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Post by Lepking13 on Aug 13, 2015 16:49:26 GMT -6
The world they knew gone.
The princesses all disappeared without warning, their leaders gone in the blink of an eye. At first it wasn’t a problem, the ponies were sure that they would be back soon. But as days turned into weeks and then months without nary a word they began to panic. The nobles took over, directing the ponies in the stead of their princesses. But as years passed they realized they controlled it all.
And the power corrupted them. They passed laws giving themselves impunity, and started abusing their power. The fires of old hatreds flared again, fanned by the crimes committed by a handful of nobles entranced with what they could now do without fear. The ponies devolved into war, ripping each other and themselves apart. As with all wars, technology progressed quickly as each side devised ways to kill the others more efficiently.
Equestria ripped itself apart into three states: The Terran Colonies, the Typhos Kingdom, and the Magistrate.
Amidst their internal conflict however, their strife and disconnection drew the attention of the rest of the world. Seeking to take advantage of the split, the Griffons invaded. And what a mistake that was.
The entirety of the hatred and anger that the three groups were throwing at each other became focused on the Griffons, all of the technologic and thaumaturgical advances made to kill each other was aimed at the griffons to devastating effects.
Turning aside the griffons, the ponies made an uneasy truce. One based on a central council watching over the Former Equestrian States, as they agreed to be called. To enforce their will, a guard regiment was created.
The Equinox Guard. A group that answers only to the Council, whose job was to enforce peace and fair law.
“But that’s enough history. You’re all here because you were good enough to catch our attention. You will be the second class, and out of the two hundred of you I expect maybe ten to make it to the end of the week.” The current Lieutenant-Commander of the Equinox Guard, a unicorn mare that went by Silver Torrent, stood in front of the new recruits. “We recruit the best, and we demand the best of them. If you do not feel as though you are up to this standard, leave now. Everyone else, find a squad you feel comfortable with. A warning though: Racism and sexism will not be tolerated. Anyone found to be actively promoting or displaying either will be dishonorably discharged, and left to the wolves on the way down from the mountain. You are dismissed.” She said, disappearing with an audible pop via teleportation.
Post-princess Equestria, both technology and magic have progressed quite a bit. If you need something clarified on if something has been ‘discovered’ here, just ask. There are some surprises I have planned however, as the interaction of technology and magic is quite unique.
A general timeline of events
40 years prior - Disappearance of all Alicorns
20 years prior - Noble Slaughter of Old Canterlot
10 years prior - Griffon invasion
8 years prior - Existence of the Equinox made public, seemingly created at this point after peace agreements made between the three Equestrian States.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 13, 2015 21:33:19 GMT -6
Sleek Cut looked around him, seeing many of the others shifting off into small groups. He moved over to one, dropping his nap-sack next to him. Everything he needed was on his person; basic clothes, a change of clothes in his backpack, a Tatzlwurm cloak draped around him. The outer side of the cloak was made of a Tatzlwurm's scaly skin, creating a near indestructible shield that wrapped around him. It also kept scars hidden away, self inflicted scars. "Excuse me, is there any more room for one more set of hands in your group?" Sleek asked.
Sleek was an Earth pony, a tan coat of fur and charcoal tail. Sleek had no mane, as he shaved all of his mane off and kept it that way. He looked thin, but he was strong enough to hold his own in a fight. His dull, green eyes were a gateway to his past that he kept locked.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 14, 2015 9:20:45 GMT -6
"I wouldn't mind." A unicorn stallion, Crimson Pool was his name, nods. His fur was green with his mane and tail being red while his eyes shined a crimson red. His build showed the same as Sleeks, thin but strong to hold his own. "What's your name?" Crimson asks politely, having his nap sack filled with his basic and a spare change of clothes, a black dragon scaled cloak he'd rather not explain how he got it but was just as strong as some Tatzlwurm made armor with some pieces of metal added in places for added protection, but it also had a name written on one of the scales but it was faded out. (You know who he is Paladin.)
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Post by Paladin on Aug 14, 2015 18:10:52 GMT -6
"Sleek Cut." Sleek replied shortly, keeping to his Tatzlwurm cape. It covered his body, reaching down to his hooves. "Do you know where I can set my things down?"
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Post by xinrick on Aug 14, 2015 18:44:27 GMT -6
"Crimson Pool. And..." He looks around for a moment. "There should be somewhere.."
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Post by Paladin on Aug 14, 2015 18:53:35 GMT -6
Sleek looked around, holding onto his cape. He kept silent for a minute, before saying, "Do you feel the chill down your spine? The fear growing, anxiety reaching into you?"
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Post by xinrick on Aug 14, 2015 19:14:06 GMT -6
"I'd be lying if I'd say no...but I won't let it get to me." Crimson says with a nod.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 14, 2015 19:21:18 GMT -6
"Have you ever seen a flower die? Someone who was once so full of life, so beautiful, crushed to death?" Sleek asked, his eyes lifeless.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 14, 2015 19:30:32 GMT -6
"Yes actually." Crimson sighs out.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 14, 2015 19:39:42 GMT -6
"You speak of someone you cared for, don't you? Someone you were in love with, in a relationship with?" Sleek asked. He reached out one of his hands, three long scars moving down his forearm.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 6:33:43 GMT -6
"Why do you ask?" Crimson asks, really not wanting to talk about this right now.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 6:38:19 GMT -6
"There's a difference between our pain, our loss." Sleek said, hand returning into his cape.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 12:35:28 GMT -6
"It's different for everyone..." Crimson nods.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 13:17:28 GMT -6
"But it's not what true pain is. Whom did you lose? A marefriend, a wife?" Sleek asked.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 13:27:30 GMT -6
"But it's not what true pain is. Whom did you lose? A marefriend, a wife?" Sleek asked. "I'd....rather not talk about it..." He says while holding the dragon scale cloak a closer to himself. "She's....never mind." He sighs out. "It's...a little too painful..." He says.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 13:35:06 GMT -6
"I lost my mother." Sleek replied sharply. "I watched her be crushed beneath a collapsed building because of the psychotic nobles."
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 13:43:11 GMT -6
"They killed my marefriend..." He says. "She was a black dragon...and I hoped that just because she was a dragon didn't mean anyone would bother us being together...but the nobles decided 'she was a threat' and killed her right in front of me...and they laughed...." He sighs out.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 13:45:15 GMT -6
"This, this is why we're here. We're ta-taking the fight to those who're corrupt." Sleek continued, but shivered a little. "I hope we get through this training soon."
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 13:53:10 GMT -6
"This, this is why we're here. We're ta-taking the fight to those who're corrupt." Sleek continued, but shivered a little. "I hope we get through this training soon." "Everything will come in time..." He says with a nod. "But yeah, let's hope."
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Post by Lepking13 on Aug 15, 2015 14:14:51 GMT -6
"If that's the reason you're here, you came for the wrong reasons." A new voice spoke up from behind Sleek. It was a large Earther stallion, a black dress uniform denoting him as a member of the Equinox. "Vengeance begets only vengeance and hatred. I suggest you head to the dorms, you have a long day tomorrow starting bright and early." He said, looking to the other groups as they started filing out. "Take it from me, you're going to want as much sleep as you can get in."
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 14:30:46 GMT -6
"Yes sir." Crimson nods. "This isn't why I'm here....I'm here to make sure others are safe from what happened to her..." Crimson thinks to himself, shaking his head a little to get his priorities straight as he headed to the dorms to find his bed and settle down.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 14:52:55 GMT -6
"Understood." Sleek replied, picking up his napsack. He moved to the dorms, muttering to himself. He rubbed the scars on his arms, eyes closed as he felt memories flooding in.
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Post by Lepking13 on Aug 15, 2015 19:13:16 GMT -6
The night passed quickly, at least as much of the night as the recruits were allowed to sleep through. Roughly four hours had passed before a blaring horn blasted through the dorms, a single blaring note grinding the recruits awake. As quickly as it started it ended. "You've got five minutes to get dressed and ten minutes to eat, we're going for a jog and then we're starting basic combat. Make sure you wear your cups and chest guards." Silver Torrent's voice blasted at maximum volume. "The equipment you'll be carrying for the jog will be available outside in the courtyard."
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Post by xinrick on Aug 15, 2015 19:35:32 GMT -6
"Didn't expect such a loud morning call." Crimson thinks to himself while getting up and getting dressed quickly, used to early mornings from nightmares keeping him up. "Got to be fast if I want to at least eat." He thinks to himself while getting his clothes on and his dragon scale cloak on.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 15, 2015 19:51:36 GMT -6
Sleek had slept enough to get be fully rested. He changed his clothes, putting on his training gear. As he did, more scars were visible to his team mates. "A run? So be it." Grab the gear he needed for the run, waiting for the others to finish up.
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Post by Lepking13 on Aug 16, 2015 0:18:07 GMT -6
The handful of ponies in gear that marked them as members of the Equinox only smiled at the ones that had gone through the food line, filing out to the courtyard. There were 3 piles of gear, although one was a large pile of metal orbs. "Listen up recruits, here's how it goes. Unicorns are going to be carrying magically resistant metal, a single lapse in concentration will end up with the orb on the ground and another five laps added on. Pegasi, you're going to be pulling chutes. You're gonna be flying at full speed the entire time, and if it looks like you're slacking it'll be another five laps for you as well. Earthers, you're loading up with body weights that are equivalent to the equipment you will be given. If you collapse, five more laps." Silver Torrent said, her horn lighting up to grab one of the metal spheres and float it over to her. "Pegasi, you're going to be following Sergeant Blitz. He's in charge of the air-borne course." A silver maned stallion wrapped entirely from head to hoof in black gear landed beside Silver Torrent. "The rest of you are gonna be following me, a two kilometer course across the mountain. We'll be starting at ten laps, and punishment goes on from there." She said, turning towards the large gate on the edge of the compound walls. "Once you're geared up, meet with your group commander. We're heading out in five." She said, walking to the gate as it opened for her. Blitz spread his wings wide, shooting up into the sky with a single flap of his wings.
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Post by Paladin on Aug 16, 2015 8:36:08 GMT -6
Sleek followed Silver Torrent, taking the body weights. The body weights felt as though they were as heavy as four children combined into a single weight, at least to Sleek they had. Sleek Cut looked around him, waiting for the rest of the Earth ponies and Unicorns to follow.
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Post by xinrick on Aug 16, 2015 13:32:48 GMT -6
After a moment of concentration Crimson lifted the magical resistant metal, which was taxing because of the concentration and strain on his magic because of both the weight and the resistance the metal had. With a grunt Crimson started walking forward with the metal.
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Post by Lepking13 on Aug 17, 2015 15:09:31 GMT -6
"For those of you that ate, I'll give you about five minutes to throw it up after lap five." Torrent said, looking at the earthers and unicorns. "Lesson one, eat after the morning warmups." She turned towards the path into the woods, the aura of her magic around the metal orb glowing as it start letting off light. "If you wander off the path, good luck getting back." She said, taking off at a fast jog
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Post by xinrick on Aug 17, 2015 15:53:58 GMT -6
"Good thing I eat light sometimes." Crimson mentally grumbles, at least thankful he won't vomit as much as others but still dreading it as he started heading along with Torrent and keeping the metal up and trying his best to keep up.
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