open Casual stroll

[Lonk Chase 255]

@Seamore Sandwich,

@GingerLightning,

@Quinch,

@Blitz Boom,

@SugarfootWillie,

@Melke,

@Denim&Venom,

@Mentis Soliloquy,

[i'm too lazy to mention all of you guys ]

 

As Lonk approached the scene again, he wondered if this is a good idea. He's never used a sword or any similar weapon in his life. He would more likely cut himself or a friend than an enemy. Oh well. He asked for it, he gets it.

 

When did the wind pick up? It's almost lifting Lonk off of the ground. He suspects fowl play. Maybe. He doesn't know anything anymore.

"Anything" also includes how and why there's a new pony here. "Hey ponies, gather around," the world seemed to say, "everyone dies here in Ponyville!" This is getting ridiculous.

 

All Lonk can do is stand and watch as everything and nothing happens in front of him. Hopefully somepony would notice him, not something.

[Blitz Boom 4,470]

@@Minty_The_Sweet,

@,

 

"Awkwaaard."

 

Null whispered it into her sisters ear as the topic of one pony having killed changelings before came up to her friend, the royal changeling. Pretty much the only way that could have started of worse was if she was invited back to see the collection of their wings she had made and pictures of the whole process.

 

At the sight of the bag though, Null and Void both started to quickly go over towards it before anypony had a chance to get their hooves on anything in it. Something which should help on the inability of some of the ponies to cast magic - seriously, why did they stand so close anyway? Over a hoof's width away and they wouldn't be affected by the two of them at all - and them to get hold of the bag, which repressed them and made the emotions that Butterfly had felt wore off. They should anyway, though it was hard to say what changelings could feel really. A strange race at times.

 

"You don't generally make cursed artefacts with good in mind. Might be some of the anger and other bad feelings stick around when it's made, and you can feel that. Doesn't matter really, as long as they're all here. Or well, the ones in the bag anyway, we still need to find the saddlebag."

 

Null rummaged through the bag, not caring to say anything about what was going on between the other ponies, which Void then felt fell on her as she turned around and awkwardly tried to find something to say to this.

 

"S-Sorry for my sister, she's just making sure t-that we got them all. And sorry that y-you seem to uhm... Have a bad time. I guess finding out what Butterfly just d-did must be kinda... Strenuous.

 

Also... You're not right, about the artefacts. W-We know what they do normally, it's just... Very, v-very bad things, not something you'd want to h-hear or see..."

 

Something slid over towards her and Void looked down to find the well closed bag at her hooves, but no Null. she wondered where her sister had gone until she heard a splash and turned around to see the tip of her tail going under the water. Which basically meant that for a bit of time at least, Void were now alone with a zebra foal, a changeling royal foal, her blind foal friend, and an earth mare... Some of whom had just fought over dead relatives.

 

It felt like a week for her as she stood silently and didn't know what to do with herself before a soaked Null stood up on the shore again, dragging a saddlebag with a few things well packed in strapped to it and dragging her wing a bit while the water slowly dripped off it.

 

"Found our weapons sis. Seems like we got it all then."

 

"T-Thank the heavens. The princesses wouldn't be... I d-don't think that... "

 

"Yeah, likely would've put a dent in our plans. But, all's fine and dandy, thanks to these ponies. Thanks a bunch everypony, and Butterfly -"

 

Null scratched the back of her head, looking a bit awkward once more.

 

"- Sorry to hear about whatever's happened to your kin. Much as they tend to hunt us down back where we're from, I can't say that they're any different from other ponies, and the way you reacted sorta made it sound like... Well, not good, to say the least."

 

She really did try to be empathic, but having to look out for just her and her sister for this long kinda made it hard to see out on others problems witht he same degree of caring, though it seemed like this situation kinda needed somepony to say something somewhat nice to Butterfly, especially as she had technically been the one to find the artefacts. That the thing was that the changelings were no better than other ponies where her and Void came from, along with an awkward condolence, was perhaps not the most nice thing everything considered, but it was all she got right now.

 

Both her and Void had seen the zebra too, and wanted to address what in the hay a zebra foal were doing this far away from everything, but one thing at a time. Artefacts, and what sounded like death first, possible foalnapping later.

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Moonlit,

@@Hazard Time,

 

Ziggy had put a tiny whiff out to sniff the smell, which to her were really near heavenly  It wasn't exactly the same, as cinnamon was a weird thing to mix in with it, even if it worked well, but it was really close, and she would have bought it on the spot- If Serenade hadn't started to sneeze all of a sudden, which frankly, could only come from this as the timing was too perfect for something else.

 

"Uhm... I think I need to find something else if it makes my friends sneeze. Think you could put it to the side for a bit? I think I'll still buy it as a present for mom, but I seem to need to find something else for myself. Uhm... A sec."

 

Ziggy zoomed over to Serenade, worried about what was happening right now, and put her hooves around her to seemingly try to hug it out of her, though really, it was more to try and help the amulet not fall off. Things would start to get really bad if that happened, so perhaps she could stop it from jumping around all over the place when Serenade sneezed, even though she could end up with a lot of boogers in her coat.

 

Hmm... Coat... Oh! Oh! She had it!

 

Ziggy turned her head so she could look at Succulent once more, with a glimmer in her eyes.

 

"Do you have anything that smells like peppermint? My whole family always said I look like a flying candy cane, could be fun smelling like one too. If you have, I'll buy that, and the other one. A gift for mom, and one for me. Hehe."

 

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@EQ_Theta,

 

"Sounds like a strange place. Interesting to see when we get there, yes?"

 

Omen tilted her head a bit to the left and looked at Lin as she said it, thinking about what an odd thing it sounded like to find ruins in caves. She had heard stories told to foals when she passed through about sunken cities, not forgotten but long lost, yet ones underground was a new one.

 

Still, there was magic involved, and when magic were part of it, a lot of things could go very strange. Enough to surprise her perhaps? Hard to say, but they'd see as they got there. Though, she did wonder one thing she could ask Lin about.

 

"How did you find it yourself? The first time."

[EQ_Theta 431]

@@Blitz Boom

 

Lin led Omen and Sen through the woods, remembering that night when she stumbled upon said ruins. 

 

"I heard about such a place when my clan elders mentioned something about forbidden magics. I was curious and I wanted to see if it was true. Then again, they wouldn't allow me to seek it out. I guess the whole reason I wanted to go after it after so long was because I was angry. Revenge makes you do crazy things."

Sen glared at Lin, thinking about what she must have thought all those years ago. He didn't want to admit it but he was just as curious about her side of the story, as much as he was angry anyway. 

"A storm rolled by one night and I needed a place to hide. I found that cave and stayed in it while waiting for the storm to pass and when I discovered the cave ran deeper than I expected and I ventured in further to have a look. I didn't anticipate the possibility that I'd stumble upon those ruins, the same ones I learned about many years earlier. I couldn't pass up a chance to study them and as you'd expect, release the magic contained in the foci hidden away. From then until recently, I spent a lot of time trying to master those abilities, hoping to prove myself wrong that such magic couldn't have been malevolent enough to be sealed away from my kind. And in a way, that magic... twisted me."

Lin knew she was temporarily cleansed but only remembered that one detail, perhaps feeling saddened having kept it hidden. Only after her reunion with Sen did she begin to see why the ancestral longma didn't want their descendants having their magic. She still hoped for a way to utilize it without corrupting herself but she didn't feel as eager as she used to.

"So, that's pretty much it," Lin continued. "I find myself less enthusiastic about retelling that story but take it for what it is." 

[GingerLightning 258]

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

Ginger Lightning flew away from the beast as soon as she tore a chunk from it...She started eating it once she landed...Her eyes started to go back to normal.       

   "That thing has very tasty flesh and blood...Like a fruit." Ginger Lightning said as she ate it...like an apple.

[Moonlit 593]

@@Blitz Boom, @@Hazard Time, "Cinnamon...achoo....makes....achoo...me....ACHOO! sneeze" Serenade eventually manages to wiggle out of Ziggy's grasp, runs over to the fountain and dunks her head into again. She then removes it, dripping wet and sniffs the air, "Sorry, like I said earlier. Overreacting olfactory senses." She fixes her pendant, then turns back to the other Ponies, "So...swimming" 

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Moonlit @@Blitz Boom

 

Succulent stares in shock at Serenade's allergic reaction.  She had heard of perfume making ponies sneeze, but to cause a sneezing fit?  She should remember to go easy on the spices in her future fragrances.

 

"I'm so sorry!" she proclaimed, putting a hoof to her mouth.  "I've never seen something like that before.  As for swimming...isn't it a little late?  I mean, I heard that Equestria becomes much more interesting when the sun goes down, but swimming in the dark makes me a little insecure.  Are you sure about this?"

Edited July 2, 2016 by Hazard Time

[Moonlit 593]

@@Hazard Time, "Don't worry about it, you didn't know" Serenade rubs her nose, then looks up, "There is a pond over by where I live, and where you will eventually. It's well lit, shallow and we're having a full moon tonight, so plenty of light." Serenade blinks, "Crystal Ponies aren't nocturnal, are they."

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Moonlit

 

 

Succulent blinked.  "We're not.  In fact, we really like the sun.  Or at least I do.  Way back before Sombra, the nights were really quiet.  The moment the sun went down, every shop was closed up and everypony was heading off to bed.  Now that we're in contact with the south more often, the foreign districts of the Empire are really much more active than any place else.  That isn't to say that a few are starting to break with tradition, but it's a general cultural practice."

[Moonlit 593]

@@Hazard Time, "90% of Equestria is like that, but there are a few that don't follow that trend. I am one of them since my job requires me to be up the entire night. Ziggy here, well...I'm pretty sure she's 90% sugar." Serenade runs her hoofs though her mane, getting most of the water out, "How about this. We can walk back to the outhouse, you can store your cart, then if your feeling up for it, we can all hang out at the pond, you don't have to go in."

[Minty_The_Sweet 20]

@@Blitz Boom, @,

"The main difference between Changeling and pony is that we don't eat food, we eat love. I appreciate ponies who see that Changelings are still ponies and not heartless monsters" Butterfly smiled weakly as she thought about this. "Sorry if I seem a bit out of it, been a while since I fed and I don't want to drain any pony" Butterfly looked exhausted but she wasn't about to change her mind on that choice. "Wait if the artefacts do terrible things then how did they fall into your hoofs?" Crystal squinted suspiciously, the water drowning out the hoof steps so she wasn't looking at any pony in particular. "That is true, how did they fall into your hooves?" Butterfly was a little suspicious now as well as to how they got their hooves on such terrible items.

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@@Minty_The_Sweet, Astral realized that both Butterfly and Crystal had a point. "Yeah, what they said." She said tilting her head in the direction of Crystal and Butterfly. "I know you have anti-magic and wouldn't of been affected by the cursed items. but how did you encounter them?"

[Rapid Wind 47]

@Blitz Boom

 

 "I really do want to see Twilight's castle, both outside and inside," Rapid Wind replied with a bit of enthusiasm. Plus, if there was a chance of meeting the Princess of Friendship. It really shouldn't be turned down. So, he looked toward the way out with eagerness.

 

@Seamore Sandwich

 

Discord happened to look back at Starlight and got a little concerned. He could see something was bothering her, but decided to ask at the café and the three of them were almost there. Fluttershy noticed Discord looking back too and watched him carefully with studying green eyes. However, after seeing him take the lead and lead the way again, sighed and followed on behind him.

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Moonlit

 

Succulent looked towards her cart and narrowed her eyes in thought.  After a few minutes, she popped up, turning back towards Serenade.

 

 

"Sounds good!  Also, with all you wonderful ponies around, I should be safe.  How far away is the pond, and are you sure it won't be cold at this time of day?"

[Moonlit 593]

@@Hazard Time, Serenade returns the smile, "Not too far" She points over to the edge of town, where three large telescopes can be seen in the fading light, "The water gets cool, but not too cold. If it get's too cold, I can grab some towels from home or we could set up a campfire." Serenade chuckles, "Normally I'd avoid fire, it removes the ability to see the nightsky, but I'm not working tonight or for awhile. So follow me." @@Blitz Boom, "Hey Ziggy, can I ask you a favor, could you zoom ahead, wake Fah'lina then grab the brown bag above the sink." 

Edited July 3, 2016 by Moonlit

[PonyOfWar 126]

@Blitz Boom @Wolves

 

"Interesting I have never met a pony from outside Equestria, but I haven't met many ponies yet. Your knowledge on magic is quite impression. Although I could tell myself it wasn't normal, that's the main reason I thought the Pegasi where up to something." He looked to Cyan, "but your friend here says their not, must be a powerful unicorn or maybe some rogue Pegasi. Wish I knew their purpose and don't worry about about offense I just moved here and have no attachment. In my few days here this is the first incident I have seen."

 

He looked to Cyan and Golden. "This sort of things isn't normal is it?" While he had learned Happy wasn't from around here he had yet to hear that from the other two. The fact Cyan knew this had nothing to do with the Pegasi must mean she is from Cloudale that might be close enough to know what Ponyville was like.

 

He really hoped not, not that he could do anything about it. The princesses had ordered he and his brothers here and leaving was probably a one way ticket to Tartarus without good reason. He looked back out the window at if worrying about them.

 

He looked again to earth pony to address him. "No offense taken it's just not my line of work. Currently I don't have an occupation but am looking. No I have never been to the crystal empire and I don't think the new princess Twilight has any guards actually." He actually wondered why that was, obviously Twilight could take care of herself bit wasn't that also true of the other Alicorns? What was the point of the guard? He blinked away his own question. "I don't wear this around normally but when I was getting close the wind was getting strong so I put it on in order to weight myself down."

 

"I could imagine work gets in the way, it's as I said though I'm still searching for work, if you ponies don't mind my asking, what is it you do for a living?" He asked again to the two ponies who hadn't yet said in the room.

Edited July 3, 2016 by PonyOfWar

[Blitz Boom 4,470]

@@Moonlit,

@@Hazard Time,

 

"Hehe, leave it to me. I can wait 'til later to ask Succulent what it's like to be a crystal pony and about the perfume, and get this fixed pronto. See you soon."

 

Ziggy waved at the pair of them before she suddenly zoomed away like a pink lightning towards Serenade's house, so she could get what her friend had asked her to get.

 

It didn't take her long to get there, and Fah'lina would likely not be hard to at least get with her, if not wake, but she had to use a few minutes to find the bag. Didn't take that long, but still, Serenade and Succulent would have some time for themselves before the doc would get near them, flying slowly and somewhat normal, holding a bag in her teeth and a sleeping mimic on her back.

 

___________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@Rapid Wind,

 

"I can't guarantee that you will see the inside. When I arranged for a meeting, it sounded as if the princess were rather busy these days, and if she is anything like the other regents, I can imagine that she will be holding her focus completely on this, rather than visitors. But nothing is certain I suppose."

 

It would surprise him a bit if she weren't busy to be completely honest, but at the same time, being busy hadn't always stopped Princess Luna and Princess Celestia from accepting visitors, so who knew? It might be that having others around now and again helped soothe her mind like it sometimes did theirs, so they could focus.

 

They'd see he supposed. It wasn't long before they would reach the castle, so when that time came, they would see what was what, though considering how his own experiences with the princess thus far had been to not haven seen her yet, and only been able to get a time scheduled through her assistant dragon - a sight that had made him raise an eyebrow when he had met Spike - he had his doubts that she'd be available for the time being.

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

 

@@EQ_Theta,

 

"Sounds like a story of somepony who made a mistake, and wants to fix it. Rings like a sort of tale I once overheard at least."

 

She moved ahead a little, thinking about the old pony he had heard telling his granddaughter about this while she were passing through down the street. It had made her stop then and listen in a little, though she hadn't gone nearer, thinking it would stop the story. Granted, this was far from the same, but a few, base elements seemed to match a little in her head.

 

"What will happen when we get there? Something you spoke with Mother about? Something secret?"

 

________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

@,

@@Minty_The_Sweet,

 

"Well, to shorten it down a bit -"

 

Null pulled items up of the bag, one by one, each looking fairly different from the other, some of them very ornate, some simple, some looking old, and some fresh. Basically, not two forms were alike, and the designs could be anything from crude to fantastic.

 

"- Stolen, stolen, bought, found, found, found, this one our dad used to try and kill us, found in a river, stolen, and... Hurled at us before we got run out of the last town before Equestria. The packed in weapons was found and stolen from those who found them.

 

Keep in mind though: Those we stole them from, were basically getting wrecked by it, or they tried to use them for bad things. Sis and I can carry them safely, so it was better that we took them. Plus, it adds a layer of protection in a sort of way to have them, and anything that means less angry mobs wanting to get near enough to cut us with something is a good thing really."

 

The notion of angry mobs might seem like it made the sisters out to be bad ponies, but perhaps they could see the actual problem if they kept the anti-magical energy into account, and realised that if you could deny any spellcaster their magic, or destroy something magical just by being near it in a world driven by mostly magic and the application thereof, others would likely not take too kindly to you.

[redaxted 1,765]

@@Blitz Boom @@PonyOfWar "Definitely not normal," Cyan Flare replied to War.

"Well, I run a business in Canterlot," Golden Spell answered the new pony's question. "I sell the freshest fresh fruits and vegetables to the citizens of that wonderful city." Cyan rolled her golden eyes, seeing through the mask that her brother attempted to use to hide his pride.

"And my sister, here," Golden Spell spoke for her, "is sent the goods I grow, keeping them fresh and selling them on her own market."

"But I am in search of a different kind of job, maybe," Cyan chimed in. "Not that I don't enjoy this one... but it's not really my passion, unlike Golden Spell." She dreamed of a job involving other kinds of nature; something to do with exotic creatures, and possibly photography.

Edited July 4, 2016 by Wolves

[Hazard Time 1,127]

@@Moonlit @@Blitz Boom

 

"Alrighty, I'll take your word for it!"  This was a whole new experience for Succulent, and she was very excited at having been taken in so quickly.  Perhaps their two nations weren't so different as she thought.  She knew that conquering her fear of the unknown would have its rewards!

 

Eagerly, she followed Serenade over towards the pond, dragging her cart behind her.  "I love stargazing, especially up north where we get the occasional aurora.  I don't know if you'll be able to see them this far south, though."

[Moonlit 593]

@@Hazard Time, Serenade eagerly trots along, "Some nights, yes you can see both the Northern and Southern Aurora's. But what is better, given our location, is we can actually see other stars and galaxies better." The trip isn't far, and Serenade directs Succulent to a small building, "You can put your cart there, it will be safe. The pond is over this way".

 

The 'pond' is actually a tidal pool, located next to a small river that itself branches off from the main river that runs from Canterlot. A small ring of fire stores and three benches made from fallen trees sit off to one side. "Hopefully tonight is clear, I keep forgetting to ask the Weather Ponies to copy me onto their weather reports."

[Quinch 1,119]

@Seamore Sandwich, @Quinch, @SugarfootWillie, @Blitz Boom [Ponyville]

 

Quinch looked up at the opening portal in the sky, and the half-dozen new arrivals. None of them looked like locals, although given the current sample pool of this particular mess, "locals" was beginning to look like an iffy concept. With any luck, they were here to help with the damage - his little maneuver seemed to distract the thing, but he had no way of telling whether or not they were actually even making a dent in it. If they were minions, on the other hand, well... he really didn't want more complications.

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@@Blitz Boom, Astral now had a new question, sure now that she knew how they came across the cures items. but there was something she didn't know. "It's kind of weird how you managed to lose them at a waterfall, that was near my house." She pointed to her house which was visible from where they were standing. "How did you lose them again?" She asked tilting her head.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Frannis

[Minty_The_Sweet 20]

@@Blitz Boom,@,

"Didn't they lose them after being chased by a Chimera? although where did that Chimera come from is the question, they don't usually leave their habitat and I should know considering one of my mother's failing plans involved trying to convince them onto our side. A few Changelings died that day and the only reason more didn't was because they wouldn't leave their habitat. It's very strange they would chase some ponies for cursed artefacts" Butterfly thought of those monsters with loathing and hatred.

[EQ_Theta 431]

@@Blitz Boom

 

Sen was painfully reminded of how much time Lin has left. 3 days to be exact. He's hoping this cave his sister spoke of is not far away.  

 

"We shouldn't waste time here," Sen began, hiding his anguish through a confident front. "Wherever we go from that cave, we should proceed to finding a "place and being of pure magic during a... peak hour'? Something that can cleanse Lin of the malevolent magic residing in her. I'm not sure what that looks like. Maybe you might know, Omen?"

 

"And sister?" He turned to Lin with concern in his eyes. "Please avoid using magic until this gets sorted out. We need all the time we need."

Without even thinking twice, Lin froze up in fear. She may not be long for this world and unless she proceeds without making a mess of things. 

[Summer Breeze 2,522]

@@Frosty Frost,@@Blitz Boom,

 

Summer walked into the dragon camp with her head high and a sassy expression on her face. she tried her best not to react on the dragons comments but when one of the dragons called out someting about them making bad rugs she couldn't help it.

 

she looked at the dragons and said "me? I'm goign to be the most beautifull rug you've ever seen!" she said and flicked her tail to them to show them how beautifull her fur was. the dragons however didn't seem to understand her joke so she hurried back to her friends and didn't react on any more of the coments that were made, even though she really wanted to.

 

when they finaly arrived at the place where the elder dragons were summer was glad because all those dragons were getting annoying. "what a jerks." she muttered "But that's no surprise when you never get a hug."

 

then she looked at the elder dragons. they were big but not bigger as summer could fly. however, she doupted that she could fly away fast enough to not get hit by the gigantic sword one of the elders had. it made her a bit scared but at the same time she wondered why a dragon like him would need a sword. she shrugged her shoulder, he would have his reasons for it and she wasn't planning on asking it, probably. 

[Seamore Sandwich 470]

@@Moonlit

@@Hazard Time

@@Blitz Boom

 

"Swimming sounds like a great idea," Derpy said excitedly. Swimming was the next step in flight lessons anyway, at least for Pegasi that didn't learn in Cloudsdale. If you can push water with your wings, then in turn you would know how to push air as well.