private "All that Shines" (1x1 RP between Platinum Gear and Raven Rawne)

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Clare sighs but also chuckles somewhat "You can help it, you just use it to your advantage to get what you want, and honestly, it works" she says as she kisses her marefriend on the lips before she looks around for anything of interest "Well it's certainly not the size of the Treasury back home, but I think it would be enough to help out the citizens" she says and looks to her "You know me darling, I'm more for equality than lording over everyone, which is one of the reasons why I despise having to spend time in the courts.." she says then her eyes brighten as she knew how much the Crystal Empire had meant to her friend and nods "Of course sweetheart, if you find anything else relating to your old home, you may keep it...unless it'd be of help to the Kingdom"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks

 

Crys was beyond herself with this find and to her, this little piece of shining crystal was worth more than everything in this keep combined. Once Clarissa said she can keep it... "Really? I can? Thank you thank you thank you!" Another attack hug, paired with a baggage of kisses. As she continued her love assault, ancient magic of her kind awoke within, fuelled by her joy, happiness and love. Her coat became somewhat transparent and gained shiny quality of a well polished crystal, and her mane restyled itself on it's own volition.  Suddenly she became the largest gemstone in the kingdom - a crystal pony in their highest form. It was the first time in her life, actually, and she was so caught up in the moment she didn't notice.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Clare's eyes widen "C-crys, y-you're.." she blinks "Y-you've changed, you look..well sparkly" she says and looks around before grabbing a jewel encrusted mirror "look! You're even more beautiful than ever!" she exclaims  and hugs her and kisses her even more "I love you either way that you look though darling" she says and hugs her "To hell with being a Princess, I just want you!"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks

 

Crystal Clear stopped crushing her marefriend's ribs and gave her a weird look. "I... what?" She knew the moment Clarissa pointed a mirror at her, but had little time to react as it was her turn to get her ribs put to the test and withstand a barrage of kisses. Truth be told, it was very pleasant.

 

The last remark was enough to make her laugh uncontrollably. "Hahaha get a hold on yourself, you!"

 

It took some time before they finally cooled down and sat on the chests, catching their breath. Crystal decided to take the opportunity to explain her new look. "So I bet you want to know what happened to me, right? Well, I thought it was just a legend but it turned out true! I mean, once a crystal pony reaches the peak of happiness and her heart is filled with love and joy... Ahem, yes, so once she reaches this state of spirit she "crystallises" and looks like I do now, while her positive feelings reinforce the magic of the Crystal Heart. Wherever it is now, I bet the ice and snow around it just melt." She took the mirror again and took a good look at herself. "This will be hard to hide from the rest of the Academy..."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Clare smiles and nods "wow, learn something new everyday" she says as she kisses her once more and giggles "Is it permanent or just temporary?" she asks as she looks at the treasury "Honestly, apart from what you've found, I kind of just want to leave all this here so we can give it to the citizens of our kingdoms," she says as she hugs Crys once more "find anything else you'd like to bring back to your home?"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks

 

Crystal's ears stood on attention when Clarissa kissed her again. She always loved being around her, but taking it to the next level felt so special... She smiled reassuringly and replied. "It's temporary, I'm afraid. And as much as I'd love to stay like that, I guess the sensation would get tiresome after a while..." She took the glow-crystal out of her pocket, it's faint light illuminating her crystalline face. "You know, I have enough bits for myself from my arrangement with my father, so I don't need the money. And honestly, being with you and the thrill of adventure are enough of a reward for me. Stuff we found is just a bonus really, even if it's a priceless artifact from my long lost homeland..." She hid it again in her pocket.  She knew that she had to keep the crystal hidden or she'd cause a treasure hunt in the academy. "Let's go back to camp then, and later on we'll write a letter to send somepony for our loot. And like I said, they should pick the armoury clean, cashing those things in will give you funds to help some more..." Crys stood up and stretched. "Time to go,  I guess. Honestly Clare, I don't know anypony else who would decide to give the treasure to the citizenry. You'll be a good princess, love."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Clare nods as she too stood up and stretched "It's something mother would have done I believe" she says then looks at her "If there's one decision father would approve of, it would be this one" she says with a chuckle "I know he's strict and he can be scary at times, but he does have a good heart, and does what he can for the citizenry." she says as she pockets a small amount for herself, and then walks out of the treasury with Crys. "I'll send a letter to father, he should know there are some family heirlooms as well"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks

 

Cryst held the door for the other mare, then closed the treasury an gave her both keys. "You already have the key to my heart, so you might as well have these" She said with a radiant smile, then extend her arm to her marefriend. "Shall we?"

 

Soon enough, the pair was in the courtyard, and Crys shone brightly in the sun, since she hasn't put her helmet back on just yet.

 

"Sooo... now we walk back to the camp, right?" The mare asked with a swish of her tail. "I could use some rest in our tent, I admit.  Preferably in something lighter too." She corrected the angle of one of her shoulder pads as she spoke. "Oh, and I still need to think of some believable story to explain my new look!" She giggled at the last remark, since no pony would be the wiser if she told them a lie.

 

The sun was high, it was probably afternoon already. 

 

"So, would you close the gate and fly out? I'll take your gear outside."

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Clare smiles and takes the keys and then locks up the armory and treasury, She then nods "Honestly, I could go for a night in my cloud bed back home right about now, but we've got a long way to go" she says then nods once more in acknowledgement of her statement then sighs "We're probably going to fail this exercise, but maybe they instructor will understand when we tell him what happened" she then hands her marefriend her heavy gear before flying up and waiting for her to leave so that she could close the gate.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks

 

Crys nodded as her marefriend took off the heavy gear. "Well, I guess we should omit the part about exploring the ruins though. They will easily accept the version about clueless dames lost in the woods, but telling we went treasure hunting will just test their patience..." Seeing the other mare was ready to fly,  the crystal mare loaded everything on her massive shield and slowly walked out. Sometime later the pegasus landed beside her. " You look so happy when you fly..." Crys said in a dreamy voice, then handed Clare her gear. "So which way was it again?"

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

"South West, you can actually see smoke from the camp now" she says as she begins to lead the way, her tail swaying slightly, the only thing she did bring with her was her new armor. As she walks, she then begins to sing a song about a long and forbidden love between the daughter of a chief and a boy who was known as a thief, only changing a few things around to make it sound like she was singing about her forbidden love for Crys.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

Crys looked up in the direstion Clare indicated, before she put her helmet on to hide her new crystalline form. "You're right! I can see the smoke even from the ground. You think it's on purpose? To help us find our way? Eh, why I'm even asking, the instructors are probaby all gey from stress, of course it's on purpose..."

 

They walked towards the collums of smoke as Clarissa started singing to herself. Crystal Clear didn't interrupt her, however. For once her singing voice was realy nice, and second, the lurincs were... interesting. As the mare finished her song, they entered a narrow channel between two cliffs, around two adult ponies in height. There was nothing ususual about it, really. just a natural earth formation. Three ponies could walk side by side and still cross it without breaking formation.

 

A tall figure emerged on the far side a they reached it's middle, clapping his hands and announcing in a deep, bass voice. "Bravo your Highnes! Such talent, who would have thought!" It was the spiky minotaur, and he wasn't alone - another one, this time not a member of the academy, blocked the other path. He was lightly armored and held a halberd, but it looked like a toothpick compared to him.

 

The mares stopped to asses the situation, while the spiky head tried his hand at monologues. "I was expecting you sooner, princes, but it seems you fell for one of my companion's little traps, right? I guessed as much - you mares would spend a whole day to get moving after such grevious injury..." There was a hint of disguist in his voice. "No matter. Now that we're all here, let's get to business. You're coming with us, but you have a choice. See, I have no need for your companion in here, but if you yeld peacefully I'll let her go. I'm feeling generous today, you see. just think fast, we have a ship to catch." He made a menacing swing of his giant battleaxe for emphasis.

 

Crys just lowered her visor and took a dfensive stance, switching for her war hammer and awaiting orders.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Clare placed a gentle hand on her shoulder then smirks as she too lowers her own visor, Now is the perfect time to reveal the Dragon Sword, the one thing that can stop these two bastards, she thinks to herself and smirks again form under her visor "Come now friend, after all these months of training together, you're still disgusted we got in? Well I've got news for you, the only reason you got in is because the kingdom was being diplomatic, but it seems it was in vein as your plans were to betray us anyway..but wait...there's more!" she exclaims and instead of reaching for her regular saber, she reached for the Dragon Sword and pulls it out "Even a moronic minotaur like yourself would know the history of the great hundred year war that my ancestor Dragon Blade fought in against your kind and won, with this very sword, and look, even after all this time, still intact, still pristine sharp, still...deadly against your kind"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks, 

 

The minotuar at the back bawked, but held his ground, albeit not so sure of himself anymore. The one in front wore a full helmet, so his features were unreadable. "Very well then... We will kill your friend here, take you to our kingdom and that cursed blade too!"

He started his charge, axe high, readying for a splitting strike aimed at Crys. The mare managed to sidestep and bash his side with her shield, setting him off balance and crashing on the other minotaur, but it was just a momentary victory, as the halberd soon started poking it's way towards her armor's weakpoints. She blocked with her shield but lacked the range or strength to do much more than just keep him busy. Meanwhile, the other one decided to incapacitate Clare - it seemed they wanted her alive.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Clare smirks and side steps the other minotaur "And it's losers like you that made me want to join the academy." she says as she quickly swipes right with her blade, slicing the warhammer's shaft right in two "This blade is made out of pure Star metal, forged by a dragon who was a master smith using his bare claws. The hilt is made out of pure leather dragon hide and the entire thing is infused with dragon scales. Nothing can and ever will break this, but it can slice through your stupid battleaxe with no trouble at all"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

As Clarissa finishd her lecture with a demonstration, and but the minotaur's battle axe in half, he yelled, enraged, and attempted to beat her with his giant gauntleted fists. Meanwhile the other one paused for a moment, shecked by the Dragon Sword's ability to cut another weapon with ease. Crys took this as an opportunity and pushed his hapberd aside to close the distance, slammed his chest with her shield and hit his side with her hammer's pointy end. The monotaur roared in pain, but was far from finished. He thew off his weapon, now useless in uch close contact, tore her shield from her grip and tosed aside, then atempted to choke her. Instead, he recieved a hammer in his forehead. Since the weapon got stuck in the skull, Crys switched to her saber and cut his torso sideways as he cluttched to his head. After quite a few devastating slashe, the minotaur finally fell on his back. The mare turned around to see how her friend was doing, ready to aid her. 

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

Clare had the other minotaur cornered "You're friend lays there dying in his own blood, while my companion is without a single scratch" she says, ducking and weaving to avoid being hit by his slow and heavy fists "You lot really are slow, and I don't just mean your speed, but your wits as well" she says, slicing across his belly, even though he had heavy armor on, the blade sliced right through it.

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

Since apparently Clare was handling the situation, Crys retrieved her war hammer from the other minotaur's skull, while keeping watch on the fight.

 

The minotaur cadet in spiky armor tried his best to hit the mare with his sledgehammer gauntlets, but was too slow. He became increasingly frustrated and started yelling as the mare evaded his attacks, until finally, after taunting him for long enough, she counterattacked. The blade went deep, all the way to the spine in fact. The monotaur howled in pain as the huge opening in his armor started leaking blood like a broken jar. He clutched his midsection and fell on one knee, trying to stay concious from the bloodloss and pain. He didn't dare speak, it hurt too much.

 

Crystal Clear saw the fight was done, and so she raised her visor and picked up her shield, now full of scratches. She already wiped her weapons in her foe's clothing to get rid on the blood, but her armor bore red spots. She waited to see how her marefriend will finish her own fight.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Clare spits at the minotaur that was writhing in pain  "You know, I really should just leave you to bleed to death, but you're lucky I am merciful, you also know this means war between your kind and my kingdom. I may only be a Princess, but I still have a lot of say in court, you really chose your opponent poorly" she says and raises the Dragon Sword before swinging it down and decapitating the minotaur. She spits on his now lifeless corpse. She then wipes the blood off of the blade, or tries to, but the blade just simply absorbed it. She shrugs, sheaths it and then begins to loot the bodies. "We need to see if there is anything on them that could lead to the attack on us"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

The minotaur's head came off clean from his shoulders and landed a few steps further, while his corpse shivered and fell on it's belly, soaking the ground red.

 

Crystal Clear was breathing hard, and decided to drop her sheild ant sit on it for a bit. She took off her helmet and her mane fixed itself again, as the ancient magic that made her look like a fine crystal still resided inside her. She looked at the corpses, hen at her companion who seemed to be searching the armoured minotaur's body. "I'll look through the other one just... give me a moment, okay?" The mare just sat and stared at the blood on her hammer and gauntlets.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne,

 

Clare grunts then smiles at her marefriend "Take your time sweetheart, but it would seem we were both right" she says as she looks at the glow that surrounded her sword "I think..it may be more prudent to keep the Dragon Sword, I know it sounds selfish, but well.. it has saved my life" she says "and seeing as there's most likely a war that's going to happen, I'm going to need it"

 

"And so it has chosen it's new master" a rather familiar voice rings out 

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

Clare was rather surprised to hear a voice from behind, and rather awkwardly turned herself 180 degrees on her shield, nearly losing balance in the process. "Who... Wha... YOU?" She noticed the same robed figure that greeted them in the keep. Surprised, but not alarmed, she rose on her hooves, curious why he showed up again. "Did we take something we shouldn't? Or you changed your mind, perhaps?" She looked at him closely, but didn't raise her voice, nor weapon for that matter. It would be a futile attempt anyway.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

The mage smiles "Quite the contrary my dear Countess, I had been keeping an eye on you ever since the test." he says and smiles "And you Princess, you will be a great leader among ponies and Crowned Princess, with a heart like yours, wanting to help out the citizens, it takes me back" he says and closes his eyes, he then looks down to the corpses "Oh dear, yet another war brewing by the looks of it, what are you going to do Princess and Countess?"

 

Clare bows her head in respect and thanks to the mage "I honestly don't know ser Mage, a skirmish or defending a town from raiders is one thing, but a full scale war? I have no experience with this, and I do not know how my father will take it either"

[Raven Rawne 1,381]

@@Orange Sparks,

 

Crys shook her head to start thinking straight again. She killed a fair amout of game over the years, even up close, but slicing open a minotaur that wanted to kill her was a different story altogether.

 

She thought for a moment, then joined the discussion. "But, why war? Maybe it won't be so bad... I-I mean, we don't even know if it wasn't just some crazy noble's idea or maybe that minotaur's for that matter... We can't just assume that two ice brained bulls were about to kidnap Clare to get ahead in a planned war, right? We need some kind of proof on what they wanted to achieve." She stood like that for a moment, looking either at Clare or the mage, then sighed. "Alright, I'll start looking myself..." The mare approached her assailant's corpse and started looking for clues, like letters or some sort of insignia, anything really. She looked rather disgusted as she got to the grim work, and did her best not to stain herself with even more blood.

[Sphinx-Ara 3,553]

@@Raven Rawne, 

 

The mage nods "I understand your concerns but there was a long lasting if uneasy truce between our two kingdoms after that war, if I am not mistaken. So this ambush was a bit.." he shakes his head and looks to the minotaurs, "it could just have been borne from a rivalry...we shall see" he says.

 

Clare then looks at the one they had trained with for the past few months "His armor, it isn't Academy issued, nor is his weapons, I've spent enough time in the armory and forge to know that" she says as she finds a bag hidden in the bushes, she then goes to get it. Rummaging through it, she finds a letter adressed to the minotaur "Cadet, it is time for those weak ponies to learn who truly is the better species, us, you are tasked to trap and kidnap the Princess Clarissa Sommerskies. Her companion on the other hand is a liability, do what you will with her, General Strongback"