private Family Matters (1x1)

[GoldieS 679]

@Maple Bat

The palace shook and rumbled, but out there in the hall, it was nothing more than a rowdy argument. Whatever the place was made if, it was certainly well built. Instead of rushing in to see what was going on, or run away, most of the servants continued carrying out there jobs as if nothing were amiss. Though, they did give Woody a cautious eye, bowing respectfully as they passed.

One thing to note was that there didn't appear to be any guards. Certainly mages, a few deer passed by, bowing Woody. They wore elegant pink, purple, and black robes adorned with magical artifacts, and a few weapons. But, they didn't appear to have any official appearance about them. 

After wondering a bit aimlessly through the halls, a soft voice addressed him from behind. 

"You were searching for me?" Shadows asked, looming over Woody in the hall. 

The only sibling he hadn't seen yet. This particular draconequus was more birdlike than anything, with dark blue feathery wings and a raven's shiny black head and beak. His legs were that of a dragon, but with the carapace and holes of a changeling. His avian arms were similar, but hidden beneath his wings as he folded the giant feathery things across himself like a robe. Shadows wasn't nearly as tall as any of the others, only a little bit more than Woody if he was standing on his hind legs. 

Link to OOC Topic: https://mlpforums.com/topic/170315-family-matters-maple-bat-n-goldie-private-1x1/

Edited September 24, 2017 by GoldieS

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody turned to look at the one who spoke to him and assumed that this was Shadows since he was new to him visa"Yes I was." Woody said looking slightly up to look at his brother, "Salacious told me about you and I felt like I should meet you in person. I feel we would get along very well." He looked around the corridors a bit and chuckled "Uhh... She was joking about you eating me, right? I'm not a very strong dragonequus you wouldn't get much outta eating me." Woody still felt insignificant next to him even though he wasn't much taller than he was, leading to his fear of him mostly since he'd never seen him nor found out how he acts

[GoldieS 679]

"We considered it." He replied, his voice something soft. "But the power you would provide would be negligible."

He started to walk forward, past Woody, looking back at him as if expecting the other draconequus to follow. He didn't seem much for words in that regard. 

"I didn't bring you and your sister here to Tartarus to eat you, brother. Nor did I bring you here to run scared from our siblings..." He commented offhandedly. "Why did you come here though I wonder... curiosity? No, you thought Tartarus... what was it... creepy? You came to blindly follow your sister along on her little journey. Do you wonder how she's faring?"

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody started following him flying a bit off the ground since he was getting a bit tired of walking "Well that's relieving to hear," He said "I mean I did just meet our family I'll need a bit of time to warm up to all of you. As for why I can here, I came to make sure Maple didn't get hurt and I know that I'm not doing a very good job of that. I did say it was creepy but hey family is family. Salacious also said Maple was fine so I believe her. I heard you called me 'Songbird' I like that little title you know."

[GoldieS 679]

"You just met her, and you would believe her without a second thought?" Shadows rose a brow, before letting off a slight sigh, looking back at Woody apologetically. "I'm... sorry. Sometimes my duties leave me jaded. I often find myself blurring the lines between those a care for and those I despise."

"She is correct, your sister is fairing well. I had her removed from the ship you two were traveling on. At present, she's traveling with one of my agents, and one of our dear sister's." He informed Woody. "I'll ensure no irreversible harm befalls her, I assure you."

Shadows paused in the middle of the hall. "Now, we arrive at you. I didn't trick Luna into sending your sister here so you could be eaten, or lounge in a sauna with sister. I... need your help."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody sighed, he was glad that it was more than just one 'agent' watching over here and then froze when Shadows said that he needed help "Oh... Of course, I don't mind helping my family. Though what exactly do you need help with? Is it dangerous? Becuase I'd say a lot of this realm is a pretty dangerous place. I mean I don't mind to help even if it is. I may not be as strong as you all but I can still get stuff done." He said slightly proud of himself. "What's the thing?"

[GoldieS 679]

"The realm?" Shadows chuckled a little. "The realm is of little consequence... mortals are nothing but pieces in a grand game. Even the more unpleasant ones with little more than an urge to feed." 

He blinked a few times before rendering an apologetic look at Woody, bowing his head slightly in embarrassment. "You... weren't concerned about the insects assaulting your ship, were you? Perhaps I should have intervened more overtly and assisted you, I didn't intend to cause you any... fear..."

"Really... mortals can't kill you. You're a god... why do you think they turned father to stone?" He added. "There are many unfortunate things that can befall us, but we will never truly die. I once banished a lesser deity to eternity trapped in a marble at the bottom of the ocean... trapped in a black abyss until the end of existence."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody looked at him "Well... I'm not sure who your mother is but me... I'm actually half-mortal so I think that means I can die..." He flinched a bit "I mean I do love my mother don't mishear me. She's probably the nicest pony in Equestria." He seemed to go from his a bit distant mood to a much happier mood talking about Fluttershy, almost forgetting about the scariness of the realm itself "She's the whole reason I did find out how my magic works so she deserves a lot of credit." He shook his head "Nevermind her for now, What was it you needed help with?"

[GoldieS 679]

Shadows glared at Woody for a few moments. Something about his comments clearly displeased him, but unlike the other three, he knew how to hold his tongue and show a little bit of patience and control. 

"Regardless of your mortality, the answer to your question is yes. The task I have for you is something not even I have been able to accomplish." He paused, looking up and down the hall a few times suspiciously, before creating a silent bubble around them. "I need you to... help bring our family back together."

He looked at the floor for a moment, not wanting to meet Woody's gaze. "We find ourselves far too divided, taking sides and scheming against one another on a near daily basis. Some of us have even forgotten all we stand for, branching off and colluding with other gods."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody looked at him even after he looked away he had noticed the silent bubble so he really did need help with this "Wow ok, That's quite the challenge for one, much, younger, dragonequus." Woody proclaimed "But... I don't think it's something I can't get done." he thought very deeply about the matter at paw here. "So... I think I should probably start with Salacious and War then? No... That'd need to be the last one... Who do you have 'bad blood' With? Maybe I can start there?"

[GoldieS 679]

He pondered in thought for a moment, a talon to his beak, before shaking his head side to side. "I have no 'bad blood' with any of our siblings. It's that stupid, fat, fetid oaf who has a problem with me. His arrogance knows no bounds, he constantly harasses me and my efforts to change the world as a whole."

The topic seemed to rile up Shadows' feathers. Just thinking about Pestilence got him angry. 

"Never have I done anything to elicit his ire, yet he constantly berates me and my followers. It takes every ounce of my patience to stay my claws when seeing his disgusting little hordes threatening my disciples." He growled. "I've heard mortals say age imparts wisdom, but in his case it's merely dulled his mind. For some reason he's not content with what we already have here, all he wants is to cause suffering so mortals can be 'reborn'. But that's not the worst of it, he just lets his little 'children' run a muck, destroying everything Salacious and I work hard to build! Doesn't help that idiot War goes along with it..."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody looked dumbfounded at Shadows and sighed loudly this was going to be the hardest challenge of his life but it was for family. "Alright let's get started then with step one. He's your brother. Try to think more positive things." Woody said "While you said 'disgusting hordes' while you could have simply said 'him and his followers'. Calling people mean things like 'Stupid' or 'Arrogant' tends to make them angrier. Second, you do have to realize Slug has his own point of view on things while you may have this 'Bigger vision for the world' Slug has his own too and he is just as determined to see that vision come true as you are..." Woody paused for a second really pondering if he should say this and he decided he should, Woody started awkwardly brushing his mane, "I know you don't like him, but Dad... He wanted to remake Equestria into his own image. However after a while, he realized there was something more important to him than his image, friends and a family," He took a deep breath and turned starting to walk away, "I'll go speak with the others but won't tell any of them that you wanted me to do this because that'll make it all worse. Though if I ask you to talk with any of the others later on you're going to ok?"

[GoldieS 679]

Shadows merely stared at Woody for a few minutes, in silence. It was quite awkward. Either he was genuinely considering Woody's straightforward comments, or he was trying to make things awkward. Whatever the reason, he succeeded at least in making the silence uncomfortable. 

"Perhaps I should have eaten you instead." Shadows finally replied. "I will sit with others if you arrange the time, but only if the encounter won't erupt into conflict."

He waved his talons in dismissal. "Now go. The others must not know I've summoned you here, glad to hear you already know that, but I can't impart upon you enough the importance of keeping our collusion secret. And as a word of advice, don't mention father again. It isn't particularly wise. I encourage you not to idealize him either, the fool abandoned all of us on a whim. Perhaps he cares about you now, but tomorrow you and your mother will be nothing to him. You will watch with your immortality as your mother falls asleep for the final time because he refuses to impart immortality upon her. Cut your ties now, and you might just learn how to bestow immortality yourself and keep her from dying. Maybe you can be the first of us to do so."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

"Alright, I'm not sure why you all do consider dad to be like that but... You may be right..." Woody shook the idea out of his head, father was not his concern, for now, his brothers and sisters were "Nevermind, I'll go see what I can do now, War is next I think she'll be the hardest to have such a discussion with." With that, he took a deep breath and walked back to salacious' room "Hey! he said as he walked in "Salacious, I appreciate the effort but I'll be going with War for now. It'd be unfair to myself if I just hid behind you all the time." he waited on his siblings to react.

[GoldieS 679]

The room was gone, the only thing left was a small jagged ledge of marble hanging precariously from the entrance of the door where Woody now stood. The walls, floor, ceiling, all of it giving way to the... once gorgeous view beyond. 

In only the small thirty minutes Woody was gone, the two had torn up the landscape in their little scuffle. Trees burnt to cinders, smoke rising from the ashen black forest, spikes jutting out of the ground high into the sky and crags tearing open the earth spouting lava. In the sky, a giant eyeball with tentacles reached outward, pulling everything not nailed down towards it like a black hole. 

War and Salacious were both floating in the air, War's back to the eyeball vortex with one of her legs wrapped by Salacious' tail. Salacious herself had war's giant sword dug over halfway into her serpentine body, almost severing her in two, while the serpent had her mouth wide open about to bite War's head off. The looked like it had been frozen in time, as the two chaos gods stopped what they were doing mid action to stare at Woody, the giant eyeball in the sky watching him too. 

"Bah ha ha! See!? I told you he's got honor and tradition flowing through him!" War laughed, wrenching her sword from Salacious as they both continued to float in the air. 

Salacious gave woody a heartbroken, even embarrassed look as she slowly released war. The look on her face was of utter betrayal, even after her body slowly began to return to its more luscious form. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody shook his head. "What are you two doing!" He roared he took a deep breath "Wow... I was gone for 30 minutes and this is what you both do..." he sighed deeply "Have you both ever solved a dispute like this without... Doing that?" Woody looked a bit... Actually very scared. Not about what he saw, more of how they'd react to him having a small outburst, well that was caused mostly by what he saw but he did have to bring them closer together so he needed to start by asking them things like that. "N...nevermind that for now." He said looking at Salacious "Are you ok?! You look... Half-off..."

[GoldieS 679]

Salacious turned around in a huff, crossing her arms. Her lower half, hanging by a thread, just... fell off. Quickly it began to grow back as good as new, as if it had never been cut in half int he first place. She didn't seem to take note of it either. 

"Yes." She snapped. "I'm perfectly fine. You just... go! Go and play War's little games, and leave me alone!" 

War merely smirked, shrinking in size by just a little to stand on the ledge with Woody. "Excellent! I knew you'd see some sense. And yes, Sally over there can't keep her claws to herself! But it's alright little brother! She's to week and pathetic to ever get the better of me."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

There was a look on Woodlands face. "Could... you not call our sister things like that... It's really mean." Woody looked at War pleadingly "I really hate that you all keep fighting and arguing... could I ask you to please stop. 'Sally' may not like being treated that way maybe if you were nicer she'd be nicer?" He continued to have a strange look on his face but it was complicated meaning it was hard for War to pin down exactly what his expression meant.

[GoldieS 679]

War wasn't like Shadows, reading other creature's expressions was well beyond her scope of practice. That, and usually for her there was no need or desire to do so. The draconequus rolled her eyes, before reaching down to grab Woody and hold him under her arm. 

"Whatever. The witch deserves to be knocked down a peg. Trust me, you know her long enough, you'll figure it too." She commented, before stepping forward and bursting into flame with Woody. 

They reappeared somewhere else, some sort of lodge. The wooden walls cast in the light of a roaring fire at one end of the hall, shining off all the pieces of armor and equipment splayed out on tables and racks. A few torchlights lit some of the darker corners. 

"Besides, she's the one that started it all." War added, releasing Woody. "And I better not see you doing the junk she does! You start acting like her and I'll tear you apart myself. Now, let's go. I have someone I want you to meet, don't be rude or I'll skin you alive."

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody sunk with each of War's comments after they teleported, He looked away from his sister "Well actually you started it..." He said under his breath. "I'm not a rude person so don't worry about me." It took Woody a second to register his surroundings he looked at the collection of gear. "Impressive collection..." He said examining, but not touching some of the weapons. "I'm guessing they're all of use to you?" He was trying to gauge War's personality, right now he saw it as aggressive and ruthless but something told him the threats were at least somewhat empty

[GoldieS 679]

@Maple Bat

"What!?" War snapped at Woody. "Don't mumble! Sally does that, speaks under her breath, it annoys me to no end!" 

She suddenly smacked Woodland in the back with enough force to send him to the floor if he wasn't paying attention. "If you have something to say, say it! But yes, everything in here serves a purpose, I don't waste space."

War stepped over to one of the racks with armor in it. She took out a breastplate that looked entirely too small for her, spinning it around in her paws. It didn't even look all that good, thin and worn out with plenty of dents and scratches. In fact, it sounded fairly brittle. 

"This piece was made by one of my first followers! First piece of armor he ever made me. Didn't want to fight so I told him he could serve as my smithy. He was terrible." She concluded, before gently placing the piece back. 

"Guess we'll just wait to fit you... let's go. Valaya's been waiting too long already." She said, moving towards the exit, and pushing the double doors open with both paws in a rather aggressive manner. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

@GoldieS

"ow..." Woody cried silently when War hit him, he didn't fall to the floor since he was paying enough attention. He reacted a bit disheartened by his sister hitting him, rather than enraged. He only seemed to get mad when people threated others. "Well, That was nice of you... I guess." He followed behind War. "So this 'Valaya', they're important to you I'm guessing. Since you don't want me to be rude to them."  Even though you've been nothing but rude to me He thought.

Edited September 28, 2017 by Maple Bat

[GoldieS 679]

(ooc: sorry for all the delays >.< )

"I didn't do it to be nice!" War snapped as they stepped out into the cold frozen woods, covered in a thick blanket of snow. "Of course she's important! She's the Godess of the Diamond dogs, the All Mother. She forges great and powerful weapons and armor, fit for gods!" 

They crunched through the snow and woods down a path leading to the edge of a cliff, towering over a landscape of snow dunes. Extending from cliff from the path over the open air was a stone balcony. It didn't look at all sturdy, but War had no problems standing in the center to stare over the wasteland. Sticking out of the snow were the ruins of a recent battle, torn banners, siege weapons, and large and small mounds indicating carcasses. All of this, as far as the eye could see. 

"Alright... she's more of a mountain caves type. You ever do any world forging?" She asked, looking back at Woody. 

[Maple Bat 3,568]

Woody looked blankly at War as he was shivering, He was really trying to hold his stability. Woody knew he couldn't have a breakdown now, but Woody felt vulnerable in the first place and now he was, almost, literally being dragged through a frozen woods and he wasn't even wearing anything warm "No... I can't say I know what you're talking about. Best thing I've ever done is stop time but what you seem to be talking about seems quite a bit stronger. I probably could have done it but then Princess Celestia would have gotten mad at me and well... That's not a good person to have mad at you..." He looked out at the ruins and flinched, not directly noticing the bodies but he knew what mounds like that meant. He looked upon the destruction and felt the opposite of how he did with salacious. Great now I'm picked favorites. Just relax she probably has something good about her.  He thought to shake off some of his negative feelings, though all the positivity in the world wasn't going to stop him from being cold "Why?"

[GoldieS 679]

"Psch, isn't she some kind of alicorn or something? I heard she doesn't even have her full power yet..." War scoffed. "I bet even you could take that young upstart if you wanted to." 

War chuckled a few times before un-holstering her sword from her back and shoving it into the stone. "It's probably easier here than out there anyways, for a first timer anyways. Saly's to lazy to do this kind of thing, Pest's more about the living things, and our craven brother just messes with creature's minds. Whatever, just watch. You can do the castles or something, you look like the creative type anyways."

War rest one of her paws on the pommel of her sword, and held the other out in front of her, palm down. The ground began to quake, shaking so violently the trees began to upend. Giant cracks began to tear the landscape apart, plateaus tearing away and climbing into the air. Off in the far distance, just within sight, gigantic mountains exploded into the air. Gradually the grew higher and higher, before the tops began curving inward towards the two draconequus. They were forming a gigantic cavern. 

After the ceiling was made, the snow stopped completely, but some ambient light somewhere kept the massive tartarian esque cavern just visible enough. Then came the smaller mountains tearing through the ground, along with more crags and casms, 'natural' earthen bridges every which way and narrow passageways and choke points. The place was a death trap, with almost no flat surfaces other than the winding mountain and stalactite formations. 

She held out both her arms in a grandiose manner. "This is perfect! A wonderful arena, wouldn't you say!?"