private Journey to the Higher Plane

[Hurricane 159]

((@ I feel like that's something Pinkie Pie would do  It made me laugh.))

Hurricane backed up slightly when Blaze got in her face. She didn't know how to react. She just gave him a blank look as he walked away. What experience has he had with the diamond dogs? she wondered. Then she looked down at her onyx collar. She worried about it getting stolen so she just hid it in her wing along with her dagger. When she opened her wing, she noticed her burn had started to heal and didn't look as bad as the day before. It hurt less, but was still tender and sensitive. She then closed her wings and rejoined at the back of the group.

Edited June 24, 2014 by Vitani

[OG Blaze 269]

@ (((That's good, I mostly did it for the lolz)))

 

Blaze caught up with the others who were talking about their confrontations with Diamond Dogs. Blaze had tried before to get Diamond Dogs out of a highly populated area by burning the tunnels they used, it worked for a while until they started targeting and dragging the workers into their tunnels. Blaze stopped when the workers started to get hurt, he didn't want anyone injured for his work so he ceased the operation.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

Bliss looked down at the invisible locket that she held dear and smiled to Clover in appreciation. "I won't take it off. Thanks again I really appreciate your help. Don't know what I would do if I lost this..." she sighed, thinking about her husband draconqeuus back at home. I wonder what he's doing right now. Probably trying to learn how to cook without using his own magic to actually teleport things in. She giggled a bit as a memory popped up the first time he tried to cook her hash browns for breakfast. He heated the stove up with oil so fast it set on fire. She never thought hash browns could explode so high up to a cave's ceiling.

 

Chuckling to herself, trying not to be so loud as she walked, she blurted, "Oh sorry, I'm just thinking of a good memory of my husband. Do you have a special somepony in your life Clover?"

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane wasn't scared of the diamond dogs. Though she had to admit, she was a little intimidated and nervous. She had never heard story's about them killing anypony. The worst thing she heard about them was when they kidnapped a pony and forced her to work for them. You can easily take them Hurricane. She thought to herself. You can't loose your collar and dagger, you just can't. She snapped back to reality and decided to fly higher in the air, but still low enough to see the group. the air was cool and refreshing. She smiled and did a little flip in the air

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Lightning Bliss, "Not at the moment, no," Clover replied. "Before, I was mainly busy with my studies. I do have a stallion who's a friend; his name is Lightning and he's a member of the Wonderbolts. But I can't think of him romantically; he's just a good friend. After I became an alicorn, it became difficult to find anypony who liked me for who I was, not for the fact that I'm a princess."

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

"I see..." she nodded and pondered what if her circumstances were different...what if she were an alicorn before she met Nights. "I was a pegasus when I got engaged to my Hoopla... I can't imagine him seeing me differently if it were the other way around. One thing was for sure though." She stopped a moment to bound over a large tree root sticking up out of the ground. "Oomph... Ahem, one thing is for sure, both our lives changed when I ascended."

 

@,

She looked up to see Hurricane then flying just a few feet above their heads. A spark of envy flickered in her eyes as the pegasus mare enjoyed her free flyin freedom. "Look at her..." Bliss shrugged as she stared, keeping her tone directed to Clover still, "Hurricane...she has no idea how lucky she's got it. She thinks we are just ponies that are meant to sit and smile and wave to the crowds and look pretty. To be beautiful and rich while other ponies struggle below our hooves. But she has no idea what it's like to be us." She turned to Clover then, "She doesn't know what it's like to be expected to be at your 100% every time during royal events...to handle life changing treaties, diplomacies or new laws... She's not frowned upon by a higher being...expecting you to uphold your destiny that you never wanted..." She stopped her words for a moment, hiding her face under her hood for a bit to hide the redness of her tearing eyes, "I'd...I'd give anything...to just be a pegasus again...or at least...give me back of freedom to be what I want to be... Not be what is expected of me... But I guess that's a bit selfish of me isn't it?"

Edited June 25, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[Jack Baker 698]

Raze was walking around, scouting the area ahead, watching for any danger that might be waiting for them. If they were gonna come across something like last time, they might as well be prepared for it. When it was apparent that there was nothing that seemed to be an immediate threat to the group, he turned around.

"Alright, if y'all are ready, let's keep moving," he said while following the path marked on Starswirl's map.

[Hurricane 159]

As Hurricane was flying, she looked down at Lightning Bliss, Clover, and Blaze. They are so lucky. She thought to herself. They use magic, they can fly around, and have a way with agriculture. They are the most popular ponies in Equestria. If they want something, it's handed to them in seconds if they don't use magic to get it themselves. Everypony loves them and respects them. They don't push them away or give them mean looks. If they screw up, everypony looks past it. I have to teal my food, I'm too ashamed to show my face in Cloudsdale, and all I do is fly around in circles and make tornadoes. Hurricane let these thoughts and more consume her mind as she continued to fly around the group.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Lightning Bliss, "I understand," Clover replied. "Back when I was just a regular unicorn, things were a lot easier. Sure, I still had my studies, but other ponies treated me as an equal. Now tho, it's different. They assume that cuz I'm a Princess, I'm better than them, which isn't true. It's easier for me in Trottingham of course, cuz there's another alicorn living there; Prince Starlight. He's married to the mayor of Trottingham, Swift Justice, and they have a filly named Moonstone. He wouldn't have come on this mission, cuz of his family. But I have no special somepony so I could come."

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

"I guess we both have regrets then," she placed a wing on Clover's back nodding as Raze lead them onward, "you want to go back to where others saw you as their equal...and I just want to have a normal pony life..." She chuckled at the word normal for a moment, "then again I'm not exactly what you'd call a normal pony." She pulled off her head to let it side on her shoulder, revealing her freakishly large flappy ears. Her gryphon like tail then proceeded to wag under her cape as she walked. "Even when I was a pegasus I wasn't normal, but now I have this horn and tiara... well that I left at home, to deal with too!" She laughed a bit then began to pick up the pace in a canter. "Sorry I need to stretch my legs. When I get a good laugh going I just feel like I need to bound!"

 

She then went into a full long gallop and bounded off trees, stomps and stones, leaping over Raze and the others in her playful frolicking.

[Jack Baker 698]

((OOC: Sorry guys, I have been very busy, which is why I couldn't respond to this as much -_-))

Raze smiled slightly as Lightning bounced around the group. Looking around, it seemed the forest was coming to life with her. The sun was shining high, and the friendly inhabitants of the forest began to come out of hiding. A pair of hummingbirds flew in front of Raze, looking at him for a second, then quickly flew off elsewhere.

 

We're out of timberwolf territory now. That's good; at least we won't have anything to worry about. For now. He held his bags tight.

I better keep my things close, once we get to where the Diamond Dogs are. I've got that gem that contains "him" in there, and they'll be sure to take it, along with my other things if they wanted to.

 

((OOC: Also, @@Lightning Bliss, when I read that last part of your post, I had this song going off in my head:

I'll use it to set the time of the scene I described for you in this post ))

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

(OOC I'm so typing to this music lol)

 

Bliss continued to gallop with a mixture of flapping her wings as she would find herself leaping from the ground, into tree branches. Birds would scatter as she would touch the tree tops, seemingly smile down on her as she frolicked. A sense of peace and happiness was overwhelming the area where her and the group continued their pace. She couldn't help but beam whenever sunlight made it through the treelines. At one point a ray of light caught her long enough for her to stop and enjoy its warmth and reflection off the morning dew of the leaves, creating tiny little rainbows that seemed to dance off her coat.

 

"Truely is a beautiful forest..." she whispered to herself as she came down from her trance, and bounded to the ground. She kicked her back legs up in the air like a playful filly, her cape flowing behind her as her speed got faster. She spotted a large log uphead blocking the path and grinned as she made a running estimate of when to jump over it. In careful timing, she kicked off the ground and outstretched her wings and glided over the large fallen tree, landing with a thump before kicking off back into a full gallop. The wind flowing through her mane...She might as well be a winged deer frolicking freely in her own forest. "I've forgotten how much I love to run...it makes me miss home in Appleloosa."

Edited June 27, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[Jack Baker 698]

After a few hours, Raze had finally led the group out of the Everfree, and finally into the barren plain that served as the Diamond Dog's territory. Well, underneath the ground they were standing on anyways. Raze walked with caution, wary of anything that might pop out from underneath them, slowly moving across the dry ground--

 

crack

 

Suddenly, a part of the dirt underneath him gave way, as something dug a hole to the surface, stuck its hand out, and quickly snatched his bags before disappearing into the dark depths below. The rest followed suit for everyone else, having their things taken in the blink of an eye. Another hand sprung towards Lightning Bliss, and took her pendant and tiara before quickly disappearing again.

 

It only took Raze a fraction of a second to realize what had happened: his bags, along with Starswirl's notes, had just been snatched by the Diamond Dogs.

 

"...BUCK!" he yelled out in frustration, stomping the ground. "Even after I try to be cautious, I still get my things stolen... UGH!!!" He shook his head.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@,

 

Bliss bounded out of the forest only to skid to a halt behind Raze as she stared blankely at an open grassless bald spot of the forest. Diamond Dog territory...She cautiously walked forward, her playful frolic dissapointingly, cut short by the sudden urgency to tread lightly through the omnious new landscape.

 

Only to her terror, and with lightning speed, a claw ripped through the ground, pulling on Raze's bags before they being torn his back and brought down to the abyss of the dogs' home. She ran to assist him only to find that another dog had jumped up behind her, snatching her crown before she could scream "STOP!"

 

The dog snarled at her and bounded down its hole. She snorted and galloped after it, trying to dig the dirt out and follow him down. Only to her shock, another dog leapt out behind her.

 

"Oooh...pretty pony smell nice!" The dog growled at her with sharp paws out, stomping towards her, "you smell like gold and gems... But me no see gems...You hiding gems from me pretty horned winged pony?"

 

Bliss instinctively grabbed the invisible pendant and held it to her chest hoping the dog couldn't see it...but obviously he could smell it. "I'm hiding nothing! I just have my bags and cape! Please leave us alone! We're just passing through..."

 

"Pretty pony lies... I smell gems... You give me now or I take you instead!" The dog leapt at her, forcing her to shriek in panic and dart under him, giving him a good firm buck in the rear to make him think twice about attacking her.

 

She looked backed as she tried to gallop over their terrain, thinking she had made a successful break for it...only to find the dog had darted into a hole and in lightning speed, popped out in another one in front of her. "Sorry! But I gotta fly!" She snorted and leapt over the dog and fluttered up into the air, avoiding his claws for the moment. Screw the tiara, she snorted to herself, they aren't getting my Nights Hoopla locket!

 

@,

"PRETTY WHITE PONY GOT GEMS! ROCKS! ROCKS! GET THE BIRD PONIES!" Shouted the dog that attacked her, as more of his comrades perked up, and began attacking the rest of their group, while throwing rocks up towards herself and Hurricane.

Edited June 28, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[purple.teal 50]

Everlast continued following the others, singing to himself a little travelling song as he saw Bliss's shade jumping carefree around the group.

 

"See the road flow past your doorstep calling for your feet to stray. Like a swift and rolling river it will sweep them far away..."

 

Suddenly, Hands reached from the ground and quickly took everything on him. Buck you all, Those are mine.

 

He undid the enchantment on the piece of bark they took and his vision returned to normal. He saw many other diamond dogs rise and strip the others of their equipment as well. He chose the nearest one currently looting another party member, and sent a tendril of his aura toward it. On contact it began to corrupt the life energy of the dog. While sapping the Diamond dog, he ran up to it, knocked it over, and pinned it to the ground. 

 

"Understand this, wretch," He snarled into it's ear, "What you took from me I find more valuable than your life. So I should take it in a meager restitution. I however, don't find that to be enough, So I will make you a deal. You lead us back to your slump of a home, give us back our stuff, and I will not kill you."

 

He got off his charge and released his magic, leaving a small trace of it as a tag. Whether you run away or lead us peacefully, I will follow you. I will find what you stole. I will have it back.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

Fluttering her wings as high as she could muster, Bliss looked down at the brown terrian to a horrifying sight. While she could see Everlast taking charge on a few of the dogs themselves, she could clearly see it wasn't going to matter. The entire area was running with diamond dogs, all either bouncing out of their holes to surround one of the ponies of their group, or diving down soon as they grabbed something they deemed valuable. Though abruptly, she realized she was still in trouble as well.

 

A rock suddenly flew by her face, forcing her to look down from the direction it was thrown. She spotted at least 5 of the diamond dogs tossing heavy stones at her general direction, forcing her to dodge and dive under to avoid them. The stones looked defiently large enough to clip one of her wings, or even knock her in the head if she didn't keep her attention focused. Her pegasus instinct to be aware of her surroundings took more control of her alicorn reflexes as she dived, and dodged rock after rock thrown her way. Getting cocky in her agility, she smiled and took a bit of joy in catching one of the stones and kicking it back at its owner. "Here take this back!" She whinnied and caught one, giving it a good firm kick back, before diving down on her attacker, horn pointed.

 

The dog howled in panic as the white alicorn mare dived at him with her sharp pointing limb aimed for his soft rear end, only to dodge her a split second into a hole as she pulled up back into the air. "HA! That's right! Run you, RUN! Serves you right for attacking a mare that didn't do anything to you! Shows you-" a sharp pain hit her in the head...forcing her eyes to go fuzzy...She was unsure what caused it...till the sharp edged rock fell off the back of her head to the ground far below... She managed barely to turn around to see where it came from...only to realize it was the same dog that tried to grab her the first time...He was smiling with pride and victory hitting his target perfectly.

 

"Stupid pony don't look where she going!" He howled as he watched her descend down...unable to keep her eyes open...the rock clearly knocking her out.

 

@@purple.teal,

"Oh no...." she slowed her fall only by keeping her wings out, and gliding helplessly without control to the waiting paws of the dogs waiting to drag her down to their borrows. "No...no...help..." she tried to call out as she felt herself being pulled down the hole. She tried weakly to pull herself up away...but the dogs were too strong...and her concussion was taking hold... The nearest pony she could call out to...was Everlast...and as loud as she could...fearful and weakly, she called out. "Everlast!!!!!!!!!" Her hoof stuck out for as long as it could for him to spot...before she descended down into the dark depths, and finally closing her eyes.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[purple.teal 50]

Everlast heard his name being desperately called. He swung around to see the last few inches of a hoof being dragged into one of the holes. He dashed away from his prisoner and toward the hole only to be blocked by a group of more dogs. "Move!" He sent out many tendrils of his magic and as they made contact to their targets, the diamond dogs doubled over and curled up. Silently suffering as their life force was sapped away. he leaped over their prone forms and jumped into the hole after the other pony. 

 

He was in the air as he saw the diamond dogs fill up the hole behind them. NO! Instead of diving after them as he hoped, Everlast smashed his face into packed dirt. He ungracefully flipped back onto his hooves and looked around. just a short distance away, another hole was still open. They better still better be in one piece. He lept headlong into his new target. Wait, what am I doing? I'm no hero... These thoughts came too late, as he was already sliding down a smooth dirt tunnel. 

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@@Lightning Bliss, @@purple.teal,

 

Clover screamed as she felt her saddlebags wrenched off her back. A voice snickered, then growled. "Nothing here! Useless boxes of paper!" it muttered before throwing her bags at her. Clover dodged as her books fell on the ground. Suddenly, a sheet of anger enclosed her mind. How dared they? Clover's horn glowed green as she shot at the creature who'd dared handle her books in that way. The green spell hit the diamond dog, knocking it backwards and making it unconscious. Clover looked around and saw that everypony else was being likewise attacked. She turned just in time to see Lightning Bliss hit with a rock, to fall out the sky and be dragged into a tunnel, with Everlast following her. Clover did likewise, determined that these scum would not hurt the ponies she considered her friends.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

@@Pripyat Pony, @@purple.teal,

 

Bliss was in and out of conciousnous as she felt herself being carried by her marenappers down a cramped tunnel. Their annoying panting now and then would wake her, making her head throb in pain from the rock that was mercilessly thrown at the back of her cranium.

 

"Pony smells like gems! I's smell them!" The dog growled and chuckled happily as he carried the prized white pony into a larger chamber.

 

"You idiot! I see no gems on her! Theys must be in saddle bags!" Another dog growled at her carrier as she felt her cloak and bags being ripped from her aching body. The taker rummaged through her bags, tossing  her cape to the side only to be quickly distracted by the odd form of the pony his comrade was carrying chuckling and pointing. "This a pony? Look at those ears and tail! She look more like cat pony!"

 

"Cat pony?" Her carrier pulled her off his shoulder and lifted her up like a foal for a closer inspection, "more like cat dog pony! Cute! Can wes keep her?"

 

This suddenly forced Bliss to open her eyes up in terror, though her head and body still throbbed, she managed to make small kicks of protest and wiggle in her captor's grasp. "I'm...nopony's pet...I'm Princess...Lightning Bliss... and...I have a husband...he...he will find you and...he'll stop you!"

 

"Plews plews can we keep her! Aww look she's crying! So cute! She needs cuddles from her new daddy!" her captor ignored her words, more mockingly and stroked her head like she were his own house cat. "I's wills call you... Floppy Ears!"

 

"Meh...yous always falling for weak stupid animals," the other dog snarled as he rummaged through her bags. He was rather annoyed at only finding her sleeping bag, a small bag of gold bits, and some food rations. "*Growls* Stupid pony has no gems in bags! But pony smell like gems! She's hiding them I know it!"

 

Bliss sighed with relief knowing her locket was still invisible, but the darn thing was the reason why she was in this position in the first place. A part of her was beginning to regret keeping it, jepardizing her own safety and all. But it was a gift from her Nights Hoopla....and she be sent to Tartarus before she gave it up...She wiggled again as her head throbbed, and weakly fell back unconcious again.

 

"Maybe shes just smells like gems?" Her holder threw her back on his shoulder and carried her to some caged areas, placing her down and snapping an iron chanin around her for good measure while she slept. "Who cares if shes smell of gems...Wes make use of her! Shes can pull our wagons and find gems for us! Ain't tat right my little white Floopy Ears?!" He stroked the unconcious white mare's head, laughed to his comrade, then left her be, locking the caged door behind them. Leaving her alone, asleep, in a layabrith of tunnels.

 

(OOC LOL I had too much fun with this XD)

Edited June 29, 2014 by Lightning Bliss

[Jack Baker 698]

@@Lightning Bliss,

Raze saw that Lightning fell in, and immediately drew out his blades, jumping into the pit below, ignoring the diamond dogs that followed him. He slid down the tunnel, quickly landing on all fours into the Dogs' underground homeland. He looked around trying to find out where they took the alicorn, and decided to take a random route, hoping for the best.

 

((OOC: Busy schedule is interfering with me posting again... -_-

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane dodged the rocks that the diamond dogs kept throwing at her. she saw Raze's bags get snatched by a dog that disappeared down a hole. She also saw Lightning Bliss also dragged down into the dirt. Hurricane almost dove in to help, but then saw Everlast, Raze, and Clover beat her to it. Then she figured that Lightning Bliss had enough help. She may as well go after Raze's bags. They seemed pretty important. She dove down into a hole near the location of where his saddle bags disappeared. She badly hoped she wouldn't run into diamond dogs. That was a useless hope.

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

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

 

(OOC It's ok dude, I'll do my best to keep it going as you've asked)

 

With the pounding of her head, feeling like the Ponyville Train express was riding around her skull, she forced her eyes open finally. Her vision was blurry and doubled, making her want to spew, and there was a chaffing pain around her neck she couldn't quite recongize. After a moment of watching the room double back and forth...finally she was about to see straight, realizing she was behind rusty old bars made of crystal. The air was cold and damp, heavy with minerals as she heaved, forcing herself up.

 

"Horse apples...sweet Luna...hay sticks and pony feathers..." she cussed as she sat up touching the locket still invisible and close to her chest, "trapped like a rat...In a maze..." Her heart began to thump as she started around her prison, feeling lonely, lost and claustrophobic at the same time. "This is just great...I hate enclosed spaces...gah...think Bliss think!" She stood up and tried to pace the room to get her brain moving, only to find her neck chained to the floor, giving her only a few feet of space to move around. It wasn't even enough for her to reach the cage door. "GAH SWEET LUNA SOMONEPONY HELP ME!" She shrieked out through the bars hoping somepony would hear.

 

Taking another breath, she let out another cry, flicked her ears and waited for a response. After a few seconds of waiting...she sat back down again and wrapped her wings around herself. "It's ok Bliss...i'ts ok...Everlast must have seen you be dragged down... Surely...surely even Hurricane saw me go down... Yeah...the others will come...they will come...just...stay calm..."

[Hurricane 159]

@@Lightning Bliss,

As Hurricane was trying to find her way through the maze of tunnels, looking for Raze's books, she heard a shriek that sounded like Lightning Bliss coming from not too far ahead. She stopped in her tracks. "Lightning Bliss!" she called out. Just as she did, two diamond dogs came running at her. Hurricane knew he shouldn't use her dagger. she didn't want it stolen from her. It was too important. She flew straight at them knocking into them like a bowling ball into pins. "Lightning Bliss, are you here!?" she yelled again as she kept flying through the tunnel trying to get away from the diamond dogs.

[purple.teal 50]

Everlast hit the hard dirt and ungracefully tumbled to a halt. He paused for a second, letting his dazed mind catch up. He rose and lit up his to see a few tunnels branching out. Always go left. After what couldn't have been more than a few minutes but felt like eternity in the dark he heard a yell, and then a second one, even nearer. "OI! OI! Give me a name! Who is down here!" He burst out of one tunnel into another to see the trouble causing pegasus running at him and away from a pair of diamond dogs.

 

@

 Everlast dodged the pegasus who flew past him, and turned and started chasing after him "Looks like you could use a hoof here." He looked back as he ran. "We're building quite the conga line here."

[Hurricane 159]

Hurricane looked behind her. "I don't need help from anypony." she yelled back at him, but not in a harsh tone. "But little miss princess does. She's an earshot away. You can probably find her if she keeps screaming like a filly. You find her, and I'm gonna look for Raze's stolen bags." she then came to a fork in the road and took a sharp right turn into a tunnel slightly tighter tunnel. As she got deeper into the tunnel, she saw thick layers of gems of so many different colors. She slowed down to take it all in. It was so tempting to just take a few. She was distracted and when she wasn't looking, she felt a heavy force smash into her side. She was pinned on the ground by a rather large diamond dog. Luckily, she clenched her wings close to body during the impact so her treasures didn't fly out. She desperately hoped that the beast wouldn't notice her collar or dagger. She continued to struggle under her opponent as he sneered showing his nasty yellow teeth. Hurricane coughed. "Hate dog breath." she muttered. Then out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the bags she was looking for strapped to the dog's back.