[MLP] Roleplaying is Magic IC: The Broken Road.

[Ravian]

Energy 6
[roll0]
(I'm going to take a gander and say that a crit means Soot loses no energy, am I right?)
In stark contrast to the others trudging along, Soot led the group with her light almost with a bounce to her step. Maybe it was finally being able to move out after spending most of the day waiting for the sun to set. But whatever it was, the unicorn barely seemed to notice the miles.

As they came up to the decline, Soot couldn't help but whistle. "Would you look at that?" she muttered to herself incredulously at the sight. Manehatten was certainly a city, but this place's age seemed to seperate it from comparison to a city like Manehatten. She almost ran down the slope, stopping herself only when she almost tripped over herself in her haste. "Keep it slow and steady." she muttered to herself.

[Ravian]

Body check to get down the slope
2 body+ 3 harmony= 5
[roll0]

[BlasTech]

As they came up to the decline, Soot couldn't help but whistle. "Would you look at that?" she muttered to herself incredulously at the sight. Manehatten was certainly a city, but this place's age seemed to seperate it from comparison to a city like Manehatten. She almost ran down the slope, stopping herself only when she almost tripped over herself in her haste. "Keep it slow and steady." she muttered to herself.

The wings of the two fliers kicked up small swirls in the sand as they gently helped Soot to the bottom of the first drop. Working together, the two of them were able to shepherd the unicorn to where the slope started to level out.

"Next!" Called Rinda, as she flew back up to the top of the cliff.


(I'm going to take a gander and say that a crit means Soot loses no energy, am I right?)

[Yeah that seems reasonable. Lucky pony!]

[Balmas]

"It's getting fairly windy," observed the pegasus. "It would be safer for us to simply walk you down the slope, instead of flying." He touched down, the sand floomping gently under his hooves. He looked from one to the other, and then back at their rapidly diminishing guide. "Shall we?"

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease stepped up to the edge of the crater. "Here we go," she said, starting her slide.

Body 4 + 3 harmony
6+7=13

She rushed down the slope, her hooves occasionally threatening to slip out from under her. Every time they did, though, the two fliers kept her stable. Before long, she reached the level portion of the slope, alongside Soot.

[BlasTech]

"Wheeeheeeheeee haaa haaaaaaaa!!!!"

The cry came from Igneous as the other unicorn went barreling down the slope by himself. For a moment it looked like he was scooting down the dune on his rump, until the faint glint of gold from beneath him showed that he was using the backpiece of his guardpony armour as a toboggan.

Soon enough, the guardpony vanished into the darkness with only the spray of sand to mark his passage.

[TheAmishPirate]

Cork noted the steep drop with an audible gulp. Well, no sense standing around waiting for somepony to carry you, now is there? With a quick prayer to Celestia, Luna, and whomever else may be out there and taking pity on him, he took his first step...

Body 2 + Harmony 3 = +5
[roll0]

Apparently, he had little to worry about. Well of course he didn't! He was a Cork, wasn't he? The young businesspony, aided by their flying friends, made the trip with ease.

[BlasTech]

"Alright, that's done" Rinda commented, as the last of the party was safely dropped beneath the ridge. Snapping her brown wings open, the gryphon rode one of the wind gusts back up to the summit where the sled remained; fully laden with two days worth of supplies for seven ponies.

"... that's alot of tack." She muttered, before turning to call back down below. "Any ideas on how to shift this sled thing down before the rock guy walks off? Or should we just push?"

The sled looked fairly battered, having been dragged across a desert for most of the night. Between the abrasion of the sand, the odd knocks from hidden rocks, and the strain of ferrying all those supplies, it looked like it could fall apart at any moment.

Several hundred feet below them, the blue light of the guardian - a shrinking, hazy blue orb amidst the black - was nearing the base of the crescent ravine.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb scowled, looking at the effect the desert had taken on his creation. It probably wouldn't survive being run down the cliff, and the rapidly diminishing glow of their guide was evidence that they didn't really have time to ferry everything down, follow with the sled, and then rapidly load back up. The pony-sherpa business had already eaten a large chunk of their time. But, they couldn't really afford to leave behind the supplies in the desert; that would be sheer lunacy.

After several seconds of internal debate, he came to a conclusion. "I'll take the fore and hold it up with the harness. You grab the back end and make sure nothing wobbles loose or falls off. Then we fly it down."

As he walked around the sled, he poked a wing over the edge of the cliff. Judging by the way the wind twisted in his secondaries, it would be a moderately difficult task for a normal pegasus. But, he wasn't normal, was he?

Body + Aeronautics check to fly to the bottom of the cliff safely. Possible +1 harmony bonus from Rinda's help. +3 body, +5 aeronautics, +1 harmony.

[roll0]

[BlasTech]

This stuff was heavy.

Wings beating with powerful sweeps, the two fliers struggled to raise the sled into the air; Dive Bomb at the fore while Rinda hoisted the other end of the sled above her head. It was no easy task; two days of supplies for seven people added up to quite alot of food and utensils. Added to this was the open-top nature of the sled and the infuriatingly intermittent wind. If only they could have called a bunch of removalist ponies to help, but unfortunately only the two of them were there to work on easing their cargo out over the void.

"Watch it!"

A gust of wind hit them, catching the sled and swinging it to the side. The piles of supplies teetered precariously as they strained to level out. A few smaller items toppled from the pile and fell to the sand below.

"Keep that end up! Bloody wind. If w-"

Another ill timed gust hit them again, swinging the sled in the opposite direction and causing another smattering of goods to dislodge. Dive Bomb had to work hard to try to steady the load once more. He clamped his teeth firmly on the straps of their makeshift harness, sweat beading his brow and wings pumping furiously for purchase in the cool night air.

He'd almost got it back and steady when --

*RIIIIPPPP*

The harness straps suddenly became much lighter, and the pegasus found himself tumbling up and away from the gryphon. Rinda, for her part, had only enough time for a startled squawk before the whole sled pivoted in mid air and smacked her in the face.

Nose down, the sled abandoned its carers, hitting the sheer incline of the dune and rocketing down the slope towards the others. Shedding goods as it went, the pile of supplies and equipment shot straight at Grease Spot. The earth pony had only a split second to react before the cart would collect her.

[DC was 20. So only a partial success. Grease Spot is the target after a d6 roll to select a victim for Mr Sled. A few options may be available to her; The basic ones are a DC10 to jump out of the way (letting the sled barrel off to its imminent doom), DC 15 to jump on it and try to steer it to safety, or DC 20, at a -2 penalty due to sandy ground, to try to stop it. Feel free to suggest other courses if you want, either here or in the OOC thread.]

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown had hardly recovered his breath when the ominous ripping sound cut across the desert, and he whirled about to face the ledge. Flying faster than he could possibly imagine, the sled barrelled down the slope towards... "Miss Spot! Watch out!" he cried, rushing to her aid. Whether that would be to stand by her side and catch the sled, or to push her out of the way would depend entirely on her reaction.

[One Tin Soldier]

Time seemed to slow down for the denim-blue mare. The sled containing their valuable supplies raced down the slope towards her, threatening to run her down. She heard Crown's shout, just as she thought Can't let it get away.

In another situation, she might have time to let Cork know exactly what she planned to do, and how he could help. Under the circumstances, all she could do was shout "Stop!" as she lunged forward, aiming her front hooves for the front of the sled while digging the rear ones into the sand, bracing for the imminent impact.

Going to try stopping the sled with brute force. And spending a Willpower to make the effort not futile.
Body 4 + Extra Talent (Strong) 1 + Willpower 11 + 1 Harmony bonus - 2 for insecure footing (total of 16), rolled twice for Strong Talent
13+15=28
1+15=16 Well that was a close one. Good thing getting a 1 on the second roll doesn't matter.
Grease is now at 10 Willpower.

The front bar of the sled slammed into her hooves. She immediately felt herself forced back, the sand underneath her slipping away and preventing her from maintaining her position. She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, focusing on keeping her back legs braced against the sand so she wouldn't lose her balance. Just as the abrasive sand started to feel painful, the sled ground to a halt.

She opened her eyes again, returning all four hooves. To her mild surprise, she saw Crown Cork next to her, braced against the sled. It seemed that he had managed to decipher her monosyllabic instruction, and not get run over in the process. Impressive, given how tired the unathletic colt looked just a minute ago.

"I got it!" she shouted back up the slope, where the others stood and hovered.

[TheAmishPirate]

The sweaty, disheveled Crown Cork looked down in utter shock and disbelief. Somehow, he had ended up next to Miss Spot, and their runaway sled had ended up in his hooves. The young businesspony started chuckling uncontrollably. "Well...would you look at that!" He shook his head, shaking with laughter. "I suppose you never quite know what you can do until you try, eh?"

[Balmas]

No! The world danced before the Pegasus's eyes, earth and sky switching places until it was only possible to tell up by which was shinier. The stars blushed as a stream of soft "ponyfeathers" traced his trajectory through the night air.

Okay. First step? Don't panic. He reached the arc's apex, and began to whimper softly as the moon spun lazily between his hooves. Check!

Spread your limbs to reduce rotational velocity. The horizon's tango slowed to a waltz as his body formed a black 'X' against the starry night. Down is... up! Up is bad!

Those feathery limbs, his most precious possessions, now shot out to remind the world of the regular condition. The moon regained its place above him, and he hovered there, blinking at the still spinning stars. Would someone please stop the world? I'd like to get off.

Once Dive Bomb could fly straight, he flew down, aghast at all the supplies that had been scattered in the sled's toboggan towards destruction. The remains of the harness streamed behind him as he landed, breathing heavily. "Is... Haaaah everypony... hooo alright?" Hacking a bit, he looked around to see if he could spot the griffoness.

I'm going to assume there's no check to regain control.

[One Tin Soldier]

A small grin appeared on Grease's face, a result of the remaining adrenaline and Cork's giddy relief. "That's the spirit," she said, cheerful despite having to come out between panting breaths.

"We're fine!" she called out to Dive Bomb. "Bring down that harness, I'll see if I can reattach it!"

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb nodded, shucking the harness at her feet. "Sorry it broke," he said, mixed feelings giving him pause. Sadness at seeing his work fail, gladness and relief that noone got hurt, a bit of frustration that he couldn't help more... He turned and set about making himself useful by bringing all the lost supplies he could find back to the cart.

[BlasTech]

"Ugh, what a day ... night, I mean" Rinda groaned, alighting next to the others and rubbing a thoroughly bruised beak.

"Nice catch." She added, grudgingly, as she saw the success of Grease's efforts. "I don't think we lost anything major back there, so lets get going. I can't see either of the rock heads down there anymore, so we have a bit of catching up to do."

It was true, the reassuring blue glow had vanished and the only trace of Igenous was a long groove in the sand that trailed off into the night.

[Balmas]

Dropping a small bottle--miraculously intact--of water on the sleigh, Dive Bomb wiped the taste of sand from his mouth. "If someone else can manage the ambassador's stretcher, I can fly ahead and try to spot Rocky."

He nosed around the series of cardboard tubes in his left saddlebag, and withdrew with a thinner tube, purple in the moonlight. "This is a slightly modified firework; it burns slowly, with an intense red fire. If you can see me, and I can see it, we can follow it."

Holding the flare far from his muzzle--and everything else, for that matter,--he eyed the path the armor had cut. "If you follow the divot, you should find Igneous just fine."

[One Tin Soldier]

"Thanks," Grease said in reply to Rinda.

She tied the snapped ropes back together, returning the sled to a usable state. After giving them experimental tugs to make sure they would hold, she put the harness back on.

"It's going to be a real pain getting this up the other side," she said. "I think we might not be able to keep up with the automaton much longer, especially once we stop to rest."

[TheAmishPirate]

Cork warily eyed the stretcher. True, he would've liked nothing more than to aid his fine feathered friend, but there was the matter of his nearly being wiped out. It just wouldn't do for the group to have to ferry the Ambassador and their leader across the desert, now would it? "Soot? Would you please assist Miss Rinda with the stretcher?" In the meanwhile, he'd help gather up any supplies that had dropped off near their location.

"You make an excellent point, Miss Spot, but may I direct your attention to the sand?" The young businesspony pointed out the no-doubt enormous tracks leading off into the distance. "True, while it would be ideal to follow close behind our automaton, I can't imagine us losing its trail that easily."

[Ravian]

Soot's gasp as the sled fell towards Grease Spot quickly turned to a brief cheer as the mare caught the sled in its plummet.
"Nice job!" she shouted in approval.
Still, she thought to herself it seems whenever I turn my back these ponies end up blowing something up, dropping something, or getting themselves killed in new and inventive ways. Honestly they're just as bad as the foals. she stopped as the memories started coming back up. I hope they're okay...
Soot was so glad of the distraction offered by Cork that she didn't even cross her mind to wonder why he didn't volunteer himself.
"Sure, no problem." she said as she went over to Rinda and the stretcher. "Hey." she greeted the griffon simply. She didn't dislike griffons, but there was something about the whole half-ferocious feline half-bird of prey all-carnivorus predator thing that meant she generally avoided the griffon neighborhoods in Manehatten and prefered her contact with their inhabitants short.

This clearly wouldn't be possible right now so she told her prey instincts to calm down and tried making small talk "So... how about that..." she paused, realizing that there was little common ground to be shared between a unicorn thief and a griffon bodyguard. "Uh.. anyone seen where Iggy got off to?" she quickly posed the question to the group.

[One Tin Soldier]

"He's somewhere off that way," Grease said, pointing a hoof in the direction of the trail Igneous left behind, before turning her attention to Crown Cork.

"I was thinking the same thing. Hopefully it doesn't stop leaving tracks behind it any time soon."

[Balmas]

"So, we're going after Igneous, then?" The green colt put the flare in the sand, to more easily speak. "And then following the path of the guard thing?" It was a good plan, assuming they could then find the guard. And splitting up could be less than optimal. Maybe leave a flare for the others?

[TheAmishPirate]

"Really, I hardly expect it to sprout rock wings and take to the skies," Crown laughed his airy laugh. "But indeed; let's hurry to catch up with our good friend the guard." With the supplies almost fully gathered up, the mocha earth pony took up a position behind the sled, watching to make sure nothing else would fall off or otherwise break.

[If we're all set, think we're ready to head out again?]

[BlasTech]

"Who knows, might be better in the long run." Rinda replied, not really specifying which of the two absentees she was talking about.

"C'mon, they can't have gotten far." she continued, tucking herself back into her harness and leading them off down the slope.

*************

Maybe they could. Rinda amended, mentally, after they'd walked a good portion of the way down the slope.

The odd shape of the dunes only looked like a shallow half-bowl from a long distance away. When you were in it, it was more like a gigantic amphitheatre of sand; its wings stretching away into the night. It took them a good quarter hour to walk down to the base where the ground levelled out again. Beyond them, the desert stretched out in front of them in a flat line, straight as an arrow. Dunes loomed in the darkness, rising on either side of the path that was dotted with the occasional slab of half buried rock.

The tracks had been easy to follow until now, a long narrow groove in the sand that tracked side by side with the deep divots of the rock creature. At the base, Iggy's sleigh ride had evidently petered out as, after a small circle of disturbed sand, his trail had reverted to normal hoofprints.

But while the rock monster's tracks could be seen stretching off into the night, Iggy's hoof prints ended abruptly. They walked right up to one of the nearby flagstones, but did not continue on the other side.

In the meantime, Dive Bomb flew ahead, searching for signs of their guide or their companion. It didn't take long before he could see the blue glow again. Swooping low, he was greeted with the reassuring sight of the rock monster plodding along. It actually raised its head and regarded the pegasus for a moment before resuming its walk through the valley.

[@ Amish; oh really now, you thought it would be that easy did you? :smalltongue:]

[TheAmishPirate]

[Of course not, I just figured we might as well start to get a move on, so it can get interrupted faster. :smalltongue:]

Downhill slopes; sweet, merciful downhill slopes. The welcome relief for the weary traveler. Crown Cork chose to conveniently forget about the uphill slope on the other side. They followed Igneous' trail, snaking deeper into the canyon, until...

Well, this certainly was peculiar, wasn't it? Crown lapped the rock a few times to ensure he hadn't miscalculated, but no, there was indeed no trace of their royal guard. "Igneous? Igneous, are you there?" he called out into the night.

If there was no response, then there really was only one sensible course of action; if a pony had approached a rock on one side, and there were no tracks indicating their departure, then it stood to reason that something had happened to the pony while he was atop the rock. Elementary, my dear Trotson. Crown enjoyed a silent laugh at his own cleverness. "Miss Rinda? Do pop up and see if there is anything atop this rock? If there is to be a clue anywhere, then I believe it is to be found up there."

[BlasTech]

Rolling her eyes, Rinda shucked the stretcher off her back and flapped up above the boulder. It looked exactly like any of the other dozen or three that littered the valley they were now in; dull grey, probably a sandy yellow in the sunlight and about a pony length in height. The only difference between this and its bretheren was that it jutted up and out of the sand as opposed to being buried, with only the odd facing visible at ground level.

It was a simple matter to fly over the thing and Rinda reported what she saw back to the others. Or rather, what she didn't see; there were no markings, no chips in the rock, no signs of passage and definitely no brainless guardpony sitting on top.

"Coulda told you as much from the ground" she grumbled.

Completing her visual inspection, she dropped back to the sand next to the stretcher - waiting for the rest of them to figure out the next steps.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease scanned the desert around her, not seeing any sign of Igneous. "Strange," she said. "If there's nowhere he could have gone after reaching this rock..." She tapped a hoof against the side experimentally.

[Ravian]

"Where could he have gone?" Soot wondered aloud. She glanced about the empty expanse "Hold on a second, maybe I can find him with my magic." she began to focus her magic, willing a golden light to shine around sentient beings in her mind's eye
Detect Life mind 4+ level 1
[roll0]
((Well unless he's cleverly hidden a few feet away I've got nothing))

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb hovered, staring at the strange magical amalgamation. It had noticed him; was it possible it remembered? There was one sure way to find out, and in the absence of particularly equine life-forms, Dive Bomb felt secure enough to grin at the prospect: Questions, and lots of them.

Touching down softly on the cool dust, he tucked away the flare and cleared his throat. <"May I ask you some questions?">

[TheAmishPirate]

Nothing on top? Crown huffed irritably. What good was coming up with clever ideas if they didn't work? But not to worry; he would soon get to the bottom of this! While his associates examined the rock and performed some odd feats of magic, Crown opted to examine where the tracks ended. Perhaps he could put his imagination to the test yet again, and deduce what had happened here. Igneous clearly walked up to this rock...and then what? Crown went to examine the last set of faint hoof-prints. Perhaps if they were pressed in deeper by a sudden leap, or dragged forward towards the rock as their guard climbed, it'd let him know for sure that he had indeed scaled this miniature monolith.

[If you need a roll, I suppose I could do Mind + Painting? Making use of his imagination to figure out what might've happened?]

[BlasTech]

Nothing on top? Crown huffed irritably. What good was coming up with clever ideas if they didn't work? But not to worry; he would soon get to the bottom of this! While his associates examined the rock and performed some odd feats of magic, Crown opted to examine where the tracks ended. Perhaps he could put his imagination to the test yet again, and deduce what had happened here. Igneous clearly walked up to this rock...and then what? Crown went to examine the last set of faint hoof-prints. Perhaps if they were pressed in deeper by a sudden leap, or dragged forward towards the rock as their guard climbed, it'd let him know for sure that he had indeed scaled this miniature monolith.

[If you need a roll, I suppose I could do Mind + Painting? Making use of his imagination to figure out what might've happened?]

Looking at the facts; there was a set of hoofprints leading up, and none leading away. Unless the unicorn had practiced in self-levitation, which was possible, then he must have walked up to the rock and ...

Then what?

The funny thing about imagination, is that it can sometimes behave like a gas, expanding to fill the space which facts or the senses abandon. Just ask a foal, sitting in the dark, what lies just beyond her sight; it could be anything from unspeakable monsters to a magical land of adventure and fantasy.

Maybe Igneous had become one with his namesake, merging with it like some mystical family reunion? Perhaps he had vanished, claimed by some ravenous desert worm? Or maybe, just maybe, he had never existed to begin with, instead being some collective figment of their imagination, brought on by stress and the harsh desert climate.

For that matter, how did Crown Cork know that he really existed?


"Where could he have gone?" Soot wondered aloud. She glanced about the empty expanse "Hold on a second, maybe I can find him with my magic." she began to focus her magic, willing a golden light to shine around sentient beings in her mind's eye
Detect Life mind 4+ level 1
[roll0]
((Well unless he's cleverly hidden a few feet away I've got nothing))

Soot, meanwhile, wasted none of her time on pointless musings. Instead choosing to cut the metaphorical knot and getting straight to a method of locating their wayward guard. Her horn glowed with yellow light, a solitary star in the sand as she cast her life detection spell.

Unfortunately, the flows of magic once again forsook the filly and her spell sputtered into nothingness right in front of her. For the moment, she could do little more than cross her eyes to glare at her traitorous horn.


Grease scanned the desert around her, not seeing any sign of Igneous. "Strange," she said. "If there's nowhere he could have gone after reaching this rock..." She tapped a hoof against the side experimentally.

The rock accepted the experimental hoofbump with little outward change to its stony expression. As she lowered her hoof back to the grass below, it seemed as if her entire experiment had been for naught. It was rather disappointing in light of a--


-all tha--
--------t had
happened----------
...


...

...

The sun was bright today.

The breeze was cool.

The air, awash with the fragrance of wildflowers.

White clouds dotted the sky above the grassy fields that now surrounded them. The paved road upon which they stood was pleasantly warm, heated by the gentle presence of the yellow orb above. It was so utterly the opposite of everything that they'd experienced lately that it took most of the party a few moments to regain their mental balance. In the meantime, a pair of bluejays flitted past overhead, their tuneful warbles adding to this picturesque summer's day.

The four of them stood in the roadway for a moment, blinking tears from their eyes as their night vision was thoroughly ruined.

In the next field down the road, an earth brown pegasus looked up from where he had been tilling the ground. Tucking the hoe back under his wing he gave a wave to the newcomers.

"'Lo there, travellers. What news from afar?" he called, his voice deep yet friendly.


Dive Bomb hovered, staring at the strange magical amalgamation. It had noticed him; was it possible it remembered? There was one sure way to find out, and in the absence of particularly equine life-forms, Dive Bomb felt secure enough to grin at the prospect: Questions, and lots of them.

Touching down softly on the cool dust, he tucked away the flare and cleared his throat. <"May I ask you some questions?">

The rock monster glanced up at Dive Bomb again, the runic patterns on its body swirling as it processed the request. As it turned back to its plodding path, the mighty construct uttered a single word.

<Speak.>

[Balmas]

The pegasus grinned, resisting the urge to squeal gleefully. He carefully transferred the flare to a wingtip, balancing it carefully in the primaries so it wouldn't burn anything. After all, he needed to be able to write in his notebook <"What are you?"> he began, looking the thing over. <"Where are we? Where are you headed? Do you know how to get to Equestria?">

[BlasTech]

The pegasus grinned, resisting the urge to squeal gleefully. He carefully transferred the flare to a wingtip, balancing it carefully in the primaries so it wouldn't burn anything. After all, he needed to be able to write in his notebook <"What are you?"> he began, looking the thing over. <"Where are we? Where are you headed? Do you know how to get to Equestria?">

The golem whirred for a moment, not halting in its plodding walk as it gave its first answer.

<Speak.>

...

<Slower.>

...

<One by one.>

[Balmas]

Sighing, the pegasus flipped through his notebook. They were heading west, but to where? He turned, and, forcing himself to enunciate, asked, "Where are we in relation to Equestria?"

[BlasTech]

The golem whirred, before its body gave off a small discharge of magical sparks.

<Error. Reference not found.>

[Balmas]

Alright then, no Equestria. His earlier theory was confirmed, at least partially. He trotted a few steps forward, examining the golem more carefully. At least, that's what it looked like, though he supposed it could have been a type of spirit of the rock. Like Discord, maybe?

He looked behind them, examining the evidence of the plodding creature's passage. The hoofsteps trailed behind them like a trail of ants, the only evidence of life in this barren land. Perhaps twenty feet back, there started a second set of hoofprints. Hopefully his friends-- He paused midthought and examined the word in his mind, turning it over and deciding that he liked it. Hopefully they'd turn up soon. If nothing else, they should be able to track him by following the tracks in the sand.

So, next question then. If not in Equestria... <Where is this place?>

[BlasTech]

This time the creature didn't even bother turning.

<This place is ...>

...

<here> it replied, unhelpfully.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb grunted; well, that was about as useful as saying that they weren't somewhere else. Okay, this thing seemed very literal-minded; he could do literal minded questions. But first... He transferred the flare to a hoof and flew up, waving it for his friends to see; the red glow dropped away around him, staining his mane a muted purple in the dull light of night. He squinted, hoping for some sight of them. From up here, he could see all the way to the site of the disastrous run-away sled. But... where were the pastel dots that represented his friends?

Moderately perturbed, he flew back down and tump'd down next to the golem for another round of hope-fully useful questions. "<What can you tell me about the person on whose authority you act?>"

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease Spot stood on the road, stunned. It took her several moments to process her surroundings, once her eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness. This was certainly nowhere near the desert they had just been in. In fact, it looked like... Equestria. There was even another pony there!

"Where are we?" she asked the stallion, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

[TheAmishPirate]

Cork started staring at the hoofprints, but the implications stirring in his head soon had him flat on his haunches. What proof did they have he was ever really there? Did Rinda choke him, or did Dive Bomb get his injury by her talons? Did he really aid in the search, or was he just their imagination, conjuring a bit of levity to the situation?

But the hoofprints! his logical side cried out. Those hoofprints are evidence enough! Perhaps, he'd respond, perhaps they are. But then again, didn't he leave hoofprints too? And what evidence had he that he was real? Sight, touch, sound, all these could be figments of the imagination of a being far greater than he could comprehend. All of life, all of the world could just be a wisp of thought, existing forever in the second it was concieved. Himself, Soot, Rinda,


this desert-


The light flooded his vision, surely a glow of creation unmade, and despair flooded his being. Oh, that he had not looked behind the curtain! Then he could have continued in ignorant bliss, living out the rest of his false life eking out what simple joy he could! But no, it was not destruction that overtook him; it was...rebirth?

The young businesspony - for yes, he must cling to his identity for all he may be worth - rubbed his stinging eyes. Instead of harsh, gritty sand, he sat upon warm, smooth cobblestone. The cool night had vanished amidst the comforting warmth of day. Silence had been filled up by birdsong and the melody of planting season. The desert had passed, the country had come. Perhaps his imaginative romp had not been too far off the mark after all. But...surely it couldn't be that easy? Had it been a simple matter of wishing themselves elsewhere, they would have been home long ago. Could this be some new devilry? Crown rubbed at his coat, inspecting for the sandy grit it had accumulated. Surely if that were still there, it was hard evidence of some sorcery at work.

As he finished his inspection, a friendly voice met his ears. Could that be...? He looked eagerly about; that sounded remarkably like the voices of one of the farmers who worked the strawberry fields. The very same fields where his ~little strawberry tart~ earned her living. Crown gave a swooning sigh at the thought of potentially being so close to her. But alas, from this distance, it was difficult to discern the identity of the voice. If he were truly where he thought he might be, then surely he would recognize the voice of Crown Cork, would he not? "Hallo to you, good farmer!" the colt called back with a wave of his hoof. "The news we bring is that we are hopelessly lost!"

Before he could continue, Miss Spot cut him off with her rather direct question. Oh well; he'd given a decent enough sample of his voice.

[BlasTech]

Dive Bomb grunted; well, that was about as useful as saying that they weren't somewhere else. Okay, this thing seemed very literal-minded; he could do literal minded questions. But first... He transferred the flare to a hoof and flew up, waving it for his friends to see; the red glow dropped away around him, staining his mane a muted purple in the dull light of night. He squinted, hoping for some sight of them. From up here, he could see all the way to the site of the disastrous run-away sled. But... where were the pastel dots that represented his friends?

Moderately perturbed, he flew back down and tump'd down next to the golem for another round of hope-fully useful questions. "<What can you tell me about the person on whose authority you act?>"

<I act on no person's authority.> Replied the creature.

<I serve the People.>

There was a hint of emphasis on that last word; it was possible to hear the capital P even beneath the gravelly monotone of its speaking voice.


Grease Spot stood on the road, stunned. It took her several moments to process her surroundings, once her eyes had adjusted to the sudden brightness. This was certainly nowhere near the desert they had just been in. In fact, it looked like... Equestria. There was even another pony there!

"Where are we?" she asked the stallion, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Lost eh? Well for the minute you're standing in the middle of a road, hah!" laughed the pegasus. "But I'm guessing that isn't what you're after."

He looked around the fields he'd been tilling.

"Seems most everyone who passes through this place has a different name for it nowadays. But those of us who live here call it Riverside." He said, lifting a hoof to point down the road. Sure enough, the path twisted and turned until it came to a collection of log cabins next to a sapphire blue river.

"Doors always open to new folk though, so if you want to pop in for a rest just knock on the door to that big hut down there, the one with the smoking chimmney. Tell my wife, Amelias, that Kahdar sent you and she'll set you right up.

[Ravian]

"...The hay?" Soot could only say incredulously as everything flashed with light. She stared about in confusion as her eyes adjusted to the fields they were in. "What is it with you ponies and touching things that do weird things?" she asked Grease Spot incredulously "Honestly you wouldn't last two days in my line of work."
That's the problem, everypony assumes being a thief means you have to touch everything. it was ridiculous the security some of the richer families in Manehatten used but while most of theirs was earth pony engineering, the principle was usually the same to magical traps and alarms, touch the wrong thing and bad things happen. First rule of burglary she had taught Scamp, and she was clearly going to have to drill it into these ponies.

Soot took a look around her new surroundings, the place certainly looked benign but her instincts were clear that you should only trust a place you knew by heart. She looked about skeptically at the area around them and the pegasus pony in front of them, watching for anything suspicious.
Mind check to look for anything out of the ordinary
[roll0]
extra roll for wary [roll1]

Heart check to notice anything odd about the Pegasus's body language
[roll2]
extra roll for sensative [roll3]

[BlasTech]

Anything suspicious or unusual ... beyond the fact that they had somehow gone from standing in a desert valley to a grassy riverside field?

The sheer amount of oddities in what was going on could fill an encyclopedia. Where was their stuff, the sand that coated them, the ambassador? For now, Soot's senses told her only what her eyes had already confirmed; that they were standing on a road and talking with a pegasus farmer named Kahdar.

There was no real deception visible in the pegasus' face at least, or at least none that Soot could easily read. As for body language, the guy hadn't exactly done much beyond point.

[Balmas]

They should have been here by now. Where were they? Another quick up-down survey revealed nothing but the depressing expanse of sand beneath him.

<"Then tell me about the People,"> he said, scanning for any sight of the others. Why had he thought it was a good idea to split up? If he couldn't see them after a few minutes, he'd have to go looking for them. After all, he could always follow the tracks of the rock beast with them later on.

[TheAmishPirate]

There was no sand in his coat.

There was. No sand. In his coat.

This had several potentially disturbing implications. The least of which meant he was probably not anywhere near his sweetie. As an artist and pony of business, he had a responsibility to keep himself relatively grounded, so as not to completely lose those of lesser imaginations. Now? Perhaps it would be better to throw in the towel, and try to help those he could adjust to the new definition of reality.

But all was not lost, as he was quick to discover. His aching limbs were keen to remind him on that point just as soon as the pegasus mentioned a good rest. How could he be sore from a walk that never happened? That little tidbit of logic cemented his confidence and kept his admittedly flimsy vision of reality intact. Who cared about a few hoof-fulls of sand? They would sort themselves out in due time. "Sir, I thank you for your invitation," the colt bowed his head respectfully. "You say others pass through here? I don't suppose you've seen a unicorn recently? A fellow by the name of Igneous? He's a good friend of ours, but he wandered ahead of us on the road, and we've been trying ever so hard to find him again. Has he passed this way?"

[BlasTech]

They should have been here by now. Where were they? Another quick up-down survey revealed nothing but the depressing expanse of sand beneath him.

<"Then tell me about the people,"> he said, scanning for any sight of the others. Why had he thought it was a good idea to split up? If he couldn't see them after a few minutes, he'd have to go looking for them. After all, he could always follow the tracks of the rock beast with them later on.

The rock monster whirred.

<People are heart, people are soul.>

...

<The People are why I exist.>

...

<I don't understand this question>


There was no sand in his coat.

There was. No sand. In his coat.

This had several potentially disturbing implications. The least of which meant he was probably not anywhere near his sweetie. As an artist and pony of business, he had a responsibility to keep himself relatively grounded, so as not to completely lose those of lesser imaginations. Now? Perhaps it would be better to throw in the towel, and try to help those he could adjust to the new definition of reality.

But all was not lost, as he was quick to discover. His aching limbs were keen to remind him on that point just as soon as the pegasus mentioned a good rest. How could he be sore from a walk that never happened? That little tidbit of logic cemented his confidence and kept his admittedly flimsy vision of reality intact. Who cared about a few hoof-fulls of sand? They would sort themselves out in due time. "Sir, I thank you for your invitation," the colt bowed his head respectfully. "You say others pass through here? I don't suppose you've seen a unicorn recently? A fellow by the name of Igneous? He's a good friend of ours, but he wandered ahead of us on the road, and we've been trying ever so hard to find him again. Has he passed this way?"

"Oh ... grey coated fellow, about yay high? Shiny gold armour and what not? Yep I saw him not long ago." The farmer pegasus replied, as he reached back to grab his hoe again.

"Seemed like a nice enough person, sent him down to see the wife too. They're probably already sitting down for a cup."

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He tucked his notebook and pen back in his saddlebag, and pondered what questions he could ask that would get an intelligible response.

His chin impacted the sand with a resounding whumph. He groaned, looking behind him and rubbing his hoof. Oh yeah; that's one of the good reasons to hover when thinking. Less things to trip on.

What was that thing, anyway? He peered at it, and blew some sand off the top. Some kind of flagstone? That would make this a road of some sort; that would explain the possible existence of a city at the end thereof. Rubbing his chin, he pulled out his notebook and began brushing some more sand from the rock's face, till it stood, clean of sand. What could this tell him about the old civilization? He snorted as he ran a hoof across the face; probably more than the golem would.

[BlasTech]

What can one learn from rock?

Well, not much, as it turns out. Other than the fact it was a perfectly grey and ordinary rock. In fact there was very little that distinguished it from an-


-any oth-
-er ro-----
--------ck

The feeling of discontinuity and displacement overtook Dive Bomb who, like the others, found himself blinking away the suddenly bright sunlight and sitting in the middle of a paved road.

If he looked around, he'd see the same idylic setting that had greeted the rest of the party; replete with tilled fields and the song of summer. If he looked behind him, he'd see the rest of his friends standing on the road, speaking to Kahdar.

[Balmas]

That grinding sound must have been the gears of the scientist's brain slowly crushing to a halt, logic fighting observational fact until the gears sprang loose in a shower of sparkling metal.

Either that, or Dive Bomb was just grinding his teeth.

"Twice," he muttered angrily. "Twice, in two days." He shoved the flare into the ground at his feet, stomping on it as if that would make the world return to its previously sane, logical progression. Come on! Is it too much to ask for the rules of physics to apply for two measly days in a row? He'd been going to see a new civilization! Meet the people there! Discover new things! Now he was in a field, with no idea where he was, how he got there, and why touching a stone should magically take him there! It was all he could do to resist screaming in frustration, as the flare under his feet became so much pulp and powder.

One thing drew him back to the present though. While magic may have trampled the laws of physics, the laws of physics retained their effect on him. He hissed, and drew the aloe-vera from his pack.

With ointment applied on the burnt areas, he took a look around, wincing at the bright light. "How the hay did we get here?" he wondered, seeing the rest of his friends standing around. One, two, three, four... No ambassador. No Igneous. Problem.

"How'd you get here?" he asked, hovering over to them.

[Ravian]

Soot looked surprised by Dive Bomb's sudden appearance, before quickly jabbing a hoof in Grease Spot's direction "Ask ms. "Let's touch everything interesting" here. How'd you get here?" she glanced back at the Pegasus with the weird name seriously, Kahdar? What's that supposed to mean? And ponies think my name is weird because it's one syllable.

"How did we show up here? Did you just find us? Or was there some light of something?"

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb shuffled a hoof, winced, and shuffled a different one. "I was talking with the golem. After a few minutes of questioning, I started looking a the rocks of the road. Next thing I know, I'm here."

He looked around. Clouds. He liked that. Clouds, sun, flowers, grass. This was a good spot. Still, he began rubbing around to see if he could find the magical rock to take them back. He paused; was this really the best idea? He frowned, but stopped searching. This was a good change, and he could go back to the desert... that.. he had no idea where it was. The thought almost made him redouble his efforts, but he resisted.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease gave Soot a sidelong look. "'Touching everything' is what led us to Igneous. Not to mention somewhere civilized!" She gestured around her. "We were following Igneous's trail, and it led up to a rock in the sand. I touched it, and we were all brought here." Looking around, she noticed that not everything had come with them. "Except for our supplies, apparently. And... the ambassador. Where's the ambassador?"

[BlasTech]

Rinda swore, scrambling to her feet and looking around in a panic.

"Oh heck, I didn't notice!" she said, as she looked this way and that. She flew up and swooped over the nearby fields. "I can't see him anywhere! You guys go on ahead, I'm going to keep searching here."

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown Cork gave a inexperienced salute as the guardsgriffon flew off. "Best of luck, Miss Rinda! We shall have our other missing companion along shortly!"

Dive Bomb's sudden appearance brought more relief to the colt than he let on. Reality was not, in fact, being re-made around them. Just some...rather intriguing magical effect. On a whim, Crown whipped out his watch. He'd heard many a tale of whimsical travel doing odd things to timepieces; he wouldn't dare miss seeing it firsthoof. Once his inspection was complete, he snapped the watch closed with a tidy flick of his hoof. "Well! It seems our next course of action is obvious; take up this good stallion on his offer, find our missing guard, and be on our way. And perhaps a spot of tea for the road, hm?" The colt chuckled as he trotted down the cobblestones with a spring in his step. First the golem, and now this scene, morphing from the desert landscape? At the rate he was going, he'd run out of paper long before he ran out of vistas to paint.

[Balmas]

"Are you sure?" said Dive Bomb. "After all, it would help to have more eyes looking for your friend." And he didn't want to lose all that work; the thought of a griffon, strapped to a stretcher in the middle of a desert with no food nor drink chilled him.

It would only take a quick sweep, after all. He sprung up to get a better look around, and began to methodically scan the area for any trace of the wounded ambassador.

Mind +5, rolled twice for Wary.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Don't really expect to see anything, but it's worth a shot.

[BlasTech]

Following the road, the path approached a large log cabin that was set right up against the river - close enough that one could leap from the rear porch straight into the blue waters. There were several other ponies nearby, most of whom were dressed as farmhands and were busying themselves with tilling the soil and tending to their crops - which appeared to be mostly rocks of differing shapes and sizes.

There appeared to be several families living here, as a group of small foals were running around outside the main building, laughing and yelling as they chased one of their number - a small unicorn foal - who was carrying a strip of brightly coloured cloth.

The door itself was fairly nondescript, and from the sounds of conversation from within, it was clear that there were still more ponies inside the building itself.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of hide nor feather of the ambassador.

[TheAmishPirate]

(Was Crown's watch normal, or was the time different?)

Crown let his eyes follow the cavorting foals. Despite the hardship that had followed them, he found their unrelenting energy and laughter infectious. He was sorely tempted to snatch up the unicorn foal as he tumbled past and romp with them, but thought better of it. They were here on business, after all. Foals could be played with once both their friends were confirmed safe and sound.

Without further ado, Crown trotted up to the door (dodging a gaggle of whooping youngsters) and gave it a sharp rap.

(Note: By taking note of the unicorn foal, I'd like to know what his coloring is.)

[BlasTech]

Cork's watch showed a time of four o'clock, presumably in the afternoon, or was it the morning? Hard to tell. Either way, it was ticking along as normal.

The unicorn foal's colouration was a mix of dusty yellow and dark brown, split along his midsection such that it looked like somepony had dipped him half in the mud when he was born and the colours had stuck. He clamped the cloth in his mouth tightly as he bolted ahead of the pack, maintaining a tenuous lead over the other pegasi, earth and unicorn foals that pursued him.

The voices inside cut off at the rap of his hoof on the door. There was a pause before a female voice called out. "Enter!"

[Balmas]

No. This couldn't happen. He refused to lose another one. Flying in frantic circles, he was eventually forced to admit defeat; the ambassador was gone, or maybe left behind. Either way, he was most likely dead. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thrust his way out of the sky.

"I... couldn't see him," he choked. There was only one thing for it; they had to push forward and find Igneous. He had to be alright.

His stormy expression softened a bit as he watched the foals at play. And where those farmers just moving... rocks? Why would anypony farm rocks?

Looking awkwardly at the door, he reached forward and pushed open the door.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown bowed his head at Dive Bomb's report momentarily, before returning to his usual jovial face he put on for his underlings. "The Ambassador is a tough old bird; I'm sure he doesn't need us to hold his claw every moment he rests." Just then, a shout from inside cut off further discussion. Crown followed in behind Dive Bomb, having the good sense to add as they entered, "Just a few travelers, sent along by the good pony Kahdar!"

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease walked into the building with her companions. "If those rocks brought us here, then maybe we can find something to bring us back. But first, let's ask these ponies how we can get back to Equestria."

[BlasTech]

No. This couldn't happen. He refused to lose another one. Flying in frantic circles, he was eventually forced to admit defeat; the ambassador was gone, or maybe left behind. Either way, he was most likely dead. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thrust his way out of the sky.

"I... couldn't see him," he choked. There was only one thing for it; they had to push forward and find Igneous. He had to be alright.

His stormy expression softened a bit as he watched the foals at play. And where those farmers just moving... rocks? Why would anypony farm rocks?

Looking awkwardly at the door, he reached forward and pushed open the door.

Rinda remained behind at the fields, her face set somewhere between grim determination and panic.


Crown bowed his head at Dive Bomb's report momentarily, before returning to his usual jovial face he put on for his underlings. "The Ambassador is a tough old bird; I'm sure he doesn't need us to hold his claw every moment he rests." Just then, a shout from inside cut off further discussion. Crown followed in behind Dive Bomb, having the good sense to add as they entered, "Just a few travelers, sent along by the good pony Kahdar!"


Grease walked into the building with her companions. "If those rocks brought us here, then maybe we can find something to bring us back. But first, let's ask these ponies how we can get back to Equestria."

"Kahdar sent you? Come in come in then" called the female voice.

The door opened into a large living room area set around a long wooden dining table. The decor was utilitarian, yet comfortable; the kind one would expect to see on a frontier settlement - mostly wood with only the occasional piece of porcelain crockery or nick nack to break up the monotony.

A wooden countertop split the living room from the kitchen next to it - behind it, a sky blue unicorn mare was working away at hoof washing the plates and cups.

Finally, still wearing his golden armour, Iggy was sitting at the table, staring into the depths of an untouched teacup. He glanced up at the others as they came in.

"Oh ... hey guys." he said, giving them a wan smile as he saw them enter "Was wondering if you'd make it here. Have a seat, Mrs Amelias here was just telling me all about her family."

"You dears want anything? Cookies? Tea? We're fully stocked right now so there's plenty to go around." Said Amelias cheerfully, as she wiped another plate and hoofed it over to the drying rack.

Iggy, meanwhile, was staring at them and shaking his head subtly.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Ah, Igneous!" Crown clapped his hooves in delight. "Good to see you safe and sound. You had us quite worried there for a moment." And the good guard seemed quite worried himself. Why, the poor fellow was shaking like a leaf! The colt trotted over beside him and draped a comforting leg over his golden-clad shoulders. "Not to worry; from now on, we'll make quite sure to always stay within each other's sight. All for one and one for all, as the old saying goes, yes?"

He paused to take stock of the homey cabin. Quite the rustic interior, if he did say so himself. There was just something intrinsically comforting about frontier-style homes. Reminded him of freshly warmed cider, ripe and aged from an oaken cask to give it that woodsy bite to ward off the winter's chill. The young colt's back and legs moaned in anticipation; a little folding of the hooves sounded simply divine. But...even now he could still see the trouble upon Dive Bomb's face. How could they rest and enjoy themselves when the good Ambassador was out there, alone and senseless? Then again...what good would it be to search while exhausted? "Miss Amelias, a cup of homemade tea and fresh cookies sound simply spellbinding. Sadly, I am afraid we may not all be able to partake. For you see, we must soon rendevous with another of our company, and we simply cannot leave him waiting. I do hope you understand if some of my compatriots must decline your generous offer of hospitality." Crown flashed the mare his most charming smile, bowing his head in appreciation. ~Take, Take, Take, Take, Take the Shmuck Bait!~

[Balmas]

Tea and cookies sounded amazing. Beds, too. Dive Bomb was capable of going a day or two without sleep, but being teleported twice in the same day with no logical reason for it, not to mention a trek across an endless desert tends to take it out of a guy. He couldn't sleep, though; there was a griffon that needed his help. Besides, Igneous was shaking his head; what did he know that Dive Bomb didn't?

But how to put it in a way that wouldn't offend their host? He frowned, and thought. It became a non-issue with Crown's proclamation, for which he was thankful. "Have you seen a griffon come through here?"

[Ravian]

Soot noticed Igneous's slight shake of the head quickly, she was on edge, too many bad things had happened to them for her to accept that this was the universe giving them a lucky break. Plus there was that older griffion to think about. For all they knew he was still laying unconscious where they'd left him on the stretcher.
She gave an expectant glance at Igneous followed by a slight gesture of the hoof asking him to elaborate in some silent way.

[BlasTech]

"Ah, Igneous!" Crown clapped his hooves in delight. "Good to see you safe and sound. You had us quite worried there for a moment." And the good guard seemed quite worried himself. Why, the poor fellow was shaking like a leaf! The colt trotted over beside him and draped a comforting leg over his golden-clad shoulders. "Not to worry; from now on, we'll make quite sure to always stay within each other's sight. All for one and one for all, as the old saying goes, yes?"

He paused to take stock of the homey cabin. Quite the rustic interior, if he did say so himself. There was just something intrinsically comforting about frontier-style homes. Reminded him of freshly warmed cider, ripe and aged from an oaken cask to give it that woodsy bite to ward off the winter's chill. The young colt's back and legs moaned in anticipation; a little folding of the hooves sounded simply divine. But...even now he could still see the trouble upon Dive Bomb's face. How could they rest and enjoy themselves when the good Ambassador was out there, alone and senseless? Then again...what good would it be to search while exhausted? "Miss Amelias, a cup of homemade tea and fresh cookies sound simply spellbinding. Sadly, I am afraid we may not all be able to partake. For you see, we must soon rendevous with another of our company, and we simply cannot leave him waiting. I do hope you understand if some of my compatriots must decline your generous offer of hospitality." Crown flashed the mare his most charming smile, bowing his head in appreciation. ~Take, Take, Take, Take, Take the Shmuck Bait!~

"Oh that's no trouble at all dearie." Replied Amelias, as she turned towards the shelves behind her. "I know how you traveller types are like, always on the move from one place to another. If any of your friends want to get along then we won't keep them here."

Rummaging around, she pulled out a jar of cookies with her hooves and emptied it out onto a nearby plate. Igneous winced as the cookies were delivered to the dining table and made no move towards picking one up for himself. His expression, on closer inspection, wasn't really worried.

It was more ... sad.


Soot noticed Igneous's slight shake of the head quickly, she was on edge, too many bad things had happened to them for her to accept that this was the universe giving them a lucky break. Plus there was that older griffion to think about. For all they knew he was still laying unconscious where they'd left him on the stretcher.
She gave an expectant glance at Igneous followed by a slight gesture of the hoof asking him to elaborate in some silent way.

Igneous waited until Amelias' back was turned before sticking his tongue out in an expression of disgust. Apparently the cookies were not very appetising.


Tea and cookies sounded amazing. Beds, too. Dive Bomb was capable of going a day or two without sleep, but being teleported twice in the same day with no logical reason for it, not to mention a trek across an endless desert tends to take it out of a guy. He couldn't sleep, though; there was a griffon that needed his help. Besides, Igneous was shaking his head; what did he know that Dive Bomb didn't?

But how to put it in a way that wouldn't offend their host? He frowned, and thought. It became a non-issue with Crown's proclamation, for which he was thankful. "Have you seen a griffon come through here?"

"Have we seen any gryphons?" Amelias laughed airily as she returned to the kitchen. "Oh yes dearie, we see them passing by here from time to time. Ponies like yourself too, and others like you wouldn't believe; my husband even swears he once saw a dragon fly past overhead."

Pausing, she laid an elbow on the countertop and gestured to the back of the house. "In fact we have one staying here right now, decided to spend a day or two in the guest bed before moving on. Is she a friend of yours?"

[Balmas]

Well, the good ambassador was female, so it probably wasn't the ambassador. Nevertheless, he felt somewhat intrigued. Shaking his head, he reached timidly for a cookie, looking at it before nibbling on the edge. "Did she mention a name?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Ahhh, now this was more like it. Crown took a cookie for himself, biting slowly and gracefully, savoring every bit of flavor it had...or might not have. If tea was provided, he'd wash it down with a delicate sip. Regardless of flavor, he'd force a smile to their host. "Thank you ever so much; a little hospitality is a welcome relief on the road." He was nothing if not a polite guest.

"Another griffon, you say?" he asked, thoroughly intrigued. "Do tell; was she in formal attire, by any chance? Perhaps a suit of well-crafted armor like our good friend Igneous wears?" He gestured to the stallion's shiny, stylized barding.

(Note: Regardless of flavor, he'll choke it down. :smalltongue:)

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease Spot sat down next to Igneous, and found herself stifling a yawn. How long had she been awake now? Being teleported from night to day and back had done her internal clock no favors.

They couldn't rest, however, until they were at least sure that the Ambassador was alright. And she did want to ask about how to best get to Equestria before returning to get him. The younger ponies, however, had gotten themselves into a side conversation, and it would be rude to interrupt. So, Grease was content to just sit for a while, waiting for an opportune break in the conversation.

[BlasTech]

Well, the good ambassador was female, so it probably wasn't the ambassador. Nevertheless, he felt somewhat intrigued. Shaking his head, he reached timidly for a cookie, looking at it before nibbling on the edge. "Did she mention a name?"


Ahhh, now this was more like it. Crown took a cookie for himself, biting slowly and gracefully, savoring every bit of flavor it had...or might not have. If tea was provided, he'd wash it down with a delicate sip. Regardless of flavor, he'd force a smile to their host. "Thank you ever so much; a little hospitality is a welcome relief on the road." He was nothing if not a polite guest.

"Another griffon, you say?" he asked, thoroughly intrigued. "Do tell; was she in formal attire, by any chance? Perhaps a suit of well-crafted armor like our good friend Igneous wears?" He gestured to the stallion's shiny, stylized barding.

(Note: Regardless of flavor, he'll choke it down. :smalltongue:)

"Oh no, she doesn't wear anything like that, no. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen her with anything besides that bag and trail stick of hers." Replied Amelias, tapping her chin with in thought. "Now what was her name again? Verr-something, Vrei? Frey?"

"Vereia Freewing, mom!" chirped a high pitched voice from behind, as the two-toned unicorn foal from earlier appeared, hopping up on one of the couches. "She's a traveller, like you guys. Really nice, she plays lotsa games with us. Will you guys play with us too??"

"Willya? Willya? Willya?" The foal continued, bouncing on the couch in time with each of his requests and a gigantic smile on his face.

"Now you leave these nice people alone Kahlin, don't pester them if they don't want to play." The mare scolded, giving the party an apologetic smile. "Don't mind him, he's just been a bit more ... energetic since his magic started coming in."

"He's adorable, ma'am, if it's okay of me to say so." Igneous complimented, a small smile on his face beneath watery eyes.

The foal made a rather impertininent face at Iggy, probably in reply to any accusations of adorableness, before turning to Grease and Soot. "You'll come play with us, won'tcha?"

The young foals eye's practically shone with youthful hope and happiness. They were so wide that the two mares could probably see their own reflections in those hazel brown depths.

Meanwhile, Dive Bomb and Cork were dealing with the outcomes of ignoring Igneous' earlier warning. As each of them bit into their cookie, the texture of what they held in their mouths abruptly changed. It was gritty, it was coarse, it tasted disgusting. Attempting to chew it only resulted in a fine powder of near uneatable grains that promptly found their way to covering every surface of their teeth and tongue.

It was just like eating a mouthfull of ... sand. In fact, the remenants of the cookie in Dive Bomb's hoof had transformed into exatly that; a loose pile of sand and grit. It didn't magically change, there was no 'pop' or anything to signify a spell, it was just cookie one moment and sand the next.

Cork tried to sip the tea afterwards, but despite emptying the cup, it felt like only air was entering his mouth, providing no relief to the stallion's suffering.

Iggy pointedly ignored the difficulties of the two stallions, while everyone else in the room didn't appear to notice anything out of the ordinary.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb's face was a study in stillness, or perhaps merely the effects of facial paralyzation. I may have found the secret to getting back to the desert, he thought as he choked down the gritty remnants which caked his mouth and tongue. The cookies are made of it! As he resisted the urge to spit, he paused; his thought had been more accurate than he thought, as the sand slowly cascading off his hoof proved.

Something was definitely wrong here. Besides, you know, random teleportation. He frowned, jiggling the pile of sand in his hoof. Another hoof snaked out to take a sip from a cup of tea; air.

He frowned. This was one of the reasons why he didn't particularly like magic, especially when used on himself; if he couldn't trust his senses, what could he trust?

As subtly as possible, he scooted over to the unicorn, and showed her the pile of sand. She'd understand, and start looking for things that didn't make sense, as he began to do. Their location was beginning to make more sense; it was a distinct possibility that they weren't really here.

Looking for things that don't make sense, or seem out of place. +5 mind, rolled twice for Wary.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Odds of getting the same number twice in a row:

20/20 first roll * 1/20 second roll= 1/20 chance, or 5%.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown's jaw kept going through the motions of chewing, long after it became quite clear such efforts were fruitless. And though he swore he drained his teacup dry several times over, not once did a single drop of precious liquid hit his sand-caked tongue. Dear Celestia, dear Luna, dear anypony out there interested in the plight of a colt whom fortune has seen fit to spit upon, if you can hear me... Sweat broke out on the colt's brow as the color started draining from his face. ...please keep me from vomiting in front of my subordinates.

If only there were some way to get free, some way to get a few moments to himself that he could rid his mouth of this desiccating plague. Crown's ears perked up at the young one's invitation. Of course! Play outside, slip off from the crowd, and I shall be well once more! He had started to part his lips to speak when his throat convulsed dangerously; only quick thinking and clamped jaws kept him from gagging loudly. The young businesspony's eyes widened in panic. Oh come now, really? Really?! My choices are to suffer in silence or potentially expel my scourges upon the table? Cruel fate! Why does thou mock me? Inwardly, the pony was in the grip of a stirring monologue, complete with sweeping leg gestures and full dramatic lighting. Outwardly, the colt continued to strain a smile and nod politely.

[BlasTech]

Dive Bomb's face was a study in stillness, or perhaps merely the effects of facial paralyzation. I may have found the secret to getting back to the desert, he thought as he choked down the gritty remnants which caked his mouth and tongue. The cookies are made of it! As he resisted the urge to spit, he paused; his thought had been more accurate than he thought, as the sand slowly cascading off his hoof proved.

Something was definitely wrong here. Besides, you know, random teleportation. He frowned, jiggling the pile of sand in his hoof. Another hoof snaked out to take a sip from a cup of tea; air.

He frowned. This was one of the reasons why he didn't particularly like magic, especially when used on himself; if he couldn't trust his senses, what could he trust?

As subtly as possible, he scooted over to the unicorn, and showed her the pile of sand. She'd understand, and start looking for things that didn't make sense, as he began to do. Their location was beginning to make more sense; it was a distinct possibility that they weren't really here.

Looking for things that don't make sense, or seem out of place. +5 mind, rolled twice for Wary.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Odds of getting the same number twice in a row:

20/20 first roll * 1/20 second roll= 1/20 chance, or 5%.

Apart from suddenly siliceous cookies and the vanishing water, everything else in that log cabin seemed to fit right in place. The furnishings, the fixtures, it was more or less unremarkably like Dive Bomb would have expected a small frontier settlement to have looked like.

The only thing that struck him as odd, besides the persistently strange naming conventions of these ponies (honestly, who had ever heard of a pony called Amelias?), was that the unicorn mare seemed to be exclusively using her hooves or mouth while cleaning the kitchen; you would have expected her to use her magic a little bit by now.


Crown's jaw kept going through the motions of chewing, long after it became quite clear such efforts were fruitless. And though he swore he drained his teacup dry several times over, not once did a single drop of precious liquid hit his sand-caked tongue. Dear Celestia, dear Luna, dear anypony out there interested in the plight of a colt whom fortune has seen fit to spit upon, if you can hear me... Sweat broke out on the colt's brow as the color started draining from his face. ...please keep me from vomiting in front of my subordinates.

If only there were some way to get free, some way to get a few moments to himself that he could rid his mouth of this desiccating plague. Crown's ears perked up at the young one's invitation. Of course! Play outside, slip off from the crowd, and I shall be well once more! He had started to part his lips to speak when his throat convulsed dangerously; only quick thinking and clamped jaws kept him from gagging loudly. The young businesspony's eyes widened in panic. Oh come now, really? Really?! My choices are to suffer in silence or potentially expel my scourges upon the table? Cruel fate! Why does thou mock me? Inwardly, the pony was in the grip of a stirring monologue, complete with sweeping leg gestures and full dramatic lighting. Outwardly, the colt continued to strain a smile and nod politely.

"Warned you." Muttered Iggy.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease Spot looked back and forth at her companions while their hostess cleaned. "What is it?" she asked quietly. "Is something wrong?" Maybe the cooking was simply that bad? At least, she hoped that was all it was.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown, mouth clamped shut, motioned to Dive Bomb with a muffled "mmmhmm." He couldn't trust himself to answer and not...make a mess of things. Perhaps Dive Bomb's nibble had left him capable of speech.

[Balmas]

Crown wanted him to talk? Oh, that was just a brilliant idea. Nothing could possibly go wrong with that plan. Coughing a bit, he shook a hoof full of silicon in her direction. "Just admiring the quality of the tea and cookies here," he said, sucking sand out from between his teeth. Looking at the mare in the kitchen, he continued, "They remind me of our previous environment."

[Ravian]

Seeing her companions looks of disgust, Soot broke off a piece of a cookie and nibbled it before grimacing and rubbing her gritty toungue against her teeth. She had eaten some weird things before, some of which would certainly not pass health regulations, but sand was right outside of that boundary. She levitated the cookie up to her, sniffing and peering closely to try and see whether there was truly sand in it or if there was an illusion at play.
As she inspected her snack she turned to the energetic colt and smiled nervously, "Maybe a little later, kiddo, do you know where we could find this Vereia?" it was possible that this traveler had ended up here like they did, if that was the case then she might know what happened, or more than they did at least.

[One Tin Soldier]

Previous environment? The colt was obviously trying to tell her something subtly, and she thought she had an idea what. She picked a cookie up off the plate and nibbled a tiny piece off of it.

She almost immediately stuck her tongue out, using her hoof to brush the grains of sand off of it. She felt heart sink inside her. Of course, being magically transported to civilization was too good to be true. Chances were, this was some kind if illusion.

Of course, the question was, how to get out of it?

[BlasTech]

Seeing her companions looks of disgust, Soot broke off a piece of a cookie and nibbled it before grimacing and rubbing her gritty toungue against her teeth. She had eaten some weird things before, some of which would certainly not pass health regulations, but sand was right outside of that boundary. She levitated the cookie up to her, sniffing and peering closely to try and see whether there was truly sand in it or if there was an illusion at play.

As she inspected her snack she turned to the energetic colt and smiled nervously, "Maybe a little later, kiddo, do you know where we could find this Vereia?" it was possible that this traveler had ended up here like they did, if that was the case then she might know what happened, or more than they did at least.

"Aww, no play?" The colt wibbled for a second, before his attention was caught by the plate of food on the table.

There was no question about the cookies being some kind of illusion, it was more a matter of being. They were cookies, and felt, smelt and looked exactly like one might expect homecooked food to look like. When eaten, they were sand. There was no gradual transition.

Strangely, neither the foal or his mother seemed to regard them as anything other than cookies, and didn't react at all to anything the group did with the resultant sand. While the four party members were talking, the young foal snapped up one of the biscuits for himself, chewing happily and noisly as he answered Soot's question.

"'oou wamt to mmph - to meet miss Vereia?" The colt asked, as he swallowed the last of his cookie happily. "She's in the back room. I can go get her for you if you want? Then we can play?"

[Balmas]

"I believe that this would be beneficial," stated Dive Bomb as he took another cookie from the plate and began experimenting. Breaking it in half, he examined the results. "Though..." he smiled a bit, "maybe one of you could do the talking?"

[One Tin Soldier]

"If you want, sure," Grease said, putting her cookie back on the table. She smiled down at the foal. "How about we go see this miss Vereia, then?" she said. Even if this colt was nothing but an illusion, it cost nothing to treat him kindly.

[BlasTech]

"I believe that this would be beneficial," stated Dive Bomb as he took another cookie from the plate and began experimenting. Breaking it in half, he examined the results. "Though..." he smiled a bit, "maybe one of you could do the talking?"

"Okay!" chirped the foal, hopping down and walking towards the back of the house. "Follow me!"

"You guys can go ahead without me if you want." said Igneous. "I'll stay here, I want to talk to Mrs Amelias a bit more about her family business."

The cookie, even broken in half, remained a cookie. If a piece was eaten, only that half would turn into sand.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb trailed the child, still experimenting. No matter how he broke it, it was a cookie until, at that most crucial moment, it suddenly wasn't. Yet, the inhabitants of this place seemed to be able to eat it with no problems. It was an interesting difference, something he decided to experiment. Grimacing, he gave the barest nibble on the now-pile of sand in his right hoof, and tapped the trotting foal in front of him. He opened his mouth, and closed it as a realization crossed his mind. "What's your name?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown nodded silently to the guard, following behind Dive Bomb and whomever else followed the foal. "Behind" being the operative word here; it was maddening not being able to open his mouth. How could he be expected to give sage advice and timely wisdom if doing so would likely expel the contents of his stomach - meager as they were - all over the recipient? No, it was in the group's best interest he take care of this problem post-haste. The colt kept his eyes peeled for a storage room, bathroom, someplace he could quietly excuse himself to and not be missed.

[Crown will be looking for anyplace he might conceivably duck off for a few minutes to relieve his mouth of sand without causing a scene.]

[BlasTech]

Dive Bomb trailed the child, still experimenting. No matter how he broke it, it was a cookie until, at that most crucial moment, it suddenly wasn't. Yet, the inhabitants of this place seemed to be able to eat it with no problems. It was an interesting difference, something he decided to experiment. Grimacing, he gave the barest nibble on the now-pile of sand in his right hoof, and tapped the trotting foal in front of him. He opened his mouth, and closed it as a realization crossed his mind. "What's your name?"

"I'm Kahlin, who are you?" replied the foal, with all the tactful bluntness of youth.


Crown nodded silently to the guard, following behind Dive Bomb and whomever else followed the foal. "Behind" being the operative word here; it was maddening not being able to open his mouth. How could he be expected to give sage advice and timely wisdom if doing so would likely expel the contents of his stomach - meager as they were - all over the recipient? No, it was in the group's best interest he take care of this problem post-haste. The colt kept his eyes peeled for a storage room, bathroom, someplace he could quietly excuse himself to and not be missed.

[Crown will be looking for anyplace he might conceivably duck off for a few minutes to relieve his mouth of sand without causing a scene.]

There were plenty of opportunities available to Cork, limited only by his imagination and the level of subtlety he wished to employ. The living room exited into a narrow corridor that ran along the inside of one of the building's walls. An open window, a potted plant and even some unoccupied rooms all provided ample opportunity to expunge a mouthful of sand.

At the end, was a simple wooden door that was decorated with a crudely painted pink flower. Given the level of craftsmanship, it may well have been a preschool project from the young foal.

[Balmas]

Somewhat taken aback, Dive Bomb said, "Er... Dive Bomb." Looking away rapidly, he coughed nervously before continuing. "Kahlin, if you can tell me what's in my right hoof, I'll give you half a cookie." He help up the right hoof, full of sand, for the foal to view.

Amelias, Kahdar, Kahlin... what kind of names were those? Maybe Kahlin was Kahdar's son? As he waited for the foal to respond, he looked to see if they looked anything alike.

[TheAmishPirate]

No potted plant or open window would do. All it would take is one idle glance back, and he'd be forced to bear the unimaginable shame of his faux pas. An empty room, now that could be excusable. Perhaps he'd seen a bird, and raced to the window to get a better look? Or maybe the long journey had made the stuffy cabin air intolerable, and he'd raced for a single breath of fresh air? The possibilities were limitless.

Once the foal was distracted with the promise of a half-cookie, he silently slipped away into an empty room, intending to spit into a trash can or other such receptacle.

[BlasTech]

Somewhat taken aback, Dive Bomb said, "Er... Dive Bomb." Looking away rapidly, he coughed nervously before continuing. "Kahlin, if you can tell me what's in my right hoof, I'll give you half a cookie." He help up the right hoof, full of sand, for the foal to view.

Amelias, Kahdar, Kahlin... what kind of names were those? Maybe Kahlin was Kahdar's son? As he waited for the foal to respond, he looked to see if they looked anything alike.

The foal regarded Dive Bomb skeptically.

"That's a silly question." He replied, head tilted and eyes searching Dive Bomb's face. "There's nothing in your hoof."

"Or is this one of those trick questions ... I know, it's air isn't it?"

The dark, earthy brown colouration of the foal's mane and ... rear half ... did suggest some shared lineage with the pegasus that they'd encountered earlier.


No potted plant or open window would do. All it would take is one idle glance back, and he'd be forced to bear the unimaginable shame of his faux pas. An empty room, now that could be excusable. Perhaps he'd seen a bird, and raced to the window to get a better look? Or maybe the long journey had made the stuffy cabin air intolerable, and he'd raced for a single breath of fresh air? The possibilities were limitless.

Once the foal was distracted with the promise of a half-cookie, he silently slipped away into an empty room, intending to spit into a trash can or other such receptacle.

As if in answer to the colt's prayers, he spotted a waste paper basket the moment he slipped into the room. The small wooden pail shone with divine light and Cork could almost hear the angelic chorus as his hooves seized it and pulled it to his mouth.

Once Cork was done expunging his cookie, he began to take in the other attributes of the room he now found himself in. The double bed, the rustic yet comfortable tables and the large window that opened onto the river where other farmponies were working; probing the river bed with long wooden poles.

It seemed as if the businesspony had wandered into the master bedroom. A small photograph in a silver frame depicted the pegasus and the unicorn mare embracing while the foal draped himself over his father's back.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb hoofed over the half-cookie. "Good job," he sighed, and jiggled the sand to the floor. This was rapidly turning into something more interesting, and he was surprised to find a small smirk adorning his muzzle. Pushing it back into its more standard flat line, he followed the foal, thinking as he went.

How much of this was real? What determined the switch, besides the consumption of silicon? The inhabitants of this world didn't seem to be able to detect the changed cookies. Maybe things would make sense when they talked to the griffoness, maybe not. It was just bugging him, though; he wanted to make sense of this so bad, it wasn't even funny.

He halved another cookie, and tapped the foal again. Making sure he had the foal's attention, and looking directly in Kahlin's eyes, he slowly and deliberately bit down on a cookie half, observing the foal's reaction as the cookie was sand.

[Ravian]

Soot watched Dive Bomb's experiment before rolling her eyes Good luck with that. Doubt any self-respecting illusion would leave out a detail like that. she looked at the door in front of them and knocked on it twice
"Miss Vereia? Are you in there? My friends and I wanted to talk to you."

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown sucked down a simply divine, and entirely silicon-free breath of fresh air. "Ahhhhhhh, much better," he sighed blissfully. "You have my thanks, oh merciful Princesses." He knelt down on one knee to grace the sisters with his thanksgiving. Now that his...little problem was taken care of, he let his eyes roam freely around the room. They moseyed through the rustic master bedroom, watched the hardworking rock farmers outside, before finally coming to rest on the simple picture frame. A smile found itself upon his face as he plucked it up for a closer look. "Such a loving husband and wife. Such a lively foal. How can love this real be a part of such an elaborate deception?" he mused aloud, reveling in his reclaimed power of speech.

Unless he found something fascinating or was otherwise disturbed, he would reset the photograph after a few more moments of study and quietly make his way back to the group.

[BlasTech]

Dive Bomb hoofed over the half-cookie. "Good job," he sighed, and jiggled the sand to the floor. This was rapidly turning into something more interesting, and he was surprised to find a small smirk adorning his muzzle. Pushing it back into its more standard flat line, he followed the foal, thinking as he went.

How much of this was real? What determined the switch, besides the consumption of silicon? The inhabitants of this world didn't seem to be able to detect the changed cookies. Maybe things would make sense when they talked to the griffoness, maybe not. It was just bugging him, though; he wanted to make sense of this so bad, it wasn't even funny.

He halved another cookie, and tapped the foal again. Making sure he had the foal's attention, and looking directly in Kahlin's eyes, he slowly and deliberately bit down on a cookie half, observing the foal's reaction as the cookie was sand.

The foal watched Dive Bomb with wide eyes, before taking his own half-cookie and mirroring the pegasus' actions.

"I can do that too ... see?" the foal said, opening his mouth to show a half chewed cookie.

"Blahhhh!!!!"


Soot watched Dive Bomb's experiment before rolling her eyes Good luck with that. Doubt any self-respecting illusion would leave out a detail like that. she looked at the door in front of them and knocked on it twice
"Miss Vereia? Are you in there? My friends and I wanted to talk to you."

The door creaked open at Soot's touch. Normally, such providence was the domain of horror stories, where the portal would slowly open to reveal a darkened room, full of uncertainty and danger.

That was not this room.

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, causing the entire guest room to glow in a pleasant and peaceful warmth. The guest bed itself had been cleared away, propped up against the wall, freeing up a large empty space in the middle of the room. There, balanced upside down on top of a long trail stick, a young gryphoness was resting with her eyes closed.

Despite having only travelled with Rinda and the ambassador before today, this gryphon was clearly different to any others that the party might had known. Tall and willowy, compared to the more powerful, stocky strength of Rinda. Plainly attired, compared to the formal dress of the ambassador and his red doublet. In fact, her only real item of clothing was a dark brown headband that held a single blue feather.

Her own headfeathers were a pale off-white tipped with pink, and had been braided so that a pair of bangs fell down to frame her face. The patches around her eyes were similarly rosy in hue and stretched towards the back of her head like a pair of pink comets.

A single, unsurprisingly pink, eye cracked open at the sound of the door opening, taking in the fact that she had visitors.

Vereia smiled, before reaching an arm over her head to grasp the stick she was balancing on. She moved with a catlike, graceful control as she pushed herself up, before performing a languid flip to land on the ground.

"Hello" she whispered, as she straightened up from her landing, the trail stick now held informally over her shoulder. Her voice was quiet, calm but carrying.

"I don't believe we've met."


Crown sucked down a simply divine, and entirely silicon-free breath of fresh air. "Ahhhhhhh, much better," he sighed blissfully. "You have my thanks, oh merciful Princesses." He knelt down on one knee to grace the sisters with his thanksgiving. Now that his...little problem was taken care of, he let his eyes roam freely around the room. They moseyed through the rustic master bedroom, watched the hardworking rock farmers outside, before finally coming to rest on the simple picture frame. A smile found itself upon his face as he plucked it up for a closer look. "Such a loving husband and wife. Such a lively foal. How can love this real be a part of such an elaborate deception?" he mused aloud, reveling in his reclaimed power of speech.

Unless he found something fascinating or was otherwise disturbed, he would reset the photograph after a few more moments of study and quietly make his way back to the group.

The most interesting thing in the room was the view of the other ponies outside. The farm ponies included a pair of earth ponies and pegasi, two of whom were pulling on ropes from the shore while the flyers worked their poles in the water. As Cork watched, the farmers laboured as they dragged a large, smooth, river stone out onto the grass. The rock was a dark, marbled colouration that reminded Cork strongly of Mr Rocky's body, at least without the mystical rune paths that typically adorned the rock creature.

Their job done, the ponies high-hooved each other as they unharnessed themselves and flopped onto the grass to catch their breaths.

[One Tin Soldier]

During their short walk to the gryphoness's room, Grease had been taking a closer look at her surroundings. If this was entirely an illusion, it was the most convincing one she had ever seen. There were just so many details. If it wasn't for the food turning to sand, there wouldn't be any reason to suspect otherwise. Well, other than the method we used to get here.

As Soot opened the door and Vereia greeted them, Grease smiled at her. "I'm Grease Spot," she said, "And this is Soot. We heard that you are a traveller, like us, and we thought we would come say hello."

[BlasTech]

"A pleasure, as always, to meet others who walk." Vereia intoned, stepping back from the doorway. "Please, come in, and do let us talk."

She smiled, as she sank to her haunches, folding her forlimbs beneath her.

"My old teacher used to say that whenever she met someone new to the village." she explained, her eyes tracing the wall of the room till they rested on a brightly coloured, woven medicine bag. "What do you wish to talk about?"

[Balmas]

Somewhat disgruntled with the fact that the cookie hadn't disappeared from the foal's vision as expected, but even more disgruntled with the subsequent mouthful of sand, Dive Bomb smirked humourlessly at the foal before entering the room with the griffoness.

Well, she was different. Different markings, different styling-- really, why style feathers? It seemed more than a little weird, though he reflected that it couldn't really interfere with her aerodynamics more than some hairstyles he'd seen, or even his own navy mop.

She carried a bag; what was in it? It looked somewhat tribal; was it medicine? Some kind of shaman? For now, he contented himself with nodding and stating his own name. After all, he'd been even more talkative then normal, and had asked the others to speak for now.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown watched the working ponies with great interest. "Those rocks...they must be the same that our rocky ally was crafted from," he mused. Now he wished he'd packed a pipe; every good sleuth needed a pipe to aid their heavy pondering. "Yes, the very same that were scattered all over the desert. We haven't seen a sign of any obvious means of transporting them magically, so how does such a unique piece of earth travel from this lush, wilderness paradise to a proverbial wasteland?" There was more to this mystery, he was certain of it. Pretending to marvel at the room's decor, he let one eye rest upon the workers. When they moved the rock to its next destination, surely it would grant him some new piece of this puzzle.

[BlasTech]

It didn't take long for the farm ponies to catch their breath and, soon enough, they were back on their hooves and in motion once more. The two pegasi attached another pair of ropes and the whole team worked together to drag the heavy boulder around the side of the house and out of sight, presumably heading towards the fields.

[Ravian]

"How'd you get here Vereia?" Soot asked the griffoness bluntly. "To Riverside I mean. It certainly doesn't seem like anywhere a traveler would stick around for long."

[BlasTech]

"How did I get here?" she repeated, as if to ensure she'd heard the question correctly. "In the same method as any creature does. By walking, of course. Or flying ..."

She punctuated that last comment with a slow flexing of her two bronze wings before continuing.

"It's how I live, finding and following the paths that fate lays before me. Nothing drove me here if that's what you're asking, I simply found it."

"And, as far as I've seen, it is a far nicer and kinder place than many." she finished, smiling at Kahlin.

[Balmas]

"So," stated the pegasus, "you just flew here? Nothing unusual? Where did you come from before coming here?" Maybe they could persuade her to lead them out. Of course, that assumed that any of this was actually real...

[TheAmishPirate]

Drat! Curse this smallish window! Crown briefly considered clamoring out of the window to follow, but Corks were no thieves. Er, reverse-thieves, as it were. A Cork stood for unshakeable integrity and honor, a pony who could be let into the finest mansion, and not have a mote of dust leave with him. But, as he'd often found, honesty earned itself an unjust reputation for its usefulness.

Out from his suitcase, he plucked his sketchpad and pencil, and trotted back to the kitchen. As he headed to the door, he flashed Amelias and Igneous a charming smile. "I do beg your pardon, Miss Amelias; I couldn't help but notice the rock farmers at work outside. I never leave home without my paints and brushes, you see, and inspiration is simply begging me to immortalize their efforts on canvas. I hope you can excuse me a moment to make some preliminary sketches."

(OOC: Huh. Cork is a lot more easily distracted than I thought. :smallbiggrin:)

[One Tin Soldier]

"So," stated the pegasus, "you just flew here? Nothing unusual? Where did you come from before coming here?" Maybe they could persuade her to lead them out. Of course, that assumed that any of this was actually real...

"Yes, our journey here was... rather unusual," Grease added.

[BlasTech]

"So," stated the pegasus, "you just flew here? Nothing unusual? Where did you come from before coming here?" Maybe they could persuade her to lead them out. Of course, that assumed that any of this was actually real...


"Yes, our journey here was... rather unusual," Grease added.

"My trip here was no more unusual than most roads I've travelled, and I have travelled many." Vereia replied with a smile. "And as for where I came from, now that is a good question."

She shifted her position slightly, glancing again at the medicine bag.

"I honestly don't know. At least, my earliest memories are of growing up with my parents in a land far to the South from here. A lush, dense jungle; the Zebra who live there refer to it as 'Maishachemi', or 'Lifespring', for life does seem to seep from every leaf and blade of grass in the land, like that much morning dew.

"Where I came from before then, I cannot say. My parents did not speak of it much, only that we had left for reasons that they felt were best kept from a hatchling."

"They preferred for me to look forward to the future rather than to dwell in the past, so that's what I did. When my training was finished, I took my staff, my bag and the guidance of the Spirits and began my questing. It has been many years since I was last in the jungle, and many months since I entered the Riverlands. My last stop before here was another small town about a days walk to the east called Hearthton."

"But enough about me. I am unaccustomed to saying so much and fear I must be boring you ... Please, I would be interested in learning something about each of you, if you would do me the favour?" She finished, turning an expectant gaze on each of the ponies arrayed in front of her.


Drat! Curse this smallish window! Crown briefly considered clamoring out of the window to follow, but Corks were no thieves. Er, reverse-thieves, as it were. A Cork stood for unshakeable integrity and honor, a pony who could be let into the finest mansion, and not have a mote of dust leave with him. But, as he'd often found, honesty earned itself an unjust reputation for its usefulness.

Out from his suitcase, he plucked his sketchpad and pencil, and trotted back to the kitchen. As he headed to the door, he flashed Amelias and Igneous a charming smile. "I do beg your pardon, Miss Amelias; I couldn't help but notice the rock farmers at work outside. I never leave home without my paints and brushes, you see, and inspiration is simply begging me to immortalize their efforts on canvas. I hope you can excuse me a moment to make some preliminary sketches."

(OOC: Huh. Cork is a lot more easily distracted than I thought. :smallbiggrin:)

As Cork made his way back to the kitchen, the tail end of a conversation drifted to the stallion's ears.

"-- both magiporous and mundane. Either can provide a good source of income to the right buyers." came Amelias' voice.

"Must be hard work though, my uncle runs a similar setup but aimed at gem propagation." Replied Igneous.

The two of them stopped talking when Cork reappeared and made his request. Mrs Amelias didn't seem surprised at the oddity of the request, but Igneous appeared genuinely approving.

"Oh no trouble at all dear, take your time." replied the mare, as she got back to hoof-drying another plate.

"Yeah, that's a ... that's a brilliant idea. Thank you so much Mr Cork." Iggy said, his face positively beaming with pride.

Outside in the fields, it was easy for Cork to secure a vantage point on a nearby fence to see the layout of the farm's working fields. The furthest field, where the brown pegasus Kahdar was working, lay fallow and the soil was being turned by both plough and hoe. Nearer fields contained neat, ordered rows of slate grey boulders, dragged there from Celestia knew where.

The team that had dragged up the river stone was easily visible as they maneuvered their charge into a field where dozens of similar rocks were laid out, drying in the sun. Once the rock had been deposited in the appropriate positon, the group unhitched themselves and trotted back towards the river - the lead pony even gave a tip of the mane to Cork as they passed.

Overhead, the sun shone down as other ponies moved about their business in the brown and green fields; all in all, it was as picturesque a rural scene as any in Equestria that Cork may have seen before.

[As before DC 15 mind check to sketch the scene. The bigger the success gap, the better the picture with 30 being a masterpiece.]

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown smiled with false humility. "I'm flattered, Igneous, but really, my muse deserves the praise. After all, I am but her humble servant." Buuuuuuuuuut, if she couldn't quite be here to accept the compliments, then he supposed he could take it in her stead. Really, no trouble at all. With a polite bow of the head to the lady of the house, Crown let himself outside.

The view did not disappoint. While not as visually spectacular as, say, the rock construct or the strawberry fields at harvest-time, the scene possessed a uniqueness that made it more than worthy of capturing. A town, built up around the cultivation of a rather singular stone. The farmers - ponies of all races, no less - working as one to bring in the harvest. The children, darting and cavorting with no heed to property or boundary. Everypony, living and breathing the will of the many, and each pony reaping the unimaginable benefit.

One crop. One land. One purpose. One family.

Community.

With a nod and wave to the departing farmers, Crown flipped open his sketchbook and got to work.

Mind 3 + Skill: Sketch 1 + Job: Painter 2 + tool bonus 2 = +8 bonus. Rolling twice for Creative, and I'm pretty sure Special Purpose applies here as well.

Raw Rolls
Roll 1: [roll0]
Roll 2: [roll1]

With Talent:
Roll 1: 14 + 3 = 17
Roll 2: 12 + 2 = 14

[One Tin Soldier]

So she didn't come here the same way as us, at least. That probably means that she's just part of the illusion, too. Though something does seem a little bit different about her... I wonder if she knows about Equestria?

"Well, I'm from Canterlot, in Equestria. Have you ever been there?"

[Balmas]

What was the appropriate mode of address in this situation? Urgh. No idea. Dive Bomb settled for formal, since it would be easier to downgrade to casual than the reverse. Bowing slightly, he stated, "Dive Bomb, son of Thunderhead and Aurora Wind, of Cloudsdale." He only had one cookie left, so he broke it in half and offered it to the griffoness. "Care for a cookie?"

[Ravian]

"Ever noticed anything weird here Vereia? Like with sand? Or ponies or griffons just appearing out of nowhere?" Soot asked the griffion as she looked around her room for anything interesting or out of place. Even if this griffon wasn't a recent arrival to the illusion like they were, it was still a good oppurtunity to probe the inhabitants for a weak point, maybe even a way out.
Mind Check to look around Veria's room
[roll0]
extra roll for wary
[roll1]

[BlasTech]

Crown smiled with false humility. "I'm flattered, Igneous, but really, my muse deserves the praise. After all, I am but her humble servant." Buuuuuuuuuut, if she couldn't quite be here to accept the compliments, then he supposed he could take it in her stead. Really, no trouble at all. With a polite bow of the head to the lady of the house, Crown let himself outside.

The view did not disappoint. While not as visually spectacular as, say, the rock construct or the strawberry fields at harvest-time, the scene possessed a uniqueness that made it more than worthy of capturing. A town, built up around the cultivation of a rather singular stone. The farmers - ponies of all races, no less - working as one to bring in the harvest. The children, darting and cavorting with no heed to property or boundary. Everypony, living and breathing the will of the many, and each pony reaping the unimaginable benefit.

One crop. One land. One purpose. One family.

Community.

With a nod and wave to the departing farmers, Crown flipped open his sketchbook and got to work.

Mind 3 + Skill: Sketch 1 + Job: Painter 2 + tool bonus 2 = +8 bonus. Rolling twice for Creative, and I'm pretty sure Special Purpose applies here as well.

Raw Rolls
Roll 1: [roll0]
Roll 2: [roll1]

With Talent:
Roll 1: 14 + 3 = 17
Roll 2: 12 + 2 = 14

After a few minutes of work, Cork was rewarded with a servicable sketch of the farm. It wasn't a true work of art, at least not yet, but maybe one day it could become something more.

For now, it served as a record of the sights they'd seen that day.


"Ever noticed anything weird here Vereia? Like with sand? Or ponies or griffons just appearing out of nowhere?" Soot asked the griffion as she looked around her room for anything interesting or out of place. Even if this griffon wasn't a recent arrival to the illusion like they were, it was still a good oppurtunity to probe the inhabitants for a weak point, maybe even a way out.
Mind Check to look around Veria's room
[roll0]
extra roll for wary
[roll1]

"Not here, but such things are not completely unheard of. Spirits, apparitions ... perhaps you have been communing with them?" Vereia said, her expression curious. "If so, I'd be interested in any learnings they imparted. Such occurrences, when spirit and reality coincide, are very rare and should be treasured."


So she didn't come here the same way as us, at least. That probably means that she's just part of the illusion, too. Though something does seem a little bit different about her... I wonder if she knows about Equestria?

"Well, I'm from Canterlot, in Equestria. Have you ever been there?"

"No, I have not." said Vereia. "Tell me about it?"

As Vereia spoke, something seemed to reverberate around the room. Soot noticed it, but anyone paying attention to the gryphoness would likely have missed it.

It was subtle, but the walls of the room shifted for the barest sliver of a heartbeat. The wood, already glowing yellow in the afternoon sunlight pulsed once with colour - tiny rainbows in the cracks, on the edges of sight.

It had coincided with the word "Equestria"


What was the appropriate mode of address in this situation? Urgh. No idea. Dive Bomb settled for formal, since it would be easier to downgrade to casual than the reverse. Bowing slightly, he stated, "Dive Bomb, son of Thunderhead and Aurora Wind, of Cloudsdale." He only had one cookie left, so he broke it in half and offered it to the griffoness. "Care for a cookie?"

"Thank you."

Vereia took the offered half cookie, holding it in her claw as she waited for Grease or one of the others to continue their story.

[One Tin Soldier]

"It's a city built into the side of a mountain. I always find it a bit impressive, really, considering how old it is. Building a city like that without access to modern engineering was quite a feat. And it's a wonder to look at, too. Really, it's no surprise that it wound up being Equestria's capitol."

While Grease let her mouth run on small talk autopilot, she thought about what the gryphon had said. She doesn't know about Equestria, then. Drat, I thought she might have been from outside the illusion. Though... what she said about communing with spirits... Could that be what this is? This does seem far too complex for any illusion spell I've seen.

No, that's silly. There's no reason to assume that the spirits of the dead are involved. An illusion can be programmed with the appearance of intelligence, it just means far more time spent in preparation. I just need to figure out why somepony would set up such a complex illusion in the middle of nowhere.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb squinted at the griffoness. Ghosts and spirits? Sure as hay didn't seem like anything real. Then again, Equestria was a wide place, with plenty of secrets. After all, that horrifying affair with the weather a while back had been caused by a spirit of chaos, hadn't it? And if the Hearths Warming Eve story was correct, then the ponies' previous home had been all but destroyed by windigoes, which fit the description of spirits fairly well.

Filing the information into things that needed further examination, Dive Bomb turned his attention to the room around him. What possible explanations were there? It was possible that they actually were here, but this left a few questions: how did they get here? And what of the cookies? Why did the cookies turn to sand, and the tea to air? Was it just a matter of a prankster unicorn? No, that didn't make sense; why then, would it turn to sand just for their group, and not for anyone else? What's more, it would require Kahlin to be either responsible or in on the prank.

The other, much more frustrating possibility was that they were not, in fact, there. The problem was, this required him to disregard the evidence of his senses, a possibility that he distinctly disliked. It was possible, if somewhat unlikely that this was all an incredibly complex illusion, but then the question came, from whom? And for what reason? Was this just an attempt to get them away from the ambassador?

Ugh. This entire thing made no sense; that wasn't allowed to happen. He nodded to himself, and allowed himself to drift back to the ground. No sense in obscuring everything by flittering around like an oversized hummingburd; he'd have to dye his mane to make that look work. Now, as before, what looked out of place here? Besides the griffoness with a talent that would make a gymnast turn greener than he, of course.

Roll to spot anything weird, inconsistencies, etc. +5 mind, rolled twice for Wary.

[roll0]
[roll1]

[BlasTech]

"It's a city built into the side of a mountain. I always find it a bit impressive, really, considering how old it is. Building a city like that without access to modern engineering was quite a feat. And it's a wonder to look at, too. Really, it's no surprise that it wound up being Equestria's capitol."

While Grease let her mouth run on small talk autopilot, she thought about what the gryphon had said. She doesn't know about Equestria, then. Drat, I thought she might have been from outside the illusion. Though... what she said about communing with spirits... Could that be what this is? This does seem far too complex for any illusion spell I've seen.

No, that's silly. There's no reason to assume that the spirits of the dead are involved. An illusion can be programmed with the appearance of intelligence, it just means far more time spent in preparation. I just need to figure out why somepony would set up such a complex illusion in the middle of nowhere.

"I've seen cities built beneath mountains, or carved into the walls of cliffs, but I still think this Canterlot might well still surprise me." Vereia said, smiling at the thought. "Forgive me for saying, but you speak of it with an air of pride ... I assume you used to live there?"

At the mention of Canterlot, the walls subtly shimmered again with the strange rainbow effect.


Dive Bomb squinted at the griffoness. Ghosts and spirits? Sure as hay didn't seem like anything real. Then again, Equestria was a wide place, with plenty of secrets. After all, that horrifying affair with the weather a while back had been caused by a spirit of chaos, hadn't it? And if the Hearths Warming Eve story was correct, then the ponies' previous home had been all but destroyed by windigoes, which fit the description of spirits fairly well.

Filing the information into things that needed further examination, Dive Bomb turned his attention to the room around him. What possible explanations were there? It was possible that they actually were here, but this left a few questions: how did they get here? And what of the cookies? Why did the cookies turn to sand, and the tea to air? Was it just a matter of a prankster unicorn? No, that didn't make sense; why then, would it turn to sand just for their group, and not for anyone else? What's more, it would require Kahlin to be either responsible or in on the prank.

The other, much more frustrating possibility was that they were not, in fact, there. The problem was, this required him to disregard the evidence of his senses, a possibility that he distinctly disliked. It was possible, if somewhat unlikely that this was all an incredibly complex illusion, but then the question came, from whom? And for what reason? Was this just an attempt to get them away from the ambassador?

Ugh. This entire thing made no sense; that wasn't allowed to happen. He nodded to himself, and allowed himself to drift back to the ground. No sense in obscuring everything by flittering around like an oversized hummingburd; he'd have to dye his mane to make that look work. Now, as before, what looked out of place here? Besides the griffoness with a talent that would make a gymnast turn greener than he, of course.

Roll to spot anything weird, inconsistencies, etc. +5 mind, rolled twice for Wary.

[roll0]
[roll1]

Dive Bomb looked up from Vereia in time to only see the barest hint of the shimmer. It would have been difficult to discern the cause and an open question in the Pegasus' mind as to whether it was an actual effect or simply a trick of the eye in the afternoon sun.

Looking around the room revealed nothing in the way of inconsistencies or things that looked out of place. In fact, it was quite the opposite; everything was neat, tidy and looked like it belonged in the room.

Had Dive Bomb been given cause to imagine a guest room in a rural part of Equestria, it probably would have looked something like this.

[One Tin Soldier]

"I've seen cities built beneath mountains, or carved into the walls of cliffs, but I still think this Canterlot might well still surprise me." Vereia said, smiling at the thought. "Forgive me for saying, but you speak of it with an air of pride ... I assume you used to live there?"

At the mention of Canterlot, the walls subtly shimmered again with the strange rainbow effect.


Grease nodded, bringing her attention back to the conversation. She might still get some useful information out of the gryphon. Besides, even if she was a programmed illusion, she was fairly interesting to talk to.

"That I do," she said. "Lived there my whole life. And not to put down the travelling life, but I would really like to keep on living there." The possibility of not being able to return to Canterlot flitted across Grease's mind, and she felt her stomach clench slightly. That just wasn't an option.

[TheAmishPirate]

After a few minutes of work, Cork was rewarded with a servicable sketch of the farm. It wasn't a true work of art, at least not yet, but maybe one day it could become something more.

For now, it served as a record of the sights they'd seen that day.

A good record indeed. Not nearly ready to be shown to the general public just yet, there was still more, so much more he could add. Details and other touch-ups were next, at least until those farmers came back into view. Once they did, they would likely rest a few moments after dragging their heavy load into the field, and that would be a prime opportunity to ask them a few questions.

[BlasTech]

Grease nodded, bringing her attention back to the conversation. She might still get some useful information out of the gryphon. Besides, even if she was a programmed illusion, she was fairly interesting to talk to.

"That I do," she said. "Lived there my whole life. And not to put down the travelling life, but I would really like to keep on living there." The possibility of not being able to return to Canterlot flitted across Grease's mind, and she felt her stomach clench slightly. That just wasn't an option.

The gryphon turned those rose coloured eyes on Grease and, for a moment, the earth pony was reminded that they were the eyes of a prey bird; intent and studying. The gryphoness took some of the predatory edge off with a smile, before replying.

"A traveller's life is not for everyone. Nor is it really a life in itself. Maybe one day, I will find somewhere to earn my rest, but I have not seen it yet."

She looked as if she was going to say more, but instead lasped back into silence. Clearly, she was not going to pry on what appeared to be a sensitive subject.


A good record indeed. Not nearly ready to be shown to the general public just yet, there was still more, so much more he could add. Details and other touch-ups were next, at least until those farmers came back into view. Once they did, they would likely rest a few moments after dragging their heavy load into the field, and that would be a prime opportunity to ask them a few questions.

The farmers soon came back around, carrying their tools on their backs and under their wings; hoes, shovels and rakes. They didn't appear equipped for more rock-dragging now, but instead for tilling the ground in one of the far fields.

The brown pegasus from earlier, Kahdar, was walking along at their head and gave a quick nod of recognition to Cork as they approached.

[Balmas]

Now, what was that little glimmer? Sun on the walls? But... sunlight usually doesn't make rainbows by itself. Possible refraction from a bent window?

He paused in his examination of the window frame as the conversation evoked a pang in his chest. Sighing, he asked, "What do you need to do to earn your rest?" Was she an exile, perhaps? "Why do you not merely go home?"

[Ravian]

Soot started when the room seemed to shift. Noting that it happened when the word "Equestria." was said. She thought for a moment before shouting
"Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria!" in rapid succession.
She ignored the others surprise as she watched the room intently for the shift.

[TheAmishPirate]

The farmers soon came back around, carrying their tools on their backs and under their wings; hoes, shovels and rakes. They didn't appear equipped for more rock-dragging now, but instead for tilling the ground in one of the far fields.

The brown pegasus from earlier, Kahdar, was walking along at their head and gave a quick nod of recognition to Cork as they approached.

Hmm. The plan would need a little adjusting, but perhaps the walk to the fields would provide all the time he needed. Waving to Kahdar, Crown gathered up his supplies and galloped to pull alongside the farmer. "Hello again, Mister Kahdar!" he started with a polite bow of his head. On his back, his sketchpad lay open to the recently-completed doodle of the farm and workers. "I was just sketching the wonders of your farm, and I find myself simply overcome with curiosity about these peculiar rocks you cultivate. Would you care to indulge me with a little walk and talk?" Despite his weary legs, he put on his bold face. "I can keep up quite well, if that is a concern."

[BlasTech]

Now, what was that little glimmer? Sun on the walls? But... sunlight usually doesn't make rainbows by itself. Possible refraction from a bent window?

He paused in his examination of the window frame as the conversation evoked a pang in his chest. Sighing, he asked, "What do you need to do to earn your rest?" Was she an exile, perhaps? "Why do you not merely go home?"

"You misunderstand. I could go home at any time, but I don't think I would find rest there." Vereia corrected. "It's ... well. Have you ever looked outside and felt the road call to you? Felt the pull? How the entire world could be just beyond the next hilltop, waiting for you to discover it?

"Maybe it's just me, but for the longest time I've felt the urge to travel beyond the jungle where I was raised. I can't help feel that I could be something ... more ..." she paused, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Would it be self centred to say that I feel like my destiny is out there somewhere?"

The silence stretched for a moment, just long enough to be uncomfortable. Vereia took the opportunity to bite into the half-cookie Dive Bomb had given her.


Soot started when the room seemed to shift. Noting that it happened when the word "Equestria." was said. She thought for a moment before shouting
"Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria!" in rapid succession.
She ignored the others surprise as she watched the room intently for the shift.

To her credit, Vereia managed to eat the cookie without resorting to the normal spit-take routine that usualy occurs when something shocking happens.

"Are you all right?" She asked the unicorn, when she'd finished swallowing the last of the biscuit.

"Is she all right?" Vereia asked the others, when Soot began staring at the walls.

The subtle, rainbow pattern was there again, shimmering at the edges of the shadows in time with Soot's shouts. It had not grown any brighter with the increase in volume, but it was clearly reacting to the words being said.


Hmm. The plan would need a little adjusting, but perhaps the walk to the fields would provide all the time he needed. Waving to Kahdar, Crown gathered up his supplies and galloped to pull alongside the farmer. "Hello again, Mister Kahdar!" he started with a polite bow of his head. On his back, his sketchpad lay open to the recently-completed doodle of the farm and workers. "I was just sketching the wonders of your farm, and I find myself simply overcome with curiosity about these peculiar rocks you cultivate. Would you care to indulge me with a little walk and talk?" Despite his weary legs, he put on his bold face. "I can keep up quite well, if that is a concern."

"Not a problem by me, friend." The pegasus chuckled, shifting his hoe from one shoulder to the other as he regarded the earth pony. "It's not like our crops are going to get up and walk off without me there."

The group of farmers paused to let Cork catch up.

"Always happy to share the knowledge, lad" said Kahdar, with a self deprecating grin. "Rare for someone to show interest, hardly the most dazzling profession after all. Did you have any specific questions, or do you just want the tourists version of history?"

[Balmas]

Smiling. Dive Bomb was somewhat out of practice, usually limiting himself to a small smirk or a hesitantly upturned corner of his mouth. Yet, this griffoness had him feeling a kinship in a matter of a few sentences. What a novel feeling.

"Not at all," he replied, moving forward a few more paces. "There is so much out there, waiting to be discovered, to be recorded; so much new knowledge, or even old knowledge lost to ponykind!" Running a hoof across the weathered surface of the notebook, he attempted to remember drawing it from his packs. "So many secrets, so many wonders, so much that we don't know about the world. So many problems that need solving, so many diseases that need cures..."

Pages flipped lazily in a great cocktail party of science as he spoke; diagrams of molecules mingled with architectural sketches, while explosives recipes danced a tango with their more mundane confectionary counterparts. Then, the cocktail party came to a jarring halt, snapping shut in his hooves as Dive Bomb flared red in embarrassment. Why'd he let his mouth run like that?

Fortunately, a violent outburst spared him from any further potential humiliation. Wings flaring in alarm, he stared at the grey unicorn. However, he soon found more interest in the walls, and how they flared. "Do you see that?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown waved off the pegasus' remark. "Nonsense. Dazzling or no, every job is important, and everypony vital to this world of ours. If you did not farm the rocks, then what would we do for stone? Just...pick any old rock up off the ground and hope it will suffice?" He chuckled to himself. Really, get rocks right off the ground! A silly notion indeed.

"Actually, my questions were in regard to the use and transport of your crops. I do a bit of traveling myself, and I can't say I've seen anything quite like these towering rocks. Why, they must require whole teams of ponies to move them any great distance! I do hope you don't have to haul them very far." He knew he certainly couldn't manage a feat like that, and he doubted any of these farmers would enjoy the task. "What makes these enormous stones so useful? And where are they put to use? I know I've never seen one before today, and I would love to see the fruits of your labor in full bloom someday. Ah, what a pair of paintings that would make; the hardworking community, and the marvels they produce!" Crown allowed himself a moment to savor the creative rush. It really would make a splendid set, should they ever get out of here.

[Ravian]

Soot scowled as the light seemed to fade again. Horseapples, I was hoping it might respond better to a shout. Maybe it's part of a pass phrase?...
She gradually became aware that everyone in the room was staring at her except for Dive Bomb, who also seemed to have noticed the shift. She gave a little nervous laugh.
"Uhh.. Yeah I'm fine. I was just... Reciting our national anthem! 'Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria... Your... ah ample grains help us... Digestia?' It went something like that anyway."

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease arched an eyebrow, slightly confused. What had gotten into her? "Soot, are you alright?"

[BlasTech]

Crown waved off the pegasus' remark. "Nonsense. Dazzling or no, every job is important, and everypony vital to this world of ours. If you did not farm the rocks, then what would we do for stone? Just...pick any old rock up off the ground and hope it will suffice?" He chuckled to himself. Really, get rocks right off the ground! A silly notion indeed.

"Actually, my questions were in regard to the use and transport of your crops. I do a bit of traveling myself, and I can't say I've seen anything quite like these towering rocks. Why, they must require whole teams of ponies to move them any great distance! I do hope you don't have to haul them very far." He knew he certainly couldn't manage a feat like that, and he doubted any of these farmers would enjoy the task. "What makes these enormous stones so useful? And where are they put to use? I know I've never seen one before today, and I would love to see the fruits of your labor in full bloom someday. Ah, what a pair of paintings that would make; the hardworking community, and the marvels they produce!" Crown allowed himself a moment to savor the creative rush. It really would make a splendid set, should they ever get out of here.

"Huh, well you're a length more enthusiastic than most who pass through here, I have to say" chuckled Kahdar. "Barely anyone shows a real interest in Petriculture nowadays, which is a crying shame."

"Did you know there are actually alot of different types of rock farms? Some farm straight up building material; they're the ones that compete with the traditional quarries, with the benefit that they don't damage the land so much as digging it clean out." He began, pausing to scoop up a large pebble from one of the nearby fields.

"Us, however, we farm a type of rock called Magiporous rock: Magic Absorbant. Again, lots of subtypes, some types absorb and crystalise ley energy from the land into gems. They grow inside them, kind of like pearls inside oysters, and you can farm them for a tidy sum."

"That's what we grow in that part of the farm." He pointed a hoof towards where the dull grey boulders were sitting in the fields. "Once they're ripe, we can break them open and sell the gems inside at market. Easy enough to fill a cart or two with them, and they fetch a decent price from people looking for decorations." To punctuate his comment, the pegasus brought a hoof down on the pebble he'd picked up. There was a grinding crunch, and when he withdrew his leg, coloured shards could be seen.

"Our real breadwinners, though, are the ones you see in that field there." He pointed again, this time at the field where the river stones were drying in the sun. "They're a different type of absorbant rock. Those ones, you cast a spell on them, that spell sticks. Gives them all kinds of uses, from reinforced construction to magic amulets and even more complex stuff."

"Those we try not to break up if we can help it; the bigger the single piece, the more it can store after all. We tend to sell it in bulk to the folk in Sanctum City, they send a few large wagons once a month and cart off whatever we've got."



Fortunately, a violent outburst spared him from any further potential humiliation. Wings flaring in alarm, he stared at the grey unicorn. However, he soon found more interest in the walls, and how they flared. "Do you see that?"

"See what?" said Vereia. The quiet gryphon was looking between the two ponies, confusion written on her face.


Soot scowled as the light seemed to fade again. Horseapples, I was hoping it might respond better to a shout. Maybe it's part of a pass phrase?...
She gradually became aware that everyone in the room was staring at her except for Dive Bomb, who also seemed to have noticed the shift. She gave a little nervous laugh.
"Uhh.. Yeah I'm fine. I was just... Reciting our national anthem! 'Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria... Your... ah ample grains help us... Digestia?' It went something like that anyway."

"If that's the case, you ponies have some very strange customs from your lands." Vereia said, her tone dry. Staring at Soot, it was clear that the gryphoness had no idea what the unicorn was going on about, and just as clear that she didn't believe the limp excuse.

Behind Soot, the walls shimmered again at the mention of Equestria. It was no brighter or weaker than before; a faint, almost imperceptible vibration of colour at the edge of the shadows in the cracks. Vereia showed no signs of noticing it.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Did you say...Sanctum City?" Crown's ears noticeably perked up. Ah...the plot thickens, as they say. Perhaps we may be getting to the bottom of this yet... "I do believe me and my compatriots were considering visiting there. This may yet be reason enough to ensure we pass through there. I don't suppose you know how to get there from here? I would love to see more of your work in action."

He regarded the literal gemstone with mild bemusement. He'd heard of gem caches found within stones before, but it had never occurred to him how they came to be there. "If I may?" He held out a hoof to the stone, hoping Kahdar would let him examine it further. "I believe my knowledge of farming extends mainly to the agricultural; this would be my first time experiencing a rock farm firsthoof. Still, many of the basic principles seem to apply, down to the tools, it would seem." He nodded at the hoe slung over the pegasus' back. "And even with similar varieties of crop. Only I dare say the differences are far more important than whether the grapes turn out sweet or sour." His airy laugh danced through the air. "Now that I've seen them up-close, I do believe I may have seen some of your handiwork. Are there any other spellrocks that gather latent magic for purposes other than gems? It was...a bit like this gemstone here, only not quite as...oh, what is the word for it?"

[I'd like to make a Mind check to recall details about the keystones, with potential Job bonuses from Painter for remembering details. If needed, I'd also like to make a Heart check to describe it to Kahdar. Potential trait of Charasmatic and Job of Soda Tycoon. I figure he needs to know how to explain new ideas and concepts to people in that line of work.]

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb sagged. Why the hay did the one person who seemed to maybe understand him be part of an illusion? Or at least, part of a world that didn't make sense?

"As a traveler, I'd expect you to have seen many things," he said thoughtfully. "Do you have any experience with sudden transportation? Since leaving Equestria, we've seen a lot of it." As he spoke, he watched the walls, attempting to see if there was any area that seemed to flash brighter.

[BlasTech]

"The City? It's about forty miles down the road, a day's walk give or take." Kahdar replied, indicating the arrow-straight, paved route out of town. "As for other types of magiporous rocks, well there's plenty; I don't know what all their uses are though, not beyond the handful we grow here. I gather they can be used in lots of things; medicine, therapy, or simply to store magic like a leyden jar."

[DC 10 mind check to recall details, don't think I'll pay the job bonus on this one.]


Dive Bomb sagged. Why the hay did the one person who seemed to maybe understand him be part of an illusion? Or at least, part of a world that didn't make sense?

"As a traveler, I'd expect you to have seen many things," he said thoughtfully. "Do you have any experience with sudden transportation? Since leaving Equestria, we've seen a lot of it." As he spoke, he watched the walls, attempting to see if there was any area that seemed to flash brighter.

Vereia regarded Dive Bomb closely, before standing and walking over to stand next to the pegasus. She seemed to move with a level of unconsious control and grace; a prowling feline on the hunt.

"No." she whispered, looking at the walls as well now. "I do not."

"Are we in danger?"

[Balmas]

The pegasus pursed his lips, examining the griffon warily. Something about the way she moved just put him slightly on edge. Could she be trusted? After all, if this was an illusion, then by telling her anything, he only tipped their hand and revealed the flaws in the deception.

But what if it wasn't an illusion? He halted in his examination of the join between floorboard and walls, and turned to face the griffon. Oh, what an intriguing picture she made; if only he could examine her more closely, get a better idea of Griffon anatomy. But that would probably be a bad idea.

See, this was something interesting, something he could really sink his teeth into. What the hay was going on? He had to know, to record this. Sure, it might not save lives, but it was crucial that he find out what was going on.

He felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of saving lives. What was he doing? There was a griffon out there, possibly hurt, possibly starving, and he was dancing around looking for magic lights.

"I don't know we're in danger," he said pensively, "but something is strange about this world. We need to find a way back to where we were."

((Now, if only that recap song had been approved by everyone, it would be a good time to deploy it.))

[TheAmishPirate]

A day's walk? Crown double-checked his watch. Sure enough, they'd almost been walking for a day now, and hadn't Dive Bomb said it looked to be about two days to the tower? Everything here seems related...but how? Ooooh, this is a puzzler indeed... he mused to himself as he wracked his brains for details about that rock.

Okay, here we go, Mind 3:
Roll: [roll0]

Sadly, apart from the general idea that the rock was surely magiporous, he could remember very little. "Well, they certainly seemed to store quite a bit of magic, though perhaps not quite like the spell-storing ones. Those ones I'd imagine would be far more controlled. The ones we encountered just spat some sort of magic willy-nilly at a mere touch, and they hardly looked out of the ordinary. No magical glow, no runes, not a thing." He shook his head with a tut-tut. "They really should put warning signs near such boulders."

[BlasTech]

The pegasus pursed his lips, examining the griffon warily. Something about the way she moved just put him slightly on edge. Could she be trusted? After all, if this was an illusion, then by telling her anything, he only tipped their hand and revealed the flaws in the deception.

But what if it wasn't an illusion? He halted in his examination of the join between floorboard and walls, and turned to face the griffon. Oh, what an intriguing picture she made; if only he could examine her more closely, get a better idea of Griffon anatomy. But that would probably be a bad idea.

See, this was something interesting, something he could really sink his teeth into. What the hay was going on? He had to know, to record this. Sure, it might not save lives, but it was crucial that he find out what was going on.

He felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of saving lives. What was he doing? There was a griffon out there, possibly hurt, possibly starving, and he was dancing around looking for magic lights.

"I don't know we're in danger," he said pensively, "but something is strange about this world. We need to find a way back to where we were."

((Now, if only that recap song had been approved by everyone, it would be a good time to deploy it.))

"You're ... not of this world?" Vereia replied, her voice skeptical.

[There's a Heart check here to get Vereia to believe you're not all just spouting hooey. Heck, if you can get the others to agree, you could even deploy the recap song :smalltongue:]


A day's walk? Crown double-checked his watch. Sure enough, they'd almost been walking for a day now, and hadn't Dive Bomb said it looked to be about two days to the tower? Everything here seems related...but how? Ooooh, this is a puzzler indeed... he mused to himself as he wracked his brains for details about that rock.

Okay, here we go, Mind 3:
Roll: [roll0]

Sadly, apart from the general idea that the rock was surely magiporous, he could remember very little. "Well, they certainly seemed to store quite a bit of magic, though perhaps not quite like the spell-storing ones. Those ones I'd imagine would be far more controlled. The ones we encountered just spat some sort of magic willy-nilly at a mere touch, and they hardly looked out of the ordinary. No magical glow, no runes, not a thing." He shook his head with a tut-tut. "They really should put warning signs near such boulders."

"Hard to say without one of them to compare with. Heck, there's so many types of rock out it could've been pretty much anything. Magic's not the only thing they can absorb after all." Kahdar replied.

"And that's even assuming you didn't walk into someone's poor idea of a joke."

[TheAmishPirate]

"Hard to say without one of them to compare with. Heck, there's so many types of rock out it could've been pretty much anything. Magic's not the only thing they can absorb after all." Kahdar replied.

"And that's even assuming you didn't walk into someone's poor idea of a joke."

"A rather cruel joke it would be." Crown scowled. "Honestly, I never understood why ponies must stoop to such lows for their laughter. Perhaps they should walk into their own traps one day and see just how amusing it is."

Kahdar's answer proved most unfulfilling. Knowing that the rock could've been "any old kind of rock" helped remarkably little. And these half-truths were starting to sit uncomfortably in his stomach. Real or no, this pegasus was an honest, hardworking stallion, rather like himself when he thought about it. Such ponies could be trusted to give a fellow a chance to make his case, could they not? But right as he opened his mouth to spill the metaphorical beans, his curiosity latched right onto another thread. No idea why, but the mind could be a fickle beast with information sometimes. A sudden urge may hide the makings of an idea. And who was he to doubt his own marvelous brain? "You said these rocks can absorb far more than just magic? I thought they were strictly magiporous?"

[Balmas]

"Um..." Dive Bomb gulped, and forced his wings to lay flat against his side. There was no threat, no need to run. "I can't prove it, but there's some small hints." Why did she have to get him all flustered like that?

Sighing, he regarded his companions. Maybe one of the others would be better at this. "You've noticed, right?" he said, addressing them. "The weird cookies, the lights in the corners, how our stuff is missing, how nothing makes sense?" He swallowed again, and his eyes pleaded for the others to speak.

[One Tin Soldier]

Well, then. It seemed that Dive Bomb wanted to talk about all of this openly now. Grease hesitated before replying. Up to this point, she had been honoring their unspoken agreement to hide the truth from the residents of this illusion. After all, who knew how they might react? But seeing Dive Bomb pleading in front of her broke down her reluctance. She just couldn't disappoint that face.

"Yes, I've noticed. Except the lights, I'm not sure what you're talking about there," she said. The events of the last day ran through her head, and she realized that there would be no simple explanation of them. "Maybe we should explain how we got here."

[Ravian]

"There's some sort of disturbance, whenever someone says 'Equestria' the walls seem to light up on the edges, like they're holding something back but are bursting at the seams."
Soot beckoned Grease Spot and Vereia to look closely at the corners of the walls, where the light usually appeared "I'm not sure you'll be able to see it, but it's worth a shot" she said to the griffoness. "Just watch."
She cleared her throat and said.
"Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria,Equestria, Equestria." as rapidly as she could without stumbling.

Soot sighed after the lights died down "I was hoping the word would get us back, but it doesn't seem to matter how many times you say it, or how loudly. My current theory is we need some larger password, and 'Equestria's' only part of it."

[One Tin Soldier]

Now that was interesting. "So that's what you were doing a minute ago," she said. "Maybe next time, though, you can tell us about these things before you startle everyone half to death?"

"Anyway, I don't know about it being a password, but it definitely is a clue. Good find."

[BlasTech]

"A rather cruel joke it would be." Crown scowled. "Honestly, I never understood why ponies must stoop to such lows for their laughter. Perhaps they should walk into their own traps one day and see just how amusing it is."

Kahdar's answer proved most unfulfilling. Knowing that the rock could've been "any old kind of rock" helped remarkably little. And these half-truths were starting to sit uncomfortably in his stomach. Real or no, this pegasus was an honest, hardworking stallion, rather like himself when he thought about it. Such ponies could be trusted to give a fellow a chance to make his case, could they not? But right as he opened his mouth to spill the metaphorical beans, his curiosity latched right onto another thread. No idea why, but the mind could be a fickle beast with information sometimes. A sudden urge may hide the makings of an idea. And who was he to doubt his own marvelous brain? "You said these rocks can absorb far more than just magic? I thought they were strictly magiporous?"

"These rocks absorb magic. Others can absorb things like water, minerals and so on depending on what type of rock it is. Some of those can also absorb magic energy as well." Kahdar explained.

"On top of that, magiporous is just a broad attribute, it's like saying that a person is a musician. Plenty of variety within the group in terms of what they actually do with their music."


"There's some sort of disturbance, whenever someone says 'Equestria' the walls seem to light up on the edges, like they're holding something back but are bursting at the seams."
Soot beckoned Grease Spot and Vereia to look closely at the corners of the walls, where the light usually appeared "I'm not sure you'll be able to see it, but it's worth a shot" she said to the griffoness. "Just watch."
She cleared her throat and said.
"Equestria, Equestria, Equestria, Equestria,Equestria, Equestria." as rapidly as she could without stumbling.

Soot sighed after the lights died down "I was hoping the word would get us back, but it doesn't seem to matter how many times you say it, or how loudly. My current theory is we need some larger password, and 'Equestria's' only part of it."

"I don't see it" Replied Vereia, after peering at the wall for a moment. "Can someone please explain what's going on? What's the matter with all of you?"

[Fade to black; cue song?]

[Balmas]

A password; that could be it. Dive Bomb nodded, poking at the flickering in the edges of his vision. "I can't explain what I don't understand," he stated, both frustration and a hint of vulnerability creeping into his voice. "All I can tell you is what I know to be true." And right now, that was limited to their travels... He ruffled the edge of his notebook nervously before he stopped; he was humming. And that meant...

Ugh. This again...

Ponies have a well-known propensity to break into song for any reason. Working is an occasion for song, as is sadness. Even impromptu parades weren't unheard of as a result of such random occurrences. Thus, though Dive Bomb usually avoided most forms of raucous communication, he knew better than to resist when the urge came.

Starting low, his reedy tenor soon gained strength, as did his resolve to figure out just what it was that made ponies burst into spontaneous song.

We met in a train station,--so long ago, it seems--
We could not have expected that we'd come to such extremes
when we took the train to Ponyville. We thought it would be good,
But somehow things did not turn out exactly how they should...

The night was dark; a burst of flame sent us to who-knows-where
We woke up in a desert with naught but sand and air.
We'd no idea of where we were, or which way to go.
We had to help our injured friend, but how we didn't know!

In the desert! In the desert!
Made a sled to drag our new friend!
In the desert! In the desert!
Had to find a way back home, least until our journey's end!

Despite his annoyance, the song was catchy. See, that just wasn't fair; not only were his cheeks burning furiously, but he just knew that the song would come back to haunt his mind.

[One Tin Soldier]

Despite everything else that was going on, Grease found her heart lifting slightly. How long had it been since she participated in one of these? She wasn't sure she could remember.

When Dive Bomb reached the chorus, she joined in, singing in a warm alto.

Using stars to find the way, we made our plans to leave.
But when he poked some glowing rocks, the ground began to heave.
It was a monster of magic and rock!
Bet you can imagine our fear and our shock!

She reached the next chorus, and Dive Bomb joined back in with her.

In the desert! In the desert!
It chased us all over the place
In the desert! In the desert!
Shot a rock into my face!
In the desert! In the desert!
Said I was an evil crook, wouldn't let me plead my case.

OOC: Hope you don't mind a little bit of control over Dive Bomb so the lyrics make sense.

[TheAmishPirate]

"These rocks absorb magic. Others can absorb things like water, minerals and so on depending on what type of rock it is. Some of those can also absorb magic energy as well." Kahdar explained.

"On top of that, magiporous is just a broad attribute, it's like saying that a person is a musician. Plenty of variety within the group in terms of what they actually do with their music."

Crown's brow furrowed, his mighty brain racing with this new information. Ideas flew through his mind, each one to be discarded, picked up, then re-cobbled together into a new thought. Rocks that absorb materials other than raw magic, touch-activation, a smooth, sandy valley, the threads all lead to one, certain conclusion!

He couldn't possibly deduce what had happened.

But! He was standing right in front of the pony who just might be able to. It would take a leap of faith, but there came a time in every pony's life when he put his money, his reputation, his very life in the hooves of dear integrity. It may not appear wise, but to those she deemed worthy of her favor, a kinder mistress could not be found. And right now, they needed all the kindness they could get their hooves on. Placing a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder, Crown halted, his expression turning gravely serious. "Mister Kahdar, your kindness to a group of strangers is exemplary. Your town is a rustic jewel of hospitality in this wilderness, and I do wish I could stay and take in its splendor, perhaps give it the masterpiece it deserves, but I am afraid you are unaware of the circumstances of how precisely we came to visit. I have not once told you falsehoods, but I feel I cannot continue our conversation until you know the full truth."

His eyes fell upon the other workers, some of whom were no doubt staring at him oddly. "I do believe this may take some explaining, but I also do not wish to keep your fellows from their work..." he let it trail, letting Kahdar decide for himself if the others should be present.

[BlasTech]

Kahdar watched the earth pony for a moment, cocked eyebrows proclaiming the pegasus' uncertainty at what was going on. After a moment, he shrugged and gestured to the other farmponies.

"Get along, boys. I'll catch up"

The other farmers trotted past them, some muttering at the amusing oddity of strangers.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown obligingly waited until the others had left. This situation presented an odd conundrum; better to start in at the very beginning? Or perhaps after they were in the desert? Or should he merely stick to how they came to the town? Yes, that would be best. The other parts could be saved for another time. "I believe the whole of my point could be outlined in a single question, so I shall start there: Mister Kahdar, did you actually lay eyes on us before you hailed us upon the road? Or did you merely glance up from your work, and happen to notice four bemused travelers standing before you?"

[BlasTech]

"The latter" Kahdar replied slowly, wondering where the pony was going with this. "Not that I was paying attention mind you ..."

The pegasus sighed, and looked out over the fields.

"Son, I get the feeling there's something you want to tell me, isn't there?"

[Ravian]

Soot couldn't help but grin as the song started up they're infectious these things. Her Soprano soon started in for the third verse and joined the others in the chorus

Took him into custody, promised a trial and case
at the City of five Nations; I wonder, where's that place?
But then Cork gave the thing a gift: a brightly painted stone!
It seemed to like the colored thing; for his crime it did atone!

In the desert! In the desert!
It led us across the dead waste.
In the desert! In the desert!
Had to travel with some haste.
In the desert! In the desert!
So as on the sand it paced, after it we all did chase.

[Balmas]

It had us walking through the night cross the desert land.
We lost one friend as he went sliding down the sand.
While they went to chase our friend, to watch the beast I flew
I guess we all touched some rocks, and now we're here with you!

Where are we now? Where are we now?
I'm not sure I understand.
Where's our friend and our supplies too?
We can't find them though we've scanned.
Where are we now? Where are we now?
Maybe you can help us please? Tell us how to get back home!

He had to admit; they sounded good together. As they came to the chorus again, he dropped to a lower octave to make a harmonic counterpoint. He was still going to figure this out, but it was... fun.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Indeed." Crown nodded. "So I shall stop beating about the proverbial bush:

"Mister Kahdar, my compatriots and I encountered your magiporous rocks earlier today in the form of a great stone automaton, out in the desert wastes far, far from here. To remain on-topic, I shall save that full thrilling tale for another time. We were able to convince it we were not hostile, and we decided to follow it..." His hoof started tapping to an unheard rhythm, and his heart stirred within him. Magical, the only real way to describe this feeling, the feeling that one simply must present one's point in song. Crown smiled gleefully at the pegasus "Excuse me, but I do believe I feel a song coming on..."

It had us walking through the night cross the desert land.
We lost one friend as he went sliding down the sand.
While twe went to chase our friend, to watch the beast he flew
I guess we all touched some rocks, and now we're here with you!

Where are we now? Where are we now?
I'm not sure I understand.
Where's our friend and our supplies too?
We can't find them though we've scanned.
Where are we now? Where are we now?
Maybe you can help us please? Tell us how to get back home!

Crown's rich baritone carried soft and smoothly across the fields, and he could swear he heard somepony singing counterpoint. As he sang, he made no effort to stop himself from acting out the lines; pleading with Kahdar on his knees, scanning the horizon, and scratching his head on the chorus. These little ditties were always such fun, a grand excuse to let oneself go.

[Balmas]

The song grew a tad morose, and Dive Bomb found himself singing softer than he had before.

Don't know how we got where we are; it's truly an odd tale!
We want to figure out our path; from Equestria we hale.
Please can you help us find our way, so towards home we can go?
We want to go home, so we beg! Help us find our path!
Oh, I hope you know!

The anxiety passed, and he joined the others in the final verse, a rousing a tempo return to the energy of before.

From the desert to our homeland!
It's only been a day or two,
But we want to get to our homes!
And therefore we come to you!
From the desert to our homeland!
Do you know Equestria? This story, you know it's true! We hope you can see us throoouugh!

He sighed, and wondered again where exactly they were. The notebook ruffled quietly as he sighed the last few words. "To... our.. home."

[BlasTech]

The song ended, the music faded.

The walls pulsed one last time with light at the final mention of Equestria.

And then ... Silence reigned. Punctuated only by the occasional blink from a thoroughly poleaxed gryphon.

She'd asked these ponies a question and they had sung ... really, they'd sung? ... her the answer?

Her beak opened once and closed as the gryphon searched for the right words. It took a full ten seconds before she was able to articulate herself once again.

"You ponies ... are cr-"

"AWESOME" came a high pitched cry. Soot felt a small weight land on her back as the young unicorn foal hopped up on her.

"That was really nice guys!" Chirped Kahlin, a cheerful grin threatening to split his face in two. "I'll help you, I'll help you! I'll help -- ... " The foal trailed off, his enthusiasm deflating slightly. "I don't know how, but."

The gryphon and foal shared a glance, then a smile.

"Very well" Said Vereia, swallowing what she'd been saying earlier. "I don't know how I can help, but you've convinced him, and therefore me, that I should. Your journey sounds ... fantastic ... but if there's anything I've learned on my travels, it's that what some term 'fantasy' is often all too real."

She looked at the walls, as if willing herself to see something that lay just beyond sight.

"If what you say is true, then there is something here that only you can see. Something that is reacting to this talk of your homeland. Has it only reacted to the word Equestria so far?"

************

When Cork finished his song, Kahdar was staring into the middle distance. The pegasus' eyes were unfocused, his expression puzzled, as if he were struggling to remember something important.

Before Cork could say anything, there was the sound of flapping wings and the crunch of gravel as Rinda alighted back on the roadway.

"What's been going on?" asked the Gryphoness, her expression still painted with concern for the ambassador. "I could hear that singing from the next field over. Have you guys figured out what's going on, and where we are?"

The appearance of the newcomer seemed to knock Kahdar out of his reverie.

"Where you are?" He said slowly, his voice uncertain. "I think ... I think I ... remember ... no, that's not the right word."

He caught sight of Cork's saddlebags, where the sketch of the farm and its hardworking inhabitants was displayed.

"I think you should get back to the homestead. You've done all you can here, more than we have a right to ask for. It's Vereia, help her ... help her remember too."

[All participants in the song recover all courage damage]

[Balmas]

((A very nice and unanticipated consequence, especially with my two remaining courage.))

Dive Bomb nodded his thanks to the foal and the griffon. Then, he frowned, and clarified any potential misunderstandings. "Equestria's been fairly consistent, but I thought I saw some flickerings while Grease Spot was talking about Canterlot." His gaze snapped to the corners of the walls as if the rainbow shadows were attempting to flee the building. "Perhaps they are triggered by keywords related to Equestria. Luna. Celestia. Cloudsdale. Las Pegasus. Manehattan. Ponyville. Appleoosa. Princess."

[BlasTech]

The walls flared.

The rainbow light was strong enough that the ponies in the room had to shield their eyes from the intense colour. So strong was the reaction, that it made it difficult to tell if any individual word in the string was responsible, or if more than one had been to blame.

The walls faded back to their normal hues while prismatic spots danced in the eyes of the party.

Blinking, Vereia spoke, her voice stunned.

"I saw that."

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown quietly bowed his head. In matters such as these, questions simply became noise, distractions from the task at hand. Thought he did not know what, he knew a grave duty had been placed upon his shoulders.The colt offered his hoof to Kahdar, and would shake his firmly if given the opportunity. "Rights or no, a Cork's service is given all the same. Just as real or not, your hospitality and honesty were offered freely. If you say it must be done, then it shall be done without delay. And though you say I have done all I can, I feel I must leave you with this warning: Never doubt a determined Cork." " He grinned and jauntily winked at the farmer.

His goodbyes said, he turned to the recently-arrived griffon. "Miss Rinda, we must away to the homestead, post-haste! Our answers lie with one of your kin resting there." Without further explanation, he broke off into a gallop for the house.

[Would attempting to tell the truth to Kahdar count as representing his Guiding Element of Honesty? Wasn't there some bonus/refreshing thingy with that?]

[Balmas]

Pain. Blinding, searing pain. The word agony was invented to describe this sensation. He dog-paddled through a sea of black and purple, which gradually faded away.

Once capable again of coherent speech, he summed up his thoughts in the most dignified and eloquent manner he could think of at the moment: "Ow."

The more sarcastic side of him was begging to be allowed a deadpan, "Yeah, I saw it too." Instead, he simply asked, "What did it look like to you?"

[BlasTech]

Crown quietly bowed his head. In matters such as these, questions simply became noise, distractions from the task at hand. Thought he did not know what, he knew a grave duty had been placed upon his shoulders.The colt offered his hoof to Kahdar, and would shake his firmly if given the opportunity. "Rights or no, a Cork's service is given all the same. Just as real or not, your hospitality and honesty were offered freely. If you say it must be done, then it shall be done without delay. And though you say I have done all I can, I feel I must leave you with this warning: Never doubt a determined Cork." " He grinned and jauntily winked at the farmer.

His goodbyes said, he turned to the recently-arrived griffon. "Miss Rinda, we must away to the homestead, post-haste! Our answers lie with one of your kin resting there." Without further explanation, he broke off into a gallop for the house.

[Would attempting to tell the truth to Kahdar count as representing his Guiding Element of Honesty? Wasn't there some bonus/refreshing thingy with that?]

"I don't like this place" observed Rinda, as she ran alongside Cork. "I'll be glad if we can finally get out of here."

[Yup, I'll pay a point of willpower regain for a minor embodiment of the element]


Pain. Blinding, searing pain. The word agony was invented to describe this sensation. He dog-paddled through a sea of black and purple, which gradually faded away.

Once capable again of coherent speech, he summed up his thoughts in the most dignified and eloquent manner he could think of at the moment: "Ow."

The more sarcastic side of him was begging to be allowed a deadpan, "Yeah, I saw it too." Instead, he simply asked, "What did it look like to you?"

"Rainbows ... little rainbows." replied Vereia, her voice still disbelieving.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease shook her head, trying in vain to dislodge the spots of color dancing in her eyes. That was much more dramatic than the little flickers in her vision before.

Though even more interesting was Vereia's reaction. So she could see the disturbances, though not as clearly as they could. This deserved a little bit more examination.

"What about you?" she said to the colt on Soot's back. "Were you able to see any rainbows?"

[Ravian]

Soot rubbed her eyes
"Hard not to when they're trying to blind you..."
she muttered
"Now the only question is if we can use that to get back home."

[BlasTech]

Grease shook her head, trying in vain to dislodge the spots of color dancing in her eyes. That was much more dramatic than the little flickers in her vision before.

Though even more interesting was Vereia's reaction. So she could see the disturbances, though not as clearly as they could. This deserved a little bit more examination.

"What about you?" she said to the colt on Soot's back. "Were you able to see any rainbows?"

"Nu-uh" replied the foal. "I think I saw a bug though."

There was a soft *thump* as he slapped a hoof down on Soot's back.

"Got it!"

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb looked up at the griffon, still blinking sparks from his eyes. If she could see them as well, did that mean she was like them? From another world? Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he asked, "Have you been here long? In this house, I mean?"

He really didn't want to believe that this was all an illusion; things were reacting, acting like normal people. It would take an enormously complex spell or machine to run all of this. Perhaps it was a matter of time-travel? He snorted and pushed the thought from his mind. This world wasn't that unrealistic.

[TheAmishPirate]

"'When', Miss Rinda," Crown corrected. "I simply will not allow us to stand idly by in a place that believes empty air and sand passes for tea and light refreshments."

He would continue his swift pace until they reached the house, where he would re-enter through the front door. Without slamming it, of course. He may be in a rush, but he did have his manners, after all.

[BlasTech]

Dive Bomb looked up at the griffon, still blinking sparks from his eyes. If she could see them as well, did that mean she was like them? From another world? Rubbing the tears from his eyes, he asked, "Have you been here long? In this house, I mean?"

He really didn't want to believe that this was all an illusion; things were reacting, acting like normal people. It would take an enormously complex spell or machine to run all of this. Perhaps it was a matter of time-travel? He snorted and pushed the thought from his mind. This world wasn't that unrealistic.

"About three days, just stopped in on the way from the lower Riverlands." replied Vereia, who was now peering closely at the walls.

"I wonder if this is the Spirits at work?" she muttered, as she poked a claw into the gap between the sideboards.


"'When', Miss Rinda," Crown corrected. "I simply will not allow us to stand idly by in a place that believes empty air and sand passes for tea and light refreshments."

He would continue his swift pace until they reached the house, where he would re-enter through the front door. Without slamming it, of course. He may be in a rush, but he did have his manners, after all.

Igneous and Amelias were still in the kitchen, talking. They looked up as Cork and Rinda entered.

"More friends of yours, dearie?" asked Amelias, earning a nod from Iggy.

[TheAmishPirate]

As they passed, Crown nodded curtly at the unicorn guard. "Be ready, Igneous. Our time here may be soon reaching its end." Without another word, he continued onward to this Veria's room. This leg of their journey was about to reach its close, he was sure of it.

[Balmas]

The pegasus nodded, and pondered briefly the efficacy of removing the sideboards to see what was behind it. Deciding that the owners of the house would probably not appreciate it, he asked, "Riverlands? What is that like? And what are the Spirits you're talking about?"

((Is Crown in the room yet?))

[BlasTech]

As they passed, Crown nodded curtly at the unicorn guard. "Be ready, Igneous. Our time here may be soon reaching its end." Without another word, he continued onward to this Veria's room. This leg of their journey was about to reach its close, he was sure of it.

Igneous seemed to take the revelation in stride, bidding Mrs Amelias a heartfelt farewell and following along in Cork's hoofsteps.


The pegasus nodded, and pondered briefly the efficacy of removing the sideboards to see what was behind it. Deciding that the owners of the house would probably not appreciate it, he asked, "Riverlands? What is that like? And what are the Spirits you're talking about?"

((Is Crown in the room yet?))

"The Zebra believe that everything that lives possesses a spirit." answered Vereia, electing to address the salient question. "Ponies, gryphon, trees, flowers - every last blade of grass - has, in some way or form, a life-energy. When we die, this energy normally transcends to the afterlife, but it can sometimes choose to remain behind - if it feels it has some purpose left to play.

The Zebra revere these sacrificial Spirits, and believe that occasionally, when a mind and heart are at peace, that the spirits can communicate with us here in the mortal world.

Maybe that is what is happening here?"

She cleared a place on the floor and sat. Her breathing steadied as the gryphon closed her rose hued eyes to the mundane. Unfortunately, no sooner had she shut them, that her spiritual commune was interrupted by the arrival of Cork and the two guards entering the room.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb processed the information slowly. The idea was attractive, almost seductive in its appeal. However, it seemed that they had a different definition of spirit; instead of the forces of nature, she talked more of departed loves.

Maybe that's why it appealed to him so much.

He shook himself from his reverie as Cork entered the room. "Oh, hello. Where'd you get to?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown tossed his mane back with an elegant flourish of his head. "Nearly to the bottom of things, Dive Bomb. On a journey for answers that have led me to this very room. To this very griffon!" He flung his foreleg forward, pointing dramatically at the griffon in question. "Miss Vereia! You have forgotten, and the time has come to remember!"

A pregnant pause followed, as he hoped those were the magic words to undo this hex they were under.

[BlasTech]

There was a resounding silence in the wake of Cork's proclamation.

After it had stretched juuuust long enough to become uncomfortable, the gryphoness broke it with a single word.

"Uh, greetings?"

[Balmas]

The line across Dive Bomb's muzzle deepened into a frown. To be honest, Cork's perception of reality had a somewhat dubious track record, from what Dive Bomb had seen. Though, that incident in the desert was more than likely a delusion brought about by the stress.

He cleared his throat nervously, and asked, "Care to explain things just a bit more?"

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease cleared her throat. "Well, I'm not sure what Cork means, but I think that you might have gotten trapped here the way we did. And if you really did forget something," -she glanced at Cork- "I bet that this place is what made you forget. Though I'm wondering why you think that Vereia has forgotten something," she addressed Cork directly. "Did you find something else?"

[Ravian]

Soot gave a small smile at the colt on her back's antics. The kid was adorable but the idea that this was probably an illusion only made that fact more painful. There was some part of her, not a small one at that, that wished this world was true, refusing to believe that such a lovely place with good ponies could be a lie.

When Cork burst through the door making his dramatic proclamation she raised an eyebrow "Care to share what exactly she forgot Crown?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Without missing a beat, Crown dropped his accusatory foreleg into an elegant bow. "Likewise, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Vereia. Crown Cork, of the Cork Family Brewery."

Now then; it seemed that certain parties were behind the times, and a little catching up was in order. Crown straightened his posture and smoothed out his coat. "I was in the master bedroom, admiring the decor, when what should catch my eye but the ponies of this town hard at work removing a stone from the river. The very same that composed our rocky ally." He tapped the side of his muzzle knowingly. "Such providence could not be overlooked; I inquired into the nature of these rocks, and although my knowledge of petriculture is better for it, I found myself without answers. Just when all hope seemed lost, my spirits triumphantly rallied forth in glorious song!"

He thrust his hoof to his chest, striking a pose that would put the finest of opera singers to shame. "Something within those lyrics shook Mister Kahdar to the core. Why, the pegasus looked as though he had seen a ghost, muttering about how he had finally 'remembered', though he swore the words did not do it justice. He thanked me for my efforts, saying I had done vastly more for this community than he could have ever dared. He then told me that you, Miss Vereia," again the pointing hoof came out. "Hold the key to our escape, and that it is of the utmost importance to help you remember as well.

[BlasTech]

Rinda validated Cork's story with a quick nod. Without introducing herself, she regarded Vereia coolly and stood to the rear with Igneous.

Vereia looked like she wanted to say something to the other gryphon, but the visible antipathy caused her refocus her attention on Cork.

"My teacher once told me that what separates the fool from the sage is that only one of them knows where to correctly place their faith.

I don't know what is happening here, but ... I trust you ponies. Whatever is the true cause of this day's events, I am in your hooves as to how to solve it."

[Balmas]

Knows... where to place... their faith. Dive Bomb nodded in satisfaction and tucked the notepad back into his saddlebags. How best to initiate investigations was an interesting question, more for the numerous directions in which the inquiries could proceed than for any other reason.

"What do you know about this area?" he asked.

[BlasTech]

"Not much" Vereia admitted. "Only what I've been told since arriving; it's a quiet place, mostly grassland and river with a tendency towards pastoral settlements. The travellers I've spoken with say that it has a wide range of agricultural products ranging from edible crops to rock farms like this one."

"Apparently a city also lies a day's journey west; alot of travellers I've met are heading that way and I'd planned to visit it myself."

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown put a hoof to his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, yes, the Sanctum City. I found out as much from Mister Kahdar. The final destination of their greater harvests. Perhaps a key to this riddle, but perhaps not. Only time shall truly tell."

His eyes narrowed in on the griffon's face, scrutinizing every feather. "Now then; what did you eat for breakfast three mornings ago, and where?" he asked in full seriousness.

[BlasTech]

"Waybread and rainwater" Vereia replied, after a moment's thought. Despite the oddity of the question, her voice was calm and measured. "A pine tree near the river about a half-day's walk to the south from here."

[Balmas]

Sanctum... He'd heard that word, but where? Sanctum... It was a modern word, but had ancient roots...

"Sanctum City!" He started up, and prodded Crown. "The golem said that it was going to take me to a 'Sanctum City of Five Nations,' right before you gave it that rock!"

Oh, this was wonderful! As the edges of the puzzle fell into place, it was so much easier to find the rest. As he flipped open his notebook to the map, he mulled over the new data. They'd started at the train, and the golem had led them about a day to the west. If, contrary to reason, they actually hadn't moved during the... whatever it was that the rocks had done, then that meant that Sanctum City corresponded to the stone structure two days to the west of the train.

Mmm. And there was a river a half-days journey to the south of here, too? Rubbing his chin, he used a pencil to extend the line of the gorge two days south of the train diagonally up.

Something nagged at him; gorges usually form from the passage of water over a great amount of time. There would only be a gorge back in their world if it had been a long time in this one. Frowning, he gazed at the dark line; if his thoughts were correct, that gorge changed the question of location from "where" to "when."

"Vereia," he said softly, "I've been making a map of where we've been." Marking a scale and penciling in a label for 'Sanctum City?', he showed her the map. "Is that about how the river flows?"

[One Tin Soldier]

While Dive Bomb talked to Vereia about their location, Grease went to talk to Crown Cork. "We found something interesting here, too," she said. "Whenever someone talks about Equestria, you can see a rainbow flash in the shadows." She pointed a hoof towards the corner of the room. "See, watch what happens when I say Equestria, or Canterlot, or Princess Celestia."

She lowered her hoof again, satisfied with her demonstration. "Vereia saw it too, though much dimmer. It might have something to do with how long we stay, so I think we should try to get out as soon as possible."

[BlasTech]

Sanctum... He'd heard that word, but where? Sanctum... It was a modern word, but had ancient roots...

"Sanctum City!" He started up, and prodded Crown. "The golem said that it was going to take me to a 'Sanctum City of Five Nations,' right before you gave it that rock!"

Oh, this was wonderful! As the edges of the puzzle fell into place, it was so much easier to find the rest. As he flipped open his notebook to the map, he mulled over the new data. They'd started at the train, and the golem had led them about a day to the west. If, contrary to reason, they actually hadn't moved during the... whatever it was that the rocks had done, then that meant that Sanctum City corresponded to the stone structure two days to the west of the train.

Mmm. And there was a river a half-days journey to the south of here, too? Rubbing his chin, he used a pencil to extend the line of the gorge two days south of the train diagonally up.

Something nagged at him; gorges usually form from the passage of water over a great amount of time. There would only be a gorge back in their world if it had been a long time in this one. Frowning, he gazed at the dark line; if his thoughts were correct, that gorge changed the question of location from "where" to "when."

"Vereia," he said softly, "I've been making a map of where we've been." Marking a scale and penciling in a label for 'Sanctum City?', he showed her the map. "Is that about how the river flows?"

"I ... believe so?" Vereia replied, after looking over the crudely drawn map. "The river outside here definitely flows to the south and then east; but there are many other streams and tributaries, not to mention larger waterways, that cross this region.

It isn't by chance that they call this area the Riverlands."


While Dive Bomb talked to Vereia about their location, Grease went to talk to Crown Cork. "We found something interesting here, too," she said. "Whenever someone talks about Equestria, you can see a rainbow flash in the shadows." She pointed a hoof towards the corner of the room. "See, watch what happens when I say Equestria, or Canterlot, or Princess Celestia."

She lowered her hoof again, satisfied with her demonstration. "Vereia saw it too, though much dimmer. It might have something to do with how long we stay, so I think we should try to get out as soon as possible."

Dive Bomb's question answered, Vereia turned to watch Grease's demonstration. As predicted, the rainbows flickered at the mention of Equestira and Canterlot, before shining brightly at the mention of Princess Celestia.

"I think I only saw the last one then." said Vereia, squinting at the cracks. "Wasn't very strong though."

[TheAmishPirate]

The sudden prodding dislodged a most unbecoming 'eep' from Crown. The...the very nerve of some ponies! Did they not know that Corks suffered from a history of sensitive sides and tummies? Really, most unthoughtful He huffed and made a show of straightening his coat. "Yes, yes, I had already deduced the same. The city surely holds some key to this riddle," he said curtly. His grump would be short-lived, however...


While Dive Bomb talked to Vereia about their location, Grease went to talk to Crown Cork. "We found something interesting here, too," she said. "Whenever someone talks about Equestria, you can see a rainbow flash in the shadows." She pointed a hoof towards the corner of the room. "See, watch what happens when I say Equestria, or Canterlot, or Princess Celestia."

She lowered her hoof again, satisfied with her demonstration. "Vereia saw it too, though much dimmer. It might have something to do with how long we stay, so I think we should try to get out as soon as possible."

Crown gasped, taking in the not-walls. Such colors and linework, he never in his wildest dreams would have the chance to see such wonder divorced from canvas. "Incredible...a pity we have to depart so soon then. But really, we cannot leave the Ambassador to fend for himself whilst we paint magical marvels. Such is life," he said with a resigned sigh. And then, ever so quietly, he muttered the magical words, delighting in the colors that danced before his eyes. As the conversation continued, quiet "Equestria!'s" could be heard from the young businesspony, followed by poorly-concealed giggles.

As it stood, he may have had some thoughts regarding Dive Bomb's revelation, but he had other things on his mind. :smalltongue:


Dive Bomb's question answered, Vereia turned to watch Grease's demonstration. As predicted, the rainbows flickered at the mention of Equestira and Canterlot, before shining brightly at the mention of Princess Celestia.

"I think I only saw the last one then." said Vereia, squinting at the cracks. "Wasn't very strong though."

So, brighter at the mention of the Sisters, hmm? Now his curiosity was piqued; could he get the walls to shine brightest of all? Taking a pause between each word, Crown stated:

"Wonderbolts. Crown Soda. Ponyville. Zebra. Alicorn. Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna. Discord. Elements of Harmony."

A little smattering of things all across the spectrum, from the good to the evil, from the magical to the mundane. Now who could make the walls glow, eh?

[Ravian]

Soot nodded in agreement "I'm all for getting back as soon as possible, or more back at least." there was something bugging her though
"Isn't it kind of weird that we're who knows how far from Equestria and yet the place lights up whenever we mention anything related to home?"

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb sagged; this could be one of the worst times to have more evidence support a theory. Wings drooping almost to the floor, he spake. "Well, I have a theory on our location, but it's not a pleasant one. Nor is it guaranteed to be accurate, but the evidence supports it."

[One Tin Soldier]

"Well, it's not going to get any better if you keep it to yourself," she said in response to Dive Bomb's announcement. "What do you think the situation is?"

She had some ideas of her own, but they could wait until after Dive shared his deductions. The colt seemed pretty smart, he may very well have hit on another piece of the puzzle.

[BlasTech]

So, brighter at the mention of the Sisters, hmm? Now his curiosity was piqued; could he get the walls to shine brightest of all? Taking a pause between each word, Crown stated:

"Wonderbolts. Crown Soda. Ponyville. Zebra. Alicorn. Nightmare Moon. Princess Luna ...

The walls were content to simply flicker at the repeated chantings of Equestria, or at least, they had been up until now. As Cork went through his litany of associated terms, the walls suddenly flared. The light was as bright as they had had before; a blinding whiteness that swallowed the rainbows and caused those present to shield their eyes.



... Discord. Elements of Harmony."


*CRACK*

That did it.

The noise was sharp, sudden, like the splintering of a bough before it plummeted to the ground. From somewhere in the middle group, there was a squawk of surprise and discomfort as the light redoubled in intensity.

"Miss Vereia, are you okay?" chirped a voice, as Soot felt the weight of the foal dissapear from her back.

By the time everyone's vision returned, Kahlin was standing in the middle of the room with concern written on his features. The gryphoness was still sitting motionless, her eyes closed, as she massaged her temples with a claw.

"I ... am well, Kahlin." she replied, smiling at the foal before taking a shuddering, steadying breath. "I was just ... that was ... not what I was expecting."

She looked around, before her head froze rock still, eyes widening in surprise.

On the outside wall of the room, a massive, jet-black crack had appeared; it snaked from a wafer thin line at the roof before widening into an pony-width opening near the floor. What was even more surprising, and impossible, was that the crack went across the room's only window - simply passing over the top of the glass and the view outside as if the window and wall were all made from the same piece of material.

As everyone's eyes focused on the murky black hole, there was a faint shimmer of light from its depths - a single emerald jewel amidst the pitch.

"By the Spirits." Vereia breathed. "What was that?"

[Balmas]

Smoothing the map on the floor, Dive Bomb cracked his neck nervously and began. "Well, when we were at the train, I located several things, if you recall. There was a gorge to the south, what looked like buildings two days to the west, and perhaps an oasis two days to the south."

Dive Bomb's hooves tapped the floor with a metallic click as he enumerated each point. "When the golem arrested me, it said that it was going to take me to the Sanctum City. Presumably, Sanctum city is to the west of the train, since that is the direction in which it headed.

"Point two. We'd traveled about a day's worth overnight. At that point, after the business with the sleigh, we continued. I believe you touched some rocks, as did I, and we found ourselves here." He reached down and marked their progress with a dotted line.

"Point three. Miss Vereia has informed me of the local geography. There is a river about half a days journey south of here, and with a bit of extrapolation, it could coincide with the gorge's path. Vereia confirmed that the river traveled something like I've extrapolated. Sanctum City lies about a days journey west of here" --here, a green hoof poked at the map-- "right where those old buildings would be if we were still in the desert."

Pacing a bit, he sighed before continuing. "Local geography corresponds to our previous location's very well, which leads me to believe that we haven't actually moved from our previous spot. However, several things stand out. First, this area is very well inhabited, and it is lush and verdant.

"Consider the gorge in the desert. If I am correct, the gorge in the desert was formed by the river that Vereia describes. Usually, gorges form as the erosion of water wears a groove in the earth. This takes many years--anywhere from decades to millenia, depending on the material. This would imply that the gorge we saw became a gorge sometime--a long time--after this time."

His brow furrowed, considering how best to describe the situation. "Keep in mind that none of this can be confirmed with the present information. However, if I am correct, we have not moved too far from our original location. More's the pity, because it would be easier to return for the ambassador had we gone a hundred miles away than to our current spot." His eyes fixed with those of Grease Spot. "I think we've gone back in time."

*CRACK*

It was as if some giant had torn reality apart and clumsily pushed it back together. He stared, and moved to poke at the crack dreamily. "Or perhaps my initial estimation of this as an illusion was correct," he muttered.

May Cloudsdale fall from the sky if this wasn't the most irritating thing ever; right as he thought he had it, it moved again.

Slowly, he opened the window next to the crack and looked to see if the crack was a three-dimensional phenomenon, or simply on the wall and window.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease recoiled, covering her eyes with a quickly raised cannon, too late to protect her eyes from the sudden flash. She sat down hard, trying not to crash into anything by mistake while she blinked away the dark splotches obscuring her vision. Once she could see properly again, the new addition to the room greeted her.

"I think you found that password," she said a little distantly.

[BlasTech]

Slowly, he opened the window next to the crack and looked to see if the crack was a three-dimensional phenomenon, or simply on the wall and window.

The phenomenon not only appeared to be two dimensional, but also visible only from the inside of the room. Looking back at the window and wall from the outside only showed unblemished glass and woodwork respectively.

[Balmas]

"Impossible," he breathed. Yet, there it was. A violation of Eucoltean geometry. He waved a hoof through the open space that should, logically, be a dark mass. Then, timidly, he poked a hoof into the dark gap to see if the two could meet.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease peered into the giant crack in the wall, while Dive Bomb experimented with it. Something glinted inside of it. At first, she thought that it was just another remnant of the flash, but it remained while all the other blobs faded away.

She got to her hooves once more, looking around. "Is everypony else ok?" Investigating the crack in the illusion could wait until she was sure that everyone in the room was unharmed. It was starting to get a little bit crowded, after all.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown Cork allowed himself a moment of smug satisfaction, at least, as much as one could have on one's back and completely blinded. So distracted was he with reciting words that he had the misfortune not to shield himself as properly as the others. Already he could feel the beginnings of a proper migraine setting in. Curses, and he was so far from his medicine too...

No! He pounced upon the rogue thought before it could advance another inch. Focus on the task at hand, a Cork could not have such weakness distract him at a critical juncture. Struggling to remove the spots from his vision, he pulled himself up and squinted at the crack in the wall. "By the stars, I believe we've got it! And do not feat, Miss Spot, I am fine." A technical truth; he was merely exhausted, dazed, feeling the approach of a nasty headache, and his darn eyes refused to work properly, but still uninjured.

Through blurry eyes, he could swear he saw Dive Bomb stick a hoof inside the...thing he'd created. "Do be careful, Dive Bomb! It may bite!" he called out with legitimate concern.

[BlasTech]

"Impossible," he breathed. Yet, there it was. A violation of Eucoltean geometry. He waved a hoof through the open space that should, logically, be a dark mass. Then, timidly, he poked a hoof into the dark gap to see if the two could meet.

Fortunately, this time at least, poking a hoof at the oddity did not generate any monster attacks.

Instead, Dive Bomb was treated to the odd sensation of his hooves passing through one another. He could feel them both still there, but the hoof he placed into the darkness did not emerge on the other side.

[Balmas]

The green hooves withdrew as if they were on fire. He shivered, reassuring himself that his hooves were as solid as ever. "I'm fine," he told Grease Spot, as if to make himself believe it as well. Magic had its uses; in fact, magic furniture was seen as a pegasus status symbol. It was just that magic had no place when applied to himself.

Removing a slender sparkler stick from his saddlebag, he steeled himself before prodding around the gaping hole in reality to see how far the edges extended. This time, he was very careful to keep his hooves far from the darkness; Cork might be flighty at times, but he had a point.

[BlasTech]

Probing with the sparkler stick only revealed that there was space beyond the hole.

[Ravian]

Soot jumped in suprise as the fabric of reality seemed to tear apart, leaving a large crack. She whistled, impressed before giving Cork a good-natured slap on the back. "Nice job, Corky! Now we're getting somewhere."

As Dive Bomb poked and prodded the rift she quickly grew impatient.
"Seriously, you ponies poke everything with a stick, and now that you've finally found something that hasn't bitten us back, you decide to poke around the edges some more?
First rule in my profession: trust nothing until you know it won't kill you
Second rule of profession: If you know it won't kill you, grab it and move on"
without further ado, Soot went up to the crack and stuck her head through it.

[BlasTech]

The area beyond the crack was a dark blue; it could have been back in the desert at night were it not for the lack of stars in the sky. A silvery grey mist rolled along at ground level, obscuring most details beyond the first few yards.

Directly ahead, not far off, a single green light was glowing through the mist - caught by the clouds as they moved, it made for a faintly otherworldly glow.

[Ravian]

Soot sighed of course it can't be that easy. she peered around the dark exspanse before shouting back through the crack "Well the good news is nothing's tried to killl me yet. The bad news is we're not back to the desert yet. There's some kind of light but I can't see much besides it and.. clouds or fog or something. Give me a moment I'm going to try and get a better look."

Soot poured magic into her horn as she tried to conjour a more of pale gold light.

Follow the pretty light
[roll0]

Mind check to get a better look around (hopefully with light)
[roll1]
extra roll from wary
[roll2]

[Balmas]

"What do you see?" called Dive Bomb down the dark tunnel. Half of him wanted to follow her down the tunnel, but the other half was remembering the eerie sensation of feeling the frog of his hoof from inside the other.

[BlasTech]

The mote of light sprung into existance; a golden firefly that flitted forwards into the gloom. The grey clouds rolled back as if in reaction to its glow, allowing Soot to see more of the area that lay beyond the crack.

The ground seemed to be coarse sand, the sky an open expanse of featureless dark blue. Shadowy objects could now be seen through the mists; they didn't move, and looked to be stationary items embedded in the desert dust. Nearby, Soot was able to see one such item clearly; a silver photograph frame, half buried.

Directly ahead, the glow from the green light increased in intensity, banishing even more clouds and revealing what looked to be a single, solid green gemstone floating in the darkness.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown nearly slipped and fell, the back slap sending his hooves a-skittering on the floor for balance. "I say! Less physical congratulations next time would be appreciated!" he called after the filly. Some ponies were just all sorts of rude today. Now they saw fit to crowd around the hole in the wall, blocking his view of the anomaly. Didn't they know that he simply had to paint this break in reality? With a huff, he started inching his way closer on unsteady hooves. All this rustic air and hard deduction must be finally taking its toll. Why else is everypony acting as though they were unscathed? he concluded silently.

[Ravian]

"There's some sort of green gem projecting some light." Soot called back
"There's also some other stuff buried in sand around here, some sort of picture frame. Hold on."
She let the light go out as she telekinetically reached for the frame, bringing it back to the rift where the light was better so she could examine it.

[BlasTech]

As the frame neared the crack, it suddenly shattered. By the time it reached Soot's hooves, all that was left was sand.

[Ravian]

"Ok... that was weird" Soot muttered. "I don't think we can take things out of the crack, they just turn to sand, like those cookies." she called back to the rest of the group as she drew her head back from inside the rift.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb sighed; if they couldn't remove what was inside, he'd have to go in to examine it. "Did you get a good look at what you were carrying? Is there anything else?" And you know, he still had half a cookie... maybe it wouldn't siliconize in there...

[Ravian]

"It looked like a silver picture frame." Soot told Dive Bomb "I wanted a closer look but it turned to sand as soon as he brought it near the crack." she gestured back to the rift "There was some other stuff in there, but I couldn't see very well even with my light spell." a thought occured to her "If you're going in there I am too, I want to take a look at that gem." she was fairly certain such a treasure couldn't be taken out of this place any more than the picture frame, but it definately seemed important enough to earn a closer look.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown stopped dead in his tracks. "Did you say...a silver picture frame?" he asked in a slow, measured tone.

Without another word - and with his weariness miraculously forgotten - he dashed out of the room, heading for the master bedroom of earlier. If the picture of the family was still in its place, he'd pick it up and rush back to the others. "I don't suppose it looked anything like this?"

[BlasTech]

"Hey, that's my dad's!" said Kahlin, moving to grab the frame back.

Beyond the fact that both were silver, it would have been difficult to see many details before the second frame had disintegrated.

[DC 15 mind check if you want. Darkness penalty was negated by the spell. Wary applies]

[Balmas]

A sparkler lazily flew from the saddlebags to a wingtip, and danced in the air as Dive Bomb pondered. Fact: he didn't know how long the fissure would stay open. If it closed while he was in it, there was no guarantee that he would get out another way. On the other hand, there was also no guarantee that the fissure would close at all. If so, it would be more advantageous to the Compilation to figure out what was in there. Might even prove useful in getting them home.

The sparkler danced a few more rounds before he came to a conclusion. "I'm going in," he stated, shucking his saddlebags to the floor. If he did get swallowed up, no sense in losing it all. "I'd welcome your company," he told Soot as the sparkler flared to life against the floor.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease walked up to the crevice alongside Dive Bomb and Soot. "I'll come too," she said. She got the feeling that there were some answers to be found back there. Besides which, there could be something dangerous back there. She didn't think it was likely, but if there was, she didn't want the two children to be back there alone.

[Balmas]

"Oh," he said quietly, and began to put the saddlebags back on. "That works too."

[BlasTech]

As Dive Bomb stepped through the crack, the half-cookie he was carrying disintegrated into a fine silicate powder.

Behind him, back in the room, Vereia paused in the action of slinging her medicine bag over her shoulder - her eyes flicking between the pegasus and the pile of dust near Dive Bomb's hooves.

[Ravian]

"Hey, that's my dad's!" said Kahlin, moving to grab the frame back.

Beyond the fact that both were silver, it would have been difficult to see many details before the second frame had disintegrated.

[DC 15 mind check if you want. Darkness penalty was negated by the spell. Wary applies]

"Let me see." Soot said as she looked the frame over. She hadn't gotten a very good look in her brief contact with the frame, but she thought she might be able to remember

[roll0]
Wary:
[roll1]

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb paused, halfway in light and halfway in shadow. Sighing, he pawed at the pile of sand. "I really wanted that cookie," he said under his breath.

Holding the sparkler high, he looked around to take in as much as he could.

[BlasTech]

"Let me see." Soot said as she looked the frame over. She hadn't gotten a very good look in her brief contact with the frame, but she thought she might be able to remember

[roll0]
Wary:
[roll1]

The silver frame had seemed similar, if not identical. But the picture was different. While Soot hadn't been able to get a clear look at it, the colours were off, like they had been arranged differently.


Dive Bomb paused, halfway in light and halfway in shadow. Sighing, he pawed at the pile of sand. "I really wanted that cookie," he said under his breath.

Holding the sparkler high, he looked around to take in as much as he could.

As the others entered the dark, the clouds rolled away, giving them a clearer veiw of the area immediately around the portal, while still obscuring anything further than a dozen yards away.

It was as Soot had described; a sandy floor beneath a featureless, dark blue 'sky'. Shadowy objects were occasionally visible through the mists, they seemed to be arranged at random around them. Opposite the portal, the green gemstone continued to float, occasionally pulsing with light.

Looking back at the crack from the other side revealed no sight of the house; instead, a large, off white dome rose out of the ground - it's top stretching several feet into the air. The crack was easily visible on its surface, showing the inside of Vereia's room.

The others in the party; Rinda and Igneous included, filed through the crack. Vereia, however, paused, looking again at the pile of sand on the floor just on the far side of the portal, her face showing the tiniest glimmer of worry.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown let the foal snatch up his photo frame without a fight. "Right you are, Kahlin, I was just borrowing it for a while. Could you go and put it back for me?"

Regardless of how that was resolved, the others seemed determined to file into the hole in the universe. How could he, their fearless leader, possibly stay behind while his subordinates thrust themselves into danger? Bringing up the rear, he paused, noting the other griffon's hesitation. "Come now, Miss Vereia, chin up!" He sidled up to her, all but throwing a leg about her shoulders. "We are soon to the end of our little mystery, and all that lies ahead lies through here. No longer shall we live idly on in this perplexing hex, but instead we shall stride forth! Stride into the light! Stride into the truth! And though we know not where the bottom leads, we shall stride as one! This promise you can rely on!"

With that, he strode confidently through the gap, and promptly stumbled on the shifting sand. To his credit, he recovered quickly and continued as if it had never happened.

[Balmas]

Absolutely incredible. Blatantly impossible, of course, but here it was; maybe impossible simply needed a new definition. Dive Bomb let loose a rare grin; it even had a small glint of tooth between lips, instead of merely a pair of upturned corners. Dancing on the edge of the discovery, finding the true, shaking reality until it made sense. Once you got past the fact that this shouldn't be happening, it allowed you to try to figure out how it could. After all, a theory could only be true until proven false.

The grin faded; there was really no recorded precedent for this. He was running blind. This would require some thinking, but he could do that.

He raised an eyebrow and looked back at the coffee-coated colt. How he managed to stumble on sand was a mystery for another day. In the meantime, he made for the nearest object and took a closer look.

[BlasTech]

Crown let the foal snatch up his photo frame without a fight. "Right you are, Kahlin, I was just borrowing it for a while. Could you go and put it back for me?"

Regardless of how that was resolved, the others seemed determined to file into the hole in the universe. How could he, their fearless leader, possibly stay behind while his subordinates thrust themselves into danger? Bringing up the rear, he paused, noting the other griffon's hesitation. "Come now, Miss Vereia, chin up!" He sidled up to her, all but throwing a leg about her shoulders. "We are soon to the end of our little mystery, and all that lies ahead lies through here. No longer shall we live idly on in this perplexing hex, but instead we shall stride forth! Stride into the light! Stride into the truth! And though we know not where the bottom leads, we shall stride as one! This promise you can rely on!"

With that, he strode confidently through the gap, and promptly stumbled on the shifting sand. To his credit, he recovered quickly and continued as if it had never happened.

Kahlin grabbed the frame and trotted out of the room, the oddity of a tear in reality was second place to the need to replace the picture before his parents noticed its absence. After all, he could get into trouble for that.

Meanwhile, Cork's reassurances did not appear to address the gryphoness' fears. As if in reply to his rather rampant burst of bravado, she grasped the long trail stick and placed the end point into the crack.

As the wood crossed the threshold to that other place, it began to disintegrate into sand. Vereia withdrew her walking aid, now a good half foot shorter than it had been, and showed it to the others.

"I don't think I can go in there."


Absolutely incredible. Blatantly impossible, of course, but here it was; maybe impossible simply needed a new definition. Dive Bomb let loose a rare grin; it even had a small glint of tooth between lips, instead of merely a pair of upturned corners. Dancing on the edge of the discovery, finding the true, shaking reality until it made sense. Once you got past the fact that this shouldn't be happening, it allowed you to try to figure out how it could. After all, a theory could only be true until proven false.

The grin faded; there was really no recorded precedent for this. He was running blind. This would require some thinking, but he could do that.

He raised an eyebrow and looked back at the coffee-coated colt. How he managed to stumble on sand was a mystery for another day. In the meantime, he made for the nearest object and took a closer look.

It was a short walk away from the others before Dive Bomb found the first object.

It would have initially looked like a small, oddly shaped rock, buried in the ground. However, as he neared, the clouds rolled away to reveal that the 'rock' was, in fact, made of fabric and possessed a dark purple star pattern embroidered across its surface.

The first item was a blanket, draped across a pillow.

[Item determined by d6 roll]

[One Tin Soldier]

Kahlin grabbed the frame and trotted out of the room, the oddity of a tear in reality was second place to the need to replace the picture before his parents noticed its absence. After all, he could get into trouble for that.

Meanwhile, Cork's reassurances did not appear to address the gryphoness' fears. As if in reply to his rather rampant burst of bravado, she grasped the long trail stick and placed the end point into the crack.

As the wood crossed the threshold to that other place, it began to disintegrate into sand. Vereia withdrew her walking aid, now a good half foot shorter than it had been, and showed it to the others.

"I don't think I can go in there."


Grease mentally kicked herself for not thinking of Vereia's safety sooner. "I think you might be right," she said back to the gryphoness. She cracked a reassuring half-smile. "Wait there, and we'll be right back. Oh, and could you make sure that nopony tries to pass through? Especially Kahlin. He seems like the curious type."

Once again, Grease wondered why she felt so concerned about the well-being of the illusion's inhabitants. After all, chances were that most of them were nothing more than elaborate programs. But still, it just felt wrong to treat them callously when they acted so friendly.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb's brow furrowed as he picked up the cloth and padding. Why would they be here in the desert? And a picture frame, too. It was as if the desert had risen up and swallowed a bedroom.

Tossing it across his back, he brought the blanket closer to the light, though still far from where it would disintegrate. Sparklers were great, but it made more sense to make use of light from the glowing rip in reality. That's assuming that's what it was; it made a strange dichotomy; light from this side, dark from the other.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at the griffon from across the gap.

((I believe that should I choose to analyze the things here, I'd get the special purpose bonus, correct?))

[BlasTech]

In answer, Vereia swung the tip of her now-reduced staff at the crack, resulting in a fine spray of sand and another inch of wood gone.

"I ... am not confident that I could enter that place safely." She replied.

In the silence that followed her pronouncement, there seemed to be a distant echo from in the mists, back from where Dive Bomb had come. Listening closely, a pony could discern the murmur of at least two voices out there.

There was a flash of green light, before a small orb of ... energy? flew back into the clearing near the crack. It passed over the heads of the assembled ponies and, turning, flew straight at the green gemstone. When the two collided, the orb was gone, and the stone pulsed once more, bathing the area in an emerald hue.

[If DB takes his time with the analysis, then sure. You'd have to give me an idea on what he hopes to achieve by dissecting a blanket though before I can set a DC.]

[TheAmishPirate]

Well, that was no good, now was it? "What about a feather?" Crown suggested. "Perhaps it is merely your equipment which cannot pass."

The sudden flash of energy caught his attention; he noted the direction where it came from so that he could investigate properly once Miss Vereia was taken care of.

[Ravian]

The flash and the echoes attracted Soot's curiosity. "I'm going to take a closer look over there. Anyone want to come with?"
She conjoured another mote to keep up the light.
Light Spell
[roll0]

[Balmas]

The blanket slipped to the sand unheeded as the wings holding it stable drooped. If her things couldn't get through the doorway, then the odds were that she was like the cookie: something pleasing in theory, but ultimately not real.

That didn't stop his wings from bristling at Crown's suggestion. Wings were an incredibly sensitive part of the pegasus anatomy. Pulling feathers hurt, and they had to grow back; you didn't just give feathers to anyone. It was the kind of thing you did for lovers, or for close family when you were on your deathbed. Even then, you usually waited until a molt cycle had passed, or it felt like you were ripping the marrow from your bones.

He blinked, swallowing forcefully, and calmed himself before he spoke. "It appears that there is something fundamentally different between us. If it's dangerous for you to come in, don't." He turned his head to follow a green orb of energy, and his eyes narrowed; they weren't alone here.

Putting that off for the moment, he picked up the blanket and showed it to Vereia and Cork. "Do either of you recognize this?"

((OOC: It would be to determine how old it is, how it's made, what it's made from; basically, he wants to look at it and see what it shows about the previous owners.))

[BlasTech]

Well, that was no good, now was it? "What about a feather?" Crown suggested. "Perhaps it is merely your equipment which cannot pass."

The sudden flash of energy caught his attention; he noted the direction where it came from so that he could investigate properly once Miss Vereia was taken care of.


The flash and the echoes attracted Soot's curiosity. "I'm going to take a closer look over there. Anyone want to come with?"
She conjoured another mote to keep up the light.
Light Spell
[roll0]

A second point of light popped into existance, giving Soot the illumination she needed to pick her way across the sand in the direction she'd heard the noises. It ended up leading her back the way Dive Bomb had walked; the pegasus' tracks easily visible in the sand up to the disturbed patch where he'd pulled the blanket from.

All that was left was a small divot in the ground where the pillow had once been.




The blanket slipped to the sand unheeded as the wings holding it stable drooped. If her things couldn't get through the doorway, then the odds were that she was like the cookie: something pleasing in theory, but ultimately not real.

That didn't stop his wings from bristling at Crown's suggestion. Wings were an incredibly sensitive part of the pegasus anatomy. Pulling feathers hurt, and they had to grow back; you didn't just [I]give feathers to anyone. It was the kind of thing you did for lovers, or for close family when you were on your deathbed. Even then, you usually waited until a molt cycle had passed, or it felt like you were ripping the marrow from your bones.

He blinked, swallowing forcefully, and calmed himself before he spoke. "It appears that there is something fundamentally different between us. If it's dangerous for you to come in, don't." He turned his head to follow a green orb of energy, and his eyes narrowed; they weren't alone here.

Putting that off for the moment, he picked up the blanket and showed it to Vereia and Cork. "Do either of you recognize this?"

((OOC: It would be to determine how old it is, how it's made, what it's made from; basically, he wants to look at it and see what it shows about the previous owners.))

Vereia slowly, and deliberately, grasped one of her down feathers in an amber claw and yanked. A flash of pain, quickly supressed, crossed her face as she then tossed it across the threshold.

The feather floated through and came to rest on the sandy floor. For a moment, it looked like all was well, and the group let out a collective sigh of relief.

And then the feather faded. It didn't transform to sand, it simply ... became transparent, then disappeared entirely, leaving behind only a few wisps of green energy that soon floated their way over to the gemstone.

Vereia stood still for a few seconds, watching the spot where the feather had lain. She shook off her pensive moment as Dive Bomb asked the question. Squinting, she tried to see into the darkness.

"... I cannot see it clearly from here. You would have to bring it closer." she replied, making sure she didn't step too close to the opening.

(Yeah sure, I'd pay information on that type of analysis)

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown frowned, watching as the bits of green energy were absorbed by the crystal. "Well that is simply no good at all. Perhaps it would be best after all if you remained behind. You can keep others from blundering into this dangerous place, at least."

Now then, this blanket. Crown picked up a corner of it, getting a feel for the material and pattern. "Let's see...the only such item I have seen here would be from the master bedroom as well, coincidentally enough. I seem to recall quite the rustic, homespun quilt adorning the bed," he held a corner up to the light, getting a better view of the pattern. "I wonder if they are one and the same?"

[Mind check to compare with the quilt in the master bedroom?]

(More may be coming, depending on the answer in the OOC thread)

[BlasTech]

"I understand; You must go where I can't follow." replied Vereia, her expression smiling, yet sad. "Is this goodbye?"

[Balmas]

"If we can judge by the picture frame, the blanket would be destroyed if I brought it much closer," he said quietly. "I don't want to leave you behind, but I don't know how else we could bring you."

Looking at the blanket, he did what he could to reproduce the pattern before passing it through the gap. "It's a purple blanket with a pattern like this."

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown shook his head, at both blanket and griffonness. "Hardly. You have yet to 'remember', correct? I doubt your part to play in all this is over. But most regrettably, we must bid a temporary farewell." He bowed low, respectfully, sweeping with his foreleg as if addressing a proper Lady. "I assure you, if we can meet again, it shall be so. I can also assure you both that this blanket is not from the master bedroom. That one was peach, this one is...purple..."

He trailed off, a sudden thought giving him pause. "Wait a moment; if that one, little feather turned into those wisps of light, then that big ball of light could have been-those voices!" He gasped in horror. "Somepony could be in grave danger!"

The feeling their little exploration might yield some horrifying truth had long loomed over the young businesspony's mind, and now his fears could be coming true. But fear did not rule a Cork; fear merely focused them, galvanized them to action. He raced to Soot's light, shouting orders as he galloped. "Miss Spot, Dive Bomb; continue your investigation, and do not stray from each other's side. Do not even think to risk splitting up! We shall return soon!" There was no time for argument and discussion, there was only time for action. "Soot! We must find where that orb came from at once!"

[Balmas]

Blanket. People in trouble. Blanket. People in trouble.

"Wait," he said quietly. "Take this." Clicking open his left saddlebag, he hoofed over another sparkler and lit it with his own. "Harder to get lost."

He did the best he could to fold the blanket so it would sit evenly on his back. "I should come too. If there are people who are hurt, I could help them.

[BlasTech]

"Very well." Vereia replied, turning away from the crack. "Spirits preserve you all. I shall ensure no others approach."

[Balmas]

"Be careful," he said softly. He didn't know what to think, or whether she was an illusion or not, but he liked Vereia. He felt a kinship there, a sense of sameness that made him more prone to smile. If only there was a way for her to come with them.

Okay. Green crystal in front, gaping hole in reality behind, and set. With his bearings fixed, Dive Bomb made for the green light, stooping to pick up anything that he came across on the way.

[TheAmishPirate]

Ah, Dive Bomb again proved his resourcefulness! Crown took the unlit end of the sparkler in his mouth, not having the benefit of magic or wings to assist him. "No, it is of the utmost importance that we solve this riddle as quickly as possible as well as help those in need. If your medical expertise is needed, we shall call for you and Miss Spot at once."

With that, he was off, clutching the sparkler between his teeth. Even if Dive Bomb had further protests, he would continue on; he had given his word on the matter, and they had no time to dally.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease walked forward with the other three. Really, she didn't know what to think of the goings-on in this place. It all seemed so surreal. Your illusion theory can't explain this, said a little voice in the back of her mind. Yet, she responded. That's the whole point of coming in here, to see if there's anything to be learned.

Realizing that she was arguing with herself, Grease focused ahead of her, to the gemstone. If things from the illusion proper were being drawn towards it, maybe it was some kind of focus.

She glanced over at Dive Bomb as he caught up with them from his short conversation with Vereia. If what he said was anything to go by, she guessed that he was worried for the gryphon, just like she was. And if her feelings were any indication, he might need a little reassurance. "Don't worry," she said. "We'll go take a look at this gem and be right back."

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb bit his lip and nodded. "Yes, I know." Blue everywhere, like a night but darker; in a way, it was more open and more claustrophobic than flying. He was slow to speak, walking in silence for a while before again opening his mouth. "I almost don't want to believe that it's an illusion," he sighed. "It seems too real--the people, too real--to be an illusion. But what else could it be?"

[BlasTech]

Those who had tried to backtrack the light to its point of origin ended up following the path Dive Bomb had originally taken away from the portal. Rinda had chosen to accompany this group, running along behind them without giving Vereia so much as a goodbye.

Soot was there already, the yellow light from her magic illuminating the area where Dive Bomb had retrieved the blanket. There was no signs of passage of any other creatures, but the pillow that had been embedded in the sand was now missing. The silent grey walls of mist slowly rolled past, as if wondering what the ponies would do next.

In the distance, more shadowy objects stood a silent vigil as the ponies crowded around their tiny clearing.

*******

For those who had elected to examine the gemstone, they discovered that the area immediately beneath it was clear of sand and seemed to be formed of a single slab of solid basalt.

The gem itself looked ... organic. It did not have the clean cuts of gems in Equestria, pristine and neat. Instead, it was rough, rounded, sharp.

Impossibly, a single stick had been planted in the ground; rising out of the basalt like it was so much soft dirt. A colourful medicine bag hung from the tip.

Igneous followed this group, attracted by the shiny object.

Behind them, the clouds rolled in, swallowing up the path they had taken and obscuring any sight of the portal.

[Balmas]

This was nothing short of incredible. He had no idea where to begin; it was all too good to be true. Sure, they were trapped in an illusory world, but it was all so interesting, so much to discover.

As he strode forward, hooves clopping on stone, he called out, "Is anyone there?" How was that stick stuck in the ground? He prodded at it, feeling at texture of it.

((OOC: Mind check to compare it to Vereia's medicine bag?))

[One Tin Soldier]

"I know exactly what you mean," Grease said as they approached the crystal. The rough, uncut edges caught her eye. It doesn't seem to be pony-made, at least. She circled around the gem, examining it.

"I wish I had an arcanometer set on me right now," she mused. She didn't make it a habit to carry one around, as they were both fragile and expensive. Without the tools to measure and analyze ley energy, or a unicorn technician, the best she could do was observe with her plain old Earth Pony senses and make educated guesswork about what the crystal's function was.

Mind check to determine what kinds of enchantments are on the gemstone. I'd make a case for her Job applying, since she deals with enchanted machinery all the time, though it's a bit iffy. And of course it should be more difficult since she can't examine the magic directly.

Mind 5 + Magical Theory 3 (+ Mechanic 4)
18+5+3(+4)=26 (30 with Mechanic)

Oh, and for curiosity's sake, about how big is the gemstone?

[TheAmishPirate]

"Hello?" Crown immediately called out, stealth be darned. "Is anypony there? And if you are there, stay where you are! This place is dangerous!" Perhaps they were in hiding? After taking a moment to plant the sparkler in the ground, he poked around some of the other nearby objects, making sure to stay close to Soot and Miss Rinda.

[BlasTech]

"Hello?" Crown immediately called out, stealth be darned. "Is anypony there? And if you are there, stay where you are! This place is dangerous!" Perhaps they were in hiding? After taking a moment to plant the sparkler in the ground, he poked around some of the other nearby objects, making sure to stay close to Soot and Miss Rinda.

Cork's words echoed into the darkness unheeded. For a moment there was only the sound of their own hooves, shuffling on the sand.

Walking around, the next object he discovered was a small tricycle; the kind that one gives a foal.


"I know exactly what you mean," Grease said as they approached the crystal. The rough, uncut edges caught her eye. It doesn't seem to be pony-made, at least. She circled around the gem, examining it.

"I wish I had an arcanometer set on me right now," she mused. She didn't make it a habit to carry one around, as they were both fragile and expensive. Without the tools to measure and analyze ley energy, or a unicorn technician, the best she could do was observe with her plain old Earth Pony senses and make educated guesswork about what the crystal's function was.

Mind check to determine what kinds of enchantments are on the gemstone. I'd make a case for her Job applying, since she deals with enchanted machinery all the time, though it's a bit iffy. And of course it should be more difficult since she can't examine the magic directly.

Mind 5 + Magical Theory 3 (+ Mechanic 4)
18+5+3(+4)=26 (30 with Mechanic)

Oh, and for curiosity's sake, about how big is the gemstone?

Grease had been around many magical machines, and many enchanted items in her time as a repair pony; whether it be the fairy lights around Canterlot Castle, or more complex construction machines, the mare had seen them all.

Despite all this, there was little she could discern from her visual inspection of the gemstone. There were no runes on its surface, no wires or cables connecting to it, no signs it had been tampered with by outside hooves at all.

It was difficult to say if it even had a 'function', as that word implied it was placed there by somepony for a specific purpose.

[OOC: Rock is about hoof-sized, sorry]


This was nothing short of incredible. He had no idea where to begin; it was all too good to be true. Sure, they were trapped in an illusory world, but it was all so interesting, so much to discover.

As he strode forward, hooves clopping on stone, he called out, "Is anyone there?" How was that stick stuck in the ground? He prodded at it, feeling at texture of it.

((OOC: Mind check to compare it to Vereia's medicine bag?))

A few moments after Dive Bomb's hoof touched the stick, it began to glow with a green, etherial energy. It crept up the length of the staff in the same, languid, fashion that a small flame moves up a match when struck. It was a strangely mesmerising, yet peaceful sight, especially after all the confusing things that had happened that day.

When it reached the halfway point, the small flame began to drift away from its wooden home and off into the blackness of the night. As it moved, the wisps of energy took on defined shapes; still green, still transclucent, but easily recognisable for what they were.

A claw came first, wrapped around the staff, then a feathered forearm. A torso with wings flickered into being at about the same time as the smiling beak and the recognisably kind eyes. With one final sweep of nonexistant wind, the glowing green visage of Vereia was made complete; standing and smiling at both Grease and Dive Bomb.

[OOC: Do you still need that mind check? XD]

[TheAmishPirate]

Cork's words echoed into the darkness unheeded. For a moment there was only the sound of their own hooves, shuffling on the sand.

Walking around, the next object he discovered was a small tricycle; the kind that one gives a foal.

[Well, snaps!]

Whimsical! He remembered his own little trike from when he was a foal; the times they had together! "If there is a soul out there, I am not stealing this!" He plucked it out of the sand like some sort of trike-turnip to give it a better inspection. Who knows? Maybe like the blanket and picture frame, he'd seen another such object back in the town.

[Balmas]

"Grease." There was a strangled undertone to the word, a verbal eye-twitch that begged her to look at this. A single hoof reached out, but shrank short of touching it... her.

"Vereia?" he asked the apparition. It was her, down to the last feather. How was this possible? Surely this couldn't be all from that wisp of a feather.

There was something nagging at him about the whole set up. How could a stick get stuck in a stone, especially in such a fashion? He clopped nervously at the stone beneath him, confirming its reality.

It struck him like a thunderbolt, and he stared around himself in horror at the grey stone beneath his feet. Pages rustled in his mental library as he reviewed the entry on basalt in the Mareiam-Webster dictionary: a dark gray to black dense to fine-grained igneous rock that consists of basic plagioclase, augite, and usually magnetite. Slow flowing igneous rock.

If his previous theory was correct, and this was an illusion or some kind of vision of the past, then... He frowned, blinking rapidly. They'd had time to get away, maybe, but not enough time to gather their things.

The Riverlands hadn't disappeared; they'd been destroyed.

[One Tin Soldier]

Nothing! The only thing the gem told Grease was that the situation continued to be inexplicable. She was about to vent a little bit of her frustration when Dive Bomb's strangled word and a flicker of motion drew her attention.

Her eyes widened as she saw the ghostly outline of the gryphoness stand before her, smiling at them.

"What? But..." she turned to address the pegasus, only to see him gazing in stunned realization at his own hooves. "Dive Bomb, what is it? And Vereia, why are you... here..." Grease's voice trailed off, seeing her green claw holding the stick embedded in the rock. Pieces of the puzzle started shuffling around in her mind, trying to make sense of the scene in front of her.

[Balmas]

"We're standing on basalt. Basalt comes from lava." The words were dull, lifeless. "Something happened here. Someone set that stick in the lava while it was still hot."

He turned to the green outline and sadly asked, "What happened?"

[BlasTech]

[Well, snaps!]

Whimsical! He remembered his own little trike from when he was a foal; the times they had together! "If there is a soul out there, I am not stealing this!" He plucked it out of the sand like some sort of trike-turnip to give it a better inspection. Who knows? Maybe like the blanket and picture frame, he'd seen another such object back in the town.

The toy flickered with ethereal light and the ... was that the sound of a foal laughing?

The green flames swirled around Cork, Soot and Rinda before coalescing into recognisable shapes. A unicorn foal, Kahlin, laughing with happiness as he was pushed around the clearing by his pegasus father. The foal seemed to be having the time of his life, yelling for his father to go faster.

The apparitions circled the group twice before transforming into the same green light that they'd seen before and floating off into the mists - heading in the direction of the green crystal.

There was a distant rumble, like far off thunder. But there were no clouds in the dark not-sky.


Nothing! The only thing the gem told Grease was that the situation continued to be inexplicable. She was about to vent a little bit of her frustration when Dive Bomb's strangled word and a flicker of motion drew her attention.

Her eyes widened as she saw the ghostly outline of the gryphoness stand before her, smiling at them.

"What? But..." she turned to address the pegasus, only to see him gazing in stunned realization at his own hooves. "Dive Bomb, what is it? And Vereia, why are you... here..." Grease's voice trailed off, seeing her green claw holding the stick embedded in the rock. Pieces of the puzzle started shuffling around in her mind, trying to make sense of the scene in front of her.


"We're standing on basalt. Basalt comes from lava." The words were dull, lifeless. "Something happened here. Someone set that stick in the lava while it was still hot."

He turned to the green outline and sadly asked, "What happened?"

"Time. History. Nature." Replied the apparition. Surprisingly, she appeared ... sheepish, as if worried that her admission would upset the ponies before her. "I'm sorry ... that's all I can really remember ... It wa--"

She broke off, looking like she had been going to say more, as an orb of green energy floated past the assembled ponies. Within seconds, it too had merged with the gemstone. There was a moment of complete silence as everyone present took in the sight of the stone pulsing with light once again.

And then gem rang . It was like the sound of a church bell; a single note, solitary and pure, that reverberated between all the ponies present before escaping into the darkness.

"It's not important right now." Vereia continued, her voice now betraying a note of urgency. "I believe that the important question is how to help you get home?"

"Listen closely and listen well: There are many routes to your homeland and I ... I think I can help to direct you down one. It pains me to say, though, that even that tiny task is beyond my ability at present."

There was a rumble of thunder, as if a storm was brewing in the distance. Vereia paused, looking back towards where the portal had been, before turning those emerald eyes on the three ponies before her once more.

"I hope we meet again, but if not, then may your road be smooth."

As she spoke the words, the image of Vereia began to dissipate, her tail and hindquarters turning into smoke as they watched.

"Celestia shelter you." Intoned Iggy, doffing his helmet.

"Spirits protect you all." She replied.

In seconds, the Gryphoness was gone, her energy drifting to join the other balls of light in the depths of the green gemstone.

And the rumbling thunder grew closer again.

[Scene transition incoming; all parties check in please.]

[TheAmishPirate]

Ohhhh, so that must've been what those voices were! Crown ran a hoof through the ethereal energy as it circled him, observing how it swirled, its texture, indulging his artist's curiosity. How often did one get to play with dream-stuff? But sadly, it was not to last; the energy retreated back towards the gemstone. "Ah, what a pity. But now we know for certain there is not a soul in danger here."

A low rumbled pounded into their ears.

"...though perhaps that may change should we linger too long." He plucked the sparkler from the ground and motioned with his foreleg. "Soot! Miss Rinda! Back to the rest of the group with our findings!" Without further delay, he'd start heading back towards the green light of the gem.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb looked at the disappearing miasma sadly. It wasn't right for a colt to have to say "goodbye forever" to the same person twice in the same day. And to make it worse, he still didn't know what was going on any better than before. If anything, this meant there were a lot to be answered.

A rumble broke him out of his reverie. Normally, thunder meant that a pegasus somewhere was pulling a prank. However, in the absence of clouds and, indeed, pegasi apart from himself, there had to be an explanation. There didn't seem to be enough vegetation or any life at all to sustain a predator large enough for that to be a territorial growl, but he had an inkling, as he stared at the basalt under his feet, that he might know the cause of the rumblings.

"Grease, I'm not certain, but I think we might be subject to a tectonic disturbance before too long."

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease glanced around uneasily. Sadness for Vereia could wait until later. "I think you're right. We should get to someplace safe." She turned around, intending to return to the crack that brought them there. Except she found that the gathering clouds had completely obscured their entry point.

"Uh oh."

[Ravian]

Soot could only stare at the strange apparition created from the tricycle. "Kahlin?" she whispered, though the foal paid her word no heed before vanishing. As she watched the vision fade a sense of sadness seemed to flood throughout her body. She wanted to leave, Now.
As the sky rumbled she ignored all inhibitions and began to run with all her might towards the others near the gem, feeling like she was going to hyperventilate.

[BlasTech]

The thunder grew louder, nearer. The ground began to shake.

There was the clatter of hooves on rock as Cork, Soot and Rinda joined the others by the gemstone, everyone looking about for the source of the noise.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blasted across the rocky outcrop, banishing the mists as if from the swing of a giant’s fan. The sandy plain was laid bare, and the white dome, where the portal had once been, stood stark against the darkness - its marbled surface was glowing like the sun and it seemed to radiate heat. The sand around it glowed cherry red, and small wisps of smoke rose into the air. Another tremor and gigantic black cracks opened in the ground, draining sand and objects into the void. Some of them burst into flame as they fell, bathing the area around the sphere in a hellish red.

But even with all that was happening, it was what had taken form above that sphere which truly scared the ponies.

It was darkness, emptiness given form; a massive disturbance in the air, a vortex that drew the tendrils of smoke and black sand into itself, feeding off them and growing ever larger. It was the end of all creation, the last sight of the condemned.

And it saw them.

Massive wings of smoke and black sand opened on either side of that nothing. With giant sweeps, they struck the air with a deep, reverberating pulse.

The green light intensified.

The void scythed towards the party.

Womph. Womph. Womph.

Like a heartbeat, it was a direct reminder of one’s mortality.


The gem … bega-
------------to shine like -
-a star.-----------


Everything went black.

****************

The desert was completely silent, there was no wind, no smoke, no fire. The stars were back, glowing quietly as they observed the five ponies and one gryphon who lay unconscious around a shattered boulder.

Their equipment, and the ambassador, lay nearby; still resting at the bottom of that sandy amphitheatre. As the ponies came around, they might have been forgiven for thinking that they had only suffered a strange dream, or perhaps a nightmare, after dozing off in the shade of the rubble.

Until, that is, they noticed the three silver-white orbs of light that hovered over them, watching their prone forms in the manner of a concerned family at a bedside.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb stared in horror at the great thing heading towards them. He turned to run, but it was futile; the thing was too fast. The scream died in his throat as unconsciousness swept over him.

***

Stars. He'd always loved looking at them from his bedroom window, resting his head on the windowsill in the cool night air. He'd never gotten over how fewer were visible from the ground; entire constellations disappeared, though he could slot them in as necessary from memory.

He groaned, and gingerly picked himself up. Was it too much to go one day without being assaulted, teleported, or otherwise inconvenienced? He took stock of his situation slowly, taking in every detail he could. His friends seemed to be alright... back where they had split up. Where was the blanket he'd been carrying? Did his front hooves still bear the burn marks and bandages from his moment of temper with the flare?

More importantly, what were these lights? They seemed sentient, and presumably were non-hostile, since they hadn't attacked yet. He kept a silent eye on them as he nudged his friends.

[One Tin Soldier]

The vortex drew closer, and Grease's mind raced. It was coming too fast. There was nothing she could do to stop it. She closed her eyes.

* * * * *

She opened them again when a hoof nudged her side. She was lying on the desert sand, and Dive Bomb was waking her up. So... was she dreaming? It was all certainly strange enough to be a dream, though it seemed so incredibly real.

She looked up, and saw the three floating orbs. Those certainly weren't there when she touched the stone. And despite their complete featurelessness, they seemed... concerned?

She stood up, taking stock of her surroundings. Thankfully, the ambassador and their supplies were just a short distance away.

"Are you alright?" she asked Dive Bomb. She felt fine, but that vortex had seemed so malevolent. The way things were going, it almost seemed too good to have gotten away scott free.

[TheAmishPirate]

Crown stood straight and tall, fully intending to face the end like a Cork stallion. He only hoped the others had their eyes closed, so there would be no witnesses to the tears streaking down his face.

******************

A gentle hoof prodded him, and his eyes fluttered open. Already, things were going better than he could have dared hope.

Groaning, the young businesscolt pushed himself upright. Legs, all present and functioning. Head, still attached. Coat, a remarkable lack of brimstone burns. Mind, still plagued by dream-like discontinuity, but was that such a shock? Trading one darkness for another, one nightmare for waking loss; no peace in gentle sleep, but only an equivalent exchange of troubles. Still, so long as he could feel something, he could know that the end had yet to take him.

Crown blinked and rubbed some imaginary grit from his eyes. "I appear miraculously uninjured." He answered to Grease Spot's question. "What angels must have been watching our steps this night?"

He turned, only to come face-to-orb with a trio of lights, glowing with otherworldly power. "...perhaps it was you fair angels?" he asked the orbs without missing a beat.

[Balmas]

"I'm alright," he said, lowering a bandaged hoof to the ground. "Confused, but alright." Everyone seemed to be there, as he counted heads. "I deduce from the fact that I am here and not with our sedimentary friend that the preceding madness was not a dream, correct?"

[BlasTech]

"I'm alright," he said, lowering a bandaged hoof to the ground. "Confused, but alright." Everyone seemed to be there, as he counted heads. "I deduce from the fact that I am here and not with our sedimentary friend that the preceding madness was not a dream, correct?"

"You are correct." replied the nearest orb. Its voice was familiar, male, although it sounded like it was echoing over a vast distance.

[Mind check 10 for me to tell you who it is, although you can probably guess]



Crown blinked and rubbed some imaginary grit from his eyes. "I appear miraculously uninjured." He answered to Grease Spot's question. "What angels must have been watching our steps this night?"

He turned, only to come face-to-orb with a trio of lights, glowing with otherworldly power. "...perhaps it was you fair angels?" he asked the orbs without missing a beat.

"While we have watched your progress tonight, we are not angels." replied the second. Again, the voice was familiar, although this time it was female. "Although I appreciate the compliment, dearie."

[DC check 10 to recall who it was]

"Is your friend okay?" Asked the third orb, as it floated around Soot's unconscious form. The voice was also male, but while there was a familiar timbre to it, it was less recognisable than the other two.

[DC 15 for this one]