"I'm impressed," Nightshade said quietly, her eyes on Azrael. "Asmo, kill the lights and get him backstage. Quietly." She was proud of Raven. She was impressed. But she was also concerned for Az. His career might never recover from this. ********************************************************************* They rode an open elevator up to the open hatch, and entered the ship. The interior was a perfect fusion of magic and technology. Advanced systems powered by crystal batteries. Mechanical systems augmented with efficiency and durability spells. In less than two years, the Equestrians had built a ship that could match many of the most advanced races in the galaxy.
"Don't have to tell me twice. Meet me back there." When the lights went black, Asmo carried his incapacitated friend back to the locker room, laying him down on the bench. "What the hay did she do to you, bud? Everything's all... broken. You're gonna take a while to get back up after this." He forced Az's nose back into place, allowing his healing factor to take over. Then he gave a deep sigh, resting his hoof up on Az's chest.
"Never underestimate you opponent." Grimlock had watch this fight a bit more intently then she had the last. The outcome wasn't a surprise, something about the other fighter reminded her too much of herself back when she was stupid. Maybe it wasn't her impression of the fighter himself, but rather what Maya assumed about him. The Barkeep had no idea what she herself was capable of yet dismissed her outright. "Do you think that's what happened?" "I don't know." She didn't. She didn't know squat about either fighter. Her instincts were rusty, fighting training holograms wasn't the same as fighting real people. As random as the training programs could be they still ended up predictable to a point. Real fights weren't the same, she'd probably fall to the batpony herself.
Rep: Very nice. I'm impressed, what are you using for the warp drive? Fuel-wise? Selena: (has almost completely dried off and her wings had kinda poofed up)
"All he needs to do is dream about it all the time, and you know what? He'll have a mane just like mine."
Moondust's eyes widened. "Woow! Really?" "That bat pony is our daughter," Dusty informed the newcomers. "And she just defeated the best fighter known to ponykind. Knowing her, just for the the adrenaline rush. Or to see if she could."
That she actually did know, he already heard Maya say Raven was their daughter. She also knew the bit about the bigshot being the best fighter known to pony kind. It seemed unlike his wife, Skydust didn't recognize her. "Just to see if you can is sometimes the best motivation" "That's true for just about anything. I don't know how many artifacts I've braved trap ridden temples and dungeons just to see if I could." She did it more often since she was human. When she was a bot she could just send the holomater avatar, but she didn't have one of those as a human.
"You recognize them?" Maya asked Dusty. Dusty shook his head. "I doubt we've met. I think I would remember ponies with cutie marks like that." "You don't remember them from Club Myst? The space bar?" "Erm. That was many years ago, dear. I do recognize the symbols they have for flank marks, though, I just can't put my hoof on it..." "They-" "No, I think I am going to phone a friend. You already showed me up this week, love of my life, reason I wake up every morning, I am sorry. Selena. Do those look familiar to you?" Maya rolled her eyes. "Alright, if you think my answer'll hurt you that bad, bluebutt." Of course, their banter was purely playful. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Raven made it backstage, mentally noting how Asmo was interacting with the still unconscious Az. She cleared her throat. "Rave!" Asmo took his hoof off Az's chest. "Metallibat. Good show out there! I'd say you got lucky, but he's dropped dragons... luck wouldn't do much agai-" "You're in love with Az," she interrupted with a smirk. "Am not," Asmo defended. "I'm just... concerned for a friend." "Asshat, hon, when I got knocked out training that one time, you were concerned, but I sure didn't wake up to your... weird. cloven hoof on my chest, and you brooding over me like a sad puppy." She stepped up and booped Asmo on the nose, causing him to scrunch uncomfortably. "You." Boop. "Love." Boop. "Azrael."
Selena: (Shakes her head, causing a bit more poofing as she moves) They seem familiar, but I can't place my hoof on it.
Selena: Can I get a Beef Wellington? If you have it... if not, then something with a lot of carbs please.
"Well," Nightshade said quietly, "Duh." She sighed. "How's he doing? He looked like he was in shock." ********************************************************************** Blackheart led Rep down a hall to the engine room. "We tried many things. Antimatter. Fusion. Hitting things with a hammer and screaming curses. That last one was Moonshine's idea. Eventually, we realized that we needed to stick with our own strengths." The door in front of them opened, and they entered the room. In the center, sealed inside a heavy glass column that reached from floor to ceiling, was a tall inverted cone with a deep spiral running around its length. It looked, for good reason, like an enormous unicorn horn. "Befitting her namesake, the Twilight is powered by magic."
"I think I can have Windsor here whip that up for you. Windsor?" The stool dude waddled back into the kitchen to start cooking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Azrael's eyes slowly opened up, unbeknownst to Asmo. "Fine. You're... you're right, Rave. I do." Asmo shook his head. "He's banged up. I think she hurt his head pretty bad. Should be fine after a while, though, considering she didn't cut his head off."
"Skydust when you met me the last time you tried reading the mind of Meg's daughter and my boss turned you into a Satyr. Oh and I was a humanoid at the time. Now both me and my companion are ponies, we're using form translators." The boss might not be able to use magic, but he could recognize it. "You never mentioned Nightbird was at Club Myst before." It had been quite some time since she last saw her offspring. They did not have the best of relationship, and it was probably worse now that she actively avoided her daughter. The last thing she wanted was to be called mama. "Lio had her looking for something that CBoD lost."
Dusty tilted his head. "That sounds... vaguely familiar? Maya has me undergo strange transformations frequently enough for... reasons... so that doesn't stick out much."
"Huh, at the time I was under the impression you didn't have too much access to transformation stuff." He had been interested in her wand.
"Growing a third horn isn't the same as a species swap, babe," Maya said with a snicker. Dusty shrugged. "As I said, it's been a few years."
"Growing a third horn?" Did extra horns cause extra magic or something? She didn't really have any magic of her own, her horn just gave her access to her pocket dimension. "How often are you a bi-pedal goat thing?"
