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Post by Red Charge on Feb 10, 2012 5:27:12 GMT -5
"That's not true Shroudy." Ranger said heatedly, "The army is rough, it's monotone, it's hard. You won't make it without friends. And even when you do get to the army, having friends is never a bad things. It gives you someone to fight for, someone to count on, and someone you know will have your back." Ranger said, "I may not be a real soldier, but I worked with real soldiers, and I agree full heartedly with what they say in this matter."
"Just keep your head open, is all I ask." Ranger pleaded, leading the pony towards breakfast, a nice reservation at one of the nicer breakfast places in Ponyville. As they sat across from each other, a cute and cheery teen waitress approached, asking them for their order, acknowledging Ranger as a frequent customer.
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Post by StormShroud on Feb 10, 2012 6:17:34 GMT -5
Storm Shroud drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes as he slid into the seat across from Ranger, resting his head on the table with a relatively glum expression. "..Spinnach Salad. Side of daisies and apple slices." Storm Shroud replied to the waitress when she had inquired about what they wanted to eat.
After another moment, Storm Shroud picked up his head with a deep sigh.
"Alright, you win." He lifed his hooves briefly in defeat, "I've been down this road before, and I know how it's going to end. But you win. At least I know what's coming." He replied, allowing his expression to loosen up a bit as he sucked his feelings down into a teeny tiny jar deep down in the pit of his stomach. At least, the feelings that made him remember how horrible this ended the last time.
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Post by Red Charge on Feb 10, 2012 6:50:53 GMT -5
Ranger smiled at him behind his mask and got out of his chair, he walked over to Shroudy and gave him a strong hoofed hug. "You need a hug." He mentioned as he did so. "Do you want to tell me what happened last time, so I can assure you it's not going to happen with me?" He asked, letting go of Shroudy and going back to his seat.
Poor pony, of course, Ranger had some inkling what he was talking about. He worked with a pony who ended up moving on to the military. Even caught the eye of a unicorn general. Problem was the two of them were found out as traitors in the end, and were now rotting in the dungeons. Of course Ranger wouldn't have imagined it, but it still happened, and it still hurt on some level. Even though he didn't know that pony very well.
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Post by StormShroud on Feb 16, 2012 23:39:08 GMT -5
"I don't need a hug." Storm Shroud stated in a flat tone, closing his eyes, sliding forward to rest his chin on his hoof, on the table.
Of course, too little too late, Ranger was hugging Shroud. The cobalt pony's eyes popped open, eye twitching somewhat as he stared down at the table... Awkward. far too awkward.
.....
"Fine." Storm Shroud stated, drawing in a deep breath.. Placing his hooves on the table, he stood, and spreading his wings before drooping them at his sides as he exhaled sharply, "I worked with a small military branch back in Cloudsdale. There was a wonderful Pegasus Pony which led us, and I fell in love with him." Shroud emphasized, staring directly at Ranger, "He didn't return the same sentiments, and due to the circumstances involved, I was not only forced to drop out of the branch, I tore apart his entire family. Then I worked with the Weather Factory to bring in storms and all those oh-so-foggy days the rural areas like so much."
Sinking back down into his seat, it was about this time that Storm Shroud's food came, and was placed in front of him, where he dug into the spinnach salad gladly.
"That was the first time."
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Post by Red Charge on Feb 17, 2012 4:19:05 GMT -5
"The first time?" Ranger asked, "Does that mean it happened again?" Ranger asked, suddenly frowning. A realization slowly dawning upon him. He was already blindsided by Fluttershy, he wasn't about to receive yet another surprise was he? A part of him was begging to run away, but the masked stallion found another part that seemed to survey Storm Shroud very critically now, as though appraising him. Sure, Storm Shroud was not a bad looking stallion at all, though he did not know how well they got along, or much about his personality except the freak-out the day before. Ranger never thought about the possibility of any relationship before, and what he had with Fluttershy was yet to be addressed too.
Should Shroudy confirm his fears, would the woods pony choose Flutterrshy, a long time friend and a kind soul? Or perhaps he would choose Storm Shroud, who he knew so little about and wanted nothing more than to turn into an exemplary protector of Equestria. As he wondered why he was even thinking about this all of the sudden he was snapped back into reality. "Was there a second time?" He finally asked again.
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Post by StormShroud on Feb 17, 2012 17:09:52 GMT -5
"The first time was love," Storm Shroud replied, pausing to gobble down a few apple slices from his plate, "And after that, I started to lose friends and family. The military takes away any relationships I can possibly have, and so the only logical solution is not to have any." He nodded, sliding his glass toward himself to drink from it.
"I don't think Willow will ever forgive me.."
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Post by Red Charge on Feb 17, 2012 17:54:26 GMT -5
The name rang a bell in Ranger's head, of a pony living in Whitetail Woods. He didn't know her very well so he decided to save his comments. "Well, I'm a Ponyville pony, the only thing that can make you lose a friend in Ponyville is Discord, and by the palace was that an annoying period of time." Ranger remembered full well how humiliating it was chasing his cloak and his mask, which had run amok around the village, all the while he was covered in what appeared to be mime make up. No, Ranger was not a fan of Discord.
"And if this Willow is your friend, she'll forgive you, because that's what friends do. They forgive, they support and they listen." Ranger concluded, "And you can count on me to do any of those whenever you need me to. Alright Shroudy?" The back of his mind began processing information at high speed. Maybe he could fake an 'assignment' to the woods and drop Shroudy by Willows so they could talk? Perhaps when he knew more of the situation. He had not enough information to know why Willow wouldn't forgive him. Best not to do anything yet.
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Post by StormShroud on Feb 17, 2012 18:51:00 GMT -5
"Yeah," Storm Shroud replied in a flat tone, "Whatever you say. Like I said, I don't plan on making anymore relationships to be ruined."
Well, Storm Shroud had entertained Ranger long enough, he thought. Ranger knew more of Shroud's life history than the cobalt stallion had intended for him to learn, and in that, he didn't intend for Ranger to learn much more.
Storm Shroud pushed his empty plate and glass away, looking to Ranger after standing up from his seat.
"Well. Food's gone - What's next?"
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Post by Red Charge on Feb 29, 2012 19:17:02 GMT -5
"We pay the bill." Ranger said, throwing a couple of bits on the table and getting up to stretch his limbs gingerly. "Alright, now we're going to go do something extremely fun!" The hooded pony beamed beneath his mask, "We're going to help out around the village! Volunteer work, means fixing, carrying, painting, counting, and whatever else needs be done around town! Yup, no better way to get acquainted with the ponies of Ponyville than by helping them!" He declared with a certain held-back tone that showed he was much too excited about the prospect of doing another pony's work.
At that he began leading Shroudy from one part of town to another, helping ponies with some of the harsher tasks of the day. From unloading merchandise and shelving it, to bucking apples at Sweet Apple Acres, and even send Shroudy to help out with the weather patrol while he was painting a newly renovated house. The last spot was the school, where Ranger was greeted with a very enthusiastic response from the little foals. Asking him to tell them stories of his adventures. This, more than all was the most laid back volunteer work. All of the foals were enchanted as Ranger told them tales from the Everfree Forest.
"And what about you mister?" One of the foals asked as Ranger finished his tale of how he was narrowly caught raiding the hoard of a green dragon. "What kind of adventures did you have?"
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Post by StormShroud on Mar 14, 2012 21:24:53 GMT -5
Pursing his lips, Storm Shroud's brow furrowed and his ears folded back a bit. It wasn't a look of particular disgust, but more a look of distaste. He didn't dislike the idea of helping out around the town, he just... by now, he had the feeling there was more motive behind what Ranger was saying.
In any case, Shroud gladly tagged along and helped with any task needed. While he didn't necessarily wear a smile the whole time, he performed each task without fail, hesitation, or problems. Heck, he was even caught smiling once in a while despite being caught in his mental funk.
While Ranger spun his tales of dangerous adventure and intrigue, Storm Shroud lay just nearby on the grass, quiet, and out of the way. He was happy to let the masked pony take the spotlight, as it meant he could rest his sore limbs and maybe catch a bit of rest.
Wishful thinking, as soon one foal called upon Shroud, which had the stallion's head perked and eyes blinking at the young one.
"Uh.." Shroud scrunched up a brow, glancing left and then right as if to check and see if it was actually him that was being spoken to, "Not much happens in the sky. At least, not as much as what happens down here." Storm Shroud offered, a small half-fib. Plenty happened in the sky, but nothing that usually pertained to him.
"It's better that way, though," Shroud continued as he crossed his hooves and flipped his tail back and forth, "When your duty is to protect others, you hope you don't have to fight. A quiet day is the best kind of day because it means neither you or the ponies you're protecting are in danger. Besides, my stories are boring compared to his." Shroud finished, lifting a brow in Ranger's direction.
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Post by Red Charge on Mar 14, 2012 22:09:00 GMT -5
"Aw, you're boring mister! Boo!" The foal called out, and was quickly followed by the others.
"Come on guys." Ranger said, "Don't do that, it's not nice." Ranger scolded, to which the foals responded with a chorus of pleas and complaints about wanting more stories. Ranger looked at them for a moment, before saying, "You've had enough stories for today. I don't have time to get new ones!" The rest of their time with the foals passed with more action, the foals demanding that Ranger and Shroudy play hoof-ball with them. Bouncing the ball on their heads and kicking the ball towards each other and trying to score against Ranger and Shroudy, who were by themselves a team.
After being beaten, the foals decided to split in two groups, one with Ranger at the lead and one with Shroudy. And the games went on for a while. When it was all finally said and done, Ranger felt a bit overworked, and the orange tint of the afternoon had already begun to spread throughout the blue sky.
"See? Fun day, isn't it?" He asked his compatriot with a wink. "Now you got to know everyone in Ponyville, so you'll remember who's from around here and who isn't. Helps catch troublemakers when they come by."
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Post by StormShroud on Mar 17, 2012 7:21:43 GMT -5
"Agreed. It's not them I'm worried about forming contact with, however, so today wasn't exactly problematic." Shroud replied, hovering along beside Ranger as they went along so he could stretch his sore limbs. After a day of heavy lifting and walking, topped off by a game of hoof-ball, he was starting to feel the stress of it in his body. Strangely enough, his mind was otherwise less stressed than when he started out this morning.
Eyes trailing up to the orange hue of the setting sun-filled sky, Storm Shroud sighed softly and thought back on the conversation they'd had earlier. Unpleasant as it was, it had the gears in his head turning in contemplation. His lips pursed, and after another moment, Storm Shroud glanced over and down at Ranger.
"You know the White-Tail forest as well as you know the Everfree forest, do you not?" He asked in neutral, calm tone.
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Post by Red Charge on Mar 20, 2012 8:21:12 GMT -5
"Mostly, yes," The hooded pony replied, "Not so much the Canterlot side of it, the part closer to Ponyville more. I still know my way around though. If you want I can show you around there tomorrow." He walked as slowly and lazily as possible. He was used to volunteering around the village. That and plant hunting is pretty much all he used to do here back before the monsters started getting riled.
He wondered about his friends, who've suddenly been absent from Ponyville. He had to admit he missed them. But it was more than likely that they moved on to safer cities like Canterlot or Cloudsdale. He probably wasn't good enough to inspire a sense of safety in them. Despite these thoughts, his mood was still uplifted. They may have left, but so many others have stayed. He just hoped this crisis would be over soon so he could go back to just being the town helper.
He looked at the sky fondly, the warm colors of the sunset reflected in his eyes. He could only hope Shroudy was having fun so far. But even if he hasn't, there was still one last part of the day they were supposed to go through.
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Post by StormShroud on Mar 28, 2012 1:12:10 GMT -5
"Actually, I'd like to go there tonight, if that's okay." Storm Shroud replied, glancing over at Ranger as he hovered beside the masked pony, "Today had me thinking, and I think there's someone I need to see." He added, then, ears folding back somewhat as he turned his gaze back toward the sunset.
"Assuming the person I know is still there, of course. They lived by a pond connected to a small stream, surrounded with reeds, with a large willow tree overlooking it all the last time I saw them." He explained, glancing back to Ranger to see if this description registered in his head at all.
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Post by Red Charge on Mar 30, 2012 1:19:53 GMT -5
"Tonight? I don't know, I'd rather not go out to the woods at night. Even Whitetail's not safe at night... But if it's important to you, I guess we could. Not before we go to the Cantering Carnival, I got us two tickets. Figured it would be the best way to unwind. After a day of working." He pulled out two colorful tickets from his satchel and showed them to Shroudy.
"It's a really fun carnival..." He mumbled as he replaced them, should be right outside of Canterlot actually, so if you want we can stick around there until late and then go see your friend."
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