private Journey to the Higher Plane

[Jack Baker 698]

@@Lightning Bliss,

((OOC: All in due time...))

Quickdraw shook his head, a sort of sad smile on his face. "Not in this life..." he said. He gently pushed Clover and Royal away, the look in his eyes telling them it was ok. He looked at Steel's corpse.

 

"If this 'get what you want' thing really is true... if you really want to thank me... give my new request" He pointed at the body. "Bring him back. He don't deserve a death like that. For one thing, he's just a kid..." He looked at Hurricane. "'Bout your age, if not older, I reckon. Always talkin' 'bout how he'd make things right with his people back home. I want him to live it out, you know? Have him see his goal through..."

 

He coughed heavily. His time was near. "Y'all... Y'all have taught me a great deal a' things. But mainly that an outlaw such as my self can find some sort of companionship... that I didn't have to live my life like a lonely pariah. I'm mighty grateful for that..."

 

He looked at Royal. "By the way... Steel told me you had some sort a' spell... some music orb thing... y'all would play it sometimes whenever you were on the trail."

 

Royal took his hat off, visibly distraught.

 

"Yeah..." he said quietly. "What about it...?"

 

"I don't want the last sounds I hear to be falling snow and quiet... Here's what I want you to do..." He motioned for him to come closer, then whispered something in his ear. 

 

Royal nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean..." His horn began to glow, and a medium-sized orb came from it, which began to glow dimly. Soon, an old tune began to play

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKECr75m8fo

 

As Quickdraw listened to it, all the way to the end, he smiled to himself. "Yeah... that's the one... Reminds me of a better time... a better... time... better..."

 

His head sank down, and he let out his last breath, like a sigh of disappointment, almost as if he didn't actually want to pass on. The orb dissipated after the song was finished.

Edited June 16, 2015 by TheKidInTheCorner

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Clover wept unashamedly, clutching at Lightning as Quickdraw died. She couldn't bear it; Quickdraw had been her friend, she had tried to save him and in the end, it just wasn't enough. She looked at the hole in the wall; could they even go on, after all the hurt and bloodshed that they had suffered? Was anything that they could find worth it?

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

Bliss felt Clover lean on her as she watched Quickdraw's hoof slip from her own as he gave into that final journey of life... She felt cold, and lifeless as she watched him go... Though she was surrounded by friends...she felt utterly alone at the loss...Then as she heard Clover's sobs echo into the cave...she was re-reminded she was amongst those who cared as much as she did for Quickdraw.

 

"No...no...NO!!! NO!!!" She repeated over and over till she sat back, throwing herself into a hug on Clover and sobbing into the fellow alicorn's chest. "TELL ME THIS ISN'T TRUE...PLEASE NO..." she cried out hysterically amongst sobs. Artemis came up alongside her, holding on to her flank in her cries of agony, chirping and crying with her knowing something bad had happen.

[Hurricane 159]

The whole time Quickdraw lied there bloody and nearing death, she stood a ways back from the group with her head down and fighting back her tears. She wouldn't let it show, but the death of Steel and Quickdraw was hard for her. She listened intently to Quickdraw's last words and wishes and looked up for only a second when he looked to her when talking about Steel.

She then looked at Steel's  cold, lifeless body. He had sacrificed himself for his friend by standing in the line of fire and Hurricane greatly respected him for that. As Quickdraw released his last breath, her head sunk lower and she shed a tear that had escaped despite her efforts.

She stood in silence for a few moments before she heard Lightning's cries of grief and lifted her head to see the sobbing alicorn being comforted by Clover. The scene broke her heart. When she shifted her vision, she saw Royal Flush and slowly approached him. Hurricane had no idea what to say. "I...I'm sorry." she finally said.

[Jack Baker 698]

Royal looked at Hurricane, then took a deep breath, then nodded silently at her.

 

"I'm just as sorry as you are..." he said, then looked away.

 

Raze looked down at the ground, angry and ashamed. They lost two brave stallions today. Or maybe...

 

He looked at Steel's lifeless body, then walked over to it, and hoisted the corpse on his back. He took the sword and strapped it across his waist. He began to move, but was stopped by Royal Flush.

 

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, a stern look in his eyes.

 

Raze returned the looked with his own cold stare.

 

"Fulfilling his dying wish..." he said, then continued onward towards the opening.

Edited June 17, 2015 by TheKidInTheCorner

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@Hurricane, @, @@Pripyat Pony,

 

Hearing Raze and Royal speak, she lifted her head up from sobbing on Clover. Raze had Steel's body and was heading towards the opening, still being protected by Tar. With her eyes still dripping and red with soreness...she slowly got up, picking up Artemis as she went.

 

"If there's a way to bring Steel back...then...maybe...maybe that's the....only..." she stopped and simply walked passed Clover, Royal and Hurricane, holding Artemis close as she followed Raze towards the opening.

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane looked over to see Raze take Steel on his back and head toward the opening with Lightning Bliss. Hurricane turned to see Quickdraw's body before following the two toward the opening. Her head was filled with thoughts and questions. What would they find through the opening? Could they save Steel? What if they found nothing? She just walked in silence as she dreary mood hung over the group.

[Jack Baker 698]

Royal picked up Quickdraw's gun, and examined it. It was broken, but not fully beyond repair. He would have someone fix it. It was the least he could do for him.

 

He then looked at the body and cast a spell on it, cleansing the blood surrounding him. Now it looked as if he were truly at rest.

 

Elok'Tar approached the body, and gently breathed around it. A transparent crystal tomb began to form around it, protecting it from harm.

 

"He shall be preserved here, as a testament to his heroic efforts," the dragon said. "I may not have known him, but what he did was truly remarkable... truly remarkable indeed..."

 

Raze looked up at the dragon, and gave a solemn nod.

 

"Thank you," he said. "We won't forget your kindness to us."

 

The dragon bowed. "Till we meet again..." he said to them. With a flap of his wings, he flew away into the snowy sky.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@, @@Lightning Bliss, @@Hurricane, Clover wept with Lightning, as they both shared their grief over their friend's passing. Clover did not want to go on, at least, until Raze spoke. That was it; that was Steel's final wish. If ever there was a reason to go on with the quest, it was to fulfill the last wish of one of the bravest stallions Clover had ever encountered. The other bravest was to rest here forever, among all the beauty of this strange land. Clover stood up, her mind made up. She used her magic to carve a few words into the crystal that surmounted Quickdraw, then, followed by Stormwing and Nimbus, walked after Lightning, Hurricane and Raze.

 

The words Clover carved as a permanent epilogue to Quickdraw were as follows: "Here lies Quickdraw, a courageous stallion and a true friend to the very end."

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

Lightning watched and listened as the others did what they could to honor the brave stallion Quickdraw. Royal taking his gun to perserve its value, Elok'Tar encasting the body in crystal to forever perserve it as a memorial...and Clover using her magic to carve in the crystal a reminder of who he was... She thought for a moment, stopping long enough to think what she could do to leave something in his memory.

 

"Here," she handed Stormwing Artemis, "hold him for a second please? There's one thing I need to do."

 

"Of course." Stormwing nodded, happy to assist as she watched the odd, small white alicorn gallop back to the crystal resting place of Quickdraw.

 

Bliss placed her hooves on the crystal casing...tears dripping down her cheeks and dropping on top as she considered what she could possibly leave...to forever honor the stallion that protected her, her pupil...and her friends.

 

"Words cannot say..." she stuttered between sobs, "how...thankful I am...for your bravery...and...and sacrifice...I just hope...whatever...I leave here....will....will remind others that...that...you were Quickdraw...the...the...The most heroic stallion I ever met..." Sobbingly she closed her eyes and mustered a glow from her horn....hoping and praying somehow the magic of peace within her...would somehow know what she wanted to do, what it should do, to honor their fallen comrade.

 

 

She laid her head on the crystal coffin, her tears dripping down its side as her horn continued to glow in strenth. The rainbow light coming off its magical force, brighten the entire crystal caveren with rainbow light, bouncing off the shards as it went. Sparkles of magic jumped from her horn as she continued to hug the coffin in sobs...not that she noticed the magic coming off her was making her mane float upward...or her cutiemark now glowing as well...Even though she was sadden while she continued to push her magic to do something...something worth remembering for her lost friend, the magic of Peace within her seemed to be helping to soothe that very pain that ran through her bones...

 

After a moment of magical concentration, and the unknown of what it would produce...her eyes sensed a bright light coming at them and slowly she pulled herself away. Her magic dissapated. In awe she realized what her magic had left for Quickdraw's memory... There in front of them all to see, his crystal tomb was glowing in rainbow awe...its radience refelecting through the crystal, showing his brave form, sleeping in pure extacy. If others were to someday find this place...there was no way now they would miss his burial sight...So that way...they would see his lovely coffin...and Clover's message...they would see this brave stallion, and mark this very day...when he gave his life for others.

 

She smiled...and kissed the coffin, "At peace Quickdraw..." and turned back to the others, taking Artemis, and followed Raze into the opening.

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane watched as each pony gave something of themselves to Quickdraw to show their respect and gratitude. She was taken back at Lighting Bliss' display of light and color as her tear touched the crystal coffin. However, her feeling of wonder and amazement soon faded into regret and shame. Hurricane didn't have magic or anything special to show Quickdraw her gratitude or how much she appreciated him. He deserved much more than what she could give him.

She slowly approached his coffin and touched it with her black hoof. "Thank you." she simply said. It was two little words packed with much more meaning that it showed. What she meant was, 'Thank you for sticking with our group. Thank you for your loyalty and bravery. You kept with this little group through thick and thin and never abandon us. You believed in this group and in me. You were a true friend. And for that, I can never repay you.'

[Jack Baker 698]

Somewhere...

 

A flash. A sudden burst of white light surrounded him, and he felt his entire being whisked away somewhere, until he found himself... lying on a white table made of marble, surrounded by a white void.

 

He was confused for a second, not sure where he had ended up. He looked down, seeing he was wearing a robe of some sort. As he sat up and got off the table, the white void cleared, and he found himself on a platform... a floating platform in the middle of a great, blue sky, colored gold by the sun and surrounded somewhat by clouds. 

 

Where was he, he thought? Who was he? Taking a step forward, he saw a pony, clothed in a hooded robe, although it was not completely white as the one he had on; the parts covering the hooves, along with the hood, were colored black. The pony was staring beyond the horizon. As he approached, the pony turned around. He had a mask on.

 

"Ah, you are awake at last," the pony said, the voice being male. "Tell me, did you enjoy your rest?"

 

He didn't know what to answer. "Where... where am I?" he asked the masked pony.

 

"Hmm... that is always the question to ask, isn't it?" he responded. "When you find yourself in a place you have no memory of..." The pony walked up to him. "Tell me, what is your definition of... paradise?"

 

He did not know how to respond, so he stood there for a few seconds, hoping the strange pony would move on and actually answer his question, but he didn't. So he tried to come up with an answer. 

 

"Uh... peace and quiet? Listening to some soothing music? I don't know..."

 

From underneath his mask, the pony smiled. "That is quite alright. Not many know the answer to that question... although sometimes, the answers are right in front of you." He gestured for him to walk. "Come. There is much for you to see."

 

He looked over the pony's shoulder, and saw that there was nothing else to walk on. "Wait... see what? And how will I see anything if the ground ends... right there?" He pointed at the empty space in front of the platform.

 

The masked pony laughed lightly. "Have faith, my friend. There is always a way for one to get where he needs to be..." He began to walk, and as he did, more platforms began to materialize out of thin air. The pony looked back, and motioned for him to come forward.

 

He did, and he began to follow, until the pony disappeared into a thick cloud. He kept walking straight, trying to find him, until he walked straight through the cloud.

 

What he saw next, made his eyes open wide with awe.

 

Thousands of huge floating platform were in front of him, each platform holding giant, foreign structures, with one especially large circular platform, too huge for him to measure, holding a giant,  skyscraper-like structure in the center, which was surrounded by smaller buildings, which in turn were surrounded by even smaller buildings. The skyscraper was made of some sort of strange, smooth looking metal, which covered the entire building. Looking up, he saw that the top seemed to stretch forever, disappearing into the clouds. 

 

It was a floating city in the sky, he thought. He then saw the masked pony just a few feet away from him, coming towards him.

 

"No, my friend, this is more than just some floating city," he said to him, somehow knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Welcome... to paradise." He lifted his hoof towards the city, then put it down. 

 

 

Paradise, he thought. As in... heaven? Was he... dead?

 

Dead

 

Suddenly, he remembered. Crystal, an apparition, an explosion... it was all coming back to him now. He looked at the pony, who noticed he remembered.

 

"Ah, it's all coming back to you now, is it?" He asked him, smiling under his mask once more.

 

"Yeah. It was only a matter of time," he said.

 

"Leaving the mortal world has that effect on all who come here. But let's see if you remember everything..." He came closer. "What is your name?"

 

 

He took a deep breath, and looked at the masked pony with a smile on his rugged face.

 

"Steel Tempest," he said. "My name's Steel Tempest."

 

"Well, Steel Tempest, allow me to show you around... I feel you will have visitors soon... better not keep them waiting."

 

And with that, they both walked into the city together.

 

 

((OOC: Sneak peek))

 

 

-------------------------------------------

Meanwhile

-------------------------------------------

Raze walked out of the cave and into the opening Elok'Tar made for them, which led to another open field of snow. He was determined to do it: to bring Steel back and fulfill his friend's dying wish. He looked back. Everyone else seemed to be with him, although some were still a bit distraught over the recent loss. He took a deep breath, and continued to venture forth...

Edited June 18, 2015 by TheKidInTheCorner

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

She watched as the zebra like pony lead them all forward towards the unknown of this...special...holy place...the very foundation of Star Swirl's Journey...and journals. Coming up alongside him, with Artemis riding on her back, she hesitated a moment... She was still distraught about the loss of Quickdraw. She regretted so much, not getting to know him better...but if it weren't for Raze and this journey, she would have never had the priviledge to meet him in the first place.

 

"Raze...I..." she spoke softly, "I wanted to...to thank you...For...for introducing me to all these fine ponies, for showing me these new places...for..." she sobbed a bit, "for putting up with me to start with heh..."

[Jack Baker 698]

@@Lightning Bliss,

Raze looked at the alicorn, then offered a slight smile and a nod.

 

"Yeah... of course. But you really need to stop doubting yourself," he said, looking ahead. "You're not a hindrance to any of us; just because we've done all the fighting and you haven't doesn't make you less of an importance than anyone else. You mean something to everyone here. Remember that..."

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane followed behind Lighting Bliss and Raze into the mysterious unknown. She had no idea what awaited them. It finally had hit her that only Starswirl had gotten as far as they had (if he had even made it this far.) She was one of the ponies who went on a journey that no pony would ever dream of going on. As she passed through the gateway, she thought about the ponies she had met while on this expedition. She had made friends. True friends who she appreciated. Hurricane eagerly awaited to see what had drawn the most powerful unicorn ever to go through many hardships to discover it.

[Jack Baker 698]

((OOC: Eyyy, welcome back Hurricane ))

As Raze walked on, he had just realized that the snow... stopped falling. In fact, each flake was suspended in the air around them, unmoving. All was quiet, so quiet you could hear a pin drop from miles away. He began to think to himself Had they done it? Were they finally here?

 

His question was answered when he saw something in the distance. It looked to be a distortion in the air, a rip in space itself, appearing to be... a portal of some sort. And right next to it was a hat, a wizard's hat, with bells lining the brim.

 

 

He automatically knew who it belonged to, and that could only mean one thing.

 

"We're here..." Raze said under his breath, quickening his pace, he approached the portal.

 

"This is it! We're here!!" he said aloud, observing the portal.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@, @@Hurricane,

 

With Artemis still on her back, Bliss followed Raze to the portal. She had never seen anything like it, so much so that it questioned the logic of how it could just be here, an opening to another world or place... She examined the hat...it clearly the orginal design out of pictures she's seen of Star Swirl. But it could easily be a copy too...she didn't want to assume until she took a closer look. The hat was withered with age, and clearly some markings of distress from its previous owner.

 

"This...adventure must have been just as hard on him..." she concluded feeling it was safe to say this was the heat of the famous unicorn. Artemis leapt off her back, and snuck under the wizard hat for fun. Poking his head out.

 

"Sparkle! Sparkle!" He clucked, trying to act like a unicorn, waving his little head around like he did have a horn.

 

"Heh Artemis..." she gently pulled the hat off him, "let's be more respectful of other ponies things..." She lifted him back up, cuddling him close, then turned to Raze. "Are we...gonig in?"

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Clover could hardly believe that they had finally reached the portal. This was what they had been striving for, ever since they had left their homes. Now they were finally here, and there was the hat of Starswirl the Bearded, proving once and for all that the unicorn mage had reached here, that he had stood just where they were standing now.

 

"We have to go in," Clover said, quietly. "If not for ourselves, then for Steel and for the memory of Quickdraw. We owe it to them to at least try."

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane stared in awe at the sight of the hat and the portal. Could this be it? What they had been searching for all this time. Hurricane could hardly believe this was all real. She half expected to wake up as if this was all a dream. She finally spoke up. "I wonder what's on the other side." she thought out loud as doubt started to sneak into her head. What if there's nothing there? she thought to herself. Only one way to find out I guess. "Are we ready to do this?" she asked the ponies around her as she walked closer to the portal leading to the unknown.

[Jack Baker 698]

Raze looked into the portal, then suddenly realized he had no idea of how to open it. He looked around it, trying to find something that looked out of place, but... nothing. He reached into it: the portal bent sideways away from his hoof. Becoming a bit annoyed, he kept trying to grasp at it, but couldn't...

 

"You're not going to open it that way," said a voice behind the rest of the group.

 

Raze turned around, and found himself face to face with a pony wearing a white, hooded robe, along with a white mask, the hood and sleeves colored black.

 

"No, no... you cannot open this gate, for you do not own the key... and who else would own the key but the gatekeeper himself." He walked towards them, and past Raze, stepping in front of the portal.

 

"But first I must ask you... who are you, and why have you come here?" he asked gently. "Not many know about this place... so there must be a special reason as to why you are here."

 

((OOC: Reference picture (I like posting visual aids so you can picture who people actually look like):

(Just imagine that in pony form))

Edited June 23, 2015 by TheKidInTheCorner

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

Bliss blinked as Raze tried to enter the portal but it clearly was protected by some magical force, or gate of some sort?  She was about to reach a hoof out to touch the gate along with Raze when a mysterious voice echoed behind them.

 

"You're not going to open it that way," the figure dressed in white addressed them as it walked past the others, her and Raze.

 

Picking up Artemis, Bliss stepped back a few feet... As the being spoke, she couldn't help feel this was yet another 'protector' to the place beyond their realm...Two things would come of this she realized... Either this being would be open minded, and allow them safe passage with its help...or it would be forced to protect the gate much like Elok'Tar...with force or worse...aggression. As he asked them the more direct question of why they where here...she wasn't sure how to answer, other then to be honest...since either way on how this Gate Kepper was going to react, didn't matter...All she knew was to be honest.

 

"We um..." she stuttered holding the child, "we traveled a great deal to see this, this place...One of our own, hundreds of years ago traveled to this very same place and he was never seen again. His name was Star Swirl, the Bearded. We are descendents of him I suppose you could say..." she flexed her wings to stretch them, then settled, "He had left journals...behind that we discovered, talking about another world and place... I suppose we um..." she chuckled a bit, "we came here on a journey of elightenment and truth, to find out what happened to him."

[Hurricane 159]

When Hurricane heard the strange voice, she whipped around and growled at the sight of him. She was so fed up with ponies and mystical beings always getting in the way of their expedition. She could tell the pony made Lightning Bliss uneasy. After Lightning Bliss explained why they were at the portal, Hurricane didn't hesitate to chime in. "Lookee here buddy," she marched up to him. "We've gone through a lot of bull crap to get here with practically every enemy in Equestria trying to stop us. We've gotten this far and I'm not letting some masked pony get in our way now." she snorted. "If you wanna attack us, I suggest you get it over already so we can get back to making a discovery of a lifetime!"

[Jack Baker 698]

The masked pony looked at Hurricane.

 

"Relax, my child. I mean you and your group no harm. However, you seem to be distressed; if you wish to relieve your emotions through a duel, I will be happy to oblige. I only ask why you are here..." He then looked at Lightning Bliss.

 

 

"...And it seems you have answered my question. Does she speak for all of you when she says this?" He looked at Raze, as if he knew he was the leader of the group. Raze slowly nodded and the masked pony looked back at Lightning.

 

"That is all I needed to hear..." he said to them, stepping out of the way of the portal. "Welcome, my children. We have been expecting you..." He turned around, and put his hoof near the top of the portal and brought it down. When he did, the portal opened up, and the pony began to step inside.

 

"Join me, will you?" he said, and he disappeared into it.

 

Raze wasted no time going in, and when he came out, the first thing he saw were thousands of giant floating circular platforms floating amongst an endless , blue sky, colored gold by a setting sun. Each platform held some sort of building on it, with the platform he was standing on containing a tall skyscraper-like building that seemed to stretch endlessly upward. The outside of it looked smooth and metallic, like a gigantic obelisk, and was surrounded by other buildings that were almost of similar nature, forming a sort of mega-city.

 

He was in awe of how imaginary this all looked, but it was real... very real.

 

The masked pony was waiting for them. "Beautiful isn't it?" he said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am The Custodian."

[Hurricane 159]

After Hurricane had hesitantly stepped through the portal, she stared in disbelief at the sight that stood before her. She had never seen anything like it and almost couldn't believe it was real. "Did we all just die?" she thought out loud as she slowly spun around to take in as much of the sight as she could. Her mouth was agape and her eyes wide with a sort of child like wonder. "Where in Equestria are we?" she asked. "If we're even in Equestria." she added in a lower voice.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

Since Hurricane and Raze had no hesitation entering, Bliss took a deep breath and followed suit, shutting her eyes as she stepped inward. Holding Artemis in her hooves, she peeked out into the new world... and was agasped by the sight. There truely no words to describe the beauty of this place...and in that moment she too wondered if they died like Hurricane suggested.

 

"I...I don't..." she sat down absorbing everything in all its wonder and glory. "No words...this place...it almost feels like...Like..."

 

"Home!" Artemis clucked and bounded out of her hooves, "home! Home! Blissy? Home?!" The child bounded around the others and the "Caustodian" really believing this was the place they were meant to live in.

 

Bliss got up, chuckled quietly and went to pick him up again. "Not sure if this is the...home...we are ready for yet Artemis but..." She turned to the Caustodian again, "Are we dead...?"