open Casual stroll

[Moonlit 593]

@Blitz Boom Harmony points toward the large pool in the backyard, "As many laps as you think you can do without hurting yourself." The Foals all nod, eager to get some swimming in with the new pony. Some are looking at her like a shark looks at food, while others are too busy getting ready. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Blitz Boom

Thunder chuckles "well, I suppose you could say she roped me into becoming a new recruit" he says, smiling at the mermaid "I've wanted to be a guard since I was a little colt, and well, Tidal here's been telling me about the grandeur of being a Coastal Guard" he would say "It certainly does seem to be in my line of what I want to do"

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“I doubt the moon will change. No magic for me to use and well… I don’t think it’ll be a good idea to turn the moon into cheese. Just something to see with our eyes.” 

Lin directed Omen to the mouth of the cave, the moonlight shining brightly on the clearing before them. It wasn’t often the alignment was right for a brighter evening; the longma preferred it to be darker and would rather have the light of a small fire providing the only source of illumination when she wanted her shelter to remain hidden. Despite this, the lighting was just perfect with the clouds out of the way in the meantime. Taking off her necklace holding it up high against the moon, she peered into the gem to see what would happen.

“Wow! Here it is!” The longma brought the gemstone closer to Omen for her to see. “Dark at first, seemingly imperfect but when the moonlight shines through, you can see little pieces sparkling inside. They look like little stars in the gem!”

Perhaps that was why it is called a star sapphire. The night sky captured within a gemstone, or what resembles the night, stars and all. Lin didn’t know the value of a gem like this when presented to an expert, but the longma know it is rare and that was already good enough for them. This was about it for the spectacle, and she would remain by the cave entrance to enjoy glancing at the sight. 

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@EQ_Theta

So they weren't going to change the moon then? Like Lin said, it were probably a good thing not to do that, even if she could, so it weren't an issue really. It did lower Omen's expectations about what the gem could do though, as she had assumed it to have some sort of mythical power, the way that Zo spoke about it. Perhaps she had just spent too much time around creatures with extraordinary power in her life to have down to earth expectations when she heard things like that? Another thing to improve as the seemingly endless years would come and go for the former servant of Discord.

Wandering outside, they were bathed in the pale light from the large, shining orb hovering a great distance up in the sky. Heavenly objects like that had captivated Omen for a long time after Discord had brought her through to the chaotic world he were in charge of, even if they did not have the stability of light or duration in the skies like this had. If this had been there in her time, she would likely have stood still until it settled again, just looking at it with big eyes full of wonder.

Coming from a world without true light, it were normal for any of them who gained form to be taken in by the varied sources of that that were seen all around them. From light bulbs to candles, shining rocks, or even normal, stationary colors like a rock painted red, or a tree, it were all so magnificent and breathtaking for them to see.

This wonder had faded from Omen a long time ago, as she had gotten used to these parts of her world, as many of the formed Ki'Nathar did. Yet she still found a little fascination and longing for the more simple, chaotic times when she looked at the sun or moon at occasion. In a way, it even soothed her, which were why she so often glared upwards when she tried to sort through her thoughts. Also because it usually had less things up there to distract her.

Lin too seemed to be fascinated with the heavenly objects, though her vision would be through the gem she now held high up towards the moon, which again, did not turn into cheese, or melt, or anything else like it. Still, Omen were curious and would wander closer to look through it as well, to try and see what Lin were getting so excited about.

"It is pretty."

The small lights were not what Omen had expected, but it were still a nice sight. Pretty and full of sparkles that would have caused her unformed siblings to go into a trance by the sight of it. Omen were not hit as hard as them, but she were still standing still and glancing through, finding the mixture of that and the large, pale moon above them to be a both beautiful and calming sight.

Omen would stay where she were, and look up through it until Lin eventually would start to move away, and she'd find that Omen had stopped moving, as well as spent attention on the things around her. The calm feeling that had come over her had triggered her massive backlog of information to start floating around her head again, and until disturbed, she'd spend some time to sort through at least some of it.. How long? Depended on how long she weren't disturbed. Could be a few minutes, or a week. It were really up to the others.

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

 

@Moonlit

Swimming? Alright, not her strongest discipline, but sure, it sounded like a lot of fun!

Looking around at the foals, Ziggy would get glimmer in her eyes and a huge, open-muzzled smile at the little ones. They were just so adorable with their tiny little predatory looks.

This were one of several reasons why Ziggy had to be kept on a literal leash when she visited her brother at the animal sanctuary. Soon as something were adorable, it could look on her like this all it wanted, but she'd still creep nearer to pet the cute thing. Not a good thing when said sanctuary had around one and a half dozen creatures that were specialized in luring in prey like that, and then pounce on them when their guard were down. Hence, after the first hectic time that she had been there, her brother had started to keep a body leash with weights on it at hoof, just in case she came around again.

Not something that fell in well with their dad when he initially heard about it, but after being invited to wander around with her for half an hour without it, the defeated stallion ended up putting it on Ziggy himself, and pay up the thirty bits he had bet with their mom about whatever or not he'd last for an entire hour. Considering how much he worked in casinos, he really should know better than to play the odds against his wife.

As for the here and now, Ziggy put down her vest, jumped into the water headfirst, and came up, spitting out water whilst looking at the fillies.

"Hehe, try and get me little ones."

The zegasus were not the fastest swimmer, as her speed normally were dependent on combinations with her wings and jerky motions that required some strong momentum, but she'd still dog paddle around at a fair pace. She should be easy prey for the hungry, hungry hippos fillies.

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@Etched Daydream

"I can only recommend it. There's a whole lot of diverse, open-minded ponies in the Coastal Guard, and we do a great deal of work, no matter what those snooty Royal Guards are saying."

"Yep. Under special circumstances, we even let non-ponies in, which the Royal Guard's ain't big on doing. Y'know, beyond that dragon of theirs, but Benny's a bit of an oddball too.

Anyway, Sergeant Kelp here's our only mermaid so far, but we do have some close relations going with some more of her folks that're going pretty well, and about sixty miles further down the eastern coast, we're starting to finally get some proper talking sone with a tribe of water dragons. Lemme tell ya, those folks are all kinds of pain to talk to, but we need all the allies we can get, and they got a vested interest in keeping the waters safe too. They're just stubborn as all hay."

"And territorial. I still don't get why they'd bother to swim all the way up here from the Dragon Isles, if they don't like to meet others. Perhaps we'll get a chance to ask them someday."

"That's the dream. In any case - Thunder? You got some more questions for the Sergeant, you should make it quick. There's a whole lot more to see, and something tells me that my buzzkill sidekick ain't gonna be none too happy when she hears that I returned, but didn't go to meet her right off the bat."

"Oh, you know how she is. She just worries about you in her own way."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Dynamo Pad

Thunder smiles "Say uhm Sergeant, are you from Seward Shoals? If you are, do you know of Sapphire? she's the one my friend has married" he says then looks to Tidal "Well Tidal, I believe I'm sold, anything I need to sign up or do before I go tell my folks I'm gonna be a Coastal Guard?" he would ask.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

"Isn't it? Makes me wonder how grandfather came across a star sapphire."

Admittedly, this little display isn’t going to top changing the moon into cheese or something just as extravagant on that scale. Very little can upstage Discord’s powers and Lin would never see herself being able to challenge the draconequus on that front. The simplicity of the display and the sense of wonder and excitement it brings is enough, however, that it more than satisfies. Frankly, that was really all it was that Zo had in mind when he chose the gemstones. A reflection of what the longma were: simple but not lacking in things that still bring wonder. If only his fellows could actually see that…

Lin put the gem down and started to head back, but noticed Omen was still standing where they were mere seconds earlier. Though she didn’t want to disturb her, it may be better to do her mental processing inside the cave. 

“Omen?” Lin said, gently tapping the Ki’Nathar twice on the back. “Let’s head back inside. I think Sen wanted to show you something earlier before you left to find Rosa. After that? Maybe we won’t disturb you for the evening. It looked like you were processing your thoughts.”

Edited September 15, 2019 by EQ_Theta

[EcstaticWind 572]

On 9/10/2019 at 8:35 PM, Blitz Boom said:

After a few knocks, the door would slowly creak open, and Briar would step into view, and greet Velvet with a large, toothy smile. Considering there were a fish scale stuck in the upper row of sharp teeth, it appeared as if Briar had already taken care of breakfast, or lunch. Depending on the time of day. Didn't mean that his sense of smell were impaired however, as were evident in him knowing that this were Velvet, even without opening his eyes. The pony had a rather unique blend of flowery scents to him that made him stand out in this place rather substantially.

"Ah, Mr. Velvet, how lovely to see you here. We were starting to wonder if we were to find you, rather than the other way around. Please, come in."

The entrance were small and sort of beaten up, but it were what one could expect from these places, and they didn't care much about it. Their usual residence were a cave, so this were still a step up. Not a big one mind you.

Going to the actual main room itself, there were some furniture, a bed, and a couple of saddlebags against the wall in the corner. Beyond that, it were rather barren, with no artwork or personal touch of any kind. Just a dingy room in a shoddy area, like all the rest of them in this place. Beyond the luxury room though that were. That one got cleaned more often, and actually had a window with a nice'ish view. Important guests only though.

Briar waved Velvet towards the chairs, to indicate where he could sit. Were he to look for Brittle, he'd find her over at the bed, sending a nervous glance towards him, but otherwise keep to her work of making the bed. It might be sort of pointless in this place, but Briar insisted that they showed some degree of civility.

"Now then, what troubles your mind?"

Velvet waved to Brittle as he made his way to the chairs that Briar indicated. It was fairly obvious he was nervous and stressed over ultimately having to face Briar. First, it was better that he let Briar know how he felt about this choice.

"It's good to see you, too. For my visit...I'm afraid I still haven't quite made up my mind on your offer. It's still daunting, and I feel my heart is here in Equestria, rather than yearning for distant lands and excitement. I'm no adventurer and I never truly planned to become one, but part of me feels that turning down the offer would disappoint you and nothing feels worse than someone being disappointed in you."

He took a breath and continued, wanting to get a fair bit off his chest while Briar was willing to listen.

"The biggest decision I'd have to make was what I wanted to do with my future. And now I'm being asked if I want to leave my home, my shop, everything, to go on an adventure into potential danger with a stranger. I've thought about it and still no answer, but I couldn't bear to let anyone down. So...I wanted to try and ask a few more questions about it, though...I'm starting to think it might not be for me, if this is how I react to the offer of adventure."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
Ruby shrugged, she didn't know enough to determine what was the truth on the matter, but because she knew that at least a one creature besides her had had similar experience with the cat-pony, she didn't believe it was Disocord's, or any other such creatures doing. "Well, ultimately we can only speculate who he was if he actually exists and wasn't just oddly specific hallucination, I'd just be curious to know why to choose me from all the ponies." 

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Again, Nada just ignored the Conspiracy talk, because she still didn't want to get into such things, even if Berry could be right, and besides, didn't Berry herself say it's not wise to talk about them. "Thank you." she simply thanked as she took all the books "I appreciate it and promise to return these when I have finished with them." the map book was a good addition even if she didn't ask for it, because if nothing else, it would help her to see what had changed since her time, for example, how much bigger the forest was nowadays and what kind of towns there was now. She brought the books close to the pool and put them on the ground.

 

[Moonlit 593]

@Blitz Boom The seven foals take to the water...well, like sirens. They run circles around the Zegasus, each one doing a swim-by nuzzling. One leaps onto Ziggy's back, and stands up. "Forward My Trusty Steed!"  Her mane covers her left eye like an eye patch. "Forward, to Cookies and Nuzzles!". Harmony giggles, as Serenade drags herself out poolside. 

[Widdershins 9,955]

@Blitz Boom & @Sekel

  There was some lingering presence of a memory somehow. As fuzzy as the tatzelpony contained its memories, it couldn't sense much more than a gentle wafting of what was probably a butterfly going by. It couldn't tell the form of some heaving, breathing respitory system of a warmblooded creature nearby like it did with Twilight earlier when it had tried to greet it the only way it knew how. No, there was only this vague sense of a friendly color the pastel tint of Cherish. Such concepts of color were as foreign to it as Friendship was.

 Razzle Frazum, so named for the sound it tended to make, slowly rotates its gigantic, plant-bud of a head in the retreating direction of the group in a manner like a puppy cocking its head to attempt to understand something. But this quizzical state didn't bother the plant-beast for too long with its concern limiting itself to notions of Light & Biting, the only ways it knew about the world.

 Still, whatever that earlier "light" was, Razzle hoped to feel it again someday.

 

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

@Sekel's Dawn Streak:

 "No self respecting dragon would sleep on anything softer than rocks. It keeps your scalehide strong.

 You ponies just make the weirdest things. You should just keep one type of thing, and hoard it into a neatly piled hoard. Not... make things out of it. Just shape odd shapes out of it then... stick them together? Into some weird, blocky shapes?"

 Kaltrop hesitantly prods a piece of wooden furniture (would ponies have chairs even?) with disdain, as if he fully expected it to clamp shut on him like a trap. 

 "Doesn't even look sturdy enough to hold any weight! Don't know why you'd bother!

  I'll just be content curling up on the floor at your... hooves."

 The young drake falters and turns his head away from Dawn noticeably at his mention of her hooves.

[Rising Dusk 26,012]

@Blitz Boom

It felt like ages since Minty had such an appreciative audience.  Her duties as The Captain of the O.M.I. left her a little void of time at the theater or the chance to partake of the higher society parties she'd grown up with.  Often admired for her noble status and raw displays of power helped many put up a little more with her theatrical and eccentric personality.  Coming down to work at the commoner's level was a rather unique change she hasn't been the most prepared for, but she tries.  Eating her first hayburger from a stall vendor was a rather amusing experience for those around her.

With a smile, the larger unicorn stopped long enough to bow as a formal performer would.  Matched evenly so by the previously dancing crystal ponies.  Soon after, the whole creation dissolved into glowing mint colored rose petals.  "Thank you, thank you darling," Minty graciously expressed before ending her bow.  Renewing her journey to back to the town, "Gifts really aren't necessary darling.  Your attendance and appreciation is more than enough."  Walking through the mass of floating rose petals caused them to disperse and float even further away to pop, returning the gathered magic to the swamp.  "A far better audience than those ghastly helhests.  Hmph!  No even an applause," the annoyed mare shot her snout up in a disappointed manner.  "But I suppose in the interest of cultural exchange... an energy restoring treat for a recharge to return our weary detective home could be a fair trade."

Rising Dusk gave the white wisp a couple of shakes in the air, as if trying to remove access powdered sugar from a donut.  Such a feat was of course meaningless in the realm of magic, let alone a wisp beached by primordial light.  Likely using another wisp to try and remove the light would be pointless.  This new wisp was now what it was.  The light goddess at this point didn't seem like she was going to take back the borrowed power Rising had to take in the mist of combat.  "I'll make sure to do so, Thistle," the detective assured the specter pony.  Extinguishing his horn of magic to send the mentioned wisp away.  Thistle probably wouldn't have been able to see how the unicorn obtained the wisp when trying to save her from her power up.  And he didn't know if she would view it as him stealing the power or if it was merely the goddess' plan all along, but such things didn't need to spoil the mood.  If the goddess wanted it back, she'd take it.  Right? 

Reading ponies was part of the job being a detective, and it wasn't hard to see the difference in belief among the ponies in attendance.  Wisp and Sickle were amazed and entranced by seeing their goddess' light in physical form, but Thistle was a little different.  Jealous perhaps is what came to mind first for him.  Hopefully something that wouldn't breed into contempt for the detective.

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@Rising Dusk

5 hours ago, Rising Dusk said:

"But I suppose in the interest of cultural exchange... an energy restoring treat for a recharge to return our weary detective home could be a fair trade."

Caramel blinked a few times at this comment from Minty, then let out a small laugh for seemingly no discernible reason.

"Dearest Minty, the treat does nothing for his energy. It is simply there to be delicious, and ease the ingestion of the sprinkles. If you would give me a moment though."

She would stop up and start rummaging around under her apron again, withdrawing a few varied, closely shut bottles around the size of three thimbles stacked atop, having different colors such as green, orange, a gooey-looking yellow, and brown.

About 20 seconds after beginning, she would withdraw the familiar container that had held the black sprinkles that had been spread over Rising's particular treat earlier. The mare would roll it in her hoof and throw it in the air a few times with a satisfied little smirk going over her face, before simply handing it towards Minty.

"Please, take the whole bottle with you. I insist. At his current rate of energy, I would advise Rising got no more than four specks, or five, if you are using his magic within a reasonably short amount of time. Do not, under any circumstance, make him ingest six or above, with what he have already ingested. The energy this can provide is a great stabilizer, but it is at its core, a jolt to your system. Ingest the right amount, and you will find yourself energized and feeling more awake, as if you had a good nap. Increase a little, and there are power to be found, yet at a risk of overcharging your system, which must be spent with some degree of haste.

And as I'm sure you have guessed, overindulgence will result in a heart attack. Regular mortals are fragile at their core, and having too high of a sudden energy intake, by something that is meant to simply perk you up and then mellow out to a continuous, stabilized state, will regrettably come with its costs. It varies how much is needed in any particular case, but as a simple rule, you should never feed one more than twelve at a time, and never above twenty specks within the same twenty-two hour span of time."

It were fortunate that she had more bottles of this in her home, as this were one of the more used of her mixtures, due to the rapid attacks they generally had to deal with. Perhaps that would change now, though their previous encounter left her uncertain about that at this point. Perhaps it were best that she prepared her morter during the early morning, just in case.

"Sigh* It is a mark of my failure that I have no devised a way to increase the potential of this without the risk, but finding a stable, slow working suppressant is decisively harder than anticipated, and with the main ingredients in this working on keeping a stable level... Ah, but there is time to lament another day. I still have many years to correct this. Ones that includes less hiding I hope. It have been dreadfully limiting sometimes when I had to hide from the gaze of that... Insufferable cur, Twisted."

As she spoke, Caramel found her mind wandering a little, as she gazed upon the stylish figure of Minty. Perhaps the answer to her alchemical questions weren't to be found in Harrowmark, but rather in Equestria? Much as Harrowmark's lands were prime for special plants to grow that carried many, varied effects, it could well be that a country that were sounding as about the polar opposite of them, would have their own specialized fauna and animal life. Some of which might hold the key to this, and several other concoctions she had been puzzling over for years?

Hmm... It were worth keeping in mind, that were certain. Perhaps if she brought some of her plants and concoctions, and sought out some of their alchemists, she may well be able to make some favorable trades. Yet another reason to go visit this fabled country as soon as she were able. Question would just be if she'd be able to do so on her own, or if the mayor would insist that she did not go unattended. He worried too much about things he should not meddle in, for his own good.

6 hours ago, Rising Dusk said:

 "I'll make sure to do so, Thistle,"

"𝔾𝕠𝕠𝕕. 𝕀 𝕙𝕒𝕧𝕖 𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕠 𝕖𝕝𝕤𝕖𝕨𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖. 𝔼𝕟𝕛𝕠𝕪 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕖𝕝𝕖𝕓𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟."

Thistle excused herself and floated off, seemingly to speak with the mayor, or someone else of importance. Considering he had spotted her mood though, it should not be hard for Rising to tell that she instead wished to just be away from him for a time, to collect her thoughts and get rational, rather than let herself wallow in pointless envy. Even if he had gotten the favor of her goddess, he had done much to deserve it after all. Her servitude, compared to his salvation, were rationally in two different leagues, yet she needed some time to swallow this, as she had long taken pride in her position, and seeing one who were seeing as above that, in the eyes of her goddess, were more difficult than she liked to admit.

Wisp stole a glance towards the high priestess as she left, concerned that something were wrong, but thinking it best to not address it. It were probably not in good faith to do so, nor something that were any of her business. So instead she glanced over on Rising, then past him towards the street where their companions had wandered down a little while ago.

"...Caramel and Minty have been away for a while. I wonder what is keeping them?"

"Knowing Caramel, they ran into enemies and she is currently enjoying herself a bountiful harvest."

"*sigh* I guess you're right. Hopefully they'll be back soon."

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

 

@Etched Daydream

"Sorry, I'm from Shimmer Reef. I have a pen pal in Seward Shoals though. The way he writes about the place, it sounds nice, though personally I like it up here on the surface. Still plenty access to water, and so many things to do. So many ponies to break, hehe."

The sergeant got a mischievous grin on here face and chuckled as she said this last part.

"Easy there sergeant, you'll get your chance soon enough."

"I know. The recruits are coming in around twenty minutes."

"Then you best get to preparing for 'em. Now come on there Thunder, we'll go to the office and get you written in, and you can get yourself a shiny copy to go show your parents. And don't worry, if you regret, you got the right to turn back, all the way up to you giving off the oath. After that, it's gonna be an uphill battle, bucko, heh."

They'd go on their way again after Tidal and Kelp waved goodbye to one another, headed towards yet another part of this large base. Thunder were gonna need some time to get used to the layout in due time, or he'd get lost. A lot.

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

 

@EQ_Theta

On 9/15/2019 at 2:43 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Omen?” Lin said, gently tapping the Ki’Nathar twice on the back. “Let’s head back inside. I think Sen wanted to show you something earlier before you left to find Rosa. After that? Maybe we won’t disturb you for the evening. It looked like you were processing your thoughts.”

Omen kept her eyes on the moon for several seconds after she had gotten poked, before slowly turning her head and gazing upon Lin again.

"...Yes, I were thinking. It will wait."

She had been trying to process a few things, yet as Lin had pulled her out of it and informed her that there were something inside there should be drawn attention to, Omen decided to let it wait for now. It sounded as if she would get some time to think soon enough anyway, and perhaps this were the gem that Sen had gotten, that they were now going to see? It would be interesting if that were the case, that were for sure, though who knew? It might be something else, like him needing help because Shrimp were chomping down on his tail again, and refused to let go.

That wouldn't be the case as they entered. Shrimp were instead in a corner, hiding about half of the berries that were left with him before under some pebbles and a piece of cloth to a relative degree of success. He were trying at least, and didn't seem to be gazing around, looking for cats anymore, so he were calmer. As for his choice in trying to hide it like this? He had seen the big creatures around him take food from bags, and leave the stuff they didn't eat in them, so he tried to do the same. However, he hadn't been able to bind the piece of cloth together at all - in parts because he couldn't find any string or rope - so he tried to make it look closed in another way instead, to imitate his caretakers.

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

 

@EcstaticWind

"Mr. Velvet, you should not take into concern whatever your choice will disappoint me or not. I have extended a helping hoof, along with my personal advice, yet it is your own feelings on the matter that means the most in the end. Much as I would consider it good for you to interact beyond these shores, that is simply my narrow perspective, based on what little I know of you, and should not be taken as more than a semi-educated guess. You most certainly know yourself better than I do, yes?"

It were a little... Sad, that Velvet had taken into consideration that he just didn't want to disappoint anyone else here. It mattered little what some random stranger had to think on a matter that he surely knew best of course, yes? It had merely sounded like the stallion were conflicted, and could use some suggestions, which were what Briar had provided. It were not meant as something that should be chosen, whilst Velvet's own mind on the matter were a secondary concern at best.

"I would also like to state that I am not disappointed if you chose to stay. Whilst I believe that outside interaction would be of some benefit to you, and that there are things to learn in Germane for one with your talents, my intention were mainly to help you with your dilemma on choosing a path forward. From what I can hear, it sounds as if this proprosition have helped you to think further on things at least, even if this were not in your original thoughts.

As for the ones whom I mentioned, yo do not have to worry about them either, and I hope that you will hang on to the contact information, were you ever to change your mind, or perhaps merely hear from a skilled adventurer how the life are. Although..."

Briar tapped his chin with his right vine for a moment, then shook his head.

"I will not give false hope in case it becomes troubling to gain, but perhaps the druids could still help you with some literature? I am certain that at least one of them will find themselves in that area again one day, and they may be able to convince the druids to part with some of their knowledge. It would not be as efficient as meeting with them of course, but it would likely help you to at least some degree.

*sigh* I do apologize for not mentioning this option before. For reasons unknown, I did not think of this potential middle road before now. Please forgive me for this oversight."

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@Catpone Cerberus

"Well, if it had anything to do with the draconequui, you're better off not looking for a meaning. Anything related to those things tends to just do whatever they do for the heck of it. The stories I could tell you... *sigh* You'd probably not care one bit about any of 'em."

It were a tiny bit annoying to be with one whom she knew didn't care all that much about stories. Come on, Spicy had some great ones, and not all of them included the sentence *And then they brought out the good stuff*. Sure those were the most entertaining, but that didn't mean she didn't have some informative stuff too.

...Awh, what the hay? Might as well try one, and see if it landed.

"Friend of a friend of... Somepony. I dunno anymore. Anyway, they said that this weirdo draconequus with a pumpkin head had come 'round his place, and turned his lawnmower into a large parakeet. Why? He didn't know, it were just there, being a nuisance and trying to fly off with his dog. Point is, when it comes to those creatures, sanity's left at the door, and you might've gotten the cat call just because it seemed fun. Or it were an accident. Y'know, a pony with a curse, and some of that rubbed off on you? Tried weirder ones than a cat curse."

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

 

@Catpone Cerberus

Berry had indeed said that it were not wise to keep talking about The Conspiracy, but sometimes she figured it were less bad, as she weren't in public, or were around those she were mostly sure were clean. Other times she just forgot it, as she were thinking on other things or were sorta busy. So far she hadn't been dragged off by the nearest goons, so she were seemingly safe for now. Likely because they figured that everypony just thought she were crazy and didn't take her seriously anyway.

"No problemo Nada. You're my friend after all. Gotta make sure to help you, and this was more or less the least I could do. I got tons of these sorts of things at home. These just seemed the most relevant, and had the least stuff of my own written in them for... Reasons."

Mainly that she disagreed with some history, as her evidence suggested otherwise, but this were not a time for captain crazy to come dazzling around, and Nada likely had to know her some more before she trusted her on the true story of the world. Plus, Berry needed her diagrams to really get the point through. In time though, she'd open Nada's eyes, as she would everypony else.

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

 

@Moonlit

"Aye aye captain."

Ziggy made some tooting sounds, as if she were a steam boat of some kind, and paddled on with the foal on her back, and the sharks/fillies around them passing by and giving her some nuzzles as they went past. Something which Ziggy would try to give back as best she could, with a huge, happy smile plastered over her face. This were one of the happiest days of her life already, and it had just started.

*gasp* And now they had spotted a sea monster! Whatever should they do?

"Arr, captain? I be spotting a siren on yonder. What arrrr we to do?"

Yeah yeah, she were bad at this, and she knew it, but she had never played pirates and such when she were younger. Robbers and thieves sometimes, though others didn't want to if she were the cop, as she'd catch you really fast, and the punishment were always snuggles. The hospital staff didn't mind, but some of the other foals thought it were kinda embarrassing.

[Moonlit 593]

@Blitz Boom The foal giggles, "Full Steam ahead, and darn the snuggles!" She raises a fore-hoof, and takes what she thinks is an Epic pose on the back of the Steamship HRM Ziggy. Harmony has her face buried in a towel to stop her laughter...and Serenade...she's got an evil grin on her muzzle. "Oh, what yonder do I see here?" She strikes a pose, "A foolish Captain enters my dominion." Serenade is very much channeling Princess Luna in that pose. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Blitz Boom

Thunder chuckles and waves to the Sergeant as he and Tidal left to go sign him up "I hardly think I'll regret it. I'm the type that once I commit to something, I see it to the end" he smiles "Besides" he points to his cutie mark of a shield and lightning bolt "I think it's in my destiny and talent to be a guard" he then looks to her "and with superiors like you and the Sergeant, I can tell it's not all going to be drills, there's bound to be something exciting or fun as well" he reassures her.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“Omen! I wanted to show you this earlier.”

Sen scooted close to the fire and held his leg cuff out towards Omen. A little too close to the flames that the object could be set ablaze but he was careful. As it was earlier, the gem changed color to reflect the flame burning behind it. The longma made sure to position himself in such a way that the gem would be between Omen and the fire where she could get a good view of the color change. It wasn’t spectacular on a large scale but it is impressive, especially since Sen only picked up on how the flames would have a distorted flicker whenever they came into view. A deep red-orange hue becoming an intense flame-like orange color was likely going to get little fillies interested in it for a few seconds but Sen liked it, and hoped Omen would too.

“Well, it’s nothing big. Nothing like the kind of magic Discord could do. I imagine him doing something along the lines of the gem becoming fire itself when placed next to an actual fire. Oh, or the gem setting itself on fire when held.”

“Thanks again, Omen. For bringing Rosa here and for the gift.” 

Meanwhile, Lin had a glimpse of the sight Sen had seen just now but turned her attention to Shrimp who was up to something with his food. Looked like he didn’t finish all of his berries. The longma paused for a moment and went to her saddle bag to retrieve a small, cloth-lined box before heading back to the refraction.

“Shrimp?” She began as she crouched down next to her little friend, opening the lid and waiting to see what happens next. “You can keep your food here if you want.” 

Edited September 17, 2019 by EQ_Theta

[Seamore Sandwich 470]

@Blitz Boom 

 

Continued from page 353

 

In the pockets of the robe were several gems that had been charged with magic over the years.  The purpose of these was storing magic to directly power Marcus’s spells.  “You may stand beside me,” Marcus said to Sugar Lime, gesturing to a space beside him where the elders had left him some room to stand.  Once Sugar was in place, he would continue, “Tomorrow we set forth at dawn for First Island, a Mountain range so tall it was once believed to be the only land when the world was covered in water.  It is in the shape of a crescent moon, surrounding a forest known as the Lake of Leaves, whose canopy is unbroken, letting little light onto the forest floor below.  There once was a path that cut through the forest leading to the Caverns of Cob, but the maps show that the path is now covered.  There are beasts that lurk in the darkness, and without the path there is no sunlight to protect us.  The beasts there are repelled by the sun, but not by torch or glow of horn.  We shall clear a path of our own making after the journey has been completed, as to do so before would delay us too long.  Each journey to the Sacred Springs we will widen the path.  Once we reach the Caverns of Cob, we will Ascend through them to find the opening that will lead us to the Sacred Spring.  We must not travel downward within the Caverns, as the spirits of creatures that once roamed the depths of the great ocean now traverse the depths of the Caverns.  The one thing that keeps them at bay is the power emanating from the Sacred Springs.  They dare not ascend as long as the waters still flow.  There are many dangers on this path, and now that you all know them, if there are any who wish not to take these risks you may back down now, but once we leave tomorrow if you should turn back you will make the journey back alone.  Are there any adventurers that wish to stay behind?”

 

Gaea 357

Penny 361

Charlie 354

[EcstaticWind 572]

On 9/17/2019 at 5:37 AM, Blitz Boom said:

"Mr. Velvet, you should not take into concern whatever your choice will disappoint me or not. I have extended a helping hoof, along with my personal advice, yet it is your own feelings on the matter that means the most in the end. Much as I would consider it good for you to interact beyond these shores, that is simply my narrow perspective, based on what little I know of you, and should not be taken as more than a semi-educated guess. You most certainly know yourself better than I do, yes?"

It were a little... Sad, that Velvet had taken into consideration that he just didn't want to disappoint anyone else here. It mattered little what some random stranger had to think on a matter that he surely knew best of course, yes? It had merely sounded like the stallion were conflicted, and could use some suggestions, which were what Briar had provided. It were not meant as something that should be chosen, whilst Velvet's own mind on the matter were a secondary concern at best.

"I would also like to state that I am not disappointed if you chose to stay. Whilst I believe that outside interaction would be of some benefit to you, and that there are things to learn in Germane for one with your talents, my intention were mainly to help you with your dilemma on choosing a path forward. From what I can hear, it sounds as if this proprosition have helped you to think further on things at least, even if this were not in your original thoughts.

As for the ones whom I mentioned, yo do not have to worry about them either, and I hope that you will hang on to the contact information, were you ever to change your mind, or perhaps merely hear from a skilled adventurer how the life are. Although..."

Briar tapped his chin with his right vine for a moment, then shook his head.

"I will not give false hope in case it becomes troubling to gain, but perhaps the druids could still help you with some literature? I am certain that at least one of them will find themselves in that area again one day, and they may be able to convince the druids to part with some of their knowledge. It would not be as efficient as meeting with them of course, but it would likely help you to at least some degree.

*sigh* I do apologize for not mentioning this option before. For reasons unknown, I did not think of this potential middle road before now. Please forgive me for this oversight."

"If that were to happen and the druid could be persuaded, sure. But experts often find their way here, or to Canterlot and Manehatten, as well."

Velvet sighed, letting out a shuddering breath. He was almost on the verge of tears from the pressure and his own feelings. He was so afraid that he'd let someone down eventually. His plants never felt let down, but considering them true friends was delusional, childish and, frankly, pathetic if he were to consider that angle.

"I appreciate your kindness, but my worry is that my dilemna has been made worse with the addition. Now, instead of two paths, there are three and the well-being of a travelling partner who may not have the patience for a pony like me. Adventurers can be rough types and I'm not. If we came to blows, I wouldn't even be able to put up a fight. Regardless of my positive qualities, that alone raises doubts that I would be fit for a life on the road, even if only briefly."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
Ruby let out a exhale of amusement when Spicy told about the lawnmower situation, she might have not enjoyed stories in general, but stories of misfortune and nuisance were entertaining to certain extent."A curse is a possibility, but it's a weird curse if it is, since certain species starting to like you doesn't really cause any harm, which usually is the point of curses." and for her it was closer to a blessing since it took one species out of the list threats for her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nada had her guesses for what the reasons were, but as to be expected, she didn't say anything about it "Thank you Berry." "I know I keep thanking you a lot, but I technically owe you everything that has happened and will happen, since without you I would most likely still be in that lake, so I really am thankful."

 

[Blitz Boom 4,422]

@EQ_Theta

So this gem also changed colors? Interesting. Perhaps if she found more of either, she could bring some home and show her siblings? A well placed gate in front of a fire or directed towards the sky, combined with a gem like this, could show them many pretty colors. They would be happy about that.

Personally she preferred the sapphire though. The varied hues of orange and flickers that made it seem as if this stone were ablaze were interesting, yet there were something about the stars and moon that drew her to them a little more than this fire inspired gem. What she couldn't tell, but it might be the color. Silver were very shiny, while fire were something she were starting to eat. Unless it were supposed to be like the sun, because she were sure she couldn't eat that, and shouldn't try either.

On 9/17/2019 at 3:33 PM, EQ_Theta said:

“Well, it’s nothing big. Nothing like the kind of magic Discord could do. I imagine him doing something along the lines of the gem becoming fire itself when placed next to an actual fire. Oh, or the gem setting itself on fire when held.”

“Thanks again, Omen. For bringing Rosa here and for the gift.”

"Master Discord made strange creatures and things. Some of them on fire. Some were fire.

Once saw a strange lizard, made of rocks. Parts of it on fire. Master Discord said it were an elemental. Something important, for some reason. He did not want to talk about them.

...Fire, yes. Master Discord could do many things with that. His magic are strong. He said all demigods are. I am not sure if he is still strong now, when the ponies reformed him. He were acting strange."

Omen thought on this for a moment, with memories of how he used to be in olden times, when surrounded by ponies. It were very strange how that had changed, after he had been reformed. As if the process somehow took away part of him, and she still wasn't sure if it were good or bad. The ponies seemed to think it were good though.

"And you are welcome. Ponies say that when thanked. Works now too?"

While this went on, Shrimp turned around to look at Lin when she addressed him, pebble in his mouth, ready to add to the pile that weighed down the edges of the cloth.

He'd see the box and curiously slither near it. As he reached it, he would rise up so that his head could go above the edge, and look on what were inside. Nothing as it turned out, which were somewhat disappointing, as he though that perhaps there were a strange treat, or a toy in it. Yet, instead it were just empty.

He'd wrangle his little brain on what to do, before letting go off the pebble, going back to the semi-hidden pile, and pick out one berry, before returning. The berry would hit the bottom of the small box as he let go, and roll to a corner. Afterwards, the refraction would look up at Lin with big, questioning eyes and confused chirps, trying to see if this were what she wanted him to do with it.

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

 

@Moonlit

"Yessire capt'n!"

Ziggy paddled forth like the mighty vessel she were, bravely defying the relentless fillies and their dastardly snuggles, for them to aim at the fiend which these oceans only spoke of in whispers: Serenade, the sleepy ocean pony! What an epic battle it were going to be, when the brave captain and her trustworthy vessel would approach this monster of myth, and bravely defeat her.

Oh the horrors. Oh the equinity!

They would see soon enough what were going to happen in this epic tale, that were for sure, as the siren drew nearer, and their epic battle were about to commence. Would they be victorious, and raid the coffers of their ancient foe, to grasp the fabled cookies or deliciousness? Or would the salty sea claim them, as so many others? Arrr, soon they'd see.

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

 

@Etched Daydream

"Heh, then you better hope that I don't lose my position next year. This years competition were fierce, and ol' Shore Crasher got a fire going in his chest that's telling me he ain't gonna give up until he wins. A fine general that one would be, but I for one ain't gonna lay down without a fight. I've kept my position for four years now, and I intent to beat the record, not lose out to some ice carver with a mind like steel.

... That does remind me, I need to tell the captain to bring up his promotion papers one of these days. Ain't fair keeping him as a lieutenant for much longer. Eh, maybe after all of this is do-"

"Form sixteen, line thirty-four. Second shelf, under the magenta conch shell."

The general were interrupted in her talks by the harmonious voice a seemingly young mare, wandering the opposite way of where they were.

She seemed younger than Thunder, yet had thick pouches around her eyes and a tired, though satisfied smile going over her face as she slowly wandered by, and seemingly didn't take much notice of them as she just went on her way, randomly giggling at something unseen. She had not been wearing a uniform, so it were hard to say what role she might play in here, but it had allowed one to see her cutie mark clearly. A pale wisp, with a lit candle on both sides. Didn't say much about the blue mare with the unkempt mane and tail, but whatever her deal were, it seemed to creep the general out, as she stepped out of her way and checked to make sure this one were indeed going, and didn't turn around to follow them.

"I swear to Celestia, that one's gonna make me crawl outta my good skin one of these days..."

A shiver went through her before she wandered on again, a bit on the silent side as she tried to find her calm again.

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

 

@Seamore Sandwich

Sugar humbly moved into place, silently, though he felt as if his heartbeat should have been possible to hear. To think that he now stood this near their fabled hero, adorning these important clothes, and carrying the crystals that empowered some of his extraordinary abilities... This were a moment of great importance to him, and he just prayed that he were not somehow going to mess this up. Especially not as looking out on the crowd, he could see his wife glancing back at him. Their foals yawning and looking around, not used to being up at this hour, and trying to process all of what were going on.

The mare were not as pale as him, but it were clear that she too were a devout follower, who had given of her own energy, just as he had. To think that perhaps soon, they might be able to rejuvenate themselves, and gain the long life that he had thought were impossible for somepony like them... He'd feel his heart flutter at the thought, if it weren't because he bit notice in somepony else that had taken notice of her. That being Belladonna, who approached her and seemingly started to have a small conversation with his wife and foals. He had no idea what they were talking about, but it looked pretty calm, though his wife were shocked at first. That much were clear, though his sister seemed surprisingly calm about the whole thing. Knowing her right, she probably prepared for this for hours, or even days before now.

*sigh* He should have known that Belladonna would figure it out and get ready for a confrontation fast. She had always been an inquisitive, noisy one. It's what got her in trouble, and caused her to run away from all of this, whilst being branded as a crazed heretic for questioning their practices. To think that she were right all along... There were a lot to process there, including now that she had met some family that she hadn't been aware of before she came back to this place a few days ago. This might get difficult to talk with her about, if she brought up how it parallelled with their own experiences.

Whilst he stood and thought on this, Brute just stood stoically in her position, waiting for Marcus to be done with his speech. He seemed to be quite the talker, but she supposed, this were his kind of showmanship. In her profession, it were visuals, and in his, big, boastful words. Hopefully he'd be able to live up to the hype, though she suspected he'd not be useless at least. He seemed to know how to work his gear, even if she mostly considered him a scrawny little thing with a lot to prove so far.

14 hours ago, Seamore Sandwich said:

Are there any adventurers that wish to stay behind?”

"Hmph, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

She had a small smirk on her face as she said this, and looked at Marcus with an expectant glare in her eyes. Helping around this place had been nice and all, but she were itching for a fight at this point, and what he had talked about going through sounded like it'd be a tough road, full of danger.

Hm, this might actually be a decent challenge.

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

 

@EcstaticWind

Briar smirked a little and had a seat before speaking again. It were tragic in a sense that Velvet were this nervous about things, but it were undeniably a little amusing to him too, to hear the poor thing step over himself mentally like he did.

"Mr. Velvet, I would never advise anyone to travel with you that were easy to anger upon their fellow companions. Though if you insist on the least amount of trouble among your potential companions or couriers, depending on the situation, I would narrow your list towards two that I have seen are as patient as can be wished for. Whereas the others have certain.. Breaking points in stressful situations, these two tends to be the most pleasurable to be around, even in those situations.

Flaxy is a diamond dog with a yearning for adventure and seeing new things, who takes everything with a big grin and hearty attitude. The worst one can expect for her is a bellowing laughter and a paw pat on the shoulder, if she finds you amusing. A little strange at times perhaps, but I find that her attitude grows on you fairly quickly.

Lulu Leila is a... Peculiar one too. Less boasting and loud than Flaxy, and more towards being highly friendly and personal. I recall hearing she recently reformed, so she won't require being fed love either on your travels, which I believe most ponies prefer.

They're both absolute delights, and while the others are too, and are as protective as Flaxy and Lulu, they have certain breaking points under stressful situations, which can happen on the road, much as it can in towns. It is merely a matter of what one is stressed out about."

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

 

@Catpone Cerberus

Oh? So she had actually managed to find something that entertained this mare? Seemed like stories including misfortune might be the hit then. Spicy definitely had to remember this for later, since she had a bunch of those to pick from, and this could be a great way to finally bond over something else than cash.

"It's a bother if somepony hates cats, or are allergic to 'em. And if it were a trap curse, who knew what sort of wonky customer set that up, and why. You'd be amazed how easy it is to get a curse on you out of nowhere. With all the adventurers starting up in recent years figuring that out the hard way, there's some skilled unicorns that actually make some real good coin from dealing with that sort of thing exclusively. Dangerous stuff, but good business if you know what you're doing."

A small shake would go through their mode of transportation, and get Spicy to look out of the small window on her side, to see if something were going wrong, or if they were getting closer, and soon turned to Ruby with a big grin.

"Hah, we're almost there! Las Pegasus baby, where the tourists roll in, and the suckers gets blanked off. Darn it I love that place."

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

 

@Catpone Cerberus

"Awh shucks, you're gonna make me blush here. I'm just happy to help my newest friend, and frankly, I have a lot to thank about you too. You're definitely the most unique friend I've ever had, and one who tolerates me a whole bunch more than some others. They think I'm crazy or something, so I don't speak with that many others than like, Alonsus, and though he's a real sweetheart, he's got a lot of other things to do too, and can be a little testing on the patience."

Honestly, you got used to it over time, but if she had a bad day it just wasn't as easy to deal with. Not that she had many options though, since as she said, not too many in her circle of friends. She had some acquaintances all over the place, and had several favors she could call in for sure, but actual friends? She could count those in a real short amount of time.

But now she had a new, awesome friend. And through her, she had even met a new friend in the forest, and the uhm... Changeling queen...

Okay, they couldn't all be winners. This wasn't perfect happy land after all. Which for the record, did not exist. She checked several books and found not a single mention, so she were pretty sure about that.

"And just think about it Nada, you got lots of friends so quickly. Me, Serenade, the princesses, and Lyriel. And I'm sure I'm missing somepony. Point is, you got a lot that cares about you now, and we sure ain't gonna let you wither away in an empty lake, luring rabbits to you for snacks."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,516]

@Blitz Boom

Thunder would nod "Seems you have a very diverse lot of ponies in your regiment" he would remark "Makes for a more interesting job, I think. I can't imagine seeing the same look all day, every day" he says with a light chuckle. He looks around and smiles some more "I think I can grow to like it here" he smiles some more "Just hope I can stop crashing into things" he says, laughing at the joke on himself.

[EQ_Theta 414]

@Blitz Boom

“They say that, or ‘no problem.’ Ponies still sometimes confuse me but a lot about how they talk and act with each other, I learned from watching them. And I’m sure Discord’s magic is still the same. He probably doesn’t use it the way you remember but if you asked him, maybe he can show you.

Discord wouldn't be weaker because someone told him to change his ways. He knows he is strong. With his kind of magic, I don't think anyone will disagree."

Suppose it is the same with anyone, changing for better or worse. They’re the same and yet they are different. Much as Sen would like to explain further, it might give Omen a headache trying to wrap her mind around the concept. Redemption or otherwise, this would be quite a topic to broach but it may be better to bring it up another time. 

Meanwhile, Lin observed what Shrimp did when presented with the box. At the moment, he seemed to have the right idea, putting one berry in and… look at her. It was a step in the right direction and maybe he needed some positive reinforcement.

“You’ve got it, Shrimp,” Lin cheerfully said, picking up one berry and putting it in the box. “One at a time.”

The longma picked up a few more berries and waited to see what Shrimp would do. Of course, this would likely end up with them taking turns putting one berry in the box after another. Not the most time consuming thing in the world but hopefully it might help the refraction learn about cleaning up and knowing it is alright to approach her, Sen, or Omen for help. 

[EcstaticWind 572]

20 hours ago, Blitz Boom said:

Briar smirked a little and had a seat before speaking again. It were tragic in a sense that Velvet were this nervous about things, but it were undeniably a little amusing to him too, to hear the poor thing step over himself mentally like he did.

"Mr. Velvet, I would never advise anyone to travel with you that were easy to anger upon their fellow companions. Though if you insist on the least amount of trouble among your potential companions or couriers, depending on the situation, I would narrow your list towards two that I have seen are as patient as can be wished for. Whereas the others have certain.. Breaking points in stressful situations, these two tends to be the most pleasurable to be around, even in those situations.

Flaxy is a diamond dog with a yearning for adventure and seeing new things, who takes everything with a big grin and hearty attitude. The worst one can expect for her is a bellowing laughter and a paw pat on the shoulder, if she finds you amusing. A little strange at times perhaps, but I find that her attitude grows on you fairly quickly.

Lulu Leila is a... Peculiar one too. Less boasting and loud than Flaxy, and more towards being highly friendly and personal. I recall hearing she recently reformed, so she won't require being fed love either on your travels, which I believe most ponies prefer.

They're both absolute delights, and while the others are too, and are as protective as Flaxy and Lulu, they have certain breaking points under stressful situations, which can happen on the road, much as it can in towns. It is merely a matter of what one is stressed out about."

 

"That is assuming I go through with being an adventurer. I still have my doubts, since I don't have anything as impressive as many others I have heard become adventurers. I'm not a swordspony or an acrobatic brawler, or even that skilled in my healing art. An adventurer usually needs to have a firm basis in their own skills if they want to make it, and I'm not prepared to go into cooking school, let alone to Germaine or any kind of wilderness or foreign city."

Velvet looked down in shame that he was so close to refusing just to pre-empt the homesickness he knew would come.

"What I'm afraid of most is, if I take to the adventuring life...that I might not come back. I'd leave business unfinished, family and friends I might never see again. It's the same in all adventuring stories. Once they've tasted the adventuring life, they can't stop. The road calls to them, or they get bored of the calm and quiet and off they go again. I can't abandon my responsibilities like that, Mr. Briar, but I'm afraid that that there won't be a middle ground."

[Rising Dusk 26,012]

@Blitz Boom

Minty watched the curious actions of the pegasus who had stopped on their journey to the town.  These were similar things the mare had seen in another member of the O.M.I., Bash.  The ivory earth pony and alchemy expert had been seen on many occasions mixing various things together into potions.  Often right there on the spot with the same ease and grace of a bartender mixing a cocktail.  Minus the apron, Bash didn't wear an apron, and the grunting way of communication, they were pretty similar.

Accepting the offered bottle to help with her detective's recovering.  Bash was going to have a field day once he found out another alchemist was tending to the needs of his fellow agents.  Looking over the newly create concoction and listening to the directions carefully.  Her horn ignited and the bottle poofed out of her hoof, sending it to a storage pocket dimension.  This elegant dress didn't come with pockets and to wear a saddle bag in such attire would be most unladylike.  "I thank you darling Caramel.  This will be most useful for our weary detective," she cooed and started along the trip back to town again.  "It sounds like the new freedom Harrowmark will have on their hooves will prove quite enlightening to further development," she added.  "We have an agent in the O.M.I. that specializes in alchemy.  He will be most curious to see concoctions from other lands, and the effects they have on our agents," she chuckled.  Oh how the guinea pig Rising will be upon his return.

It was a pity to see Thistle have to dismiss herself the way she needed to.  An interesting conclusion to see a specter pony will hold on to such emotions.  Ponies in Equestria were very out of their league when it came to things such as ghosts, spirits and the undead in general.  So much to learn, so many times.  Rising waved his farewell to the specter pony as she floated away to speak to another pony, but that look in her eyes was all he needed to keep his mouth shut and let her work though things on her own.  In the future it would be best to keep the white wisp to himself and not bring it up in conversation again.

Casting his gaze in the direction the pegasus and large unicorn had gone when Wisp brought up their absence.  Paring The Captain with another pony that seemed to enjoy herself a good fight might have not been the best indeed in hindsight.  "Everything should be fine," the detective informed them, even though they probably had good faith in their town's guardian to handle herself.  He himself had no power of clairvoyance or surveillance, instead he had Minty sense, err, logic.  Pointing out over the swamp with his hoof, "The swamp is still standing," meaning The Captain hadn't needed to tap far into her magic and spare the collateral damage.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,421]

@Blitz Boom
Ruby just shrugged, she had said everything she had to say about the topic, and any more would be just repeating same points in different words. She looked out of the window for a second when Spicy said they were almost there, she hadn't actually been in Las Pegasus yet, but she had heard that there was plenty of ponies to fool, not that it was that hard anywhere, but here it was even easier based on what she had heard.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Nada just smiled since she didn't really know what to say to Berry's response, it made her a bit sad to hear that some didn't even tolerate her just because she....had an unique worldview, but didn't show it because she didn't want Berry to think she had upset her. "I don't know if the princesses are quite friends yet but a valid point nonetheless." Nada finally said after taking in Berry's words "And again, thank you, I really needed to hear that, it's surprisingly hard for me to remember it." she looked a bit embarrassed to admit it.

 

[Moonlit 593]

@Blitz Boom Serenade watches, her eyes narrowed. She smirks, gives her mom a wink, then in a flash transfors into her Siren form. "Silly Pony" She sing-songs, "You are no match for a predator of the deep" She leaps up, "Cannonball!" She bellyflops onto the water, a wave washing over her and foal on her back.