private Whisper II: Kingdom of Darkness

[ActFast231 432]

@,

 

Nexus felt with his hooves the newly formed vocal chords vibrate. The voice was scratchy and high pitched, but that was to be expected.

 

"Your vocal chords are forming rather well form what I can tell. I recommend giving it some time. They are sure to develop more, and practicing speech would also help the process. But start slowly. No screaming. No prolonged talking. Slowly build up your voices strength. Depending on how quickly the chords develop, I would say that full speech capability will come anywhere between 24 hours to a few weeks. Maybe faster. This is the first time something of this nature has occurred. So relax, give it time, and don't stress your voice too much. Doctors orders." Nexus stood back up and allowed for Fen to return to the colt she chose as a father figure; Midnight.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

Fen nodded and returned to Midnight, shying behind her. She absently wrapped a tentacle around his waist.

 

---

 

Moon Crypt stumbled back inside and looked at the watch. It had been about eight hours. Time to get them down here. "Hey, guys! Come meet me in the dining area, please.

 

((Olmstead Pride! Assuming you know what I am talking about.))

[Psych Ward 377]

Arianna awoke and turned over in the bed.  She quietly made her way to the dining area as Moon Crypt instructed, too groggy to ask why.  She sat down at the table, still slowly walking up.  She had slept for awhile and felt pretty well rested.  She had needed the sleep.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

@@Psych Ward, Moon Crypt grinned. "Hello there... Arriana, is it? Well, then, Arriana. Would you prefer a cup of coffee of some sort?

 

A white-cloaked pony nodded. "I would like some too, please, Moon Crypt."

 

"Alright, Solar Flare."  Moon Crypt nodded and poured a cup of coffee for him.

[Prince Midnight 817]

midnight smiled and petted her mane gently, he didnt know what she was thinking right now, then looked over at moon crypt, before picking fen up and placing her on his back, trotting into the dining hall before taking his seat next to arianna, smiling and lightly nudging her, "morning sunshine."

[Psych Ward 377]

@,

 

"Hello, Moon Crypt.  Coffee would be greatly appreciated," Arianna nodded.  "Thank you."

 

@,  

 

Arianna smiled, turning to Midnight.  "Good morning," she said.  "Did you get any sleep?"  She smiled a the little mutant on Midnight's back.  "Fen seems to be in a better mood," she said.

[Prince Midnight 817]

midnight shook his head, "i didnt sleep at all, i was too worried about fen, but it seems shes okay and..." he looked back and smiled gently "she can speak a bit, its strainful on her right now, but progress is progress." he winked and laid his hoof on hers before looking around.

[ActFast231 432]

@, 

@, 

 

Nexus trotted over to his bed, picking up the log and returning it to Klarix with a thank you, before making his way to Lume.

 

"Would you like to join me for some morning coffee before we move on to weapons training?" Nexus was excited. He rarely got to pass on his skills to others, or demonstrate his own abilities. Plus, he could spend more time with Lume. It's a win win.

[Lume WMj 228]

Lume watched somewhat amazed as the crowd began to form around the mutant baby: it was apparently learning how to talk. She couldn't deny that it was, in fact, an adorable moment. She didn't know exactly what that creature was, though it looked like one of those monsters outside. But that one seemed to be harmless, just like a newborn foal. The warmth Lume felt inside her chest when the little creature - Fen, and it was a she - spoke "hello" felt odd, but she wouldn't complain about it. The creature didn't seem like any sort of threat with that size, and she also appeared to be comfortable wrapped around Midnight, who was like a father watching over his daughter. Lume could only smile.

 

"Hey, guys! Come meet me in the dining area, please."

 

The earth mare turned around to meet the Inquisitor and nodded. She didn't know exactly what Lord Moon Crypt wanted, but she hoped she would still be able to eat something before getting her hooves dirty.

 

"Would you like to join me for some morning coffee before we move on to weapons training?"

 

@@ActFast231, 

Lume smiled. "Yes! I would love to!" She said, and began making her way out of the room, downstairs and into the dining hall.

 

@, 

Entering the hall, she searched for two empty seats and sat down on one of them, looking across the table. Not very far from her was none other than the two noisy ponies fused together into the freak from before. Lume frowned and shivered a little bit, staring at them with a slightly disgusted expression. Before starting her meal, she couldn't help being nosy and asking:

 

"Say... Doesn't that feel... you know... uncomfortable? Weird? 'cause it sure looks like it does."

[Senor Citizen 516]

@, "Hmm. I don't know about uncomfortable, but we apparently share an active brain because I can tell what he's thinki- Red, that doesn't mean start giving me conversation advice. Anyway. Yeah, it's odd. Could be vorse. Vat vould have happened if ze nerves hadn't merged as vell? Don't... Never mind. So, do you want some... alternate training? Meet us in the weight room later if so."

[Lume WMj 228]

@

 

"Yup... That's definitely odd." Lume kept staring, not sure what to say. She didn't know if she should console them, give them some sort of advice, agree, disagree... Deeply, she just wanted to make fun of their situation, but then again, she didn't know how they - and everypony else - would react to a joke like that. Besides, she was out of ideas.

 

"So, do you want some... alternate training? Meet us in the weight room later if so."

 

"Alternate training?..." The earth mare thought for a second, then glanced over to Nexus, then back at the two. "Sorry... I'll be weapon training with Nexus after breakfast." She smiled and shrugged. Luckily she already had an appointment: if she didn't, she would most likely make something up. She still felt quite uneasy in their presence: both the ponies she disliked, now merged together into a loud, fearsome beast. However, perhaps she should start acting a little more friendly towards the others.

[ActFast231 432]

Soon the two found themselves at the cafeteria. Nexus took a seat next to Lume, and quickly got lost in his thoughts as she began conversing with the two mercs merged into one super freak.

 

Celestia-damnit she is cute. How do i go about telling her about how I feel that minimizes damage if it goes to shit in a hurry? A letter? Nah, to impersonal. Maybe sing something? Do I even know any love songs? Damnit, I should of payed more attention to those when I found them. Maybe write one? No chance in hell.

 

 

 

The earth mare thought for a second, then glanced over to Nexus, then back at the two.

 

Nexus didn't realize that he had been absentmindedly been staring at the two-three?-talking, and offered a sheepish smile and a wave. His thought quickly resumed.

 

Why did she look over? What is that look on his face? Is trying to move in on her? Take her away to train her themselves? Those bastards. Wait, why am I being possessive? Curses, this is so confusing. Maybe I should be up front and tell her what I feel. I sort of did already, maybe she could put two and two together? I don't know.

 

Nexus soon found two cups of coffee in front of him, courtesy of a white cloaked figure. A quiet thank you, and he quickly moved to Lume's side, the coffees in his wing grip.

 

"Here is your coffee Lume, enjoy." He said warmly, extending a wing for her to grab the drink.

[rolle 320]

Scorpiok had wandered around in the hall thinking about endless possibilities to what happend, ''if celestia died... Would the sun dissapear with her? But if thats the case it would be just an illusion of some sort'' he got out of his thinking forgetting what he just thought when moon crypt asked them to go to the dining hall, he walked through the hall back to the dining room where they had gotten their tarots and food last night, upon entering he took the seat he had last night as it seemed not many ponies wanted to sit there for some reason.

 

(mosquitos are not fun... They ruined my sleeeeeep, now i cant sleep but im tired as a dear, this song makes no sense i have no idea...)

[Lume WMj 228]

"Here is your coffee Lume, enjoy." He said warmly, extending a wing for her to grab the drink.

 

"Oh!..." Lume exclaimed as he came closer and offered her a cup of coffee. "...Thank you, Nexus!" She smiled, a bit of a reddish tone on her cheeks, and gently picked up the cup with her hooves.

 

The warm feelings from before suddenly struck her once again. She remembered when she told herself that she would talk to him about those feelings - as if they hadn't yet -, but uncertainty took over. She couldn't tell if it was fear of something, or simply shyness. She couldn't tell if that's what he wanted, if that's what she wanted. Those three little words were stuck in her throat, and it didn't feel very comfortable. Lume took a sip on her coffee and found herself in a somewhat embarrassing situation.

 

The earth mare kept her head down and remained silent, until an inexplicable giggle left her mouth, followed by a laugh, that then turned into a laughter. A charming, awkward little laughter. She just couldn't help it.

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

he earth mare kept her head down and remained silent, until an inexplicable giggle left her mouth, followed by a laugh, that then turned into a laughter. A charming, awkward little laughter. She just couldn't help it.

 

Nexus took a sip of his coffee, and thankfully swallowed before Lume slowly went from a giggle to a rather charming laugh. Which in turn caused the hunters heart rate to jump dramatically, followed by body heat increasing, and a dopey smile to overtake his face. He began chuckling himself, until he found himself lightly laughing as well. This whole ordeal tremendously uplifted his mood.

 

"Why are we laughing?" He asked between light laughs. 

[Lume WMj 228]

"Why are we laughing?" He asked between light laughs. 

 

"It's just... It's just..." She struggled to talk between the laughs. "It's just so stupid, you know?? We got ditched in this end-of-the-world Delvia with millions of tentacle cold-blooded monsters out there wanting to kill us! I should be terrified, fighting for my life, hiding, doing whatever, but my mind!! My mind somehow still wants me to have feelings, how silly is this!? This isn't a soap opera, for Celestia's sake!! And as if that wasn't enough, right now, in this place, and for the first time in my life, it wants me to love!!" That last part came out accidentally. Lume rapidly ceased the laughter, cleared her throat and nervously returned to her coffee, this time taking a much longer sip, until there was nothing inside the cup anymore.

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

"It's just so stupid, you know?? We got ditched in this end-of-the-world Delvia with millions of tentacle cold-blooded monsters out there wanting to kill us! I should be terrified, fighting for my life, hiding, doing whatever, but my mind!! My mind somehow still wants me to have feelings, how silly is this!? This isn't a soap opera, for Celestia's sake!!

 

"Heh, you have a point. This is the most hellish place imaginable and-hehe-and all things considered this is the best time I've had since I left my clan and became a changeling hunter. You wouldn't think it would take being gassed out and dumped in the middle of hell on Equestria for me to get over my parent's deeeee~departure." The laughing slowly died down as Nexus nearly blurted out a rather personal piece of information. It seems like Lume didn't have similar luck.

 

 

 

And as if that wasn't enough, right now, in this place, and for the first time in my life, it wants me to love!!"

 

The laughing gone, replaced by nervous tension, Nexus spoke up.

 

"I hear that. It is an emotion that I have gone 16 years without, so it's odd when it returns. Guess that Tarot power is mending more than physical injuries." He said, scratching the back of his head before taking another drink of his coffee. 

[Prince Midnight 817]

Midnight looked between nexus and lume, silently listening, not wanting to innterupt their conversation, until fen chirped followed by "..m...midnight.....dad....drink?"

Midnight tilted his head then realized what she was asking for and trotted over picking up a cup in his changeling magic, filled it with water, then sat back down and handed the cup to her which she took in a tentacle  and slowly started to drink.

[Lume WMj 228]

"I hear that. It is an emotion that I have gone 16 years without, so it's odd when it returns. Guess that Tarot power is mending more than physical injuries."

 

"...You too, huh?" Lume said, confirming what she already knew but was too afraid to admit. Her habit of speaking too much sometimes worked as a way of saying things she wanted to say out loud, but somehow can't while she's "sane", and that time, even without including all the words, was one of them. She just thought it was oddly hilarious the fact that she fell in love in the middle of such battleground, and apparently, the feeling was mutual.

 

However, the big question prevailed: why was it still so difficult to comprehend, to accept, to deal with that love? The earth mare began shaking a little bit.

 

Lume kept staring blankly at the empty cup in front of her, sheepishly eyeing Nexus every now and then, before rising up from her seat, going all the way to the end of the table, picking up a bowl of toasted hay with her teeth and returning to her seat - losing balance and nearly stumbling on her way back.

[ActFast231 432]

 

 

Lume kept staring blankly at the empty cup in front of her, sheepishly eyeing Nexus every now and then, before rising up from her seat, going all the way to the end of the table, picking up a bowl of toasted hay with her teeth and returning to her seat - losing balance and nearly stumbling on her way back.

 

Nexus didn't even notice that he ran out of coffee. The air was thick with tension, so much that you could cut it. He set his cup down on the table, and looked up to see that she was retrieving toasted hay, then nearly tripped over herself as she got to the table. Nexus sat down next to her.

 

"Listen, Lume. I...I think we need to have a serious talk about, well, recent developments. It does neither of us good in the field if we remain in this rather awkward state." He kept his tone low, but level.

[That One Techpriest You Used To Know 2,286]

((@@ActFast231, Moon Crypt just dropped your ball!))

 

Moon Crypt walked back in holding a large plate of drinks. "But that conversation can be quickly put on hold! Do not worry, you will have plenty of time to discuss in private." He passed them around as White Rose slipped into the room and slowly sat down. "Now that we are all here... We have had several... developments." He gulped. "The Presence is out." He watched as all conversation fell silent. "I am not lying. We have several witnesses." He sighed. "So now we have to put the Presence back in. We need two things to do that. First off, Lume, Nexus, and Klarix will be leaving to Canterlot. There, hidden away somewhere, is the spell that sealed the Presence. We need to find that. You will be going with Inquisitor Solar Flare." Solar Flare looked up and raised a hoof, before setting down and looking away.

 

"Next... Garrison and Scorpiok. You will be going with My'Kola to the Crystal Empire. The Presence was originally encased in a large shard of obsidian, which has been buried inside the core of the Crystal Heart. We need this for the spell to work for the fullest potential."

 

"And, lastly... Midnight, Arriana, and White Rose. You will be staying here to do two things. One: the only way that the demon could have maintained his power for that long means that there is a Tartarus rift around here. We need a rift into Tartarus to destroy the captured Presence. And, two... you do wish to help these mutants, yes?" He smiled. "Don't worry. You will be seeing each other again soon. A week, perhaps, if we are lucky?"

 

He shrugged and sighed. "If you have any suggestions, I will be more than happy to hear them."

[Prince Midnight 817]

Midnight blinked., "a tartarus rift?" he frowned, "how do we find one? is there a giant rift in the ground, or what?" he tilted his head, this isnt what he thought would happen, "are we opening our own? or do we just find the one he came out of and use it? beacuse either way, im in, this could give me a chance to use my abilities in changeling magic."

[ActFast231 432]

@,

@,

@, 

 

Nexus had a look of shock on his face. So not only was the Presence out, but now they had been tasked with capturing and destroying it. But if he read that log correctly, this thing ate souls. He looked to Lume, concern evident in his eyes.

 

"Lord Moon Crypt, when may I ask are we leaving for Canterlot? I was going to get Lume comfortable with hoof claws, and well, beyond basic CQC, it seems Solar Flare and I are the only ones with advanced combat training." He was afraid of losing Lume. If the Presence is out, chances are that it would make it's way to the place with the most souls. Meaning the capital. Not only are they in danger, but so is the King, and all the citizens. 

 

"Perhaps the two of us can give Lume and Klarix respectively a run down combat utilizing weapons. I recommend they also get armor of some description."

[BlackShardNixium 277]

Klarix shifted in unease, gaze darting from Nexus, to Solar Flare, Moon Crypt, and back again. She'd gotten the feeling some time ago that she would need at least a little bit of instruction before she could be of any use to the others in a fight. That didn't make her any less nervous.

[Psych Ward 377]

Arianna frowned.  She carefully sipped her coffee as she listened to everyone else's concerns.  She glanced at Midnight.  At least none of them would be doing this alone.  She couldn't tell if Midnight was excited or scared.  Maybe a little of both?  She kept silent.