Raven Rawne

@@BloodDrops,@@Mentis Soliloquy, The red mare grimaced slightly: "If that's how you roll... But I wouldn't hold my breath abut the fire option - as cool as it is, just imagine all the fire alarms going off." She rubbed her chin in thought. "Although if I were childish and irresponsible, I could make a prank like that..." Crystal nodded - "Give her a chance, believe it or not, if not for the counsellors, i wouldn't recover after my accident. So I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt. Besides, even counsellors can be cool ponies in private." A buzz in her ear made the mare lose her train of thought for a moment, then she said uickly: "Call the thestral, I have the captain on the line so gotta go. Crystal Clear out." She closed the commlink and heard the announcement over the intercom. "now that will be interesting..." She flickered her ear to reply via combadge to the captain. She used the practiced, professional tone: "Shields are green across the board captain, all sytems nominal. I'll inform you if I see any problems though." The are crossed her fingers hoping there will be none.

@@Nightmare Season "Phew, I won't even think of what would happen if it wasn't" - The mare was visibly relieved, even her posture became more relaxed. She walked to the carcass and rest her maul on it's side, then started inspecting the strange creature. "What a stuff of nightmares... N-no offence! Just look at that armored body..." She tapped the carapace with her hoof. "Tough as nails, I doubt it was on the menu for anything else once it grew up..." Crystal Clear took a look at the fierce maw and dagger like teeth. She had an idea - she sat in front of it and tried to dislocate one of those teeth as a souvenir. A fatal mistake. The carcass shook a little bit as she wrangled and her mail slipped off it's rest and fell on the ice with a loud noise. The mare froze as her ears started ringing. She needed to shake her head off to recover. She heard the stallion yell abs noticed ice shards falling around her. The mare got scared and grabbed her weapon in her mouth, then bolted towards the tunnel. With icicles the size of pony legs falling all around her, the mare stopped thinking altogether and just ran for it. As she neared the bridge, a large shard of ice fell on it and broke the crossing into splinters. She couldn't stop or even turn on the slippery floor, so she yelled in alarm and closed her eyes instinctively, awaiting violent death. Instead, she found herself on the other side, carried by unicorn magic. She blinked in surprise and looked around in shock. She saw Nightmare making a leap across and nearly making it, only to slide into the ravine. Eyes wide, the mare finally found her wits and skidded towards the stallions last location. "Nightmare! Are you there!?" She laid flat in her belly and peeked into the abyss - there he was, holding to a rock outcropping. She needed to think fast, that was sure. The mare extended a hoof and said in a frightened voice: "Grab my hoof and push me away from the ravine with your magic, just make it quick!" The stallion didn't have many other options to choose from, so he did as she said. Soon enough he was back on solid ground. Crystal was groaning by the wall. "Aww, that kinda hurt!" She got up on shaking hooves and walked around the stallion to make sure he wasn't injured. Turns out he was fine, but one detail drew her attention. She poked hus dude by an open saddlebag - "You had something in there? The flap is open..." Now that the danger was gone, the mare sighed deeply as her hooves slid from under her. "Aw buck! My everything oww..." She groaned in protest as the ground suddenly met her face and belly. She laid flat with hooves in an X shape, breathing deeply to get an ounce of strength back and reach the warm camp. "I'm too sober for this shit... How are you holding up, eh?"

@@Orange Sparks Justice Sword muzzled the mare under his wing and explained to her: "Clarissa may seem like a tough gal, but inside she's anything but. Sometimes she breaks like glass under slightest pressure if something touches her heart. So I'd advise cutting her some slack till she adjusts to this new situation." The earth pony nodded and replied: "I see... Speaking of situations, may I ask for a private hearing at your chambers before the day court? I have some important business to discuss..." The prince chuckled. "Of course, I bet it's very important..." Crystal Clear didn't feel so good since... yesterday? Ages ago when Clare was concerned. When her fiance finished the kiss she looked up into her eyes and smirked. "I don't know really, guess you'll need to convince me a bit more..."

@@Orange Sparks The smile on the prince's face faded and his love looked at him expectantly. "Well yes... I guess you're right about that. Do you gals think I should talk to her? Explain that I'm not trying to replace and forget her?" Lady Onyx allowed herself the first open show of affection today by kissing his cheek and embracing him. "I think it may be a good idea, if she'll have problems with adjusting to this situation. Otherwise, allow her to come to her own conclusions." Crys giggled "Told you I'm second place with her around!" She patted the oxen and offered the mare her arm. "Shall we, dear almost wife?"

@@Nightmare Season, The pair pushed onward into the unknown, now amidst the sounds of dripping water - Crystal gasped as she saw fire erupting from the stallion's hooves, but this was neither the place, nor the time to ask about it, so she kept quiet. They must've walked deep inside the glacier when the tunnel finally led them into a spacious ice cavern. Ponies took in their surroundings and proceeded with caucion - whatever burrowed the tunnel would be somewhere around, if it was still alive that is. Crystal shifted the weight of her weapon of choice on her shoulder with some trepidation as Nightmare led the way towards what looked like an ice bridge over a bottomless ravine. she nodded at Nightmare's observation. "Be careful okay?" She looked anxsiously as he crossed the bridge - he was still learning the ins andouts of walking on ice, but made it on the other side. When it was her turn, the mare bit the maul by the shaft and held it in heer teeth - she needed all 4 hooves for this. Slowly, but steadily, she made it acoss and breathed with relief. Now that they were closer and their lights could encompass the shape they saw earler, crystal's ears fell flat and she dropped her maul, which made a loud clank on the ice. This scared her even more as she bent her knees instinctively, as if ready to turn tail and run. To her credit, she stayed in place, her eyes fixed on the shape defore her. A giantic maw of some hideous monster unknown to ponykind. Nightmare must've kept his cool, since he came closer to the creature, providing more light on this case. It looked like... a snake? Well this thing had a massive carapace of what seemed like dark, milky ice, that ran in ring-like segments through the entire length of this thing. It had no head, but rather a gaping maw with rows upon rown of nasty teth, surrounded by four immense tusks. The way rhey lied, motionles, it appeared they movedaround an could grab the moster's prey. It had no eyes, which was all the more unsettling. It didn't move, there was no evidence that it was even breathing. Crystal decided that it's pobably dead. She picked up her dropped weapon and slowly approached the creature, togetherwith Nightmare Season. They reached the giantic maw and Nightmare piked one of the tusks with a hoof - it was frozen solid and didn't budge. The creature was indeed dead.

@@BloodDrops Crystal looked at the green mare with a blank expression. "Do you always threaten other ponies with messing up their meds or losing their documentation? It's like I would suggest that the shower you want me to make may or may not engulf the sickbay in flames. Cause you know, fire kills germs. In plain Equestrian, it would be nice if I didn't have to second guess everything you do or say, it kills the fun for me. By the way you invited anypony else? The councillor seemed like somepony who wouldn't mind a glass in good company..."

@@Nightmare Season Crystal sighed and offered him a weak smile. "Sorry Nightmare, I've always been a bit of a scaredycat..." She chuckled - "I even made my bed as a matress resting in a nook in the floor, so that no monsters could creep under it, if you can believe that. Besides, you saw my bed fort back home. So, yeah, for better or worse, it seems we're in for a trip out there..." Truth be told, the soft bedroll and warmth emanating from the boulder would be enough to knock her to dreamland in short order, but she knew better than let herself be eaten while asleep. The mare stretched thoroughly, purring and sighing, then got up and walked for her weapon of choice. "Alright, the sooner I haul my flank there the sooner you'll get your fill off my dream so... shall we?" She swung the maul onto her shoulder and led the stallion towards the tunnel. She didn't bother with warm clothes, Nightmare's proximity was enough to keep her warm. "Alright do this is it. What do you think?" Crystal Clear asked quietly when they entered the tunnel, lit by the combined effort of her necklace and Nightmare's flames. There were no claw or tool marks, just smooth rock with even grooves, like rings. There was no evidence that the water that made the cave ever flowed through this tunnel. They crept forward and listened to any sounds other than their own, but heard none. The tunnel led down, and turned in the direction of the glacier. The pair followed it until rock was replaced with ice. That gave them pause. Crystal gently stepped on it and nearly fell on her plot, but held her balance. She looked at Nightmare, uncertain, and whispered: "You know how to walk on ice? Keep your legs wide and move one at the time, slowly. Now your turn." Once Nightmare got a hang on keeping balance on ice, they slowly pressed on, and the ice melted a bit near the stallion.

@@Orange Sparks Both older ponies laughed at Celeste's observation, and her father asjed: "It's really so obvious? We tried to keep it under wraps to spare the turmoil for you and your sister, buuut I guess we don't have to pretend anymore, at least in your company." As confirmation, he took the mare beside him in a wing hug and gently pulled closer. She seemed very content with this. Crystal shook her head. "Oh come on, I was joking! I may be an awful cook but I wouldn't leave you in the kitchen like that! So, you feel better? Can we go back inside? Celeste must be on the verge of bursting in flames right now, with all the excitement of meeting Dystyhooves..." She looked at her fiance to gauge if she was ready or needed some more time.

@@Orange Sparks The charcoal mare looked at Celeste: "Ooohh seems like love is in the air for the royal family... I bet you can't wait to meet him?" She sighed, recalling her own memories. "Ehh I still remember when I first met my colt... Too bad I found out, years later, that one mare was not enough for him. Your father helped me with the divorce and he went his way without one bit off my property." Justice chipped in: "It was a matter of basic decency, he ruined your marriage and had to face the consequences. I just did what was needed." He faced Celeste with a smile. "But I'm sure you'll be happy with him, if you'll think he's the one." The crystal mare continued caressing and comforting her fiance. "We can start as small as you like dear, as long as I'm not cooking..."

@@Orange Sparks Justice nodded, thinking of something. "Right... there's a lot going on for her as of late... You girls are headed to the Cove today right?" Lady Onyx was eyeing the prince and smiled. "A girls day out of sorts?" Crys smiled reassuringly: "You know you're not adopted silly! The palace is an overwhelming place, I know this all too well. But cheer up, now you'll decide where you live and what you do. We can hole up somewhere if you want, hmm?"

@@Orange Sparks Lady Onyx smiled at the young mare. "Well truth be told, I'd be thrilled if you were right." She saw Justice coming and got up to curtsey. The Prince walked in and waved a hand at them to sit. "Oh spare me the protocol, just have a seat. Let's be normal ponies for once hmm? Oh and good morning. Had a busy night and slept in." He looked at the lady and they shared a knowing smile as Justice sat next to her. "And where are our knights of love?" He asked humorously. Crys kissed her forehead and rubbed her behind the ear. "Aww don't be do hard on yourself. You're brave, bold, beautiful... kinda rough around the edges but don't get tangled in nuances. You're great you hear me?"

@@Orange Sparks The charcoal mare nodded and thought for a moment, then replied: "I'm not sure if it's that kind of thing child. I like your father quite a lot, and I guess he likes me too but... I'm not really sure if he's willing to commit to somepony again. Maybe it's going to be a sort of on and off thing... Time will tell." Crystal walked over to Clarissa and looked at her with worry. "You don't cry when you're fine. Wanna talk about it? A hug maybe? Nah, that you'll get right away." She approached the pegasus and hugged her tight, then waited for her reaction.

@@Orange Sparks The lady smiled at the remark but said nothing. She looked concerned as the princess suddenly excused herself off the table, and asked the remaining mares. "Did I... do something wrong? She just bolted out of here so suddenly..." Crystal swallowed a piece of bacon and shrugged. "I've known her since I was little and sometimes she needs some space, even as suddenly as you saw." She quickly finished her plate and rose off the table. "Please excuse me, but I better check on her. Celeste could you entertain your guest for a moment?" The red mare walked out of the dining hall and proceeded to the stables. Soon enough she was standing in the stable doorway and asked loudly: "Clare you're here? Everything alright?" She walked inside to find her fiance. Lady Pearl Onyx continued her meal, glancing at Celeste from time to time. "I guess you're trying to figure out if I'm your future evil mother in-law, am I right? "

@@BloodDrops Crystal chuckled at the doctor's suggestion, and tapped her left temple. "I have enough sickbay hours on record already and don't get me wrong but I have this weird desire to stay in one piece with no more metal in me..." She glanced at the time. "I have a hunch he'll tell us our first assignment, or at least what he expects us to prepare for it. Honestly? I expect months of design facto extended space trials when we don't see any real action. So better keep an eye on your liver out there." She winked knowingly. It takes one to know one, after all. Now Crystal was amused. "With this? Come on it'll take ages! Although if you have some hot flanks out there I just might show up..." A few snorts were heard from her staff and she looked up at them, annoyed. "Oh cone on, be adult for a moment! I can't date all of you, and I hate favoritism." She looked back at the doc and raised an eyebrow. "Soooo? I might bring something good for the party..."

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal was smoothing her fur with a hoof after taking off the warm clothes when Nightmare asked about the tunnel. She shrugged: "Neither do I, the Frozen North is a complete mystery. ehh, maybe I'll figure out something with a full stomach." The mare sat by the table/rock and looked at what Nightmare cooked. "Mmm, I wouldn't match your culinary skill in a million years... I don't suppose you could just stuff my head with cooking savvy? At least i don't have a family to cook for, I'm the only pony that has to bear my meals... But enough rambling, I'm starving!" With this announcement, Crystal eagerly ate her ration. "Seriously, you have to teach me how you manage to cook so well. This is some kind of magic what you do!" Crystal sincerely liked what he cooked. She got up and walked towards the sleigh, took a sleeping bag and unrolled it near the hot boulder, then laid down on it to bask some more in the pleasant warmth. "So, the tunnel... It looked old, but I'm no expert. even if we barricade or even collapse it, whatever made it can burrow through. So it's a waste of time at best, or we'll actually announce our presence at worst..." She sighed and continued, extending her hooves towards the warm rock. "I'm in to mood for spelkunking, but I'm afraid I won't manage to sleep without checking it out. So poking our heads in there that is, I guess..." She looked at the stallion for confirmation of her reasoning.

@@Nightmare Season, The hot rock fulfilled it's purpose - Crystal managed to stop shivering and felt tolerably again. Her coat dried, and so did her clothes, which she donned back on while the stallion was busy with their water supply. She walked out of the safe, and now warm, nook and saw Nightmare was prepping the sleigh for travel. The mare stepped in and announced: "Don't even think about pullling this okay? I won't mind a little push from time to time though..." He helped her get into the harness, and once Crystal tried to move the heavy sleigh, offered a much appreciated push to help is start going. Since Nightmare Season had his fiery hairdo back, the cold was bearable again, and the mare could push forward without fearing hypothermia. They walked North, in the direction they saw a valley passage snaking away from the glacier. Crystal was dissapointed they didn't make it off the glacier today, even though they had to be close to this goal, but she couldn't go any faster, and was quite spent when Nightmare spotted some cave to spend the night in. The mare waited outside for the stallion's verdict whether the cave as safe. "Ugh, thanks Nightmare, those straps are killing me..." Crystal smoothed the grooves in her clothes once she was free of the harness. The pair pushed the sleigh inside as an impromptu blockade of the enrance, and to have easier access to their stuff. Crystal took in the scenery of their shelter, thanks to a joint effort of her glow-crystal and Nightmare's flames. The entrance was wide but low, and so was the first chamber. Apparently the cave was formed by water flowing... sometime, long ago. The floor was slightly angled, as if the current that made it went deeper inside, and down. She looked back at Nightmare and said quietly: "Could you prepare something to eat? And maybe fry another boulder just for good measure? I'd like to take a look a bit further into the cave, but I promise I'll be caucious." She smiled reassuringly and went over to the sleigh to take her maul. "Just in case, but I'll yell when something tries to eat me." She winked and trotted into the next chamber. It was... pretty much the same as the first one - wide, low, smooth all around by flowing water. Only a few small stalagmites since the temperature was always below zero in here. The mare saw some evidence that animals took shelter inside from time to time, but nothing recent. The cave took a turn with just one corridor leading deeper in. There were several small holes where the water used to flow, but they were too small for a dog, not to mention a pony, or some nasty predator. So that left only the corridor to explore. Crystal walked towards it and noticed that it's walls looked... different. She took a better look, bringing he glow-crystal closer to the wall. It looked like... burrowed? Something along these lines. Some animal did it, but a long time ago. She decided to turn back and tell Nightmare - there was no point going deeper since he wouldn't hear if she were in trouble. "All clear, or at least the next chamber. There's some kind of burrowed tunnel leading further in, but I didn't investigate it.Looked old but, you know, better not risk it on my own. We could either try to block it or go both and see where it goes, but if it's maker still lives, then I don't want to meet them - the corridor is a perfect circle, and with overhead room even for you... Um, sorry for that." Crystal paused as her stomach grumbled loudly. Been a while since she ate, and Nightmare had laid out some chow. She cocked her head slightly and said with a sly smile: "On second thought, it can wait till after we have a bite to eat. Oh and thanks for warming it up here - I couldn't wait to get these off." The mare took off her warm clothes and laid in one place, neatly folded. Old habits die hard. Then she took the invitation for dinner. Nightmare would have to wait for his main course a little bit longer.

@@Orange Sparks The lady gave the older princess an unamused look. "Actually, I came to the court to appeal for aid, but his Highness invited me to the palace to stay go a few days. He helped me settle a dispute with my now former husband a few years back, and we wrote to each other every now and then since that time." Her features softened as she changed topic to the food. "Oh it's okay, a change of menu will be most welcome... I think I'll try the hashbrowns." Crystal handed the plate to the older mare. "Here, have a few. They sure know how to cook in here."

@@Nightmare Season The mare was hopping in place to get warm, but it didn't help much. "Okay let's get going then, it's really chilly in here!" She took off faster than usual, so Nightmare didn't have to make baby steps for once. The walk back seemed to take forever, and Crystal was rattling her teeth for the most part, being cold and wet. She sure hoped Nightmare Season would get his hair in order soon enough... The pair found their way back and the stallion used his magic to roast a stone inside their shelter red hot. The mare stopped off her wet clothes in an awkward fashion, since they stiffened with ice. Crystal laid her boots, jacket and pants near the hot stone, but kept the black socks. She then curled near the boulder to catch some warmth. She wasn't shining anymore, she was too preoccupied with being so bucking cold. The mare was shaking in her spot, but she noticed that Nightmare was bandaging his side again. She gave him a worried look and asked: "Are you sure it's safe for you to continue the trip? We can hole up in the brewery for a few days, there's enough food..." Crystal had an idea how to speed up her temperature recovery, but couldn't bring herself to ask the stallion - he may get some wrong conclusions. So she just covered her blushing snout with her forelegs and did her best to feel warm on her own.

@@Orange Sparks "We'd keep the whole island awake! Although I doubt I'd manage to wait that long. I'd marry you here and now if I could." - Crystal Clear noticed somepony approaching and got up off her seat to greet her, although it seemed that Celeste was having a crash course in straightforwardness, so she waited with telling her name till the younger mare's curiosity has been satisfied. The mare who entered the hall was an earth pony, somewhere around mid thirties by the look of her. She had charcoal coat and two tone, mint and vanilla mane. Her eyes were golden. She was wearing a simple dress that reached to her ankles, and no hoofboots. A golden necklace and a signet her only jewelry. Crys was pretty sure she had an entirely different getup yesterday - apparently she was staying in the palace and had something to change into. She smiled at the other mares and offered a curtsey of her own. "Your highness, lady, I'm Pearl Onyx, lady of the Stone Circle." She smiled at them and winked. "It's a small town on Half-Moon island east of here. We have a marble quarry hence the name." She looked around and decided to take a seat. "I reckon your father will join soon enough..." Crystal was about to introduce herself when the dark mare stopped her with a hand wave. "Let's skip the formalities countess, the whole town knows about a crystal pony who broke the hopes and dreams of 2/3 noble colts in the archipelago..." She looked at the table. "Hmm, decisions decisions, any recommendations? Crystal had to admit, the Prince had a good taste in mares. She was almost as beautiful as Clare. Almost makes a difference though.

@@Orange Sparks The crystal mare nodded as she filled her plate with some more food. She didn't want to overeat again but there was so much good stuff around! "Reasonable. And fair. It's nice that you want him to be happy with somepony." She smirked. "Maybe we'll make a triple wedding huh? That would be quite a party!"

Crystal rolled her eyes unceremoniously. "If they spread rumors they better be accurate for Heart's sake! The thruster was offline from the start and starboard bank was overheating once Helm put the pedal to the metal and put thrust on 100%. So I'm not sending anypony to get fixed anytime soon. Maybe security will have something, they never really got the part about aiming weapons away from face..." She wasn't sure where Blood Drops even get the replicator blueprint for this wine, and was both surprised and a bit alarmed by the sudden present. Crystal looked under the console and sure, the bottle was there... "Thanks, I guess? Maybe I'll find a good use to it once I'm off duty." She didn't comment on the joke about ejecting the warp core - nearly everyone said it to engineers, and the novelty simply wasn't there. The crystal mare gave the doctor on her console a curious look once she asked about the phasers. "So you took it even though you have no clue how to use it?" She was about to give her a quick instruction when Blood said she misplaced the thing. Crystal seriously considered whether in case of an accident it wouldn't be safer to fix somepony with her tools than send to sickbay... The doctor seemed to lose her train if thought and Crystal thought she'd cut the link, but it didn't happen. The red mare took the opportunity to look up and authorise the repair order on the vents and passed it to the repair crew that was on standby. It'll take hours before they'll have a look at the thruster bank anyway... She looked at the small screen and the doctor was still there. She asked: "Anything I can do for you? Aside from injuring my staff to send them to you that is?" She smiled a bit at the dark humor.

@@Nightmare Season She saw the stallion starting his descent, and noticed the poor technique. He was tall and should bend hus legs, not lock them straight like street lamp posts... Crystal facehoofed when he lost balance and started tumbling. She sure hoped he won't injure himself. As the mare removed her hoof off her face, she noticed that the snowball containing Nightmare was aimed straight at her, and jumped out of the way with an audible shriek. When Crystal Clear got up on her hooves again, she ran towards the stallion who seemed to be the center of a snowball. She couldn't keep a straight face as she saw him flailing hus limbs to break free, and started laughing again. Once she approached him, the mare saw he seemed unscathed, even though his fires went out. So much for a quick dry... Crystal have him a hug and said encouragingly: "You gotta work on your sliding technique, but this was pretty fun to watch. Come now, we need to get ourselves dry. My hindquarters are freezing!"

@@Orange Sparks Crystal sighed at Clarissa's remark. "Yeah... we'd hook up years ago if we just talk to each other about stuff... All those years..." She glanced at her fiance, then at Celeste. Both seemed entertained by this idea, somehow. "You gals aren't concerned that you might get a mother in-law someday?"

@@Orange Sparks The crystal mare smiled encouragingly. "It'll be fine! He seems to have more than enough common sense, and was, like, completely unfazed by this whole idea. Despite the fact that Clare here used her considerable diplomatic skills and simply asked him if he's down for marrying her sister haha! " She couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Clare was usually straightforward but that was a record.