Nightmare Season

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Peony Spring listened as Crystal left them and left the manor. Saffron encouraged her that he would help her find a good escort. Peony simply smiled. "Thank you deary. I appreciate the aid you are provid'n. I recon that after all this mess is resolved, I will see to help'n your theater out some. Won't be as much as Richly Fabulous offered, but it should still be enough." After listening to Saffron's response, Peony got up off her bed and walked slowly over to her Vanity. "If we are going into town and a crowed. I best make someth'n that will not be pulled off so easily." With that, she began using her magic to pull out cloth and flowers from her drawers. A few moments latter they both could hear what sounded like a few ponies running in the hall to their location. "By the stars. Sorry love, sounds like my parents are com'n." Sure enough a few seconds latter the doors flew open and in ran a stallion and a mare. Saffron could tell just by their attire that these two were the typical snout in air rich Canterlots that looked down on the lower classes. The mother instantly dashed to her daughter, where-as the father first seeing his daughter than turning his gaze to the lone stallion in his daughter's room. "What might you sir have done to my daughter?" The white stallion said in a demanding voice. "Please father, Saffron here has come to my aid more than once today." At first it seemed as though he did not want to believe her and to take his rage out on the stallion. Peony explained everything to her parents everything that had happened after they departed this morning. Including the Princess asking her to retrieve the cure. "Ther' you see love. If you wolst have followed in our' trade. Non of this dibacl' woul'd have happn' "Her mother finally injected into the conversation. "I agree with your mother Peony. After all this, you must give up this silly dream of yours about the flowers. "I am sorry mother, father. I feel as though I need to continue to grow my flowers. It is my destiny after all." The argument lasted a few more minutes with Saffron just listening in. These two were in fact the image of the rich and snobby he came to hear about. When the parents finally gave up they left her to do what she wanted to do. Not before however Peony's father glared at Saffron with the look of "She better come home in one piece and still fit for marriage" stare. "Sorry you had to see such disgrace. My parents mean well and all. But they sometimes let their tempers say things." Peony finished making a new blindfold. Even while not being able to see, Peony made a fashion accessory out of cloth and flowers. And by the way it was tied, was not getting pulled off. "Mind if you escort me dear? I fear that I will not be able to see a thing." Peony asked of Saffron as she stood up and held out a hoof to guide her. Saffron and Peony were stopped once more before leaving for her father to remind Saffron that his daughter's safety was far more important than anything Saffron could ever have or afford.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse I do want to have this moment right after Crystal left and Saffron still there, for Peony's parents to come in. Give more a back ground to her. I am thinking right after Saffron meets the typical snobby upper Canterlot unicorns with mussels in the air, Peony could use that as an access to go look for a guide to the forest.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Sorry guys for the few weeks of disappearance. Lost my internet there for a couple of weeks.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Peony listened to her two guests. Both were afraid of that forest, and with good reasons too. The part of them not knowing what it looks like was an easy fix. "Well loves, I do have a book in my room that would have a picture of it. If you would come with me?" Peony got up and tried to head to her section of the manor from memory. Sadly after the first bump, a servant stepped in to lead her to her room. After several steps and halls, the servant opened up double doors that lead into a bedroom. The first thing both Crystal and Saffron noticed was a strong scent of flowers coming out of the room. On the third floor and a balcony overlooking the garden, this was definitely Peony's room. All the decorations were flowers. Her bed's canopy was even decorated with vines of flowers. Not planted but still seemed full of life. The maid walked Peony over to her bed to get her to sit down. "Welcome to my room loves. I know it's not much, but I like decorat'n myself. Dear, can you retrieve the manuscript of the local flora of the Everfree please?" With that, the maid walked over to the bookcase and started scanning the shelves for that book. A few seconds latter, she found it and brought it over to the two standing in the room. After looking through the pages, they found the one they were looking for. It was a rare flower, the petals would grow to form almost a heart shape, but the petals did not fully touch so it looked like a heart torn in half. Wile looking through it they also saw the dangerous plants as well. Crystal decided that it was to much of a risk for her and politely refused to go in the forest. "Do not worry love. You did far more already than what was asked of you. I might be able to go to some guild and hire adventurers to go with me. Though I only pray they will not try and take advantage of my current state." She felt the cloth that was blindfolding her with a deep thought going through her mind.

@Raven Rawne Around mid-day, Natural had stopped the wagon by an opening close to the road. There was a few local fauna surrounding it so Peony also wanted to stop and look at some of the new flowers. Peony decided to bring Natural a cup of water from their storage while she unlatched herself from the wagon. "Here you go love. You do look positively parched." After she drank, they both started to look around at the new plants that was in that small cove in the mountain side. Peony found very few flowers however. Natural seemed to take more interest in the others. After about an hour, Natural called to continue on. There was more daylight to just stop here. The two continued to twist and turn around the mountain path. Sometime it was going up, and other times it was sloping down. When the sun was low in the sky, the road finally opened up unto a large plateau. Natural looked around and decided they better camp next to a small outcropping of shrubs and bushes. Peony helped to set up camp this time. Though she was still not use to that much labor. Natural finally stepped in when Peony could not get a campfire lit. "Seems I am still utterly useless when it comes to survival." They both ate a small meal and Peony laid down to look up at the stars as they started to come out.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse I am down with that.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse As the two of them walked around the house to the front gate, they both noticed Peony was standing by that over decorated carriage still. Another wagon was pulling away. In the back of it was the blue rose, with armed escort. Peony with that potted flower on her back started to carefully walk and climb up in the coach. Apparently, with great difficulties wile being blind folded. The driver waved the other two to come and climb in as well. After the two climbed in, the carriage was off to Peony's estate. They both noticed that the dress fragment around her eyes were wet, and tears running down her cheeks. They both spoke up almost at once to make sure Peony was alright. "Oh dear! I am dreadfully sorry you two. This is not lady-like at all." Peony tried her best to wipe the tears from her cheeks without upsetting the blindfold. "It is just.....so much to keep in. I had to give my treasure away. Got that waitress infected along with my self. Also the first time I spoken with the princess and I could not even see her." She went and tapped the pot with her front hoof. "Also poor Flower here has to go into a hibernation. Used its power to protect me. Was too much for the little deary." The carriage did not take long to arrive at her place. Thankfully Crystal helped the blind mare out of the carriage. Peony almost took a tumble but was caught. They escorted her to the front door where they were greeted by a maid of the estate. One look at Peony made the maid freak and run to them. "Oh Mistress! What ever happened to you?" She then gave a stern look at the two ponies with her. Saffron explained everything to her as she lead the daughter of the house inside to get cleaned up. "Can you pay these two ponies for the aid they have provided me love? I want to make sure they receive what I promised them." The maid bowed and went off to acquire the bits that were promised to them. Another maid brought them in a set of tea to drink as they waited. When the first one came back and paid them, Peony spoke up. Looking in a different direction than those two. "Well loves. I appreciate all that you have done for me. I do hope this is enough of a payment. Though might I inquire one additional thing by chance? Will you aid me in retrieving the cure. Flower told me it was the broken heart flower that grows in the Everfree forest. If you don't I will understand fully. It is a dangerous location to be sure."

@Raven Rawne Upon hearing the question set forth by Natural, Peony used her magic to pull her large bit purse from the wagon. "Well love, as long as these do not run out. Griffons are honest and reliable. Though once we use the last bit, then they will no longer be willing to assist us." She returned the purse back to the wagon, and the two continued the climb up to Griffonstone. Once there, they started asking around about the location of the Somnambular Bloom. Many griffons took a bit from Peony just to tell her they did not know. Finally they met one griffon that knew its location. She wanted five bits just to tell them that it grows in a canyon about a half day East of Griffonstone. Now they had a location, they went to the local shop to buy the equipment they would need. Mostly rope and Carabiners. Though everything there was over priced. By the time the two managed to leave Griffonstone, Peony used up a fourth of her bits. "Well deary. I think we have everything for the first flower. After we get it, we can take the train to the Grittish Isle."

@Naiya The Brony Hi. Just wanted to come say hi and to see how you are doing. Have not seen a new post from you in a month. I just got back in here after a stressed out month.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Oh sorry about the confusion. The captain was on site and questioned us. Might take a couple posts to get me back in the swing of the RP.

@Raven Rawne Peony wore a cloak and hood as the two raced to the docks. She did not want any pony to see her board the ship. When they got on board Crystal over saw them load her home onto the ship. Peony went to go see the captain. She knew him from her few trips with her parents. She told him her predicament. He agreed to help her. Peony was the first to return to their room and waited for Natural to come back......with her cross bow and sat next to her. "Yes dear. I have already spoken with the fine captain of this ship. If he comes a calling on him, he promised to give Richly the wrong port he dropped us off at. So that should give us some freedom." Natural started giving her share of thoughts on what to do, but when she returned to look at Peony, she discovered she had passed out to sleep. Aparently the pony-napping really stressed her out a lot. The ride took a week to cross the ocean to reach Griffonstone. The ride was uneventful. When all their things were unloaded the captain headed south. That way to give a reason to drop Peony off farther South when the rich stallion came looking for her. The two of them looked up the shear mountain where at the top was Griffonstone. "Well love, we ready to look for the first of the flowers?"

@Dark Horse Ya. I am past the worst of it.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Alright guys, I am back. Sorry for the absents. Stress went on too long and I developed a writers block. I am back to normal and can continue our threads.

@Raven Rawne@Dark Horse Peony listened to the stallion reject his offer to sell her to him. She could not help but give a wide smile of joy upon hearing that. First time she heard a pony turn down that much money to do the right thing. "Thank you Saffron, you are a good pony. I am not to worried about my dress though love. Can always be mended." She did not know that Crystal's dress was ruined or heard her mutter it. Before any more was said, the royal guards came rushing into the garden to find out what all the commotion was on about. Richly quickly tried to take advantage of the situation. "Oh dear me! Good sirs, you must arrest these two hooligans at once. They broke in and started demanding money from me and tried to use my dear sweet future bride to be hostage." Poor Saffron was shocked at the sudden turn of events as two of the unicorn guards grabbed him with magic and had him frozen. Crystal was the next one to get captured. Richly tried to dash over to Peony to make her look at him, but to his surprise, a couple of vines had grown around his hind legs. Looking up he saw the plant on her back was glowing. "Dear me. I do fear loves that he is lying to you. He placed a curse on me to try and force me to wed him. These two are dear friends who came in and stopped him." Richly tried to convince them that Peony was suffering from shock of her capture and did not know of what she spoke of. Even tried to use his wealth to state he was in the right. One of the guards recognized Peony and whispered to his superior. "Sir, I know Peony here. I was stationed at one party she had attended. Out of all present, she was the most honest and kindest." The other one nodded. "You two, let them go. You arrest the red stallion. He is under arrest." Richly was soon hauled off to jail. The rest of them were questioned. The part about the blue rose was far fetched indeed. Almost to the point the Captain almost changed his mind on the arrest of richly. Suddenly Princess Celestia came dropping in. She used her magic to remove the last bit of red dust on the roses. "Peony, are you the one that grew this blue rose? Did you not know of the dangers of such a flower" As soon as peony heard the voice of the princess, she dropped down into a bow. Still blindfolded. "Yes your highness. I knew of the magic it held." Celestia looked at the others and then to the guards. "What they say about the rose is true. It is one of the few rarest types of rose in the world." She then went back to Peony. "I am surprised at you. Finding one is near impossible. You knew of the dangers and still kept it. Might I ask why?" Peony still remained bowed. "Your highness, I kept it to keep it safe. If I would have destroyed it, another one would have grown elsewhere. They are rare because only a select number can ever be found growing at once. So if I killed mine, another one would have grown in its place and could have been found by another pony." The two of them talked a bit longer, finally princess Celestia suggested it be planted in the royal gardens where a guard would be able to keep it safe. Peony reluctantly handed it over. "Do you know how to cure the effect of the blue rose?" "Yes your majesty. A flower in the Everfree woods can cure it. Or.....Some-pony could beat my senseless." Celestia shook her head. "I would suggest to find the flower and also bring one back to plant next to the blue rose. Don't want any pony else falling under its effects." Before Celestia flew off, she nodded to Flower. The three were finally allowed to go back to their carriage. Peony was walking with great difficulties blindfolded.

@Raven Rawne @Dark Horse I figure that if Saffron dose not take Richly up on his offer, Peony would become his theater's sponsor. That way those two will stay in touch. Maybe the intro can be the waitress we cured would have somepony steal from her and she comes to us to help retrieve her things.

@Raven Rawne, @Dark Horse Peony came to feeling a pony hold her close with a leg over her eyes. Crystal told her not to open her eyes. A fear came over her upon hearing that. She must have been tricked to smell the blue rose. The one to pay that pony off to steal it and trash her garden was him. The stallion she turned down several times. She also heard Saffron talking to Richly. It was Richly that spoke up after that. "Well don sir, never expected you two to discover the truth so fast. Upon hearing how the waitress fell under that rose, I knew I had to rush things. Did not expect you to stop me right when you did." Saffron gave him one quick response before Richly interrupted him again. "I tell you what, you are a pony of the theater, if you wouldst allow me to have my future bride. I will pay each of you one million bits. And your little show will be sponsored by me from now on. You will go far, become a star." Peony heard this and she nodded to Crystal who allowed her to move away from her embrace of hiding her eyes. With her magic, and eyes closed, she tore a section of her dress off and blindfolded herself. Crystal made sure it covered her eyes well before fully letting her go. "Thank you dear Flower. You brought them here just in time. Never thought you would talk to any other pony besides me though." Peony smiled and used her magic to pick up the potted flower and bring back to her. "Yes I am alright, as long as I do not look at any pony that is love." Peony was talking to her flower again. Peony then talked to Crystal. "Thank you deary, would have been simply dreadful if you did not arrive when you did." Peony then just listened as Richly tried to buy off the stallion.

I am fine with the switch as well.