Things Are Not What They Seem: CYOA Part 6

>RP Status: [spoiler]70 means eligible for romance.[/spoiler]

>PP: 30

>TS: 42

>PC: 46

>RD: 36

>FS: 35

 

>Anon is in a group with Rainbow, Twilight, Fluttershy and Princess Celestia tracking down Applejack. Changelings have already abducted Pinkie and attempted to take Rainbow and Fluttershy as well. Setting right now is Fluttershy's house.

 

Alarm bells were going off in your head, and if Applejack was captured too, that just made the task of rescuing Pinkie all that much more difficult, not to mention you hadn't even encountered the Queen yet. You glance back at Celestia, hoping she'd be enough to keep the Queen from getting inbetween you and the Elements.

 

Time to get moving.

 

Who do you want to talk to on the way to AJ's farm?

>(A) Twilight

>(B) Princess Celestia

>(C) Rainbow Dash

>(D) Rarity

>(E) Fluttershy

 

 

 

>(B)

 

Once again, you walk alongside Princess Celestia on the way to your destination. She notices you right away.

 

"Would it offend you if I said I was a touch surprised at your willingness to help my little ponies? You are, after all, a stranger in a strange land. We don't even know if we can help you get back home." Her tone is much warmer than you remember.

 

"Ah..." Anon pauses, considering the question himself. "I actually couldn't give a reason why I'm helping. I just... am? It feels right, I guess. Besides, I'll bet I have better chances with you than the changelings," you add sarcastically.

 

"I would have to agree with you there. Though, who really knows? Maybe Chrysalis is a very kind soul on the inside, and just needs another kind soul to connect with."

 

She says it with such a straight face, you can't divine whether she's kidding around or not. With a composure like that, you'd hate to play poker against her. You're thinking up a retort when a roar of wind grabs your attention. You look up along with everyone else and gasp.

 

The air is filled with changelings—at least a couple dozen. It looks like they're done waiting and decided to bring the fight to your group.

 

You scowl, curling your right hand into a fist.

 

>RP: PC: 48 (+2)

 

What next?

>(A) Go for it

>(B) Organize your group for defense

>(C) Organize your group for offense

>(D) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(B)

 

Rainbow shoots off toward the changelings at once, but you call her back. "WAIT! We need to organize, there are too many!"

 

The changelings are descending on your group fast, but Rainbow makes it back with some time to organize. You look again at your attackers, making a better estimate at their numbers. It looks to be about 30. Not an insurmountable number, but enough that they could knock somepony out and take them away in the confusion. That's your biggest threat. In fact, if Celestia is as strong as you think she is, she could probably handle this on her own.

 

"Okay, Twilight, stand next to Fluttershy. You two keep track of each other no matter what. Rarity, you do the same with Rainbow Dash—"

 

"Oh, c'mon, I don't need a babysitter!"

 

"Not the time, Rainbow!" yells Twilight.

 

"Thanks, Twilight. Cover each others' backs. I'll watch all of you and go where I'm needed. It's unlikely they'll come after me since I'm not an Element. Celestia, I doubt they'll even try to attack you. At most, they'll just want to distract you long enough to kidnap someone else. Fly up there and zap them down as they approach, keep their numbers managable for us on the ground. We good?"

 

Every looks at you and nods, a range of emotions on their faces. Celestia has again adopted the passive, yet stern visage of a ruler. Twilight looks as serious as you've ever seen her, Rainbow just looks excited, Rarity and Fluttershy seem concerned, but ready nonetheless.

 

Let's do this!

 

(cont.)

 

 

 

 

The changelings roar their battlecry as they descend up your group. The closest one gets a faceful of magic, courtesy of Celestia's horn. The next closest falls in the same manner. Soon, however, they come in more organized waves, five at a time, too many for Celestia to handle. She's able to drop one or two but the rest make it to you and the other four ponies on the ground.

 

Twilight proves almost as capable as her teacher with magic, knocking down several more changelings before they even touch anyone. Rarity is throwing rocks with incredible precision, either knocking the changelings off-course or unconscious.

 

You tense up as one is finally able to get up close. Pulling back your fist, you prepare to punch it, only to see a cyan leg speed out of nowhere and collide with the changeling first. It crumples over onto the ground. Before moving back to Rarity, Rainbow gives you a cheeky smile which you return in kind.

 

Ultimately, your strategy proves too much for the changelings. They all fall to hoof, fist, or magic. Just as you figured, Celestia proved more than capable on her own.

 

What next?

>(A) Hurry to the farm

>(C) Check on everyone first

>(D) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(C)

 

While that certainly felt like a decisive victory, it's better safe than sorry. You survey the area, finding all of the changelings definitely unconscious or immobile. Everyone from your party is up and moving, too, though Fluttershy is shaking from the shock of it all. You feel sorry for her.

 

"Everyone okay?"

 

Each pony sounds off. Celestia lands next to you and nods. "I'm fine as well, Anon. It looks like we dealt with that attack without trouble... but I fear it was only meant to delay us."

 

Crap. She's probably right. "Let's go, everyone!" You allow Twilight to take off toward the farm first, then follow close behind with the rest of the group. Arriving at the farmhouse, you see definite signs of a struggle. The barn door and front door to the house are both busted open. You don't hear anything, but you're not very close yet.

 

>Analytical: There are some strange tracks leading away from the barn, going further up the dirt road toward a forest. Like someone was being dragged off...

 

What do you do?

>(A) Stealthily infiltrate the barn and house

>(B) Barge in

>(C) Follow the strange tracks

>(D) Split up, investigate both tracks and house (specify who does what)

>(E) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(D) You and PC investigate barn, the girls investigate tracks

 

Hmmm. If someone is being dragged off, and the changelings needed to slow you down with that attack, there's a chance you can still help the one they captured. There's not enough time to investigate both, however, so you'll need to split up.

 

"Twilight, you take Rarity, Fluttershy and Rainbow and follow those tracks. I'll got with Celestia and check out the barn and house over here." Twilight nods, her face once again dead serious. She knew the situation, and was handling it quite well. "I suggest you hurry. If those changelings were meant to distract us..."

 

"Got it! With me, girls!" They take off down the road. You find yourself saluting their backs as they go.

 

As soon as they're gone, Celestia addresses you, keeping her voice low. "We should check the house first. More likely to have ponies inside."

 

You nod and the two of you make your way toward the house, keeping as quiet as possible. When you get to the door, you motion to enter first, but Celestia yanks you back by your shirt collar.

 

"I do not mean to insult, Anon, but I believe I'm a bit more capable. Allow me to check the room first."

 

You frown but stay quiet, knowing Celestia is likely correct in that regard. With a curt nod, you acknowledge her statement and step aside to let her in first.

 

The entry hall is empty.

 

Where to?

>(A) Kitchen

>(B) Living room

>(C) Upstairs

>(D) Open response

 

 

 

>RP: TS: (+3) (for showing leadership)

     RD: (+3) (for being badass)

     R: (+2)

     FS: (+2)

     PC: (+3) (for showing leadership)

 

 

 

 

>(B)

 

Celestia looks back to you and you point toward the living room. She nods, then slowly makes her way forward, keeping her eyes and ears open. Splinters from the broken-down door crunch under your feet as you walk over them, making you cringe, but it's probably too quiet to alert anyone to your presence.

 

After entering the living room, Celestia looks back and forth, up and down before turning around and waving an all-clear.

 

You feel your heart pounding faster and faster. Placing a hand over your chest, you pause to catch your breath a moment. As the pounding in your chest slows, however, a worse throbbing emerges in your head, much like your earlier headache.

 

Anon falls to a knee, his vision white with pain.

 

 

'Why are you here...'

 

 

Just as suddenly as the headache came, it disappeared, leaving only a hollow thumping in your head. You feel a hoof on your shoulder and look up to find Celestia gazing down at you, her eyes begging the question, 'Are you okay?'

 

You manage a nod for now.

 

A scuffle comes from upstairs, snapping both your and Celestia's attention toward the stairs at once.

 

What next?

>(A) Investigate

>(B) Go outside, get the jump on whoever it is by entering through a window

>(C) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(B)

 

You gesture for Celestia to lean in. She complies.

 

"Could we go outside and come in through a window? Might get the jump on them."

 

Celestia takes one last glance up the stairs and nods. "Follow me."

 

Keeping her step light, she makes her way back outside, you close behind. The two of you walk around the house, spotting a second-story window large enough to fit the both of you on the side. The trouble, however, is actually getting you up there. The slant of the roof is too steep; if Celestia teleports you up, you'll just slide off.

 

"Um, how do you think—"

 

Suddenly, you're floating up off the ground, surrounded by a golden glow. Celestia sets you down on her back, right behind her neck and in front of her wings. You blush at being plopped there so abruptly, which Celestia notices when turning around to check on you. That playful smirk of hers reappears.

 

"No need to be so modest, Anon," she whispers.

 

With that, she lifts off and hovers over to the window. You both peer inside, and widen your eyes at what you see.

 

It appears three ponies—a green-coated elder, a red-coated stallion, and a yellow-coated filly—are all conversing with a changeling.

 

What to do?

>(A) Eavesdrop

>(B) Barge in

>(C) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(A)

 

Best hear out their plans first. Celestia moves to the side of the window to prevent them from seeing you, then hovers in as close as possible.

 

"—ter she's caged, we'll wait for the Queen's orders. It's likely she'll go for the Elements themselves next."

 

"Should we try to stall or incapacitate anyone who comes by here?"

 

"Just stall. Incapacitate if you must, but it's best to stick with the story."

 

"Applejack 'drove off' the last of the changelings and went to town to find her friends, right?"

 

"Correct. There's also rumors of Princess Celestia being about. Do not try to engage her at all: leave that to the Queen. Simply report her position if you can."

 

"Roger!"

 

"And get that door fixed up and put back ASAP. It's a dead giveaway that something happened here."

 

You hear the sound of several pairs of hooves walking away. They must be done going over their plans. If you heard right, Applejack was on her way to being 'caged', as you suspected with the tracks you saw earlier, and three disguised changelings were there to cover up her disappearance.

 

But what was the fourth one there for?

 

The thought leaves your head as Celestia lurches forward, forcing you to lean into her neck to keep balance. She lands under some cover, then points to the sky. The fourth changeling was flying off in the direction of the other part of your group.

 

What next?

>(A) Follow him

>(B) Capture him and question him further (specify questions)

>(C) Ignore him. You have the info you need. Meet up with the rest of the group and help them bust out PP and AJ.

>(D) Open response

 

 

 

 

>(D) Take care of him then meet up with the others

 

"Celestia, do you think you could catch up with him and take him out? He's probably headed for the same place as the girls, and I'm sure they don't want to deal with another changeling."

 

She chokes out a laugh. "Hah! I may not be Rainbow Dash, but I know how to fly. The question is, can you hang on?"

 

You gulp, feeling you may have just bitten off more than you could chew. Instead of trying to give a witty response, you hug Celestia's neck and tighten you hips. Half of you is excited: you're going to actually fly! Something tons of people would be jealous of! And atop a magical horse, no less. The other half is quaking in your bones, telling you that you should definitely not be here, that you should hop off Celestia and follow on foot.

 

But ponies are counting on you. Ponies who considered you a friend. You're not letting a little fear and anxiety stop you now, especially in front of Celestia.

 

Letting out a deep breath, you nod, giving Celestia a go.

 

She leaps from the ground, boosting herself with her powerful legs, then speeds toward the changeling, keeping her wings beating hard and fast, never losing their tempo. She certainly wasn't kidding when she said she knew how to fly. As she raced in, you heard Celestia warm up a spell. The air sizzled atop her horn, crackling with power. You almost felt sorry for the poor changeling.

 

(cont)

 

 

 

 

 

With a grunt, she let the magic bolt loose. The flash is loud enough for the changeling to hear, but he turns around only in time to take the spell full in the face. He instantly goes limp, and Celestia swoops down to intersect. You flinch as his body drops onto her back just behind you. Again, Celestia's horn glows mightily, and again flashes with a spell. The changeling's body disappears, likely teleported to a secure place, not to bother anyone until this was over.

 

A little more comfortable on Celestia's back now, you release her neck with a hand in order to give a thumbs-up. She smiles as the gesture, then abruptly does a barrel roll.

 

You're pretty sure it gave you a heart attack. As soon as the roll started, your free hand immediately went back to her neck, holding on for dear life. If you clutch any tighter, you're sure you'd be choking her. From the laughter, however, you could tell she was doing just fine. Her smile persists until she lands just outside the forest where the tracks enter it.

 

Hopping off, you straighten your clothes and grumble, only getting another laugh from the princess.

 

You were going to get her back for that, no matter how much experience she had pranking.

 

>RP: PC: 55 (+4)