open Exploration Team Of Equestria and Beyond

[Dakcka 182]

Oh come on, ask him to stay! It won't hurt to ask! She thought to herself.

 

Dax froze and lifted a hoof to his lips, signalling her to remain quiet. Was he already sick of hearing her speak? Destiny did as instructed and watched carefully.  He then pointed to her bed, and slowly closed the door. Destiny didn't understand even the slightest. What was so interesting about her bed?

 

"Destiny," Dax said calmly, "have you been hiding somepony, or is this an uninvited guest?"

 

Destiny was disgusted. She wondered how long that pony had been listening. She did as any noble leader would do, she hid behind Dax and hoped he could protect her from this stranger. 

 

"W-who are you?! Explain yourself!" Destiny yelled to the intruder. 

 

You're embarrassing yourself! Go and try to protect him! Destiny stood in front of Dax, ready to fight for him using the bow and arrow she was now holding in her aura. If this pony was really here to fight, why hasn't he attacked, but if that's the case, why is he here trying to rob her? Destiny was visibly shaking, she looked as if she was going to cry. She was not used to trying to be intimidated, she tried to avoid eyecontact with the stallion, and with Dax.

 

"D-don't try anything stupid!" Destiny muttered.

Edited July 4, 2015 by Destiny Savvy

[Jomm 25]

Destiny was disgusted. She wondered how long that pony had been listening. She did as any noble leader would do, she hid behind Dax and hoped he could protect her from this stranger. 

 

"W-who are you?! Explain yourself!" Destiny yelled to the intruder. 

 

You're embarrassing yourself! Go and try to protect him! Destiny stood in front of Dax, ready to fight for him using the bow and arrow she was now holding in her aura. If this pony was really here to fight, why hasn't he attacked, but if that's the case, why is he here trying to rob her? Destiny was visibly shaking, she looked as if she was going to cry. She was not used to trying to be intimidated, she tried to avoid eyecontact with the stallion, and with Dax.

 

"D-don't try anything stupid!" Destiny muttered.

 

Junn stood frozen in place quite weary of the knocked arrow in possession of the scared mare. suddenly a cloud of smoke enveloped Junn and filled the room. The smoke cleared in seconds just as it had appeared, and a small green pellet stained with black powder lay on the ground.

Junn made a mad dash for the window pumping his legs with full strength, he attempted to yell something witty back but he was cut short  due to not looking forward and smashed headfirst into the leg of the bed knocking him unconscious. 

as Junns vision quickly faded to black, he noticed he ran the wrong way, and not only that, the lint in his eyes still itched terribly

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Blaze trotted through Canterlot. He has assigned himself to this rescue mission, but couldn't find the place he was supposed to them. "If i don't find this place then i'm gonna eat my mane" Suddenly he heard a frightened mare utter "D-don't try anything stupid!" in a house to his left. He whipped his head around, and galloped in. What he saw inside there was ridiculous to say the least. A stallion with a stoic expression stood behind him was a mare with who was visibly shaking. In my whole year of serving in the special forces at the guard, never have i seen a situation like this. How do i even react to that?. Suddenly the beds sheets flew up, and out of the sheets came a stallion, who looked like he was running for his life. Ahhh that's why they stood like that, well i better stop this guy before he escapes Then the stallion ran right in to the leg of a bed BONK could be heard across the room. Blaze cringed Ouch, that must have hurt. Figuring that he had seen enough and that they didn't need help, he was about to walk out. Then he thought, I might as well ask these ponies were to go. "excuse me miss? Could you point me to this adress, you see i don't come from Canterlot" Said Blaze with a sheepish smile

Edited July 6, 2015 by blazedtime

[Dakcka 182]

Destiny was as confused as ever. She just saw somepony run face first into a bed-leg and knock themself out, and now some random stallion is asking her for directions. 

 

Okay then. Destiny thought to herself, she kept her cool. She looked to the stallion who trotted in. 

 

"Excuse me miss? Could you point me to this address? You see...I don't come from Canterlot" The stallion gave her a sheepish grin.

Destiny looked at the address,

 

Wait, was this guy planning on coming to the train station for the meeting? 

 

Destiny pointed down the street to the train station, that whole affair had taken most of the night, and it was now early morning. She said her goodbyes to Dax, who she figured was going to take care of the stallion who knocked himself out. Destiny trotted to the train station, nopony was here yet, they were probably all sleeping. Destiny laid down on the bench, and stared at the orange sky. The sun was still just rising, she drifted off to sleep. Even while dreaming, she thought about the adventures she was going to have. But the dangers as well.

[Littlecandylulu903 415]

Blaze trotted through Canterlot. He has assigned himself to this rescue mission, but couldn't find the place he was supposed to them. "If i don't find this place then i'm gonna eat my mane" Suddenly he heard a frightened mare utter "D-don't try anything stupid!" in a house to his left. He whipped his head around, and galloped in. What he saw inside there was ridiculous to say the least. A stallion with a stoic expression stood behind him was a mare with who was visibly shaking. In my whole year of serving in the special forces at the guard, never have i seen a situation like this. How do i even react to that?. Suddenly the beds sheets flew up, and out of the sheets came a stallion, who looked like he was running for his life. Ahhh that's why they stood like that, well i better stop this guy before he escapes Then the stallion ran right in to the leg of a bed BONK could be heard across the room. Blaze cringed Ouch, that must have hurt. Figuring that he had seen enough and that they didn't need help, he was about to walk out. Then he thought, I might as well ask these ponies were to go. "excuse me miss? Could you point me to this adress, you see i don't come from Canterlot" Said Blaze with a sheepish smile

A fool could tell that Spellbind was very very VERY much looking forward to going on an adventure with all these new ponies. Exploring uncharted and far off lands, and making new friends along the way... it was kind of too much for Spellbind's pessimistic and self-pitying self and she felt like her brain might overflow with rainbows.

 

She decided to would do a dance through Canterlot. She didn't care about what the ponies around her would think (especially since they were used to her acting a bit weird), she simply skipped and twirled through the city with a smile on her face...

 

Her happiness was interrupted when she ended up jumping and bumping into another stallion. "Oh my..." she said. She had never seen this pony before and this was probably not the best first impression she could have made. "I'm so sorry, I should have been looking where I was going... I'll leave now."

 

(You know how we made Blaze Spellbind's friend in our romance roleplay? Well how about this is where the friendship originated from?)

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

A fool could tell that Spellbind was very very VERY much looking forward to going on an adventure with all these new ponies. Exploring uncharted and far off lands, and making new friends along the way... it was kind of too much for Spellbind's pessimistic and self-pitying self and she felt like her brain might overflow with rainbows.

 

She decided to would do a dance through Canterlot. She didn't care about what the ponies around her would think (especially since they were used to her acting a bit weird), she simply skipped and twirled through the city with a smile on her face...

 

Her happiness was interrupted when she ended up jumping and bumping into another stallion. "Oh my..." she said. She had never seen this pony before and this was probably not the best first impression she could have made. "I'm so sorry, I should have been looking where I was going... I'll leave now."

 

(You know how we made Blaze Spellbind's friend in our romance roleplay? Well how about this is where the friendship originated from?)

 

The kind mare gave him the directions, and apparently it was at the train station Wow, i feel like such a moron right now, oh well onward! Suddenly somepony bumped into him, and he dropped the adress. A bit dizzy from being hit THAT hard Who ever walked into me HAD to do it on purpose He was about to fix his shades on instinct, but then he realized. They fell off, Blaze was in a panic, he was about to search everywere but found them in front of him and smacked them on. He was about to give this pony a piece of his mind, but saw that there was a rather distraut looking mare in front of him Was SHE the one who bumped into me!? Now she knows that i have a wounded eye, That can't be explained without telling some secrets. Blaze could clearly see that she didn't do it on purpose, and he was about to to tell her, but then she turned around and walked away. "Hey! Wait up!" Shouted blaze and walked after her "It's ok! I'm not upset, i promise" No answer Must be my eye that scared her off, i knew i should have worn goggles Blaze grabbed the mare and turned her around "Please explain to me, why you are upset?" Said Blaze and looked her in the eye. She has had a bad past...

Edited July 8, 2015 by blazedtime

[Randimaxis 8,633]

Dax dragged the unconscious pony from the room, and after saying his goodbyes he began to pull the pony towards the closest guards.

 

Hang on, now... maybe this could be a blessing in disguise.  He stopped and looked over the pony in question.

 

He began to search him... carefully... and after ridding him of as many weapons and tricks as he could find, he carried him to the tent he kept by the edge of town.  He hogtied the interloper, making sure not to tie him up too uncomfortably, and laid him by the campfire.  Dax looked over the other pony, gauging him by his frame and his possessions.  

 

Well... a thief.  Kind of clumsy, but better than most if he made it into the room without being seen.  Somepony like this could be... very useful in the endeavor to come.

 

He pulled a couple of green apples from his pack, stuck them on sticks and placed them over the fire to roast.  Sitting there, mulling over the day, Dax decided it had been a good one.  He keenly watched the pony across the fire pit from him, and waited for him to wake up, hopefully lured back into the waking world by the delicious smell of fire-fried apples...

 

[Littlecandylulu903 415]

The kind mare gave him the directions, and apparently it was at the train station Wow, i feel like such a moron right now, oh well onward! Suddenly somepony bumped into him, and he dropped the adress. A bit dizzy from being hit THAT hard Who ever walked into me HAD to do it on purpose He was about to fix his shades on instinct, but then he realized. They fell off, Blaze was in a panic, he was about to search everywere but found them in front of him and smacked them on. He was about to give this pony a piece of his mind, but saw that there was a rather distraut looking mare in front of him Was SHE the one who bumped into me!? Now she knows that i have a wounded eye, That can't be explained without telling some secrets. Blaze could clearly see that she didn't do it on purpose, and he was about to to tell her, but then she turned around and walked away. "Hey! Wait up!" Shouted blaze and walked after her "It's ok! I'm not upset, i promise" No answer Must be my eye that scared her off, i knew i should have worn goggles Blaze grabbed the mare and turned her around "Please explain to me, why you are upset?" Said Blaze and looked her in the eye. She has had a bad past...

Spellbind had not noticed the wounded eye belonging to the pony she had bumped into at first. And she would never have run away from somepony solely by virtue of them having an injury of any sort. However, she wasn't sure other ponies would feel the same about her having a horn that was deformed, and so that was why she took the precautions to cover it up, from quite a rather early age when things had become too much to handle. She considered it a fortunate thing that her hat had not fallen off her head when she had carelessly bumped into the new pony.

 

She also didn't know why the stallion thought she was upset. Sure, she always had some element of sadness in her, but not right that second had she been blatantly showing it. Not that she didn't appreciate ponies showing concern for her. "Upset? Whyever would you think that?" she asked. "Anyway, my humblest apologies for bumping into you, that could easily have been prevented if I weren't so careless... and how are you?" she asked. "You're not too hurt are you?"

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Spellbind had not noticed the wounded eye belonging to the pony she had bumped into at first. And she would never have run away from somepony solely by virtue of them having an injury of any sort. However, she wasn't sure other ponies would feel the same about her having a horn that was deformed, and so that was why she took the precautions to cover it up, from quite a rather early age when things had become too much to handle. She considered it a fortunate thing that her hat had not fallen off her head when she had carelessly bumped into the new pony.

 

She also didn't know why the stallion thought she was upset. Sure, she always had some element of sadness in her, but not right that second had she been blatantly showing it. Not that she didn't appreciate ponies showing concern for her. "Upset? Whyever would you think that?" she asked. "Anyway, my humblest apologies for bumping into you, that could easily have been prevented if I weren't so careless... and how are you?" she asked. "You're not too hurt are you?"

 

She is trying to hide something...I just know it He then noticed that she spoke to him "Upset? Whyever would you think that?" she asked. "Anyway, my humblest apologies for bumping into you, that could easily have been prevented if I weren't so careless... and how are you?" she asked. "You're not too hurt are you?" Blaze looked at her with his eye, behind his shades. She kinda reminds me of myself " Sorry for jumping to conclusions, you just looked upset, from how i saw it, and i'm not hurt, just a bit surprised. Didn't expect a pony to bump into me." Said blaze with a chuckle "You don't have to apologise to me either, it was an honest accident i bet" I have to be very carefull with her... She is very fragile Blaze snapped out of his thoughts and looked at her with a happy smile "Anyways my name is Blazedtime,but friends call me Blaze for short." If fans can be considered friends Blaze shook his head again "Sorry for zoning out there, just got lost in my thoughts again" said Blaze with a sheepish smile "Were are you headed perhaps we can walk together?"

 

 

NOTE: letters that look like this: ABCa Are blazes thoughts

[Randimaxis 8,633]

Dax made his way to the train station.  After the long night he'd had, what with dealing with the interloper from Destiny's room, he was somewhat tired... but he was certainly not in bad shape.  Not yet, anyway.  He trotted along, considering his decision to let the thief go - it might not have been the BEST decision, but he wasn't exactly in the mood for talking to any guards; they thought him to be trouble anyway, and probably would have locked him up along with the thief.  He gave a snort of disgust at the idea that he'd get locked away just for his family name, but...

 

Doesn't matter.  You've got to focus on the task ahead of you, Dax - don't get sidetracked by foolishness.

 

Strangely enough, it sometimes seemed like his father was the voice in his head & not his own.  Shrugging, he let it go.

 

At least I have something to make the journey a little less harrowing, he thought, looking at the second satchel across his flank.  Maybe I should turn this over for the team's use?  After all, there's no telling how much we'll-

 

Dax almost bumped into the train station wall, lost in his own ruminations, but stopped himself short.  He looked around, trying to see if he could locate the rest of the team.  His green eyes fell on Destiny, sleeping on a bench, looking quite peaceful.

 

Wow... has she been waiting here all morning?  Now THAT'S dedication, he thought to himself.  He allowed for a small smile as he looked her over, and gave a moment's thought to the idea that she might actually be willing to be a real frie-

 

Nonsense.  Pull yourself together.  Just do what you're supposed to, and once it's over, you can go back to your tent.  Plain & simple.

 

Despite the gruff attitude in his head, he doused his smile before he gently tapped a hoof on the bench Destiny slept on.

 

"Hey... uhm, Destiny?  Hey, it's time to get up, now... uhm, I mean - EXCUSE ME, Destiny."  

 

He settled his 'all business' look onto his features before she opened her eyes.  No need to look incompetent.

[ThornFlare 14]

Serenity walked down to the train station. After waking up, he had once again triple checked his bags. The last thing he needed was to not have something when they left. Of course, if he was rejected, this would all be for naught. 

 

Come on, don't think like that. You'll be fine. He thought to himself.

 

​Hopefully he could be useful. Not the most agile or speedy pegasus, but he was a thinker. He always tried to think before he acted. Maybe the team could use him. The night before he had to write a letter to his family saying he would probably be gone for a while and not to worry about him. If they knew where he was going however, they would freak, so he didn't include the specifics. Now everything was packed. He just had to wait at the station for...

 

What was the leaders name again? Destiny?  Ya, that's it.

 

So he just had to wait at the station for Destiny, ask her if he could join the team, and wait for a response. Simple. That's all there is to it. He looked ahead. There was a pony from the team, waking up the leader. 

 

They're already here? Hm.

 

He cleared his throat and approached them, and tried to sound as confident as he could.

 

Um...excuse me? I was wondering if I could join your team.

Edited July 12, 2015 by ThornFlare

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Blaze was in a complete hurry. He was a bit late due to him sleeping too much... No no no this can't be happening, they need a guard out there who is responsible, strong and has a sense of duty. But here i am, sleeping over time and not caring about a single thing in the world. Blaze took his armor, cloak and finally some modified shades to handle harsh weather. He then opened the door to his basement, to grab his trusty sword and dagger. He twirled the sword in his hoof and did some practice swings. Heh, i still got it He then took his dagger out and checked it for any sign of rust. Seems good enough to me Blaze then proceeded to take on his gear. First the armor, that protected the most vital parts, then the cloak, and finally he took on his shades. "Looks like i'm all set" Said Blaze to himself, and headed out the door

 

Blaze sprinted through the alleys, and dodged other citizens. He saw an alley and took that as a shortcut, or at least he hoped it was. But to his luck, he saw the train station up ahead, and pumped all the strength he could muster to his legs. He stopped by the leader... Which was the mare that gave him the directions... But never the less he stopped in from of her, and saluted "Blazedtime reporting for duty ma'am"

[Dakcka 182]

Destiny woke up, first thing she saw was Dax. GREAT. She looked around, more ponies, That works too! She thought to herself. 

 

"Um...excuse me? I was wondering if I could join your team." A pegasus stallion asked, he looked confident, but Destiny could see through his disguise as easily as ever. She smiled, she was honored to have another pony join. 

 

"I would love to have you join the team, sir." Destiny shook his hoof, and looked over to the other stallion, another pegasus, but he looked familiar. Destiny recognized him, he asked her for directions to get here. She sort of figured he would show up sooner or later. This guy seemed legitimately confident though, which was a different feeling. She couldn't tell if she liked it or not.

 

"Blazedtime reporting for duty, ma'am!" The stallion stood in front of Destiny. She smiled, this wasn't her awkward smile either. It was her sort of Time to kick some flank smile. The one that you would give to a team. The one that a leader would give to her team before a battle. She shook Blazed's hoof. 

 

"Honor to have you with us, Blazedtime." She stood beside Dax, and looked to the very small team and changed to her What happened to half of my team confused look. She waited for what felt like hours, when in reality it was only seconds. The next pony(ies) made their way to the train station.

[Pat.Rio.T. 304]

((OOC: Alrighty, I guess we're jumping to the station now. I'm going to bed after this though.))

 

After a good night's sleep, Pat and River headed out to the train station, right where they were supposed to meet. Pat waved hello to the incomplete party that would be setting out soon on their mission, to retrieve the lost archaeologists and the gem. He trotted over to the blue mare, looking a bit concerned.

 

"I hate to bother you about this, but do you happen to know anything about who we are dealing with? River showed me the where the Rexon Cave is, and she did some research about it, but, uh, we both kinda forgot about that when looking for the other stuff and getting ready. But does everypony know what they're getting into? I mean, what do these guys want? Either these thieves are really stupid for taking the archaeologists with them and leaving a clue, instead of just slipping away with the priceless gem; or they have something bigger in mind."

I... just want to be sure everpony is prepared for what we may face."

 

"Oh, and I never did catch your name miss..."

[Nova12 53]

Midnight Rose trotted down the Canterlot streets and into the train station. Before her waited five ponies, apparently the team she was joining in on. Most of them she had seen at the gemstone's unveiling, but there were some new faces as well. I wonder how they got into this...

Rose hung back for a bit, unnerved by the new ponies. Just walk up and introduce yourself, it's not that hard. Rose took a few deep breaths, then trotted up to the group. Just a few feet away, her hoof caught on a loose stone and she tumbled to the ground. Pain instantly sprung up in her chin where it had hit the ground, and she could taste blood in her mouth from her bitten tongue.

Seriously? Now? Rose cursed her luck and got to her hooves. The entire group was staring at her. Great. Now they must think I'm an idiot. Apparently the stallion who'd accompanied the mare with paralyzed legs had just asked a question, but Rose didn't notice whether or not it was answered.

Rose averted her gaze to the ground, and in doing so saw that her saddlebags had flown open when she fell. Their contents, everything she'd packed, was laying on the station floor. The unicorn mare inwardly groaned, and grabbed the loose items with her magic. As she threw them back into the saddlebags, she once more reviewed everything she packed.

There was a map of Equestria, and a book about the lands beyond it. Rose had tried to find some information on Rexon Cave, but her searches turned up nothing.There were a few potions in there as well, made for an assortment of different purposes. Her best friend Sunny Melody had given them to her before she left. When Rose asked where she got them, she just winked and said she knew some ponies. This was most likely the case, as Sunny's natural charm could convince anyone.

Rose had also packed a knife, a rope, and an empty bag, if the need for either one should arise. Along with them, she took a spellbook, just in case some advanced magic was needed.

She'd packed a few apples, but nothing more, as her natural talent to summon plant life would make it easy to find food. She didn't dwell on the fact that if she were more than half a mile away from any edible plants, her ability wouldn't be so easy to control. Finally, Rose snatched off the ground a small pendant on a leather cord. It was a moonstone, given to her by her grandmother many years ago. She'd always kept it close when she was away from home, and didn't plan to leave it behind.

After she had sorted her possessions back into her bags, she gazed up at the mismatched band of ponies she was now a part of. I wonder if anyone's not here yet...

Rose felt that some sort of acknowledgment was in order, but after drawing the attention of everyone in the train station by tripping over, she felt that no introduction was necessary. Instead, she simply nodded her head to the group respectfully, and hoped they were no longer silently judging her.

Should I apologize? She wondered. No. Not for that, I won't. This is my time to prove myself, and no one's going to stop me.

Rose set her gaze straight in front as she trotted up to join the circle of ponies waiting for her. A newfound bravery surged through her as she looked around at the team she was part of now. This is our time, and as long we stay together, we can't fail.

But her confidence drained away as Rose realized the daunting task ahead of them. What have I gotten myself into...

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Midnight Rose trotted down the Canterlot streets and into the train station. Before her waited five ponies, apparently the team she was joining in on. Most of them she had seen at the gemstone's unveiling, but there were some new faces as well. I wonder how they got into this...

Rose hung back for a bit, unnerved by the new ponies. Just walk up and introduce yourself, it's not that hard. Rose took a few deep breaths, then trotted up to the group. Just a few feet away, her hoof caught on a loose stone and she tumbled to the ground. Pain instantly sprung up in her chin where it had hit the ground, and she could taste blood in her mouth from her bitten tongue.

Seriously? Now? Rose cursed her luck and got to her hooves. The entire group was staring at her. Great. Now they must think I'm an idiot. Apparently the stallion who'd accompanied the mare with paralyzed legs had just asked a question, but Rose didn't notice whether or not it was answered.

Rose averted her gaze to the ground, and in doing so saw that her saddlebags had flown open when she fell. Their contents, everything she'd packed, was laying on the station floor. The unicorn mare inwardly groaned, and grabbed the loose items with her magic. As she threw them back into the saddlebags, she once more reviewed everything she packed.

There was a map of Equestria, and a book about the lands beyond it. Rose had tried to find some information on Rexon Cave, but her searches turned up nothing.There were a few potions in there as well, made for an assortment of different purposes. Her best friend Sunny Melody had given them to her before she left. When Rose asked where she got them, she just winked and said she knew some ponies. This was most likely the case, as Sunny's natural charm could convince anyone.

Rose had also packed a knife, a rope, and an empty bag, if the need for either one should arise. Along with them, she took a spellbook, just in case some advanced magic was needed.

She'd packed a few apples, but nothing more, as her natural talent to summon plant life would make it easy to find food. She didn't dwell on the fact that if she were more than half a mile away from any edible plants, her ability wouldn't be so easy to control. Finally, Rose snatched off the ground a small pendant on a leather cord. It was a moonstone, given to her by her grandmother many years ago. She'd always kept it close when she was away from home, and didn't plan to leave it behind.

After she had sorted her possessions back into her bags, she gazed up at the mismatched band of ponies she was now a part of. I wonder if anyone's not here yet...

Rose felt that some sort of acknowledgment was in order, but after drawing the attention of everyone in the train station by tripping over, she felt that no introduction was necessary. Instead, she simply nodded her head to the group respectfully, and hoped they were no longer silently judging her.

Should I apologize? She wondered. No. Not for that, I won't. This is my time to prove myself, and no one's going to stop me.

Rose set her gaze straight in front as she trotted up to join the circle of ponies waiting for her. A newfound bravery surged through her as she looked around at the team she was part of now. This is our time, and as long we stay together, we can't fail.

But her confidence drained away as Rose realized the daunting task ahead of them. What have I gotten myself into...

 

Blaze stood and observed all the ponies here Well, this is certainly a diverse group Thought Blaze with a smile. He then noticed a nervous looking mare, that trotted towards the train station She must be another member of our group Thought Blaze, Then the mare tripped over something and landed square on her face, and to add insult to injury, all her things fell out of her saddlebag Ouch, i could feel that one Blaze was about to go help the poor mare, but then she stood up herself ​Guess she won't need help after all It looked like she was very embarrassed Well who wouldn't be embarrassed, after muzzle planting in front of her new group? She tried to avert her gaze, and started to sort her papers back in the bag. Nice cover up Thought Blaze with an amused smile. She then gave us a nod and trotted over to a nearby bench I guess i'll go and check on her Blaze went to his at ease position, and walked towards the mare. He walked up to her "Hey welcome to the team!" Said Blaze with an encouraging smile, his smile switched to a concerned frown "Are you alright miss...? It looked like a nasty fall"

Edited July 13, 2015 by blazedtime

[Randimaxis 8,633]

Dax would have stepped forward to help the unicorn that fell, but when she began to gather her things with her magic, he believed she didn't need his help.  He turned to look at the group and, taking a deep breath, he decided he'd go ahead & get his jitters out now.  If we're doing this, he ventured, we may as well do this right.  He straightened himself, put on his most stern look & tried not to think about his nervousness as he addressed the group.  Unbeknownst to him, when he did this, he was at his most handsome & charismatic... but he just thought he was being 'professional'.

 

"All right, since it seems like everypony is here, then let's get down to brass tacks.  This," he motioned, "is Destiny.  She is the leader of this team, hooves down.  She's the one who's going to make the calls - though I'm certain your input, all of you, will always be welcome to her.  And this will be key, mares & stallions, as we will be headed into territory that few ponies, if any, have ever seen.  We will make this trek, and we will be successful.  Hopefully, we'll find the culprits who did this heinous deed & rescue the missing team, as well as locate the pilfered gemstone.  These are our goals, ponies."

 

He began to pace as he spoke, strolling back & forth like a drill sergeant addressing the troops.

 

"This will be a journey that has a lot of potential to be exciting, yes... but it has a very high chance of being extremely dangerous, as well.  There will be times that each & every one of you will falter - everypony does - but this is a TEAM, and as is such, your teammates will support you when you stumble.  There may be some doubts among you,"  he faced them sternly, "I would suggest you squash those doubts now.  They will be of no use to you.  There should be no room for them, and IF there is, then that's when you turn to your teammates & ask for help in dealing with it.  This isn't just a gathering of individuals; this is The Exploration Team of Equestria and Beyond... and teamwork is paramount."

 

He stopped, turned to face the gathering & softened his features a bit.

 

"Now, each & every one of you is special, and not only because you stood up & volunteered... so it would be an excellent idea if everypony were to state now what you can, cannot or WILL not do.  The team needs to know these things, so that each of you can be utilized to your full potential.  I'm not saying that we need a life story; I'm saying we should know what we're capable of if and when problems arise."

 

He cleared his throat.

 

"My name is Dax.  I have a great deal of experience with gems & mining, and I'm also good at star navigation, so I'll be here as the Night Guide.  I can fight, but I'm not a warrior - hopefully, one of you IS.  Aside from that, I'm of little importance until we find the gem - I'll be the one who'll ensure it's secured safely & properly for the return trip."

 

For a single moment, the facade slips & there's a hint of sadness on his face... but the slip is only for a split second; he's back to the serious look quickly, and he covers his embarrassment by motioning to the group.

 

"Now, the rest of you - please, introduce yourself to the team & let them know what you're bringing to the group.  Once everypony's had their say, then Destiny will tell us what were in for."

 

He looked around.  "All right then - who's first?"

 

 

 

 

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Blaze looked around Hmmm, no one wants to introduce themselfes? Guess i'll go then Blaze went up behind Dax dropping his stoic expression. Blaze cleared his throat "Greeting every pony! My name is Blazedtime." Blaze looked with his one good eye to make sure everyone was paying attention

 

"I will be your guard, soldier or any sort of military you need"." But my fellow companions, like Dax said we need to utilize every sort of potential in the team." Blaze paused for a bit "I will fight for you if the need arises. I will guard you, i will be in the lookout so you guys can be safe"."But i can't help you when it comes to navigation, or tracking." Blaze then got a frown "Just to get this out of the way, i only have one eye for a reason i will not tell. So if i don't see something, then keep that in mind"

 

Blaze then sat down "But, remember my fellow companions. i may be a guard, a protector, but if any of you have problems, then i'll make sure they are fixed, so please if you have any problems, issues weighting you down, don't hesitate to ask" Blaze looked at everyone. "That's it for me" Blaze threw a salute and went behind everyone again

[ThornFlare 14]

Serenity watched as Blaze stepped back into the group.

 

Well then, glad to know someone is experienced in fighting here. He thought.

 

He looked around. No other pony seemed to be stepping up. Maybe he could? With all his courage he stepped up to the front to introduce himself.

 

Hi, my name is Serenity. While I'm not the fastest pegasus, I'm good at thinking through situations and problem solving, and I have knowledge on making makeshift items if the need ever arises. I've got fairly good eyesight from all the flying I do for travel as well, and can pick out small details. He looked around. So far so good. I'm not much of a fighter however, nor am I very strong, so don't expect me to be of much help if trouble ever arises. Also, I know the odd trick here and there, and I'm good at repairs. Guess it comes with lots of travelling. Nice to meet you all!

 

His nervousness had disappeared by the time he stepped back into the crowd. Despite this being a dangerous journey they were embarking on, he already was beginning to fell at ease around these ponies. That was a good sign. With that he sat back down and waited for somepony else to go up.

Edited July 14, 2015 by ThornFlare

[Nova12 53]

Midnight Rose nodded to the red pegasus as he saluted to the group. A fighter, huh? We're going to need one of those. She gazed around at the circle of ponies, waiting for the next one to step forwards. But seconds passed, and none did.

Are they... looking at me? Rose looked around the group and found several pairs of eyes planted on her. Oh Celestia, they're expecting me to go next. Rose shuddered at the thought. In Ponyville, she didn't have many friends, and everyone knew about the eccentric, reclusive Midnight family. On the few occasions she had traveled away from home, Rose had made a point of avoiding any ponies who looked like they might want to meet her. "I have as many friends as I want, and that's plenty." she had once told Sunny Melody. But this time was different. This time she had to tell these other ponies about herself.

Just tell them who you are and get it over with. Rose told herself. After gathering up her confidence, she spoke.

"Hello everyone. My name is Midnight Rose." So far so good... she thought. But the words caught in her throat as she realized she had no idea what to say next. "and, uh... I..." Just be yourself. Or something like that. Rose calmed herself and began again to speak. "I'm no fighter, or at least I've never had to fight. As for my strengths, I've been told I'm good at making decisions, but I - uh, I get nervous around strangers. I'm really good at magic, but I doubt I know anything useful. My best spells are mostly-" Rose stopped herself there. She didn't want to say 'dark magic' but unfortunately, it was all to close to the truth. "- um... old... spells..." she stammered. This part was true, at least. Most of the spellbooks in her family's private library were very old, from the ancient reign of Princess Luna. Rose's mother had always pressured her to take on the family heritage and study night magic like dream walking, hypnosis, illusions, and such. Rose had disregarded her suggestions, since many of the things her mother wanted her to do she hated. But once she picked up a family spellbook, she became enthralled. She'd always hidden her interest in magic from her mother, since it might have encouraged her to pressure her daughter into more things. This need for secrecy had stayed with her, and Rose wasn't eager to reveal her talent to the team yet. Admittedly, many of the spells could be very useful in their adventure, but she shuddered at what situation they'd be in that would require it.

Rose suddenly realized that she'd trailed off while introducing herself, and that ponies were still staring at her. She cleared her throat and continued. "I'm good at navigation, since I've studies maps and I know a bit about the lands beyond Equestria. I know all the constellations, and I can navigate by stars, but I think Dax has got that covered. My special talent is summoning plants, so I can get us all food. In short... I would just really love to be part of a real adventure." Rose paused, not knowing how to end her introduction. "And I hope..." Alright Rose, just say something cool and insightful they'll remember you for. It's not that hard. Just say something... "I hope we manage to return safe, with the missing ponies and maybe even the gemstone. It's a tough job, and a difficult feat for every one of us. But I'm sure that if we believe we can do it, and we stay together, there's nothing we can't accomplish."

Rose stepped back and nodded, gesturing that her introduction was over.

I better not have messed that up.

[Dakcka 182]

"Oh, and I never did catch your name miss..." Pat said to Destiny after concluding speaking to her. Destiny smiled, and looked down. 

"My name is Destiny Savvy, I'm the leader of the Exploration Team. It's an honor to have you two on the team." Destiny realized this was about the 3rd time she said that, she needed to add something else. "Pat, maybe you could tell me some skills the two of you have once we're all done introducing each other. I am about to decide roles for everypony." She smiled, and trotted back to the team.

 

Destiny was introduced while Dax was speaking. Destiny blushed at the attention, too much for her liking. Serenity seemed like he could be useful, he was the one she met earlier. She watched as he walked off. 

 

"I will be your guard, soldier or any sort of military you need"." But my fellow companions, like Dax said we need to utilize every sort of potential in the team." Blazedtime said, as he spoke to the team. This got Destiny thinking, what role was she going to give Serenity? Or Pat? Was she going to be useful herself for anything other than spouting commands? Could she even spout commands? Destiny figured she might as well let them give her their uses, and she can make choices from there.

 

"there's nothing we can't accomplish." Midnight Rose concluded. Destiny figured that she could be very useful if she is able to provide food, it'll help when they can't purchase any. Destiny nudged Pat, waiting for him to go.

[Pat.Rio.T. 304]

Pat turned to listen to the other ponies talk.

 

"I wonder if he knows that Destiny is the leader..."

 

Pat quietly said to River, jokingly, refering to Dax and his speech. She giggled just a little. Pat started contemplating what to say about him and River as the rest spoke. Eventually, somepony nudged him, and after realizing it was Destiny trying to tell him it was his turn, he started to speak.

 

"Oh, I-uh... Hi, I'm Patterson, or just Pat, and this is my sister River. Well-uh, I don't really know what I am good at that would help contribute to this group, besides having some skill in fighting."

 

He pulls out a collapsible staff from under his coat.

 

"Some skill? Pat, you are a master! And even if you didn't have other skills, what about your endurance, and your compassion and..."

 

River said, breaking out of her comfort zone to try to help him out. Pat interrupted and continued, seemingly ignoring her comment, though he hadn't.

 

"But, uh, River knows some stuff about the history of the cave, and about native flora, and has some medical experience. And even though she can't perform any other magic spells, she is super skilled in her telekinesis(That is what he prefers to call it, even though most ponies refer to it as a levitation spell). I know that doesn't sound very useful, but believe me, it is. I mean she can do things with it that a normal unicorn couldn't!"

 

Not knowing what else to say he stepped back. River gave him a nudge.

 

"Thanks for totally embarrassing me."

 

"You started it."

 

Pat replied, and put his arm around her.

[Love Doctor Blaze 536]

Blaze sat and listened to everpony So far we have a lot of different skills in the group Blaze took out his samurai fashioned blade, and began to twirl it around. Might as well practice with the blade before departing Thought Blaze while listening to the other ponies introduce themselves So far we only lack confidence in our abilities in this group Blaze sighed, he put away his sword and took out his dagger. He began to constantly light it on fire and putting it out again Old habits die hard Thought Blaze with a smile. Suddenly a pony with what looked like a staff began to introduce himself Another fighter? That's brilliant Thought Blaze with a smirk Looks like i will have another dueling partner The other pony was apparently a skilled unicorn and a medic We will need one of those Thought Blaze. But he could clearly see that they were all nervous, and they they lacked confidence. Blaze sighed Time to use my moral boosting commander speech. Blaze got up again. "Hello every pony, while you were all introducing yourselves i couldn't help but notice something" He paused "You all lack confidence, and you are all afraid of something, am i correct?" He didn't get a response "But you don't have to be afraid! So far i can see that this team looks solid, and trust me i have seen teams, that are less solid then this". Blaze then trotted over to Destiny "Remember friends, we have a good leader picked by Celestia, so can't you all see , that we are going to pull through?". Blaze bowed quickly "That's all thanks for the attention" Blaze then while walking past Destiny whispered "Sorry for putting more pressure on you, the team needed a moral boost"

[ThornFlare 14]

Serenity stood there. He wan't one to be inspired by speeches, but this one left him feeling like they could do something. Like this objective could be achieved.

 

This guy knows how to give a good speech. But still, what's going to happen when we encounter danger? Its good having some fighters and all, but what if its too much for them alone to handle? We would all have to pitch in then​. He shuddered at the fact that he might need to use his short sword. It had been a gift from his grandpa in case he ever got in trouble travelling, but he hated using it. He didn't like hurting other creatures. He dismissed the thought and comforted himself with the fact that they had some capable fighters for now. The thought was nearly gone entirely when he heard a whistle from behind him.

 

"The trains here!" He said.

 

The train pulled up behind him and stopped, opening its doors. He looked at the rest of the group and managed a smile.

 

"Looks like our adventure starts now, doesn't it?" But deep down inside he was excited and terrified. This was going to be an amazing journey...If they survived it.

Edited July 16, 2015 by ThornFlare

[Dakcka 182]

Destiny looked behind, to see the train approaching. It pulled up behind her and she turned. It opened it's doors and ponies came out, obviously they were bound for Canterlot. She wondered if they even knew what was going on, or even cared if they did. 

 

"Looks like our adventure starts now, doesn't it?" Serenity said, being the first to speak up. Destiny looked around a bit at the team, she knew they could pull it off. They had a Night guide, a Fighter, a Planner, a Brain and Brawn sort of ideal, A magician, and a Leader. Destiny nodded to the team and trotted onto the train, she sat down in a window seat and put her saddle bags on the floor in front of her. She looked out the window at the ponies trotting about, the train started to pull out of the station. Her team was kinda anti social around each other. She fidured this wasn't that unexpected though, they didn't really know each other that well. Destiny looked out the window as the train departed, and was interupted in her thoughts as a member of the team sat next to her.