private Journey to the Higher Plane

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

Bliss took Artemis in his arms, the young hippogryph seemed to shiver at Everlasts' conclusion that The Keeper...would return. And with Hurricane grounded alongside her, it was only Clover and Blaze along with Stormwing that could truely fly.

 

"Then maybe the ones who can fly should get help... we'll stay here...and try to fortify a defensive position in case the Keeper comes back?" She suggested and wrapped her shredded wings around Artemis. "I'm no good with keeping magic going...but Everlast would be with me and if...the Keeper should come back, he could help to guide my magic for a defense."

[purple.teal 50]

@@Lightning Bliss

 

"I'm not sure that would be a good idea." He was happy that someone was listening to reason, at least in part, but he wasn't sure about sending a group out. "Where could they go to get help and be back in a reasonable amount of time? The closest settlement are the Hippogryph caves we angered, I doubt they would help us. If a team is sent out much farther, say to the Gryphon lands... We can't be sure that any help they are able to obtain will return in time to be useful for any of us left behind."

 

He dug his hooves in the dirt, sighed, and glanced at the two children.

 

"If we do split into a team and a base, which group would get the children? I am loathe to leave them here with the threat of the keeper looming. If we send them away with the rescue team, and if they are his primary target, it may be just as likely that he would end up going around our fortified base and chase them down."

[Jack Baker 698]

With the teleportation spell complete, the Keeper of Souls had arrived a great distance away from the mountain, well out of sight. He grinned evilly. Little did those straggelers know that severe wound he inflicted on the mare Pegasus would also spread his corrupted magic within her body. He could already feel it creeping up slowly within her, and soon... she would be in his grasp...

 

Meanwhile...

 

"Tarnation, it's cold..."

 

Royal Flush was trying to make his way through the frozen landscape with great difficulty, his Stetson hat almost flying off his head. He had tried to conjure some flame cards to keep him warm, but to no avail. He had used his teleportation spell to get here... just where were these folks headed?

 

The wind picked up again, making the blizzard much more harsh. He shivered in discomfort, wondering when this would end. Suddenly, he began to think; he was taking it to extreme levels just to get his revenge, and now he found himself questioning whether or not it was still worth fighting for. He couldn't even remember why he wanted revenge in the first place, only that he just did. He might even die trying to get to them. Besides, he had so much to look forward to, back in his home in Las Pegasus. His wealth, his casino... his girl...

 

Still, he trudged on through the snow. He didn't know why, but he trudged on... until he came close to a mountain.

 

"Finally, a place to rest," he said. He approached the base of it, into an entrance.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@purple.teal,

 

"Then we go together..." Bliss concluded, "I don't know how but..." she sighed and began to shiver. Her adrillien like Hurricane's had fianlly came down...now her body was feeling the full force of the elements. Even with Artemis safetly tucked under her belly, he too was shivering...and could feel her suffering too.

 

"We...can't just sit out here then...but Hurricane is hurt...I can't fly and I just..." She sniffed and sneezed...the cold was getting worse.

[Jack Baker 698]

Steel looked up, then stepped forward.

"I could go," he said, stretching his wings. "I'd be able to fly pretty quickly towards civilization and find someone who could help us..."

 

Meanwhile, Royal Flush had just made it to the base of the mountain. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be the entrance to a cave. He opened his card holder and, focusing his magic, channeled his teleportation spell, concentrating on bringing himself there. The cards floated out of the holder and swirled around him, and then it was complete. He found himself at the entrance of the cave...

 

And right in the middle of Raze and the others.

 

He blinked once, in shock of who he just ran into.

"Well... ain't this a surprise..." he said in disbelief.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@, Clover looked up in surprise and shock at their unexpected, and unwelcome visitor. However, she felt as tho Royal Flush was simply an uninvited guest; compared to the Keeper, they had worse things to bother about.

 

"Oh, so you tracked us down," she said, wearily. "I'd advise you to get out of here as soon as you can. Not cuz we're going to fight you, but cuz there's a far bigger danger around here. The Keeper of Souls has marked us and we're all in danger. You, however, still have a chance to escape so I'd take it if I were you. Much as I consider you an enemy, I would not wish this fate upon anypony."

 

Clover blinked away tears as she thought of her friends at home, who she feared she may never see again.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Bliss looked up as well to see the unwanted card magical dealing stallion...but she had no reason to speak. Clover was right, there were far bigger problems for them. She even wondered if it was a blessing that Royal Flush was there to finish them off, it would be a fate less worse then what the Keeper had instored...But then she heared little Artemis peep.

 

She looked down on him...his eyes were flooded with tears and fear. He was so innocent...just now starting life...and it had to start out like this for him...? No...she concluded, I can't give up now...it's not fair...it's not fair to him...

 

She looked up to Royal Flush, "If you are here to fight us...or finish us off...whatever it is you coward..." she coughed slumped down... Artemis had to pull out from under her to avoid getting squished then immideatly tucked under what little shelter her shredded wings provided, "then at least...spare the children here...They've done nothing to you..."

[purple.teal 50]

Seeing the newest entrant into the cave, Everlast moved forward, he was relatively unscathed compared to the others, so he put himself right in Royal Flush's face.

 

"If you want to fight, fine, but to fight now is to die. Even if you were to win, defeat us, kill us, whatever would satisfy your reason for hunting us, the end would be nothing more than mutually assured destruction. Fight us, and if nothing else, we would tire you, making it impossible to defeat what would come next. The same logic would apply if we defeated you. We're already in bad shape, odds of finishing you aren't great, the fight after that even less so." 

 

Everlast paused, trying to gauge Royal's thoughts. He measured his own resolve, and thought of the outcome of all this. As a safety precaution, he used his magic to latch on to Royal Flush, making sure he felt the surge.

 

"If you want to survive, I offer a truce. We all work to find a way to repel the shade that haunts us, and then you can continue your own hunt. If we fight, I will make sure that you suffer whatever fate you force upon us."

[Jack Baker 698]

@@Lightning Bliss,

Royal looked up, observing the group.... then made his decision.

 

"What are y'all talking about? I'm done with that..." he said, looking at the small hippogryph. "I've put some thought into this, and, uh, I honestly don't think it's worth risking my life just to get revenge on ponies I hardly know..." 

 

He sat down on the cold hard ground, then saw Hurricane's wound. Quietly, he took a card out, and imbued it with healing magic, then crushed it, leaving a light green aura in his hoof, he hovered it over the wound, and slowly, it began to close itself.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@, Clover could hardly believe what she was hearing, but she wanted to believe it was true, if only cuz of the fact that perhaps Royal could help them fight the Keeper.

 

"If you can heal Hurricane, then perhaps you might be able to help us fight the Keeper," Clover said. "He can be driven away by thoughts of love and friendship, but this is only a temporary solution. We need to find something to destroy him or at least to neutralise him. Have you any cards that might be able to do this?"

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@purple.teal, @, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

Bliss watched amongst the others, in disbelief that Flush was helping Hurricane at least. But at the same time she could slowly feel herself getting sick from the constant slapping of the bitter cold. She stood up then, trying to warm herself by walking in circles but it was doing no good. Her bare wings were showing icecles forming, even her lioness tail was beginning to suffer from ice.

 

"Blizzy?" Artemis peeped seeing her struggle to keep walking.

 

"It's ok Artemis... it's...it's ok..." she kept trying to tell herself as she walked in circles. "Then...if we can..." she tried to form words... "If Hurricane is well enough...to-to go...C-ccc..can we get off this Luna forsaken...mountain...p-please...?"

[Jack Baker 698]

The card shark looked up, seeing that Lightning and the rest were freezing. He looked around, and found sticks and twigs inside the cave from what appeared to be nests. He put those in a pile, then took out another card, imbuing it with fire magic. He struck it against his coat, and a flame lit up. Before the flames consumed the card, he threw it at the pile, and a roaring fire began to form.

 

He looked at Clover. "You misunderstand. It's the spells, not the cards... and I'm not sure if there's anything in particular that I can use, however... it sounds like y'all are dealing with a dark being if there's anything I learned at Celestia's academy, it's that light magic beats dark magic... and I just happen to know quite a bit of it."

Edited March 2, 2015 by DJ Rabi Ray Rana

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@, "Can you help us with a spell?" Clover asked. "I know of some spells, but I'm not sure if I have the energy to cast such a spell. However, if somepony does the casting of the spell first, then I will extend every remaining ounce of my strength to keep the spell going, to save these innocent foals and to keep my friends from harm."

[Hurricane 159]

((Sorry guys. I posted something earlier, but it's not showing up)) Hurricane looked down at Royal Flush's healing job on her. She was hesitant, but accepted his help being to tired to fight. She kept looking at it expecting something worse to happen, but it was just a scar. Hurricane started to feel strange. She felt angry, but she didn't know why. She just shook her head and mentally returned to was happening. "How do we know we can really trust you? How many times have you tried to kill us?" Her last question was just to prove a point.

[Jack Baker 698]

Royal looked at Hurricane with slight amusement. "If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn't have healed that nasty wound of yours, or made a fire to keep y'all from freezing..." He looked at Everlast, wh blasted him with a magic surge. "Don't you go getting up close an blasting your magic at me, partner. I could easily just leave y'all here if you get on my bad side."

 

He returned his attention to Clover. "As for spells... there is one in particular I could use..." From his coat pocket he took out a small, black book, which he opened and began to search the contents inside. "This here is my own personal spellbook, which I record all the spells that I create inside... let's see here... got it." He flipped to a page, then showed it to Clover. "This is a light based spell I created a long time ago, specifically used for the destruction, or purification, of dark beings or dark magic." There were hand-drawn pictures inside, one showing a pony standing over a rectangular lit-up symbol on the ground, which had lines that seemed to connect to each other in no particular order or pattern. Surrounding the pony were six cards, floating in the air, almost forming a spiral pattern around him. The next pictures showed the pony being blasted by rays of light emitted from the floating cards, hitting the pony, but not harming him, as the pictures seemed to illustrate.

 

"If it's a beng possessed by dark magic, it purifies the magic inside a' them. If it's a dark being, however, it destroys them completely. The whole spell requires the caster to recite some long verse in order for it to take effect, though. That takes roughly about five minutes, give or take."

Edited March 2, 2015 by DJ Rabi Ray Rana

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @,

 

Bliss and Artemis quickly took up sitting next to Hurricane near the fire, using their body warmth to their advantage.

 

"I don't see how we cannot trust him right now Hurricane..." Bliss said shivering and pressing up gently against the black mare. "He healed your wound...made a fire like he said...prehaps he's..."

 

Suddenly her horn began to spark...it was a warning...a weak one...but it was signalling something dangerous close by. She looked up at it, not sure what to make of it, shook her head and went back to Hurricane. "Maybe he knows a spell to make feathers grow as well..?"

[Hurricane 159]

After she looked at Lightning Bliss scoot next to her, Hurricane lifted her head up to Royal Flush. Something seemed off about him in her mind. She still felt anger, but couldn't tell if it was directed toward him or something else. "I'm still not letting my guard down." she said harshly. "The second you do something I don't like, will be your last second." she threatened before drawing back in shock of her own intenseness.

((Are we wanting her corruptness to be more gradual and drawn out or quicker?))

[Jack Baker 698]

((Depends on you, although I think it'd be better if you took it slow, but not too slow. I just feel that seems to fit the Keeper's magic better: a slow, creeping corruption.))

 

Royal put his hooves up in defense. "Easy, partner. No need to be harsh..." He looked at Lightning's wings. "Hm... I think I can whip a quick spell up..." He carefully plucked a feather from one wing, and inspected it. "I got it.." His eyes and horn then began to glow with a cyan color, as he focused his magic on the feather, which was now surrounded by a cyan aura. A few seconds later, he was finished, and aimed his horn at Lightning's wings. He then shot a beam of magic at them, and at once, her feathers began to grow back slowly.

 

"Think that should do it," he said, adjusting his Stetson hat. He then jotted something down in his book. "I oughta write that down..."

Edited March 3, 2015 by DJ Rabi Ray Rana

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

"That spell you showed us ought to work," Clover said, after studying the pictures. "I could also use my magic to charge the spell up to make it more powerful. I also will set up wards charged with the same magic we used today to drive the Keeper off. That way, hopefully, some of us can rest tho we will have to have at least two on watch."

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

Bliss inspected her wings and watched in awe as her feathers slowly grew like daisies! Once they were done, she stood up with relief and flapped them eagerly, testing their durability. As her confidence in the new feathers built she kicked off into the air for the final test. They held her up perfectly, as if she never had them plucked only a few hours ago by an enraged rogue hippogryph.

 

"Amazing!" She whinnied and flew down snatching Artemis up into the air and flew back, enjoying her new found ability to fly all over again. "So wonderful, isn't it little Artemis?"

 

"WEEEEEEEE!" Cried happily Artemis as she did a few loops with him securely in her arms. She landed with a soft pat of the snow, cuddling up next to Hurricane again... and once then her horn began to glow omniously in warning again. "Gah the stupid thing..." she whispered so others couldn't here and tapped it to stop. "Thank you Royal," she perked up to the once rival unicorn, "You have no idea how much this means to me."

 

As Clover suggested about conducting her spells and wards, she wondered when their group would move on or whether or not they were going to stay there for the night.

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane shook her head to forget the harsh remarks she had just made. She didn't know what was up with her and just assumed it was due to the mental battle with the Keeper and that she would feel normal again once she got her mind off the subject. "The griffons will probably be back soon." she spoke up. "Now that we're able to, I vote that we move to safer ground and set up a camp." she looked around her. "Does anypony know how far we have to go to get out of griffon territory?"

[Jack Baker 698]

@@Lightning Bliss,@@Pripyat Pony,

 

"You do that," he said to Clover, leaning back against the natural stone walls of the cave. "I don't think we should move just yet. It's pretty bad out there, if y'all ask me... blizzard's been getting worse with every passing minute, and I don't think it'll get any better once the sun goes down..."

 

He tipped his hat to Lightning when she thanked him. "Just doing what I can to repay the trouble I caused y'all..." He meant it, too.

 

He looked out at the cold, harsh weather outside, then sighed. Using his magic, he conjured up an acoustic guitar and a harmonica which he held in the air with his magic, and adjusted himself.

"Hope y'all don't mind..." he said, as he began to play a tune.

 

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

"Then we'll head out in the morning." Bliss smiled and noded back to Royal, then proceeded to bury herself under some snow to help insolate for heat near the fire. Meanwhile Artemis poked out from under her, tilting his head in curiosity to the odd sounds Royal's insturment made. It was a look of puppy curiousity in the young hippogryph, that quickly turned to one of pure enjoyment.

 

The little hippogrph pulled himself out from his caretaker to get closer to Royal and to hear the lovly sound. He sat down and tiltled his body from side to side with the melody, quite litterally enjoying himself.

 

"First time he's heard music..." Bliss smiled realizing her young pupil's curiosity, "I'm so glad to see he likes it."

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane laid her head down on the ground. She was tired and definitely needed a rest from the day. Royal's music soothed her and calmed her down. She closed her eyes and just listened to the music and the ponies talking avoiding entering her own thoughts. Hurricane opened her eyes to look up at Artemis obviously enjoying the music. "He's definitely a happy little guy." She said cracking a smile "Just been through a series of traumatic events and is already dancing."

[Jack Baker 698]

Royal finished his music, setting both his instruments down and looking at Artemis.

 

"Howdy," he said, tipping his hat to the young hippogryphon. He gently pet it on the head with a smile. He then lifted his hoof and flicked it, and from thin air came a regular playing card, an ace of spades.

 

"You like tricks, little fella?" he asked him. He twirled the card in his hand, and the face changed to an ace of hearts. He kept twirling it, the card changing to different faces and suits; from a 10 of clubs, to a king of spades, to a queen of diamonds. He stopped twirling it, and flicked his wrist, and one card became three. He then closed his hoof, hiding the cards, then quickly opened it, releasing a magic dust into the air, with the cards nowhere to be seen. He then reached behind Artemis's ear, and pulled out the ace of spades card he originally had, giving it to him.

Edited March 5, 2015 by DJ Rabi Ray Rana