open An Arrow to the Wing (1x1 with Catpone Cerberus)

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"An illusion of a perfect Equestria? Yeah, sounds like she's keeping that up by essentially ignoring issues until they start havoc. Arrow, your leader is stupid. And as for your pet...."

Sky pulled out his 1911 handgun.

"If you order your bird to attack me, that gives me authority to shoot you and the bird."

He was gonna shoot Ruby to prove a point since she is bullet proof, but Myra had him put the gun away to avoid angering the dragon that could easily kill everyone her.

"I'm Myra, that's Sky."

"So who exactly do you need to put down?"

"We can't aid you in killing any civilians. I'd rather not make myself into a war criminal. We'd actually have to stop you if you did that. Fironian government and military are free to kill."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Sky would have Ember's blade at his throat before he got to the word 'bird', the crow would also be far gone at that point, he threatened a bounty hunter, what did he expect?, and the crow wasn't stupid enough to stay in one place when threatened. She would lower her weapon after Sky lowered his, and the crow would return with annoyed caw.

"First things first, don't pull your weapon at me ever again, I will not hesitate to kill you the next time." though her tone was perfectly calm, one could see from her eyes she wasn't kidding "Second, I don't order it to do anything, it's a crow, it does what it wants." *Caw Caw*  "And lastly, my mission is confidential, but I assure you, it's not civilians, I'm very picky with the jobs I take, I don't go after small criminals or innocent creatures." 

"Good job with the first impression Sky-dog." Ruby commented from the side before muttering to herself "and I'm the dangerous one." 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sky was unphased, but he complied, escalating the situation wasn't a good idea.

"Sorry, he thinks he is invincible just because he has training or whatever."

"Bounty hunters in the ACO, American Counter-terrorism Organization are given intense military style training on par with special forces."

"Really, looking at you, it looks like you would wash out of being a Canterlot Castle janitor with your lack of discipline. A soldier is supposed to show restraint."

Myra nodded. The coyote, Sky didn't respond.

Arrow turned to the dragon-pony after crushing the coyote with his words.

"He's probably not as experienced, he'll learn over time."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"Training means nothing if you don't use your head." Ember pointed out "And pulling your weapon on potential allies when they say something you don't like is very stupid thing to do, it doesn't make you look tough or threatening, it just makes you look like a potential risk." though she had dropped the professional tone, it was clear that she was one to keep a level head, this would be confirmed if Quasi was to look in her head, though other thing he would most likely notice that he couldn't find anything that seemed like Ember wouldn't want it to be known, and if he stared at her too long, she would think 'I was told you can read minds'.
Meanwhile Ruby would again mutter something under her breath as she enjoyed her meal, something about hypocrisy and dogs. 

"That aside, why are you here?." Ember asked when everyone had said what they had to say "I know that Arrow and Ruby are here for similar reason as I, we get paid, and I know that Quasi is from one of the parties affected by this war, but what does talking dogs with weird weapons have to do with this? Not to insult you, but that's the best way I know how to describe you." "Are you just hired help or does this 'America' have something to with this?"

Edited October 13, 2020 by Catpone Cerberus

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"I was sent by the United States government on a mission to kill the Fironian leader. The military is already dealing with other conflicts in my world, and while we do have the men and fire power to take kill the Fironian leader, and even fight a full-scale war, we don't want a war, and we couldn't make an offense attack using any human forces because they turn into a pony. The U.S. has made an Equestrian division to all branches of the military, but they are still training to use their pony bodies and pony modified weapons effectively."

"Most nations on Earth, including my mate, Sky's can handle a defensive war against Fironia if it comes to that, but I think that's why they haven't attacked. We are merely honoring an agreement with the Dragonlands to offer aid."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
Ember put her hoof against her forehead "Why do we keep letting creatures from other worlds in ours, no wonder we are constantly under attack." she more muttered it to herself than said it to anyone in particular, but it was loud and clear enough to be heard "That's enough information thanks, I have no personal interest in the war and would like to keep it that way." problems like this was one of the reasons why she had became who she was, she had decided that it was best to distance yourself from any group or organization to avoid getting mixed into things. "So, are you planning on leaving soon or is there time to eat something?" 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

Some voice came from Sky's communications. They sounded older, maybe in their late 60's.

"Sky. Stop pointing guns at people that aren't a threat! You make yourself look like a threat when you do that, it looks bad on us, and it's getting ridiculous. Ace Armstrong out."

Arrow answered Ember's question.

"No time, we need to go. We aren't even supposed to be in this location."

"I can give you some food from our supplies later. Is your diet plant based or meat based?"

"Yeah, let's go, this world doesn't need much help since we kinda accidentally won the war on this front. Still, the front we're supposed to fight needs our help. But... how exactly are we going to win this war and fulfill the prophecy? If it's even a real prophecy at all. We've had that issue once."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"I can handle my own food, but both." Ember said "Just wanted to know your schedule, since if there would have been time, it would have been practical to get it over with now." she was the type to plan as far to the future as possible, and since her job included lot of situations where things like eating were impossible, she had to plan it in a way she used any potential downtime well. For the question about how to win the war, Ruby was the one to speak up "Simple, we kill everyone, when we kill enough, their morale will go down, and they stop fighting, that is the weakness of herds." 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"War of attrition. Interesting move."

"What worries me is that they have technology. Nothing the dragons could effectively use, but they have the Jackals. They may have stolen from a few countries some tanks, jets, and artillery along with guns. Probably cold war era stuff. That wouldn't be much of a challenge in my world, but in this world, they are essentially the big guys on the playground."

"Makes sense, and without any of your more advanced nations in on this war, this will be a hard fight."

"Sky, remember when I shot down your fighter jet with an explosive arrow?"

"How could I forget? That is how we met."

"What if we bring Dasonia into this war? It'll still be a hard war, but maybe we'll have enough to win!"

Arrow spoke up.

"We were shown these fighter jets once when a diplomat showed us some technology. If an explosive arrow is able to shoot down a fully medal machine of war, a much slower dragon should he no problem."

Quasi looked at Ruby.

"What do you think? They can give us just enough so that our group can properly find a way to effectively defeat Fironia."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"If you want to get more creatures involved, go ahead, as long as I get paid, I don't care what we do." Ruby dismissed "But regarding these weapons you talk about, if I understand right, they are machines, which gives them a great weakness." Ember joined in "Predictability." Ruby nodded "They may be powerful, but like every machine, they have been build to do a certain thing in a certain way in certain circumstances, and they can be made into useless pile of metal by breaking few parts." "In this situation, they have clearly been build for range, so what happens if someone who's unfazed by the smaller weapons rush these machines and get close to them?" "Hiding them won't help either, I can sense metal, so even if I can't hear or smell the creatures, I can find the machines." "And sneaking behind the lines is what I do for living." Ember said in between Ruby's sentences "You stated yourself that dragons aren't something you face in your world, so what happens when machines not build to fight dragons meet something that even those who have fought dragons haven't prepared for?"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"No, we don't have the advanced weapons, besides my firearms, maybe I could call an airstrike or whatever, but besides that, the Jackals have the weapons and they are fighting on behalf of the Fironians. And don't underestimate my world. Our weapons are something to be feared, and they can easily be adapted to fit another purpose. Humans have done it longer than canines since canines are only sapient or sentient or something due to a virus that effected the DNA of our ancestors. Both races adapt well, it's what we do best. Plus we could just wipe out the dragons with nuclear bombs, we could literally wipe the species out in hours, maybe minutes."

"From what I've seen, if they don't have the weaponry, they can mass produce the weapon on a high scale. But again, their weaponry would do much damage."

"Hey! Back to getting another army in on this. The good thing is that no one will change forms entering our world, there is however another human world that does have ponies and dragons and other species change forms, but we aren't going to that one. We have a choice. We could go together or I can go alone."

"We'd have to keep Myra's location a secret, Dasonia is a forested land from what I'm told."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"I never said anything about we having anything." Ruby pointed out, not caring that the conversation had proceeded, she wasn't going to let this slide, she was getting tired of how she was treated by these insects "You didn't even listen what I said, also, why do you keep bringing up information that doesn't matter." "I don't care if your kind or these humans you talk about have weapons and mass production, they are not in this war, they don't matter, until you're secretly selling weapons to the enemies, which would give me a good reason to kill you here and now."

"You yourself said that those who are against us have stolen your weapons, not producing new ones, and the way you talked about them, indicates that they are old technology from your point of view, meaning that they are not being adapted to anything." "That is what I was talking about, those machines, the machines we are supposed to go against, I couldn't care less if a creature from your world that is not going to take part in this war has, nor do I care that your nation has things it won't use to solve this war, if your world is so great, why are we here? why don't you just deal with the whole thing? Why send a group of five instead, three of which are from places with inferior technology?" She wasn't hiding the fact that she was getting fed up "Are you lying to rest of us about your goals, or are you just so insecure about yourself and your nation that you have the need to do everything in your power to try to look greater than those around you?" 

"If you have any real reasons why I can go and just destroy those machines that barely tickle me, or those that are too slow to hit me?, go ahead and tell how they can be destroyed, I find it absolutely ridiculous that it's me who needs to say this, but idea of a team is that everyone is part of it, that everyone tells their ideas, and others discuss them with the knowledge they have, so that the best plan of action can be formed."

She walked next to the group and gave all of them a very hostile look "So I ask this now, and I will not let you continue before I have gotten my answer. Do you want my help or not? I'm done with tolerating your constant mockery, I know you're doing it because you think I won't hurt you for it, so in addition to the question is a statement, if you answer yes, I will expect you to act like you claim I should act..." she now focused on Sky specifically "...so if you touch me, threaten me...." she then looked towards Arrow and Quasi one after other "...or attack me, you will learn exactly what I'm capable of, I have put way more energy on having patience with you than I used when I killed two bigger than myself dragons at the arena, while you ran away leaving us behind by the way, and I refuse to do that any longer, if you can't have someone with different view of the world around you without the need to constantly try to test their patience, then say no, and I will go do what I'm paid to do without you."

Ember had backed away a bit at this point, it was obvious she wasn't included in this verbal bombardment, and from the way she looked, it was clear that she was reconsidering her decision to join this group, not really a great first impression now was it, first she was threatened and now it turns out there's few questionable choices that has been made by them. The crow somehow looked like it agreed with Ember even though she hadn't said a word.

Any attempt to interrupt Ruby would only cause her to speak louder, and if Quasi was to touch her during it, he would be pushed away, while anyone else who may try the same would be straight up hit in full force, it should be obvious that she wasn't on the mood for games

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Yes, Ruby, we do want you here."

Arrow turned to Sky.

"Sky, you love your country, I understand that. I too care for mine. That doesn't mean you can go around thinking you're superior. Your America might have much power, but there is a bigger fish out there, I'm sure. I've seen mere individuals that could destroy your entire country with the snap of a finger. You're nothing special, Sky. And I understand you're still learning about the world, but please take this lesson to heart."

"He's right, I've seen many grow bitter towards others due to their pride. Many nightwing hating anyone that's not a nightwing. I understand you don't have a hatred yet, but it could grow into that, Sky. Love your land, but be humble. It's gotten so bad that you think you can threaten people just because you're an American. Do you know how stupid you sound, Sky?"

From Sky's body language, it was clear Sky was put in his place.

"I'm sorry guys, I got so indulged in playing the big guy that I forgot I was no different than anyone else."

Sky seemed to have learned his lesson from what he was told. This ridiculous superiority complex Sky had was gone.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"Don't act like you two are innocent." Ruby said coldly "You don't get friendship points from me by acting like you always agreed with me after I point something out" "And before anyone says anything, I don't want your apologies, they are meaningless, words are just words, I would know, my life in Equestria is based on bunch of lies." "You can say you will do or want to do something as much as you want, but you need to show it for me to believe it." "And you also partly missed my point, my problem is not the pride, I don't even expect you to be nice to me, that would be rather hypocritical from me now wouldn't it?" "After all, I am prideful, violent, greedy, hateful....all the way unpleasant to be around, I'm not hiding that, quite opposite, I embrace it." "My problem with you all is that all you do is talk, you talk about how great it is to be part of a group, how great fighters you are, how perfect your nations are, yet none of you have done anything to prove these things. Besides Quasi that is." "Look at us two, then yourself, do you have a single scratch anywhere? What exactly have you done during all this."

Sure she had gotten her point in already, but she wanted to use the chance when she was actually listened to get it all out.

She then looked at Arrow "You act like such a powerful and smart dragon-hunter, but I'm yet to see you even take on someone who's actually allowed to hurt you, not to mention actually winning such fight, nor have I heard you saying or seen you doing anything what average pony wouldn't come up with." then she looked at Quasi "You didn't actually boast that much, but you did suddenly attack me, and did try to imply I'm a coward before that, and tried to blame it on me after." she then turned towards the dogs, mostly Sky, Myra hadn't really done much in general "You shot, me after that fight, threatened a new potential ally here...why exactly am I the one everyone fears will attack without reason? anyway, you both talk about how great your nation and words and whatever is, how powerful weapons they have how they could wipe me out, yet they sent only you two? and didn't even give you good equipment?" "And your skills? all you have done is kill some dogs from a distance with the element of surprise." "And do I even need to mention how you left us behind? I would be marked as a traitor if I did that to you." 

"And before you try to point out that I like to praise myself too...I said my scales are hard to get through, I have proven that, I said I don't fear dying, I have proven that, I said I'm a strong fighter capable bringing down dragons bigger than myself, I have proven that, I said I can take a beating and still fight, I have proven that..." "It feels like I do everything while I everyone acts like I'm more trouble than I'm worth, it's insulting waste of my time." 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

"You have a point, we speak our words without action, proving nothing. As you said, Quasi has done better than the rest of us in terms of proving ourselves. Though when he attacked you, it looked to me like he was trying to impress you."

He looked at Quasi.

"That's not how you play the game."

He looked at Ruby again.

"Whatever the case, we should go. I think we should leave Myra's army out of this for now, her homeland could be easily put at risk. Weapons can't stop a forest fire... in this case at least."

"Hey! I'm great with females!"

"No, too insecure, attacked her to impress her while threatening to kill her. And even if you did want to fight Ruby, you wouldn't win. You aren't that threatening."

It was then everyone started to get going, assuming Ruby and Ember would follow. They'd need all the help they could get to face what was coming.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"With all due disrespect, you shouldn't assume how you 'play the game' when it comes to my kind." Ruby pointed out in more her usual manner before addressing Quasi, "It's true you shouldn't just suddenly attack us, but fighting us is a very real way to get our approval during offspring season." "That's usually exactly what you need to do if there isn't any competition to fight." She would follow the rest of the group assuming Quasi did.

Ember too would follow, having made a mental note of everything she had learned "You talked about exploding arrows, I can get us that, and other weaponry too, I have connections with access to bunch of things, nothing from other words, but it's best you can get from Equestria." 

(check OOC)

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Yeah, then it's good I didn't do too well, I'm not ready for children. Like, I prefer to at least be married first. Not that you're into me."

"Now you're getting it! Try holding colorful feathers and dancing around like an idiot. The lady dragons love that! I've seen it in a movie once!"

"So, Ember, you have access to weapons? That should do quite well for us."

They'd eventually got to the portal to Equus.

"Alright, anyone else gonna distract us from the mission? Good, let's actually find out where we're going."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"Marriage isn't a thing for us." Ruby said, and assuming the rest of the group didn't have a reason to interrupt her and Quasi during the travel, she would explain to Quasi how the things worked in her lands, and the simple, short version of it was, males try to impress female by killing each other, one hopefully succeeds, then depending on the female the male either is killed or chased away. If anyone was to question why she told about it, the response would be something along the lines of wanting to say how things actually work before Quasi believed something from someone who knew nothing about it. 

"Just say the location and I can get them there in 24 hours at max." Ember confirmed, it wasn't like there was a pile of them just laying somewhere ready to be teleported instantly, so it would take some time to get them here, that and the message also would take its time to arrive to the right creatures, but she knew it wouldn't take longer than 24 hours, her connections were on both sides of the law, so it was lot more efficient than any official route, not that it was hard to top anything that the Royal guard was involved in.

 

 

"You don't know that yet?" Ember would question at the portal when Arrow said his comment "You have no equipment, nor plans?" "I can see now why they wanted me to join you." 

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Arrow, you may not like this, but I want my army in on this. The American navy has the portal guarded, any dragon coming through will be killed in sight. No dragons will reach Nomadikós."

"Shall I notify them about Ruby and Quasi?"

"If they agree to go."

Quasi looked at Ruby.

"What do you think?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"What else is there for us to do?" Ruby asked "If you want my honest opinion, I don't really want to go, I've got enough of sources of annoyance that I can't kill with this group, I don't want even more creatures sticking their weapons at me without me being allowed to do something about it." "But what else would we do during it? sit here and wait?" "And before anyone suggests it, while I am healed enough to transform, I would look so badly injured as a pony that everyone would question how I am still moving." 

Ember would also speak "What about me? I'm half-dragon, if this navy is even nearly as easily provoked as certain somebody..." Sky "...I don't trust it to be safe for me to pass." Sky may have apologized, but considering it was Ember's first impressions from him, it would take some time for her to truly trust him.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"The military has a lot more restraint. If they know ahead of time you should be fine. At worst they might ask you for your weapons temporarily."

"When we get the Dasonian army, maybe we should launch a surprise amphibious invasion on the conquered territory."

"Seems a little ambitious, if those Jackals are there, many would die."

"Such is war."

"They'll be fighting the war on two fronts, both allied armies will be fighting on one each. Ruby, we could lower the defenses of the Jackals on the beach by setting them all on fire. Then you can give a smoke signal."

 

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
"I'm always up for burning some fools." Ruby agreed "Maybe I'll help myself with a snack too." she didn't care much for the war itself, and while she didn't just blindly attack things without planning it a bit first, she didn't see the need in commenting at the strategy that was being suggested, since it wasn't such that it would stop her from making her own decisions.

Ember seemed to accept the response regarding her question, giving her weapon away for a moment didn't really bother her, she was more than capable fighter without it. 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

Sky spoke on his communications

"Sky to Sanctuary, we need pick up get to the aircraft carrier by the portal."

"Gotcha."

A helicopter would eventually show up. Most of them could get on, but Ruby and Quasi will have to follow.

Looking at the speed the helicopter showed up, Quasi wrote something in his book.

"We should be fast enough."

After some flying, they would approach an aircraft carrier with humans showing them where to land.

"Wow, those scavengers look professional."

Obviously this is what dragons in his world called humans.

When they landed, multiple humans had guns and few had some bigger looking weapons too, probably to accommodate for Ruby. This wasn't due to a lack of trust, but more so for proper security. Just from their body language, they were prepared, but didn't expect anything to happen.

A few humans, scientists would walk up to Ruby. One spoke up.

"You're Ruby, right? We'd like to ask you a few things. Maybe the white dragon too given his mind reading abilities. If you don't wish to answer anything, that's alright."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,594]

@Lucid_Nightlight
While Quasi focused on the speed of the helicopter, Ruby thought about other things, more precisely about how easy it would be to bring the machine down, she didn't need to know about the inner workings to be able to tell that the spinning metal thing on the top was the thing to keep it in the air, and that breaking it would make it useless. What she didn't know, was that there was even easier way, fire, sure some helicopters may have been build to tolerate some amounts of fire, but directed breath of dragon-fire at the air intake of anything that had an engine would disable it rather quickly. She wouldn't act on her thoughts though, that would be stupid.

"Just more herd animals acting like herd animals." She would half mutter to Quasi's comment, she wasn't impressed so far.

She wouldn't care about the weapons if they weren't aimed directly at her, but if they were, she considered it as them trying to threaten her, and would give them a look that told them that she was ready to fight if they tried anything, she would even physically, but surprisingly gently, turn them away from herself if they got into a poking distance, which was unlikely since they were guns, not spears.

Ruby had no idea what a human scientist would look like, so for her these were just humans with different stuff with them "Yes I am Ruby." she would say in her usual uncaring tone, her posture telling clearly what she thought of these humans, which was, that they were inferior to her like everyone else. "And go ahead, it's not like I have anything better to do here." 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Catpone Cerberus

"Ruby and Quasi, we'll ask you a list of questions and you will answer."

"Ruby, your questions are as followed: How hot is your fire, what is your bite force, how much can your scales take, what magic do you have, how do you do this magic, and can other beings use and/or harness the magic? Also, the cat on your head, what's her name?"

Since Ruby was more rare, they were more interested in her.

"Quasi Nix, how do you read minds?"

"My egg hatched under one full moon. Dragons hatched in those circumstances will either read minds or tell the future in a sense. Someone born under two get both. Under three moons full, both powers are made stronger."

"Interesting it seems we will want some nightwing volunteers to run some tests. I'm unsure about Ruby, honestly. We've sent drones near Ruby's kind to test their reaction, and the drones were met with hostility. We may send some with microphones and radios to attempt to communicate."

"They speak another language."

"Interesting."

The scientist looked at Ruby.

"Ruby, do you have any means for someone to learn your language?"

-------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Arrow was with Ember.

"So, got any pets?"

Arrow's pet crab was scuttling around the ship.