private The Quest for the Forbidden Temple

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice Storm was worried as she listed to Gimond say that he had been out here for a good amount of time. She smiled though when he said that he had a dream to where the rest of his family fell asleep and said that he couldn't let that happen. that he had to find the temple so that he could save them. Ice struggled to move but she was able to get a hoof onto Gimond. "Hold on," she said her horn lighting up and resolving a teleportation spell to get both her and Gimond back inside.

 

Once again she lost her bearing. Teleportation while something she could do was easily her weakest ability. It made her very wobbly after back in the cave, bu they could move. She'd have her energy back in a few minutes. "Gimond," she said out of breath walking over and placing a friendly hoof on his shoulder. "We will save them. We will save everypony. None of us are able to do it by ourselves though. If we were, I don't think Celestia would have had me try to get an entire team to come with me," she told him with a smile.

 

"Upon penalty of death, I will make sure that we get to the temple, and that we are able to stop this, but I know for a fact I can't do it alone, especially now." She smiled softly looking over to Storm Cloud. "Did you say something while we were outside? I heard what sounded like you speaking very faintly but I couldn't make any of it out over the winds."

[Sanick20 2]

As Gimond told about the dream he had he saw Ice Storm smile but he couldn't figure out why... a light came from ice and they dissapeared. When Gimond looked around i found out he was back at the cave,

 

He saw storm wobble a little so he lend a shoulder to lean against.... he then heard Ice say "We will save them. We will save everypony. None of us are able to do it by ourselves though. If we were, I don't think Celestia would have had me try to get an entire team to come with me," she told him with a smile.

 

He smiled back at Ice and answerd "Thank youi i thought it was the future i saw, I was so scared" Gimond said while he lifted one hoof to the head (like a salute) and said " You got my full support in all conditions and situations "

[rainbovv dash 110]

"What's going on out there?" she said, wondering what had happened outside the cave to make the ponies freeze. She was nervous and felt trapped inside the cave, panic taking her over.

 

"We're not gonna make it! We're trapped in here! We can't leave! They're gonna ambush us in here!" she said, her words fast and her breathing ragged. She sat down to her haunches and made an effort to keep her breathing steady.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Seeing Storm Cloud start panicking made Ice worry. As positive as she wanted to be about everything, she had to admit that she was right. Unless they could figure something out they were trapped. The winds had changed some how and they were now paralyzing ponies as well rather than just putting them to sleep. This isn't good. we're going to have to figure something out, she thought to herself. "Everypony needs to hold themselves together. There has to be something we can do to get out," she said looking to the back of the cave. There was no other exits. There was one thing that could be done, something that was extremely dangerous, if not near fatal.

 

"I think.... I can get us out of here... but we'll have to make haste to the moon palace. I won't be able to sustain myself too long, but I can create a dome of ice that we can walk under to get away from the winds. It's dangerous... and if I sustain it too long it could easily kill me... but at this point, I think we're out of options. We have to get out of this cave," she spoke to everyone telling them her idea.

[rainbovv dash 110]

"No! no, no, no!" Storm Cloud had heard what Ice Storm said and was terrified "You can't risk that much to get us out of here" her speaking was hasty and she got caught up in her words often.

 

"You're key to this, you know where the stuff is and you know how we get to the temple. Without you we're lost, if you get yourself unconscious we'll lose valuable time" she was surprised how good her reasoning actually had been "We need to find a way that doesn't involve putting you in danger".

 

"How good would be the protection if we just used the blankets to cover ourselves?" She was working at 100mph and in no mood for waiting to argue it out and ran into the back of the cave and threw one of the blankets over her back and like a foal ready for nightmare night shot out of the cave with the blanket covering her.

 

Once outside she was shocked, she felt like she had a cramp in every single one of her legs, coldness washed over her body and she felt like her ears were filled with cotton. The feeling was horrible and it took her several seconds to get used to it, after what felt like an eternity she resumed moving. It was slow, she felt like walking underwater everything was extremely slow and her legs were aching.

 

She slowly walked back, the distance she had managed to get from the opening of the cave in just a few seconds took now what seemed an eternity. She could hardly see anything but shadows through the piece of cloth but she was sure she was heading back to the group.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice was still a bit tired from her previous expendature of her magic. Teleportation always took a nasty toll on her when she used it and the fact that she used it to teleport two ponies, not just herself made it even worse. Storm Cloud however almost went ballistic in panic when Ice voiced her idea. Saying that she was the only one that knew even remotely where they were going and that everyone would lost without her. They needed to find a way to get past that wouldn't put anypony in danger. She suggested blankets but before she could respond Storm was already outside and nearly instantly paralyzed. "Storm!!" Ice yelled running back to just past the entrance of the cave and pulled her back inside.

 

"I tried to warn you, but the winds will blow right through the blankets as powerful as they are blowing fight now. Something solid is the only thing that's going to stop them from getting through."

 

She no sooner finished her statement as a brush of the wing found it's way into the cave and she could feel it picking up. The winds are starting to flow into the cave... That... shouldn't be possible... there's no other exit for it to flow too... she thought to herself. "The winds... they're starting to flow inward... How I don't know... there's no other exit for them to leave through... We don't have a choice. We're only an hour or so away from the Palace if this map is correct. We should be able to make there if we hurry. I know you don't want me doing this Storm but we have no choice. If we get forced in here and can't leave, we're as good as dead anyway."

 

"I think though... that I found a way to help with that... won't make me have to continually sustain the ice. The winds were as cold as ice. It should preserve anything I make. I could make use our own mini-domes that we could use to get to the palace. From there, we might be able to find an older map that could have the actual location of the temple. At the very least, it's something to look for while we are waiting for the winds to die down," she suggested. "I can also create a thin layer of ice over our coats to provide a bit more protection. That has to be sustained, but that's not difficult. perhaps I could try that first and see if you all can handle the thin layer." she added in a polite, I'm worried tone, not a rude, you can't do this tone.

[Sanick20 2]

Gimond gasped when he heard Ice say the first idéa and tried to reply but storm cloud said everything he thought so it didn't seems neceseray to say same thing twice he tought.

 

Gimond saw storm cloud walk to the entrance of the cave, he screamed to her "Nooo don't do it you wont be able to move!" but the sound looked like it didn't reach to Storm Cloud.

 

He tried again and noticed his voice was gone "great how can i comunicate now?" Gimond thought to himself.

 

He ran trying to stop Storm Cloud from going outside but he tripped and fell down on the floor and everything went black as a cold wind went at him. He starded dreaming about him and his fellow companions as they reach the temple it dissapear in thin air and everytime after that the same nightmare start with his family.

[rainbovv dash 110]

Storm Cloud slowly made her way back under her ghost costume. Every step painfully slow but the rhythm seemed steady. When she was close to the cavern Ice Storm pulled her inside the it. She gave her muscles a few seconds to relax and the muffled words Ice Storm spoke slowly started becoming clear. She stretched her limbs and continued listening to Ice Storm.

 

Considering what Ice Storm was saying she let her thoughts wander, Pegasi were really coldness resistant. Their coat and feathers protected them well from the freezing temperatures high altitudes would cause, most pegasi could even fly after ice appeared on their wings and body caused by humidity freezing after touching them. But covering an entire pony in ice would probably even cause the winged ponies to lose too much body heat, let alone the unicorns and earth ponies among them.

 

"Ice, what you want to do is dangerous at best. We can't afford anypony to catch a fever, I guess you're resistant to the ice's low temperature because of your talent, but the rest of us can't stay covered in ice or trapped in an igloo for hours without freezing to death, especially if we're KO" she said pointing at Gimond

 

"The blankets are no great way to cover ourselves but they avoid total paralysis and keep us warm" she was determined to value safety over speed "If you and Lockhart, because of his ability to heat himself up, are able to cover yourself in ice and move quickly I'd say you should do so for you two and watch after the rest of the group and give us directions and cover in case something happens"

 

After she had finished she placed the knocked out Gimond on her back and a blanket on top of both of them and started making her way out. "Let's go!" she said trying to encourage herself and the group.

[Strider Hiryu 116]

Lockhart smiled. He got up and brushed his coat off. "Sounds like a plan." He was getting bored of waiting.anyway. "I think that someone is watching us. I mean, why else would wind be paralyzing ponies, and why? Everyone was supposed to be asleep! Someone out to get us, and suddenly as well. It seems like they didn't plan this, so we are close, or close to a clue of some sort." He explained. He was inwardly surprised at the amount of time he actually put into thinking about this. "Anyway, I think it would be good to go with Ice Storm."

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice Storm thought about what Storm Cloud had mentioned, that she didn't thing that the layer of ice would be a good idea for everypony else just because of the fact that they weren't as invulnerable to the ice as she was. That it could potentially cause them to pass out due to the cold, and that wouldn't be a good thing at all pointing at Gimond who had tripped and fell unconscious outside of the cave. Lockhart added that he felt as if there was something watching them. that it was trying to stop them from reaching their objective. "I have to agree. There has to be something other than the princess that knows that we are in the forest. The blankets indeed will help keep everypony warm, but as powerful as the winds are and as easily as it can get through them, I don't know how much protection they will actually be," she told them thinking.

 

What could they do at this point that would get them out of the cave. The blanket idea seemed to be the only real option but at the same time she didn't know how reliable the blankets were. "Lockhart, can you manipulate the winds with your fire? I know that sometimes extreme heat when can create an updraft, and with the winds as cold as they are, your flames should be able to divert them. If that works We'll have you in the front so that you can part the winds for Storm Cloud. Storm, I'm going to be coating myself in the ice so that the winds can't affect me. That being said, I don't know if it would be a good idea for me to carry Gimond or not. With the ice it would be very easy for him to slide off, not to mention I'd rather not put any additional weight on my leg if I can avoid it. If I was able to secure him to your back with some of the blankets that we have, do you thing you would be able to carry him and follow behind Lockhart? Short of creating the ice domes, this is the only real chance that I see use having on getting out of here," she stated

[rainbovv dash 110]

Storm Cloud packed Gimond onto her back, and a blanket afterwards, this way Gimond would maybe reduce the effect on herself further by covering her too. Her sight was once again reduced to just shadows and she turned to the place Ice Storm had been standing before she had put her blanket on her back.

 

"I'll carry him, the layer of ice will be heavy enough for you anyways." she started making her way to the spot of light that she expected to be the entrance of the cave. "You two lead the way" she called out no longer knowing where the two other ponies where.

 

There was no time to lose and they wouldn't be fast at walking so she slowly dipped into what seemed water but was cold, deafening and paralysing air expecting Ice and Lockhart to catch up with her in just seconds, as the had to be right behind her.

[Sanick20 2]

Gimond was dreaming heavy, but after some time he started to hear voices and it was from the group he saw the inside of the cave they were in, when Gimond rolled over a little he fell down on the ground with a small crash sound (Great now i'm lokking like a clown) Gimond thought to himfelf.. " I am okay " he said as he stod up and shook his body a little not to worry the companions.

 

"How long have i been gone?" Gimond asked the group trying to figure out what has happend to him.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice looked and watched as Gimond apparently woke during the travels and fell to the ground off of Storm Clouds back. The fall didn't look too painful as it wasn't that far, but a fall was a fall, and she had to admit that if she fell from something like that right now with her leg, it would hurt a lot more than it would look. Ice had decided to follow Storm Cloud just for that reason as they walked to get to the Moon Palace. The blankets seemed to have helped a bit more this time around than they had, and the coat of ice on her was exactly what she needed to get through. She heard Gimond ask how long he had been out which meant that he was indeed okay for the most part.

 

"Thankfully you've only been out for about an hour or two. We're almost to the moon palace. Perhaps there we can figure out the change in the winds that turned them into paralyzing winds rather that the sleeping winds that they already were. Seriously, aren't the Nightingale's Feathers dangerous enough without the paralysis effect too? I mean come on!" she complained.

[rainbovv dash 110]

The walk was easier than Storm had expected at first, they were slow but if she didn't push herself to hard it wasn't straining. She had to grab her blanket with her teeth as she noticed Giimond falling off to avoid being paralized.

 

"Not so long, you've been out for about an hour." her mood lightened as Ice said they were close to reaching the castle "Great, I'm tired of walking in slow motion and would love to stretch my wings... they're itching!"

[Ice Storm 1,020]

"It shouldn't be too much longer now everypony. According to the map that Celestia gave me, the moon palace should be just over this hill. All we have to is cross... a.... rope..." she said gulping as the moon palace came into view as well as the massive rope bridge that spanned across what looked to be an entire canyon. "bridge..." she finished, here eyes almost like blue specks in a sea of white at the moment. "That is... a lot longer than it said on the map... with the winds as they are we're completely exposed out there..." she said aloud.

 

She approached the rope bridge, she hadn't imagined it being this long, but there's no way that they would be able to cross it as they were. Lockhart wouldn't be able to use his fire on the bridge because it would burn the ropes, and they would plummet to their deaths. "You and Gimond should be fine with the blankets. I should take point though and use my Ice to shield us from the winds as much as possible. If Lock uses his fire here, we'll never make it across the bridge. Everypony get behind me, and when I count to three, run. I don't know how sturdy that bridge is and I'd rather not be on it long enough to find out," she stated, fear definitely present in her voice. Things have gone way worse than she had expected. She only hoped that they would find answers in the palace.

[rainbovv dash 110]

Storm Cloud was nervous, she wasn't afraid of the height but considering the winds would make it impossible to fly, let alone stretch her wings, she wasn't comfortable either about standing on a wonky bridge. Ice Storm didn't look amused either so she slowly continued walking towards the bridge looking into the abyss extending beyond it.

 

"Will you make sure the bridge won't collapse under our weight?" she said to Ice, her legs trembling. She continued her walk until one of her hooves rested on the bridge causing the wood to give away some cracking noises. When the first one rested firmly she lifted the next shaky hoof to place it next to the first.

[Sanick20 2]

"I am glad it was not days" he said in a light tone.

 

He then heard ice storm say that it wasn't much longer untill they reached the moon palace.

 

As they walked Gimond thought about the quest how he didn't have contributed to it, almost as he was a obstcale in the progress. ""Next time" he said to himself maybe a little to loud. After some time he could see a cannyon coming up a head and he also saw a bridge, it wasn't the most stediest of bridges... As they approach the bridge he felt the wind pick up again.

 

Ice storm then told about the plan to cross the bridge, Gimond thought it seemd like a good plan and starded to walk towards the bridge... He saw Storm Cloud walk on the bridge.. he gulped when heard the cracking sound from the plank woods.

 

"Are you sure it will hold?" he asked Ice Storm in a very shaky tone in the voice he had.

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice looked around as she took the firs steps onto the bridge. It seemed fairly stable but it wasn't something that she wanted to risk for very long. she had no idea how long this bridge had been here or what condition it was currently in. "I don't know," she replied to Storm Cloud. "I don't know because I'm afraid to re-enforce it. the only way I'd be able to do so is with ice, and it's way too misty here for that to be a good idea. It would make the ice too slick to stand on and we could easily slip off the side. If we run, then out weight would only be on the bridge in bursts. At the same though, if we hit a bad patch of wood, we all fall. Unless... there might be a way I can still use my ice." Ice thought to herself examining the bridge.

 

I might be able to use my ice after all, though it could prove to be dangerous... No, it has to be done, it's the only guaranteed safe way across, she thought to herself. "Everypony get back, and somepony be prepared to carry me if this goes south..." she spoke aloud making the dangers of what she was about to do very clear. At this time Ice's entire body started to glow, and she started to focus all of her magical power to her horn. A huge burst of icy magical energy shot towards the bridge, freezing not only the logs on the bridge, but creating to long ice walls that spanned the entire length of the bridge. Every inch of the bridge slowly crystalized and solidified even more as the ice gave it's strength to the bridge.

 

Slowly, the light around Ice Storm began to fade, and with that light, her consciousness had also faded. Almost immediately after she released the magical energy from her body she fell limp to the ground, her heart still beating, but faintly, and her breathing almost non-existent. She had pushed her body to the absolute max that it could handle, perhaps maybe even a bit too far, as a bright light became apparent in her mind. It was the only thing visible in the darkness. No... I.... have to..... hold on.... The.... The princess... is.... counting... she thought before even her thoughts slipped to her subconscious. At this point the only way anypony could tell that she was still alive, was by the fact that she had a pulse, albeit faint, and that she was breathing, albeit barely.

[rainbovv dash 110]

"Oh damn it" Storm protested as she realized the pony was not only unconscious but paralysed too. She had no clue what to do, in normal conditions she would have picked up the pony on the ground and run to the bridge to somehow surf on the ice. But being barely able to move she had to find another way to get herself some speed.

 

She went to get another set of blankets, reasoning that the more she covered herself the lower the effect of the winds would be on her. After putting the fifth layer of blankets on her back and the unconscious pony she noticed that while her cover was better she now couldn't see through the cover.

 

She took a glance outside to see where the bridge was and started running towards it. Few seconds later she was caught by surprise as the first hoof connected with the ice, Storm lost balance and landed on her belly while slipping to the other side of the bridge.

 

Once she was at the other side she got on her hooves and continued her walk over to the nearby castle following the path by looking down at the ground. It was getting hot under the blankets and she needed to rest and get a breath of fresh air.

[Sanick20 2]

Gimond saw a light coming from Ice storm and short after the light a ice bridge was infornt of him. Gimond smiled and was about to cheer Ice up when he saw her fall down without any motion almost like a dead pony... " Nooooooooo!, not now were almost there hang in there!!!" he shouted to Ice storm. He ran towards the falling and caught the falling pony. He checked for any life sign but she didn't move. Tears started falling down from the cheeks of Gimond as he rememberd how Ice storm saved him when he was a little to hotshot and walked out of the cave and got paralized.

 

He saw Storm cloud walking to them with many layers of blankets on her. "why so many blankets?" Gimond asked

 

Storm Cloud explained why and took Ice on her back and ran towards the bridge but when she entred a fall came and she slide to the other side. "Are you okay!?" Gimond shouted to the other side... He got an answer and was relleved wth the anwer he got

 

Gimond took 2 more blankets and put it on him for protection of the winds, he then ran towards the bridge when he took the first step on the bridge it caught him by suprise how slippery it really was and he fell down and slided to the other side.

 

It took a while for Gimond to manage get the balance back once he got it he walked towards the moon palace sensing it getting warmer under the hoves he then saw storm cloud and walked up to her saying "this isn't good i have a feeling we are beeing watched" as Gimond talked to Storm Cloud the ground changed from warm to blazing hot it also started shaking, Gimond jumped in to the air and when he landed a scream came from him "Run it's a geyser!!!" .

Edited August 23, 2012 by Sanick20

[Ice Storm 1,020]

(OOC: Note, Everything in italics is while Ice is still unconscious.)

 

Everything was cold, and dark. The only sense that Ice Storm even had at this point was the sense of nothingness. She couldn't hear anything, and the only thing that she could see was a small light in an endless sea of every lasting darkness. "Hello?" she said aloud hearing her voice resonate and echo throughout the vast emptiness of the void around her. "This is bad... I've used way too much magic, and at this point... I don't know what to do to fix any of it... I hope everypony got over the bridge safely and that it held. I have no idea what's even going on out there at the moment," she spoke to herself once again.

 

Little did she know that she had subconsciously started heading towards the bright light that was at the end of whatever this was. It was starting to get larger and larger, and she was worried. She had always heard stories about when death is imminent there is always a bright light, and this light was indeed very much so. At the same time though she has heard that going towards the light would also return a pony to consciousness. She wasn't sure which advice to take at the moment, but her phantasmal body at this point had almost a mind of it's own as it was slowly getting pulled towards the light.

 

As she started to approach it, she began to regain senses. She could feel winds blowing against her and catching around her, and she could feel a dull ache around her entire body. As the light became more intense, she began to start feeling the effects of what she could only assume to be the starting point of a severe headache and would hinder her for a while at the very least. She also felt, however, the fact that her body temperature was slowly rising. Being an Ice pony, she especially did not like this at all. She was very vulnerable to warm weather and heat in general so this was actually very dangerous to her. She could vaguely start hearing sounds again, but it was too muffled to make out anything coherent. the only thing she felt was jerking, and a small bit of pain before she was pulled into the light.

 

Slowly Ice began to recover consciousness. She had no idea how long she was out but she did know that she was extremely tired and her head was killing her. She definitely was not using that much magic at once again unless there is absolutely not any other reasonable possibility that anypony can come across that's any safer. She was still also very much lacking energy. Even though she was conscious now, moving was out of the question. She still couldn't even feel most of her body. The only thing she could vaguely do at this point was hear, and somewhat make out shapes. It would be a bit before she could do anything more than that

Edited August 25, 2012 by Ice Storm

[rainbovv dash 110]

When Ice Storm started moving on her back Storm came to a halt. "Hey! It's Ok, you just blacked out for a second." she said with the sweetest voice she could manage. Then started to put the mare on the ground and cover her with a blanket it was unbearably hot suddenly and the winds seemed to have disappeared.

 

She took her cover down and checked the situation, it was not just hot under the blanket, something felt off. And suddenly a scream ripped through the forest "A what?" Storm said puzzled by the running Giimond but was sure that if he was running for his life it'd be a bad idea to stay behind and lifted the half-conscious Ice from the ground, put Ice's wounded leg around her back and her front leg around hers and started dragging her after Giimond.

[Sanick20 2]

Gimond ran fast he felt the wind breezes as the moumentum was bulding up, Gimond took a quick look back to see if the other two ponies were there and in the look came Sorm Cloud with Ice Storm on her back so Gimond slowed down his speed to let the other catch up "It's better if we stay together" the rolled over and over in the head of him.

 

When the other ponies caught up with him he asked Storm Cloud "Are you tired or hurt?" ,"I can take Ice Storm on my back if you need to rest a little" he offerd his friend.

 

The shaking in the ground stopped and the heat cooled down a little, when Gimond felt the changes he slowed down and started walking and said in a loud with a bit fustration voice "This is not natural disasters we been encounterd or they cant be this many in so lttle time"

 

He paced back and forward scraping the ground in anger.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Sanick20

[Ice Storm 1,020]

Ice was still trying to regain her senses. her hearing had mostly returned but her vision was still very cloudy. She heard Storm Cloud tell her that she had blacked out from her use of magic and that everything would be okay. Just then she heard Gimond running by them creaming something but she couldn't make out what it was and she could feel storm dragging her as best that she could. At this point her eyes had cleared and she could see everything that was going on around her. She saw something shoot up behind them and she recognized it as a geyser. "Those... aren't supposed... to be here..." she said faintly.

 

She then heard Gimond say that these couldn't be natural disasters, that the had encountered too many in too short of time. "Well... Geysers.... aren't.... disasters. Doesn't ... change the fact.... that it... shouldn't be here though," she said as she push back slightly to try to stand on her own. Her wounded leg proved to be troublesome as a line of pain shot up her leg nearly making her buckle, but at the same time it sent adrenaline pumping through her veins which allowed her to regain some energy. "There's the palace!!" she said pointing to the oaken doors. "Once we're inside we can rest, and I'll need to eat... I've expended far too much energy to be useful right now. I can't cast any magic at all," she informed them making it very real how much damage her body had actually taken from what she did.

[rainbovv dash 110]

Storm Clouds grin when she heard they had reached their destination was only interrupted by a grumbling sound coming from behind her chest.

 

"I guess I could need some rest and food too!" she said recovering her smile. She noticed their day had been really hard and long. "Let's go inside and have some rest" she said, hoping that the palace would be clear of any monsters trying to kill them or feast on their bodies.

 

Storm grabbed some of the saddlebags around her and headed to the big wooden doors.