Thanqol]

There was a moment of peace.

And then, a brilliant red spark came into being before the eyes of everypony with a Pip-Buck.

And then another. And then three more. Ten more. Twenty. Thirty... oh dear

Their visions were solid, bloody red walls of hostile contacts.

And then, from under the snow, burst a bear.

Twelve feet tall and plated in shining silver Power Armour. It gave a deafening roar, amplified by the speakers in it's helmet. The blue and white flag of the Republic shined on it's shoulders

The scouts hadn't been wrong. The Republic of Bear hadn't moved any troops into this region in the past six months.

They'd arrived a year ago, and then they'd lain down and gone into hibernation to await the opening of Stable 73.

Bears were patient.

[BlasTech]

Folding her wings back to her sides, Luna approached the party of nobles and spoke once again. "The sky is certainly lovely, especially compared to a concrete roof," how well she knew that, "but there is something I would ask you, if I may? To be candid, it has been a rather long journey from the captial, and the weather seems menacing at present. If you would permit us to shelter with you in the Stable until it blows over, I think we all might make a better start than if we were to head off immediately for the Empire. Assuming of course that you are not in dire need of food or medical supplies?"

Rosemary sighed as she tucked her pistol back into its holster. It looked like nothing much dangerous was happening her. Or rather, the danger that this ambitious idiot posed would not be dealt with using a firearm.

It would have felt nice to try though.

Instead, she stood up, clearing her throat in case Luna had forgotten she was here. Still, if they needed medicine, it was her job here to provide it.


There was a moment of peace.

And then, a brilliant red spark came into being before the eyes of everypony with a Pip-Buck.

And then another. And then three more. Ten more. Twenty. Thirty... oh dear

Their visions were solid, bloody red walls of hostile contacts.

And then, from under the snow, burst a bear.

Twelve feet tall and plated in shining silver Power Armour. It gave a deafening roar, amplified by the speakers in it's helmet. The blue and white flag of the Republic shined on it's shoulders

The scouts hadn't been wrong. The Republic of Bear hadn't moved any troops into this region in the past six months.

They'd arrived a year ago, and then they'd lain down and gone into hibernation to await the opening of Stable 73.

Bears were patient.

Oh F***

Rosemary did not have the kind of training that most military types would have been given. But she did have good instincts, mostly born from her time wandering the wastes.

Her mind raced, taking in the sight of the silver power armour on a lot of enemies that hadn't been there second before. The idea of fighting them off evaporated. They had two ponies with incursion suits, the bears had more than twenty. It wasn't a matter of whether they could win, but how long they'd hold out.

With fight ruled out, flight was the best, if not only option.

She looked about for a clear route, they needed someplace where that would provide cover, or at least a way away from the worst of the fighting. As she glanced around, her eyes fell on the now-open stable door ...

That could be a death trap, she didn't know if there would be another way out and the bears would almost certainly slaughter anyone left inside once they were done out here.

But standing right out in front of the door was the 'Princess'.

Real or not, she was right in the open.

Rosemary leapt over the bit of rubble she'd been using as cover, sprinting right for the alicorn, and yelling at the top of her lungs. She ducked and weaved as she ran, hoping to make herself a less tempting target.

Move. MOVE.

Actions Taken


Movement x2 towards Luna - 30AP to cover 18 yards
Dodge - 30AP for -15 to hit

[Balmas]

"Oh, for f***'s sake," groaned the griffon as he yanked up his rifle and kicked into SATS. Time slowed to a crawl as he flicked from one target to another, taking in the ranks of silver and blue surrounding them. I don't even have enough ammo for all of them, he cursed, programming in one bullet to the helmet of the rearing bear. With luck, it'd go through the visor, instead of glancing off the thick metal helmet.

The spell guided his arms into position, sending the bullet stinging through the air, but he was too busy surging towards the princess to pay attention to where it went. "Move!" he urged, anxiously waiting for the sting of bullets plinking off armor to begin.

There were too many for him to make a decent shield, but he could block off as large a swath of attacks as he could for his client.

Actions Taken:
Activate SATS: 10 AP
Attack (Maria): 35 AP, 5 under 64. With a +1 luck from a Good weapon, that's just enough for a critical hit. (45+2d10 9)x1.5 = 81 damage.
Modifiers:
Called Shot: Head -30%
Short Range: 0%
SATS: +30% (Cancels head penalty)
Size difference: Seems like it's one size difference, for a 15% bonus
Fly: 15AP. Probably less than the 48 he can do in one move action. Moving to provide a bit of cover for the Princess
Dodge: 22 AP, -11% to attack.

[the_druid_droid]

In that moment they were not a group of Unicorn masters. They were a group of stable ponies viewing the sky and mountains for the very first time.

Luna smiled a little at the unicorns; she'd been in their shoes not so long ago herself, and seeing the wonder on their faces pushed some of the oddness of their first meeting out of her mind.

The alicorn had just turned to Rosemary when the snow exploded into a glittering army - one she wasn't at all prepared to face. Luna didn't need anypony to remind her to flee in the face of the ambush, and she quickly took to the sky, feeling a surge of magic begin to build at the base of her horn.

Actions Taken:
Fly (45 yards, approx. half vertical, half horizontal): 15 AP
Begin casting Eldritch Knives: 45 AP
Dodge (-6%): 13 AP

[Thanqol]

A bullet through the visor didn't even serve to slow down the charging Bear.

While the HREC staff were withdrawing into the tunnel entrance, the Unicorn group froze. For a second nopony acted.

And then Blueblood VIII stepped forwards.

It was like in slow motion he walked up to the roaring, bleeding Bear. A flick of his neck sent his red cloak to the floor, revealing armour of his own. His cutie mark, three crossed golden swords, shined like metal against his flank.

Golden light ran up Blueblood's horn. Not yellow - a deep, rich, burnished gold. Golden lightning crackled around his head.

Swords appeared in the air, one after another, deep and rich and powerful-gold. They hung in the air, three, six, eight and more

And then Blueblood VIII swung his head.

The swords sliced through the bear's armour as though it was paper. Flesh was cut apart evenly and perfectly. Cut following cut, bloody arc following bloody arc. In seconds the great and terrible power-armoured bear, a veteran warrior of the Republic, was reduced to a bloody mess by the golden swords.

Then Skyfire stepped forwards, black light running up her horn. Then there was an explosion, so deep and powerful it could be heard in the ribcage. Multicoloured light shattered out through the air, a rainbow of colour that tore through armour and burned flesh.

And then more and more horns started to glow. Spells began to fly. A bright blue shield went up, covering the unicorn formation. Magical enhancement spells began to layer on Blueblood, filling him with strength, speed and power.

Throughout their entire lives these unicorns had been holding back. They had Cutie Marks of spellwork and a lifetime of training and preparation and they'd never ever had a chance to cut loose like this. It was a spectacular demonstration. Inspiring.

*

As the HREC team started to pull back towards the Stable entrance, there was a gunshot. Luna was knocked out of the air in a puff of blood [55 damage to the right wing]

In a wave of yelling, screaming and gunshots came the earth pony revolutionaries, pouring out of the Stable entrance. It was utter confusion as they came out, fighting and killing. One of the Hazard Suits was swarmed under.

The bears on one side.

The unicorns on another

The earth ponies on the third.

It didn't take a mind as direct as Big Blue to see the obvious conclusion.

"SCATTER! BACK TO THE EMPIRE!" yelled the pegasus commander, soaring up into the air. The rest of the HREC team made to follow, fleeing in all directions, taking to the air and leaving the battle behind as fast as possible.

[Deadly]

"*yay*ing pieces of *yay*!" Blue growled loudly as the bears burst out of the snow around them. She was moving to defend the unicorns when they decided to go all bloody hell on the bears. Frankly, Blue was impressed.

Impressed and angry. And then somepony fired a shot and all hell broke lose. Blue's team instincts kicked in, following the momentum of the scattering pegasi as she wove and dodged nearly straight upwards, turning frequently as she dodged to cast a glance down at the scene below her.

Had somepony been shot? Not everypony down there could fly. Could they flee? "*YAY*!"

Actions (79 AP)
Fly : 3x15 AP for 3x46=138 yards mainly upwards

Dodge : 34 AP for -17%

I was debating whether to wait for some actions from the rest of you that Blue might react to. But I figured she'd "blindly" follow the team in the first few seconds, and at least that gets her to a good vantage point to see who needs help.

[Thanqol]

[New round, AP refreshes]

[Tiki Snakes]

For a moment there, Trees simply didn't know how to respond to the world. It was all too much. Monstrous armoured beasts bursting from the ground, the Unicorns unleashing nightmarish devastation and the arrival of the Earth Pony radicals, a confusing charge of angry ponies lashing out apparently indiscriminately.

The ethereal Trees flushed with dull anger, shame and guilty relief.
There was no going back.

Trees bolted.
Flee to the Empire, huh? Anywhere's better than here.

Actions
Sprint : 60ap for 92 yards (without slowing down.)
Dodge: 22ap for -11%

[the_druid_droid]

Luna's managed to get her feet under her as she fell, and took a second to glare at the bloody feathers of her wing; it felt searing hot, and the pain mixed with her surprise and confusion to come out as fury. With a cry, she finished the spell she'd been casting and sent off seven razor-sharp bolts of energy toward the nearest hostile-looking creature.

The spell seemed to drain her anger, and in a moment fear returned, backed by Big Blue's order to retreat. Flying would be painful now, but she could still run, and run Luna did...

Actions Taken:
Finish Ethereal Knives: 45 AP, 7 knives for 15 damage each with half DT at nearest target
Run (10.5 yards): 15 AP
Dodge (-6%): 13 AP

[Balmas]

"You," snapped the griffon, pointing one claw to the unicorn. He could barely hear himself over the shriek of magic on power armor, gunshots being exchanged, and the clamor of dying ponies. "Can you heal? We need to get the 'princess' out of here."

No actions taken.

[BlasTech]

"No." snapped Rosemary, with more than a hit of exasperated sarcasm. "I'm only the expedition medic because of my winning personality. Of course I can heal, you idiot!""

"Princess!" she yelled, turning back to the wounded alicorn and running in her direction. "Come with me!!"

There wasn't much time for dodging, but hopefully that wouldn't matter. The stable had been built with its door in the side of a mountain, and the area around them was split with ridges and valleys. Get to the top of one, down the other side, and they could put some real distance between them and the firefight.

"Fliers! Cover us!" she yelled, horn already aglow.

Actions Taken

Move (9 yards) - 15AP
Teleport - 45AP (Target: Line of sight - top of ridge away from fighting if any.) 40 Strain.
Dodge (-5%) - 10AP

[Balmas]

Gabriel smirked at the unicorn, before looking around and assessing his options. The unicorns seemed to have the bears well in hand, which made this an evacuation instead of a battle. Lots of fliers, so not much worry there. Who else needed his help?

There! The remaining hazard suit, fleeing the battle. It was too late for his companion, already swarmed by earth ponies, but he could offer a hoof... or claw, as the case may be.

Rifle strapped across his back, he dashed over to the earth pony, ducking and weaving to dodge any incoming bullets as he went. "Time to go!" he cried, lashing himself around the heavy orange power armor and laboriously flying away towards the ridge.

Actions Taken
Talking and Thinking: 5ish AP
Fly to earth pony: 15 AP
Flying Sprint: 30 AP to move 192 yards, not slowing down yet.
Dodge: 32 AP, -16% to hit.

Not sure how many AP it takes to grab something, but I figure if needed, it can be taken from dodge.

[Deadly]

Blue saw Luna drop to the ground with a shot wing, and Rosemary running for the princess. She heard the call for backup and made a turn in the air before diving for the ground. She couldn't just leave team members behind like that.

The pegasus raced downwards, speeding towards anypony who looked like they were after the two. "HEY!" she yelled as she raced for the enemies, looking very much like she didn't intend to slow down or care who she ran over.

Actions
Okay, I am not quite sure what kind of action this is exactly. A game of chicken sort of? I'm going with a fly-by trip given that I limited myself a lot by flying so high last turn.

Basically, Blue is just going to race right through the ranks of ponies near Rosemary and Luna, hoping that most ponies will leap out of the way of an incoming pegasus or at least be distracted by it. Some kind of Speech roll maybe? I don't know, so I'm including one just for good measure. Don't know if that'd cost AP, also not sure if she needs more AP for flight. If either, then maybe drop the Trip

Should anypony not be distracted enough, she'll attempt to trip that pony as she flies by. She's not going to slow down or anything. Just passing right through, is the idea.

I was considering a body slam, but I have no idea what the AP cost or damage is for a bare-body slam. The rules don't seem to say, and the weapon list doesn't mention bare-body attacks. By the way, can we have the link to the weapon list and any other lists in the first OOC post please? They're always a bother to locate

I hope I got the rules for all this even half right

Fly : 45 AP for 138 yards to get back to the ground

Distract/Chicken? : Speech 1d100 = 46 (well, I hope that's an Easy roll)

Trip : 20 AP with wingblades and 1d10+6 = 8 against whichever pony doesn't get out of her way and looks like they might be going after Rosemary and/or Luna

Dodge : 14 AP for 7%

[Thanqol]

The bears had opened fire. Battle saddles with machine guns poured out hundreds of rounds, cracking the shield with a thousand spidery impact points. One bear slammed a massive claw against the barrier and it almost shattered. The unicorns were fortunate that a lot of the bear firepower was going towards mowing down the earth ponies, who found their advance suddenly and brutally checked by the power armoured titans.

Blueblood faced down another bear, and this one took a swipe at him with a power claw - shattering his face, ripping his jawbone from his mouth, and dropping him to the ground in a bloody wreck. Two beats later he was back on his hooves, bringing a sword up under the bear's neck and through it's brain. He shook away the blood as the healing spell finished restoring his face and walked back under the barrier.

He picked up a green unicorn who had been cowering behind the others with his magic. "Teleport us out of here. Now."

"But -"

"Now."

Green magic shined. It cast over all the Stable 73 unicorns, they became transparent -

And then the light broke, the unicorn collapsed, horn sizzling, the magic utterly failed. Teleporting over thirty unicorns long distance was barely possible even for a master.

Blueblood grabbed the green unicorn. "Do it again."

"I - I can't -"

"Do it again or we all die."

The unicorn closed her eyes.

Her burnt out horn flickered and sparked ineffectually.

And then it bubbled. Black magic ran along it. Red and green pockets began to burn in the purple. Her eyes flashed open and she raised her head high -

And with a violet flash, all the unicorns vanished.

*

As the unicorns vanished, so did whatever spell was keeping Trees incorporeal.

Resonant Blue got swatted by a bear as she passed [75 damage]. The Republic didn't seem in any mood to give up ground or give the earth ponies a chance to try and seal the door.

The Hazard Suited pony Gabe was trying to assist waved him off. She knew that she was too slow to get out of there and too heavy to carry (you do not have the carry capacity to lift a pony in power armour, wearing a machine gun Battle Saddle, along with miscellaneous gear and kit). "Get out of here, I'll cover you!" she yelled.

[Special note, whenever I give out damage that's before DT - apply DT yourselves.]

[BlasTech]

Rosemary was breathing heavily as the princess and the unicorn winked back into existence at the top of the ridge. Teleporting others was hard.

Below, the battle was progressing, slaughter and death on all sides, but the bears seemed to be coming off the best. Turning away in distaste, she began her descent, pausing only to unholster her pistol.

"Is your wing badly hurt, highness?" she asked, as they descended. "I can treat it now, but it would be best if we were away from here first.

[b]Actions Taken[b]

Unholster weapon - 20AP
Climb (16ft) - 30AP

20AP unspent, pending Luna's reply

[Balmas]

Gabriel's beak formed a flat line, and he stared at the mare. She had to know that such a course was suicide. "Good luck," he said simply. "And thank you." Then, with a beat of wings and a rush of air, the griffon was gone.

Hero. It's a small word--four letters, two syllables. Strange that such a small word would contain so many ideas. Gabriel pumped his wings again, feeling the bile in his mouth at abandoning a fight. It was the smart thing to do. After all, there was no way that they could have won against the force of bears, all in power armor. A shot to the eye hadn't even made the bear flinch! That just struck Gabe as a bit unfair.

As he sped on, up towards the ridge, Gabriel spotted a pony appear in the corner of his eye. That pipbuck meant that she was probably part of the stable, and due to be part of the massacre that the Republic usually inflicted on anyone they found in a Stable. A hero--someone like the mare behind him, facing the bears--would stop and help.

Groaning, he forced himself to keep going. Heroes tended to die rather quickly in the wasteland.

Actions taken:
Sprint: 30 AP, 192 yards, at around a 30% angle from the horizon. Will slow down next round. That'd put him 96 yards up, and around 166 yards out. Damn, flight is ridiculously fast.
Dodge: 52 AP, -26% to hit.

[the_druid_droid]

Luna felt her spell dissipate as it sank into flesh, and then suddenly the world dissolved into blinding light. When she could see again, the fighting was below and away from her although she hadn't moved her aching wing from her side. Then Luna heard the unicorn address her and pieced together what must have happened.


"Is your wing badly hurt, highness?" she asked, as they descended. "I can treat it now, but it would be best if we were away from here first.


"My wing pains me, but mostly I am only... shaken. I think I will be able to seek shelter before requiring medical assistance. I- thank you." She met Rosemary's eyes then, with a look that was a little frightened and a little in shock. Then she turned away and tried to distance herself from the chaos below, wincing as screams rang out above the gunfire.

Actions
Move (42 yards): 60 AP
Dodge (-6%): 13 AP

[BlasTech]

Rosemary nodded, meeting the alicorn's eyes with her own solid gaze. The two of them climbed a bit further down the mountain before the unicorn spoke again.

There had been something in the other mare's eyes that Rosemary had noticed. Her experiences in HREC had made her no stranger to seeing other ponies in pain, and despite her own protestations, she found herself making the effort to catch up to the princess.

"Highness? Can you wait a moment?"

Action taken

Climb (16ft) - 30 more AP

Turns out it's only 10AP to draw a holstered weapon, so I have enough for two move actions this round.

[Deadly]

Blue groaned from the powerful slam of the bear. Those bastards had some nasty big paws. She swayed heavily and set off at top speed in the direction Rosemary and Luna had gone. "Come on, sis, we're bailing this dump!" she growled at no one and spat out a mouthful of blood in flight.

Actions
Sprinting : 3x15 AP for 2x3x46=276 yards

Dodging : 34 AP for 17%

[Thanqol]

In that moment it seemed everypony was clear of the fighting. It was just the Republic and the Earth Ponies, and that fight could only go one way.

And then, out of nowhere, music (http://youtu.be/fKhTk0IynHM)started playing.

No, not out of nowhere. From the Pip-Bucks. Everypony with a Pip-Buck - Republic, Stable ponies, even Gabriel and Trees - their radio had set and jammed to the Enclave radio frequency. SATS and EFS had also stopped responding.

Stand up and be counted
For what you are about to receive
We are the Enclave
We'll give you everything you need

The thunderstorm closed in faster than should have been possible.

Power-armoured figures danced through the lightning strikes.

A wall of almost solid snow and wind crashed across the mountains towards them.

We rock at dawn on the front line
Like a bolt right out of the blue
The sky's alight with the guitar bite
Heads will roll and rock tonight

The storm hit. "Fist of an angry god" was not an improper metaphor.

Lightning boomed EVERYWHERE, rapid-fire thunderstrikes deafening and disorienting. Hail pelted down hard enough to bruise. If anypony had any plans to be in the sky they'd have to think again pretty fast. Visibility was zero.

And then, along with the sounds of thunder and howling of wind, there was the crackle of laser fire. And Resonant Blue suddenly got a sudden, scary realisation of what was going on here. It was awful - and it was brilliant.

Pegasus war songs. They sung them while moving through thunderstorms and blizzards so that everypony knew where everypony else was at all times. But by broadcasting music to all Pip-Bucks in the area they forced their opponents to sing - and made them obvious targets even in zero visibility conditions. It was a inspired reversal of an ancient custom.

Whoever was in command up there was smart, extremely well equipped, and had come ready to fight a unit of Republic infantry.

Whatever was in that Stable a lot very dangerous ponies wanted it.

Which made it a very unsafe place to be.

[All: 34 cold damage from the storm, modified by Cold resistance and not DT. Damage will be added every round until you get to cover.]

[Balmas]

"Son of a rooster sea cook!" cursed the griffon as he fought with his pipbuck. Thunder and lightning he could deal with, and even hail wasn't that bad if you weren't in the middle of the air when it came down. Having a radio broadcasting your position was just out of the question, though.

"Why'd it have to be the feathering Enclave?" he growled, struggling to activate the earblooms, lower the volume, anything to shut it up. Peck at the buttons, swipe a claw along the selector wheel... Good. Normally he wouldn't mind having the radio on, and the music was even passable, but not here, and not now.

He couldn't even light up with all this damn hail coming down.

Damn the Enclave. Damn the hail. Damn the Republic too, just for good measure. Though in retrospect, if the bears hadn't shown up when they had, the HREC would have been in the stable when the Enclave showed up.

It could never be an easy job, could it? He groaned, scanning for his charge. There! A hint of blue among a sea of gray. Dropping, he landed near the princess. That unicorn from before was next to her. Brilliant; together meant twice as many people to protect. "We need shelter," he said, extending a wing over Rosemary, keeping off some of the hail. "Can you fly, Luna?"

Actions taken:

Sprint:30 AP, 192 yards.
Slow down: 15 AP
Dodge: 36 AP, -18% to hit

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees didn't have long to enjoy the sensation of having a body again. Breifly, a weird feathered not-pony flew across her sight before the sky fell. Raucous music and freezing cold blizzard hit without warning.

She didn't even have time to worry about the ponyfolk left in the Stable. No, she'd made up her mind and she wasn't going to change it now. She doubled down, sprinting in the general direction she'd seen the Griffon going in before the snowstorm swallowed him.


Actions
Sprint : 60ap for 92 yards (without slowing down.)
Dodge: 22ap for -11%
Cold Damage - 34 -20% so that's - either 6 or 7. Do we roll down, or up in this system? so 27 or 28.

[Deadly]

Blue made some very nasty comments better left to imaginations and dove wildly down through the blizzard for the nearest cover she could find. She was not going to stay out in this weather, as much as she might have felt like kicking some serious tails.

I'm not sure I need to worry much about exactly distances and numbers here. Sprint+Dodge to get to cover as quickly and safely as possible

34 cold damage. Blue is gonna be sore tomorrow

[Thanqol]

Through fate or chance or something else, all the player character ponies found themselves stumbling into a small cave and out of the screaming wind and hail. The distance and cover from the Enclave seemed enough to make the Pip-Bucks stop screaming their music, instead playing distorting static for a few seconds before rebooting to normal without further incident.

And there was a moment of peace.

[Balmas]

Gabriel scowled, brushing hail off of Maria and cleaning out the mechanism. "Well," he said wryly, "that was only about as painful as having a manticore shove its sting through your wing."

[the_druid_droid]

"Highness? Can you wait a moment?"


"Yes, I think it might be safe enough here to pause." Luna turned to face Rosemary again, waiting for her to proceed, and still looking a bit shell-shocked. Behind her, Luna could see nasty-looking storm clouds building.

[With the storm damage, Luna is below 50% HP, which would be enough to bring out her backseat driver. However because Rosemary may be planning to heal her, I'll wait for a ruling about how this resolves temporally before going forward.]

[Thanqol]

"Yes, I think it might be safe enough here to pause." Luna turned to face Rosemary again, waiting for her to proceed, and still looking a bit shell-shocked. Behind her, Luna could see nasty-looking storm clouds building.

[With the storm damage, Luna is below 50% HP, which would be enough to bring out her backseat driver. However because Rosemary may be planning to heal her, I'll wait for a ruling about how this resolves temporally before going forward.]

[Whatever you think is coolest]

[BlasTech]

Snow was familiar to Rosemary by now.

The ice cold blizzard that smashed down upon the ridgeline was not. Even crouched low amongst the rocks, Rosemary was momentarily overawed by the sheer force of nature that had been directed against them. It took a hoof-sized hailstone to knock her back into the game.

Ouch.

She gritted her eyes closed against the snow. Visibility had gone from good to almost nothing in less than a minute, but she'd thought she'd seen a dark patch amongst the rocks that might have been a cave.

She called out to Luna, pointing a hoof in the direction to take, when the griffon from earlier set down on the hillside. In hindsight, Rosemary would have liked to be able to say that he'd nearly gotten himself shot for that, but the truth was that she was so distracted by the blizzard that she had almost forgotten about the pistol she was levitating.

She was grateful for the griffon's protection during the walk, but couldn't keep a tinge of distaste from entering her expression when he decided to comment on their situation. It only reminded her how Luna was currently nursing what could only be a very painful hole in her own wings.

Her horn flared briefly, dispelling the water from their coats before they could catch hypothermia, before she turned her efforts and mind towards healing the scrapes that they'd taken in the fighting.

First priority went to the most badly injured.

"Princess, can I see that wing now?"

[Cast Clean x3 - 15 Strain]

[Tiki Snakes]

Running blind, with only the unwanted radio for company, the cave took Trees entirely by surprise.

She slammed into it and it's inhabitants without chance to slow down. She slumped to the ground, a tangled mess of legs wrapped in a cold weather cloak.

[Balmas]

Gabriel smiled as the wetness oozed out of his feathers. Griffons could stand the cold--it went right along with living in the mountains, long ago--but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Gently, he twiddled with the rifle's bolt, running it up and down the action to make sure that it wouldn't jam in combat, and then pulled an over-size bullet from his satchel. As he held the magazine, though, he paused. It was probably just his imagination, or the thunder echoing through the caves, but he could swear he heard a stampede coming this way.

He turned to check, and his eyes only barely had time to widen before his world became a pinwheel of blue, orange, and rocking guitar music.

[Deadly]

Blue barreled into the cave, bloodied, frozen and looking about as sane as a bear woken up by a shovel to the face. Her face did look like something vaguely like a shovel might have been applied to it. "Any gnarly old bears in this cave?" she growled even before coming to a halt or having time to look around. "If so, get lost!"

She brushed her mane out of her face and looked around. "Oh, good."

[BlasTech]

Rosemary frowned as she inspected the alicorn's wing. The damage wasn't bad, but it still looked like a painful wound.

Still, it was nothing that a little healing magic and some time wouldn't fix. The big problem was that she could feel the drain that teleporting had had on her reserves. For all the brevity of their flight from the battle outside, she was dangerously close to exhausting her abilities already.

Her horn glowed again, stitching closed the wound.

[Cast Restoration - 5 Strain: Heals 20+2d10 (15): 35 damage over the next 2 minutes.]


Running blind, with only the unwanted radio for company, the cave took Trees entirely by surprise.

She slammed into it and it's inhabitants without chance to slow down. She slumped to the ground, a tangled mess of legs wrapped in a cold weather cloak.


Gabriel smiled as the wetness oozed out of his feathers. Griffons could stand the cold--it went right along with living in the mountains, long ago--but that didn't mean he had to like it.

Gently, he twiddled with the rifle's bolt, running it up and down the action to make sure that it wouldn't jam in combat, and then pulled an over-size bullet from his satchel. As he held the magazine, though, he paused. It was probably just his imagination, or the thunder echoing through the caves, but he could swear he heard a stampede coming this way.

He turned to check, and his eyes only barely had time to widen before his world became a pinwheel of blue, orange, and rocking guitar music.

Intent on helping her patient first, Rose barely looked up as something barreled into the griffon and sent them sprawling. She really only looked long enough to determine that, whoever it was, there was only one of them.

Figuring that the mercenary could handle whoever this new intruder was, she turned her focus back to ...


Blue barreled into the cave, bloodied, frozen and looking about as sane as a bear woken up by a shovel to the face. Her face did look like something vaguely like a shovel might have been applied to it. "Any gnarly old bears in this cave?" she growled even before coming to a halt or having time to look around. "If so, get lost!"

She brushed her mane out of her face and looked around. "Oh, good."

"Hold still"

Rose's voice was crisp, professional, and more than a little detached. She was operating in the frame of mind of most medical staff when confronted with trauma, and the pegasus who had just walked in out of the blizzard was almost the textbook picture of a massive trauma victim, right down to the horrible bloody gash on her side that had probably been caused by a bear's power claw.

Those lingering concerns of exhaustion caused Rose to unclasp her saddlebags, withdrawing one of the healing potions she carried with her and giving it to the pegasus instead of relying on her own horn power for the job. Fortunately, the pegasus was wearing CEAF barding, which meant that she knew just where to look to find a second potion from the flyer's own stores.

"Drink those"

[Potions x2 - Heal 20 + 3d10 each.

First potion (8): Heals for 28
Second potion (18): Heals for 38]

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees rolled over awkwardly, trying to disentangle herself from the Griffon.
"Uh..." For a moment, she wasn't sure whether to start apologising, beg for her life or break out as much bravado as she could.

"I..I'm sorry. I just, I had to get away." She stammered almost involuntarily, trailing off in exhausted confusion and conflicting emotions.

[Balmas]

"Don't let me stop ya," growled the griffon as he picked himself up. "If you need to get away, then by all means, get away."

Dammit. Where'd the clip go? He paused, reaching under him and inspecting the metal case for dents. Nothing a bit of buffing couldn't take out, but that mare'd hurt Maria.

With a fit of jerky, ill-tempered movements, the replacement bullet slotted into place, and the empty casing went back into the satchel. Gabriel snapped the clip into the rifle with a flick of a claw and let the barrel drift towards the mare.

"Go ahead," he said flatly. "Get away."

[the_druid_droid]

The hail started quickly, and only seconds after Rosemary was hit, another chunk of ice collided with Luna. It impacted right on the point of her shoulder and the pain set a piercing white light through her head.

When her vision cleared, the alicorn seemed to have no idea where she was, only that she was cold, and somepony was shouting something. She turned and located Rosemary, and managed to string enough thoughts together to follow her toward shelter and out of the bitter winds and driving storm. Once inside, she curled into a tight little ball and stared at the ground in semi-darkness.


First priority went to the most badly injured.

"Princess, can I see that wing now?"

[Cast Clean x3 - 15 Strain]


Rosemary frowned as she inspected the alicorn's wing. The damage wasn't bad, but it still looked like a painful wound.

Still, it was nothing that a little healing magic and some time wouldn't fix. The big problem was that she could feel the drain that teleporting had had on her reserves. For all the brevity of their flight from the battle outside, she was dangerously close to exhausting her abilities already.

Her horn glowed again, stitching closed the wound.

[Cast Restoration - 5 Strain: Heals 20+2d10 (15): 35 damage over the next 2 minutes.]

At Rose's words, the midnight-blue pony gave her a strange look, but her wing extended mechanically. She flinched a little as the spell took hold, and then curled up again, still not speaking.

[Deadly]

"Hold still"

Rose's voice was crisp, professional, and more than a little detached. She was operating in the frame of mind of most medical staff when confronted with trauma, and the pegasus who had just walked in out of the blizzard was almost the textbook picture of a massive trauma victim, right down to the horrible bloody gash on her side that had probably been caused by a bear's power claw.

Those lingering concerns of exhaustion caused Rose to unclasp her saddlebags, withdrawing one of the healing potions she carried with her and giving it to the pegasus instead of relying on her own horn power for the job. Fortunately, the pegasus was wearing CEAF barding, which meant that she knew just where to look to find a second potion from the flyer's own stores.

"Drink those"

[Potions x2 - Heal 20 + 3d10 each.

First potion (8): Heals for 28
Second potion (18): Heals for 38]

"Okay, well ... thanks," the pegasus muttered and downed the potions. She grimaced at the taste and winced at the mending of her wounds. "Ugh, I'd gut that bear if I could," she growled under her breath and looked around again, a little more calmly.

[BlasTech]

"Okay, well ... thanks," the pegasus muttered and downed the potions. She grimaced at the taste and winced at the mending of her wounds. "Ugh, I'd gut that bear if I could," she growled under her breath and looked around again, a little more calmly.

"Well, I would suggest obtaining something that cuts through power armour first." replied Rosemary, as she finished her inspection. "But if it's imminent violence that you want, you may yet get your chance."

Everypony still bore bruises and scrapes that she would need to tend to later, but with the healing potions taking hold, nopony else was in imminent danger from her injuries. On to the next item of business then.

A light green field of magic enveloped her plasma pistol as she floated it free from her holster and levelled it at Trees.

"I apologise, master griffon" she said, her attention now fixed on the intruder, "but this pony won't be going anywhere just yet. At least, not until she answers some questions."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Feathers, you're crazy. Why would I want to get away? I just escaped that hell-hole. Not like there was anything to go back for even without all those friends of yours turning up." Trees replied, quizically. Trees clambered to her feet.

Then Rosemary drew her gun.

"What? Oh, right! You were being intimidating, gotcha. Sorry Feathers, no sale." she walked past the griffon before continuing. "The lady is right, I'm not going anywhere. But I'm not answering any questions either. I don't answer to Unicorns anymore."

She held Rosemarys gaze coldly and defiantly.

"Especially not at gun point."

[Balmas]

A smirk tugged at the edge of Gabriel's beak. Two guns pointed to her face, unarmed, and sticking to her position. She had guts, that one.

"Do you answer to bullet?" asked the griffon, sighting down the rifle lazily. Pony eyes were beautiful, like twin gems sparkling with light. They also made wonderful targets. "I won't ask you to leave again."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Good, I hate having to repeat myself for idiots." Trees replied easily, still not turning her gaze away from Rosemary to look at the griffon.

"Alright, how about I give you some options then?" She continued almost conversationally. "I didn't bust out of that damned Stable just to die in a cave, so let's say I do leave. Anyone roaming around out there is going to die of cold pretty quickly and I'm not particularly enamoured of that as a plan either, so that leaves me with one course of action, doesn't it?"

She paused, letting the moment hang.

"If I go out there then my only chance is to start broadcasting, all frequencies and with my pipbuck blaring out loud, see if I can't trade you guys for my own life. Now see, I don't know what happened to all that noble bluster about welcoming the ponies of Stable 73 to, what was it? This Crystal Empire of yours, extending your protection and all that horse twaddle but if it turns out I'm wrong and you really are just trigger happy looters then maybe I'm wrong about those big-ass bears or whatever the hell it was in that cloud too."

Trees eyes were hard, all but unblinking.

"Don't get me wrong, that's still a pretty damn stupid plan but it's got nothing on hiding in a cave on the edge of a battlefield filled with two separate squads of psychopaths out for your blood only to start a gunfight just to kill time, but if that's how you folk roll, who am I to argue?"

Trees tail slowly, deliberately snaked round her hip and under her cold weather cloak. She retrieved her 10mm Pistol unhurriedly.

"Course, if you two happy campers are intent on that kind of conversation, you're going to be talking a lot louder than me. I don't fancy my chances." She levelled her gun in the direction of the recently wounded Alicorn.

"But she looks a whole lot more important than the rest of you, and I figure if we're going to start shooting and risk suicide by Bear, I figure I could probably take a nice soft target like her down with me before you two jackasses can put an end to me."

"Or", she growled, angrily. "You can put your popguns away, chill the buck out and we can focus on not freezing to death in a grotty little cave in the middle of bucking no-where."

"Your choice."

[BlasTech]

Bad move.

Rosemary's eyes tightened as the pony pulled her own gun, this was getting worse. A part of her figured they should just open fire and be done with it, with four of them against one - the pony would be dead in seconds. Threat dealt with, move on. Still ...

"Let's get one thing straight, stranger." she continued, her voice still controlled, but notably chillier. "The only reason you are still alive right now - the only reason - is that the first words out of your mouth just then were 'I'm Sorry'. How about we keep to that trend of politeness, hmm?"

"Because let's review the situation here; you have just confirmed why I didn't want you to leave. Also there are four of us here, there is one of you." She replied, stepping to the side so that he could see the now-healed Pegasus behind her. "So, really, there are now only two ways you're leaving this cave. Either with us, or hooves first, with that pip-buck of yours smashed into pieces.

"Now, the blizzard outside right now makes talking impossible, let alone hearing a gunshot from further than the cavern mouth. Now, I believe that it is still a foalish chance to take, but I'd be willing to risk it if it means removing an imminent source of danger from our vicinity - and you're doing a very poor job of convincing me you're anything else."

"Finally" she said, as she continued her trajectory to stand between Luna and the newcomer. "You may be right that her life is valuable to us, but you're a damned idiot if you think I give a flying feather about my own."

"So let's start with the basics, yes? You can begin with telling us your name. Also, I assume you are from the stable, so you can also tell us your connection with those trigger happy ponies who, I might add, ambushed and shot our emissary the last time we tried offering them shelter?"

[Tiki Snakes]

"That's not how this is working. You drew first, you escalated. You're the pony who sees a fleeing survivor of a massacre and thinks, Gee, this situation needs more death threats. You want to make nice? You holster and maybe we play storytime." Trees didn't flinch. "Because unlike you, I do value my own life and you can bet I'll do whatever it takes to keep it. And the only thing keeping me from bolting and hitting transmit right here and now is the fact that your friend there didn't sound like a murderer when she was doing her big speech a minute ago."

"And lately, that's not something I've had the opportunity to claim very often. Present company included."

[BlasTech]

"The only 'survivors of a massacre' that I can see right now is us. What I see here is a pony with the same weaponry and barding as those who took a shot at me and mine not five minutes ago."

"Now I know the wasteland is probably new to you, but you're going to learn very quickly just how hard trust is to come by out here."

"Now you can try running, but where would you go? Assuming you even make it five steps? The Republic of Bear? They eat stable dwellers. The Enclave? I'd like to see you try. To them, you're probably already a 'contaminated tribal' by now, and subject to shoot on sight. Besides, they only accept pegasi."

"So really, a little Q&A at gunpoint is relatively polite. But if you insist I holster first, I am not too proud to do so." she finished, tucking her pistol away.

"Keep her covered" she said to Resonant and Gabriel, before favoring Trees with a smile that had no real warmth to it.

"While I'm not that proud, I'm also not that stupid. This is as far as my trust goes. Your turn."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Alright, one gun in a holster, one answer." Trees replied, levelly. "My name is Trees."

"Make that two answers. Where would I go? I'd head back out there and sell what I have to keep what little is mine. Which would be you, my skills as a mechanic, my knowledge of that forsaken joke of a Stable. Hell it's clear they all want the Stable or something inside it. I'm probably the only thing out here with intimate knowledge of that pit who isn't already dead or fanatically trying to kill them, so I figure if I put out a broadcast I've got something like a fifty fifty shot of living another day."

"You want more answers, you put more guns away. I'll give you some advice for free though, wastelander. There's no point threatening somepony with nothing left to lose."

[Balmas]

Gabriel groaned, and snapped, "Why don't you two just cut to the chase and start with the kissing?"

"You. Dirtpounder. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and if this is your idea of strategy, pretty clearly not very smart. If we were really murderous thugs, I wouldn't have bothered bluffing or threatening. I would've just shot you in the head before you could stand up."

Slowly, he eased his rifle back into his shoulder holster. "As such, I think it's only reasonable that we show a bit of trust between one another. I'll even toss a bit of free advice to you, since you were kind enough to share your 'wisdom' with us.

"You wouldn't last two minutes out there. If the snow didn't get you, the pitched battle would. Your advanced knowledge of the stable wouldn't be worth two caps.

"Welcome to the Wasteland," he said, smirking grimly. "Where the only people who give a f*** about you are the ones who want what's in your saddlebags. I'm Gabriel. Nice to meet you."

[BlasTech]

"And there's no point posturing when you have nothing to gain either." she replied, matter of factly, pointedly ignoring the comment from the griffon about kissing. "You have to realise that that plan won't work - the Enclave is jamming everything outside this cave, try to broadcast something and all you'll get is twenty stations of rock music followed by a laser to the face. What I said before was not a threat, but simple fact; your best course to keeping your life is to co-operate with us."

"Now, you've set a fair price, but I'm not willing to ask our pegasus friend here to disarm while you are still pointing that pistol at the princess. So, you may ask us two questions when you put that gun away. Please."

[Oops, Pinkie'd]

[Tiki Snakes]

Gabriel groaned, and snapped, "Why don't you two just cut to the chase and start with the kissing?"

Trees blushed furiously.
"If I actually thought you were murderous thugs, I'd have turned around and left right away. Better two minutes in the snow and a chance at cutting a deal than the alternative, in that case." She shrugged, changing the subject only slightly.

"I'm pretty sure that if I could stay up long enough I could have sold my services, actually. You don't know what kind of a hell-hole that Stable is. But the last thing I want to do is go back there. Let alone to help any of those psychopaths with their butchery and their thieving."


"Now, you've set a fair price, but I'm not willing to ask our pegasus friend here to disarm while you are still pointing that pistol at the princess. So, you may ask us two questions when you put that gun away. Please."

"That's a Pegasus?" Trees asked, dubiously scowling at Gabriel.
"I don't really have any questions for you." Trees holstered the pistol. "But it's not like I wanted to shoot her anyway. I mean, I would have if it came to it, more out of spite than anything, but mostly to give me time to get out of here. I wouldn't have wasted time aiming or anything."

"You really believe that a gang who rolls in with cover like that, denying vision to their enemies and using sound and their own technology against them wouldn't also have people listening out for communication traffic and stuff? Mare, Stable 73 would have eaten you alive. I mean, you might be right for all I know, but if so those folks just got a bit less scary."

Trees calmly walked further in to the cave, though perhaps not without keeping half an eye on the two who had given her such a hostile welcome.

"Your right about my chances out in the open though, in general. I've no idea what I'm doing when it comes to that kind of thing." She sat herself down, away from the drafts coming in the mouth of the cave, huddling in her cold weather cape. "I don't stand a chance on my own out here. I'm willing to earn my way if that's what it takes, at least now you've put your gun away and dropped all that Unicorn Imperative stuff. I'm not doing anything just because a Unicorn told me to, nor anything else out here for that matter. I'm a Free Pony and nothing is taking that away from me."

[Balmas]

"Yes, I am absolutely a pegasus," deadpanned the griffon. "Two hundred years of radiation and inbreeding granted us pegasi stunted ears, beaks, and lion parts. Nah, I get the feeling she's talking about Blue over there."

He sighed, pulling a cigarette from his pack and taking a drag. "Psychopaths, huh? What kind of Stable-Tec nonsense did you have to deal with in your stable?"

[BlasTech]

Now that Trees had holstered her own pistol, Rosemary felt the tension drain from her shoulders. Turning briefly to Resonant, she gave the pegasus a sign to stand down.

"I think you misunderstand me." Rosemary replied slowly, as something the earth pony had said caused a lightbulb to go on in her head. If she'd thought the unicorn delegation was a bunch of stuck-up prigs after only knowing them for five minutes, how bad must it have been to live under them for an entire lifetime?

"I was not giving you orders because of any unicorn imperative ... but because, technically at least, today's events have left me the ranking member of the HREC team in this cavern." she continued, quietly. "More specifically, it has left me the only remaining member of the science team. And since both the CEAF and mercenary groups were assigned to us as security, I felt that left me as the ranking officer here."

Rose cast a concerned glance back at the alicorn behind her, worried at Luna's continued silence.

"Normally, that fact would not be that important to me, but I feel it gives me certain ... obligations in ensuring the safety of the others here. At least until I can find my pegasus boss and hoof this responsibility back to him."

"So in short, I apologise if I was a bit brusque. But you have to understand, that even if you are unaffiliated with those who attacked us from the vault, I do not want to take chances, not when their lives are at stake. Not when you threaten the princess."

"So, as a second question; is there anything you can do, as a free pony, that will convince me I do not need to post guards over our camp until we leave?"

She glanced at the griffon, taking in his more relaxed demeanour.

"Or am I being improperly paranoid?"

[the_druid_droid]

At last, Luna seemed to find herself. Still silent, she stepped forward, around Rosemary to face their new arrival.

"My offer was not a hoax, nor has it been withdrawn. If you seek asylum, and your intentions are genuine, it is yours insofar as I have power to enforce it. It was not you who sent the bears nor the pegasi, and so the Empire will have no quarrel with you." The alicorn's posture relaxed by a hair, and she added, "My name is Luna. It is a pleasure to meet you, Trees."

[Deadly]

"Yes, I am absolutely a pegasus," deadpanned the griffon. "Two hundred years of radiation and inbreeding granted us pegasi stunted ears, beaks, and lion parts. Nah, I get the feeling she's talking about Blue over there."

He sighed, pulling a cigarette from his pack and taking a drag. "Psychopaths, huh? What kind of Stable-Tec nonsense did you have to deal with in your stable?"

Blue looked around. Blue looked behind herself. "Right, 'pegasus'," said the pegasus who might have taken a paw too many to the side of the head, complete with air quotes, which she did pretty well using the tips of her wings. "And brown and white are the new blue, 'cause of propaganda, dude."

At Rosemary's prompt, she stepped back and folded her wings again but kept her eyes on Trees in a very deliberate way.

[Tiki Snakes]

"Now see, that's more like it." Trees nodded in the direction of the Alicorn. "She's nice. Funny lookin', but nice. Pleasure to meet you, Luna."

"See, there's something wrong with Stable 73. It ain't full of brain-eating lizards, or filled with hallucinogenic gas and if you keep your head down, you'll probably live to a good old age." She shrugged, waggling a hoof as she talked.
"But it gets inside you. It rots you from the inside out, until there's nothing left that's good or true."

"I mean, the Unicorns are bad enough. They've got the whole thing running for them and their comfort. While Earth Ponies graft and bleed in the dark and the stink they lie around screwing their relatives and getting blitzed off their stupid horse faces. You step out of line? To the mines with you. You question their right to rule? To the mines with you. You turn them down? To the mines you go. You have too many foals? To the mines with you, and maybe no-one sees the foal again." She paused, looking away.

"But if they were the only problem it would have been simple. Over throw them, or rig up a whole load of drills and bust out of the stupid place. We'd have been loose generations ago, or running the Stable ourselves. But the thing gets inside you. When I was growing up, all the talk was about how we needed to either convince the Unicorns to leave us alone, or put them up against the wall and be done with it. But no one talks about that any more, not really. They're all too busy trying to get one over on the unicorns, trying to hurt them for the sake of it, or all too often to get one over on the other Earth Ponies. Eventually, it seemed like they spent more time trying to get rich off the Unicorns, or selling junk to young Earth Ponies or lashing out for the sake of it at anything that made a target of itself."

"Stable 73 has been eating itself alive for generations. They're all as mad as each other at this point. For all I know, I'm the last sane pony born in Stable 73. You saw it yourself. The Unicorns were foul to the core, it shows even when they're trying to make nice. But the Earth Ponies? They burst out of that place after years of hell, presumably to stick one to the Unicorns and what is their first thought on seeing them surrounded and fighting for their lives? Attack the newcomers."

Trees shuddered.

"They've bought into Stable 73, heart and soul. They won't run, they'll fall back inside. They'll melt away into the mines. No one really knows how far the tunnels run. There are miles of them down there that no Unicorn has ever seen, left over from a dozen half hearted plans to go full revolution. Tunnels designed to hide Earth Ponies they say, tunnels designed to make killing outsiders easy. Sometimes ponies go missing down there. There's rumours of Earth Ponies going mad, running away to the depths and building things. Heaven knows a lot of stuff goes missing, so who knows?"

Trees shrugged dismissively, waving the topic away.
"It doesn't matter anymore. Even if it hadn't been attacked, I never intended to go back there."

"Post guards if you want HREC. I mean come on, there's a lot of bad stuff going on nearby. Not my problem if they keep an eye on me too, long as manners are minded and you watch where you're pointing your pieces. I'm a little on edge right now."

[BlasTech]

Rosemary shrugged, letting Luna handle the diplomatic aspects of it, while she tended to everypony's wounds - everypony in the HREC party at least.

The first stop was another healing spell on Luna's wing; the last restoration spell having run its course. Her horn glowed green again as she tried focusing her energies into the limb in question, coaxing the alicorn's body into fixing the last of the damage those vault ponies had inflicted.

Cast Restoration (5 strain)
Target: Left wing. Rolled - 18 under 35. Success. Heals 20 + 2d10 (18): 38 damage healed over 2 mins. (Heals wing entirely and adds 38HP to Luna's total health pool)]

After that was done, the medic did the rounds, ministering to the HREC personnel, attempting to alleviate some of the suffering.

Medicine rolls - attempting to treat injuries without using supplies. (success doubles natural healing rate)

Luna: 38 over 35 - Failed
Gabriel: 73 over 35 - Failed
Resonant: 36 over 35 - Failed (Oh COME ON)
Rosemary: 9 under 35 - Success (... figures)

So, yeah, everyone besides Rose heals at half the usual rate tonight on account of Sombra powah. (i.e. (1+END/3)/2, round up, per hour of sleep)

"First watch? Three hours?" she whispered to the pegasus, as she finished tying off a bandage around the flyer's side.

"Second watch? Three hours?" was the whispered question to the griffon, once she'd done the same. "And wake me for the third?"

She was tired, and honestly, she needed rest. Her hooves were fumbling with the bandages and ointments as she tried to clean and dress the injuries of her associates.

Once she was done, she turned to Trees and looked at her; silently voicing a question as she held up her medical supplies.

[Tiki Snakes]

"You don't owe me anything." Trees shook her head slightly. "I'll be fine."

[BlasTech]

"I don't offer because of a debt. I offer because you are injured, but not so badly that I would make it a demand." Rosemary replied, still holding the supplies out.

[Balmas]

Gabriel snorted at the unicorn's ministrations, but allowed her to do her job. It was just hail. Sure, it'd bruise, but he'd heal.

"Never smart to refuse help," he grunted, pawing at his bandages. Dangit, these things wouldn't do jack if they were that loose. "In the wasteland, you need all the supplies you can get."

[the_druid_droid]

"Very well. I propose that tomorrow we determine if the fighting has sufficiently abated, and if so we make for our previous mountain campsite. It is possible that survivors may have regrouped there, particularly those lacking the power of flight. Is there any other business we should attend?" Luna glanced among the others present, gauging their responses.

[Tiki Snakes]

"I'm fine. This is nothing. Save your supplies for when we really need 'em." Trees shrugged the offer off, not meeting Rosemary's gaze as she curled up on the cave floor.

[BlasTech]

Silently, Rosemary floated her materials back into her saddlebags as she tried to find a place to sleep away from the newcomer.

She paused only to give Luna a nod, indication that she thought the plan was a good one, before settling down for the night.

[Balmas]

Gabriel smirked, and padded over to the rear of the cave, brushing dust out of his way. Maria took her place near his talons, and he curled up on the ground. What a strange picture they made...

[Deadly]

Blue shrugged at Rosemary. "Sure."

As everypony else settled down, Blue remained standing, wandering quietly around the cave, eyes constantly drawn to the entrance and the weather outside. She wasn't happy about just sitting here while who-knew-what was going on out there, but there didn't seem to be much choice but to wait it out.

[Thanqol]

When the sun rose over the North the next morning it arose to a party cloudy sky with no trace of storm or rain. From here they could see the great mountain Stable 73 was built into - and they could see a not insignificant part of it had been buried in snow. The stable entrance was totally lost, to reach it you'd need an excavation team.

The mountain was surrounded by a ring of dark black stormclouds, crackling and flaring, with occasional signs of Enclave activity.

A vast plain of fresh snow and black rocks spread out in between the towering mountains.

[BlasTech]

The morning light seeped into the cave, illuminating a dark blue unicorn, curled up just inside the entrance. Rosemary, true to her word, had taken the third watch, allowing the fliers time to get some much needed sleep, and had spent the time enjoying the relative quiet of the pre-dawn hours.

The storm had abated, and with the new dawn came a sprinkling of that rare commodity of the Northern Wastes; sunlight. For a brief moment, the sunlight conjured images of the Goddess herself, looking down on her children like she had so many years ago.

But the goddesses, if they had ever been goddesses, were long since gone. A cloud floated in front of the sun, dimming the light and banishing the faint ghost of a smile from Rosemary's face.

The unicorn got up, making to wake the others. If they were going to get away, lingering near the site of the Enclave's newest acquisition was not going to be a viable long-term strategy.

[Recovery: Slept 6 hours, Rested 3]

Strain, recovered to max (60 + 23)
HP, recovered 6*4 = 24hp. Now at 129/132]

[Balmas]

"Dammit!" Diplomacy roared, and a raider tried frantically to balance on a leg that was abruptly gone. Luci fired again, popping her shotgun open to slot in two fresh shells. "There were only supposed to be a few crap smears here!"

Gabriel popped up from his spot in the cloud, and downrange, a raider squealed as he was splattered with his friend's head. Yeah, it sucked. They'd probably made a mistake taking the contract; the payment probably should have made him suspicious, but what could they do? They'd bound themselves to the contract, so now they had to finish it.

He turned, sighting down at a grey mare wearing a armor made out of what looked like old tires. Aim, breath out and hold... BLAM And pump the bolt.

Gabriel frowned as Luci decapitated another raider. They weren't screaming anymore. They were... laughing? Even as the grey mare squealed and dropped, she was grinning. What was going on?

BAM... BAM... BAM... BAM...

The swarm parted, and the laughter grew as an earth pony walked through. To call him massive would have been an understatement, and he was covered with more scars than the wall in Maintenance where all the griffons used to carve their initials. The metallic gauntlets around his hooves thundered as he walked, each step cracking the pavement with burst after burst of buckshot.

BAM... BAM.. BAM... BEM... BEEP... BEEP...

Beep? Gabe frowned, opening his eyes. Right. Cave. Enclave. HREC. He stumbled to his feet, holstering Maria on his back, and walked to the entrance of the cave.

BEEP... BEEP... BEEP... Oh. Right. He scowled, fumbling at the alarm, and came to stand next to Rosemary. "Morning."


Slept six hours for 12 HP. Now at 108 out of 124.

[BlasTech]

"Morning" agreed Rosemary, her tone implying it was more a statement of fact than a cheery greeting. She didn't bother asking whether the griffon had slept well. Nopony slept well in the Crystal Empire.

She glanced at the useless bandages hanging off where a hailstone had hit him the previous day. Not her best work at all.

"Are your injuries still troubling you?" she asked, instead.

[Thanqol]

As a note, this would be the first night Trees experienced one of King Sombra's nightmares.

Whatever the Stables were made out of they'd blocked the invasive dreams of the Shadow King. Once the main door opened up, though, the seal had broken and they'd never had that protection again.

It wasn't a nice night.

[Balmas]

"It's nothing a healing potion or a night's rest wouldn't take care of," grunted the griffon, his claws busy with the bandages. "Here's your supplies back."

He sighed as he looked out at the Enclave ships hovering over the Stable. "Looks like the bears lost. Don't partic'larly care to go out 'gainst that. Sun feels good, though."

[BlasTech]

"It does." replied Rosemary.

A sigh, more felt than heard, as she tucked the bandages back in her saddlebags, floating them and folding them in a haze of green magic.

"I suspect the Enclave presence here will only increase, at least until they do what they came for. We should make our way down the mountain as soon as possible ... although you would know better than I, just how easily we might be spotted from the air."

[the_druid_droid]

As everyone began to settle down, Luna also chose a resting spot toward the back of the cave. Her horn glowed momentarily and a sphere floated out from its hiding place. She touched her horn to it and let memories embroidered in silver and alabaster soothe her off into sleep.

In the morning, she arose with a flap of wings, tucking the memory orb back out of sight, and joined the others waiting at the cave's mouth.

[Used a memory orb from Backseat Driver perk for full HP and Strain recovery over 9 total hours]

[Deadly]

Blue got up early and began stretching and working out, punching and slicing the air with quiet focus. She felt only a little ache from last night's fight, the last remnants quickly dissolving as she worked her muscles and got the blood pumping through her body.

"Mornin', everypony," she said as she finished and joined the others at the cave entrance. She looked out over the snowy landscape and frowned.

If I've got this right, Blue heals at a normal rate of 4/hour due to having a memory orb. Also 6 hours sleep/3 hours guarding, apparently.

6x4 = 24 hp healed, 119/128

[Balmas]

The griffon scowled at the racial term, but nodded to Rosemary. "Orange and blue don't blend in very well with snow. The sooner we leave, and the further away we are when the Enclave starts looking around, the better." As he talked, he began to take snow and pack it onto the outside of his armor.

[BlasTech]

The griffon scowled at the racial term, but nodded to Rosemary. "Orange and blue don't blend in very well with snow. The sooner we leave, and the further away we are when the Enclave starts looking around, the better." As he talked, he began to take snow and pack it onto the outside of his armor.

Rosemary quietly observed the griffon, before following his example. Making sure to cover the orange portions of her hazard suit first. She greeted both Luna and Blue as the two roused from sleep and joined them.

"Well, once the ... Miss Trees awakens" Rosemary began, catching herself. "we should be ready to depart. Our only path down the mountain seems to lead across the open plain, and with the Enclave overhead it will be a risky proposition to cross it safely."

"We had best be ready to move fast."

Stealing a glance back towards the slumbering earth pony. She couldn't help but add.

"Would one of you be so kind as to wake her? I don't believe she would take kindly to me being the pony to do so." she asked, as she considered the hoof-full of ice cold snow that was currently levitated in her magic.

[Tiki Snakes]

"Down here, Trees." A familiar voice called from the bottom of the rough stone stairs. "Hurry up, slowpoke."

Trees descended two steps at a time, pistol drawn and held low. A light green pony in Stable 73 riot gear swam into view hazily, a watery red bloodstain on the gas-mask visor obscuring her face.

"One of these days, Trees, I swear you're going to get me killed!" Laughed the lime green earth pony. "Come on, I think we lost 'em."

The walls were old, rough hewn rock. Cold and wet and barely finished. It had been part of an ambitious project to expand the stable's living space by repurposing the exhausted parts of the mine.

Trees asked a question.

"A little further down, I think. Kid, when you've been working as a Sandmare as long as me, you'll get a feel for it, even if it isn't your special talent."

Trees didn't respond immediately, and they walked in silence through the bare bones of a home. The green pony pointed out some fresh debris, spilled grains ground into the dirt. She dimmed the light from her pip-buck and Trees asked another question. The green pony shook her head, and Trees holstered her pistol nervously.

"Don't worry about that, you just watch my back in case we get more company. I'll handle the runner." The distant sound of many hooves interrupt. Trees and the green pony freeze, guns hovering in anticipation. The noise was coming from above them somewhere. The two security ponies breathed out, continuing down an uneven corridor, half blocked by a broken machine.

"The thing that gets me, kid? How stupid can they be. I mean, they have to know the Sandmare's will find them. That I'll find them. And if I don't, the tunnels will take them anyway. Everyone knows that there are things down there that'll get you." Trees nodded, unconvinced but polite. "I mean, take this stupid horse. She's tucked herself away nice and deep, but I know this block, this is the only way in or out."

The green pony laughed happily as they passed briefly through a larger chamber, a small bridge of rock reinforced with metal bars over a drop of indeterminate depth. Running water echoed distantly. Trees paused, shining her pipbuck light into the chasm. The light didn't reach the bottom. Her head spun and a shot rang out.

Trees bolted, trying to catch up to the green pony. She turned a corner in the dark, stumbling into a lamp-lit scene that burned in crystal clarity. The green pony stood casually above the body of a dying Unicorn. Her pretty white fur spattered with dirty water and the vivid crimson of her own blood. She gasped feebly, red spittle foaming at her mouth. A large, hoof-made cradle behind her was freckled with red, it's two tiny occupants crying feebly.

Trees asked a question, and the green pony's mouth moved. There was no sound. Trees asked another question, more loudly. The green pony shrugged, nonchalantly tipping the cradle over to spill the two tiny foals on the cold rock floor. The Unicorn gasped, desperate but unable to do anything. Trees asked another question with an incredulous expression. The green pony laughed, miming as if forcing an unruly bundle into a funnel, then shrugged.

The green pony kicked the dying unicorn idly, her mouth moving again. She pointed to the foals, rolling her eyes at Trees, then slowly levelled her pistol at the Unicorn again. Her gun roared repeatedly, ruining the unicorn. Clip ejected, bullets spent. Trees tail looped around her neck, pulling tight as Trees lent in against the green pony's back.

Vivid detail flashed before Trees eyes in slow motion, the texture of the green pony's dark, grassy mane and the scent of blood sweat and and wet rust all muffled by the cloying chemical stink of the gask-mask filter. The feeling of meat and bone thrashing about in shock and indignation, then fear.

Trees choked the life out of the green pony. She held on for a long time, in the dark with the quiet broken by the sound of crying foals. Without looking up, she let go with her legs an dragged the green pony back to the bridge with her tail. Trees pushed the dead security pony off the ledge, the body disappearing from view. She returned to the room and stared at the two foals.

One a Unicorn, the other an Earth Pony.

----

Trees jolted awake with a sudden choking intake of breath. Her pupils were dilated, her expression bleary and panicked. Ragged, heavy breathing slowly abated, Trees looking around the cave without standing. A moment or so passed, her heart still thundering in her chest.

"...Oh."
She breathed out.
Oh, right. 9 hours, 2hp an hour. So 18 hp back, so Trees goes from 92 to 110 hp.

[Deadly]

Blue set about doing what she could to make her mane and armor less visible among the snow and rocks. It wasn't easy when all you had was snow, but at least her coat should blend in perfectly.

"Bloody Enclave," she growled as she worked. "Anyone packed any white sheets, by any chance?" she asked without really expecting a yes. She looked back out the cave. "Or maybe we can find a bear and skin it."

[BlasTech]

"We must be away." Rosemary whinnied, rearing up in the doorway as she looked out onto that white-ice landscape before them. Standing here talking was not making the journey down the mountain, and out of danger, any faster.

She stole a glance at Luna, hesitating ... her briefings had been very clear on the alicorn's status, even if they had been incredibly brief on the circumstances of her return. The 'princess' was an asset. Not a member of the science team, not part of the chain of command.

...

"By your leave ... highness?" Rosemary asked, inclining her head deferentially.

[Balmas]

The snow and ice packed onto his armor was patchwork, and flaking. A good bullet would sent most of it sliding off, but if they were hit by bullets, then the snow'd have already failed at doing its job. His wings, a dull sea-gull grey, would have to do as cover for his flanks.

Grumbling under his breath, he moved to where the earth pony lay. "You awake?" he asked, prodding her with a talon.

[Tiki Snakes]

"I sure hope so, uh...Gabriel right?" Trees looked round at the Griffon, uncertainly.

"What's with the snow?" she asked after a moment, scrambling to her feet.

[Balmas]

"Camouflage," said Gabriel. "From what we can see, the Enclave won, which means that instead of sneaking away from lumbering bears, we have to deal with flying fiends in power armor. And orange doesn't tend to blend in on a white backdrop."

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees nods.
"Makes sense."

She trotted out into the opening of the cave, where the others were busy packing snow onto their stuff.
"Morning." She said quietly and began following suit. She scooped up big dollops of snow with her tail, patting it down onto the outside of her cold weather cloak, letting it collect heavily in the folds and slowly obliterating the yellow stripes from view. She pulled it up higher around her neck and face, leaving her eyes poking out of the top heavily overshadowed by her mane.

She finished by throwing a lighter dusting onto the top of her head, masking the vivid blue of her mane and tucked her tail back underneath the cloak.

"I feel a little ridiculous, but better that than being shot at." She said, her voice muffled beneath layers of fabric. Trees the snowpony stood upright and still, her posture rigid in a controlled kind of way so as to prevent losing any more snow than necessary.

[the_druid_droid]

Cast Restoration (5 strain)
Target: Left wing. Rolled - 18 under 35. Success. Heals 20 + 2d10 (18): 38 damage healed over 2 mins. (Heals wing entirely and adds 38HP to Luna's total health pool)]


[Forgot to add this in. I assume you meant right wing, since that's the one I have down as injured.]


"By your leave ... highness?" Rosemary asked, inclining her head deferentially.

Luna was shivering a little at the mouth of the cave, her metabolism not quite up and running at full speed just yet. At the question, the echo of a smile tugged at her mouth.

"Certainly. We'll make for the mountains with all speed, and regarding this - ah - camouflage, does anyone have a spare cloak? Covering my entire coat in snow doesn't seem very wise in this weather..."

[Deadly]

Luna was shivering a little at the mouth of the cave, her metabolism not quite up and running at full speed just yet. At the question, the echo of a smile tugged at her mouth.

"Certainly. We'll make for the mountains with all speed, and regarding this - ah - camouflage, does anyone have a spare cloak? Covering my entire coat in snow doesn't seem very wise in this weather..."

Blue considered the princess for a moment before taking off her leather cloak. "You can have my cloak, your highness," she said respectfully and held out the cloak. "I do not know how much it will help. I still think if we can find a dead bear, its hide should be a boon."

[Assuming these are polar bears. Seems logical enough given where we are]

[Balmas]

Gabriel paused on his way to the door, a slow, thinking tone to his voice. "The nearest source of bear camouflage would be where we just came from, I'd think. If someone were sneaky or fast enough to get away with it, we might be able to get some bear-skin for camouflage. Course, that means they'd have to be able to lug a bear in power armor back here, undetected." And, you know, loot the bodies. Always loot the bodies, see if they have any good stuff.

"It'd be about as safe as jumping into a pit full of radigators while wearing a body suit made out of radhog bacon, but you'd be sure to have me on backup. I figure I can puncture a wing or two before they bring their cannon to bear."

[Tiki Snakes]

"I don't know Gabe. Those Bear things seemed pretty comfortable under all that snow. What makes you think you'll find any dead ones down there?" asked Snowpony Trees sceptically.

[Thanqol]

"I don't know Gabe. Those Bear things seemed pretty comfortable under all that snow. What makes you think you'll find any dead ones down there?" asked Snowpony Trees sceptically.

That was an interesting point; they sure weren't seeing any corpses.

[BlasTech]

"Non-suicidal suggestions only please." commented Rosemary from the cave entrance. "Besides, I'd be quite happy not walking around in the skins of my enemies like a raider ... I hope we're a bit better than that."

"Anyway, you heard the princess. Scouts, please lead the way, the rest try to keep up." she finished, suiting actions to words as the party began their descent.

[Thanqol]

They'd just gotten out of range of the cave when a thunderbolt flashed across the clear blue sky at a spectacular 45 degree angle to immolate a nearby scrub tree in an incredible fireball. Another series of lightning bolts fell from the sky at precision points around them, enough to clearly send the message "If we wanted to electrocute you, you'd be electrocuted".

Then the pip-bucks started blaring. "Back In Black". The same override-jamming was locking out EFS and SATS.

And then, one following another, five black power armoured shapes dropped down from the thick black stormcloud and accelerated towards them. They crossed the mountain valley at phenomenal speed, scorching across the sky and blasting overhead so fast it would dehat the hatted and ruffle the coiffured. In their wake they left thick, black trails of storming clouds which blotted out the sky above them.

And then, one following the other, five power-armoured Enclave troops dropped out of the stormclouds in a circle around them, impacting so hard that it shook the ground. Snow melted under the heat of the flight thrusters in their armour and their energy weapons glowed in menacing reds and greens. Their black armour had jagged teal and yellow stripes around the hooves.

Then one final Enclave soldier landed - clearly the leader, judging by the unique nature of her armour. It looked like her power armour was doubling as a supercomputer - she was covered in glowing blue holographic squares that moved and adjusted, projected from shining blue gemstones. There was high tech, anypony who'd worked for HREC saw some high tech, but this was high tech. Just as high tech was her Pip-Buck, which was outsized, glowing blue, and covered in wires, gems and arcane glyphs - it looked like the kind of Pip-Buck that Stabletec might have built as a prototype Emperor Pip-Buck. Drawing a correlation between that thing and the signal jamming wasn't difficult.

She stepped forwards, helmet retracting - it actually retracted, smooth as silk, each part folding in on itself and vanishing down into a compartment in her armour. The pony beneath was electric blue with a pure white mane, extremely striking.

"Equestrian, motherbuckers, do you speak it?" she barked.

[Balmas]

Well, feather. That slim hope lasted all of five seconds, hadn't it. Of course life couldn't be as easy as that.

"And if we didn't, wouldn't you feel like a moron?" he asked sardonically. "You'd have wasted a garish entrance on people only capable of speaking in 'Ook'."

Oh, this was bad. Outnumbered, outarmored, outgunned, and with an unknown commander.

[the_druid_droid]

"Equestrian, motherbuckers, do you speak it?" she barked.

Although she wasn't currently at the front, Luna spoke up, sparing a disapproving glance at Gabriel.

"All of the Crystal Empire's citizens do, to my knowledge. I take it you represent the Pegasus Enclave, and that you wish to speak with us?" The alicorn's face was set into a firm but neutral expression. She had noticed the warning shots and taken them to mean that they would not be attacked for the time being, so long as no one did anything stupid. Diplomacy might be worth something today after all.

[Thanqol]

Well, feather. That slim hope lasted all of five seconds, hadn't it. Of course life couldn't be as easy as that.

"And if we didn't, wouldn't you feel like a moron?" he asked sardonically. "You'd have wasted a garish entrance on people only capable of speaking in 'Ook'."

Oh, this was bad. Outnumbered, outarmored, outgunned, and with an unknown commander.

"Yeah, but I'd have gotten over it real fast with the help of my favourite smell: burning griffon," said the Enclave officer. "Private Snowstorm! Why do I love the smell of burning griffon so damn much?"

"Um, b-because it means that a griffon just s-stopped talking?"

"Sol damn it, Snowstorm, that's the best answer I ever heard! You'll make general at this rate!"

[Thanqol]

Although she wasn't currently at the front, Luna spoke up, sparing a disapproving glance at Gabriel.

"All of the Crystal Empire's citizens do, to my knowledge. I take it you represent the Pegasus Enclave, and that you wish to speak with us?" The alicorn's face was set into a firm but neutral expression. She had noticed the warning shots and taken them to mean that they would not be attacked for the time being, so long as no one did anything stupid. Diplomacy might be worth something today after all.

"Yes ma'am!" said the Enclave officer, snapping to attention. "Commander White Noise of the Enclave, at your service. Normally I'd be killing you all as per policy but that ship has sailed because multiple members of your team have already escaped and I don't want to make a bad impression." White Noise gave a smile that was a little too... goofy for a hardass drill sergeant? "So now instead I'm going to make a request: Get out, go home, and tell everypony that this is now an Enclave protected area and there's nothing for them here."

[BlasTech]

"Yes ma'am!" said the Enclave officer, snapping to attention. "Commander White Noise of the Enclave, at your service. Normally I'd be killing you all as per policy but that ship has sailed because multiple members of your team have already escaped and I don't want to make a bad impression." White Noise gave a smile that was a little too... goofy for a hardass drill sergeant? "So now instead I'm going to make a request: Get out, go home, and tell everypony that this is now an Enclave protected area and there's nothing for them here."

There weren't enough facehooves in the world.

Rosemary tried to keep a neutral to positive expression on her face as the far too cheerful pegasus outlined her terms. It was a little hard when there were that many magical energy weapons pointed at her. But on the plus side, it wasn't like she was asking the group to do anything they didn't already want to do.

"Given that I suspect any further questions on our part will only lead to more threats of disintegration, will it suffice for us to say 'okay' and simply be on our way?" she remarked.

[Thanqol]

There weren't enough facehooves in the world.

Rosemary tried to keep a neutral to positive expression on her face as the far too cheerful pegasus outlined her terms. It was a little hard when there were that many magical energy weapons pointed at her. But on the plus side, it wasn't like she was asking the group to do anything they didn't already want to do.

"Given that I suspect any further questions on our part will only lead to more threats of disintegration, will it suffice for us to say 'okay' and simply be on our way?" she remarked.

"Well," said White Noise, "I may be misremembering my basic training here. Private Snowstorm! If I showed up, threatened you, and then turned you loose in the wilderness and expected you to do me a favour, would you do it?"

"Y-yes Commander White Noise!"

"Commendable!"

"Y-yes Commander!"

"But not every wastelander has your integrity and sense of duty, Snowstorm. So I've got to make a good impression."

Commander White Noise turned back to face the party. "I'm going to do you a favour, wastelanders, and I advise you remember it when you get back home. A day's walk northwest from here, hidden behind a bank of ruined trees, there's an old abandoned Barnyard Bargains Megamall, looked untouched. You'll be able to find food and ammo and so forth there which may increase your chances of returning alive and bearing news of the Enclave."

[Balmas]

So that was her game. She needed them to do something, something that she couldn't do by herself or with her posse of power-armored pegasi. That meant that it probably didn't involve burning holes into other ponies with high-powered energy weapons. Either there was something she wanted done that a high-ranking Enclave member couldn't get done merely for who she was, or it was a job that needed subtlety. Gabriel wasn't sure which he disliked more.

And what's more, she was providing them with ammo and supplies. There had to be a way that this was a trap, but why would she bother with that? If she truly wanted them dead, all she'd have to do would be to order her troops to pull the trigger on those fancy-looking rifles. He smirked, and nodded to her. Yeah, he could go along with that. Ammo and rifles were good things to have in the wasteland.

[Tiki Snakes]

Snowpony Trees lost her snowy covering as the Enclave touched down.
"Aw." She sighed sadly.

She listened politely, having mourned the death of her snowy disguise.

"Well, if I understand what you're asking, that all seems pretty fair and amicable." She tilted her head quizzically. "We get to live, get a tip-off on a resupply into the bargain, and all we have to do is tell folks back at the Empire or wherever that the Enclave has Stable 73 and presumably means to keep it."

"I mean, the news would probably get out eventually anyway right? We're not the only ones who got away. This way though, you get to prove that you aren't a monster, that you're a reasonable Pony whatever else is going on. You get to make a good impression. Am I close? I'm guessing you're not exactly opening up for trade, but I can see how folks knowing that might be a good thing. For everyone involved." Trees talked thoughtfully.

"I'd like to ask a question, if that's it's okay with you. Feel free not to answer if it's out of bounds. What happens to the ponies left in Stable 73?"

[Thanqol]

"We just buried the damn thing," shrugged White Noise. "Orders aren't to go down and commit an atrocity, we're not the bears. We're just here to keep the Empire and the Republic out and the inmates in."

She turned her head on one side. "Should probably be shooting you while I'm at it. But y'know. Good impression."

[Tiki Snakes]

"I appreciate that, thank you." Trees smiled. "Both for the not shooting and for burying the Stable. I don't think they're ready for the outside world yet."

"I'd say you made a pretty good Impression all things considered Commander White Noise. My name is Trees, it was nice meeting you." she nodded, indicating that she at least was ready to go.

[Thanqol]

"You see that, Private Snowstorm? Good first impression. Didn't shoot anypony. Told you I could do it."

"Um I never actually said -"

"I even got the stable pony to thank me for burying her home under several hundred tonnes of snow!" White Noise clapped one of her power armoured fellows on the shoulder, elicting a flinch and a clang. "I should be a diplomat!" She gasped. "Or a radio personality!"

"Isn't that what you already -"

"It's okay, Snowstorm," said White Noise generously. "Seeing me in battle must have been so awe inspiring that it's only natural you couldn't think of me doing anything else. But know that I am a mare of many talents!"

"Y-yes, Commander."

"She's new," clarified White Noise to the party.

[Deadly]

Blue opened her mouth to say something. Probably something expressed with a great deal of restrained diplomacy. She closed it again with a slight snap as Trees spoke up. She gave the stable pony a long look, then back at the commander, then back at Trees. It was hard to say what she was thinking behind that tense look.

[Balmas]

The little griffon in his head was whining, begging to be let loose and rain down the sarcasm of heaven on the smug pegasus. Gabriel promptly hogtied the little griffon and shoved it into the closet of things not to talk about, like that time he'd walked in on Mom with the head of Maintenance.

That'd been a whole week of Sombra nightmares, right there.

"Do you have coordinates for the megamall?" That's it. Keep a civil tone, and don't get into a shootout. Remember the contract.

[Thanqol]

"Yeah, right," said the Commander, rapidly punching something into her high tech Pip-Buck. Instantly Gabe's own Pip-Buck updated with the data. "My work here is done. Enclave, away!"

With the roar of thrusters, Commander White Noise rocketed off the ground and tore across the sky, the Enclave soldiers swept up in her wake.

And then they were alone in the mountains.

[BlasTech]

There were a few moments of stunned silence as Captain Thunderpants ... er, Commander White Noise, vanished into the sky as quickly as she had come.

"Am I the only pony who found that deeply disconcerting?" Rosemary asked, her question aimed at nopony in particular as they started walking again.

[Tiki Snakes]

"What, you don't get shaken down by mildly deranged authority figures on a regular basis?" Trees asked, deadpan."Ha! Wastelanders."

The earth pony trotted off jauntily and apparently unphazed in what she presumed was the general direction of the mega mall.

[BlasTech]

Rosemary's tail flicked as she watched the vault pony prance off into the snow without a care in the world.

"I am really starting to dislike that ... that ... stuck up, self-absorbed ... ugh" she muttered quietly as she walked.

[Balmas]

"I'm going to assume your sentence ends with 'pegasus,'" murmured the griffon, tapping away at his pipbuck until he got to the navigation screen. Wasn't that convenient... A warehouse advertised as being full of guns and ammo. That meant that there were probably ponies willing to point them at anyone who wanted to take them away.

And since he was probably willing to point his at them, that worked out nicely for everyone.

[the_druid_droid]

"Am I the only pony who found that deeply disconcerting?" Rosemary asked, her question aimed at nopony in particular as they started walking again.

"Considering that we are currently in one piece despite their technological advantage, I am feeling extremely reassured at the moment." Luna looked toward Gabe for directions, "I suggest we take their suggestion seriously and visit this mall. Although it may not be so idyllic as initially presented, supplies would not be amiss in our current situation. Particularly medical supplies."

[BlasTech]

Rosemary took a breath, ready to unleash a verbal deluge upon the alicorn.

They should have been concerned; if only for their own lives. The Enclave had come out yesterday, guns blazing, and tried to kill them all. Or had everypony forgotten that part already? Not only that, but the only reason they were even being allowed - allowed - to live (and that thought alone didn't sit well with the unicorn at all), was because some others had already made it to safety, and they didn't want to risk further damaging relations with the Empire.

On top of all that, the fact that those pegasi were here in such force was worrying as well. If the Enclave was good at any one thing, it was being an Enclave - removed from everypony else and more than happy to just sit above their clouds, ignoring everything else going on below. Their only real concern was generally maintaining the status quo. Anyone with half a mind towards politics would have to stop and wonder just why they'd chosen to make the exception for Vault 73.

And let's not forget that Enclave commander. You didn't get to be that highly placed in the enclave military unless you were very good at your job. Given the reactions of Private Snowstorm, Rosemary was willing to bet that that job mostly entailed hurting people or breaking things and generally being mentally unstable.

All these thoughts swirled around the unicorn's mind, begging for release. Tempting her with the idea that if she perhaps just laid out her reasoning, the others might see the validity of her concerns. They didn't have to actually do anything about them, but just having somepony else on the same wavelength would be ... nice for a change.

She let out the breath again.

What was the point?

"Yes Princess." she answered, as she turned back on to the path to the megamart.

[Deadly]

Well, Blue was sort on the same wavelength, but she had kept wisely silent during the encounter, which was probably fortunate.

"Some day, you *yay*ing waste of feathers," she hissed through her teeth long after the pegasi had left the scene.

It probably took some major restraint to say that as quietly as she did. She turned and headed off with the others.

[Tiki Snakes]

"So. What's your story anyway, Luna?" Trees asked, falling in to step beside the Alicorn. She kicked at the snow absentmindedly as she trotted, eyes flitting about the horizon restlessly as she drank in the outside world happily.

[the_druid_droid]

"So. What's your story anyway, Luna?" Trees asked, falling in to step beside the Alicorn. She kicked at the snow absentmindedly as she trotted, eyes flitting about the horizon restlessly as she drank in the outside world happily.

"My story is rather long, I'm afraid. Recently though, I've been under the care of HREC, as part of their efffort to re-install a Princess on one of the Celestial thrones." Luna's eyes lost focus for a moment, and then snapped back to the snowy ground before them. "Technically speaking, I perished in the war, but through the ingenuity of Twilight Sparkle and the researchers of the Crystal Empire, I have been returned to something like my former self. As yet, I lack much of the power I once possessed, but I aim to take it back, and oppose Sobra's corruption of this land."

"...of course, there is still a great deal of work to be done before any of that is feasible. Yesterday was actually my first official involvement with politics and HREC's external affairs, and so far things have not been going as smoothly as I might have wished." The firmness in Luna's tone wavered a bit, then returned. "For now, I will be happy if we are all able to safely return to the Empire and report what happened at your Stable, Trees."

[Balmas]

Now that they were safely away from the Enclave, Gabe felt a bit safer to find a bit of cover. Chunks of snow sloughed off as he flew up to the cloudcover and snatched a few baby cloudlets, bringing them lower towards the group. Gabriel grinned, sprawling on the cloud, Maria pointing loosely ahead of him.

See, ponies never looked up. And what was one more cloud in a sky full of them?

[BlasTech]

Rosemary trotted along in a pensive silence, following behind Trees and Luna. The only sign of her eavesdropping being the way her ears and tail occasionally twitched with a building irritation.

[I can't think of anything to sayyyy, unless Blue wants to talk?]

[Thanqol]

They walked across the forever-frost.

In the summer the mountains that ringed the Crystal Empire melted ever-so-slightly, sending sudden floods, massive landslides, and terrible pounding rainstorms. Unregulated weather surged chaotically. Entire packs of thunderclouds would get trapped in tall mountain valleys and rage and storm for months on end. The wind howled between the mountains, jagged breaths through the throat of the world.

But this was the winter, and in winter there was stillness.

Desolate ice for miles and miles, broken only by the monolithic enormity of the mountains raising from all sides. The land was treacherous and spiteful; a wrong hoofstep could plunge you up to your neck in icy water or cause an avalanche that would bury you forever. There was no food other than what could be hunted by skilled trappers and fishers. There was no respite other than what the placid, hollow sun might offer.

The infinite, bitter expanse gradually gave way. Following the Enclave's instructions a more circuitous route was taken through the mountains. At one point their path lead them through a mountainside shattered by the impact of some terrible spell, necromantic energy sending Pip-Bucks tick-tick-ticking and encouraging the party to take the long way around. But soon enough they saw it.

It was just as pristine as the desolate mountains. It rose up in the middle of nowhere, a huge grey box of a building, sharp concrete and right angles. It sat in the middle of a vast empty cartpark, designed to accommodate thousands, still perfectly black asphalt that wasn't marred by so much as a single errant snowflake. There were no roads leading to or away from the massive mall, no ruins of any towns nearby, no sign that anypony had ever been meant to actually come to this isolated temple to commerce.

A huge sign with a smiling pony, hollows under his eyes and oiled-back hair, heralded the grand opening to Filthy Rich's Barnyard Bargains. Even after two hundred years his robotic hoof was still waving too and fro, waving in imaginary crowds towards the massive double doors of the mall.

Several many-appendaged Mr. Handy (http://images.wikia.com/fallout/images/archive/8/8c/20110125223307!Mister_Handy.png) robots drifted around the grounds, lime green paint still as crisp and chromed as the day it had been applied. They continued their patterns, as they had for centuries, waiting for a shopper who needed assistance with her bags.

[Tiki Snakes]

"My story is rather long, I'm afraid. Recently though, I've been under the care of HREC, as part of their efffort to re-install a Princess on one of the Celestial thrones." Luna's eyes lost focus for a moment, and then snapped back to the snowy ground before them. "Technically speaking, I perished in the war, but through the ingenuity of Twilight Sparkle and the researchers of the Crystal Empire, I have been returned to something like my former self. As yet, I lack much of the power I once possessed, but I aim to take it back, and oppose Sobra's corruption of this land."

"...of course, there is still a great deal of work to be done before any of that is feasible. Yesterday was actually my first official involvement with politics and HREC's external affairs, and so far things have not been going as smoothly as I might have wished." The firmness in Luna's tone wavered a bit, then returned. "For now, I will be happy if we are all able to safely return to the Empire and report what happened at your Stable, Trees."

Trees eyes glazed for a moment as her mind worked, trying to follow Lunas list of unfamiliar names and concepts.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I get it. You're somepony's Clone." Trees nodded confidently.
"Well, that does sound like a vaguely noble set of goals, least as far as I have any idea what you're talking about."

"I have other questions! What's Sombra? And what is HREC for? Who are we going to report to?"

Trees paused, taking in the sight of the Mall.

"And who names their precious little foal Filthy?" She scowled in confusion at the animatronic sign. "That's just weird."

[Balmas]

There was a quiet whumpf as Gabriel dropped near the party. "There doesn't seem to be any opposition," he stated, slinging Maria across his back as he walked to the head of the party. "Some robots. Might be dangerous, and hard for small-weapons fire to destroy. Want me to shoot? Might have some good tech."

[Tiki Snakes]

"An ambush is all well and good, Gabe, but if they aren't hostile and you shoot one, you'll have made this a whole heap more annoying than it had to be. Try walking up and saying hello first maybe?" The earth pony suggested.

[Balmas]

Gabe's grin could have given Pinkie Pie diabetes. "Good idea. You first."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Is that a dare, Gabriel?" Trees asked, amused. She looked a little more seriously towards the cart-park and the endlessly floating Mr Handy robots.

With a quick tap on her Pipbuck, Trees activated the E.F.S mode.

[Deadly]

See, ponies never looked up. And what was one more cloud in a sky full of them?

Blue would point out that this was too broad of a generalization. Way too broad. As it were, Blue definitely looked up among the clouds, but she had little desire to actually be among the clouds in or near Enclave territory, even if only to get herself a cloud.


Rosemary trotted along in a pensive silence, following behind Trees and Luna. The only sign of her eavesdropping being the way her ears and tail occasionally twitched with a building irritation.

[I can't think of anything to sayyyy, unless Blue wants to talk?]

Blue was leading up front as one of the scouty members of the party. As they slowed down and neared the mall, she allowed herself to paused and looked around. "Not saying much? I guess you're not too keen on this whole thing either?"

[BlasTech]

Blue was leading up front as one of the scouty members of the party. As they slowed down and neared the mall, she allowed herself to paused and looked around. "Not saying much? I guess you're not too keen on this whole thing either?"

"Not .... exactly" replied Rosemary, as she looked out at the megamall and the oversized, animatronic billboard of Filthy Rich. Her voice was oddly distant, and she was swaying slightly from side to side.

"It's ... like his eyes move with me, following wherever I go ... always watching."

[Balmas]

"More like a precaution," grinned the griffon, staring down at the robots and comparing them with the arrows floating in his vision. "Lemme tell you, it's real fun to find a robot, assume it's friendly, and then find yourself embroiled in a fight for your life with a rusty pile of tin."

And if she was the one getting shot at, then the robots had less fuel to shoot at the ones he was being paid to protect.

[Deadly]

"Not .... exactly" replied Rosemary, as she looked out at the megamall and the oversized, animatronic billboard of Filthy Rich. Her voice was oddly distant, and she was swaying slightly from side to side.

"It's ... like his eyes move with me, following wherever I go ... always watching."

Blue turned and looked at the waving Filthy. "What a sad and depressing thing it is. Ponies should create beauty, not ... gray and gloomy concrete altars to consumerism. And it's completely untouched by the world around it. Lifeless, artless. It's all wrong," she mused, possibly not paying much attention to whether anyone was even listening.

[Thanqol]

"Is that a dare, Gabriel?" Trees asked, amused. She looked a little more seriously towards the cart-park and the endlessly floating Mr Handy robots.

With a quick tap on her Pipbuck, Trees activated the E.F.S mode.

"Hello Mistress!" came the extremely enthusiastic voice of Lyra Heartstrings as the robot wheeled about on a column of fire. Although Lyra had been dead for hundreds of years, as both a prolific creator of Memory Orbs and the inventor-slash voice actor behind the Mr. Handy line of robots, a fair few of which had been present in Stable 73, she was uncommonly well known amongst wasteland ponies. Her chirpy voice was almost a part of everyday life. "Welcome to Barnyard Bargains Megamall! I regret to inform you that the mall is currently closed, would you like to be added to our mailing list and be notified of the grand opening?"

[BlasTech]

Blue turned and looked at the waving Filthy. "What a sad and depressing thing it is. Ponies should create beauty, not ... gray and gloomy concrete altars to consumerism. And it's completely untouched by the world around it. Lifeless, artless. It's all wrong," she mused, possibly not paying much attention to whether anyone was even listening.

"Things haven't been as they should be for a very long time" agreed Rosemary, morosely. "Although, I can't help but wonder why this was built out here, of all places. Or why it has not yet been searched"

She paused, taking a second glance at the Pegasus.

"I must confess, I did not expect such observations on art from yourself."


"Hello Mistress!" came the extremely enthusiastic voice of Lyra Heartstrings as the robot wheeled about on a column of fire. Although Lyra had been dead for hundreds of years, as both a prolific creator of Memory Orbs and the inventor-slash voice actor behind the Mr. Handy line of robots, a fair few of which had been present in Stable 73, she was uncommonly well known amongst wasteland ponies. Her chirpy voice was almost a part of everyday life. "Welcome to Barnyard Bargains Megamall! I regret to inform you that the mall is currently closed, would you like to be added to our mailing list and be notified of the grand opening?"

"At least this might explain why the mall is still untouched" observed Rosemary. "beyond its location, I mean"

[Deadly]

"Things haven't been as they should be for a very long time" agreed Rosemary, morosely. "Although, I can't help but wonder why this was built out here, of all places. Or why it has not yet been searched"

She paused, taking a second glance at the Pegasus.

"I must confess, I did not expect such observations on art from yourself."

Blue nodded at that. "I grew up in the blue. There was actually beauty and life to be found there. I like to dream of a day when it can return to this world, not just in small cloistered pockets. Sadly there's a lot of ugliness and corruption to bring down in flames first."

"A lot of things seem out of place today," she added as a note, half about the mall and possibly also referring to the Enclave.

[BlasTech]

Rosemary was silent, but this time there was definitely a smile on her face as she turned her attention back to the floating Mr Handy. It was small, but it was there.

"Robot." she asked, eschewing the normal name for the units (honeslty, why anypony would call it Mister Handy, and then voice it with a mare was beyond her). "What can you tell us about this megamall?"

She didn't have much of an idea on how to bypass the robots, who had undoubtedly been acting as security for the mall for some time, so she might as well find out what she can from them.

[Thanqol]

Rosemary was silent, but this time there was definitely a smile on her face as she turned her attention back to the floating Mr Handy. It was small, but it was there.

"Robot." she asked, eschewing the normal name for the units (honeslty, why anypony would call it Mister Handy, and then voice it with a mare was beyond her). "What can you tell us about this megamall?"

She didn't have much of an idea on how to bypass the robots, who had undoubtedly been acting as security for the mall for some time, so she might as well find out what she can from them.

"Why yes, mistress!" said the robot. "Filthy Rich's Barnyard Bargains is a fully automated lifestyle management supercentre! Equipped with all the latest in fashion, technology and comfort, the Barnyard is not just ready to provide your lifestyle - it's ready to provide the Equestrian lifestyle."

[Balmas]

"What kind of security does it have?" If there were no more robots, so much the better. And he'd been proven wrong with this one. Crap.

[Thanqol]

"What kind of security does it have?" If there were no more robots, so much the better. And he'd been proven wrong with this one. Crap.

"Top of the line Protectron models provide polite, efficient and friendly service!" said the Lyrabot. "Revolutionising personal and business security, the Protectron is more than just your security guard - he's your friend too!"

[Balmas]

"Wonderful." Protectrons were usually pretty simple to kill, and had the aim of a drunk raider to boot. Mind, when they actually hit, it scarred over, so he'd feel safer if he had some sort of cover.

"Is there anything we need to have a safe and pleasant shopping experience? A passcard, an ID of some sort?" he asked brightly. Might as well try to avoid any danger at all, if possible.

[Thanqol]

"Currently the mall is closed in preparation for the Grand Opening," said the Lyrabot. "If you would like to be added to our mailing list we can send you a notification as well as a series of value-tastic coupons informing you closer to the date!"

[Tiki Snakes]

"Hey, Science team." Trees chirped up in Rosemary's direction. "You think there might be a way to get this place open for business? It'd certainly make our shopping trip a little easier."

[BlasTech]

[i dunno, can she? This was something she might've suggested earlier, but I figured we'd have to find a terminal like in game]

[Thanqol]

[i dunno, can she? This was something she might've suggested earlier, but I figured we'd have to find a terminal like in game]

There were no external terminals visible. The front doors had a big ol' padlock on 'em, though, that could be picked.

[BlasTech]

There were no external terminals visible. The front doors had a big ol' padlock on 'em, though, that could be picked.

[Will take that as a no to simply hacking this current robot then?]


"Hey, Science team." Trees chirped up in Rosemary's direction. "You think there might be a way to get this place open for business? It'd certainly make our shopping trip a little easier."

"Not from here." Rosemary replied. "These robots run on a central signal, I'd have to find the terminal for that in order to change their current configuration. Well, either that or shut the unit down first, but they're liable to get rather shooty if I do that while they're active like this."

[Thanqol]

[Will take that as a no to simply hacking this current robot then?]

[Not without the Robotics Expert perk]


"Not from here." Rosemary replied. "These robots run on a central signal, I'd have to find the terminal for that in order to change their current configuration. Well, either that or shut the unit down first, but they're liable to get rather shooty if I do that while they're active like this."

Mr. Handies may or may not be programmed for perimeter defense, that one was kind of a crapshoot. They're almost always programmed for self preservation.

[Balmas]

"An idea comes to mind," the griffon stated slowly. "If we could destroy the combat inhibitor on one of the protectrons, it could do some damage on its own brethren."

Course, this all hinged on their being able to get in.

[the_druid_droid]

Trees eyes glazed for a moment as her mind worked, trying to follow Lunas list of unfamiliar names and concepts.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I get it. You're somepony's Clone." Trees nodded confidently.
"Well, that does sound like a vaguely noble set of goals, least as far as I have any idea what you're talking about."

"I have other questions! What's Sombra? And what is HREC for? Who are we going to report to?"

Trees paused, taking in the sight of the Mall.

"And who names their precious little foal Filthy?" She scowled in confusion at the animatronic sign. "That's just weird."

Luna seemed to shift uncomfortably at the mention of a clone. "Ah, perhaps in a more spiritual sense... I am uncertain how to properly explain it..."

The other questions she found much easier to approach. "Sombra is a twisted mage that has blighted the Crystal Empire for centuries. Emperor Shining Armor and his wife defeated him for a time before the war, but he appears to have been gaining power, and murdered the Empress in a cowardly display. HREC was created to deal with the threat he posed, both by his presence and by the influece of Corrupted magics. Although few ponies have seen his true form, many are aware of his influence each night in the nightmares he brings."


"Hello Mistress!" came the extremely enthusiastic voice of Lyra Heartstrings as the robot wheeled about on a column of fire. Although Lyra had been dead for hundreds of years, as both a prolific creator of Memory Orbs and the inventor-slash voice actor behind the Mr. Handy line of robots, a fair few of which had been present in Stable 73, she was uncommonly well known amongst wasteland ponies. Her chirpy voice was almost a part of everyday life. "Welcome to Barnyard Bargains Megamall! I regret to inform you that the mall is currently closed, would you like to be added to our mailing list and be notified of the grand opening?"


"Currently the mall is closed in preparation for the Grand Opening," said the Lyrabot. "If you would like to be added to our mailing list we can send you a notification as well as a series of value-tastic coupons informing you closer to the date!"

Luna regarded the robot with the oddly cheery voice for a moment, before adding in her own two bits. "Who would be responsible for opening this mall for business, if I might inquire?"

[Thanqol]

Luna regarded the robot with the oddly cheery voice for a moment, before adding in her own two bits. "Who would be responsible for opening this mall for business, if I might inquire?"

"Mr. Rich, CEO of RichCo, of which Barnyard Bargains is a subsidiary," said the Lyrabot cheerfully. "Mr. Rich is the owner of a vast array of industries and projects, including the stylish and practical Pip-Buck 3000, the friendly and loyal Protectron, the Vertical Battle Cloud Combat Dropship, and fulfilling my very own dream of moving the "Handy" line of robots from one mare's prototype to mass production!" Lyra sounded even more gleeful than usual when she was talking about Mr. Rich. "We've been ever so excited for Mr. Rich's appearance in our humble little store!"

[Tiki Snakes]

"So if we get you inside and find a terminal, or maybe a certain terminal, then you should be able to get us in business? " Trees asked. "I've a follow up question. How are you with heights?"

She gestured in the general direction of the roof.
"There's got to be an access up there to maintain the sign, clean the roof and stuff..."

[BlasTech]

Rosemary paused, considering. All in all, it was a better plan than hers; which mostly involved trying to pass off Luna as Filthy Rich himself.

"I have no issues with heights." she said, as she cast a look over to the roof of the megamall.

[Balmas]

"How'd you like to do a quick recon?" asked the griffon. "We have enough wings to get us all over there."

[Thanqol]

There were vents on the roof, sure enough, but they were narrow. It'd be a tight fit and slow going.

[BlasTech]

"How'd you like to do a quick recon?" asked the griffon. "We have enough wings to get us all over there."

Rosemary nodded.

"I can also lift somepony up if needed, but wingpower seems the most rational course."

She waited for one of the flyers to ferry her over. Once on the roof, she trotted over to the vents to inspect them and to pry off the gratings with her magic.

"Scouts first?"

[Balmas]

Vents. Of course it was. Narrow, constricting, not enough room to shoot accurately, dark... "Just like home," Gabriel muttered, checking back on the floating mint robot.

"Yeah, I can go first. Those with horns, be ready to pull us out if we need it."

Blinking, he scanned the area for little red arrows. If there were hostiles on the next floor down, he wanted to know about it before he came down there.

[Thanqol]

Vents. Of course it was. Narrow, constricting, not enough room to shoot accurately, dark... "Just like home," Gabriel muttered, checking back on the floating mint robot.

"Yeah, I can go first. Those with horns, be ready to pull us out if we need it."

Blinking, he scanned the area for little red arrows. If there were hostiles on the next floor down, he wanted to know about it before he came down there.

The Handies seemed unperturbed by this, continuing their vigilant cycle of the cartpark.

There were currently no red marks on EFS, but powered-down robots never set it off.

[the_druid_droid]

"Mr. Rich, CEO of RichCo, of which Barnyard Bargains is a subsidiary," said the Lyrabot cheerfully. "Mr. Rich is the owner of a vast array of industries and projects, including the stylish and practical Pip-Buck 3000, the friendly and loyal Protectron, the Vertical Battle Cloud Combat Dropship, and fulfilling my very own dream of moving the "Handy" line of robots from one mare's prototype to mass production!" Lyra sounded even more gleeful than usual when she was talking about Mr. Rich. "We've been ever so excited for Mr. Rich's appearance in our humble little store!"

"Would a representative of Mr. Rich be adequate, or must it absolutely be the stallion himself?" Luna wasn't quite ready to give up on a direct approach, but she knew dealing with robots like this could be hit-or-miss.

[Thanqol]

"Would a representative of Mr. Rich be adequate, or must it absolutely be the stallion himself?" Luna wasn't quite ready to give up on a direct approach, but she knew dealing with robots like this could be hit-or-miss.

"Mr. Rich was to personally open this mall," clarified the robot.

[the_druid_droid]

"Mr. Rich was to personally open this mall," clarified the robot.

"And in the event something happened to Mr. Rich? Surely the mall must open at some point, even if he were unavailable." Luna tried not to sigh; it wasn't looking good, but at least they'd tried an option that didn't involve guns blazing. She was getting a bit worried that that would be some of her companions' version of Plan A.

[Thanqol]

"And in the event something happened to Mr. Rich? Surely the mall must open at some point, even if he were unavailable." Luna tried not to sigh; it wasn't looking good, but at least they'd tried an option that didn't involve guns blazing. She was getting a bit worried that that would be some of her companions' version of Plan A.

"If something happened to Mr. Rich I'm sure we'd have received an update to our programming by now," said the Lyrabot optimistically. "He is very punctual about these things."

[the_druid_droid]

"If something happened to Mr. Rich I'm sure we'd have received an update to our programming by now," said the Lyrabot optimistically. "He is very punctual about these things."

Luna just barely avoided laughing at that, given the situation, and settled on a little smirk instead. Somehow she just couldn't resist asking one more question of the absurdly happy robot. "Did his punctuality extend to a plan for the Apocalypse, perhaps?"

[Thanqol]

Luna just barely avoided laughing at that, given the situation, and settled on a little smirk instead. Somehow she just couldn't resist asking one more question of the absurdly happy robot. "Did his punctuality extend to a plan for the Apocalypse, perhaps?"

"Why, of course!" said the Lyrabot, staring directly at Luna with an eye of burning gold, reflecting her face on it's immaculately polished surface. "Why else do you think he built this enormous mall in the middle of nowhere?"

[Balmas]

Tucking Maria carefully against his chest, Gabriel prepared for the descent. A claw here, a paw there, shove out against the vent to brace...

"Wish me luck," he murmured, and allowed himself to slide down the vent. "Be ready to pull me up!"

He winced at the unholy screeching of armor on vent. If there was anyone there, they probably knew he was there now.

Attempt at Sneak: 95 over 35, Failed.

[Deadly]

Blue followed Rose and Gabriel up on the roof, in case they needed help. "Need any help up here?"

[I should have been faster. Blue would have been much better suited for air vents than a large griffon (size at least, seeing how Gabe actually has a higher Sneak than Blue). Sorry for being a bit distracted lately]

[Thanqol]

Gabriel emerged above the interior of a supermarket.

Row after row of shelves filled the room, pristine and sparkling white. A long line of cash registers sparkled by the entrance. A huge bank of shopping trollies waited, oiled and cleaned, ready to be used. At the end of every aisle there was a glowing blue forcefield tube housing a Protectron. There was one more Protectron at the entrance, and a glowing blue field after the checkout.

It all seemed entirely at peace.

[BlasTech]

Blue followed Rose and Gabriel up on the roof, in case they needed help. "Need any help up here?"

[I should have been faster. Blue would have been much better suited for air vents than a large griffon (size at least, seeing how Gabe actually has a higher Sneak than Blue). Sorry for being a bit distracted lately]

"We seem to have the situation well in-" Rosemary began, before a Celestia-awful screeching noise heralded Gabriel's decidedly un-stealthy entrance into the megamall.

Wincing, the unicorn counted to three slowly. It was only once the sound of shooting failed to materialise that she continued.

"... well in hoof." she finished. "Although a second pair of wings are always welcome in case we need to play a game of 'fish for the griffon'."

[Balmas]

Put Gabriel in a shootout, and he could fight with the best of them. Throw a broken set of armor at him, and he could fix it. Point him at a nest of raiders, and he'd wipe out every raping, murdering, cheating sons-of-witches there.

Put him in a peaceful room, with nothing to shoot? That scared him. A vague sense of unease prickled at him, and he had nothing to vent it on.

Gabriel scowled as he marked the vent's exit location on his Pipbuck. This place made no sense. In two-hundred years, things ought to have changed, even if just a little. Prospectors ought to have found it, looted it, and left nothing but the carts. Raiders should have painted the place in their signature version of home degore. A clean shopping mall, untouched by time... That was a bit suspicious.

Hanging by a talon, he began counting. Aisles, protectrons, boxes of ammo, entrances, exits, offices... Anything that could help them get in alive. That force field looked especially troublesome.

[Deadly]

"We seem to have the situation well in-" Rosemary began, before a Celestia-awful screeching noise heralded Gabriel's decidedly un-stealthy entrance into the megamall.

Wincing, the unicorn counted to three slowly. It was only once the sound of shooting failed to materialise that she continued.

"... well in hoof." she finished. "Although a second pair of wings are always welcome in case we need to play a game of 'fish for the griffon'."

"Gotcha," Blue said and trotted around the vent in a circle, peering in now and then.

[Thanqol]

Hanging by a talon, he began counting. Aisles, protectrons, boxes of ammo, entrances, exits, offices... Anything that could help them get in alive. That force field looked especially troublesome.

12 aisles, 13 protectrons, couldn't get a look at the personal defence aisle, and the blue field looked less like a solid-light force field and more like a scanner zone - probably to detect when ponies were shoplifting or the like.

[Balmas]

Thirteen Thirteen protectrons. So long as there weren't any turrets, they ought to be fine. Figure two shots per protectron... He'd need more ammo, but protectrons were only lightly armored. Small arms fire should be enough to down them. He frowned, and began the slow process of climbing back up the vent.

"We got thirteen protectrons," he said, his head popping out like a slightly more handsome jack-in-the-box. "No turrets, nothing big. That I could see."

[BlasTech]

"Did you see any terminals? Or offices?" asked Rosemary.

[Thanqol]

There was an office door that lead into the back part, though it was very secure. Through a barred window Gabe might have been able to see a terminal's glow.

[Balmas]

"Yeah, there's an office and a terminal, I think," reported the griffon, squirming the rest of the way out of the vent. "We'd need some C-4 to get in, though. Thing's locked up tighter than a radigator with lockjaw."

[the_druid_droid]

"Why, of course!" said the Lyrabot, staring directly at Luna with an eye of burning gold, reflecting her face on it's immaculately polished surface. "Why else do you think he built this enormous mall in the middle of nowhere?"

"Are you suggesting he meant it to service the citizens of a post-apocalyptic world? Or am I badly mistaken." Somewhere the conversation had gone from funny to outright odd, and Luna wasn't quite sure when that had occurred.

[Thanqol]

"Are you suggesting he meant it to service the citizens of a post-apocalyptic world? Or am I badly mistaken." Somewhere the conversation had gone from funny to outright odd, and Luna wasn't quite sure when that had occurred.

"Oh, this is just idle gossip amongst us parking attendants," said the Lyrabot. "We wouldn't want to do something as vulgar as speculate as to Mr. Rich's intentions. But even a humble servant like myself notices that I haven't once run out of fresh paint or spare parts in the past two hundred years - and for that matter, haven't once had the pleasure of helping so much as a single lady with her shopping.

"So we got together, had a chat, and decided it was pretty clear from how this place was set up that Mr. Rich had meant it to be this way." said the Lyrabot. "After all, he was a very clever pony."

[Tiki Snakes]

"You know what? I think you're right." Trees spoke up. "This does seem to be the perfect setup for the post apocalypse. He really must have been sharp as a tack, that one."

Trees shrugged uncomfortably. "But I hate to break it to you, I don't think he made it."

"It seems clear that he intended to do...something, but either he got stuck in a stable and let me tell you, there'd have been no getting out of there in a hurry, or he never got chance. I'm sorry Handy. I think he's gone."

Trees tipped her head, feeling for the cheerful little robot.

"I never knew him, but I think he would have wanted you to go on without him, open the store and do what you were made to do to help those of us left behind." she ventured, quite honestly.

[Thanqol]

"But I'm sure he made it," said the Lyrabot. "He wouldn't have given us robots a better chance at surviving than himself. We're not even important."

[Speech check]

[Tiki Snakes]

[Haha, no. I mean, I'll roll, but I won't succeed. Trees is neither charismatic nor lucky and didn't really expect to convince them of anything.]

"I wouldn't know, my little Robo. I never met him. But it's been 200 years and if that sign is anything to go by, he wasn't a young pony even before the war. You're probably right, but the best way he would have had to survive what happened would have been to enter a Stable, and they stayed locked down for a very, very long time." Trees spoke kindly, with the kind of resignation that came from someone used to being ignored but determined to speak up regardless.

Speech Attempt: 17 over 8, Failed.

[Thanqol]

[With the +10 circumstance bonus from your argument, that actually makes it]

"..." The Lyrabot hovered there silently for a moment.

Then it turned around - well, not exactly turned, but extended a different eyestalk - and waved down another randomly floating attendant. "Hey, excuse me? Does meat die when it get old?"

"What?" yelled back the other Lyrabot.

"The meat. I mean, the masters, you know? Does it expire?"

"Check the label," suggested the other Lyrabot.

"I don't have it on hand," yelled Lyra.

"Ask a supervisor?" shrugged the other Lyrabot and then, having completed it's troubleshooting script, started to drift away back on it's patrol cycles.

"Hello?" said the Lyrabot back to the groups. "Yes, I'm just going to put you on hold for a moment while I consult with my supervisor about the answer to that question."

[Tiki Snakes]

"That's okay." Trees replied, vaguely shellshocked at having gotten an actual response. "I'm not in a hurry to be anywhere."

[Thanqol]

"Thank you!" said the Lyrabot, and started playing some reassuring harp music as it drifted up to the entrance, unlocked the door with one fine appendage and went inside.

[Tiki Snakes]

Trees stared after the Lyra-bot in bemusement.
"Oh, Luna? You should probably go let the others know what just happened."

"I'm not entirely sure what just happened myself, but you should probably let them know before Gabe does anything Gabe-ish."

[BlasTech]

"Yeah, there's an office and a terminal, I think," reported the griffon, squirming the rest of the way out of the vent. "We'd need some C-4 to get in, though. Thing's locked up tighter than a radigator with lockjaw."

"If anything, I'd at least like to try my hoof at it before we resort to high explosives." Rosemary deadpanned. "Besides, explosives aren't the only way to get doors open."

[Thanqol]

At about this point, Gabe et al saw the front doors open, a Handy drift through the silent corridors of the mall, unlock and open the door to the office, and drift through that as well. Then it went back to being quiet.

[BlasTech]

"Um yes ... case in ... point?" continued Rosemary. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but I won't complain."

[Balmas]

"Indeed," murmured the griffon. "Care for a lift?"

[the_druid_droid]

Trees stared after the Lyra-bot in bemusement.
"Oh, Luna? You should probably go let the others know what just happened."

"I'm not entirely sure what just happened myself, but you should probably let them know before Gabe does anything Gabe-ish."

"I will. And thank you - it's so nice to meet somepony else who believes in diplomacy." The alicorn smiled, before flying up to the roof to give a quick account of the conversation and suggest that at the very least they refrain from targeting that particular Mr. Handy for a little while.

[Thanqol]

For whatever reason, though, no response was forthcoming. Minutes would pass and the Handy didn't return. How long they waited was based on their patience.

[BlasTech]

Rosemary had been about to say something when Luna arrived to give them an update.

"So, does this mean we can enter the mall now? Or should we be waiting for that robot to come back to us?" she asked the Princess.

[the_druid_droid]

Rosemary had been about to say something when Luna arrived to give them an update.

"So, does this mean we can enter the mall now? Or should we be waiting for that robot to come back to us?" she asked the Princess.

"I suppose we can investigate, but please try to keep hostilities to a minimum. Right now I would prefer that we not be the first to draw weapons, since allies are always more valuable than bodies."

[BlasTech]

"As you order, princess." she replied, coolly turning to Gabriel.

"If you could please?" she said, inclining her head to the mall below.

[Balmas]

Gabriel nodded, wrapping a pair of legs around the mare. A push of legs and a short glide later, and they were on the ground again. "There was some kind of force field, or maybe anti-theft thingy, over the front door. It would seem that grabbing and running may not be the best idea."

[Thanqol]

Rosemary and Gabriel landed in amidst the aisles.

It looked like the shelves had never been stocked. They were spotlessly clean and empty like they had been dusted this very day. Here and there, though, were a few things - things which had no expiration dates. Everything that could potentially go off had gone off and been removed but pre-War Equestria had invented plenty of snacks so devoid of nutrition that even bacteria wouldn't eat it. There were also non-consumables - packets of Energy Cells, some Spark Batteries, various junk and consumer goods. There were even guns, but they were behind a locked glass case.

There was a strange stillness in the air in the mall, the chill of an air conditioner running even in the middle of a frozen winter.

A mall like this, in days past, would have been an icon of waste. After two hundred years without resupply it was a curiously spartan and restrained complex. Nothing in this main room, though, indicated that it was anything more than a standard consumer mall.

[Balmas]

This was too strange. The griffon scowled, running a finger along the metal shelving. Not a speck of dust anywhere. If that pegasus had thought this was supposed to be a lot of bullets, she was full of more than hot air.

"So, where to start? Office, behind the counters, in the back room?" He arched his neck, trying to evaluate the guns in the case. Even if they were some of the more worthless guns like varmint rifles or revolvers, they ought to be in pretty good condition and worth some caps.

[Deadly]

Blue slipped down the air vent behind the other two and looked around the forsaken mall. "Damned cheery place."

[BlasTech]

"Offices" agreed Rosemary, as she trotted towards the rear of the store. "Although I don't feel comfortable pinning all our hopes on a terminal, it would seem our best bet for getting full access to the store."

[Thanqol]

"Offices" agreed Rosemary, as she trotted towards the rear of the store. "Although I don't feel comfortable pinning all our hopes on a terminal, it would seem our best bet for getting full access to the store."

As Rosemary reached the office, she got a brief chance to look around. A large metal service elevator occupied one wall, a computer sat on a desk, and a Lyrabot was in her face.

"Surprise! Identity verification pop quiz!" said the Lyrabot enthusiastically as it got all up in her personal space. It wasn't the same one they'd sent down before; this one had more blue paint and a flashing siren thing on the top of it's dome. "To prove you're not a Changeling, please answer the following question! Who is the ruler of us all?"

[BlasTech]

Rosemary started backwards in surprise, a whinny escaping her lips before she could regain her composure. Sometimes she absolutely hated how enthusiastic these bits of pre-war technology could be. Not all of that was borne from their irritating durability, but somewhat unstable programming.

"The royal pony sisters." She answered, running over the various bits of wartime history in her mind. That was the most likely time period this robot had been sent up here. "Specifically, Princess Luna since her elder sister abdicated."

[Balmas]

"With Shining Armor and Cadence as the local rulers of the Crystal Empire," Gabriel jumped, shoving his gun back into its holster. Reflexes, check. Not blowing up a robot and bringing lasers down on them all? Even better.

[Thanqol]

Rosemary started backwards in surprise, a whinny escaping her lips before she could regain her composure. Sometimes she absolutely hated how enthusiastic these bits of pre-war technology could be. Not all of that was borne from their irritating durability, but somewhat unstable programming.

"The royal pony sisters." She answered, running over the various bits of wartime history in her mind. That was the most likely time period this robot had been sent up here. "Specifically, Princess Luna since her elder sister abdicated."


"With Shining Armor and Cadence as the local rulers of the Crystal Empire," Gabriel jumped, shoving his gun back into its holster. Reflexes, check. Not blowing up a robot and bringing lasers down on them all? Even better.

"Oooh, too bad," said the Lyrabot, making a sound like she was sucking her teeth. "I mean, that was a really good guess. For a Changeling. A really good guess!"

The lighting in the mall changed instantaneously to total, deep red.

There was whirring as the Protectron tubes began to activate.

"Don't worry!" said the Lyrabot happily. "It's possible you just forgot the answer. We can go onto the Trivia Bonus Round! I'll ask you more questions and if you get three of them right before Security kills you then I'll disable the alert!"

[Deadly]

Blue jumped at the sudden alarm. "Hurry the hell up and ask us then!" Bloody nonsense, was what all this was.

[Thanqol]

Blue jumped at the sudden alarm. "Hurry the hell up and ask us then!" Bloody nonsense, was what all this was.

"Yes ma'am, I'll get right on that," said the robot. The sirens dimmed a little bit so it could be heard, but so could the clanking sound of the advancing Protectrons.

"Warning: Changelings detected. This area is now a combat zone. The innocent have nothing to fear (so long as they immediately leave the combat zone)."

"Question one!
Pinkie's mother Pepper had four kids, that's all
The first was named Spring and the third was named Fall
The second's name was Summer, and good ponies were they all,
So what was the name of Pepper's fourth loving foal?"

[You may spend 50AP to make a Luck check involving blurting out random answers and hoping one of them sticks. You may spend 10AP to make a specific guess. We are now in Initiative Time]

[Tiki Snakes]

"Oh." Trees said as deep red light spilled out from the mall.

[1d10 + Agility, right?
6 + 9, so total of (15)]

"That doesn't look good." Trees moved up to the door of the mall, to get a look inside. She kept low, just in case.

15 AP per basic move, right? No idea of the distance, but I'm going to assume Trees has wandered at least within two moves/23 yards of the doors.

30AP Movement
52AP left, will spend on dodging. That's a -26% penalty to hit Trees.

[Balmas]

"The fourth foal is Pinkie," snarled the griffon as he drew Maria once more. Dangit, this was bad. Laser pistols were weak, but there were a lot of them, and he wasn't particularly fond of scars. Riddles? Really? How was that supposed to ferret out changelings?

Bracing Maria against the top of the terminal, he kicked into SATS and popped off one shot at a lumbering shape before dropping down behind the desk. "Next question!"

Actions taken:
Educated guess: 10 AP
Draw holstered weapon: 10 AP
Activate SATS: 10 AP
Attack: 35 AP. Maria, nearest protectron. 72 over 48, miss.
Modifiers:
Short range: +0%
Target (Limb): -20%
SATS: Cancels out target penalty
Crouch / Take Cover: 10 AP. Partial cover for -25% to opponent attacks.
Dodge: 6 AP, -3% to ranged attacks

[BlasTech]

Stupid pieces of malfunctioning horseapples!

Rosemary was sorely tempted to simply put a few blasts of magical energy into that annoying robot's face, but staying in the open with so many protectons activating would not be good for her longevity.

She turned and lept behind one of the nearby display shelves, drawing her pistol in a field of green magic and snapping off a pair of shots at the nearest protecton.

[Actions taken: 70AP used]

Movement (into cover) - 15AP.
Draw holstered weapon - 10AP.
Crouch - 0AP (Free action)
Shot #1 - 25AP - 5 under 43. Critical Hit! Damage: 68*0.9 (62 dmg)
Shot #2 - 20AP - 14 under 38. Hit. Damage : 22*0.9 (20dmg).

Shot modifiers:

Short range: +0%
ME weapon: (Crit chance +2%) (-2DT)
Wild shot: (shot #2, -5% to hit)
Weapon condition (used): (+0 effective luck, 0.9x damage)

[Thanqol]

"Correct!" said the Handy. "Based on your reaction time we have just confirmed that you are not a Drone. You are capable of basic logical inference without having to consult the hivemind, so congratulations! You are either a pony or a mid-ranked Changeling officer! Next question!"

Twelve Protectrons were making their waddling way towards the party, which was currently sheltered in the office with the Handy. They were at various ranges, making no effort to move through cover, and generally presenting slow, lumbering targets. However, moving out into the open where they could all shoot you was tactically inadvisable - it seemed to be better to wait for them to try coming in through the door one by one.

The door could be closed and locked, but the window still provided a valid firing line for the Protectrons. The Protectrons were also fairly spread out and seemed to have pretty slow turn cycles.

The front runner almost melted instantly from Rosemary's plasma shots, but managed to soldier on, sputtering and smoking. "ERROR. ERROR. MY ARMS ARE FLAILING WILDLY," it announced.

On the plus side, Luna and Trees who were outside the mall had the Protectrons' backs to them.

Then a volley of laser fire erupted, burning the world red.

[Rolling under 40-25%= attacks under 15 hit

33 - 13 - 30 - 6 - 31 - 88 - 55 - 2 - 55 - 83 - 33 - 98 (Avg: 43,91666666667)
2 hits, 1 crit
Rosemary takes: 19 damage and 22 damage
Gabe takes 40 damage

This is before DT as usual]


"The next question is to determine if your origin is Equestrian, and is as follows," said the Handy, scooting out of the way of the laser fire. "Suppose I have twelve bits, but need five gems. How many gems would I be able to afford using current market conversion rates, and if I had to take out a loan to cover the rest at 10% interest how much would that cost given two payment intervals?"

[Normal Barter check required, or Luck check at -1, 30AP action per attempt. You may not make an attempt until AP refreshes.]

[Deadly]

"Winter!" Blue blurted out, too angry and inattentive to think it through. Her answer was also cut off by Gabe's answer, which was certainly good, because Blue would have hated her wrong answer to have been the only answer. That would have made her angry, but then, lots of things already made the pegasus angry.

Blue darted out as she thought the coast was clear and struck out at the frontrunner, spinning around in the attack and darting back inside to hover above the door.

Actions
Guess: 10 AP

Move: 15 AP

Unarmed Attack: 20 AP, 12 under 38, 18+7=25 damage

Move: 15 AP

Dodge: 19 AP for -9%

[Thanqol]

Blue's punch took the head off the damaged protectron. "Error: Unable to continue apprehending criminals due to <death>," it announced before collapsing into a pile of scrap.

[the_druid_droid]

Luna sighed as the alert went off inside and weapons fire began to fly. The moment of peace had at least endured slightly longer than she'd expected. Hurring to where Trees was, the alicorn took cover and tried to get a look at what was happening inside.

[Init: 12]

Actions
Move: 45 AP
Dodge: 28 AP (-14%)

I'm also not sure exactly how far Luna is from the doors, but she moved essentially the same distance as Trees, even without flight, so I assume we're good.

[Thanqol]

[Initiative refreshes! Everypony may act again. Protectrons are acting on 5 FWIW. Luna and trees are now about 70 yards away from the protectrons and everypony else is within 50.]

[Balmas]

"Agh!" Son of a monkey f***, but that stung! Ducking more fully behind the desk, Gabriel clutched at his shoulder and stared at the gaping hole the beam had etched in his armor and beyond.

He then switched his stare to the blue demon that taunted him. Why yes, of course he was an Equestrian! Didn't he look like one? Dammit, he was a griffon! Why the hell should he know about investments?

"Um. Three gems! And, um, ten bits!" ((Luck check, 3 over 3. I think that's a success.))

Popping up over the desk again, the griffon took a second to brace Maria against the terminal before taking a shot. Cursing as it ricocheted off a wall, he dropped back down behind the desk.

"Blue! There's a box on the Protectron's backs. If you can get behind them and disable the box, the protectron will shoot at the closest thing it sees, even other robots!"

Actions taken: 75 AP
Random guess: 30 AP. 3 over 3. I think that's a success?
Stand: 10 AP
Attack (Maria) nearest Protectron: 35 AP. 71 over 44, miss.

[BlasTech]

Rosemary winced as the beams blasted through the air. Most of them were caught by the desk she was hiding behind, but a couple emerged to bite into her armour. Thankfully, the HREC hazard suit took the brunt of most of their energy.

It still stung though.

Her horn glowed again, this time with restorative magics that she quickly turned on Gabriel. She had to frown in concentration, magical energy damage was particularly troublesome, burning and warping flesh.

Once that was done, she scooped up her pistol and fired off another shot at the nearest protecton before dropping back behind cover.

[Actions Taken 70AP spent]

Cast Spell (Heal) - 45AP - Heals 34 damage over 2 turns (17 now, 17 next)
Shoot - 25AP - 15 under 28*. Hit. Deals 30*0.9 (27) Dmg

Shot modifiers
*Range: Medium (- 15% to hit) or Short (0% to hit)
ME weapon: (Crit chance +2%) (-2DT)
Weapon condition (used): (+0 effective luck, 0.9x damage)

[Deadly]

"Right," Blue hissed through her teeth at Gabriel's information before rushing back out. Trying to get behind the nearest protectron, she took a careful aim at the box on its back before spinning around for a slightly less careful follow-up. "Go *yay* yourselves!"

Without waiting to see the effects of her attack, the pegasus raced back for cover.

Actions
Move: 15 AP

Unarmed Precise Strike: 15+15 AP, [roll0] under 28, 6+[roll1] damage if it's a hit

Unarmed Strike: 15 AP, [roll2] under 8, 6+[roll3] damage if it's a hit

Move: 15 AP

Dodge: 4 AP for -2%

[the_druid_droid]

Luna turned to Trees. "Unless you have a rifle, I think we're still too far away to help them. Hitting those robots in a crossfire is probably the best plan, but I'm going to have to get closer to do it. Are you coming?"

Although it was a question, the alicorn didn't wait long for a reply before sliding in through the mall's doors toward the rear of the advancing wave of Protectrons and the cover of the mall's shelving units.

Actions
Move: 45 AP (should get her to within Short range of the 'bots for spellcasting, and optimal pistol attacks)
Dodge: 28 AP (-14%)

[Tiki Snakes]

"But I don't..." Trees starts, uncertainly in response to Luna, biting her lip."Okay, okay."
Trees whips her pistol out with her tail and bolts from her point of cover, tearing down the aisles with her head down. Her hooves clatter on the tiled floor and she mutters to herself as she goes, sliding awkwardly behind a couple of shelving units as the Protectrons come into range so as to not be entirely left out in the open.

"Why don't you pick on somepony your own size, you big tin jerks!" She calls out half-heartedly, firing a wild shot in their direction as she slides roughly into the side of the shelving unit.


Draw Weapon - 10 AP
Sprinting - We're at 70 yards or 210 feet, need to get within 16 yards or 50 feet to be in short range, so at 23 yards per 15 ap that means I need 3 sprint actions and a slow-down once she's just within short range (rather than going the full distance possible from that AP cost and ending up in point blank range or something daft). So that would be 60 ap.
I'm assuming that means that Luna is flying, because I have no idea how she'd cover 45 yards in three walk actions otherwise.
12 AP left to Wild Shot, so -3% penalty.
92 over 38, Miss.

[Thanqol]

"That is correct!" said the Handy as laser bolts scorched overhead and burned craters in the wall. "If you are a Changeling you've lived in Equestria long enough to understand the intricacies of our economic system! Great work on making it this far - changeling."

Only minor damage had been dealt to the wave of advancing Protectrons at this point. Next turn they'd start being able to pile into the office, negating the cover that was likely keeping the ponies alive. If there was a silver lining they'd have to come through the door one at a time.

40-25=15 To hit

87 - 60 - 69 - 84 - 64 - 93 - 15 - 65 - 71 - 69 - 73 (Avg: 68,18181818182)

1 hit to Rosemary. 16 damage.


The other silver lining was that the Protectrons were awful shots. If they all stood still and focused fire rather than continuing their advance they'd likely be getting a lot more done.

"RichCo is required by law to offer all criminals a chance to surrender and turn themselves in to the nearest duly appointed officer or deputy of the law," one of the Protectrons was ponderously reciting. "In the absence of an officer or deputy, criminals are required by law to immediately cease damaging any/all Protectrons encountered in their criminal enterprises or face vandalism penalties in addition to other charges."

"So! Last question!" said the Lyrabot. "To prove that you are definitively not a Changeling, please tell me what - not whom! - you love, and explain why you love it!"