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IceStorm

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Everything posted by IceStorm

  1. ~~~Wind Dancer~~~ Windy would chuckle both at Sky's comment to plant more trees and about everything at this restaurant being berry based. "Either that or they have a berry based cutie mark and are a culinary master when cooking with them. Either way... These crystal berry waffles with the berry glaze sounds amazing... They even have whipped cream! This is the exact kind of thing that I need right now. Then we can get to the important bits of the visit, and then we can relax," she said, something else catching her attention in the distance. Looked to be a memorial, made from pieces of the old spire that's fell during Whitescar's initial invasion. "We also have to visit that," she said, pointing to it. "Coming to the Crystal Empire as important figures and not at least paying the respects to the fallen would make it seem like we don't care, and we both know that's the absolutely opposite of the truth."
  2. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice could tell be the way this other Ice Storm was reacting, that each word had struck a chord with her. However, it didn't look like the reaction that she was hoping for. It looked like she was taking offense to everything that was said, which... Ice was somewhat expecting. Once a pony gets to this state it's hard to convince them that the method they are proceeding with is wrong even if they are on the right path. Ice was not so naive to believe that Celestia and Twilight were good ponies in every iteration of Equestria. The very thought of that, especially now knowing that the multiverse exists, was asinine. She had no doubt that this might have been the case in this Equestria, but you don't use unnecessary hostilities towards others. More often than not, those ponies are only following orders and the only thing you're accomplishing is hurting families, and giving these ponies a train to rally against you, rather than to support your cause. There was a right and a wrong way to go about things. And attacking merchant vessels and hurting those on board definitely wasn't the way. Yes, tactically speaking, cutting off an enemy's supply is a priority strategy in most forms of war. However, destroying those supplies helps no one. First off, all of the effort that went into making those supplies gets wasted, especially if that's food or grain. This causes a sharp drop in moral. Secondly, it's not just military forces that suffer when you do this. The entirety of the region does. No, the most sounds strategy for something like that would be to seize the supplies, using non-leathal non-debilitating methods. Train to incapacitate, not to harm. Seize the supplies, allocate enough supplies to compensate for the similar strategy from your enemy, and then sell the rest back to the general public of the enemy's region. Civilian ponies were never enemies and often got tangled up in things either by getting indoctrinated into the fight, or by suffering from shortages. Offering refuge and supplies better establishes relations. There were so many ways that Ice believed that this nasty version of hey could be doing so much better. All it took was a few simple changes and if what she was saying was true about this land, and Celestia and Twilight were actually the enemies, she could be a hero. Instead, she was a revolting, vile, and bitter mare that who gave into the temptation, or the illusion of power and became the very monster that she was trying to fight against. A trap that she herself had nearly fallen into for her quest for revenge on the Red Jarl. She never forgot that event. And she never forgave. However, she knew better than to give in to her rage. Sure, she had initially built The Shadow of Ice so that once they found the Red Jarl, she could just raze the entire city he was in. But as the ship was getting nearer and nearer to completion, she realized that while she wanted STAR to be proactive against threats to Equestria, that was not how she wanted it to be done. That was part of the reason the decision was made to use Aether cannons for the main guns. Aether didn't have gravity drop, so an errant shot would not cause damage on the ground. She realized that she never wanted innocent ponies to get hurt, and that going through with her original plans would turn hey into the monster she sought to destroy. She knew the Ice Storm in front of her well, for that was her if it hasn't been for a few moments of clarity to recognize everything. She still maintained that the best defense is a good offense, but that doesn't always have to be violent. In fact, resorting to the violent conflict, or the final negotiation of kings as it could be called, should be the absolute last resort. And only if provoked into doing so or by protecting a region in the process. When she heard the other version of hey speak, she was saddened, but not surprised. What did surprise her though was that when the evil version of herself launched her attack… it fizzled. That… didn't make sense to Ice. This version of her should have at least been up to par with her before she got the opalus spheres. That would still make her extremely formidable to most. However, Ice didn't even have to try to counter it. Once it got close… it just… died. As the attacks contained, the same effect continued until she noticed the ship starting to break apart. Her eyes shrank as soon as she saw that. The were other ponies in this ship. She needed to get them off and into Rarity's ship now. When she tried to move though. She found that she was stuck. A few more moments, everything faded and she found herself in a room looking out onto the balcony. The floor was very hot, meat the point of burning her hooves. It was then that she saw Celestia come through a purple curtain. "Oh, thank hoofness… Celestia! I need to get back to wherever it was that I was at! They're are still ponies there that are in danger! Their ship is breaking apart! I need to help save as many as I can!" Ice told the retired princess.
  3. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ Jazz nodded as she listened to Allegro speak on the subject of sounds in the water. It turned out that if the sound was already in the water, then yes it would travel vast distances. If it came from outside of the water, it depended on if it could even get through its surface. She supposed that made sense. The surface of the water was very glass-like and sound could get muffled and amplified at the same time. When she heard him add that noise might actually turn to music when they actually started, but he was still probably going to have an issue with the crowd. "That's fair. A lot of ponies don't do well in crowds. If you ever feel like you need to talk about it, swing by Mane Melody at some point and I can help work you through it,and smooth out your hooves a bit while we're at it," she giggled. Before she could get too setteled though, she watched as Onyx tried to give Sugar a hug while still trying to hold onto Allegro, and that... went about as well as a pony could expect, and before she knew it, both Onyx and Sugar were now on top of her. "Oooph," she said, laughing loudly. "I guess this makes us even," she said through her laughter. Sugar was expecting the hug and the fall even less that what Jazz was, and quickly found herself under her beloved. She joined in Jazz's laugher when she said that they were even. She then looked at Onyx. "My my," she said, giving Onyx a nuzzle. "I thought we were going to wait until we were back in the bedroom before we played this game," Sugar smirked.
  4. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice smiled as she continued speaking about everything. It looked as if he was taking every piece of information that she was giving him and breaking it down. He was deep in thought for a moment until he found his voice briefly, which further added to the shock value of what he has heard. Age was aware that the kirins were just starting to integrate themselves back into society, and their currency was suffering a bit from it. A part of her made a mental note to fix that and to try get some more Kirin in STAR. She didn't want to upsurt the town. On the contrary, she wanted the kirins to flourish, and to do that, they would need a fresh wavy of bit flow into their little village. With them being on the outskirts of Equestria to begin with, the idea came to pitch to the leader about establishing and outpost there, and that those who agreed would be paid handsomely, and that would give them advanced notice from anything coming from that region. When she heard him, or rather read his response, she smiled a bit more. He had accepted her offer, which now meant that she could inaugurate him into the system. With a flick of her magic, and a few clicks on a keyboard later, she activated the file that she had already created for him as well as a cheque that she had already written to him with his first payment. Since he was not technically living there yet, it would be for the full amount of $2,836 bits, after Equestrian Taxes. "Great! I'm so happy that you accepted. Now, I need you to repeat, erm... Write after me. 'I River Wisp, do hereby solemnly swear to uphold the values of the Severe Threat Action and Response Force, and act within it's code of conduct. I will conduct myself with honor and with pride. I will never abandon a pony in need. I will not let injustice go unanswered. If witness injustices, or ponies taking advantage of others, then I will immediately take action against them. Even if that action is to report it to a superior if you feel it's outside of your scope to handle. I will strive to be the best that I can possibly be, and I hereby declare my oath, to fight for those who can't'," Ice finished, holding the STAR guidebook out for him to swear on. He may not be able to speak it, but the written word was more powerful anyway. Any word that was written, was binding.
  5. ~~~Wind Dancer~~~ Sky seemed to agree with her assessment that they would have to arrange a grounds clearing before they did any show. Wind made a note to herself so that after lunch, she would give areas of interest a gust test. A powerful burst of wind from her wings to get an idea of how the crystals would move, if at all. She'd nod as Sky mentioned that it would be unlikely that they would take offense, so as long as any crystals raked up were put into a neat pile. That they were probably as common here as falling leaves were in autumn. That got her to laugh a bit. "Out by the reservoir sure, but not many trees in a desert for leaves to fall out of. Save for a ones in the park of course. I distinctly remember falling in love and one of those," she giggled, nosing her husband. Again, her thoughts were interrupted by a now angry sounding growl from her stomach. She looked down at herself, her eyes getting smaller by the second before blushing a bit. "My goodness... I guess I am hungrier than I thought. I suppose looking for a place with tables is a good start. I wonder what kind of specials they are having today," she said, looking around before finding a shop that had a few umbrella covered tables outside. "That looks as good a place as any," Wind pointed out.
  6. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ "Hey," Jazz says somewhat sternly when Allegro started blaming himself for delaying their fun. "You didn't make us do anything. We chose to be here to help you because that's what friends do," she said, listening to Onyx talk about him giving it a chance before making a decision, but if he wanted to leave, then they wouldn't stop him. "She's right, if you want to leave, we won't stop you. But if I remember correctly, doesn't sound travel much farther under water? I recall reading something in the salon magazines that whale calls can travel a thousand miles or something like that?" Jazz asked. Sugar stayed silent while Jazz and Onyx tried to calm Allegro down. Given the current situation, there wasn't much more that she could provide than what Onyx and Jazz were giving him, and showering him with to much attention could actually be bad and cause a relapse. Instead she moved to be next to Onyx and waited for things to calm down a bit. She simply leaned against her marefriend.
  7. ~~~Wind Dancer~~~ "You wouldn't be the only one then," Wind days, giggling a small bit and elbowing her husband. "Since they want us to do a show here, I want to find a suitable spot for it while we're on vacation here. Anything on the outskirts would be ideal with the fields, but my concern is the loose crystal shards on the ground," she stated, picking one up. "Any one of my major bursts or even a small gust could turn these into deadly projectiles. Not only for the local ponies, but myself as well, if one goes astray," she added before her stomach reminded her of more pressing matters at the moment. "Perhaps the first thing we should start with is some lunch. Not entirely sure where should go. I don't know anything about this place other than it's made of crystal," she finished.
  8. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ The plight that Allegro was going through did not go unnoticed by Jazz either. Somewhat doubling as a therapist as she worked with her clients, she found herself helping other ponies through a lot of their own personal problems and she had learned to be able to tell a panic attack when she sees one, and Allegro was definitely having one. Thankfully, Onyx also recognized this and took immediate action, followed by her own hoof going to his shoulder and moving to the opposite side that Onyx had moved to in case he started to shift that direction instead. "Easy there Allegro, In... Ouuuuuut, Iiiin Ouuuuuut," she told him, trying to help him take long, relaxing breaths. She turned to Onyx when she said that they would likely stay more towards the back, she nodded. "Originally I was wanting to be as close to the stage as possible, trying to get some extra autographs or anything that they might throw off the stage, but that's no longer important now. Making sure my friend is okay means more than a few extra souvenirs, so I'll be joining you, if... that's okay. I have the feeling this was kinda supposed to be a date thing between you and Sugar so I wouldn't want to impose." While the other two attempted to start calming down the other earth pony, Sugar moved over to one of the stalls briefly so that she could buy a bottle of water for Allegro. As she watched Jazz and Onyx work, she handed Jazz the water for her to give it to Allegro. She hated seeing ponies like this because ultimately it led them to make rash, unsafe decisions. She was still haunted sometimes at night from watching the lighthouse fall with Sunny and that other unicorn inside because of Sprouts derangement, which in itself, was brought on by fear and panic because that was all they were ever taught! For a moment, she shuddered a bit before pushing the memory aside and returning to her more chipper self as Jazz spoke. "Well, we are dating, and we weren't planning on much of anything else. However, I couldn't say no to one of my old friends. Besides, perhaps we can turn this into a double date this way. Once your friend here calms down a bit more," she said with a smile, trying more to lighten the mood more than anything else. She wasn't sure if they helped everypony, but jokes certainly helped her feel better when she was upset. After all, any problem could be solved with a good laugh. When Onyx asked about ear plugs though, she frowned a bit. "I actually didn't think of that... so I'm afraid that I didn't bring any. We might be able to catch a store that has some though if we hurry. If we're going to rest towards the back of the venue anyway, then there's not much point to us being at the front of the line, so we have time if we want to shop around for a bit first."
  9. Test post, something weird going on with site.
  10. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ Jazz also felt a bit sympathetic for the pony that was standing in front of her. She had to admit that Sugar had a point when it came to the swimming, but the explanation that Allegro gave seemed reasonable enough. Still, she hadn't realized it before, but that was quite fast indeed! She also absolutely loved the way that Onyx spoke. Everything was so poetic. Which, she supposed made sense, considering the unicorn was a poet. Her ears shrank back a bit as she heard Onyx answer Allegro asking how long the event was going to last. She kinda rubbed the back of her head with a hoof and gave a sheepish smile. "Ehehe... would... you be mad if I said it's going to last all weekend? And technically, it hasn't even started yet. They are just doing the sound checks! So I guess to be fair, what you're hearing right now wouldn't technically be the actual music anyway. Some of them even blend genres together! I think you'll love day two of the event! It's got bands like Sparklessence, Cradle of Filth, and Beethooven's Second! They all have adapted the metal sound to fit inside of symphonies and use their music to tell stories!" Jazz said, clearly excited about the upcoming event, and happy to be talking about it with somepony else. Sugar watched as Allegro kind of bashfully hoofed at the sand when she noted his speed. She could definitely say that wasn't the reaction that she was expecting. If she had the ability to swim that fast, she would be proud of it! At least she would be until everypony started complimenting her about every time they saw her do it. Again... and again... and... okay, so she could actually see where that reaction would come from. After a while a pony would hear it so many times that they would get self-conscious about it. When he talked about his parents, she perked up a bit. "Oh? I would love to meet them at some point! Shoot, I might actually know them. Maretime Bay isn't that big you know. Although I honestly couldn't remember you for the life of me... Please don't take that the wrong way!" Sugar blurted out, wincing a bit afterward at how that could have been interpreted. She wasn't that kind of pony to try to many anyone else feel less important.
  11. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ After a few moments, Jazz watched Allegro come to the beach, and he seemed a bit more on edge than all of her previous interactions with him. When he spoke up, she immediately knew what the problem was, and Onyx's words had solidified it. He was most definitely not a fan of the music that was being played. Considering that she remembered him living on, or along the beach somewhere here, that could be a problem. She could only giggle a bit though when he asked why she was covered in metal. "Because it's the style of the concert that we're heading to! Believe it or not, this is actually a form of music! It's hard, heavy, and loud! symbolic with bits of metal actually. They are usually hard, heavy, and shine through a crowd," she said, tapping her hoof to her chin. "Huh, now that I think about it, that might be why it's called metal music. It's definitely way different, and I could see how somepony wouldn't like it though," she smiled. Sugar would nod in agreement with Jazz. "Honestly, I've never heard it before tonight so this will be my first exposure to it. I do like some of the band names that are performing... Maretallica, Five Feather Pega-Punch like Jazz said earlier, the image of that actually cracks me up a bit thinking about it. Though I'm really anxious to see the band called Party Canon. Their name is so different and the logo isn't anything like the others, so they got to have something up their hooves!" she said looking back to Allegro. "I do have one question for you though... You were way out in the water only a few moments ago before you started walking out onto the beach. How did you get over here so fast? Nopony can swim that fast! At least... not that I can remember. But you should totally have that timed! I'm sure you could have the earth pony record for fastest swim speed!"
  12. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice could see the wheels turning in the Kirin's head, and rightfully so. This was a big decision, and honestly, one that didn't have to be made right this very instant. If he would need time to think on the proposal, then she would be more than happy to allot it to him. She smirked when she read his first question. How could he be sure that she was who she said she was. It was true, it was a pretty big claim to be able to say that they founded a branch of the military, and for somepony that hasn't been around Equestria in a while, if ever at all... she knew that the kirins had remained remote for a while, even after they got their speech back. Well. most of them apparently. Still, that question could be answered with relative ease. She retrieved her own personal file from her directory. She placed it in front of the Kirin, and on the file was both the official seals of Equestria, and what became the official seal of star. A blue crystal, stylized in a six-pointed star overlapping an outline of another six-point star. "A very good question to start with," Ice Storm started, pouring some tea for the Kirin. "It means you have good instincts and want to have all your ducks in a row without getting played. I can assure you though, what I've said is 100 percent true. The main headquarters for the branch is about six stories beneath us, and yes. I'm aware we're on the third floor," she smirked a bit. "As far as payment goes, that will be determined by your initial rank within the organization, and whether or not you choose to stay within the lodging provided at the hotel here or not..., but the starting salary for even the lowest ranked enlisted that I have is still roughly 2500 bits a month with ten percent automatically subtracted for rent as they live here in the hotel. Which would give you 2000 bits a month to work with, and all utilities are taken care of, so you don't have to worry about any of that. Each name badge also has an enchanted crystal on it. Whenever you go to a show, or a restaurant here in the casino, or down in base, you can choose to take it out of your next check rather than pay with the funds on hoof. Just swipe your badge and you're good to go. That's actually the option that most use because then they know that everything that they get paid is disposable income. Plus, unlike other branches of the military, we include vacation time, unless your on assignment," she explained. "As for what you will be doing... eventually, yes. What you will be doing will be very dangerous, but not until your ready. If you were to join today, you would be required to move to Las Pegasus, at least for a couple months to undergo the basic survival training needed in hostile environments. Whether or not you see actual combat is irrelevant. It's better to have the knowledge to survive such a circumstance and not need it, then get caught in a situation where you have no idea what to do. That is how ponies get killed. Right now, my branch of the military is currently the only one with a "zero casualty" rating, and I would very much like to keep it that way," she continued. "AS far the threats that we help with. STAR Supports the Equestrian Navy by supporting Aeronautical Support. The Flagship of STAR is the Aero Dreadnought The STR - Shadow of Ice. The other, more common threats we deal with, are actually much more local," she added, taking a breath. "While a large number of ponies are good-natured individuals," she started again. "There are some in the upper echelons of nobility that have figured out how to use their status to become ruthless in making sure they keep whatever they've status they've gained, no matter the cost to others around them, and sometimes, actively hurting others to progress their own fortune. STAR works in conjunction with the guards in this instance to try to root out the corruption and make nobility what it was meant to be. the wealth and the noble working to help those that have come on hard times. Not to be the creator of those hard times. Every time we succeed, means that there's one less filly or colt that goes hungry at night. There's one less filly or colt that has to choose between having a family, or simply surviving. Families won't have to worry where their next meal is coming from. IF you choose to remain in the Homeland of Equestria, that is the fight that you would be assisting with, in making sure that the ponies that are causing these atrocities are brought down through any means. That, after all is the creed of STAR. We fight, for those who can't. We are the protectors, The first into the fire, and the last out, and if we've done our job correctly, we are the last thing that a face of evil will see before they lose everything, and learn what it's like to have the horseshoe on the other hoof," she finished firmly with conviction.
  13. ~~~Wind Dancer~~~ Wind Dancer could barely keep herself from fidgeting on the train as it was pulling into the station. While she loved living in Las Pegasus, and all the attention that came with it, there was always something alluring about the Crystal Empire, and now, she was finally able to visit it! She'd been meaning to take a vacation here for a while, but with the way things had lined up for her, with her wedding, and then having her foal, the recovery, and getting back into the swing of her shows... she just didn't have the time to get away! Now she was taking the time, but she was also answering a request that she had received to do a show in the Crystal Empire. The train lurched forward a bit as it came to a stop, and Windy instantly zipped to the door, waiting for it to open. Once it did, it took her a moment to finally stepped outside as she took in the beauty of everything around her. The warmth of the sun was quite the contrast to the snow that was surrounding the empire, but there wasn't any snow in the empire. The fields were lush and green, and there were crystals everywhere. That was to be expected in a place called the Crystal Empire after all. But it wasn't the fact that everything was crystal. It was the assortment of crystals that really added to the beauty. Add to the fact that the houses, the sidewalks, and the very roads they were walking on were all made of different types of crystal. As she looked around, a small part of her began to worry if she could do a show here. If there was one thing that she knew about crystals, is that shards of them were extremely sharp, and not very heavy. If she did any of her performances with heavy down bursts, all of the loose shards of crystal on the ground would become deadly weapons. She didn't any anypony to get hurt from one of her shows, but she supposed that as long as the performance area was clear, then it should be okay. She'd have to be careful though. After all, crystals were the namesake of the crystal ponies. So asking for them to make sure there weren't any loose on the ground for a show could be offensive, and she didn't want to seem ungrateful for anything. She was quite the opposite! She was so happy to finally get to see this place! First things first though, she was hungry. She started looking around trying to get the attention of some of the locals to find a good spot to eat. Sure she could have just gotten one of those brochure things from the train station, but she would rather interact with others and talk with them about what they like, than read it in a fancy pamphlet.
  14. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ Jazz was quick to return the hoofshake and giggled a bit when Onyx told her that she was the mare to thank for her waking up to glitter on her tongue. "Guilt as charged, though to be fair, you're not supposed to eat the glitter. You're supposed to eat what's under it," Jazz said with a playful wink, making Sugar's cheeks turn a beautiful shade of pink. "Jazz!" the grey coated sparkly earth pony would reply. "Not in public!" she chided, still blushing. "I kid, I kid," She smiled, listening to Onyx speak again. She could really dig the speaking in rhymes thing. The mare was obviously some sort of poet, and what was music but an extension of poetry! She did raise an eyebrow though as she asked about a stallion in the water. She had to hold her hoof up to her face, and the added weight made it move faster than anticipated, so she whacked herself with a spike. "Ow! Okay, those are really pointy. Gotta be careful with those," she added trying again. "Uh, that looks like Allegro, but I don't know why he's way out there and not on the beach enjoying the fun!" "Allegro..." Sugar spoke. "The name doesn't sound familiar, but there are a lot of new ponies here in Maretime Bay now, so that's not surprising. That said, we should start making our way to where the line will actually be, otherwise we're going to be waiting for a while," she said, pointing to a few others that were already waiting with tents, skipping the lodging entirely.
  15. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice Storm waited patiently as Blue announced their presence and waited for the mare inside to respond to them. The door opened enough for Dunnie to peek her head through and ask if everything was okay. The sight of Blue responding to her poking her muzzle through the door with a kiss was cute and adorable and something she'd have to do with her girls at some point. When she heard Dunnie's voice, it was soft, almost a whisper, and from the look on her face. She must have only been just released from the hospital with the little one today, or at least within the past couple of days. She wore a soft smile on her face, happy that her old friend had found somepony that could make her happy. sure, they had their differences in the past, but that was all water under the bridge. Plus she had her own herd now, and would probably be looking for a way to create new life themselves. Though from Blue's advice, that shouldn't be too hard. Now it's just a matter of timing, and, well, who. Of course, that had little bearing on the now as she listened to Blue respond to Dunnie's words, saying that Ice was visiting to discuss some things, and that she shouldn't leave yet without at least meeting the little one, or seeing her again. Ice nodded. "Of course. It warms my heart to see you happy again. I can't imagine there being any more joy in the world than becoming a mother, and I'm sure you will be amazing at it," she smiled.
  16. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ Jazz let out a soft smile when Sugar asked about her attire. She could understand why Sugar would think something had happened, and technically... something did! But it wasn't anything bad or emotional like that! "Technically, both yes and no. The unity of ponies happened, and that was the most amazing thing that's happened because it's let us experience so many new things! The reason I'm dressed like this is for the festival at the beach tonight! The spiky emo look is all the style in the world of Metal! Not something I would choose for my everyday attire though. All this metal is pretty heavy. I guess that's why it's called heavy metal though!" Jazz giggled at her play on words. She stopped dead in her hooves though as she stood up and the last part of what Sugar had said finally clicked. Marefriend.... Marefriend! MAREFRIEND!!!! she sqeaked internalled to herself before losing containment and the squee left her as she trotted in place. "Oh My Gosh!!! Sugar has a Marefriend! Oh that is so amazing!" she said turning to Onyx. She nodded when she asked Sugar if she was a friend of hers. "We were friends back in filly school! We kinda grew apart a bit, but we kept in touch for the most part!" she said, looking at both of them. "You have got to tell me everything." ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ After Jazz stood up, Sugar followed suit, brushing herself off from the now overly excited stylist pony, giving a small laugh at her eccentrics before looking at Onyx Again. "Yeah, Jazz and I go way back! In fact, she was the one that introduced me to Glitter! And we see how well that turned out! even... if it does get all over our pillows and make for sparkle filled mornings..." Sugar smiled again, turning to Jazz this time. "It's actually funny that you mentioned the Festival," she smiled. "That's actually why we're here! We're going to it too! We were actually on our way to book our stable at the hotel! I presume that they reopened it after the unity event, since Maretime Bay is getting travelers now!" "I presume so as well. I heard something about it reopening, but if you didn't reserve one ahead of time, then it might be a bit difficult. There's a lot of ponies here for this," Jazz admitted, seeing a small look of worry develop in her friends eyes. "Fear not though Moony, I gotcha covered. If you can't get a room at the in, you could always stay in my guest room! In fact... just skip the inn entirely! I insist! I've got plenty of room, and you can spend the bits you were going to pay for the rooms on more rock albums! Five Feather Pega-Punch is going to be debuting their new album tonight, and the first fifty ponies in get a signed copy of the CD tonight! A full week before it's available to buy!!!" Jazz smiled.
  17. ~~~Jazz Hooves~~~ To say that Jazz was looking forward to today was an understatement. She simply could not stop talking about the Rock and Metal Festival coming to Maretime Bay! Every since the unification occurred, it opened everypony up to loads of new styles of music, and some of them melded together. Jazz for one absolutely loved the hard and heavy head-banging music that some of the new metal bands were pushing out. Sure, the constant talking about the festival made Pipp feel a bit jealous, and Jazz assured her friend that she still loved her music too! This was just a different style and she was totally embracing it! Now the day was here, and she couldn't contain her excitement any longer. Spiky hooflets, check, spiky collar, check, spiky earrings, check, her mane done in a pony-hawk for the occasion, also check! She did an excited trot in place before bursting out the door of Mane Melody so she could be at the front of the line, or at least close to the front for when they opened the event on the beach. Unfortunately for Jazz, and a greyish-white pony with a glittery red and white mane and tale, she was to excited to realize where she was running when she went through the door as she slammed into the other pony with enough force that they actually tumbled a bit. When they stopped, the world seemed to spin for a bit before Jazz looked at the pony that she was now entwined with. "Oh my hoofness! I'm so sorry! I should have been," she started seeing the red mane. At first she panicked, and started looking the mare over for injuries. Spikes were sharp after all, and she hoped that she hadn't accidentally stabbed the pony that she ran into. When she didn't see anything it then clicked. "Sugar? Oh wow! It's been ages since I've seen you here! How have you been? You know, when you're not getting bowled over by mares not watching where they're going..." Jazz said sheepishly. ~~~Sugar Moonlight~~~ Sugar had traveled the distance back to Maretime Bay with her marefriend. Things had settled in well in Bridlewood, and they had reached a point where vacations could be a thing, and the two of them came back to Maretime Bay. Both so Sugar could revisit some friends, but they had heard about a festival that was going on and they wanted to check it out. IT was some sort of music festival with a new kind of music that had been created since the unification. Music was always interesting before, but now that the other tribes could put their own twist on things, it evolved rapidly. She found herself looking and reading one of the fliers before looking over to Onyx. "It says here that they are trying to call the genre... 'metal'. I'm not entirely sure wh-" she started before a swift and sudden impact sent her and another pony tumbling a bit. When they finally stopped, Sugar sat up, her eyes spinning in her head for a few moments before she finally shook it and regained her senses. "Hey! What was that For?" she asked, looking at the pony that had careened into her. It seemed that her question fell on deaf ears as the other pony was also still collecting herself. When she saw her, she had to do a double take. It looked like one of her friends, but at the same time, there was so much that was different. "Jazz?" she asked, the mare's answer confirming. "I would say that I've been doing pretty well myself. Jazz, this is my marefriend, Onyx," she said pointing over to her with her hoof. "Though I must ask, did something happen when I left? I don't remember you being so.... spiky..."
  18. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice was intrigued when the Kirin stood up and moved over to her window. When he acknowledged that he could make out most of the conversations outside on the ground floor. For everything else, they used lip reading as their method of comprehension. River further explained that they believed that it was the The Vow of Silence that was responsible for the super hearing as it allowed them to pick up on minute details. When he asked why she was interested, she smiled. "That would be the question wouldn't it? Why would a good-hearted casino owner like myself be interested in such an ability..." Ice started, pouring herself a cup of tea, and then offering some to River. "Let me start by saying that not everything in this casino is as it seems. Functionally, there is no difference between this hotel or casino as any other here on the strip, until you get to it's staffing, and then to it's lower levels. Within the premises of this building, especially on the lower levels, my name is Commander Ice Storm. I am the founding member of the Severe Threat Action & Response Force, also known as STAR. With it being formally recognized as part of the Equestrian Military, I am the highest ranking official in the ranks, second only to The Princess herself. We are the first line of defense against issues that Equestria doesn't even know it has, and having somepony that can pick up on conversations over seventy feet away is a major asset." "With your super hearing," she continued. taking a sip of her tea. "It would be possible to weed out a threat to Equestria before they even knew they were being watched! And being able to eliminate threats, before they are threats, has been my ultimate goal since starting this. I've already started challenging the noble circle, and holding those who would hurt others for their gain accountable for their actions. Were you to join STAR to help with our endeavor, You would get to choose whether you helped drain corruption in the upper echelons of nobility, or you can travel abroad to find more dangerous threats and report back when you've found something. Regardless of which path you choose, should you join STAR, it would be a great benefit. As such, living accommodations, pay, and generous leave time are also available. Technically, there are also several airship positions open, both on the Air Destroyers and the Air Battleship, but I don't know if those would be your cup of tea. They can get loud, and with hyper hearing comes the potential for hyper sensitivity, and I don't want to put you in a position where you could hurt yourself. Of course, the very nature of being a spy is dangerous work in of itself."
  19. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice nodded at Blue's encouragement. Though she wasn't sure is she would call it that persay. After all, it wasn't like things would change one way or another. She was simply just being herself, and that's all she would ever be. When she changed the subject and started talking about the new little one, Ice smiled. "I would love to see him! And would be nice to see Dunnie again. I haven't seen them since the Hearth's Warming I got my spheres. Yeesh, that would be before I opened the Fire and Ice. Before it was even built for that matter," she smiled, following Bluebelle up the stairs.
  20. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice Storm was only mildly surprised that Blue knew what she was thinking at that moment. After all, how could anypony in her position be thinking any different? When she started explaining it though... The more it... It started to make sense. Blue was right. A lot of ponies think they would do great things, but almost all of them succumb to their own temptations... Something that she herself was almost guilty of as Blue had reminded her. Granted, she added that she doesn't schedule know anything for certain, but said that at least for her, all the signs were there. For the first time in a long time, Ice felt a new emotion. Apprehension. And a bit of fear. Sure she was doing great things... But one of the biggest things about being a princess, let alone an alicorn princess was being approachable and acceptable in the eyes of that subjects. How would others feel... Would they be happy? Could the rest of Equestria look past her issues? Though now that she thought about it, that would give her an even bigger platform to try to help those with similar issues feel accepted. "Well, of that turns out to be the case, I will simply endeavor to continue the path that I'm on to help others, and set a positive example for those around me. If that's not in the cards and things continue as normal, them I guess I'll still be doing much of the same regardless. Whether I'm am alicorn or not, won't change our stop me from making sure everypony ain't me feels safe and accepted," she smiled.
  21. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ "Is it sad that I actually have no problem believing that it was? I'm pretty sure that I'm the only other pony in Equestria that could find The Frozen North comfortable," Ice laughed. She then listened as he talked about even getting a visitor, and then commented on the hoofprints that were randomly appearing that weren't accounted for. She smirked. He apparently paid as much attention to details as she did. She wasn't surprised though. That's the only way a pony could survive in a place like that. She smirked again when he added that he now has access to better stuff anyways and couldn't help a playful jab when he went into an evil laugh. "Careful there, or I just might have to place you on house arrest," she said with a bit of infection in her voice and a flick of her tail. "With myself as your personal supervisor. Just like old times eh?" She added. The rest of the patrol was just at uneventful, and as they made their way back to where she was staying. She made her way inside after Blizzard as he held up the saki and she nodded. "I would love some, and done worry. I don't live in Ponyville anymore, so I couldn't tell AJ if I wanted to," making her way over to the bed, using magic to undo some of the straps on her armor. She then noticed her saddle bags still on the bed. "Odd... I thought I put those a way when I was in here," she said, shrugging and sitting on the bed. Perhaps it's was a sign of they were going to be drinking a bit tonight. She simply patted on the bed next to her. "Come, there's plenty of room for both of us to sit."
  22. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ "Knowing my luck, it's going to get worse no matter what I do. I mean, as soon as I got these," Ice started pointing to the amulet holding her opalus spheres. "Not only did it give me a massive power boost, it's already made the issues worse to where it's not even secluded to being overnight anymore, but whenever I am ill, I have to be careful or I won't even realize what's happening. Though that does correspond to what the doctors last told me about it. Somehow it's tied to my magic. The stronger my magic gets... The less control I have. But no sense in moping about it. I can't change it, and my fiances all still love me regardless, so it doesn't even really bother me anymore." The last comment certainly got her attention. Ascension? "Ascension candidate? What would I be ascending to? I'm already the founding/commanding officer of STAR and a prominent business figure looking to create a safer environment for those around me," Ice commented, before the realization hit her. But there's no what that was what Blue was meaning. Her? She didn't think that she was that special... She was just doing what she felt anypony else in her position would do.
  23. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ Ice Storm would nod when she heard Blue mention Dunnie and how she wasn't born how they were. Considering that she had at one point, dated, and had been engaged to Dunder, she knew exactly what Blue was talking about. She talked about having a supplier of potions that would accomplish their goals. Since they were all mares, they didn't have to do anything other than a one night thing and it wouldn't compromise the integrity of anything. "I had thought about that, I had thought about magic to... but as much as I want to try, if we did anything like that, I would have to be on the receiving end myself. I have some... rather personal issues going on back there, and I don't know if magic or potions would make it any worse or not. I definitely know it won't make anything better. The doctors have made that quite clear several times, so I've just learned to deal with it." she spoke. When Blue asked if she'd every entertain some of her villainous fantasies, Ice bit her bottom lip. "Actually... very much so... like I mentioned earlier, STAR was initially founded with rage and anger because of the incompetence of every other agency at the time when it came to dealing with invasions. The Royal Guard was a joke, I watched them get brainwashed and turn against their own princesses, Tempest got an entire fleet of warskiffs on Canterlot's doorstep without any of them being detected... and then everything that happened afterwards... The Shadow of Ice... I actually built it to be a roaming headquarters for STAR. It was supposed to be the hidden organization that did the dirty work for Equestria, and ultimately... might have bordered on piracy a bit. Anything that was seen to be a threat against Equestria would have been razed, and I would have turned into the very monster that I was trying to protect Equestria against..." "But, I did one thing... that I think kept me on the right path. For starters, the bond with my family helps a lot, but The night that I first created the concept of STAR, I went to Luna, before she retired. She was the only princess I trusted with the information at the time and I couldn't risk it getting out too early. Some of the tech that we were working with was highly advanced and I didn't want it falling into the wrong hooves. I made an arcane blood pact with the moon, binding my loyalty to her, and through her, Equestria. Her will was mine, and by all technicality, still is, though now she's part of STAR herself, which has made things interesting to say the least," Ice finished.
  24. ~~~Golden Bit~~~ It wasn't exactly the reply that she was expecting from royalty, but at the same time, she was hardly surprised. With everything always being meticulously planned for them, it must be nice to get to just sit back and wing it for once. The pair instantly seemed to attract the bulk of the attention in the room, and she also wasn't surprised by that either. When one of the primary rulers of Equestria walk into a store, like it or not, everypony in, and around the store takes notice. They probably had no idea about it now, but as soon as Flurry Heart and Shining Armor bit into the candies provided for them, it would determine the ultimate fate of this shop. To get an endorsement from an Alicorn is one thing, from an Alicorn filly that probably hasn't yet learned how to truly mask her emotions... Gosh... she hoped that Candy could make enough candy for not only the ponies of Las Pegasus, but ponies from all over at this point. Word will travel that Flurry was here, and it will also travel as to what she thought of the place. As it stood now, Flurry was addressing the other fillies that were in the shop while she turned back to Shining Armor when he asked if she had any suggestions. "Oh absolutely I do!" Golden started. "Since you're going to be here for the weekend you absolutely must see Las Pegasus's own, Wind Dancer, performing on Sunday! She's one of the most popular show ponies here, and always goes out of her way to make the little ones happy and make sure they have a good time." "As for your stay, if you would like, you can stay at the Mareage, house comped of course. And, while I can't speak for my neighbor myself, I'm sure if you wanted to stay at The Fire and Ice next door, I'm sure Ice Storm would also be happy to comp you as well. Actually, With her being military, and you being the Captain of the Royal Guard, you probably already have room access there," she said aloud, tapping a hoof to her chin at the last bit. "I would say to ask her, but I just saw her leave in a bit of a hurry after speaking with another. It's possible she might be looking into something," she finished, looking over to Candy that was trying to get her attention. She apparently had some questions for her when she closed for the evening. Golden would nod. "I would be happy to help in any way that I can. After all, if you succeed, then I succeed, and everypony wins."
  25. ~~~Ice Storm~~~ The swift response from the kirin was appreciated, and even moreso from the mail service. She knew that the kirin village was a bit away from Las Pegasus, so she's wear quite pleased with the result. In front of her was a light blue Kirin, not too many shades away from her own coat. The orange scales and spots were good accents, and the metallic sheen from the scales made the color pop even more. This would be the first Equestrian born Kirin that she'd encountered, her time in Neighpon during one of her recent investigations or her in contract with many natives of Long Guo and it's neighbors. The reason for the meeting today though, what not to take in the looks of the Kirin in front of her, but to find out more about his skill set. If it was as good as she was hoping, and the interest was there, she'd happily talk about a special forces contract. "Welcome, I'm glad you could make it," she started, taking her seat behind her desk. "I am glad that the letter found you. Ever since our chance meeting at the candy shop, I've had some interest in you. More specifically, you're super natural hearing. The fact that you were able to pick up on my conversation with Psmith and ask about it through a bustling store in it's grand opening definitely piqued my interest," she smiled. "I would like to know more about it, and what is limitations are."
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