SilverHeart

???????????? and ???????? @@Scribblegroove, The sound of Scribblegroove's voice caused the mare to jump into a standing position. The ball she had been playing with rolled away from her. "Stay away!" The mare shouted as she looked frantically around the room until her gaze finally settled onto you. Her voice was shaky and uncertain, even her shout was more timid than average. You notice that the whispers and laughing had stopped and the theater was deathly silent with only you and the mare staring at each other. Both pairs of eyes from the balcony were now watching the mare. "Just stay away from me, don't come any closer." The mare once again shouted at you. From the way she stood it looked like she was ready to attempt an escape the "It might be for the best if you don't get near her." said a clear and calm voice from the balcony. It was just loud enough to be at voice level, yet it carried a certain authority with it. The voice belonged to a mare, her accent was elegant and refined. Her speech rivaled that of the Canterlotian Nobility, but it was noticeably different. The sound of the mare's voice appeared to have been the breaking point for the magician, who had retreated somewhere offstage. "Yes, without her little paramour around poor Mirror seems to fall to pieces." Said the mare who had spoken earli-no it was a different voice. Nearly identical in all aspects but somehow you knew it was from a different pony. Somewhere backstage you hear a door slam close. Almost as if they were spirits, the two pairs of eyes moved forward over the balcony's railing and floated towards you. The closer they came to you the better you could see who the eyes belonged to. Both were pegasi or maybe they weren't.... Their fur was a dark grey that blended in perfectly with the darkness. Their eyes weren't normal, they were predatory, almost like the eye of a cat. The last thing you notice is that their have no feathers and appear leathery instead, just like a bat's wing. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about them, beside their looks, would be the matching amethyst amulet they're both wearing. The amethyst in the center is about the size of a hoof, it's easily the largest gemstone you've ever seen. "You must be one of the guests, I'm Lapis and this is Gemma. We are the Stewardesses of House Bloodwell. It's a pleasure to meet you." @@Evilshy, A familiar looking earth pony stallion is walking down the street while carrying a number of bags and suitcases. Whether it's because of the sheer weight or he's trying to maintain the balance. His head is low to the ground and it sounds like he's mumbling something. As he gets closer to you he looks up and makes eye contact, only to break it a second or two later. It seems like he just wants to shuffle pass you without having to stop. RED CASK @@FirstPonySpectre, Red Cask looked down at Bittersweet, his gaze studied her for several seconds, finally he briefly looked at her cutie mark. "Very well, we were blessed to have some notable alchemists residing here in the past. They left much of their work behind. Go to the outer wall, find the second window from the left, turn directly around and then straight forward until you're directly in front of a book case. On that book case will be their notes on the local flora and some of their basic notes on alchemy." When you arrive at the book case you will find shelves of books based on alchemy and medicine, with notes discussing the local flora and fauna. One book even details what's in the menagerie. @, As you wander the library searching through the rows upon rows of books you eventually find a book case that seems to have the kind of records that you're looking for. There are at least three books that you find might be useful. The first is a book that seems to discuss the early founding of Bloodwell and the family behind it. The second is a book that discusses the genealogical tree of the Bloodwell family. The third and final book stands out from everything you had seen so far. It looks like someone had tried to set fire to it but someone else had put it out before the book was lost. The book is burnt and the pages are flimsy. Half of it is missing but what's there seems to detail the accomplishments of the Bloodwell family . ((OOC: If you're waiting for a player instead of Wagon Wheel, just ignore him. To everyone else sorry these are short, I just couldn't think of anything to post.))

((OOC: Evilshy, I totally forgot to write a post for your room. This is definitely my bad, I'm not sure if you were waiting on me to post that but if you were and I never post, just remind me in the OOC. I can be forgetful. This goes for anyone really.)) @@FortyTwo42,@@Evilshy, Your room is about the size a pony might expect judging by the building. It's a little on the small side but it seems rather cozy. There's one bed with two pillows and a blanket on it, a dresser for your clothes and a nightstand with a lantern on sitting on top. There are also a few paintings to decorate the room, most of them are landscape portraits with the occasional portrait or painting of a pony. @@Evilshy, @@FortyTwo42 @, @@Windbreaker, The room that you two share has two beds, two nightstands, each with their own lamp, and one shared dresser. Sadly it seems as if your room is lacking in decoration. There's only one portrait on the far wall. However, you do have a nice view of the lake but that seems to be about it.

@@Scribblegroove, As you walk closer to the stage you notice that the seats and condition of the theater are improving. Some of the seats are beginning to even look like they are brand new. There isn't any dirt on the carpet and its color hasn't even faded all that much except for where generations of hooves have worn it down. At the very least some ponies cared enough about the theater to try and maintain parts of it. Now that you've gotten closer to the stage you can make out the lone figure a bit better. You have little doubt that this is the magician that Red Cask told you about. The purple cape and harlequin styled mask certainly help to give her position away. The cape-no you notice that its actually a cloak with the hood down-The edge of the cloak is being held in her mouth and positioned in a way that shields the right half of her body from view. Still she doesn't seem to be doing much besides rolling a small ball back and forth with her left hoof. It doesn't seem like she's all that interested in the ball, it comes across as the sort of idle motions a very bored pony would make just to kill time. If she's noticed you she hasn't made any sign of it. Unlike the magician it seems you've attracted the attention of whoever or whatever is in the balcony. Two pairs of eyes are staring at you. They're remarkable easy to see in the dim light, almost as if they're glowing. Both pairs of eyes have the same colors, one bright blue eye and one bright green.The colors are reversed so that no matter how the two stood they would look like reflections in a mirror. The only sounds you can hear in the theater are the hushed laughter and nearly inaudible whispers coming from the balcony. You still can't make out any details other than the eyes.

Cinnamon @@FortyTwo42,@, @@Windbreaker, Cinnamon looked between the three ponies in front of her, she was pretty glad that the problem of who to help next had sorted itself out. "Alrighty, the closest room to the entrance is just up the stairs and directly to the left. You really can't miss it." the mare said before she turned around and produced three more keys. She pushed the key on the right forward with her hoof. "Here you go." The mare turned her head toward Dove and Poppy, "And for you two, your room upstairs and halfway down the hall on the left side."

@@Evilshy,@@Windbreaker, @, @@FortyTwo42, Cinnamon stared at Bellinda for several seconds, her smile slowly morphed into a slight frown.The mare breaks eye contact and lowers her head to the floor, the only sound you hear is a faint sigh. Another moment passes before she suddenly looks up, absolutely beaming at all of you. "That is such a relief, thank you! I am so glad we're up to snuff. Your group are the first ponies to visit us in....gee, I really don't remember. Its been a long time. A very long time, I'm not even sure if I was born before we last had a visitor." The apparently relieved mare lifted her left hoof to tap her muzzle. Now that you've had a few minutes for your eyes to adjust the dim level of light, you can see that Cinnamon is still pretty young. She's pretty short, so she might not even be fully grown. "I got pretty nervous while waiting for you lot." "But listen to me babble, you're probably tired. I've been told the trip through the forest is pretty long. You said you wanted a room in the back? Hold on just a moment!" Cinnamon said as she turned around and looked at the desk behind her. A few seconds of searching combined with a few mumbled sentences later Cinnamon had found the key, which she placed in front of Bellinda. "Here it is! You'll want to go up the stairs and take a left, follow the hallway until you come to the kitchen, which will be on your right. The door you'll want is directly on the left past the kitchen. You don't want the door on the right, it gets jammed real easy and can be pretty hard to open. If there's anything I can do to make you feel welcome feel free to ask!" Cinnamon ended her sentence with a smile, which was much more sincere than her first. "Who's next?"

@@Midnight Scribbler, @, @@Evilshy, @@FortyTwo42, @@Gloomfury, @@FirstPonySpectre, @@Scribblegroove, @@Golbez, @@Windbreaker, ((OOC:We've updated the map. Please use this one from now on. Ignore the discrepancy about the hotel locations. Use this one from now on. We needed a larger location since there are roughly ten ponies instead of four like last time.)) @@Evilshy, The inn, just like the buildings surrounding it, looked brand new. Its wood was far lighter and stronger looking than the surounding buildings. The only thing that set it apart from other Inns you had been in was that its design was outdated and rather simplistic. It was apparent that the stylistic design was meant to be faithful to the rest of the village's architecture. Though you imagine that was supposed to be the charm of the building. It was meant to stand out from other high-end resorts by being quaint and rustic instead of overly-luxurious. Once you walk inside the resort it took several moments for your eyes to adjust to the rather dim lighting. Just like the exterior of the building, its interior was almost the opposite of what one might expect a resort owned by a Prince to be. The walls were made of wood. There was some furniture, fairly new and obviously imported from Canterlot arranged around the room. The whole affair reinforced the feeling of it being purposefully simple. Opposite of the entrance was a counter behind which a very bored looking mare sat. Her coat was a yellowish-brown, which was close to the color of cinnamon bark, while her mane was yellow, almost like a lemon. The mare had a pencil in her mouth and was idly drawing on a small piece of paper. From the way she was sitting you couldn't see any wings. It took a few moments for the mare to notice you. The moment she did so she dropped the pencil. "Oh no, I'm so so so sorry, I didn't see you. I hope you haven't been waiting too long" she said, her voice was faint and she sounded a bit nervous. "You must be one of the guests. Is there anything I can help you with?" She smiled at you, it looked a bit forced but was passable. "Oh I'm Cinnamon Song by the way." She added, almost as an afterthought. @@Scribblegroove, The Theater was large. Easily one of the largest you had ever seen. It almost rivaled the size of the famous Royal Canterlotian Theater, in fact once you looked closely, you realized that it was almost an exact replica of the two and a half century old playhouse. Almost everything was the same, from the materials and shape of the building to the expressions of the statues that lined its exterior. The only noticeable change was that the weathered look of the building. Like most of the houses and shops you had passed, the theater had been worn down with age. The once bright and vibrant colors were now faded, some walls had even reverted to showing the stone and wood that lay underneath. If you had to make a guess, the last coat of paint was probably several decades old by now. Far to the left you could see that somepony had left several canisters of paint unattended. Once you entered the Theater you were greeted largely by darkness. slowly, as your eyes adjusted to the theater you began to make out the rows upon upon of chairs. The chairs themselves were remarkable well preserved, maybe they had been enchanted or they had possibly been replaced over the years.The only light in the vast room came from the stage at the back of the building. In the middle of the stage you could make out a pony wearing a purple cloak, the pony wasn't moving much, just kind of fiddling with something that sat in front of their hooves. The pony's head was obscured by the hood of the cloak, you couldn't make any further details out though. To the upper left of the stage, in one of the balconies close to the stage you think you might see some movement in the darkness.

@,@@FortyTwo42,@@Midnight Scribbler,@@Scribblegroove,@,@@Windbreaker, @@Golbez, The Steward nodded his head at Emerald's request, "Of course, I'll be more than happy to escort you whenever you please. You might be disappointed if you're looking for any recent records of the town's history. Our last historian passed away roughly a hundred years ago. I will answer any questions you have to the best of my abilities. If I am unable to answer your questions, there are two other ponies in this town that might be interested in talking about the town....though they do not like being disturbed during the day. When you're ready to visit the library, please wait by the front gate of the Mansion." Red Cask turned his attention toward the purple mare but still addressed the whole group. "Once you arrive at the inn you may choose to share a room with another guest or you may have your own. There are enough rooms for each of you though. While this visit was a tad....rushed, we were able to fully restore the inn before your arrival. You will be able to choose your rooms once you get to the hotel. It's a first come-first served basis. However, if you do not care to visit the inn and would rather explore the town, you may leave your luggage here and Wagon Wheel will carry it to the hotel for you." The Steward looked to Bittersweet and then glanced briefly around the town, not exactly looking at the surrounding buildings but beyond them. "It depends on what plants you're looking for. There aren't any real gardens outside of the Menagerie inside of the Mansion. Though that isn't an area that is prepared for any guests, I will see if we can't grant a one-time exception. Though that is up to His Highness'. There is a small community kitchen inside of the Inn that has been salvaged from some of the houses, you should be able to use set up in there." "If there are no further questions, there will be a celebratory dinner tonight inside of the mansion to welcome you to our home. There you will be able to meet each of the staff and residents of the town. Allow me to be the first to say that it is a pleasure to see some new faces. I pray that you enjoy your stay." (OOC: I apologize if this post isn't that great I just woke up and I'm not thinking too clearly but I've taken too long to get this post out. If I missed tagging you I apologize. I think I got everyone that has posted in response so far though. Also if I got Shadowhide's coat color wrong, I apologize I'm colorblind. I'll fix it if you tell me to.)

STORY @@Midnight Scribbler, @, @@Evilshy, @@FortyTwo42, @@Gloomfury, @@FirstPonySpectre, @@Scribblegroove, @@Golbez, @@Windbreaker, The carriage soon exited the forest and continued along its path, which now resembled more of a normal road. Those who looked out the left window would immediately notice fields of wheat surrounding a barn and windmill. The barn looked odd, certain sections of its walls were new, while the rest seemed old, ancient even. Well as ancient as wood could look at least. If you had to make a guess it was in the process of being restored. The windmill itself was attached to the rear of the barn, it was in better shape than the barn. either it had been properly maintained over they years or it had already been restored. Beyond the farmland was a lake, its far side was bordered by a mountain. All in all it looked pleasant enough. Through the right window of the carriage you could see a vineyard and a meadow with flowers and trees. It looked tranquil and welcoming, a perfect place for a picnic perhaps? Or maybe it would just be a good place for a nap? Past the meadow was more forest, the same one that you had just past through. It looked as dark and unwelcoming as a forest could look. Another minute or two passed as the carriage trudged towards the forward. Slowly a town came into view. Just like the barn certain buildings seemed to stand out as brand new, while others seemed old and worn. One thing stands out, almost as much as the disparity between the buildings, you don't see any ponies walking the streets. The carriage, for practically the first time since you had entered the forest, began to take, what looked like, a few sharp turns before pulling to a stop. From what you could see you were most likely in the town's square, albeit it seemed like more of a circle. Several seconds later the carriage door was pulled opened by the same, although exhausted looking, stallion that had accepted your letters when you climbed in. Behind him stood an earth pony, whose expression was grim and serious. The stallion's coat was a relatively light gray which was complemented by his black mane. His clothes were very extravagant, even if they seemed a little...archaic, and gave him an air of sophistication and grace. @, He waited patiently for all of you to get out of the carriage before speaking. "It pleases me to finally be able to greet all of you," his voice was gentle and relaxing, every word he spoke was pronounced clearly and perfectly. "My name is Red Cask, I am the Steward of Bloodwell Manor, Personal Servant of Lord Blood- *Ahem* Lord Blueblood, while he is staying here and the temporary Director of this resort. First, I would like to apologize for the sorry state of our home. It's embarrassing to admit but there are very few of us left in this village and it has become nearly impossible to maintain the entire town with only the ponies that live here. However, I assure you that before the resort opens we will have the entire town in full repair. I pray that you will be able to look past the few dilapidated buildings and enjoy your stay." "Now that that is out of the way," The stallion said as he reached into a pocket and produced some folded slips of paper. He gave a copy to each of you before continuing. "This is a map of the resort and the open businesses and available entertainment. Starting from the left, we have opened the docks and beach, where you may go for a swim, rent a boat, or if it tickles your fancy, rent some fishing gear. We only ask that let the fish go after you catch it. Next we have the farm, which isn't necessarily open for guests but you may feel free to visit it if you wish." "Next would be the commercial quarter, where normally guests may buy anything they may have forgotten to bring or any items that they fancy. There is also a restaurant, which serves only the finest Canterlotian cuisine, of course we also serve more exotic dishes, if that is what fancies your palette. To the North of that is a bank, though I doubt you will need their services. Further to the East, is another restaurant, which also doubles as a cafe, though this one is mainly for the locals and serves more common food, I certainly doubt they would turn away any new faces." "To the south of the cafe is our vineyard. While we are a small town, I would dare to say that any of our wines could compete with the best wines from Canterlot. We used to be quite famous throughout Equestria. "Now last but not least is the Theater. At the moment, we only have ponies practicing their acts for when we finally open. However, I myself have reviewed each of the entertainers. I believe them to be more than ready for when we open. During the evenings is when the local theater group practices their plays. In the mornings, a magician is practicing her show...though the young magician mare has been having a little trouble recently. Despite that she should still be worth watching." "Now, as I'm sure a few of you might have noticed the mansion behind me, it is normally off-limits. Though, due to the fact that the town's library is currently being renovated, you may, under my personal watch, visit to borrow some books." "Finally the hotel that all of you will be staying at is directly to the Southeast of the well. Once again, I'm afraid to admit that we were underprepared for your visit, there is a curfew in effect until I deem otherwise. One hour after nightfall I must ask that each of you be in your rooms. You may not leave them until morning. It's a sad fact but the local wildlife have become quite daring since our numbers have dwindled. It isn't unusual to see one or two timberwolves wandering the streets at night. This curfew is for your safety. I trust you will have no problems remembering this. Now are there any questions?" ((OOC: We will be updating the map every now and then. But here's a current copy of it. I'll be replacing the one on the front page with this one.))

@@Gloomfury,@@Evilshy, @@Midnight Scribbler, @@Scribblegroove, @@FortyTwo42, @, @@FirstPonySpectre, @@Silver Staff, @@Golbez, @@Windbreaker, @, That was twelve guests, everyone had shown up. Not that he was surprised, two years in a royal prison was a harsh punishment. Wagon Wheel waited until the last mare found a seat to begin speaking. "Excuse me, I apologize for interrupting but we are about to depart. There are a few things that need to be said. First, we shall be travelling through a very dense forest. So dense that the trees eventually block out the sunlight. I will be stopping the carriage only once and that is for the sole purpose of lighting the carriages lanterns. Please, do not get out of the carriage under any circumstances." The stallion sounded bored or maybe it was just indifference. It was obvious that he had given this speech a few times or possibly practiced it a bit too much. "Despite the...rustic nature of our trail, you shouldn't feel even the slightest bump. This carriage has been enchanted for this journey. Regardless of the weather outside, it will remain at a very comfortable temperature. It will be the better part of the day before we arrive at the resort. As such, this carriage is fully stocked and equipped with a wide variety of refreshments." He pointed a hoof at a small cabinet under one of the seats. "His Highness wants you to know that no other resort in or beyond Equestria has access to Carriages of His Highnesses own design. Please enjoy yourselves." The stallion finished speaking, not waiting for any kind of questions or even a response he closed the door. The only sign that the carriage had begun to move was the passing scenery, ahead of the carriage was a meadow, and beyond that the beginnings of the forest.

((OOC: So for whatever reason I just can't seem to get happy enough with this post. No matter when I try to write it or what I what write. So since I've kept 00brony waiting and he's on the long car ride, I'll just write whatever and post it.)) "Yes, you're probably right." Mirror replied with a slightly forced smile. It felt unnatural to smile in this body. The muscles just felt...wrong. Hopefully the intention wasn't lost somehow. "Well...thank you, Mr. Aiden." Mirror said as she unintentionally gave Aiden's hand a light squeeze. She wasn't exactly sure how she had done that, but it seemed like there would be time to learn later. For now she just needed to play along. Thankfully pulling herself up with her new forelegs didn't seem to be too different from her old one's. The real challenge came in finding her sense of balance while only standing on two legs. Several seconds of rocking back and forth eventually ended with Mirror leaning into Aiden. It seemed that even in her current situation she could still embarrass herself. Even something as simple as just standing was proving a bit difficult. "I'm sorry to ask this, but it seems I'm feeling a tad dizzy, could you help me inside please?"

Try the Code academy and khan academy websites. They will get you familiar with coding and they are free.

Oh alright then. You're welcome. I hope it works out for you.

Was my response not what you were looking for?

No for now you can get away with no virus protection on Linux/Unix and Apple OS'es because of the low market share for Linux/Unix systems and the closed source nature for Apple's OS. Since you're using Windows, i would recommend Trend Micro, it's what I use. But you can also use AVG, Bit defender, or any widely known anti-virus. I would also recommend you dowbload/buy "Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware" in addition to whatever anti-virus you choose.

What operating system do you have?

By the end of her scream, Mirror's mind had shifted back to her missing horn. It was what mattered the most to her, as long as she could cast magic she would be fine. The former mare looked all around her, briefly ignoring the creature in front of her. Her wasn't around her, not even a fragment was visible. Mirror Image raised her left hand up to her forehead again. She cringed. It was smooth and furless. Almost like the burn scars, but not quite. Oh Celestia, what happened to my horn? There isn't even a stump! What can I even do without my magic? She looked up. It took nearly all the willpower she had to keep herself from having a mental breakdown, though it certainly helped that she had a distraction in the form of the creature in front of her. Her mane blocked the right side of her face, and therefore her right eye, partially obscuring 'Aiden' from view. Whatever it was it hadn't attacked her so it probably wasn't hostile. She hadn't seen anything like it before. It stood like a Diamond Dog, though it looked less sinister. Mirror Image looked up to its...paw? No that wasn't right. She raised her left hoof up and glanced at it. Her hoof looked similar to the creature's....hand! That's what it was, just like a Minotaur's. Pleased with her deductive skills, Mirror moved her hand into Aiden's, though she didn't grasp it with her fingers. "My name's Mirror Image." She looked around, she was almost certain that whatever spell she had been caught in had flung her far from Equestria.

Can we submit more than one story or are we limited to only one?

I'm not sure if you mean official as in both members consider them soulmates or if they just ended up being in a relationship but my OC Mirror Image has been/is being shipped with Midnight Scribbler's OC, Midnight Scribbler, and Golbez.s OC, Cherry Bomb. As far as I know, no art with any of them together exists.