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

[Deme]

"I'm all for this. Besides, you're probably the lightest anyway."

Still, Pyrite was having a tricky time deciding who'd go second: he wanted to go last, but he also didn't want Dawn stranded if something bad happened. Chivalry was remarkably annoying to a young coward.

"Oh, wait! Here."

He gave a rope to Spark. He had a lot of rope -- adventuring needed a lot of rope.

"If it breaks, we'll pull you up, right, Dawn?"

[Benson]

"Oh...right...good idea Pyrite," Spark said grabbing his end of the rope and in a pony way managed to tie it around his waist. He took slow lurching steps and took a deep breath.

[Thanqol]

The rock bridge felt uncomfortably slippery, and the sound of a churning waterfall from deep below didn't do much to ease the foal's fears. If taken slow and steady there wouldn't be any problems in crossing.

But, halfway across the bridge, was an enormous, beautiful, amazingly tempting gemstone embedded halfway down in the stone of the bridge. Pulling it loose might cause the entire bridge to collapse - but the gem looked like it was worth a fortune.

[TheAmishPirate]

(A new timebubble appears!)

Sandy froze. He had no idea what to do now. His plan of keeping anypony else from getting involved was obviously shot to pieces, the guilt made thinking difficult, and he had no idea what Cypress was thinking. Would he panic? Would he be mad? Would he just roll with it? Not to mention that he still had a few doubts about Jormong that he still needed to settle. He waited with bated breath to see how Cypress would react.

This...would be difficult.

[Eruantion]

Cypress' jaw dropped at the new pony, who had suddenly materialized. "Sandy... what.. who..." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "What's going on here?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Cypress' jaw dropped at the new pony, who had suddenly materialized. "Sandy... what.. who..." He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "What's going on here?"

"Well...this is...uh..." Sandy sighed in resignation. "This...is how I knew a Daymare was white. He showed up in town this morning, and I came out here to meet him."

[Rodny]

Oh... You hurt me. Don't be so modest! Jormong turned towards Cypress and explained. We met while a few friends of mine were organizing a little revolution. We made a deal. I spend a day in his mind and he gets the ability to remember all dreams, including the ability to not have them erased.

[Eruantion]

Cypress takes a moment to register this information. "So you," he says to Jormong, "are a Nightmare?"

[Rodny]

Right now? No. Right now I am in my Daymare form. I am actually a hybrid between the two now. To underline what he said he slowly turned into his nightmare form (Going black and having his mane and tail turn into fire) and dissapeared only to reappear behind Cypress in his daymare form.

[TheAmishPirate]

Oh... You hurt me. Don't be so modest! Jormong turned towards Cypress and explained. We met while a few friends of mine were organizing a little revolution. We made a deal. I spend a day in his mind and he gets the ability to remember all dreams, including the ability to not have them erased.

Sandy rubbed his head ruefully in memory of that day. "Remember last week? When we were exploring the pillow fortress, and I kept talking to myself? Jormong was along for the ride providing...commentary." His pained expression certainly told how much he had enjoyed that little part of the deal.

When Jormong did his vanishing act, his expression grew serious. "In any case, he's here because of me. He's...my responsibility, and I didn't want anypony else getting caught up in all this, my friends least of all."

[Eruantion]

Sandy rubbed his head ruefully in memory of that day. "Remember last week? When we were exploring the pillow fortress, and I kept talking to myself? Jormong was along for the ride providing...commentary." His pained expression certainly told how much he had enjoyed that little part of the deal.

When Jormong did his vanishing act, his expression grew serious. "In any case, he's here because of me. He's...my responsibility, and I didn't want anypony else getting caught up in all this, my friends least of all."

"Well, I don't get it.." Cypress said, "What's so dangerous about him? Scary dreams?"

[Deme]

The rock bridge felt uncomfortably slippery, and the sound of a churning waterfall from deep below didn't do much to ease the foal's fears. If taken slow and steady there wouldn't be any problems in crossing.

But, halfway across the bridge, was an enormous, beautiful, amazingly tempting gemstone embedded halfway down in the stone of the bridge. Pulling it loose might cause the entire bridge to collapse - but the gem looked like it was worth a fortune.

Pyrite noticed it as Spark began to walk across. The jewel glittered, reflected in the blue eyes of the freckled colt.

"I-is that...a giant jewel?"

He asked, a little awe in his voice.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Well, I don't get it.." Cypress said, "What's so dangerous about him? Scary dreams?"

"I suppose that's all he could do with dreams. Here? In the real world? I..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't rightly know what he can do. He's got some magic, but I don't know how much. And I'm not bringing him into town before I know for sure that he's not up to no good."

[Eruantion]

"I suppose that's all he could do with dreams. Here? In the real world? I..." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I don't rightly know what he can do. He's got some magic, but I don't know how much. And I'm not bringing him into town before I know for sure that he's not up to no good."

"It can't be much, can it? It seems like the most he'd do is scare some ponies. That is his MO, after all." Cypress looks at the black and flaming pony. "And I'm sure he's good at it."

[TheAmishPirate]

"It can't be much, can it? It seems like the most he'd do is scare some ponies. That is his MO, after all." Cypress looks at the black and flaming pony. "And I'm sure he's good at it."

"I suppose you might be right..." Once again, his gut told him to give Jormong the benefit of the doubt, but his sense of responsiblity wouldn't let him drop the matter that easily. "But I still gotta be sure about this. I won't have other ponies gettin' hurt because I didn't stop and think things through first."

[Rodny]

Jormong had been laughing since they said "scary dreams" Right now he was on the floor rolling while laughing. Between rolls he said. Scary Dreams! Once he finally stopped around Sandy explaining the situation to Cypress. And rightfully so. I can make everyone in this down a madpony with my Nightmare powers.

(He is also in his Daymare form)

[Benson]

Pyrite noticed it as Spark began to walk across. The jewel glittered, reflected in the blue eyes of the freckled colt.

"I-is that...a giant jewel?"

He asked, a little awe in his voice.

Spark glanced at Pyrite than at the gem. "Yes...." He replied warily as he walked across. Gems didn't spark Spark's interest as it did to Pyrite. Spark got across to the other side, almost slipping at the end. But made it he did.

[Deme]

[The Quest for Charger]

Pyrite began to advance, his eyes on the jewel. He could see that it would tear the bridge apart. He could see it. He'd be in a lot of pain.

But...shiny. Fortune.

Shiny. Pain. Shiny. Pain. The two words fought each-other like angel and devil, a cold sweat dripping down the colt's face.

"Do you think if I rigged up some sort of fast-fill cement?"

He asked, not looking up. He was clearly not going to move without a decision being made.

[Hawkflight]

Thunderbolt glared at Pyrite from behind. "No," he said, a hint of finality in his voice. "It's not worth risking our lives over. Move along."

[Deme]

"But...But... This thing is worth more than all my possessions combined!"

He said, looking at the jewel as if it were his god. His mind raced.

"I got an idea. No worries."

Pyrite went into scheming time and became a golden blur of greed.
He began to rig up a system of ropes, pulleys, a bucket of what appeared to be some sort of mixed-mud-cement made from little pebbles, a hairdryer, all connected in such a way that the hairdryer was held over the jewel with a trigger-switch held by the rope, which would tighten when the bucket with the mixture was poured, which would happen via pulleys and a stand into the hole made when the jewel was removed, which would be done via rope-pull. He pulled the rope that would remove the jewel to him and unleash the whole arrangement.

"Now, watch and be amazed!"

[Hawkflight]

Thunderbolt placed his hoof on the rope, doing his best to prevent the contraption from starting.

"Listen up, you greedy little mount!" he growled. "I have no problem with you sating your greed, but we need this bridge to rescue our friend, and you will not jeopardize this rescue mission!"

---

Dawn watched the exchange with a worried frown, but she knew she had to let this exchange play out.

[Deme]

He pouted, but almost immediately stopped pulling on the rope. The jewel didn't come out, so the remainder of his contraption didn't start. He relented:

"...Hey, I don't insult you when you're being completely unhelpful on this...But...OK. First you cross..."

Then a big 200-watt grin formed.

"and THEN I pull the rope! If I'm right, the bridge should be just fine do the structural elements the gem supports being filled-in by the cement. Heck, it'll be sturdier!"

[Hawkflight]

"No," said Thunderbolt. "Once Charger is safely rescued, and we're back on this side of the bridge so we can actually get out of here, then you can pull the rope."

Here Dawn Blossom stepped forward. "He has a point, Pyrite," she said. "Once we've safely rescued Charger, we can pull the gem out easily. In fact, that might actually be a good idea, we can destroy the bridge to discourage pursuit."

[Benson]

The Foal Squad Adventure

"You guys...even if Pyrite does accidentally destroy the bridge...we can't really go back the way we came up, not with that high and slippery crevice we climbed down. We could try.....but with no flyers..." Spark frowned flapping his useless little wings. "It would be really hard....However...there might be another way out."

"Cuz diamond dogs, if readin' tells us anything, don't just make one exit."

[Hawkflight]

Thunderbolt frowned. "You mean to say we came in here without a certain means of escape?" he deadpanned.

Dawn Blossom let out a small sigh, then realized something. "I've got it!" she said. "We don't need the bridge anymore, so we can take the gem, and maybe use it to bargain for Charger's release!"

[Benson]

"Actually...that's not a bad idea Dawn...though of course one of us is gonna have comfort Pyrite when the gem's being bartered away," Spark teased glancing at Pyrite.

[Deme]

"Well, yeah. I mean, it was that or never find Charger at all."

His expression changed once the decision was reached into one of desperation and despair.

"You mean I don't even -- but it's -- But..."

He sighed and lowered his head. Oh, sure, if he felt that his plan was solid enough that the bridge wouldn't be destroyed (regardless of the plan's solidity outside his head), he'd do it... But not if it really meant endangering a friend. And customer. Customer-friend. Friendstomer.

"Well, alright...Anyway, I'll pull the rope when you two are across."

[Hawkflight]

Thunderbolt nodded, and the two foals crossed the bridge. Dawn Blossom almost slipped once, but in the end both foals made it across without harm.

[Deme]

"Ok, stand back everyone. I'm going to do INVENTING to things!"

And Pyrite, with apparently all due seriousness and grandeur of doing INVENTING to stuff, pulls the rope, setting off his strange contraption to hopefully both get gem (the easy part) and keep the bridge intact (the hard part).

[Eruantion]

Jormong had been laughing since they said "scary dreams" Right now he was on the floor rolling while laughing. Between rolls he said. Scary Dreams! Once he finally stopped around Sandy explaining the situation to Cypress. And rightfully so. I can make everyone in this down a madpony with my Nightmare powers.

(He is also in his Daymare form)

Cypress was surprised at the Nightmare's nonchalance at his terrible powers. "You wouldn't do that though, would you? What would you gain?"