Thread 7: Stories 151-166

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>18
"Chrysalis"
~~~~~~~~

>Chrysalis.

"QUEEN! I'm your QUEEN! You don't get to stomp in on my movie time and not be formal."

>You are currently laying over every scrap of couch there is and shoveling those snow-caps into your mouth with frightening speed, the time for formality has long since ended.

"Ugh, what do you waaant! Movie!"

>He's fine, Chrysalis.

"Who? Movie guy? His head just exploded, how is that fine?"

>I meant Shining Armor.

"Holy crap, Shiny's head exploded!? Goddamn, I leave the room for two minutes-"

>He's FINE, Chrysalis. The doctor said that with the right healing magic, he won't even have a scar in a couple days. His sister will have him fixed up in no time.

"Cool."

>...He's fine, Chrysalis.

"QUEEN!"

>...H-he's...

"Ah, Ahhhh shit, don't you start crying on me."

>H-he's fine! He's FINE. He's not going to d-die! He's getting all better a-a-and...

"And he's going to be just fine, right?"

>Y-YES. He's going to be just fine!

"...Can't friggen... come here."

>W-wha?

18 can only go rigid as she is drawn in close, completely covered by Chrysalis's much larger frame.

"You tell anyone I hugged you, and I will hurt you. One peep and you are fired, hear?"

>...He's...

"He's fine. He'll be all better soon, doing his paperwork, yelling at me for messing up his papers, and making you put on that stupid mask so AJ can slay Bugzilla. Kay? And nobody is going to do this again, because you've got the consistency of a giant block of steel. Someone tries to shoot him? Jump in the way. It'll bounce off, probably. Got it?"

>G-got it.

"Good. Hug time over. Sit and watch movies, movies are good."

>...I came in here to get YOU to-

"Don't care. Sit. Watch. Movies!"

>Right... thanks, my Queen.

"S'what a Queen has to do."
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>AJ42
[Motorized Spike]
~~~~~
[CELESTIA JUDGES! I A-]

Kick!

>No! fuck you! You got to catch Shining Armor and Spike off-guard, but you made a very dumb mistake with me.

The robotic Spike gets up and beings winding up its crank gun.

[WHAT IS ANARCHY IF NOT A KNIFE-]

>SHUT UP!

42 telekinetically rips the gun out of the Motorized Spike's arms and turns it on the robot.

['VENGEANCE IS MINE!' SAYITH-]

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT-click

>and stay down, you son of a bitch!

42 walks over the mangled machine and stares it in the face

>I hope you can see through your little tin soldier toys' eyes, because I want you to know this: YOU HAVE CROSSED THE WRONG PEOPLE. I am fucking coming for you, and when I find you, I am going break each of your legs to the consistency of gravel, throw you into the dark hell 77 suffered, then leave you to the underworld beasts!

With that said, 42 raised the emptied gun over the machine's head and smashed them both against eachother.

After a few quiet moments of heavy breathing

>Damn, I shouldn't have broken the gun, that thing was nice, if heavy.
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>Applejack
"29"
~~~~~

The click of a lock and the squeal of the door that he really should get around to oiling, but never would, welcomed the tired, annoyed, and just generally all around irritated Changeling into his apartment.

>Howdy, 29.

And also Applejack, she did that as well.

"GAH! Why does everyone break in here!? One of these days, I'm going to walk in, see a burglar, and thank him for the change of pace! I swear it!"

>Can the theatrics, Ah'm here on official business.

"Oh, and what official business could that be? Another notice to stop pestering Cadence? Another threat upon my head for a lack of adequate performance? Another notice from my landlord to stop breaking holes in the ceiling? What, oh please, tell me WHAT DO YOU-"

He would have kept ranting, but the hug made it kind of hard to get worked up.

>Thank you.

He would have replied, but his brain seemed to be thinking that it should sit this one out, as reality had clearly decided that today was opposite day.

>Do ya' know how many days Ah' wondered if it was even possible ta' make it work? Ya' know how many nights Ah' stayed awake, rackin' my brain tryin' ta' figure out if just shovin' ya'll inta' Everfree and not lookin' back would be better or worse? Ah' thought a lot about it, 29, and Ah' didn't like the conclusions Ah' reached.

She looked at him in the eyes now, eyes with just a hint of mist to them, barely noticeable.

>Thank you. It's been months, and yer' doin' a good job. A great job, even! Mayor's really shinin' through now, guess she jus' needed the right hooves to hold her steady. And Ah'm glad it was you, most of all.

"...Me?"

>Yeah. Cause ya'll were the laziest, whiniest, uncarin', unsympathetic little diva Ah' have ever laid eyes on!

"...Please tell me there's more to that."

>If ya'll, of ALL of them, can turn it around, get a real job, and make it work... then any of 'em can. This can work, 29. We can make this work. AH' can make it work. So, thank you. Ah'll make it work.

She patted him on the shoulder one last time, and walked through the door. It was almost alien, watching someone leave that way, instead of the normal way of out his roof, but he couldn't really focus on that at the moment.

All he could think about was how sour all those times he almost quit now seemed, and maybe his inability to actually go through it wasn't as crazy as he thought.

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>Rarity
"Spike"
~~~~~
Rarity sits in her usual spot, working on some new clothing for a cause, singing softly to herself

>Thread by thread, stitching it together-

"Hey, Rares-"

The area shakes as Rarity jumps in shock and begins to choke on her own throat.

"Whoa! Hang on there!"

Moving quickly, Spike gets Rarity breathing normally again.

>Oh! Always the gentleman! Thank you I... I thought I was a goner.

"Well, you know alicorns can't die."

>With how often a day my heart stops, I sometimes wonder.

Spike idly kicks the ground

"Well... I can't see why it would. You've lost a lot of wait."

>You really are always a gentleman. But there's no need to sugar coat it, dear. I'd just eat it if you did. I'm a beached whale in the middle of Canterlot. Last week a mad captain tried to harpoon me.

"It's not that bad. I mean you have definitely slimmed down."

>Thank you.

After several moments, Rarity blinks and reaches for something with her magic

>Silly me, I forgot I had a gift for you. Well, Twilight and I, she helped. A lot.

"Thanks, Rarity."

Smiling, Spike accepted the box and saw what was inside. It looked like a fairly normal black shirt with a red ascot, green vest, and some leather webbing to hold a pistol and some ammo.

>It's specially made to be highly resistant to high caliber arms fire while remaining light, breathable, yet warm. Twilight did all the hard stuff, I just cut up a pattern.

"Thanks, Rarity... This really does mean a lot. Twilight actually told me about this and-... I did want to see you."

>Spike, I know I'm nothing to look at anymore, and, thank you for seeing me. I don't think I would have the courage to face you on my own willpower. Nor the mobility.

"Come on, Rarity-"

>Please, let me finish.

Rarity was crying now.

>I want to apologize. Not just to you, but also to myself, and everyone with my behavior when I ascended. I was made a princess not for my own virtues but to spite Applejack, and I lived up to that intent in every way. I quickly forsook everything I had believed in or stood for in exchange for indulging my own pettiness. But worst of all, I forsook my friends and the people closest to me... For that, I truly, honestly am sorry and have done everything in my power to make up for it. I don't know if I ever will or if I ever should be forgiven-

"You are not."

>Spikey?

Spike looks up and smiles, slipping on his new outfit.

"I do not forgive you, because there is nothing to forgive. The the princess I spoke with in that hidden hall is a different one from the pony who stands before me. You are Rarity, not the Princess."

Spike walks up to Rarity and hugs her.

"And honestly? This big, it's just more of your beauty to show off."

Now a sobbing wreck, Rarity brings Spike up closer and cries into him while he hugs her reassuringly.

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Too many feels! NEED COMEDY!
play this. You'll know when. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpcL--3BHZ4
>Cadence
"42"
'Various Changelings'
~~~~~~~~

>42! Come look!

"...Oh sweet mercy, what did you do with the Rainbolts?"

>Watch! Do it, guys!

'Rainbolts, ROLL CALL!'

'Rainbolt RED, The Crimson Blast! HAH!'

'Rainbolt YELLOW, The Lightning Flash! HWAH!'

'Rainbolt GREEN! Earth Shaking Strike! WAH!'

'Rainbolt BLUE! The Ocean Splitter! YAH!'

'Rainbolt INDIGO! The Nights Warrior! RAH!'

'RAINBOLTS, TOKUSENTAI!'

Another Multicolored explosion went off behind them, with the classic guitar riff following.

"..."

>Isn't it the best!?

"...So can they fly?"

>...Shoot.

'DAMN IT YELLOW!'

'Way to drop the ball, Yellow!'

'Guess I did it again!'

'Oh, Yellow!'

'Classic Yellow.'

They all shared a long, joyous laugh.

Except 42. She just... just kind of curled into a little ball, and had herself a nice, long cry.

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>Chrysalis
"SA"
~~~~~~

>I'm telling you, Changelings are natural healers. Even if you aren't on your hooves, I'll have something upright!

"No, please, no more."

>Oh, come on! I've got a hundred of these. A-hem. Bed rest? Shiny, what I want to do to you in that best is NOT restful!

"Have mercy."

>Looks to me like you're tired of getting stuff stuck in you, why don't you live out some revenge fantasies on me?

"This hurts more than the bullet."

>Speaking of, ever hear of the phrase "bite the bullet"? I'd rather bite the pillow.

"UUUUGGGGHHHH!"

>I'm a master of physical therapy, and I'll prove it! But first we've got to get physical.

"Where did you even GET a nurse outfit in that size!"

>Celestia's closet.

"..."

>...You're thinking about Celestia in the nurse outfit now, aren't you?

"Little bit."

>...3... 2... 1...

"HRK!"

*BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!*

>Killjoy.

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>AJ 10
"Robot Blueblood"
~~~~~

>...Huh.

"BZZT! Hell-o SECRETARY, I am in need of ALL MY RECORDS for REASONS."

>They could've at least turned ya' off after throwing ya' in the garbage.

"ERROR! RUSE DETECTED! INITIATING SELF DESTRUCT!"

>...

"... SELF DESTRUCT.EXE NOT FOUND. MEMORY 4, ACTIVE "Remind me to program in that self destruct, I keep forgetting."

>...

"INITIATING MEMORY WIPE!"

>...

"...MEMORY WIPE, COMPLETED! INPUT DATA!"

>...Do you.. are you asking me?

"PLEASE INPUT COMMAND!"

>...Hold Camera?

"COMMAND ACCEPTED, SCANNING!"

>EEP! This tingles!

"MASTER ACCEPTED. INITIATING COMMAND!"

>Be careful with that!

"CAMERA, HELD! NEXT COMMAND!"

>...This could work, I see this working. Alright... uhhh... five? I see a five on there. Is your number five?

"DESIGNATION, 5, ACCEPTED!"

>Five it is! C'mon Five! We've got interviewing to do!

"FIVE WILL OBEY."

>I like this, got a good feeling about this.

"WHAT IS FEELING."

>Good feeling indeed.

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It was rare to see a meeting of royalty (plus changeling and dragon consultants) that was not severely bogged down with gossip and immaturity, but tonight was different.

Chrysalis looked over intel reports from 77, downing another mug of coffee to keep her mind in top shape.

Celestia, Applejack, 18, and Cadence's conversation held great gravity as they considered potential targets.

42, Sombra, Shining Armor, and Rainbow Dash worked out battle strategies, Fluttershy opened the forests to them, Spike assisted Twilight as she examined the latest machines brought back, Luna scoured the dreamscape, and Discord and Rarity wove new armors to prepare the troops.

"Everyone! I have new information!" 77 cried out as he entered the room with Fancy Pants, Fleur, and Trender Hooves.

"You are not going to believe this, but there was a rally held just now in secret amongst the nobility of Canterlot and Cloudsdale!"

Fancy Pants nodded. "Trender, my wife, and I were invited, we went partially out of curiosity and to eventually file an anonymous report. It seems an uprising is being planned due to the lost privileges of the upperclass!"

"Disgusting!" Sombra spat.

"Ah only increased their income tax bracket by point three percent!"

Fleur scoffed. "The little babies were angry that they would have to put down payments on their private islands after the weekend instead of now."

77 then dumped various files on the table. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg."

A frenzied half hour was spent as the new information was added and compiled, when it was done...

"We have our prime suspect of the head conspirator..." Chrysalis hissed, unable to hold back her anger.

"This is the bastard responsible for Spike getting shot." Fluttershy cursed with uncharacteristic darkness.

Celestia just shook her head. "I never thought it could pull something like this together but it seems the head of the conspiracy is-"

The door to the room burst open again permitting Applejack 29 into the room with his Blue Blood robot.

"Whew, what a day. It took forever to find this room but I am on time with these ponyville reports! ... What's everyone staring at."

42 spoke first. "Y-You have a robot. Like the others!"

"Yyyeeesss... I didn't build him if that's what you're wondering."

"How did you get it?"

"Oh. this guy came by three days ago asking for all records on Prince Blue Blood, probably to erase them. Thing couldn't fool a rock so it went and wiped its own memory, even had a voice file from the douche mentioning how he needed to remember to install Self-Destruct programs."

"You've had that piece of crucial evidence for three days and you said NOTHING?"

"I thought you guys already knew Blue Blood was behind this."

"How could we know?!"

"Seemed obvious enough to me. I mean I figured it out months ago- WITHOUT breaking the fourth wall like SOME changelings. But, yeah, the guy was banished, has a reason to grudge against Applejack, is royal blooded and could access Twilight's lab, everyone sort of forgot he was exiled and he had free run of the place, still had a crapton of money, the list really goes on."

He turned and looked at every stunned set of eyes in the room on him. Which was basically everyone except the robot.

When all the information sank in at last, everyone except for 29 and Blue Bot proceeded to overpopulate the crying corner.

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>AJ 29
"AJ 56"
'???'
~~~~~~~~

>...No.

"PLEEEEEASE! Mom's in the Empire still!

>No. And she's not your mother.

"PLEASE! I really need this!"

>No you do not.

"PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE"

>FIIIIINE! Alright! Just for the love of Sciderella, STOP!

"AWESOME!"

~~~~~~~later~~~~~~

"For my "Family Appreciation Day" report, I brought in my cousin, 29!"

>You are all lessers to me and I wish you nothing but ill will and scorn upon your houses.

"He talks like he's auditioning for a play he never gets. I also think he's impotent."

>WHY YOU LITTLE!

'No choking the children during class, Mr 29. Please do it in the hall, like everyone else.'

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>Applejack
“Spike”
_________

>Ouch… consarned hoof cramps….

A pen falls to the table as Applejack grunts, a painful shiver running the length of her hoof.

Before she can do anything about it, a pair of claws takes the hoof into a gentle, caressing touch and begins kneading it.

>Spike! Sugarcube, what’re y’all doin’ up and abou- oooooh, mmmmngh~...

“Giving a very hardheaded applebutt a massage that she desperately needs.”

It took Applejack a couple tries to get anything other than relaxed groans past her lips, only able to speak once her little helper had worked the worst of her kinks out with a touch so gentle her cheeks began to glow.

>Now c’mon, Spike, ya know ya shouldn’t b-be up and a-about like this….

“You’re one to talk. It’s past midnight, you’ve been working since the a.m. Even princesses need their sleep.”

>B-but Ah’m almost through, honest- Ah jus’ need to sign off on one’er two more forms and-

“No. Now you get your orange butt to bed or I take back my band.”

>YA WOULDN’T DARE!

Spike grinned.

“Try me. I’m sure Rarity would love to prance around with that on-”

>Okay, okay, ya made yer’ point, Ah’ll… Ah’ll go to bed….

“Good girl. And don’t try to be slick by sneaking back into the office. I paid 56 to keep an eye out and he has free reign to handle your plot as he sees fit.”

>...wish someone else would handle mah plot…

“What was that?”

>Nuthin’! Bed fer’ me!

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>AJ 42
"SA"
~~~~~~

>....

"....Did you fall aslee-"

>GAH! WHA-WHO-EH-UH!... What did you ask?

"If you fell asleep."

>...No. What made you ask something like that?

"Want to trade off 'watching' me?"

>NO!

"..."

>...I mean, no. I am perfectly capable of protecting you.

"Shouldn't you be guarding Chrysalis too?"

>I will bring her in here, don't you push me.

"Retracted. But seriously, 42, you need to rest."

>NO! THEY'RE NOT-....

"..."

>...They're not... t-traained enough. Right! That's it! None of the guards are currently at my level. Should you be attacked again, I am by far the best choice to defend you at the moment. The alternative is to ask my Queen to stay in here.

"Where is she now?"

>With Cadence.

"...I feel so sorry for her."

>Don't, I also requested that 18 and Sombra watch her and 2. They are all together, getting some much needed sleep. You have worried them, they need some time when they know you are safe.

"If you say so. Do you have to sit right next to me on my bed, though."

>...Time spent guarding you is vital.

"You're not brushing my hair when I sleep, right?"

>...No, of course not...

"..."

>...Anymore.

"What?"

>NOTHING! SLEEP!

"If you say so."

>I DO NOW SLEEP!

"Stop yelling."

>I AM NOT YELLING!

"...Ugh."

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>DT
"SS"

~~~~~~

>This can only end well!

"She said, completely un-ironically, as she stood atop a vat of acid."

>I almost have it!

"Will you hurry? I'm running out of Chocolate milk."

*drools*

"I feel objectified."

>I just-HURK- need to-HRRRR- tilt it!-GRRRRR!- and then he dies!

"We did not plan this through at all."

>WILL YOU JUST-RRRRR- KEEP HIM STILL-OH NO!

"I love hearing that. Really."

>...Crap.

"Went the wrong way?"

>My idea to rock it back and fourth was not well thought out. I admit that. I'm mare enough to admit that was a bad idea.

"Kill anyone?"

>No, just melted a lot of street. You can stop now.

"Too late, he's already clinging to it."

>...So that would have killed you too.

"DT, you're my best friend, so I'm going to be honest with you. I knew it would fail."

>Harsh.

"There is currently a Changeling rubbing his face all over my chocolate milk covered plot, I earned this one."

>...Point.

"...It's kind of nice, actually-"

>Shut up, Silver Spoon.

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>SA
"AJ 2"
~~~~~~~

>Hello Morphine, my old friend.

"Hey Shiny, look!"

>...

"I'm dressed up just like Not-Mom, isn't it cool! We can play nurse now! I'mma make Shiny all better and fix his owies!"

>...

"...Shiny?"

>HNNNNNNNNNNGH!

*BEEEEEEEEEEEEP!*

"...Caaaaddyyyyyy!"

~~~~

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>77
"42"
{Crystal Guards}
[Royal/night Guards]
~~~~~
"Whoa, 77, do you ever sleep?"

>No.

42 steps out to a balcony and looks down at the training fields, rubbing sleep from her eyes

"Well, I hope you're rested anyway. We've still got idiots to-"

[KEEP THE SMOKE BOMBS ON THEM! THEY CAN'T ATTACK WHAT THEY CAN'T SEE!]

{WE NEED PEGASUS SUPPORT TO BLOW OUT THE GAS! GET INTO TESTUDO AND DIG IN AND FORTIFY POSITIONS!}

[THEY'RE REGROUPING! FALL BACK I WANT THE PRAEFECTUS FABRUM! PREPARE THE ENGINES!]

"... What are they-?"

>They're training. By themselves. I've been watching them since nearly four in the morning. My guys decided to do a mock raid on yours and nearly routed them until yours began to dig in and rally. Since then my guys have been making hit-and-runs to keep your people from noticing the siege engines they're building up."

"I-... I don't know what to say."

>Ever since Spike was shot, the Canterlot guards have grown in ranks with fresh-eyed recruits who wanted to 'avenge Spike: the friend of Equestria'. Then when Shining Armor was shot, it seems the Crystal Guard's been on the warpath themselves. The only reason they held out against the initial assault was because they were doing proper watch rotations.

{HOLD YOUR GROUND, MEN! I WANT REINFORCEMENTS ON THAT GATE!}

>Are you crying?

"N-No... No it's liquid pride. Honest."

[Snipers! Take out their leadership!]

{CASTRORUM, UNDER OUR SHIELDS!}

>So, you were saying about getting started?

"I think they're doing fine without us for now.

>Ready to start a betting pool then?

"Damn straight."


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>Applejack didn't know what could have caused this destruction, this wave of horror that lied before her. Guards, staff, everyone was lying upon the ground, eyes wide and hoofs pressed tightly to the area just above their hearts.

>And they were smiling, all smiling.

>It was only when she reached the room where Shining Armor was staying that she found her answers. As she stepped over the stricken bodies of Cadence, 42, and 18, she found a single still moving shape amidst the bodies.

>Applejack 2 looked up to her, a wibble upon her face, and she spoke the last words Princess Applejack would ever hear.

"I jus' wanted ta' fix their owies!"

>Her heart ruptured, she felt it do so. Gone gone gone, her vision was gone. The reaper of souls, at last, had her. And she went with a smile on her face.

>Chrysalis entered the room after the light in her eyes was gone, but instead of crumbling as expected, she simply sighed.

[New rule, no more nurse costumes. Okay?]

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~~~~~
The water's surface dances and shimmered so tantalizingly, it was warming and inviting with the bodies floating across it's surface. Corpses bloated, flesh water logged-

"77! Hey, are you gonna get in or not?" Shining Armor called, his voice filled with concern and dragging the shellshocked changeling from his waking nightmare.

The Changeling in question looked down into the waters, seeing his 88's rotted image in place of his reflection.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry I failed us!"

Hole riddled hooves broke the surface and latched around 77's neck, dragging him in and under the waters. A black abyss only highlighted by the remains of the his exploration team and the distant light of the horrible lure-

"HEY! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Blinking, 77 found himself still at the pool's edge, frozen in place, shaking, and short of breath with his own queen looking at him with a pitying expression.

This day could not get worse.

77 shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I lost my taste for swimming beneath Canterlot." And with his remaining dignity, he walked away from the pool.