[MLP FIM] Bridle Shores Dream World/Time Bubbles Thread

[Benson]

Spark Chaser-Down the Diamond Dog Hole

Spark took the lead as he considered himself tough enough to handle whatever lay before them. He would shield his friends if he had too. But...he didn't know which way to go...with all these tunnels that could lead anywhere, even farther away.

He didn't really know which way to go...and it stunk really bad.

[Deme]

[Pyrite -- Likewise]

He looked around. There was no way of knowing which direction was right -- he felt the need to forestall the most likely course of action.

"Guys, we need to not split up. That turns a search mission for one into a search mission for all of us. Now...How to pick a path...Anyone got a preference?"

[Rodny]

After Jormong had returned to the Dreamrealm he had decided to use one of his new gained abilities and teleported to the Nightmare capital and more specifically to the Headquarters. He quickly went to the archives and found a Nightmare there. Good day, how are you young lad?

[TheAmishPirate]

[Dreamworld - Not The Cave, FYI]

After Jormong had returned to the Dreamrealm he had decided to use one of his new gained abilities and teleported to the Nightmare capital and more specifically to the Headquarters. He quickly went to the archives and found a Nightmare there. Good day, how are you young lad?

The Nightmare bowed in respect. "Good day to you too, sir. I am well. How may I be of service?"

[Rodny]

Jormong nodded at him being well and then said. I need to check the archives on a encounter between a Sandy Shore, possibly ended badly between him and a Nightmare.

[TheAmishPirate]

The Nightmare nodded, and went for the records. He opened one cabinet, then another, then another, then another...

...after a comically lengthy chain of cabinets, he returned with a small pile of records. "I am sorry, sir, but I can find no record of such an encounter. I have retrieved all the records we do have on a 'Sandy Shore'. Is there something else you need?

(assume each cabinet corresponds to a different region, Nightmares seem to be a location/territory-based organization)

[Rodny]

Hmm... I am very thankful for your hard work lad. Have a nice life. Jormong walked outside towards the main hall and though about something. Not everything was stored in the archives. Some more troublesome things were kept in secret stashes around the Dreamworld but it would take years to find just one, and Jormong didn't have that kind of time. At least till the waking world was fun.

(Actually they are united under one government but are organized under cities, towns and villages.)

[Benson]

[Pyrite -- Likewise]

He looked around. There was no way of knowing which direction was right -- he felt the need to forestall the most likely course of action.

"Guys, we need to not split up. That turns a search mission for one into a search mission for all of us. Now...How to pick a path...Anyone got a preference?"

"I say we go um...the left...and I don't know why," Spark sheepishly smiled.

[Thanqol]

"I say we go um...the left...and I don't know why," Spark sheepishly smiled.

The left path seemed not hugely different from the others, excepting that it was slightly less well lit. This was part of an oddly cunning trap to conceal a tripwire attached to some bells: a crude alarm system. Similar traps were hidden at various points down most of the other paths - a gap in the torches hiding a tripwire.

[Hawkflight]

Dawn Blossom yawned and looked around. "Let's go left," she said. "When in a maze, always turn left."

[Benson]

Foal Squad Adventure Time

"Pyrite, unless you have objections, I'll take lead and head down the left path first to make sure its okay for you guys," Spark puffs his chest out, readying himself to take action like a brave colt.

[Deme]

"I am all for this plan of other people going before me! It's a really good plan."

Pyrite gave an eager grin, the grin of a pony who figured he'd be the farthest one away from any given danger.
...One has to wonder what Pyrite is thinking, adventuring.

[Benson]

Foal Squad Adventure Time

With no objections Spark went on ahead with not a very good eye for spotting traps, shoulda sent in the rogue.

[Thanqol]

Over the wire went he, and the clanging of bells echoed down the tunnels in all directions. For one moment there was a thick, intimidating silence, and then in the far distance came the sound of barking. It was impossible to tell the direction with the echoing and distorting effects of the tunnels, but it sounded like a lot of dogs were coming this way.

[Benson]

"Oh double drats..." Spark uttered upon hearing the sounds of dogs from...everywhere and yet who knew where exactly. He lowered his ears in cowardice at first....but then remembered the role he had chosen.

The Wonderbolts wouldn't turn chicken at something like this...He snorted and took a heroic and protective stance around his friends. He would be their shield.

[Deme]

"Ok, let's not panic." That was for his own sake. "They have to come through the tunnels to get here...We can lay some traps of our own. Then we watch where they come from, and follow 'em to Charger!"

He reached into his bags and dug around. He had a few tricks in there, of course.

After all, there was no way they could win in a fair fight. Spark was the best fighter they had...And Pyrite put trust in the other pony's speed and courage, but did he know how to fight? Probably not... Maybe

He, of course, was a thinker, not a fighter. And Dawn... Dawn was a lover. When they were on near-equal enough terms with these guys to talk to them, that could matter.

So he layed out two layers of a trap around them in a wide circle, since they could come from one of the other tunnels and end up behind them. The first, the farther one, was a basic cliche for child guile heroes: a thing of marbles. The second, however, was something of Pyrite's own invention. Caltrops, made out of the alumninum from a set of can lids all cut and twisted up, being careful to maintain the top's cutting edge. Those would slice up whatever walked on them something fierce, and the marbles would send their foes right into them.

He had left them some room for movement -- they were, after all, in a double choke-point, so covering themselves was easy.

"...Now we may want to find a safe spot to hide."

[Benson]

Spark scanned the area, hoping he could make up for his error of setting off the trap like a dolt colt. His eyes chanced upon a small opening in the stony wall, foal sized conveniently.

"There!" He pointed with a hoof. "You three go in first...I'll cover you guys from the rear."

[Deme]

Pyrite nods and lets Dawn go first -- he's a coward, but she's a lady, after-all.

[Thanqol]

A pack of armoured, spear-toting Diamond Dogs began to pour down the corridor, barking wildly as they ran at the foals.

The pack coming through the far tunnels hit the caltrops. The leading dog stopped dead, eyes watering, and let out a high pitched whine - and it's running fellows smacked dead into it's behind, forming a four dog pileup.

The other pack heading up along the marble strewn corridor had a similar result, skittering and sliding and skating all the way over to crash into the other set of dogs. Pieces of loose armour were flung in all directions and the barking turned to whining as most of the dogs turned to beat a hasty retreat.

Two dogs had managed to keep their footing and advanced on the foals, pointing their spears clumsily and barking incoherently.

[Deme]

Pyrite watched the resulting chaos with an analytical eye, trying to figure out the exact mechanics of what just happened and how it could have gone better. He seemed to be getting into his thoughts, his eyes lit up. He mumbled under his breath:

"Hm. Design had some flaws, but I think -- oh."

Then he remembered was that the 'flaw' was that there were two dogs heading directly towards them, and ducked into a cower.

[Benson]

Spark stood bravely and foolishly in front of his friends. He glowered and glared at the two dogs with the spears. "You stay away from us or I'll kick your butts...somepony get me a rolled up newspaper." He wasn't literally asking for a rolled up newspaper, it was more of an insult to the dogs.

[Thanqol]

Spark stood bravely and foolishly in front of his friends. He glowered and glared at the two dogs with the spears. "You stay away from us or I'll kick your butts...somepony get me a rolled up newspaper." He wasn't literally asking for a rolled up newspaper, it was more of an insult to the dogs.

The leading dog barked loudly and prodded with it's spear. The other one tried to shuffle past Spark and catch the others, treating the little pegasus as if he wasn't a threat at all.

[Benson]

The leading dog barked loudly and prodded with it's spear. The other one tried to shuffle past Spark and catch the others, treating the little pegasus as if he wasn't a threat at all.

The burnt orange pegasi scrunched his face and glowered at the dog that tried to get past him. He turned so his rear was facing the dog as he made a gesture that he would buck him in the face if he got closer.

If the dog did indeed try to move in to get at the others, Spark would attempt to buck him.

[Hawkflight]

Dawn Blossom glanced from one side to the other, pushing Pyrite into the hidey-hole first. As the two remaining diamond dogs approached, Dawn Blossom decided she's had enough. She calmly stepped out and placed one hoof on the leading dog's spear, pushing it downward and looking sternly into his eyes.

"No," she said sternly. "Bad."

[Deme]

"Dawn -- what are you -- is every pony but me crazy?"

He exclaimed, so startled he leapt out of the hidey-hole. He paused and realized what he had just done and stared at the two dogs, wall-eyed.

A nervous grin etched its way onto his face. He looked back and forth and said, his voice an odd squeak,

"C-can I interest either of you gentlethings in a selection of fine baubles, available at reasonable prices?"

[Thanqol]

The dog stopped blankly when it was spoken to, and was then bucked in the side by a little Pegasus. It yipped in more annoyance than pain and jumped backwards, turning to it's fellow for help.

It's fellow was staring into the eyes of Dawn Blossom and working his little doggy mind overtime to try and remember which type of pony could do Magic and turn him into a frog by glaring at him really hard. It decided better than to risk it, and dropped it's spear and scrambled off down the corridor. It's confused fellow decided to follow it, slipping briefly on the marbles as it ran.

[Deme]

The little gold unicorn blinked a few times, trying to process why telling a pair of creatures with spears 'no' would work.

"That works too, I guess."

He stared after them thoughtfully.

"...W-We better follow them. They probably know where Charger is. I'll try and work out some more traps as we go."

[Benson]

"Yea..alright, also nice work you two, that'll show 'em," Spark smirked as he took lead being careful not to slip on the marbles.

[Thanqol]

The path down the Diamond Dog tunnels were long and treacherous, with some sudden drops and points where the tunnel narrowed to cramped proportions. The sound of yipping dogs echoed from the tunnels ahead. Soon after the foals came to an underground ravine, dropping down to a deep black underwater river. There was a narrow stone bridge across the ravine leading to another tunnel on the other side, and a fragment of Charger's cape was caught on the rocks of this tunnel.

[Benson]

The path down the Diamond Dog tunnels were long and treacherous, with some sudden drops and points where the tunnel narrowed to cramped proportions. The sound of yipping dogs echoed from the tunnels ahead. Soon after the foals came to an underground ravine, dropping down to a deep black underwater river. There was a narrow stone bridge across the ravine leading to another tunnel on the other side, and a fragment of Charger's cape was caught on the rocks of this tunnel.

"...Yikes.......that's one deep ravine," Spark peered over the stone bridge. He sweat dropped and glanced over at the other foals. He opened his little wings and flapped them a bit, not that they would do anything, pegasi habit really.

"I'll...I'll go first.."