Second Starfall [Video]

[stormbroken]

[Once again, Flare seems to be looming over the scroll at first, though this time she's in a rather rickety looking shack. It's something put together with whatever loose wood she could scrabble together, basically held together with spit and hope. A makeshift shelter, little more.]

Alright, remember how I offered self-defense lessons? Me and Lieutenant Slipstream are lookin' into gettin' a kinda ponies' guardforce goin' on around Ponyville, in case any monsters, villains, or badass overlords decide to cause trouble for the normal, peaceful ponies in this world.

If any of you're interested in joinin' the cause but don't know how to use your hooves t'protect yourselves, I'm gonna be offerin' one-on-one lessons. If Slipstream and I can come to an agreement on somethin', we'll offer somethin' a little meatier, but for now I'm willin' to provide the basic "protect yourselves from brigands and diamond dogs" sorta package.

Just let me know and I'll set aside time, alright?

Comments

[Visual]

[firstofthefallen]

Monsters.

What a quaint little term.

[Visual]

[stormbroken]

...Don't even start with me.

Re: [Visual]b

[firstofthefallen]

You're right.

It'd do so much more good to leave you to your ignorance.

[Visual, Private]

[stormbroken]

Don't even begin to think you're any more knowledgeable.

You and me, that's what we are. Monsters. We either hunt, or we are hunted. Nopony that could do what you did to a cockatrice deserves to be alive.

[Visual]

[silverbadge]

[Suddenly a tiny pink filly on the scroll.]

Sounds like fun.

[If Flare listens carefully enough, there is a hint of desperate relief to be heard there, but Karrin's face betrays nothing but a tiny smile. Which is quickly replaced by a tiny frown of confusion.]

...The hell is a diamond dog?

[Visual]

[stormbroken]

Gem-hoarding canines from the badlands. Sometimes packs of them wander this way, but it's rare. Usually it's not gonna be much of an issue unless you go hunting, though there was one time that a pack set up a surprisingly effective banditry operation through one of the southern routes out of Fillydelphia.

[And she peeeeers at the scroll, curiously.]

Aren't you a little young for this sorta thing, anyway?

[Visual]

[silverbadge]

[Karrin's ears twitch in interest at the diamond dog description, but then fold down quickly at that last line. The ears are but the deliciously angry icing on Karrin's epic scowl.]

Believe me, I'm older than I look.

[Visual]

[stormbroken]

Heh. Will do. Most ponies your size don't have their cutie marks yet, after all.

Haven't seen you around before, what's your name?

[It's only through sheer power of will that Flare stops herself from nicknaming Karrin 'doorstop'.]

[tinkertytonk]

What ho, Ms. Star! Lieutenant Slipstream said I could join the guard. I'd appreciate a few pointers on fending off fiends and sending savages packing for parts unknown.

[He'd also really like to be able to stand up to Zetta without fear of getting his head knocked off, but that's a side matter.]

[stormbroken]

[Ugh, Bertie. Bertie, no.]

First lesson - you're getting an early crash course, Bertie, lucky you - is that you don't use skills like that unless you, personally, are being attacked. The guard is a defensive measure, not offensive, and when you're off-duty, you don't go running around defending the honor of any maiden you wanna mount.

[So she's a little crass about it. Maybe that way it'll sink in better.]

[tinkertytonk]

[It would probably be a lot more effective if he had any idea what she was talking about.]

Oh, I certainly don't plan on looking for trouble, Ms. Star! If the old t. is about, though, I can't just ignore it, what?

But why would I want to go mounting maidens? I had been wondering. Do ponies ride each other? I mean, it seems a bit silly when you consider you're all horses, but humans ride them, and there are the unicorns and earth ponies that might need an aerial lift now and again.

[stormbroken]

[Siiigh.]

Look. You've gotta know what's going on first. Something can LOOK like trouble and NOT be, and if you jump to conclusions, YOU could be the scoundrel causing trouble. More importantly than that, ponies are resourceful folk. A lot of us CAN defend ourselves, so it's kind of insulting to have someone riding in to protect them without thinking.

[She doesn't know about what happened with Zetta yet, but she HAS heard plenty of Bertie's rambling about needing to be proper and chivalrous.

She's going to just... not answer that second question. He can't be THAT ignorant.]

[Visual]

[whywouldyoubuckleup]

Oh, what the hell. Sign me up. It might be useful to learn how to fight like a horse.

[Visual]

[stormbroken]

It beats hiding in a barrel if trouble comes.

[Visual]

[whywouldyoubuckleup]

Do they even make barrels that big?

[Visual]

[stormbroken]

...You'd be surprised what you'll see rolling through this town come cider season.

[visual]

[elementofloyalty]

Somehow everypony keeps forgetting this defense squad was MY idea. And if you want the position of self-defense instructor, how about you show me what you've got first?

[visual]

[stormbroken]

Hey, I've only got second-hand info here, and I proposed teaching self-defense when I first got here.

You wanna see what I've got? Name a place.

[visual]

[elementofloyalty]

The field north of town. That oughtta keep anything from getting wrecked.

[Action]

[stormbroken]

[It's not too far a flight to get from the southwest edge of the Everfree to the fields north of Ponyville... at least, not as the pegasus flies. Doesn't take more than five minutes before Flare touches down on the grass, adopting a wider stance and readying herself, looking around for her challenger.

If nothing else, this'll help relieve some stress. The Everfree in this world is surprisingly more peaceful than her own, she hasn't had a decent fight since she got here.]

visual;

[ghostgem]

Mighty kind of ya! I'm more than equipped to handle myself, though, so I won't be takin' you up on your offer, but I will be seein' ya around on the "force". But I am a mite curious about "Diamond Dogs"?

[stormbroken]

Gem hoarders from the badlands. Walk on two legs like a minotaur, mostly dog-looking things aside from that. They tend to do a lot of cave digging, and have been known to kidnap ponies for various unpleasant things if they cross paths with one.

They probably wouldn't be any major threat to you personally.

[Hell, with how many gems Gemmy has embedded in her, they might see her as some sort of goddess or something.]

[ghostgem]

Gem diggers! Well golly, I need to meet me some of these folk. I wonder if they can be paid for their services... I'm a miner, see. And a jeweler and blacksmith! I do a little of everything, when it comes to stuff that comes outta the ground. And I'm fine with workin' by myself, but if there's a group of critters that are naturals at it... well, you know what I mean!

[visual]

[snowpointvictor]

That's actually refreshingly helpful as far as information goes.

My name's Zoey.

[visual]

[stormbroken]

Flare Star. I was a guardpony back home, so I know a thing or two about holding myself in a fight, and about the creatures around Equestria.