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Post by Lucky Charm on Oct 23, 2014 17:11:51 GMT -5
Lucky had begun to worry about just how much power the Trotonic Order had. He thought he knew all the best ways to get around Equestria - he'd been doing it for eight years, after all - but they had managed to smuggle two pegasi and a griffon not only past the borders but through the wilderness quickly and safely. He didn't see many actual members, but the fact that they got by with apparent ease made him, well, uneasy.
On the bright side, his injuries had healed well along the way. His scalp was almost fully closed up and his cheek and jaw didn't hurt at all anymore, even when he opened wide. He was starting to worry he'd have a scar for a long time, though. At least it's a good one, he thought, from a memorable occasion. If it does stick it will make for a great souvenir.
These cheerful thoughts were driven right out of Lucky's head when they first saw Canterlot on the horizon. Having been there before, Lucky knew to expect gleaming spires, elegant architecture, a symbol of Equestria's standing. What he saw instead shocked him: A ruin on the mountainside, the towers crumbled and the castle brought low. It looked like the place had been hit by a meteor. How could this have happened?
They learned the truth as they got closer and met the refugees. Some kind of monster of legend - a Sky Titan - had devastated both the city and the invading fleet, but the populace had been moved to the caves inside the mountain, safe from the destruction. Well, mostly safe. Not dead. That was the important part. But now there was a lot to do - rebuilding the city, rescuing anypony still trapped, generally trying to get Canterlot back on its hooves.
Now, having been left on the outskirts of the city by their guide, Lucky looked at his freinds, who had agreed to come to Equestria with him despite that the pegasus had nothing to pay them with. Julius was probably hoping somepony here needed a mercenary. And probably right. Dusk... Optimistically, the same. But just as likey he was planning to steal from the wealthy elite of Canterlot. "Sounds to me like these ponies could use a helping hoof," he remarked. "Or talon. Bet they'd pay, too. You guys in?"
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Oct 24, 2014 17:36:02 GMT -5
Dusk was impressed with the ease that the Trotonic Order members guided them to Canterlot. He mused that he would most certainly be able to take advantage of being one of them. However, his thoughts drifted to their destination of Canterlot and how he was both looking forward to and dreading returning. It's been three years since he left the city and his family behind him. It'd be nice to return to the city of his birth, but he wasn't liking the possibility of running into his parents.
All of that left his head when he saw the city, or at least what was left. His heart sank as he saw the once beautiful city reduced to a pile of rubble. Shoal had told them that Canterlot was under attack, but he hadn't thought the situation was this bad. Wanting to find out what all happened, Dusk followed Lucky. Paying attention to everything around him, both to gather information and to not trip over some of the debris.
As he listened, he heard mention of the Sky Titan. He vaguely remembered reading about the Titans from one of the books in his parent's book store. "The Sky Titan did this? I always thought it was just a myth." Seeing the destruction caused by this legendary being caused Dusk to wonder about Manehattan and how it was faring.
Dusk soon remembered why he wanted to return to Canterlot in the first place. He had been intending to do one or two heists while here. But now it would be pointless, and far too easy for his liking. Though, Lucky's suggestion seemed like a good idea, as long as he didn't run into somepony that recognized him. "That's not a bad idea. And it's not like I had anything else to do, seeing how my plans have been shot down." It took him a moment to realize what he said. "That was a poor choice of words."
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Oct 24, 2014 18:07:42 GMT -5
Julius, having decided to join Lucky and Dusk on their journey to Canterlot, was impressed with the ease and speed at which the Order guided them. He spent most of his time with the group maintaining his various weapons and keeping an eye out for trouble.
Once they reached Canterlot, however, Julius was struck at the amount of devastation. He followed Lucky as he went around to talk to the refugees. At Lucky's suggestion he shrugged. "It's not as if I have anything better to do. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to see what we could find in this debris, either."
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Post by Lucky Charm on Nov 1, 2014 6:51:23 GMT -5
Lucky gave Dusk an amused smile that conveyed without a doubt that he'd known what Dusk's original plans were and had brought him along anyway. It did not go on to elaborate that Lucky had been planning to keep an eye on Dusk to limit his indiscretions for everypony's sake, because that didn't seem important now.
Moving on, the traveler looked around for a building or tent that looked suitably official. When this failed to produce results he asked a passing earth pony, who pointed him in the direction of a nearby garrison. "Alright," he said to his companions, "looks like we can find work there. I'm thinking we introduce ourselves as adventurers." He glanced at Dusk again. It went without saying that telling the military you were a thief would be counterproductive. "How does 'stealth and security specialist' sound to you?"
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Once they had ironed out the details Lucky lead them into the garrison, soon spotting a white pegasus mare with a pink-and-gold mane, a skirmisher's build and an official bearing that suggested she was the one to talk to. That, and there was nopony else in here. "Morning!" He said cheerfully, walking up to her. "My name's Lucky Charm, adventurer and storyteller, professional jack-of-trades."
He paused, gesturing to Julius and Dusk to introduce themselves before he went on. "My friends and I are just in to Canterlot, looking for a way to pitch in with reconstruction, rescue or- well, whatever we can, really. Somepony told me this is the place to go for a job?"
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Nov 4, 2014 17:23:47 GMT -5
Dusk noticed the amused expression Lucky shot him in response to his statement. He knew what Lucky meant by it. He had known, or at least suspected, what Dusk's plans were. "Oh don't give me that look." He commented with fake indignation. "You know what it is I do for a living."
When Lucky pointed out a garrison and suggested they look for work there, Dusk couldn't help but let out a small sigh. "Don't worry, I had no intention of letting anypony here know my real career. Personally, I was just gonna say I'm a lock smith returning to his home city, but your suggestion sounds much better. Though, I think I should cover my cutie mark, just to be safe." Having said that, he pulled out and put on the cloak the Trotonic Order had given him, making sure it covered his cutie mark.
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Inside the garrison, Dusk figured he would just let Lucky do most of the talking. Though, he would, at the very least, introduce himself. "I am Dusk Wing. Our little group's stealth and security specialist."
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Nov 5, 2014 18:09:49 GMT -5
Chuckling quietly at his companions' behavior, Julius followed them into the garrison. Choosing to follow Dusk's lead, he would let Lucky do most of the talking. He did, however, bow low to the white Pegasus mare and, as a last moment act of impulse, reach out to give her hoof a polite kiss, careful not to cut her with his beak. "Guten tag, fräulein. My name is Julius Softpaw. I am the, shall we say, heavy lifter and general weapons specialist of the group."
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Post by Javelin Razorwing on Nov 6, 2014 3:16:14 GMT -5
The new day had begun as it always did. The bright beautiful sun emerged over the horizon and gave light to the world. Javelin had thanked Celestia for bringing forth another day and Luna for keeping watch over Equestria while it slept. That day was to be another work day; Javelin was assigned to the north-east section of the city to help clear the streets of debris. Apparently that section had been hit hard by the wreckage of falling airships and would prove to be a more exotic work site. The day was young, but Celestia had determined it would be a long and sweltering day.
Some might have found the garrison duty boring, but Javelin met new ponies every day and listened to the stories they had to tell. One unicorn who had helped to power the shield that protected the city from the massive cannons of the renegade airship fleet had witnessed the entire battle and spoke in great detail of the horrifying sights she had seen. An Earth pony recounted his tales of dodging Diamond Dog patrols through the foothills of the mountains and the many harrowing close calls he and his group had experienced.
Three individuals approached Javelin as she double checked the map of the city. Two male Pegasus ponies and a male griffon. The first to speak to her was a cheery green Pegasus with plenty of little doodads on his brown jacket. He introduced himself as a storyteller, which piqued her interest. He was flanked by a a young purple Pegasus wearing a fedora. The purple one appeared to be a year or two younger than Javelin. He was Dusk Wing, a stealth and security expert. She would have to keep an eye on that one. Finally, a scarred (and very tall!), griffon approached her and bowed dramatically. He kissed her hoof softly with his beak somehow and left Javelin momentarily speechless. She glanced to the griffon's companions, clearly embarrassed that she didn't know how to respond to such a gesture.
"Um...hi?"Javelin took a moment to regain her bearing. She took a deep breath, and stood up straight. “Yes, we always need more able bodies to help with the cleanup crews. Javelin Razorwing. It is a pleasure to meet you all,” the young mare saluted the three as she introduced herself. “I was about to head out to the work site. You can come along if you like, chat with the mess sergeant later about getting some grub for your efforts.”
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Post by Lucky Charm on Nov 6, 2014 8:51:22 GMT -5
Lucky nodded enthusiastically. "Grub sounds good," he agreed. "We just got here off a long road. It'll be good to see some new faces. Lead the way." As they got going, Lucky looked around again at the remains of Canterlot. He'd done that maybe a hundred times already, but he couldn't get it out of his head. He'd been to Canterlot plenty of times before. Had friends here. All the beautiful architecture, the sweeping spires, the way it all shone in the sunlight... all gone. Just like that.
"I still can't believe it," he said aloud. "A sky titan demolishing an entire city... I know strange things have happened the last few years, but I honestly wasn't sure if the tales were just wild exaggerations until I came here. I'd heard the legends of the titans, but..." He shook his head. "There's gonna be a lot of rebuilding to do. Hope we can help out somehow."
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Nov 10, 2014 20:23:24 GMT -5
Dusk took note of the mare's reaction to Julius' gesture. It seemed like she hadn't a clue on how to react. When she shifted her gaze to both him and Lucky, Dusk merely shrugged. He didn't really get it either. Though, his focus shifted when she introduced herself. His eyes narrowed slightly when she said she was a Razorwing. He would have to be careful around her, and he guessed she already saw threw his ruse.
"I'm not particularly hungry at the moment." he stated with a pleasant tone to cover the fact that he wasn't overly thrilled with this turn of events. "I think I'll jump right in with the clean up, Javelin. Like you said, you'll need all the help you can get."
He trotted along side the others as Javelin showed them where to go. Examining the debris around them only caused Dusk to become more and more sullen, and he didn't even try to hide it. It was so surreal, returning to his home city only to find it demolished. "I can't believe it either, Lucky. This city used to be a sight to behold, and now..."
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Nov 12, 2014 18:25:19 GMT -5
Julius nonchalantly shrugged and followed the group through the remains of the city, glancing around at the debris. Julius had only ever been to Canterlot once, on a simple escort job for some minor royal pony or some such. "To see such devastation, it saddens the heart."
Julius was brought from his thoughts when Dusk spoke out. "I would have to agree with you, Dusk. I would much rather work than eat at the moment."
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Post by Javelin Razorwing on Nov 14, 2014 1:53:17 GMT -5
"Yeah, home sweet home," Javelin said dismissively. She had loved the city, its ageless marble buildings had served as an anchor in her life for so long that it was still difficult to accept that it was almost completely destroyed. No matter where she went, no matter how tough things got, she could always expect to eventually come back home to the towers of Canterlot. Now they were gone. Crushed by a magic greater than any they had ever held.
The four made their way through the streets towards the eastern quadrant. This area was pretty much devoid of life; cleanup had been completed first in areas near the castle, than spread out from there. Naturally the garrison tents would be set up in a clear area. The absence of other ponies was surreal considering how many had lived in Canterlot before the war.
Javelin heard the workers before she saw them. The thuds of rubble being dropped into wagons, the creaking of metal and splintering of wood as it was all hauled away. A few minutes later the work camp came into view. Dozens of ponies of all shapes, sizes, colors and races could be seen lending a hoof here, or pitching in there. Unicorns would use their magic to help balance slabs of stone as crews of Pegasi would move them. Earth ponies dragged wreckage away in wagons or shifted it on the ground with their legendary strength, ropes tied around their harnesses. Brooms, shovels, buckets and wheelbarrows were used extensively at that location. The main focus of the cleanup were the collapsed buildings and crashed airships that littered the neighborhood. A large white tent stood at the edge of the job site where the project manager oversaw the progress of the day. A first aid station was set up there as well as a watering tub. The availability of medical assistance and proper hydration were important for the work that was going on there.
"Well, here we are," Javelin announced to her companions. While Javelin glanced around the work site looking for a good place for her to assist, somepony caught her eye. She followed the mare with her eyes, and got a good look at her. A Pegasus mare with a grey coat, and grey and white mane and tail. The mare looked familiar, someone that Javelin had met before. Javelin moved towards her maintaining her gaze as she pondered on where she had seen that mare before. When she had gotten close enough, had caught a glimpse of the mare's cutie mark with its complex geometric shapes did a name from her memory return to her. Could it really be her? If that mare was who Javelin thought she was, then her name was Cloud Atlas. They had gone to the same academy together when they were both teenagers. Javelin would have liked to think that she and Cloud had been friends, or at least friendly, but the passage of time could change a pony's mind about all kinds of things. Still, it would be nice see a familiar face.
The only way to confirm her identity would be to talk to her, Javelin reasoned. "Cloud Atlas?" She called out the name as a question, hoping she had the right pony.
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Post by Cloud Atlas on Nov 15, 2014 8:58:12 GMT -5
Cloud landed and wiped her brow, her flight muscles aching from the consistent hard work. After the battle and razing of the city, most of the military and a good helping of civilians started on the cleanup effort. Since Cloud herself was a cadet, she was bunched with the others to fix the place up, and it was grueling. She stretched her wings a few times, wincing at the pain as she grabbed a quick drink and stood next to the tent to rest a moment. Physical strength wasn't her strong suit- her specialty was with tactics. She grumbled to herself, she should be helping to coordinate the effort; to devise the most efficient way of getting bits of the busted city from A to B, not doing the heavy lifting that her wings were ill-equipped for.
Nevertheless, Cloud had her orders and the captains knew what they were doing. It wasn't her place to question, not yet at least. Slowly pumping her wings again to ward off the pins and needles, she went to take off again and keep assisting when somepony called her name. Her ears swiveled before her head did, and she smiled to herself. The voice was unmistakable. "Javelin!" She did her best to keep the excitement out of her voice, but her grin betrayed how happy she was. Cloud walked over and gave her old classmate a quick hug. "Look who's out in the world, eh?" She bumped Javelin's shoulder playfully. "I sure haven't seen you in a few years, not since graduation. How have you been?"
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Post by Lucky Charm on Nov 21, 2014 1:23:45 GMT -5
Lucky looked around the construction site, nodding to himself. He could definitely find a use for himself here. It wasn't exactly skilled labor in most cases, but then he was a volunteer whose experience of construction boiled down to helping fix up Ponyville once or twice after it got wrecked. He winced at the thought of his old hometown, the memory of finding the wreckage still fresh on his mind. No, he thought, focus on the present.
Snapping back to his immediate surroundings, he found his guide calling out to a steel-grey pegasus mare with a cropped, windblown mane and tail. Judging from her reaction it seemed the two of them were old friends. He smiled and gave a jaunty wave with one wing before giving Javelin a questioning look, silently asking if she was going to introduce them to her friend.
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Dusk Wing
Disciple Pony
You can always trust me to be untrustworthy.
Posts: 64
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Post by Dusk Wing on Nov 27, 2014 21:14:47 GMT -5
Seeing Javelin walking away, Dusk let out a sigh of relief. That was one less thing to worry about. In the remains of a city full of things to worry about. Helping out where he could and keeping his head down was pretty much the entirety of his plan at the moment. Having a military pony with them would make that more difficult.
When Lucky started to follow her, Dusk briefly considered leaving him, but thought better of it. "Are you sure following her is such a good idea? We don't really know her, and we aren't exactly a group that wants to draw attention to ourselves." Dusk muttered to the other pegasus once he walking besides him.
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Post by Julius Softpaw on Dec 10, 2014 17:09:09 GMT -5
Julius followed the rest of the group, looking over the destruction with a saddened eye. He turned his mind from such thoughts, though, once the group reached what looked to be one of the large-scale cleanup zones. Julius, sparing just the briefest of glances when the military pony called another over, immediately surveyed the site, looking for anything that he could assist with. Perhaps he would even find some items of value in the rubble.
His thoughts, however, were interrupted when Dusk started muttering to Lucky. He knelt down and, just as quietly, whispered to Dusk. "I have my doubts that we need to worry about that, my friend. Even if these ponies knew about such a group, unlikely as it is, what do we have that would link us?"
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