private Whisper: The City Of Darkness

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh's attention was grabbed by the sound of the mutants in the distance, even though they were far off he kept his attention toward the direction just in case. Although in the corner of his eye he could see the pony whom he was not introduced to yet, turn his attention to him only to look away back at lavender. He mentioned chaos magic, perhaps it was this particular form of magic that is causing the disturbance with the spirits. 

 

The pony returned his attention back to Zayoh so Zayoh glanced back to him. "May I assist you some how my friend, perhaps some wounds you need me to tend?" He questioned unsure of why this pony was looking as if he wanted to speak with Zayoh.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

The cries were getting closer - quite a lot closer. The lead mutant that had approached Lavender did look around this time, and started edging behind her, shaking visibly. Crystal also seemed nervous, although still not as paranoid as she had been. A dark silhouette rose above one of the buildings, wings spread wide and head turning as it searched for something below. It was still a few blocks distant, but it was moving quickly. 

 

"Time to move on." Bramble called out, moving back to the fountain.

 

It occurred to anypony inclined to think about about such things that although they had seen unicorns and pegasi amongst the mutants (indeed, one of the mutants hiding behind Lavender was a unicorn) none of them had exhibited any kind of magic - the unicorns did not use any of their spells, and the pegasi did not fly (often their wings were also hideously distorted.) Until now that is, although the flying creature looked rather too big for a pegasus.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

The cries were getting closer - quite a lot closer. The lead mutant that had approached Lavender did look around this time, and started edging behind her, shaking visibly.

 

Lavender's ears twitched as the cries grew closer. The pawns were approaching, looking for one of their own.

She watched as the lead mutant sneaked around to hide behind her, shaking. She did not want to go back, and Lavender was not about to make her.

 

"I will not hoof you over to them," she promised, "You're safe as a bedroom...with an airtight door, two dozen padlocks and an eye scan."

 

A dark silhouette rose above one of the buildings, wings spread wide and head turning as it searched for something below. It was still a few blocks distant, but it was moving quickly.

 

She spotted the large silhouette over the building, its wings spread as it seemed to search for something.

 

"The Bishop moves," she muttered, mostly to herself, "Check."

 

She blinked and looked down her snout. Where was she getting all these chess synonyms from? She had never played a game in her life!

She was familiar with the pieces and their names, though. This Bishop would be a challenge to fight head-on, they'd need one of their own. Perhaps some of their own pawns and knights.

 

Surely not the other mutants though, she couldn't let them get hurt...

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

@@Unicorncob, @@Chip Circuit, @@Orion Caelum.

 

It was at this moment that a fourth mutant emerged into the square from the road to the East. The moment it saw the ponies gathered around the fountain it let out a hoarse cry, but made no move to attack any of them. The winged creature bellowed in response and flew towards the square, huge wings carrying it through the air at a terrifying speed, and other mutants both close and distant started calling out as well. The three by the fountain were quiet, although they were shifting nervously, until the lead one looked away from Lavender and turned to face the entire group.

 

"Ah, you're almost there!" A loud voice boomed, although the mutant's lips didn't move, "The crystal I am imprisoned in is just a little further ahead. Given your current predicament, I would suggest you make haste - I can only help you escape once I myself am free."

 

The moment the voice stopped, the mutant went back to staring at Lavender.

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh watched this figure approaching them, he was prepared to run but wouldn't leave the group of ponies that he had joined. He stepped back until his flank came in contact with the fountain. The surrounding area was becoming to unstable for him to control, he felt as if he should run just so he go calm the storm again. "Perhaps we should worry about our safety as well, this storm I can no longer quell." He called to lavender who was intent on protecting the mutants.

 

In response Zayoh pulled open his saddlebag and looked through th several potions he had, he had used the illusionary potion and the blinding potion already and the rest with him were health potions along with some vitality potions. He closed his bag back up looking back to the figure and as it got it got closer the storm in Zayoh's mind only grew more intense.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Lavender looked up and saw the new mutant emerge, letting out a call.

"The Knight moves in," she mumbled to herself, watching the 'Bishop' fly down to the square, "And the Bishop approaches the Pawns."

She still had no idea where in the world all this chess rhetoric was coming from.

 

A voice boomed in her ears, but the speaker was nowhere to be seen. The mutant before her hadn't budged her lips.

Was the voice inside her head?

 

"You don't sound like the little mare that's usually in my head" She said out loud, looking around and facing up to the sky, "Where do we go from here? Where are you?"

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

He closed his bag back up looking back to the figure and as it got it got closer the storm in Zayoh's mind only grew more intense.

 

 

"Where do we go from here? Where are you?"

 

"My poor little ponies have lost their way," The figure called out in a sing-song voice as it swept down into the square, revealing itself to be a pink alicorn. Princess Cadence - or, at least, the creature that had once been Princess Cadence, smiled at the small group assembled in front of her, revealing sharp teeth and a bloodstained mouth, "Are you going to run?" She asked, her voice soft and almost musical, "Or will you play with me?" 

 

Mutants were flowing into the square from three of the four streets, leaving the only the one to the North clear - leading deeper into Ponyville.

Edited October 25, 2015 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Unicorncob 5,679]

"My poor little ponies have lost their way," The figure called out in a sing-song voice as it swept down into the square, revealing itself to be a pink alicorn. Princess Cadence - or, at least, the creature that had once been Princess Cadence, smiled at the small group assembled in front of her, revealing sharp teeth and a bloodstained mouth, "Are you going to run?" She asked, her voice soft and almost musical, "Or will you play with me?" 

 

Mutants were flowing into the square from three of the four streets, leaving the only the one to the North clear - leading deeper into Ponyville.

 

Lavender stared as the new figure made itself known. It...she was an alicorn, sporting both wings and a horn. She was a princess once.

But now she was a demon, no mistake about it. She wanted to kill her, but...something inside her, her own voice, told her in her head that she intended to make a game out of it. Cat and Mouse, if you like.

 

But Lavender was a smart pony. Sure, she made stuff explode or smell bad most of the time, and ponies yelled at her a lot as a result, but she was still smart. Her parents always said so. She'd come up with something.

 

She saw the chocolate fountain in her peripheral vision, and recalled how it was her imagining it that seemed to make it so.

...what if...?

 

"Play with you?" She repeated, slowly edging toward the northern street, "Well, that would depend on the game. I'm a bit of a hoofball mare, myself."

Edited October 25, 2015 by Unicorncob

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

"Play with you?" She repeated, slowly edging toward the northern street, "Well, that would depend on the game. I'm a bit of a hoofball mare, myself."

 

Nopony saw where it came from, but a hoofball bounced out in front of the alicorn-demon, which laughed.

 

"A kindred spirit? Oh, we shall have such fun together." She levitated the ball with her magic, a dark red field enveloping it, and hurled it at one of Lavender's mutants. It struck her in the flank, and she didn't even have time to let out a cry of distress before she froze solid, turned to stone in the blink of an eye.

 

@@Chip Circuit

 

"I hope you've got something to help with this," Bramble muttered to Zayoh, "Because I don't have any ideas..."

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Nopony saw where it came from, but a hoofball bounced out in front of the alicorn-demon, which laughed.

 

"A kindred spirit? Oh, we shall have such fun together." She levitated the ball with her magic, a dark red field enveloping it, and hurled it at one of Lavender's mutants. It struck her in the flank, and she didn't even have time to let out a cry of distress before she froze solid, turned to stone in the blink of an eye.

 

Lavender blinked as the hoofball dropped down from...somewhere. She smirked, glad that her deduction had come true.

She didn't know where this power came from, but she liked it. A lot.

 

She yelped as the ball struck one of her mutants, turning it to stone. She stared at it, feeling its life being taken away. A faint and muffled feeling, but...it was unmistakeable.

 

Out of instinct, she used her horn to levitate the ball into her own, lavender magic grip. She blinked as she realised - her magic was back!

Something about this alicorn must have shorted out whatever was blocking out her magic.

 

Delicious. Her tongue slid across her lips at the word crossing her mind.

 

Of course, this would indeed be a bad time to admit she didn't know the first rule of hoofball, but she didn't need to know that. She was practically Trottingham United's star player as far as she knew.

 

"My turn," she smirked and flung the hoofball toward the alicorn-demon, "SHE SHOOTS!"

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

"My turn," she smirked and flung the hoofball toward the alicorn-demon, "SHE SHOOTS!"

 

One of the alicorn-demon's mutants jumped forwards, bouncing the ball off its head. The stone statue hit the ground and cracked slightly even as the ball flew through the air towards Bramble, who threw himself sideways with a muffled curse. It bounced past him, hit the fountain, bounced again and rolled to a stop next to Lavender again.

 

"You care about your friends, do you? How sweet," The demon taunted, "Nine hearts that you need to take care of..." with a burst of magic, a playing card appeared in front of Lavender; the nine of hearts. The nine hearts were all beating, and looked all too real for a playing card.

 

"And here's me, with only one heart that I care for - my own." There was another flash, and the ace of hearts appeared in front of the alicorn-demon, the sole heart pictured on it twisted and black, thudding slowly on the card. 

 

"Oh look, aces high - I win," The alicorn-demon laughed, and levitated Lavender's card away from her. Immediately she felt a clenching pain in her chest, along with a feeling of breathlessness.

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh wasn't sure what to do besides avoid the ball that turned the mutants to stone, he had used his other potions that could be used to deter enemies. "I have nothing at the time being, I still have trouble believing what it is I am seeing." He said looking around the area, he could either attempt to protect the other'side from spiritual influences or create a potion to assist them. He looked to bramble to ask his opinion. "What is your opinion friend, should I concentrate on protecting you all or brew something to assist in bringing this to an end?"

 

Zayoh looked to Bramble waiting for an answer, if he were to focus on protecting the group they would have to remain close and he wouldn't be able to focus on brewing any potions.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

One of the alicorn-demon's mutants jumped forwards, bouncing the ball off its head. The stone statue hit the ground and cracked slightly even as the ball flew through the air towards Bramble, who threw himself sideways with a muffled curse. It bounced past him, hit the fountain, bounced again and rolled to a stop next to Lavender again.

 

"You care about your friends, do you? How sweet," The demon taunted, "Nine hearts that you need to take care of..." with a burst of magic, a playing card appeared in front of Lavender; the nine of hearts. The nine hearts were all beating, and looked all too real for a playing card.

 

"And here's me, with only one heart that I care for - my own." There was another flash, and the ace of hearts appeared in front of the alicorn-demon, the sole heart pictured on it twisted and black, thudding slowly on the card. 

 

"Oh look, aces high - I win," The alicorn-demon laughed, and levitated Lavender's card away from her. Immediately she felt a clenching pain in her chest, along with a feeling of breathlessness.

 

Lavender gasped and clutched her chest as a clenching pain suddenly emerged, knocking the air out of her. She broke into an uncomfortable sweat and began panting for air. This demon was good...a bit too good.

 

She obviously was up for games, but Lavender was never good at cards.

...except for one game. One that was far too easy.

 

Once the pain in her chest had dulled down, she made her move.

"A card player, huh?" She muttered, smirking and using her magic to summon a deck of her own cards, shuffling them in her lavender grip, "So am I! Though, I've always been a fan of fifty-two pickup myself!"

 

Using her magic, she flicked the cards in the demon's direction, making them speed toward her. She began imagining the cards turning into pick-up carriages ramming into her opponent.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

She began imagining the cards turning into pick-up carriages ramming into her opponent.

 

There was a hideous crunching noise as 52 cards attempted to expand into 52 full-sized carts, with the resulting ball of splintered wood and twisted metal crashing towards the alicorn. Just as quickly the ball started shrinking, and the alicorn's horn flared as a bat popped into existence next to her, held aloft by her magic. The ball of ruined carts had shrunk to less than the size of a pony's hoof by the time it reached her, becoming much smoother in the process, and she sent it flying straight back at Lavender with a wooden *crack* as the bat made contact with it.

 

As the ball flew through the air it started growing again, its surface turning to smooth metal as it morphed into a bowling ball.

 

 

 

"What is your opinion friend, should I concentrate on protecting you all or brew something to assist in bringing this to an end?"

 

 

"I don't know," Bramble admitted, "But when in doubt, attack. Something that messes with the alicorn's mind would probably interfere with her magic, or perhaps make this even more surreal."

 

Meanwhile, at the back of the group, Crystal shuddered for a moment before freezing, then returning to her more relaxed stance with a brief smile. 

[Unicorncob 5,679]

There was a hideous crunching noise as 52 cards attempted to expand into 52 full-sized carts, with the resulting ball of splintered wood and twisted metal crashing towards the alicorn. Just as quickly the ball started shrinking, and the alicorn's horn flared as a bat popped into existence next to her, held aloft by her magic. The ball of ruined carts had shrunk to less than the size of a pony's hoof by the time it reached her, becoming much smoother in the process, and she sent it flying straight back at Lavender with a wooden *crack* as the bat made contact with it.

 

As the ball flew through the air it started growing again, its surface turning to smooth metal as it morphed into a bowling ball.

 

Lavender scowled as her cart attack, which funny enough rhymed with what she was about to have before, was moulded into a small ball and swung back at her. She watched as it formed into a bowling ball and rolled her way.

 

Bowling, that was another sport she, again, was not good at, but had fun playing.

But, she could turn this around. Just because she didn't play many sports, didn't mean she didn't know about them.

 

She used her magic on the bowling ball, causing it to bounce a few times before leaping into the air. At the top of its arch, it formed into a dodgeball, which was struck by a jumping Lavender's hoof upon its descent and sent speeding toward the demon.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

it formed into a dodgeball, which was struck by a jumping Lavender's hoof upon its descent and sent speeding toward the demon.

 

The ball gave a squawk, feathers and a head sprouting from it before it started flapping its wings frantically. The alicorn-demon leapt forwards and caught it in her mouth. She bit down hard, and the chicken squawked once more before going limp. The alicorn tossed the corpse behind her, where it disappeared beneath a pile of hungry mutants. Walking forwards, she smiled, showing blood-red teeth that looked far sharper than a normal pony's should.

 

"Oh you are such fun," she said, addressing Lavender, "Why don't you join me? We could play across Equestria - the whole world, even. Anything you can imagine, anywhere you want, for the rest of time." She cocked her head for a moment, listening.

 

"No, don't listen to that old fool. You'll never be one of them, you'll never fit in. You are more one of us than you are one of them," She gestured to the rest of the group, doing a slight double take, "Don't think that I can't see you hiding there. We shall deal with you in due time." Returning her gaze to Lavender, she smiled warmly, "Well my dear, what do you say?" Her smile flickered, although only for a moment.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

The ball gave a squawk, feathers and a head sprouting from it before it started flapping its wings frantically. The alicorn-demon leapt forwards and caught it in her mouth. She bit down hard, and the chicken squawked once more before going limp. The alicorn tossed the corpse behind her, where it disappeared beneath a pile of hungry mutants. Walking forwards, she smiled, showing blood-red teeth that looked far sharper than a normal pony's should.

 

"Oh you are such fun," she said, addressing Lavender, "Why don't you join me? We could play across Equestria - the whole world, even. Anything you can imagine, anywhere you want, for the rest of time." She cocked her head for a moment, listening.

 

"No, don't listen to that old fool. You'll never be one of them, you'll never fit in. You are more one of us than you are one of them," She gestured to the rest of the group, doing a slight double take, "Don't think that I can't see you hiding there. We shall deal with you in due time." Returning her gaze to Lavender, she smiled warmly, "Well my dear, what do you say?" Her smile flickered, although only for a moment.

 

Lavender cocked her head upon hearing the offer. She had to admit, if it hadn't come from a psychopathic demon pony monster thing, she might've very well just considered it.

 

The identical voice in her head returned, telling her to reject the offer. Did they...or she, really think she would agree?

 

She blinked, watching as the leader turned and began talking to...somepony. A pawn having second thoughts, perhaps?

 

"What do I say?" She repeated, then grinned brightly, "I'd love to play across Equestria, and the world!"

 

The grin turned into a playful smirk. "But, I'm gonna play by my rules."

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh chose to not waste time creating more potions but instead sat himself on the ground "Please do not move any further from me friends, or else my aid i cannit lend." He said before crossing his legs and placing his forehooves together in concentration as he begun meditating.

 

Within his mind he witnessed his own personal protective bubble expanding outward far enough from him to envelope his fellow team members. He hope the veil of his focus on spiritual protection would protect the group from spiritual influence and possibly chaotic affects.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

Within his mind he witnessed his own personal protective bubble expanding outward far enough from him to envelope his fellow team members. He hope the veil of his focus on spiritual protection would protect the group from spiritual influence and possibly chaotic affects.

 

Everyone in the group felt colder, with any an all magic flickering and dying out - neither unicorn magic nor pegasus flight was possible.

 

@@Unicorncob,

 

Lavender found herself standing face to face not with a sharp-toothed but nonetheless pretty pink alicorn, but with a twisted pink abberation, warped and disfigured almost beyond recognition. The mutant reared backwards away from her with a cry of pain, and the illusion returned, leaving her a pretty pink alicorn once again. 

 

"ENOUGH! I will NOT stand such an affront!" She bellowed, her voice neither soft nor musical any longer. Her horn glowed a dark purple, forming into a bolt of light that flew straight towards Zayoh. When it was a few feet away from him, it fizzled and vanished in mid-air, prompting another inarticulate cry of rage from the alicorn-demon.

 

@@Orion Caelum, @@Unicorncob, @@Chip Circuit, 

 

"DESTROY them! Kill them ALL!" she cried, and the hordes of mutants charged forwards towards the group.

Edited November 3, 2015 by Once In A Blue Moon

[Dust and Memories 557]

As - Wilhelm mentally paused for a moment, thinking over this impossibility - Cadance, or whatever demon was possessing her, shifted her form - its form - Wilhelm finally realized that he was in very, very serious trouble. The chaos magic was nothing too terrible, as Lavender was apparently half-draconequus, or at least wielded chaos magic like one, and as such, his only worry was staying out of it. But now...

 

This hadn't been on the permission slip, he thought dryly. As these thoughts ran through his head in the space of a second - including the strange reference to an "old pony," which Wilhelm dearly hoped wasn't him - his hooves moved out of combat instinct towards the blade at his side, springing into the air. Or, rather, attempting to spring into the air.

 

Wilhelm glanced at Zayoh, the steady sense of unnerving magical silence from the zebra not decreasing in the slightest. At that moment, one of the mutants barreled into Wilhelm, sending him sprawling. The mutant's unnaturally sharp teeth gnashed at his throat, and during the tussle - using one hoof to hold the mutant by the neck - Wilhelm took up a fallen arrow with one wing and stabbed it up the mutant's open mouth and into its brain. 

 

Throwing the corpse off of him, Wilhelm rolled over into a crouching position, unslung his bow, and began firing arrows into the onrushing mutant horde with military precision. However, like the mutant that had attempted to disembowel Wilhelm, other frontrunners - faster mutants, what used to be pegasi - were already with the other party members...

Edited November 3, 2015 by Orion Caelum

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh heard the commotion around him and felt the disturbance in the mutated alicorn's appearance as his aura approached her. He became curious if her could permanently return the previous princess to normal if he had time. For now though his focus was on protecting the group from any ill affects that could be fall them.

 

The zebra continued to focus on keeping his aura spread out enough to be able to encompass the group. "Please keep our foes away from me my friend, so I may keep my focus to keep us from an untimely end." He said to no specific pony while his eyes remained shut keeping his focus on his aura.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Everyone in the group felt colder, with any an all magic flickering and dying out - neither unicorn magic nor pegasus flight was possible.

 

Lavender suddenly shivered with a chill, the magic in her horn fizzling out once again.

"Aw, c'mon you," she sighed, tapping a hoof on it, "I really need to get this thing looked at."

 

 

Lavender found herself standing face to face not with a sharp-toothed but nonetheless pretty pink alicorn, but with a twisted pink abberation, warped and disfigured almost beyond recognition. The mutant reared backwards away from her with a cry of pain, and the illusion returned, leaving her a pretty pink alicorn once again. 

 

"ENOUGH! I will NOT stand such an affront!" She bellowed, her voice neither soft nor musical any longer. Her horn glowed a dark purple, forming into a bolt of light that flew straight towards Zayoh. When it was a few feet away from him, it fizzled and vanished in mid-air, prompting another inarticulate cry of rage from the alicorn-demon.

 

The unicorn gave another shiver, this one of fear, as the demon seemed to disfigure even more and got right in her face. Her ears lowered and her heart skipped a beat.

Not even Tartarus would host such a monster, she thought grimly.

 

 

"DESTROY them! Kill them ALL!" she cried, and the hordes of mutants charged forwards towards the group.

 

Suddenly feeling helpless, she scampered backward toward the group by the fountain, shivering as the fear grew within her.

"U-uh, okay, think," she muttered frantically, "Uh, tanks! Cannons! Shields! Anything! Voice that sounds like me, if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them!"

 

She looked over to Zayoh as he began preparing something, and her eyes drifted down to her bag, full of alchemy equipment...

Her forehead was met with a hoof. Of course, two alchemists teaming up!

"Can I lend a hoof or two?" She called to the zebra.

[Chip Circuit 1,842]

Zayoh kept his focus on protecting the group from the chaos magic from the twisted alicorn. His focus wavered for a second as lavender called out to him and he turned his head in her direction with his eyes still closed. "If I break my focus, then her spells can harm us." He sang out as he return his head forward hoping his friends would keep him safe from the mutants but if he continued to sit there he would only prove to be a burden to the group. He was unsure on at what point he should rejoin the fight and stop negating the alicorn's chaotic force.

[Once In A Blue Moon 895]

 

 

other frontrunners - faster mutants, what used to be pegasi - were already with the other party members...

 

 

Bramble reared onto his hind legs, knife grasped in his mouth as he faced the oncoming mutants. He lashed out with both front hooves, striking at the mutant that was heading right for him, but his movement was a little slower than he had expected and it managed to sink its teeth into his exposed stomach. He hissed in pain, but carried through the maneuver regardless, bringing his hooves crashing down upon its back, pushing off with them as it collapsed and pivoting to drive his knife into the neck of a second.

 

@@Chip Circuit,@@Unicorncob,@@Orion Caelum. 

 

" 'e 'eed 'o GO! " He growled though the knife in his mouth as he jumped backwards with all four hooves at once. Seeing one of the mutants moving towards the motionless Zayoh, Bramble threw himself at it at they both went tumbling onto the cobbles. The knife went tumbling from his grasp, he rolled away from the tackled mutant and grabbed it in his mouth again as they both scramble to their hooves, although by this point three other mutants had joined the fight and he forced to back up, separated from the rest of the group by the four mutants.

 

 

 

Wilhelm rolled over into a crouching position, unslung his bow, and began firing arrows into the onrushing mutant horde with military precision.

 

 

Meanwhile, a couple of well-placed shots had toppled two of the mutants directly in front of Wilhelm, their bodies forming a makeshift barrier in front of him and breaking the charge of the mutants behind them. Other mutants had charged straight past him, though, and  now there were mutants on three sides and he was in danger of being completely surrounded.

 

 

 

She looked over to Zayoh

 

 

She also saw the neck of a stoppered flask poking out of one of his saddlebags, clearly placed to be within hoof-reach in an emergency.

[Unicorncob 5,679]

Lavender's ears twitched up and down as she awaited the little voice in her head's helpful response.

 

But she never received anything helpful. Not even a response.

 

She scowled and tapped her temple with a hoof. "Oh yeah, disappear when I really need you!"

 

With her magic shorted out once again, and her brain lacking in knowledge of offensive potions, all she could do was look around for a way out.

The northern street! It was still clear!

 

"What say we migrate north this winter?" She suggested, grinning nervously and edging toward the cleared street, "South is so last year anyway!"