open A Darker Fate: Beyond these Walls Chapter Two.

[SilverHeart 741]

(OOC: Posting from my phone.)

 

Mirror flicked her tail in annoyance at being ignored. Orion was clearly enthusiastic about his plan, so a little patience would be required. She mentally groaned at his speech. "So, I'll ask again...what is the source of the Litany?"

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

A loud, metallic thud sounded from somewhere further up the train - as if something had broken... Or perhaps collided with it. Whatever it was, it caused the train to rock to the right for a moment before returning to its course with an unhealthy metallic sound - before regaining its stability and chugging along unhindered as before.

 

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

 

Kingfisher.

 

@@Snowy Storm,

 

"That didn't sound great... hope we're getting close - dosent sound like this thing has a lot of life left in it..." Muttered the adventurer - mostly to herself - before returning to the conversation at hoof.

 

"Uh, yeah, we're heading towards the Crystal Kingdom." Kingfisher said simply, before elaborating. "An old friend if mine should be waiting for us there - he's... not from around here, so its got to be important for him to have come to meet us himself - normally just sends letters or we go to him."

 

Talking about the Bard made him sound almost mysterious and shadowy - the almost exact opposite to what he actually was. She smirked to herself at the thought.

 

"Well, pleased to meet you properly somewhere out of that city. I hate that place - always sets me on edge."

 

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

 

Orion Starsinger.

 

@,

@@SilverHeart,

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@,

 

Standing back to asses his rapid work, the unicorn nodded determinedly.

 

"I won't fail. Can you stand in the circle Willow? You were the last to touch, the book, weren't you?" He said. "I'm going to take care of you - I promise - but we need to do this."

 

He looked back at the incredibly grumpy mare. Strange - she had always seemed so collected on the road...

 

"I have no idea!" He declared in a delighted tone - eyes wide with excitement. "We'll be the first in recorded history to find out!" Rummaging through his own pouch that hung under the saddlebags he had found in the city, he removed another gemstone - different from the others. An enchanted one - given to him back in the temple at the falls. "I considered reversing the spell on this, but I think I can use it for another purpose first... If I can direct the residual magic from the Litany into it, and then reverse it, activating the books defences at the same time so that it tried to warp to another location..."

 

We're they following his plan? It didn't matter- he knew what he was doing. Two of Equestria's greatest minds on the subject of the Litany of Magic - these notes were definitively the closest one could get to an answer, and Orion was confident that it would work.

 

"It's easier if I show you."

Edited December 17, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[Ihei 713]

@,@@SilverHeart, @, @@Midnight Scribbler,  

 

Willow Starsinger

 

Willow looked questioningly at Orion, then reluctantly stood up by her spot beside Zintiik. She trotted towards the circle, wings folded as always - and waited for something - well, amazing - to happen.  "Orion, how is this supposed to work?" Willow asked, holding her hoof up off the ground uncomfortably. "What are you going to do?"

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

Midnight Scribbler

@,

@,

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

Scribbler pondered what was taking place here. "I don't mean to sound skeptical of your plan, Orion.. But.. Is it really so wise to open a portal like this? Especially putting Willow into it first? There could be perilous environments at the other end, none of us have any idea what we will find. Are you absolutely certain Willow is in no danger of falling through when it opens?" He was baffled by Orion's plan, not in the magic, but his sudden disregard for what could happen to his sister when the portal opened. This was magic he was familiar with, aside from the method of which it was done. This made all the difference. He could teleport across vast distances through his portal spell, but he had to know where he was going before it would work. This incantation would bring you to a fixed place in an unknown location, which, for all they knew could be a collapsed ruin, or worse.

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

 

Clockwork Green

@@Commander Tangent,

 

Clockwork nodded at what Icarus had said, then suddenly the train lurched violently, sending him up into the air, and onto the floor in the isle. He got up, dusting himself off. "Bloody hell! What in Equestria was that?" He collected made sure his bags were still secure, and checked the floor for anything that may have fallen. Satisfied he had everything, he looked to Icarus. "I'm going up there to find out what that sound is.. I don't like what just happened, I fear we may be in danger. This train is moving much too fast, something might have gone wrong up front. I have knowledge of steam engines, perhaps if something is broken I may be able to fix it." With that, he began moving up to the door, and opened it, crossing into the next car towards the front.

[Commander Tangent 861]

@@Midnight Scribbler,

The violent lurch threw Icarus against the bunk above him, then tossing him out of the bunk onto the floor.

 

"сукин сын" He exclaimed

 

Icarus nodded in agreement,after getting up from were he had been knocked to the floor. 

 

"I shall accompany you, If the train operators are injured, they may require my help" He said, following Clockwork across the connecting platform to the next train car, being extremely cautious in case the train decided to lurch again.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Commander Tangent

[Umbreon 569]

Pavisa

 

The ex-guard had already had trouble balancing on the moving train - the sudden rocking caused her hooves to actually leave the floor and sent her careening into the wall with a loud crash.  

 

"Aww, buck me, that hurt!  Ugh...  Anypony know what that was?"  She pushes herself back to her hooves before glancing around, hoping nopony had seen her fall.  She still wasn't far from where she'd started, and was starting to think that going back to her seat may be the best idea.

 

 

Zintiik

 

@,

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@,

@@SilverHeart,

 

Zintiik stands up from where he had been sitting to get a closer look at what was happening, his wings buzzing quietly as he hovered near the others.  Whatever was going on he wasn't about to be left out just because he was sitting off to the side!  The changeling still didn't know what was going on other than what the others were saying - Orion wasn't making too much sense to him.

 

"I'm with ya Orion, with...  Whatever this is."  He grins slightly as he gives his vote of confidence to the unicorn - the others could question Orion's plans all they wanted, it was Zintiik's place to go along with whatever they were.  He lets himself float closer to Orion and Willow, craning his neck to look at the runes Orion had drawn and pretending he understood what they meant. 

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Orion Starsinger and

Kricket.

 

@,

 

The Aspect grumbled as he was displaced by Willows movement - blinking sleepily as he became away of the others in the room.

 

"A-a-ark?" He crackled inquisitively at the runes on the ground - flying low to inspect them and feeling the magic radiate from the simple chalk lines. Returning to his owner - he settled down around her hooves - hovering just a few inches from the ground.

 

"Don't fret Willow - I said that I was going to take care of you - I don't indent to break that promise." Orion said, managing to suppress his excitement with the help of Scribblers pessimism.

 

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

He nodded thankfully at the changeling and looked towards the magician.

 

"You're missing something. Willow isn't being sent ahead of us: she's read from the litany, she was the last to touch it... she... Is a part of the spell itself." He explained, making a single, precise motion with his hoof to remove one of the runes - leaving the circle broken. "There's no danger - I've calculated it perfectly... given the lack of surviving knowledge on the subject. I would use myself for the spell, had my connection to the Litany not been severed. I wouldn't do this if there was even the smallest chance that it was going to hurt her!"

 

His words were spoken with such great conviction that there could be no doubt that - whether or not he was correct - he wasn't lying. Orion had utmost confidence in what he was doing.

Edited December 17, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[RAGESTAR 479]

@

 

(Sorry for the week-or-so long wait, I haven't been feeling in the best of moods and needed some time to myself...) 

 

Crimson stood up and gave Eclipse an odd look, raising his eyebrow as he scratched his head. "Uh...what in the name of the eternal flame are you mumbling on about, Eclipse? Who's Star Fire? And what was that about an electric chair? Your confusing me, and if you knew me, you would know that that's really saying something...because my past and adventures are nothing short of confusing..." he said with slightly dry humor. Crimson once again opened his mouth to speak, however, before he could say anymore, the trains jolt threw him forward, causing him to crash his head into a nearby window, smashing it and cutting the pirates face. "Son of a bitch!" yelled Crimson as he stumbled back, holding a hoof to his now bleeding face. "Note to self, alcohol plus train, equals pain..." He said without cracking a smile.

[SilverHeart 741]

(OOC: Posting from phone and the. Heading to bed.)

 

Mirror closed her eyes to hide the fact that she was rolling them. If he didn't know what the source of the Litany's magic was, how could he be certain that they stop it? As she lifted her head off of Scribbler's shoulder she asked, "Well...do we at least know when we're leaving Canterlot?"

 

Mirror lay down on the ground, keeping one eye open to watch the others. Despite Canterlot being her hometown, there were few places she felt more uncomfortable.

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

@,

 

Eclipse

Eclipse was at a complete loss of words.

"I... I don't know, Crimson." Eclipse said to the stallion, helping him back up to his hooves. It was true. Eclipse couldn't make sense of what he just remembered. "Although, something tells me I should know, that it's a piece of my past." Eclipse said, his voice becoming a bit sad. "What did I do before I was frozen? And... who is this Star Fire? Me and her must've been very close before she died. But... how?"

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Grey Cap.

 

The stallion grunted to himself nervously: he'd been running this train for the past twenty years - and this particular route since the rediscovery of the Crystal Empire. He knew it like the back of his hoof - every uneven section of track, every turn and bump... When the others started saying that the trains weren't safe to run any more he wouldn't hear anything of the sort: this train was his responsibility and he wasn't going to let a little bad weather stop him!

 

The shudder came from somewhere behind him - maybe one or two carriages back, it was hard to tell.

 

"Whut in t' name o' Celestia...?" The stallion muttered into the thick, grey fur of his chin - leaning of of the window to try and see what was going on. "Gah, can't see nuffink' fer buckin' snow an' fog!" He snapped to himself in annoyance - raggard and thinning black mane whipping about viciously as the wind buffeted him: but there was nothing to be seen.

 

Pulling his head back inside and grasping a lever in his hoof, he pushed it forwards.

 

The train was already traveling at far greater speeds than it should, but he knew these tracks and he wasn't about to lose his precious train to some ruddy bad weather!

[Snowy Storm 57]

@,
"The crystal empire" she said to herself. "My mother always wanted to go there. I'm kind of happy we are going there" She looked out the window to watch the snow against the window.
"Feel free to sit down" She smiled and quickly remembered about her magic. "Oh, sorry about making the seats cold"

Edited December 18, 2013 by Snowy Storm

[Ihei 713]

@,@@SilverHeart, @, @@Midnight Scribbler,

 

Willow Starsinger

 

"Kricket, step away. This might hurt.."

 

Willow inched the Aspect away gently and braced herself for whatever was going to happen to her. But nothing did happen. She opened one eye and looked frantic. She looked at Orion: was this supposed to happen? She looked about her. "Is it working? Is something happening to me?" Willow dared to look behind her to see that Zintiik was there, then down at her wings. Then down at her hooves. Nothing happened. Her hooves aren't glowing, her wings didn't disappear, a portal didn't erupt from the ground. She had a puzzled look on her face. 

 

"Did something happen?" Willow asked, frightened. 

[Midnight Scribbler 1,705]

Midnight Scribbler

@, ((OOC: I wouldn't really call it pessimism. ))

@@SilverHeart,

@,

@,

 

Scribbler felt a slight weight lift from his shoulder. Turning he noticed Mirror had lifted her head and was laying down now. He glanced back towards Willow and Orion, smiling at Orion's near giddiness. "Well, you have the most expertise it seems." He chuckled lightly. "I have followed you before for far less purpose than this. As I have said, the most potent magic comes from companionship. You have the helm, captain." He nodded respectfully and smiled, speaking in metaphor as a light jest to Orion's leadership position. All intended in good humour, of course. He thought for a moment about what Orion had mentioned about the Litany's source, and then it hit him. "This means it would be futile to destroy the book.. Of course! It all makes sense now. Legion was separate from the book, linked by a separate source, kill the source to dispel the Litany's magic, and the book is useless. Noble will be sapped of his power as well.. Brilliant."

 

Clockwork Green

@@Commander Tangent,

 

Clockwork made his way along the train cars, followed by Icarus. He reached the front, sliding the last door open. He noticed an older looking pony, the conductor most likely. Clockwork spoke up over the din of the chugging engine. "Hello there! Is everything alright? What just happened?" He stepped into the engine room, and approached Grey Cap. "My name is Clockwork Green, I have expertise in steam technology, I may be of assistance, should you require it."

Edited December 17, 2013 by Midnight Scribbler

[EcstaticWind 572]

Aegis Dare

@, 

 

"Ouch..." Aegis picked himself up off the floor, rubbing the back of his head after that jolt. He glanced around, and saw the others were mostly fine. "Well, that's quite a relief. You ok, Blast? Not shaken up too badly, are you?"

 

Noble Persona & Gwyn

 

"You're kidding, right?" Gwyn asked. Noble had led the two to an old warehouse near the train station that he'd used during his search for the Litany. Nopony ever suspected the stubborn building to house Equestria's latest threat.

 

"Just get in..." He replied, opening the door and following Gwyn and their two 'volunteers' inside.

 

The inside was exactly as Gwyn expected. A warehouse full of boxes that ponies had likely forgotten about, until Noble flicked a switch. A secret staircase revealed itself and led to his real hideout, which was vastly different. The room was large and had offshoots in a few directions.

 

"Care to explain where all this came from?" Gwyn asked.

 

Noble laughed. "You don't need to maintain a disguise in here. You knew exactly what was going on the whole time."

 

Gwyn took that opportunity to go back to her wolf form, with a flash of light to obscure the actual transformation. "That feels better." She said, happy to be a wolf again.

 

"I can only imagine..." Noble said. He turned to the thugs with eyes glowing. "Unpack Lady Gwyn's things in her room. Take the hallway on your right, first door on the left. When you're done, you will leave this place and forget everything that happened today."

 

"Yes, my lord!" The two of them said, hurrying off to put Gwyn's things away. Noble would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy using his little trick.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Windbreaker

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

Blast

@@Windbreaker,

 

Blast rubbed his head and slowly got back up to his hooves. It took a moment for his vision to return, but once he did, he gave a small gesture with his hoof.

"Yeah, I think so... Not too many dents..." At that moment, a spike of jaw-jarring pain went through his skull. He must've hit his head pretty hard, because once this spike of pain occured, he just fell back down again. He gave a small grunt. "Ugh, I hate this freaking train!" Blast said, clenching his head.

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Kingfisher

 

@@Snowy Storm,

 

"Thanks..." Nodded Kingfisher - leaning into the seat with a slight shiver - the unicorn wasn't lying, the seats were ice cold.

 

'She wants to be colder? Here?' She thought, but held her tongue on the matter. "Yeah, never been into the city before - only seen it from the coast. We're probably not going to be staying long: just need to find out what's gotten Bardic all worked up."

 

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

 

Grey Cap

 

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@@Commander Tangent,

 

Grey looked about at the disturbance - seeing that it was just a pair of the eccentric passengers, he breathed a sigh of relief.

 

"Ah've got this fella, bit more'f a bumpy ride than usual but we'll 'ave y'there soon enough!" He said loudly, clenching his teeth as he squinted uselessly through the window. "Think summat 'it us a bit back, can't see bugger all outside though!"

 

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

 

Orion Starsinger and Kricket.

 

@,

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@@SilverHeart,

@,

 

"Not yet... just let me..." Orion thought for a moment before wiping out a rune and replacing it with another. "Perfect! Okay, this won't hurt you, I promise. Just try to hold still."

 

Closing his eyes, Orion started to mumble under his breath: nonsense words from the Litany mixed with other, more common, languages. After a good half minute a very minor glow began to form around his horn. This quickly grew to a bright light - the runes around the circle also lighting in the same way: seeming to rise from the ground in some surreal light display. Glorious blues and greens twisted through the air - bending and weaving about the carved stones...

 

Orion released the spell - allowing it to continue by itself as it should. It didn't.

 

Fizzling out the second he released it: the magic faded in a most un-spectacular way. Orion blinked and tried again - much to the same result. He grunted in annoyance, consulting his notes as sweat began to run down his back from the sheer amount of energy he was expending.

 

The third time that Orion tried the magic-circle-thing, Kricket just couldn't help himself: Willow had shooed him away, but it looked so tasty... and he was hungry!

 

As he passed into the light - something happened. It increased - the runic shaped glowing lights seemed to spiral around Willow and a sudden look of realisation dawned on Orion's face: he released the spell and this time, it didn't fizzle out.

 

The runes hit maximum speed - spinning around the mare before collapsing inwards back to their position on the ground. When they struck there was a slight pulse of magic that could be felt physically - like passing into a significantly colder room. Several seconds later, a huge shockwave pulsed outwards after it: emptying the room completely. The pulse stretched into Canterlot and as far as the walls but nowhere was the effect quite the same.

 

...

 

Orion opened his eyes. White - there was snow all around them. The spell had worked perfectly... sort of. This clearly wasn't one of the resting places of the Litany: outdoors somewhere in a blizzard... but the spell had worked - they couldn't be far!

 

The valley he had appeared in was actually fairly well sheltered - the fog was thinner than elsewhere and the falling snow wasn't anything major - not compared to the storms visible in the distance. Just a short distance away was a cliff-face littered with small caves, while in the snow not far from him, stood (to use the word loosely) a number of other ponies that he recognised.

[Umbreon 569]

Zintiik

 

@,

@@Midnight Scribbler,

@, 

@@SilverHeart,  

 

Zintiik hadn't had a clue what to expect from the spell, nearly backing away when it started to expand.  Not that it would have done him any good, but in his experience large spells the size of the city + Canterlot weren't good things to let touch you.

 

As the changeling picked himself up out of the snow, he glances around squinting into the white all around them.  "What the...  Where are- Sweet Queen Chrysalis, why is it so freezing!?"  Zintiik finds himself curling his legs up into a ball, keeping himself upright with his buzzing wings.  He wasn't even concerned that there may have been others around not in their group - right now he was just worried about the weather!  He didn't tend to mix all that well with cold.

[Ihei 713]

@,@@Midnight Scribbler,@,@@SilverHeart,

 

 

Willow Starsinger

 

"Wha.. but.."

 

Willow scanned her surroundings. She trotted around and saw that they were about a mile away from Canterlot. "What happened?!" Willow snatched Kricket and stuffed him in her saddlebag. "This is for your own good," Willow mumbled to the Aspect, then looked up. "It's so c-cold!" Willow shivered and shielded her eyes with her hoof, trying to find shelter. "Orion, what are we going to do out here?! We can't just stay here!" Willow looked at Zintiik. He seemed to be suffering more than anypony else. Maybe changelings were more vulnerable to the cold.  She looked at him strangely - she hasn't seen him act this way before. All she did see was when he stuttered when she was nearby. Willow extended a hoof to the changeling and made a face that said: "It's going to be okay." Willow smiled reassuringly, then talked to Orion. 

 

"Where are we going to go? It's near dusk..!" Willow frowned. 

Edited December 18, 2013 by Shaymin

[Snowy Storm 57]

@,
"Again sorry about the seats. I'e only heard of the crystal empire from other. To see the world is what I want to do" She looked away from the window to Kingfisher. She hoped the snow would relax enough so she could see what was going on, passed the window.
"So you are a sailor mare than? how is it out on the sea?" she said interested in what Kingfisher had to say.

[Frosty V 309]

@

 

Frost turned away from his conversation with Kingfish, to embarrassed to continue speaking to the mare. He turned over to look at Blast in the seat next to him, exclaiming that he hated the freaking train. He hated to cut in on others conversations, but he figured he would just cut in this once. "Why do you hate the train Blast? It's quite interesting.....despite its motion." He said trying to hold back his sickness

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Kingfisher.

 

@@Snowy Storm,

 

"Best feeling in the world - and infinity better than this train." Kingfisher chuckled to herself. "Wouldn't trade it for anything - out there on the quiet tide... Seeing places that other ponies haven't even dreamed of... then some idiot with a magic book comes along and it's off to 'save Equestria' again!" She half grumbled with a smirk.

 

True, she didn't hate dry land as much as Red made out that he did... but she could see what he meant - all this time on the shore: it was starting to wear her down.

 

"You want to see the world? Boats the way to go. No question."

 

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

 

Orion Starsinger.

 

@,

@,

 

Orion looked over at his sister and the Changeling: reaching into depths of the saddlebag he had recovered from Canterlot and pulling at what looked like a pair of winter cloaks. It wasn't much - but his contact must have at least had an idea about where they were going to end up: and that they wouldn't have cloaks of their own.

 

"Always thinking ahead..." He smiled, draping one over willow before looking at his own...

 

Zintiik looked... really pathetic. Rolling his eyes, he tossed the second cloak to the Changeling - if only to grant it some decency in the cold.

 

"Come on - lets get the others and find some shelter..." He called out over the constant whistling of the wind.

Edited December 18, 2013 by Cinderscribe

[EcstaticWind 572]

Aegis Dare

@, @@Frosty V,

 

Aegis glanced down at the packet of bell peppers he'd left open, finding that they'd all scattered over the floor. He scrunched up the packet and put it in his saddlebags with a look on his face that a filly would give after finding out there was no ice cream left.

 

"I wasn't that hungry anyway..." He said, sighing dejectedly.

[Geek0zoid 1,468]

Blast

@@Windbreaker,@@Frosty V,  

Blast turned to Frost, one eye damaged and still holding his head from a slightly fractured skull.

"Because of stuff like this." Blast said sitting back down. "This isn't exactly A Class service. The train is rocking all over the place and I could've suffered catastrophic head trauma." Blast said, sighing afterwards. He then took out the bell pepper Aegis gave him earlier and offered it to the author. "I still have it. Y'know, if you want it."

[EcstaticWind 572]

Aegis Dare

@, @@Frosty V,

 

 

Aegis shook his head. "Nah, you keep that one. I'll be fine. I'm more worried about you, though." He flashed a grin at Blast, and turned to the pony who was with him at the inn the previous night. "Got motion sickness? I think there's a remedy for that in my medical journal. After the last adventure, I made a point to carry one just in case. Blast's injuries would take somepony who knows what they're doing."

 

He brought out the book. Its thick cover could double as a weapon in the right hooves. Aegis flicked through the pages, looking for the entry on motion sickness. "Well, there's either ginger tea or staring out the window. And the window's fogged up."