private Hearts warming's origins [1on1]

[repsol rave 2,963]

@,((It's okay it's almost christmas after all! ))

 

"Yeah, let's go." Crystal said as she stood up. As she looked over to Moon, she noticed the sudden coat. This kinda alarmed her, was this gonna be such a long trip they'll venture to another climate? No that was ridiculous, Moon sure had a good reason to bring a coat, right? It was winter after all. Crystal wrapped her scarf around her neck and looked down to her hooves. All packaged in a nice warm boot, she decided she was ready, and started walking after Moon.  

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

@@repsol rave, Moon smiled slightly. "The creek is in view of a small, nearby village. I wear this coat because it helps me mask my true form without having me have to disguise. Besides, it's soft and fluffy." He nodded to her, and then started to move...

 

---

 

After about an hour of walking through the snow-glazed woods, Moon paused, pulled up his hood, and stepped out onto a ledge. Down below, you could see a small village. About three feet below you, there was a bubbling creek that seemed to source from a small waterfall. Upon following the waterfall up, the stream that fed it stretched back into the forest.

 

Upon looking at the town, he frowned. "That's strange... no one's about..."

[repsol rave 2,963]

@,

Crystal couldn't help but chuckle at Moons answer. Just something about a big, bad changeling cuddling inside a suft and fluffy coat seemed so.. cute? A small blush appeared on her face again. 

 

As they arrived at the creek, crystal gazed around for a few seconds first. In the beatiful winter landscape this place was pretty magical. The small village below looked pretty cozy, but when Moon stated how there wasn't anypony in sight, it suddenly looked a lot more like a small ghost town.

"Is it always this... empty?"

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

((@@repsol rave, MERRY CHRISTMAS! I hope that it is/was a good one! ))

 

Moon Crypt sighed. "No, it's not. There's usually at least a few people wandering around..." He blinked and turned to Crystal. "This might require some further investigation. Do you mind accompanying me, Miss Crystal?"

[repsol rave 2,963]

@,

 

thanks buddy! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Crystal put a hoof in front of her muzzle as she giggled. "By all means, mister Moon." She looked around once more before leading the way down. Nerves tingling in her legs as she got closer to the village. She wondered what could have happened, there still didn't seem to be anypony around, and especially this close to hearts warming eve there should be atleast some activity, right?

Edited December 25, 2013 by repsol rave

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

@@repsol rave,

 

As Moon Crypt made his way down the cliff, he continued to scout things out, using his eyes and ears. His gut was telling him something was wrong... very, very, very wrong.

 

As he finished scaling the cliff (and helping Crystal down) he entered the village and was surprised to see it almost completely empty. "Do you see anything of note?"

Edited December 25, 2013 by ~Festive Thundy~

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, Crystal looked around the empty town. It looked just like a normal town, actually it resembled a bit of the neighborhood she lived in back in Ponyville. Well, that is, if it wasn't so eeringly empty.

"I don't know... It all looks so deserted."

She walked up to a nearby house and looked through one of the windows. Inside the house was some furniture and a small fireplace. It looked rather cozy actually, but there was once again nopony to be seen.

She walked up to the front door and knocked a few times with her hoof. "Hello? Anypony there?"

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

((@@repsol rave, Why do I have to post this on Christmas, eh? It seems unfair to post something grimdark in winter...))

 

There was no response- in fact, the door creeped inwards some, revealing a horrifically gouged floor and an odd, harsh scent. His eyes open wide, Moon Crypt looked in and shook his head. "Oh, no..." 

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, ((sorry man, RP must go on ))

 

 Crystal watched Moon's response to the insides of the house, and she felt a dark fear rising in her body. She slowly got closerby, but she couldn't get herself to look inside the house. She instead turned to Moon, who seemed to be shocked to some degree by what he had seen. "M-Moon? What is it?" She eventually asked, her voice trembling.

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

((Cue adventure RP. He just got deadly serious, and won't soften up for a while.))

 

@@repsol rave, He laughed, but it was a hollow laugh. One without horror. He turned to her, and what used to be a cuddly changeling was gone, replaced by one with a cold, rigid stance with fire in his eyes. "I guess I could say that evil never takes a vacation. Shame... I was hoping to have made it through this one." Inside, he was cursing, but outside, he was frightfully serene. His voice suddenly becoming something that was used to giving orders and having them obeyed near-instantly, he told her, "We are getting out of here now. I'll explain on the way back. This just got a lot more complicated." He turned and started jogging down the street, jumping at the slightest thing that moved. He didn't break his constant pace until they were well in the forest.\

 

"You obviously have questions," he said, continuing to move albeit at a slower pace. "Let them loose."

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, 

Crystal followed Moon into the woods. Her mind racing with what horrible things could have been in that house to have Moon react the way he did. He also seemed. more.. harsh. She didn't like this one bit tough, and frankly was scared out of her mind.

As Moon slowed the pace a bit, she tried catching her breath. After that, she fired every question she could think of at the moment.

"What was in that house? And why are we running away from it? Are we in danger? And what happened to you? You got so... stoic. Please Moon you're scaring me!"

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

@@repsol rave, He turned to face her. "What was in that house was undeniable proof that the village was raided and the villagers kidnapped. I am running away not for my sake, but for yours. I am fairly certain we are in a considerable amount of danger, and this is how I get when we're in a possibly deadly situation." He took a breath and started talking again. "Unexpected news flash for you- Equestria is at war. Has been for a year or two now. Because of the nature of this war, we've had to keep it a secret from the general public. The other side, though, is coming from an other-dimensional realm, and they are called-" he dropped his voice. "Get down."

 

He quickly shedded his coat and, transforming into a pure white stallion, laid down. As Crystal did the same, a small squad of three ponies emerged from the woods- but they were no ponies...

 

One of them was winged and horned, and was silently observing their surroundings. He had pure black eyes- giving them the appearance of not being there- and his hind legs weren't legs... but slowly dripping tentacles that were melting the snow behind them. The other two were not winged or horned, and where their manes were, there was pulsating flesh with a liquid slowly leaking out of them, trickling down the body. He was talking to the other two in a different language, rasping and dead, while the other two tittered back. The amount of psychic interference in the air was obvious even to an Earth Pony, and something about them made your gut feel like it wanted to be very, very, very far away from it.

 

((I picked a demon lord. Now to get this done, reveal that he's a Lord Inquisitor, and go face-first into the tower. And from there... we'll figure it out.

 

How are you liking it so far? That first part was fun, and hopefully we'll get more moments like that in soon.))

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, ((it's been pretty epic so far. liking how this has kinda unfolded as a story. also, liking the demonlord thingy :3 it's different. ))

 

Crystal became pale, almost white even, her pupils shrinking to the size of pinpricks as she gasped loudly. Equestria's at war? No that couldn't be! Atleast not without te ponies knowing, right? Celestia would tell her subjects something of this importance! Her mind didn't even try to come up with any questions, but decided to just stay empty. Spinning with all this new info.

 

 

he dropped his voice. "Get down."

Crystal didn't even have time to think about it, as she found herself laying flat in the snowy forest ground underneath her. 

She looked at the ponies, or things, that emerged from the woods. At first they looked like ponies, but when she took a closer look, she realised they where far from normal ponies.

And well, she did what any normal town girl would do in that situation.

 

She panicked.

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

@@repsol rave,

 

Before Crystal's first screams echoed throughout the forest, Moon Crypt was already up and moving, having sprung from the snow. Drawing a pair of daggers, he lunged towards the first of the pair, sending it screeching to the ground, dissolving into a black puddle, before he took his dagger and threw it into the second, where, screaming, it ran into the forest before stumbling, collapsing, and dissolving. He spun around- and threw his dagger in the way just in time to block a horn intended to gore him, sending the dagger flying. He cursed and backed away, slowly, and the pony-like being stood up on it's hind legs and, in a flash of light, it was standing on it's tentacles, and it was tearing at Moon Crypt's carapace with two black, glistening claws, it's eyes glowing red. Swinging around the beast, he spun his blade and stabbed it in the back of the creature's head. With a grunt, the creature hit the ground, spraying black ichor, and vanished.

 

He sighed before looking at the complete and totally panicking pony that he found next to him. He sheathed his daggers before bracing himself, and caught Crystal in a bear hug before she blundered into one of the black pools. "It's okay, it's okay..." he said soothingly, the gash on his face weeping a green liquid onto Crystal. "They're gone..."

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, ((action! adventure! i like this :3 ))

Crystal didn't even look at what happened with Moon and the beasts. She couldn't bear to watch as both the strees and the axiety of the situation became too much for her. She closed her eyes and tried to bring herself to stop panicking, but it was of no use.

As she didn't hear anymore screams of fighting, she shakingly stood up, and tried to get to Moon. She shivered throughout her whole body as she found herself unable to walk straight, and fell right into Moon's arms.

She found the grasp of something now even more soothing then ever, and as she felt Moon's carapace arms where a save place. She broke down as she lunged around Moon in a (maybe a bit too) tight hug. Tears flowing down her cheecks and onto Moon's smooth carapace.

The soothing words helped her relax a little and she hugged the changeling just a bit tighter after that, closing her eyes as her sobbing slowed down a little.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at Moon, her arms still securely around him as she noticed the large wound on his face. She carefully placed a hoof on Moon's cheek, trying to see how bad it was. "Y-You're hurt."

Edited December 27, 2013 by repsol rave

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

@@repsol rave, He shrugged. "It's been worse. At least it hit where the scar was." He caressed her hair before, after a few minutes, letting her go gently. He then walked over a few feet to the pool before sniffing it almost silently. "Hmm... just as I thought..." He closed his eyes as he stood up straight, and let out a exasperated sigh. "Only six months. They're getting more powerful." He spoke louder, talking to the still-shivering Crystal. "And we've got to get you home, my dear." He walked over to her and gently placed the soft, fluffy coat over her cold body.

[repsol rave 2,963]

@,

Crystal watched how Moon inspected one of the pitch black puddles one of those creatures left behind. She'd never seen anything like it, and found herself wondering if it was even safe for Moon to smell the stuff. She still shivered pretty instensivly, and Moon's coat came as a welcome gesture. She snuggeled deeply into it's fluffy lining. She felt a warm fuzzy feeling rising ih her belly again as her gaze kept coming back to the changeling.feeling as if she was staring a bit too much, she looked at the snow besides her as innocently as possible as a deep red blush appeared on her features.

"But what about you? If you take me home, will i ever see you again? You can't possibly be thinking about taking on those...monsters, are you?"

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

@@repsol rave, He sighed, thinking about it quietly. After a few moments, he smiled lightly, saying, "Well... if I do see you again, it wouldn't be for a while. I don't get breaks that much, but I will definitely try to visit you." He started to walk. "Come on, let's get going. We've got a lot of ground to cover, and we can talk on the way back." He slowed as he neared Crystal, waiting for her.

 

((Don't worry, we're not done yet.))

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, 

Crystal felt her hear twarm up a bit as she heared Moon's response. She let a small smile escape her features as she went to trot besides the changeling. She sighed once before speaking up again, turning her head towards Moon. "How do you know all this? I mean, about the war and all that. It just still seems all so surreal to me." 

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

@@repsol rave, "I work for the princesses. Luna, to be specific. I'm actually pretty high up in the ladder." He sighed. "My superior had to personally convince the others to let me join. And after that, it took me... well, quite a while to get to the point where I was no longer being watched."

 

The forest around them no longer seemed nice and neutral... it had gotten dark and hostile... 

[repsol rave 2,963]

@,((i'm so sorry for not being online for so long! newyears has been an incredibly bizzy (and epic!) experience, and i basically had to sleep the last day to actually come back alive))

 

Crystal ghasped a bit at what Moon just told her. She never though anything like a 'secret service' of some sorts could be possible, let alone that a actual changeling was a high ranking officer! She looked at het companion in disbelieve...

...Until she tripped over a tree root, and planted her muzzle firmly in the dark, cold ground. As she plucked her face from the soil, she noticed her surroundings had changed somehow. The trees didn't seem to be normal and healthy anymore. But instead looked dark and crooked, sick even. It was a terrifying sight and she started to get a bit wary again. "Moon, where are we going?"

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

, "It's the forest, not us. It's a sentient being, and it's detected something it doesn't like. But whether that this is us or them, I don't know..." He paused and sighed. "Stay on guard. We could be meeting everything from demons to Timber Wolves, and the forest is actively trying to disorient us..."

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, Crystal suddenly felt a huge wave of insignifficance wash over her. If the entire forest was actually out to get her and Moon, she considered herself very much screwed! She didn't any combat experience at all, she couldn't even hit a sentient creature, let alone actually hurting or killing one. She cautiously looked around as she shuffeled ever so slowly closer to Moon. The changeling's companionship aiding in making her feel a lot saver.

This didn't seem to help her get over the fact that the forest was actually trying to make the duo loose their bearings! She shuddered at the thought as she moved a bit closer to Moon again, her soft fur now gently brushing Moon's smooth carapace. Dispite her current situation, she felt a warm sensation building in her chest, and the heat of a blush forming on her muzzle.

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

((@@repsol rave, I plan on, for story reasons and since she doesn't have combat experience, maybe having Crystal develop psychic powers, if only by the sheer shock of coming across a demon face to face. That's got to be a pretty strong catalyst. What do you think?))

 

Moon Crypt blushed ever so slighly- it appearing as a small red mark that appeared on the flesh underneath his carapace- before smiling. "Well, it seems that we should be heading in the right direction- unless we run into someth- oomph!"

 

Befoore he could finish, he ran into a stone brick wall. Shaking his head and backing up, he looked up- to reveal what appeared to be a large grey tower, nearly invisible in the snow and the dark twisted forest. Looking at the sky, he shuddered and guided her along. "It's getting dark, and it will probably snow more while we're sleeping. Help me find an entrance of some kind- we'll spend the night in here, even if only in the entry hall."

 

((Ugh. I'm trying not to sound overbearing... or worse, corny. Bear with me, please.))

[repsol rave 2,963]

@, ((that sounds definitely interesting, tough i have no idea how to approach something like that. so yeah, if we're doing that i guess you'll have t help me a bit. or atleast send me a bit in the right direction. ))

 

Crystal shuddered at the thought of having to sleep in the stone tower. With the eery black and sickening forest surrounding it it really looked like something right from those old horror movies. She visibly shiddered as she followed Moon around the tower, looking for an entrance. After a few moments she spotted a old, rotten wooden door. It hung from rusty hinges and basically screamed "Keep out!".

She gulped once before tapping Moon on his shoulder. "I think i see one over there." She pointed a hoof in the direction of the door.