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Post by Red Charge on Nov 24, 2012 7:17:17 GMT -5
Fillydelphia was once a beautiful, sprawling city. One of the places where security did not need to be seen to be felt. Fillydelphia housed a military outpost at its edge, due to its closeness to the border with the Diamond Dog territories. But all the soldiers it had were not enough to stop the tide of raging canines. In an organized attack, the Diamond Dog horde had taken Fillydelphia and the once safe streets now had to be navigated with care.
Any pony caught outside would have unspeakable things done to them by Diamond Dogs at best, or eaten at worst. A particular Diamond Dog group, led by a female Diamond Dog known as Swift dominated the streets. Swift wasn't a high ranking officer, or an officer at all. Just a grunt with a big reputation, and a large group of friends. They would do whatever they pleased, oftentimes just randomly strolling into pony residences, which would always have to be cleared out in the morning, each becoming empty after a visit from them.
On this particular night a pony was tiptoeing across the street hurriedly, he was merely trying to get some food to eat, he had not dared go out and fetch any in a while and he was running out. Now seemed like a good opprotunity to do so, as the streets were vacant from Diamond Dog invaders and it seemed as safe as it could be.
Alas not a few blocks down, the pony could see Swift's cadre of hungry and malicious Diamond Dogs roaming the street - in his direction. He quickly ducked into a nearby house, closing the door gently after him so as to not be heard, and locking it securely.
It took him several moments until he had noticed he was not alone in the room and that another pony was there as well.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 14:49:26 GMT -5
It was a quiet night inside the orphanage, or at least now it was. Earlier the place was bouncing with energetic foals who all claimed they weren't tired and refused to go to bed. It took longer than she expected, but Esmerie, one of the caretakers, used her nurturing skills to round up all the colts and fillies to their beds and tell them a story (or two...or three...) until each and every one of them had fallen asleep. She then tiptoed quietly downstairs so as not to wake anypony to clean up mess her little "rascals," the name she genuinely calls the orphans, had made. But once Esmerie had made it downstairs, she thought she heard the soft clip-clop of somepony's hooves...as she stood motionless. "Who's there?" she whispered.
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 24, 2012 14:59:29 GMT -5
The pony jumped slightly at the sound of the voice, "Ssh!" He said quickly raising a hoof to his own lips to signal silence. "They're outside." He mouthed at the female pony now approaching him. His coat was bright beige in color, he was a pegasus with a short mane hanging to the left side, oak in color. His cutie mark was a wooden ocarina.
He quickly stepped inside next to the female pony, "I'm Woodsinger, there's diamond dogs outside, let's go in before they hear us..." He whispered in her ear urgently, looking nervously back at the door.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 15:15:50 GMT -5
"Oh..." she whispered back to him and gently closed the door. "Oh those diamond dogs...I would hate for those MUTTS to come even close to my foals!" She took a deep breath to hold in any more anger she had, and then let it out, feeling calm once more, then faced the young pegasus.
"But are you all right...Woodsinger, is it?" she asked him, gently brushing his coat with her hoof. "Did they hurt you? Is there anything I can do for you?"
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 24, 2012 15:18:37 GMT -5
"I'm alright, I ducked in here before they saw me." Woodsinger said, going further inside to keep out of the dogs' hearing. "Just wanted to get some food, I'm running out, impossible to move around when they're out. He sighed, "I saw them eat a couple of ponies," He shuddered, "Can't wait until the resistance gets those ruffians out."
"Thank you for letting me stay here for now." Woodsinger said with a grin, "Good to see a friendly face. Haven't seen any in a while. Do you have any food you can spare?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 15:45:49 GMT -5
"But of course," she replied, smiling. "Follow me into the kitchen and we'll see what we can find." She walked into the kitchen, offering Woodsinger a seat at the table and opened the icebox.
"I hope you're all right with apples and carrots, because that's all we have for now." Esmerie placed a few on a dish and handed it to him.
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 24, 2012 15:53:41 GMT -5
"Yeah that should be fine, but I hope I'm not taking any food away from your foals." He said, eating hungrily. "You're a delight, I thought I was dead for sure but instead I get fed." The stallion said. "Just don't ever let them in here, if they find the foals, I don't want to think what they might do to them. One of the other houses I was hiding in had a half eaten mare in it. There was a diamond dog just lying on a bed next to her, sleeping despite all of the blood. I thought I might try and kill him... but I couldn't bring myself to do it..."
He lowered his gaze for a moment, "But no, sorry for troubling you with these stories. You're great. If you need any help around here, I'll be happy to help, really. I just don't want to go out there again..."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 16:20:33 GMT -5
"Well...I can't lie...this place is in need of more help around here. Thanks to the diamond dogs, I find plenty of orphaned foals in the streets seeking for help, that is, if the dogs haven't found them first, and it's nearly impossible to take in so many when there's so little who can help." She sighs and lowers her head. "I do all I can of course, but not every pony realizes how big of a job it is to care for foals, especially so many." She looks at the stallion with hope in her eyes. "If you'd be willing Woodsinger, your help here would be greatly appreciated."
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 24, 2012 16:29:26 GMT -5
"Sure, I guess, I don't have much of a home now anyway, not gonna try and go back there now too... Just not too sure I'd be good with foals, don't have any of my own and never really interacted with any." Woodsinger explained, scratching his head.
"Guess I can't really use that as an excuse though, I'll try my best..." He closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, even here wasn't safe though... The Dogs will come here eventually. It's been forever since he could really sleep. Always sleeping with one eye open, getting startled by every noise. He just wanted out of the city.
"I'll help as much as I can."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 16:55:53 GMT -5
"Thank you so much, and don't worry. I'll teach you everything you need to know." Esmerie chuckles lightly. "If it helps, I won't have you start off with changing diapers for a while."
With one hoof, she lifted his chin up high and looked straight into his eyes, smiling sweetly. "I have confidence in you, and I know you'll do great." Esmerie can see the circles under his eyes and puts her hoof down. "You look tired. Once you've finished, I'll have the guest room ready for you."
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 25, 2012 1:01:10 GMT -5
"Thanks, it just gets so hard to sleep nowadays. You really shouldn't bother at my expense." Woodsinger said apoligetically. He was appreciative of the hospitality, but he figured this mare had other things to worry about and didn't want to burden her with his own problems. "To be honest, I'd rather just get out of town. Maybe we could get your foals out of here, maybe to Hoofington or Manehattan?" He suggested.
"I don't really know what's been going on outside, but I know Ponyville was destroyed by a dragon and drakes. But we can get to Manehattan or Hoofington as long as we keep away from dog patrols..." He offered, almost desperately. He just wanted out of Fillydelphia, just wanted to be able to sleep properly again.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2012 15:58:04 GMT -5
"Get out of Fillydelphia?" Esmerie responded, almost in shock. She hung her head low to think. To be honest, she hadn't been getting much sleep either. She kept herself awake every night to be sure the diamond dogs didn't break in and hurt her orphans...or worse...Of course she never said anything to the foals. She didn't want to burden them with the fear of the diamond dogs outside. Suppose moving them all somewhere like Hoofington or Manehattan would be better? How would the young foals take the move?
"Do you really think that Hoofington or Manehattan is safer?" she asked Woodsinger, with some hope in her voice.
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 28, 2012 16:02:10 GMT -5
"Has to be doesn't it? I heard the dogs talking... mages in Hoofington... Rainlock in control of Manehattan... But we need to get the foals out of here without being noticed. I have no idea how to do this. So many of them at once, they're bound to catch on, they'll get us... Ugh I can't think straight." Woodsinger groaned, as he did, they heard a noise from outside. Apparently another pony was caught in the clutches of Swift's gang, he was neighing in protest and terror against them. Drawing further away with each moment, probably being dragged to someplace for some horrible reason or another.
"Let's just keep them safe for now... if we can think of a way to move them, all for the best..."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2012 16:31:41 GMT -5
"I'm sure there's some way Woodsinger," she assured him.
"Esmerie?" a tiny voice whimpered. A young unicorn filly trotted towards her caretaker and held onto her leg tightly for protection. "I heard growling outside. Are the diamond dogs out there?" Esmerie's heart stopped for a moment. Those blasted dogs...even if they weren't near her foals, their presence alone still threatened and terrified them.
"It's okay young one," she assured the young filly, gently stroking her mane with her other hoof. "The dogs won't get you, I promise. I'm here to protect you." The filly smiled at her caretaker, but she still looked terrified. "Would it help if I told you a story to help you sleep?" Esmerie asked.
"I don't know," the filly whimpered still, wiping her eyes. "Can't I just stay with you and your friend, Esmerie?"
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Post by Red Charge on Nov 28, 2012 16:35:17 GMT -5
"I don't mind... what's your name dear?" Woodsinger asked, stretching his tired limbs, thinking he should probably hit the hay soon, well at least as much as he could with one eye open. "You're a pretty little filly, you know that? Stay here with uncle Woodsinger and we won't let those Diamond Dog's dirty paws anywhere near you!" He mimiced pawing with his hooves, which looked comically ridiculous.
It ws hard to keep his spirits high in this situation. Such a poor little filly, neither he nor Esmerie really had the power to stop the Diamond Dogs if they did got in. He couldn't imagine what those monsters would do finding so many young ones. They would be turned to snacks at best... become slaves at worst and those canines were capable of worse than that even. Woodsinger shuddered slightly at the thought, and grinned back at the little filly instead.
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