open Far From Home (RP)

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

 

Senlin wasn't too far away but he wasn't sure what to make of what just transpired. He was at least sure there was no mess like Night Eyes previously cautioned about. Still, credit goes to Valence to make it happen. 

"Impressive. This is a most interesting use of magic I've seen."

 

The longma faced Valence but at the same time, his eyes darted around every few seconds to see if there is anything that could point to where the incident happened. The trees were a start considering Lin had always used them to mark anything of significance. 

 

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@@Samurai Equine

 

Night Eyes returned to Samurai and recalled the need to go through the proper channels to proceed further. He accompanied him to his stall but while doing so, his curiosity got the better of him. It's not everyday one meets a warrior from a far away land.

 

"Samurai," Night Eyes began, "how did you come to know about Celestia? I'm curious about how far her influence must have spread to your lands. And about you, what's it like to be a warrior?" 

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

Samurai had to sadly bid his customers farewell for the day. As for his stall, it all locks up into a large cart. He just has to anchor it and contact one of his Japonies liaisons to come pick it up for him. "The kingdom of Equestria reaches far and wide. Not sure how Japon came to be part of it... Maybe it was always part of the Solar Empire. Strange, but still makes sense when you think about it. Japon is an empire all on it's on, just like the Crystal Kingdom I've heard much about. However, like that very kingdom, Japon is still part of Equestria and still exists under Celestia's reign." Samurai does his best to explain.

 

"As for me? It's just something I've always wanted to be. Some ponies are very patriotic and would do anything to protect and serve the land they love, as well it's citizens. I imagine Celestia's royal guard felt the same when they each joined. Still, despite the similarities, being part of the samurai class does have its unique qualities. Our suits of armor are different than what you may have seen. In Japon, our lives tend to center around enrichment and purification. One of the leading forms of magic in Japon is elemental magic. I have become quite skilled in the art of fire magic, for example. Still, our country does foster ponies from all walks of life. I've seen great scientist ponies in Japon as well. You should see the experimental works we have started on robotics." Samurai does his best to explain life as a warrior, but gets distracted thinking about his homeland.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Samurai Equine

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@Samurai Equine

 

Night Eyes was a scholar foremost, but even if he had his opportunities to study in a place like Canterlot, he sometimes wished that weren't the case. He didn't seem to fit in a place mostly populated by unicorns and he has heard of strange cases where even those who aren't born with magic knew much more than those who did. 

 

"That sounds amazing! Elemental magic sounds a lot better than working on star charts and identifying constellations. I've heard you get those swords made with an interesting method of smithing. The ones where swordsmiths implement a type of smelting that results in having very few to almost no impurities in them? Those were the kinds of blades the soldiers here in Canterlot would greatly envy!"

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

"Well, I'm not a smith, so I can't really confirm. But I wouldn't mind learning how. If my fire powers can help forge something, it might help me out when I'm in a pinch." Samurai explains, letting Night Eyes lead the way to Celestia's castle.

 

"I do own a suit of armor, but I didn't make it. It was commissioned and made to reflect my personality and style. And I try not to use blades. Between my horn and my fire magic, that's really all I need. But I have used weapons before. They are usually gifts that I get from friends or from those whose trust I've earned. A sword with sentimental value holds more weight than any standard sword." Samurai has been through a lot of battles, but he clearly has his own way of doing things. "...Do you really think that's amazing? Honestly, I think you're amazing. You have wings! Do you know how many ponies dream of being able to fly?"

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@Samurai Equine

 

"I do recall some attempt at flight by earth ponies utilizing a special contraption: a synthetic pair of wings that folded into the wearer's harness. It was quite flimsy and when the earth ponies tried it, it didn't get too far off the ground. Unicorns tried it and while it was considered a success to some degree, it left them too tired to do anything else. Perhaps more study into flight could make these wingpacks more useful with very few downsides."

 

What Night Eyes didn't realize at the moment was that while flying came to him naturally, he didn't see it from someone else's perspective, especially from unicorns and earth ponies.

 

"I suppose flying is a wonder in itself. I guess I've been flying all my life that the feeling of being free in the sky was lost on me. It did feel good the first few times I got the hang of it and even more so when diving straight to the ground and pulling up at just the right time. It was exhilarating!"

Edited March 23, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[captainborgue 343]

@@captainborgue

 

Senlin wasn't too far away but he wasn't sure what to make of what just transpired. He was at least sure there was no mess like Night Eyes previously cautioned about. Still, credit goes to Valence to make it happen. 

 

"Impressive. This is a most interesting use of magic I've seen."

 

The longma faced Valence but at the same time, his eyes darted around every few seconds to see if there is anything that could point to where the incident happened. The trees were a start considering Lin had always used them to mark anything of significance.

 

Valence beamed at the compliment. "Thank you! I've always wanted to try that, ever since physics class back in my college days. You read a word problem about momentum and acceleration, but you never think you'll ever have to really know it. I bet Professor Hadron Collider would have loved to see it," Valence said, giggling.

 

Valence noticed Senlin seemed interested in the nearby trees. Based on their earlier conversation, it seemed likely that his species would view any available arboreal cover as potential shelter, which made the trees a good place to start. "Hey, why don't we check out the trees while we wait for everypony else? No sense in being idle, right?"

Edited March 24, 2016 by captainborgue

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

"Flight with artificial wings? I would leap at the first chance! I don't care how tough it is to make it work. I would power through the trails and bare any pains to MAKE it work! Such an endeavor would be most amazing..." Samurai says, getting dreamy-eyed at the thought of flying.

 

"...So, Night Eyes, did you say you were going to fly us to the castle? Should I be helping out in any way?" Samurai asks.

Edited March 24, 2016 by Samurai Equine

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

 

"Right," Senlin replied. "I suppose there is something to look for amongst the trees. If I remember correctly, Lin was good at making shelters from hollowed out trees. If there is a place to start looking, that would be it. But there is a catch, she either marks her locations several feet away, or she doesn't mark it at all and relies on memory to find her way back. We should start with her signature marks first."

 

For good measure, and to make good on what Might Eyes previously told him, he walked up to a tree easily visible from the road and swiped at the trunk. He left a large gash with three deep claw marks on it. This was his way of marking his path and he would do so every few feet to form a path with trail markers.

 

"Night Eyes should be able to see that. As for Lin, she has her own marks as well: one deep, diagonal cut into the tree trunk with three transverse cuts running across the large one like a stitch."

 

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@@Samurai Equine

 

It was a silly idea of Night Eyes to carry a larger pony like Samurai on his body given his lithe frame but there was the travel time to consider. Brisk walking would be a better solution.

 

"Fly us there? Not really, but the castle isn't too far away from here. Celestia would like to have one eye on the event and make sure it is going smoothly. Also, I can't guarantee an audience with her but I might be able to get her representative to relay a message. Celestia is a kind of ruler who doesn't take her subjects for granted and I'm sure we could get a reply from her in no time! As for the wingpack, the experimental model is in the museum across town. Maybe I can take you there sometime."

Edited March 24, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

"Would love to see it, or meet the science team responsible." Samurai likes the offer. Still, he thinks about the traveling time. The less time spent, the better... It would be silly if Night Eyes tried to carry Samurai on his back. However... "There are other ways to speed up the travel process. Teleportation is not my strongest asset, however, I can do it for a limited number of times. But since I would be teleporting the BOTH of us, I think I'd only be able to perform the spell twice. After the second time, I would be exhausted. I would need time to recover, with plenty of sleep and maybe some food." Samurai explains.

 

"There is another option. It's not a great option. It really is a test of my physical endurance. I can absorb fire from outside sources and add it to my own natural reserves of fire magic. Camp fires, lamps, lit torches, etc. If you were to give me a lift, I might be able to use my magic to give us an extra boost of acceleration. I would still need to take a break afterwords and re-energize, but it would not be nearly as bad as using two Teleportation spells in a row." And thus, Options A and B are fully explained. The only third option is to keep traveling by land.

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@Samurai Equine

 

Night Eyes may be a scholar but he knows there is so much unknown to him. This was one of those things. It put him off slightly being the only pegasus in a city populated mostly by unicorns but he was host to the event as much as any local. He'd humor Samurai right then and there despite his more reserved views on magic. 

"I see. I suppose I could lift you up but please forgive me if my grip and strength are not up to par with your expectations. I am quite scrawny compared to the usual pegasus. I guess that is one downside to being cloistered in a place that values knowledge over physical prowess.  

[captainborgue 343]

Valence sat pensively as Senlin spoke, before an idea came to her. "Well, if I remember my botany classes correctly, trees release a chemical signal when damaged, which serves to inform other trees of possible attack so they can chemically defend themselves. I can release a magical pulse that binds to those chemical signals, and makes them glow. That should make finding her mark easier- though it will also cause any other marks or cuts to glow. It shouldn't be too hard to do, if you think that will help."

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

 

Senlin hadn't thought of it as such. Then again, this more progressive view is a curious way of explaining why he and his clan does things they way they did for years. It was interesting to know of this and opened more room for questions.

 

"If I may ask, does the chemical linger long after the marks were made? I believe there is some reason to believe she is here for days, maybe months if the scent of food and the allure of the city is anything to go by. The pulse will help greatly."

Just then, Senlin remembered one other important detail that may or may not jeopardize their search if he didn't talk about it. 

"I just remembered, Lin is a crafty longma who helped me train my perception and sight at times. She sometimes makes puzzle markings on trees to allow me to manually shift my focus on near and far sights, and sometimes expand my field of vision. Unfortunately, the appearances of these markings aren't fixed and I can only identify them by their nature and purpose, which I won't be able to do unless we find a few of them. Any of her marks could narrow down our search."

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

Samurai nods at Night Eye's explanation. "I understand. But if this works, we shouldn't have to worry about your physical abilities for too long."

 

Samurai takes a quick moment to look around. He finds fire sources from various locations; a fire pit, a juggler with lit torch sticks, and a large grill from one of the food vendors. Samurai concentrates and begins to gather up his magic. His horn glows as a flame appears at the tip. Next, the fire from those three locations flies towards Samurai's horn until they have gone out. Once collected, the fire over Samurai's horn has tripled in size! But it goes down and gets reabsorbed into his being. However, Samurai doesn't look so good doing it. Every part of his body is clenched; he is shaking and desperately trying to hold in the excess fire power. Even his face has an expression of pure strain.

 

"Okay, Night Eyes! If we're gonna go, let's go!" Samurai says with strain and impatience in his voice. He really can't hold such large amounts of excess fire power. It seems the sooner he can expend it, the better.

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@Samurai Equine

 

There wasn't really any choice here, whether or not Night Eyes agreed to the proposed plan. Still, what's done is done and what needs to be done will be done. There was no more room to back out. The pegasus quickly grabbed Samurai and lifted him. The lack of exercise was already taking its toll but he was more surprised that he was able to even get Samurai off the ground to begin with. The higher he went, the more confidence he built but with each breath he took, he felt closer to letting go. He had to keep them both above the ground and he would see this through.

"I trust you know what your doing, Samurai," Night Eyes began, exerting all of his strength and letting out what he could with his breaths. "I leave the rest in your hooves and I follow on your go! Are we ready?"

Edited April 13, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[captainborgue 343]

Valence nodded, and got to work. The magic required was not particularly complex, but it was very taxing. Partly because she had to first determine the chemical composition of the released trigger, then she had to release a pulse attuned to that specific chemical trace. It took a few tries to get it right- but when she did, all sorts of little marks appeared on the trees. Some were just scratches from animals clawing or climbing on them, but those were very small, and usually ran up and down the trunk in parallel lines.

 

"Ok, there we go. I'm going to sit for a bit, if you don't mind," Valence said, wiping her forehead. "Let me know when you find one, ok?"

 

((sorry for the short post, it's been a tough week))

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

 

The illuminated marks and the trees finally gave way to see where the path is and where it could lead. Unfortunately, that feeling of excitement turned to one of anxiousness. He sees the marks, but he sees both kinds. The puzzling ones were there, and right next to them were the markings of territory. There was still some light in the situation, though. 

"Both marks are here but we might have something more." Senlin walked toward a large tree stump, suspecting it to be hollowed out. He lightly tapped it and a side gave way into a crudely built shanty made of scrap. Some cloth and wood for a roof, a bed of leaves, and a tattered brown tunic. On the inner side of the panel did he find all the proof he needed to say it was so. He knows these things too well.

"These are her belongings and this is her symbol. Lin, a name that hearkens back to home: Forest. Nowhere to be found though but she may not be far!" All feelings of concern began to slowly fade, turning into excitement. 

Edited April 19, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[Samurai Equine 51,445]

Samurai would be really impressed if he wasn't trying so hard to contain his own excess fire magic. However, once they are high enough, Samurai takes aim and releases the fire in a fast, powerful stream! The result is just as he predicted, rocket propulsion! However, it will be up to Night Eyes to navigate the flight with his wings and keep his eyes sharp; because right now, they are traveling at speeds faster than the average train. This should make reaching the castle really fast! "Speed zenkai!!!"

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@Samurai Equine

 

As he feared, his strength may be of use in this situation, though that may be an underestimation of the situation. Still, he had to guide them both through the sky while everyone on the ground looked either in awe, shock, or indifferent. The pegasus guards mobilized almost immediately with a small group of them following the out-of-control duo. Apparently, the erratic flight pattern was more than enough to get several of them concerned that an accident was all but inevitable. Even worse was that the pegasus found it near impossible to speak and control the flight path at the same time.

Night Eyes found himself close to the castle now, with some control regained and tried his hardest to ease the descent. Unfortunately, the descent was... rough, so to speak. A small platoon of guards barricaded the entrance of the castle, pikes at the ready.

"Don't move!" A guard yelled at the two. Another quickly picked up Night Eyes, ready to carry him away. "We'd like to ask you some questions. Your friend, too." He gestured to a few more guards and added: "Have them interrogated."

Night Eyes had looked to Samurai scared while trying to remain positive. "Well, at least we get to have an audience with the princess. I hope..." 

Edited April 19, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[captainborgue 343]

"Oh good! Glad to see it worked as intended. Magic can be a bit squirrelly sometimes," Val said, relieved. She was still pretty tired from having to exert so much precise control of her magic, but an hour or two of taking it easy should bring her back up to snuff without much trouble. "Did you find any promising leads for where to go next?"

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

"Then it looks like we're both in luck. You look tired and you could use some rest. I'm sure sister wouldn't mind guests; at the very least she'd be ecstatic for a reunion and a meeting with wonderful ponies like you."

There were still some things to work out with Night Eyes and Samurai when they arrive but now that there is a moment for reprieve, there can be time to rest and wait. 

"It is unfortunate that we'd be doing more waiting than searching but right now, it's the best option available." Senlin stood guard outside the stump shanty hoping to either see Lin or find Samurai and Night Eyes. "I do have a question, though. Is there anything you would like in return? You've helped me and surely you would like some form of reward or reparation. I didn't mean to take your time or take advantage of your generosity."

[captainborgue 343]

"Oh! That's kind of you to offer. I may need a foalsitter at some point, but aside from that I can't really think of anything. Besides, I like feeling like I'm doing something useful," Val said, smiling. "Besides, it was pretty crowded back at the fair thing, and crowds make me nervous. I don't really get out much, I guess."

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

Without a doubt there was a need to find a way to make a living now that Senlin didn't have a home to go back to. The very least he could try to do is to make some coin and start over once the reunion has passed whatever way he can.

"I'll take you up on that, uh... babysitting. I'm certainly missing the early days of childhood." Senlin turned to the forest once more, and with the puzzle markings still illuminated, there might be a way to pass the time besides sitting. "I'll keep watch outside for any sign of our acquaintances. Maybe I'll have a look at those tree markings; Lin likes to make a game out of it sometimes."
 

[captainborgue 343]

((Sorry! Real Life has been most pressing as of late))

 

"Well to give fair warning, Nova's magic is a little more... exciting than most, even for a filly. I suspect that it's similar to mine in that it affects atomic bonds, but where I've learned to control mine to the point that I can form and break bonds, she only has the breaking part. And that tends to be a little more... loud and boomy and noisy and smoky than one would expect from a girl her age," Val said, giggling.

[EQ_Theta 459]

@@captainborgue

(No need to worry about not posting here if real life is keeping you from posting a reply. I understand)

 

Senlin was stunned to silence as he walked out, suddenly wondering what trouble he might get himself into. His eyes widened at thinking just what an "atomic bond" is and wondering about how... destructive it might be considering how Valence put it. Not that he had any idea what it was; he's lived in an isolated environment for almost the entirety of his life that he might consider making a checklist of things he needs to look up and going to a library to read about them. Two of the topics were already on the top of his list: How to Babysit and Atomic Bonds. 

"That's going to be... uhm... interesting?" Senlin replied with a scared tone in his voice, almost trembling at the thought. "I certainly can't fault a unicorn for having outbursts of magic at a young age. They do have those, right?"

Edited May 29, 2016 by EQ_Theta

[captainborgue 343]

Valence laughed out loud. "Oh, yes, often. When she was still a baby, Nova would have pretty dramatic magical outbursts, though I'm lucky in that my parents helped out a lot and they had experience dealing with newborn magic, what with having had me and all. Now it's less like uncontrolled bursts of magic, and more that when she tries to use magic on something, it is more likely to burst into flame or pop like a balloon than whatever she was trying to do in the first place. She's still young though, and control only comes with practice."