Illiad Easle

@Blitz Boom (Cherish) The feeling came back with a vengeance there, when she thought about him needing her. There was a deep anger, and a bit of... jealousy? He doesn't need you. He doesn't deserve you. "No." As he continued, she got the distinct feeling of déjà vu, like she'd heard it before. "I'm a monster, monsters deserve to die. I tried to help, tried to keep them safe, but I've been a monster this whole time." Then the feeling shifted "I should have died here, instead of her. I should have... I should have died when I first got infected." Some confusion clouded the anger, a bit of concern that matched Cherish's own. Infected? "Go. It isn't safe for you to be here, you aren't safe with me." He warned me, I didn't listen. I shouldn't have followed him... The anger came back, but it wasn't as strong. He should have tried harder. I thought he loved me. It felt like there was something inside her, trying to escape, or... trying to get her to escape? It felt like every part of her was struggling to move, twitching. It felt more and more like she'd been here before, that she had followed him when she wasn't supposed to, driven by worry, by care, and there was a rising dread that it would turn out badly for her. (Ranger) She shrugged, "Might as well, we had to be on the move pretty frequently, and the monsters even came through the walls for us sometimes, but some level of protection is better than nothing." She would start to lead the way through the halls. Luckily, most of the damage did not appear too recent, and there wasn't much indication of activity other than themselves. Where the halls of the underground academy would have been right at home in an old university, the halls here were cold, sterile, minus the biohazards they were stepping over, and looked like a proper secret science facility. Most of the doorways were sealed behind electronic locks, plastered with warnings. Some had placards next to them with a picture of either a creature or an object on one side, with labels and symbols on the other, seeming to belong to some sort of categorizing system proprietary to this place. Kozue could probably ask about it, or figure it out given enough time, but the message was clear enough that the things depicted were likely dangerous, even if some of the labels said Safe. One that might catch his eye was what looked like a picture of a photograph of the shadow of a many tailed creature that might be a kitsune. It was hard to make out from the image how many tails it had, but it seemed like a lot. After passing through many hallways that seemed identical, Ranger came to a stop in what looked like a cafeteria, or it had been at one point. The place was trashed, with some evidence that ponies had been living here among the rubble. "This was the first place, where Mistress hid us away. Where, I imagine, Ayjay might have made her last stand." She sighed, "At least, from what I gathered from Arcade. He wasn't much inclined to share what happened after the rest of us escaped." She idly dug through some of the rubble before looking over at Kozue, "Can you... check if she's still around? I don't know what that might look like." Depending on his ability, it would be clear that plenty had died here, but there didn't seem to be any lingering spirits. Perhaps more concerningly, there weren't any bodies or even bones left in this room, despite the amount of death. (Null) Arcade's expression was hard, but not entirely towards Null. "You should have told me sooner. When we first met, you should have told me what happened." He let out a long sigh. "I can't fault you for sparing him, for making the same mistake I did. I shouldn't have risked him being infected. Rare is dead because I was weak, and now another is in danger too. Let's go. I have to make my mistake right, before any more are hurt because of my cowardice." He'd get moving then, not bringing anything beyond his knife, and not hardly waiting for Null if she delayed. He'd only pause to leave a note for Ranger when she didn't answer her door, believing her to still be asleep. If Null didn't stop him (They can talk a bit on the way) they'd arrive at the mesa soon after, the wind not fully erasing the evidence that someone had recently entered the facility. "Someone else is here too." He looked up to the top of the mesa, "They sealed the top entrance, right? Even so, you could hardly carry me up there." He shook his head, "I'll go in this way, and make my way up to where it happened. You can follow me, or try and get in through the top, but time is of the essence." (Void) Seeing as Void was too preoccupied for conversation, even to try and take her mind off of things, Llambda and the changeling decided to give her some space. They would remain nearby if Void wanted to talk, but wouldn't pressure her. (Grey) There were enough resources in the armory for them each to have one, and so long as they brought them back they wouldn't incur any additional debt. However, they wouldn't be able to conceal the dagger too closely to themselves while disguised without the antimagic breaking the disguise, or burning them. It seemed like most of the pegasi up there were openly armed anyway, so having a dagger on their body won't raise much suspicion. In any case, once they returned to the cloud layer something seemed to be in motion. Many were heading towards a structure towards the west end of the cloud, furthest from the city itself, gathering in a mostly intact amphitheater that had previously been used for air shows, like the Cloudsdale coliseum, but smaller. A reddish pegasus mare was near the podium, along with the pegasus who had talked to them at the bar on their first trip up. Depending on how good their skills of detecting other changelings was, they'd find that very few of the pegasi in attendance were changelings, and it might be hard to tell at this distance if the reddish pegasus at the podium was one either. If they could, then it would seem like she was. Out in the open like this, it would be hard to approach her, but not technically impossible. Most of the pegasi in attendance were talking among themselves, their attention not on the center stage yet.

@Skylight Scintillate "Hmm? Oh, um, She's a foal, not much more to it then that. She mostly just hangs around mom, or dad when he's visiting. I'm surprised she climbed into your hammock, she's usually a lot more... aloof? Like the others here." Indigo simply shook her head, "I'm wondering that myself, but I think we'll know a bit more by the time we get back. And if we don't? Well, you all will have gotten a nice trip out of it regardless." She turned back to offer Speckle a weak smile, "I know it might be difficult, but it really would be best if you just let me worry about it. You two focus on having a good time, maybe you'll make some new friends once we're there? I know at least that the central colony has a lot more young thestrals there than we do." Nova did seem a bit excited at the prospect of making some friends, given he didn't seem to have any at home, but there was the worry in his visage that it would just be the same there as here. Indigo helped a bit, "She's really warmed up to you, or maybe she's just curious since you're different from the others in our colony. Usually she sleeps in my hammock with me when it gets colder, but I had to get up earlier today to pack for the trip, I guess she joined you in your hammock?" Nova nodded, "Yeah, I had to help her get out so that Speckle could get up." Indigo spoke over to Speckle, "I don't remember if you mentioned in your letters, do you have any siblings at home?" "Or other friends?" Nova added, "I mean, you didn't introduce me to any, and it's not like I expected you to, I appreciate that you were focused on showing me a good time, I'm just, um, curious..."

@Blitz Boom (Cherish) Visually she could see some dried blood on him, some scratches around one side of his neck and whither where Nova's fangs had cut, but it didn't seem too deep. He paused, but didn't turn to face her. "Th- this... " he motioned towards the hole, "This is home. It's where I came from, It's where I belong." As she approached, she found herself feeling... angry? Like Elef had hurt her, betrayed her, but the feeling passed before she could give it much thought. Elef resumed digging, and if Cherish didn't stop him would break through to the larger tunnel on the other side in just a minute of effort. "Don't follow me, you'll only get hurt." again. He'd quickly enter the tunnel, and disappear into the darkness. If she decided to follow, her efforts to crawl through the hastily widened tunnel would cause it to collapse a bit behind her. It wouldn't be hard to push through, so she wasn't trapped, but it plunged her into darkness. After her eyes adjusted, she could see the glowing moss ahead, and could follow it down the tunnel. Reaching a junction in the tunnel there was noise to the right, leading to a large dim room where he killed me. She could faintly see Elef there, sitting in the middle of the room, softly crying, like he did before. There it was again, the anger, the feeling of betrayal, where...? Where did that come from? And the strange thoughts... Something strange was ahoof here. (Void) Gemini and Teal didn't argue, hurrying back home with Void, and helping her relay what had occurred to Vale. Vale was more than willing to continue watching the young ponies until Void returned. As such, Llambda would agree to continue on with Void, accompanying her on the airship along with the ivory accented changeling they had passed when first leaving the Mercy room. Though now was hardly the time for introductions, and Void was hardly in a state to remember if they had been introduced or not. Selena relayed the directions to Crow so that she could fly ahead. And would be allowed to follow the airship after getting lost. The airship was traveling slower than its max speed, allowing some of the guards aboard to sweep the desert below as they passed, in case the pair had deviated from their predicted path. Something that Crow could help with as she followed. Llambda would stay close to Void, her kind smile having faded just a bit since they first met, but still doing her best to lift her spirits, "Oh, I'm sure they'll be alright. They seem the sort deserving of a bit of kindness. I don't think Karma would let them get hurt now, and if so, well, then they'll deserve an even bigger kindness, and we'll be the ones to give it to them by bringing them home." Maybe it wasn't quite the best thing to say at a time like this, but it seemed that Llambda had an ever positive outlook on life. Selena was standing at the front of the airship, the ivory accented changeling had been speaking with her before coming over to where Void and Llambda were. "A few hours yet, says the gem-born one, until we arrive." The changeling's voice sounded old, but peaceful, tranquil. "Slowly, we are traveling, to watch, if strayed, the young ponies have." (Void and Co will be the last group to arrive at the mesa) (Null) Arcade was easy to rouse, being a particularly light sleeper, "What's going on? Did something happen?" His response would depend on what Null told him about what was going on. He'd be following her regardless, but Null hadn't yet told him what she had seen when she first found Elef. Arcade didn't know that Elef had killed Rare, he only knew what Null had told him, that Null had saved Elef and not been able to save Rare. He had assumed that some other monster had gotten Rare. (Unless you want to say that she did talk about this with him before, like the previous night. If so, we'll step back to then and move through the scene. Arcade has a bit to say and feel about this event.) (Due to time differences, Ranger is ahead of Null. Null and Arcade will arrive after Ranger) (Ranger) Ranger had hardly had the luxury to grow up a picky eater, so she had no issues with a limited selection. She'd even take meat if that were all that were offered, it wouldn't be nutritious, but calories were calories. Still, normal food was available, so she'd load up a plate and join Kozue, "After last night? I'd rather get this over with sooner rather than later. Maybe we'll even get back before the other two wake up, then I won't have to answer as many questions about where I was." She'd get eating quickly, pulling out a mostly blank paper from what she had grabbed for Speck, before realizing that she had nothing to write with and putting it back. "It'll be dangerous where we're going, like, actual monsters dangerous." If he wasn't dissuaded, she'd be ready to leave after a few minutes of eating, demonstrating quite the ability to put food away. If Kozue wasn't ready to leave yet, she'd tell him to meet her at the base of the red mesa outside of town. Otherwise, they would travel together. The sun would just be hitting the top of it when they arrived. In either case, (Whether approaching together or Ranger coming over to Kozue when he caught up) Ranger would lead the way over to a partially concealed doorway, revealing a number pad that seemed to actually be powered. "Maybe the code will work here?" The first one she tried didn't, but the second one did get the old door moving, revealing a very thick door. The back of the door had innumerable scratches on the back, and no small amount of dried blood. The corridor it opened to wasn't a much better sight, a number of decaying bodies on the floor, which Ranger flew over to a clear space a bit away from the door. She looked back out at Kozue, "Still coming?" (Grey) While the toxin was not to be found here in New Pegas, the Crisis and the Summer War had brought new dangerous things for Changelings. Antimagic especially was dangerous for changelings, as it broke the field that surrounded them, causing them to burn alive. A small amount could be quickly washed off without permanent damage, but if some were ingested, or inhaled, well, very few changelings had survived that, and those who did bore painful scars. A knife coated with antimagic would be a potent weapon against a changeling, or a unicorn for that matter. When it came to instructions, his blindfold had some: Incapacitate Red Recover the boon Report back He would be allowed to seek equipment from the Grey armory, but they wouldn't have anything a blacksmith wouldn't. He would have to source anything special elsewhere, but he could obtain funds to do so with little pushback, it seemed that this was a top priority mission.

@Skylight Scintillate The next day, or rather, the night of the same day, the two young thestrals were woken in their hammocks by the sounds of Indigo moving about in the house below them, seemingly packing in advance of their trip. There was a hint of disgruntled muttering attached, as though something had frustrated her. Speckle might also be surprised to find that she was not alone in her hammock, as a little thestral filly lay curled up against her not unlike a large cat. Nova noticed, and came over to retrieve her, "Lilac, you're not supposed to be in there!" His tone was gentle, yet scolding, as he scooped up his younger sister out of Speckle's hammock. He was about to put her back in what was presumably her own hammock, given the smaller size, when Indigo called out from below, "Ah, Good Evening you two! Did you sleep well? Nova, could you bring Lilac down with you? I wasn't able to get someone to watch her this early, so she'll have to come with us." Nova simply nodded, setting Lilac down on his back between his wings, "Let's get going then Speckle, are you excited?" Once on the lower floor of the treehouse, Nova passed Lilac over to Indigo, and moved to sit when Indigo stopped him, "It's quite a trek to the central colony, so we're going to get going as soon as possible. We'll eat breakfast on the path, okay?" You two can go wash up real quick while I finish packing. Speckle would have some time alone with Nova while they went to wash up before returning to the tree house, where Indigo had everything ready to go. Once they returned, Indigo would give each of them a small pack to carry, "I've packed your breakfasts in there, as well as a few snacks and some water, and I've got some extra with me in case you run out." In the bag was as Indigo described, though it was a pretty loose definition of breakfast. More accurately it was a large collection of a variety of snacks, including a few varieties of fruits, some dried meats, a bit of bread, and a soft pouch which probably held the water that Indigo had mentioned. Given how some of the dried meat faintly glowed, it may have been some of the leftover ursa meat from the previous night. They were stopped by one of the guards before they left the clearing, "Indigo? Where are you all going so early?" Indigo's mood appeared to fall a bit, "To the Central colony." The guard looked conflicted, "Why? I mean, maybe we could save you the trip. There's a shipment of wood scheduled for tomorrow, maybe they could-" "Could show our guest what the central colony is like? No, I thank you for your concern, but I think it would be more impactful for her to see it for herself, rather than hear about it second hoof." The guard waffled a bit, "But... The Elder-" Indigo fixed him with a stare, "Are you going to stop me?" There was a tense few moments while the guard struggled to decide what to do, before he shook his head, "No, you all have a safe journey." Indigo nodded, then started walking into the woods without another word. Once they were in the forest proper, following the path to the north, Indigo seemed to relax a bit. Lilac seemed to pick up on that, turning around from her perch on her mother's back to wave at Speckle, "Hewo! You warm."

I figured I'd share this here so those interested could be notified, but they've started! https://mlpforums.com/topic/205724-roleplay-reading-ponyville-weather-team-chapter-one/ And it's really good! Well worth a listen!

@Blitz Boom (There's going to be a bit of a time skip, just jumping to the next morning when the next group of events kick off.) (Cherish) Mostly it was the wind that made it difficult for Elef to hear what Cherish was saying, though he did react a bit when she shouted, pushing ahead a bit faster, maybe he thought he was being chased? He didn't look back. The sun was just starting to rise when he dropped from the upper air current, heading for a large red mesa standing in the middle of the desert a short distance from a city. It might occur to Cherish then just how long they had been flying, and how far they had gone. Elef's sudden drop out of the air current might cause Cherish to overshoot, having to swing around and return. (continued below) (Void) Llambda smiled as Crow accepted her gift, "Oh, Always happy to help." Selena returned from talking with the guards, Nova being carried off with two of them back to the city. "So, there's good news and bad news. Good news is that we were able to find them, and we have a good idea where they're headed. The bad news is that they're too fast for the guards to catch up. But that's not entirely a bad thing, as we have some friends where they're going." She turned towards Void, "Null is still in New Pegas, right? I'll get a message out to her, she should be able to find the two of them quicker than we can get some guards out there." She seemed to recognize that that wouldn't be enough to placate her, or that it definitely wouldn't be enough for Crow. "In addition, we're getting an airship ready to head out as soon as possible. If you don't think you'd be better suited to care for the ones here, there's room for you to join us." She turned towards Crow, "You're welcome to join as well, or to fly there yourself if you'd be more comfortable. We can get you a map as to where we think they're going." Llambda moved to stand beside Void, "Oh, um, I'd still like to help. I was heading towards New Pegas anyway, but I can also stay here and help with your foals if you need me to." Teal and Gemini looked conflicted, as though they wanted to go after Elef as well, but also recognizing that the foals back home also needed their care. Whatever Crow and Void's choices, Selena would indicate that the airship would leave in an hour, giving them time to prepare if they were going to leave with it. (continued below) (Grey) Basher smirked, "As you should be. Nothing without a price, but sometimes the price is worth paying." He waved dismissively, "So long as you don't wear it, it's safe to hold. At least, I held and handled it plenty while I had it, and I didn't notice any ill effects." He shook his head, "I wouldn't be so hesitant, she certainly won't be. Though, I think you may already know something about her. Maybe you've even met her? She's gone by many faces and disguises. At least, I'm sure some of the more important changelings here know about her, though they probably know her by a different name, Red." Depending on when Craven, Yavin, and Mongoose joined up with the changelings here, they may or may not have heard about Red. Red first came to town about a year ago, standing out as the only red accented changeling any of them had seen. She claimed to be from the Stalliongrad hive, like Rasputin had. But unlike Rasputin, she had no restraint on her bloodlust. Violence towards the ponies of New Pegas was one thing, but she had also been violent towards some of the changelings, and had been kicked out of the group after a short while, not to be seen again. Many of the changelings figured that she had simply left town after that, and thanked the stars and mother for it. As such, her tale wasn't much shared with newer changelings. Nonetheless, Basher continued, "She was always on the move, even more so than me, but never failed to turn up for a fight, like a moth to a flame. Hence her name. Now that she seems to be in charge?" He thought for a moment, "I'm sure you spoke to Razzi or Papa while you were up on the cloud layer? They were in charge of talking to any newcomers and finding information. They'll know where she's gathering, or know where to look for gathering. That's your best bet, play along, wait for her to reveal herself, then get as close as you can." He nodded, "That's what I would do at least. Like I said at the beginning, I wouldn't hesitate to kill her. She certainly won't hesitate to kill you, given the chance." [The Next Morning] (Cherish) Elef was digging at a hole in the ground when Cherish caught up to him, it looked like a small tunnel had been dug out around a sort of sealed larger tunnel, likely the small tunnel had originally been dug by some small animal, and Elef was trying to widen the tunnel enough that he could crawl through. Depending on how Cherish would approach, Elef would respond. "You shouldn't have followed me, I'll just get you hurt." (Null) Nine would wake Null up a bit earlier than she might have liked, "There's a message for you. The Grey dropped it off. That little thestral colt ran off from Troy, along with a young pegasus. They think they're headed for Red Mesa, and they want you to find them and keep them out of trouble until a group from Troy can come pick them up." (Ranger) Ranger would also be up a bit earlier than most, but was doing her best to move quietly as she prepared for her own excursion, unknowingly to the same destination as the others. She didn't want to wake Null or Arcade as she prepared, grabbing a few brochures for Speck, before heading down to breakfast, hoping it would be available that early. (Void) If Void had elected to travel on the airship, she and whoever had elected to join her (Like Crow or Llambda) would be on their way towards the Red Mesa. They'd get there in a few hours, and some pegasus guards were sweeping the area around the ship as it traveled, just in case the pair had veered off or landed somewhere else along the way.

@Skylight Scintillate Nova shrugged, "I guess we only went for the anniversary as it was the only time it was necessary? I mean, do you often leave Canterlot to go to other cities without an important reason?" He posed that as a rhetorical, but his tone betrayed that he wasn't entirely sure as to the answer. Maybe Speckle's family had a history of spontaneous excursions? Nonetheless, he moved on to the other questions he hadn't answered yet, "I think the thestrals there are nice enough, they acted a bit friendlier than the thestrals from my colony, but I thought it was just because of the occasion. There'd be a lot of food there, like the feast we had the other night, and we would hear stories of the clan's history from the Chronicler, which is this really old thestral who I guess is in charge of knowing all the stories." Indigo stepped in to give Nova a bit of a break, "I don't know if the staff is still there, it was a long time ago, like two hundred years, when the clan was founded. But they do have a special amulet of protection that has been passed down by the leaders." (I think her other questions were already answered, but if not she'll get more answers once they get there.) It would be a bit longer before Indigo would get their help in closing up her booth, a bit later than she usually did, and soon they were heading back towards the colony. On their way through the forest they were passed by another group of thestrals similarly burdened as the old zebra mare had described. Passing with a simple nod and a wave. Nova asked, "Were those the others that the zebra talked about? I didn't recognize them." Indigo simply continued forward, "I would imagine so, but we'll know for sure tomorrow." Once they were back in the colony, she sent the pair up to the treehouse, "Get on ready for bed you two, we'll be getting an early start tomorrow, and I have to arrange for someone to care for Lilac while we're gone."

@Emerald Heart Well, if this is open to anyone (Given it was announced in all my threads), here's some of my favorites: https://mlpforums.com/topic/142290-a-cultural-exchange-1x1-with-randimaxis/ (Which has already been story adapted here: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/325624/a-cultural-exchange) https://mlpforums.com/topic/137156-a-personal-letter-for-the-one-i-have-wronged-1x1-rp-with-illiad-easle/ https://mlpforums.com/topic/197030-ponyville-weather-team/ https://mlpforums.com/topic/180332-deep-science-1x1-with-blitz-boom/ https://mlpforums.com/topic/193347-the-æther-project/

@Blitz Boom (Cherish) Given Cherish's training in school, and the fact that thestral wings were more suited to maneuverability and agility compared to long distance gliding (Which is what allowed them to excel at close quarters areal combat compared to pegasi) Cherish was actually able to slowly close the distance between her and Elef over time. She'd even get close enough to call out to him, but he wouldn't respond, or make any indication that he had heard her. (It will take an hour or two before they reach their destination) (Void) Teal and Gemini would move as though they wanted to approach Void, and would do so if Crow didn't move to stop them. Unlike what one might expect, they did not latch on Void's legs or attempt to hide beneath or behind her, despite there being ample space to, instead getting as close as possible without hindering Void's ability to move, and standing just to either side of her flanks, right at the edge of her vision. It was a trained stance for a defensive position, similar to how they had been sitting behind Crow, giving Void, as their defender, full ability to strike or turn while also remaining visible. They would not. however, object to Void embracing them once they got close enough. Teal commented, "We were out here digging with Crow and Cherish, Cherish got a small cut and then suddenly Nova swooped in on Elef out of nowhere!" Gemini followed, "Elef flew off once the guard mare caught Nova, and Cherish took off after him. Are... are we going to go look for them? It looks like he was heading back towards where we came from." She pointed out into the desert in the direction of New Pegas. Teal then looked towards Llambda, tilting her head a bit before looking back at Void, "Who's this with you? She looks kind of like Mistress." Llambda smiled and came a bit closer, "Oh, I'm just a friend, Void here seemed so worried so I thought I'd come and help! Here, do you two want a treat?" She would reach into a bag at her side that Void could see shimmering before pulling out a pair of decent looking apples, especially rare around here as the environment wasn't suited for fruit trees much, which she passed to the two fillies. If Crow had calmed down a bit, and not immediately flown off upon noticing or hearing that Cherish wasn't there anymore, Llambda would also offer something to her, pulling out something that could reasonably have been in the bag that Crow would like. (Ranger) She had a slight smile at that, "Yeah, I wouldn't have found the toys or been able to get into that room without you. Thank you." She sighed, "Well, that was where I came from. Tomorrow, is where we went between there and when Null found us. That's where Effs, Ajay, and Rare didn't make it." She snorted positively at that, but didn't have much to say, simply tired after the excursion. "Well, I guess we'll likely meet at breakfast tomorrow? See what the other two have to say or do before I can head out to the mesa." Unless he had anything else to add, she would head off towards the hotel at a leisurely pace, seemingly content to have a bit of time with her thoughts alone, except for Speck of course. (We'll pick this one up after the time jump. There will be a time jump once this night is done for all stories as all the sections above will come together at Red Mesa in the morning.) (Grey) Basher smiled at Craven's uncertainty, "Hmm... I'll say it is a bit more than just some enchanted minostralium. I'll also say that it is something that was made specifically for me, as a reward. Had it been something powerful, or that would have let me destroy the city, I would have used it before Grey could catch and kill me." He leaned back, "I won't say what exactly it does, other than that, when used properly, it poses no more danger to others than I already did." He seemed to be able to tell that that wasn't satisfying enough an answer, as he rolled his eyes and continued, "Maybe some backstory then? Alright. Back when I was working for Discord as one of his generals, he gave all of his top generals, myself included, a boon contingent on our success. I was able to seize Las Pegasus and so he gave me my boon, but I didn't use it then and didn't have the chance or desire to before Grey killed me and took it. Honestly, I was hesitant. You know about genies right? Well, I heard tell through the wind that some of the other generals who used their boons found that it wasn't quite what they expected. Sure, they got exactly what they asked for, but not exactly what they wanted. Nothing major was changed, and honestly they way he went about it was pretty funny, like what you'd expect to hear he had done before," he gestured vaguely around, "all this. I wasn't in any hurry to discover what trick he had planned for me, so I left it alone. But now I don't exactly have much to lose, so I figure if it is bad, well, I'll deserve it." He turned his gaze back towards Craven, "There, that enough for your superiors?" "I'm still hesitant to give it to him. But we'll see. His help is contingent on recovering the boon in any case, so he'll have a vested interest in helping us recover it whether we end up giving it to him in the end or not. We'll play along for now. First, we need information on how to stop Moth, and how we might recover the boon and safely return it to him."

@Skylight Scintillate The zebra mare's expression shifted a bit towards worry, "Ah, I see this revelation has troubled you. I think it best if I bid adieu." Indigo simply nodded, looking deep in thought. It wasn't until the next potential customer approached that she was shaken from her thoughts, and once they had purchased their small bottle of ink Speckle turned towards the younger two. "I..." she sighed, shaking her head. "How would you two like to go see the central colony tomorrow? I think there we'll be able to find out all the answers we've been missing." Nova looked a bit excited at the prospect, "We usually only go during the founding anniversary, can we just go there when there's not an occasion?" Indigo nodded, "There's no rule against it, but I've also only been there for the anniversary, I don't think your father's been there outside of that either, or, a good number of the thestrals from our colony, outside of the Elder, and those who handle moving the wood and crops." She seemed to be gaining conviction in her plan, "I'll make the plans. It will be a bit of a walk there, but I think you'll enjoy it." Unless Speckle had something important to add, Indigo turned back to her stall to help more customers, with Nova returning his attention to Speckle. "I'm confused, but a bit excited! The central colony is so cool! They have even bigger trees and houses than at home, and this big white building that they call the mas-o-leem or something, where the founder was buried when he died. They say he built it himself with a magic staff!"

@Blitz Boom Totally fine! I was starting to wonder, but I just got back from my own vacation. I'm excited to see what is coming up!

@Skylight Scintillate Indigo nodded, "I visit them about once or twice a year, when I'm up in Canterlot and have enough time to travel down the mountain. As to us visiting them with you? We would have to check with your parents. Maybe there'll be some time to visit when we go back to Canterlot to take you home." Indigo had mentioned previously that her clan lived in a forest near the base of Canterlot's mountain, but Speckle might have forgotten that. The old zebra mare looked concerned, "Do you believe that they would judge you for that? Or perhaps for the piece of pony that comes with the bat?" It seemed like the zebra was perceptive enough to detect that she wasn't a full-blooded thestral. "Were that the case, I would hope your perception unsure. The other traders seem to care not if a bat be pony or pure." "Other traders?" Indigo took notice of their conversation, looking confused "what do you mean?" The zebra nodded, "Other thestrals come from the forest after the dawn. Hailing from the place where their clan spawned." Indigo looked surprised, "Other traders from the central colony? And you say that they act differently?" She nodded again, "Some visit here, with foals of their own. Bats of pony and zebra to there call home." Now Nova also looked confused to match Indigo's surprise at the revelation. It seemed as though the central colony was perhaps different from Nova's home, or how he had been taught.

@Blitz Boom (Cherish) Picking open a standard lock with magic was something Teal had no issue with, and honestly hardly considered it something to notice given the facility they grew up in locked things with magic or technology more advanced than a key system. So moving pins and turning tumblers was a fun exercise for her. The two of them were glad to find the wall hanging, as it was a great distraction from the bones they had uncovered with Cherish. The subject didn't mean much to them, having never heard of Saddle Arabia or much about alicorns other than the Equestrian ones, but they supposed it made sense that there were others before or in other places too. They would just be starting to look through the other items in the box when everything went sideways. Teal and Gemini would call out to her, telling her to come back, but they wouldn't think to restrain her, nor would any of the guards go after her given the priority of subduing Nova and Crow being in the way. Elef did have a head start on her though, and was a decent flyer in his own right, having practiced out here with Ada before. He quickly caught an updraft to the upper air currents, and was soon carried off towards a dim light in the west, maybe the rising sun? More likely the glimmer of New Pegas on the horizon. Whether Cherish would know that was unclear, and if it were even possible to see Las Pegasus from Troy at that altitude was questionable. The other question was how far Cherish would go in pursuit before turning back, or if she intended to maintain pursuit. If she also found her way up to the upper air currents, and knew how to glide efficiently, while she wouldn't be able to catch up to Elef she would be able to follow him without losing track. The guard mare stopped when Crow said to, recognizing that approaching wouldn't help. Crow would be forgiven for not recognizing the attire of the guards as belonging to the outer city guard. She took off her helmet to uncover her face (Which had been covered with wraps and goggles to keep her safe from the blowing sand), shaking out her mane and revealing that while she had the coloration and wings of a thestral, she lacked the slit pupils and fangs of one, meaning that she was more accurately a bat-pony. She did not move to approach, "It's alright, we're not here to hurt anyone. We're guards from the city, I'm Frolicsome, Ada there called for us to come help." She tilted her head to look at Teal and Gemini, "You two are being cared for by Miss Void, right? She's on her way here." She took a seat in the sand, actually moving back a pace to give Crow more room. (continued below with Void) (Void) She would hardly have time to notice the changeling with pearlescent white accents waiting outside the chambers, but when they saw that Llambda was in pursuit they joined in running after the group. There would be time for introductions later. Crow hadn't taken the ponies too far away from the city, and the distance was more quickly traveled by the adults in a hurry than the leisurely ponies had, so they weren't running for long before they reached the group. By that time though Nova had been bound wing and hoof, as well as tying his mouth shut as he had kept trying to bite the guards, and they were preparing to take him back into the city. Frolicsome turned to the approaching mares and stood, moving further from Crow to stop them before they got too close. Selena was quick to start asking about the situation, her voice completely unwinded as though traveling this far this fast had been no effort, though it was more because she didn't need to breathe air and as such couldn't be out of breath. "I got most of the news from Ada, any updates?" Frolicsome shook her head, "Nova is bound, Elef and another pegasus flew off in the scuffle, headed west. We've got a pair in the air trying to find them, and a few more combing the area in case they turned back." Selena sighed, "Not what we would hope for, but if he could fly away he's probably not hurt too badly." Frolicsome turned towards Void, "Maybe you'll have better luck with this dragon? She seems rather attached and protective of your foals." When it came to Crow, Teal, and Gemini seeing the group approach, they didn't see Llambda as a llamare, but rather as some generic mare whose appearance was unmemorable, but vaguely comforting, like she resembled someone trustworthy. Or, if Crow was untrusting of all ponies, she would see some other creature of similar size to Llambda. It wasn't to say she'd be immediately trusting of the newcomer, given the circumstances, but whatever she needed to see to be a bit more accepting of help from her, she would see. (As an effect of Mercy's cloak, Llambda, when seeking to serve, is disguised however she needs to be in order to maximize her chances of success without outright impersonation. Like, you won't see her and think that she is someone in particular, but she may resemble them enough to invoke those trusting feelings subconsciously, what that might look like to Crow is up to you, if she even cares to look) Teal and Gemini wanted to run towards Void when they saw her, but stayed put given Crow's stance and positioning, recognizing and deferring to her as a protector as they had done with Arcade and Ranger before. (Ranger) Ranger didn't outwardly pay much attention to what Kozue was doing, but she did listen to the song he was singing. Inwardly she was glad that he hadn't objected. Given all his talk about trying to get her to see herself as more than a clone, she had half expected him to try and stop her, to talk her out of purging the lab, or tell her she had done the wrong thing. Still, she didn't feel as relieved as she thought she would. When the paper fox approached she welcomed the distraction, carefully reading what was written, "Speck? Hmm, is that what you want to be called?" She pondered it, then nodded, "Alright, if you're sure." She stood up and would move towards the door, checking that she still had the small toys that had been found in the other room while she waited for Kozue to follow, then she'd head back out of the building the same way they had entered without comments on her end unless Kozue brought something up. Once outside she would shake off whatever dust or feeling had accumulated, "I should go to bed, we can try and look at the other place in the morning, if you're still interested in joining me that is. Given what we saw in there, I understand if you're not." (Grey) "Sounds like you're ready to consider an offer." The voice didn't come from Birdie, but from Basher's cell, revealing that he had been listening the whole time. "I don't pretend to be making you the offer specifically, I know your superiors are listening to everything we tell you, so it's more to them by proxy but I'm sure they'll want you involved, as do I." If Craven came over to where he could see Basher, he'd see that Basher looked a bit more engaged than the casual pose he had had the last time they had talked. "Recover the Boon, and bring it back to me, and I swear on my wings and heart that I'll serve the Grey loyally, AND bring those that will still follow me, in. Think about it, everything she's asked me for, with no further argument. And, I'll even be willing to throw in some extra information, so long as you are involved in retrieving it." He leaned back, "Don't take too long thinking it over. My offer won't expire but Moth wasn't known for her patience or long term planning skills." In his blindfold Craven was privy to a message, 'Recovering the Boon is a top priority regardless. But it could be too risky to give it to him. We don't know what it does, or if giving it to him would somehow void the contract he's made. Still, the chance to resolve this amicably by putting him back in change, as well as bringing in the gang to serve, may be too good an opportunity to pass up.' 'Try to get more information out of him. See if he'll tell you what the boon does or what the original plan was. Maybe we can use that to dismantle their efforts and buy more time.'

@Blitz Boom If anything that makes it more authentic because your character is working with incomplete information. The confusion is justified!

@Skylight Scintillate Indigo started to nod her head, but stopped, "Well, the ones here don't, they don't wear much clothing to begin with and most of what we eat is cooked fresh and served quickly, not much occasion for dyes. But, back in my home clan we did use them on occasion, mostly for the goods we would sell to the ponies that were interested." She sighed, "Sometimes I wish that our clan used dyes more, but it also means that I have more to sell here." The old zebra mare looked surprised, "Truly? I've heard nothing but kindness from the few that I've met. To hear your sad tale is quite an upset. Tell me, how are the ones here unkind to you two? Perhaps there's an answer and something to do?" She seemed genuinely concerned for Speckle's unhappiness. She simply smiled at that, "One does not grow so old as I, without learning to see with more than eye."

@Blitz Boom This will be a long one. (Cherish) Seeing Crow pull some bones out of the sand was one thing, but actually touching some with their own hooves was another, so Teal and Gemini were content to stop digging once they had run into more bones even with Cherish's lack of reaction to the discovery or potential encouragement towards further investigation. They were a bit more saddened by the sight of the small dog bones, and so quickly turned their attention away and towards the crate as a far better focus, hoping to themselves that the crate would hold something other than more death. Elef was hardly so patient as to dig out the entire bag once it was clear what it was, and would instead try to cut the bag open with his sharp fangs if at all possible. If he couldn't cut through the bag he'd then dig further to reveal the taloned hand. He wouldn't dig further than that though, as he would resume his efforts to free the bag from the dead grip by whatever means he could, unconcerned with the corpse that held it. That got the others attention, Elef leaving the bag to stand near Crow to see if he could see what she was referring to. He would point out a dark shape in the sky that seemed to be flying vaguely in their direction, "That kind of looks like Miss Ada, she's the guard mare that takes me hunting. Maybe she's watching us to make sure we're safe out here?" He waved towards the dark shape. Depending on how good Crow's vision was she might be able to confirm that the shape was a dark coated thestral mare, but not having met Ada before beyond perhaps having encountered Elef and her while they were out hunting, might nit be able to positively identify her. "Is that... did you get hurt Cherish?" Teal brought some attention back as there seemed to be a bit of red on Cherish's white coat near her forehoof, digging in the sand it was easy to accidentally cut yourself when digging, or to poke the frog or the sole (the soft parts of the bottom of a hoof) enough to draw a bit of blood without noticing. Whether it was her blood or not, or if it was blood at all or just something that had leaked out of a crate or a bone was unclear. As Teal and Gemini drew closer to Cherish to investigate, Elef seemed... off. There was a look in his eyes that Crow might recognize as a hunter viewing prey, looking for a moment to strike, mixed with no small amount of terror, holding him in place. It didn't last long before he shook himself out of whatever it was that held him there, he started to move towards her, his voice a bit shaky, "A-are you al-" *wham* Elef was knocked away from the others, another thestral had swooped down from a nearby cloud at incredible speed to slam into him. He only paused a moment before launching at Elef where he had been knocked back to start attacking him, but it was long enough for those present to recognize him as Nova, who was now wailing on Elef as he struggled to fight back or escape. Teal was frozen in shock and as such didn't try to separate the two with magic. If Crow didn't step in to separate the two (and receive a few swings and kicks from the attacking colt herself) then Ada (who had in fact been the thestral Elef had waived to) would swoop in to subdue the colt, and take a few hits to the face before she could pin him down. If Crow did subdue the colt Ada would land nearby and try to speak to Nova. (The dialogue is the same regardless of who has him pinned) "Nova! Why are you attacking Elef?" Nova would continue to struggle, his eyes focused on Elef, "He's a monster! I have to stop him, kill the vampire, before he kills again!" Ada looked deeply concerned, "Who- Why do you think he's a vampire?" "No one told me, I can see it. His eyes, his fangs, they're wrong. They're the same as..." His eyes focused on Ada, widening as he saw, "Yours!" With an impressive show of strength likely driven by desperation he would escape from whoever held him (If Crow was holding him likely more due to fear of harming the colt than being overpowered) so he could strike at Ada, "You're one too! Same as them. Have to kill, have to keep them safe!" Still, despite taking a few surprise hits (and especially with Crow's help if available) Ada would be able to pin Nova down again, whispering something into her amulet before continuing, "Nova, calm down. Whatever you think is happening isn't true. There are no monsters here, no one is going to kill anyone. Right El-" She turned to look, but Elef was gone. A small pool of blood already soaking into the sands connected to a few drips leading away, and a dark figure quickly growing small in the sky, headed away from the city. Back into the desert towards where they had first come from. Ada cursed under her breath. Two other thestrals landed nearby in full guard attire, one moving to help Ada while the other approached the fillies, Teal and Gemini having moved to stick by Cherish in the commotion. This guard was a younger mare, who did her best to try and keep them calm, "Are you all alright? Are any of you hurt? What happened here?" And so Elef's arc begins (Void) (... Maybe closer than she realized ...) Selena shrugged, "It's possible, I was only directly involved a very long time ago, and very recently, and it was only just before the crisis that I had my own body. So it's unlikely that you ever ran into something I had a hoof in organizing. But most who serve Mercy don't seek out some official sanction first. They just do good for the sake of it, and find themselves rewarded. It's a bit-" She stopped, her eyes moving like she was reading something as her expression fell, "Something happened with the ponies out on the dunes. We need to go." She would move to leave the room when Llambda spoke up, "Oh no! Can I help?" Selena paused, but nodded, "I think you can," she turned towards Void who was no doubt already moving to follow, "If that's alright?" Llambda would stay behind if Void disagreed, but in either case Selena would lead the way at full speed out onto the dunes in the direction of where the other group was. (Null) (I'm guessing you swapped the races on accident, since Arcade is a unicorn, if you didn't though, that's an interesting twist) (We'll hold this one until the Elef arc moves a bit more so everyone can come together. Once the other side is into the next morning we'll move Null ahead again) (Ranger) Ranger shrugged, "Whatever they are, that's where we came from. Or, where they told us we came from. Where they would bring me to remind me that I was expendable, replaceable, whenever I acted out too much." She returned her attention to the machines, trying to work out the controls. There was a small amount of magic running through the machines, and evidence that it was capable of harnessing a lot more magic and had done so in the past. It felt a bit like a stasis spell, holding everything inside the tanks in suspension, which was likely why they were so well preserved in the tanks. Or, there was, until Ranger pulled a lever and the magic stopped, the fluid starting to slowly drain out of the tanks. Ranger nodded, "That seems to have done it then. We can leave now." (Grey) Birdie's expression hadn't changed throughout his speech, though her emotions had some subtle spikes here and there as he had spoken, some anger, some disappointment, mostly hidden by her training. "No, you don't know how things are. Look, I don't mind changelings, but you bugs are so often naive about ponies. Ponies pretend that they're all about peace, about cooperation, but we're not. Blood has bought everything Equestria had. Troy was birthed in blood. The three races only ever cooperated in the beginning under the threat of mutual destruction, and warred for decades before that. Celestia could only keep them together so long as there was an outside enemy for them to fight against. The Griffons, the Umbra, the Zebra, the Thestrals, Empathics, Changelings, because without something outside, they look in for division." She sighed, "The division was there even before the war, before the crisis. Unicorns and their mountains, Pegasi and their clouds, Earth Ponies and their fields, even inside Equestria there was division, and the same is true here. The cloud district sided with Basher when the Grey came in, and when he lost the district got gutted, even now the casino heads ignore that district, look down on them." "Why? Because we're tired of being ruled by the rich and powerful who sit on their thrones while the rest of us suffer. Why now? Because the Grey's out of the way and the oligarchs are scrambling to fill the gaps. Are things so bad? You tell me. You were up there, did it seem like an area where a pony could thrive? Or did it look like a junkyard where all the unwanted items were kicked. Next time you're up there, look down, and see everything the way we've seen it. Where everyone down there has everything you want while you have nothing." There was a bit of concern under the thick layer of resolve though, she seemed confused when he brought up racial superiority, like she wasn't entirely sure what he meant. Maybe thing had shifted since Moth had taken charge, and things weren't as Birdie remembered anymore. After all, she was a unicorn, and Basher had previously employed downtrodden creatures of all types in his gang, not just pegasi.

@Skylight Scintillate Nova thought for a moment, "You'd have to ask him, I'm sure you could find him out on patrol once you're back in Canterlot, but he mentioned going to Spartrot like Scipio did, Canterlot, Manehatten, Trottingham, places like that. He didn't really talk much about how they were different from each other, more how they were different from our colony." Indigo shook her head, "Not directly no, but I was taught by my own mother who learned how to bake from some earth ponies in Canterlot. And those I sold my dyes to before I moved here mentioned that that was what they used some of them for, though most used it to dye cloth for making clothes and things." The zebra mare smiled and nodded at Speckle's answer, "Every place is unique, so far as I have seen. From Zebrica to Mohotma and everywhere in between." Her expression grew a bit more curious and concerned, "Though I sense that something troubles you. Perhaps there's a difference here that makes you so blue?"

@Blitz Boom (Null) "You've certainly been busy, you almost got more done in just this evening than you did the whole time we were here looking for Grey Mane." There was a pause as Nine perused the memories and Null's thoughts on them. They didn't dwell on any for too long as Null didn't seem to have a particular one to bring up. "I met up with Nibiru and Mongoose while I was out. There are a few options available for clearing up the last of your debt, but we can discuss that in the morning." If there wasn't anything that Null wanted Nine's input on, she would be left to sleep peacefully. (We'll hold this one here until Elef's arc kicks off. Should be in my next post.) (Ranger) The button itself was rather firm, it likely was meant to only be pressed in emergency situations, and perhaps had never been pressed before. There was no shortage of other buttons or switches for it to find, though most of what it could flip didn't appear to have any effect. Kozue's efforts to raise the door manually were a bit more fruitful, each small measure the door was raised allowing a bit more light to shine into the room, which made further investigation easier, but still yielded nothing that the fox could interact with to help or hinder. Ranger shrugged, "I've got a lot of numbers here, who knows if any would work? It's hard to make out what the rest of the words on these papers say." If he cared to look he'd see that the documents weren't written in a standard Equestrian script, but rather like the letters had all been compressed down to one side for each word. If he knew of ancient languages, it was akin to a form of Cirrin, the ancient pegasus language, mixed with Terran, the ancient earth pony language, or at least the characters were, they still seemed to represent words in Equestrian. In any case, after a few tries... well, the door didn't open, but something did happen. There was a sound like something was turning, an ancient cable winding, and the already dimmed lights dimmed further. The door moved up barely a quarter hoof before stopping again. Ranger would sigh, "I guess whatever would open the door is long out, it was never this slow or stiff before." If Kozue resumed lifting the door manually, he would find it substantially easier than before! While the code hadn't been able to get the door open, it had appeared to have unlocked the door and moved the counterweight into place. The door fully opened, Kozue would see what the fox hadn't been able to before, with the light from the hallway and his own ability to light up dark rooms. Ranger didn't look surprised to see that the room was full of clones, all of them barely large enough to be considered even premature foals. Instead she looked around the buttons and switches on the consoles before finding the large button by the door that the fox had tried to press earlier, marked PURGE. "Hmm, if the door couldn't be opened, I doubt that will work either." Kozue would be able to detect that there was till a good amount of magic running through the machines connected to the clones, it wasn't a substantial amount, but it was more magic than they had encountered in the rest of the facility. (Cherish) Gemini was happy for the opportunity, "I would like that, thank you!" Gemini and Teal were a bit uncomfortable at the prospect of finding bones or bodies, but weren't fully discouraged from joining in given Cherish didn't seem to mind. Elef wasn't dissuaded at all though, and in fact seemed almost more excited now that finding bones was an option. Gemini and Teal would work closer to Cherish, while Elef would work a short distance away on the other side of the buried wagon from the group. Cherish got the feeling that she was being watched, but of course she was, right? Crow and the others were there with her, if anything it would be strange to not feel watched. Crow would also get the feeling, but it was more predatorial. Something was watching them, cautiously. (That's buildup for the next scene, when the Elef arc starts, I put more details for the event trigger in the OOC in the post before the last one you responded to) (Void) Llambda looked genuinely concerned, "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, I hope things are better for your sister and you now?" She looked saddened by that, "Oh, that's too bad. I don't know what I would do if someone I trusted did something like that... There were some of the creatures who came up the mountain, who were selfish or mean to the others, but they didn't stay that way for long once they saw that they were being taken care of. A few did leave though, I hope they made it wherever they thought they were going." She smiled at that, "Oh yes! She's the one who said I should come here, all very smart like she is, she said that in addition to finding Mercy I might find out about my sire. He left before I was born, and my dam died when I was still a cria, so I was mostly raised by Nirvana and some of her smaller changelings." Selena looked thoughtful, "Hmm, so perhaps not through Mercy directly, but by completing tasks for Mercy they square their debt with Karma. I think that could work, since it's like how Vengeance operates but in reverse, doing good to those who have suffered rather than punishing those who have injured. I'll have to speak with Karma on that though." As to how it all worked, Selena nodded, "Usually there isn't too much need for a dedicated avatar or servant of Mercy. Generally ponies are kind to each other and flock together as herds, working to build each other up. It is only in times of crisis when servants of Mercy tend to distinguish themselves, like now, and what they do depends on what is needed." (Grey) He would be allowed to see Basher, as before, but before he got there he would be alerted: After reviewing the contents of confiscated materials there are several missing items since the reformation of the Grey. Be on the lookout for the following items: Most of the items on the list were basic weapons and armor, most likely taken by those who had left in the wake of Grey Mane's death. One item stood out though, 53: Basher's Boon, An amulet seized from The Baltamare Basher after his defeat in the liberation of New Pegas. Enchanted with Chaos magic. If found, Do Not Wear. If anything, he now had another thing to ask Basher about. Arriving at the detainment area the sound of Basher's ball bouncing against the wall, which had become so commonplace when Craven had been on guard duty before, was absent. Basher wasn't known to sleep often (And perhaps was skilled enough to bounce the ball even in his sleep) but maybe he had arrived at just such a time? Still, before he could get to Basher's cell, the mare in the adjacent cell, the unicorn Birdie who had been Basher's second, approached the bars, "Back already bug? Not time to switch the guard rotation yet, and you seem agitated. See something you didn't like up there?" Her tone was hard to pin down, almost devoid of emotion, it seemed to fall somewhere between taunting and curious. What was more interesting is that she identified him as a changeling (albeit with a derogative) despite him being cloaked and potentially disguised. He wouldn't have to ask how she knew that though as she followed up with, "Empathic, so I know a thing or two about being oppressed and rejected. And I know how to read a changeling. You saw how bad things are up there."

@Skylight Scintillate Indigo looked thoughtful, "Nothing happened per-say, it has simply been struggling to keep up. Between the pony settlements expanding and cutting down the forests, more members leaving or marrying into other clans, increasing isolation due to being surrounded by Equestria, it is difficult for a clan to expand under those conditions." She shook her head, "It's not something to worry about, there's very little any one of us could do about it." Nova spoke up, "It's an experiment I did in one of my lessons with plants a few weeks ago. There are certain flowers, like snapdragons, that come in different colors. If you bring two different colors together then the seeds will make flowers of different colors between the first two," he looked to his mother, "Right?" Indigo nodded, "It depends on the flower, some can form a spectrum of colors while others are more rigid, and sometimes colors can hide for a generation to come out in the grandchildren. It's similar for ponies, where a child of two ponies will often be some color between their parents, or among their parents and grandparents, though some unique colorations do appear from time to time." "Like Miss Seinei? She's all white." Indigo shook her head, "Not quite, although, well... Yes, but for different reasons. Miss Seinei is an albino thestral." Nova nodded, "I bet my dad would know, he's been all over Canterlot, and a bunch of places before then!" Indigo nodded, "I think that's very likely, especially if its an earth pony bakery. They tend to use plants and natural colors when they can. Unicorns though are more likely to use magic to color their goods since its easier for them." She would give indigo some tips on how to operate the pestle, having her sit with her hind legs holding the mortar in place while her forelegs worked the pestle, leaving her wings free for balance if need be. The powder itself wouldn't stain her fur unless it got wet and was allowed to dry, and even then would wash out in a few days, so Indigo wasn't worried about it. If Speckle looked closely she'd see that the fur around Indigo's forehooves was faintly stained with many different colors. The older zebra turned towards her with a kindly smile, "Welcome child, you've come so far! What do you think of our grand bazar? Many things here, trinkets and tomes, so very different from your mountain home?" Looking around the market there were indeed many things for sale that Speckle hadn't seen before, but the zebra mare seemed to be speaking more generally, asking how her experience here was compared to what she was used to.

@Blitz Boom Uh oh, you left me thinking too long! Now I have new lore and ideas! No spoilers, but a character from the AEther Project is coming to play, one you didn't get to interact with much, along with some more deep lore tie ins! That said, everything alright? You've been quiet for a while now.

@Skylight Scintillate Indigo looked saddened by the news, "Ah, I feared something like that might happen. Turing, like many of the older thestrals in the clan, have a rather dim view of ponies, or any that aren't pure-blooded thestrals. I had hoped he would care more about making a good impression." She sighed, "In my home clan, such rudeness would not be tolerated, but the Eclipse clan has not been doing well for a long time, and it's hard to argue with the strength the Fastar clan has, despite its troubles." Nova looked over at the ponies as Speckle mentioned them, "Oh? I hadn't really noticed, I mean, they're all still more colorful than thestrals. I guess the ponies up in Canterlot were especially colorful, now that you mention it. Maybe pony color depends on where you grow up?" Indigo smiled as she added, "It has more to do with what color your parents are, and that their parents were. You remember the flower experiment? But it could be that ponies with similar colors tend to go to the same areas." Indigo nodded, "Well, most of these come from flowers and plants, different parts can be dried and ground into a powder that can be used to make paints and dyes. Other colors, like these blue ones, come from crushed rocks and stones like lapis. Some of the ones made from plants are safe to eat, so can be used to color food like in baking." She pulled out a mortar and pestle along with some dried yellow flower petals, "Here, you can try grinding some yourself if you want?" Soon they would start to have some customers, mostly zebra, and most of them spoke in a language that wasn't familiar to Speckle, though it was easy to pick up that the phrases they spoke seemed to rhyme. When Indigo spoke it in response it was clear she wasn't too good at it, and her phrases didn't rhyme as often as the zebra's did. One of the zebra who approached, an older mare, spoke in standard Equish, "Ah, so big already little Lilac has grown? Oh so quickly the time has flown." Indigo chuckled, shaking her head, "No, no, Madam Zeroni, Lilac is still quite young. This is Speckle, she's visiting us from Canterlot for a few days."

(OOC Thread: https://mlpforums.com/topic/198041-another-cultural-exchange/page/3/) @Skylight Scintillate It was cold, dark, and quiet in the Shimmerwood forest, which suited the thestrals that called it home just fine. Most of them, that was. Nova had always thought that the forest was a little too cold, too dark, and too quiet, and had made it his mission in life to correct at least one of those things, as was in his power. At the present, he was sat at the edge of the clearing where the road through the forest entered the area where the clan had built their houses in the trees above. This was the road where the mail was delivered by the carrier, to then be distributed to those in the clan who had business receiving mail, and today Nova hoped to be one of those ponies, as he had hoped every day since he first sent in his application to the cultural exchange. This was something everyone in the clan was well aware of, given Nova's propensity to tell anyone who came close enough for him to engage in conversation, leading many to simply avoid the colt, lest they risk being chosen as his new conversation partner. At the moment, he was simply talking to himself, thinking of all the possible creatures he could be paired with, and all the possible places they could be from, compiling an exhaustive list of them and ranking them as he went in an effort to figure out which possibility he was MOST excited for. Unfortunately, he wasn't very methodical about it, so often had the same combination come up for evaluation, and would frequently lose track of where he was, thus needing to start over. When he stopped, those who had grown used to the chatter turned to see who, or what, they ought to thank for their relief from the noise. They found their relief momentary as Nova cheered: "He's here! The mail is here!" The mailpony was well used to Nova's antics, and was happy to see Nova this time, "Well look who it is, how are you doing Nova?" "Do you have a letter for me?" The mailpony raised an eyebrow, "That doesn't answer my question." Nova shook his head, "Of course it does, if you have a letter for me then I'm doing great! Otherwise... I'm okay I guess." The mailpony chuckled, "Well, today you're in luck, because I do have a letter for you!" Nova bounced in place as he waited for the mailpony to retrieve his letter, snatching it from his hoof as soon as it was clear of the bag, his smile somehow growing wider as he saw who it was from, "YES! IT CAME! Thank you mister mailpony!" He then took off back towards his home without waiting for the mailpony to respond, who simply chuckled to themselves as they went about putting the rest of the clan's mail into the proper recepticles. Nova wasted no time showing the letter to his mother, indicating that he had been accepted to the cultural exchange program and paired with a bat pony in Canterlot, a combination he had not considered in his earlier list. He had heard of bat ponies living in Canterlot from his father who worked there, but he never thought they would be interested in something like this given how disinterested everyone here had been. Still, with his mother's help, he set out to write his introductory letter: Dear Scotia, Hiya! I'm Nova Fastar, I live in the Fastar clan's primary settlement in the heart of the Shimmerwood forest west of Las Pegasus, north of Archback, and south of Griffonstone. I'm a thestral pony, which is like a bat pony, but more bat-like I guess? I don't have my mark yet, but most of the other thestrals my age don't either, so I'm not worried. I hope it will be for something cool, like adventuring, even if my teachers say I should focus on more useful skills like woodworking. Anyway, I'm excited to get to know you and learn what it's like living in Canterlot! I've heard so much about it from my dad, he's the head of the Canterlot City Night Guard, maybe you've met him already? Excitedly, Nova Given his speed and excitement, he was able to get the written letter back to the mailpony before they left the clearing, ensuring that he would get a response at the earliest possible opportunity. Much to the chagrin of the other members of the clan, he seemed intent to wait by the mailbox again for said response to arrive. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scotia would receive a notification from the Cultural Exchange program stating her acceptance and informing her that she had been paired with Nova Fastar, a young thestral colt from the Fastar Clan. It would instruct her to watch for a letter from him and to respond in kind when it arrives. She would receive receive Nova's letter the very next day.

@@Blitz Boom (OOC Thread) It had been a rather normal day for Null and Void, for once they were beginning to feel, something, in this town of theirs. Acceptance, maybe a sense of belonging? Whatever it was, they finally felt like they didn't need to be so on the run anymore. The two of them sat on a hill that overlooked the town at sunset, it was a truly tranquil moment. Void was peacefully asleep in the grass while Null was up, keeping watch, she thought to herself, an old habit from a time now further behind them. Null found herself doing something she had not done in a very long time, smiling. It wasn't a big one to be certain, in fact anyone who didn't know her would never even know she was smiling, but she knew it in her heart. It was at that very moment, the minuscule moment when she let her guard down, when it all went wrong. Though honestly one can't exactly prepare for a large portal opening in front of them. Less for what they saw on the other side. Through the portal was a room, so white it almost gleamed, though that was secondary to the all too familiar looking grey robed figures that dashed through it, and the pair of darts that struck the two of them. Void, having only barely been woken up by the portal quickly fell back asleep as the dart, a purely chemical rather than magical reaction, did it's job. Null did not fare much better as the Grey enforcers subdued her drugged form using her own weak points against her. Whoever had sent them clearly knew them well. She was only vaguely aware that some sort of harness was strapped around her midsection, a powerful humming, then darkness. ... A. Clave Bunsen scratched his small beard thoughtfully as he watched the enforcers drag his newest test subjects to the portal. He had heard of their rare abilities to nullify even the most powerful of magics, and knew the benefit it would bring to all of Equis if it could be replicated. The only problem was getting them to his lab. Which is where the portal came in, but bringing non magical creatures through a magical portal? That was what he was testing. The harnesses were designed as a counter, a shield specifically against anti-magic called the Re-Generator. And here was it's first test. Whether said field could contain the reversed field long enough to get them through? As the enforcers dragged the limp bodies, now much heavier due to the harnesses, the portal seemed to shimmer as the field came near, in the center it started to waver rather drastically, but it held long enough before finally snapping closed. Bunsen smiled as he looked down at the smoking harnesses around the two mares now in his lab. Sure it had bisected two of the enforcers and left another pair very deep in Equestrian territory, but he had his prize. Some time later... Null and Void wake up in another stark white room strapped down barrel up to exam tables with their legs, and wing in the case of Null spread out.