apeljohn
Non-Player Character
- Location
- Earth Aleph
Best. Interview. Ever.
A Friend In Need [WORM/MLP]
- Thread starter sopchoppy
- Start date
-
- Tags
- my little pony worm crossover
Best. Interview. Ever.
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
"Dude. Just because the Death Metal Pony moved around a moon and killed AT LEAST one Endbringer doesn't mean that they're out of tricks yet, or that they're done turning the rabbit hole inside out. I'd put money on shit having yet to get real."
Poor bastard has no idea how right he is.
Wint- Discord is Coming.
Poor bastard has no idea how right he is.
Rajvik_wolfboy
Wolf amongst the stars.
- Location
- Florida
I think someone needs to make this into a GoT type emblem/motto
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
It has to be, let me go and... wat. How is this not already a thing? *Looks.* Wat. No, this is supposed to be a thing! There's always pony of everything, how is this not a thing!?
*Goes full Twilight.*
Right, right. I'm fine. We're fine. We're ALLLLLL fine down here, hehheheheheeee.
*ahem.* 'Discord is Coming'.
GAH! Stop that!
Last edited:
- Location
- Lake superior, Minoc
That's not wrong..
There was an anthropological study that suggested that you could judge how dangerous a culture was by how polite they are. The funny thing was that the cultures with the highest degree of politeness are the most dangerous. You see, being nice to one another is a defense mechanism in situations that being killed by someone else is a real threat. You are only rude to the wrong type of person once. Only in safe societies are you free to be rude without fear.
MLP seems to have a VERY polite society.
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
Well, yeah. Any major social strife results in Windingos coming to FREEZE EVERYTHING. So they just Chill and go ahead and ensure equal rights for everybody and everything, since to do otherwise would result in Bad Things. Turns out, if you can go dark side, and have a major example of the dark side (Poor Luna), you tend to try and restructure your society enough to prevent that from happening. Though, they likely don't even realize- well, I suppose they do with the return of Luna.
36
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
A short one, but should have one or two more this week. Once again huge thanks to Deadpan for editing and Beta, who also convinced me to write out their day more fully.
Chapter 12, Scene 1)
Twilight was unsure what she should be doing in this situation, and a quick glance around showed she was not the only one. The plane was only about halfway unloaded and they had been sheltering from the early-afternoon sun under a large tent someone had the forethought to setup nearby when Luna had suddenly taken wing and landed in the back of a large open-top truck that had just driven up. She suspected it had been intended to carry the sizable number of PRT personnel that had come with them, but Luna apparently had other ideas.
"COME FAITHFUL COMPANIONS!" Luna shouted over the din of the runway as she reared up and planted her fore-hooves on the roof of the vehicle. "We wish to see this grand city for ourselves! We were rather too busy to experience the last one properly." Uber and Leet, who had changed on the plane into some kind of futuristic armor with "N7" stenciled on the shoulder, had eagerly and immediately commandeered the truck cab from the startled driver. Said driver stared dazedly at the duo, arm coming up halfway as if to protest and then falling back to his side. Leet hunched over an orange holographic screen he had somehow produced from his arm, and Uber had started pulling wires from underneath the steering wheel while frantically discussing something.
A hand on her back startled her out of her contemplative indecision. Turning her head she saw Tattletale smirking at her. "Come on Twi, Something tells me HRH over there isn't easily dissuaded once she has an idea like this. Besides, do you really want to spend a day like this inside being talked politely to by underlings of people you don't know?"
The enigmatic girl had a point, Twilight thought as she gazed out at the city in the distance. It was a beautiful spring day and the city had looked amazing when they had flown over it. She had not really gotten a chance to see anything besides the airport and the inside of offices the last time she had been there. Still, she felt a little guilt bubbling up over the thought of ruining someone else's checklists and schedules. Surely they would get a chance t-
"Hey, stop that," Tattletale said interrupting her thoughts. "Seriously you're not going to disturb anything important, and it's probably your last chance to see things before the city finishes waking up from the party last night and goes batshit over your arrival." She felt a gentle pressure on her neck urging her forward towards the truck and she let a rueful grin cross her face as she gave in. It was amazing how well Tattletale seemed to know her after such a short time. "Ha! Thats the spirit." Twilight and Tattletale turned back towards the group of wards who were conversing urgently with Director Piggot whose face had grown so stern that an image of red eyes and a beak flashed through her head.
"You guys better hurry up. Last ones in get the cheap seats with views obstructed by billowing magic unicorn hair." Tattletale called out. Twilight felt her senses twist as Vista suddenly appeared in the back of the truck next to Luna, apparently taking Tattletale's word about the seating arrangements. Skitter stood up from where she was sitting under the tent and started making her way towards the truck with Flame Dancer following quickly behind her. Twilight started to think about what would really be the optimum way to arrange the seating, given everyone's respective height and build and the likely orientation of the sights in relation to the direction of travel when a light whap on the back of her head startled her out of it.
"Snap out of it, theres a time and a place for planning, and one for causing trouble. This is the latter." Twilight laughed a little nervously, and cast one more fretful glance over her shoulder at the PRT personnel and police scrambling around the tarmac and talking quickly into phones. She doubted they shared Tattletale's laid-back attitude. She flapped her wings a couple of times, and gracelessly wobbled through the air to land beside Luna in the truck.
"Princess are you sure it-" She was cut off as Leet reached an arm out of the window and placed a small circular device on the roof of the cab. As Uber revved the engine, fast paced guitar music started to blare from the device. Cyclic chanting joined the guitar and Clockblocker, Gallant, Shadow Stalker, and a half a dozen troopers scrambled into the back of the truck moments before it lurched forward.
"THUNDER!"
Uber accelerated quickly and Twilight scrabbled frantically with her hooves to avoid falling over when the truck bounced violently through the gates leading out of the airport.
"THUNDER!"
She glanced up past a fiercely grinning Luna to see Dragon, Aegis, and Kid Win flying above them. Police cars and PRT vehicles were peeling out of the gate now, some racing in front, others taking turns left or right as the truck picked up more speed on the suspiciously empty street. Wide eyed people stared from the stoops of their houses and apartments as the convoy rolled passed.
"THUNDER!"
Almost against her will, Twilight felt a smile start to spread across her face as she bobbed her head in time with the music and the truck's suspension. The wind blowing through her mane seemed to take her worries with it. Tattletale was right. It was a beautiful day in one of the grandest cities on the planet and all of her new friends were here. She noticed the same mischievous smile spreading across her friends' faces, and when the chorus of the song came back around she felt she did a fairly good impression of the Canterlot royal voice when she joined Luna and the others in shouting it.
"YOU'VE BEEN…THUNDERSTRUCK!"
Chapter 12, Scene 1)
Twilight was unsure what she should be doing in this situation, and a quick glance around showed she was not the only one. The plane was only about halfway unloaded and they had been sheltering from the early-afternoon sun under a large tent someone had the forethought to setup nearby when Luna had suddenly taken wing and landed in the back of a large open-top truck that had just driven up. She suspected it had been intended to carry the sizable number of PRT personnel that had come with them, but Luna apparently had other ideas.
"COME FAITHFUL COMPANIONS!" Luna shouted over the din of the runway as she reared up and planted her fore-hooves on the roof of the vehicle. "We wish to see this grand city for ourselves! We were rather too busy to experience the last one properly." Uber and Leet, who had changed on the plane into some kind of futuristic armor with "N7" stenciled on the shoulder, had eagerly and immediately commandeered the truck cab from the startled driver. Said driver stared dazedly at the duo, arm coming up halfway as if to protest and then falling back to his side. Leet hunched over an orange holographic screen he had somehow produced from his arm, and Uber had started pulling wires from underneath the steering wheel while frantically discussing something.
A hand on her back startled her out of her contemplative indecision. Turning her head she saw Tattletale smirking at her. "Come on Twi, Something tells me HRH over there isn't easily dissuaded once she has an idea like this. Besides, do you really want to spend a day like this inside being talked politely to by underlings of people you don't know?"
The enigmatic girl had a point, Twilight thought as she gazed out at the city in the distance. It was a beautiful spring day and the city had looked amazing when they had flown over it. She had not really gotten a chance to see anything besides the airport and the inside of offices the last time she had been there. Still, she felt a little guilt bubbling up over the thought of ruining someone else's checklists and schedules. Surely they would get a chance t-
"Hey, stop that," Tattletale said interrupting her thoughts. "Seriously you're not going to disturb anything important, and it's probably your last chance to see things before the city finishes waking up from the party last night and goes batshit over your arrival." She felt a gentle pressure on her neck urging her forward towards the truck and she let a rueful grin cross her face as she gave in. It was amazing how well Tattletale seemed to know her after such a short time. "Ha! Thats the spirit." Twilight and Tattletale turned back towards the group of wards who were conversing urgently with Director Piggot whose face had grown so stern that an image of red eyes and a beak flashed through her head.
"You guys better hurry up. Last ones in get the cheap seats with views obstructed by billowing magic unicorn hair." Tattletale called out. Twilight felt her senses twist as Vista suddenly appeared in the back of the truck next to Luna, apparently taking Tattletale's word about the seating arrangements. Skitter stood up from where she was sitting under the tent and started making her way towards the truck with Flame Dancer following quickly behind her. Twilight started to think about what would really be the optimum way to arrange the seating, given everyone's respective height and build and the likely orientation of the sights in relation to the direction of travel when a light whap on the back of her head startled her out of it.
"Snap out of it, theres a time and a place for planning, and one for causing trouble. This is the latter." Twilight laughed a little nervously, and cast one more fretful glance over her shoulder at the PRT personnel and police scrambling around the tarmac and talking quickly into phones. She doubted they shared Tattletale's laid-back attitude. She flapped her wings a couple of times, and gracelessly wobbled through the air to land beside Luna in the truck.
"Princess are you sure it-" She was cut off as Leet reached an arm out of the window and placed a small circular device on the roof of the cab. As Uber revved the engine, fast paced guitar music started to blare from the device. Cyclic chanting joined the guitar and Clockblocker, Gallant, Shadow Stalker, and a half a dozen troopers scrambled into the back of the truck moments before it lurched forward.
"THUNDER!"
Uber accelerated quickly and Twilight scrabbled frantically with her hooves to avoid falling over when the truck bounced violently through the gates leading out of the airport.
"THUNDER!"
She glanced up past a fiercely grinning Luna to see Dragon, Aegis, and Kid Win flying above them. Police cars and PRT vehicles were peeling out of the gate now, some racing in front, others taking turns left or right as the truck picked up more speed on the suspiciously empty street. Wide eyed people stared from the stoops of their houses and apartments as the convoy rolled passed.
"THUNDER!"
Almost against her will, Twilight felt a smile start to spread across her face as she bobbed her head in time with the music and the truck's suspension. The wind blowing through her mane seemed to take her worries with it. Tattletale was right. It was a beautiful day in one of the grandest cities on the planet and all of her new friends were here. She noticed the same mischievous smile spreading across her friends' faces, and when the chorus of the song came back around she felt she did a fairly good impression of the Canterlot royal voice when she joined Luna and the others in shouting it.
"YOU'VE BEEN…THUNDERSTRUCK!"
Last edited:
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
Goddamnit, Luna. Why you so metal?
Some typos from early works. Death Metal Pony always deserves re-reading.
where -> wear
piece -> peace
their -> they're.
where -> wear
piece -> peace
their -> they're.
I've reread the PRT briefs omakes far more than I care to admit, they're just so good.
37
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Thanks once more to Deadpan for Beta and Editing.
Chapter 12, scene 2
"Yes I'm back in black!" The crowd yelled/sang along as the truck rolled past.
Ten minutes of enthusiastic driving later, their pace had slowed when they reached areas where traffic hadn't been cleared in advance. Cars on both sides of the road had pulled as far to the side as they were able, and the convoy drove slowly down the center of the street. The result was something like a spontaneous parade.
"Back in the back of a Cadillac. Number one with a bullet I'm a power pack."
Twilight was fascinated by the sheer diversity of the neighborhood, and a little disturbed by how unorganized it all seemed. Clothing stores, banks, electronics, food shops, jewelry, restaurants, and street vendors all vied with each other for the attention of the populace that, at least for the moment, was more interested in singing and watching the procession than in any of the wares being sold. Though, as they passed by a candy store right next to dentist, she thought maybe there was some kind of underlying order after all.
"In a bang with the gang. They gotta catch me if they want me to hang."
Luna stood on the now thoroughly dented roof singing along and waving to the crowd. She had conjured a storm cloud that hung high above the truck and crackled with lightning and thunder in time with the music. Twilight thought this all might be sending the wrong message, but the crowd seemed undisturbed and she couldn't bring herself to interfere with the fun that Luna was obviously having.
"Cause I'm back on the track and I'm beatin' the flack. Nobody's gonna get me on another rap."
As the pace of their forward progress slowed, the troopers and Wards had exited the truck and formed a perimeter around it. More capes that Twilight didn't recognize had joined them either on the ground or running along the roofs above. Dozens of helicopters, all painted differently, hovered in the distance and the number of people on the street seemed to be growing exponentially.
"So look at me now I'm just makin' my play. Don't try to push your luck just get out of my way."
Taylor and Flame Dancer stood on either side of her, supportive arms on her back, and waving to the crowd with her while Tattletale, vulpine grin at full power, stood on the open tailgate and seemed to be conducting the different sides of the street into singing alternating verses.
"Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm ba-ha-ha-hack ba-ha-ha-hack
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black!"
The brakes squealed as the truck came to a slow stop in front of a large structure built over the road. The doors of the truck burst open and Uber performed an acrobatic leap from the cab, twisting and rotating his body through the air to land dramatically on the final downbeat of the song.
"Yes I'm back in black. Outta sight!"
The crowd burst into a roaring cheer as Leet hopped out of the cab, fiddling with the glowing hologram around his arm. A new song burst from the speaker and suddenly a ghostly steam train appeared on the street in front of them, a piercing steam whistle sounding from it.
"All Aboaarrdd. HAHAHAHAH!"
The crowd cheered again, and Twilight noticed at least a third of them seemed to holding one of those little phones like Alexandria had above their heads.
"Millions of people living as foes
Maybe. it's not too late."
The ghostly train started slowly forward, clearing a path in its wake towards what Twilight now realized was a raised train platform. Luna seemed to understand the implication as well, jumped off the cab, and glided gracefully down to the street to land behind Uber and Leet. Twilight quickly wrapped Flame Dancer and Taylor in a teleport and appeared just behind her while the troopers, Wards, and capes quickly scrambled in reaction to their abandoning the truck.
"To learn how to love, and forget how to hate."
Some of the crowd had realized the import of the song as well and were rushing up the stairs to the platform in front of the train and the troopers. Dragon suddenly landed beside her in a small wash of flame and noise and immediately turned to Taylor.
"Anything suspicious?"
"One man with a gun, but he was already moving away before we stopped. Exited my range 2 blocks west at a fast walk," Skitter replied with the calm professional tone Twilight noticed she slipped into whenever anything remotely serious was brought up.
"Good," Dragon said before turning to Twilight. "I'm not going to be able to fit through the doors here. I'll meet you on the platform."
"Okay," Twilight replied, a little nervously after the mention of a gun, but reassured by the casual dismissal her two friends had for it. Dragon lifted back off and the crowd pressed in a little closer. People were getting out of their stopped cars now, some standing on roofs to get a look at them or snap pictures. Dragon's takeoff seemed to be a signal for the crowd to cheer again as the group assembled and made their way to the stairs.
"Citizens of Earth!" Uber's voice called out from the speaker over a guitar solo. "Please make way, the Systems Alliance is escorting Her Royal Highness Princess Luna and Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle to the seven train." Twilight couldn't stop a hoof from planting itself in her face at that, and her blush only expanded when the crowd roared their approval. With a little prodding from the Wards and PRT officers a wider corridor to the stairs opened up through the crowd.
"This last song before we go is dedicated to Princess Twilight."
Twilight blushed as the crowds attention turned to her, and joined in on the lyrics almost immediately.
"Why can't we be Friends?! Why can't we be Friends?"
While Twilight was trying to disappear and catch on fire at the same time, she noticed Luna almost seemed to grow taller, more stately. The Princess nodded and smiled at the crowd, and even pressed a hoof into a few outstretched hands. Suddenly Luna draped a wing over her back and subtly lifted her chin with magic while whispering in her ear. "Hidest not thy face Twilight Sparkle, it suiteth thee ill and doth a disservice to their admiration. Standest proudly and acknowledge their accolades, and thus acknowledge them as well." Twilight straightened her posture and fought to control her blush while she smiled at the crowd and waved a hoof between steps as people shouted joyously at her.
"Aliens Rule!"
"Pony Power!"
"Thank you!"
"My daughter was born last night! We named her Twilight!"
"Gracias! Gracias!"
"Hail! Hail The Princess of Friendship! Your Acolytes Believe!"
"Kamsahamnida!"
"Death Metal Pony For President!"
"ābhārī hōṅ!"
At the end of the corridor of people was the the train platform. Elevated above the street, it wasn't much to look at now that Twilight was paying attention to it. An industrial construction of iron decorated in rust and faded teal paint looming over the street and shops beneath it. It was clear that whatever priorities had gone into its construction, beauty or unobtrusiveness had not been among them.
They finally got to the stairs and Twilight sighed in relief as she awkwardly started up them. Human stairs were in no way made with pony strides in mind. However bad the stairs were, Twilight was grateful to escape the crowd. While it was nice, and certainly refreshing, to see so many happy people she didn't know if she would ever be comfortable with that type of attention. She just wasn't sure she deserved the kind of thanks they were giving her. She had made some big mistakes in the battle, and if it hadn't been for her friends who knows what would have happened. Regardless, she was certain she would never be comfortable with that type of attention.
She felt Flame Dancer give her a one-armed hug as they came to a series of metal silver gates. She gratefully leaned into it as a group of officers, Uber, Leet, and Tattletale stood gathered in front of what looked like a vending machine arguing over something.
"Sir! Are you, an officer of the law, suggesting we simply not pay the fare? Corruption! Scandal! What will the press say?" Tattletale put her wrist to her head dramatically while the officer she was talking to took on an even more aggrieved expression.
"Look, I'm just-"
"Sir, while not strictly under the jurisdiction of the Systems Alliance, we can't allow you to besmirch the reputation of the dignitaries we are escorting. Now give us $50 so we can buy a metro card for everyone."
"Me? That's ridi-"
"Just do it Ferguson. I vouch for the expenses. We're going to miss the train if we take much longer."
Twilight took a closer look at the silver gate-booths and quickly determined that there was going to be no comfortable way for her to go through the contraption. Spotting Dragon standing in the open air on the other side, she powered her horn and teleported beside her, circumventing the problem. Luna followed her lead by turning to mist and flowing over the barrier. Their entourage, now equipped with some small cards, were slowly proceeding through the turning machines. As the platform started filling up with PRT officers, Wards, and those of the crowd below that had managed to make it up before them, a bright streak of light descended to the end of the platform.
Legend strode over with an easy smile, waving to the scattered commuters who were still a little too overawed by the group that had taken over the platform to start breaking out cameras yet.
"Your Majesty, Twilight, Dragon. Welcome to New York."
"Ah, and what a welcome it hath so far been. We are most pleased with the city and its friendly peas-citizinery thus far. We now wait for this "Subway" to see more of it. Most odd that it is called such, given that it resideth elevated above the ground."
"I'm glad you're finding it to your liking. I wouldn't live anywhere else. Though, if I may ask, Queens?"
Luna hesitated for a brief moment and then with a fierce grin replied, "Queens? Nay, we are but Princesses! Rock!"
Legend seemed unsure how to respond to that, and was saved from having to try when a sleek silver train with no noticeable engine rumbled onto the platform. It came to a stop so that it lined the entire deck and with a pleasant chime wide double door swung open up and down the length of it. A couple of people got off and then stood frozen at the scene before them.
"Don't worry folks!" Clockblocker called out in a loud voice. "This is simply standard post apocalypse protocol, nothing to see here."
"Come Twilight Sparkle, adventure awaiteth ahead!" Luna declared loudly and proudly strode onto the train. As Twilight and the rest of the eclectic escort followed, a memory flashed before her eyes and startled a laugh from her.
"All the people in this town are crazy!"
Chapter 12, scene 2
"Yes I'm back in black!" The crowd yelled/sang along as the truck rolled past.
Ten minutes of enthusiastic driving later, their pace had slowed when they reached areas where traffic hadn't been cleared in advance. Cars on both sides of the road had pulled as far to the side as they were able, and the convoy drove slowly down the center of the street. The result was something like a spontaneous parade.
"Back in the back of a Cadillac. Number one with a bullet I'm a power pack."
Twilight was fascinated by the sheer diversity of the neighborhood, and a little disturbed by how unorganized it all seemed. Clothing stores, banks, electronics, food shops, jewelry, restaurants, and street vendors all vied with each other for the attention of the populace that, at least for the moment, was more interested in singing and watching the procession than in any of the wares being sold. Though, as they passed by a candy store right next to dentist, she thought maybe there was some kind of underlying order after all.
"In a bang with the gang. They gotta catch me if they want me to hang."
Luna stood on the now thoroughly dented roof singing along and waving to the crowd. She had conjured a storm cloud that hung high above the truck and crackled with lightning and thunder in time with the music. Twilight thought this all might be sending the wrong message, but the crowd seemed undisturbed and she couldn't bring herself to interfere with the fun that Luna was obviously having.
"Cause I'm back on the track and I'm beatin' the flack. Nobody's gonna get me on another rap."
As the pace of their forward progress slowed, the troopers and Wards had exited the truck and formed a perimeter around it. More capes that Twilight didn't recognize had joined them either on the ground or running along the roofs above. Dozens of helicopters, all painted differently, hovered in the distance and the number of people on the street seemed to be growing exponentially.
"So look at me now I'm just makin' my play. Don't try to push your luck just get out of my way."
Taylor and Flame Dancer stood on either side of her, supportive arms on her back, and waving to the crowd with her while Tattletale, vulpine grin at full power, stood on the open tailgate and seemed to be conducting the different sides of the street into singing alternating verses.
"Cause I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm back
Yes I'm back
Well I'm ba-ha-ha-hack ba-ha-ha-hack
Well I'm back in black
Yes I'm back in black!"
The brakes squealed as the truck came to a slow stop in front of a large structure built over the road. The doors of the truck burst open and Uber performed an acrobatic leap from the cab, twisting and rotating his body through the air to land dramatically on the final downbeat of the song.
"Yes I'm back in black. Outta sight!"
The crowd burst into a roaring cheer as Leet hopped out of the cab, fiddling with the glowing hologram around his arm. A new song burst from the speaker and suddenly a ghostly steam train appeared on the street in front of them, a piercing steam whistle sounding from it.
"All Aboaarrdd. HAHAHAHAH!"
The crowd cheered again, and Twilight noticed at least a third of them seemed to holding one of those little phones like Alexandria had above their heads.
"Millions of people living as foes
Maybe. it's not too late."
The ghostly train started slowly forward, clearing a path in its wake towards what Twilight now realized was a raised train platform. Luna seemed to understand the implication as well, jumped off the cab, and glided gracefully down to the street to land behind Uber and Leet. Twilight quickly wrapped Flame Dancer and Taylor in a teleport and appeared just behind her while the troopers, Wards, and capes quickly scrambled in reaction to their abandoning the truck.
"To learn how to love, and forget how to hate."
Some of the crowd had realized the import of the song as well and were rushing up the stairs to the platform in front of the train and the troopers. Dragon suddenly landed beside her in a small wash of flame and noise and immediately turned to Taylor.
"Anything suspicious?"
"One man with a gun, but he was already moving away before we stopped. Exited my range 2 blocks west at a fast walk," Skitter replied with the calm professional tone Twilight noticed she slipped into whenever anything remotely serious was brought up.
"Good," Dragon said before turning to Twilight. "I'm not going to be able to fit through the doors here. I'll meet you on the platform."
"Okay," Twilight replied, a little nervously after the mention of a gun, but reassured by the casual dismissal her two friends had for it. Dragon lifted back off and the crowd pressed in a little closer. People were getting out of their stopped cars now, some standing on roofs to get a look at them or snap pictures. Dragon's takeoff seemed to be a signal for the crowd to cheer again as the group assembled and made their way to the stairs.
"Citizens of Earth!" Uber's voice called out from the speaker over a guitar solo. "Please make way, the Systems Alliance is escorting Her Royal Highness Princess Luna and Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle to the seven train." Twilight couldn't stop a hoof from planting itself in her face at that, and her blush only expanded when the crowd roared their approval. With a little prodding from the Wards and PRT officers a wider corridor to the stairs opened up through the crowd.
"This last song before we go is dedicated to Princess Twilight."
Twilight blushed as the crowds attention turned to her, and joined in on the lyrics almost immediately.
"Why can't we be Friends?! Why can't we be Friends?"
While Twilight was trying to disappear and catch on fire at the same time, she noticed Luna almost seemed to grow taller, more stately. The Princess nodded and smiled at the crowd, and even pressed a hoof into a few outstretched hands. Suddenly Luna draped a wing over her back and subtly lifted her chin with magic while whispering in her ear. "Hidest not thy face Twilight Sparkle, it suiteth thee ill and doth a disservice to their admiration. Standest proudly and acknowledge their accolades, and thus acknowledge them as well." Twilight straightened her posture and fought to control her blush while she smiled at the crowd and waved a hoof between steps as people shouted joyously at her.
"Aliens Rule!"
"Pony Power!"
"Thank you!"
"My daughter was born last night! We named her Twilight!"
"Gracias! Gracias!"
"Hail! Hail The Princess of Friendship! Your Acolytes Believe!"
"Kamsahamnida!"
"Death Metal Pony For President!"
"ābhārī hōṅ!"
At the end of the corridor of people was the the train platform. Elevated above the street, it wasn't much to look at now that Twilight was paying attention to it. An industrial construction of iron decorated in rust and faded teal paint looming over the street and shops beneath it. It was clear that whatever priorities had gone into its construction, beauty or unobtrusiveness had not been among them.
They finally got to the stairs and Twilight sighed in relief as she awkwardly started up them. Human stairs were in no way made with pony strides in mind. However bad the stairs were, Twilight was grateful to escape the crowd. While it was nice, and certainly refreshing, to see so many happy people she didn't know if she would ever be comfortable with that type of attention. She just wasn't sure she deserved the kind of thanks they were giving her. She had made some big mistakes in the battle, and if it hadn't been for her friends who knows what would have happened. Regardless, she was certain she would never be comfortable with that type of attention.
She felt Flame Dancer give her a one-armed hug as they came to a series of metal silver gates. She gratefully leaned into it as a group of officers, Uber, Leet, and Tattletale stood gathered in front of what looked like a vending machine arguing over something.
"Sir! Are you, an officer of the law, suggesting we simply not pay the fare? Corruption! Scandal! What will the press say?" Tattletale put her wrist to her head dramatically while the officer she was talking to took on an even more aggrieved expression.
"Look, I'm just-"
"Sir, while not strictly under the jurisdiction of the Systems Alliance, we can't allow you to besmirch the reputation of the dignitaries we are escorting. Now give us $50 so we can buy a metro card for everyone."
"Me? That's ridi-"
"Just do it Ferguson. I vouch for the expenses. We're going to miss the train if we take much longer."
Twilight took a closer look at the silver gate-booths and quickly determined that there was going to be no comfortable way for her to go through the contraption. Spotting Dragon standing in the open air on the other side, she powered her horn and teleported beside her, circumventing the problem. Luna followed her lead by turning to mist and flowing over the barrier. Their entourage, now equipped with some small cards, were slowly proceeding through the turning machines. As the platform started filling up with PRT officers, Wards, and those of the crowd below that had managed to make it up before them, a bright streak of light descended to the end of the platform.
Legend strode over with an easy smile, waving to the scattered commuters who were still a little too overawed by the group that had taken over the platform to start breaking out cameras yet.
"Your Majesty, Twilight, Dragon. Welcome to New York."
"Ah, and what a welcome it hath so far been. We are most pleased with the city and its friendly peas-citizinery thus far. We now wait for this "Subway" to see more of it. Most odd that it is called such, given that it resideth elevated above the ground."
"I'm glad you're finding it to your liking. I wouldn't live anywhere else. Though, if I may ask, Queens?"
Luna hesitated for a brief moment and then with a fierce grin replied, "Queens? Nay, we are but Princesses! Rock!"
Legend seemed unsure how to respond to that, and was saved from having to try when a sleek silver train with no noticeable engine rumbled onto the platform. It came to a stop so that it lined the entire deck and with a pleasant chime wide double door swung open up and down the length of it. A couple of people got off and then stood frozen at the scene before them.
"Don't worry folks!" Clockblocker called out in a loud voice. "This is simply standard post apocalypse protocol, nothing to see here."
"Come Twilight Sparkle, adventure awaiteth ahead!" Luna declared loudly and proudly strode onto the train. As Twilight and the rest of the eclectic escort followed, a memory flashed before her eyes and startled a laugh from her.
"All the people in this town are crazy!"
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I feel really bad for all the police and PRT that are trying to deal with this unplanned for parade path.
- Location
- Somewhere over the rainbow
Meh, Twilight and Luna took out an Endbringer and may have put the other 2 to sleep for good. They deserve to enjoy themselves a bit before they have to deal with the stuffed shirts at the UN.
- Location
- In the depts of despair.
And the PRT and Police will take an improvised victory parade or two per week than an Endbringer every three months with pleasure. Especially since the peaceful nature of the parade is enforced by the most powerful beings on the planet sans Scion, so the worst they have to deal with are a lot of happy drunks and a case or three of public indecency.
Twilight Sparkle took out Lung, the Slaughterhouse 9, and a good chunk of Leviathan and the Simurgh before Luna showed up. Luna then proceeded to kick the Simurgh's ass before Twilight powered up some sort of rainbow ray and finished her off.
Perhaps worse, TS seems to sandbag. She only reveals the power necessary to take care of the current situation. Now, one could be fairly certain that TWO endbringers probably pulled out her maximum effort, but what about different aspects of her power?
And 'drove off one endbringer and killed another in ONE fight' is something that only the craziest of people would want to face.
That would be nice.
The fact that no one is likely to attack them with any degree of success and the fact that they deserve parades doesn't change the fact that it still sucks for the police and PRT officers trying to clear traffic and manage the crowds totally unplanned.
deadpan29
Strangely Stoic
My interaction with this story and sopchoppy is primarily through SB, but I'm now posting this over here for completeness. These PRT file omakes have sopchoppy's approval and are considered to be canon for the story.
Note that this represents a report hastily updated by PRT Thinkers and analysts in the period between the Endbringer fight and the trip to New York. They are working from incomplete information and are viewing everything through certain cultural assumptions. As such, at least some of the gaps, errors, and inconsistencies in this document are deliberate on my part.
Description: Twilight Sparkle has the appearance of a four-foot tall, purple, vaguely horse-like quadruped with wings and a single spiral horn. Mane and tail are of a darker shade than her coat and have stripes of darker and lighter shades. A symbol of a pink star with surrounding small white stars is displayed on each flank. A purple glow around her horn is observed in conjunction with the use of most of her abilities. She uses telekinesis regularly to manipulate objects or otherwise interact with her surroundings.
History: Twilight Sparkle is, according to her own statements and the best evidence available, a native of another world. The first reported sighting of Twilight Sparkle was made on the evening of April 11, 2011 by Armsmaster who was responding to a disturbance in the docks area of Brockton Bay. Twilight Sparkle had become involved in an altercation with the Parahuman villain known as Lung, the mercenary known as Skitter, and the Undersiders (See document Sparkle-0001). In her conversation with Armsmaster that night and all subsequent discussions with protectorate or PRT personnel she has proven to be both friendly and cooperative.
Since that meeting, and upon reasonable confirmation of her origins, she has been in contact with the State Department and various representatives of foreign governments facilitated by their U.N. Ambassadors. She has claimed to have no official standing in her government on which to negotiate, but it has been deemed appropriate for the time being to extend diplomatic curtesy do to her unique situation. (See document Sparkle-1037)
During her time in Brockton Bay she has been Involved in several incidents, including but not limited to: the foiling of a bank robbery by the parahuman gang the Undersiders (See Document Sparkle-2043), The operation to track down and eliminate the leaders of behind the parahuman gang the ABB including the aforementioned Lung and the Tinker Bakuda (See documents Sparkle-2083,2084,2085), and personally defeating two members of the Slaughterhouse 9 (See documents Sparkle-3031,3047,3054).
In addition to her confrontations with various parahuman elements, in the weeks before the Battle of Brockton Bay she was heavily involved in a reconstruction and revitalization effort focused on the port area of Brockton Bay and showed a remarkable skill in coordinating with various business and government interests in service to that goal (See Documents Sparkle-2067-2085).
On May 15, 2011 Brockton Bay was hit by the Endbringer Leviathan and the Endbringer Simurgh. Twilight Sparkle exhibited a wide range of previously unknown abilities in the course of the attack ranging from intelligence gathering, shielding, power dampening, teleportation, time travel, and various other Blaster, Shaker, and possibly Master powers to varying degrees of effectiveness. Of particular note, it has been determined that she was instrumental in the attack that appears to have eliminated the Simurgh (For a detailed report on the Battle of Brockton Bay, participants, and powers utilized by Twilight Sparkle, see Documents Sparkle-4047-5065, and the Executive Summary of the May 15th Endbringer attack report BB051511-0001).
Profile: For in-depth professional psychological evaluation, see PRT psychological casefile Yamada-Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle holds some sort of high position in her native society. While parahuman abilities are apparently common to the point of being universal for her species, her own capabilities are exceptional even by their standards. The rulers of her nation are viewed as close friends and mentors, and she has been called upon to deal with various threats to the town she lives in and to her nation. Statements by Princess Luna following the Battle of Brockton Bay indicate that Twilight Sparkle's physical transformation in gaining wings automatically promotes her to the uppermost political and social tier in her society.
Miss Sparkle is highly intelligent and knowledgeable in a number of academic and scientific fields. She seems friendly, but somewhat naïve. It is uncertain how much of this naivety is inherent and how much is a product of being in a truly alien culture. She is somewhat obsessive-compulsive, being driven to plan everything out in detail with a checklist for every eventuality, and has a tendency to panic when things don't go according to the plans. On the other hand, she has proven herself adept at dealing with emergencies when she doesn't have time to panic.
Miss Sparkle has demonstrated a high reluctance to use lethal force and is emotionally distressed by the prospect of lethal force being used by anyone towards anyone. However, she is fiercely protective of others, especially those she views as personal friends.
As an additional note for interaction, Twilight Sparkle's species is herbivorous. She does not eat meat, and her diet does include long grasses and flowers. Eating meat in her presence may make her uncomfortable. Fruits, vegetables, breads, and pastries suitable for human consumption seem to be suitable for her as well.
Power Classifications and Ratings: Twilight Sparkle is difficult to quantify in terms of the standard PRT rating scales and classifications. All indications are that she is a genuinely alien being and that the manner in which her abilities function is unusual even by the standards of parahumans. At least some of these abilities lack Manton Effect limitations. Many of her abilities are learned skills, with each skill being equivalent to a parahuman ability in its own right. Unlike most parahumans, there is no theme linking these powers other than the fact that Twilight found them to be sufficiently interesting or useful at some point and made them the subject of her studies.
The information below is partially speculative and is believed to be incomplete as Twilight Sparkle has shown a tendency to demonstrate a new ability or greater scope of a previously known ability when she has need to do so. The categories shown should be taken as minimum rankings with the possibility of higher levels yet unrevealed. Additionally, it might be prudent to assume a potential ranking of at least 2 in any category not covered in the list below.
Strategies: Due to diplomatic concerns, Twilight Sparkle is not to be engaged except under the direst conditions of necessity. If interactions become heated, it is recommended that she not be pressured and that members of the Wards who have grown close to her be asked to defuse the situation.
In social situations, Twilight Sparkle may give the impression of being naïve. As noted above, it is unclear how much of this is an artifact of culture or translation. In light of her demonstrated intelligence and other abilities, it is recommended that personnel not attempt to take advantage of this apparent naivety. Establishing long-term good will with herself and her government is of vital importance.
If a worst-case scenario does emerge. Containment methods are likely to be ineffective and Twilight Sparkle is assumed to be able evade or form a defense against any attack she can see coming. Thinker abilities and the possibility of time travel potentially enlarge the scope of her threat perception considerably. She has demonstrated the ability to analyze and counteract parahuman abilities. Use of drugs or poisons is not recommended due to unknown effects of an alien biology. She can be rendered unconscious with physical blows, though they must overcome her Brute rating. The strategy with the highest likelihood of success is an ambush of overwhelming power launched using conventional surprise or Stranger abilities to achieve surprise. If the initial strike fails, evacuate.
Again, hostile actions against Twilight Sparkle are to be avoided if at all possible.
Note that this represents a report hastily updated by PRT Thinkers and analysts in the period between the Endbringer fight and the trip to New York. They are working from incomplete information and are viewing everything through certain cultural assumptions. As such, at least some of the gaps, errors, and inconsistencies in this document are deliberate on my part.
Twilight Sparkle: PRT Executive Summary
Description: Twilight Sparkle has the appearance of a four-foot tall, purple, vaguely horse-like quadruped with wings and a single spiral horn. Mane and tail are of a darker shade than her coat and have stripes of darker and lighter shades. A symbol of a pink star with surrounding small white stars is displayed on each flank. A purple glow around her horn is observed in conjunction with the use of most of her abilities. She uses telekinesis regularly to manipulate objects or otherwise interact with her surroundings.
History: Twilight Sparkle is, according to her own statements and the best evidence available, a native of another world. The first reported sighting of Twilight Sparkle was made on the evening of April 11, 2011 by Armsmaster who was responding to a disturbance in the docks area of Brockton Bay. Twilight Sparkle had become involved in an altercation with the Parahuman villain known as Lung, the mercenary known as Skitter, and the Undersiders (See document Sparkle-0001). In her conversation with Armsmaster that night and all subsequent discussions with protectorate or PRT personnel she has proven to be both friendly and cooperative.
Since that meeting, and upon reasonable confirmation of her origins, she has been in contact with the State Department and various representatives of foreign governments facilitated by their U.N. Ambassadors. She has claimed to have no official standing in her government on which to negotiate, but it has been deemed appropriate for the time being to extend diplomatic curtesy do to her unique situation. (See document Sparkle-1037)
During her time in Brockton Bay she has been Involved in several incidents, including but not limited to: the foiling of a bank robbery by the parahuman gang the Undersiders (See Document Sparkle-2043), The operation to track down and eliminate the leaders of behind the parahuman gang the ABB including the aforementioned Lung and the Tinker Bakuda (See documents Sparkle-2083,2084,2085), and personally defeating two members of the Slaughterhouse 9 (See documents Sparkle-3031,3047,3054).
In addition to her confrontations with various parahuman elements, in the weeks before the Battle of Brockton Bay she was heavily involved in a reconstruction and revitalization effort focused on the port area of Brockton Bay and showed a remarkable skill in coordinating with various business and government interests in service to that goal (See Documents Sparkle-2067-2085).
On May 15, 2011 Brockton Bay was hit by the Endbringer Leviathan and the Endbringer Simurgh. Twilight Sparkle exhibited a wide range of previously unknown abilities in the course of the attack ranging from intelligence gathering, shielding, power dampening, teleportation, time travel, and various other Blaster, Shaker, and possibly Master powers to varying degrees of effectiveness. Of particular note, it has been determined that she was instrumental in the attack that appears to have eliminated the Simurgh (For a detailed report on the Battle of Brockton Bay, participants, and powers utilized by Twilight Sparkle, see Documents Sparkle-4047-5065, and the Executive Summary of the May 15th Endbringer attack report BB051511-0001).
Profile: For in-depth professional psychological evaluation, see PRT psychological casefile Yamada-Sparkle.
Twilight Sparkle holds some sort of high position in her native society. While parahuman abilities are apparently common to the point of being universal for her species, her own capabilities are exceptional even by their standards. The rulers of her nation are viewed as close friends and mentors, and she has been called upon to deal with various threats to the town she lives in and to her nation. Statements by Princess Luna following the Battle of Brockton Bay indicate that Twilight Sparkle's physical transformation in gaining wings automatically promotes her to the uppermost political and social tier in her society.
Miss Sparkle is highly intelligent and knowledgeable in a number of academic and scientific fields. She seems friendly, but somewhat naïve. It is uncertain how much of this naivety is inherent and how much is a product of being in a truly alien culture. She is somewhat obsessive-compulsive, being driven to plan everything out in detail with a checklist for every eventuality, and has a tendency to panic when things don't go according to the plans. On the other hand, she has proven herself adept at dealing with emergencies when she doesn't have time to panic.
Miss Sparkle has demonstrated a high reluctance to use lethal force and is emotionally distressed by the prospect of lethal force being used by anyone towards anyone. However, she is fiercely protective of others, especially those she views as personal friends.
As an additional note for interaction, Twilight Sparkle's species is herbivorous. She does not eat meat, and her diet does include long grasses and flowers. Eating meat in her presence may make her uncomfortable. Fruits, vegetables, breads, and pastries suitable for human consumption seem to be suitable for her as well.
Power Classifications and Ratings: Twilight Sparkle is difficult to quantify in terms of the standard PRT rating scales and classifications. All indications are that she is a genuinely alien being and that the manner in which her abilities function is unusual even by the standards of parahumans. At least some of these abilities lack Manton Effect limitations. Many of her abilities are learned skills, with each skill being equivalent to a parahuman ability in its own right. Unlike most parahumans, there is no theme linking these powers other than the fact that Twilight found them to be sufficiently interesting or useful at some point and made them the subject of her studies.
The information below is partially speculative and is believed to be incomplete as Twilight Sparkle has shown a tendency to demonstrate a new ability or greater scope of a previously known ability when she has need to do so. The categories shown should be taken as minimum rankings with the possibility of higher levels yet unrevealed. Additionally, it might be prudent to assume a potential ranking of at least 2 in any category not covered in the list below.
- Trump 7 - Twilight Sparkle has spent her life studying parahuman abilities in the form of "magic" which is apparently a well-developed and thoroughly-documented science in her homeland. Over those years she has learned a number of "spells" and has stated an ability to learn new ones quickly. Her ability to learn new abilities is currently curtailed by the lack of relevant research material, but she has also shown facility in affecting the parahuman abilities of others. In particular, she greatly curtailed Leviathan's hydrokinesis during the initial stages of the Brocton Bay attack. If she were to have access to a "spell library" of the sort found in her world, an adjustment of +2 or more would be applied to this rating.
- Blaster 10 – Twilight Sparkle does not have a single Blaster power. She has a number of separate Blaster abilities with different effects. Of particular note are her ability to lift several tons telekinetically, a concussive force blast that can shatter stone and may also be telekinetic in nature, and the ability to transmute materials into other elements or forms of mater. The transmutation effect has no Manton limit as was demonstrated by turning sections of Crawler into water. However, the rating of 10 (possibly higher) is primarily for the "Rainbow Strike". Currently, we have no idea what this is, other than it has a charging time of several seconds, several people in attendance felt they were contributing to it in some fashion, it finished off the Simurgh, and it turned the ruins of Brocton Bay into lush grasslands.
- Mover 8 – Twilight Sparkle has shown the ability to not only teleport across city blocks but to perform a rapid series of teleports. She recently gained wings usable for flight, and an ability to walk on clouds as if they were solid objects. Reconstruction of events during the Battle of Brockton Bay indicates that Twilight Sparkle jumped several seconds backwards in time on two separate occasions during the battle in order to protect herself and her companions from Endbringer attacks. Interviews indicate that this time-travel ability has severe limitations related to avoiding paradox.
- Shaker 7 – As with the Blaster category, Twilight Sparkle has a number of separate abilities that fall under this classification. She has demonstrated her ability to use telekinesis over a large area in the form of force fields capable of temporarily resisting Endbringers and in lifting the upper floors off a building and floating it intact through the air as a form of group transport. She has demonstrated the ability to teleport other people against their will. She can perform permanent transmutation of materials, though the scale tends to be smaller than that for her Blaster-effect temporary transmutations. Her initial encounter with the Slaughterhouse 9 left altered weather patterns and a disturbing emotional aura in the area for a few days. She can modify the effect of gravity in an area, or on a specific object. Crawler is currently on his way out of the solar system due to a permanent effect created by this ability. Her recent transformation has given her the ability to shape and manipulate clouds, apparently as the initial stage of greater weather manipulation yet to be learned. Finally, there is the wide scale re-landscaping of Brockton Bay as an apparent side effect of the attack that eliminated the Simurgh.
- Thinker 5 - Twilight Sparkle can easily perceive the energies utilized by parahuman powers and observe how they work. Observing in detail tends to produce a trance-like state and a power-glow in her eyes. She can also perceive the social and emotional connections between people, gaining insight into their motivations. This requires deep concentration on her part, but has proven to be effective on the Endbringers. She is also highly intelligent with a great capacity for analysis, organization, and multi-tasking.
- Tinker 3 – Twilight can store recorded visual illusions in crystals and has indicated the ability to store other "spells" to be triggered later in a similar fashion. This is technology in the sense that it creates tools others could use, though it is even more alien in nature than most Tinker products.
- Brute 3 – Twilight Sparkle's recent transformation supposedly includes the inherent strength and endurance of a subset of her species known for those qualities. She has been observed to still be functional with several injuries that should have been debilitating.
- Master 5 – Unlike the categories above, this rating may be overstating Twilight Sparkle's capabilities, but is included here for safety. In her time on Earth Bet, Twilight has assembled a number of followers and allies. At least one of these was suffering from severe mental illness until Twilight performed a "cure" that seemingly rewrote the subject's personality. At least some of her abilities seem to have some sort of emotional effect, either intentionally or as a byproduct. It may be that Twilight Sparkle is simply charismatic. Her social position in her homeland makes it likely that she is trained and experienced in leadership and persuasion. But caution proportional to this rating is recommended in face-to-face dealings in case it goes beyond that.
- Stranger 3 – Twilight Sparkle has demonstrated the ability to create a realistic-looking prerecorded hologram/illusion of herself. During the Battle of Brockton Bay, Twilight Sparkle somehow interfered with the Simurgh's ability to perceive Twilight and her actions. Additionally, see the Master category for potential mental influence abilities.
Strategies: Due to diplomatic concerns, Twilight Sparkle is not to be engaged except under the direst conditions of necessity. If interactions become heated, it is recommended that she not be pressured and that members of the Wards who have grown close to her be asked to defuse the situation.
In social situations, Twilight Sparkle may give the impression of being naïve. As noted above, it is unclear how much of this is an artifact of culture or translation. In light of her demonstrated intelligence and other abilities, it is recommended that personnel not attempt to take advantage of this apparent naivety. Establishing long-term good will with herself and her government is of vital importance.
If a worst-case scenario does emerge. Containment methods are likely to be ineffective and Twilight Sparkle is assumed to be able evade or form a defense against any attack she can see coming. Thinker abilities and the possibility of time travel potentially enlarge the scope of her threat perception considerably. She has demonstrated the ability to analyze and counteract parahuman abilities. Use of drugs or poisons is not recommended due to unknown effects of an alien biology. She can be rendered unconscious with physical blows, though they must overcome her Brute rating. The strategy with the highest likelihood of success is an ambush of overwhelming power launched using conventional surprise or Stranger abilities to achieve surprise. If the initial strike fails, evacuate.
Again, hostile actions against Twilight Sparkle are to be avoided if at all possible.