Icy Void

Midnight Sky Midnight nodded when Bardic mentioned the corruption. "She did actually, she explained how her kind are toxic to our world and we are toxic to hers. And Ammy was very insistent at making sure everypony understood that she wasn't our friend, but the fact that she really only cared about survival was the reason I trusted her. Because in he given circumstances helping was save both worlds was the best thing she could do to assure her own long-term survival. I even made sure that our deal to assure her assistance was worded with that in mind, while still getting what I wanted. But don't get me wrong, I understand fully what you're saying. If better option for her survival came along I have no doubt she would have jumped at the chance." Midnight said, realizing that he actually had trusted Amethyst a lot more than he thought he had. She may not of been their friend, but as an ally she had been very helpful. Looking down at Mirror, Midnight hoped she got along well with some of the newer ponies, since they didn't have any past experience with her they were more likely to trust her, which was what this ship needed a lot more of to reach it's full effectiveness. "And I wouldn't be so sure. I never rule out the possibility of any form of magic's existence without very good evidence. And I tend to be drawn to the more obscure magics anyway, there aren't many ponies who can claim to have spent years studying and learning chaos magic, and fewer still who would admit to it. Besides, the ultimate goal of my research is to understand the most basic fundamental elements that link all forms of magic, which naturally requires and understanding of all forms of magic. So even if you just teach me the core principles of this bardic magic I could potentially apply the information in my research." Midnight said. He knew there probably wasn't time for him to figure out how to use this bardic magic, but if he could at least learn it's basic principles then perhaps he could apply them to other forms of magic. After all, his ability to link two otherwise unrelated things to create a stronger effect in magic is how he got his cutie-mark, how he created his sympathetic telepathy magic. And a form of magic based on words could have a lot of potential in cross magic mixing.

Midnight Sky "Yeah, it was our only option at the time though. Ammy was also more or less amiable towards us, she was rude but not mean. And I wouldn't exactly call her subtle. At the very least she seemed as intent on stopping the collision of the worlds as the rest of us, and she seemed to also be upholding her end of the deal we made in the beginning for her cooperation. And she even seemed to become more pony-like over time, though Ammy made it obvious she wasn't fond of it." Midnight said in defense of Amethyst. She may have been a handful and a bit harsh, but she had helped them immensely when it came to understanding what exactly was happening. "And I must add that that song of your, whatever it may be, was just as helpful. It almost seemed like it would warn us whenever there was trouble that we couldn't notice normally, and it even led us out of those horrid caves. Though from what we saw when we passed by your crashed train car, I'd say your assumption is correct. And I doubt Ammy would hinder us, she may have had ulterior motives alongside helping save the worlds, but I doubt she would go directly against us." Midnight said remembering the three separate occasions in which the song had saved their lives, first with the Litany, then in the cabin, and later in the caves. "If you'd like I can tell you what I learned from Ammy and the other ethereals we encountered later once this ship is under way and everypony is settled down. And perhaps you could share some of your knowledge with me as well." Midnight said, hoping Bardic would agree. It had been so long since Midnight had spoken to a pony with a vast amount of knowledge as Bardic, and he was intrigued as to what this pony knew about magic, because he clearly knew of magics that were above his own level. Following Bardic's gaze Midnight noticed him looking in Mirror's direction, and he had a good guess as to what he was thinking. "Don't worry, things will smooth over with time. Fisher's just holding a grudge about being held hostage, my sister and I should be able to convince the others to not be so biased against Mirror and the changeling, at least gradually. We'll need to work together to succeed." Midnight said, determined to not make a liar out of himself. Mirror wasn't a bad pony, they just traveled in opposing groups for a while, and he hoped the others would see that too in time.

Midnight Sky "Oh, so these are yours then? As a matter of fact I did have the other one for a while, and it's contents were indeed very helpful. Saved our lives even, but I haven't seen her since the cave-in back in the Crystal Empire." Midnight said when Bardic inquired about the other box. The revelation that they belonged to Bardic and that he had been studying them made Midnight excited, he had already been hoping Bardic would know something about them but this was even better. "From what was going on I can assume she either died or escaped but is low on energy. Perhaps once everypony has settled down more we can compare notes, I imagine you'll want more details and I in turn would like to know what you've discovered. In the mean time would you like this one back?" Midnight asked, gesturing to the music note lockbox tied to his flank. If Bardic agreed then this could possibly be the most revealing discovery about magic that Midnight has ever made, it seemed deciding to follow up on Bardic's letter in the beginning was a very beneficial decision for Midnight so long as Sunshine doesn't get hurt.

Sorry for taking so long, I've been busy lately. I should have a post up soon though.

Midnight Sky Midnight was glad to see that Aegis seemed better, at least a bit. And from he could tell his little speech worked on his sister too, which was definitely good, he didn't like seeing Sunshine feeling down. "Well it looks like Red did some recruiting while we were up north, good to know. So let's go meet our new friends, shall we?" Midnight said, picking up his pace to keep up with Fisher and Pavi but still giving them some space. Looking back Midnight glanced over their newest additions, he had a feeling Mirror and the changeling already didn't feel comfortable around them, and he had a feeling they'll be even worse off with Red around. Midnight also noticed a pegasus that must be the changeling, though he felt like he'd seen that particular pegasus before. Either way between those two and Orion, Midnight had a feeling Red was going to be a rather foul mood once they've all boarded. On top of that Midnight wished he could present himself to these strangers in a more dignified manner, instead of how he is now with his armor covered in dents, scratches, and a fair amount of dirt. Surprisingly enough though the music note lockbox on his side seemed to still be in pristine condition, apparently even the protective wards have wards, he only hoped whatever was inside was still intact and not too dangerous. Sunshine Rays Sunshine had been feeling pretty down since the cave-in, she didn't like losing so many friends. Even those strange and somewhat mean ethereals hadn't regrouped with them, but strangely enough her brother was the one to cheer her up, even though it's always been the other way around. How she forgot her own perspective on life was beyond her, but Sunshine was determined to not let her sadness get the better of her again. Looking ahead she could see lots of strangers waiting on the ship they were going to board, hopefully they could become new friends in time. She was also glad that Miss Mirror was coming with them this time, though she wished some of the others would quit being so mean to her and her friends. With that she picked up her pace so she could keep up with her brother, they survived the journey from their homeland together and Sunshine was determined to see that her older brother and herself survived this as well. It would just be a shame for Midnight to die after he finally allowed himself to make friends.

Midnight Sky "Some food will definitely be a nice change of pace. Even my dry biscuits are almost gone." Midnight said when he heard food get brought up. He didn't expect much, being that the food they will get is meant for long voyages at sea, but the taste of nearly stale biscuits grows old. As they kept going, Midnight overheard what Aegis said to Fisher about not feeling needed and being depressed. It saddened Midnight to see that the enthusiastic writer who appreciated a good story was now a depressed pegasus who looked like his spirit's been crushed, though Midnight could relate a little, after all he suffered through the same events. "Hey Aegis, don't stress over it so much. By this point all of our particular areas of expertise aren't as important as simply living, and believe it or not but Bardic just can't take your place. Remember when we talked way back when we first arrived at Neighagra Falls? If I recall we were talking about your books and how your darker but more accurate stories of the Crystal Empire back in Sombra's rule weren't very popular, but were still excellent books and important for keeping to the truth of things. Well think of it this way, despite how horrible this current situation is it is still vitally important in shaping how each of us acts, so instead of worrying about the dark parts, focus on the good this all has brought us. We have knowledge of magic beyond our full comprehension, we've learned a bit more about ourselves, and we have all made some new friends along the way. So in truth you're talents are some of the most important in our group, who else is going to write a book that covers everything that's happened lately using first-hoof experience in what happened so that we can remember and learn from everything that's happened, because Bardic sure can't.?" Midnight said. He was fully aware that he had rambled on too much and Midnight felt very self-conscious after giving that motivational speech, but he hoped it helped Aegis work through what he's feeling, and maybe even help everypony else out too.

Midnight Sky Ahead of them Midnight could see the docks, but it took him a moment to realize that the patchwork ship ahead of them was there destination. He knew not to expect something like what his father had brought him out on back home when he was younger, not much could compare to the Neighland royal flagship, but Midnight had expected something a little less... mismatched. Though he could see that the ship did at least seem well maintained, which was comforting since Midnight had never been too fond of sailing, the rocking of the ship on the waves made it harder for him to focus his magic. Midnight was also relieved to see the changeling return, he didn't particularly like or dislike the thing, but as long as Orion was in their charge Midnight knew they'd have it's support until Orion woke up. "So, how do you think Red will react to our new travelling companions? Somehow I doubt he'll be overjoyed to see Orion on his ship." Midnight said as they picked up the pace to catch the ship before it was ready to embark. Somehow he had a feeling that this little trip at sea was going to be far from peaceful.

Midnight Sky Midnight had been about to agree with Bardic's statement on perspective when Fisher interrupted. "I think I agree with Aegis on this one. Despite everything I think abandoning the changeling would probably cause more problems, problems we really don't need with the end of the world coming up. That said I suggest we continue onward as planned and make sure he didn't just fly ahead, no need to delay if it's unnecessary." Midnight said. He glanced warily at Pavi, her comment about the changeling were a bit harsh, as far as Midnight had seen it hasn't acted like any sort of evil monster or beast, just a bit of a jerk. Midnight could only assume her bias had to do with that changeling invasion that he had heard about, but he decided to not comment on it to Pavi. It didn't quite seem like a good time to go stirring up bad memories.

Midnight Sky Up to now Midnight had been listening to how Bardic spoke to the others, and so far Midnight found Bardic to be rather respectable and intelligent as he was led to believe. "Very true, words can stop wars and unify countries if used properly. But that's irrelevant." Midnight said in agreement to Bardic. "Sorry for not introducing myself, my name is Midnight Sky, and the little filly over there is my younger sister Sunshine Rays. I guess you can say I'm the group's magic expert, since I study magic for a living, but I guess you already know that since you went out of your way to find me even though I live in the Everfree when you sent out those letters. Although I think my expertise isn't quite needed anymore at this point. Anyway, it's a pleasure to meet you." Midnight said to Bardic with a slight bow of his head. Midnight had a feeling that no amount of research could have prepared him for the amount of arcane knowledge that he's gained during this adventure, he learned so much about magic and it's origins in the short time Amethyst was with them, though he wondered where Ammy and Shadow disappeared to, Midnight didn't recall seeing them leave the tunnels. Either way though, he just hoped they would all live long enough for him to do some proper research into what Ammy had told him about magi and the realm of Arcana. With any luck he might find a way to safely become an alicorn, but for now Midnight recognized that saving the worlds took priority over his own ambitions.

Sorry I've been inactive lately, I've been busy travelling and moving in with the family I'm visiting. Hopefully I can start posting again soon though.

Sorry for not posting today, I've been busy travelling. In addition I might not be able to post tomorrow either for the same reason, well I guess technically it's today now.

Midnight Sky Midnight had wanted to say something in response to Fisher's remark, but he found that he just couldn't say what he wanted to. Partially because what Fisher said was true, he had been nothing but a threat to them since this whole thing began, and now that Willow was dead they were essentially carrying a time bomb that could go off at any moment, but it just wasn't in them to leave somepony to die, even Orion. Midnight was still thinking about that when he heard Bardic start singing, and the song struck home pretty accurately. It at least helped to ease his mind a little. When Pavi went and spoke briefly with Aegis, Midnight felt sorry for the writer. Aegis may not be very badly hurt physically compared to the rest of them, but Midnight could tell that the psychological strain must have finally taken it's toll on Aegis, he just didn't seem like the same pegasus anymore. "And on that note, you wouldn't happen to have any tools I could use to repair my armor on-board the ship as well? I have a feeling I'll need my armor to be at it's best with all that's going on. That and I want to try and open this other lockbox as well, despite her flaws Ammy was actually quite helpful and the tune that seemed to follow us around saved our lives on several occasions. I figure we need all the help we can get." Midnight asked after Pavi brought up borrowing a weapon. He didn't want to mention that his armor was a lot harder to replace than Pavi's, or that the music note lockbox had resonated with the strange music back in the caves, that wasn't very important at the moment.

Midnight Sky Ever since their escape from the tunnels, Midnight had been in a state of what felt like a mix of shock and mourning. They had lost so many ponies trying to escape, and even Orion's sister hadn't been able to make it out. Even though Midnight hadn't exactly known them for very long, they had been some of the best friends he's had in Equestria so far, but regardless he knew there was no point worrying about what is already done. He still had his own sister, and the others to worry about. Though it will be difficult with the sorry state his armor is in. While it was still intact and usable, his armor that had been freshly polished only about a week prior was covered in dents and scratches that he would have liked to stop off in the Crystal Empire to fix, but he guessed there really wasn't time for that. After all they were far from finished with mess. Looking ahead at Bardic, Midnight wished he could get a chance to talk to the pony that seemed to be quite knowledgeable in many areas, he wanted to ask about the music note lockbox still tied to his flank even after all that's happened. However so far there hadn't been much chance to talk as they moved quickly towards the shoreline to the south. Glancing to his right Midnight checked to make sure Sunshine was still faring well. Out of the whole group Midnight believed she had been hit the worst with the knowledge that their friends had died, because despite how much she's been through Sunshine is still a filly and beyond that she is very in tune with emotions. Midnight could tell she still hadn't gotten over their deaths, and even though she was trying to hide it she was also pretty tired too, they've been moving at a fast pace ever since the Crystal Empire, though they had good reason to. Shifting his focus Midnight looked over at where Fisher carried the still unconscious Orion along. He could only imagine how the unicorn will react when he hears about his sister, Midnight knew he wouldn't take it very well if he woke up from a coma and learned that his sister had died. Midnight decided that once the time came to break the news to Orion that he'd prefer to do it himself, he should be able to relate enough with Orion to keep him from going crazy, again. "Yeah, sure seems that way." Midnight said in response to Pavi as he caught up to her and Fisher. "And on that subject, I'd like to request that if or when Orion wakes up I be the one to give the bad news about Willow. As a protective older brother myself I feel I have the best understanding of how Orion will feel once he hears the news." Midnight said to Fisher. Seeing as this is the first time their group had really had a conversation for a while, due to nopony really feeling like talking since the cave-in, Midnight would have liked it to be something happier, but he figured he needed to get this out of the way first. Though it was nice to break the silence finally.

Sorry about that, here are the links. http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/midnight-sky-r4503 http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/sunshine-rays-r4530

Well I certainly can't miss the finale part of this, so I'm keeping Midnight Sky and Sunshine Rays, their links are in my sig as always but I have made a few minor updates and alterations on them both.

I'm just waiting for something to happen.

Midnight Sky Midnight had a feeling things would go bad again the moment the music stopped, and of course they did. As the tunnel began to collapse faster and faster, Midnight broke into a full run. If he was going to die, he refused to die by being buried alive and crushed underground in the frozen wastelands of northern Equestria. He had too many plans and goals for him to just die, and there was his sister too, she left Neighland to stay with him and Midnight wasn't about to leave her alone with no family. As such he grabbed Sunshine telekinetically and levitated her to his side. He would just have to carry her the whole way out, the tunnel was so crowded she could get left behind otherwise, though Midnight knew his sister didn't like it when he used his telekinsis on her. Right now all that mattered was getting out of these forsaken caves.

Midnight Sky Running through the passage, Midnight could tell that this tunnel was different than the others. This path was rougher than the others and had far more turns than the others that Midnight had noticed, clearly the magic energy from the other caves was no longer active here. And the louder the music got the more hopeful Midnight became, though part of him remained weary. On one hoof it seemed that this music was leading them to safety, or at least relative safety, but on the other hoof they were never this lucky and it could very well be a trap for some other entity that wants to kill them. Either way they were running straight for it and its music, and Midnight could even hear what sounded like a voice speaking under the music. All the while he could feel the magic energy of the music note lock box resonating with the music more and more strongly as they drew closer to the source of this tune.

I'm enjoying it plenty, there just hasn't been a whole lot for me to respond to lately. Though I imagine that will change pretty quickly.

Midnight Sky Midnight smiled inwardly when Pavi made her comment on being an earth mare. How unlike they were, Pavi just wanted to go back to how she was while Midnight himself was actively seeking change. "Don't worry, I can look into that once this is all done with, I happen to have the largest private collection of magical texts in the world so I might have something. But for until then it would be safer if you could at least suppress your magical energy." Midnight said as he ran alongside the others. It wasn't much longer before Midnight began hearing the same music that's been following them this entire trip. First in the train car and then Pavi reported hearing it in the cabin, and now here it was again, still the same tune. But unlike back at the lodge, Midnight was there this time and he noticed that the energy emanating from the magic seal on the music note lock box was undulating in sync with the melody. "I hear it too, and I get the feeling it's being helpful. Every time we've heard this tune it was right before we faced some terrible threat to our lives. Like an alarm. So maybe we should pick up the pace a little." Midnight said, finding it difficult to think and run at the same time. Whatever this music truly was though, it wasn't very likely that things would get any better for anypony.

Midnight Sky Midnight turned to follow Fisher out, but looked back before running off. "Well, time for me to go. See you some other time, and take care of my sister!" Midnight said before running off after Fisher. He didn't want to risk spending any more time in that chamber with the probably now angry ethereal, Midnight quite enjoyed living after all. That and he still had his goals, and he can't gain more power if he's dead in some cave in the middle of nowhere. It pained him to leave his sister like this, but he knew Sunshine could handle herself and that this provided the best chance of reaching a sort of peace between the two groups, at least from Midnight's perspective. Running through the ruined door, Midnight managed to get to where Willow and Pavi were walking with Pavi carrying a hopefully just unconscious Orion on her back. "I hope you don't mind if I stick with you mares for our little escape. You might need some help being weighed down with Orion and having to protect young Willow here. That and I can tell you horn has started generating magic, so I'd like to be nearby if it starts acting up. Once we're relatively safe I can teach you some basic control if you'd like too, but for now let's try and stay alive. Agreed Pavi?" Midnight said as walked over to stand next to his now-unicorn friend. The last thing they needed right now was an uncontrollable outburst of magic, especially when the thing they're running from feeds off magic.

Midnight Sky After being interrupted by Fisher, Midnight got his chance to reply to Mirror. "We may not look it, but our group isn't faring as well as we look, though I'll admit you all look worse for wear. Plus I think your group will benefit more from Sunshine's... talents. That's all I can say at the moment." Midnight said before turning to Scribbler. "Thank you, I'll make sure Fisher doesn't use it against you too soon. If possible I really would like our groups to come to terms with each other at some point." Midnight said as he took the sword, fastening it to his armor. He'd wait until they were out of these tunnels to return it, so long as they didn't get in fight along the way. "Well I should get going with the rest of my group, so I'll just leave Sunshine with you. Take care of Orion, I can't imagine how Willow would feel if he died, though he really should stop getting himself knocked out in strange ancient temple-like places. Anyway, see you all later!" Midnight said before turning to Fisher, who didn't seem to be in the best of moods. "Well then, shall we be off? You know, before the new ethereal decides to kill us." Midnight said to Fisher.

@SilverHeart, @Midnight Scribbler Midnight Sky For a moment Midnight was too awestruck to move as everything broke down and as Ronin charged at the mystery colt. For once Orion's paranoid over-protectiveness of his sister actually helped them, or at least gave them options other than compliance. But it was the memory that whoever this pony or ethereal is, he was clearly strong enough to intimidate both Amethyst and Shadow, which meant they were all in trouble now. Not even thinking too hardly about anything, Midnight ran over to where Mirror and her friend Scribbler were talking. "Sorry to intrude, and for my companion's courageous stupidity, but you two should probably get going while you can. You should take Willow and Orion and get out of here, and if you don't mind I'd like you to take Sunshine with you. I know I can trust you to not get her hurt and I just can't protect her properly when I'm with my own group." Midnight asked, directing his request more towards Mirror. While everything he said was the truth, Midnight left out the part where he was hoping Sunshine could help bring the two groups closer together, which wasn't likely to happen if the effort was only being made on one side. And Midnight had a feeling that they would eventually have to join forces with Orion in order to solve this mess, and at the very least it's always better to have more allies. Then Midnight turned to his sister, who was standing right by his side. "Alright Sunshine, if Mirror says yes then I want you to go with her and her friends on the way out. Help them and treat them as you would anypony else, and if you can then make some friends. If she says no then I want you to follow Pavi and the others out. I'll tell you why I'm splitting us up later, I promise." Midnight said quietly to Sunshine. "Okay then, but if Ms. Mirror says yes then I'll miss you. Make sure you hold that promise big brother." Sunshine replied back. With that out of the way, all Midnight could do was wait for an answer. Either way he planned to stay back and help Ronin and the changeling escape once everypony else was clear of danger. After all, staying behind to help everypony escape was practically his job with how often he's done it.

Midnight Sky Midnight had remained silent as Orion's group talked among themselves and while his own group got back together with Fisher and Pavi, but now this newcomer arriving seemed to big a problem for him to sit out. What worried him most was that he could feel the magic barrier that was now sealing them in, clearly put in place by the pegasus, but that only led to the questions that he had stated earlier. "Well that is a pretty direct method of negotiating. How about you at least introduce yourself, and maybe you could tell us why you want these gems so much while you're at it." Midnight stated in a calm tone. He may not know what gems this pony was talking about, but they sounded like something Amethyst might want seeing as he mentioned the eye shaped symbol, and he probably has some connection to Arcana too seeing as he used magic even though he at least appears to be a pegasus and doesn't have any of Clockwork's magitech inventions. That means he could be something along the lines of competition for Amethyst, but that also meant that this could be a good opportunity to learn more about these objects since Amethyst hasn't bothered to share what they are exactly. "I'm sorry about the delay, I can promise you that we had nothing to do with this little interruption. I swear we'll leave as soon as we can." Midnight said to Orion, hoping to dispel any misconceptions he and his group might be getting. Midnight had no idea what the true state of Orion's mind was, but either way Orion's group didn't exactly trust them and it is possible they might see this newcomer as another one of them, and their cross-group relations were bad enough without an outside pony making them worse. Midnight just hoped Orion's apparent return to sanity wasn't temporary, if he went insane again in this situation things could get ugly pretty fast, and there was just too much going on to leave any risks.

No problem, it's my fault for not noticing that. Lucky for me it was a pretty easy fix.