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Post by laserbolt on Jul 1, 2014 3:14:14 GMT
As Laserbolt landed on the other side of the tower, he saw a solitary mounted gun type device, lying on the ground. As revulsion began to build inside him, he realized that it's the same type mounted on the PATRIOT armor. He turned, and looked toward where Wave lay. A thousand different mental processes occurred at once. "But, that's impossible. None of this is real." "What happened to him?" "What is it going to do to me?!" As he began to panic, he remembered his conversation moments earlier with Wave.
"To Tartarus with the 'townsponies'. They aren't real. We are." He picked up one of the guns from his suit, which he recognized as a napalm launcher, and turned to Amber. "I'm going to burn this place to the ground. Tell me the best vantage point."
Alignment - Hero? to Anti-hero
Cross Stitch and Back Stitch stepped away from the swarm of rats, and exchanged a look. "Cut our losses, perhaps?" "Yes, I think that'd be best." They turned, and ran in the exact opposite direction. Let the anonymous traitor deal with the plague, no need to dirty our hooves.
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jul 1, 2014 3:44:21 GMT
Care saw what had transpired and she decided to focus it on the enemy and not the ally himself. She got even more fierce this morning. The glow from her mask had gone from the pink tint to a red one in a flash, as she relentlessly starts to cut into any and all who got in her way to reach and check on him. When she got to him, she found several things that was easily the cause of the suit's malfunction. She checks the stallion for a pulse and there was none. She looks to Cosmona, shaking her head and says, "The time Cosmona. I am calling it. He is gone. DR. Catrina Careheart has called it."
((for the calling of the time of death confirmation. Magus, I give you control of Cosmona.))
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Post by Clockwork on Jul 1, 2014 13:49:23 GMT
Infernid saw the front cover of a comic - Fiery Infernid Fights Fili-Second! His persona was standing triumphantly on a hill of rubble and cobwebbed skeletons, staring down confidently at a beaten-looking pink mare in pitiful torn spandex trying to look dignified and brave and failing. Lord of Spiders and Flame...Pouncing upon the comic, but being careful not to tear the already damaged pages further, Infernid tentatively inspected the cover. The pink mare is obviously a defeated foe, but something about her sparked interest within him. Who was she? Flipping to the first page, Infernid stretched his legs outwards, tenting himself just above the floor as he began to read... [ 30 pages later] Infernid shut the comic gently, then took great care to roll it into a tight cylinder, which was then stuffed into his coat. He turned to head back to the base, his puzzled expression replaced with a whimsical grin as he pulled down his goggles. "It seems to me that a certain pony has been showing but not telling..." he said, breaking into a menacing scuttle back towards the central city "...it also seems I have but a few questions for him, which I hope for his sake he can answer..." Instead of ignoring the scuttling spider-tongue in his mind, he embraced it on his way back, taking delight in the words that flowed through his mind. feedfeedstingitstingitsuckitdryeatitwholewebitwebitfeedfeedfeedFEED
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Post by Asterian Starfall on Jul 1, 2014 15:27:23 GMT
Nocturne scrambled to reach higher ground, trying not to show dread or fear of the rat swarm, but he was face with an indefinite truth: he had to act fast.
"Enough, Pack Rat! I have come for the negotiation of something you took from me. That case. The case held something very powerful and dear to me. I would like it back."
As he climbed to find a way to escape the rats, one of the phantoms whispered, only to be heard by those who could see the shadowy figures, "We come with compliments of Mirror Mare, and her protection. I suggest you listen." "Silence!" another one hissed. "Pack Rat, do you really think it would be wise to kill somepony who might actually be trying to help you?"
"Enough, all of you!" the real Nocturne growled. "I must apologize for the theatrics, but we are not alone here, are we? I had to make sure our dealings were not heard by other ears. I'll stand down if you call off your army, but think carefully on that. I think we could benefit greatly from a trade agreement. What is it, Rat? Friend or foe?"
**Paranoia active on Pack Rat**
Umbra ebirus: 47% ^^^ (Rising exponentially)
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jul 1, 2014 17:08:30 GMT
The rats stopped, backing away slowly as Pack Rat wriggled his pointy nose, sniffing the air, eyes darting every which way to see if this was a trap or not.
"Fine," hissed the rodent-like stallion, squatting down in a pile of who-knows-what and squeaking to the rats. The swarm retreated into the piles of filth and rotting garbage and stolen items. "I pack. My nature. If I give from my pack, I must replace with something. I MUST. I NEED to."
His eyes were wide and veined, yellowy and glowing, obsessed and more than slightly mad.
"Can't just give. Need to replace. MUST replace. Something, equal value. Always packing, always. ALWAYS. Must pack. MUST pack. Never stop packing. NEVER. Mirror Mare?"
He nibbled on something disgusting, stuffing his cheek pouches as he hunched over whatever it was, looking warily at the stallion.
"What offer?"
Cosmona paused, then spoke with a clinical detachment. "Brain activity at zero. Diagnosis: deceased. Medical revivability: none. Magical revivability: unknown. Recommendations: Lady Amber, unless you can create a dimension without time, and place his body within-"
The body vanished with a pop as the enchantress immediately followed through.
"If there's any hope at all, that's all I needed to hear. Magical revivability unknown means there's still a chance. But we have something else to worry about right now. Siphon! This ONE time i give you permission to use fire in the Enchanted Woods. Redwood, three hundred meters to your right. Burn everything that no longer has any green showing at all. My Children and I will purify the rest. Doctor, Cosmona, the Spawns. I and the Children will take down the Behemoths. Don't let the Rot touch your bare coat. FOR HARMONY!"
She charged back into the fray, screaming now with the rage of a mother who had watched her own children and best friend die in front of her eyes.
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Post by laserbolt on Jul 1, 2014 18:24:49 GMT
Amber couldn't see it, but Laserbolt grinned inside the helmet. He'd never had a chance to do something like this. Scientifically, he could see the effects of- he recovered from the momentary lapse in judgement, and began to use the kinetic energy in the suit to climb as far as he could up the redwood tree. Once he reached the top, he ripped open the napalm cannon, and the ammunition inside began to flow into his suit. At first, it just reverted to its state moments before Wave- best not to think about it. Red, with smokestacks on the shoulders. But after a while, parts of the suit began to glow. The points of the crystal opened up, becoming more like volcanoes. The smokestacks grew, and tilted forward, becoming cannons. His suit began targeting any patches of brown or red that had infected the forest. Then, he fired, volley after volley of napalm rained down upon the corruption that had killed the only stallion who might have been smarter than him, and, more importantly, might have been his friend.
The brothers stood around the corner, trying to listen in on Pack Rat's conversation with the traitor. They could hear the rat fine, but... who was he talking with?
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Post by Asterian Starfall on Jul 1, 2014 21:41:57 GMT
(( Bear in mind that Nocturne's voice distorts, echoes, and warps. This will make him hard to identify by hearing alone. His physical appearance also changes. ))
Nocturne smiled a little as he dropped from his perch and came face-to-face with Pack Rat. He walked forward, appearing friendly yet menacing as the phantom images phased away. "Well, I had a thought," Nocturne said. "Knowledge is a useful tool, isn't it, Pack Rat? How would you like to be able to sneak up on your prey better? I can teach you." The stallion smirked, wondering if Pack Rat valued knowledge... or if he even knew of what it was he spoke.
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jul 1, 2014 23:18:09 GMT
Care does exactly as told. But Cosmona not only takes on a small group of the spawns but also one of the behemoths. Cosmona uses her Omega System's main weapon on it. a large cannon like beam of pure energy is unleashed from the Central location of Cosmona's battle armor. It is equivalent to a miniature Mana cannon used by the main defense military for protecting large settlements without magic from huge enemies. range is half normal but power is more focused. Cosmona's Metallic armor seams impervious to the rot released by the smaller enemies. The beam also cleanses the area of rot while sparing the lives of the potential children of nature that Lady Amber would be able to save. Care also gets a rot sample to study ones she can get the chance to study it to try and find life saving weaknesses to it. Like how to counter one who has become infected by this rot. She also makes sure to protect her exposed fur coat in the process.
["Omega system primary weapon charged and ready. Targeting the central behemoth. Firing. Chance of miss is less the 5%."]
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jul 2, 2014 1:44:39 GMT
The enormous creature of cancerous flesh and sharpened bone moaned and gurgled as the beam of light and the fire roasted it, eliminating all vestiges of Rot from the general vicinity and turning part of the area to ash. What little parts that were not incinerated began sprouting new tumors, but were quickly finished off by the flames and beams.
Lady Amber screamed raggedly as she pointed her hooves in the general direction of another two Behemoths, which screamed in response as their bodies imploded into the singularity that had opened in the center of their bodies.
It looked like the Children of Rot were finally retreating under the furious onslaught carried out by the heroes, but it was a small comfort as they surveyed the damage. Hundreds of Wood Elves lay dead all over the place, some with parts of their bodies missing. The Enchanted Forest was scarred with great swaths of ash where the Rot had to be excised directly.
As for its Lady, she finally came down from her rage-induced power shift, falling weakly to the forest floor and sobbing as she held her head in her forehooves, mourning the fell blow that her brother had incurred upon her home that day.
Pack Rat stared up at Nocturn, his complex words slowly processing in the creature's animalistic mind.
"Skill? Yes- no! Physical. But faster. But need stuff! Thing! More stuff, pack more, no, must have, need, now, no hole, never hole..."
He scrunched over, holding his sadly insane head between his paw-like hooves, gibbering to himself. Actually, Pack Rat had no idea how much the suitcase was actually worth, on second thought. Maybe his idea of value was different than that of a sane pony's? The place was reeking with all sorts of useless items, even items that would normally have negative value.
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Post by laserbolt on Jul 2, 2014 2:20:50 GMT
An idea began to form in Backstitch's head. As he stepped out from his hiding place, he addressed Pack Rat over his brother's cries of protest. "Well, if it's stuff you want, I know the perfect thing for it." He trotted over to the rat and the shadowy figure, choking back his fear. "Let's make this interesting, hm? An auction."
Laserbolt walked slowly over to Amber, and sat down next to her. Glancing about the place, he began to wonder what came over him. Still, it lingered, and it seemed like an important feeling to hold on to, cruel and heartless as it may be. "I know... what you're feeling is... natural, I guess. To be honest, I've never had to take care of a whole civilization. But I want to remind you... neither have you." He turned to the mare, crying next to him. "You're doing your best in a role you've been forced into." He was never really good at comforting ponies, but it was worth a shot. "I heard you say... there's a chance to revive Wave?" He realized his voice had returned to its regular cadence. Not high and mighty, like it was before, confidently ordering ponies around. It probably meant something. Things like that always do.
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jul 2, 2014 3:38:50 GMT
Cosmona and Care come over as well. Care says, "I have done what I could for the injured, but I am out of power packs for my Medi-pack right now. Cosmona, please begin the recharge sequence for the power packs. I know it is hard for you, Lady Amber, and I know you probably want to get revenge on him, but that path will bring you eventually to become like him. I should know, I have walked that path before, in both of my lives. I have a better idea, though. We know what he is after. We also know he doesn't know where it is. We also know that somewhere within my memory is the location of the Cosmic Gem. If he wants it so badly, then in our own unique way we give it to him. But we do it by our rules. He isn't going to like that. Cosmona, What is the Cosmic Gem's purpose? Also Why was it sent to this world and not another? If Cosmona, my daughter, is connected to the Gem, we may be able to bring her within close proximity and Triangulate the Gem's exact location from there. Once we have the Gem, we can play an old favorite game of mine, 'Keep Away'."
Cosmona goes over and starts using her power core to recharge the power packs. The core being self renewable can keep her going, while recharging the power packs, for nearly 10,000+ pony lifetimes.
((OK Game Masters, I give once again control of Cosmona to you, for the purpose of answering the questions presented by Care.))
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Post by Asterian Starfall on Jul 2, 2014 15:38:28 GMT
An idea began to form in Backstitch's head. As he stepped out from his hiding place, he addressed Pack Rat over his brother's cries of protest. "Well, if it's stuff you want, I know the perfect thing for it." He trotted over to the rat and the shadowy figure, choking back his fear. "Let's make this interesting, hm? An auction."Nocturne wheeled on the spot and looked at the pony approaching him. " What is your purpose of this auction? That case is rightfully mine. I should not have to trade for it, but since I can not..." He then turned back to Pack Rat and continued his negotiation. " My idea is this: my case back in my possession. In exchange, I can show you how to better sneak around for, say, stealing gems. You like shiny gems, don't you?"
Umbra ebirus: 51% ^ (Rising slowly) **No active effects**
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Post by laserbolt on Jul 2, 2014 17:54:19 GMT
Backstitch chuckled. "Gems are nice, but they're so hard to find. Why, there's a fantastic collection of broken glass lying around right now. I'll lead you to it, but you have to hurry; who knows when the town planning committee will clean it up."
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jul 2, 2014 19:10:04 GMT
Pack Rat looked up, eyes darting between the Duo and Nocturn.
"Gems, shiny, yes, perfect fit, replace, yes! Trade case, get gems, replace case with gems, no hole! Sneak, show? How to sneak?"
He scrunched his stupid face up, thinking about the offer.
Cosmona paused, the turned to Laserbolt first, since he asked his question before Care.
["Medically, his chances of revival is zero. There is no amount of medicine or surgery that can be performed to revive a clinically dead individual, not even with healing rays or medi-guns. I can use medicine to revive from the brink of death, or from apparent death, but not from the trauma that PATRIOT experienced. However, it is unknown whether it is possible to magically revive him, given his recently deceased status. I am aware of several possibilities, but most practitioners of True Magick are secretive, uncaring for ponykind, or antagonistic towards our existence. Moreover, the large majority of conventional necromantic spells only create biological golems or liches without truly reviving both body and soul. The amount of mana required for the few possible candidate spell rituals is enormous, and the rituals themselves highly questionable at best, thus the status of unknown. I will not venture to even label it a possibility as of yet, simply that I, for all my encyclopedic knowledge of almost every spell in existence, do not know. But in case there is a possibility, I have asked Lady Amber here to keep his body in time-locked suspended animation until a solution can be found, if it can be found."]
She then turned to Care.
["The Orb of Wisdom was created as one of a set of Cosmic Gems by higher-dimensional beings unknown to your species for use in a device of surpassing power whose name in your language roughly translates to Cosmic Horseshoe. Each Cosmic Gem in itself is powerful enough to destroy entire swaths of the universe with a single thought, when used at full strength by one of these higher-dimensional beings; primitive three-dimensional creatures such as ponies or griffons would be hard-pressed to destroy even a single star, but its power is enough to take over a planet such as this one easily in the hooves of a stallion who knew what he was doing. The Orb of Wisdom is a physical representation of all the wisdom and knowledge known to these beings, and it accumulates and catalogues all knowledge and wisdom that is made in the universe as far as it itself is able to. It is incapable of cataloguing or processing knowledge from Above, for no Creation may ever surpass the Creator. The beings which made it placed it in the heart of the Nevernever, of the World Between the Worlds, and as countless eons passed, it slumbered, and monuments were built about it, and wars were fought over it. Eventually, a being which called herself Athena came into guardianship of it, and built her temple to house and protect it. From that temple, you took it, after its keeping was passed to you."]
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Post by Asterian Starfall on Jul 2, 2014 19:31:11 GMT
Nocturne waved a hoof towards Pack Rat. "Case first, then I will show you."
Umbra ebirus: 50%
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