open Casual stroll

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @Dji @BloodDrops @Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich

"You know how Fluttershy can understand exactly what animals are saying? It's basically similar to that, but my ability is because that stick I got came with knowlege of language, certaim things about the universe, and even the multiverse."

He picked up the lizard.

"So because of that chaotic power, I can understand this little guy. Unfortunately he has a bit of a swearing problem."

Edited August 6, 2018 by Lucid_Nightlight

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@Blitz Boom

The silence would surely be a relief for a pony who'd been trapped in the head of others for years, until Sapphire realized something she could've done for a while now. With only a little bit of illusion magic. "Sister?" It'd sound ethereal, surrounding Emerald with the sound, sounding like Sapphire as it was Sapphire speaking. "I have realized, I could speak using an auditory illusion spell." She chuckled, but only coming out eery with how the element emitted the sound. "What would you need from me?"

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@Blitz Boom

Astral turned around, her face distraught, and a little irritated,barely haven walked that far. "I'm right here, just ask me. Wouldn't really mind if you walked with me if you felt like it." After saying that, it occurred to her, as much as she did crush on chow once before, they never really spoke to each other that often, outside of a fight. Can't really call that a blossoming relationship, though, and she wasn't even old en- wait...  'My birthday is next week...' She thought, and sighed to herself. "If you want to follow, chose now." She turned around, and resumed walking again.

Misty turned close to Chow. "She needs the company, especially yours." She whispered, smiling a little. The odd part of her shipping these two would be jumping in place right now.

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@Blitz Boom

He entered, looking to the general, landing his view onto Hailstorm. "Ah, I was sent to find you Hailstorm, so Hogweed can know what info you uncovered on the prisoner." He said, nearly forgetting the very reason he came here mid way through his sentence, but luckily he recalled it. General Wing looked to the guard, glancing to the others, although then deciding to wait to see if Hailstorm would respond before doing so himself.

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@Blitz Boom

Crystal looked to the miniature, deciding to take it, figuring there wasn't much reason not to. Placing the miniature into her saddle bag. "It's been nice talking to you, and thanks for this thing, whatever it does." She chuckled to herself as she went off, walking to the boutique she heard so much about.
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@Dji

His walking paused, the pharmacy was now in sight yet he paused walking, turning back to her as she finished rambling. "I suppose rambling involves asking who you are interested in, then?" He looked to her, a odd smirk as his expression. "Although I suppose I am too obvious with my glances, so yes, I am. She doesn't know." He chuckled, barely caring she figured that out, although while it had a place in his plan, it wasn't a big piece of it for it to tear it down for just one pony to figure it out. 

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom

"Safe travels, you two," Lin called out to the griffons, bidding them farewell. 

Same information, eyes and ears aren't going to be reliable in there, but what else is left for them to do? No other options but to go through. Lin sat by the river as Sen did, torn with what they've learned and what it could mean for them. Bad enough to piece together something from the past with information that gave his old memories a name, but now a swamp that could make him possibly relive that? The siblings thought they were making progress; now it seems they are taking a step backwards. 

"Sen, it's going to be tough to get through that swamp, but I need you to-"

"I know. It's just I hate the idea of reliving that night. Seeing them in nightmares is one thing, but to know something out there could toy with those memories... I don't know if I could ever move on from it. If those Will-o-wisps could do something like that, I'd be holding everyone back."

All true, even Lin conceded that there was something holding her back from fully accepting their own past. She sees a bit of herself in Sen's position, but he was closer to their parents. She understood it, even if she didn't like seeing him moping about it. She wouldn't know how to deal with that if she ever came face-to-face with it. Rummaging around her pack, Lin pulled some cloth and folded it into a bandanna before placing it onto her brother's head. 

"This should help. Some rope to tie around our torsos and moss to cover our ears, we should be prepared. Unless I'm missing anything. Rosa? Is there anything we could do to prepare?"

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@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight @Dji @BloodDrops @Seamore Sandwich @Moonlit

Fluttershy caught up to the rest, though it seemed like the temporary diversion is leading to something much bigger. Having some animal companions eased her worries, but this Sphinx... another adventure and still unsure what her role in it would be. Always a little passive unless she played her role, and even the pegasus doesn't know. It was somewhat comforting to have a few powerful magic wielders now, a plus in her mind. 

For now, she caught up with Anomaly and Lucid, still unsure how things will turn out. 

"I just had to stay back and grab Angel. Did I miss anything important?"

Edited August 7, 2018 by EQ_Theta

[Rising Dusk 27,760]

@Blitz Boom

Nodding as he got Molotov on board with wanting to give this cage another shot with just a few minor changes to the design.  He figured getting Molotov on board would really be all that hard though, the other stallion did seem pretty excited in the work.  Rising's ear flicked as he also heard the piece of metal clang to the ground, but he was all too focused on the new circle he was designing for round two.  Letting Molotov and Felicia go off to work on their own parts of the project, but Molotov came over instead to inspect Rising's work.  Not that it bothered him in the least, multi tasking was pretty easy for the detective.  And it was only fair, as Dusk looked in on Molotov's work and blue prints.

The chalk zipped around, drawing complex designs that ultimately looked like several sigils mashed together into as much harmony as Dusk could manage.  He had to be careful though, magic circles can be rather easy to mess up and all it took was one line out of place to cause the whole thing to collapse.  Manehattan's resident 'Spell Breaker' knew that all two well.  The trick was knowing how to take down a magic circle without it exploding in one's face... or leveling a city block.

"A blueprint could be rather accurate to think about it."

He agreed, but just like how Molotov did in explaining those engineering blueprints, he'll keep it simple.

"Magic circles are for more focused spells.  Magic used by your horn is more akin to doing a sketch.  It's quick and dirty, but you get the message across.  The lines in a magic circle serve as channels.  Guiding the magic into the right 'shape' and 'order' to perform more powerful, longer lasting spells."

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@Rising Dusk

Molotov looked and listened with great fascination to what he was told about these magic circles, and how they worked to focus magic better than a horn could hope to do.

"I think I'm starting to get it. You're working like an engineer sorta. Electricity in itself is powerful, but adding cables and funneling it through to an object better suited for it makes it far more refined and gives the possibility of endless options. It seems to be kind of like the same with your runes. You funnel magic through 'em, to refine and make them possible to work on. Before that you work on your frame, add some gears - or in your case, symbols - and your creation is ready to work. Just needs the power funneled through to power it up.

Hah! And here I thought we were pretty different in our specialty, but we're just two different kinds of inventors. Magic or electricity, metal or runes, it's not far off being the same, even if the results aren't.

Right, now I'm fired up. I'll go and get suited up, then get to work on this. Can't go delivering sub-par work to a colleague."

Molotov would wander off quickly, so he could get everything he needed to be ready for this, and really get into the thick of things. Especially his goggle would be great, so he could make sure to really focus on the minuscule details without missing anything.

Felicia just kept finding new materials while this went on, not caring for talking at this point, though Carmen did skitter over closer to Dusky and began checking out what he was working on with interest. Her mind couldn't fathom all of this, as she were a pretty basic AI with less software development than Felicia, but she could still store things in her memory, and if her creator thought this was good, she wanted to know more.

The creator in question were back within five minutes, suited up and went straight for the forge where he'd get to work hammering away at the metal provided with great enthusiasm, and an almost maniacal look on his face. Even if it weren't exactly the truth, the way he now looked at this collaboration had put a fire under him (not literally) and a will to really get into this, and crush forward, instead of cautiously trying a few minor steps. It would shave off some time, so it wasn't as if there was anything to complain about either, though it were still going to take some time, and about a dozen different tools floating around at any given time when the metal he were working on cooled down enough for him to work further on it, and weld certain things together. It would be stronger than simple screws, and should have the additions added in the corner more efficiently - in theory - funnel power, without rattling around or get loose.

Molotov would likely want to get some sketches of what Dusky made later, to try and see if he could learn to fathom more of the officers work, but Carmen could help with that. He'd noticed her look at Dusky in the work, and she'd be able to help him recreate it when there was more calm to things, even if it would take some time. She wasn't all that good at writing, though they had made some small progress the times when he had been bored and wanted to see what she was able to learn. Her issue were mostly that not all words came out as they were heard, but instead as others that meant the samee, so when he tried to make her write *One coffee please* she instead wrote down *Number drink beg.*. Not the greatest success, but considering her first written word had been an expletive she heard in town a few weeks ago, he'd take misplaced words in a hoofwriting that could rival a doctor, over having to explain to someone why his assistant had insulted them.

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@EQ_Theta

Rosa thought long and hard, as the conversation went on between the two siblings. The fact of the matter were that they needed to get through the swamp, but there were certain challenges to that. If Lin could follow his track, instead of having to be a place herself first, he could have simply just flown over and she could get the other two to him, but as that were not an option, they had to look at the other ways, which did involve travel through the swamp itself. A place it was likely bad to place these portals, as Lin might get disoriented, which could work badly for them. Plus, there were no way to know how the spirits in there would react to the portals. It might cause them to go completely insane.

So Lin would have to go through, and seeing as Rosa considered himself to be level-headed enough to stay on the path, he'd have to follow. Which brought them on to Sen... Somepony who seemed to be the focus on Lin's worry, as apparently, he had a lot of skeletons in the closet that could come out to haunt him. Even deafened, it could be an issue, and if he were blinded... It were workable, but there were another solution that seemed safer, though he wasn't sure if the two would agree on it.

"...There is one thing, but the two of you will need to think of it as we walk there.

The swamps inhabitants will assault us as we're in there, and personal demons will end up coming out to haunt you, if they think it will make you stray. That makes anypony who have a lot to work with a risk, and we'd need to consider an alternative.

I need to go through the swamp, as my personal demons are things that would make me bow my head in shame, not wander into the fog, and I have training in stressed situations. Lin is also required, as her gates are important for by-passing this place later, and she will need to be in an area before she can travel there. Sen, you are... Non-essential, in a sense."

Rosa knew well that his words weren't likely to be taken kindly, but he didn't know how to phrase it better without making his point somewhat hard to follow.

"What I mean is that there is no reason to try you with what rummages in there. You could wait in safe distance from the swamp, and when we have passed, Lin could transport you through a gate. There would be no reason for you to face something which sounds like it's grinding you down, nor cause Lin worry about your safety.

As I said, you two will need to decide on this, but I would personally advice that Sen waited. The less that wanders through the easier it would likely be to keep check on everypony. The only other alternative would be to muffle your ears and your eyes alike, and guide you through that way, but it carries risks in itself, Sen."

Rosa began to move to the side, following the riverbank to the most direct way towards the dreaded swamp. The two siblings would need to decide on this themselves more than him, though his input would likely remain the same: That it would be safer if Sen were to wait, and they wouldn't have to take risks. It would make them worry about his safety, and if he would run after them perhaps, but what then if he were there, and the Will-O'-The-Wisps lured him away by playing on his emotions, or false promises? Logically, to Rosa at least, the way were to keep the male longma behind when they neared the forest, and just use the rope they had gotten for Lin and himself.

But again, he didn't know the full story, and what demons Sen might be wrestling with. It might not be so bad as he expected, or it could be far worse. Only those two would know, and that was one of the reasons why it were up to them to decide in the end, what they ended up doing here. Rosa had given his suggestion.

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@FanOfManyShows

Emerald chuckled at the question. Her sister had always been the more ambitious of the two, and the most knowledgeable. To be the one in the front seat now, doing things that Sapphire didn't know of, gave her some degree of satisfaction, as she set a small, magical fire under the cauldron and opened the old cabinet of ingredients. Usually something which should have perished long ago, but this place had been sealed well, and their ingredients were varying degrees of easy to keep efficient, even when held for long. A few lizard feet that hadn't been pickled seemed to have turned to dust, but she didn't need those really, so no worries for the time being.

"Patience sister, patience. Remember all the times you said that to me?"

A foul-smelling, green liquid were the first to hit the bottom of the cauldron, where it would slowly start to swirl. A meager amount, but they wouldn't need much. A pint at most should do the trick.

"Tell me Sapphire, what do you remember of this place? I sealed it off not long before I came for you. Couldn't stand looking at it for too long at a time though, so it weren't often I stayed here. Reminded me of your... Departure."

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@FanOfManyShows

"Thank shorty. I owe ya."

Chow rose a hoof to ruffle Misty's mane, then recalled their little interaction last time he had done so, and put it down again, resorting him to give her a somewhat awkward grin instead. How he missed the simple times where just ruffling some head feathers would be the way to go, even if it sometimes included being bitten or pecked for the action.

He quickly turned around after that, and wandered over to Astral with some degree of speed to his step, until he could walk to her right.

"Hi. Uhm... Sorry 'bout that. I know I must've looked like a right tool for asking Misty like that instead of just getting a hold of myself."

Ah, awkward talks. One of the many *joys* in being 'round ponies and messing up things with them constantly.

(internal dialogue)"Honestly, I just wasn't sure and I panicked. Been living 'round ponies for years now, but I still don't get how to interact with anypony. Emotions, subtlety, all that sorta thing, it's foreign to me, and while I can sometimes just brush it off, you're not just somepony, Astral. I care 'bout you, so I try. Sorry for coming off like a right fool doing that."

The talk went through his head a few times, but it didn't sound any less idiotic the more he thought about it. Well, all or nothing he supposed, here it went...

"H...So how're you doing?"

Oh great. Went from a sentence that sounded moronic, but was at least heartfelt, to something so cliche and stupid that he frankly wanted to kick himself for it. Nice work there Chow, you did it again. Coming off like a chicken who had smacked it's head too many times into the stable door, instead of having the guts to just blurt out the sappy, clumsy stuff. Great start...

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@FanOfManyShows

"Unsettling things, soldier."

Hailstorm wanted to remind the stallion here that to him, it were Captain Hailstorm, but there were more important things going on right now, so he would let this one slide. For now.

"We will need to think on what to do from here. Could you-"

"Tell the prisoner that his trial will commence at sunrise."

Dew looked towards Screecher, who usually were not one to interrupt him when he was saying something unless she found it important.

"Screecher? What is your reasoning for that?"

"The guards need to see that the one who hurt them have been caught, and will be judged. Whatever said judgement will end up being, it will give them peace to see the trial. At sunrise will give us enough time to get the inauguration completed first, so General Wing can proceed over his first trial with proper rank. We still have guards who doesn't know his new responsibility in Canterlot."

"I see your point, yet it is still early. We know not even about the ambassadors condition yet."

"Much as I like him, his current condition isn't important. He were attacked, and that will be the crime added to the myriad of others. His condition is stable, so it can't be a murder charge regardless.

So tonight, we will have the guards we can gathered, General Wing will properly be given his new title, and the courtroom can be prepared through the night. It will give time for the princesses to perhaps return, Sapphire Star to be brought in, and Chariot's defense to be established."

Dew sighed at that last point. He knew where this was going sadly, and had the second that the guard had come in and told them who were looking for Hailstorm.

"Lieutenant Hogweed will likely be defending his right to prove himself, yes. Always a mare to help others, if they deserve so or not."

"She were the only one readily available, Adviser Dew."

"It's for the better. Considering the attack, I doubt volunteers would be lined up. Regardless, General Wing? Do you have any interjections to the proposed plan?"

Screecher would assume that Wing would want his title properly sooner, rather than later, so his new authority could be recognized, but his opinion mattered, so she would wait and see what he said. If he had a counter point, he had every right to let it be heard, and they could discuss it from there. If not, they could get to work.

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

 

@FanOfManyShows

The miniature wouldn't really do much, but it was sturdy and made for an acceptable head-rest. She may find some usage for it, though Enzo mostly cared that it were a won prize, and that he didn't want to see it cast aside. Whatever usage it might have for the pony, he would hope that she found.

Laying his head down again, he glanced once more at the ponies who stared at him with wonder and/or fear, though none of them stepped forward yet. How disappointing...

Letting out a sigh that made a nearby foal stumble a little in his tracks, Enzo slowly began to close his eyes, aiming to see if perhaps he could take a small nap. It seemed as if he were little more than forgotten and set as a tourist attraction now, with the one who wished to speak with him moving along. What was the point in staying awake for that? At least sleeping, he'd pass some time, and the grass on the lawn were better than the slab of stone he had for the past three centuries.

It were still no large pillow of course... Stupid pony generals... ZzZzZz"

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@Lucid_Nightlight @Seamore Sandwich @Moonlit @Dji @Storm Shine @BloodDrops @EQ_Theta

"Nah, I'm just inviting Princess Magicbutt to come on a fun adventure after this. All pent up and boring she is, hehe."

Anomly took another chomp out of the bush that had engulfed her - after she ran into it - and chewed that down whilst looking at Fluttershy, and her weird little rabbit. Looked like one of them small trouble makers, though Angel should have horns. Wolpertiners were just more interesting. Especially the violent ones with the sharp teeth. Fun little monsters.

"And you're speaking nonsense Lucid. I can understand animals all fine and easy, but Pringle doesn't talk. It's just silence and you talking. Bet you're the one with the potty-mouth and the lizard just likes to be a little, scaly jerk."

She pulled her tongue on Pringle, which gave him the option to bite it, if he was quick about it. Not a thought she had considered when she did this, as much as just showing her displeasure against this one, particular animal. Not a friendly little thing.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @BloodDrops @Moonlit @Dji @Seamore Sandwich

"Of course he talks, you are just deaf an-"

He looked over to Pringle.

"Wait, it's telepathy and I'm stupid for not realizing that?"

Pringle stared blankly directly at Lucid.

"And Novia gave you telepathy abilities without me knowing?"

It made sense, it sounded exactly like something Novia would do. The lizard was looking at Anomaly, so Lucid tried reading the lizard's mind trying to see what was going on. It seemed like Pringle was trying to say something to her.

"Pringle, quit swearing at Anomaly. Just because she called you a scaly jerk doesn't me-"

Lucid's eyes widened.

"Where'd you even learn that one!? I didn't even know that word even existed!"

Pringle's ability to communicate is confirmed, but his *colorful vocabulary* is a still a problem.

"Anomaly, you didn't teach him any new words did you?"

Edited August 8, 2018 by Lucid_Nightlight

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom 

Rosa's suggestion was a sensible one. With Sen pretty much fearing everything that could go wrong and holding the rest of the group back, it is a no-brainer. Better to have him stay behind and wait until the Rosa and Lin were through. Lin knew this and they didn't need to converse to agree to the suggestion. Then again, what Sen feared in there could possibly get to Lin as well. Deep down, she knew she was posing as big of a liability as her brother, and she wasn't too keen on expressing that. It wouldn't matter anyway, as she was the only one among them who could go back for Sen, should she need to pull everyone back. Hopefully it wouldn't have to end that way. 

"Alright, Rosa, we'll go with your suggestion," Lin calmly said as she prepared to wash up on the riverbank. 

"I'm too big of a risk to bring along. At least with sister crossing the swamp, she'll be able to get a gate open and bypass the swamp for me to safely move past it."

There was also the what ifs... The plan was sound, but there was also the possibility of it going south. It would be folly for Sen to go in when something happened to both Rosa and Lin.

"One question. Do we have a back-up plan? What happens if things don't go right?"

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@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight @Dji @Moonlit @BloodDrops @Seamore Sandwich

"I should introduce you both to Pinkie Pie and her pet alligator Gummy. Pinkie has lots of conversations with him! Sometimes I don't even know how she understands him, what with Gummy always looking like he's staring into space. Maybe you can ask her how she does it, Lucid."

Then again, what would Fluttershy know? Gummy might not really be saying anything, or maybe he is but even she can't understand it. Pinkie Pie knows Gummy better but all that strangeness might just be part of the package. It's hard to know how the two are compatible with a silent baby alligator and a loud earth pony. 

Edited August 9, 2018 by EQ_Theta

[Victoria Sponge 1,017]

@Blitz Boom

(sorry for not posting for so long )

Victoria laughed at the back and forth between pony and dragon.

"Silly Benny, adjusting to the pony world must be such a bother. As for the cake names, it's just the company we attract, Strawberry and Sprinkles aren't even related to us, but they fit right in."

Battenberg looked eagerly towards the door, she always enjoyed her family visits and couldn't wait to get going.

"Seems like they're happy how they are Vicky, if everyone is ready we should get going. I don't want to be late."

She stood patiently, smiling at them after saying this, it clearly wasn't a bother to her that they weren't in as much of a hurry as she was but if she could get them to start moving in a polite and calm manner she'd be happy.

"Yes, let's make a move."

Victoria nodded in agreement with her sister and mother and began leading everyone towards the door.

"You should probably know in advance what all of them look like, just so you know. Strawberry looks like her daughter but she's got a beautiful pink coat and strawberry flavoured sprinkles in her mane, as opposed to Cupcake's rainbow sprinkles. Aunty Raspberry looks a little like mum but her mane is a lot longer and curlier, more like Red's, she's probably best identified by the pink streaks in her hair."

Battenberg quickly interrupted with another point.

"Or by the fact that she'll probably be in the air, just like Sprinkles she loves flying and doing tricks and the like."

"Yes, that's an easy way to identify her too. Now if you'll let me continue, the last pony you need to know is Sky Scraper, Cupcake's special somepony... He's the one with the beard."

She giggled, Sky was probably the only pony she knew with a beard, that and him being the only male at this gathering would make it very easy to pick him out.

"It's just them and Cupcake, who you already know, so you should be able to tell who is who now. Maybe dad will show up, I'm not sure."

"He's probably off adventuring so don't get your hopes up sweetie."

 

[Rising Dusk 27,760]

@Blitz Boom

Molotov wasn't that far off when it was broken down to its basic form.  Everything started small.  A screw, a bolt, a gear, basic magical energy, spell foundations, it all started somewhere to be built upon, improved, focused and made better for it.  Engineering and magic were only different in approach, but the end goal usually became the same.  Improving the lives of the user and the ponies around them, for better or for worse.  It all came down to just a different language.  When put together though, amazing things can happen.  Some times terrible things, but amazing nonetheless.

"Pretty much the best way to look at it.  Every spell has a blueprint, just like every machine does.  And just as many ponies use machines on a daily basis without knowing the blueprints, many unicorns use the most basic of spells without knowing it can be written out this way."

Only unicorns that were lucky enough to attend Magic Schools or with enough ambition to study such advanced things on their own, knew these more advanced lessons in the use of magic.  Dusk didn't attend a Magic School or really have to study all that much, thanks to how his memory works, but his advantage came from his advanced sense of magic.

It didn't take that much longer after Molotov left to get his gear that Dusk had finished the new version of the magic circle.  It hardly looked the same as the first attempt, well by just looking at it anyways.  Somepony with more experience could see the similarities.  Dusk had 'bent' the sigils to make them fit better and interact more safely with the other sigils around it.  Sort of like bending a pipe in a different direction to put the flow of water somewhere else.  It was the same pipe in the end.  Finally he noticed that Carmen had wandered over to watch what he was doing.  Wondering if AI could understand magic.  Having just recently learned about AI, he wasn't quite sure and the thought was rather interesting.  

When Molotov finally returned to get to work on making another cage, Dusk moved away from the circle, sliding the chalk back into his hoodie pouch before extinguishing his horn.  Making his way over to the laundry room.

"I'm going to go check on Blitz."

[Sekel 694]

@Blitz Boom, @FanOfManyShows

KARMIC FATE

“Thank goodness,” Karmic sighed in relief when Chow turned away from her. She sat down near his group and inspected her hooves for a bit. One blink and they looked like they were beginning to form holes on her leg and yet another blink later; they vanished as suddenly as they appeared. “What are you doing to me, Atzy?” She groaned out loud, finally figuring out where her apparent hallucinations came from.

“Isn’t it obvious, sweet Fate?” Atzy questioned Karmic in a smooth voice. ‘If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were a changeling.’

“What!?” Karmic shrieked in terror to the sound of Atzy’s cackle bouncing around her brain.

@FanOfManyShows

WATTS MECHANO

“Kinda? I just notice things and blurt out a question relating to the thing I noticed. My brain’s filter from thought to mouth dissolves with new ponies that are not customers. Like you, Zealous. The mare you’re looking at doesn’t know you like her so why don’t you ask her out?” Watts asked him in the same rambly tone, stopping with him in an effort to catch her breath.

@Blitz Boom, @EQ_Theta, @Moonlit, @BloodDrops, @Storm Shine, @Seamore Sandwich, @Lucid_Nightlight

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

“I am not pent up and boring!” Twilight immediately protested, too shocked at the statement to keep up her frustrated expression at Discord going ahead on his own. Again. She growled to herself in annoyance though and tried to do a couple of calming breathing excercises Princess Cadence had taught her. “That is neither here nor there, though. We’re-“ she interrupted herself as soon as she felt the rough dirt path immediately turn to sand in the blink of an eye along with it suddenly turning the heat up. “We’re in the desert now so the only logical conclusion is to follow the obvious stone path before us.”

AURORA LIGHTS

“Changeling booping?” Aurora asked nervously and it was all she could do to keep her concentration on her griffin form. “I, Uh. i d-don’t think I’d be up for that.”

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@Victoria Sponge

(welcome back, friend.  )

"So Strawberry looks like strawberries, Raspberry have pink streaks in her mane and likes to fly around, and Sky Scraper have a beard. Sounds easy enough. Especially that first one.

Heh, you should've seen me when i didn't get that pony names were descriptive of what they looked like or did. Everyone talked about berries, candy, walls, foliage, yada yada, and I'm just standing there with no clue, and wondering if everyone's just pulling my leg. Some dragons have names sort of like that too, but it's always just gems, metal, or elements. It's easier."

"When I first wrote him my name, his initial response included a question about whatever or not I was talking about a bubble. Really weird response to get back from one of the random bottles I sent around, but it was kinda cute."

Benny's clueless interpretation and curiosity had been one of the things making Pop go on writing him back then, even when she were told that he was from Dragon Land. Not exactly a place spoken about kindly in her days, but what she hadn't wanted to put up with to get herself a pen pal.

Funny how things evolves sometimes, but she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Anyway, like Victoria said, we should probably get on our way. It's not polite to leave others waiting."

"Agreed. Gotta be a lot of fun I bet."

The two of them had everything they needed in their saddlebags, so they'd be ready to get going right away, and especially Benny were full of energy and ready to get going. Sounded nice to be out stretching his legs a bit longer frankly, and some fresh air would do them all good. make them aware and ready for when the flock were to meet with Vicky and Battenberg's family, and sort out that there were technically two party crashers with them. Surely it'd be fine though, since they were invited, but it might give a small bit of tension. yet their family as a whole seemed rather nice, so Benny at least doubted that something would happen, and really, more focus were likely to be on Victoria. Sounded like her being to these things weren't normal, and she were almost an entirely different mare now than she used to be. Her family would be drawn like moth to the flame, or at least make them look like cautious, but curious cats.

"I'm sorta wondering, why wouldn't your father be there? We met Felix what, an hour ago or so? Could he have really taken off already?"

"Yeah, I almost forgot about that. Nice guy that one. He said he were going to look for his wif- Eh, you, I mean. He haven't showed up yet? Perhaps he wants to surprise you at the gathering?"

Wait, did that mean that he just spoiled the surprise? Gosh darn it, not again...

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

 

@Rising Dusk

"If she's still asleep, just poke her. Works like a charm."

Dusky worked fast it seemed, but hey, now there was somepony to watch out for Blitz, so that was good. She might've been napping before, but her taking a small powernap wasn't unusual. if she found a soft, comfy place, she liked snuggling in and powering down for a little while, but it wasn't going to last. That she hadn't woken up already were frankly a miracle on its own, yet as Dusky were about to find out, Molotov were wrong on that account. She were awake, and from the looks of things, had been busy scrubbing her wings clean. Especially the random feathers she had on it, as useless as they were to actually make this work.

Yet, until she had some idea on how to make them work, she liked having these as a sort of placeholder. She had to replace them sometimes though, but there were enough birds getting riled up, or pillows to forage for feathers in dumpsters to keep her happy, so it was fine.

She sat on the floor, every spread around, and scrubbing the harness with a steel-wool sponge when Dusky got in, and lifted her head to see who it were. She knew it wasn't Molotov, as she could hear him hammering away outside, so the options had been kinda limiting. Still great to see him though, ad she lifted a hoof to wave at him when he got into sight.

"Hi Dusky. Are big bro and you getting some fun work done?"

Back in the workshop, Carmen crept closer to the magic circle, and slowly moved around, looking at everything that went on. She didn't understand magic that much, and just thought of it as being just strange power, yet this were an important thing to get down, ad she could show it to her larger sibling too later, if she got it on paper. Felicia was smarter and had talked about magic before. She might understand it, and explain it to Carmen.

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

 

@Dji @FanOfManyShows

Grrr, noisy... Noisy!

Enzo opened his eyes and rose up to his full height, and looked with a narrow, grumpy glance towards the citizens that were starting to take a few, weary steps backwards.

"Who, was that?"

It wasn't hard to figure out once he looked over the crowd. Who would it be that had shriek in such a high pitched tone that it bored into his ears, if not the one most focused on, beyond himself? A mare from the looks of things, with a group of ponies not far from the sphinx that he frankly didn't care much about, compared to the one eyes were directed towards. Or were anyway, before Enzo took two steps closer to them, and looked down upon them. No pony had been stupid enough to stand underneath his soft paws as he moved along, though they would've have been hurt regardless. He stepped lightly, and the bone ornaments around his legs were not reaching far enough down to count as a hard surface to hit anyone with, so things would remain safe.

The guards coming from behind him as every pony within a few meters of Enzo started to get away were largely ignored, as the sphinx lowered his head towards the mare - who were smelling of odd magic for some reason - and with his somewhat feminine voice would utter: "Do you mind? I'm trying to find rest."

Perhaps he could have simply used some cloth to shut up this one, but it had been a few steps, and using magic would be seen as an actual attack. Besides, these ponies might as well get used to seeing him wandering here at times, because he were not leaving anytime soon. Though he'd likely resign to fly around instead of walking in the future. Watching his steps constantly were annoying.

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

 

@EQ_Theta

"A wise choice. The less worries we have when wandering in there, the better.

As for emergency options, if something goes wrong, Lin can set a gate for us to escape through. If we somehow end up separated, and there's a risk in getting to me. she will leave alone. I can fly, I have a way to escape that she doesn't."

Honestly, he wasn't sure if that was going to work, if he were first in the swamp, but it were a logical sacrifice if something bad happened. instead of them both getting lost, only one would truly be so, and of the two, Lin had more to live for. She had a brother, and a village that needed her. What Rosa did could be replaced by books, and his only family were deep in the grips of dementia, going to jail, or didn't even know he existed. The loss of his life were wouldn't impact as many, or as closely as these two.

"To save a life is valuable, but to sacrifice two for a slim chance is not. I have enough beings already who have gotten hurt because of me, and I will not have more added to my consciousness. If I'm lost, and you're unable to get to me without risking yourself, Lin, save yourself. Better that one lives, than none of us do, though I doubt we will have to be faced with that. I believe we will get through unscathed, if rattled.

Anyway, let's us make haste. I would prefer to not go in there after sundown."

He'd keep on going as he said this, and faced the two siblings with the fact that they may have to leave him behind if something went wrong. A grizzly thought, though a potential outcome that they had to consider, even if it were a slim chance for this to happen if they went through this okay. With Sen staying back, it should be easier too, long as he didn't wander off on his own. He'd need to remain at whatever safe spot he'd wait at, whilst Lin and him went through, or things might get to somewhere between worrisome, and disastrous.

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

 

@Seamore Sandwich @Dji @Moonlit @Lucid_Nightlight @Storm Shine @BloodDrops @EQ_Theta

"Pff, yeah you are. All regal and serious about everything. You need to loosen up or you'll end up four thousand years old, and thinking that going to the library is happy fun time. You're full of magic and alicorn dust, you should have some fun. Adventure. Immediate mortal danger! This place have that too, but it's not as fun as tipping deer or booping changelings. Those things likes to chase you.

G-bird here could do with that too. Just look at all that timidness. Practically shaking in her feathers. You both need a grand adventure. Or a dating service. There's a kind of adventure in that too, but with more smoochies and less fear of death. At least for Twilight. I've seen some griffons courting. Lots'a scratchy marks sometimes."

A little boring in her mind, but meh, mortals and their worries sometimes, right? Kept getting in the way of a good adventure. Just like the desert did, when it suddenly started and Anomaly's wheels didn't work as well anymore, so she tipped over and fell face first into the sand. Pretty bland stuff though, yerk. No fun eating that, so she shifted the wheels back to legs and got up, where she then started to scrape sand from her tongue.

"Bleargh. Wha- Language? The little mean-spirited critter? I can't say bad words, or the author censors it. Perhaps he learned it off script from somepony? Griffons have some pretty great slurs. Met up with one of them or something? Or did the thing steal the- Noooooooo! Bad Pringle, stay out of my liquid head-thinker!"

She held her front hoof and claw up to her pumpkin head, as if ti shield it from the mind beams of the lizard who might be stealing the bad words from her head. She for one didn't hear a thing the lizard was trying to send her way, but perhaps if he concentrated a bit more and got a little closer, it would be hard to ignore for Anomaly. Or you know, the fact that her brain was more of a consciousness spread through her body, rather than in a grey mass in her head, might make it impossible. Hard to say when it came to magic, which were also why she shielded her head, as inefficient as that would be for anypony who might be able to read her thoughts.

[FanOfManyShows 396]

@Blitz Boom

Astral would turn to chow, still distraught as before. "Well my mother may not be real, her sister has the element of disharmony, there's still a chance that the villains may be evil. With all that considered." She paused her walking, sighing. "Not well." Resuming walking, her mind trailed off on all of the things that unfolded in the past few days, but to think this could've gone differently if she just didn't touch a statue, the only upside was getting Emerald out of Chow's head, even then she was out there, doing evil. "You must feel something about all this, right?" She glanced at him, still walking forward.

=============================================
@Blitz Boom

Sapphire would sigh, maybe a degree of realizing she would have spoken to Astral this entire time, but she was still technically dead even then, the horcrux only activated if it was cracked. "I recall every little thing we've done here, despite my length of life, it's hard to forget what we did here." She said, as much as she'd refuse to use dark magic now, even with the vessel holding her soul, the regret of doing it before was there, making it hard to forget this place... "Sister, do you really think gathering the elements would've fixed you, if you succeeded?" It was stupid to ask, but it definitely wasn't the first time she'd asked it, it was the very question that hinted at her betraying her sister, but that was the last time she did that.

=============================================
@Blitz Boom
 

General Wing looked to the others. "Well I think it's fine the way it is." He would surely prefer the title sooner, but Iron Wing wasn't entirely ready to fully take on the role of general, as good as a guard he was, waiting on it would let him mentally prepare himself, probably the reason he forgot to read out the file to the others.

=============================================
@Dji

"It's not like I haven't asked her." He said, chuckling a little, he'd love to ask her, but at this point it was too late to try. "Anyway, that's the pharmacy." He said, pointing to it with a hoof. "If you're done with your rambles you can get your medicine."

=============================================
Crystal, having forgotten what she went out for after her long talk with Enzo, decided to go to a place to sit down and take a drink. "Oh, right." She mumbled to herself as she went there, remembering that she she needed to think of who stole her work, it could really be any obsessive fan who wanted to read it before the others, or someone who sought to destroy her work without leaving evidence. She should hire a detective for this work, but she had no idea where to contact one anyway.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @Dji @Seamore Sandwich @BloodDrops @Moonlit

"Alright, Pringle you really need to work on your telepathy."

To Lucid, it made sense. Lucid uses different forms of telepathy, which are quite advanced. It would make sense that Pringle hasn't fully mastered it.

"It seems that Pringle hasn't mastered telepathy through the astral body. He must only know how to do it through the brain at the moment and I doubt he'd be able to get a connection to you. But he did say some pretty mean things. For example he called you a [Word not legal in this plane of existence]"

He looked to Fluttershy.

"I swear on Twilight's mother that I did not teach him that one!"

 

 

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight @Dji @Moonlit @BloodDrops @Seamore Sandwich

Just where exactly is Pringle learning those words? Harkening back to their previous conversation about multiverses and all, there's probably that; a world where everypony speaks with a more... colorful vocabulary. Frankly, it left the pegasus a little peeved at hearing such words, with her not looking favorably on using words that make anypony look like a potty mouth. Must be a world full of sailors. 

"I'll... I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

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

@Blitz Boom

"Let's get through that swamp as soon as we can. I don't like the look of those kinds of places when night falls."

The trip going there left the two siblings silent. Though Sen was a little more calm now, he still fairly worried about what Lin might get into. He didn't want to say it but Lin still had some baggage on her, the kind that could possibly weigh her down and pose a risk in the swamps. It was a quiet time to contemplate but even now, Lin's insecurities began to catch up. She didn't say anything about it, preferring to keep it to herself, but as the two siblings walked along, even Sen was beginning to notice his sister's composed demeanor beginning to fade. Seems like with one problem taken care off, another crops up, and he wouldn't be able to help out with this one. Hopefully he wouldn't need to run in and help her, but who knows what will happen?

[Rising Dusk 27,760]

@Blitz Boom

Waking up Blitz isn't what he had in mind.  But still, having saw her buried under a pile of cloths fresh from the drier warranted a quick check up on her.  If we was still sleeping, perfect, not that he'd be able to sleep all that hammering and forging that went on in the main work area.  She was probably really use to it having lived here as long as she had.  Could very well be in her blood, as it were, for all he knew, considering the long lineage of the Boom family.

Sure enough, upon him walking into the laundry room, she was wide awake, working on her wings with what looked like steel wool.  This was the first time he'd really paid any attention to Blitz's own pair of wings and just how different they were compared to Molotov's.  Did they not share notes on wing design?  Or maybe he just didn't want Blitz flying yet.  Okay, now that he thought about it, they sounded like the best answer.  Dusk didn't want to imagine the chaos a flying, hyper filly could cause or get into.  Nonetheless, he found himself smiling down at the young filly that cleaned her mechanical wings.

"Yeah, we're working on a special cage.  The first attempt was a bust, so your brother is making a second one."

He explained, another curious thought of how much Blitz herself knew about magic.  Probably less that Molotov considering the state of her horn.

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@Rising Dusk

"Hehe, sounds like fun. Big bro were talking weirdly when he got his fancy things too, mumbling about..."

Blitz stopped her cleaning work and scratched her head, trying to rummage through what it were that she had heard when Molotov went past her before, to get his gear.

"Pressure points, metal flexibility, and energy... Something. He kinda mumbles sometimes when he rambles, and he was walking away. Must be something cool though, He always kinda tune things out when he gets working on fun things, and he didn't even see me. I do that too, lots of times. Is that a family thing?"

Molotov had tried telling her a lot of things from the time before she had apparently been shot out of the besieged Center Zero, but it all sounded so weird. Really fun and cool, but it just wasn't getting to her. She couldn't remember anything, even when he showed her pictures of their family where she was in them. She felt pretty bad about that, since he always seemed to get so sad when she said she didn't get any flashbacks or something when it were, but he kept trying, and she kept asking. If getting distracted was a family thing could be something else to ask him, and who knew? Perhaps this would make her remember things? Not sure if that was so good though. Big Bro got sad when he remembered all those who were gone, and Blitz didn't want that. She wanted to be happy and make things.

Well, no need to worry about that. If something happened, it did, and they'd make something happen there. Right now she should keep talking to their funny guest. And clean the wings! Had to make it all clean from weird things that had gotten stuck to it recently. Mostly squished bugs and tree goo.

"Big bro knows, I ask him and he tells, hehe. So what sorta cage are you working on? Is it for rats? Ducks? Dragons? Ponies? Changelings? Ghosts? Dinosaurs? Zombies? Garden gnomes?"

She'd go on with even more weird suggestions as to what the cage were for until Dusky would interrupt her. It was kind of annoying she'd been told, but everypony answered her when she guessed, so it worked! Why change away from something that worked? That would just be silly.

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

 

@EQ_Theta

Rosa nodded, not wanting to be in that place either when night fell. It wouldn't exactly make it easier to navigate in there, and from what he had heard, it wasn't going to be that easy in general either.

It would be about three hours before they would be able to see the swamp, at which point, nothing really exciting happened. A wolf went near them once and growled, but it took off after that, and some weird snakes were seen in the water of the river, yet beyond that, there were not much going on. Yet, through it all, there were a sense of them being followed that Rosa couldn't shake. There were never something when he looked, but every now and again, he felt like something was starring at him from the water, the trees, or some nearby bush. If Sen and Lin had good senses, they'd likely be able to feel something observing them too, though they might also catch that there were a certain smell that followed that feeling, and the few, rustling of leaves that happened infrequently: That of fish. Trouts more than likely, as the rivers here were seemingly abundant with them.

Whoever it was though, no one ever came out and presented themselves. It was justthis nagging feeling, the smell, and few random sounds to suggest that they weren't alone. Efficient ones who were stalking them it seemed, though asd they had so far not made a move, Rosa kept silent and moved on until they could see the swamp.

It was impossible to miss. A vast area with gnarled trees and a thick layer of fog dragging along the ground throughout the dark area, stood in sharp contrast to the flourishing forest they had seen thus far. It was hard to see what lurked in the swamp from this distance, or even that it were anything but a foggy, half-dead forest area, but there were some birds flying above that landed down there from time to time. Impossible to say what ones at this distance though, yet they seemed large. Hopefully not scavenger birds, or it boded badly for the ones entering the place.

The river would bend and flow through the swamp, whilst Rosa's eyes turned to a path a good ten minute walk from their current position, that seemed to go straight into the place. The path they needed to follow it seemed, and since nothing was coming for them currently - at least not from the swamp - he'd say that their current distance was at least somewhat safe for them to stop at, and take a breath.

"I think this is where we need to part ways. Lin, could you return to the stash, and find us something to eat? There's no saying how many hours it will take to pass this place, so we should be ready for a long trip.

And try to bring a few of the rations that I packed that includes watermelon, if you would. As good a time as ever to introduce you to it."

He'd sit down on a patch of grass while they were waiting, and rest his legs. They hadn't been running exactly, but every bit of strength that could be conserved would be good to have in case it became needed in there.

He had something to tell Sen too, but he'd wait until Lin were returned. He could do so without her, but so far, it seemed her trips took mere seconds. Not enough time to talk over things, so he might as well wait for them all to be gathered.

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

 

@FanOfManyShows

It wasn't an easy amount of things that Astral had on her plate right now, that was for sure. Her mom's return might've been a hoax, they stil had a powerful enemy out there, and said enemy was her aunt. It couldn't be easy for her to deal with all of this, and then only have one aggressive fit earlier. Frankly, she were being pretty strong-willed about his whole thing. A good trait in somepony who went through things like this, though he wished that she didn't have to. Poor gal shouldn't have to be roped into being a defender of the country because of some bad mojo in her bloodline.

"...I try not to think about it too much, Astral. Lot of bad I've done during all of this that have just gotten it worse, and I honestly don't know how to fix it.

I've spent years trying not to think on how I'm at fault for letting Emerald go in the first place, and now she's not just locked away in my scalp, haunting my dreams, but actually out there and getting ready to pounce. None of that would've happened if I didn't went and stole her bauble in the first place. She wouldn't be out there, Warlock wouldn't have gotten help, you wouldn't have to be faced with this bad apple in your family, or gotten caught and hurt. Thinking about it all, just makes me more aware of how much I've hurt everypony involved here.

Guess they were right at home. Just a good-for-nothing freak that should've been left where I was found..."

Chow sighed deeply as the memory returned of that day.

It was one of several things that had been said to him when he got exiled, and had to go live among ponies instead. In fact the only thing that the cold, enraged elder said to the pony personally before he kicked the crying pony out and locked the door for good behind him. All the looks he had gotten then, the thoughts on how his parents must've felt over all of this, and knowing that even locked down, he had set something loose that were going to cause even more pain than she had already... He felt the same then as he did now, and every time he thought about this: Guilt. Nothing but guilt, knowing that he was responsible not only for what had happened to him, but for what had happened to so many others.

"Look, Astral, I know that things are looking grim right now. There's a lot of bad happening, and we ain't exactly innocent in all of it, but we're doing everything we can to get things right again. Warlock's in jail, Emerald is on the run, and your mom might still be real, but in a real tense situation that'll require us to help her. We've got something to be proud of in all of this, and something to keep fighting for. And you got something that I never had when I got into this whole mess Astral."

Chow would try to put a hoof on Astral's shoulder to show some solidarity - darned pony interactions were hard to get used to, so he didn't try a hug - before going on, hoping that his rambling was gonna sound less stupid to the mare than it had to him when it just started to blurt out.

"You got us. Your pa, Misty, the generals, me. Everypony's here to help make sure that everything will get back in check again. And if Emerald have done something that churns the old wound about your mom even more, or started all of this in the first place... Well, more of a reason to find her, and teach her what happens to those who mess with us, right?"

Alright, there was something he got at least. The notion to focus on who you wanted to beat the feathers off, along with a small grin as his good ol' friend denial started to settle in again.

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

 

@FanOfManyShows

A dark cloud seemed to go over Emerald's red eyes as she were presented with the question. One that she associated with the betrayal that had stung her so deeply back then, as that had indeed been what her plan were. To gather the elements, and use the combined power of disharmony to be whole again. Not a feeble witch, having to leech blood to stay alive, but an actual, healthy mare.

"I had to think so, sister. Even with everything we did to prolong my life, I was still dying. Still feeble and weak, keeling over in a stiff breeze, or having to use that accursed cane on bad days. I remember the times I couldn't even do that, but just lay around, and wonder if that was the last time I had ever walked around, and all of a sudden, I'd be right back to where I was when we were children. Just a burden, waiting for the end to finish my misery."

To return to that horrid state, caught in her own withering body, riddled with disease from before she could even walk, and knowing that nothing was ever going to get better... Even the centuries disembodied in that bauble couldn't compare to what it was like to be like that for Emerald. How it felt like to see everypony else at a distance, happy and smiling, and only having true contact with her older sister, as Emerald were often too weak to leave the house.She had to see that at a distance, and hear whispers from her parents talking to the doctors about how much worse it was getting, and how much time she might have left. They didn't know that she could hear them, but she did, and it had filled her with nothing but dread and misery. Some days, not even Sapphire coming to talk and play with her could lift that dark cloud from above her head.

All of that changed when Sapphire found those books, and they began studying the forbidden arts. It was vile things, often deplorable and certainly nothing fillies should even hear about, but it were prolonging Emerald's life. Made her stronger, and able to leave the house on her own sometimes. Though even out there, she were still often in pain, and needed plenty of rest. She were gangly, looked ill, and as she had just said, had simply prolonged the inevitable, no matter how strongly she went at things.

When they heard about the elements of disharmony, logic had dictated to her that if she just got more magic, she could completely cure herself, and those things were rich on magic. So she had begun making plans for taking them, got to a point where she had infiltrated the organisation responsible for hiding them, and then... Then Sapphire had left her, and everything seemed to fall to pieces.

What should have been an easy grab of several elements turned to Emerald just knowing locations of a few, because she couldn't do it alone. She had needed Sapphire, and instead, she had then had to see her opportunity for a proper life slip through her hooves, and sit in her lonely house, stewing in grief and anger. Not things that had led her down a sane path, as had been evident when she squared off against Sapphire, who had always been the superior witch of them, as begrudgingly as Emerald were to admit it.

"Now... I don't know what to think anymore. I've seen what happened with Warlock when he got his own element, and it didn't make him more whole. It was just more magic, and falling victim to his element's influence. He failed to keep control, and he only had two elements at most with him. I have to conclude that holding all of them at once is impossible, but I can't go away from thinking that perhaps there is a way. Some spell, some enhancement- Anything. Because if I give up, that means that this is my life now. No body of my own, but just a strong of hosts, leeched until I can no longer keep control and have to go for a new body.

They're stronger than what I am used to, and healthy, but they're not mine, sister. It's like wearing an uncomfortable sweater time after time, and I don't have the way out that you did. Your horcruxes allow for regenerating your body, but my soul isn't fragmented and hidden in objects. They're trapped in the mist of crushed dust that's left of my old body."

Emerald looked into the pot, as she added some feathers, sparkling dust, and the wings of some kind of large insect. It were simmering in slowly, whirling around as the mixture slowly began taking form. The one thing that Emerald might never do anymore, and which she hadn't talked to fully with anypony before, beyond Sapphire right now. Even with everything that had happened between them, now that she had a chance to vent some of the anger before, Emerald could talk with her sister easier than with anypony else. Always had been that way, and seemingly, it were still like that, even with metaphorical bad blood between them.

"All I ever wanted was to be able to live like you did. Go outside, mingle, not hearing day in and day out how I was going to die soon. You used to want that for me too, even through the dark times.

Now you answer me, Sapphire. Why did you leave me? Why did you just turn your back on me at the point where I needed you the most, and left me to rot?"

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

 

@FanOfManyShows

"Good then, since you are fine with it, we will proceed as planned. Return to the prisoner and tell his time in court, soldier. I will begin on the preparations while you two get ready for the ceremony. A visit to the forge might be in order."

A general had to have custom made armor. So were tradition, and now that Iron Wings were among their ranks, so to would he need it. If he got a set of armor before or had only ordered it from the forge, but hadn't received it yet, he'd still be well of going there in her opinion. Either to add supplements to his gear, to make sure the current set still worked, or to pick up what had been made. It depended on the general's mood, and whatever or not he had already received his gear. Considering how busy everything had been the last half day, it was likely that he had simply not gotten around to that.

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

 

@Lucid_Nightlight @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @Dji @BloodDrops @Seamore Sandwich @Moonlit

"Oh yeah? We'll he's a *insert bird singing* - and a half."

Anomaly pulled her tongue at the lizard again. Mean-spirited little handbag kept being just the worst, and if it wasn't because she had promise not to, she would've put him in a rat-catcher plant. That should teach the little meanie something until she let him get out again.

"You should get a more fun pet. That one's just rotten. How about we splice him with a porcupine so everypony can see that he only wanna hurt others? Perhaps a backwards cap too, to make it clear that he's a total tool.

What do you think, Flutterpony? How would you make little potty-mouth here behave?"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @BloodDrops @Dji @Seamore Sandwich @Moonlit

"Uh... I think you made him mad."

The lizard ran up to Anomaly, biting her repeatedly which likely wouldn't do much.

"PRINGLE! That's enough. We've been over this, you aren't allowed to bite anyone just because they called you names."

He picked the lizard up.

"Yes, I know she antagonized you when she first met you earlier, but you know better!"

Pringle just looked at him.

"Remember when I said no strawberries tonight? I've changed my mind. No strawberries for a week!"

He looked over to Anomaly.

"No strawberries for you either!"

He a stomped his hoof and a pen and paper appeared. He wrote a letter.

"Dear Zhu,

Don't let aanomlee hav stall berry becuz sh3 was meen

-lus1d"

He threw the letter into a portal.

He wasn't thinking straight for some reason. The sheer stupidity of the situation temporarily broke his brain.

He snapped out of it, not remembering anything after the moment he told Pringle to no strawberries for a week.

"I think my mind just went all crazy. That usually happens in stupid situations."

He looked down and saw the pen he used.

"Yep, definitely the case."

[EQ_Theta 459]

@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Lucid_Nightlight @Dji @Seamore Sandwich @BloodDrops @Moonlit

"Watch your language, Anomaly. That might encourage Pringle even more than any of us would like."

"I suppose if Pringle needs to have a sit-down, I can have a word with him. Oh, or maybe we can all have a talk with Pringle. Talking things out usually helps."

It was a tried and tested method back home. Fluttershy usually had a good thing going on when she could get her animal friends to sit down and sort things out with her. There wasn't a problem she couldn't solve. Of course, it's really more of a matter of compromise in most situations and she was happy to be of assistance. Though maybe this one is going to be different. Maybe she should get Pinkie and Gummy but only when she has to. Otherwise, there was always "The Stare."

"Are you alright with that, Lucid? A sit-down to get this sorted out with Pringle?"

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

@Blitz Boom

The swamp got the siblings feeling even more unsure about going through it. Living in a forest for years and traveling around Equestria couldn't have prepared them for what they saw. The whole place gave a vibe that told their guts to just walk the other way; everything leading up to the swamp was just a warning for something much worse. Stopping just made the two feel unassured of their safety, even more so for Sen. Something didn't feel right, even if they could tell what. 

For now, Rosa's request was a nice, if quick, distraction from the whole ordeal on Lin's part. She opened a gate big enough for her to squeeze through, smaller than what she normally would make and slid out some of the rations before walking out. A strange fruit for her to see prepped just like that, red and succulent with some seeds mixed in the pulp. She has a few packs in her own saddle bag for good measure, unloading a few options of fruits and vegetables for both Sen and Rosa to choose from.

"I'm not going to lie, Rosa, this place is giving me goosebumps. Kind of reminds me of those camp fire stories where something is coming out of the fog to snatch us. Or maybe this is one of those times when the stories just don't do the real thing justice. Do you think we're really going to take a while in there?"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@EQ_Theta @Dji @Blitz Boom @Storm Shine @Seamore Sandwich @BloodDrops @Moonlit

"I guess a sit-down could work. Pringle has always had a swearing problem and occasionally gets really aggressive, which typically makes it hard to take him anywhere."

Pringle simply stood on Lucid's head, which one could assume is normal him.

"Since you're good with animals, maybe you'll be able to find out why he's so aggressive."

[BloodDrops 762]

@Blitz Boom @Storm Shine

 

The Sphinx has had enough of Discords antics. She flicked her tail and grumbled under her breath. "Onache, we are leaving" she grumbled letting out a low growl. With a flick of her tail a large dollop of glue landed on the draconiquis covering him and instantly hardening. Hard to get out of that when you couldn't click your fingers. She flicked her tail, "I will be back shortly, lets see if your friends are more willing to cut a deal" she added leaving the temple expecting Onache to accompany her. 

She glanced outside her temple and glanced at Onache, "Well I thought sitting and waiting was the best idea. Though i'm more for going about the offensive. Sending in that clown has irritated me, and I don't like being irritated" she grumbled. 

(When storm is more active, I will remove discord from glue ^^)

 

@Dji @Blitz Boom @Lucid_Nightlight @EQ_Theta @Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich

As the group entered the desert it had been rather relaxed since the Sphinx had been relaxed, that had now changed. The wind had picked up and sand started to batter against the group. Though that was not all that was in the sand, every now and again there was a pillar or some sort of statue. The path continued towards the temple that was it had been running towards the temple.

Now there was a fork in the path and one path led unknowingly towards the Sphinx's temple and the other led into the heart of the desert. Though it would be unfair to leave it to luck and a large lump of sand swirled around until it made a pony sized form of the Sphinx. The Sand Sphinx blinked and smirked at the group, "Welcome to the fork riddle. Now just simply following a path doesn't determine worth in its self. So you get to make a choice, one based upon logic and clear thinking rather then dumb luck and laziness" the sand Sphinx told them.

"One path leads to the temple, that is currently a few hundred meters in front of you. The other takes it around and leads you back to this point which is the heart of the desert." she then glanced at the path to the left and the right, "Now you've been given as much information you need however it is custom for you to ask a question to help decide on the path you should take. You should know however that I might tell the truth or tell you a lie, though how will you know?" she purred.

She blinked and waited for there answer/choice. 

(Easy riddle here, see if you get it right. Make it as a group or debate it) 

[Storm Shine 1,196]

@Blitz Boom @Dji @Blitz Boom @Lucid_Nightlight @EQ_Theta @Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich @BloodDrops

 

Discord grinned as he gave a slow clap, leaning against the sphinx and looking at the glue-covered statue of himself. "My, my, my.. Even covered in glue that fellow strikes a handsome figure, wouldn't you agree?" He asked somewhat mockingly. "I'm glad that's not me, it's such a hassle to get glue out of your coat you know?" He pretended to grumble, pulling aside some of his skin as if it were simply a jacket and pulling out a large paint can labeled 'Glue'. The spirit of chaos began waving a small paint brush around, glue flinging around from it's tip. Wherever a glob of glue landed, it would bounce as if it had become a super-ball. "I much prefer my glue bouncy over sticky."

 

(Sorry about the lack of responses lately, lot going on. I'll try to put in more often, even if it's just small randoms. )

[Rising Dusk 27,760]

@Blitz Boom

It really wasn't all that strange to be honest.  With the type of personality Dusk sort of grasped from Molotov, mumbling and rambling served really well as a type of sound board it seemed.  Talking out loud was pretty common he'd seen among ponies.  While he's yet to see Blitz do it nearly as much as her brother, he wouldn't be able to confirm if she does it herself.  Dusk personally preferred his own type of internal monologue.  The one pony he doesn't really listen to, in a manner of speaking.

 "It could be a Boom thing, better be careful."

The midnight blue stallion teased in regardless to the mumbling being a family thing.  Nothing to be ashamed of of course, every family had their own quarks.  Dusk's own family probably didn't have as many as most, not having a strong heritage to a long line or anything.  Everypony in the family went off on their own and did their own things.  Heck, their mother was a pegasus and the other three of them were unicorns.

This part was more familiar though as Blitz went off on type of list rambling he experienced yesterday when first going out with the Boom siblings.  More amused than anything, he let her go off for a little while before finally stepping in.

"Its going to be a cage that will prevent whomever is inside from using magic."

He explained rather simply.  Sadly the execution was a little more difficult than that, of course.  It was probably time now to go check up on Molotov now that he knew what Blitz was doing in the back laundry room.  Turning to leave the little filly to her wing maintenance and return to the forge area.

"Welp, time to get back to work."  

[Blitz Boom 4,629]

@EQ_Theta

Rosa took hold of a watermelon slice, pulled his mask up, and took a slow bite of the succulent fruit.

"I don't trust this place enough to think that it will be a short journey. It may take several hours to half a day, depending on things. It takes only half an hour to fly above, but you are not hindered by your mind playing tricks then, as we will be inside."

Putting the fruit down, he looked around and spotted some of the moss that they had been told would be smart to use for covering their ears. It seemed worth an attempt to use these, though he wouldn't rule out that some things would still sift through. It would be far too easy otherwise, even if you only had visual problems in there.

"This place will not have mercy on us if we stray, and find ourselves as part of another groups tales. We will have to be diligent in there, and Sen, you will need to be so out here.

I consider this a safe distance, but it is impossible to know for sure. The things within may sense you, and show you things to draw you in. I take it that images of loved ones, or Lin being dragged away to be likely. Do not trust them, and do not, under any circumstances, go into the swamp. If you go there, everypony will need to try and help one another, and we will stray from the path. If that happens, I doubt any of us will get out of there again.

So stay here when we leave Sen,and wait. With some luck, it won't be many hours before we are out on the other side.

Now both of you, eat up. I will gather some moss and find something to tie them to our ears. Retrieve the rope we prepared at your leisure, Lin."

With a few large chunks taken from his slice of watermelon, Rosa put his mask back on, and began going to the patches of moss he saw to cut some suitable patches of it. A suitable task for one who carried a plethora of knives, though none of them overly large.

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

 

@BloodDrops @Storm Shine

"As suspected. The laws of magic doesn't even apply to him."

The layer of glue had originally made Onache somewhat pleased, but it hadn't lasted, as Discord had suddenly stood there, with not a spot on him and next to an identical statue. A decoy that had taken the hit, and proof that even here, where the sphinx had set it so that magic shouldn't work, the draconequus could still do his tricks.

She had expected as much, seeing as not only his race didn't follow normal rules, but him in particular were the lord of everything chaos. Suppression of magic were an order that he were incapable of following, though his followers would likely not be as lucky. Perhaps something that could be used in their advantage, though for now, as Onache avoided a glob of bouncy glue, they still had the problem of this irritating gnat meddling around, and the sphinx had not exactly seemed pleased before. This may evolve into somewhat of a standoff already.

Untold power, against the lord of chaos... This may well be interesting, but being in the midst of it? It seemed unwise, so Onache would move towards the sphinx, but to the side. The two of these could duke it out, and for the time being, she would stay out of it. She wasn't one to get into physical fights often anyway. She may have some muscle, but she were a manipulator, and an observer, not a brawler. This were a situation in where she did best by watching and seeing what would happen, and in case the sphinx would seem to lose, make a hasty retreat.

"Do you think it wise antagonize your hostess, Discord? Unless that is the only reason you came here, and not to help your friends? What, with your companions now wandering into a treacherous desert all alone and becoming less welcome by your actions, it almost seem as if you don't care about them when you take to defiling her generous invitation."

A little fuel for the flame perhaps, but again, she were used to manipulation. Making Discord think more of his friends, might make him tone his antics down, in worry of what could happen to them. Or transport them all here instantly, leaving the wait rather short. Another option which weren't all that bad.

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

 

@Rising Dusk

Blitz had gotten on to guess if it were for breezies when she had finally been cut off, and she made big eyes.

"Anti-magic cage? Cool! When you get it done, I wanna see it. I bet it'll be all kinds of exciting and useful. Especially for catching little meanies and- No, wait! It's for bad ponies, right? Hehe, yeah, I bet that's it. Okay, go have fun with big bro now. I'll look around when my wings are all clean and nice. Lot's of feathers and metal to brush."

She rose a hoof to wave at Dusky as he exited the room, with a big grin going over her little, impish face, and a head full of thoughts on what an anti-magic cage could be used for. Nothing that the officer would like to hear though, as the thoughts were a little... Well, crazy, but it wasn't as if she were going to act on them. She just had a lot of thoughts that often were best kept to herself, yet rarely were. Thankfully she had other things to get distracted with by now.

ANd speaking of distraction, Dusky would find that Molotov were still going at the forge, hammering away like it was the greatest day in his life. Next to him, a bars of the new cage were done and were cooling down, which were not much, but Dusky had not been away for long either. As had been mentioned, this were going to take some time, but most craftsmanship tended to do. If it was any good anyway.

Molotov didn't notice Dusky returning at first until he saw a reflection in a piece of metal and stopped his humming to address the stallion. He didn't turn around to look at Dusky mind you, but he needed to keep focus on the work and not getting the current lump of metal dropped on something flammable like himself, so eyes on the prize here.

"Welcome back stranger. Wasn't much of a trip you had there. Blitz still sleeping?"

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

 

@Storm Shine @EQ_Theta @BloodDrops @Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich @Lucid_Nightlight @Dji

Anomaly getting bit didn't really do much. It hurt, but as she had said earlier, pain was kind of fun, and considering how she just counted it as another experience, it was basically like tickling her. She even giggled throughout the little thing's assault. Sure, she could've been all mean back to the little meanie, but she bet that it was gonna make it more annoyed to be treated like this. And wasn't that what all of this were about.

"Little lizard mouth only good for bad words and biting. We should get a big bucket of soap water for him to wash the bad words out with."

She'd summon a bucket, but her magic was getting really wonky all of a sudden. She could still change how she looked, and mend her wounds, but anything externally didn't seem to work. Must be that big crystal thing, negating magic in general. Guess there were a loophole letting a tiny bit of stuff through if you were a draconequus, though she bet Discord could do everything. Strongest and most ancient of their kind. Had to mean these sort of rules didn't apply to him at all.

Shame that she couldn't make things though. Especially when the pony-sized sphinx showed up all of a sudden.

"Heeeey, I thought your kind was supposed to be big and fuzzy. False advertisement! I want my bits back."

Anomaly giggled and went up in a standing position, and looked down the two paths.

"I just go wherever and have fun, silly riddles I don't need. Princess Magicbutt or somepony else wanna ask sandcat a question?"

She looked back at the others, and saw a pink bunny jumping towards Fluttershy. That dragons pet... Lotus? Some sort of flower name. Well, whatever, bunny was getting closer, and for some reason seemed to have gone in here on her own, instead of walking with somepony. Must be one of those stubborn types.

Meanwhile, far away, in a hospital ward, Lucid's letter suddenly appeared on Zhu's face, and were promptly brushed away without a read. The doctors were too busy trying to patch him together to have any sort of time for things like this, so it might be a while before the message got to the target, though Zhu had little control over Anomaly anyway. If the draconequus wanted to eat berries, she'd do so, and there was nothing he could realistically do to stop her.

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

@Blitz Boom @EQ_Theta @Storm Shine @Dji @BloodDrops @Moonlit @Seamore Sandwich

Lucid wasn't too worried about Anomaly doing anything to Pringle since he assumed she won't, which even if she did, she'd get a stone pillar to the face.

He looked and saw some stupid Sphinx thing.

"Hey! Cats are supposed to be cute! This one looks almost as big of an abomination as Discord!"

He grinned and continued looking at the cat.

"Give us one reason not to destroy you where you stand. What are you gonna do, cough up a hairball?"

Lucid always had a habit of underestimating opponents.

Edited August 14, 2018 by Lucid_Nightlight

[Sekel 694]

@Blitz Boom, @FanOfManyShows

KARMIC FATE

’Maybe you should tone down you’re reactions...’ Atzy warned Karmic while the mare’s eyes widened at the Sphinx walking up to her, Astral, and Chow.

“Oh, we’re you?” Karmic gulped. “I’m so sorry about that. I didn’t mean to scream so loudly.”

@FanOfManyShows

WATTS MECHANO

“Medicine, that should help,” Watts nodded, silently thanking him for the reminder. She smiled st him and then walked into the pharmacy. She emerged a while later with her hooves in er saddlebag. She drew them out and smiled. “Paid for the medicine, thanks for your help, Zealous. Is there anything I can do in return for you?”

@Blitz Boom, @Moonlit, @Seamore Sandwich, @BloodDrops, @EQ_Theta, @Storm Shine, @Lucid_Nightlight

TWILIGHT SPARKLE

“Don’t underestimate the Sphinx. He may look just as mismatched as Discord but he seems more cunning,” Twilight told the group after looking them over. She turned back to the Sphinx and tilted her head in thought. “How do we know you won’t change the path to loop around back here even if we make the correct choice?” She had enough trouble with Discord to know not to outright trust that everything a mismatched creature says is the truth.