Sins of Harmony
Volume 1: Balance of Power
Chapter 25: Tensions and Divides.
March 25th, 1005 ANM
Ponyville, Northern forests
Clear hilltop, 1 mile from encampment.
Late Evening
Luna had raised the moon little over half an hour ago when a faint hum of aircraft engines reached the ears of those in camp.
Now, with orange flares shining on the hill in the night, they waited for the airdrop to begin.
This hill was perfect, as it offered a driving route for vehicles that were being airdropped also. Here, and by the road nearby, would be the staging ground for the forces responsible for Ponyville defence.
Green flares marked targets as they were launched from the 3 cargo aircraft, the first of a dozen large aircraft dropping equipment and troops. Varkan watched as Oceanic Alliance forces, these ones from the Komodo tribes and Dingolian Republic, landing and removing their parachutes.
They expected an artillery platform and a fast vehicle with each aircraft, a dozen of each. From the watching post, Varkan spoke with the troop leaders as their soldiers unloaded the landing vehicles from their landing cushions.
"We'll be assigned where the brass wants, but they've given the orders based on your agents' work in the North already. We'll only be in contact to confirm we're ready, or if something unexpected develops."
The Dingolian Captain, a female, nodded to him as she walked off to help her men finish unloading the artillery platform, while the Komodo male Captain walked off to assist his own.
Cal'vel had landed with the others on a 13th aircraft, and was standing by Varkan in his shrunken form:
"What sort of weapons will the vehicles have?"
"The missiles will vary. Gas warheads for curing and sedation, or explosive for lethal. We have some new weapons that Shreya developed herself though."
"The Peahen factory owner?" The dark blue and red dragon asked. The Wyvern smiled:
"Good designs also. Missiles that explode close in midair, releasing a tangling, metal wire net that wraps around a midair target, like a dragon, and basically tazers them. Now that we'll have magical guards to help, or pegasi, we can worry less about ones caught in those falling to their deaths."
Cal'vel looked away as he walked, saying: "How many of my kind will be left after this?"
Varkan reassured him, though his tone remained unchanged: "If this works, Dragon kind will be able to easily recover. Be thankful your kind has that chance."
"Not everything has to be like what happened to your kind Varkan. I just hope you can realise that, before you stop caring about those that do in the present."
Varkan was silent as the dragon walked off.
It was a sign of their long acquaintanceship, and friendship as Cal'vel hoped, that he was able to be so stop himself from threatening the dragon right there.
General address to all Oceanic Alliance or Hephaestus group personnel.
Due to the differences in nature between you and the Equestrian locals, adhere to the following rules to make cooperation easier:
1. If you are a Carnivore, be subtle or avoid altogether eating meat rations in front of the locals.
2. Any personnel that are Komodo, Dragon, or any draconic species be cautious, and always wear equipment to show you are not part of the Migration [e.g. clothing/armour]
3.1. Advance of payment has been provided, as locals lack infrastructure to better support troops. Payment of a set amount, to be exchanged on return, has been made in the local currency, bits.
3.2. Any shakedowns to 'support the security effort' will be punished with immediate dishonourable discharge.
4. Changelings are to interact undisguised. The Migration virus warrants no such infiltration tactics.
VIOLATION OF RULES WILL LEAD TO RETRACTION FROM SERVICE TOUR [Exception: see rule 3.2]
March 26th, 1005 ANM
Ponyville, Market place
Late Morning
"So Twi, how's Spike holdin' up?" Applejack asked.
"Fine, actually. He's been telling me a lot of what he was told at that camp, and, it seems like he's more secure at least." The Alicorn said with some uncertainty.
"It just seems so mighty strange, he seems a bit more, well, shy all of a sudden." The farmer pony commented.
"I said secure, but he's not comfortable just yet." Twilight said. She was keeping an eye on the Dragon, but he had at least returned to his usual schedule of chores and lifestyle in an attempt to regain normality.
"Hey, ain't that Fluttershy?" Applejack pointed further into the market, where Fluttershy was standing by a stand, where a visiting Dingolian soldier was having a 'heated' debate with a salesman.
"Say that again.."
"20 bits for the rope." The Earth Pony stressed.
"Your price tag says 15 bits! I need that rope for some restraints we're building!" The Dingo said.
"That was before, but its just changed. For you, 20 bits!" He said more loudly.
"..For me?" The Dingo said, not liking the subtle meaning.
"Yes, for you. I thought your kind were supposed to have better hearing!" The sales pony nearly yelled.
The Dingolian's fists clenched, his tail dead straight as he challenged: "And what if I were a Pony like you?"
"Then I wouldn't have my customers being scared off, and have to charge you more." He replied coldly.
Before the Dingo could retort, a light yellow and pink maned Pegasus mare spoke up meekly:
"Excuse me, but isn't it a bit mean to charge him more because others are scared of him?"
"I'm not going to lose business because this dog and others like him, or worse, more scaly, scared off my more regular customers!" The sales Pony had only briefly looked at Fluttershy before getting back to staring down the slightly taller Dingo soldier.
The armoured soldier gave him a hard stare, before he walked off, muttering: "If a dragon comes for you, I'll stand by and watch."
Watching the Dingo silently storm off, Fluttershy turned to the sales Pony: "I don't think you should have done that mister. You should have treated him fairly."
"Look lady, I have a business to run. If he's going to scare off customers with his presence, he'll have to pay more." The Earth Pony said calmly.
Shaking her head, Fluttershy walked off, running into Twilight and Applejack.
"Fluttershy, what was happening there?" Twilight asked.
"That salespony was charging the Dingo more for some rope, because he was scaring off some other customers." Fluttershy replied.
"Was he doing anything that scared 'em off?" Applejack asked, looking at the now distant Dingo. Ponies steered clear of him and the handful of others around the market.
"No, he just came up like any other customer. But he was getting so angry when the salespony was charging more." Fluttershy said.
"I think the locals don't trust these troops well enough. It doesn't help that they all might look scary to anyone not familiar with them." Twilight remarked sadly. She couldn't help but foresee the future when Spike got bigger.
She looked around, and saw the distrust or fear people felt at these foreign troops trying to get by inside the market, like anyone would.
She thought that it was no wonder that they had no allies in the Eastern races. They were too distant, alien, different, to easily make friends with.
But that didn't mean they had to be treated differently. Perhaps the Dragon Migration counterattack might be the first step to swaying the minds of the public, however it turned out in the end.
Ponyville, Schoolhouse
Mid Afternoon
Cheerilee waved the children off as they left, walking out of the schoolhouse yard with her bookbags and homework to mark slung over her side.
Rounding a corner, she froze briefly when she saw a Grey and Brown maned Unicorn stallion, accompanied by a King Cobra, stop short of bumping into her. Her expression angry, she stormed past, paying no heed to the Unicorn's pleas to stop and let him explain.
Ohmen sighed as he didn't bother going after her, while Caarim said: "Was that her?"
"Yes."
"You had a slight attraction to her, didn't you?" The Cobra said slyly.
"You know I hate it when you read my mind." Ohmen bitterly remarked as they continued on. They too had been ripped off in the market place.
"I don't need to read it to see the hints, but I can confirm it."
"First impressions are key, and I think I soiled my first impression I made, in disguise, permanently." Ohmen said.
"Romance is a way to happiness and fulfillment, but its not the only way. Besides, you were early in any relations with her, it may not have worked if you were normal anyway." Caarim reasoned.
"But it hurts when that such way is shut due to one's mutation. I gained these powers, but at a cost to my ease of relations with my own kind with how I truly look." Ohmen remarked.
Caarim was silent as they walked/slithered, but he replied: "If she won't listen, don't try communicating. Ears can't be reached until their owner unblocks them themselves."
"She won't understand that I never meant any harm. We chose the school because I could get a job there and dig a hole for a hideout without detection." Ohmen reasoned.
"Again, she needs to unblock her ears herself." Caarim reinforced.
"Surely that saying can't apply to your kind? You don't even have ears." Ohmen retorted.
"Its a Orang-utan saying. It flows better than 'Vibration senses can't be reached'."
"Ah."
Ohmen and Caarim continued on, at least knowing they were good friends after so many years. Ohmen had been one of the first to approach Caarim in the Hephaestus group when the Cobra arrived 20 years ago.
And yet when he was Charge Bolt, he'd never envisioned working for such a group, let alone having a King Cobra as a close friend. And he couldn't help but feel bitter for the fearful prejudice he saw against his allies in this town.
He sometimes felt like revealing his true form in front of the people when they mistreat his allies, just to shock them at treating only him alright.
Sugarcube Corner
Mid Afternoon
"Hey Cheerilee! Bye Cheerilee!"
Cheerilee saw the Pinkie Pie rush out of the cafe, going off to do who-knows-what. She usually came her on Wednesday Afternoons, having slightly less homework to mark on this day. She had her usual cake and sweet tea, and what homework she had in front of her to mark.
A black and green pony entering the cafe caught her eye, but she gasped slightly as she saw it was in fact a Changeling, a female looking one at that.
As the Changeling sat down, with a slice of cake and a coffee on her plate, a few ponies got up and left, casting suspicious looks.
Cheerilee couldn't help but look suspiciously at the Changeling, even as she quietly kept her black head down, large bluish green eyes low, as she ate her cake.
She wasn't going to let a little 'problem' ruin her afternoon though. She got down to marking the first maths homework paper.
As she was marking the 4th paper, she heard a conversation between the Changeling and a new arrival:
"Anyone giving trouble?"
"No, just up and leaving. We're just here to help, they keep shirking away from us."
"...We're too different, and unexpected. Its why we're better off in the East."
"But wait, Ohmen, you were a pony once. Before you were experimented on."
"Which is why I know ponies won't likely accept us or our allies."
Cheerilee gazed up briefly at the last sentence, and saw the one she had seemingly been betrayed by sitting beside the Changeling now. He had shifted to his mutated form, but he had either ignored her, or paid no heed to her.
Mulling over his words, Cheerilee kept quiet as she shifted her chair slightly to face away, Ohmen's doubts getting her rethinking her opinion of him.
Officially story-boarded the attacks, so:
Chapter 27 shall see the beginnings of the Ponyville assault.
There's one more chapter of 'cultural divides and tensions' type chapter I want to do before it begins.
As usual, review or critique as you would, its always appreciated.
And as usual, if any canon characters act OOC, or any OC timeline events/characters don't line up [if you read that concisely that is, thanks if you do], do let me know so I can rectify it.