private Equestria Divided - When Harmony is Lost

[Marathon 562]

@,

Colt of Laughter- Phillydelphia hideout

Lila grinned from Wind's enthusiasm at her being there. And fresh pony, her mouth watered slightly at the thought of eating some fresh pony. She shifted her saddlebags slightly, the bottles inside clanging together. "Hey there Windy, ready to go on that killing spree?" Lila said going into a fighting stance and her tail lashing about before resting on the ground." she then remembered that the high profits were in the room and settled herself down although she was itching to get out and finally do something for once. After just a few moments of idling sitting her ears were twitching and she was having a difficult time sitting still. "Can we just do something? I hate sitting like this." just as she said that her ear twitched again and Lila groaned and rolled to the ground, holding her ears down. Lila looked up at Wind, still holding her ears down but the urge for them to twitch was overwhelming. "Medium or rare?" Lila inquired, referring to when she had mentioned eating somepony.

[Spell Shock 56]

Guardians of Harmony – Mountain Base near Old Ponyville

@@EquestrianScholar,

 She would look him over from eyes to hooves again, not stopping at his eyes this time around. She then would think about something, trying to remember that day. A lot of things happened, some pleasant and some not very pleasant at all. It was hard to keep the grasp of time and events as of late, even though she generally was pretty good about things like that.

 

-“Ah, I see. Excuse me, I tend to forget ponies if we only met but not actually interacted for a while” – she would apologize, and then she would kind of went silent after he had mentioned her little pet project.

 

She was not sure in what way any kind of mission could be involved with it at this point in time, she still was perfecting magical outlets out of all different gems. But then again, with amethyst now out of the way this would only take a few more days, until she could get a hold of a good diamond. What could it be? Looking for people? Analyzing? She wasn’t quite sure herself. There were only a few things which it could be, but then again she could ask.

 

-“How would… it involve my project?” she would ask, raising an eyebrow while looking around for her bag of stuff, or how she called it – bag of holding. The bag wasn’t in fact magical, or couldn’t hold a lot. It’s just what she liked to call it “Bag of holding”. After finding said bag, she would start packing some of the velvet bags from the table, including the one containing the amethyst. Some were marked, some were not. Three of them were marked. It would appear she preferred not to question being given an assignment and she would pack her things, figuring out what he wouldn’t come here himself if it wouldn’t involve quite a bit of moving even if not too far from the base.

 

She also made a mental note to use one of the gems up before trying to prepare a diamond for the process. The last thing she would need is for all the gems to flux up her magic for ages on end. 

[Anneal 2,194]

@,

 

Blueprint shortly transitioned into a casual attitude as she learned that nothing was going to happen to her. She felt quite awkward and embarrassed when Braeburn had his own outburst – his outburst of laughter. Attempting to continue the conversation with her "guest", she jokingly replied, whilst uncertainly and occasionally pausing, "Heh...secret police. Won't it be humorous if they were able to read other ponies' thoughts? That would be insecure and creepy; I wonder who would live in such a place! Even the pits of Tartarus couldn't be compared to Canterlot!" 

 

"Mom," Anecdote intervened, "who are you talking to?"

 

"It's just a friend of mine!" Blueprint lied. "Just finish your breakfast and pack your bags! You better not be missing that math homework! The last time I remembered, you turned it in late! I shouldn't be seeing a C minus on your grade the next time I'm checking your scores!" 

 

Anecdote replied with a simple "okay", and Blueprint turned back to Braeburn. "So, uh...General Braeburn, I'm sorry to say, but I won't be accepting any special assignments of yours. I have a family to attend to. Even my oldest colt isn't of age yet, so...how to explain it to you...I have my own personal issues. I recommend you find somepony else, I'm honestly not that great of an investigator..."

Edited November 8, 2013 by Cartophile

[AnonBrony 1,467]

@@Windbreaker,

@@SilverHeart,  

 

House Moon and Star - Underneath Canterlot Castle - Torture Chambers

 

"Finally!" Trixie said. "Trixie here thought you were going to be Late. But Trixie knew her fellow Inquisitors would not act in such a disrespectful manner, for Trixie has trained them all very well. But Trixie sees that Inquisitor Fields is not with us. Trixie hopes he isn't late. But as your probably know Inquisitor Energy, you and him along with Reverend Crucible here," Trixie gestures over to the stallion beside her. He was a tall, about in his forties, with a light grey coat and a brown tail, goatee, and mustache. However his hat covered his mane so you couldn't really see it. He had a somewhat stoic look on his face but gave a smile and bowed his head when Trixie introduced him. "Trixie will brief you and Fields on the mission when he arrives that way Trixie will not have to speak twice."

 

 

@@Tricksters Pride,

 

House Whitegold - Manehatten

 

"Oh, ¡Mis disculpas! My apologies señorita." Dorado moved up and ceased keeping an eye on the machine. Supongo que esto significa que no puedo disparar la máquina para a apagarla. Dorado thought in his head. (Yes he thinks in Spanish) Tal vez yo pueda engañar a ella a hacerlo. "So you are able to turn it off with you mind? That is very interesting. Can you just do it anything time you want to? Maybe you can do it now? Si? That would be neat to see no?" He then moved closer to her to whisper. "Plus it's a bit odd having that thing follow you around. Might attract some... unwanted attention."

Edited November 8, 2013 by AnonBrony

[Descant 1,897]

House Stormwing - Cloudsdale Caserma

 

@The-Master

 

North nodded. "I understand." He tapped his hooves together awkwardly, as he looked around looking for the others who might be coming. "Plain and simple." 

 

 

While they waited, North seemed to decide to do something worthwhile. Out of the saddlebag he wore over his armor, he pulled a tightly furled map of Cloudsdale, which he unrolled and proceeded to examine closely. There were small Xs and checks covering the map.

 

House Everfree - Tree of Wisdom - Edge of Clearing

 

@Tricksters Pride

 

Evergreen ducked back slightly, allowing the snake-pony and the wraith to interact. That Shadow Hunter had the attention span of his kind, at the very least. She sighed, and shook her head.

 

Moments later, the three Sages of Everfree - Roseluck, Lily, and Daisy - ascended the steps, and pronounced the feast ended. Evergreen craned her neck to look at the table. Damn, those purified ones were always gobbled quickly. 

 

"The Hummingbirds will now deliver instructions directly from Lady Fluttershy."

 

Three hummingbirds flitted over to between Evergreen, Violet, and Shadow, dropped notes on the ground, then buzzed away. Evergreen picked one of them up and read it. All three notes read, Report to the Forward Scout Camp near Ghastly Gorge. You will receive further instructions there from one of my advisers. At the bottom of the note, Fluttershy's unmistakably loopy signature was stamped on.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Dez

[Tricksters Pride 100]

@@AnonBrony,

 

House Whitegold - Manehatten

 

(Dam Anon it clearly shows that you've done this before that was hard to avoid, props.)

 

"I could but it would be rude. Ironheart is almost as smart as a normal pony by now (As he is obviously demonstrating by continuing to watch Dorado for any sudden moves. (Clearly suspicious unlike Gear.)) cause he's been with me for so long, so it would be like forcefully putting a family member to sleep and hes made it quite clear that he dose not want to rest right now. But if hes unnerving for you ill make him leave for a bit, wouldn't want to scare you away now do i?" She finishes in a clearly joking tone. Immediately afterwords Ironheart leaps onto a low hanging roof and follow's from Manehattan's twisting (and surprisingly good for camouflage) rooftops.

 

(Dorado may notice him occasionally but he is no longer obvious, however if Dorado looks at him Ironheart will always be watching Dorado very closely. Almost as if Ironheart suspects that Dorado is by far the most dangerous target there. (Also where almost at the marketplace so a far more friendly looking construct is visible. (Vickers is a friendly looking, bipedial, and lightly armored construct with 2 limbs but if you look very closely (But it is extremely hard to notice.) you may notice markings on his left arm that suggest that it has hidden capabilities.))

 

 

 

 

 

 

House Everfree - Tree of Wisdom - Edge of Clearing

 

'Uh oh the orders came in...... But i don't want to mess up again. Dammit what is it about mares that makes me so nervous, i talked to Gea-... Oh yah that's a bad example. aghh i hate my luck. Hey wait i can use my tail. I'd better not screw this up i already look kinda stupid today, man i really need to kill somepony soon that purified grey mare got me going and now i'm having problems keeping my head on strait.' So Shadow calmly reaches for his scroll with his tail.... Which he promptly twitches and cuts it in half. Shadow quietly sighs and moves the rest of his letter over with his tail and reads it in 2 parts. Shortly afterwards he opens his mouth to speak and immediately shuts it and refocuses on Violet, clearly intent on not making an idiot out of himself again. (Or talking to much... but the letter sounds promising to him giving him a boost in restraint.)

Edited November 8, 2013 by Tricksters Pride

[MagicalStarRain 599]

@@AnonBrony,

 

House Moon and Star - Canterlot Castle 

 

(OOC: Star Rain also has a neck and hooves covered in dried watercolor paint. Y'know, just in case you didn't know.)

 

How many times do I have to explain that I don't particularly care for tea? "Eh, fine," Star Rain said tiredly, enveloping the cup in a blue aura and levitating it toward her. When she looked into it, she saw that there was only the tea bag and no water. Not wanting to use up her magic on a water-based spell, she asked,"Is there a thing of hot water somewhere?"

 

@, @,

 

(I prefer to call the Auditorium "Performance Hall", but whatever floats your boat.)

 

House Whitegold - Artisan District - Performance Hall

 

Sweetie Belle didn't get the opportunity to speak until one of the actresses ran off. "Well," she nervously laughed in response to Myopia. "It seems like everypony is quite tired this morning. Umm..." She then turned to face the director(Sweetie Belle comes from time to time to offer assistance).

 

"Art Script, get the setting in order pronto! Showtime isn't far away from now and we have to review everything and do tech rehearsal!" Sweetie Belle shouted. "Yes my lady!" Art Script said before she too began to order everyone(there was a few griffons in the troupe) around. The prominent mare then turned back to Myopia with a smile. "Oh excuse me, sir. Would you be a dear and find that mare who ran off? I would greatly appreciate it."
 

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

@, @@Marathon, @,

 

Fillydelphia Hideout- Central Chamber

 

The pony in the middle smiled to see Red and her squad burst in through the doors. "Excellent!"

 

As the other two squads made their way up front, Prophet Ditzy grinned, her lazy eye contributing to her demented expression. "Meet me back here in thirty minutes, packed and ready to go! We are set to appear before the council in two days!"

 

And with that, the collection of miscellaneous ponies scattered except for a squad of Harlequines, holding suitcases while balancing on a unicycle. Ditzy looked oddly at Lila. "Don't you have somewhere to be...?"

 

((Go on, answer that question, Lila. Explain why you should be on a mission to the council.))

 

@,  

 

The necromancer looked at where she was looking. "Well, they're as dangerous as heck and quite efficient. And they bring in their quota of bodies for us to use for various uses. So..."

 

As a party wagon pulled up, Lemon grinned. "Come on, we get a front row seat." She climbed into the wagon, with several magical enhancers and components waited. "What we are doing? Well, we've got a mercenary camp that needs raiding to the south..."

[Marathon 562]

@,

Cult of Laughter- Phillydelphia hideout- Central Chamber

 

Lila directed her attention to Prophet Ditzy as she spoke as she spoke to the ponies around her. They all soon left leaving her with the squad of Harlequines, which she momentarily stared at before returning to Ditzy. "Nope!" Lila answered excitedly, her hooves flailing in the air for added emphasis of her excitement. "But, I have a surprise! A special one! That I made!" Lila rolled back onto her hooves and opened her saddlebags and presented Ditzy with the bottle of black liquid. She then set in on the floor in front of her and smiled wide, expecting praise for her work, though she expected praise for everything she did. Her tail swished back and forth on the ground in anticipation as she went on to explain what it is. "It's smoke in a bottle! I bet the council would like that! I mean, I happened to have free time on my hooves, and I was bored because I had nopony to kill, so I made this! Best part is that I can make a poisonous variant!" again Lila smiled hopping that she had done something useful for the Cult.

(and that is why she should go on a mission to the council)

[Strong Copper 126]

Fillydelphia Hideout- Central Chamber

@, 

 

Considering the size and shape of the crab like war machine, it didn't take that long for the crew to load it onto a wagon. Once you bent the knees down height wasn't really a factor anymore anyway. The real challenge for the future was going to be selecting what trading company logo to put on the wagon in order to offer it the most protection. The right logo would cause bandits to let the current cart by and wait for the next wagon to come. In the end, Lautrec decided on a meat wagon; most ponies didn't eat  meat. Hell, the only two races that could possibly be in that part of the country that did eat meat were griffins and the dogs and both races had learned long ago that attacking a corporate wagon on Whitegold turf would get you put down.

 

With his cargo ready for transport, the toymaker had made the decision of presenting himself to the chosen messenger of his beloved wife and offer her the respect a pony in such a holy position was due. As he entered the Central Chamber, suit case tucked under his wing and his standard robe straightened out, the toymaker had a covered tray resting in the middle of his back. As he walked past the groups of ponies, he would offer them a strangely normal smile and a friendly 'Hello. How are you doing?' until he finally reached his destination; Ditzy herself.

 

Presenting himself before the winged messenger of his beloved wife, Lautrec offered her a small bow of his head as to not upset the silver tray on his back. "Greetings blessed and humble Ditzy, chosen messenger and angel of our holy and beloved Laughing Mare. I am Lautrec and it is a pleasure to meet you face to face. I've heard so much about you. As well intentioned as many of the newer cultists are, many of them lack the experience of being gracious hosts to such an important visitor, as such..." With careful practice, Lautrec managed to remove the top of the tray with his free wing, reveling a pot of hot water, a tea cup, several types of tea and a selection of baked goods. " Would you care for some tea, my lady?"

 

........................................................................

 

@@MagicalStarRain,

 

House Whitegold - Artisan District - Performance Hall   

 

Myopia felt his heart skip a beat as Sweetie Belle smiled at him of all ponies. Still, his beating heart aside he managed to keep his cool, smiling back as he offered the find lady a bow. "It would be my pleasure Lady Belle...  as soon as you tell me what her name was and what she looks like... " His smile turned a little more sheepish then he would care to admit " I only really saw a fast moving blur with feathers."

[Miss Light Diamond 2,801]

@,

@@Tricksters Pride,

 

 

Violet chose to ignore the two ponies...well...the one pony and the one wraith. She expected she probably wouldn't have to see them again so...she took her note and thanked the humming bird before she opened it up and read through. "I'm going to the forward scout caaa-oh..." She said, catching sight of the Evergreen's and Shadow's notes. "Guess we all are..." She said...her voice sounding not all that enthusiastic.

 

 

 

@,

@@Marathon,

 

 

Wind...did not leave with the rest. She stayed right next to Lila, smiling happily, her squad moving towards the door but stopping to wait for their leader. "I aint going anywhere without my stove." She said, giving Lila a kiss on the cheek, hugging her around her neck as she looked up at Derpy. "Please let her come. I need my meat cooked on the outside but raw on the inside...Lila know's how I like it and none of the other unicorns will do it for meeeeee." She whined, hugging Lila tighter. "Blood says that if Lila doesn't come then things are less fun and she doesn't want to go without her. Plus that's a fancy potion. Pwease?" She said, giving her best puppy dog eyes...which just looked odd what with her pointed filed teeth.

[Archi the Atmomancer 564]

House Earthborn - Fillydelphia - Blueprint's Doorstep

 

@, 

 

Braeburn, ever positive, raised his eyebrows slightly as he replied "Indeed not, Miss Blueprint - or Ah should probably say Mrs Blueprint, given that you are apparently married. Mah apologies," he tipped his head back a few degrees and let the hat on his head fall backwards onto his back, where it was held in place by a leather strap "I wouldn't have no worries 'bout secret police or nothin' in this House, ma'am. If we had a problem, you'd know about it."

 

The Ranger peeked into the house once again as one of Blueprint's children called out from within. However, at the mare's reply his smile vanished, replaced by a confused frown. It was a rare thing to see Braeburn's mouth tilt downwards in such a manner.

 

"You would lie to your own children?" he asked skeptically, but then dismissed it with a shake of the head, and his smile returned "Anyway, it's out of my hooves, I'm afraid, Mrs Blueprint. The General Board makes the decisions, not me. Although, you must tell me something," he smiled and leaned against the doorway "If y'all, as you say, aren't "that great an investigator," then why'd General Smart Flank request you personally to investigate this matter?"

[AnonBrony 1,467]

@@MagicalStarRain,

 

House Moon and Star - Canterlot Castle - Courtyard

 

Eternity chuckled at her question. "Star you are supposed to use magic. We are in a magic practice session after all. Just use magic to make and heat up the tea." Eternity then took out a note book and waited for her to make the tea. 

 

@@Tricksters Pride, 

 

House Whitegold - Manehatten - Marketplace

 

(Done this before? Not really it's just called being cunning heheh. Just wait until you see The- I mean *ahem* uhh nothing I said nothing)

 

"O-Oh Si, of course... Out of sight out of mind..." Dorado said trying to hide his slight anger. ¡Maldito sea! Perdí mi oportunidad... Doardo noticed they had finally reached the marketplace. Ponies were all around setting up shop, some were already open and attempting to sell product to costumers. Dorado them say another strange machine off in the distance. "Is that your other machine by any chance? The one waiting for you?" This machine did look different from the other one. Not as menacing. Maybe that one couldn't fight. Might be easier to steal that one. "So can the other machine fight too?" Dorado asked. 

[Descant 1,897]

FACTIONLESS, EVERFREE FOREST SOUTHERN QUADRANT, 0921 HOURS, STANDOFF

@

"Perfect. It's always a good day to die. So, are you from around here? Do you usually take everypony you meet hostage at knifepoint? I mean, different strokes for different folks, but I usually start conversation with something other than a death threat. Common courtesy. More a matter of principle than anything else. Just because I rat ponies out... and used to kill for a living doesn't mean I can't be polite as well, right? Anyway. I'm rambling. About this "purification" you're talking about. I'm assuming that "purify" is a comforting word for "sacrifice", but if that's just a miscommunication, you could clear that up for me. That'd be nice. -Ow. Could you stop that? My back's starting to hurt, and you're getting dangerously close to a stitch..."

 

Stop it. You're running your mouth off. If you're getting scared of one filly with a knife, what're you going to do when they start torturing you? Buck up.

 

Standoff sighed and tried to shift position without getting skewered. "I have a name, by the way. It's Standoff."

((I missed your post. Sorry bro.))

 

House Everfree - Southern Everfree Forest

 

"Sacrifice? No, no sacrifice. Purification. Then you get to go to full-stomach-feast!" 

 

Probably as the main dish...

 

"You don't fight for great-forest. You build burn-bad-fire. So yes, you're not a friend. But we're not monsters." The young Favored moved the knife gently away from the stitch, being careful to not cut the specimen. "The Purification will be short and painful, so don't worry about it. Your Caller-escorts are almost here."

 

 

 

 

House Everfree - Tree of Wisdom - Edge of Clearing

 

@Tricksters Pride

 

Evergreen shrugged. "I suppose we are," she said, noting the naga's unenthusiasm. And without waiting around, Evergreen turned and left, passing into the thick underbrush at the edge of the clearing to make her way to the Camp.

 

 

 

 

 

House Everfree - Ghastly Gorge

 

 

The young Caller was riding southwest along the edge of the treacherous canyon upon the back of a great wooden Timberwolf. He was nervous. This very well could be base treachery, what he was doing. But he had no choice. One of his Tribe's many chiefs had explained it to him. "You can save many lives if you pull this off," she had said. And so, the Caller rode.

 

When the end of the canyon came into sight, the solitary pony dismounted his timberwolf, and sent it off hiding in a small nearby clump of low-lying trees. He started to walk the rest of the distance to where the Fillydelphia Gem Mines lay. Hopefully they would have seen him, and send somepony out his way. 

 

Seemingly last-second, he realized something. A scrap of information about courtesy he remembered from before he was moved into the Everfree in his youth. The Caller scrambled about the ground, and exclaiming cheerfully, found a long, sturdy stick. He tore a small square of stained white cloth from the shirt he wore under his bone armor, and tied it to the stick. Maybe they'd be more accepting of this savage if he came under the flag of truce.

 

((I don't want to decide on the geography of your territiory, so I deliberately left out a description of the Gem Mines.

 

 

 

 

Freelance - Between Lake Ponyville and Whitetail Wood - Near Golden Pines

 

 

Down the dark lonely road, lit only by moonlight, the hooded figure wandered. Up and down the small hillocks she went, each hoofstep taking her to her destination.

 

Cascade was on edge. More so here than anywhere else. At home, on Lake Ponyville, it was usually pretty deserted, except for perhaps the occasional fellow scavenger. Here, however... This was closer to the old Equestrian Heartland, once one of the more populated areas of the country. That, and it was the geographical no-man's land, the buffer zone between all five warring factions. It would be perfectly easy for her to be caught unawares by an Stormwing or Moon and Star or Whitegold patrol. She was less concerned about Earthborn than the others - she looked like an earth pony with the cloak, and they were at least decent to pegasi. Stormwing she hated, and Stormwing would kill her on sight as a rogue pegasus if they recognized her. She had heard stories of the way non-unicorns were treated in Moon and Star, and she couldn't help the feeling that Whitegold Merks would rob her blind if they were given the opportunity. 

 

However, it wasn't like she hadn't made this journey before, and so she walked, ears pent and listening.

 

As she reached the top of one hillock, she paused, looking down the road. She could see where the roads had once crossed the railroads, and at that crossing, she saw a campsite situated right off the road. Tall, wavering shadows of the tent and at least one pony was cast by the flickering light of the fire. If it was a Merc or a Unicorn camp, and there were more than the one pony she could see, she might as well count herself dead or robbed already. She looked around. No one else was around. However, she was already almost there. No point in turning back now. She'd take her chances.

 

-------------------------------------------

 

Cascade approached the railroad, and similarly the tent, hesitantly. She skirted the road away from the tent, with her hood up. Unable to help herself, however, she snuck a peek, her bright blue eyes flashing in the reflection of the fire. Looked like that pony had set up camp solitarily. None of Cascade's business. She continued to walk, assuming - and hoping - that that pony hadn't seen her, or at least had no interest in her.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Dez

[Grand_Finale 529]

@,

 

Cult of Laughter- Manehattan Slums Hideout

 

Tarot nodded and pulled herself up onto the wagon. She watched as everyone loaded up, most with a look of bloodlust in their eyes, or some other variant of insanity. It seemed to her she was the only pony her with a grip on reality and it scared her to death. It would only be a matter of time until she succumbed to this level of madness.

 

She could rarely get a proper reading on these ponies either. She would stare at them for quite awhile, and all stories of their past were blurred and distorted due to drugs, booze, or just raw insanity.

 

She turned back to Lemon Heart. "I brought a bit of supplies to help with your necromancing "She said, hoping for a bit of praise as she pulled out a few rather nasty looking tools from her saddlebags. "I think it should help you a bit. Or maybe not, I dont know"

She said, putting them back. She never really noticed until now, but the praise she would get occasionally was something Tarot craved more than anything.

 

Tarot had never really performed a necromancing, she only helped. She doubted she could do something like that on her own anyways, and the idea of it gave her chills. 

Edited November 8, 2013 by Mabel Pines

[Archi the Atmomancer 564]

House Earthborn - Ghastly Gorge - Fillydelphia Gem Mines

 

@,

 

(OOC: Ponies riding other animals... Interesting. )

 

The Fillydelphia Gem Mines were situated at the end of Ghastly Gorge, a location chosen for both its rich gem deposits and its defensibility. It had been commissioned by General Smart Flank close to the war's beginning, and rivalled the Appleloosan Gem Mines in production and size.

 

At present, a small garrison of Ponies-At-Arms, Hoof Cannoneers and Bucker Cannoneers were situated at the borders of the mines, which were defined by a ring of rock formations that provided several helpful choke points for the pike-armed Ponies-At-Arms to defend, and also gave cover to the Hoof and Bucker Cannoneers.

 

One of said Bucker Cannoneers spotted the Caller as he walked down through the canyon and called his superior, Captain Iron Anvil. The Captain was out of the mines by the time the Caller reached the border, and recognised both the stallion's crude Everfree armour and the banner of peace that he waved.

 

The Captain stepped out of the defensible perimeter, though the cannoneers kept their weapons trained on the intruder and the Ponies-At-Arms lowered the pikes, which flashed menacingly in the afternoon sunlight.

 

"We don't welcome barbarians here, savage," he began, contempt clear in his eyes "Unfortunately, honour dictates that I must respect your... peace banner. Say your piece and leave."

[Senor Citizen 516]

FACTIONLESS, EVERFREE FOREST SOUTHERN QUADRANT, 0923 HOURS, STANDOFF

@

"Short and painful? Great. I love short and painful." This is going to end one of two ways. Three ways, actually. Either I get inaugurated into Everfree, I get sacrificed-no, wait, there's four. Inaugurated, sacrificed to their gods or whatever, used as food, or cannibalized for parts for that project I've heard Fluttershy's working on. Perfect. Suddenly, Standoff coughed, and coughed again. It felt like something was caught just above his larynx, but he couldn't tell what it was. One more large cough, and the thing flew up into his mouth. He dug it out. "A piece of string. That's just wonderful. Say, um, do you have any surgeons back at the camp of yours? I'm not entirely sure that the other stallion did as good a god as I thought he did." A piece of string? I don't remember eating any string. But most of the stitches were external, and Stitcher Geralf told me that most of the stitching he used was wire. What were his words again? Oh, yeah. "My creations must always be at their peak operating capacity." Kind of strange, but I guess I should be thanking him. Unless he really did cheap out on the stitches...

Edited November 8, 2013 by Monsieur Buttmad

[Descant 1,897]

House Everfree- Ghastly Gorge - Fillydelphia Gem Mines
 

 

The Caller dipped his head respectfully. "Savage is a harsh word, friend." Then, he went on, straight to the point. "My name is Hindsight and I come in the name of Bear's Tooth Tribe. I have a proposition to make to you in the name of my Tribe and all of Everfree." Hindsight's voice betrayed his youth, as he had been young when his family had fled into the Everfree with Fluttershy, and they had been among the first to do so. However, he sounded confident and strong. 

 

Hindsight unsheathed his sword, and set it gently on the ground, as he had been instructed to do to earn their trust. Eyeing the contingent behind this obviously important Earthborn pony nevously, the young earth pony asked, "Is there anywhere more private we may discuss matters? Time is of the essence."

 

 

 

 

 

House Everfree - Southern Everfree Forest

 

 

The mare smiled again. "Surgeons? No. No surgeons. But maybe a magic-healing-witch will look at you. You're going to old-moon-castle, after all. See? Caller-friends are here." And sure enough, at that moment three ponies trotted into the clearing where the mare was holding Standoff, and with them were a half-dozen vicious looking Timberwolves. One of them approached Standoff, sniffed curiously, then growled. "Down, boy!" one of the Callers called, and he retreated. "How'd you catch this one?" Another asked the Favored, who still had her knife pressed against Standoff's back. "Just did," the Favored responded.

 

One of the callers muttered something like "Dumb sack of nuts" indistinctively, clearly talking about this Favored mare, as he approached Standoff and started to tie him up tightly with some rope. "You're gonna have some fun with our mistress at the castle," he whispered in Standoff's ear.

((I'm gonna Timeskip after your next post.))

Edited November 8, 2013 by Dez

[Miss Light Diamond 2,801]

@,

 

One thing that Cascade would notice is that the fire (That Crystal had lit after writing in her journal) was deep blue and...as the mare approached, rather then feeling the heat of the fire, it felt cold.
Crystal glanced up at the mare and looked her over before speaking. "You don't seem to be headed anywhere specific...nor do you wear any factions uniforms. You're a loner as well huh?"  She said, her back hooves practically sitting In the fire. "Would you like to sit and rest for a bit? There's room for one more." She said, gesturing to the spot across the fire as she reached into her bag for some food, all the while making sure her Bo was within grabbing distance if need be.

 

 

 

House Everfree - Tree of Wisdom - Edge of Clearing   Tricksters Pride ~Crystal Fire~   Evergreen shrugged. "I suppose we are," she said, noting the naga's unenthusiasm. And without waiting around, Evergreen turned and left, passing into the thick underbrush at the edge of the clearing to make her way to the Camp.

 

 

Violet watched the mare go before shrugging and also slithering into the forest, not next to Eve nor near here, but they were both within each others sight.
Violet let Ariana stay over her shoulders as the snake digested her food. One thing that having Ariana over her shoulders did for Violet was...well...make her look pretty damn stylish as well as rather intimidating...until Ariana moved her head up through Violets mane, messing it all up and making Violet let out a small chuckle. "Ariana...stop..." She said, fixing her dirty mane as she glanced back curiously to see if the wraith she had just talked too was following or not...she'd forgotten his name.

[Descant 1,897]

Freelance - Crossroads - Somewhere between Town of Golden Pines and Lake Ponyville

 

 

Cascade sighed. She had just wanted to continue on her journey, but the mare's words made sense. She may as well stop for the night. It was dangerous to be out at night alone, and she said she was a loner, too... If it came down to it, Cascade thought she might be able to take her. She hoped it wouldn't come to that though.

"Yeah... I'm a loner too." Cascade threw her hood back, revealing her face, which, despite being unmarred and still distinctly pretty, wore an expression of one who is utterly lost. She sighed, and sat next to the fire, shuddering slightly - cold was not a favorite of hers. She decided not to question why the fire was blue and emitting a chill instead of a warmth, figuring it was a magic thing, and merely settled on wrapping herself up a little more snugly in her own cloak. 
 
"Got any news from around the country? I don't hear anything. Lake Ponyville's pretty isolated nowadays. Nopony goes near there if they can help it. Too many painful memories in the area, I guess." She smiled wistfully, and added, "The place is like a graveyard." Literally...

[Tricksters Pride 100]

@,@,  

 

House Everfree - Tree of Wisdom - Edge of Clearing

 

'Wow i hadn't realized how rusty i had gotten at communicating. Oh well i was never much of a talker anyway, probably shouldn't have tried to emulate one of the friendly ones. Whatever those 2 are promising, lets stick with them for now i bet they'd make great distractions. (grins)' After the 2 mares left Shadow climbed back into his tree, and followed them from the network of branches. All the while looking for something to rip apart. (Preferably a pony, they have nice screams.)

 

(Shadow's not really trying to hide so Violet and Evergreen could probably notice him occasionally (Even though he blends in better than he should as a subconscious reflex.), and if you'd give me something to kill it would be much appreciated Shadow's having a bit of trouble keeping a lid on it after the purification.)

 

 

 

 

 

@@AnonBrony,

 

 House Whitegold - Manehatten - Marketplace

 

(Oh don't worry Anon i'm playing it safe with you. That said i still haven't found a loophole to get out of the crossbow trap. (You certainly stumbled upon good bait.) Just so you know i'm thinking about several ways that Gear could improve your armament, so hostility may not be in our best interests.)

 

"Yes that's my caretaker Vickers. VICKERS OVER HERE!" (By the way the yelling is just for show.) At Gear's command Vickers walks over and confirms in your idea that this one is harmless. Even his eyes are a friendly light green and look happy. When Vickers reaches Gear and Dorado he puts his hand to his chest in a manner that if he could talk you would swear he would be saying "At your service!" It even appears that he has already acquired the metal that Gear wanted to pick up. "Oh thank you Vickers if you could take that home and relieve Ironheart of his cargo too i would be quite thankful. (looks back at Dorado) No Vickers isn't a fighting type but he can do almost anything else. Servant types are very helpful and efficient if they are given a week or two to learn what you expect of them, and Vickers is special and very clever. I'm actually planning on giving him a voice because he is easily smart enough to communicate, but i need to finish my current project first."

 

(Vickers seems to treat Dorado kindly, but if you looked close enough you might notice that his left eye flickered slightly almost as if he where appraising you.)

Edited November 8, 2013 by Tricksters Pride

[Senor Citizen 516]

FACTIONLESS, EVERFREE FOREST SOUTHERN QUADRANT, 0923 HOURS, STANDOFF

@

"I what? Oh, no. No no no no no no. I can see where this is going. And for that matter, why am I tied up? What am I going to do, outrun six timberwolves in their natural habitat? Wait, what do you even mean by "fun"?" Okay, so, he says "fun", but what does he mean? I'm guessing death. These guys obviously don't trust me, and I can't make them trust me fast enough to be able to escape. If I try to overpower any of them, the dogs will get me. If I wait it out, I most likely die. I doubt I can appeal to their higher nature. I bet they haven't got any. The escape clause hasn't worked in years, so that's out. Come on, think!

Standoff cleared his throat. "Hey, um, any chance we can speed this up? I'm kind of not in the greatest condition here." He coughed for emphasis, then accidentally went into a genuine coughing fit that went on for several seconds. After a few moments, he spat out something that was a dark shade of red. "Oh, that's not good. Seriously? Could we walk a little faster?"

[Cerise Hood 102]

@@MagicalStarRain,

@

(Your story was what I had in mind)

 

House Whitegold, Artisan District, Roof of Auditorium/Performance Hall

 

Star Belle stood directly outside the door of the Auditorium, embarrassed and still blushing. A few tears fell from her eyes. "Why me... Why me?" She cried.

 

A stallion with a huge top hat walked by. Three seconds after Star him, she dashed away, up onto the auditorium's roof, where nopony would see her.

 

"Ughhh! Messing up wouldn't be so bad, but it was in front of Lady Sweetie Belle! One of the leaders of this house! Ughhhh!" she stamped her hooves against the roof. But hearing a noise, Star stopped.

 

She peered over the side, holding her beret so it wouldn't fall off her head and make her obvious.

 

It was the stallion with the top hat entering the auditorium. She kept quiet, not wanting him to notice her.

 

After Top Hat entered, Star quietly flew to the highest window. She was unable to spot him, but luckily, her mess-up seemed to be forgotten. It seemed like a good time to sneak in.

 

Star thought she heard somepony coming, and flew back up to the roof. She fanned herself with her beret. Carefully peering over the roof, she checked for ponies coming.

 

Being unable to see much from that angle, Star Belle scooted out a bit more. Unfortunately, she lost her hoofing and fell.

 

Although flying upside down was possible, it's not very easy, especially if you weren't expecting it. Star was able to regain balance, however, gravity existing, her headgear was falling to the the ground. Star tried to grab it, but a mishap of coordination had her tumbling towards the ground and landing in a sloppy mess.

[Anneal 2,194]

@,

 

 

Blueprint soon noticed her mistake; Braeburn had called her bluff. In the Apple family, honesty was something nopony should tamper with, and this was later applied to all of the Earthborn. Honesty was the best policy. Blueprint was lucky she wasn't going to be imprisoned for any of this. Some ponies took the term more seriously than others...

 

"This issue is a bit more personal. I don't think it should be heard from the family," Blueprint explained. "Though I do apologize. How silly of me, being a pony that has learned law for years."

 

Later on, Braeburn discovered her second bluff. I'm on a roll, aren't I? she thought, then said in a seemingly unknowing manner, "Investigate what matter, General Braeburn?" 

 

Before giving Braeburn the opportunity to reply, Blueprint added, "But as I said, I have a family to attend to. What would become of my little foals if I was gone?" Blueprint meant that in a broader sense; if the General Board had called on her to this issue, it must be something important, possibly dangerous. What if she was enslaved, captured, or, worst of all, killed, and her family remained at her home, unaware of all this news? 

 

She had decided not to embark on such a quest. But then again, Blueprint wondered, do I have any choice?

Edited November 9, 2013 by Cartophile

[Strong Copper 126]

@@Marathon, @, @,

 

Cult of Laughter- Phillydelphia hideout- Central Chamber

 

Lautrec slowly turned his head away from the ever lovely Derpy (or Ditzy, as the case may be) towards the two mares, his increasing narrowing eyes a clear sign of his thoughts towards them and the substances that they abused. It wasn't exactly a secret that the toymaker disliked Euphories's in general, let alone a pair that were currently bothering a holy messenger of his beloved wife. Still, the disapproving frown quickly morphed into... a slightly different look. It still got across the fact that he believed the two he was gazing at were cockroaches, but they were cockroaches that finally had something to offer. " You know what? Let them come. We're taking necromancers along so there is no doubt going to be a body count; Maybe in death these self destructive junkies will finally learn how to put the Laughing Mares wants and desires above their own petty addictions."

 

.........................................................

 

@@MagicalStarRain, @,

 

House Whitegold, Artisan District,Performance Hall

 

Before he had a chance to hear in detail what the mare he was going to be taking the time to look for actually looked like behold 'a blur with feathers' when the sound of a rather loud 'thud' came from outside. Glancing in the direction of the unseen noise for a moment out of reflex, Myopia returned his attention to the ever lovely Sweetie Belle. "Sorry about that I thought I heard something." With his apology for taking his attention off her given, Myopia nodded his head in a silent request for her to continue with the details about whom it was he would be looking for.