Astral Vision

@GeneralDirection Welcome to the RP friend, it's nice to see that the cast is continuing to grow. @Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare Sorry I don't always reply to the RP. I'm either busy or can't think of anything to say, but I did take advantage of Astral's absence from the group. Pretty spooky and mysterious, huh? I figured since Final Premonition just made his appearance in Trilby's story, it would make sense for another strange event to happen in our party's campaign.

@Samurai Equine @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart @ExplosionMare @Ragland Tiger Astral waited patiently in the hall as the others visited Bluebell. The blue unicorn figured he shouldn't overwhelm the mare with questions in her current state, and instead decided to do some further investigation. Slowly, the unicorn pulled the latest page that he had found at the race out of his satchel, being careful not to rip it. The pages that had been found so far did not reveal much about the mayors' divide, though did shed some light on the town's foundation. Apparently, the mayors White and Black had once been great friends, and formed the town with their own bare hooves; bringing in new faces year-round from all parts of Equestria. However, once the mayors' friendship was destroyed, the town lost its spark of life, and soon fell off the country's map. "Maybe you will finally reveal the reason behind this dispute? A curse? A poor business decision? Or something worse? Whatever the reason of the divide, if any form of dark magic is involved, it is my duty as a royal wizard to contain it, even if I have to do it alone." Astral began to inspect the page, though it was hard to read through the dust and grime. However, the page suddenly began to glow, shining throughout the hall like a newborn star. But something was wrong, the glow began to spread itself over Astral's body, and the unicorn was on the brink of a terrified scream. "Samurai, Dynamo! The PAGE IS-" There was a poof, then a small breeze, and then nothing. A nurse pony came to inspect the area, but all that remained was Astral's satchel bag. If anypony was to inspect the bag further, the contents would reveal a silver medallion engraved with a royal symbol, and the initials "E.W.E." inscribed within it. Would Samurai and the others discover the truth before it was too late? Where had Astral been taken, and by who?

@Samurai Equine My apologies Samurai, but I can't really think of any way else to describe a hospital until we meet Bluebell. Rest assured, I'm going nowhere until this RP reaches its end.

@Dynamo Pad "Well Dynamo, since she fell into your kart, she might be more comfortable seeing you first. I can come along if you think it necessary. After all, we know almost nothing about this unicorn, and I can keep us protected."

@ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Astral's eyes narrowed in concern; though he did not know of the pony in question, he hated to think anyone could have been hurt during the race. The ceremony had reached its end, and the celebration party was probably more than worth waiting for, leading Astral to smile as he made his decision. "I'll tag along to meet this 'Bluebell' pony; if she really did teleport into your vehicle during the race, it's possible she has great magical talent. And don't worry Pencil, I'm sure that Bluebell will be fine when we see her. After all, even if this town is a little upside-down at times, I've heard the medical staff are very capable; just ask Dr. Milenko."

@Ragland Tiger @Buck Testa Since both of your characters wound up in the hospital, maybe you two could chat during the next day's event?

@Samurai Equine Thank you Samurai, I'm happy to see your hopeful experiment turned out a success. Even though it will be a shame when this RP ends, I look forward to the story you have planned.

@Windy Breeze The blue unicorn turned to see a familiar pegasus had made the scene, the same who had been with Trilby during Astral's prior interview. "Shadow Trail, nice to see you. Thanks for the praise!" @ExplosionMare Astral could see Pencil was still rather shy. He had hoped their victory would boost the mare's confidence, but that could still be possible, in time. "Looks like you might have a new friend Pencil, perhaps you could share some art tips with each other?" "Well Pencil, looks like its almost curtains for this proud event in Friendshire. Shall we?" Astral questioned, clearly referring to the stage and ceremony.

@Ragland Tiger I didn't leave, I'm just not always able to post.

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine Astral gasped at the purple bomb's manifestation; never before had the unicorn seen such magic performed by a non-alicorn pony, other than himself. The kart launched into the air like a rocket, blazing past the other racers at breakneck speed. Surely the kart would have burst apart from so much force, but it held together long enough for the two to reach the finish line! Pencil had done it, she had won the race for them! "Pencil.. That was INCREDIBLE! You were amazing, great job!" Astral heartily declared while smiling from ear to ear, soon laughing in happiness at their victory.

@ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Astral briefly looked to the sides, seeing how far he and Pencil had come in this race, and how fired up the rest of the contestants were. It was incredible for the unicorn to be a part of such a grand community event, but he knew there could only be one victor. "Pencil, you're doing great! Just keep focused on protecting the kart, and you could get us the win!" With his inner competitive spirit burning brightly, Astral was determined to help make their team victorious. Dynamo and Pastel had been stupendous in the race thus far, and had done especially well on keeping mean ol' Daring Decor in check. "Dynamo! Pastel! You've been great opponents! Best of luck in the final lap, and no hard feelings whoever is declared victorious!" Astral shouted to the friendly team.

@Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare Looking at the past events in this RP, each seems to have a unique connection to each of our characters. Pastel did well at the talent show because of her hidden singing talent, and Dynamo did well because of his mother's dancing career. I imagine that once we get to top the fighting tournament event, it will connect the most with Samurai since he's, well, a "Samurai". Just to even things out so everyone gets a spotlight in the RP, my vote goes to Pencil winning the race, since she's seemed so eager from beginning to end. If anyone has a differing opinion, I obviously don't mind.

@Dynamo Pad Anything is possible so long as it doesn't seem forced into the plot. If you already have an idea for your connection to Starlight, all you need is a way to introduce it into the plot that seems like a lead in rather than out of no where. For example, once Astral eventually reveals he is a member of the E.W.E.(Equestria Wizardry Enterprise), the hint towards it is all of the magic he's capable of. Does this make sense?

@Ragland Tiger @Samurai Equine 🔥🔥 @Pastel Heart It could be nice to see some of the Mane 6 brought in for a cameo. Looking at them, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie may be busy in Ponyville with their respective jobs. In terms of scenarios for the others, here are a few to spitball; Rainbow could be in town for a Wonder Bolts air show, Rarity could show for a fashion competition against Trilby Hatter, Applejack may be making a delivery to the town, or Twilight could come to visit Dr. Milenko since he worked at the School Of Friendship. Btw, Ragland. Astral has a bit of a connection to Celestia as well, so maybe our characters could chat the next day after the race?, once Samurai clarifies the newest page that's been found later on.

@ExplosionMare "Right now the kart is still protected by my spell, but our wheels aren't protected! I'll take the wheel, you focus on any hazards! Even Dynamo and Pastel, but don't strike first!" Astral quickly maneuvered to the driver's seat and took the wheel. While the unicorn didn't have much experience with a racing cart, surely carrying his travel cart across Equestria counted for something, right?

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare @Pastel Heart Astral was glad that there appeared to be no further pressing tasks, meaning he could finally focus on the race at hoof. He knew Pencil was still determined to win, as well were Dynamo and the Pink Wonder. As the unicorn quickly observed their opponents, he blinked at the sight of a banana peel in their possession. "Um, Pencil? Looking at the artillery Dynamo is packing, we might want to 'peel out' before things turn 'pear-shaped'".

@Samurai Equine 🔥🔥 @Pastel Heart @CameoShadowness @Ragland Tiger Don't forget the time time Astral turned invisible and pulled that ghost prank on Pastel, which was 'totally' an important plot point.

@Samurai Equine 🔥🔥 @Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare As the blue unicorn lay motionless on the sidelines of the track, a glass bottle rolled slowly into his proximity, and the sun's light reflected directly in the slumbering pony's eye. Astral felt so tired, too tired to even move. But regardless, the pony inched his eyelids upward to inspect the bottle's label. "Magic.. Elixir? I'm.. not exactly one for drinking mysterious potions at a whim. But if this can get me back to the others, it might be worth it." Astral lazily grabbed the bottle, removed its top, and began to drink the elixir. It was quite bitter, and oddly cold, but something was definitely changing within him. All at once, Astral felt a powerful surge of energy electrify his entire body, his strength returning at an alarming rate. Astral leapt into the air like a rocket ship, and landed on the ground with a firm stomp. "SWEET MOTHER OF CELESTIA! This elixir really has a kick! Hang on guys, I'm on my way!" Astral's magic had returned, and he quickly teleported to the the finish line. Once there, the unicorn began to backtrack at lightning speed, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, until he eventually came upon Pencil and the others! Astral wasted no time warping back into Pencil's cart, greeting the others with renewed vigor.

@Dynamo Pad I think that since the request was last minute, Astral just jumped out of the kart and ran in the opposite direction, so there wouldn't have been time for Dynamo to ask what was happening. I'm pretty sure that Pencil had no clear grasp on the situation either, so I hope that answers your question.

@Dynamo Pad The passing out part is meant to happen after you and the others are out of sight, but you'll definitely find out at the end of the race. If my character was taken to the hospital afterwards, it could be an opportunity for Astral to meet @Buck Testa's character on the next day.

Everyone can have an idea of how they precisely want a story to go, but RPs can become very diverse depending on the members who take part, so the leader of said RP always needs to be open to changes. You've been doing well for the RP so far, and I have been having a lot of fun, so good work.

@Samurai Equine 🔥🔥 @ExplosionMare @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart Astral's vision acted as a guide, and soon the unicorn spotted a white 'X' on the racing ground. Astral knew he'd need to be quick, especially with other racers right on their tails. The unicorn teleported out of Pencil's cart and dashed for the 'X', and used his signature projection magic to create a small shovel, but making his astral projections physical was very difficult. Quick as lightning, Astral frantically dug through the earth for the page, and soon the unicorn had found it! However, it was very filthy, so it would have to be cleaned before research could be done. After dropping the dirt back into the hole and placing the page neatly in his satchel, Astral turned expecting to see Pencil in the distance... but he was too late. "Oh no... Wait a second, I can just get to the finish line and meet them halfway!" Astral was about to teleport again, but something was wrong. His horn's light flickered on and off, before it died out completely. Astral had run out of magic, and had very little stamina, as was evident by the tiredness in his eyes. As he slowly trotted off of the race track, the vision brought one last clue; a voice. The voice was male, and while he didn't recognize it at first, it was distinctive and somewhat powerful. Astral thought back to Samurai's Laronde box, specifically its original owner. Was this the voice of Final Premo- "Hng!" Astral fell to the ground, his stamina at its absolute limits, though thankfully not in the middle of the track. Even though Astral had teamed with Pencil, each cart only required a single driver to qualify, so the unicorn smiled knowing that Pencil wouldn't be disqualified. "Pencil, Dynamo, Pastel... I leave the rest to you, my friends." And with a final sigh, Astral fell into a much-needed slumber, having full confidence in the ponies he had met. (Don't worry, I'm obviously not dead)

@Dynamo Pad @ExplosionMare Did somebody say... CHAOS? And don't worry guys, it's an RP. Its difficult to create new dialogue on the fly, let alone taking in each new post from other members while predicting the next.

@ExplosionMare @Samurai Equine 🔥🔥 Astral was about to respond to Pencil's plea for suggestion, but suddenly, enough quick jolt pierced his head. Astral wondered if his magic usage was the cause, but soon the image became clear... There was another missing page close by, seemingly beneath the very racing track! Astral didn't know how long this vision would last, though he couldn't very well leave Pencil alone for a second time; what could he do? Astral's mind raced in panic, should he help this mare win the race, or risk her position to try and help the town... There was a way he could assist both, but it would more than likely drain the rest of his magic. No matter the personal damage at stake, Astral was willing to take the risk for others. "Listen Pencil, there's something I need to tell you. In order to help Samurai save this town, I have been searching for pages that may reveal the origin of its divide. I don't know why, but I suddenly have the location of a page beneath this very course. I need to find that page for everyone's safety, including yours. I don't know how fast I can be, and teleporting back to our kart will mostly be guess work. I know this is a lot of last minute information, but I'm asking you to trust me. And whatever you do, don't slow down; win this race like I know you can." Astral smiled sincerely as his eyes glimmered in slight fear, hoping that Pencil would be able to comprehend what had been said. @Dynamo Pad @Pastel Heart (Forgive me if this part seems a bit impatient, but Astral can stay in the cart if preferred) Astral turned to Dynamo and Pastel who drove alongside them. "Dynamo, my greatest apologies for the shell stunt before, but I must ask you for a favour. Please protect Pencil and Pastel, as well as yourself. Here's the most I can offer in support, the rest is up to you!" Astral's horn soon glowed at its brightest, nearly as strong as the sun itself. As soon as the light disappeared, something incredible had happened; the karts' exteriors had been outfitted with prismatic armor! (Kind of like the hair pattern on Crystal Ponies) "This armor should protect the karts from excessive damage, but I wouldn't suggest testing their endurance." Astral nearly lost his breath. This spell was one of the most advanced in Equestria, and using it was very costly, but the unicorn had to hold out for just a little longer.

@ExplosionMare @Pastel Heart @Dynamo Pad "You got it Pencil! Let me try something!" Astral's horn began to glow once again, and the glow of the kart suggested he was using the levitation spell once more, but the latter scene told a different story. Rather than using his magic to lift the kart, Astral was pushing it with extra force, allowing the unicorn team to become neck-and-neck with Dynamo and Pastel. "Sorry Dynamo, no hard feelings friend, but we intend to be victorious!"