http://pastebin.com/mWrxJJPr
>>26476353
http://pastebin.com/RaZG8KLM
>>26476365
Way to jump the gun.
Okay now do it.
>>26476379
http://pastebin.com/eu49zQsb
>>26476365
http://pastebin.com/R0AXr1UU
>>26476379
http://pastebin.com/p1dtY3qj
>>26476353
http://pastebin.com/5VUcBRQx
>>26476353
http://pastebin.com/6dTx6i08
>>26476379
http://pastebin.com/YJFusUgn
>>26476404
>>26476405
>>26476428
>>26476365
Last time on HolyQuest...
https://desustorage.org/mlp/thread/26398190/#26401543
Volkama, Amy, and Onion discussed demon fusion in more depth, with Volkama confirming that he and the other mutants left in the skylab were forcibly fused with demons during Vizsla's conquest of Circadia. The mutants were kept calm only by Onion's guitar and Volkama distracting them with magic.
Flow had a friendly duel with a bizarre 'Phantom Samurai' who seemed to possess Vice and Trapper. It ended with Flow as the victor, and the samurai vanishing. Dania and Ichimonji spoke about the impending overpopulation and food shortage crises in Zha Arlakane, and what Ecclesia plans to do about it.
Observer met Doctor Galton, the (substitute) contact that Ichimonji and EK mentioned would offer them an assignment in exchange for repairing the airship and hooking them up with food and the like. She gave a brief summary of not one, but two assignments that Ecclesia had laid before them. One was to clear out a tomb in Mariposa, and the other was to assist in Ecclesia's takeover of Zha Arlakane.
(1/?)
>>26476405
https://youtu.be/PEBNOXBT6Mg
You involuntarily double over as your goo begins to boil, your gut beset by a sudden onset of overwhelming heat, as though you were just tossed into a fire. Just as the searing, screaming heat threatens to overwhelm your mind, it passes, just as quickly as it began.
>Tackle has mutated into Pin!
>Pin: Same effect as Tackle, but the user instead takes (Max Hits/2) + 1 Damage instead of instantly falling helpless.
>>26476404
You sniff your way to the barracks, finding Box, Flow, Renee, River, Trapper, Vice, and Spitshine all doing various fun things like drawing porn of burnt cripples, in Vice's case.
>>26476428
>>26476499
After the outburst over the ruined date, you make your way over to the mess hall. It is largely unpopulated save for a few stragglers who are sharing whatever they could scrounge up from breakfast. Nearby the cooks scrub the floors and stack unused bowls and chairs to tidy up.
>>26476365
https://youtu.be/2N_3PlAE8cg
Having retreated to a guard post along the western front of the scrappy wall guarding Lilane, you sit in solace. Residual chill from the sudden impulse to remove the flying horseshoes from Flaming twists along your skin and in your guts. An unnatural, painful cold sweeps around you, as though a certain part of you craves something which it cannot have.
(2/3)
>>26476519
Galton opens her mouth to continue her explanation, when a fwoosh of flame behind interrupts her.
https://youtu.be/YwJAQ4GEgIc
A fourth scroll opens in the air, just as the first three did. On the front of the scroll is a silhouette of two alicorn fillies, who look like they're falling. As the scroll bursts into green flame and disintegrates, two alicorn fillies fall to the lab's floor, tumbling over one another and knocking dusty old books and apparatuses off the desks. One, taller and thinner than the other, has a white coat and a faded dark blue mane. It and her tail floats in the air as though submerged in water. Her dark blue eyes sparkle like the cosmos. The shorter one is a powdery pink, with the color becoming more sunset-like on her limbs, ending in orange-red hooves. Her hair, similarly floating as the first one's does, comes in a gradient of teal, ending with white at the ends. Her eyes are dull silver.
The two fillies engage in a rolling slapfight across the floor until they bump into Galton's rump. Galton snaps her talons twice, and the fillies stand up at attention, glaring daggers at one another.
"Girls! I thought I told you -- no magic! You know what that attracts, don't you? Not to mention that behavior like this is far from what you were raised with. What will the other children think if they see you acting this way?"
The fillies mumble mutinously at the ground, neither looking particularly sorry.
>>26476499
>>26476694
Flaming stomps along the ground angrily with Novelus in the direction of the mess hall, entering in with a snort as she shakes a few more tears from her eyes.
She approaches the one dealing out the food, sniffling. "HEY! I didn't take my seconds this morning. I want them now." She pulls up a chair in the meanwhile as she waits for her food, and angrily pulls it out too far so it falls over, causing her to fumble picking it up with her horns.
"Stupid... deceiving... spineless JERK!" She grunts, "I'll never forgive him for this, NEVER! The spirits help him when I... I.... I do SOMETHING to get back at him."
>>26476571
Shei ruined a good date. Geez.
After ruining said date, he went back to the ship to find Volkama.
As you step onto the ship, the first thing you notice is a quantity of vines blocking the entryway to the barracks. A hole has been blasted in the center of the blockade, revealing a dusty, hollow interior to the vines. Inside the barracks, you see that the mutants have unfrozen. They languish before Volkama, who is conjuring bubbles in a variety of shapes and colors, to distract them. Onion sits nearby, playing his guitar, as does River's assistant, who is tending to the sleeping JOY addicts. You note that the vines are coming from Volkama's back, beneath his jacket.
>>26476694
>>26476428
"Please take a seat Flaming, I will get us something" She gives her a comforting smile and walks over to a random staff member "Excuse me, could I get two meals for me and my friend?"
>>26476774
She sighs, shaking her head
"Flaming please take a seat, I will get us our meals, but please, don't pour your anger on others... The staff members did nothing to deserve it" She carefully helps her up and pulls her chair for Her "There we go"
>>26476710
Observer finds these fillies interesting. As she stares at them her eyes gain a purple cosmic haze over them. "These children... What causes their hair to appear this way?" She asks, attempting a biological scan.
>Appraise
[1d10+1]
>>26476694
Vice pouts and lets out a sigh as he reattaches his arm.
>"Well Sir Box, I suppose that I'll postpone my challenge for another day then."
He goes to see what Trapper's doing.
Trapper scrunches his snout like he's never been able to scrunch before. He sees Vice approaching and begins to panic as he looks back at the absolute horror he's drawn.
>"Sir Trapper. What're you doing all alone? No doubt you're drawing more obscene pictures?"
Trapper begins sweating and his eyes dart side to side.
>>"Y-yeah mate, that's exactly what I've been doing! Now piss off so I can finish the drawing."
Vice takes note of how nervous Trapper is, and quickly snags the picture away to get a look at it.
>>"No wait! It can't be seen by anyone, ya daft wanker!"
Vice wasn't ready for the horror that Trapper drew, and faints.
Trapper, with a shaky hoof, begins a new drawing. One of Amy. Something to just get his mind off of the eldritch horror he just drew up.
[1d10]
Flow on the other hand, clutches his stomach simmers and boils. As he doubles over, he does his best not to let out a peep in pain until the pain subsides.
He blinks and looks back up to Renee now that the pain is gone. He shakes his head.
"No. I'm completely at fault. It doesn't matter if it's more dangerous now more than ever, I should've been more than prepared, but I wasn't. I should've learned my lesson...o-over...a hundred and fifty years ago..."
He looks at the ground in silence.
>>26476694
>>26476405
Amy curiously looks over Vice's shoulder to see what he is drawing. Upon seeing it, she immediately jumps back and makes some gagging sounds. "Why would you-" she squeaks out in a combination of terror and anger before stopping herself. "No, I don't even want to know," she says resolutely, shaking her head.
She looks around the room, momentarily forgetting what she was doing. That is, until she notices Box. "Oh yeah!" she says, hopping over to Box. She opens him up with a sing-song, "Excuuuuuse me!" and starts digging through his contents.
"Do you have any instruments in here?" Amy asks Box as she looks deeper inside, her hind hooves practically coming off the ground.
[1d10] to find an instrument!
>>26476796
Flaming snorts as Dania fixes her chair for her, staring at her angrily through gritted teeth. "I was gonna get it myself, you know..." she huffs and sits down, tapping wildly on the table.
"Better be good broth... I need something hot to go with my rage right now. Just... anything to take my mind off it."
>>26476694
Pryce sits, head down as his eyes bore into the ground. He pulls off his bracelet, staring into his reflection among the facets of the inlaid gems.
[I don't even remember what happened. How could I have hurt her like that?]
His thoughts echo in his head. When he turned on Gabrielle and Punish, it was in blind following of the Devas. But this, he had no reason to harm Flaming. They were having a great time.
[Was it the Devas? Am...Am I just making excuses?]
Doubt fills his head. He hurt three frie—... former friends. He threw down Flaming, breaking that smile. Something he was raised to make.
[...Is my mind that damaged? C-Can I not be trusted around others close to me?]
A drop lands on his bracelet, distorting his view further.
>>26476840
"I know." She nods
"And I understand you want to take your mind off it Flaming... That's why I'll apologize for asking this, but I would like to know EXACTLY what happened in this date"
>>26476780
Shei-sher makes his way back to the ship, to gather his belongings before following after Pryce. Shei-Sher pushes through the vines, scanning them quizzically as he brushes his way into the room.
"My Lord.." Shei stands agog before the scene, totally creeped out "What calamitous webs I weave."
He tip toes across the bodies cautious not to excite any of them. "What happened?" Shei asks River as he steps over to retrieve his books, notes and original staff.
>>26476869
Flaming grunts, putting her head down to the table hard enough to leave a minor dent, and refuses to move her face-down position as she speaks.
"What's there to tell? You saw it happen. He offered me a chance to fly using his horseshoes, it was possibly the funnest thing I've ever done in my life... then he saw it funny to rip them away and watch me fall to the ground, hurting and humiliating myself. What's more to know?"
>>26476694
>>26476860
>forgot a part with the chill
Pryce spreads his wings to stretch and wrap around himself as he shivers. His horn glows for a moment, but stops and dies out, not wanting to use more magic after what happened.
>>26476913
"No, no... Flaming you already told me that... I want to know what else happened in the date, from the beginning until when you put on the horseshoes"
>>26476774
>>26476796
The indicated chef, a pegasus, brings two bowls of cold spicy borscht and two lumps of cold bread to you on his wing. Flaming notes a smidgen of feather in her bowl.
>>26476801
>Princess Yareakh and Princess Laciela, the twin princesses of -------
>HP: 12
>HP: 3,000
>HP 0
>HP68703999
A strange sensation comes over you as you scan them. You feel comforted and prideful in your racial heritage as a voidling when you look at them. They make you feel very safe and hopeful in the future. The scan returns surprisingly little besides their names. Their HP reading, however, fluctuates wildly, returning inconsistent values.
"Mmmmmagic!" Galton says, wiggling her talons. Puffs of glitter and confetti poof from her claws. "They're Princesses of Mariposa, but you wouldn't know from the way they act."
Yareakh, the tall white one, shoves Laciela away. "She started it!"
"That was last time! You touched the scroll first!" Laciela says, tugging Yareakh's mane before a glare from Galton shuts them both up.
>>26476825
Trapper churns out another scribble-like drawing.
Renee seems exasperated at the self-blame, but squints. "One hundred and fifty...? What happened?"
>>26476835
You find a flute, a trumpet, and a clarinet in dire need of a new reed. "Not much." Box says with his mouth open. "I wish you guys would steal some more-- I'm a zither fiend myself!"
>>26476891
>Assistant, not River herself
The assistant begins to narrate the leadup to this scene, but it's entirely muffled-- he's still wearing the hazmat suit, muting anything he's saying to you. Volkama twists his long neck to you. "Ah... my little goat intervener. You've got me locked up in a cozywozy prison, here. The court and I-- what's left of us -- bitte you. Far from Vizsla's range they defroze, and the demons she infected upon them have... taken up shop in their heads." he says with a sigh, gesturing at the black, twisted forms of the mutants.
>>26476957
She raises her head up, eyes still misty but brow furrowed deeply.
"...that's, confusing, since it was perfectly normal leading up to that." She sighs, leaning her head down again. "First he took me to the park. He let me walk beside him under his wing." She pouts. "It was soft and warm. I want wings like that."
She looks up, "Then we were just watching and talking about flowers in the park, Observer turned into a mare, then, all of a sudden it started raining chocolates and candies." She smiles, "Oh! I meant to tell you that, I had my first bit of chocolate." Her eyes open.
"It was legendary." She shakes her head, "Uh, moving along, I assumed Pryce made it with his magic, but then our date hit a small snag as we were besieged by some annoying large bugs. Shei thankfully was nearby to help us ward them off." She smiled, "He asked how the date was going, we told him it was still great, then he left, and then we went to go get the shoes... and, now I think I'm caught up."
She grunts. "There, see? Nothing important."
>>26476965
Amy finds the instruments and immediately grabs the trumpet. "Ooooh," she says excitedly. "This one's the biggest. That means it's the best!" She hops back and slams Box shut.
"I will learn how to play this..." she says with excitement and drama. "Thing..." she trails off. "Whatever it is."
>>26476825
Amy looks over at flow. "Wait. You're over 100? That's totally cray cray!"
>>26477002
As the chef presents her bowl of the bread and borscht, Flaming smiles half-heartedly, still more than a little agitated. "Thanks, I suppose." She shows weak gratitude before taking her bowl back over to the table.
She's about to lap in immediately before her muzzle stops mere inches away from the bowl's rim, staring at the feather. Her eyes narrow, and her teeth grind.
"Hey! I didn't order feather soup!" She cries out angrily, her rage re-ignited. She pushes the bowl away, "Are your feathers even clean?! Why can't I on the second worst afternoon of my life get a decent bowl of borscht! ARRRRGH!" she roars into the ceiling of the mess hall.
>>26476965
"Thank you... If you had any fruit or any kind of dessert, that would be highly appreciated"
>>26477002
She listened silently, mind focused on her words while her stare focused on the bread
"Hmn... I can't understand... You said it yourself that everything was perfectly normal... To me it sounded like a marvelous date... And to just do that out of nowhere... Hmmngh I can't understand..."
"Hmn. You saw Pryce using his magic, right?" She asks, turning her gaze to the Buffalo
>>26476965
"...These are very intriguing specimens..." She says to herself mostly, but out loud enough to hear. "Stand still, Yareakh, Laciela. I wish to test a theory." She says, her horn splitting apart to transform into her voidling eye, attempting to see a possibly deeper scanning of the hidden forces surrounding them. The eye seems to inspect them rapidly, switching to looking between or even around the two inconsistently.
>Fourth Eye.
[1d10]
>>26477009
Flow nods.
"249 now, and still going."
He weakly smiles.
>>26476965
Trapper sighs in defeat and crumples up the drawing, considering giving up for the night.
Until he sees Amy leaning inside of Box. Then his mind starts racing once more as he starts drawing the scene on paper, making sure to pay extra attention to her behind.
[1d10]
Vice slowly comes to, and clutches his head before stumbling out of the barracks, to wander around for a bit and get some fresh air. Again.
Flow hangs his head low and looks down at his hooves, remembering the gruelling days he had to endure those one and a half centuries ago. Carrying around a body that had almost no life in it. His mangled leg. The constant bleeding.
"...I saw my first and only friend perish..."
>>26477070
She shrugs, "Well, no: his horn didn't light up, I thought that part was somewhat strange. But what else could have done it? Besides, Pryce's naturally gifted at pulling objects from nothingness. Like a young buffalo's dreams. I assumed he just wanted to give me candy and chocolate because it'd be a good date."
>>26477090
"Is that normal for a goo pony," Amy asks with wide eyes of amazement.
>>26477094
"Then... If he did not used magic, it could have been someone else that did that! Okay, who else besides Pryce and I were near the scene when it happened? There was ichimonji as well but I doubt she would do that, she doesn't seem to have any spite towards you"
>>26477124
Flow nods again.
"Yes, it's completely normal. Technically, we last forever, since we mature very slowly, and don't have natural deaths like you ponies do. Er...basically, we don't grow too old so fast. I think. Probably. Ask Vice, he knows more than I do, somehow."
>>26477158
She raises her brow, flattening her ears. "Novelus, that's silly. It had to have been him, who else would have had reason to shower me with sweets? I didn't see the magic, true, but, it's the only logical explanation." She flattens her ears, "Hmm... well we saw Shei before we went to see you and Ichimonji at the town hall, like I said, but he left, remember?" She blinks. "Hmm. Though he was there again after I fell. But that's probably just coincidence."
>>26477167
"Yeah, I've been meaning to ask you about that too," Amy says, cocking her head. "Aren't like... all of you..." she points to Flow, Trapper, and Vice and whoever the fuck else there might be. "Like... you?"
"How does that work?" she suddenly blushes. "I'm sorry. That's not like an embarrassing personal question, is it?"
>>26476965
Shei-Sher is captivated in horror once Volkama explains the circumstances.
>bitte you
"W-what am I to do? I seem to only devastate matters.." Shei casts his look down to his hooves. "My need for control and peace of mind has brought this upon you Volkama" Shei's voice starts to tremble "Furthermore I haft defiled not only the sanctity of my friendships, but our house as well." Shei snorts mucus back into his nose fiercely, his eyes water. "I ca-a-ame to bid you farewell Volkama. I must leave.. -before I leave I will offer my medication for their troubled souls."
Shei-sher pulls his diary from his bag and from the empty pages he draws Gabby's seal onto a page for every pony infected with demonic spirits.
>Gabby's Seal [1d10+1]
>I plan on using control to repress the demons inside of the infected ponies, not adopt them as minions. Hope this is acceptable.
>>26477009
"It's a lumpet!" Box 'corrects'.
>>26477023
The gray pegasus, his dark, bag-lined eyes drooping, turns back toward you very slowly. At a snail's pace he glides to the table, hovering above it. He puts his front hooves on the table before you, his deeply-lined face blank and solid as a rock. He stares down at you in absolute silence.
>>26477070
He does not respond, instead glowering at Flaming.
>>26477079
Midway through the second scan, you lose focus, your hooves feeling light as you feel as though you drift through a sea of soft silk blankets. A strange cocktail of homesickness and hope washes over you. The sensation is broken when Laciela clears her throat. "I get I'm pretty and all, but it's still rude to stare, Miss Three-Eye Voidling."
"Laciela!" Yareakh and Galton scold together. "Not everyone has the privilege of having only two eyes. I take pride in my five eyes." Galton continues.
Behind them, the mare floating on the blue orb clears her throat. "Doctor Galton, should we really be dallying here? the plants outside need their crystal."
Galton looks at the white crystal she carries as though in surprise. "Oh! That's what I came back for, of course. Chop chop!"
Galton and her entourage begin to leave, with Yareakh lagging behind. She bows to you. "P-pardon my sister, Miss Observer. We've had a long trip." she says, before scurrying after Galton.
>>26477090
Trapper makes a much better and more voluptuous drawing of Amy. Renee bites her lip with a quiet gasp. She leans forward with a sigh, waiting for you to say more.
>>26476917
The chill does not let up, instead morphing into a feeling like a hole digging itself both in your chest and in the side of your brain. A feeling of suction emanates from them, a deep violent craving. You hear hoofsteps approaching you.
>>26477177
She squints "He... Did not use magic to summon the candies?... Well that's... Strange... Candy doesn't usually magically fall off the sky without the assistance of magic... And you mentioned Shei was there too to help with the bugs, yes?... Well... Observer was not nearby when you fell but Shei was..."
>>26477210
>Sure, but the control roll will be rather difficult
"Beh? What are you on about? Did I mix up my words once more? Confound it all! The vision of the Amy with the big butt gone and messed up my focus! Fresh beats! Anyway, what's all this about leaving? Don't leave! I'm not moving my ass from this spot- and you're not leaving lest they kick me out! My apartment is far behind due on rent and I think that Wishful demon destroyed it anyway!"
>>26477213
Flaming looks up at the irate, clearly tired pegasus, standing up out of her chair to lean up at him, staring him down as she places her hooves on the table as well.
She gets her face within an inch of his, teeth gritted and mouth scrunched tight as she glares at him.
"Angry? I know the feeling... want to do something about it?" She snorts out her nostrils. "I'm ready to go."
>>26477223
She continues staring down the pegasus angrily as she glares towards Novelus for a split second. "I'm saying he HAD to, even if I didn't see him. Yes, Shei was there, but what on earth does that matter?!"
>>26477193
Flow nods.
"That's correct, we're all the same, thanks to this."
He shows her the Inheritance of the Brother.
"It may look like a simple water droplet, but it once belonged to Sir Estuary, a close friend of Neo Advent. As for how it works, I dunno, I just use it."
>>26477213
Feeling rather brave, Trapper begins work on the lewdest drawing of all: Shorthorns and Pryce...holding hooves
[1d10]
Flow sniffs and stays silent for a few seconds.
"I couldn't save him... His leg was mangled to Tartarus, and he had lost a lot of blood. By the time I reached a nearby village, he was cold. I just left him there, and I...I never turned back."
He looks up to the roof.
"I met him when he was a little colt. Saw him grow up and everything...heck, he was just barely becoming a full-grown stallion till that cave collapsed."
He smiles, " He...just wanted," his lip quivers slightly, "to see the world..."
>>26477213
The Sheep covers her face with a hoof
"I apologize sir... Today was... You know... Well excuse us" She starts getting up
>>26477272
"Flaming, get down from the table... We're leaving" the Sheep wraps a hoof around her arm and tugs her back
>>26477213
"Well thanks for the lumpet!" Amy says, giving Box a quick hug.
>mental note of this lewd Amy drawing...
>>26477283
"Wooooooah," Amy says in amazement, practically pressing her face against the thing that Flow is holding.
She suddenly gets a very serious expression on her face and stares at Flow with absolute purpose. "Can I try it?"
>>26477213
Pryce wraps his hooves around his legs, pulling them closer to his chest as the cold does not relent.
As an emptiness arises, Pryce clenches his eyes shut, his bracelet falling from his hooves and rolling a distance away until it clinks against wall's railing and stops.
His wings ruffle up, lowering his head to them to wipe his eyes and cover his face.
"...Go away. You'll only get hurt being around here..."
Pryce mutters once he hears hoofsteps, not rising his head to look at who is the source or where they are coming from.
>>26477345
Flow eyes her, then the Inheritance. He chuckles.
"Sure. Go ahead. I'm interested in what'll happen."
He hands her the Inheritance.
>>26477329
>>26477213
Flaming stands her ground, tugging back against the hoof as she stares at Novelus. "Not yet I'm not. This pony has an issue with how I think he runs his mess hall? He's free to say what's on his mind."
She snorts. "If he has the guts for it."
>>26477240
Shei-Sher's tear ducts dry up as Volkama annihilates the sullen moment with his deranged ramblings.
Shei pats his face with a hoof "V-Volkama.. P-please shut up -you have a debaucherous way with words."
Shei-Sher tears a many number of pages from his diary. All with the seal inked onto it. He plants the paper seal on each of the infected ponies Volkama lulls.
Ambling back Shei-sher sits cross legged next to Volkama and focuses deeply within himself to repress the demonic spirits within everyone. He imagines a compartment opening within darkest floorboards of their minds for the spirits to be sealed behind.
>Control+1 [1d10+2]
>>26477360
"Flaming, I will ask again as a friend , please get down of the table" She follows up with another gentle tug
>>26477358
>>26477213
"How do I...?" Amy asks as she takes it and looks at it.
[1d10] for SOMETHING
>>26477213
Observer's eye turns to normal, these feelings being completely alien to him. He begins to think to himself as he makes his way outside. "These two can block my scans... as well as filling one's mind with thoughts and emotions. Perhaps when I find a way to strengthen my scans I can research them further."
He then makes his way to Galton once more, approaching her. "How do you plan for someone such as myself to persuade a large group of people? My companions may have their way with words, but I also can't be sure they will follow up with this plan. I will also need to have more details about my reward, I was promised enough parts to repair and possibly upgrade my ship further. Blueprints and books on Magitech will also sate my hunger for knowledge, possibly allowing me to upgrade the ship to assist further in missions."
>>26477272
>>26477329
The pegasus slowly picks up Flaming's bowl, his eyes unfocused as though he were looking through her, not at her. He takes the bowl away back to the counter and sets it with the rest, going back to his cleaning.
>>26477345
"Can I go with you on your next adventure? Please? Please?" Box asks excitedly.
>>26477283
The drawing is rough but passable. Renee nods and is silent for a while. "His name?"
>>26477370
"Now, now-- I'm the one allowed to say 'shut up' in this lab. Your assistance in Circadia was appreciated but I have the wand here."
As you cast the spell, the glowing eyes of the mutants dim. Their movements - once like swaying branches in the wind, slow and become more deliberate and clear. With sharp, stiff jerks, some of their bodies twist and contort their ways back into recognizable shapes of mortals - mostly crystal and bat ponies. For the most part they still appear mutated and demonic, but it's a step. Volkama himself gasps, his giraffe-like neck and wings shortening down to a quarter of their original length.
>>26477389
>>26477283
Vice and Trapper disappear, and in their place stands a translucent purple pony-like figure, its body made of rectangular segments of crystal. After sluggishly mimicking Amy's movements for a few seconds, it straightens up and bumps her aside with its rear. You notice a black lining on the inside of the crystal segments. In time, the black begins to consolidate into smaller crystals.
(1/2)
>>26477395
Laciela turns back, locking glances with you. She smiles warmly at you, then turns back to walking.
"Well, you don't have to do that mission if you're shy -- as I mentioned, the tomb in Mariposa won't require you to talk to anyone. I know what it's like - you get all cozy in your lab and then BAM! Everyone has to have a piece of you."
"As for the ship - EK will tend to that once I speak with him. He and his little tinkerers will let that be done. Now, don't get greedy, but... between you and me? I do have a few goodies in my pocket for you. Do well, and we can see about you getting them. Deal?"
>>26477348
"What happened?" Ichimonji's voice gently asks. You hear no more hoofsteps, only her voice and the breeze.
>>26477521
She looks at the annoyed Pegasi as he takes her bowl away from her, angrily growling at him as he removes it from her table. She stamps her hoof. "Well? Aren't I going to get a fresh one..."
She stops as she feels another tug on her hoof, sighing as she looks into Novelus' eyes. "....alright. Alright, FINE." She steps away from the table, "Wasn't hungry anyhow..."
She looks at Novelus annoyed as she follows along, "Hmph. Stupid feather ruining my stupid soup. Just like stupid other feathered things ruining other nice things." She stares at Novelus, "Well? Where are we going?"
>>26477521
The Sheep shakes her hand, silently thanking the crown for the avoided scene
>>26477557
"To the springs, Flaming... You need to relax and be away from other things that can upset you until you calm down... Hopefully there won't be anyone at the springs now... Hopefully..."
"I am so glad that it did not end in a fight... You caused quite the scene you know?"
To the springs we go
>>26477521
Flow smiles when he sees the Amy-clone
"Just as I expected. A clone.
He then turns to Renee, his smile wavering as a single tear forms.
"Hope. Bright Hope. The best marksman I ever met. Heck, when we first met, he shot a bottle out of a stallion's hoof from halfway across the desert town..."
He wipes his tear, only for more to form.
"Always an optimist. Happy and content wherever we went...always talking and getting us outta bad sit-...s-situations..."
>>26477538
Pryce doesn't respond for a moment, silent as he thinks it a response is worth anything.
"...I hurt Flaming."
He says, still curled into himself to fight the cold.
"I don't know how it happened, I just blinked, a-and..."
Pryce's voice chokes, silent for a few seconds.
"I can't be around them anymore. I don't want that to happen again."
>>26477521
>>26477601
As she begins headed for the springs, she shakes her head. "Hmph. I don't really feel like the springs right now, Novelus. I'm... I'm not sure WHAT I feel like right now. I never know what I want when I'm this mad except to FIGHT. I was TRYING to start a scene, Novelus."
She sighs, "On purpose. The only thing I know how to do right is fight. It's... the only time I feel like I have a clear head."
>>26477538
"Motivation is one thing our kind shares. Can I see what these 'goodies' are that you speak of?" She asks, her eyes wandering to her pockets.
>>26477658
"Hmn... Very well"
The Sheep turns back to Flaming and a pulls a dagger from her dress
"It is a fight you want then?"
>>26477521
>>26477521
Shei-Sher continues fervently in his concentration. "Hnnngck... eeerhhhh..." He groans painfully with his hooves pressing harder against his temples. "I Will.. Not Be SATED... With Half- rck! Hooved WORK! -HRNK!! EErrrrrrr" He kneels over, with his head stooped down onto the floor. He pours forth all of his mental strength into returning normalcy "Hhrrrrnnnnn -BA-A-A-A-A-A-AHHHHHHHH!" his groans explode into tulmultous goat baas.
[1d10+2]
>>26477705
She looks down at the dagger as Dania pulls it from her dress, eye brow raised up as she looks at Novelus confused. "Huh? With... with you? I mean..." she scratches the ground with her hooves. "Y-you're really being nice to me right now. And you don't normally fight ponies. I don't think your heart would be committed to it, and, that'd make me feel a little bad if you didn't want to fight but did so anyways just so I could feel a little better."
She raises her ears, "Are you... really offering?"
>>26477521
>>26477618
"Oooooh," Amy says as she inspects her new self, circling around her. "You're like... all darkish on the inside. Like, bright but dark. Like grey!" She claps her hooves with excitement. "I'll call you Greymy!"
>"Whatever," Greymy says, rolling her eyes and flicker her mane back.
"Nice to meet you, Greymy!" Amy says excitedly as she grabs her for a hug.
>"No way," Greymey says, effortlessly pushing Amy away with one hoof. "I don't do hugs. They're like, totally gross. Sharing germs? Pshh. Who wants that?"
"But..." Amy says with big puppy-dog eyes. "They're OUR germs."
>"Yeah..." Greymy says, suddenly turning around and walking out of the room. "You somehow managed to make this even weirder. I'm outta here."
"Where are you going!?" Amy calls, still sitting on the ground sadly.
>"I'm gonna find someone who isn't totally lame."
"Imma follow her," Amy whispers to Flow as she assumes a 'stealthy' position inches from the ground and tiptoes behind Greymy. If Greymy notices Amy, she doesn't care enough to respond.
>>26477797
Amy and Greymy are heading to the mess hall.
>>26477745
She nods "I am. And even though I am not a direct fighter, if it is the only way I will get you to truly be calmer, then so be it" with the dagger, She slashes the floor in front of Flaming's hooves, then circles around her and walks away around ten feet and slashes the floor again, making two white chalky lines on the floor before putting the dagger down "I will not use this however, harming you is the last thing I'd do..."
She smiles and looks back at the Buffalo" Now, there is only one rule. We have to keep our fight in this small area at all costs, understand?"
"And don't you worry, I will definitely not hold back, so you better not hold back either, Flaming... Just imagine I was that waiter, yes?"
"Ready?"
>>26477819
Flaming's ears flatten as the knife cuts into the floor, pacing her hooves uncomfortably back and forth as Dania sets the stage for a small confrontation.
"I... I don't know what to say. Except, thank you, I guess." She lowers her horn, "You humble me, your highness." She blushes, taking a small ready stance. "I-I don't want to SERIOUSLY hurt you either, so, I will be pulling my punches slightly. This should help though, clear my mind. Fighting feels right."
She snorts, "Ready, and willing. Here I come!" She charges at Novelus as soon as she is prepared, leaping up to press both hooves into her shoulders into a tackling pin
[1d10+2] (Applying Charge)
>>26477618
"...Is this the first you've spoken of him to another?" Renee asks, watching your wavering expression and tears.
>>26477632
A light tap shakes the ground as Ichimonji presumably leans on her sword's scabbard as a walking-cane.
"How often you horn-h... you alicorns lose control of magic? You spent an awful amount of time in the bloodmoon's direct light, judging by the Congregation's field report. Could be long-lasting effects. When was the last you sat through a bloodmoon?"
>>26477736
Your straining and focus are interrupted when one of the mutants, a batpony mare whose wings and limbs lay limp and splayed like octopus tentacles, taps you gently on the head. It makes a gurgling noise as it languishes, laying against the other mutants packed into the room like sardines.
Onion stops playing, shaking out his paws and blowing on them. "Cramp. Cramp cramp cramp." he mutters with a cringe.
>>26477696
Galton begins to dig through her pockets as she walks toward the town gate with her entourage. "What am I, your grandmama?" she jokes. She pulls out one small book, no bigger than her claw. "This is but one of some unusual books the Laity has flagged as significant findings. Strange books written in no local writing system we've found from around here, but that can be read by anyone. The characters arrange themselves into words that anyone can read. Handy, huh?"
Eventually, you reach the town gate. The armored pony and the mare on the orb tense as the guards open the porticullis. "We'll be back -- have to drop this sucker off." she says, gesturing at the white crystal. "You two - stay."
Yareakh and Laciela nod, backing away from the gate.
>>26477797
The mostly-empty mess hall is populated only by a few ponies here and there. Most chairs are stacked on the tables. The two cooks busy themselves cleaning the floors and walls, stacking bowls and gathering trash. Only a few bowls of cold borscht remain for the taking on the counter.
>>26477873
"shhh! Don't call me highness out here, someone might hear!" She whispershouts back, breaking her focus for a moment before getting serious again
As she sees the tiny buffalo charging at her, a small part of her regrets making this decision...
And she feels the other parts of her will regret it as well
Nonetheless, she charged back to push back against Flaming with all her delicate might
[1d10]
>>26477873
>>26477922
Flaming rams into Dania, shoving her back several feet. Dania takes 3 Hits.
>>26477932
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHPYTkFqH6w
Sparring music
>>26477878
Flow pauses, then slowly nods.
"...I don't wanna lose you. Like I lost him."
He looks up to Renee with gooey tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry this was so sudden, I..."
>>26477878
"I-I don't know. I've only been an alicorn for a short time, but even before my magic never acted on somepony on its own. At worst it would just fail to do anything."
Pryce's head rises from under his wings slightly, looking up at the sky.
"...This was the first."
>>26477932
Flaming blushes as she pushes Dania away several feet, feeling the impact against her hooves. "O-oops! Sorry, Nov... uh, Dania." She quickly apologizes, her mind feeling a little more at ease as she gets into the groove of a swift combat once more, though a part of her feels an unyielding sense of guilt at hurting the most gentle of their number.
"K-Keep your guard up!" She warns, jumping about to the left to swing her hind hooves around in a double kick to the side
[1d10+1]
>>26477932
She is tossed back like a rolling ball of wool
"oof... Hoh goodness me... " She mutters before turning to stare back up at Flaming
>>26477964
"I will! Same goes for you!" She tried to dodge Flaming's attack and counter it by body slamming the Buffalo
>>26477878
Shei-sher leans against onto the floor equally sardine like and resting. Sweat on his brow, he sighs disappointedly "That was all... I am quite lame.."
He then gets up "Okay. I will be on my way now. Goodbye and good travels to you all. I must make haste if I am to catch Pryce."
Shei-sher saddles onto his Gigginox, putting his excess items into a saddlebag and his extra staff strapped to his stead's side. He motions his gigginox to leave the ship and fly in the direction he saw Pryce leave toward.
[1d10+1] finding pryce incase needed
>>26477983
[1d10] oops
>>26477878
"Hmn... Yes, this will do. I suppose I can clear out those tombs then." She says, before watching Galton vanish.
Her attention then turns back to the two fillies. "The both of you still confuse me greatly... You're different from the type I have already seen."
>>26477878
>>26477943
>>26477964
>>26477922
Graymy walks onto the scene and finds Flaming and Dania ramming each other.
>"Ew," Graymy says loudly. "Why are you two being so dumb? It's like you WANT brain damage."
Amy watches her clone from a nearby bush so as to not be noticed by her scary other half. Consequently, no one else sees her either.
The smaller pieces of dark crystal inside Graymy do a good job of rounding out her body. As a result, Graymy looks like Amy but with a strange dark pattern going on inside of her. She's also always crystal looking.
>>26478020
>>26478006
>>26477983
As she roughly kicks Dania in the side, Flaming turns about to listen to the oddly familiar voice as she's distracted.
"Huh? Amy?" Her nostrils blare slightly as she pauses in the combat, turning to look at the dark-patterned mare approaching them.
She turns her head, momentarily taken from the spar between her and Novelus. "What are you talking about? We're just fighting, there's nothing dumb about that!" she shouts defensively. She turns her head, "Why do you look so weird? Guh, can ANYONE be not weird today?!"
>>26477956
"Hmm..." Ichimonji mutters thoughtfully to herself, casually pacing about in the guard tower. "Well, it wouldn't do to fork you over to Galton, or even EK. Something residual in the horn, perhaps. Work it out like a cramp. Find and blow away some demons maybe? Or... Well, I can't help you if you sit there like kūqì de yīng'ér. You might just need the Ecclesian ritual."
>>26478005
You fly toward the western gate where Pryce went, and see him sitting in a guard tower by himself. Nearby, Ichimonji stands on the rampart, speaking up at him.
>>26477964
>>26477983
Dania gets the wind knocked out of her as Flaming smacks her to the ground, the latter's careful self-restraint preventing any serious damage.
Dania 0/6
>>26478016
"Well you're not like anypony we've seen before, but you're not that confusing." Laciela says.
"What she's trying to say is we don't find you as creepy as everyone else does." Yareakh says. "What she COULD do is say it nicer than that."
"WHAT? I said it as nice as I could. Did you bring my robe?" Laciela huffs.
"Not my job to keep track of that." Yareakh scolds.
>>26477952
Renee sits with you in silence, eyes pointed down and away for a while. You hear River usher Spitshine and Box out of the room.
"I understand." Renee whispers. She looks at the wakizashi, but leaves it be, scooting in closer and putting her snout against your neck.
>>26478020
"Amy, this is just a friendly spar, stay out of this! " the Sheep glances at her for a second, confused as she notices the slight difference in Amy, but brushes it off and focuses on the battle again
>>26478144
She gasps and loses her breath, falling to the ground
"O-okay... Just give me a little moment..."
>>26478139
"Stay focused, Flaming!" She says as she gets up
"we are not finished yet"
>>26478144
"Like a wha?"
Pryce questions, not knowing the language.
He lowers his head back down.
"A ritual?"
He thinks for a moment.
"If you think it will help... I'll do it. I don't want to lose myself again like that."
>>26478144
As Dania gets knocked to the ground, Flaming's ears flatten and she races over, her face blushed. "Oh my goodness! D-Dania, are you okay? Was that too much? I saw a huge opening, and, just took it...."
>>26478184
As she manages to get up on her own, Flaming pauses in her concern, taking another ready stance. "A-alright then. I'll let you get your bearings, move when ready." She shakes her head. "Phew... I-I think it's working. I feel... I don't know if 'better' is the right word yet, but, less angry for sure."
>>26478139
>"Wow," Graymy says in a VERY disgusted tone. "You did NOT just call me weird. Have you, like, looked in a mirror any time in the, like, last century? Seriously, Shorty, the male gender called. They want their overcompensation for being too small in some areas back."
>>26478184
>"Speaking of acting like the wrong gender," Graymy says as she admires the shininess of her own hoof. "Could you, like, pick a side already?"
Amy watches from the bushes, scared now to come out. She doesn't want to be insulted too.
>>26478204
"I am fine Flaming, that barely hurt at all! Come on, put some more of that force into it!"
>>26478184
>continuing
Once back on her hooves, she charged towards Amy for a daring headbutt "heeeerre I come!"
[1d10]
>>26478006
>>26478020
>>26478139
From above you catch a glimpse of Shei-sher flying overhead on his Gigginox. If your eyesight isn't shit like a buffalo's you'll see him glance down at you three fighting. Followed by some woeful cries "WOE! WHAT CALAMITOUS WEBS I WEAVE!!"
>>26478144
>>26477956
Shei-Sher lands by the guard tower. Stepping off and running to greet Pryce "Pryce! I've come to join you in excommunication from our house. It is only right of me to stand by my closest comrade."
>>26478225
She almost tripped back down as she heard those words
"A-Amy! Be quiet!"
>>26478238
The Sheep was too worried to immediately notice the goat antics
>>26478238
Pryce turns whatever portion of his face still visible away from Shei, a wing flapping out dismissively at the goat.
"You should leave Shei. It's not safe around me."
>>26478162
Flow remains quiet as well, and wraps an arm around Renee, holding her tight as silence envelops the two goo ponies
He takes off his hat and holds it in a hoof.
"This hat used to be his. He was always getting it refitted cause, well, he was still growing," Flow smiles at his red hat with its scuffs, holes, and tears.
"He gave it to me before he passed out, for good. Before he passed, he told me to find something worth living for...and that's what I did...for over a century."
>>26478144
"The confusion I have is why my scans won't properly show me what I need to know. How do you forcefully make those around you feel different emotions and forceful thoughts of hope. You gave me a feeling I never wanted to feel, a sort of... sickness... a wanting for my home."
>>26478229
She smiles at her enthusiasm, racing to meet her head on with her charge as she angles her iron skull towards Dania's. "Alright then! Here goes..."
[1d10+1] Headbutting her straight on
>>26478225
As they spare, Flaming stops part way at one point, turning to look at Amy as she openly insults her.
"W-... what?" Her eyes fog up, "Wh-what are you saying?! Are you saying I'm too small?!" She growls, "Are YOU making fun of me too?! Why!? Do you think it's funny or something?!"
>>26478238
She turns up at the shouting voice, "What?! Shei, is that you? What are you crying about THIS time!?" as he leaves, she kicks the ground. "Everyone's turned either crazy or a jerk and I HATE it."
>>26478253
>"Uh, you are like totally NOT the boss of me," Graymy says haughtily.
>>26478304
>"Maybe if your horns were bigger, you wouldn't have so much brain damage and you'd get a basic insult," Graymy says in a cocky tone. "I was making fun of your horns. Your shortness doesn't even need to be mentioned."
Amy is about to come out of the bushes, but then Dania told her to be quiet here. >>26478253 So, she does nothing.
>>26478196
"Crybaby." she says harshly, tapping your wing like a teacher with a yardstick. "That's what you doing, ain't it? Feh. When you stop sniveling, I'll set up the hut near the base of the lake. Could do your companions some good to get them in there when you're not covered in tears."
>>26478238
You land nearby, where you see Ichimonji comforting, or perhaps scolding Pryce.
>>26478269
The Princesses look at each other in confusion, then look back at you, heads tilted.
"I'm... sorry? I've never heard anyone say that before." Yareakh says.
Laciela snorts. "Wow, you Voidlings are weird. I guess... did you lose someone...special?" she says, looking at your rear with a raised eyebrow.
Yareakh pushes Laciela with an admonishing gasp. "Don't say that, you don't know what she's been through!"
"Yeah well everyone can say that, and I can say that about her. Mom and dad?"
"Would you get out of here?" Yareakh insists. "Go watch the fight or something."
Laciela sighs and rolls her eyes. "Whatever, I didn't ask for her to put me under a manifying lens." she says as she walks back toward town square.
Yareakh sits and rubs her temples.
>>26478266
"His?" Renee asks, craning her head away from the hat as though her breath might break it. "By golly that's some good shape for a hundred year old hat. And... all the times I got to wear it... oh my. Praise heav... goodness I never broke it."
>>26478229
>>26478304
In a surprising turn, Dania's head hooks under Flaming's, knocking her off balance and causing her to land on her side.
Flaming 0/6
>>26478357
>>26478344
>>26478229
Graymy's taunt part way through her charge totally throws off any sense of direction or combat sense Flaming had, causing her to grunt loudly as Novelus' attack hits her straight on and sends her landing hard on the grass.
She stands back up, sniffling as she looks at the fake Amy. Her teeth are gritted together, and her eyes are watering. "SHUT UP! JUST, SHUT UP!" She wipes her eyes on the grass, "I-I don't know what stupid game you're playing this time Amy, but it's not funny! Stop making fun of me, I-I'm not short and my horns aren't that little!" She grunts, shaking her hooves in place along the grass as she stands
"Y-you don't know what kind of morning I've had, Amy, i-if this is some kind of joke please stop it. I don't want to find out my own sister is really a big giant jerk, too!"
>>26478357
Flow chuckles.
"I know, it's odd. But I'm not one to complain, after all, I've taken the best care of it as possible."
He puts the hat back on and goes back to being silent as he holds Renee.
>>26478344
"Amy now it's NOT the time!"
>>26478357
Rubbing her head, she looks a Flaming in surprise "Oh... Wow that was... Surprisingly fun... Ehe... You are not hurt, are you? Oh dear I hope you're not angrier now..." She walks up to Flaming with worry
>>26478409
However as she sees the effect that Amy's taunts are causing on Flaming, Her smile drops completely as she helps Flaming get up "Come on Flaming, we'll... We'll continue this fight some other time..."
>>26478357
"An unknown factor then... I will need to research your kind further then." She then watches Laciela wander off, before turning her attention to Yareakh.
"You still interest me more than your sister, Yareakh. If you would allow me to, I would like to do some research with you. When I scanned the both of you, I received a different effect and result. There's something different about you that you either don't know about... or you are hiding it from me."
>>26478357
Pryce's wing flitters at the tap.
"I'm not a crybaby..."
Pryce mumbles.
He wipes at his face again.
"I'll be over in a minute. Prepare whatever is needed for that ritual."
>>26478409
>>26478434
"NO!" Amy shouts from the bushes, jumping out, unable to take it any more. "No, no, no!"
She continues to NO as she runs over to Graymy. "Graymy, you're just a big meany bully!" Amy shouts at her.
>"Pshhh. What-EVER," Graymy says as she puts her hoof up in Amy's face.
Amy frowns and stomps her hoof. "Okay, that's it. Time out for you, Graymy."
Amy holds Flow's thing up to Graymy and she recedes back into Amy.
"I REALLY don't like this thing..." Amy says as she puts it back into her saddlebag. She then quickly turns to Flaming and gives her the tightest hug she can muster and doesn't let go.
"I'm so so so so so super sorry, Shortyhorns. That wasn't me. She was a jerk. She's gone now. You're tough and just the right size."
"What's been bad about your morning?" Amy asks, still not letting Flaming go, but letting up her grip a little bit.
>>26478262
>>26478357
"Hogwash, don't say that trite Sir Etac. you've n-never hurt me before hehe" he says that last bit nervously. He shuffles around awkwardly "umm maybe Ichimonji is right. Perhaps all you need is a banishing ritual."
>>26478484
"What the... Amy you... And that Amy... Wait How did you..." She groans
"Amy please explain yourself... Or your Uh... Other self"
>>26478434
She growls as she shakes her head, "N-no, i'm fine, I'm fine! I can take worse than this." She rubs her nose, "Yeah, sure, whatever... my mood's already bad again because of her..."
>>26478484
Flaming's eyes pop open as the real Amy appears and sucks up the phony one into the ring, shaking her head wildly to see if she was just dreaming. "Wha...."
She nearly loses her breath as Amy gives her a tight iron squeeze, causing her to gasp and wheeze. "A-AMY!" She coughs, wiggling in her grip until she loosens up her grip.
She flutters the tears off her eyes, before listening to Amy's explanation. "W-what... what's going on? I'm so confused... this whole day is confusing!"
She digs her face into Amy's shoulder, "First I think Pryce is a valiant warrior then he turns out to be a BIG STUPID JERK who likes to make me look stupid, then Shei acts all weird and eats paper, then Novelus tries to makes me feel better w-with a fight and then you turn into a massive jerk too but then you're nice again and normal and GAAAH!" She turns her head up.
"Spirits! What did I do to deserve this?!"
>>26478479
>>26478490
>>26478357
"Banishing? Is that all it is?"
Pryce says, wings lowering.
"The only thing in me that's caused me to harm a friend was my faith in the gods, but maybe that's what needs to be removed."
Pryce uncurls from his cramped seat of the tower.
"Let's get this done Ichimonji."
Pryce says slowly as he stands, a defeated aura around him as he picks up his bracelet.
>>26478428
After around a minute, Renee clears her throat. "At least this time it won't be just you and... him. Not just me, not just Shei or Pryce, but all of us, Amy, Flaming, Spitshine... even River Spring. I thought I might throttle her when I knew her involvement with Buiwong but... I was surprised how thoroughly she's beyond him now. She was never a truly rotten one-- just... misguided? I don't know. I wonder how it'd have turned out if it was any of Buiwong's other lieutenants we met rather than her."
"But we'll never be alone or lost again with them. That's for sure." she smiles lightly.
>>26478468
"Scan?" Yareakh asks. She takes a tentative step away. "Are you talking about that ritual Doctor Galton did? The purifying one? We've already done that. I appreciate your concern but we're already in good hooves."
>>26478484
>>26478513
>>26478409
"Whoa! Plot twist!" a filly's voice shouts. A young alicorn filly approaches, her body a pink which turns more intense in her limbs and neck and eventually turns sunset orange in her face/hooves. Her hair, floating as though submerged in water, is a gradient of teal, ending in gray at the tips. Her eyes are dull silver.
She plops down on the grass near you. When she sees Graymy vanish, she sighs. "Noooo! What'd I miss?"
>>26478479
>>26478490
Ichimonji nods, and begins to walk away. When Shei approaches, she halts for a brief instant, her face wrought in a deep scowl, one that puts the ferocious deity statues around Lilane to shame. The moment passes as she looks away from Shei and heads for the stairs.
>>26478540
"It'll take me a bit of time to get it all set up on short notice and let the incense burn enough to build up a good fume for when you." she explains as she leads you back toward town hall. You see an alicorn filly, as well as Flaming, Amy, and Dania gathered near the barracks. "I'll get someone to help me, but--" she notices the others. She scowls again. "Perhaps you should...?" she nods toward Flaming.
>>26478537
The Sheep sits down
"Honestly... This day is getting too bizarre for me as well...I need chocolate... Caramel, ice cream, cupcakes... Something sweet..."
>>26478569
She squints hard as she sees the strong colors of the filly body
"Now more Alicorns... For the love of the King..."
>>26478537
"Pryce was mean to you?" Amy pulls out of the hug to look at Flaming with a confused expression. Her confusion leaves her face and is replaced by a blank expression as she thinks.
Amy doesn't say anything for a while. Then, she frowns and just says, "I'm sorry," and hugs Flaming again.
>>26478569
Amy lets go of Flaming when the new alicorn appears. "She was a meany," Amy answers the alicorn's concern. "She needed a time out."
She approaches the alicorn, looking her up and down. "I don't think I know you. What's your name, friend. I'm Amy. Amy Thest."
>>26478569
"Purifying ritual..." Observer mumbles to herself.
"No, not quite like that. My kind of Voidlings have the ability to scan objects and creatures around them, I scan nearly every being's biology that I come in contact with so I can better understand the creatures of this world. Learning is as much a need to me as hunger is for you. With that, I ask what this Purifying Ritual is?"
>>26478569
Flaming wipes her eyes clear of tears using Amy's coat, turning to look at the pink alicorn filly as she appears in the grassfield.
"Huh? Who are you?" She squints her eyes, looking at the wings and horn. "Another alicorn...? Great." She sniffs. "Just what I needed." She looks angrily at the filly, unjustly irritated with the innocent as she barks, "What do you want? Who are you? C-can you see I'm busy not crying?"
>>26478591
She pauses in the middle of her hug, reaching down into her tunic to grab at a few chocolate pieces. "W-well, I didn't eat all the chocolate that fell. I saved some for later. Here. I don't want it anymore."
>>26478605
She wipes her eyes as she's pulled back from the hug, then as it comes back in Flaming confides. "I just don't know what I was thinking... the date was SO GREAT at first, I was having the most fun I'd had in a long time, and then... and then while he was letting me fly using some of his magic horseshoes, he just up and magiced them off of me! I feel straight down and hit the ground hard... right in front of everyone too." She growls, "Big jerk was probably laughing it up on the inside... couldn't even have the guts to admit what he did."
>>26478540
"Thats the spirit Pryce. It just isn't good for you to be so glum." Shei-sher says with renewed entusiasm.
>>26478569
As Shei-Sher follows behind him his nerves feel petrified in the moment Ichimonji glares at him. When his glower his relased Shei-sher feels overcome with shame and follows with his head hanging low.
>>26478569
Flow looks at the ground, a solemn frown on his face.
"Yeah, I suppose."
A smile slowly begins to creep on his face.
"I haven't traveled with a group since I was 80...hehe, I forgot how it feels. B-but while we're not all families n' such, we might as well be."
He takes off his coat and hat, setting them aside as he reclines on the bed.
"Yeah...a family. All of us."
>>26478636
"Seems near unavoidable lately despite my efforts."
>>26478569
"Will it take long, the ritual itself?"
As Ichimonji motions to Flaming, Pryce looks away.
"...Just send word once its ready."
>>26478569
>>26478591
>>26478605
>>26478626
Pryce stays back as Ichimonji leaves to prepare the incense. Not approaching the others, only staring for a moment as he tries to work some nerve as to what to say to Flaming, but only turns his head away ashamed.
>>26478626
"Ah, thank you Flaming, you are a true savior... I just hope that even if short, our fight at least helped you feel a little better..." She bites down a piece of the chocolate with a smile "because you certainly helped me feel well with this"
>>26478649
"Oh... Pryce, you arrived at the best, worst possible time... "
>>26478626
Amy stares at Flaming with a confused expression again. A little bit of anger swells up, but she pushes it back down. "That's really weird," she concludes. "I'll talk to him later for you. Nobody hurts my sister for no reason. Don't you worry."
She starts to turn back to the alicorn stranger when she stops and looks back at Flaming. "No, wait wait wait," she says, waving her hooves in front of herself as if she's taking back something she did. "I mean nobody hurts my sister for ANY reason!"
>>26478614
Yareakh clears her throat. "Well, fighting demons doesn't just wear on the mind and body like regular fighting - it burns out the soul itself, skewing personality, memories, even your powers. So Ecclesian soldiers will purify themselves and ward off evil spirits with incense and all that."
>>26478591
>>26478605
>>26478626
She stands up and twirls with a flourish, nearly losing her balance. "Prrrincess Laciela of Mariposa. No bowing please, no autographs until lunch. I wanted to see your fight, but I guess I got here too late. Who won?"
>>26478648
After sitting a while longer, Renee smacks her lips. "I'm going to try a bit more of that spicy borscht. I find it gives me some much-needed sass." she says, stepping toward the door. Pausing, she comes back for a quick peck on the top of your head.
>>26478636
>>26478649
"It takes however long it takes to make the user feel clean again. Drives away the foul humors and bad juju, whatever else they call it in the world's tongues. Exposure to demons - or the moon in your case - builds it up like grime or sweat... only this kind will warp you into someone you're not when you don't wash up right."
Ichimonji proceeds to town hall, leaving you together.
>>26478670
She gives a curt nod, "While it lasted, it absolutely did... and, now that I think on it, it helps a little bit now too." She bows her head, "Thank you so much again, Novelus. Not many would willingly fight a buffalo just to make them feel better. I can't say how much I appreciate that." She smiles, "I think I got gum drops too if you want those."
>>26478683
She blushes hard, shaking her head. "Really really weird. I had no idea he had that in him. I don't understand how I could have misjudged him so." She growls, "Whatever. If you want to that's fine but I don't care about how funny he thought it was. I'm done with him." She closes her eyes, "But, thank you... if anyone ever makes you cry I promise I'll 'talk' to them too."
She looks up. "I mean 'talk' metaphorically. In case I wasn't clear."
>>26478705
"Does this incense have any magical properties? I would assume there is more to it than just that." She says, sitting down as she chats with Yare.
>>26478705
Flow loses the blue in his cheeks when Renee pecks him, and he remains on the bed for a few minutes, reminiscing about his time with Hope. Eventually, he lets out a deep sigh, and gets off of the bed, slipping on his coat as he takes the hat in his hooves.
"...here's to you, old pal."
He puts on his hat and takes a swig from his canteen before grabbing all of his armaments.
"Hmph...to think I got by using just a longsword," he says as he holds his claymore. He puts it on his back and heads out to wander around the building.
>>26478712
"Well, I'm going to talk to him first," Amy says. "I don't want to hurt him if I don't have to."
>>26478705
"Nice to meet you, Lacey," Amy says, lugging the adorable little alicorn quickly.
"I think the fight got put off until later though. My jerky half interrupted. Speaking of which, I'm giving this back to flow. I can't handle the responsibility of two of me."
And with that, Amy sprints back to where she last saw Flow.
>>26478705
>>26478670
She shakes her head, "You're a p-p-princess?" She blushes brightly, bowing her head immediately. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to act so disrespectful, miss. Forgive my rudeness. It's been a... rough morning, for me."
She looks between her and Dania several times, her hooves twitching and tapping along the ground.
"Uh... I won. Yep. Totally me." She turns her head, "So... what's a princess have any interest in a fight anyhow?" She looks her up and down. "You look kind of... plushy for fights."
>>26478746
She shakes her head, "I don't see what the point of talking is. He'll probably just like to brag about it."
>>26478705
"I didn't realize those could taint that easily."
Pryce says, feeling more down at the fact he should have known due to his time in the church.
>>26478705
>>26478670
>>26478712
>>26478683
Left alone as he waits for the ritual to prepare, Pryce takes a slow step forward, feeling he needs to at least give some apology for his wrongdoing.
"F...Flaming. I..."
Pryce manages to get out, trailing as he's unsure of what to say to her in front of everypony else now.
>>26478768
Flaming breaks free of Amy's embrace as Pryce approaches, her eyes glaring at him as she steadily approaches.
She stands her ground, trying to wipe away the last few remaining tears in her eyes as he comes up. "Well. Look who decided to show his face. Are you done sulking over your big funny prank?" She snorts. "What do you want?"
>>26478733
"It could. I don't know that much about it. They didn't explain it when they quarantined Laciela and me when they found us. We had fled to Nibbuta, along with some other foals from nearby when Mariposa fell to the demons. We had tried to find refuge with the Rumelians, but... they'd have just made us slaves. So we went to Nibbuta, and eventually Sir Geg- Gegen-- ugh... Gegenschein... can never pronounce that right. He and the Doctor saved us."
>>26478746
>>26478745
"Ah-ah-ah! Please don't abbreviate my name. Full version please." Laciela insists.
Amy and Flow meet in the main gathering hall of the building with the barracks. On the couches nearby, Spitshine, Box, and River speak with Zjetya and a svelte female minotaur.
>>26478763
"Have you NEVER heard of gladiator fights? Those are the COOLEST. So cool I get in trouble when I sneak out to see them. Well I would if the ruling family of Mariposa was still around."
>>26478821
"Perhaps Ichimonji may know more of this ritual. You had said the Ecclasians use it. Since you have experienced it, you can be of assistance. Would you like to assist me in this research?" She asks, beginning to stand up.
>>26478817
Pryce's head hangs low, but he holds it up to look Flaming in the eye with his reddened ones. The least she deserves is an apology face to face
"I-I... I wanted to apologize. I should have been more careful, I didn't realize the lasting effects of the blood moon. I lost control of myself, no apology can ever make up for hurting you."
>>26478705
>>26478649
Shei-sher casts his head down as they pass by the rest of the party.
Shei-sher reflects on what Ichimonji has to say on the detrimental effects of mingling with demons. Which seems to be all Shei's ever done or preoccupied himself with. He reminisces the feelings that coursed through him under the blood moon's light. It wasn't as powerful of an energy he imagined it to be, remembering the stories he had read. But he did feel it subtly. Like a sword barely glazing against a running whetstone. He felt the edge of madness brush against him. He narcissistically chocks up not having it affect him as much to simply having a strong mind. So he thinks.
He then turns his thoughts on Sir Pryce Etac. A paladin's mind, while not versatile to themselves is made into a tank by the church's education.
"Er.. Sir Etac.." Shei says whilst scratching the back of his head "When you say you desire to renounce your faith in a sort of absolution. Will that mean you will be abandoning the lessons taught by the church of Hearthome aswell?"
>>26478867
>>26478817
Shei-sher looks on at this display of ill-conceived reconcilement. His heart feels like its breaking apart.
>>26478821
Flaming smiles, looking at the pink alicorn with a renewed interest. "Well... actually, yeah. They're not called gladiators where I'm from but, sparring circles between warriors are commonplace where I come from. I watch fights all the time." She snickers, "I just didn't know soft little ponies did too. Your parents don't let you watch them? That's pretty lame."
She lowers her ears as she mentions Mariposa 'was still around'. "Oh... I'm sorry. The demons...?"
>>26478867
Flaming glares up at him, looking at his reddened eyes with very little compassion in her heart at first.
"Hmph... so that's what happened then? The blood moon left a lasting effect?" She growls, getting up close to him. "Well, I haven't felt ANY of the blood moon's effects since we came here. Neither has Amy or anyone else I know of. Why I am supposed to believe it was the blood moon's fault you ripped your horseshoes off my feet, huh?"
She grunts, growling. "I get you're probably sorry for it, but that doesn't change the fact you did it! And it hurt. More than just physically... I thought I could trust you."
>>26478821
>>26478745
"Here's your thingy back," Amy says, happy to get rid of it. "Graymy was a jerk."
Amy tosses the ring to Flow.
She then notices the group of friends over there talking to a new friend she hasn't met yet. She bounces over to everyone.
"Howdy, everybody!" she says happily. "Who's this? We haven't met. My name is Amy. Amy Thest."
She extends her hoof to the minotaur lady.
>>26478917
Flow catches the Inheritance and puts it back into himself as he summons Vice and Trapper.
>>26478821
"Hey what's up?"
He looks at the minotaur and Zjetya(who he's never met).
"I believe we haven't met before, I'm Flow."
He bows respectfully.
>>26478887
"I don't know if I could, but I haven't been able to hold them up anyways. Meeting the divine blinded me, and I've only further gone astray."
>>26478915
"...I don't ask you to believe it, and even if you did it does not excuse my carelessness. I should have known better."
Pryce adverts his gaze for a moment as Flaming restates what he's caused, finding it difficult to re-meet her.
"I wouldn't trust me either. I would take that pain tenfold if it could take it back.
>>26478865
"Um... couldn't you just ask Sir Ichimonji or something? I don't know how much my sister and I want to be scanned, exactly." she says, getting up as well.
>>26478915
"Yeah... it was lame. Oh and the demons too, that's really lame as well." Laciela says. She rocks back and forth on her hooves, looking down at the ground. "Really really lame." she sighs. "I'm gonna get-- get a sna..."
Before finishing her word she trots away toward the mess hall.
>>26478917
>>26478946
"Rus Tea of Manyirongdi. I can read and have big arms." the minotaur says, nodding in greeting.
"Wow, getting right to the point aren't we?" Zjetya (a beige mothpony with rainbowlike wings and rich black neck fuzz) jokes.
"No time for dallying when any of our days could be the last." Rus says.
"Would you mind... not reminding us every few hours?" Spitshine groans.
"She is technically right!" Box notes.
>>26478915
>Neither has Amy or anyone else I know of.
Shei meekly raises his hoof "I -I felt the blood moon's effects.. a little.."
>>26478956
"Pryce, I don't think you should do this. A stallion is only as good as his faith in good afterall. You believe in the church don't you?"
>>26478965
"As I stated before, my scans do not work properly with you or your sister. Asking was also my intent, I only want you to tell me the differences in what you experienced compared to what I will learn from Ichimonji." She begins to head towards the last place she saw Ichimonji, the town hall.
>>26478965
Flow chuckles.
"I know what you mean. Even before the demons started showing up, the world was dangerous."
Trapper immediately heads to the barracks to retrieve his drawings and stash them in Box.
Vice, now reformed, also bows to Rus and Zjetya.
>"It's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Vice Grip. The idiot who bolted off was Trapper Keeper. Both of us are clones of Sir Flow."
Flow glares at Vice.
"You didn't have to say all that, y'know?..."
>"Well it's only polite, Sir Flow."
Flow just rolls his eyes in response.
>>26478965
>>26478965
She flattens her ears again, slightly wandering after her to speak up, "Yeah... it is. I know how you feel. My home's gone too." She snorts. "B-but don't worry! The reason I joined Ecclessia was to take it and every home lost to those monsters back. Have hope, alright?" She leans over, bumping her lightly with her head in the side.
>>26478956
>>26478998
As shei comments that he felt the effects as well, Shorty turns her head and glares. "...REALLY? Hmm... I guess that could explain why you're acting so weird today too, but, I don't feel it at all... grrrrrm..."
She grunts, taking a look up at Pryce with a heavy glare, adjusting between her hooves. Her anger doesn't appear to have died down much. "...I don't think I believe it was a blood moon just yet. Honestly, I'm still on my guard wondering if this isn't just some other set up to a prank. But, there is one thing you just said."
She turns her head, "You'd take the pain back tenfold if you could?"
>>26478998
"...I'm not worthy to uphold those beliefs anymore. All they've done in my hoof is cause pain to those I care about,"
>>26479015
"Any amount. I shouldn't have hurt you... have taken away that smile."
>>26478965
"Well, I hope those big arms are good for hugging, Rusty," Amy says like a father trying to get a smile out of his grumpy daughter as she gives Rus a hug.
"How are things in Mini-Ironingboard land?" Amy asks as she lets go of Rus.
>>26479028
As he makes his decree, she gives another quick snort, staring him down with a plan in her eye. "You suuuuuuuuuuure about that? One hundred percent? No take backs lest you dishonor your clan?"
>>26479039
Pryce lowers his head, eyes shut.
"I've dishonored my family and my teachings enough already."
>>26479059
"Hmph." She turns around, walking away from Pryce with a determined glare on her face. "Well you can at least settle this with honor then. Stand right there."
She moves away a few solid paces before turning around, scraping her hooves across grass field and letting out a few snorts from her muzzle. "You absolutely mean what you said? A bull doesn't take back his word and neither should a stallion."
>>26479001
"Are you just not good at analyzing foals maybe? I mean you are from the Void, I can't imagine they have that many th... uh, sorry, that was rude. But, if you just want to compare, then I can help with that. Just, no dissection please."
>>26479037
She returns the hug, surprisingly gentle.
"The spineless king who kowtowed to the pony church - dead at the claws of the technocratic griffon lords with more magitech gizmos than they do brain cells and fibres of decency. I miss only the land, not its rulers. The griffons wasted no time moving in with their mobile bomb-dropping magitech homes when the sky began to fall."
>Paused
>>26479015
>>26479015
"Well of course you wouldn't be able to feel the Blood Moon's radiative energies. You aren't a magic user. The waves it's lights emit are only conducive to magic users." Shei-sher states in a scholarly fashion
>>26479072
Pryce does not look up, eyes still shut with head bowed down.
"I mean it all with all my spirit."
>>26479090
>>26479076
"Oh! Hm... well, I guess that makes sense, but, Amy hasn't felt it either and she's definitely magically inclined. No... no, I think this is the only way I'm going to be satisfied." She answers to Shei.
She rolls back a few more feet, scraping her hooves. "Alright then... Sir Pryce Etac?" She grunts, charging head on at the regretful alicorn, taking on a good deal of speed as she leaps up and aims her iron skull towards his forehead, just beneath his horn. "I FORGIVE YOU!"
[1d10+6] (All or Nothing, if it succeeds it crits. Applying Charge/Gaia)
>>26479104
"Didn't Amy uncontrollably transform into a riotous wolf?" Just before you can charge into Pryce Shei-sher says "-uh is this really necessary?"
>>26479104
Pryce doesn't move, not even flinch as the unseen charge comes.
The impact lands dead on, a loud crack echoing as Pryce is pushed back. He falls backward onto his side, collapsing quickly as his teeth clench as if they were trying to fuse. His hooves shoot up to his head as he groans out through his teeth, muffled but one pained shout escaping as his hooves touch the impact spot.
>>26479131
"Pryce says he'd take back the pain for what he did, either intentionally or non? Then I'll honor his request!"
>>26479139
As Pryce falls backwards on his sides, Flaming gives a minor wince as she gives her head a light rub, not feeling an ounce of the pain Pryce must be.
She walks over to the pained pony, smugly grinning to herself in satisfactory as she chuckles.
"Ouch... that's gotta hurt, huh?" She leans down, offering her hoof for a leg up. "If you had just done this earlier I would have felt like even finishing the dumb date... come on up, Pryce, you're forgiven. You faced your penalties with diligence."
>>26479179
Pryce lifts one hoof from his head at Flaming's offer, broken pained sounds slipping from his lips. His hoof falls back to his head, back arcing and curling.
"I... I'm going... going to lie here. ...For a moment. Wh-While everything's... getting dark..."
He spits out between groans.
>>26479220
She winces at the pain he's feeling, noticing the swelling bump on his forehead.
"T-that's fine.... oooh... maybe that was a bit more than tenfold." She leans down by him, now somewhat concerned if she'd hurt him too bad, but retaining confidence he'd power through. "That may just be the call for a warrior's rest... whether it was intentional or not, you clearly still have a sense of honor. I... I shouldn't have doubted that much, at least." She blushes. "G-go ahead and rest, Pryce. Maybe I can get you some ice."
She leans down again, "And, thank you. For apologizing. I'm glad I wasn't wrong about you after all."
