private Journey to the Higher Plane

[Hurricane 159]

((Sorry @@Lightning Bliss, I was witing for Blaze))

@,

Hurricane stepped back from Blaze when he yelled her and ran off. She was shocked at his outburst. It was unlike the Blaze she met. He was always calm toward her even she fired up with anger. Hurricane thought he was different and admired him for it. "Well.... Well fine!" she shouted back. "Who needs you anyway! You haven't helped at all!" her anger and confusion spoke for her. She then made her way back to the group trying to calm down.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @,

 

Bliss poked her head out from under her covers as Hurricane came stomping back. She had heard the yelling by Blaze as well as the black pegasus, but didn't want to judge who started it. It was obvious of the fact that she was angry by Blaze's reaction...but didn't know what else to say other then to state her own concerns.

 

"Is...everything-" she shivered, grinnding her teeth as she waited for the cold thrust to subside a bit, "ok Hurricane...? Why did...Blaze yell at you...You didn't...do anything to him...for him to yell... ACHOO!"

[OG Blaze 269]

Blaze continued to shake his head, "Gah what the hell is wrong with me? Why would I do that?" Blaze muttered to himself. He stopped in the midst of large trees and dug his hooves into the ground and shook his head again. "I know what you're thinking about doing...... Don't." Blaze didn't seem to be in control of himself. He took out his sword and put it into the ground. The sword began to glow and a trail of fire started to drift towards the trees.

[Hurricane 159]

@@Lightning Bliss, @,

Hurricane looked down to see Lightning Bliss' head pop out of the blanket. She let out a frustrated sigh before answering her. "I don't get it. I didn't do anything." she started. "One day, He's Mr. Whatever Cool Guy, and the next, he's blowing up at ya like a freakin' cannon!" she exclaimed obviously angered. "What did I ever do to him?" She then calmed down a bit. "I'm so used to every pony getting upset at me and wanting to fight, but he didn't. He was the first pony in a long time I almost thought of as a potential friend." Hurricane then got angry again. "But I guess he's just like every single freakin' pony out there!"

Edited July 20, 2014 by Vitani

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

Bliss's ears dropped a bit at Hurricane mentioning Blaze being the possible wouldbe friend to her, kinda feeling left out after all they've been through in these short few days. But without remorse, nor sadness in her voice, she tried to remedy the situation.

 

"Well...if...ACHOO," she sneezed, "if it's...any help...or attempts of cheering you up...I am sorry for how I acted before with you. It was wrong of me...just as it was wrong of Blaze to treat you...tha-, tha...that way! ACHOO!" She sniffed hard as a green line of mucus spurted out of her nose, only for her to suck it back in hoping Hurricane didn't notice, "and I...I hope that one day... though I may not deserve it... That you and I could become friends...if you want." Feeling like she put her feelings out there to be slapped down again, she pulled the blankets more over her head, hiding her face with only her little nose sticking out, waiting for Hurricane's response.

[OG Blaze 269]

The fire started to ease its way up the trees and took part in setting the branches and leafs on fire. Blaze stared at it emotionless just watching the trees get scorched by the flames he had conjured. The sword drifted back into his cloth and onto his back, he then walked off and let the fire consume the rest of the trees.

[Jack Baker 698]

((Time for an update on Royal Flush!))

Somewhere far away...

Royal Flush had quickly arrived at his destination: a small house with the style of those from the Far East. His partner's abode...

Quietly he entered the house, slowly opening the two sliding doors, as not to alert his partner of his presence. They were on very uneasy terms from things that happened in the past, and he didn't know what his partner might do if he saw him entering his house.

 

It was pretty small, with only two rooms, one large one which served as a kitchen and a living room at the same time, and another, smaller one which was a bedroom.

 

The main room was empty. He looked inside the bedroom. Nothing. He was just about to leave, when suddenly, he heard a flute playing somewhere. Royal Flush found a door leading out the back, and suddenly, he found his partner.

 

He was a pegasus sitting on a flat stone in the middle of a small and shallow pond. He had his hair tied up in a ponytail, and had a very long, slender katana in front of him, which was standing in the pond. As he played the flute, there was a soft, gentle wind blowing around him which shook the trees around him. He had his back turned to Royal Flush, and he thought that he wasn't aware of his presence.

 

((OOC: Flute music (with background wind, I might add):

Oh yeah, the dude in the vid? That's gonna be what Royal's partner looks like))

 

He finished playing, and Royal proceeded to slowly walk up to him, but the wind became stronger and surrounded him, and he was unable to see. When it subsided, the Pegasus was gone. It was only a few seconds later that Royal felt the tip of a steel blade pressing up against the back of his neck.

 

"And what do you think you're doing here?" he asked Royal, the blade staying directly pointed at his neck.

 

Royal sighed. "Long time no see, eh Steel Tempest? How's it been?"

 

The Pegasus angrily poked him with the blade. "You know exactly how it's been. You sold me out. Tried to turn me in to the people who were looking for me, in exchange for money, then disappearing in the blink of an eye. You tried to have me killed..."

 

Royal remembered. The Pegasus was a rogue warrior from a faraway land, one of the very few who mastered the legendary Art of the Wind, which allowed to manipulate the wind not with magic, but with his blade. One day, he was framed for the attempted murder of a visiting alicorn official from Trottingham who was killed by someone else. The evidence was stacked against him; whoever did it made it seem like Steel Tempest was the one who commited the act. The authorities didn't question it, and called him a dishonorable killer who needed to be brought to justice, despite all the honorable things he had done for his homeland. That day, he felt that his honor had betrayed him somehow, and he sought refuge from his persuers in Equestria. Poor, and with nowhere else to go, he met Royal Flush while passing through Appleloosa. He told Steel Tempest he was a unicorn who was a card shark who conned people for a living and was in need of a bodyguard, and that he would give him a cut of his earnings for his services. And thus began a long partnership between the two, and Steel thought he could escape his past. But it caught up with him eventually. Soon, unbeknownst to him, a small group of guards disguised as foreign travellers from his homeland had come to Appleloosa and had discreetly spread the word to the townsfolk that there would be a large reward in exchange for the capture of Steel Tempest. Royal Flush had heard, and soon enough Steel found himself once again facing the blades of his fellow warriors, and Royal had disappeared from the science without a trace.

"But you aren't dead. You escaped."

 

"Barely. Ever since then, I've been waiting for the day when I would find you and strike you down. But it looks like you came to me, which makes it so much easier. But surely you couldn't have come all this way just for me to kill you. So, how's this: before I let you taste the wind, I'll give you the chance to tell me what you were doing here in the first place."

 

Royal Flush looked down on the ground, and smiled slightly. The Pegasus had almost forgotten what he could do, as a trickster, and as a unicorn. He quickly used a simple teleportation spell to get behind the pegasus, then blinded him with a light card. The warrior laid on the ground, dazed and disoriented.

 

"You know you can't beat me. I'm not an honorable fighter like you, remember?"

 

The Pegasus shook his head to try and see again. "Please. I have no honor anymore. The only thing honor has led me to was the path of a false traitor."

 

"Yeah yeah. Anyway, I'm not here to fight you. I'm here cuz I need your help."

 

The Pegasus laughed. "And just why would I do that?"

 

"Because if you don't, I'll just have to kill you."

 

The pegasus's laugh slowly went away at the thought, now replaced by bitter anger. He was hoping that Royal would be the one to die, not the other way around.

 

Royal sighed, and helped him off the ground.

"Listen, what's past is past. For now, put it aside, and help me out with this one thing. Afterwards, you can deal with the past later, got it.

 

Steel Tempest thought about it for a minute, then shook his head.

"....Very well. But know this: if I suspect this is a trick, then I part ways with you. Again. Understand?"

 

Royal smiled slightly. "Crystal clear, my dear partner."

 

Steel scoffed at the word. "Please. We're not partners. This is just an obligation. Now... what is it you'd have me do?"

 

Royal took a deep breath, and began to tell him about his fight not too long ago...

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Lightning Bliss, @, @, @,  

 

"I... err... walked?" He shrugged, a small smile on his face. "Then this fire popped up in front of me, and I thought it would only meant forbidden treasure or ponies. I'm quite the curious type, so i decided to take a look. Turns out you all had it under control, and I didn't get to turn anyone inside out..." He said this last part with an air of a filly who wasn't able to play with his favorite toy because of some silly obligation.

 

"So, let's take a look, miss..." Walking behind her and taking a breath, he began the incantation for his demonic hand to leech the spell- and the cold, while he was at it- away.

 

((I'm gonna wait until this drama between Bliss and Hurricane resolves before I draw the spell out.))

Edited July 21, 2014 by Magos Amphrose

[Hurricane 159]

@@Lightning Bliss,

 

Hurricane stared at Lightning rather oddly after she offered to be friends. No one had ever offered to be friends with her before. She didn't know who to respond or how friends really acted with eachother. All Hurricane knew was rough housing and playful insults which ponies didn't really take kindly to. She started to act a little uncomfortable. "Um...Princess, I don't really-" she then cut herself off and sniffed the air a couple times. "Do you smell-" Hurricane then turned her head to see smoke rising from the forest with flames starting rise also. "Fire!" she yelled out to warn everypony.

[purple.teal 50]

Everlast finally rose from his prone position. He was free from the chains, and the pain from the fire and ice had mostly subsided. I have put myself into painful positions for others a plethora of times before, but that was the worst. Was it even worth it? He shambled over to his book, lying on the ground where he had dropped it. He levitated it closer to his face and he turned to his favorite page. 

 

He looked around and moved to the farthest edge of the clearing, away from the others. He could see a new pony talking to the rest of the group. Not a threat, but even if he was, what could I do about it now? 

 

Sitting down at the roots of a tree, he picked up the biggest rock he could find, and using magic, stripped a sizable piece of bark from his chair. On each of the two objects he wrote a few sigils. He then set the rock down in front of him but held tightly to the bark.

 

Once again, he was back into his aura vision, but instead of just seeing living animals, he could see all living plant life as well. Most of them, a healthy blue. Almost a shame. To have to damage a beautiful ecosystem. He watched as the color of the tree at his back began darkening to purple. He spread he aura throughout the forest and began draining energy from everything it caught.

 

Feeling fully whole again, Everlast crushed the bark and his vision returned to normal. he stood up, stretched and turned to the tree he sat against. Its leaves had grown brown and it looked like it was preparing for winter. He was about to return to the group until he caught a whiff of smoke. I can't start fires with this. The pyromancer, what is he doing? Everlast frowned at the tree he just dried out. This is not going to help anything at all.

[OG Blaze 269]

@@purple.teal

 

Blaze turned away from the fire and began to walk away back towards the group. Blaze stopped in his tracks and turned his head towards other dying trees, they were turning a different color. He started trotting towards the trees and kept his eyes out for any other ponies that had stumbled in here. "Any pony here?" He asked almost knowing the answer himself.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @@purple.teal, @, @,

 

Bliss barely had time to stop herself as she stood up abruptly in fight or fight reflex, re-intensyfiing the cold spell that was still upon her. "FIRE??!!" Bliss shrieked out, flexed her wings and leapt forward out of her bag, only to fall flat on her belly, and shiver in agony from the cold. "ACHOO! ACHOOOOOO!" She snorted and curled up into a ball as the cold spell was turning her blue.

 

"F-fire...the forest...Blaze?! Is Blaze alright!?" Her shivering became so violent that some of ther noneprimary feathers were shaking out like she were a maulting parrot.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Lightning Bliss,

 

"I swear it wasn't me!!!" exclaimed Rax'Mar as he flinched away from the encroaching flame. Then his mind began to function properly again. "Heh... it's just fire. They happen in the Everfree. If it gets too close, I'll get rid of- oh, dear."

 

Walking up to Lightning Bliss again, he felt her forehead with his hoof- deciding that he wouldn't want to freak her out more by touching her with his claw- and began to worry. "Alright. I really need you not to move like that again. The spell is designed to freeze you solid if you move too much. Let's see... the initial freeze, then one mini-freeze... it was a sealed spell, so it probably decayed a bit... alright. You have about three more times you can freak out like that before you become an ice cube- no, I'm serious. You'll freeze solid permanently, and I won't be able to fix that. Either way, I need to start getting that spell out of you, and now. Hang on for just a second. Don't move, don't freak out... I have to do some prep work."

 

He stepped off a fair distance before invoking his energies together. Time to start making the magical vacuum.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

"Ffff-Freeze SOLID???!!!" Her lip trimmbled at the thought, as she curled up tighter and tighter into a ball. Even the rainbow highlights of her mane and gryphon-like tail, were losing their colors and turning more of a royal blue. "So...cc-cold...." She wanted to cry, wanted to throw herself into a burning fire to make the cold stop...but she couldn't move even if she wanted to. "Bl-ankets...pl-ple----please....blankets..."

[Hurricane 159]

@, @@Lightning Bliss, @,

Hurricane knew Lighting wouldn't be able to fight or escape the fire. She knew she had to do something. She turned her head to see Blaze waling toward the group. She flew up to him and stared him down with an angry look. Hurricane was furious. "What did you do!" she shouted. "Why would do this!" she yelled again. She didn't wait for answer before she flew off to the fire and tried to fly circles around it trying to contain it. "I could really use some help over here!" she shouted toward the group.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Lightning Bliss, @,

 

"You do know that the fire isn't that... oh, it's growing. Hmm. Well, I'm occupied at the moment," he shouted over. "As soon as I'm done over here, I'll give a helping hoof!"

 

Now he turned his attention to creating a magical singularity, designed to absorb all of the active energies of magic in the area. Now all magic came in three forms- active, dormant, and potential. Active magic was the magical energies that were actively visible- that fire (assuming that it had been magically created), for instance, or the bound ice spell to the partly-frozen freezing rainbow pony. Dormant magic was magic that was cast, but is yet to be released- like most magical seals or his staff, for instance. And then there was potential magic- magic that has the possibility of being cast, but hasn't yet (often represented in many Equestrian games as mana or magicka). Now, his goal was to create a point that acted as a 'black hole' of sorts for magic, but only active magic. Not the dormant magic or, if it goes horribly wrong, the potential magic. He still wanted to be able to cast spells- his own personal opinion being what it was- but he wanted to remove all other magics. He also didn't want to be on top of the spell when it erupted; that would be quite bad. But still, it would solve a lot of problems. Besides, the standard Dispel Magic wouldn't work properly here. So...

 

Continuing to charge up the spell, he could sense a tiny perforation in the magical fabric of the area. He quickly stowed away his staff- he didn't need that issue right now.
 

"Alright... it's almost ready! Brace yourselves, it's going to be quite rough!"

[OG Blaze 269]

@, @

 

Blaze walked back to the camp where the others had just come from. He sat down and watched the flames grow and soon enough his mind cleared a bit more. He watched as another pony started to prepare a spell for the fire, Blaze wanted to get up and help the others but the head ache had grown stronger.

[purple.teal 50]

While he pondered the destruction he may have inadvertently compounded, Everlast listened to the others worry about thawing out Lightning Bliss, who had yet to get over her attack, and the encroaching fire. This is most definitely turning out to be one of the more exciting adventures I've been on. Everlast turned to the group, and saw the plentiful hands helping The alicorn. Alright then, rather than get in their way... He saw Hurricane alone facing the fire and calling for help. Maybe I could be useful there.

 

@

He trotted over to the pegasus. "Oi! Can you see the edges of the fire from up there? How well do you think you can contain it?"

Edited July 22, 2014 by purple.teal

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

Bliss watched under the cover of her wings, trying to assess the magic taking place by Rax'mar, unsure what to think of the odd pony with talons. She could only keep the thought that he was trying to help them all, as well as save her life.

 

@@purple.teal, @,

 

She then shifted her eyes just as Hurricane took off towards an ominous cloud of spoke and sparkes that were nipping off the treeline. The flames were getting closer, and her instict to flee were stopped short by the feeling of her legs seemingly to be freezing solid in place by the cold spell. Then to her relief she watched Everlast gallop forth toward the impending flames, seeming to assist the noble black pegasus in her heroic efforts to stop them. "For me...for us...she's..." she shivered as she spoke, "she's doing it to save me and us..."

[Hurricane 159]

@@purple.teal,

Hurricane looked at Everlast. "I'm trying the best I can!" she shouted. "The fire is growing though!" then she turned her gaze to Rax'mar and saw him trying to cast a spell. She couldn't quite hear what he said though. "Whatever." Hurricane said to herself.  she assumed it wasn't important. She then got back to flying around the fire trying to contain it.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Lightning Bliss, @, @@purple.teal, @, 

 

 

With all the commotion going on, he couldn't concentrate very well. That's what he would attribute to what happen next, in case it happened to be rather bad and they thought that he was a maniac. He couldn't concentrate properly. But what he could do is feel the magic slipping out of his grasp, and, trying to minimalize the negative impact the best he could, he was forced to let the spell go...

 

"There it goes!"

 

It was... spectacular, actually.

 

The singluarity, after grasping into life, hungered. It was a hole that reality wanted filled and wanted filled now. It grabbed for the closest possible source of energy- the spell bound to Lightning Bliss- and, after another wave of cold, absorbed all the magical energy from the spell, quickly leaving her with just a chill- quite warm compared to what she was before, and with no signs of being frozen- and a cold. But, although the blue energy spiralled into the invisible hole, it was not enough. So, next, it grasped for the barrier spell that was currently protecting Glory. The faint amount of energy that was left did not do much, so the hole continued by absorbing the next closest magical energy- the conjured flames. The energy of the flames was drawn out of Hurricane's miniature tornado and, with a spectacular flash, was drawn into the hole and vanished. The fire did huge amounts of things to fill in the hole, but it was not enough, so it grabbed the next nearest magical energy. Magic from the Everfree Forest itself. A stream of green rose up to fill the hole, and, albeit lasting only a few seconds, was enough to make thistles and small brush die and crumble to dust, their life force absorbed by the Everfree's inherent magical energy, which was then fed to the vortex. With this energy, the hole was completely filled, and all was still.

 

That was what happened. What was seen was a flash of blue, then of yellow. The fire faded out almost instantly and was replaced with a flash of red, and a flash of green. The magical energies combined in midair and became a blinding white light, before it faded. All signs of the magic- apart from the charred wood of the flames and the piles of dust where smaller plants would be- were absolutely gone.

 

Rax'Mar stumbled backwards as the intense magic took it's toll on his energy. slowly taking a few steps before wearily stepping back up, he smiled ever so slightly and he stumbled for his staff. "Well... heh... at... at least no one got hurt..."

[purple.teal 50]

@

"I fear I will be of little assistance here, I will provide what assistance I can and attempt to stay out of your way."  For once, I think I envy the wings of a pegasus. I can't see the whole problem from down here and I can't work without information. Everlast sighed heavily. I am not trained to deal with this kind of problem. How to stop a fire... Starve it. He looked to Hurricane. Well, If she continues giving it air, can't starve it like that. 

 

Everlast whipped open his book and began running under hurricane as she flew. He began placing enchantments in the wind she threw about. I wonder how this will work...

 

@

Sadly, it didn't work well. Everlast watched his spells get pulled away almost as soon as he cast them. He stopped running and with his eyes, followed their funnel into... Who has the power to create and control a black hole?!?! He gaped as it pulled every bit of magic into itself, and continued to grow. He wondered how it could affect his own magic energy and grew scared. "CLOSE THE INFERNAL THING! CLOSE IT!" he hardly heard how high his voice went.

 

Whether he made an impression or not, it did close. Everlast steadied his breathing and heartbeat. May Celestia have mercy on the one who conjured that force. I will have their hide! He began walking back toward the group. He spoke slowly as he sat down and scanned everyone. "What fool here believed he could effectively contain that kind of destructive conjuration?"

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@purple.teal,

 

Rax'Mar raised his demonic hand slowly, his staff's crystal flickering as he used it. "And I did control it- to an extent. Do you think that an arcane singularity can be truly controlled? And, besides, as I said, it was an arcane singularity. It's not going to eat you- just your released magical energies. I can't poke a hole in the fabric of realspace, and it required several... outside energies to let me to do this cheap, arcane facsimile. But, hey, it kept your friend from freezing solid and from the fire from burning us all to a crisp."

 

He smiled slightly. "Besides, my strongest dispel wouldn't have been able to dispel either of those spells- they are designed as counterspells rather than cleanup, and I had to do something about your friend before she became an ice statue." He shrugged. "And, if none of that was enough, it looked really cool. But the worst thing that would have happened was that it would have exhausted all of us." And drained our magical abilities until it was almost naught... but he doesn't need to know that.

 

He decided not to touch on the fact that he was an Archmage- as that would mean that he would either be tossed out or instantly ingratiated, neither of which what he wanted. He decided to just remain quiet now and try to get his demons in his staff to replenishing their fading power. Thank goodness for foresight.

 

((Time to eat my food. :nom: ))

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@purple.teal, @,

 

"L-leave him alone Everlast...the pony just saved our lives...including mine..." Bliss wobbly got up and snorted at Everlast in Rax'Mar's defense...The coldness spell had completely gone away but still left her a reminder that she was encast in cold by the indicates of a chilling sweat dripping off her back and under her wings, as well as an irritating, drippy nose, headach and sore throat. But other then that, she was alive and able to stand again to her gratitude. "Thank you Rax'Mar...I dunno how you were able to do that...but thank you...for stopping the fire and ACHOO!" she sneezed and covered her nose, her voice a bit stuffy from the effects, "for getting that infuriating spell off me."

 

@, @,

She quickly pulled her cloak out of her bags and wrapped herself up, trying to dry off the sweat and to tend her own illness, slight as it was while perking her large ears up searching for Hurricane. "Is Hurricane alright? Blaze? Clover? Everypony alright?"

[OG Blaze 269]

Blaze sat with his back against rocks watching his group talk about arcane singularity. Honestly he couldn't care less about any of that, magic and all. He really just wanted to know what the hell had happened back in the forest. It was like he wasn't in control of himself. Blaze didn't want to believe that was true, he sat there and awaited of his team to bark more orders.