private Adventure to Atlantis

[Milk Wave 454]

@@Dawn Stripes @

 

From the pod, Moon could hear Giant talking to someone. It sounded like an angry voice, and it was when she came closer. Seeing it was him talking to Ocean, it seemed ok until he started to ask her some questions. To Moon, it sounded like an interrogation, so she walked up to Giant.

Before she could even speak, she heard Ocean from atop of the escape pod start to yell. From then on, there wasn't much of an option Moon could do.

But something popped in her head, which made her whisper into Giant's ear.

 

"Please, don't.."

Edited May 7, 2013 by 1_0_4_3268764 0 OK 0

[Agent505 661]

@, 

 

Upon seeing everything and everypony falling into disarray once again, Frostbite couldn't help but remark on the situation "It's a regular old family reunion" she sighed, looking over at the pony who had yelled, and was now hiding on the floor. 

She hopped off the roof and landed heavily on the ground, walking slowly up to the mare "beg pardon?" she questioned "I may not be too happy about having to protect you all, but that doesn't mean i'm going to kill you. You'd have just been cold, that's all." she laughed, before looking at the stallion who had approached with an empty look, not saying a word. 

[Ano170 162]

(OOC: Sorry but I'm afraid I have to go walk the dogs, then have tea, so this'll probably be my last post for an hour or so.)

 
@@Count Paradox, @,

 

 
 
Feather nodded at the light blue unicorn. "Good to know - homicide is generally frowned upon in most societies, after all." She shuffled her hooves rather awkwardly. "Sorry again for my outburst; I just got a bit of a fright, you know?" She tipped her hat to the mare to show her sincerity, absently scraping ice off it with one hoof.
 
For the first time, Feather examined her surroundings, and let out a little gasp. The cavern was huge, and the way the water from the pool made the light dance on the roof was really rather beautiful. It was a shame about all the yelling ponies, whirring machines and smoke belching trucks, though. Unsure of what else, if anything, she should say to the unicorn, Feather instead turned her attention back to Paradox.

 

"So," she asked him. "What do you think of all this?"

Edited May 7, 2013 by An0

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@~Flame Dancer~

 

Steel wasn't sure whether to be furious at Giant or just confused. So he settled on being concerned. He glides over to the seat of the truck where Ocean was.

 

"My lady?" He uneasily greeted. "I know you may not want to talk right now, but I just want to let you know you are not alone. Not anymore. Even if everypony else gives up on the search and heads for the surface, I will accompany you to Atlantis myself. You have the knowledge to get there, I have the skill to defend us. We'll figure out the rest as we go." He smiled, trying to convey the sincerity of his oath. "Oh and if you . . . need me to kick somepony's ass, I can always just say they didn't announce their prescience." He grinned mischievously.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Steel Accord

[Dawn Stripes 301]

@, 

 

Giant found himself interrupted in listening to Ocean's unexpected explanation when he felt somepony trying to whisper into his ear. He turned--it was Moon Wave, that crew-member.

He was kind of in the middle of something, and was about to be irritated until he heard her whisper. She sounded rather desperate.

 

"Don't what?" he grumbled under his breath, so Ocean wouldn't hear.

[Milk Wave 454]

@@Dawn Stripes

 

It seemed like the day was just starting to turn bright, until one had to change it all. Moon didn't want any arguing, and she surely didn't want anypony to be killed by a fellow member.

 

"Please, stop talking." She replied in another whisper. "Ocean is our captain, the one that we should have a decency to respect.."

Edited May 7, 2013 by 1_0_4_3268764 0 OK 0

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@@Steel Accord,

 

Ocean nodded. "You're...you're sweet. Thank you, Steel." She said, giving him a weak smile as she started tying down the boxes. She glanced over at Giant and rolled her eyes again before she finished tying down the boxes.

 

 

@@Nightfall,

Iron Hoof had helped empty an escape sub and was working on another when there was a loud BANG and smoke started puffing from the digger. "NIGHTFALL. FIX IT." He yelled, not realizing that Nightfall and Cascade weren't with them.

Edited May 7, 2013 by ~Flame Dancer~

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@@Steel Accord,

 

Ocean nodded. "You're...you're sweet. Thank you, Steel." She said, giving him a weak smile as she started tying down the boxes. She glanced over at Giant and rolled her eyes again before she finished tying down the boxes.

"The Master Seargeant?!" Steel asked incredulously as he helped Ocean load boxes. "He seemed such the reasonable sort. I never suspected he would give you such a hard time. Did he . . . not announce his prescience?" Steel lifted his wing to reveal his scabbard.

[Dawn Stripes 301]

@, 

@@Steel Accord,

 

Giant shrugged heavily, the weight of the world seeming to settle on the battle-saddle her bore. How old was this mare? Luna's song, it was distressing to see.

"Nopony's shooting anypony if I have anything to say about it," he reassured her. "Yet.

"You don't get it, do you?" He looked up at Steel Accord. "You're my age you don't trust that way any more! Iron Hoof is the only real captain here, and...Miss, Wind, hadn't known any of us long enough to earn respect. Which is what you do where I was raised.

"I didn't live this long by believing every pony who told me they were on my side. I didn't get the stars on my hat by believing every pony who said there was nothing wrong with them...or who said they were a pony." He stared at the expedition leader--surprisingly equine looking, leaving no trace of the thing she had become so recently. "So she says she's a pony; I have no reason to believe her. Forget loyalty to the archaeologist, Miss Wave, if I may speak freely, but my only loyalty is to get as many ponies to land alive as possible."

Especially Steel. Giant's heart winced when he saw the way the young buck looked at Miss Wind, and for his sake, he found himself hoping she was just the victim of something tragic. Giant didn't want to watch the broken look in a colt's eyes he predicted he'd be facing up to if she turned on them.

 

He grabbed a set of boxes in his mouth and began loading the truck. Pointedly. "We might as well get going along," he said around the string, "I suppose there's a lost city to be found. But I'll be keeping a close eye on everypony."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@@Dawn Stripes,

@@Steel Accord,

 

Ocean stared at Giant for a good minute before speaking. "Giant, I think it best you go unload another sub." She said, glaring at him. "I had to endure stupid bucking ponies like you for four years. Every. Single. Day. And I am NOT going to sit here and take this." She said.
She glared at him for a few more seconds before climbing back into the escape pod to bring out more supplies.

[Milk Wave 454]

@@Dawn Stripes

 

"Then so be it."

 

She drew back herself a few steps, sighed, and looked directly into Giant's eyes.

 

"But just so you know, the secrets that you want to talk about to Ocean will only make her angry and you angry as well, which leads to disrespect. You should at least know that to gain someone's respect, you don't talk about things that they don't want to answer. You talk about the things that they do want to answer. Things that will encourage not just them or you, but the other ponies around too."

Edited May 7, 2013 by 1_0_4_3268764 0 OK 0

[Steel Accord 6,660]

Steel was all but livid now. He felt betrayed and foolish, he pledged himself to such a bigot!

 

"My lady?" He said to Ocean with a growl in his voice. "Pleeease, give me an excuse!" Steel's itched over his weapons, the desire to feel their comfortably familiar weight and hear the singing of their vibrations almost overpowering. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice screamed that now was not the time to make enemies. But his conscience told him that a lady's honor had been threatened.

 

"One thing I pride myself on . . . Sergeant." He called out. "I'm an excellent judge of character. When you have to read a pony in the split second before they pull out either a weapon or a camera, that skill comes in handy." He couldn't keep the condescation from his tone.

[Agent505 661]

@,

 

"Ocean!" Frostbite yelled, trotting away from the two ponies she was with, leaving them to their business.

She knew she was out of line before, and while it wasn't like her to apologize; she felt bad for the things she said, she knew what it was like to be in Oceans position after she overheard her story. 

 

When she neared the watery mare, she looked down at the floor as if she was ashamed. "I'm uh...i'm sorry, about the things I said back there. I know it's not easy, being...different. I didn't know how to react and I was in a pretty bad mood..." she looked across at Iron Hoof and frowned, before turning her head up and facing Ocean "That's no excuse, I know. I just wanted to let you know that...well...I know how insensitive I was and it was wrong of me."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@@Steel Accord,

@,

 

"Calm yourself, Steel. Giant is just being insensitive." She said, turning to Frostbite. "I'm happy somepony actually apologized." She said, shooting a death glare at Giant before looking back at Frostbite. "Just...try to keep the freezing stuff to a minimum when you're around me...okay ?" She said.

[Descant 1,898]

Nightfall reached for the controls, and hit the launch button. But nothing happened. He looked at the doors, nearly panicking as water started lapping at them. He turned back to the controls, and frantically found the button for closing the doors. Only then did he hit the launch button, and the pod shot away from the Defender. He sat in the control seat, and followed the trail of bubbles coming from another pod.

((Sorry for the wait.))

 

Cascade simply allowed herself to rest on the floor where she had managed to crawl into. It was such a comfortable floor. Her vision was still blurry, and she looked up at the colt who stood navigating the controls. She smiled. "You... You waited for me..." And her sight began to flicker, and went black.

[Agent505 661]

@,

 

Turning a slight shade of pink, she turned her head away and looked down again at the floor. "I know what it's like to be in your position...well...I don't, but I know what it's like to be persecuted." Hoofing at the ground a little and looking around the cave, taking in the scenery for the first time since they arrived, trying to avoid anything becoming awkward. "And don't worry, I wont freeze you, or use you for my magic - I have total control over what and how." she giggled. 

[Nightfall 3,950]

((Sorry for the wait.))

 

Cascade simply allowed herself to rest on the floor where she had managed to crawl into. It was such a comfortable floor. Her vision was still blurry, and she looked up at the colt who stood navigating the controls. She smiled. "You... You waited for me..." And her sight began to flicker, and went black.

 

"Well, yeah, I mean, I had no-"

He looked back at her for one moment, and noticed she had blacked out. He sighed, and looked back. They were almost out of the small "drain"; he could see light at the end. He piloted the sub, almost roughly, up and out of the water. After the sub had stopped rocking, he saw everyone else was already on the shore, and that one of the vehicles was smoking. He sighed, and looked back at the soaked Cascade. He opened the top hatch on the sub and picked her up gently, using his wings to get them out of the sub and to the shore. There, he set her down by the fire (if there is one) and moved off to the digger without a word.

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

@,

 

Ocean forced a small chuckle...truth is she was rather doubtful that Frostbite had any idea what she was going through...persecuted was an understatement. "Well...thank you Frostbite. At least your being nice about the whole thing." She said, tying down the last box before walking up to the front of the truck to check if it was damaged at all.

Edited May 7, 2013 by ~Flame Dancer~

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@@Steel Accord,

@,

 

"Calm yourself, Steel. Giant is just being insensitive." She said, turning to Frostbite. "I'm happy somepony actually apologized." She said, shooting a death glare at Giant before looking back at Frostbite. "Just...try to keep the freezing stuff to a minimum when you're around me...okay ?" She said.

Upon seeing Ocean walk away with Frostbite, Steel felt something grow within his gut; dismay. He had come off not as a protector but a brute, no better than the old soldier who had antagonized his patron lady. Stamping and snorting, he quickly composed himself; walked over to one of the beaches subs, and proceeded to repeatedly slam his head against the hull. The soreness from his concussion roared in protest, but Steel only further prodded the beast. Pain was his punishment for dishonorment in front of Ocean.

[Dawn Stripes 301]

@The Party Pooping Pod

 

Giant had no trouble following his expedition leader's suggestion to take a hike. Was a little sore to give in on a point to the water pony, but since everypony surrounding him had been quick to point out sympathy to her, he was made very aware of forcing himself to act logically and try not to let his emotions get the better of him. He could watch just fine from the next pod over. Wasn't safe to be this close to her anyway when he was trying to work a battle saddle.

 

Nor Steel, anymore. Especially with those swords, and how eager he looked to use them. Giant almost paused in front of Steel Accord when he saw the younger colt hitting his head no the side of the pod--it looked excruciatingly painful--but he trotted away before he could, knowing he wasn't welcome.

He wasn't going to have to cross another sane pony off his list, was he? What had got them all acting this way?

He wished the colt would still listen to him. He wanted to grab the idiot and tell him to stop hurting himself. But he couldn't. I can't help him. The more things changed...

 

Anything to say about this? he mocked the memory of his CO. He knew with reasonable certainty that he'd never dealt with a full-on about face or total desertion. Giant wasn't in charge, after all, as was abundantly clear.

The reassuring memories were silent.

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@The Party Pooping Pod

 

Giant had no trouble following his expedition leader's suggestion to take a hike. Was a little sore to give in on a point to the water pony, but since everypony surrounding him had been quick to point out sympathy to her, he was made very aware of forcing himself to act logically and try not to let his emotions get the better of him. He could watch just fine from the next pod over. Wasn't safe to be this close to her anyway when he was trying to work a battle saddle.

 

Nor Steel, anymore. Especially with those swords, and how eager he looked to use them. Giant almost paused in front of Steel Accord when he saw the younger colt hitting his head no the side of the pod--it looked excruciatingly painful--but he trotted away before he could, knowing he wasn't welcome.

He wasn't going to have to cross another sane pony off his list, was he? What had got them all acting this way?

He wished the colt would still listen to him. He wanted to grab the idiot and tell him to stop hurting himself. But he couldn't. I can't help him. The more things changed...

 

Anything to say about this? he mocked the memory of his CO. He knew with reasonable certainty that he'd never dealt with a full-on about face or total desertion. Giant wasn't in charge, after all, as was abundantly clear.

The reassuring memories were silent.

After Steel had been sufficiently self-disciplined, he looked back to Ocean Wind. She was with Frostbite, the cryomancer made Steel a bit uneasy, but she seemed more of a loose cannon then a psychopath and she WAS on security detail so Steel thought Ocean was safe enough.

 

No he had other matters to attend to. Namely salvaging his relations with his superior. Giant was off fully assembling his rifle. Steel just had to bite the bullet and face facts. He acted irrationally and assumed what the Master Seargeant said was personal and not rooted in something deeply ingrained from experience.

 

"Master Seargent?" He asked from behind him.

Edited May 7, 2013 by Steel Accord

[Dawn Stripes 301]

@@Steel Accord,

 

Giant was getting set for a very quiet sort of evening, and not the pleasant tea-and-toast kind either, when he heard Steel speaking behind him.

 

Well, that was unexpected. It made Sarge glad that the colt wasn't beating himself up anymore--though the bruise on the side of his face looked a little worse now--but he wasn't sure why the swordpony was over here.

Over here was better than over there, all things being equal. Safer, and that. But the only reason Giant could think of for Steel to approach him now...after that previous outburst...was to challenge him to a duel.

 

Steel had shown himself to be the kind of pony who didn't make promises likely. Hadn't he said it himself, sincerity was his motto? Funny how we say we serve the same Princess, Giant thought, and here we are.

 

He really didn't want to fight Steel. If it came down to it, he considered throwing the fight if he had to. Steel Hooves deserved a chance to earn his knight-hood, and whatever else he wanted. Giant was through with adventure stories.

 

He picked up another crate.

 "Whatever you're going to do, son, make it quick and be sure it's what before you do it. If you're set, I'm not gonna' try too hard to change your mind. I'm tired right now, and I know it'll be wasted effort." He sighed, kicking off the safety latch on his battle saddle with one back hoof. "I'd just rather not have to lose another pony tonight, is all."

[Steel Accord 6,660]

@@Steel Accord,

 

Giant was getting set for a very quiet sort of evening, and not the pleasant tea-and-toast kind either, when he heard Steel speaking behind him.

 

Well, that was unexpected. It made Sarge glad that the colt wasn't beating himself up anymore--though the bruise on the side of his face looked a little worse now--but he wasn't sure why the swordpony was over here.

Over here was better than over there, all things being equal. Safer, and that. But the only reason Giant could think of for Steel to approach him now...after that previous outburst...was to challenge him to a duel.

 

Steel had shown himself to be the kind of pony who didn't make promises likely. Hadn't he said it himself, sincerity was his motto? Funny how we say we serve the same Princess, Giant thought, and here we are.

 

He really didn't want to fight Steel. If it came down to it, he considered throwing the fight if he had to. Steel Hooves deserved a chance to earn his knight-hood, and whatever else he wanted. Giant was through with adventure stories.

 

He picked up another crate.

 "Whatever you're going to do, son, make it quick and be sure it's what before you do it. If you're set, I'm not gonna' try too hard to change your mind. I'm tired right now, and I know it'll be wasted effort." He sighed, kicking off the safety latch on his battle saddle with one back hoof. "I'd just rather not have to lose another pony tonight, is all."

Steel's eyebrows and wings shot up in alarm. "Stay your rifle, I come in peace!" He reached his neck slowly behind him to undo the straps around his barrel. Both his weapons clattered to the ground. Steel prostrated himself in a bow. "I came to apologize." He said. "I wasn't thinking rationally and considered actions I now know I would have regretted taking. If you could find it in your heart to forgive me . . . " He couldn't even continue his thought.

[Miss Light Diamond 2,802]

Ocean finished checking out the front of the truck when she heard another sub surface. She looked out of the truck and watched Nightfall climb out...and then, she noticed. "Cascade ? oh dear." She muttered, running over to the unconscious mare.

As she got closer she noticed that...Cascade was wet. She swore and looked around. "SOMEPONY HELP." She called, taking a few steps away from Cascade.

[Dawn Stripes 301]

(OOC: So, where's that doctor character when you need them, eh?)

 

@@Steel Accord,

 

 

Giant's eyes narrowed in confusion. Just again, right when he thought he knew a pony....

What should he tell him? Giant didn't hesitate for a second to forgive Steel Accord. Steel trusted to easily, he figured; there was no use faulting a 20-something colt for trusting what looked like a pretty mare. Wouldn't do. But there were other considerations...

 

The first thing he did was turn the safety back on. "Glad to hear you don't wanna' stick me," he chuckled darkly. "And don't mention it, Steel. And...stop treating me like your CO. I'm not much of a leader. Like I already said, that's not the promotion route I took."

"And about..." Oh, what about her? He wanted to tell Steel to at least be careful, but he was pretty sure he couldn't. He fancied he could see the colt's limbs start to tremble in righteous fury even as he started the sentence.

And he couldn't bring himself to do that for Steel's own good, selfish old fool as he was. So he shut himself up. He had no choice but to take a risk. "About well, nothin'. Nevermind."

 

He looked around Steel at Miss Wind for a second. So help me, if you hurt him...and I ain't talkin' about breakin' his heart...I won't rest until I find a way to kill you. And by Luna, you know it, too.