open 'Neath the Chestnut Tree (Mature)

[HigurSan 195]

'Neath the Chestnut Tree

~Underneath the distant old chestnut tree~
~hide tales of the past and future to see.~
~Foals with curiosity and good sight~
~oft' find things better left away from light.~
~You should sing this merry tune now proud and loud!~
~You shouldn't forget the horror underground.~

 

OOC Link: http://mlpforums.com/topic/66316-neath-the-chestnut-tree-horrorfantasy-searching/

 

Warning: If you decide to read this roleplay, it will be bloody, gruesome, and most importantly it will challenge or outright defy what you believe is right and good in the world.

 

Story Beginning:

Though Equestria was large, large enough to often be used as a term for the entire world, it only covered a part of the whole globe. Around its borders rose and fell a host of city states and short, chaotic, and ill fated empires. Diplomacy outside Equestria's borders was changed like the sea. Deals made had to be honored quickly, as it was likely that any of the host of nations could fold in the blink of an eye, all debts voided. A few places had developed a favorable relationship with Equestria, providing much needed stability. It was a two way deal though, as nations that attached themselves to the Celestial Sisters' kingdom tended to fade into the background as they were absorbed into the larger country.

 

Our story takes place in the city nation of Germaneigh. Despite the odds, this people that had styled themselves a republic had stood proudly for little over five centuries. Their history was one of honor, valor, strength, and unfortunately pride. By some stroke of fate, they had overcome all challengers, throwing off invading armies and natural disasters in order to retain their independence. Equestria was largely regarded with wary respect and vigilant scrutiny. A citizen of Germaneigh was always watching to make sure that they were not being taken advantage of by the large kingdom, just as much as the guarded against hordes of barbarians. Thus the ponies of the republic had become industrious and well skilled at matters of warfare.

 

The location of Germaneigh's one and only city was at its center, atop a high hill that rose above the land. While certainly not mountainous, the hills of Germaneigh consistently rose and fell, making flat or level ground a bit tricky to find. As such, dwellings tended to dig into the slopes. Rivers ran everywhere through the low valleys, so the primary mode of transportation was by riverboat. Abundant lumber coated the region, as well as solid and dependable stone deposits. Perhaps the most valuable resource that the region boasted was iron. It was almost as common as the dirt it was buried in. As well, the metal was of a high grade, making it highly sought after for blacksmithing.

 

With the vast bounty of materials that coated the land, it was easy to see why such a place would be fought over rather frequently. Lately however, Germaneigh had not been afflicted by an incursion or diplomatic pressure. The return of Princess Luna to her sister's side at the Celestial Throne after a thousand years was drawing all of the attention of other nations, which had to re-evaluate their positions. Celestia herself was quite a force to be cautious of. If Luna was anything close to as powerful as her sister, it put many nations that were typically aggressive in a tight spot. Angering beings with that kind of magic would be suicidal. Having a general good relationship with Equestria also benefited Germaneigh. If the country was invaded, not a single pony doubted that Equestria would fall upon the aggressors with the fury of not one but two gods.

 

But under the granite and woodlands of Germaneigh was a secret that the rulers of Equestria would do anything to keep secret. It had not been near the light in three thousand years, back when the world was still young and the sisters were new to the throne. If revealed to the world, all that the two had worked for could easily collapse and throw the world into utter and unending chaos. This secret, only known to the two sisters, just so happened to be located upon the spot where the city of Germaneigh now sat. This hill in particular simply could not be dug into. It was so hard and unmovable that one could see the land moving around it if you could watch for centuries. This made it an excellent place to build the city. However, what the residents of the city did not know was that the hill had been made that way on purpose, so that the secret within would not be disturbed on accident.

 

What could not be moved by tools however, was slowly shifted by nature. On the peak of the hill was a giant chestnut tree, far larger than any other of its kind. Its trunk was so that that ten ponies had to stand tail to head to form a circle around it. Its roots had cracked rock and pushed dirt as they grew ever downwards. Around this massive tree was the city park, where important celebrations and events were held. On the day that our story beginnings, it was the first day of autumn, important to Germaneigh due to that being the day on which they became a nation some five ago. Around the park would be almost everypony that lived in the city, and many who had come from outlying settlements to attend. In front of the congregation rose a low wooden platform, upon which sat or stood the various delegates and elected officials. Most prominent of them was Chancellor Steeleye Sungazer, elected some five years ago to his position. The term a Chancellor kept his position was for five years, after which he or she had to be elected again. There was not currently a limit on how many times one pony could serve. In one week would be the elections.

 

Steeleye had done an admirable job in some ponies' eyes. He hadn't missed a beat when confronted with Luna's return, handling the situation with poise and tact. Relations with Equestria had improved to above regular levels, as Steeleye had hit it off very well with the newly returned Princess. Apparently his interest in astronomy and the stars had been the ice breaker conversation. All told, Germaneigh was experiencing a period of expansive invention in civilian technology, as well as relative prosperity. Steeleye was to give a speech in a few minutes, though right now he was simply preparing.

 

((OOC: Use your first couple of posts to establish your place in the Germaneigh community. You can be in the government, a shop keeper, whatever makes sense for you and your character!))

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

Though the citizens of the city were ignorant of the darkness that lurked beneath, they, much like any place, had their ghost stories. Many such stories circulated around a small, poorly maintained little cottage near the edge of town, framed by a halo of willow trees. Nopony ever seemed to enter or leave the place. Behind the house was a chicken coup, yet nopony was ever seen feeding the chickens. In fact, there was no sign that anypony was taking the eggs or using the chickens for any other reason.

 

Many children claimed a monster lived inside, which came out into the night to swallow up little ponies which strayed too far from home. Some said an evil pony lived there, whose hooves were eternally stained with blood from the ponies he has killed. And some more innocent folks imagine a scared old lady lived there, hiding from other ponies because she was shy and tending to her bird friends diligently. Nopony would have realized that they were all wrong...and all a little bit right.

 

A chicken clucked in the night as a cold, dark hoof held it gently, a warm trickle of crimson fluid pouring out of its neck, slowly being slurped up by a hungry tongue, framed by sharp fangs. The pony which held it set it down, licking the blood from his lips. "T-today...is the day..." The shadowy pony threw a cloak over himself, shielding his face, and more importantly his wings, as he walked towards town, the sun rising in the distance.

 

A few hours later, he was walking through town, looking at all of the ponies, his eyes darting back and forth in fearful amazement.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Mellon Collie

[Psych Ward 377]

Nightshade was unlocking to door to her herbal remedy shop.  She had a few potions to finish up so she had awoken early.  She slipped through the door, leaving it unlocked for any customers that happened to be on the streets.  

 

She quickly made her way to the back of the shop and took off her clock, setting it on the table.  She enveloped several empty bottles in a purple mist, levitating them over to the table.  The cabinet on the far side of the room magically opened and dried bundles of sage and thyme, and even nightshade made their way to the table.  

 

She broke of a piece of sage and set it on fire, using the plant as an incense while she did her work.  It took her several more minutes to set up before she was ready to start the few orders she had.  She worked silently, only looking up from her current brew to urn another piece of sage.

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

Nightshade was unlocking to door to her herbal remedy shop.  She had a few potions to finish up so she had awoken early.  She slipped through the door, leaving it unlocked for any customers that happened to be on the streets.  

 

She quickly made her way to the back of the shop and took off her clock, setting it on the table.  She enveloped several empty bottles in a purple mist, levitating them over to the table.  The cabinet on the far side of the room magically opened and dried bundles of sage and thyme, and even nightshade made their way to the table.  

 

She broke of a piece of sage and set it on fire, using the plant as an incense while she did her work.  It took her several more minutes to set up before she was ready to start the few orders she had.  She worked silently, only looking up from her current brew to urn another piece of sage.

The cloaked pony was walking through the street when something caught his eye. He stopped at a shop, pressing up against the window, where lots of glowing bottles with an eerie presence about them were being featured for the public. He stood there, looking inside curiously, rather conspicuous to the mare inside.

[Psych Ward 377]

Nightshade glanced at the front of the shop, seeing the cloaked pony from the window.  "Excuse me," she said loudly.  "This is not a window shop.  If you are going to look at my inventory, I do ask that you step inside.  The labels aren't that big."

 

She set a couple glowing bottles on the front counter and carefully wrote a name on each.  They were the names of the ponies that would later come to pick them up.

 

@, 

Edited July 15, 2013 by Psych Ward

[Miss Light Diamond 2,803]

On one of the neighboring hills sat a small cottage...it was rather run down but there were lights on at night so there was indeed somepony living there...and that pony could be seen dragging three massive logs along the road to the city.
It was obvious this colt was not very normal considering these logs looked as though it would take more than one colt to move them a few inches...but he seemed to be doing just fine.

He dragged them across a bridge and into the city where he got the usual strange looks...a few ponies walked across to the other side of the street to avoid getting close to him.
Most of them had heard the screams and howls that came from the nearby hill every few weeks...many said he was cursed...which he was.
But the colt was used to it.
He pulled the logs to a small wood working shop where he left the logs in a back room.
He walked to the front and flipped the the closed sign to open.

 

All around the shop were wood carvings...chairs, simple trinkets, bed frames...all made by the one colt. He rarely got any customers simply because most thought he was cursed...but he was one of the best...if not the best woodcarver in the city...so a few ponies did buy from him...rarely. He made just enough bits to live off of.

Forest Night sawed off a large chunk of wood from one of the big logs and carried it to the front where he dropped it on a table. He placed a large very sharp ax next to the chair he sat down on before he began working at the wood, peeling the bark away as he looked out the open front of his shop across the street at the chestnut tree, wondering when the Chancellor would be speaking.

Edited July 15, 2013 by ~Fire Sky~

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

Nightshade glanced at the front of the shop, seeing the cloaked pony from the window.  "Excuse me," she said loudly.  "This is not a window shop.  If you are going to look at my inventory, I do ask that you step inside.  The labels aren't that big."

 

She set a couple glowing bottles on the front counter and carefully wrote a name on each.  They were the names of the ponies that would later come to pick them up.

 

@, 

He jumped back, terrified as she noticed him. He shook, but eventually took a deep breathe and walked to the door. He pushed it open, flinching at the little bell that rang, announcing the entrance of a customer. He gathered all of his courage and continued inside, looking around curiously.

[Psych Ward 377]

@,

 

Nightshade glanced at hi a couple times before returning to her work.  She smiled to herself, silently making a poultice for a healing salve she needed a new batch of.  The poultice contained marigold leaves and aloe chunks. 

 

Once she finished, her purple aura opened another cabinet, pulling out a small pot.  She scooped the poultice into the pot before filling it halfway with water.

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

@,

 

Nightshade glanced at hi a couple times before returning to her work.  She smiled to herself, silently making a poultice for a healing salve she needed a new batch of.  The poultice contained marigold leaves and aloe chunks. 

 

Once she finished, her purple aura opened another cabinet, pulling out a small pot.  She scooped the poultice into the pot before filling it halfway with water.

He looked at lots of different bottles of different shapes, colors, and sizes.  He tried to read their labels, but he couldn't. He wondered what these weird liquids were and what they were for, but he was afraid to ask. He purposely kept his back to the mare.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Down thru the city, a small unicorn mare walked, hiding fearfully behind her mint and black mane. She had dark purple fur and her eyes were wide spaced and blue. Jay however was not afraid of the city, but more of the evil that lurked within her own head. Jay lived as an outcast; she slept in the park under the stars at night and during the day, kept on the move. All this was due to an incident that had begun the trouble, back when she was a filly.

 

Shy and introverted, Jay didn't fit the image of how a Germaneigh citizen was supposed to act. A group of pegasi colts had immediately picked up on this and bullied her as a result. When they found out that Jay was frightened of heights, they threw her off the top of the school climbing frame. She struck her head on the metal side of the frame and was knocked out. But a different pony rose to the feet, altho the body was the same, the mind was different. This was Jinx, the complete opposite of her host. She used her magic to lift the pegasi colts into the air and threw them thru the fence. Nopony was killed, tho several were badly hurt.

 

That was the start of Jay's life as an outcast. Jinx seemed to appear at will, and Jay could do nothing to stop her. She often thought of running away but had no place to go to. Somehow, she was drawn to the chestnut tree in the park. It almost seemed to speak to her, tho she didn't understand the attraction...

[Psych Ward 377]

@,

 

Nigthshade lit a small purple fire under the pot and entered the main room of the shop again.  She ignored the cloaked pony's hesitation to face her and went about her work, beginning to reorganize the potions on the shelves.  She hadn't done so in a week and needed to take inventory. 

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

@,

 

Nigthshade lit a small purple fire under the pot and entered the main room of the shop again.  She ignored the cloaked pony's hesitation to face her and went about her work, beginning to reorganize the potions on the shelves.  She hadn't done so in a week and needed to take inventory. 

He peeked over at the mare, who was moving some of the potions around. He wanted to talk to her, but he was scared, and he didn't know what to say. He walked over to look at the shelf she was reorganizing, wanting to talk, but he chickened out at the last minute, just looking at the bottles.

[Psych Ward 377]

"Are you looking for anything specific?" Nightshade decided to ask as the potions slid into their correct places on the shelf.  She levitated a few from the backroom, filling the empty spots.  She didn't look to the cloaked pony as she spoke.  She glanced at a label where no potions stood.

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

"Are you looking for anything specific?" Nightshade decided to ask as the potions slid into their correct places on the shelf.  She levitated a few from the backroom, filling the empty spots.  She didn't look to the cloaked pony as she spoke.  She glanced at a label where no potions stood.

He jumped a little bit in surprise as she spoke to him again. It took him a few moments, but he finally replied in a dry, timid voice like he hadn't spoken in a long time. "N-no...I...um...i-it...e-everything...um...looks nice...." he said, mentally scolding himself for being so stupid in front of the first mare he met.

[Psych Ward 377]

@,

 

Nightshade looked at him, a bit puzzled.  "Very well," she said.  "Thank you.  I work hard on this shop and it's very rarely that I actually have someone who appreciates it."  She got a pad of paper and pen and jotted down a potion name.  She needed to keep a list of the concoctions she would need to make. 

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

@,

 

Nightshade looked at him, a bit puzzled.  "Very well," she said.  "Thank you.  I work hard on this shop and it's very rarely that I actually have someone who appreciates it."  She got a pad of paper and pen and jotted down a potion name.  She needed to keep a list of the concoctions she would need to make. 

"U-um...w-what do they do?" he asked hesitantly. "I...I can't read..." He bowed his head in shame. "I...I'm not from...around here...." He knew he looked stupid. He as ashamed. He drew his cloak over his face more, not wanting to face the mare, who was almost certainly thinking all manner of bad things about him. And she hadn't even seen his wings...

[Psych Ward 377]

@,

 

"Most of them are healing potions," Nightshade said.  She understood the poor pony's problem.  He wasn't the first to come into her shop without the proper knowledge.  "There's a few love potions, some poisons.  A variety of things really.  Anything you can think of, I can put in a bottle." 

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Jay walked past the shop window, and looked thru it. She hoped desperately that Jinx was asleep; one thing that Jinx liked to do which mortified Jay was wanton destruction. Luckily for Jay, her evil personality did not resurface at that moment, and she was able to enter the shop.

 

Despite being outcast, Jay always had plenty of money. This was due to Jinx stealing it from anypony she attacked, and also stealing it if she happened to see it on anypony, such as inside a saddlebag or sitting on a chair. Jay hated the stealing but did not dare speak up about it. Instead, she tried to buy things in shops whenever she could with it, reasoning that at least this way, the money was going to help somepony earn a living.

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

@,

 

"Most of them are healing potions," Nightshade said.  She understood the poor pony's problem.  He wasn't the first to come into her shop without the proper knowledge.  "There's a few love potions, some poisons.  A variety of things really.  Anything you can think of, I can put in a bottle." 

He blinked. "A-anything?" he asked. "C-can....can you....make one that...um...gets rid of my wings?" he asked nervously. He was scared, but in her he saw an opportunity to finally be normal; to no longer be hated and abused. He looked back up, revealing his silver eyes. He had a nervous frown painted on his face.

[Psych Ward 377]

"And why would you want that?" Nightshade asked.  She could certainly find a way to do it.  It couldn't be that hard, could it.  She had made one pony sprout an extra pair of legs and that was just her magic.  I would be even easier if he was willing to take part in the spell.

[MelancholicMemory 2,027]

"And why would you want that?" Nightshade asked.  She could certainly find a way to do it.  It couldn't be that hard, could it.  She had made one pony sprout an extra pair of legs and that was just her magic.  I would be even easier if he was willing to take part in the spell.

"U-um...I...well..." He threw off his cloak, bowing his head in shame as his bat wings spread wide. "I...I don't want to live like this anymore...I...I want to...to live with other ponies...I...I can't live while they hate me....and they hate me because of m-my wings...." He looked sad.

 

He was a gray pony with a black mane and tail. His eyes were silver, and his dark wings were fuzzy, and veiny.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

Jay looked around the shop, at the potions on the shelves. She hardly dared to hope; maybe she'd find something to silence the evil creature in her head. But she could not find what she was looking for, and that hope died. Jay paused at the poisons... maybe that was the answer...

[Psych Ward 377]

@, 

 

Nightshade nodded.  "Yes," she said.  "I can do something about these."  She glanced at the other pony in the shop.  "Wait in the back room," she said.

 

@@Pripyat Pony,

 

"Welcome, the silver mare smiled.  "Anything specific you're looking for?  If there is something you do not see on the shelf I can often times still create it."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,803]

After carving for a while, Forest was left with several handles.
He left them on the table while he walked across the shop to a small forge where he threw several large pieces of metal into the large fire before he sat back down in his chair.
He pulled out a pipe and put in some tobacco before lighting it and taking a few puffs, watching the ponies out on the street wonder by towards the park.

[Pripyat Pony 2,608]

@,

 

Jay looked up, startled somewhat. "I need something to keep a part of me... asleep, sometimes," she replied, nervously ducking her head down so that her mane hid her face. "There's another pony living inside my head, and she does bad things to other ponies and I can't stop her."