open Casual stroll

[Summer Breeze 2,528]

@@Blitz Boom, @Frosty Frost, @Damonater,

 

a loud roar woke summer up, she felt like she had only slept for a few minutes but in reality it where three hours. summer was still to sleepy to realise the danger and only after a few moments she realised what was going on. she opened her eyes and saw a gigantic timber wolf. summer was frozen for a second and stared at it, then she slowly stood up from her bed and walked backwards to the door, not losing the timberwolf out of sight. she slowly opened the door and left the room. then she quickly turned to the room where frosty and damon where sleeping to wake them up if they weren't awake already, and to tell them that a gigantic timberwolf was standing right in front of the house. but she was not sure how to tell them without causing panic.

[Moonlit 593]

@@Blitz Boom, "This night is just getting better and better..." Serenade is utterly confused by the sight and sounds, but shakes her head, "If it helps any, I find Princess Luna's magic interesting as well." She yawns, "Still, I'm way too tired to question this. I just want to get home, curl up on my rock and sleep until Miss Sparkle raises the sun."  

[Holiday Agnaktor 1,436]

@@Blitz Boom, 

@@Summer Breeze,

@@Damonater, 

 

Frosty jumped out of his comfy couch when he heard the roars.

"Where's the cannon?!?"

He was really confused. He had never handled suddenly waking up well. An angry timberwolf roaring really loudly wasn't on his top 10 list of ways to wake up for sure.

He immediately sprinted out of his room to see where all this noise came from, which he would probably regret knowing. He really didn't like timberwolves. They're naaaaasty.

In his sleepy confused panic he wasn't really paying much attention to where he was going. He probably wouldn't see Summer going to his and Damon's room.

[Blitz Boom 4,621]

@@Moonlit,

 

Omen didn't respond to what Serenade said beyond just nodding, busy as she were looking through what seemed like endless dark shades for the path to the train station.

 

Easy as it may seem to go from point A to point B, the paths this place could take were as ever-changing as the landscape and the inhabitants. Looking in the same, exact spot with a few seconds interval could change the path from the middle of the Everfree Forest and to the darkest depths of a jungle. Once she had even prepared to go through, had gotten distracted for a second and what should have been wandering out to a part of Ponyville instead ended with her opening up to a part of a deep ocean.

 

The water had been fun for her siblings for the time it had been there before Mother opened a gate to put it back where it came from, along with the squids and assorted other animals, but it was good example of how hard it could be to navigate this place once in awhile, and the reason why Mother made sure to educate them on this more than anything time and time again.

 

A bit of wandering around more she suddenly stopped, and a gate opened about four meters to their right. Through it, you could see the train station from an angle that would show the gate had opened somewhere behind it.

 

"Home."

 

The disk they stood on gently squirmed over so they could walk through and back into Equestria, though Omen wasn't walking through first. She needed to be sure they were both through, and that included Ziggy who seemed to be having a good time playing around with her siblings. Back in Omen's days of being an *it* she would have found it fun too, but the half-Zebra needed to go back to Equestria too.

 

Currently she seemed to be trying to shape some of the place into a shadow-castle, and not really focusing on much around her, but when Serenade were through the gate, she would handle that one. One being at a time.

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@SugarfootWillie,

 

Unfortunately for Adante, what he didn't focus on turned out to be hitting him a bit in the flank. Literally.

 

The colts had found the stranger fun to poke at a bit so not long after he had taken the path towards the clown, they had filled their little slingshots with a few pebbles each and aimed it at the unknown stallion, firing off with a giggle. Simple colt pranks really, though it would likely annoy him some.when they made contact with the side of his flank and they took off in the opposite direction, laughing. Depending on whatever or not he had a coat or something on that would easily deflect the small shards of stone that were.

 

In the meantime, it seemed as if both the stranger and the clown had become somepony that took notice of him, even though the clown was the only one who greeted him in a more or less traditional way by lifted a hoof and waving at him with an even bigger grin on his face. It was unlikely that one up the hierarchy like that would remember somepony like him, but the clown certainly remembered all the posters he had seen about the stallion when he had been in Canterlot a few months back. They were both entertainers in a way, even if his included - such as now - juggling one-hoofed whilst using a few sleigh of hoofs to make for a better performance, and he found it right to greet one in the business even whilst trying to sell himself a little to the locals.

 

The stranger on the other hoof, just kept walking directly towards him without even saying a word until he were within punching distance and he finally stopped up, sniffed the air and slowly raised his head to look at Adante.

 

The face would still be obstructed some by the hood on the old robe, as well as the gauze that seemed to cover up some wounds for the time being, but the look would show this clearly to not be a pony, even if the paws hadn't been a clue enough to that fact. The stranger was a tiger of some kind from the looks of things, though more slender than the robust predators normally were and the eyes meeting Adante's wasn't anything like the hungry gaze of one of them either, but holding instead calm and wisdom in the glowing yellow eyes.

 

"Four paths. Two end in ruin, one lead to greatness, the last towards an uncertain road yet to be built. A gamble more than guarantee, but one that must be done."

 

The voice was deep, and carried a slight growling to it. Not in an angry or threatening way, but more like how reptilians sometimes hissed along with their speech. It was a part of them just as this was a part of him, though it didn't mean that he were a threat. Weird, granted, as his words seemed to not make much sense, but likely not dangerous.

 

"You were not who I expected, pony, but you seem to fill what he were supposed to. What is your name, stranger?"

 

________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@EQ_Theta,

 

"A time to learn later perhaps. They might make more sense to you than me when it is."

 

It was a little disappointing, but it were just another thing left unanswered. She had enough time to learn eventually so there were really no rush, but she got most knowledge from asking others and this could have saved a little time. Unless she forgot about it, but that were how things worked sometimes.

 

In the meantime, they had some way to travel to get to where the skies were dark and she wasn't sure what to speak about whilst they went on. There had been something on her mind just before that seemed like it would do, but it had started to go a little murky in her memory and she were still trying to unwrap whatever it were.

 

Perhaps Senlin had some idea about how to fill the time as they wandered there, otherwise this might end up being a rather dull travel.

[SugarfootWillie 383]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

[Andante grounds himself: posing in such a way that displays his readiness for discourse and his discipline as a courtier]

 

[Towards the Stranger]

 

Of what knowledge

Dost you possess,

And by what writ

Durst you roles assign?

 

Of four path you speak

yet the fifth neglect.

In ruin salvation finds

Those baptized in flame

 

Capriccio we are,

and of feats many tell,

under the hooves

of Celestia and Cadence.

 

Thankful we are

For our faith foretold

Yet concerned too:

From where do you hark?

 

Name and title too,

We wish to know.

Grant us this boon

To lift our bane?

Edited February 2, 2016 by SugarfootWillie

[Damonater 70]

@@Summer Breeze,

@@Blitz Boom,

@@Frosty Frost,

 

(( This is so slow moving. I have lost track of what's going on to be honest.))

 

The loud roar rolled Damon out of the small, pony bed and stood up with a blank expression. He gave a sigh, Worlds don't give ya break... Do they? I suppose not. He picked up the shotgun from the bedside and loaded both barrels with incendiary rounds.

 

Damon then yawned and looked outside the window to see the timberwolf. "Oh hey look, it's the creature that attacked me last time." It was then he smashed open the window furiously and leaped at the timberwolf. Yearrrrgghhh!!! Damon screamed as he leaped on to the creature's head. Trying to get a grip on its head, the timberwolf acted fast as it could. It roared more and louder as it sended Damon flying into a tree. But he wasn't knocked out this time, Damon stood back up and pointed his shotgun at the timberwolf and fired both flame rounds at the beast.

[Quinch 1,120]

@@Blitz Boom
 
Quinch took some small comfort from the fact that he at least wasn't alone in feeling annoyed. He got his answer, at least, to either run to the edge of town and walk in calmly if Vivid Loss decided to let him go, or just keep going and see if he could get the attention of someone not hell-bent on keeping him controlled. As the spectral claw grabbed his foot, his first instinct was to put full power into the boot thrusters and see if he could just overpower its grip. The problem there, he quickly realized, was that he might succeed and between the busy street and unpredictable trajectory, the last thing he needed was to go ballistic - literally - on the locals. It would probably be difficult to leave a good first impression on top of somebody's crushed spine.
 
He hated hostage situations.
 
"It know it's a little much to ask, but could you at least not insult my intelligence?" he asked, openly peeved. "You have no intentions of allowing me to do either. I don't know what you're expecting to receive from this princess you're ostensibly taking me to, but it's pretty obvious that - " Annd amplify.
 
"HELP! I'M BEING HELD PRISONER!!"

 

" - you're not an actual authority figure around here.... are you?"

 

He smirked under the helmet. One thing he'd learned while heroing was that people usually didn't expect an attack mid-sentence even though unfortunately, he happened to learn that by being those people. Either way, though, this should get the attention of anyone within a fifty-meter radius and if the natives really were friendly, he figured he was in at least a stable position to introduce himself. Unless it turned out Vivid Loss actually did have influence on the populace. But as bluffs went, it was the best one he had.

[EQ_Theta 458]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

It was a ways to go but the tail still had magic imbued in it, and it did as it was capable of doing. As of the moment, its moving slowly, weaving its way around the trees and Senlin followed it. The longma remembered the previous evenings when he stumbled upon this very forest, making makeshift tents with a pile of leaves for a bed or cushion for meditations. The forest itself was still unknown to him but it felt that it had something attributed to it.

"Omen," Senlin began. "This forest... is there something interesting about it? Lore or history, maybe? I figure there must be something about it known to the locals if the castle where we met was indicating anything." 

 

[Melke 160]

@@Seamore Sandwich,

@@Blitz Boom,  

@@Lonk Chase,

@@AmberDust,

 

Syo looked at the pegasus and the pony that greeted them with a weird introduction. Syo assumed that he was mostly referring to her as she is probably the weirdest thing that he seen and heard for a while... well, depending on taste, probably second to Briar.

 

"I guess you can say I am here on business but who said work can't be fun? So what the heck, I am here for pleasure too." Syo responded.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Melke

[Blitz Boom 4,621]

@@SugarfootWillie,

 

"I know many things, though nothing set in stone. If I did, the one I was expecting here would have shown instead of you, but such is life. Uncertain, and sometimes unpredictable. All one can do then is to follow the new tide.

 

You ask who I am, and of a title to my name? The last is my own, but you can call me Zhu. I could then speak of where I hail from, but I see no point as you will have never heard the name. Even those from the lands beyond only knows it through story, though I will mention that it lies in the east, far beyond these shores."

 

The stranger wasn't telling much so far. Zhu sounded more like a middle or last name if anything, and sifting through the layers of words would so far only seem to show that name, and that he were from somewhere in the far east. Though that wasn't much information as that was a very broad direction to speak of.

 

Zhu kept quiet after that for a bout 20 seconds, at which point the yelling of being held prisoner would echo faintly down their part of town. He didn't appear to be fazed by said screaming though, but instead just nodded to himself and took a small step to the side as he began to turn around and face the disturbance some way from them.

 

"They will ask what you have and you will. Follow, and you will all know."

 

With that, Zhu slowly wandered down the street, away from Adante - or Capiccio as he knew him as for the time being - without saying another word. From behind the pony wouldn't be able to tell much more than he had been able to already, but it gave more of a view of how long the creature seemed to be, and the sight of a long tail packed in by a sizeable, loose tube of cloth on the robe added well to that. The tail - much like the rest of Zhu - was packed in well and it were impossible to know what were beneath, but Adante would at least be able to tell that whatever tail he had were flexible, and seemingly longer than his body. A strange creature indeed, though if the performer had seen anything fitting this before was hard to tell.

 

What he would do now would depend on a few things, though mostly on how curious he were. Things seemed to be happening now that might involve him in some, yet-undiscovered way, and following Zhu would give him some answers to things. Yet, were he interested in such a thing? They would see.

 

________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Quinch,

 

Some way away, at the very source of the yell, there were less calm and curiosity and more the impending signs of things about to go very sour.

 

After the outburst that had nearly torn her eardrums, and the taunting words that had come after through the ringing, it seemed like Quinch had finally been able to draw the last bit of patience out of Vivid, and the otherwise calm/slightly annoyed unicorn starred at the Human with eyes almost burning with anger.

 

"Enough!"

 

Dark tendrils suddenly grew around them and blocked passage from anypony within the circle, as well as outside it. At the top of them, as if she were expecting him to make an aerial escape, hundreds of lines with dark hooks made a complicated web which would catch anything or anypony trying to pass them and force them into either staying there, or into one of the tendrils if you were less lucky.

 

"You want to know of what authority I work under? That of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Shinning Armor, from whom I have the right to protect the inhabitants of Equestria as necessary!"

 

Her voice was raised and dark fire now literally burned in her eyes and on her horn as more and more dark magic seeped out of her and fed the prison she had now placed them both in. She didn't care what it looked like to others, nor what backlash she would get when all of this were over. The Human had gone too far, and she were fed up with his antics.

 

"Yet still when I meet you, an outsider I could easily file under being just an invader, do I take that right and make sure you do not have the chance to even defend yourself? No, I give you the chance to prove you are not a hostile force, and the respect to answer your questions when you wonder who we are."

 

As she spoke, a ghostly barrier showed between herself and Quinch, not moving even as she stepped closer to him a little by little. The barrier might seem flimsy and weak, but if he tried to pass through it and towards her to interrupt her he would feel the pain that would follow from messing with soul magic. It were not on the offence right now, but it seemed as if amongst the things Vivid had enough of, him not letting her speak out were one.

 

"But all you show me is mistrust. You think me a jailer and a villain just because I try to keep you from the town so the princess can verify your intentions and help make your visit friendlier, and when I do give in and simply ask that you behave when wandering through the town, you call me out as holding you trapped? I try to maintain safety of everypony, yourself included, and in return you treat me like I'm dirt!"

 

Tears of blood started to trickle down her chin as she took a few steps closer, letting out her anger at this newest being who looked down upon her and seemingly thought her as a monster of some kind. A long list, and one that seemed to get new names by the second on some days. Days such as now where they would have attracted some attention, and she would likely be seen upon as the one in the wrong once more.

 

"I am not a villain. I am not a monster. So why do you tell others that I am, when all I do is trying to help? By what right do you attempt to make my already miserable life worse?"

 

It were feasible that Vivid just like being somewhat theatrical and attempted to shove all the blame upon him to look better herself, but the truth of the matter were as simple as Quinch hitting a nerve with her that made her speak out in anger. A nerve that had been - and still were - hit too regularly to make her have a chance to calm the hatred beneath, and not get annoyed by it and sometimes react to the pain the prolonged prodding inflicted upon her.

 

To her, he were the monster now, and as force seemed to not be an answer out this time he would have to rely on words unless he were prepared to fight against very poor odds. Though, his words should likely be chosen carefully. It was never easy to tell what magic users would do if they finally snapped, but it was rarely a pretty sight.

 

Hopefully for him, he would be able to thread the right path, or get help from somepony who could get him away from things. Though who knew enough about magic to interfere with this? It wasn't beginners level after all.

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@EQ_Theta,

 

"I can't read, and I hear little except warnings about the forest. Of the monsters out here and the dangers lurking in every hole in the ground, and few times about a castle, once lived in by Celestia and Luna before she were sent away. It were abandoned they said. Empty. It was why I took the others there to be safe, but they have gone from there now, just like the sisters once did. They said little about it's story, and neither did Luna when they sent me to find her, yet it is still the most I know. The forest haven't been a place I looked at much whilst waiting for the yellow one to meet with master."

 

Omen seemed to get distracted at some point during what she told, but it still essentially boiled down to her not knowing anything about the forest. For all she knew, it might as well have been made from giant lizards and maintained by honeybees and rainbows.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Frosty Frost,

@@Damonater,

@@Summer Breeze,

 

The matron had at first been focused on the little morsel who had awokened just as she hoped and started to get out of the room. Perhaps to get more of the tasty little things from in there out and try to fend her off? It wasn't easy to get rid of one of them once they got their sight on you, and she were no weakling. It would take more than this to be rid of her.

 

The weird creature who suddenly burst out at her were one such thing that might do so. At first the little freak of nature were little more than a nuisance trying to climb her that she knocked away, but as she moved closer to collect her prey and began to think she had seen this odd thing before, it pointed some kind of metal thing at her and before she knew it, fire had nearly hit her directly in the face.

 

Or well, Nearly was saying much. She had avoided the first shot but the second had actually hit her, and scorched the side of her face which made her give out a yelp in pain and take some steps backwards, confused on what was going on. She wasn't used to her prey throwing fire at her out here unless she were at the crazy foal, and this didn't look anything like the place where that one used to be.

 

"Oh yey, big wolfie have come to play!"

 

The voice from the the window that suddenly opened made her take some more steps backwards as her eyes went between the odd thing with the firestick and the bomber who had suddenly shown with a big smile on her face. One of them were bad enough, but now there were two?

 

It didn't take more than a few seconds after that before she spun around and ran away deep into the woods, taking off like ol' Scratch himself were at the heels off her. No small crunch like that were worth risking her life over.

 

Back at the house, Blitz looked at the fleeing wolf with disappointment in her eyes and voice.

 

"Awh, it never wanna have fun anymore..."

[Lonk Chase 255]

@@Melke,@@Blitz Boom, @@AmberDust, @@Seamore Sandwich,

 

Yeup, this definitely is a freak show.

First up, we have the green pony who seems way to civilized and always keeps his eyes closed for some reason, then we have the... cow pony, the ragged and torn down changeling-type pony, and finally performing tonight is the marvelous talking cat from Celestia knows where.

It's like the little corner of the universe Lonk was always in just suddenly burst and revealed some sort of fantasy land.

 

"I don't get why you're planting seeds in the middle of a dense forest, but I've been in weirder crap today, and I don't know if I can think anymore, so I'll let that slide. Also, hi," Lonk greeted like the Lonk Chase he is.

[AmberDust 1,118]

 

 

Seamore didn't quite understand why the young earth pony was acting so strange. "Uhh... We're just here to plant some Everwood seeds, but if those clouds don't clear up soon we may have to turn back," he said, not realizing there was a Pegasus present.

 

 

Storm was curious about the Everwood seeds, and why this forest needed any more trees, but something else had caught her attention and her wings fluffed up on command.

"You need me to clear out these clouds?" she asked, almost automatically. She wasn't a cloud-clearer by profession, but she felt if her duty to aid in weather control whenever she could. Besides, this was why she came into the forest to begin with.

[SugarfootWillie 383]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

[Andante stands as he was looking back and forth between Zhu and the street performer]

 

Our road split

and fortune finds

a toy in us to play

games with her child.

 

Onward toward mystery

the foreigner presents

a road as cryptic as he

to measure our mettle.

 

Else towards our kind

to trade words and worth

a moment predictable

a moment comfortable

 

[towards the street performer]

 

In time unfashioned

We will meet again

Where within we expect

A round o' tales and cider

 

Tend well to yourself

And jest heartily too

Our promise will come

As the harvest does.

 

[Towards Zhu]

 

Of your words

We remain weary

Yet travel still

in your company.

 

Should the shadow

Of danger grave

over Our heads loom

Our travels surcease.

Edited February 3, 2016 by SugarfootWillie

[EQ_Theta 458]

@@Blitz Boom,

 

The castle the princesses once lived in... Interesting...

"To be honest, Omen, seeing an old relic is more than enough to convince me this place has a lot of history. Back home, it's like living in the same place the last generations lived in, and they did the same. Leaving for better or worse must've shaped a lot of modern Equestria."

There was still a hint that Senlin was longing for home, even if he wasn't on good terms with anyone in his home forest. And there was reason for such sentiments; he couldn't imagine anywhere else he would be if he had been born elsewhere. It certainly left a lot of questions to meditate over when the time came.  

Edited February 3, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[Quinch 1,120]

@@Blitz Boom

 

Quinch listened patiently to Vivid Loss's rant, occasionally glancing around at the enveloping magic. It seemed... sincere. Heartfelt. Even tormented.

 

"Oh, spare me."

 

Except it was complete BS.

 

"You've accosted me from the moment I arrived here," he continued, glaring at Vivid behind his helmet. "You have all but ordered me to go where you told me to and nowhere else. You say you could have treated me as an invader, but from this end, you've done nothing but! With nearly every sentence you've talked to me as though I'm supposed to prove my innocence from, well, whatever deranged fantasies you've conjured up in your head when I haven't, not once lifted a finger against you." With those last words he lifted up his hand, enveloping his entire forearm in orange lightning, streaks of electricity crawling between his fingers with sickening crackles. "And when I tried to distance myself from you, to try and introduce myself to the same people you have such an insulting lack of faith in that you think they'd run in panic at the sight of anything different, did you actually call out? 'Wait?' 'Stop?' Tell me, is the word 'please' not part of Equestrian language, or is it just reserved for other people?"

 

He shook his hand, dismissing the charge, "No, instead you block my path with barely feet to spare and dark magics in tow, drag me down when I try to get away from you - frankly, if you have a different definition of imprisonment, I would love to hear it," he added, dripping sarcasm. "I didn't call you you a villain. I didn't even call you a monster. But if you're looking for an inconsiderate, suspicious savage with no regards for others' feelings..."

 

He leaned in close, the red polished glass of his helmet's visor reflecting her face in a distorted image.

 

"You are looking in the wrong direction."

[Melke 160]

@@Seamore Sandwich,

@@Lonk Chase,

@@Blitz Boom,

@@AmberDust,  

 

The wings snapping open surprised Syo a little and it directed her attention to the pegasus.

 

 

 

"You need me to clear out these clouds?"

 

 

Before Seamore could respond to the pegasus, Syo's eye brightened as she realized that there was something fun to do. She placed the sack carefully on Seamore's back before starting to speak again. "If it's okay with you, can I ride you while you clear the clouds? Please?"

 

Syo was curious about the clearing clouds since it was first mentioned to her back at the castle and want to see it up close.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Melke

[~Sole~ 852]

@@Melke

 

Sole nodded and took the extra scythe "Sounds like a plan, just try not to let me get impaled." He joked, before charging toward the bird-like monster, and threw another orb of chaos magic at it's core. "We're wasting time we don't have to spare on you, Jeeves! Why not save us some time and friggin stay still!" He taunted, as he circled the beast for an opening. Whatever Dyr was doing with those flowers and that odd stance, he hoped it would pay off.

[Moonlit 593]

@@Blitz Boom,  As soon as Serenade made it back onto real soil, she looks around and quickly orients herself. "Ah. Home Sweet Home." She trots toward a house of fairly typical Ponyville architecture, the main differences being the lower floor appeared to have bricked up windows and ramp leads up to the second floor. Three domes top of the roof, the ends of telescopes poking out of them. As soon as she reaches the bottom of the ramp, she turns to Ziggy and Omen, "You both are welcome to spend the night if you wish. I have a spare bed."

She walks up the ramp, and opens the door there and walks in, leaving the door open for them both, the smell of salt water wafts out. The main room is divided into a large open pool, with several large rocks, a small kitchen and living/dining room opposite, a set of stairs leads upwards and three doors can be seen upstairs. 

[Blitz Boom 4,621]

@@EQ_Theta,

 

"Mother says much the same. About history and spreading out. How things only progress by some leaving their home for new places, and learning of history away from what you know."

 

Omen went silent for a bit as she thought over one of the many sessions Mother had of speaking with them. How her voice had drawn them in like bees to honey, and she had told them of what lands beyond might hold. Stories of places good and bad, told with few details so they were fascinated by it, but not enough to give them a full picture. Not to be cruel to them, but to feed their curiosity and make them more eager to watch those places themselves.

 

While her and her siblings had some good fun playing around in their dark home, those stories were still the best times as it gave them something to strive for, and tales of things most had never seen. Machines, plants, and especially light were amongst the most intriguing for them, and Mother told well of those when she decided they needed to hear a story from her great book.

 

She didn't think the longing for those tales ever really let go of any of them. Even those like her who had a form and the chance to see many of things for themselves would sometimes feel the draw to hear her voice tell them of those things and seeing the dark, peaceful world around them shift endlessly.

 

"...I think she would like you."

 

Even if Senlin hadn't a voice like hers and looked very far from her shape, he had his times of reminding her of Mother anyway. Not entirely, as that would just be confusing, but enough to ring some bells that were soothing in a way. Like a small reminder of what were, and still would be if she decided to go back for a time.

 

That comfort Senlin didn't have from what she could understand so far. He hadn't the option to return, and nopony now that she thought reminded him of anything good. Not here and now at least, that one were out there somewhere.

 

Omen changed her view from the tail and towards him as she thought over this from the angle she could see. Not the creature Senlin, but what little she understood of the individual. Or thought she understood at least.

 

"...Your family other than your sister, how are they? You speak of her with reverence, but what of those you came from?"

 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Quinch,

 

You could see the rage almost seep out of the very air around Vivid as Quinch talked and blamed her for all of this. Told her that She were the one who were wrong, and going so far as to call her out as not just his jailer, but also an inconsiderate savage with no compassion or regards for others.

 

"I kept you away, because I see what ponies do to anypony even a little different every time I wander into a town. Now or 1900 years ago, it is still the same, and I wanted you to start off better than that. Better than me. And yet you dare to say I don't think of anypony else?"

 

The tendrils around them grew long thorns inwards and the ghostly visage that separated them so far - though Quinch almost touched it when he leaned forward - seemed to widen and have waves run over the otherwise calm surface.

 

"If I wanted you chained I could have done it. I could have forced you to the princess, or treated you like an actual invader and killed you on sight. Instead I did my best to answer your questions and trust it when you said your intentions wasn't battle. Even when you ran away and ignored me when I tried to guide you I still did my part to let things become as smooth as possible, and all I got for it was grief. Perhaps I shouldn't have called you a savage, no, but what else would you call one who wipes his feet on your attempts of helping them? Who else than a savage would ignore words, reason and the chance to have a guide help them in a world they don't belong in, just for the chance at running into a town in full combat gear and think that could in any way look peaceful?

 

I might not be the best of ponies, and I will be the first to admit that my words doesn't always ring of what I mean sometimes, but at least I don't hide behind lies and cowardice."

 

Vivid took some step towards him, bridging the gap more to the point where all that separated them were essentially the misty soul magic, and spoke to him with cold words and a colder look in her flaming eyes.

 

"Perhaps if you didn't either, you would actually be better than the ones you claim to stand above instead of just spouting hypocrisy with every word, *hero*"

 

________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@SugarfootWillie,

 

The clown gave Adante a big grin and with a few flickers of his hoof sent a card flying towards him, folded like a small swan. It would land gently on his back and contain the name of him an assorted other things that you would expect on a business card. Though with more glitter.

 

Zhu on the other hoof, didn't do much else than what he already had, though he did speed up a little when he heard the heated argument some way away faintly getting worse.

 

"To some I am danger, so others salvation, or simply a bric k in the great wall. It depends on who looks, at what time it happens and who tells the story, yet even that changes. Nothing is set in stone, and choices can switch just like ideals. I might not wish harm, but I cannot say it won't happen, by accident or by design."

 

More confusing words speaking in circles and riddles. He didn't seem directly hostile at this point in time, but his words didn't exactly say either if he wouldn't suddenly become it if it were. Nor really if he would stop it if any danger did come along.

 

"Two souls in battle, hatred flaring the fire. Neither right, neither wrong, but both caught in a moment of thinking they are. Soon we will see them and you will see what I do, though I doubt you find where it leads, or why I bring you to them. But you will get your answers soon enough, and some will be revealed. Everything? Not as I see it, but who can truly know it all?"

 

It didn't seem he let up with the cryptic talk, but at least it sounded like he stuck to wanting to tell something soon, though he wasn't going to answer more about things as he guided Adante down the streets and towards where Quinch and Vivid Loss had their... Disagreement.

 

It wouldn't be long before the tip of the tendrils would be in sight and their goal only... At worst 2-3 minutes away if Adante followed the calm'ish walking speed of Zhu. It would likely not look comforting to him, but when did the interesting stuff ever simply look as fluffy as a pillow?

 

_______________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Moonlit,

 

"Eeee, what a cool place!"

 

More wouldn't be heard from Ziggy before she had started to zoom around. She thankfully wasn't making anything fall down, but it might be a little nervewracking for Serenade anyway. Omen on the other hoof - after having gotten Ziggy away from her siblings and closing the gate behind her - just looked around the room they were in and smelled the sea water in the air calmly.

 

"I don't sleep, no need. And I want to go. Curious about the castle."

 

A new gate opened out of nowhere and Omen started to wander through it before slowly raising a hoof towards Serenade. She would have done so for Ziggy too, but it seemed as if now that she had finally stood still, it were on the edge of the pool and with her head down in the water to see what went on down there. She wouldn't see this.

 

"Luna told what you did too. To not tell of what you were to others."

 

A few seconds ticked by as she lowered her hoof again.

 

"I will do as you both asked, even if master wants the answer. But perhaps when I find you another time, I could learn more of this secret."

 

She didn't wait long for a response and wouldn't say anything back if it were before she left and the gate closed behind her. Leaving just Serenade and Ziggy, who at this point were either good at holding her breath or might be accidentally suffocating herself in her curiosity.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Officer Strike,

 

"Ma'am, stay here, and try to remain calm."

 

It were all Stargazer said before he left the building and folded out his wings, taking to the sky.

 

He wasn't sure what he were looking for beyond Strike to be honest. He hadn't turned fast enough to see the shade she had run after, though he had heard something and seen the mare run towards the place with some degree of haste in her step.

 

He would see if he could see anypony really standing out from up here to begin with, or hear anything unusual,, but otherwise he would keep well track of where Strike were too, and if he could see her singling out anypony or anything in particular out here somewhere.

 

She had the lead for now. It were time to see if she could keep it.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Blitz Boom

[Moonlit 593]

@@Blitz Boom, "Have a good....oh" Serenade looks back at where Omen had been standing, before walking over and gently pulling Ziggy's head out, "I don't think you like it if my evening snack nibbling on your face." She trots over to the kitchen, grabs a towel and places it next to Ziggy, "The bedroom is the first door up the stairs, bathroom is opposite. The third door leads to my observatory." 

Serenade leaps up onto one the rocks, a sharp-angled granite outcropping that looks like it should be part of the bedrock of Canterlot, she stretches out making a contented sigh and yawning. 
 

"I'm sure you have loads of questions for me regarding Sirens, so I'll do my best to answer them now before I fall asleep." 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Moonlit

[Lonk Chase 255]

 

 

"If it's okay with you, can I ride you while you clear the clouds? Please?"

Lonk chuckles a little bit to himself at the absurd response. Of course, this cat-thing was nothing he'd ever seen before, so he can't comment.

 

 

 

"You need me to clear out these clouds?" she asked, almost automatically.

Lonk secretly thinks that these clouds, if they could ever be cleared by anything, would still be very hard to clear. It just seems... Very... Dense. Dense is the right term for it, right?

[AmberDust 1,118]

@@Seamore Sandwich,
@@Lonk Chase,
@@Blitz Boom,

The wings snapping open surprised Syo a little and it directed her attention to the pegasus.

Before Seamore could respond to the pegasus, Syo's eye brightened as she realized that there was something fun to do. She placed the sack carefully on Seamore's back before starting to speak again. "If it's okay with you, can I ride you while you clear the clouds? Please?"

Syo was curious about the clearing clouds since it was first mentioned to her back at the castle and want to see it up close.

Storm sized up the creature, raising an eyebrow at it inquisitively. She (or he) was certainly no pony, and didn't look like any monster she had ever heard of. The mare's gaze darted up to the ponies this creature was with, searching for some sort of response. Was it safe?

After a noticeable silence, Storm looked back down at the creature and shuffled her wings.
"I think...its best if I go alone. It could be dangerous." she said quickly, and offered a weak grin..
"Best leave this to the professionals," the mare added as she fluffed out her wings. She smiled reassuringly and, with that, bolted into the sky.

What strange clouds these are, Storm thought as she approached them again. Taking a deep breath, she gave one an experimental kick.

Edited February 4, 2016 by AmberDust

[GingerLightning 258]

@@Lonk Chase, @@AmberDust, @@Melke,@@Blitz Boom,

"Hello?  I got lost and I would like some help to get back to town.Because my mom must be worried sick about me..."A bright yellow Pegasus with orange hooves that had holes in them her wings were also huge for her size she also had long fangs. And no one would have seen her changeling like horn at first glance...

 walked through some bushes to the rest of the group of ponies she came over when she saw a Pegasus fly into the clouds and heard the voices of other ponies.

She said she looked like she walked through a brier patch on her way here and parts of her mane were wet also...She looked very scared and she was also shivering and cold.

Edited February 5, 2016 by GingerLightning

[Seamore Sandwich 471]

@@Melke

@@Blitz Boom

@@AmberDust

@@Lonk Chase

 

Seamore was about to respond before Syo cut him off, as always he waited a moment too long to respond. When Storm flew up and tried to kick the clouds, surprisingly they reacted as any cloud would to her Pegasus magic, although why it was so surprising would be anypony's guess as these were in fact normal clouds. Seamore decided he would wait until she had returned in order to introduce himself properly.

 

Sisilia watched as Briar looked up into a different tree and started to speak to the empty branches. She knew better than to hide somewhere the wind might give her away, she did often hide from skilled Kitsune after all, and some of them could focus all of their senses if they so chose. She had moved from one tree to another, carefully and quietly. Now she was behind this new group, above where Brittle was. Lowering her head down right behind Brittle, she flicked her tongue to get a better scent of this unfamiliar creature. Before anypony could notice her, she would pop her head back up into the tree, out of sight.

[EQ_Theta 458]

@@Blitz Boom

 

There was a moment of silence, and not just the one that everyone would observe when waiting for something to happen. The kind that would leave someone deep in thought but no thoughts would come into mind like one expecting a wave to come on a calm morning by the sea and not one would be seen. Every thought was of Lin and all were fixated on finding her, but very few things ever crossed his mind about anything or anyone else. 

"My family.... It is difficult to say. At times we are close and others we are distant. They are doing well but they seem to have the mentality of the elders; looking out for the old and unconcerned about what goes on outside of the forest home. I know they mean well when they say everything we ever needed was there but after what I've seen in my travels, there is so much more to see. I hope to tell them of everything when I go home to make peace with them. Not everyone outside is out to get them, after all. It was in the old tales wherein a small group of longma set up sanctuary in the forest that is now the clan's home when they were chased out of their place of origin. The story isn't the same every time it is told but that is the part that remains constant, or how most would summarize it if I told them the longer version." 

Now that Senlin had thought of it, it did seem funny that no one really told the story the same way. He chuckled and smirked in what he would perceive to be some small triumph, that he might have just realized that even the most revered of his clan couldn't get the facts straight. He probably wouldn't either but the thought was enough to lighten his mood.  

Edited February 4, 2016 by EQ_Theta