open Casual stroll

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom

"Older traditions, yeah... It's our way of preserving the old ways and possibly giving back to the elderly. They took care of us, fed us, kept the village going whenever things were good or bad. Taking up the mantle in their stead is giving them the same courtesy now that they depend on the younger generation to provide for them. It is the best anyone could do to say thank you for everything they put themselves through."  

That was the bulk of the old ways that Lin could respect and follow; the one thing that she could choose to emulate and keep among the restrictive and conservative stances the older longma had. In a way, she couldn't practice it with the same reverence and conviction without her real mother and father around but she admits a part of her believes in paying the gesture forward, something Sen confided in her when they first returned from Mother's realm after defeating Solasan and Legion. She can't possibly pay back Mother's kindness but she will most certainly try, even going so far as to defend her despite the discrepancy in their powers. It's illogical, but sometimes, love makes her do some questionable things despite her heart being in the right place. This one is a promise to pay forward whenever she could.

Back at the shop, Sen was stumped with the price tag on the cheaper of the two tents, hoping for some leftovers for rope or other supplies he might need. He wouldn't want to eat into the budget. Even Trail Tracker had a point, the longma never really needed a tent and in all of his experience out in the field never used one. He just needed to find the right materials to make an alternative. The sound of Tracker's father running into some longma got Sen thinking he might have run into some of the exiles, though. Imagine just how many of them turn out to be decent folk who were in a bad spot like himself? 

"I suppose the weather could change unexpectedly. Wouldn't want to get sick from the rain at the wrong time. You're right about the longma not really needing one but I'm curious about things outside of longma communities. I guess I'll take the one that goes for twenty bits."

[Blitz Boom 4,627]

@Rising Dusk

"Jeez, what a bunch of dolts. I mean, I am totally in for a bout of professional pride taking place, but not at least sharing credit when everything's said and done? That just ain't right."

Working with other inventors, Molotov weren't a stranger to pride and a want to do everything themselves getting in the way of things, but at least there were the courtesy there at the end to share at least some credit, even if the prideful sod put his/her name first on the finished blueprints. The law enforcement that Rising talked about though? They were just being a bunch of foolish dunces. Seriously, if anypony he knew had tried that, they would've been stripped of their tools and told to get lost for a few weeks, at the absolute least.

"Besides those twonks though, it sounds like a pretty interesting case you went through. Following a trail of magic like that is pretty impressive, and apparently, surprisingly effective. Your deductive skills aren't too shabby either. Might've taken you half a day, but your idea panned out, and you got yourself a pretty weird criminal. Sure they didn't give you the credit for it you deserved, but that's one less hazard on the streets.

Ever found out why she did it though? Causing gambling addiction like that sounds like somepony in a casino would do to their competition, to give them a bad rep, but why go for it randomly like that? Were she trying to destabilize the gambling industry by making it seems dangerously addictive or something? Or was it more a *because she could* sort of deal?"

Molotov were highly curious about this, and the little things that he hadn't been told about motive, so he certainly didn't consider it a bad story time. it even left out a bit at the end there to drag him in to ask more, which were a pretty good way to keep he listener invested in things. The rest were good too, and told something about Rising's abilities as both a magic manipulator and a detective, though of the two, Molotov were most impressed with the magic tracking.

Even in Center Zero, who had considered themselves the best and the brightest, they had no idea how to actually do something like that.  The few that had started to try, had given up after at most a few months, stating that it was pointless since there were magic everywhere, and trying to pinpoint any of it from the rest would be more effort than it was worth.

That Rising got it down at least some? They would've loved to pick at his brain to figure out how he did that, though as long as he stayed clear of the biology department, it were only figuratively, and not literally.

======================================================================================================================

 

@Lloyd @Dji

"The only danger there is to her, is the blood she once adored."

Zhu slid something into his paws as the talking and Sapphire's eye repair commenced. A small glass figurine of an unknown wyvern with wings spread out. It were onlt the size of 27#'th of an apple, so it were easy to hide in his paw, but it shouldn't be judged by the size. Though he would be loathe to loose this, he knew how efficient it could be in getting Karmic and himself out of this situation, and getting caught were the outcome that he cared for the least. If he were to go to jail, he would only accept it if Celestia told him that he needed to, whilst atoning for the things he had done, and she were not present.

Who were though, were the general who took her eyes off Zhu for a moment to face Sapphire instead, none too pleased about the readied sword she were carrying around.

"Watch your blade, or you'll end up in a cell next to him. Equestria does not tolerate murder, even if only attempted. Keep your calm."

"An ideal is a flimsy shield, easily broken "

"Can it. Now are you two going to surrender peacefully, or do we need to beat the tar out of you first?"

Tidal Wave were getting sick of this talking. Zhu span them in circles, spewing nonsense, and she didn't even know what the other one were aiming at right now. Plus, with Sapphire getting increasingly agitated and ready for harsh violence from the looks of things, the general had to get this wrapped up soon, or things were going to escalate enough that she had to add a name on the arrest form, and potentially remove move one to a list of casualties.

[Moonlit 593]

@Blitz Boom @Dji @Seamore Sandwich"So I guess we are just waiting for Princess Sparkle to get back as I assume she has ALOT of questions regarding Sirens." Serenade fluffs her wings and settles down, the musical lisp no longer evident in her voice. 

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

@Blitz Boom

"Yes, the sooner we get out of here the better."

Lemon was eager to leave she could just about handle Benny but this was not a part of town she'd be revisiting any time soon. Pop made a good point about no longer having the protection of Benny or Toxen to make things a little easier.

"Our family isn't that big."

The family only had two main branches really, Victoria's side and Heather's side. Though there were a lot of smaller branches within those and of course there was Sprinkle's family which had more or less integrated with theirs at this point.

"The most significant part in recent history starts with our grandparents Cotton Bud and Tiramisu back in Trottingham, Tiramisu is where our cake business really began. He taught mum everything she knows and she taught me and Battenberg and helped Battenberg set up her bakery."

"Oh yes, I remember my sister Raspberry and I baked our parents their favourite cakes, one of my first real successes."

Victoria nodded, she'd heard this story countless times.

"The story of how Battenberg and I got our names."

"Dad loved Battenberg cake and mum loved Victoria Spongecake, might seem like an odd way to name your children but it is what it is."

She chuckled slightly, worried that it might seem like a stupid decision, but then again Felix had no involvement in that story either and he had loved the idea.

"That didn't have so much of an affect on my mother, Heather, Red Velvet and Caramel Fudge, I don't think I even know where she got our names."

"Well she isn't a cake pony, she only made the jam for those cakes and helped me gather ingredients, so I guess it had a smaller impact on her."

Victoria now continued describing parts of her family.

"Mum grew up and moved here to Manehattan where she met my dad, Aunt Raspberry moved between Cloudsdale, Trottingham and Ponyville, Red and the twins also came here and Red met Royal and they had sweet little angel. So now basically most of us are here. We lost grandma and grandpa unfortunately which is when all the moving really started, my other grandma, Shelley, she's still about. It's nice, it's like a little family community for the most part working and living here in this city, means we get to see eachother a lot."

"Yep, and even those who don't live here are never far away. My mother is such a fast flyer, she pops over almost every week to see her three daughters, don't see much of dad though, he's the only one still in Trottingham."

"And not for much longer, Raspberry tells me she's finally bought a house in Ponyville so he'll probably be moving back in with her soon."

Heather was suprised this news had not yet reached her, maybe it had, she assumed she'd probably forgotten. How could she forget something so significant?

"Oh that's good, he's been ever so lonely without his girls, he hates big cities so he didn't move here even though Red offered him a bed at her place, it's also why he doesn't visit often, hates public transport too."

She laughed, her dad was such a shy pony, so much so that he hated trains due to the potential of having to sit next to a stranger for more than five minutes.

"Obviously he can't live with mum, no wings, no cloudsdale. She shouldn't have abandoned him, prioritising work over her husband, but that's what she did, even though she knows he hates being apart from her. She visited him every day of course but it's not enough for dad, he's very attached to her. Glad she's finally sorted something out."

Victoria picked up again.

"I guess our family is kinda big, middling I would say perhaps. It's only going to get bigger from here, I'm sure Battenberg will settle eventually, I hope to of course, it probably won't be long before Heather has a foal.

Heather nodded, she still worried about how she'd handle being a mother, not as much as Victoria but it was there. She was in a stable situation though, she had a loving stallion, a job that brought in a decent living, a nice house with a beautiful garden, now was the perfect time to start a family and it was definitely on her to do list.

"We might even have another Tiramisu, I really want to name one of my foals after my grandpa, he was such a nice fellow, I didn't know him for long but he was always nice to me."

"What's your family like dear? It can't be that small?"

After a bombardment of information about her family Lemon wanted to give Pop a chance to speak.

 

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@Blitz Boom @Dji

Sapphire lowered her hoof, dissipating the sword as she did so. "It wouldn't have harmed him." She wasn't lying, if she swung that sword in particular at anypony, it'd pass through them. She looked to Karmic, rather confused at what they said. "What are you even talking about? We came here to stop you two."

Astral stood near Tidal Wave, looking at her. "So will we come with you to keep him in check, if he does surrender?"

=================================

@Blitz Boom 

"Well she has the ability to switch bodies, and uses blood magic. And since she has to original body, you should assume whomever she looks like now, is innocent." At this point he didn't exactly care if they knew of her, since she hadn't bothered to free him at all. "She's named Emerald, and is also the sister of the pony who tried to stop me; Sapphire Star, who would quickly be your enemy if you killed Emerald, and considering her power, you'd not want that."

[BloodDrops 762]

23 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"Even if you could remove it, I don't trust the word of a sphinx."

Nerzhei gave the last comment to the feline annoyance as she left with Lyriel, and for the time turned her own attention towards Droppy, who were feasting joyfully on a large slab of meat that had suddenly come from the sky. The dragoness would rather not think over the logistics of this for the time being, as it would just end up with her gaining another migraine attack, so for the time being, she just shrugged it off as magic being magic. Even though a sphinx historically does nothing without being defeated in a riddle first, but that was more of that pesky logic that made this entire situation painful and irritating.

"I'm going to have to ask you something, Droppy, and I want you to be honesty. Did your disease come from you loosing a riddle to that sphinx?"

She could add more on, but Droppy should likely be spoken to slowly about this. It were hard enough to keep her attention sometimes, but when she were eating? It were untested how much she listened to others, so she would take this one step at a time and then see if she could gain some kind of insight on this.

Meanwhile, Lyriel smiled at what the sphinx said, missing completely the insult. Much as life had tested her judgement, with the dragons and the fate that befell her brethren, Lyriel had tried to see only the best in other beings, and not lift her hand to them in anger, or think they meant harm simply for harms sake. She met them openly, with kindness, and at worst restraints. She were naive in that way, and had been so when it came to Blood as well. Something which she had changed her mind on, though it seemed to matter little, considering what she had seen happening to her vines. What sort of vile sorcery this were she did not know, but she prayed that it would not be her problem for much longer.

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't wish to change my species. My reason for regrowing to this form is merely so that the creatures around me feel more at ease, as well as the ponies. A more familiar form soothes them, and makes it easier for me to interact with them than when I wandered looking like a human. Though I must admit, it will take some time to get used to the lack of fingers, I take it as a fun learning experience, into what my equine neighbors goes through.

As for what makes this my home, I have found that I were welcomed here by the forest, and needed to ease the troubled hearts that live within. It is to me a home, and a place to protect and nourish. Before the Silver Valley became empty of hope, that too were the philosophy of my brethren."

Lyriel fell a tear as she recalled the last time she had seen her brethren again. An image that would never leave her, as much sorrow as it brought her to see such insanity flow through them. All of that unneeded violence...

"They can't remember our ways anymore, but I uphold it, and when I was brought to this forest, I found that it needed someone to help it as well.

The wolves of wood are making things complicated though. They do not trust me fully, and are wary that I will be a threat to their tribe, but I hope in time that their alpha will allow me to speak to her. The things I have heard from the other creatures, speaks sorrowfully of their matriarch, and perhaps if she can be calmed, my equine friends would be safer. They are not needed to preserve the natural order, from what I have been told.

May I ask you, great creature, what is it that you do? You speak of riddles like the strange, striped one who lives in this place, but it didn't seem as if my friend thought highly of you, or the gifts that you said to offer, in case you were defeated. Clearly you are a great sorceress, so why does she resent your offerings? Perhaps I can help her to understand, and make your coexistence in this forest more peaceful."

Droppy blinked and continued to eat from the pile of the meat, she flicked her hear acknowledging Nerzhei's question, though food always came first. She licked her lips finishing her meal for now, and turned her attention back towards Nerzhei. "What you ask is a long story, in short she did and I answered the riddle wrong and ended up like this" she told her with a small yawn. "in essence, I gave her a unsolvable riddle that she took ages to realize it was unsolvable. Then she gave me a riddle that had a multitude of answers which she swapped if I gave her the correct answer" she snorted.

"Though I think we are even, after all she turned me into this and banished me from my village.I ate all her worshipers in that village before I left. So I think that calls it quits really" she remarked going back to her meal and nibbling on a large lump of bone. She loved bones. She blinked at Nerzhei "Why does the tree thing not like me?" she asked her during another pause from her eating. 

 

Sphinxy walked with the tree pony and frowned thinking of her next move. She smiled at her reply, "ponies are very quick to judge, you will find this out for yourself if you've not done so already. I wouldn't start jumping though hoops to go around pleasing all of them, not all of them deserve it at any rate" she remarked. "The ponies do as all ponies do, cause problems, then fix the problems they caused. They need some sort of order to restrain them, otherwise its anarchy." she added knowing from her ruling she had made ponies much more 'civilized'.  

Sphinxy blinked, "What is this Silver Valley you speak of? I would like to step inside this valley made of silver." she remarked taking it quite literally. She blinked she knew a very good riddle about hope but that brought back bad memories so she didn't repeat said riddle. She had a plan forming into her mind already, and she liked it. "seems that they have lost their way, though the path is never truly forgotten at any rate" she remarked, "Maybe I could help you with such tasks" she added to the tree pony. 

Sphinxy didn't care too much of wolves, and of them harming ponies, though it seemed that these matter were important to the tree. "Well I suppose I could have a word with the wolves as well. If i'm going to live here after all, I can't very well have any wars going on, or at the least petty squabbles" she replied to Lyriel. She smiled as she was praised by the other odd creature, "What is it that i do? Hmmmm, let me see now. I do many things" she said secretly. 

"I judge other creatures mainly, define how worthy they are, if they are indeed worthy by answering a riddle that is related to themselves and there goals then I grant them that goal. Though if they are not worthy then I set them some new goals, that is more constructive" she answered. "Think of a genie but without all this three wish limit" Sphinxy blinked, "Do you mean the plague walker? She was greedy and got what she wanted, that dragon also, like all dragons shes greedy though not for gold but something else much more sacred" she remarked to the tree thing. "You seem pure of heart so your motives are also pure, therefore I could give you a riddle to help with your task ahead to protect your wood against any dangers it may face. I'm sure you won't get it wrong" she said slyly. 

After all, she just wanted to help. 

Edited June 2, 2018 by BloodDrops

[Blitz Boom 4,627]

@Victoria Sponge

Wow, they rally did have a large branching family from the sound of it.

Pop knew that others had larger families out there, and that might be why the generally bakery-focused ponies thought of it as mostly a mid-size group, but from somepony like her, it sounded huge. It was all a matter of perspective of course, and from somepony who were used to the entire family fitting inside a house, it was hardly surprising that Pop thought of this branching family she were being told about as huge.

What were a surprise were the part where they came into talking about a pair where the wife had gone to Cloudsdale, and the husband lived on the ground. Long distance were a thing that Pop were used to, but the way they spoke about Heather's father made her see a situation that were worse than what she were used to.

Sure, Benny and her lived far apart, but they were also able to do well enough on their own. Heather's father on the other hoof, sounded like he did best when his wife were there, and had a hard time adjusting to her not being around. It was good to hear that he were getting a chance to settle down with her again though. It would likely be good for him.

Then all of a sudden, in the midst of grandparents, cousins and the potential of Heather stumbling around with a foal, the family suddenly turned to her for a similar family story. Surprisingly spearheaded by Lemon, who Pop had honestly thought would be the last to really dig into things like that.

"Well, it's actually pretty small. My father, Candy Corn, was an orphan, and my mother, Strawberry Puff's parents died before I was born. I have a brother called Mango Shot that's a year younger than me who is still looking for somepony special. They all live around Deltrot, so I don't see them that often, but we exchange plenty of letters.

There's also our Uncle Fishy that makes his living as a fisherman not far from there, catering to some griffins that have nested around the place for a while, but he's also single. He always said that he's married to the sea, and that's one spouse you don't cheat on."

A small chuckle and shrug escaped Pop as she recalled her uncle whispering that, leaning in with his big, bushy mustache tickling her ear, and sounding jolly as could be. It might be that he were their only uncle, but even if they had more, she were certain he'd still be her favorite. He was a great stallion, and thankfully at good health, so they should still have him around for a long time, provided that the ocean didn't swallow him up one day. They were pretty nervous about that sometimes.

"It's expanding now with Benny getting into the picture, what with him having two sisters and five brothers, as well as his parents and grandparents, but we're taking it slow on getting everypony to meet one another. Today was actually the first time I've ever seen any of his siblings, or his parents, while he have met my parents, and briefly Mango. I'll say that things went better with them than it did here, even if things were a bit... Strained. My brother is still having a hard time getting used to Benny, but he managed to win over my parents at least. I'm hoping I can do the same here one of these days.

We all know that Benny and I won't have any foals or whelps of our own, but there's plenty of little ones out there who are in need of a good home, so when we've settled down, we'll adopt. Hopefully one or two of each, but we'll see. We haven't even decided where to live together yet, so thinking of foals and whelps might be a little too soon.

Not that it's easy to get out of your mind when it first pops in there though..."

Pop half-whispered the last bit as her cheeks turned rosy again, by the image of Benny and her surrounded by a small army of scales and fur, all trying to get the most attention from the two of them. It were going to be a tough situation when they got to that point, Pop knew that, but at he same time it just felt right when she imagined this, and it took a little to get the images out of her head again. It was like with the thoughts of weddings. A pleasant thing that she didn't mind lingering around now and again.

===========================================================================================================

 

@Lucid_Nightlight @Storm Shine @EQ_Theta

"Oh, totally!"

This was more Anomaly's game. Pranky stuff that were - at least in her eyes - harmless and adorable. Some might call it obnoxious, but Lucid certainly didn't seem to be one of those.

A snap of her tail, and stones began to rise from the ground around the path, gathering up into a nice stone arch, with the pillars evenly on both sides of the path to the castle door. Or well, what would become a path once she were done. Had to get a line of grass trimmed and have some good gravel down towards t- No wait! Gravel would get stuck in the hooves of visitors. Guess she had to work with marble then. Still good, but just not as good.

Returning to the granite stone arch though, Anomaly snapper hr tail again and made four shelves dangle down from the arch, positioned right over where somepony would enter.

"See, we fill those up with the cacti, and then every time somepony goes by, they'll start singing."

She looked it over, thinking how it'd be with the cacti, but something wasn't right even with that in her mind. It was like something was missing from this picture...

After a minute of grinding her gears loud enough for them to be heard, she finally realized what it were and spat out an array of seeds that landed on top of the stones, covering the upper parts with vegetation and a pot right over the keystone holding a single, rainbow-colored flower.

"Hehe, way better. Sorta what you thought of too Lucid? Or do mean like, an actual big, clunky shrine somewhere?"

===================================================================================================================

 

@EQ_Theta

"I concur. Those who cared for and nurtured you, indeed deserve that you help them too in their winter years.

Equestria were somewhat like that back in the olden times, yet now the elderly are cared for and given programs to ensure that they have others to socialize with, and keeping them at good health. Few are those who needs others even in the late period of their lives, and those who do need that, always have the option of a few places that specializes in caring for their elders.

Some still go for the same approach as you do of course, but with options, it have become less of a thing. One might argue that ponies simply care less these days about that, but I prefer to think of it as a mixture of there being options to do well on your own on the last stretch, and a degree of pride in the elderly, who does not wish to rely on their children. A matter of perspective, yes?"

Personally, Scarcity were more likely to have her parents forcefully entered into an asylum than allowing them within her home, yet that were some of those personal things that did not belong in many conversations. Rarely did it lead to pleasant thoughts or situations when she described her estranged family, and she found it tedious to have certain ponies thinking she were a horrible mare for turning her back on them. They would never understand unless the background were revealed to them, and she were not one to wander around and give personal information such as that away.

In the shop, the pony in charge nodded at what Sen said.

"Good choice. Remember, if anything's the matter with it that ain't caused by personally damaging it, you can come back and I'll replace it right away."

Tracker went over and pulled out a package from the shelves they had just went away from, and came back with a bundle about as thick as a regular pony's midsection, and as long as one too. It had handles on it, and if lifted, would weigh mostly little, though you could feel there were something weighing more heavily down in a pocket inside.

Just as he came back with that, the doorbell rang, and Tracker turned his head to see Rosa wandering in and towards them. The bat pony wouldn't get all that close though, before he were intercepted by the greying stallion.

"Simple policy in here sonny. No masks and no transformation spells. I wanna see who I'm dealing with in case something goes wrong."

Rosa met the gaze of Tracker rather unfazed.

"So you see a bat pony and expect problems?"

"Don't be a smart-flank, you know what I mean. Mask off, or I'm throwing you out."

The two stared at one another for a solid minute, neither side blinking or speaking a word, before Rosa finally rolled his and rose his hooves to get his mask off.

It took a little time, as he needed to remove a few secure straps around the neck and lower back, but eventually he'd have the thing pulled of and held in his hooves.

Rosa were disappointingly normal beneath his headgear. His mane were cut to a few inches in height, and had the same colors as his tail, and beyond a few barely visible scars on his left cheek that looked like scratch marks, there weren't anything wrong or abnormal.

"Satisfied?"

His voice were a little lighter, since it were not going through the mask and filter anymore, yet it were still clear to hear that it were him.

"Yep. What're you looking for?"

Rosa pointed past the pony, towards Sen, replying simply *him* before moving past the owner entirely and join up with the longma.

=====================================================================================================

 

@Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich @Dji

"Well, i-if the other Celestia is till here, it c-could take a while, right?"

Cherish weren't sure how everything were going to work here, but Celestia had seemed very interested in them not meeting with her other self, so they'd have to stay here until she were gone likely. But how long would that be? Cherish had no idea how long the princesses talked, and there might be important information given around. Sure, it didn't mater much to her as she were already dead and had nowhere to really go, but the others surely had some things they'd like to do, so hopefully it wouldn't be too long.

=====================================================================================================

 

@BloodDrops

"Great, so this isn't biological in nature. It's a sphinx curse."

The horrendous murdering and eating were not getting so much on Nerzhei's nerve as it were to hear that her assumptions had been wrong. Her crystals hadn't reacted to the illness being magical, so she had been certain it was simply nature. Yet this way, either her gems had failed, or this were a magical curse that were still somehow purely natural. Like a magical germ growing approach. The illness itself weren't magical, but the implementation and spreading of it were.

"This might end up complicating a lot of things, though really, what on earth convinced you that you should try and gamble with yourself with a sphinx? They're nothing but bad omens preying on the gullible and desperate.

And Lyriel doesn't like you because your hunger is all-consuming. She is all about trying to keep an ecosystem and a balance in things here, and you could theoretically consume everything in here in a few weeks if you were allowed to. It would be a failing for her as the forest's protector to let you."

While this went on, Lyriel kept leading the sphinx further inside the forest. The things the feline creature told her were highly interesting for someone like her, who wished to know more of the world beyond the small valley she grew up in. Yet as fascinating as it were, there were a few things that were poked at that made the dryad find sadness flow over her again. A small amount of hope might be in order, but when it came to her siblings, things were more complicated than a simple wish.

"The Silver Valley holds no metal, simply a dense forest far within territory of the great atazi. The ones you call dragons.

When the great colored bow shattered and the pieces fell, it made the waters run in many colors, and us spring forth from the earth. There, we lived peacefully tending to the dwindling animal population, and growing the vegetation in the forest for the great scaled ones to harvest.

Yet nothing good can last it seemed. The colored waters would slowly turn those who consumed it into vegetation themselves, and for a long time, we had the strict rule to never drink of it, and suffer the same fate as the animals. Such were the decree of the earth mother.

One in the village finally made the blasphemy though, and it filed him with what he perceived to be strength. He shared this with those would would listen to his words. At first only a few, then eventually, more and more rushed to the banks to take that which we were not supposed to have.

They began to spout that the earth mother had kept us away from this, and denounced her as a false goddess. Her temple were ruined, and those who swore fealty to her, and refused to drink..."

Another tear fell from Lyriel's right eye as she recalled what she had seen. The final sin, which they should have been above making.

"I managed to escape and hide, but I could still see what happened to them. They have lost their way, and wander in hatred and insanity, cursing the earth mother for cursing them. They forgot that they took this upon themselves, and any who meets them will be the subject of their wrath.

If there was a way I could save them, I would, yet I fear what they would do to themselves if they came to their senses and realized what they had done. The heresy, the suffering... It may simply be too much for them to handle.

Not that it matters. If the curse could be lifted, the earth mother would have saved them before they went deeply into heresy and shunted her voice. They are truly lost, and I will carry the sorrow for their descent within me until the day that I wither away."

The sphinx may be a great sorceress, but Lyriel held doubt that something like that could go against what the earth mother had not seemed capable of. The feline were but a mortal, where the earth mother were a goddess. What hope would there be to have power greater than hers?

The thought that the earth mother had decided not to interfere were also an option, but not one that Lyriel had ever thought about. It seemed inconceivable to her that the loving, caring creature they worshiped, would leave her loyal children alone against the onslaught of the corrupted heretics.

"The ponies that fell into my broken home, managed to help me get away from there too. This is why I consider them to be my friends, though I wish to think the best of most creatures. Even the flesh-eating mare were one I met with opened, and kindness, yet her hunger makes her a threat to the ecosystem. She consumes and consumes, with no end in sight. Left to her own devises, entire species could be lost, or diminished too much to make it without aid. It saddened me to do so, but this is my home to protect, and as such, I need to condemn those who do more harm than can be repaired.

But Nerzhei will handle her it seems, so that is a weight off my shoulders. She too helped me escape, and though she is gruff and detached, I have yet to find she lied to me. I trust that she will handle this before too much damage is dealt.

Beyond my worries, I would appreciate the help you could provide if you are able to speak with the timberwolves, great one. Perhaps they would find worth in your strength, and let you consult with the alpha directly.

As for the protection of the forest, I appreciate the offer, but some things I must be able to do on my own. I am also rather poor at riddles I'm afraid, and would prove little entertainment more than likely, though perhaps in time you could speak with the striped one? She speaks in riddles and rhymes, so perhaps she will hold the ability to answer some of what intricate riddles you would hold, great one."

Usually Lyriel only called large dragons *great one* but she had no name for this female, and she did indeed seem like a powerful creature. Befitting a magnificent being of her apparent stature too, and a humbling presence to assist.

===============================================================================================================

 

@Lloyd

@Dji

"I'd appreciate it at least. Magic users are slippery to keep, and this one is as slimey as an eel."

"You assume much of my cooperation."

"Not the first time from what the others tells me."

"I were asked to help, and so I did. What came next were simply what needed to. So too would it be now, as we leave. I would advice you not the follow."

With that, Zhu turned his back on them, and began walking slowly away, threading carefully when it came to the paw holding the small glass figurine to avoid it breaking. He knew that the general would begin to move forward to stop him even before she took the action, yet what the witches would do were more up to debate. Things were not as simple with them, and though he had seen a half dozen thing each might do, there were no guarantee. He would see if he were prepared for what were to come, or if this were the incorrect answer.

=========================================================================================================

 

@Lloyd

"So she can possess bodies, and is likely to take over an innocent being? Dear me, that will make things complicated.

I have not heard of Sapphire, but I will make sure she is found, so perhaps she can tell us more of her sister. Perhaps this can lead us to finding out how to stop her, without harming innocents. Maybe Sapphire could talk her down even?"

Hogweed were getting somewhat hopeful now for a solution that would not result in more pain when she heard that there were a sister. Not one they wanted as their enemy, but if they had her with them, the chances of them needing to hurt Emerald would surely be lesser, right? They would know one another, and even if they were not on the best of terms (family could be complicated sometimes) Sapphire could surely still help them, and in a way that didn't lead to anypony getting killed. That were always the preferred method in her eyes.

"I'll have somepony look for Sapphire right away. Thank you for the information."

An actual, genuine smile managed to fall over her muzzle as she said this. It might not have been that big, but it were visible, and seemed to stick around for now as she turned to one of the guards in the room and asked him to go send a message out to find this pony named Sapphire.

"Would you object if I measured you? I mean uhm, for the prostheses. The more exact measures when I can get to a professional, the better."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine

"This is perfect for a garden! The clunky shrines are more for cults like our new scented candle cult. Sometimes I build candle shrines at a bakery in the other universe to annoy others and there's always a party going on there for some reason, it's really we- oh look a bit!"

Lucid picked up the bit.

"Finally, now I can be planet le- what's this?"

A note appeared.

"Just kidding, did you actually think it would be that easy? It is up to you to figure out how to unlock your power because blah blah blah some stupid destiny related things, blah blah blah multiverse, blah blah blah won't begin until a few months probably, blah blah blah, something about finding out about your parents before then and other details I left out cause I'm lazy cause just because I am Discord doesn't mean I am not lazy sometimes. Yes, I made this before giving you the stick."

Now Lucid was a bit annoyed. He gave his pet lizard Pringle some earplugs for what he was gonna say.

"Discord! What kind of [WORD REDACTED] is this!? Couldn't have told me this before!? Son of [WORD REDACTED]!"

The earplugs disappeared.

"Alright, now that I've got that out, what else would be a good for the garden?"

 

[Sekel 693]

@Blitz Boom, @Lloyd

KARMIC FATE

“I actually don’t know what it is I talk about sometimes. I just ramble, so,” Karmic admitted to Sapphire and did her best to move towards the retreating Zhu. “I should really get going and follow him though,” she said with a grin and tried to go after Zhu.

Edited June 4, 2018 by Dji

[BloodDrops 762]

13 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"Great, so this isn't biological in nature. It's a sphinx curse."

The horrendous murdering and eating were not getting so much on Nerzhei's nerve as it were to hear that her assumptions had been wrong. Her crystals hadn't reacted to the illness being magical, so she had been certain it was simply nature. Yet this way, either her gems had failed, or this were a magical curse that were still somehow purely natural. Like a magical germ growing approach. The illness itself weren't magical, but the implementation and spreading of it were.

"This might end up complicating a lot of things, though really, what on earth convinced you that you should try and gamble with yourself with a sphinx? They're nothing but bad omens preying on the gullible and desperate.

And Lyriel doesn't like you because your hunger is all-consuming. She is all about trying to keep an ecosystem and a balance in things here, and you could theoretically consume everything in here in a few weeks if you were allowed to. It would be a failing for her as the forest's protector to let you."

While this went on, Lyriel kept leading the sphinx further inside the forest. The things the feline creature told her were highly interesting for someone like her, who wished to know more of the world beyond the small valley she grew up in. Yet as fascinating as it were, there were a few things that were poked at that made the dryad find sadness flow over her again. A small amount of hope might be in order, but when it came to her siblings, things were more complicated than a simple wish.

"The Silver Valley holds no metal, simply a dense forest far within territory of the great atazi. The ones you call dragons.

When the great colored bow shattered and the pieces fell, it made the waters run in many colors, and us spring forth from the earth. There, we lived peacefully tending to the dwindling animal population, and growing the vegetation in the forest for the great scaled ones to harvest.

Yet nothing good can last it seemed. The colored waters would slowly turn those who consumed it into vegetation themselves, and for a long time, we had the strict rule to never drink of it, and suffer the same fate as the animals. Such were the decree of the earth mother.

One in the village finally made the blasphemy though, and it filed him with what he perceived to be strength. He shared this with those would would listen to his words. At first only a few, then eventually, more and more rushed to the banks to take that which we were not supposed to have.

They began to spout that the earth mother had kept us away from this, and denounced her as a false goddess. Her temple were ruined, and those who swore fealty to her, and refused to drink..."

Another tear fell from Lyriel's right eye as she recalled what she had seen. The final sin, which they should have been above making.

"I managed to escape and hide, but I could still see what happened to them. They have lost their way, and wander in hatred and insanity, cursing the earth mother for cursing them. They forgot that they took this upon themselves, and any who meets them will be the subject of their wrath.

If there was a way I could save them, I would, yet I fear what they would do to themselves if they came to their senses and realized what they had done. The heresy, the suffering... It may simply be too much for them to handle.

Not that it matters. If the curse could be lifted, the earth mother would have saved them before they went deeply into heresy and shunted her voice. They are truly lost, and I will carry the sorrow for their descent within me until the day that I wither away."

The sphinx may be a great sorceress, but Lyriel held doubt that something like that could go against what the earth mother had not seemed capable of. The feline were but a mortal, where the earth mother were a goddess. What hope would there be to have power greater than hers?

The thought that the earth mother had decided not to interfere were also an option, but not one that Lyriel had ever thought about. It seemed inconceivable to her that the loving, caring creature they worshiped, would leave her loyal children alone against the onslaught of the corrupted heretics.

"The ponies that fell into my broken home, managed to help me get away from there too. This is why I consider them to be my friends, though I wish to think the best of most creatures. Even the flesh-eating mare were one I met with opened, and kindness, yet her hunger makes her a threat to the ecosystem. She consumes and consumes, with no end in sight. Left to her own devises, entire species could be lost, or diminished too much to make it without aid. It saddened me to do so, but this is my home to protect, and as such, I need to condemn those who do more harm than can be repaired.

But Nerzhei will handle her it seems, so that is a weight off my shoulders. She too helped me escape, and though she is gruff and detached, I have yet to find she lied to me. I trust that she will handle this before too much damage is dealt.

Beyond my worries, I would appreciate the help you could provide if you are able to speak with the timberwolves, great one. Perhaps they would find worth in your strength, and let you consult with the alpha directly.

As for the protection of the forest, I appreciate the offer, but some things I must be able to do on my own. I am also rather poor at riddles I'm afraid, and would prove little entertainment more than likely, though perhaps in time you could speak with the striped one? She speaks in riddles and rhymes, so perhaps she will hold the ability to answer some of what intricate riddles you would hold, great one."

Usually Lyriel only called large dragons *great one* but she had no name for this female, and she did indeed seem like a powerful creature. Befitting a magnificent being of her apparent stature too, and a humbling presence to assist.

Droppy blinked and nodded. "Well you can always ask her nicely to remove it, though i'm suspecting shes planning something else currently. She wouldn't just come here for a vacation after all" she told the dragon. She continued eating the rest of the meat slowly finishing it off, she blinked at the dragon and frowned. "Sphinxes always have a agenda of some sort. She might be trying to behave or she might be planning something much more horrible" she informed her.

Droppy blinked, "I wanted to cross a bridge and she told me to cross I had to guess a riddle. Not like i'm a unicorn or Pegasus who can simply flash there horn or open there wings" she remarked to her rolling her eyes. "and I wasn't stupid enough to try to sneak under her legs so, I had to answer it and got it wrong, easy to do" she remarked to the dragon. "So she sent me on a mission of some sorts" she informed the dragon. 

"Not my fault I get hungry, I couldn't eat everything in the forest in one go, I could give it a good go though" she remarked missing the point entirely. 

 

The Sphinx frowned, didn't she have a temple there at some point? She might have done when she was much younger and less wise. Though she had never encountered any of these tree things there, not that she could recall at any rate. She paused in her movements and frowned, she remembered that valley though she called it something different. She blinked at Lyriel, "So it were your people that destroyed the balance? Interesting, I'd always assumed it was the dragons who had destroyed it, with there fire and all though didn't expect trees to poison the water source." she remarked to her, though the part about the rainbow water troubled her.

"are you referring to rainbow lake at all? it would have traveled down a river of sorts and into a large square rocky building with a tip on the top of it" she asked her quietly. If that were indeed the source of the problems, she would be very angry indeed. That was meant to have been sealed off, that had been her agreement after all and she did hate it when people broke there agreements with her.  

"I do hate it when temples are desecrated, it never ends well for the desecrater when I catch up to them. Even if it wasn't my temple it takes effort to make one, also who is this earth mother you speak off. I would like to meet her. She seems, familiar" she remarked with a frown. 

Sphinx blinked and yawned "Oh yes that plague walker, I'm surprised shes still not fixed, though I suppose she will never be now. 'On the earth you must tread, eat plant, flesh and bread. Till journey end you reach, the cure will be at your feet" she remarked, she rolled her eyes at the ponies stupidness. "The funny thing is she never actually finished her journey. Must be a scatter brain that one" she remarked.

The Sphinx waited from the tree to answer her previous questions, from that she would have to balance the equities.

 

[Rising Dusk 27,723]

@Blitz Boom

Rising Dusk could understand the other stallion's reaction to his story.  It wasn't the best example of how his cross agency dealings have been so far when venturing out of the city.  Inside the city, things were far more friendly and the local police had a good relationship with their more magically focused brethren.  It was mutual of course, their aid in securing crime scenes was invaluable while the O.M.I. did their work.  They didn't have nearly the pony power the local police or Royal Guards did.  Competitiveness did occur through at the yearly Buck Ball Tournament between the city's service agencies, but it was all in good fun and a great time.  The casinos of Las Pegasus had pretty well corrupted the city and it showed in many areas.  The local police did their best and their prides had been wounded.  Small victories, even if not as deserved, worked for them.  Why didn't it bother Rising Dusk though?  He wasn't sure.  The right ponies knew who cracked the case, maybe that was enough. 

"Sensing magic is in part what makes my Counter and Dispel magic as effective as it is.  Without being able to see the spell, dispelling it by normal means is a lot of trial and error, research and energy."

The Sun by now had pretty much disappeared behind the high buildings of the city while the trio made their way to the East Side of the city.  He figured there was enough time to finish the story.  Rising Dusk only a few moments with the mare to finish his report.  Her crime wasn't severe enough to take her out of the hooves of Las Pegasus, so ultimately her time would be spent there.

"Oh, a little bit of everything.  Casino servers earn most of their bits on tips.  More ponies gambling, more tips.  As for the random part, it appears it was in attempt to help lower the suspicion if these enchanted charms were only showing from one gift shop.  The charm was selected because it was made popular by a famous poker pony, who also happened to win his biggest game at the casino she worked at.  She figured the charms, that most ponies thought were lucky, would also attribute to the casino he made it popular in."  

"As for the second part.  Dark magic is rather seductive.  It didn't appear she knew, or at least refused to believe, that her charms were hurting anypony.  But it was easy and she saw an increase in her tips at work.  Who knows if she'd gone further in her work what could have happened..."

He ended his little story, letting the creak of the wooden wheels of his chart fill the short silence.

 

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom

"Let's not cause anymore trouble for the nice shopkeeper, alright?"

Sen looked to Rosa, seemingly without anger or disappointment in his behavior while faking a big, uneasy smile. Fair is fair with the shopkeeper setting his ground rules on what can and can't pass in his shop. It was just like home, except for the more vigilant and possibly violent crafters and artisans. They guard their secrets well, their methods only known to them and their apprentices. Wrong them like theft or a poorly-worded insult might send the offenders off the place with more than just vicious words and broken bones. They wanted the messages to stick, after all, despite how unnecessary it all seemed. Sen inspected the bundle and fiddled with it for a bit before turning to Tracker.

"This has instructions for setting it up, yes?"

Back with Lin, it is a conflicting idea Scarcity put forward. On one hoof, it sounds reasonable; the elderly still have aspirations and they could still pursue them to their capacity. Some children wouldn't want to put a huge strain on them but can be reasonably worried about their elders pushing themselves a little too much. Then again, it could be a way of extending their respect... It was an idea she grappled with ever since she first heard of it but she's slowly coming around to the ponies' way of thinking, not that she's abandoning her views on the matter or anything.

"It makes sense, Scarcity. Is that related to these places I've heard of? I think they were called... um, retirement homes? I think that's the term for them? Homes for the elderly?"

==================================================================================================================

@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight

That sudden surge of... colorful language... was strange. Do those words exist? The most Fluttershy could get to swearing up a storm was the mere mention of the word 'peeved,' very mild but it made her uneasy whenever she said it. How Discord is involved in that is another mystery for her to think about but would rather not. The draconequus is not above being involved in such a thing. Whatever it was, it might be better to leave it as a noodle incident.

"Such language, Lucid! Was that all necessary?"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine

"You don't seem to understand Fluttershy. These are important details I should've been told before I got the stick. What I need to know is why this informa- wait."

He remembered something, the note written before he received the stick. First, that means his trick didn't get him the stick, he was going to get it either way. Another thing it mentioned finding out about his parents.

"It mentioned my parents, I've never met them before. After this garden we gotta find them. They think they could just give me up when I was a baby and get away with it? Whoever they are, they will answer to me!"

It was pretty easy to tell that Lucid held a grudge against the parents he never met. Why would they dump him at an orphanage? In his mind, when they left him, they took his childhood with them.

Sure, the ponies at the orphanage were nice, but he saw no reason for that to justify what happened.

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@Blitz Boom @Dji

Astral, who hadn't done much other than talk. Encased Zhu in a shield, freezing his body in place. It wouldn't last long since she was low on magic already, and would break more easily as a result, but hopefully it'd work long enough to detain him. "Those who resort to evil to get peace tend to not notice when they are overpowered. Like now." 

Sapphire rolled her eyes at Karmic. Who'd find tendrils, similar to the ones sapphire made earlier, wrapping around their hooves, holding them to the ground. "Neither of you are going anywhere."

===============================

@Blitz Boom

"It's not like I could do anything if you did measure me." He said, acknowledging his current situation once again. "And you'd likely find Sapphire in the castle already, Considering she helped take me out, they'd want to talk to her." He grumbled to himself a bit as he said that, if he and her ever met, it would not end well. She was even the one who first fought him, their only experience of each other was fighting with magic.

[Blitz Boom 4,627]

@Lloyd @Dji

So this were what Astral had done then? Interesting. Of all the options, Zhu had not expected the daughter to be the one to attempt to deal with him, though in a way he should be thankful for that. If it had been Sapphire, the detainment might have actually worked.

As it were however, Astral had made a few mistakes. The first being that she used greatly of magic reserves that were seemingly running low, or had just not thought him worth using more on than she had. The other being that she had only stopped his physical movements, and he didn't need to wave his paws or speak words to use his wind magic.

Using it, he would attempt to throw himself away, and tear Karmic from the tendrils before they stuck too greatly to her, as well as blast against their would-be trappers. It weren't the greatest defense, but immobility left him with little choice in the matter.

========================================================================================================================

@Lloyd

"That would make things easier. Thank you."

Hogweed were getting a little more at ease here, and though she fumbled a bit when she pulled out the measuring tape she kept under her helmet - surprisingly often she had a need for that one she found - she'd be feeling better as she got up to him and began to measure his stumps.

While at it, she also took the opportunity to see his other scars closer, to get a sense of how possible it were for her to help him with that. Medicine had come a long way the last twenty or so years, so there might be something that she could do, though he'd still need to sign a waiver when it were. Medicine had risks already, but magical remedies tended to increase the odds of side effects, no matter how great they could be, so she were required to go over that with any potential patient.

"I think I got the measurements I need now. It's not the worst case I've had to ask our specialist about, but it is extensive. It might take him a week or two, if he doesn't have others in line first."

Elsewhere in the castle, Hailstorm left the restricted area in the library, and began to slowly wander towards the throne room with quite a bit going through his head. The things he had read, and had scribbled down since it wasn't allowed by anypony other than the princesses to take anything outside of that section, were troubling, and he needed to turn it in his head a few times before he arrived.

=======================================================================================================

 

@Lucid_Nightlight @Storm Shine @EQ_Theta

"Hah, sweet. He's actually swearing."

Anomaly found it more amusing than anything else. Whenever she tried to swear, it was like there was a kind of blockage stopping it, and toning it down to something that you'd hear miffed ponies utter. The same blockage had come a few other times when she had tried to poke dragons and the like to spew some harsh words at her, and to this date, she had only ever heard three beings actually swear properly. Sure, their words got blocked from the authors, but everypony around could still hear it.

Some beings like Fluttershy though, didn't feel too comfortable around such hard words, though Anomaly didn't get why. It wasn't like it hurt anypony, right? It was just words, not bowling balls. Now those things were dangerous to throw around.

"Come one Flutterpony, It's absolutely priceless. Alternate universe Discord got cheated out of his magic stick, so he trolled Lucid through worlds. How isn't this funny?"

It got outright laughable when Lucid started to over-dramatize that he were going to hunt for his parents after they were done gardening. It was like he had been dumped on a scene, told to act, and just thought that it was all or nothing. She were laughing so hard at this that it was surprising that her head didn't pop off again.

"Ahahaha, that's soooo over the top. I... I...Pfffwahaha!"

Anomaly were on her stomach and pounding the ground at this point, and with each hit to the ground, a flower bed sprung up somewhere. A rose bush, some tulips, some venus fly traps, chili's, thorny branches surrounding a beautiful lotus bed, those kinds of things. There'd have to be some relocations, removal and changes when she got her wits about her again, but nothing dangerous had spawned at least... Yet.

========================================================================================================

 

@BloodDrops

"Sphinxes doesn't give anything for free. We might end up having to find a riddle master to be able to cure you in the end."

Which likely meant that she would have to deal with zebra's. Now, Nerzhei didn't have anything against the striped ponies. In fact, she found them to be more interesting than the regular three kinds, and with a history spanning a long time back that made her interested in talking with them. Yet the question weren't so much how she looked on them, as how they looked on her. Dragons and equines had a troubled history together, to put it mildly, and it might make trying to talk to them difficult. Especially since from what she had been able to read about them from the scarce literature she had been able to get hold of, they might be able to do things that would bring even the best unicorns or alicorns to shame, which gave them the upper hand. Or hoof in this situation.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. As for whatever she's planning, I have enough to do dealing with you. Lyriel and the ponies can handle this one.

And speaking of, do not try to eat the entire forest. I have seen what enraged dryad can do, and even if you are protected against vines, I doubt that you could hold your own against everything she is able to throw at you if she believes you to truly be incoming death of her home. Even if not for her, or your own well-being, then restrain yourself for the food sources. If you consume everything, there will be no life to replenish, and that means that you will eventually grow hungry, and unable to return to this place later on when things have stabilized again for a feast. Think of your restraint as an investment that will net you food.

Now then, you speak of a mission? Were it something during that mission that made you like this, or was it something she did before or after sending you off?"

Meanwhile, Lyriel looked with big, confused eyes at the sphinx, and slowed her movements somewhat.

"We called it the Adatzne, but the ponies called it a rainbow river too. Where it leads are forbidden to enter, seen as the holy ground where the fallen Adatzne bow's greatest shards were stored. Those too big to spawn us, and who could not be left unattended, but we know not who put them there. The bow's fall 25 years ago marked our birth, and the At- Dragons, told us that is why the rivers ran with colors. How we had grown as we did."

It was the origin the dryads had told themselves were the cause, as the dragons had told them that the two events happened around the same time, barring a week for the dryads to grow where the small shards had landed. It may well be that something else had caused it, like the temple being breached, the water turning strange, and the longest roots draining it gave birth to the dryads. Yet if that was the case, they did not know of it.

"Have you been to our valley before? Do you know who build this temple? Is... Have you actually talked with the earth mother?"

Confusion were starting to go into reverence. If this sphinx had heard the words of their goddess, and knew of her influence on the valley, could that make the sphinx a messenger of hers? A familiar to her work, who she spoke with? Perhaps even a friend? Great goddess who encompassed them all, what would she do if she were truly in the presence of such a being?

"We never heard her voice directly. Her message comes through the earth she sleeps beneath, and the nature that grows from her will. Emotions ranging far and wide, and a knowledge that when nature flourishes, she keeps gifting the world with her presence. With the bounty of the harvest, upon which all rely.

The earth mother is a nameless being to us, but you think to have known her? The goddess of nature itself? If that is the case, please tell me if our goddess is she bound in chains, or does she rest willingly to provide for the world?"

In truth, the earth mother weren't so much nature itself as a pagan nature spirit of substantial power, and one that relied on belief and praise to be sated and happy, which would in turn make nature flourish. Back in the olden days, most beings had sung her praise, but she had since been forgotten, and grown resentful, until the evergrown had been created. They sung her praises even to this day, even more than the dryads had, and it upheld the balance. If the sphinx had spoken with the earth mother, it had to have been a troubling thing if it were not in the last five hundred years. If it had been after that, and she had found her way into the forgotten halls far beneath the surface, things may have seemed better.

Then again, perhaps the sphinx just knew a fanatic that praised nature and called herself the mother of all trees. There had been a couple of those over the past few centuries before the dryads had grown, and they had all been mad as hatters.

=====================================================================================================

 

@Rising Dusk

"Makes sense. Pretty stupid way around it though. I mean, if everypony got more obsessed with gambling as the charms kept upping their mojo, there wouldn't be much of a tip left for her. They'd rather throw that at the tables. Guess that wasn't a thought that got into her mind over the short term profit margin.

Other than that, the plan does hold some merit. I mean sure, it was illegal and unethical, but her reasoning is fair enough. Might've needed some money, and didn't think on how - if she could enchant charms - she could make some with for example small protection spells in them and sell them. Or if you wanted to go into dark magic only, soem sort of emergency protection with an electric shock effect or something alike. Really more shortsightedness than anything that was her issue. You know, beyond the whole *breaking the law* thing."

Molotov believed in keeping the rules set, and to not go into the really deep end and just kidnap test subjects or something, but at times he thought things could get a fair bit too restrictive out here in the wide world. Sure, they had rules back at Center Zero too, but they were more lax,and more lacking of *building permits* and all such nonsense. The things he had to go through to get his workshop approved...

Okay he just paid the right folks, but that took effort too. Had to find the right hooves to pay, and the ones right behind them to bribe.  Might not be the most ethical, but he needed a slice of land where he could work without a health and safety inspector coming over and whining in his face. Science weren't meant to be restrained by minuscule things like danger of something dropping on your head.

."But she's done, her time's getting served or have been served, and all's fine and well.

And you know,w hat you said about needing to be able to sense to dispel? Fair point there, I'll concede to that. I think some of the professors at Center Zero would've loved to meet you and hear about you though. They tried for years and got absolutely nowhere, when it came to tracking magic. I remember one time, Cl- Oh hey, we're back."

Molotov stopped before going on, distracted by seeing they were home. Or rather, by seeing Blitz dangling from a fishing net suspended over the main entrance, with a light on the door pointed straight at her. That sight never failed to crack him up.

"Hey sis, how's it hanging?"

The filly tried to squirm free, but she wasn't getting anywhere. It was a good, solid net that one, and she didn't really hold many points in the strength department as it were. Now if she had her magic it would've been a different story, but as it were right now, Blitz could just pout down at them and keep wriggling.

"Lemme out, lemme out, lemme o-Auwh!"

A simple pull of the lever topmost on his lenses deactivated the defense systems, and slacked the net, causing Blitz to fall right down and get grabbed by his magic. Had to make sure the little troublemaker didn't get hurt, so Molotov floated her down safely.

"Look on the bright side: At least it wasn't the goo canon this time."

"Noooo! I hate that one. It's all sticky and bubbly-gummy without being yummy."

Molotov grinned and ruffled Blitz's mane, causing her to sit down and try and fix it, whilst the stallion turned back to Rising.

"Kids. Gotta love 'em, right? Lemme open up so we can get the things in before it gets too dark to see a thing."

With that, he'd go over and open the double doors properly, so Rising could drive the wagon and metal in. They'd find a place to put it down, and then he supposed the officer would want some rest. Normal ponies tended to sleep when the sun went down.

=================================================================================================================

 

@EQ_Theta

"I am not here to cause trouble. I just dislike showing my face."

"How's that? Your work given you regrets?"

Rosa's eyes seemed to unfocus for a moment as he recalled being upon being that he had caused harm with his work, and countless others that he had never even seen.

"More than you can imagine..."

Tracker didn't like spies. That was the short of it, and why he frankly weren't too happy about this one's presence in his store. Sure he'd still sell, but there were a shorter fuse when it came to somepony like this. Troublemakers and lowlife the lot of them.

Yet there were something in Rosa's voice as he had replied that seemed to hold a weight behind it. Like he actually did have regrets, and were ashamed to show his face, rather than just unwilling to be able to be identified. He couldn't see the grim look that went over the spy's face as the memories wandered by, like Sen would be able to, but his posture didn't exactly speak of somepony who thought highly of themselves in the moment.

Tracker liked to think that he could read ponies well, and this youngster didn't strike him as somepony who had no moral qualms. Yet he were still a spy, and those folks were good at manipulating others, so much as he liked to believe him, the shopkeeper had to keep some suspicions up and not grow soft here. Though he'd refrain from throwing the guy out of here right off the bat as he had planned after that rude walking past thing before. That small bit of rope he'd be willing to let go off, so to speak.

"...Tent's got instructions folded inside, but it's one of the easier models to gather. Shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes if you just follow the guide.

So if you're going camping, you must need some other supplies too? Got the rest, or do you need something more?"

"Three durable water bottles, two flashlights, five meters of rope and a first aid kit. Perhaps two sleeping bags too, if Sen thinks they would want them. If not, they might need something to sleep on."

"I got some rolled up patched of fake grass and moss that some of the more nature-loving folks like to rest on, and some air madrases. They're over in the corner. Try and give it a look and see if that's something, and I'll gather up the rest."

Rosa nodded as Tracker went on his way to pack up the order so far, and looked at Sen in silence, waiting for the longma to say whatever Lin and him needed a sleeping bag, or might like something to rest on instead. Perhaps they preferred the ground, but it was safer to ask and find out. Potentially show him first too, as Sen might not know what a sleeping bag even were, if he didn't know what a tent looked like. They still had a good deal of bits to use, so they should be covered for a full kit that the two siblings could use again another time. Except one of the water bottles. He were going to keep that.

Meanwhile, Scarcity shook her head and let out a somewhat dramatic sigh.

"That would be the worst, possible outcome. That is where ponies who do not have families to care for them, and are unable to care for themselves, go. The ones working there generally do their best to ensure that the elderly are treated right and have socializing and fun activities, but there is only so much one can do, and if you look at it long enough, it can seem depressing. For example when it comes to the lack of visitors that some of them receives.

Certain groups have taken it upon themselves to be visitors to these kind of homes, and are doing well in introducing the lonely elderly to ponies of all ages who can talk with them, go on walks, play games, and generally entertain them and make them feel loved. It is a program that does quite a bit of good, and have gotten some prominent sponsors the last few decades or so to ensure that at times, they can all gather with the ones they visit for trips. Before it were mostly small, charitable donations from here and there, which left their budget quite scarce, so it is seen as a substantially good thing that some ponies are putting in a more steady flow.

It is also good publicity for the ones who do donate, but if there is one thing you must always keep in mind about the world deary, it is that one way or another, those who carry riches will want something tangible to let go off a portion of their bits. In fortunate cases like this, that leaves only winners."

Scarcity were a donator herself, though her main contribution in her eyes, were the accountants she had on payroll to make sure the finances of the visitors' leadership were in order. Some before that had done some embezzling that were frankly rather vile in her eyes. She might think well of getting a profit, but stealing it from those who had little to begin with were one of those morals lines she didn't enjoy seeing crosses.

A few leaked documents here and there later, they were imprisoned, and thing had become smoother since, making it a rather respectable group once more, as well as a fine way to earn some tax deductions.

Hmhmhm. As Scarcity had said, one way or another, the rich wanted something for their generosity. She were no different in that regard.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Blitz Boom

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@EQ_Theta @Blitz Boom @Storm Shine

In the heat of the moment Lucid forgot that draqonequui probably don't see the severity of situations like a poquus or a pony would. To him, what Anomaly was saying... those were fighting words.

"Now you've crossed the line, ladybug!"

A ring of non-spreading silver fire, 20 feet high surrounded them both. It was a good thing for Anomaly that this silver fire was NOT touching her.

"You don't know what it's like. My parents gave me up, I never had a childhood living in that orphanage. Everyday I would wait and hope someone would come and take me in, but no! Not a single pony wanted me! I only had one friend who grew up with me there and he is dead because of me! Now I have to live with that not for the rest of my life, but for eternity all because of this immortality!"

Lucid then realized the danger he was causing for her. The fire disappeared, and the garden was undamaged. He backed away realizing what he has almost done.

"I'm sorry, I should've never lost my temper like that."

He sat down and looked at the ground. Maybe it was him who was taking things too far. Sure maybe Anomaly was in the wrong too, but did it really give him the right to put anyone in danger like that?

"I just want to go back to the days where I actually was the happy pony I now pretend to be."

[Storm Shine 1,196]

@Lucid_Nightlight @Blitz Boom

Discord followed behind, enjoying the chaos the two were sowing. "There are many reasons for many things, perhaps things may not have turned out the way you would want but you may yet find yourself happy again." He said in a friendly manner, hoping to bring some measure of comfort to Lucid.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Storm Shine

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine

Lucid was still looking at the ground as he replied to Discord's comment.

"Maybe so, but what reason could there be for my parents giving me away and my fr-"

He realized something. The note, his parents, the mysterious pony on the day of his friend's death. It all started to make sense.

"I remember feeling the stuck pulsing with power. That mysterious pony wasn't a pony at all. Could that be the draconequus that created the stick? And the note, it proves that me getting the stick was predetermined. Maybe the creator of the stick was after me, my parents gave me up and hid me in the orphanage and they found me years later, but because I spotted them, they knocked over the stone distract me and get away and my friend happened to be standing there!"

This changed everything. A weight was lifted, he nolonger had to blame himself. There was one thing though, the sticks creator may still be a threat.

"I cannot confirm this for sure, but it is very likely. After this garden, if my parents confirm their reasoning, it will also confirm my suspicion."

There was still something Lucid needed to say to Anomaly.

"Again, I'm sorry for yelling at you and creating silver fire around you. I had no right to do that."

Edited June 6, 2018 by Lucid_Nightlight

[BloodDrops 762]

2 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

"Sphinxes doesn't give anything for free. We might end up having to find a riddle master to be able to cure you in the end."

Which likely meant that she would have to deal with zebra's. Now, Nerzhei didn't have anything against the striped ponies. In fact, she found them to be more interesting than the regular three kinds, and with a history spanning a long time back that made her interested in talking with them. Yet the question weren't so much how she looked on them, as how they looked on her. Dragons and equines had a troubled history together, to put it mildly, and it might make trying to talk to them difficult. Especially since from what she had been able to read about them from the scarce literature she had been able to get hold of, they might be able to do things that would bring even the best unicorns or alicorns to shame, which gave them the upper hand. Or hoof in this situation.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. As for whatever she's planning, I have enough to do dealing with you. Lyriel and the ponies can handle this one.

And speaking of, do not try to eat the entire forest. I have seen what enraged dryad can do, and even if you are protected against vines, I doubt that you could hold your own against everything she is able to throw at you if she believes you to truly be incoming death of her home. Even if not for her, or your own well-being, then restrain yourself for the food sources. If you consume everything, there will be no life to replenish, and that means that you will eventually grow hungry, and unable to return to this place later on when things have stabilized again for a feast. Think of your restraint as an investment that will net you food.

Now then, you speak of a mission? Were it something during that mission that made you like this, or was it something she did before or after sending you off?"

Meanwhile, Lyriel looked with big, confused eyes at the sphinx, and slowed her movements somewhat.

"We called it the Adatzne, but the ponies called it a rainbow river too. Where it leads are forbidden to enter, seen as the holy ground where the fallen Adatzne bow's greatest shards were stored. Those too big to spawn us, and who could not be left unattended, but we know not who put them there. The bow's fall 25 years ago marked our birth, and the At- Dragons, told us that is why the rivers ran with colors. How we had grown as we did."

It was the origin the dryads had told themselves were the cause, as the dragons had told them that the two events happened around the same time, barring a week for the dryads to grow where the small shards had landed. It may well be that something else had caused it, like the temple being breached, the water turning strange, and the longest roots draining it gave birth to the dryads. Yet if that was the case, they did not know of it.

"Have you been to our valley before? Do you know who build this temple? Is... Have you actually talked with the earth mother?"

Confusion were starting to go into reverence. If this sphinx had heard the words of their goddess, and knew of her influence on the valley, could that make the sphinx a messenger of hers? A familiar to her work, who she spoke with? Perhaps even a friend? Great goddess who encompassed them all, what would she do if she were truly in the presence of such a being?

"We never heard her voice directly. Her message comes through the earth she sleeps beneath, and the nature that grows from her will. Emotions ranging far and wide, and a knowledge that when nature flourishes, she keeps gifting the world with her presence. With the bounty of the harvest, upon which all rely.

The earth mother is a nameless being to us, but you think to have known her? The goddess of nature itself? If that is the case, please tell me if our goddess is she bound in chains, or does she rest willingly to provide for the world?"

In truth, the earth mother weren't so much nature itself as a pagan nature spirit of substantial power, and one that relied on belief and praise to be sated and happy, which would in turn make nature flourish. Back in the olden days, most beings had sung her praise, but she had since been forgotten, and grown resentful, until the evergrown had been created. They sung her praises even to this day, even more than the dryads had, and it upheld the balance. If the sphinx had spoken with the earth mother, it had to have been a troubling thing if it were not in the last five hundred years. If it had been after that, and she had found her way into the forgotten halls far beneath the surface, things may have seemed better.

Then again, perhaps the sphinx just knew a fanatic that praised nature and called herself the mother of all trees. There had been a couple of those over the past few centuries before the dryads had grown, and they had all been mad as hatters.

Droppy let out a yawn, "Well let her give you a riddle, then. She won't let me have a riddle" she grumbled to the dragon. She snorted at the remark to not eat everything, it was a had achievement since everything tasted so good anyway. She let out a low groan but agreed "Fine, no eating everything, though a rabbit here or there won't hurt. Unless you expect me to eat dead stuff" she grumbled. 

Droppy frowned and tried to think, "Something to do with water, I can't remember much really. I can try though" she remarked and sat down, this might take awhile. Thinking far back normally did. After a period of time she blinked, "I was carrying a bucket of water and wanted to get somewhere, that Sphinx made me stop and gave me a riddle i got wrong, then I left" she remarked. She frowned, "I lost my bucket of water" she said sadly.

She liked that bucket after all.

 

Sphinx smirked, "Adatzne bow's shards? Sounds like power crystals to me" she remarked, stored energy ready to be released, though that was normally used in powerful sorts of magic. She had kept some nice crystals as decorations in her temple, made it look nicer, not anymore though. Ponies did like to take what wasn't theirs, and those crystals were hard to come by, even by dishonest means. 

The Sphinx smirked as she was asked a question about the temple. "Well obviously I know about that temple and who built it. It was myself, and to answer the next question on who lived in it. Well that was myself. I still don't know how you can consider the valley as yours since it has multiple inhabitants. It's like saying this forest is mine since i'm in it" she remarked. She let out a low hiss at the mention of the earth mother, "Oh yes, I've encountered that troublesome thing" she tilted her head at the tree pony. "Empty promises, but I got my revenge you see"

"Tell you? Why would I do such thing? I can do better, I can show you instead. Oh yes, showing would be much easier. More enlightening as well. You can't argue with what you see in-front of you" she remarked. "You might not like everything you see however, its the same with everything, power corrupts even the purest." she chuckled. She enjoyed tormenting things and preying on the weak. 

The Sphinx paused and let out a loud "RAWR" the leaves around them circled and then they were back, back in her memories of the one with the 'earth mother' Lyriel would find this very interesting after all. The Sphinx smirked "Welcome to my temple, former temple that is, now its a simple ruin. present day, look at this giant pool. This was the source of the water before it was corrupted and tainted by your earth mother. She might have given you life, but at a cost" she remarked with a slice of scorn. She dipped her paw in the black waters and waited for the spell to return her temple to its former self. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sphinx Temple 

The temple slowly grew more lifelike until the giant pool slowly glowed to its former rainbow color. The Sphinx sat down on a golden throne and blinked as a angry green dragon walked in, she let out a purr as she watched the supply of crops being offloaded onto the floor. Though instead of the dragon leaving she approached the Sphinx. She glanced up to the large figure and boldly challenged her. 

"Sphinx, may I have a word?"

"Certainly" came the calm reply. 

"Instead of us proving you a cart load of crops, how about we provide you with a dozen cart loads of crops that we grow each month, I only ask one thing" The dragon asked.

The Sphinx looked pleased, she always enjoyed more food. "Ask away" she remarked. 

"I would like a wish" she told the Sphinx.

The Sphinx frowned, "As long as it doesn't wish me harm, or my temple. it is granted" she replied after a short while. "All you must do is drink from that pool and state your wish, though it comes at a cost" she informed her.

The green dragon nodded and went over to the rainbow pool and drank it. She then stated her wish aloud. "I wish we could grow more crops" she stated. 

The Sphinx nodded and kicked a pillar, one of the large crystals fell from the pillar and onto the floor. "Find a place for this, I warn you not to put it anywhere it can get wet. Least your blessing comes a curse." she stated, watching as the dragon picked up the crystal and left with it. She purred at the thought of more food. 

~~~ 

Another memory of this time a dragon town, though the green dragon was a leader now. There was plenty of crops and bountiful harvests. The Sphinx was also walking up the large street noticing her great work. She paused as she stood in front of the dragon, she tilted her head and looked at her, "I am here for my crops" she remarked, she watched the dragon casually flick her tail before replying.

The green dragon dropped a apple to the floor, in a mocking gesture. "This is all that we dragons have grown this month. The rest were grown for us by the creatures of the forest" she replied levelly. Giving the gem a flick with her tail, piled up behind her throne. "Take it or leave it, next month we might not grow anything at all. Sphinx, thank you for allowing us to change our agreement" she replied. 

The Sphinx frowned, then smiled. "I thank you for the offering, though you will keep in mind of what was agreed" she asked her. She had noticed the sky growing a dark color, filling up with rain clouds.   

The green dragon flicked her tail lazily. "Yes yes, now be on your way. There are important matters needing to be addressed" she snorted. Dismissing the Sphinx rudely. 

The Sphinx picked up the apple and made her way back to her temple. Cross at being outwitted, though it started to rain just as she began eating her apple. 

~~~

The Sphinx showed a final memory. One of the fall, she was sat on her throne watching at the chaos happening outside of her forest. She blinked and stared at the dragon in front of her, giving her a hostile stare for her transgression last time. "No, you are not worthy of another wish." she replied, the conversation seems to be at the end of a argument.

The dragon growled. "The gem has broken, the river and lakes are boiling, with a multicolored aurora. The creatures that help us harvest our crops are fighting among themselves? They are blaming me for not letting them drink from the pool" she stated. 

The Sphinx tilted her head, "Yes? I know, who you think caused this to occur? It might be my magic that caused this but you are the one to blame. It was not me who forced you to drink, it was not me who got the gem wet. It was not me who made these creatures be corrupted by this water" she remarked. "I did warn you, this water is magical, without my permission to drink it you are cursed. Why should it be my mess to clean it up?" she asked her.

The dragon growled, "I didn't want this, I just wanted more crops to eat."

The Sphinx blinked, "So did I. Whos fault was that? Hmmm?" she finished opening her wings and flying out of the roof. Leaving the temple and the land to whatever happened next. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sphinx blinked at Lyriel as they appeared back in the forest. "so where would you think the best place for my home would be?" she asked, not at all bothered by what she had just shown her. 

 

Edited June 6, 2018 by BloodDrops

[Sekel 693]

@Blitz Boom, @Lloyd

KARMIC FATE

“Gah!” Karmic gasped at the tendrils wrapping around her hooves. She fell to the ground with a solid whumph and sighed. “This reminds me of fantasies those ponies who watch Neighponese cartoons have,” She grumbled and tried to kick her way out of the tendrils. When that failed, she gritted her teeth at feeling them tighten around her hooves. She curled up in herself as best she could to try to bite at the tendrils instead.

[Rising Dusk 27,723]

@Blitz Boom

"You'd be surprised how many crimes aren't all that well thought out.  Sure, it probably sounds all perfect in their heads, but well... They get caught."

"Not having as much time to interrogate her as I'd have liked.  I can only guess that the idea was to keep the ponies coming back to the casinos.  I feel the addictive, near insane levels of gambling was a byproduct she didn't account for.  I can't really speak for why she decided to go that route, rather than doing something like protective charms.  Could simply be that her mind was just focused on making more tips, so she tunnel visioned herself."

Rising Dusk shrugged as they rounded the block, getting all the much closer to their destination.  When the conversation shifted a bit back to his unique abilities, and the mention of Center Zero professors that would love to meet him, he couldn't help but stop an image flash through his mind of being stretched out on a table and experimented on.  All in jest... He hoped.  He already had to wiggle his way out of several meetings with an overly curious Princess.  Luckily they were currently limited to the occasional letter every now and then.  Thinking back though, he remembered the brief encounters with Turntable who also displayed an interest in his abilities.  All of which ended up in the meeting of the Boom siblings.

Molotov was about to bring up another section of the conversation before they were finally brought back to the now and their arrival at the fortress workshop.  Snapped out of his own train of thought to see a wiggling Blitz dangling from a net above the door and flood lights making sure anypony in East Side could see her.  It was short lived through before her brother was nice enough to release her.  A net and goo cannon for intruders didn't sound all that dangerous.  As long as the door wasn't burping out gouts of flame or lightning bolts, then as a officer he could feel better about not having to ask for permits.

"Indeed."

Rising Dusk replied simply with a smirk to his comment about kids.  Molotov might be biased though, Blitz being his sister and all.  He dealt with kids mostly at the community events throughout the year, but he never babysat or anything of that nature to get to truly know many.

When the fortress workshop was unlocked, Rising Dusk made sure to keep in the back of his mind the elusive Felicia that lived here as well.  Stepping past the main threshold and taking the cart with their gathered scrapyard treasure inside.

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom @Lucid_Nightlight @Storm Shine

It was one thing to get angry at one's parents for uncertain circumstances, perhaps their reasons were unknown at the time but it is preferably better to hear them out, at least according to Fluttershy. Still, Lucid raising his voice was off-putting despite how legitimate his response is. It is understandable that he had every right to be angry but it is good Discord swayed him from anger for the time being. The last time she heard of such a case of unhinged anger and revenge-seeking, it nearly altered time and reality itself. The fact that she is in the midst of powerful entities that could mess that up like a toy is a terrifying thought. 

"If I could offer a suggestion, Lucid, just don't let your anger cloud your judgement. Staying calm can help you make a more rational decision. I understand you are angry and you have the right to be but don't let it consume you. Be patient when you meet your parents. If you need a neutral party to be a mediator, I can fill in that role."

================================================================================================================

@Blitz Boom

Sen took Tracker's recommendation to look at the fake grass patch though it didn't really seem appealing. Neither does the idea of spending on more bedrolls seem necessary. If needed, Lin could always open a gate to home and pull some bedrolls from their rooms and hop back to wherever they set up camp real quick. Simple and practical use of opening gates without the hassle of weight. If they will eventually need to pull some rations from somewhere, mind as well throw in their bedrolls and other equipment. 

"No need for the sleeping bags. We'll manage without them!"

Sen turned to Rosa and asked, "I suppose this is all we need?"

Back at the shop with Lin, her mood turned a little sullen after hearing what Scarcity had to say on the matter. She couldn't imagine how anyone could leave their parents unable to care for themselves to necessitate an institution designed to care for them instead. It came off as an insult though in some cases, it is understandable. Sure, not all couples or singles would want children; that part is something Lin can get behind. But children unable to care for their own parents, or unwilling... that is a terrible thought. 

"That's terrible! So they help because they stand to gain something? I mean, if there is an agreement to it, I'll understand but helping with an ulterior motive? Is that really how things work around in places like Canterlot? I've never thought that kind of behavior exists! Maybe I've spent so much in time in Ponyville..."

Deep down, Lin hoped it was just an isolated behavoir known to some ponies in Canterlot or some other high society towns. It was disturbing, the idea of riches being more than just a means to exchange goods. In a way, it still sounded like it was a means to a transaction, but why some ponies do it.... That part was equal parts confusing and sad. 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@EQ_Theta @Blitz Boom @Storm Shine

"You may be right, but if my suspicions about that mysterious pony actually being the draconequus who created the stick are true, that means they are still a threat, plus there's the fact that I have a bit of a score to settle."

Looking at the current evidence, the suspicions did seem pretty likely. But there was a problem, a multiverse level of power, maybe higher could be reached in the stick, though the way is unknown, that still means the one who created is multiverse level or higher.

Lucid hasn't even unlocked planet level yet, this was a detail he overlooked. Needless to say, even he did find the draconequus, they'd probably mop the floor with Lucid.

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

@Blitz Boom

"It must be strange having such a small family, I envy you. If my family were smaller I'd have less ponies to hurt. You deserve a family like mine more than I do, I think I've learned I really shouldn't take things for granted."

Victoria's depressive state sounded a little more positive now, and the positive spin she'd put on the end of it, showing that she had learned a lesson was a clear display that she was changing very quickly for the better. Heather really was rubbing off on her cousin.

"You deserve us Vicky, a big family with lots of members to shower you with love is what you need."

The pegasus flapped her wings, lifting herself onto Victoria's back for a very big hug. She seemed to be crushing Victoria with her front hooves a little as she squeezed the mare's neck tight. Vicky didn't mind though she closed her eyes and smiled, accepting the love she required for her recovery.

"Thank you... Heather... I needed this."

She was clearly a little winded, but in a good way.

"I find it interesting how you mention that your brother and uncle are both single, it's clear that love plays a large part in your life which is a nice thing to see in today's youths. Sometimes it feels like the love I shared for Felix back when I first met him isn't around anymore, clearly that's not the case. You know, if things don't work out with this gentleman you want to set Victoria up with maybe you could introduce her to your brother, I think Vicky would appreciate having someone like you as a sister in law so that would be an added bonus."

"Mother... stop... I know how badly you want... grandfoals... but I'll get there... eventually."

Heather let go of Victoria upon the realisation that the girl was struggling to speak as a result of her bear hug. She released her hooves slightly but remained on her cousin's back, still leaning with her head next to Victoria's, nuzzling her slightly. Vicky could now breath and talk again but she appreciated Heather's presence and was glad she hadn't totally let go of her.

"Sorry, was just a thought. I get carried away sometimes."

"You're uncle sounds nice Pop, he sounds adventurous and cool, a bit like Uncle Felix! I'd love to see the two of them meet, could be an interesting experience!"

Heather's ears twitched excitedly as she giggled at the thought of the two ponies going on a cruise together, meeting fearsome creatures and somehow managing to befriend them.

Victoria seemed to have heard what Pop mumbled at the end of her thoughts on starting a family with Benny and she nodded gently.

"I know the feeling, it's natural instinct I guess, it's programmed into us to want to start a family and it's hard to resist those urges sometimes, so much so that we build our goals around them. I suppose having a big family has it's perks, you'll discover them as your family merges with the dragons, and if you do adopt and start a more tight nit family with Benny then you'll have that too. It sounds like you have good prospects for the future, and it's going to be a bright one for you I think. Hopefully mine will be too. And as much as I protested what my mother said I really would be happy to have another sister, especially if she was you."

She couldn't move due to Heather rolling about on top of her but she gave Pop a very warm smile that almost felt as if it were a hug, floating through the air to be received by the sweet mare.

[Blitz Boom 4,627]

@BloodDrops

"An animal here and there is just the natural order. It's when you commit whole-scale eradication on this place that it gets worse."

So it seemed like Nerzhei had managed to stop Droppy from eating the entirety of the forest then. A step in the right direction, even though the dragoness had to put it in terms of a future investment of food to get this done. Not that it was a lie, but it weren't the only reason behind her not wanting this place essentially cleared of all life. Lyriel were the main reason for that, whom Nerzhei knew would be either heartbroken or furious beyond belief that the one place she had decided to protect had become doomed. Much as the dryad were a level-headed being who had come to terms with many things, failing her home were one that stung, and two in a row could end up being too great of a strain on her mind.Something which she doubted would lead into many good directions.

"And in regards to your request, I am not going to take a riddle from the sphinx unless I know for a fact that I have no other options. If I loose, she could end up cursing me too, and take all of my research. Years of hard work gone in the blink of an eye. I can't take that risk unless it is the only option, and we have not examined alternatives yet."

She were about to make a snide remark about the bucket, but she would let that one slide for now. It would just be mockery, instead of something constructive that could lead them to finding a solution, as she had nothing to really say to it otherwise. Losing a bucket of water were a weird thing to have said, and didn't really lead anywhere. That is... Unless the bucket of water had contained the curse in some way, and she dropped it over herself? It could be the alternative to how Droppy were cursed, and the pony hadn't been entirely clear about the situation on how exactly the sphinx had doomed her like this.

"That bucket, were there anything with it, or the water inside of it? Cursed objects can come in many forms, including sites such as lakes. Do you remember if the sphinx poured said water over you before your curse hit, or was it directly a spell cast by her paws?"

Meanwhile, some way from them, Lyriel fell to her knees in silence. Her jaw was slacking from what she had just been shown, and her eyes filled with horror at it meant about her kind, their origin, as well as their downfall. Something which she would have not believed had it been only in words, but seeing it, knowing the Sphinx had a great deal of power, and how it explained a great deal where she only had guesswork... She could not deny the truth.

"The Messenger... Had us made, just to fool another out of food..."

The dragon she had seen were not the earth mother that she had spoken of before, but she knew well who she were regardless. All of the dryads had, though her name had never been spoken by any of them. To their kind, she were simply The Messenger, sent by the earthen mother to help them live peacefully with the dragons that she represented.

She had been the one who had told them how they came to be, and guided them in what to grow to make every living being in the valley happier, up until the waters began to transform those who drank it into trees, and forced the dragons to go to the mountains around the valley to live. Places that the dryads had long supported with lumber from rapidly growing trees, who they still tended to, and the dragons still harvested in abundance from the place, even as the valley itself became impossible to live in. Repairing the trees taken was the one thing her crazed siblings would still do, even if the trees they rose were twisted and pained, yet now it seemed it had all been because of a lie.

"She told us that the earth mother wished for us to sing her praises, and tend to the lands of those who needed a bountiful harvest. We thought we were brought forth for that purpose... That the earth mother truly had been our maker... But it was you. You are the reason we exist..."

Lyriel turned her head and looked up upon the sphinx with reverence, fear and confusion roaming in her tear-filled eyes. A child seeking answers in a world that didn't make sense to her anymore, and looking at the only one who she had to believe could guide her.

"Great creator, forgive my insolence, and the heresy done by my siblings. Your name be praised, and your glory eternal."

The sound of wind flowing through a field of fresh grass flowed out of Lyriel's muzzle next, as she followed her praise to the sphinx with a prayer to the earth mother. It was hard to translate this kind of speech, and it lost a good deal in translation, but it roughly spoke about letting the crowns upon the sphinx's trunk grow mighty and strong towards the sun, so that she may gain the greatest of nutrient from it's light.  It didn't make much sense in this contest, but it were all she could think about with her head bowed in reverence before the sphinx.

"Your temple grounds is near, creator. Please, allow me to direct you there promptly, so that you may be grown a home befit of your stature."

Lyriel would slowly get back on her hooves, and move to the left. She were visibly shaking and distraught, though she knew now where she needed to go. Not the rocky grounds she had still been working on finding some creature to inhabit, but the point where she had decided to have her own, small home before this. Surely it would not be worthy enough of the sphinx, but she would do what she were capable of, to try and please the creator as best she could.

===================================================================================================================

 

@Rising Dusk

Keeping Felicia in mind might end up being a smart move in the long run for Rising,

As they entered, dangling from the ceiling a few meters from the door, were one of the metal plates that usually were further inside, stuck on a line of what looked like thick spider web, that also went down on the plate itself, spelling out in crude letters:

"Keep the interloper"

Above them, several glassy eyes stared down at them, as the large, metallic spider silently returned to her place above the entrance, ignoring the sounds of her annoying creator and his bratty sister.

One of those sounds were Molotov letting a drawn-out whistle escape his muzzle as he glanced over the message from Felicia, and looked back at Rising with a somewhat torn look on his face.

On one hoof, he were thrilled to see something evolve with Felecia, yet on the other hoof, this were a pretty ambiguous move from the spiderbot, and he weren't exactly sure how to interpret this. Was it a warning? A welcome? There were clearly a meaning behind it, yet it weren't overly clear currently. Perhaps he should keep her off switch ready just in case?

No wait, she stole that after a week, and he hadn't seen it since. Hmmm... Perhaps some kind of cattle prod? Shouldn't be hard to whip one up, though depending on things, he could just grab something else that could give a jolt of electricity. All things considered, that wasn't exactly a small list of things, so they'd have the chance if something happened.

"Alright, I honestly didn't expect this to happen. Fairly certain it's aimed at you Dusky, though if she's welcoming you or not I'm not sure. Frankly I'm more surprised that she can write. I didn't put that into her programming, or the ability to read for that matter. She must've taught herself that somehow.

Sucks that she doesn't let me anywhere near her anymore. I would've loved to figure out how she's doing this, or why for that matter. Either way, it could be fascinating.

Since we can't do anything about that though, let's get the metal set down up the side of the wall near the forge. And no worries Blitz, I didn't forget you."

Molotov floated the assorted crate Blitz had picked together over to her workbench, where she'd quickly lose interest in the spider business and get to work tinkering with the new stuff, as well as some of the other things she had spread around, to see if she could combine them in any way, or get some ideas.

"Heh, silly little thing... Anyway, creepy message aside, what's the plans now, Dusky? Want to see a few schematics and then head home to get some rest? The workshop is likely to still be standing by tomorrow if you need some shut-eye."

===================================================================================================

 

@Victoria Sponge

Pop were going over to assure Victoria that it wasn't true what she said, and that she deserved every family member she had, and then some. However, Heather intercepted her cousin before that, leaving Pop to just look on as the situation got less gloomy.

She could have said something after that, but perhaps it was best not to pick at that. Fighting over who deserved the bigger family were weird, and would perhaps just bring Victoria down if the subject stayed there. Pop wasn't sure if it was the right decision, yet for the time being, she'd just let this be. It seemed better that way from her perspective, so instead she started by addressing Lemon, who had brought up another potential lover for her daughter.

"I'll try and keep it in mind, but my brother is... Kinda messy. He's a bartender and tends to smell quite a lot of sweat and assorted drinks when he gets home, and doesn't shower before bed, among other things. He could be trained to be as tidy as he is at work, but I didn't think he was the best first option for Victoria.

Snip Snap is tidy in everything he does, and impeccably clean. Even if your daughter have opened up and changed quite a bit today, I still think that a neat stallion with a big heart would be better for her.

If it doesn't go, I'll try and whip my brother into shape though. I care deeply for him, but Celestia knows he could use a wake-up call at some point."

Pop loved her brother, as much as they sometimes got on each others nerves, but he just wasn't the kind of stallion that she could see Victoria with, unless he changed himself. Something she knew he'd do for a mare - as evident by past experience - but this might be too big of a challenge for him.

They'd see though. She had high hopes for Snip Snap and Victoria, but as she had just told Lemon, she'd keep this backup plan in mind, in case it was needed. Better safe than sorry after all.

"As for my uncle, I could ask him if he'd like to meet up at some point, and we could try and lure them both into something. He'd love having somepony that knows their way around an adventure to show him how it's really done, or tell him some stories. He's a sucker for a good tale, and could add a few of his own."

Pop tried to imagine the how her uncle would react on meeting an actual adventurer, and the only answer that really sprung to mind included a keg, some mugs and a lot of laughter. That, and the two of them frantically trying to get away from a sea serpent. He'd have a blast either way. Heather's father though... Well, it depended on his alcohol tolerance she supposed.

It went and became a little embarrassing after that, as she sort of had to cover the response to what she said at the end before too, though that had really been meant more as a private thing, not meant to get out. The cousins messing around made it a bit less tense in the situation, since it deflated things a little, yet for Celestia knew how many times, Pop ended up with rosy cheeks again.

"Thank you Victoria. I'd be happy to have a sister in law like you too, but we'll see how it goes before... You know, my brother and all.

As for the mingling of mine and Benny's relatives, I think it's gonna be a little rocky, but family is important to me, and the longer I've known Benny, the more I know that he thinks the same, and will be great with kids. We'll get through it and be blessed with a large, wonderful family too. It's just a matter of timing, you know? We should be married first, and I'm still waiting for him to be ready, though I hope it won't be much longer."

As mentioned some hours earlier, Pop didn't wait because she were too much of a traditional mare - she were dating a dragon after all - and waited mainly because she wanted Benny to be ready firat. She were certain it wouldn't be much longer, after how she had seen his eyes get drawn to bridal stores when they passed them, but there would still be a wait she had to go through.

"Mind if I ask you something actually, Victoria? What sort of thing do you look for in a stallion? I mean, I have made some assumptions, but I never think I actually asked you. Not directly anyway."

===================================

 

@EQ_Theta

"I won't be needing a tent or sleeping bag, so yes, I believe we're done. As soon as he is done finding everything."

Rosa followed Tracker with his eyes, as the greying stallion hummed around and got the things ready.

It would only be a few minutes, as the shopkeeper knew where everything were, and when he were done, he'd wave them up to the counter.

"Alright, got everything set then. Have a look and see if they're up to par."

Everything was spread on the counter, in front of the box it had been in before, to give a proper look at what the two of them were about to buy.

The two flashlights were predictably headlights with an adjustable belt on each. Ponies not having hands, didn't lend themselves to preferring regular flashlights that often, and they would fit a longma in Tracker's opinion, judging by the head shape of Sen. Comfortably? No idea. Sen would have to try to tell.

The water canteens were simple, faux-leather style things with a strap, the rope solid and rolled up nicely, and the first aid kit seemed to have the essentials in case of field injuries.

To Rosa, this looked fine, but he'd see what Sen said. Him and Lin were going to use these things more than the spy, so it were up to the longma's judgement.

Meanwhile in the antique store, Scarcity chuckled a little for herself as she saw Lin's reaction. A moral one this longma seemed to be, albeit terribly delusional. They'd have to address that at some point, though for now, Scarcity would humor this inquiry and respond to what had been presented.

"Not in all of Canterlot dearie, but when it comes to those who possess great wealth, remember that they are rich for a reason. Of those, some are willing to help others, yet a thought of how it can benefit them too will most commonly be present.

Some still help regardless, such as the volunteers I mentioned, but others need a little push. To that end, some agreements are at times made, or it becomes a good gesture of such a significance that the donor will earn themselves a lot of positive reputation. Such a thing can carry a long way when it comes to making connections and in interesting the public in you, as well as what you potentially sell.

There are more layers in it, yet this is the gist of things. A mutually benefiting agreement, leading to everypony involved being satisfied.

Of course, there are also the nobles - excluding the princesses of course - that simply horde, and would rather let others starve than give back to the kingdom, but those are detestable outliers and should ignored if possible.

Now then, you speak of Ponyville? A small place with little riches directing ponies, and as such, less layers of pleasantries required, yes? Do tell me of your impressions of the place."

As her sister lived there, Scarcity had a minor fascination at times with the opinion on others when it came to Ponyville. She hid it easily by claiming her fascination to be with the princess, but things weren't as simple as that.

Shame she couldn't simply be honest about that  but there were several less intelligent beings who'd think they could use Long Stare to get to Scarcity, and it was so infuriatingly annoying to have to deal with that, as well as crushing the world around whoever had dared crossing that line. Honestly, it were far simpler to keep the cards close.

=====================================

 

@EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight

Anomaly didn't respond to much right off the bat, as she had dug herself down the second the silvery firewalls had come up around her. Fire was bad, silver was worse, and silver on fire? Meep! Bad news all around, and since up weren't a way out, down she went and hid.

The words of what went on at the surface filtered mostly through to her down in the dirt, but she didn't show her face until she were positive that it wasn't all a rouse, meant to get her up again.

Eventually she'd breach the surface again, but she let a layer of dirt stay on her, just in case. Lucid might be in some kind of predator mode right now, so best be safe and more non-flammable.

"Jeez, sorry. Didn't know you'd go all up in a tip over that sorta thing.

Don't get why. Everypony comes and goes. That's just how nature goes for regular folks, yet everypony's all upset over that apparently, and can't see it all for the game it is. You folks confuse me. Like, a lot."

To Anomaly, there wasn't really a point in getting glum over things, since that was just another thing to try. Pain, abandonment, love, you name it. Emotions were just tiny things on the large scene that were life. A scene happened, you might weep a bit, then Bam! On to the next.

It left her with a rather poor understanding of other's feelings, especially when it came to long term loss or other things far in the past. To her, they should've just gone past it, and move on to what was next. No point in dwindling on old stuff like that.

"Meh, your headache. I don't wanna carry grudges and bad memories. Just no more silver fire! That stuff's crazy scary."

The talk between the others were mostly about Lucid's parents and Fluttershy helping there, which sounded boring, so Anomaly snapped her tail a few times to make the garden bloom more with colorful flowers and bushes, before turning to Discord.

"Hey  I wanna ask you something. How come you're all zen like? I thought you'd be kinda weird, being the lord of chaos and all. Is it the reformed thing?"

Edited June 7, 2018 by Blitz Boom