Seamore Sandwich

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 384) “You say ‘railroad’ as if it is one word. I believed it to have been misspelled on the maps, but now I believe it to have a different meaning than that which I had originally thought. Please, if you will, tell me its meaning. What is the significance of its name?” Silvermane replied curiously. He had no knowledge of this modern world, so it stood to reason that he might be missing something important here. He had no direct help in planning the route, which now to him seemed a mistake. Unknown to him, this railroad would take most of the time off their journey. There would be a long walk still, but it wasn’t going to be quite the long journey they were all expecting. (Gaea remains on page 384, Penny on 385, and Charlie on 363)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 381) “It seems my two left legs are on the right side,” Penny answered cheerfully, looking at the sign of her parents shop. The shop itself looked out of place with its vivid colors, and the structure was much shorter than the two neighboring buildings pressed against it. The width of the building wasn’t too small, but wasn’t exactly large either. It was made to look like a gingerbread house, though the wood grain pattern could be seen slightly on the walls. It wasn’t that the paint was thin, but rather that the wood itself wasn’t smooth. This almost seemed intentional, as if otherwise ponies might consider trying to eat the building. The windows were framed with pieces shaped to look like frosting with mint candies stuck into it to add color, and the door was round at the top and framed with what looked like a candy cane arch. The roof, which looked like it was made of chocolate shingles, was tilted toward the street, and reached all the way to the wall of the building behind it. There was a chimney made to look like brightly colored wafer candies stuck together. Through the window the selection of candies would look similar to that of Penny’s store, but there weren’t any of the magic chocolates on display. Instead there were a few extra shapes of chocolates, some candy bouquets and a selection of odd flavors of soda. “Should we stop in now to visit my parents, or should we come back after the delivery? If I’m right they’ll probably be busy prepping some of the candies for the day, so we might get caught up in that, and trust me, you’ll need some really good shampoo if any of what they’re making gets on you. I’ll leave it up to you if you’d rather not get a bit messy.” (Charlie is still on page 363, while Marcus and Gaea are on page 384)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 381) Brooke sat down on one of the beds they had set up with silk sheets they had stolen. She picked up the egg, which had been rested against the pillows and covered partially by the sheets like you would tuck in a child. Cradling it in her big arms like it were a baby, she began stroking it gently. “I hear those things learn quicker than most,” Skye began to say, “which means we can train it to help us steal before long.” Brooke smiled at this and continued to stroke the egg, but she sniffed and for a moment she was alert, facing the doorway. “What is it?” Skye asked, worried for a moment until Brooke sniffed a couple more times then relaxed herself and waved her paw as if to say, “it’s nothing,” before going back to stroking the egg. Just then, outside, Gaea had finally caught up to Zhu. She made little noise as she moved, but she was sure to approach Zhu from an angle he should be able to see her from, so as not to startle him and cause unnecessary noise. Since she didn’t know where the thieves were, she signaled to Zhu by pointing at him then pointing to her eyes, then waving her hoof horizontally. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 383) “Thank you. Soon you will get the chance first hoof to see why I have the followers I have. I could tell you tales of great battles I’ve fought in, but ‘tis best to save those for the journey. We’ll be trotting Buckington’s Rile Road as it seems that is the optimal path. It’s a long path, but it’s more direct than any other route, and according to the maps, there is a tunnel that was carved through one of the mountains along the way, which will save us time going around it,” Marcus said to Brute while the others were still focused on the ongoing fireworks display (Keg really went the extra mile and set up a whole fireworks display like you might see on a national holiday or something). To those in the know, it would be obvious he was mispronouncing “rail” and was in fact referring to the Buckington Railroad, which did in fact cut through a mountain. (Penny is still on page 381, and Charlie on page 363)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 362) “As many of you already know, much of my strength comes the power that has been stored within the crystals you all provide for me. The power they grant help me to cast Greatspells, ones that could turn the tide of wars. Those spells are normally a last resort, but given the circumstances, they must not be used at all. I cannot risk expending the last of your magic, so I will limit the use of my own magic greatly on this mission. I shall even wear a crystal myself,” Marcus Silvermane says, pulling a crystal out from beneath his armor on a necklace around his neck, “to ensure that in a time of need I will not use too great an amount of the magic you have given.” He let the crystal rest outside his armor. “With my power limited, I will rely solely on my skill. I shall do justice to the tales of me that you have been told. Tomorrow we embark on a perilous mission, and if any of us shall fall, may the world hear tales of their heroism! Better yet, may we all succeed and live to tell the tales ourselves! The Sacred Springs shall be ours once more!” As if on queue, Keg set of a display of fireworks that he had been working on as a bit of a side project for the last few days. It was a brilliant display with many beautiful colors, which even distracted Marcus’s gaze. He knew of fireworks, but had never seen any like these before. The ones from his time were simple, unrefined explosives. Technology had come a long way in his absence. (Gaea and Penny are on page 381, and Charlie and Naut are on page 363)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 357) As Zhu’s keen eyes may have noticed, he wasn’t the only predator following another. An owl began to follow him as soon as he gave chase, one that Gaea had asked for assistance, anticipating that she might not be able to leave camp quickly enough. The owl would keep enough distance behind Zhu that though he might be able to see the owl, it was far enough that Brooke and Skye wouldn’t notice. Along the way, the owl would leave markings for Gaea to follow such as scratches on trees and the occasional dropped feathers. Eventually, the two would lead the way to an outcropping of rocks that had a cave that went into the ground. The entrance they went through was well camouflaged with a sheet of moss covering the entrance. Inside the cave was a glow from an unnatural and most likely magical source. When the moss curtain closed behind Brooke and Skye, the moss was thick enough to block all the light from getting through. They set down their haul with a pile of gold items, and took off their enchanted rings, setting them on a small wooden table on which Zhu’s magical items lay. Skye put the toupee on her bald head and raised the scepter into the air and proclaimed, “None could have done this but Skye and Brooke, for no other thief would be so bold as to steal the hair from my sleeping head! Find them at once, and you may be shown mercy! If you allow my dignity to be tarnished so for much longer, you shall be punished in their stead!” Clearly she was mocking the noble. For not having actually met him that night, her assumptions of his personality weren’t too far from the truth. If he didn’t get his things back, especially his toupee and cane, his guards would suffer for it, though it wouldn’t go as far as any formal punishments, he would probably just work them much harder than normal, making ridiculous requests to make their jobs even harder than they had to be. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 361) “Let us hope that meeting comes soon,” Tock replied, looking forward to the next time they would meet. He could gaze into her eyes all day. He found her mysterious in a way. It was as if she couldn’t possibly exist. The world itself to him seemed out of place when she was in it. Somehow, she belonged there but everything else did not. It was a paradox within his mind, but it could not distract him from the reality that was her beauty. He would eventually ask to learn everything about her, but now was not the time. They were about to leave, so for now, all he could do was take in all of her beauty. He would keep her image in his mind until the next time they met. Penny began her countdown with instructions, “On ‘Go,’ put the chocolate in your mouth and let it melt. 3. 2. 1. Go!” If the others followed instructions properly, the chocolates would begin to melt in their mouths rather quickly, with the magic cream adding a light sweetness with a little bit of tingling. As the chocolate melted, the world would seem to melt around them in stages. First the sky would melt away, then the buildings, then the ponies around them, and then the ground beneath their hooves, until all that remained were the three of them and the cart. Where everything else once was, it was replaced with nothingness. It wasn’t just a black space, but it was truly nothing, a concept that couldn’t really be put into words. At the same time, it would feel as if gravity itself melted away, but it wasn’t like they were floating, it was just a feeling of weightlessness. Then in the same way the world had melted away, it came back as if it was melted, but reformed as it fell into place. However, the world that formed around them was a big city. The chocolates worked and they were now at the side of a road in Manehattan. “Did everyone make the trip in one piece?” Penny was slightly concerned since these long distance teleportations could affect those prone to motion sickness. (Marcus is on page 362, and Charlie is on page 363)

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 354 “What’s the point of a silly tradition like that? I came up with my own name, so why shouldn’t he?” Charlie seemed genuinely confused by this question, not realizing that children aren’t born with the ability to speak. Language was originally a foreign concept to Charlie, but the way Charlie learned to speak was instantaneous upon accidentally possessing Briar. The changeling spoke, “I... this body was once called Kilo. There are many memories here, but none of them are my own. Even the name sounds unfamiliar to me. I don’t think I’m Kilo, so for now, call me Naut.” Naut might not have known who he was, but that internal struggle could wait. Right now he needed a name to make things easier for the others. “I was told by Princess Luna that ‘what Charlie seeks can be achieved by finding the Heart of the Woods,” and that Zhu knows the way.” Gaea 357 Penny 361 Marcus 362

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 353 In the pockets of the robe were several gems that had been charged with magic over the years. The purpose of these was storing magic to directly power Marcus’s spells. “You may stand beside me,” Marcus said to Sugar Lime, gesturing to a space beside him where the elders had left him some room to stand. Once Sugar was in place, he would continue, “Tomorrow we set forth at dawn for First Island, a Mountain range so tall it was once believed to be the only land when the world was covered in water. It is in the shape of a crescent moon, surrounding a forest known as the Lake of Leaves, whose canopy is unbroken, letting little light onto the forest floor below. There once was a path that cut through the forest leading to the Caverns of Cob, but the maps show that the path is now covered. There are beasts that lurk in the darkness, and without the path there is no sunlight to protect us. The beasts there are repelled by the sun, but not by torch or glow of horn. We shall clear a path of our own making after the journey has been completed, as to do so before would delay us too long. Each journey to the Sacred Springs we will widen the path. Once we reach the Caverns of Cob, we will Ascend through them to find the opening that will lead us to the Sacred Spring. We must not travel downward within the Caverns, as the spirits of creatures that once roamed the depths of the great ocean now traverse the depths of the Caverns. The one thing that keeps them at bay is the power emanating from the Sacred Springs. They dare not ascend as long as the waters still flow. There are many dangers on this path, and now that you all know them, if there are any who wish not to take these risks you may back down now, but once we leave tomorrow if you should turn back you will make the journey back alone. Are there any adventurers that wish to stay behind?” Gaea 357 Penny 361 Charlie 354

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 352 “That definitely sounds like a plan. I haven’t had any opportunity to work with Everwood yet, but I hear it’s useful for returning things to their natural state. I’m thinking that might come in handy with one of my current projects.” Penny did well not to describe anything further here. Her particular phrasing could have been much more precise to her intentions, but in describing the abilities of Everwood in its vaguest form there could be no guess as to what her project were except by Scarcity, who already knew of Penny’s latest project, as she had commissioned it. She fully intended to test it for stabilizing the retransformation process when the Griffin chocolate’s effects wear off. “We’ll worry about that later though, the clock is ticking. We need to get the ball rolling on our investigation, and this delivery.” Tock waited patiently for Penny to finish before responding to Scarcity, “I would prefer to try this on my own. As a certain famous inventor once said, ‘Each test that does not end in the desired result is not a failure, but a successful elimination of one possibility.’ I tend to learn better when I make mistakes on my own than by avoiding them with a skilled tutor, but I do appreciate the offer.” He turned his attention toward Penny, who was already strapping herself to the cart. “Anyway, the cake stand is tied down pretty good, but the straps can loosen. Keep them tight, but not too tight. Also, the address is on the tag on it.” “No problem at all. Scarcity, I’ll need you and Brick at the back two corners of the cart with these chocolates when you’re ready. We’ll count down to eat the chocolates at the same time.” She levitated an upgraded teleportation chocolate to each of them. Gaea 357 Marcus 353 Charlie 354

@Blitz Boom Continued from 351 “I have the perfect thing in mind. Wait here and keep watch. When I get back, I’ll join them and ask to camp with them for the night. What I have back at my home will ensure that they won’t turn me down. Just stay hidden. If the thieves strike before I get back, try to follow them back to their hideout without being spotted. I’ll find a way to catch up with you if I can. I doubt they would strike this early though,” Gaea responded. She turned and walked away toward her home. After a while, she returned wearing a vibrant purple hooded robe with golden edges, and emblazoned with what Zhu might recognize as the family crest of the kind royal he once knew. Keeping her distance from where Zhu was hiding, she stumbled out of the forest, doing her best to look helpless and lost. “Who goes there?” one of the guards asked loudly. The royal pony pulled back the curtain with his scepter to see what the noise was about. At this point the last slivers of light were just about to fade from the horizon, but they still somehow managed to reflect brightly off the insignia on Gaea’s robe. “Who are you, and where did you get that robe?” the royal pony asked. “My name is Gaea, your highness, and I am but a weary traveler. This robe was given to me as a gift by her highness, Amrita, to keep me warm. I humbly ask that I may camp with your caravan for tonight, as it is not safe to be alone on these roads at night,” she said, bowing to the royal pony. “I don’t know why that girl is always so willing to give away what is rightfully hers. I would prefer not to allow a peasant such as yourself to remain in my company, however it seems my hooves are tied.” The last part was said through his teeth. He paused for a moment before speaking again, as if trying to think of a way out of this, but he could not find one. “Because Amrita has seen fit to aid you, I am obligated to grant you this small favor, but this will be your ONLY favor. Come tomorrow we shall part ways for you to finish your journey on your own. If anything is to happen to this caravan during the night, your protection will come second to the protection of me and my property.” As much as it pained her, she kept her bow and did not let her emotions show as the royal pony closed the curtain on his carriage again. She got back up, and asked the guard where she could rest for the night. He then directed her over to the others who would then set up some blankets for her to sleep on out in the open. She knew it was not likely to rain tonight, so she would not need to stay in a tent, but it would have been nice of them to offer. Since the royal pony had specifically stated that he would grant no other favors, she supposed that them even giving her blankets to sleep on might not go over well, so it wasn’t their fault. She would have had to turn down the offer anyway because she needed to be able to keep watch. She put on her hood and laid down on her “bed,” waiting for the thieves to strike. Hours later, after everything in the camp was settled, and most of the other ponies were in their tents asleep for the night, the thieves approached. Two guards stayed awake to keep watch, but Skye and Brooke were able to slip past them as they were making their rounds. Brooke climbed into one of the carts while Skye kept watch. Gaea saw everything, but continued to pretend to be asleep. The two made no noise, as if one of their trinkets was helping to maintain their silence. Once Brooke finished filling her sack, it was Skye’s turn to steal something. They both quickly made their way to the royal pony’s carriage, where this time Brooke stood guard as Skye quietly crept inside. It was a risky move, but that was the thrill. Skye liked the higher risk part of the heists, taking things that were closely guarded right from under the nose of those it was precious to. She made her way out of the carriage with a small chest that was so stuffed with gems and gold jewelry it wouldn’t close, the scepter, and what looked like a toupee. She closed the door carefully behind her and the two were off. They had to hide behind a cart for a moment while a guard passed by, but after that they quickly made their way into the forest. Gaea got up and walked at a normal pace to the edge of the camp where a guard asked, “Where are you going?” to which she replied, “If you really must know, I’m off to relieve myself.” The guard let her pass, but not before saying, “Try not to get lost out there.” The thieves would get a head start from this delay, but so too would Zhu. Penny an Tock: page 352 Marcus: page 353 Charlie: page 354

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 350) The changeling body lay there on the floor. The twitching had stopped, and his sleep seemed more relaxed, for in the changeling’s dream, the princess of the night had temporarily cleared away all images of the past that the brain had seen. These were memories that were wiped away to make space for a new soul but had been restored by Charlie’s healing magic. The soul that now existed in this mind were new, but it had access to all the knowledge that Kilo once had. Kilo had a brother, Miles, who he had missed greatly, but this new soul didn’t miss him. This seedling-that-would-have-been had every memory Kilo had growing up in the Cydonian Hive, including holidays like the “Absence of Thought Festival,” but did not feel any connection to either Miles or the memories. With them memories pushed aside for now, Luna approached the new soul. “I have but one message for you. What Charlie seeks can be achieved by finding the Heart of the Woods. Find Zhu, for he knows the way,” she said to the new soul. Then he asked her, “Who am I?” She responded, “That is for you to discover.” After Luna disappeared from his dream, he woke up, opening his eyes slowly, then slowly made his way onto his feet. “It’s awake!” Charlie shouted to Vivid. “Are you okay?” “I’m not sure. But more importantly, who’s Zhu? We have to find Zhu.” Charlie just didn’t know how to respond. This was probably their first experience of having been at a loss for words. (Gaea remains on page 351, Penny on 352, and Marcus on 353)

@Blitz Boom continued from page 349 Over the next couple days, Marcus went to train in private, in a place kept secret by the elders. Hunter would practice his archery and work on making more of his own arrows as well as a spare bow, which many would see him making, but after he finished, nopony would see it again. When it came to his target practice, he had perfect aim, but he wouldn’t make a show of it. The stunt he pulled at the party was to prove a point, but the practice was for himself as he could not afford to allow his abilities to fade in the slightest. A few times, Keg was caught letting the children play with firecrackers, then bang snaps, then sparkler sticks. It was nothing too dangerous (when compared to what he usually works with), but the parents were not too happy about it, so each time he downgraded to something less powerful until they settled with the sparklers. He made these things in between making several types of explosives, which he made a good distance away from any standing structure or high traffic area to avoid any chance of damage or injury. He made sure the children stayed away from his work area, and would bring the little things over to wherever the children gathered when he wanted to take a short break. He seemed happy to see the children smile, and he wouldn’t talk back when their parents confronted him. He simply would agree and apologize. The main complaints were that they were too dangerous, so he thought giving them something less dangerous would be okay. In all fairness, giving them something small to play with and focus on helped to keep them occupied so they wouldn’t get too close to the real heavy duty explosives in their curiosity. Some of the children even saved some of the sparklers for later. As the sky began to change colors just before sunset on the night before the journey, everyone would be called together for a short speech by Marcus. A microphone and a podium were set up for him outdoors with an open area in front of it for everyone to stand. Once everyone found their places, including Hunter standing amongst the crowd though Keg was nowhere to be seen, the elders walked out of their building with Marcus, dressed in his ancient armor that had been perfectly maintained over the centuries. The style was reminiscent of what we know as that of the ancient Romans, however it was much more intricate than that of the average soldier of the time. The gold had a brilliant shine to it. When he stepped up to the podium, he spoke loudly for all to hear, but he didn’t know anything about microphones. “Greetings!” erupted loudly from the speakers. This startled him for a moment, but one of the elders whispered something into his ear, and he started again, but at a normal speaking volume. “Greetings to all of you. It makes me proud to see that this order has survived the tests of time. The mere fact that you are here is a testament to the willpower of your ancestors. It is their determination that kept this order together. Now has come the time that the true purpose of their efforts can come to fruition. For years I fought evil, but with the order behind me, I never fought alone. The strength that they poured into the Sacred Gems gave me the power I needed to vanquish Ponykind’s greatest enemies. In this way, their strength could be carried into battle without putting their lives on the line. I shall once more carry your strength with me, but this time I shall carry with it the knowledge that your lives are now at risk if I should fail. It is my burden to bare as my battle with The Forgotten One within the Diamond Seal was to no avail. The beast could not be defeated until it was given mortal form by the life magic of an Everwood Spirit. And yet I felt it was necessary to continue fighting for all that time to keep it from breaking free. My stubbornness left your ancestors to wait, and to pass down their knowledge to generations that would never know me. All the while, bits and pieces of the history of this place would be chipped away by time, leaving you wither and die to maintain relics that had no use to you. Tomorrow, Sugar Lime shall bear witness as we set off to regain what was once lost! Sugar Lime, you may now adorn the Robe of the Witness,” one of the elders would pass a robe to Marcus, while another beckoned Sugar toward the podium. This robe looked like the ancient robe, but much newer. On closer inspection, it would be clear that it was in fact the same robe. Someone had poured their magic into it to restore it, but who? Was it Marcus himself, or perhaps one of the crystals was used? Marcus would hold out the neatly folded robe with one hoof for Sugar Lime to take once he arrived at the stage. (Gaea is on page 351, Charlie is on 350, and Penny is on 352)

@Blitz Boom Continued from page 350 Tock stared at Scarcity for a moment as if entranced while she approached, but quickly came to his senses before she got close enough to notice. This almost made Penny laugh, but she did well to keep her composure, even if Tock couldn’t. “Thank you,” he said to Scarcity for her compliments. “I’m always looking to add new skills to my repertoire. I’ve been told I have an eye for the intricate,” he said with his eyes following along the swirling patterns of yellow in Scarcity’s coat then making their way up to meet hers as if trying to tell her she’s beautiful without using the words, “so I figured I would try my hoof at making a charger box.” “Ooh, I’ve heard of those before. They’re meant to strengthen old enchantments on smaller artifacts, right? I suppose that would make sense if you wanted to get into restoring magical items as well as the usual antiques.” Penny sounded excited to talk magic. It was the one part of her life her parents couldn’t take part in, being Earth Ponies, so now even after having been in Canterlot schools and living in a place full of Unicorns for so long, the excitement of learning the things her parents couldn’t teach her was still there. “Simpler ones can be used to recharge some watch batteries as well, but ultimately the goal is to work my way up to enchanted items. There seems to be a market for them here, but not enough ponies that can do a proper restoration on them. I actually have a shipment of Everwood coming today for it.” “I could probably use some of the sap in my cooking if you wouldn’t mind extracting some for me.” “Well, you need special permits to work with Everwood, but I’m not sure if that also applies to the sap. I might not be legally allowed to give any to you without one.” The Everwood sap could be a great help to the griffon chocolate project, so Penny was willing to take any course she needed to get that permit. (Marcus is still behind on page 349, Gaea is on page 351, and Charlie is on page 350)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from 349) The tired ponies pulled their wagons just as Zhu had planned, right past the trap. That is, aside from the ones pulling the noblepony’s wagon. Theirs would hit the trap, which would hit back with enough force to snap a couple spokes as well as the outer rim of the wheel itself. The carriages all came to a halt. “Gya! You buffoons. What have you done?” the noblepony said from the window of his carriage, the curtain of which he held back with the foot end (tipped with a large ruby) of a golden cane holding the other end (topped with a bust of a pony) with his magic. One of the ponies pulling the wagon replied, “It seems a wheel has broken, your highness.” With this, it would be clear that they were in the presence of a member of the royal family, and not some random noblepony. This was in fact a descendant of one of the two sisters. “How long before we can get moving again? We have places to be by week’s end!” One of the ponies now assessing the damage responded, “We’ll have to wait until morning to begin work on fixing this. It’ll be getting dark soon, and it’s best we spend what light we have setting up camp.” The royal pony muttered to himself, “useless,” as he closed the curtain. A pony had already taken charge of directing the other ponies to places at the side of the road to set up for the night. Some of them worked together to slowly and carefully move the broken carriage aside as well. They did so with great effort, and managed not to shake the carriage too much for the royal pony inside. Gaea meanwhile did not make any moves yet, as appearing now would be suspicious. She would wait until they were done setting up before she would do anything. (Marcus will be continued from page 349 in another post this week, and both Charlie and Penny will be continued from page 350 next week)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 347) “Hmmm...” Charlie though about this a bit before coming to a conclusion. “It may have something to do with the allergy Queen Allure seemed to have to me before. It could be what you said about the magic being incompatible. As for the piece of my soul, I was seeding when I exploded, and I had one more seed about to sprout that would have grown into a full sized seed over night if I had been cut down instead of exploding. Maybe that piece of my soul was going to become the soul of that seed? I mean, a soul has to come from somewhere, right? That still doesn’t explain how it’s compatible with the body when I’m not, does it?” Charlie directed the last question at Vivid in an inquisitive tone. Perhaps she would have an answer that Charlie didn’t. @Blitz Boom (Also continued from page 347) It didn’t take long for Penny’s chocolate to kick in. She would start walking quickly, making her way through each of the turns without hesitation, not distracting herself with conversation. Her only focus was on the task at hoof. Soon they would find themselves at Tock’s shop, where he would be waiting with with a medium sized cart with a beautifully restored cake stand in it shaped like this: but with details like this: (images found with a google search, I take no credit). When Penny finally stopped, her eyes would dart around a bit before she snapped out of it. “Oh, we’re here,” she said, just realizing she had reached her destination. “Those chocolates are a work in progress. I tried making them strong, but these ones ended up a little too strong,” she would say to Scarcity whenever she caught up. This was the first time she had really tested those ones, and she was both satisfied and disappointed. It was great that she had managed to make them more effective, but they weren’t quite ‘user friendly’ yet, which meant there was more work to do. While the chocolates were in effect, Scarcity would not have been able to get her attention even if she tried. Something like that could end up being dangerous. (Gaea and Marcus are on page 349)

@Blitz Boom (Continued from 345) The changes Zhu made would indeed prevent the small group from triggering the trap, which of course was disappointing to Gaea, as she had hoped to be done with this whole mess sooner rather than later. She did however remain quiet in her hiding spot for the time being. As the group continued off into the distance, they slowly approached a fate that would find them at a fork in the road, giving directions to a group which would have otherwise headed in the wrong direction. This new group would eventually make its way into the path of the trap, and it was clear that this group came from money. There were several wagons nearly overflowing with exotic goods, but in the middle of it all was an ornately decorated carriage that was purple with gold trim. The nobleman inside was slightly overweight, with a light brown coat and a medium length blonde mane. He was the type to stop for nopony. However, he was also not the type to give up the use of his luxurious carriage in favor of riding in another wagon with the goods. The only thing that would stop this group in its tracks was if his carriage was the one to hit the trap, but with three wagons leading the way before it, setting that up would sure be tricky. If this group were stopped here, the bandits would surely show themselves. How could they not? Gold, gems, and fruits from far away lands? No thief could resist such temptations. @Blitz Boom (Continued from 346) Marcus took the book with his magic, flipping through the pages, then stopping on a page with a forested area that was about three days journey away. On the map, the forest was surrounded in mountains. “Thank you. This will do perfectly.” He sat down with the book in his hooves now, flipping back and forth between a few different pages showing the same general area, clearly planning out possible routes. His hoof would occasionally trail across one page, then he would flip to another page, and he would continue from where he had left off on another page, then he would start all over again with a new route. “We will need supplies for a three day journey, including tools for cutting away shrubbery and clearing away rocks,” he said to one of the elders who gave a nod, then proceeded to the door to go get others started on the preparations. (Charlie and Penny, on page 347, will be continued next time)

@Blitz Boom “Oh no! I’m really sorry. I’m so bad at directions I ended bringing us in a complete circle. Let’s try this again. This time I’ll have myself a chocolate for focus,” Penny said, levitating a piece of chocolate out of her saddlebag. The chocolate was white with bits of blue in it, and when she bit into it, it could be seen that it was filled with a gooey filling with a delicious scent of blueberries. The stuff inside had a faint glow to it, so it was clearly magical in nature. “You never know what kind of chocolate you’ll need in a day, which is why I always keep a variety on me.”

@Blitz Boom [continued from page 343] “Wha... what happened? Did it work?” Charlie was barely glowing. Their voice was very soft. The burst of energy took a lot out of them. Signs of the sliver of soul inside the changeling body were faint, but it was definitely there, and it was growing, albeit slowly. Only time would tell what would become of this. The body was not conscious, but it still occasionally twitched. Charlie had no idea of knowing how things like this worked. Was their soul now inside the body? Their senses were weak, was this a side effect? Was this lack of sensation temporary? Would they regain some form of sight soon? The questions swirled around Charlie’s mind as they lay there on the floor, a motionless, slightly glowing stick, powerless to find answers for themself.

@Blitz Boom To Belladonna, Marcus replied, “I appreciate your offer and gladly accept. If you would, I should like to see an updated map marking territorial borders as well as whomsoever rules over them. In the millennia I have been gone, I’m sure even some of the terrain has changed. Some of the mountains on the horizon have lost the tips of their peaks, others once capped with snow are now barren. The world I know is gone, but I have not yet realized it until now. I must now fight to take back the world as it once was, but I must also let it become what it must be. A paradox if I ever did see one. In order to move forward, we must take a step back.” He paused a moment looking around at the silent faces whose eyes were upon him, then addressed the crowd in a much more cheerful tone, “Let the feast continue! When the night is done, rest well that we may prepare for our journey to the Sacred Springs!” He was clearly putting on an act to bring cheer back into the room, but at least one of his followers had caught on and held up his mug of cider for a toast, “To Marcus! May we all be saved by the Sacred Springs!” With that, mugs would begin clinking together, and the sounds of merriment would return to the room.

@Blitz Boom Gaea hid herself in the bushes nearby so they could wait for some unsuspecting group to spring the trap. It would however be hours before a single covered wagon would come into view, and by then Gaea had fallen asleep in her bush. It was early afternoon as the wagon drew closer. The odds of a single wagon rolling a wheel directly over the trap were slim, but if it didn’t happen they might have to wait an extra day to find the thieves, since it seemed today wasn’t a popular day for traveling. The wagon was fairly large, with a couple of ponies pulling it, and a few inside with the boxes they were transporting. @Blitz Boom “Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately I’ve tried using stored magic for the frosting, and it has a negative effect on the flavor. And as for Robert here,” Penny replied, lifting the flap of her bag slightly so Scarcity could see inside, “He’s a chocolate frog I made after seeing a certain series of movies. When I made him, and he looked into my eyes I knew I could never let him get eaten.” She closed the bag again after Scarcity got a peek, since if she left it open Robert would probably try to jump out and down the street. “If he ever gets loose, don’t use your magic on him because it’ll cause him to melt. As far as understanding him goes, I guess you could say I speak chocolate more than I speak critter.” They were almost at the door of Penny’s shop now, but Penny still didn’t realize she had brought them all the way back instead of going to Tock’s shop.

@Blitz Boom Marcus just sat there, seemingly in shock. He had nothing to say until after Brute Force had chimed in. “You’re right,” he said in the soft voice of someone who had just suffered a great loss, but his strength was returning to him as could be seen through the changing expressions on his face. The look of defeat left his eyes to gradually be replaced by fury, but it wasn’t an uncontrolled rage, rather a determination to correct this wrong that had been done. “We leave in two days from the coming dawn. Who will join us?” The first to speak would be Hunter, “I am prepared to leave as early as tomorrow, if the need arises.” Then Keg spoke up, “I’ll need a full day myself to prepare my explosives. If we’re looking for a fight, I reckon we’ll need something we can light and throw, as well as wired explosives we can use to time a blast perfectly, maybe with some pre-measured pieces so we can scale the blast to our needs.” He seemed to enjoy the idea of a well timed explosion from the way he was saying it, like a connoisseur describing the preparation of the most delicious dish they had ever eaten. @Blitz Boom As Charlie’s soul was returned to the stick, it created a surge of healing magic to burst from it, which would hit both Vivid and the body that she had pieced together for Charlie. Wether or not this magic would have much effect on Vivid was to be seen, but it certainly affected the changeling body. Any scars or seams between the parts disappeared entirely as if they had originally been one to begin with. The pained writhing had stopped. It’s eyes stayed shut for the time being, while a tiny sliver of Charlie’s soul started to grow inside it. Somehow, what once was a part of Charlie was becoming its own soul, much like a child beginning to develop within its mother’s womb, although this had been much more sudden and violent than that would have been. Charlie was so weak from what happened, including the burst of magic, that they couldn’t speak. The stick was barely even glowing, but they would be okay after some rest. The body twitched a bit as if it was having a bad dream. @Blitz Boom “Well, all I would really need is some magic. A lot of magic, actually. I figured you might have some fun making it with me, and maybe you could learn a new way to store some magic for later in case of an emergency. At the very least, I always have a few choice pieces of magic chocolates with me in case I run into any trouble. The ‘breathe underwater’ chocolate was particularly useful this one time when Robert accidentally knocked a foal’s toy off a boat we were on,” Penny said, while still leading the group in the wrong direction. A few distorted ribbits came from her bag, to which she responded, “No, that was definitely you.” The bag ribbited back, and she just rolled her eyes. The path that Penny took soon had them looping back around and heading back toward her own shop by mistake. She was definitely distracted.

@Blitz Boom “I...” The smile that had just started to grow on Charlie’s new face quickly turned into an image of utter agony as “he” fell to the floor, writhing in pain. The screams that began to echo through the castle were two tortured voices coming from one mouth. Whatever magic Vivid had used to tether Charlie to this body was being violently torn apart. The Changeling body was rejecting Charlie’s Everwood soul. This was due to the nature of their magics conflicting with each other. There was a conflict here on many levels, wether it be how Changeling magic takes from others where Everwood Magic only gives, or how Everspirits use dreams to reveal the truth where Changelings use illusions to make others believe a lie. Charlie and this body were simply incompatible. The two were being forced apart by this conflict of magic, and Charlie’s soul was breaking away in such a way that there were two faces, the body and the soul, each trying to pull away from the other. The screams would also echo throughout Queen Allure’s hive (@Denim&Venom I thought you might like to know when your characters are mentioned), and to Dr. Xeno. @Blitz Boom Though the elders could barely be considered old by their actual age, their bodies had definitely been worn down over the years, so when Brute stomped, they were all startled. They all quickly (or as quickly as their bodies would let them) got up and proceeded towards the banquet hall. There, when Marcus saw them he spoke loudly at first, “Elders! What is the...” pausing mid-sentence. “Wait, your eyes...” he said, moving closer then pulling an elder’s eyelid up with his hoof to examine his eye. This particular elder seemed too tired to care, honestly. “How did I not see this before? It’s clear that none of you have undergone the Reawakening. Has the Sacred Spring been lost? What enemy has captured it? Tell me at once, and I shall reclaim it!” One of the elders, a faded brown stallion whose coat was so faded that there were even gray spots with his mane clearly dyed to an over saturated black by the name of Jagged Lithos (or Elder Lithos as others would call him), spoke up, “We know not of these ‘Sacred Springs’ you speak of. What are they? What is this all about?”

@Blitz Boom (Continued from page 278) After a while of searching, Gaea eventually found something. “There it is,” she said to Zhu, pointing at a particularly pointy protrusion in the path. The stone was more jagged than the others nearby, and the edge of a metal cylinder could just barely be seen by someone who knew to look. “If somepony springs the trap, I’ll ask to join their group for the night, ‘safety in numbers’ and all that, so we can keep a close eye on things,” she said, then mumbled to herself, “though I’d rather keep my distance.” She then added, “I can disguise myself in a cloak so the thieves won’t recognize me, and you can hide in the trees. We can take shifts keeping watch through the night, and I can have the raccoons wake us when it’s time to switch. Sound like a plan?” Gaea really didn’t want to be around other ponies, which is why she lived out here to begin with. She didn’t like the way they would cut down trees excessively without a care for what lived in them, and so she couldn’t stand even being near them. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 291) “Do you want to play a game of word chain to pass the time? Since we’re both doctors we can choose medical terms as the category,” Dr.Xeno asked Ziggy. He’d be at a disadvantage with his head injury, but at least it was better than laying quietly in bed all day. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 315) When Sugar Lime found the elders, they would be planning out routes for each mission that was mentioned earlier, two paths for each mission, one being the safest route, and one route that would bring them through areas known to have bandits. This was by Marcus’s instruction of course, as he had previously stated, “Even a foe as lowly as bandits must be dealt with, so if there are any such nuisances along the way, I should like to cross paths with them that they may taste my blade and learn the error of their ways.” @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 301) As they continued along their way toward Tock’s shop, Penny added, “I might be able to make the frosting more if I had an extra unicorn or two to help me pour some magic into it. I would be able to make the effects of some of the chocolates more powerful that way, and in some cases they could even last longer. Normally this frosting would be very expensive because it’s just me and Blossom, so we really can’t make that much, but with some extra help we could double up on production. Of course, if I use any of it in making the chocolates you asked for, it would make the final product more expensive, which could mean a higher return on your investment. So I must ask, when we’re done with this investigation, would you like to help me make some frosting? I also want you to know, I’ve already begun working on your chocolates. I’ve gotten as far as hardening the muzzle into a beaklike material within a couple hours of work, the next step being reshaping it and removing the fur. I’ve already made chocolates before that can make a pony grow wings, so I’ll just have to modify that to a different wing type if possible. Changing the structure of the hooves to claws and paws will probably be the hardest part and will take the most time.” It would be easy to tell that Penny loved her work, especially when it came to creating something new like this. It could easily distract her from what she was doing at the time, as evidenced by the fact that she just made a turn down the wrong street, leading in a direction opposite the direction they had taken to get to Tock’s shop before. @Blitz Boom (Continued from page 301) Charlie couldn’t be any more excited, literally since Vivid’s magic was keeping their excitement in check. “It’s not my last words that will matter, but rather my first. I’m ready whenever you are.” Little did they know how different things would be from what they expected.