Thread 48: Stories 46-60

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >SA
"Chrysalis"
~~~

>Chrysalis? Did you set fire to my mail again?

"ONE TIME!"

>Sure, if we don't count 'accidents'. In which case we're in the upper thirties.

"Regardless! No, I have not tested my fire spells recently, why?"

>Huh. Just weird, we normally get the papers from the other cities around this time. I like to keep up to date with current events.

"Huh."

>Weird that they would all stop... oh, hey, at least I still got the Hive Gazette.

"Did you now..."

>Yeah. Funny story, did you know that's actually my camera she's using? It's pretty... neat...

"Just noticed the picture?"

>WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUU

"That's a yes."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Villager Pony
"Villager pony 2"
~~~

>...Huh, would you look at that. Village is being destroyed.

"Yep."

>What's goin' on this time?"

"Bunch'a possessed lookin' fellers, it seems."

>Huh. That's new.

"Ain't as fun as when the chocolate milk started rainin' from the sky."

>Ain't as bad as that biggun stompin' through neither.

"Ah' dunno, these'uns seem ta' turn ya' over onto their side, transformin' friends and loved ones inta' the horde of never ending nightmares."

>Yeah... but ah' got that there dino-phobia, so it ain't as bad.

"Ah' reckon."

>So... how long till them fine lady-mares fix thissin?

"Ah' give it about a day."

>Seems reasonable.

"..."

>...

"....Yep."

>mmmhmm...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Conductor
"Train Attendant"
'???'
~~~

>FUCK! FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUUCCCKKKKKK!

"Yeah, that about sums it up."

>WHY!?

"Why zombies? I guess they're just what's happening right now."

>THERE ARE SO MANY!

"I agree, way too many zombies out there. Totally filled to the brim."

>HOW ARE YOU SO CALM RIGHT NOW!?

"Hm? Oh, because we reenforced the door to the head engine after that whole bug dinosaur thing, remember? What are they going to do, melt four inches of solid steel?"

>OR THEY COULD JUST GO AROUND THE FRONT!

Turning away, the attendant did in fact see they were indeed climbing all over the front windows.

"...Well, I'll be."

*CRACK!*

'SCREEEEEE!'

>AHHHHHHHHHHH!

"Yeah, bout where I'm at too. But hey, I don't think the zombies know how to drive a train."

>HOW IS THAT BETTER!?

"...Wow, it's not, is it?"

>SHUT THE FUCK UP!

"Doing that."

*CRASH!*

"...Can I scream?"

>AHHHHHHHH!

"Taking that as a yes. AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

>AHHHHHHHHHH!

>"AHHHHHHHHHH!"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Twilight
"32"
~~~

The light that flickered on was the only indication it was morning to him. Not that he wasn't appreciative, he got no such indicator back in his dungeon days, and at least this was something.

Another something, he found, was the shapely bag that was plopped into his cell.

"For me, dear princess? How odd, are you not a touch on the old side for going house to house for candy?"

The lavender princess rolled her eyes, casually walking back up to her equipment to begin the days work.

>Two things. One, no, no I'm not. I will go get candy if I feel like it, and I have the ability to imprison those who I feel disagree.

"Ooooh... too much time with the bitch-queen, I feel. You are picking up some nasty habits."

>Second, that is not my candy. My candy was very rudely commandeered in the name of diplomacy.

"Oh? Then who was so kind as to..."

>Was hoping you could tell me, actually. Just found it propped up against my door this morning with a note saying "For 32" on it. Who is...

He had long since stopped paying attention to her by this point, more focused on the nice pile of candy, and even nicer looking bottle of some sort of... something inside of the bag.

"Oh ho, trying to get me drunk already? Please, I'm not that kind of ling... I'd likely give it up for just a compliment!"

>...Are... are you... are you trying to flirt with someone who isn't here?

"I'm not flirting, I am trying to rile him up."

>That... is not better. Still not here either way.

"I... I am desperate for amusement."

>And, what, I'm not good enough or something?

"Mm? Oh, no. It's just you'd brush it off rather easily, and would likely stop being effected by it after the first try or so. The only thing I could use to consistently irritate you would be to mention what your brother did to Chrysalis, and frankly-"

>EWEWEWEWEWEWEWEWWWW!

"I agree, actually. I taste the vomit just thinking about it. Even I wouldn't go there."

>...Ew.

"Again, I agree."

>Well, let's get off that topic... now. Who is dropping you off candy and wine anyway?

"And cheeses, actually."

>Wine and cheese?

"He thinks himself a rather classy fellow. In fact, there's a little note here asking if the Gorau Glas boldens the flavor more than the Beaufort D’ete, or if the added tart is a bit too offputting to drown it out."

>29?

"29. I would ask him to expand upon the events, but he seems rather... unsettled to come over here."

>Putting it mildly...

"Whatever did you do to him to cause such a horror?"

>I don't know! I mean, okay, floating in there probably wasn't a vacation, but I didn't think it would do this! It's not like I ripped open his chest and poked around or something, I just scanned him, tested the properties of his chitin, stuff like that! I just needed some biological viewing on your species, I didn't think it would make him go into convulsions!

"Curious... well, at any rate, as soon as I am examined I would like to be returned to my cell in the dungeon."

>Oh? You don't want to stay up here?

"The location means very little to me, really. I am not long to survive either way. However, I do miss speaking to someone whom I do not despise."

>...

"Present company excluded, of course. Speaking of, I do hope his gifts and speech to me will remain between us?"

>What? Why?

His look went flat, as if a small child had just asked him how to breath.

"Because the whore queen will kill him."

>She will not.

He just grew more pitying.

>Fine, fine. I won't tell her.

"Good. Would hate to give a fun time to that helmeted dog as she beats the life out of him."

>...

"Any progression on my state?"

>Ah, no... I still have no idea what's going on.

"Well, do tell me if you do."

>Obviously.

"...Want to share my wine?"

>I don't drink.

"Spoilsport. So, anything interesting happen since last night?"

>Nothing besides some parties, why?

"Hurm... I've had the weirdest feeling today."

>...

"...Probably nothing."

>Right...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Actarius
"JJ"
'Random Changelings'
~~~~
>Come on, just like that...

"Ahhhh... ahhhhhh..."

>Almost there...

"Nnnnnnnggggg..."

>So close, so close!

"Eeeeeeeerrrr..."

>So close! Yes, YES! YEESSSSS!

"...Eee?"

>WOO! YEAH! Angry! You got it! You got the word, buddy!

"Yaaaay..."

>Okay, so, we've got "The" and "Angry", what's the next one?

"...Uh... what letter is that again?"

>It's an F. Remember? That one makes the FFFFFF noise. Come on, you can-

'OH HIVEMIND DAMN IT! You guys make all those noises and this is what you're doing!?'

>...What else would we be doing?

'Nevermind! What's with the thin food?'

>It's a book.

'I don't need your fancy phrasings!'

>Sounds like you do, actually. It's a book, you're not supposed to eat it.

'What else are we supposed to do with it!?'

>Read it?

'NONE OF US CAN READ, JACKASS!'

>I, uh... I know, that's why I'm helping JJ.

"We're learning. It's fun."

'I don't think you're doing that right.'

'No, yeah, totally looks like he's doing that wrong.'

'Nowhere near what it's supposed to be.'

'Your form is all wrong.'

>I think it's fine.

'Really? Well, you know, we did only see, like, a second of it.'

'Oh yeah, nowhere near a big enough sample size.'

'PROCEED! But we will be judging you!'

>...Do you guys want to sit in on this?

'Well, yes, to judge you.'

'Silently, but judging.'

'So... proceed.'

>Oh... kay? Well, uh, back to the top.

"...The Angry... fffff.....ffffffffff...ffrrrrrrrrrrr... what does that sound make again?"

>Oh. The sound is OH.

'QUICK! Write that down!'
'None of us can write.'
'MEMORIZE IT!'
'Memorize what?'
'DAMN!'

>This is going to be fun, I feel.

"Damn, I gotta crack this code!"

>There's a picture of a frog on the front.

"So?"

>...

"...Wait..."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 The cold of the oncoming winter chilled the fur of Trenderhoof's coat as he made his way down main road of Пограничный город (or the much less exotic sounding 'Border Town' in
Equestrian). Flanking him, the imposing form of his faithful bodyguard, Pavel, and the only slightly less imposing form of his Hooviet liaison, Sergei Kalashnikolt kept pace as he struggled beneath the weight of the great many souvenirs he was intending to take home.

"It's nice of you two fellows to see me off," Hoof said casually, grunting a bit from exertion, "But I don't see the big to-do, it's only a weekend, what could possibly happen?"

"The revolution waits for no stallion, comrade," Sergei replied, "Besides, the Bullsheviks have shut down the transit stations due to 'Internal security concerns', I would investigate to ensure they are not planning to transport military assets during the shutdown."

"...Bordertown dangerous, cost extra, pay up," Pavel grunted.

"...you con artist," Hoof grumbled, fishing for bits from his saddlebag and giving them to the grinning earth pony, "Though the shutdown also applies to trains OUT of the country so I'm going to have to cross the border in order to get on a train back to Canterlot."

"Aha, customs, may your reach your destination before the year is out," Sergei smirked personably before blinking and squinting, "Odd..."

"Hm? What's...odd...I...huh?" Hoof blinked as the border slowly came into view at the bottom of the hill the trio had crested.

Below, crowding around the farside of the brick wall that ran the length of the border (the only notable reform added by the much maligned 'Stalliongrad First' regime), was a massive crowd of ponies, stretching as far as the eye can seen.

"Odd, is a holiday coming up, Sergei?" Hoof turned to his companion to find that the mud brown earth pony had already pulled out a pair of binoculars.

"No, comrade...no, I think your vacation will have to wait," Sergei handed them over to Hoof, who levitated them in front of his face.

He saw the throng of ponies crowding the processing center, he managed to make out armed guards congregating on the Stalliongrad's side, the Bullsheviks' new robotic additions heavily among them.

"What is going on here-?"

Hoof's question died with the first gunshot, he jerked his view to the wall where a wild-eyed guard appeared to be shouting and firing his weapon into the crowd.

"They're shooting people! They're actually shooting the crowd!" Hoof was in shock, he'd heard tales of the Bullsheviks' cruelty to hostile factions, but to open fire on innocent Equestrian civilians.

"Look down," Pavel grunted, a hint of urgency in his voice, "Trouble."

Hoof jerked his view back towards the processing center, and his eyes grew wide as a crowd of ponies, covered in strange red growths burst out of the buildings, the soldiers and bots opening fire as they were rushed, taking a few down before running away, leaving their robotic comrades behind to fight.

"...we should be running," Pavel noted.

And they did.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >SA
"Chrysalis"
'Cadence'
[18]
{42}
~~

>Honey? Get out of the way, I need to go have a little talk with Applejack.

His petite pink wife, in turn, just sat in front of the portal harder... somehow.

'Shiny? No. You're ranting.'

>I am not ranting.

'You're ranting.'

>I am not ranting, you are being silly.

'Chrysalis?'

"Little ranty."

'Chrysalis is agreeing with me, Shiny, let that sink in.'

"Whoa, let's not go that far. I just agreed he was a little ranty, not that this was in any way a bad thing. Appleass needs some rants right now."

>I am not ranting!

[What's going on?]

The Cadence clone and helmeted changeling walked in, eager to get to work at the Wonderbolt office and eager to get to punching with Spike and 77, respectively.

"Shiny's ranting and Cadence doesn't want him to go rant at Applejack."

{Shining Armor is ranting? At what?}

>I am not ranting!

Ignoring that, Chrysalis floated the telltale newspaper before them, magically.

[... is... is that...]

{That can't be real!}

[HOLY FUCK IS THAT REAL!?]

'You are so lucky 2 is at school.'

{I... what!? Why!?}

>Fine question, actually! Was hoping to have a brief dialog with Applejack on the matter, since she's known about this practically since we got home, plenty of time to investigate! Little dialog, that's all.

[...oh, wow, you are getting ranty.]

>I AM NOT!

{Shining Armor, you are in fact acting a touch more irritated than normal.}

>Of course I'm a little irritated, Applejack held this VERY vital information from the community at large, clearly we need to get to the bottom of why.

[I kind of agree that we should at least inquire about this...]

'Not when he's ranty!'

{A forceful personality can be quite effective in getting answers, actually. It might be more effective to see him in this state.}

'The last time he got really mad at Applejack, he broke our stadium and was in the hospital for days!'

"...Wait, what?"

[When the hell did that happen?]

'It was in the BEFORE time, you know, before my household was blue to red in ratio of changelings to ponies.'

{Huh... would have wanted to see that.}

>You might get your chance. Cadence? Move please.

'...I'mma snuggle you if you don't stop.'

>Honey...

'Gonna do it.'

>I'm not ranting, this is not needed.

'Goooonna do it.'

>Cadence, really, I-

'SNUGGLES!'

With that, she shot forward, wrapping her hooves around him.

'HA HA! You're trapped now!'

Without a word, he rocked back, easily lifting her up, and walking forward on his hind legs.

'DRAT! Forgot about your new muscles!... Your big... big... very haaard.... muscles...'

Everyone in the room went quiet as he stopped.

{...Go on.}

Every eye suddenly being on her was only a little offputting.

{W-what!? I made those muscles! You can't look at me for wanting to know how big and hard they are! Big and hard muscles are good! I like them big and hard, they're way better for... fooohhhhh no I suddenly remembered I promised Spike I'd punchhimalldayandthenIhavetogotothemoontopickupsomecheeseBYEGOTTAGO}

She shot past, right into the portal.

[...now that she's gone, proceed.]

"Oh for the love of..."

Green flames lifted both ponies, chucking them in after the soldierbug.

"GO RANT AT APPLEJACK!"

'CHRYSALIS YOU TRAITO-'

With a ZAP, they were gone.

[...They really are nice muscles.]

"Don't doubt it for a second."

[...]

"Why are you smirking?"

[No reeeeeason! BYE!]

Soon, Chrysalis was alone.

"...Well... that's unsettling."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Twilight
"32"
'Vekir'

>So this voice, it's what's telling you to do the right thing.

"Yes indeed."

>A female's voice.

"Commanding, powerful but...desperate, pleading...it's strange, I've never heard it before but it's familiar."

>...

"No I HAVEN'T been reading Neighponese comics, don't look at me like that."

>Are you sure this might not be your conscience somehow?

"Consciences don't burn away love stores, I've taken on complex forms that ate away at my energy slower than this."

>I'm just trying to rule out every possibility, there's still a lot about changeling biology we don't know.

"Hmm...indeed, yes. By the by, if-slash-when I die, I give you full permission to dissect me in the name of Twience."

>I don't think Chrysalis will go for that.

"She can go suck a-nonononono, dialing it back, go to be sparing with my derision until I'm cured."

>Well if anything, this disease is improving your manners.

"..."

>Just trying to lighten the moo-

'Twience Princess!'

>"Oh shi-"

With catlike reflexes, Twilight mashes the button, causing the metal barriers to come up around 32's cell as Vekir enters the room, an uneven sway to her step.

>Vekir, I'm just a bit busy, if you could-

'Twience Princess, I am suplexed.'

>...what?

'Suplexed, yes?'

>...have you been hanging around Sucker Punch and 41?

'Who? No no, this is word, correct, for the much confusions?'

>Oh, no no, that's perplexed, Vekir.

'How many?'

>What?

'How many per plex? ...whyfor do you strike your head? Many ponies do that, Vekir feels like she is missing a thing.'

>No...no you're not, what's perplexing you?

'Okay! Vekir ate too many of the sweet things, these are facts, faaaar too many, thusly she received the sickness. The Diamond Princess suggested she 'walk it off', so Vekir walked but she did not get anything off of her-whyfor would she need to get something off of her when the sickness is inside her anyway?'

>...I...what?

'BUT THIS IS NOT POINT! Vekir, walked very far, to station with the great big carts that go fast and take ponies to the distant lands-oh how Vekir wishes to go to these distant lands-but then, when Vekir walks all over the station, she gets the stupid messages again!'

>Stupid messages?

'Yes yes, Twience Princess, you are now following Vekir! These messages began to pop up during ride back from Fillydelphia, where the dark beast caused so much woe, they declare quite brightly of 'Foreign Particles' being detected, and it blocks Vekir's eyes so that walking is such a chore!'

>Vekir, that's just your suit's filtration system notifying you it's found something weird, a simple 'purge' command will clear it out.

'OOH! Suit, do the thing that she said-'

>NOT IN HERE!

'...'

>I'm trying to keep the lab sterile...for reasons. Just go do it outside.

'This shall be done!'

Vekir trots off.

>Make sure you do it into a trash can or something so it doesn't make a mess!

When the Morlock is gone, Twilight presses the button again, sliding down the barriers. 32 rolls his eyes.

"She's cute but she's not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer...okay, honestly she's more of a spoon, but she means well."

>Though I wonder, what in the world could she have gotten into in Canterlot that would bring that message up.

"Who knows, that one would wallow in toxic waste if the whim took her."

>Eh, true, now let's see...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >PD
"Scientist"
'Grunt'
[??]
~~

He knew nothing good could come from being called into her oh so swank office at the very top of her oh so important building at this early in the morning, or afternoon rather, but any hopes it would be at least professional if not normal was quickly put to bed the instant he saw that cocky smirk on her face.

>Another failure?

She sang it at him. Mocking, seemingly pleased that he could not give her the thing she was demanding of him. It was enough to make him wince.

Well, that and the hangover.

>If you're looking for pity for your current state...

Just to punctuate this, she slammed her hoof on a metal something or other on her desk, letting a loud clanging noise reverberate through his skull.

>You're going to have to look elsewhere, I'm afraid.

She smirked again as she watched him try to stifle a groan, leaning back while idly flipping through the reports he had given her.

>I don't even know what I pay you for at this point anyway. Failure failure failure failure. Nothing but close calls that just do not pan out, do they? Never getting any closer...

“I... I got it stable enough to put into an infusion-”

>And then it exploded into a horrible mishmash of cells and skin, I know, I saw the videofeed.

“Miss Pennydrop, please. These cells are designed to change shape, to be able to reconfigure into something wholly new in a flash. They are by nature designed to be unstable from the ground up, using it on a pony is-”

>I'm hearing a lot of excuses from you, you know. Know who I am not hearing a lot of excuses from? Her.

He didn't need to ask to know whom she meant.

Just the insinuation was enough to get his blood boiling.

>Frankly, I'm not surprised she left you. She's been making huge strides in this research while you've just been flailing about. I hear she's on the brink of an infusion so stable it won't even explode into goo, not that you would know how something like that would be possible would you?

She flashed teeth at him, clearly reveling in his barely restrained anger.

“I-I've made leaps of decades in under three weeks! I've done more in this short time alone than the entire infusion team combined has since Fawntaine started this project years ago!”

>And yet, it's pretty much just catching up to her at this point. Well, I guess that's not totally fair, after all, she's got that new assistant.

“New... assistant?”

>Well, okay, technically it's three of them, but those other two guys tend to cycle out and get replaced, there's only one consistent guy who's been there since she moved to her new office. Frankly? I can see why she would want Ironhide around, how often do you get a scientist who's actually in shape nowadays?

He tried to act like it was boring him to even hear it.

She knew better.

>You know what? Maybe I'm not being fair to you. You after all have been just so alone since she moved on to bigger pastures... I mean, greener pastures. Maybe you need a little help? I've got quite the list who are just begging for a chance to tap into my silver medal. You're not the gold, they know, but hey, they know that they're not the right... 'type' for her.

She pulled out a familiar folder, one with quite the list of very highly recommended assistants. Each one probably would be quite the asset.

And every one had quite the 'asset' as well.

>What do you say, finally ready to let someone else into that big empty room before she finally stops messing around for ten straight minutes and leaves you in the dust? You can have as many as you want, they're all quite willing to share the research.

Shakily, his hoof reached out. He was tempted, oh, so very tempted. There was a lot of promise in these mares. Young, vibrant, full of life and ready to learn and expand and leave their mark in the world, and he had been so lonely since she left... so lonely...

Furiously, he hooked a hoof under the edge, and slammed the folder shut.

“My research is mine alone! I'm not sharing the credit with anyone, I'm not getting burned like that again! I'll pass her, it's just a matter of time, and we both know it! I will stabilize this before her!”

She frowned at his response, no longer smirking, but it did not last.

>...Fine. Don't say I never offered when she leaves your sorry ass in the dust and you're stuck sweeping up floors, dreaming about all the new things you could have done.

He growled, backing away from her desk.

“Can I return to my research now?”

>I suppose it's fine. Just make sure you leave the place at least a little tidy for your eventual replacement.

His teeth nearly shattered as he ground them together, the red he'd been seeing since this conversation started only intensifying.

“You know, Pennydrop, sometimes you can be a real bi-”

The insult that very likely would have made his life hell for the next few weeks never got the chance to fully form. The loud banging of the door slamming open with an absolutely absurd force saw to that.

>Crusher, you had better have a very, very good reason for... barging...

The look on the very well built grunt's face told her, yes. Yes he did.

'M-m-miss P-p-p-p-p-eeeenny-'

>Speak damn it!

'T-the train... t-t-the train...'

His horror only increased her own confusion.

>What, the shipment from Fillydelphia? It's just some guns we're making sure are in working order. If someone got a hold of them, good. They can test out the bugs-

'T-t-they just... they poured out... they just kept coming...'

It was here, as he struggled to stand, that they noticed he was very well armed.

And yet, did not have a single bullet left in the chamber.

>What's going on?

'T-they looked like ponies, but they were... they were covered in stuff... they had this stuff all over them... red... it was all red...'

>Damn it Crusher, get your shit together and start talking!

'Striker was right there... he... he got grabbed, a-and then Pounder tried to help him. H-h-he started shooting... and shooting... we all started shooting... but t-they...'

He fell to his side, shaking.

'They...'

>They what!?

“LOOK OUT!”

She instinctively dodged to the side, just before something shattered the glass behind her, rolling just out of the way of the far too fast projectile that shattered her desk as it entered.

The grunt on the ground started sobbing again as the thing rose up. A pegasus, once a bright orange but now covered in sickening red.

'T-they...'

Pennydrop did not even think, not for a single moment when that thing started screeching. She simply reached into the rubble in her desk and pulled out something that flashed silver in the new light that poured into the open window.

Without an ounce of hesitation, she aimed the pistol she had retrieved right at the pegasus's head, and pulled the trigger.

There was a pause as it rocked backwards, a red mist flying up everywhere in response to the shot, before collapsing to the ground. For a moment, there was nothing but the rush of air coming in through the gaping hole behind her, and silence.

'...THEY DON'T DIEEEEEEEEEE!'

And then the screeching returned.

She popped off round after round into the pegasus's skull, watching more of that red mist fly up with every one that landed but ultimately granting her nothing more than a second of reprieve before it tried to stand once again.

>WHAT THE FUCK!?

She slammed a hoof down on her intercom, roaring into the speaker.

>GET EVERY FUCKING SECURITY WE HAVE UP HERE, NOW!

There was a pause, punctuated only by the occasional gunshot, but nothing else.

>I SAID GET THE FUCK UP HERE!

Still nothing.

>What... where the fuck is everyone!?

Crusher, still on the ground, shuddered.

The scientist stuffed in the corner watched as the creature was again put down, fascinated with every move.

“It... the red cells are expanding, ballooning outwards like a pillow, softening the outside force from external kinetic energy.”

From his lab coat, he pulled out his own piece, firing a single round into the back of the pegasus's head. Like before, it lurched forward and seemed still for a moment, until...

With a screech, it got right back up.

“It's instinctive, not even using the eyes on the host, reacting to outside stimuli on it's own accord. A parasite, but one that preserves the host...”

>WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?

“It will block your bullets.”

She growled, tossing her own weapon aside, no more bullets in the thing anyway.

>Keep firing, I need a second.

“That was my only bullet.”

She paused for a brief moment, before shrugging indifferently. From her desk's wreckage, she pulled another gun, tossing it to him without even looking.

>Just keep firing.

He did as commanded, keeping the single creature down for as long as he could as she walked past, heading to a large picture on the other side of her office. She tossed the artwork aside, revealing a vault door only the size of her head, and quickly entered the code.

From within the dark confines, she pulled out a metal... something. It fit around her hoof like a shoe, reaching up just past her ankle. A metal coating surrounding a intricately designed disk.

Recognizing it immediately, the scientist blinked in confusion.

“I thought you said that was obsolete? That she made a better one already...”

She didn't answer, no time really. All of her attention was focused elsewhere.

Specifically, at the mass of bodies that flew in through the gaping hole.

Almost a dozen pegasi filed in, screeching and roaring and biting at the air. They would be upon them in seconds, all three knew.

That was fine.

She only needed one.

>You'll do.

She took aim at one of the pegasi, completely stone faced as a red hot light danced around the circle on the machine before lashing out.

There was a flash, a blinding brightness that prevented even the most cursory of sight. When it faded, something was missing.

Specifically, a sizable chunk of shoulder of one of the pegasi.

>...Guess I should have let you calibrate this things aim more.

But the scientist ignored her words, far too enraptured by the sight before him.

The pegasus she had shot was staring at the gaping wound, blank, wide eyes focused solely on where a chunk of it should have been. But that was not the strangest part, oh no.

Far, far stranger, was that every single solitary one of the others had also frozen... and also stared at that portion on their own body, as if thinking they had lost the flesh as that single one had.

Though they could not see it, all around the world a similar phenomenon took place. Every infected creature on every section of that great land had stopped, and stared at it's shoulder.

“Fascinating.”

>Impressed?

She taunted the creatures before her, uncaring to the fact not a one seemed to be paying any attention to her.

>This little beauty runs off a very particular set of runes, you see. It was designed to store fire magic, once upon a time. Magic... that just needed a little focus.

She paced before them, threateningly keeping the weapon trained on the crowd.

>With our infusions, we can focus a liquid power right through this nifty little ring. With the right electronic stimuli, we can make it think a pony is wielding it. Normally, this spell has quite the drawback. But that drawback is to flesh, this... is steel. Do you get it, you stupid monsters? You can block bullets, fine, but even bullets have a shelf life, and you, like them, are now on the precipice of becoming obsolete. Now, I'm going to be nice and clear.

She charged another blast, taking aim.

>Get the fuck out of my building.

They ignored her.

They all ignored her.

For, of course, she could not see. She could not see what was going on within it's mind. Within all of their minds.

The thing controlling them knew its host had been damaged. The host could not move as it used to. It could no longer do as it wished it, and spread.

It's goal had been hindered.

Thus, it was thinking, if one could call such rudimentary thought 'thinking'. The barebones basic of logic.

It's host was damaged.

The damage prevented it from moving as it normally would.

Ergo...

It searched the prime hosts mind, looking through her memories for anything that might solve this problem. The thing it had grabbed onto down in the dark place had many a thought, thoughts that had proven helpful. This was just another problem.

What would its host do...
The body is damaged...
The body is not right...

When the host needed it's body to be right, it...

!!!

It could not feel happiness, it could not feel pride.
It did not need them.
It had answers instead.

“...Impossible.”

In the world beyond the creatures mind, they watched in awe.

The pegasi had been engulfed in flames, green flames.

And now... it was fixed.

“...I-impossible! Impossible!”

Pennydrop's budding confidence shriveled, and the weapon in her hoof felt far too tiny.

>That... that looked like... a changeling...

“It's... impossible! Changeling magic cannot possibly do that! It's beyond anything!”

His mind raced as he tried to comprehend what he had just seen, gobsmacked as the creatures again turned to him.

“It's not possible.. Any changeling can change it's skin, it's nerves, it's body, but to do something like that... it would need the ability to see every broken nerve, every strand of torn muscle, every drop of blood would have to be accounted for and repaired around. A simple drop would prevent reconnection of tissue, a simple frayed piece of skin torn just wrong would take a calculating mind on a level we cannot even dream about to compensate for every stretch, every bend, every chunk gone missing would have to be repaired, and replaced... it would require repairs on a cellular level! A level so small we would have to use a microscope just to see it! IMPOSSIBLE!”

She fired wildly again, ripping off another chunk of the monsters.

In a flash of green, it came right back.

>We've got to get out of here! Come on, we can get to the airship and-

“Amazing...”

He had switched, from stunned incredulous gaping to an almost excited, childlike wonder.

“What else could it do...”

She groaned, slamming her free hoof into her face before spinning backwards and heading right for her wide doors.

>Damn it, knew he would crack eventually. Fucking-

The doors to her office were blasted off their hinges, no time to open them.

Revealing quite the surprise.

[OH SWEET CELESTIA HELLLPPPPPP!]

[I DON'T WANNA DIE!]

[GET IT OFF! GET IT OOFFFFF! HEELLPPPP!]

[DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIEEEEE!]

[I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!]

She watched in shock as her workers were swarmed, consumed despite their best efforts to fight back. All through her building, she could hear the screams. So loud, she could hear them all, from the very bottom floor to the one she stood upon.

>...you let them in...

She turned to the still shaking Crusher on the floor, red veins showing in her eyes with rage.

>You let them in...

'I'm sorry...'

She growled, leveling her weapon at him and preparing to fire.

>You are so fired.

The only thing that stopped his untimely end was the unexpected sound of metal opening across the room.

She had just a second to see a flash of white before the scientist vanished from her sight, disappearing down a long hallway right before her.

A secret exit even she hadn't known about...

>...Fawntaine you glorious bastard.

Without hesitation, she grabbed hold of the shaking stallion before her, hurling him with a surprising strength into the swarm, sacrificing him to buy her just enough time to slip past, and into the hallway her employee had gone into.

She slammed the door shut, a little too pleased at the sound of his screaming as he was consumed by them all.

>Consider that your termination.

She turned, spying the scientist down at the end of the hallway, where it forked left and right.

>Which way?

“Left will take you to the top, the airship is still primed and ready.”

>Good, now-...

To her surprise, he turned to the right.

>Where do you think you're going!? I need you to come with me to the safehouse in Colstington's mountain range! We need to start working on something to kill these bastards!

“No thanks, I have other business.”

A glint caught her eye.

So, he still had his gun... and it was still loaded.

>...Fine. You'd be worthless to me like this anyway.

She turned left, not a single care as she went up to the hatch, ignoring him completely as he walked down the hall, of to do who knows what.

>If we survive this, I'll consider giving you a raise for leaving the door open.

He didn't respond, which annoyed her just a touch. She was still his boss, damn it.

Still, she knew she couldn't dwell on it. She climbed the ladder at the end of her hallway, all the way up to a hatch at the very top.

The hidden door flung upwards, allowing her to smell the air of the sky once more. She climbed up, right onto the very top of her building, and spotted her delightful airship not to far away...

And also a couple dozen zombies between herself and said airship.

She did not scream.

She did not look on in shock.

She just lifted her hoof, and snarled.

They charged.

>Get the fuck out of my way.

She smirked, a bit mad, as she raced towards that which stood between her and freedom.

>I have business to attend.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >High Roller
"Blues"

Two stallions make their way past the outskirts of Ponyville, their stride casual but swift, one silent, one trying to make conversation.

"-so yeah, my uncle had this cabin out by Everfree a while, should give us a long time to get everything together and give us a way to double back through the woods and hit the hospital from behind."

Emphasis on 'trying'.

>...

"I used to go to this place all the time, y'know, he was a real character, my uncle...he may have said very untoward things about the nice pegasus girl who owned the cottage a few miles away...not exactly a paragon of fairness towards pegasi but...yeah, he was alright...got eaten by a bear, sadly."

>Are we clear of the town yet?

"...yeah, why?"

>Good.

"Hey, your voice changed, what's up with-"

>One, stop talking. Two, I hope to Faust on high your preparations for my equipment were far more competent than your attempts at remaining incognito. Three, when we get to her cell, you do not speak to her, I will do the talking. Four, stop talking or I will castrate you.

"You said stop talking twice."

>And yet you do not learn.

"..."

>...the castration was an empty threat, but I would rather you stop either way.

"Okay...but to answer your question, Pennydrop sent me instructions with it, I got you all set up in the bathroom for...whatever the heck it is you're going to do."

>Excellent, Pennydrop scaling of her preparations to her choice in lackey's level of competence pays off again.

"Yeah, wait...what?"

>Nevermind.

"Hey, can I ask a question?"

>...

"It's just...I owe these guys a lot of money, like a LOT of money and this isn't exactly a riskless thing we're doing here. I need to know, if we succeed, am I square? Am I good?"

>If by some miracle this goes off without a hitch, you'll be debt-free and I'll even give you the lovely reward of five bits and a coupon for a free Palomino Bros. pizza.

"Wow, really?"

>...

"...shutting up."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Flash
"Fizzle"
'Various'

*KCHOO-CHOOM*

*FWOOSHHHHH*

*KCHOOM...KCHOOM*

'SCREEEEE-*FWOOOM*'

"THIS AIN'T HAPPENING, MAN! THIS AIN'T HAPPENING!"

>JUST KEEP THESE THINGS BACK! THERE'S GOTTA BE A-

He was cut off by a red tainted pegasus crashing through the penthouse window, his servo motors screamed as they hurried two fresh shells into the reloading slug thrower and fired near point blank, sending the creature hurtling back out the way it came.

>-FUCK!

Fizzle was doing less well, the garish double doors had long shattered, and now molten from the desperate streams of infusion laden pyronautics, it had done a good job of keeping the screaming beasts back; primordial fear of fire? Check! But some of them were getting closer, and the flames were dimming.

"We gotta get the fuck away from here! They won't stop man! I didn't sign up for this! IS THIS THE KINDA SHIT PENNYDROP JUST LETS LOOSE HUH?!

>I got a feelin-[STATISTIC OF-]- SHUT! UP!

Flashes vision was itself clouded with a different red wailing, the handy little visual markers of UNKNOWN SUBSTANCE and FOREIGN PARTICLES and HOSTILE DETECTED were cluttering up his vision, his head hurting from the eye strain and singeing CPU on top of it.

"Uhh, Flash? I think I'm losing it here! Shit's starting to feel cold! We need to exfoliate- I mean exfil! We gotta exfil! This place is done, they're all dead man!

>Well I can't fucking make shotgun shells outta thin air now can I?!

Another shatter of glass made Flash turn from the doorway, the intrusive pegasus-demon-redcyst-THING was greeted by a single round of buckshot, but instead of flying back out whence it came, landed with a sick THUMP on the solid windowsill, it stirred, green flames licking over it, before another spray of pellets sat it back down.

"Come on, we're wasting time here! And they're going places: towards us! You can still flay, right?"

>-[CONTACT! CONTAC-]- Sure, we can get the hell from here, but then where do we go?!

"AWAY FROM HERE! YOU DON'T NEED A MAP FOR THIS SHIT!"

Suddenly, the red creatures behind the sinking wall of flame flurried as what HAD to be a unicorn, stepped forward, flailing and screeching.

>What are they...

It's horn....bubbled, then shot out a thick, lightning like red beam at the two.

"WOAHSHI-"

>FAUSTDAMN-

Combat rolling to the best of their combined ability (read: abysmal) The red lightning from the unicorn arced around them and traced a path across the back wall, where it struck ominous red spores and kould began to fester into being, the beam finished it's arc, and the unicorn screeched once more, throwing the spore-beings behind it daringly into the fire Fizzle had set.

"Time to go"

>Awww shit

"I said time to GO!"

The two made their way from the slowly advancing horde, Fizzle weakened from the pyrotechnic exertion and Flash from having a chainsword as a front hoof, the fire having nearly engulfed the whole room, but doing little to stop the intruders; some stumbled, limbs burnt off from the flames, but a burst of sudden green had them back up, renewed, burned again, but each renewal brought them just a bit closer.

"Stay *FWOOM* back! *FWOOM* STAY *FWOOOOM* BACK! *FWOO-OM*

>Faust above it's dark out... *KCHOOM* Dunno if I even have nightvision or anything-

A sudden screech was followed by a red creature galloping through the crowd, Flash's brief respite made him think it must've been one of PD's muscle Earth Ponies, and it was going straight for him.

">AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

He screamed, Fizzle screamed, the Muscle screamed, but nothing screamed louder than the chainsaw revving into life and arcing upwards into the advancing Beast, straight through it's chest and up into it's chin.

>HA HA! STILL GOT IT, BABY!

"...Oh Faust.."

Elation turned to horror, the Muscle twitched as the saw's teeth dug into it, but they soon saw what was really happening where the two met.

Spread

Red spores climbing onto the chainsaws mainframe.

Flash's vision exploded into alarms and warnings of CONTAMINANT! CONTAMINANT!

>Huaa..AAAH..AAAAAAAAAAAAH!

"NO!"

Flash instinctively pulled back from the Muscle, which was now twisting and wriggling itself around the saw, trying to draw the object in.

Fizzle took flight, grabbing hold of Flash from behind, and flapped desperately, Flash's own wings flailing uselessly in panic as his wiring melted down into computational chaos

"GET OFF HIM!"

>GET OFF ME!

The spores had spread to the hilt, and festered, pondering what this living metal was, what it was meant for, if it could Spread.

Flash had completely broken down, gibbering between panicked screams and colliding binary and system error messages. He was doomed, he knew it.

The tug of war had Fizzle hovering outside the broken window, barely keeping hold of a thrashing Flash, eyes transfixed at the seething boil on Flashes foreleg. He couldn't save him, not all of him.

"FLASH! HOLD ON!"

If Flash would hear him he would've been too slow to notice a suddenly burning claw come away from holding his torso, to scything through the air, right towards-

BANG

Fizzle had put the last of his flame into that cut, sending them barreling away from the window, as the fire englufed the red horde that had been moments away from spitting distance to them.

"Gnnng! I gotcha man...hold on! We're gonna be alright! You're gonna be.."

Flapping into the sky, he tried to not look at the severed limb on Flash, emitting a faint sizzle and pop as wires sparked and servos whined in confusion.

"...gonna be just fine, dude"

Flash saw nothing but a solemn, wide, ERROR admist the backdrop of the shrinking Fawntaine Industry HQ, systems going into Shock mode.

>...I...I...[cRIIItical-l-l-l FAIlurrr-re-re-re...] I...

Nothing more said, the dragon hauled the pegasus into the supposed safety of the cloudline, the night swallowing them, leaving only nightmares behind.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Actarius
"JJ"
'Random Changelings'
~~~

>Okay, so... take it from the top again.

'HOW IS THIS SO DIFFICULT TO YOU!?'

>It's not!... Kind of.

'Look, just stop leaning AGAINST the punch, okay? When someone hits you, you need to roll WITH it.'

'And what the fuck is up with that stance!? You're going to break your ankle!'

'I don't even want to get started on the fact you are looking at the punch, not the puncher!'

'How are you THIS BAD!?'

>Well, I mean, Shining Armor didn't really go to thorough with this, it wasn't really needed. Mostly we just used to herd drunk ponies home or something. An actual battle in Caterlot is kind of a silly thought seeing how fortified we are.

'Look, ugh... just... just no. Okay? NONE OF THIS!'

>Keep yelling and I won't show you how to read your porn anymore.

'I'LL BE GOOD!'

'What is up with that anyway?'

'I FEEL MORE ENGAGED WHEN I HAVE CONTEXT!'

'Right...'

'Look, he just needs the right motivation. He needs to get ANGRY!'

'How? He's a giant white butterball.'

>Kind of offensive. I get angry plenty!

'We need something...'

"SWEET MERCIFUL LOVE I'M DOING IT! I'M DOING IT! I'M NOT DROPPING THEM! THIS IS HAPPENING! THIS IS-"

'HEYAAAW-POW!'

"...N-nooooo... I.. I had it..."

'And now what do you have to say?'

>...

'Huh. Thought he liked juggling.'

'Heard he really loved it.'

'So why doesn't he-'

~~~~~

'I am so proud... now, if someone could kindly point my leg in the right direction, I would by most appreciative.'

'Dude, I'm not going near that.'

'Why?'

In response, the stallion just growled louder into his leg.

'Fair enough.'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Guards
"Sailors"
~~

They hopped across the rooftops, desperate to stay above the swarms of creatures below. Before, the gold plated of the pair had been content to spear them to the ground, but due to recent events...

>OH GREAT, NOW THEY FUCKING INSTANT HEAL! BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THEY COULD BLOCK BULLETS WAS JUST GREEEEEAT ON IT'S OWN!

"Aye, tis a bit of a conundrum we be in. But iffin we can just mayke it ta' me ship, we can set sail on this damned harbor, and be out ta' sea in no time!"

>YOU COULD HELP!

"Need me steerin' arm fer' the trip, laddy."

>ZOMBIES!

"Ya' dinna have ta' yell."

>What fucking accent is that anyway!?

"Ah' dinna have an accent, me mum was jus' a heavy drinker."

>...Oh, wow, I am so sorry.

"Ya' should be."

>Well, I'll have plenty of time to write you an apology, poem, because HA HA!

With one last jump, they went from the final rooftop and onto the fairly dingy looking ship below.

"This ain't me ship."

>ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS RIGHT NOW!?

"It's the ethics of tha' thing."

>I did not carry your ass across TEN BLOCKS so you could complain about the boat!

"It's personal."

>FINE! You know what?! FINE! WHICH ONE IS YOURS!

"The biggun' over there."

>...the one with all the zombies on it?

"..."

>...

"...How's yer' throwin' arm?"

>GET US OUT OF HERE!

"Fine, fine. But I'm gonna be sleepin' wrong fer' days cause o' this."

>NOW!

"Fine, fine..."

They set sail, just barely escaping the influx of creatures that rammed against the dock.

>...

"..."

>...

"...So, uh..."

>..

"...One million bottles of ale on the wall..."

>...one million bottle of aaaale...

"Ah' wish ya' had been a pretty mare."

>You know what? Feeling's mutual.

"...Take one down, pass it around..."

>nine hundred ninty nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine bottles of ale on the wall...
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >AJ
"???"
'???'
[???]
{??}
~??~
~~~~

Huh.

She was actually... done with the paperwork.

All of the daily work that had been brought was accounted for and finished. Completely done. Everything she had been brought this morning.

Done.

...Huh.

Was she just getting better at this? Was this just the ultimate sign she had reached paperwork nirvana? Had she finally reached the level where she could defeat this never ending horde? Was this finally it?

...Were things looking up?

SLAM!

Of course not.

"APPPLEJAAAAAACK!"

>...Spike?

The dragon huffed, angrily pointing a claw at her with one hand and holding up the Hive Gazette with the other.

"FEEL LIKE EXPLAINING THIS!?"

>Not really, no.

"I THINK YA' SHOULD!"

>Ain't nothin' ta' explain. She came ta' me with the footage, ah' told her ta' keep a lid on it till Ah' figured out what that things plan was, and then-

SLAM!

'APPLEJACK! You and I need to have a talk, NOW!'

>Well, afternoon ta' you too, Celestia.

'Oh no, don't you "Afternoon" me, you hid this from me!? FROM ME!?'

>Kinda had ta' since Ah' didn't know iffin whatever plan she was preparin' involved trickin' you too.

'What plan!?'

>Haven't quite got that far yet.

'WHAT!? Applejack, I can't believe-'

SLAM!

[APPLEJACK HOW COULD YOU!?]

>Twilight, how ya' doin'? Ah'm a bit busy-

[I've been studying her since I accidentally unleashed her, desperately trying to understand this thing I unknowingly sent upon the world, and you hide THIS from me!? THIS!? I just... there is so much I need to know now!]

>Ah'd have told ya' when Ah' figured it out mah'self. But seein' as she's obviously tryin' ta' use this for some plan-

[What plan!? What possible plan could she be doing with this!? She doesn't know we know, she hid it when it happened, and I very much doubt the old as ice giant monster understands the concept of closed circuit security footage! What plan could she be doing with this!?]

>Well, fine, what do you think she was doin' it for?

[Lots of reasons! She and Chrysalis's mother used to be close, maybe she felt bad that Chrysalis might die! Maybe she was worried that chaos might spread if it hit the ground! Maybe she just felt like lifting an island because really, when else are you going to get the chance for that!? Lots of reasons besides some master plan from someone who's main mode of plotting is "HIT STUFF REALLY HARD!"]

'She did outplot me.'

[She did a basic trick and then went right to 'hit stuff'. I don't think this is a Machiavellian mind we're up against.]

'Fair enough.'

>Well, ya' make a good point, but-

SLAM!

"Wow, it is getting crowded in here."

{Uh, Applejack?}

>Really, Dash!? You too!?

{Me too what?}

>Yer' here ta' yell about the paper.

{Oh.. well, not yell, no. Probably just ask about it, though. Kind of important... Gilda has been throwing a fit, though, but I trust you on the whole thing. No no, I was more concerned with the... line.}

>...The line.

~MOVE THINE BODIES FROM OUR SIGHT!~

SLAM

~Applejack, we would have words with thee! We do not care how many a meeting you had scheduled today!~

>...

Wearily, she looked out the open door.

Ooooooh... that's... that's long.

She could not even see where it ended.

She could see quite a few angry, familiar faces, though.

>...Dang...

With a stern resolution, she stood up, and regarded everyone in the room with a hard, unflinching look, moving from body to body with cold, thinking calculation.

And then she abruptly spun on her heels and leapt out the window.

"HEY!"

[APPLEJACK GET BACK HERE!]

~WE SHALL HAVE WORDS WITH THEE!~

'...So, that's what it feels like on this side...'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 >Siegfried
“Various”
~~~~

>Didn't think the world was gonna end like this.

It was a somber thought to the never-to-be-king prince of the gryphons, but he was hardly somber as such.

>But I'll be damned if this isn't a kickass way to go!

In fact, as his twin swords flashed with every powerful strike against the creatures, a part of him felt alive.

He rolled his way thorough the long halls of the castle, batting aside any creature that challenged him. Behind him, four handmaids trailed in line. There had been three or four soldiers at the start of this long trek, but they hadn't lasted long. Now, it was just him, and these four lovely ladies.

“Oh my!”

“The prince is quite the fighter, isn't he?”

“Of course, his line is the most powerful of them all.”

They had been fortunate, really. His previous handmaids had their employment terminated recently due to several 'unprofessional events' during his birthday party, no doubt nothing but a show of spite from his mother, and he was in the process of interviewing these newbies just when everything had gone to hell.

Well, 'interviewing' might be the wrong word, he had already decided to hire them the moment he saw they all passed the most important test. A test so important, it was literally the only one on his mind as he battered another of his corrupted fellow gryphon out a window. There was the tall one, the pretty one, the broad one, and of course the quiet one. Oh, he was interested in the quiet one.

All he had to do was make it to the stronghold in the center of the castle where his family no doubt remained, and then he could just wait out this catastrophe. His mother and father derided the ponies more often than not, but come on, they had a chaos god on their side. This whole thing would likely be fixed in no time.

Up till then, he just had to make a show for the lovely ladies behind him. And then all five of them would-

“AHHH! NO! NOOOO! HELP!”

He turned back just in time to see the tall one snatched up by one of the creatures. The damn thing had been on the ceiling...

He felt a touch of regret as she was carted off, those red spores already spreading all over her body, but he chose not to dwell on it.

>Ladies, please...

He flashed a cocky look, easily batting aside another infected gryphon.

>Don't be so afraid to get in close, I'll protect you.

Two of them were instantly huddled up beside him, they hadn't even hesitated. The quiet one, on the other hand, took her time getting over there.

Not big on close contact... that one will be interesting, he thought to himself.

His blades glimmered with his winning look, wings unfurling as he stood tall and proud.

>Come now, we've got to get moving. Best to get to safety as soon as possible, right?

The pair nodded furiously, and he couldn't help but feel a spark shoot through him.

Oh yeah.

He may never lead the land, but he'll always be king.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________