You're in a tavern. Suddenly, the door bursts open and everyone is frozen in place. Everything goes silent. The air is stagnant and your food is rotten. An old stallion tells you years have past, and you've been brought back from stone to fight the medusa that caused this mess.
Previously on Mazes and Medusas,
>You blew up a building
>You dealt with the aftermath
>Flashbang got better
Last we left off, sex happened.
>Archive
http://anonpone.pineapplecomputing.com/mazes
TIME FOR BLITZ
http://pastebin.com/6GYzxXCD
~
A set of knocking on the door rouses you from your sleep.
Guhhh...
You take a look around yourself.
The sheets are tousled around the bed and floor, tossed around the night prior, and Eve and Jet are still asleep curled up beside you.
She must have rolled off some time during the night.
Last night... Yeah. That was a night.
You're glad you bought the separate room.
Gods, you're sore.
You can see yourself spending the better part of the day flying around.
You doubt you can walk, and even if you could, you'd probably be walking with a limp.
You have no idea how Eve or Jet will fare once they wake up.
You still feel a bit sticky, and the room doesn't have much ventilation despite the walls being made of clouds. There's still that lingering scent of sex.
The knocks on the door returns and Gisela's voice sounds through.
>"Blitz. Guys? Come on, it's late. Let's get a move on."
>>25438464
>>25438466
"Just a moment."
Wake up the others.
>>25438466
How late?
>>25438466
Tell her we will meet everyne downstairs and get washed up.
We don't want to reek of sex
>>25438548
>>25438552
>>25438708
"How late are we talking?"
You try to keep your voice at a volume such that Gisela can hear but that you don't disturb the two sleeping ponies too much.
They still end up stirring, but you rub their backs to calm them down.
>"Around ten? The Guild Hall opened up hours ago."
"Uhh, give us a bit. Grab a bite, hang out, do whatever. We'll meet up with you guys downstairs once we get cleaned up and ready."
>"Gotcha."
You faintly hear her pawsteps as she walks away, presumably to let the others know, and you nudge Eve and Jet awake.
>"Mmm?"
They slowly stir awake, rubbing their eyes and stretching their limbs as they lay on the bed.
"Morning. Gisela just came by. Come on, let's clean ourselves up and meet with the others."
Jet yawns.
>"I'll clean you up all right," he says tiredly.
"Jet, no. For real, let's hit a shower and get ready for the day."
Eve yawns and tries to climb out of bed, but her hind legs buckle as soon as they hit the floor.
"Eve! Are you okay?!"
>"Yeah, I'm fine."
Shocked awake from the harsh landing, recollection shines through Eve's eyes and she blushes madly, covering herself up with the bed sheet.
Jet tries to climb out of bed too, but he has the same problem.
He doesn't stumble --maybe he expected it-- but all the same, he's having trouble walking straight.
You haven't yet exited the bed, but it dawns on you that the room doesn't have its own restroom.
If anything, the inn might have some sort of communal, semi-private bathroom somewhere.
>>25438939
Oh well great
>>25438939
Lets just pray no one else is there and get it over with.
>inb4 Eve turns out to be pregnantbut the child is from Jet
>or worse, the child is ours
>>25439220
Bruh... how fast do you think reproduction happens?
>>25439236
Old One Eye didn't fucked Kiche until he was grandpa- years old
>>25439278
>>25439141
Nothing to do but hope for the best, you suppose.
You crawl out of the bed and just like you expected, you stumble, unable to keep your balance on wobbly, sore legs.
Looks like you're flying for a while.
Jet doesn't seem to care at least and Eve can fly too, so it shouldn't be too bad.
"If I knew any better, I would've picked a room that had its own bathroom. I don't know if any of them actually have their own bathroom, but it probably would've been worth spending the extra money if they had a room like that."
>"Or at least a room closer to the inn's bathroom," Jet says.
"That would have helped too. Welp, let's just hope no one else is there. You guys good to go?"
>"I am."
"Eve?"
>"Uhh... Y-yeah. Actually, you find the bathroom first and I'll follow once it's open."
You float over to the door and peek your head out into the hallway.
Looks clear.
You gesture to the Jet to follow as you duck into the hall and search for the restroom.
At the far end of the hall, you find a door with a shower sign on it and push it open.
To your immense relief, and you're sure to Eve's as well, it's totally empty.
You wave her down from all the way down the hall and after one last check to make sure no one's around, Eve zips towards you, her short tail tucked between her legs.
She locks the door behind her and breathes a sigh of relief as you lead them to a shower stall.
There are walls between the multiple shower heads, implying that the room normally has ponies showering somewhat together, but it seems Jet's content to share your stall.
Despite the night you shared with her, Eve takes her own stall and you hear the hiss of running water fill your two stalls.
>>25439480
Scrubadubdub
>>25439480
Jet pls we need some personal space every once in a while.
>>25439480
We need to stop Jet from going back to clingy mode
>>25439528
>>25439630
>>25439663
Maybe you should be worried about her, but then again, it's probably nothing.
Sure, you had a raunchy night of sex with her, but Eve will still be Eve. You wouldn't have her any other way.
Minds can get clouded with lust in the heat of the moment, and now that your heads are relatively clear, she's probably all flustered about what happened last night.
She's fairly independent too. You'll give her her space.
Speaking of...
"Jet, please. No offense, but I could use some personal space every once in a while."
>"I'm just saving the place some water!"
You just give him a look.
>"We just spent the night together! What's a shower after that? I'm not even doing anything!"
"Jet."
He holds your gaze for just a moment longer with a pleading look before he breaks eye contact.
>"Okay. I'm... I'm doing it again. I got it. I'll just uhh... be right over there."
He slinks out of your stall to the one next door and you hear his set of running water wash over him.
You love the guy, you really do, but he needs to learn.
All alone in the stall, you get to cleaning.
You shampoo and condition your mane and tail, soap up your body. You make sure to scrub in deep to get all the semen, sweat, and other juices out of your coat. Of course, you make sure to take extra care of the area between your legs.
Satisfied, you turn the water off and shake yourself dry before grabbing one of the folded towels off to the side and getting rid of the excess water.
Until you style your mane with some wind, you actually remind yourself of your brother just a bit.
Jet and Eve follow suit. With their short manes, the wet mane look doesn't change a whole lot, and after a towel dry, Jet's mane is back to what it usually is. Eve uses one of the inn's brushes to fix her hair, and you briefly wonder what she'd look like with a messy mane.
You all step out and head back to collect your things.
You head downstairs and find the other three sitting around a table, waiting for you.
>>25439915
Mornin'! How'd ya guys sleep?
>>25439933
Gis is totally a cuddler.
>>25439968
Fluffy Griffons make the best cuddle pillows.
>>25439915
Kept you waiting huh?
>>25440050
You're pretty good.
>>25439933
>>25440050
"Morning, guys. How was your night?"
>"It was fantastic!" Carver gushes. "Blitz, I can't thank you enough for splitting the rooms. Having my own bed was amazing!"
Gisela and Flashbang share a glance, but you catch Gisela narrow her eyes at her just barely.
>"Our night was okay."
>"Yup. Slept well."
>"Nothing happened."
>"What she said."
>"How about you guys?" Flashbang asks, eager to change the subject.
You smile fondly.
"It was a great night."
>"We--"
>"Yeah!" Eve interrupts. "It was real comfortable. Hey, sorry to keep you guys waiting. Are we all ready to head out?"
Carver looks at her strangely.
>"We're ready if you are."
"Does anyone actually know where the Guild Hall is?"
>"I asked around earlier while you guys were still asleep. Apparently the old town hall got repurposed as the Adventurer's Guild Hall. Huge building just at the end of the main road."
"Sounds good to me. Let's head out."
You exit the building into the mid-morning sun, the streets bustling with the activity of countless questing adventurers.
You follow the cobblestone road deep into the heart of the city until you're confronted with a massive, grand-looking cloud building.
If you didn't know any better, you'd think it was the coliseum.
Inside, things are only just a little bit more gritty. The ceiling towers high above the rest of the city, the clear open space a haven for pegasi.
Dining tables take up almost an entire quarter of the floor, where dozens of adventurers share hearty meals.
There's even a large stage where bards perform for everyone.
Most of the floor is open space where ponies can mingle or recruit.
On one wall, you see a large counter manned by official-looking ponies handling papers for many incoming or outgoing groups.
Beside the counter is a huge bulletin board covered by job posters.
>>25440541
Maybe we should go to the counter first.
>>25440541
Seems like a nice place.
>>25440541
Probably wouldn't hurt to check out the counter and get some information.
>>25440599
>>25440845
You make the counter your first stop.
Ahead of you, the Guild staff struggle to accommodate a crowds of ponies.
There are civilians posting jobs and putting up the fees and rewards, parties taking various jobs, other parties reporting the completion of jobs.
Bags of bits are constantly being exchanged, papers and cards being stamped and traded, and various pieces of proof are being turned in.
Most of what you see being turned in are sheets of paper or letters, but sometimes you do see scales, bones, or bags with non-bit contours being given to the staff behind the counter.
Despite all the busyness, things appear to be quite well coordinated.
Instead of being something like Canterlot stock exchanges, it's actually a lot more like just a very busy food truck or ticket vendor.
Finally, you find yourself at the front desk being served by a uniformed pegasus mare.
She has a beige coat and a russet mane styled in a librarian's bun.
She's wearing square-rimmed reading glasses, a cherry red neckerchief, and a grass green coat with matching red lining.
A frizzled strand of hair sticks out from her bun but she tries to maintain a happy-to-serve attitude.
>"Yes? How can I help you?"
>>25441272
We're new here. How does this process work?
>>25441272
We're here for a job
>>25441323
>>25442058
"We're actually new here. Could you maybe tell us how this process works?"
>"Oh gosh, you guys are rookie adventurers?"
>"Who are you calling rookies?" both Carver and Gisela ask the mare threateningly.
>"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, I swear! I'm sure you wouldn't be here if you weren't competent!"
"Carver, Gis, sit!" To the mare, "Sorry about that. But no, I wouldn't call ourselves rookies. This is our first time in Clousdale and our first time dealing with... this."
You gesture to the counter, the board, the whole room.
>"Still, sorry for insinuations I may have made." She adjusts her glasses and risks a glance at Carver and Gisela, who are sitting on the floor grumpily. "So! Uhm, where to start... Well, we have several ponies in the back working the typewriters and printers, which we use to--"
"You can skip the bureaucrat stuff. As a group of adventurers looking for a quest, what do we need to know?"
>"Okay, uhm. Ponies of all sorts come to us with a job they would like to get done. They give us the details, the reward they're willing to offer, and a fee for our services."
"They need to pay to have their jobs posted here? Why not just use the regular boards around town?"
>"We're an organization. A credited Guild Hall will get more attention than random boards. If a pony has a request that is particularly important or risky, they'll have better luck leaving it to us to find someone for them than leaving it to chance on a street board. It's also good for the adventurers since the quests posted here are far more likely to be legitimate. Nopony is going to pay extra for small-fry odd jobs or shady work."
Well, gee. That would have been nice to know yesterday.
"So that's posting the requests. What about taking and turning in jobs?"
[cont]
>>25442239
>"Well, you look for a request that interests you and then tell us you want to take it. Now, we know how much of an inconvenience it is to run back here if you're sent halfway across Equestria, so we've got that covered. Of course, you can turn in the quest in person, but in most cases, we charge you a small fee. We'll give you a slip, a receipt, detailing the conditions of the request, and a magical flare."
"Magical flare?"
She nods and pulls out a vial of swirling flame.
>"Once you finish your quest, tear the slip in half, break this vial and burn the half with the details. It will send a signal to us and we'll send out a pegasus to confirm the completion of the quest. Once confirmed, the pegasus will use your other half to locate you and give you your reward."
"So how much is the fee?"
>"You have to pay for the flare and the pegasus. Prices vary depending on the distance and danger of the location our envoy needs to travel. The flare is a flat 15 bits and travel expenses usually range anywhere from 20 to 40 bits. But don't worry, if you can pay that initial fee, most quests we have here will pay for that and much more! Now, that said, how can I help you?"
"We're here for a job."
>"Y-you're turning in a job after asking how things work?"
"No, no! We're looking for a job to accept."
>"O-oh! Of course, of course! I would be happy to help you find a quest right for you! But, uhm, could you be more specific?"
"Specific how?"
>"Well, is there a certain number of bits you were looking to be rewarded? Maybe you're looking for a certain monster to slay, or material to collect, or maybe you wanted to escort a caravan? Maybe you're looking for something to do in a certain town? Maybe you're looking for something else? Just ask the question and I'll try to help you to the best of my ability!"
>>25442255
Hmmm, the hide and herb quests totalled 100 bits, so maybe something worth at least double or triple that, considering how simple those were. I'm sort of wondering if rewards like that might be too low for a place like this to offer though, so if they don't, maybe something more like quintuple since we have our entire party together. There's other stuff to consider, but that would be a good start, I guess.
For tomorrow, a caravan escort or something similar that takes us to the next town would probably make a good plan for when Flash is back to 100%.
>>25442514
Let's ask for quests within the price range then we can decide which one is best suited for our skills
>>25442637
Something good I hope
>>25442255
M&M's running? Sweet! Catching up...
>>25443523
Nice Blog post! Subscribed
:^)
>>25442514
>>25442637
"Well, we took a pair of collection quests yesterday and got 100 bits total. Do you have anything like that?"
>"Why are you asking for nothing quests?" Carver asks. "Why aren't we doing stuff that's sending us out to the rest of Equestria?"
"I thought we'd do money quests now and move on tomorrow when Flashbang's all better"
>"But I'm fine."
"What?"
>"Yeah, she crashed earlier," Gisela explains. "We got up early like normal, got ready for the day, then suddenly she just passes the fuck out right when we're about to grab you guys. I came by your room once Flashbang got back up. I guess it worked out in the end, since all of you slept in so late."
"Yup," you say nervously. "Real good thing we got up so late, ha ha. Well! If Flashbang is good to go, I guess that opens a few more options!"
>"We have exactly 70 bits between us, so something that pays well with that budget would be good," Eve tells the guildmare.
>"And include travel quests," Gisela adds. "A caravan escort or anything like that that takes us someplace east would be good too."
The guildmare nods before shuffling through countless papers, reading them off as she finds them.
>"If you want money, I've got one to collect ores from Galloping Gorge. 30 bit fee paying 180 for a few bags. I have another to go south into the hills by Canterlot. Some noble is paying top bit to recover some toy that got lost there. 50 bit fee but paying 400 bits to get the thing back. That place is real dangerous though, being right next to Canterlot. And remember, there aren't any fees at all if you decide to turn in the quest and items in person."
She continues.
>"If you're planning on heading east, someone from Neighagra Falls wants a party to investigate some cave. 50 bit fee paying 275, good when the client is satisfied. Otherwise, a supply caravan needing escort to Hollow Shades is paying 350 with a 50 fee. Of course, if you want something else or you were looking for something in particular, let me know."
>>25442255
After reading the other responses, I think I'll go with those recommending asking what the general range of pay is to do a job requiring a party of our size. Then take one of the mid to mid-higher paying jobs in that bracket. Personally I like fetch-quests, though an escort lets us meet new folks. I'm up for anything though.
>>25443689
I'd be good with either the cave or caravan escort, third preference being recovering the toy.
Mostly leaning toward the cave, here.
>>25443689
I'd rather not leave Cloudsdalde yet evern with everyone good to go. A place full of this many traveling adventurers is sure to have some really good information we can use for our quest.
Go Gorge.
>>25443689
Considering our last experience in caves, I think I'd like to go for the caravan escort.
We could always get our party members' opinion as well.
>>25443689
Ask the team if they have any prefrence
>>25443689
Caravan escort. We'd have done stuff like that before.
>>25443770
We didn't even get to taste the local brew!
We should at least travel back to hand in the quest in person that way we can get some extra money.
>>25443826
When?
We were not the escort crew for the Circus and that's the only time we traveled with people not in our team.
>>25443861
We once escorted a merchant to a gated community.
>>25444077
You mean the one we met in the middle of the night and then ran away from us?
yeah that's not escorting.
>>25443689
The one near Canterlot seems promising. Would let us see how the place is keeping on since the start of this whole thing. And there's bound to be some good stuff in that cave near Neighagra Falls.
>>25443689
How far are all these places Travel time wise?
Maybe the Noble knows some stuff about what happened in Canterlot if we get the toy and bring it back to him he might answer some questions.
B
I know its really late to bring it up but Carver was deffo up to something last night.
page nein
>>25443804
>>25443808
>>25445195
Cloudsdale is pretty smack dab in the middle of most of these places.
Galloping Gorge and the Canterlot hills are both about as far as the river you went to yesterday to pick those herbs, except in different directions, so either of those would be about half a day round trip.
Traveling to Neighagra Falls would take about that long one way, and the journey to Hollow Shades would probably take the entire day, not to mention having to move at the caravan's speed.
"Do you guys have any preferences as to what we do next?"
>"I'd rather just get a move on," Gisela answers first. "Caravan or cave, I could do with either. Though I'm leaning towards the cave if it means getting to check out the Falls," she finishes with a grin.
>"I choose either the hills or the cave," Carver says. "Those ones sound the most exciting. I don't really want to pick rocks or babysit a wagon."
>"As curious as I am about the cave, I think it's best if we pick a job that helps somepony else," Eve says. "I think finding a toy for someone is really sweet, but I'd be really interested in getting supplies to Hollow Shades."
>"Does no one want to get rocks? That sounds nice and easy." Flashbang deflates. "I don't know. I'm afraid to face whatever's by Canterlot, and I don't know how helpful I'll be inside caves or with even more ponies and things we'd have to defend."
"How about you, Jet?"
He thinks for a moment.
>"I can't say I have a preference. Well, I'd rather not do one of the fetch quests. Money shouldn't be an issue once we finish one of the other ones."
>>25449293
How extremely unhelpful
>>25449293
Let's just go with the caravan to hollow shades.
>>25449293
Seems like cave is good for everyone
lets go Cave.
>>25449293
Sounds like either the caravan or the caves would be the best choice now with party input. I can't decide, so
Evens: Cave
Odds: Caravan
>>25449293
well I wanted the hills but caves would be good too.
>>25449293
I really hope we come back to Cloudsdale when we are done with the task. I really think this would be the place to find out more info on what happened in Canterlot.
>>25449293
well the Caravan is gonna be slow as fuck. So the Cave is a better value of the 2
>>25449293
Cave
>>25449416
>>25449501
>>25449600
>>25449682
>>25449543
Even when your party narrows it down to just either the caves or caravan, you're still having a hard time deciding which to take.
You were this close to just flipping a bit.
But in the end, you've made your choice.
"We're going to Neighagra Falls to investigate the cave."
Gisela and Carver seem excited, and though Flashbang and Eve express a small amount of disappointment, no one complains.
>"Don't feel too bad about not taking the others," the guildmare addresses Eve in particular. "Remember, it's our job to make sure they get done, so even if you didn't take it, somepony else will."
>"Thanks."
>"Alrighty then! Give me the 50 bits and I'll get you set up!"
You hand over the money and in return, the guildmare passes you one of the flame vials and a slip of paper stamped with the guild's seal: two stylized pegasi facing each other with swords crossed.
On the slip of paper, one half describes your party while the other half describes the quest.
Apparently, you're to meet the client when you reach the Falls, and that pony will give you further details. The slip does describe the client and where to find them.
It also mentions that the quest will be considered incomplete without confirmation from the client. You assume they have some way of tracking that too.
>"Thank you for accepting the quest and we wish you the best of luck in your success!"
"And thank you for all your help!" To your party, "I do hope we come back here when we're done though. Cloudsdale seems like a great town to get some information on what happened in Canterlot."
>"Well, we don't have to leave right away," Jet points out. "If you want, we can stick around for a little longer."
>>25449875
Well if it takes half a day to get there and its close to midday right now. We are gonna get there at around midnight. So we should go soon.
>>25449875
I suppose we could take a walk for a bit and see if there's anything interesting info around. It probably wouldn't hurt to ask the mare about Canterlot as well if we haven't left the counter yet.
>>25449943
Brings up a good point though.
>>25449943
>>25449988
For your own sake of mind, you clarify that by half day, you meant half of the time that the sun is out, not half of an entire day cycle.
The trip to Neighagra Falls should take about as long as going to that river yesterday and back to Cloudsdale.
Which you did, and that didn't take until midnight to get back. Leaving around noon would mean getting there at sunset.
In any case, at the very least you could ask the guildmare for info as long as you're right here.
"Excuse me, do you think you could give us some more information?"
>"Anything to help! What would you like to know?"
"I wanted to ask about Canterlot."
The guildmare scrunches up her nose and her glasses sink down her snout. Readjusting them, she answers.
>"There are no quests involving Canterlot at the moment."
"But there used to be?"
>"A long time ago, yes. Back during the Guild's beginnings, there were requests to search for belongings or loved ones. After many failed expeditions and the few reports from returning travelers, it was deemed that there was nothing left to save, and even if a client wanted someone sent out there, the guild wouldn't allow it."
"Do you know what happened when Canterlot fell?"
>"Uhm, a medusa came out of nowhere and turned the city to stone? I'm not sure what else to tell you. You're going to have to be more specific. Sorry."
>>25450317
O-okay
>>25450317
Know anyone in town that has more knowledge about what happened?
>>25450317
Could you give me an exact time? Everyone's been content to say 'Years,' but no one's said how many.
>>25450389
A decade
>>25450403
Funnily enough, I thought the same, but I recently looked through the archives, and the only mention of 'decade,' or 'ten years,' was when referring to harmony week's frequency.
>>25450332
>>25450389
"Do you know anyone in town that might know more about what happened?"
She adopts a defeated and apologetic look.
>"Sorry, but I just work here. I don't really know anyone. Besides, the ones who would know most about the attack would be the ones who didn't make it out, and escaping and surviving would mean that you didn't encounter anything. Except, you know, statues..."
She coughs before continuing.
>"That's just it, isn't it? You either know nothing beyond what you can piece together from the remnants, or you take any real knowledge to the grave."
"So there are no survivors at all?"
>"I mean, maybe? If there are, I wouldn't be able to point you to any. Sorry about getting dark on you. And sorry I was no help there."
"It's fine... Actually, can you tell me how long ago the attack was? Everyone who's said anything just said that it happened 'many years ago' but no one has said exactly how many."
>"Hmm, you guys do look pretty young. You were all probably just little fillies and colts when everything turned sour, huh?"
Your original party glance at each other awkwardly. Carver shrugs, but Flashbang's face grows dark at the memories.
>"I think we're just coming up on two decades soon? Yeah, I remember last Harmony Week was cancelled. Pretty much all the non-ponies have left Equestria to settle in their own lands after what happened."
So there's your number. Almost 20 years have passed during that split second in the tavern.
And it looks like you're on your own when it comes to investigations. Learn from the remnants, huh?
So be it.
What now?
>>25450938
There must be some kind of Expert somewhere I mean there was at least the pony who revived us after all.
However It doesn't look like we will find them any time soon.
Maybe see if there is a library here?
>>25450938
Make sure everyone has everything they need before we go off to do the quest.
>>25451010
Have we actually taken a fly and scouted out the local landmarks? What's around here that would be useful?
If we're leaving noon-ish, we should take a bit of time to check our supplies as well.
>>25451164
this
>>25450938
Does she know anything abour our beloved book ''Equestrian Psycho''?
>>25451442
If there's any place we could find it, it would be here.
>>25452034
Isn't that what we said about Starch?
>>25451010
>>25451164
>>25451363
>>25451442
"One last thing."
>"Hmm?" the guildmare asks.
"Do you know anything about Equestrian Psycho?"
>"I know that it's incredibly rare. Actually, I have a quest for it."
"Wait, really?!"
>"Well, not -for- it," she says, shuffling through papers. "Not as a reward or anything, but as a requested item. The client's sure Canterlot has at least one copy. Normally we deny all requests that involve going to Canterlot, but since the client has not specified a quest location and the item could be from anywhere, we accepted it. The client's offering 4,444 bits to anyone who can give him a copy."
You let out a low whistle.
Pricey book.
But it will be yours.
Canterlot, huh? If you fail to find a copy anywhere else, you'll keep that in mind for when you return there. It might be just another baseless rumor, but it's a lead.
"Thank you very much for the information."
Business done at the Guild Hall, all that's left is to make final preparations before you set out.
You make a quick fly-around of the city, taking note of any local landmarks.
Weapon shops, armor shops, general survival gear shops, potion stores, enchantment stations.
Medbays, recruitment areas, cart rentals, food places, training grounds. You do manage to find a library and even a bank too.
You regroup with the others and take inventory.http://pastebin.com/EQnzS1EX
As you look through your things, you remember the two vials you took from the imp shop thieves, and the one Jet took from the lighthouse way back when.
You ask Jet if he can identify them and after tasting a bit of each, he tells you.
The ones off the thieves were narcotics. Get it in the victim's system and they'll pass right out. The one from the lighthouse is something he calls Potion of Second Wind. It won't heal wounds, but it'll give someone that extra boost to just keep going.
That covered, anything you want to do?
>>25454066
Ask if everyone is ready and move out then
I guess.
>>25454066
"enchantment station" sounds totally awesome, but we'd need some more bits before experimenting with making our armor magic or something. and we've already got magic weapons.
I say buy torches rope and a pickaxe, then head out, unless we wanna pack a lunch first.
>>25454066
I'm not sure where to start if we want to try getting more info on Canterlot. It seems like there won't be much to find for the time being.
>>25454692 sounds good.
beb
The unenlightened masses
>>25457809
THEY CANNOT MAKE THE JUDGEMENT CALL
>>25458561
AMERICA NEEDS YOU TO DIE, JACK!
>>25454682
>>25454692
>>25455497
Before you leave, you stop by a general supply store and buy six torches, 30 feet of rope, and a pickaxe.
After paying the 12 bits, you pass out a torch to everyone and give Eve the rope and the pickaxe to Carver. At three weapons each, you and Gisela are already carrying a bit much, and Jet and Flashbang aren't particularly strong in the first place.
You spend the last eight of your bits on food for the road.
Flat broke again. Maybe you should have dipped into that thief stash instead of giving almost all of it away to those ingrates...
Granted, you probably won't need any for a while since you'll be traveling and spelunking, having money at all for a time was nice. And you'll get paid almost 300 bits when you finish the quest.
Ready to move on, you gather the others and leave the massive gates of Cloudsdale behind you as you progress towards your next destination: Neighagra Falls.
~
After several hours of travel, the afternoon suns beats down on your party as you reach the halfway point.
Nearby on the grassy plains, other ponies do their own field work.
The river where you picked those herbs looms nearby. According to the map, that river leads straight to the Falls.
You and Flashbang make sure to leave ample space between it and you as you settle down for a rest.
As Eve hands out the lunch, you catch Flashbang casting wary glances at the river.
You follow her gaze, and if you didn't know any better, you'd think it was a very innocuous, pleasant-looking stream.
But below the surface, your sharp eye catches the ripples of creatures swimming underneath, a bigger creature mixed in with the movements of smaller ones.
>>25460424
No reason to fuck with that.
>>25460424
Assholes
>>25460424
Ew gross, there's something worse than toxic leeches? Bleh!
If anything comes outta that stream, have flashbang blow it up. Might as well settle and have lunch for now then?
>>25460424
Engage that food. Maybe there's something to talk about?
Has anyone ever been to the Falls before?
>>25460424
It's fine. The Gigginox is blind. It sees through heat vision. It also lives in caves, but w/e.
>>25460451
>>25460483
>>25460484
Yup. You are not going anywhere near that.
Except for the part where you have to follow the river to the Falls. And that the Falls are giant waterfalls going down into this huge lake.
Dumb water monsters.
You snap your feathers together to grab Flashbang's attention.
"Hey, don't think about what happened too much, alright? There's plenty of space between us and the leeches."
>"I know. It's still a scary thought."
"Flashbang, you need to understand how strong you actually are. If anything comes out of there, just toss a bomb at it." She nods. "Come on, let's eat."
As you all dig in to your food, you try to strike up some conversation.
"So, has anyone ever been to Neighagra Falls before?"
Jet, Eve, and Carver shake their heads.
>"No, I haven't."
>"I saw it all the time from a distance when I was in Canterlot, but I've never actually been there."
>"I just happened to go the other way when I left home."
Gisela raises her hand and Flashbang nods.
>"I've been there before!" Gisela starts. "Real cool place. The actual waterfalls are massive! You could probably fit the whole of Canterlot under them. I remember they wouldn't let anyone swim in the upper sections and even though ponies could go in the lake, they closed off the parts near the base of the falls."
>"I was really young when I Showtime took us there during his journeys. We didn't do much though. He told us not to go in the water, and a lot of our time was spent in the town."
"There's a town?"
>"Mhm! It's built in two parts, right next to the waterfalls. One half on top and the other at the bottom. We couldn't get our wagons and stuff up to the upper level though. Too wet and too steep."
As you talk, you notice that many of the smaller ripples in the water have disappeared.
>>25460895
Im getting a vibe there is some kin of huge lake monster there.
Ask if Showtime told Flashbang anything on why not to go in the water And what kind of stuff did the town have..
>>25460895
Well that certainly sounds like a nice place.
>>25460895
And I hear if you go onto the Canada side, you can't get back without a passport.
>>25461074
>>25461231
"Did Showtime ever tell you why to stay out of the water?"
>"He told us there was a huge monster in there that would eat us up. He didn't tell us anything about it, but we were young. We just listened to him and didn't ask questions about that sort of thing."
"No hints at all about what's under there?"
She gives a noncommittal shrug.
>"He wouldn't even let us get close, so maybe it's something that can pull you in? He could have just been being overprotective. Oh! I actually remember being really disappointed that we couldn't go topside. He said the water up there should be fine, but again, we weren't able to make it. But from what Gisela said, we probably still wouldn't be allowed to play in the water up there."
>"It was mostly because they didn't want anyone falling down the waterfall. At least it sounds like there's nothing wrong with the water itself in that case," Gisela says. "I would really hate to hear that the water turned into skin-melting acid over the years."
>"A giant monster isn't any better!" Eve shouts.
>"What are you talking about? A giant monster is WAY better!" Carver says.
>"I would have preferred the acid, myself," Jet says with a sneer.
"I don't want either. Acid is terrible and water monsters are terrifying. The dragon doesn't count," you say after remembering its attacks. "Do you guys know anything about the towns?"
>"When I went, it wasn't even really a town," Gisela begins. "It was more like a tourist resort kind of place. A few hotels, restaurants, that sort of thing, and that was it. There wasn't really anything downside."
>"I don't know what topside was like. Downside was little more than a rest stop, but I think I remember ponies working on a new building. They had flashlight helmets and pickaxes and scuba gear too."
>>25461491
>inb4 they dug too deep and woke some long forgotten horror.
>>25461657
They always do.
>>25461491
Sounds more like they're working on a damn mine.
>>25461491
The smaller ripples dissappearing makes me nervous. Some leaches travel on land just fine, for a surprising distance. Keep an eye on the grass in case they're worming their way toward us!
>>25461657
>>25461731
>>25461814
"It sounds like they were working on a mine or something." You let out a dry chuckle. "You think they dug too deep and woke up some ancient horror?"
>"Oh man, I hope so!"
>"Carver, no. Blitz, don't joke about stuff like that."
>"Calm down, Eve. It wasn't around when I went there, and it sounds like it was when Flashbang went. Whatever they were doing, they didn't wake up whatever's hanging out in the lake now."
Jet nods.
>"It's probably another thing that came about with the turn of the world. As for the mining hypothesis, remember that our mission is to investigate a cave. It's likely that they need ponies like us to clear out whatever they found while exploring."
"Well, we'll get the details when we get there."
Taking a sip from your waterpouch to wash down your meal, you check on the river again.
You really don't like that some of the smaller ripples just disappeared.
Can... can leeches go on land? That one that stuck itself on Flashbang seemed fine out of the water. How far on land can they travel on their own?
Heart pounding, you search the nearby grass for any leeches that might be sneaking up on you, and you let out a relieved sigh when you don't spot anything.
An audible splash from the river grabs your attention, but when you look, you only catch the falling droplets of some aftermath.
The water around the splash turns a tint of green, the same color as the leech blood from yesterday, and you watch the water ripple as something big travels upstream, in the direction of the Neighagra Falls lake.
>>25462230
Guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Keep going, I guess, and let that Halberd charge up for when we inevitably need it.
>>25462230
rip leech, you were shit anyways.
Might as well just get moving and be wary of whatever's in there.
>>25462230
Ah so the larger thing eats the leeches? Nice!
It looks like we're getting done with lunch, so let's proceed. Onward!
>>25462474
>>25462490
>>25462776
Watching the large ripples move away leaves you unnerved.
You think you should be excited to find something that eats those leeches, but all you can think about is how whatever it is could potentially eat you or your friends.
Without even having seen this thing, it's already bringing back bad memories of those wurms in the Smokey Mountain caves. Except this time instead of a dirt monster it's a water monster. Much worse.
You'll deal with it when you need to. Hopefully you won't need to, but all the same, you take comfort in the steadily growing charge of your halberd as time passes on.
Everyone finishes up eating and soon enough, you're all marching again, making sure to give the river a wide berth as you follow it eastward.
Hours pass, and the river widens more and more until the land surrounding the body of water becomes so distant, you'd almost think you were staring off into the ocean.
On the far side of what you know must be the Neighagra Falls lake, the mist from the falling waters cloud any sort of view of your actual destination.
It almost looks as if a thick cloud is spewing a blue rainbow into another thick cloud below.
On the right shore, the eastern and southern sides of the lake, a jungle paints the scene green as it stretches from a south-going fork in the river all the way to the Falls.
The lake itself seems fairly calm on the surface. Well, as calm as you'd expect being fed by a giant waterfall.
There is a relatively open space between the jungle wall and the lake shore, but you're not sure how close to the water you're willing to get, or if trekking through the jungle itself is any safer.
>>25463769
Well, guess it's time to find our client.
>>25463769
I vote Jungle trek, and find the client. Though if we do go ner water just have Flashbang keep a bomb ready to lob.
>>25463769
At least in the open we can see if anything jumps out at us.
Just stay in the open and keep an eye out.
Who do you think would win in a pillow fight?
![[JAWS main theme by John Williams].png](https://i.imgur.com/jTJ3Bgs.png "[JAWS main theme by John Williams].png")
>>25466111Hero
>>25466729
He would hide in his fort until everyone else stopped playing.
>>25463769
Just stay in the open, it will be quicker and we will see better.
MEMORIES BROKEN
>>25468804
THE TRUTH GOES UNSPOKEN
>>25464142
>>25464242
>>25467727
"We'll follow the shore until we find our guy."
>"But what about the lake monster?" Flashbang asks worriedly.
"What about the jungle monsters?"
>"There are jungle monsters too?!"
"I don't know. Maybe. Probably. The point is, I'd rather stay out in the open than hike through a bunch of trees and foliage. This way, we'll move faster and see better just in case anything does happen."
>"Let's get a move on then. I don't like staying in one place."
Gisela leads the way and everyone follows.
You keep your senses peeled as you walk the path between the lake shore and jungle wall.
Even Eve is extremely cautious, her eyes narrowed into slits and her ears swiveling this way and that.
Just walking this path, everything seems perfectly calm.
There's no noise from the jungle, and the lake looks beautifully pristine.
All the same, you can't shake the feeling of something lurking in both, just waiting for you to step within its grasp.
As you near the titanic falls, you see a silhouette out in the lake.
Partially hidden by the mist, you see what looks like a small boat. You can't quite make out if there's anyone on it.
>>25468864
make sure it's actually a boat.
>>25463769
Can we see the town? I feel like we're on the wrong side of the river. If so, look for a bridge.
>>25468864
Point it out to the other party members? They probably wouldn't be able to make it out any better, but at least they'd be aware of it.
>>25468910
>>25468895
>>25469084
You crossed the river fork once you started following the jungle wall.
From where you are, you try to spot the town.
Your eyes scan the falls and its neighboring area once again, and this time you do see what must be the town.
Built into the cliffside right next to the waterfalls, you see the shapes of several buildings laid out into rows over one another.
Between the heavier mist and jungle foliage, you can't tell if there are any buildings on ground level.
You're somewhat curious about the boat though.
"Do you guys see that?" you ask, pointing in the direction of the boat.
>"See what?"
Eve and Gisela squint out in the direction you're pointing.
>"The mist is too heavy. I can't make anything out."
>"Me neither. Why? What do you see?"
"I think it's a boat."
>"What's a boat doing out on what's supposedly an really dangerous lake filled with monsters?" Carver asks. "Right by the falling white waters too."
"You don't believe me? Remember what happened last time?"
>"Alright, alright. I hear you. I believe that you see a boat. We'll move forward knowing that there's a boat out there."
"I'm not sure if it even is a boat though."
You want to check it out, but unless you have any other ideas, checking means having to fly closer.
>>25469184
yeah ... no. I'd rather just continue on knowing a boat exists out there.
>>25469184
Don't think we're gonna be doing that. Might as well just keep moving.
>>25469217
>>25469241
Nah, it's fine.
You'll make do with the knowledge that a boat exists somewhere.
For now, you just keep moving.
You continue down the path, slowly nearing the cliffside town.
The tree line ends and the buildings come into view.
It looks like a whole village has been built into the wall, every single one of them slick with water from the spray of the roaring waterfall nearby.
The only safeguard against ponies slipping off are rails and fences running along wooden walkways.
You see a set of stairs dug out into the cliff going up a few stories, but it looks like the builders gave up on that halfway through.
Where the stairs are clearly defined on the lower levels, past the third row or buildings they just sort of devolved into a lazy incline before disappearing altogether into sheer wet rock.
Although stairs and pegasi exist, you see many ponies riding rudimentary pulley elevators to travel between levels.
The buildings are mostly shacks, and the same goes for those on the ground floor.
Beside one of the ground floor buildings nearer the falls and lake, a small gate blocks the way into a cave dug out into the cliffside.
A brief glimpse shows you lanterns lining the insides of the cave and a set of minecart tracks leading into the depths.
Pulling out the quest slip, you find that this is your client's address, but when you knock on the door, there's no answer.
>>25469822
Hello?
>>25469822
Try calling out for them. If there's still no answer then we could take a look at the client's description and explore the town. Maybe we'll find them out and about.
>>25469822
Inquire at the neighbors' if shouting "hello?" for a minute or two doesn't work.
>>25469842
>>25469900
>>25470063
"Hello? Anyone home?"
No answer.
"We just came from Cloudsdale! We're here about a job to investigate a cave? We were told to meet with you!"
Still nothing.
>"It doesn't look like anyone's here," Carver says, peering into a window.
"Well we have their description. We can check out the town and ask anyone else if they've seen our pony."
>"So who should we be on the lookout for anyway?" Eve asks.
You pull out the slip.
"Uhhh... earth pony stallion named Softshell. Murky green coat, pointy tail, bowl cut mane with sharp, pointy bangs. The mane and tail are swamp brown and he has dark brown eyes."
With that in mind, you set out and start looking.
You, Eve, and Gisela fly up to the higher levels while Jet, Carver, and Flashbang take the lower levels.
You don't spot anyone that matches that description, so you start asking around.
>"Listen, buddy, but I don't keep tabs on every single pony here."
>"Sounds pretty generic to me. Sounds like a lot of ponies."
>"Oh, he lives in that shack down there by the mine. You should check there."
>"Yeah, I know him. I think he went out on his boat again."
"Boat?"
>"Yeah. He says he found a cave behind the waterfall and he's been trying to explore it. I heard he even posted a job in Cloudsdale for some help."
>>25470372
of fucking course
fly out to the bat
>>25470390
>bat
boat obviously
>>25470372
>thinking "inb4 he was on the boat" when he wasn't home
>he's on the boat
That figures
Guess we're flying out to that thing after all. I hope the tentacles don't get us.
>>25470428
>out
You mean in?
>>25470443
Out. Flying out to the boat.
Unless there's a joke going over my head or something.
>>25470428
Yeah I was thinking the same thing.
>>25470468
>he found a cave behind the waterfall
>meaning inside the mountain
>>25470496
But I wasn't talking about the cave. We gotta make contact with the client first.
>>25470390
>>25470422
>>25470428
You thank the pony. With that info, you go to regroup and you fly into to your bat.
>"Blitz! Did you find the him?"
"Let's grab the others first and I'll tell you all then."
You and Eve find the others and you all regroup outside Softshell's shack.
>"So, did you find the guy?" Carver asks.
"No, but I know where he is. One of the ponies here told me that Softshell went out on his boat."
>"And you think it's the boat you saw earlier?"
You nod.
"I would assume that was his boat I saw."
>"Of course," Gisela states flatly. "So are we just going to wait for him to get back or what?"
"I was thinking we fly out there and meet him."
>"Isn't that dangerous?" Flashbang asks. "We had enough trouble carrying everypony away from the zombies. I don't want to go through that again with a giant water monster!"
"The problem before was that Eve had to be carried and Carver can't really carry anyone. This time Eve's awake and Carver can fly herself. Between Gis, Eve, and me, we can carry you and Jet."
>"That's not the only problem though," Jet interrupts. "If we're flying, we also have to deal with the water. Pegasi and griffons can fly when wet, and though Eve can as well, expect her to tire much faster than usual. In addition to that, the water may make things slippery, risking a drop."
>"So we're waiting then?"
>"We don't know how long it'll take for him to get back or if he even gets back at all. The sun's already starting to set and we don't even have any money to buy a room somewhere should we need to stay a night."
>>25471264
I was thinking ourselves and one or two others that can fly would go talk to him and he could bring the boat back to pick up the others.
>>25471264
Have Blitz fly out and talk to the guy. Fly in high, come more or less straight down, then again straight up out of, the boat to avoid being pulled underwater.
RED SUN
>>25471303
this
We don't even know how big the boat is. we need to scout it out.
>>25471264
>has basically a scout cutie mark
>doesn't think to scout ahead
>>25474042
Same thing happened in Hyrule Field.
>I saw something moving through the really tall grass
>Better walk through the grass to give it the best chance of getting the jump on me.
>>25474380
Blitz is not a smart pony.
>>25474380
Don't forget charging the sirens.
>>25474892
>mfw I suggested that
>mfw people are still mad
>>25474892
That one was actually suggested.
>>25474910
>you post was so dumb it made Blitz retarded
more impressed than mad desu.
>>25474958
>you post
Apparently I made somebody else retarded too.
>>25474958
>not the fixed version
Reminder that Blitz is nailed it: the pony.
>>25474975
:^)
>>25474979
Runs in the family.
>>25475082
Who is dumber? Gar or Blitz?
>>25475110
Gar
>>25475110
I'd say they are about the same.
>People forgetting about Blitz cutiemark
He's a fucking scout god, OF COURSE HE SEES A BOAT TROUGH THE MIST
>>25475550
I have a feeling Blitz calls stuff out like he's not sure himself which in turn makes everyone else think he is full of shit.
>>25475736
"You see that?"
>"No. No we fucking don't, Blitz."
"O-okay ;_;"
>>25475758
The lighthouse hallucinations coming back to bite everyone in the ass.
>>25475758
We need to find a way improve Blitz's Charisma.
Looking back we should have trained with Showtime on this but its far too late for that now.
>>25475110
They're both equally stupid, but Gar's far more of a wimp.
>>25471303
I second this motion. Just go out and ask the guy for a ride. See if it's even our client.
>>25475787
Blitz's Charisma is already max. We are the glue keeping this group together. It's either Charisma, Speechcraft, or Negotiation, depending on your video game.
>>25476430
Confidence then.
Our team needs to immediately trust us when we call shit out or we are gonna miss out on taking advantage of Blitz super good sight.
>>25471303
>>25471425
>>25472153
>>25476430
"Then Gisela and I can go out and check on things."
>"Are you sure you two will be alright?" Flashbang asks.
>"They'll be fine. I know they can take care of themselves," Eve says with confidence.
"Thanks. You guys sit tight. We'll go see if we can get him to bring the boat back for the rest of you guys."
You wave them off and with Gisela flying alongside you, you lead the way to the falls.
The settlement is placed a safe distance away from the falls, and the cliffside buildings cut off before any of them have a real risk of being hit by the falling water.
All the same, the infinite mist and spray leave the entire area perpetually wet.
Approaching the shore, you wipe the building water from your brow, your exposed body already starting to get soaked.
At least your armor is keeping most of you dry. The thing is practically a wetsuit.
Gisela's fur sticks and spikes wildly, but the huge grin on her face tells you she's loving it out here.
The roar of the massive waterfall drowns out all other noise as you and Gisela begin your flight over the lake proper, cautiously staying at a high height to avoid the menacing surface.
Despite the crashing water, at this distance the mist isn't nearly as obtrusive, and soon enough, both you and Gisela easily spot the boat.
It's actually quite sizable. The design and size of the cabin lead you to believe that it may have been a passenger boat used for tours on the lake once upon a time.
You and Gisela drop down and find the cabin door unlocked and open.
Inside, several disheveled and tightly-packed bunk beds eat up most of the space along with diving and spelunking gear.
What grabs your attention though is a pony fitting Softshell's description laying on the floor, wet and unconscious.
His hind leg is heavily and hastily bandaged. Although he is unconscious, he looks to be stable.
>>25476650
Oh shit
Grab him and see if there's anything else wrong.
>>25476650
Check the wound and see if has been poisoned by something.
>>25476650
Try to wake him up.
If that doesn't work try to find the medkit he got the bandages from and see if it has something to wake him up in it.
>>25476677
>>25476906
>>25476989
You squeeze further into the cabin and get a closer look at the pony.
Aside from the eyes that you can't see, it does match your client's description to a tee.
His hair and fur are matted down and soaked with water, and his breathing is calm.
You can't make out any other apparent injuries.
Carefully, you unwrap the wet bandages, mindful not to disturb whatever wound lies beneath.
You peel away the last of the wrappings and get a good look at his injury.
You see several small star-shaped patterns trail a path around his leg, almost as if an octopus tentacle had asterisks instead of circles for suction cups.
The star-shaped wounds are composed of little pin pricks in his skin that make up the shapes.
All around the trail of the wound, it looks as if the fur some skin has burned off. Potentially an acid?
It doesn't look like it's spreading at least. The damage seems to have run its course.
"Hey. Hey, buddy, wake up. Are you okay?"
You try to shake him awake to no avail. He's out cold.
>"Blitz, here! I found his medkit!"
Gisela passes you the kit, but it looks nearly empty.
Either he came out here with very little or he's already used most of it up. Possibly both.
Among the dwindling generic first aid supplies, you do manage to find a few bottles, one labeled Potion of Healing and two labeled Potion of Water Breathing.
You find several more bottles with those labels and a few labeled Remove Poison and Remove Paralysis, but all of those ones are empty.
>>25477361
Fug, maybe we should get him back to Jet.
>>25477405
I'm gonna agree, between the two of us, we should be able to carry him back without much trouble.
>>25477405
>>25477411
Other way round bring jet to the boat.
Much easier than carrying dead weight.
>>25477424
I think I'd rather he explain his problem to the whole party away from whatever it is that did this to him.
>>25477439
Its obvious the retard went diving without any support and got tagged. I would be easy for Gisela to grab Jet and bring him to the boat than have both of them carry the unconscious fool back.
>>25477439
From what the pony said it sound like he has taken the boat out multiple times so im pretty sure its safe.
From the looks of the gear he has been Diving which is probably how he got the wound.
Also if we fly him off to get treated it just means we are gonna have to fly him back on again when he gets better anyway.
>>25477361
I'm figuring we probably don't, but if either of us can operate the boat we could just bring it back to the others. He does seem to be stable after all.
>>25477615
Well Gisela does like water maybe she took some boat lessons. Wouldn't hurt to ask in any case.
>>25477615
>>25477663
If she does know how. We should make sure to call her Captain Birdseye
>>25477615
>>25477663
>>25477717
I really want to see Gisela in a sea captains hat now.
>>25477779
I still want to see Monsoon Gisela.
>>25477787Who are the rest?
>>25477717
I'm sure she is seasick of our puns. No need to rock the boat.
>>25477841
Subject to scrutiny
>>25477405
See if you can't bring the boat with you. We'll need it to bring the others out.
Now, that one background pony did say 'cave behind the waterfall', not underwater. I feel like this might not quite be our guy.
>>25477874
How is jet sam?
He would be Otacon if anything
I'd say carver is Sam seeing as she kicked our ass and likes cutting up people.
>>25477902That's what I thought too, but because his name is Jet, he has to be Jetstream Sam.
>>25477902
Wait, I put the wrong one at the bottom.
It was supposed to be one saying Showtime should be Samy'know because the whole "this is my sword now" thing.
>>25477874
>Eve shouting "I'M FUCKING INVINCIBLE"
I need this
>>25477937
Yeah Showtime would fit Sam.
>>25477902
I was thinking that I could easily see Jet saying some of the stuff Sam does.
How would he be Otacon? That doesn't seem like him at all. At least not normally.
>>25477981
Why not Doktor, then?
>>25477981
While Jet can hold his own in a fight he is more of a support type than someone who charges in and rips everyone up.
>>25477981
What if Jet was....Sunny
>>25477405
>>25477424
>>25477615
>>25477663
>>25477878
"This isn't good. Maybe we should get him back to Jet."
>"And carry an injured pony through the falls? I don't want it on my head if he gets hurt, and if by some chance he wakes up during the trip, there's no telling how he'll react."
"So what then? Bring Jet here?"
>"Jet would probably be easier to handle, but then it means having to make two trips."
"We'd have to fly him back on anyway once he gets better."
>"Yeah, but bringing Jet here means more time this guy is going untreated. You want to leave him out here?"
"When I was told he was out here, it sounded like he's gone out before, meaning he should be pretty safe here. Plus he seems pretty stable right now."
>"Anything can happen, Blitz. And what about the rest of our party? Gahhhh!"
"Look, I don't know! We're wasting time arguing! Do you know how to drive a boat? Let's just take everything back with us that way!"
>"Uhh..."
Gisela eyes the helm like a piece of food.
>"You know, it's worth a try! Don't try to stop me! At- At this point, me driving this ship is clearly our only option!"
With far too much excitement for the situation, Gisela hops over Softshell to take the wheel.
You can't tell if she's playing around or if operating this kind of boat is that complicated, but suddenly the boat lurches forward.
For a moment you think you're under attack, but an excited "Woooooo!" from Gisela calms you.
Looking out the windows, you do see the ship moving steadily and speedily back to shore.
Watching Gis pilot this ship, she really reminds you of a pirate. Crossbow in one hand, sword in another. All she needs is a hat.
>"I told you I had this!"
>>25478114
Well done, Captain Birdseye.
Sort of seems like driving a boat is something she's always wanted to do.
>>25478114
Aye aye, Captain Birdseye.
>>25478114
Aye aye Captain!
We deffo need to get her a sea captain hat.
>>25478114
If only we still had our Tiara we could have been the princess to her sea captain.
>>25478114
Gis was obviously meant to become a sailor.
She loves water, swimming, fish, driving boats and getting drunk. It must be her dream job.
>>25478114
Can we be First Mate?
>>25478114
Now we just need to dock ...
>>25478283
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpUVb54lk2o
>>25478283
>''Blitz what are you doing?''
''DOCKING''
>>25478600
[excited Jet noises]
[lustful Eve noises]
>>25478600
>Gis has never driven a boat before
>Proceeds to dock while inside a whirlpool and being attacked by the sea monster
>>25478614
wew
>>25478631
This is precisely what I was thinking.
>>25478631
>''Blitz! Is impossible!''
''No! Its necessary!''
>>25478154
>>25478167
>>25478236
>>25478255
>>25478283
>>25478549
"Job well done, Captain Birdseye!"
>"Thankee, First Mate Scuttlebutt! But there be no need for praise! 'Tis nothing!"
"Once we go ashore, we need to find you a Sea Captain's hat. I think it would look good on you."
>"About as good as your tiara on you?" she teases.
"If that be the case, we'd be the finest looking sailors to ever be!" you counter.
She laughs before settling into a more solemn tone.
>"You know, I always thought I'd spend all my time in forests. Living off the land, being the survivorgriffon, hunting all sorts of game. And here I am driving a boat."
"Is that a problem? I mean, it seems like this is perfect for you."
>"Don't get me wrong, I'm loving this. It's just... not what I expected in my life."
"I bet you didn't expect to be turned to stone and woken up 20 years later with a bunch of ponies at your side."
She chuckles.
>"No, can't say that I did expect any of that."
"Really though, it seems like the sailor's life must be your dream job. Water, swimming, fish, boats, swearing, getting drunk. It just all fits you a little too much."
>"That's just life, isn't it? Full of surprises, never what you expect. I knew what I liked, but forests were always my home. I mean, look at my colors." She gestures to herself.
"That's all part of the trap," you say cheekily. "Fish never expect a tree in the middle of their waters."
>"Then that's when I use your crossbow as a harpoon cannon! It would probably work, too." She looks you in the eyes. "But really, thanks for convincing me to stay with you, Blitz."
Suddenly, the sound of splintering wood hits your ears and the boat rocks violently as it crashes into the docks, before coming full stop onto the shore.
>"Shit fuck."
>20 years later
well there we go.
>>25478771
Meh, fun while it lasted.
Hopefully he'll be grateful enough for the medical help that he won't charge us for the damage
>>25478771
>>25478771
It's fine, probably. Totally fine.
Time to meet up with the others.
>>25478771
Gee, sure is a shame that this boat crashed into the shore all on its own while he was passed out.
>>25478771
SO TELL ME GISELA, DO YOU FEAR DEATH?!
>>25478836
>>25478836
Top rated file name right here.
>>25478771
twas my pleasure captain.
>>25478771
Well that's one way to stop a boat.
>>25478771
Fine driving, captain!
>>25478836
>>25478837
>>25478852
You and Gisela rush out onto the deck to check out the damage.
The dock is now nothing more than busted planks of wood scattered about, and the ship has very noticeable scratches and marks and dings.
It... it doesn't look great. Not completely destroyed or anything, but it's clear that it took some damage.
"It's fiiiiiiine. We can buff those out easy."
>"Huh? Buff what out?"
"All those little dents and scratches. I really hope we don't have to pay for any of that."
>"I have no idea what you're talking about, Blitz. Those were there the whole time."
She gives you a hard look.
"You know what? Now that you mention it, I think I do remember seeing those when we first found it."
>"Such a shame that the boat crashed while he was passed out. Maybe if he was awake he could have stopped this from happening."
"We were only innocent passengers at the mercy of the waves!"
>"Look on the bright side! With the lake as dangerous as it is, getting rid of the dock means ponies won't be sailing any time soon!"
"Amazing how things got better than before!"
>"Boy, you guys sure did a good job convincing him to bring the boat back."
The sound of Eve's voice interrupts and you see the rest of your party fast approaching the ship.
>"This dude's the coolest captain ever if that's how he docks every time," Carver gushes.
At the corner of your eye, you catch Gisela fluff a bit with pride.
>"Are you guys okay?" Flashbang calls out.
>>25480086
Yeah, captain's out cold though.
>>25480086
We're fine, but it looks like our guy got into some trouble before we got here. We found him in the cabin unconscious with a strange wound on one of his hind legs.
>>25480086
"Yes, but we need Jet to examine our Captain pony here. He's out cold, with some weird tentacle-patterns on his hind leg."
>>25480125
>>25480196
>>25481374
"We're okay, but Jet," you call out, "we could use your help up here!"
>"Something wrong?"
He turns to Eve and tosses his head your way as a gesture to take him up to the deck.
She wraps her hooves around him and flies him up as you answer.
"I think our guy ran into some trouble before we got there. We found him lying on the floor of the cabin unconscious with a weird wound on his leg."
>"Wait," Eve starts. "you found him unconscious? Then how did the boat--"
>"So! Jet! It would be really nice if you checked up on him!"
>"Sure thing..."
He regards Gisela with suspicion but enters the cabin.
The crash knocked over a bunch of random junk, some pencils, old food or drinks, some bits.
Jet wades through the mess until he reaches the downed pony and starts inspecting the wound.
>"Well?"
>"Snagged by a tentacle, I'd guess."
Using the tip of his dagger, he pokes and pries at one of the dots of a star. His horn glows, and he pulls out what almost looks like the tip of a syringe.
>"Approximately two centimeters in length. Appears to have snapped inside the subject. Needle and state of inflicted area suggest a payload of toxins."
"Wait, so every single one of those pricks has a needle in it?!"
There must be about a dozen asterisks trailing around his leg, each with at least seven pricks to make the shape.
>"Yeah. I don't know the actual piercing power of the needles or their breaking point, but he did manage to free himself after being grabbed. As for the payloads, I would assume they at least inflict acidic poison. The empty paralysis cures may suggest the needles also inflict that, but there's no way to be sure until he wakes up and tells us. The good news is that despite the needles, the actual damage is low. It probably hurt like hell, yeah, but nothing he won't recover from. It seems the attack is primarily used to incapacitate the target with status ailments and lingering pain."
>>25481531
What can we do to help him then?
>>25481531
"Is there anything we can do for him that might bring him around sooner? Or should we just take him back with us and set up camp, keep him warm kinda thing?"
>>25481531
We could always try giving him the old water treatment or something to see if he'll come around. If there's no way we can wake him up, then we could see if he's got the key to his place on him, or perhaps in that mess on the boat. Then, we could just bring him inside and wait for him to wake up there. Hopefully he won't be too surprised at waking up to a bunch of strangers in his house if this works.
>>25481531
Well, at least he isn't dead.
b
Screw Rising, this is now an Interstellar thread
>>25482821
Screw Interstellar this is now a Forrest Gump thread
>Blitz - Forest Gump
>Jet - Bubba
>Eve - Jenny
>Gisela - Lt Dan
I'VE COME HERE FROM NOWHERE
>>25483945
TOWARDS THE UNFORGIVING SEA
>>25484768
DRIFTING FURTHER AND FURTHER
>>25485279
IT'S ALL BECOMING CLEAR TO ME
>>25481531
Let's get him somewhere he can rest then.
Oh, does he have a house key on him? That could confirm his identity.
>>25481531
We need to get those nasty needles out.
>>25486061
Well the boat had beds and its on the shore right now. It should be fine.
Hero is dead
>>25487330
Give him time.
He probably got stuck in the pillow fort again.
>>25487330
It's Thursday. He's always dead on Thursday.
>>25485926
THAT VIOLENT WINDS ARE UPON US
Bebs
MURPH!
THE MAN IN THE MIRROR NODS HIS HEAD
>>25493614
I'M STARTING WITH THE MAN IN THE MIRROR!
>>25494397
I'M ASKING HIM TO CHANGE HIS WAYS
MICHAEL THREAD
>>25495130
AND NO MESSAGE COULD HAVE BEEN ANY CLEARER
>>25481794
>>25481812
>>25486061
>>25486074
"What can we do to help him? Is there any way we can get him to come around sooner?"
>"Well, other than the needles stuck in him, he's fine. The toxins appear to have run their course."
"So nothing?"
>"Wait it out. Hurt him. He's just asleep. There's a number of things you can do to wake someone up."
"But I tried shaking him awake earlier and nothing happened."
>"Some ponies are just heavy sleepers."
"Even through a crash?" you deadpan.
>"You never sleep through a cart ride?"
"I've never slept through a crash!"
>"Blitz, come on. It wasn't that bad," Gisela says.
Of course she'd play it off. To be fair, it really wasn't -that- bad.
>"Let's just get him in his house and set up camp. It's getting dark and even if we do get him up, it's best we wait until morning to do anything. Does he have a key on him?"
Once Jet finishes plucking out the needles, you search his body, and sure enough, you do find a key.
"Is it safe to move him?"
Jet shrugs nonchalantly.
>"Ehh. He'll be fine."
>"Welp. Jet says it's fine. Good enough for me."
Gisela picks him up and taking Jet, you fly off the boat.
Jet explains the pony's condition to the others while you lead everyone to his house.
You slide the key into the door and it opens.
The inside of his house is just as cluttered as his ship. The floor is littered with trash, bottles, plants, scales and the like.
There's an oft-used mattress next to what looks like an alchemy station.
>>25495627
Well that makes some sense then.
>>25495627
snoop time.
See if you can find any info on what he has been doing.
>>25495793
Gisela sets him down on the mattress.
>"So what now? Try to find some way to wake him up or wait for him and find some place for us to spend the night?"
"I was thinking we look around the place, see if we can find any info on what he's been doing."
>"Blitz!" Eve shouts.
"What?"
>"You can't just do that! This is his home! He's recovering from an attack and you want to look through his house?"
"It's not like I'm going to take anything! I'd never do that!"
>"No, but it's still an invasion of privacy."
"What if he hides something from us? Who knows what his motives are for this job."
>"That still doesn't give you the right to look through his things. Jet said it himself that he's just asleep right now. We shouldn't even be in here anymore."
>"Shouldn't we stay with him just in case?" Flashbang asks.
Eve glances at Softshell's sleeping body.
>"...Fine. But no snooping."
>>25495983
FineDon't like waiting
>>25495983
So are we just gonna hover around his body doing nothing then?
