[Nexus] Random Places and Plots 5

[Lord Magtok]

Canterlot - Not On A Train

Magtok shoots Pinkie a conspiratorial smirk, pointing at Sigil as he does so. 'I told you so' seems very heavily implied here. Maybe even a little 'That pony is heads over heels crazy about Twilight' mixed in, too. Followed, of course, by 'Wait. Do ponies even have heels? They don't, do they? Is it head over hooves in Equestria, then?'.

"Pinkie has weird prescience powers, near as I can tell."

He shrugs. Only saw it once, not counting the knees thing, but the way she sounded so sure that something was going to happen meant it's definitely been a thing for her before, right?

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Canterlot - Inside the Castle]

"Hmm. So we are still waiting on the others then? Unforunate...the sooner we leave, the better" The Cricketbatman mutters as he walks in on the group.

"Luna, you should ask Celestia to repeat what I said to her to...you, once this has been dealt with. It is probably worth you hearing it too, but it would be a...waste of time to repeat it all now."

And then he just falls silent and waits.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot - Back Off the Train]

That was a quick trip!
Oh hey, the train is leaving.

Pinkie Pie watches it go with a faintly dismayed look, but straightens herself out pretty quickly.
Mostly because Maggy is playing the Sneaky Sneaky Wink Looks game. She loves that game!

"That's okay Sigil, it'll be super fun when it all works out!"
Neverminding how she learned about his name change, the party pony is immediately engaging in a return response to Magtok, via a series of blinks, facial twitches, and knee-slaps that are supposed to be something along the lines of "Oh my gosh, you're definitely right! He is- do you know where I left my party cannon?"

Or maybe she's just being weird and making random gestures again.


Rarity eyes Pinkie with a faintly concerned look for a moment before addressing Sigil.
"Ah...the Princesses probably won't mind too terribly much. You'll be a hero after all.
If I remember correctly...'pinchy knees' are related to 'something scary' happening."
As ridiculous as that sounds, the unicorn looks genuinely concerned.


"HEY! SLOW PONIES! WE HAVE PLACES TO BE! Get a move on back to the castle! You too monkey-butt-face!"
Oh hey, Rainbow Dash is up in the sky, glaring down at all of them, sporting her particular Element of Loyalty around her neck!

And now she's immediately leaving again, back to the castle.

[Canterlot - Inside the Castle]

"Probably only be a second, Leaky. Dash is pretty quick on her wings."
Where "pretty quick" tends to involve speeds in the Mach categories.

As a matter of fact, if anypony/one cares to look out the window, she's already coming back.
Gee, that was really speedy.

Fluttershy continues to generally be silent and poke at Spike's prison, only now adorned with her Element.
Not a very participatory pony...

"I am sure my sister will fill me in on all the various details.
Now, we just have to reacquire Pinkie Pie and Rarity, as well as our newest Magic, and we will be prepared to save Twilight Sparkle."
The Lunar Princess doesn't really seem particularly concerned about whatever Leaky may have talked to Celestia about.

Instead, she's just looking particularly anxious about getting a move on.

[Rebonack]

[Back to the Castle!]

Sigil glances back at Pinkie and Magtok just in time to spot their series of twitches, winks, slaps, and general spazzing out. He has absolutely no idea what, if anything, any of that meant. At all. Mostly it just looks really silly.

He mouths a drawn out 'okaaaaaay' and fiddles with the runes on the Gate, causing it to wink out before popping back in over at the castle.

No doubt the guards will be delighted by its return.

"Alright, lets hoof it everyone," not everypony because Magtok isn't a pony and it would be kind of rude not to include him!

Sigil takes off at a gallop back toward the castle! "Hopefully... I get the distinct impression that Princess Luna doesn't like me. Or maybe more specifically doesn't like my Mother and thus dislikes me by proxy."

Pinkie's apparent foresight abilities are mentally filed away as a subject of future study.

[Lord Magtok]

Back to the Castle

"I don't have hooves and neither did you until like five minutes ago."

Man, there's just no pleasing some people, is there? Magtok hurries after the others, a little peeved that he's going to have to run past even more ponies mocking him, instead of waiting on the other end of the portal like he'd prefer.

"So I'm confused. Shouldn't Wings have just given Pinkie and PurpleMane here their Harmonies, and have the group rush to meet us like halfway or something, instead of just calling us names and being a butt and making us do all the running? This all seems kinda silly to me."

Maggy's quite adept at figuring out exactly how circumstances are being unfair and lame and biased against him, isn't he? A shame all that thought isn't going towards something a bit more useful, like maybe pony jet-boots or something.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot - Back to the Castle]

Wherein we run instead of dipping back into the portal.

Pinkie Pie isn't completely, she seems to enjoy her bouncing.
"Dashie's just being grumpy because Twilight's in trouble."
Also she doesn't like you.
"That may also involve a few extra steps than she is inclined towards doing on her own."
A light jab? How rude, Rarity, usually you only do that to Applejack.

The unicorn, however, is looking a little less than pleased at all the running they're doing now, so that's probably a good amount of her grumpiness explained right away.
She agrees with Monkey-Butt-Face here. Rainbow really should have just brought those (fabulous) Elements over.

Honestly, it's like some ponies are just incapable of doing things efficiently without being fed instructions sometimes!
Maybe Twilight spoiled them by doing most of the planning herself. Obsessively.
All the time.
More than strictly necessary.


And so, they can all run back to the castle now!
Rarity acquires +2 Grumpiness.
Pinkie Pie acquires +4 Bounciness, but her Bounciness stat has been maxed for years and thus gains no boon.

Now to wait on Leaky so everyone can head back downstairs and go home.
Or they can just go ahead and go to the Magcave and wait on the others there.

Which one's more efficient? Don't ask the ponies.

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot - Running to the Castle]

"Did so!" Sigil objects to Magtok's comment. "I've always had hooves. They were just on my back feet instead of my front ones. I've gained two more. That isn't a very big deal."

Two hooves? Four hooves?

Pah!

Why bother keeping track?

Little things like that aren't important.

Through the city they go! No doubt being gawked at some more by the well to do ponies of Canterlot. Hopefully they don't run into some pony that might distract them along the way like Fancy Pants or what have you.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Canterlot - Castle - Somewhere]

"Hmm. Despite your appearance, you ponies must be rather strong...or at least she is, to be capable of speeds like that." The Cricketbatman observes, watching RD's progress through the window.

...

And then he falls silent, content to simply follow after the rest.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot - Celestia's Chambers]

Right back where they were earlier.

The Princesses are doing a decent enough job of ushering this process along, unlike the Elements themselves, who keep getting distracted by every little detail.

Fluttershy is still focusing a little too much on Spike, Applejack and Rainbow...okay, they're paying attention now too.

As the pegasus lands on the balcony, Applejack gives Fluttershy a little nudge to snap her out of her reverie.
"Everypony and monkey is heading back this way. They have some weird striped unicorn with them, too."
"Sounds like we're makin' progress then. Should we head back to the courtyard, Princess?"

Luna levitates the remaining Elements out of their case, Generosity, Laughter, and Magic, before setting the box down on the nearby bed.
"We should. Quickly now. Time to avert catastrophe wanes.
Let us take the quick route."
"Which way's the quick route?"
"The window."
"Huh? Aaaaah!"

To the background of Rainbow Dash's laughter, Luna plucks up Applejack in her telekinetic aura and whisks her (and the Elements) off the balcony.

[Canterlot - Back to the Castle]

Hopefully they don't meet some important indeed!

Rarity does seem to recognize somepony during their run, as she quickly scoots around to Sigil's other side and ducks her head low, looking rather mortified.
"Oh heavens, don't let her see me like this. I'm sweaty and my mane is absolutely terrifying."

"You still look pretty to me, Rarity!"
Pinkie Pie, as always, seems rather unconcerned, bouncing along beside them with her endless energy.


Barring no one trying to figure out who Rarity is talking about, the castle is right over there!

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot - Castle Right Over There!]

Levitating the last of the Elements.

Necklace.

Necklace.

Big crown thingy.

Anywho!

Sigil briefly glances in whatever direction Rarity had been peering in, but all he sees is a lot of ponies wearing silly looking outfits. Seriously. Why are they all wearing that weird clothing? All of the ponies in Ponyville were wearing nothing.

Must be a Canterlot thing.

"You look fine, Rarity," Sigil says. "Sweaty just means you're doing something worthy of expending the effort. And saving Twilight is certainly worth the effort." No doubt the Gate will soon be coming into view! And no doubt the guards will still be eying it all grumpy-like.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Canterlot...and Stuff]

"Well...if time is of the essence, then we should join them...immediately." The Cricketbatman doesn't turn for the door or anything, however.

Instead...

He'll suddenly be right next to Fluttershy.

And then he'll grab hold of her.

And teleport out to join Luna and AJ in his usual explosive fashion. Thankfully being on the inside of the telesplosion is a lot less explode-y and noise-y than being on the outside...but it's still probably not all that pleasant.

[Lord Magtok]

Canterlot - I Have No Idea

Magtok sighs in exasperation, waiting for the world to stop yanking him around from place to place like some sort of weird yo-yo puppet thingy. He had a feeling going into the Ponyverse was going to lead to nonsense like this, and it seems his suspicions were right on the money. This is so-

...Wait. Are those ponies jumping off the edge of a building? Has everyone here gone completely insane?

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot - Back At The Castle]

It's interesting what happens, when a group is given goals, multiple stimuli, and no governing leadership.

Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy are good friends, capable individuals. However, it is a rather firm habit of theirs to abide by the plans of leadership, whether it be Princess Celestia's or (much more often) Twilight Sparkle's.

Without a cohesive stratagem and rather naggy hoof, they seem to spread about and become distracted. Inefficient.
Still successful.


The Elements of Harmony have been retrieved!

"You betcha, Maggy!"
Pinkie Pie bounces alongside the cyborg, passing him a cheerful grin before moving off into the castle courtyard.

Rarity cringes a bit as Leaky explodes nearby with Fluttershy, which clashes rather severely with Rainbow Dash's almost mad laughter as she flies down past Luna-with-Applejack.
"Okay, okay. That was kind of awesome, Princess. Totally makes up for you being kinda slow earlier."
"The others are here already? Then we go through the portal without delay."
"Can ya put me down fir-, stooooop!"

Princess Luna keeps flying with Applejack and the other Elements, straight from the balcony, directly for the portal.

"...well then. My mane and tail are a mess, my coat is all sweaty, and we seem to be leaving again already. I don't suppose we can just...sit still for awhile and take a break?"

The correct answer is probably "no". Rarity is not a particular fan of all this back-and-forth either.
But that's mostly because it involves far more running than she's comfortable with.

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot]

Sigil fiddles with the controls of the portal sitting in the courtyard! And by the time the Princess reaches it the Gate is already open again.

"Alright! Everyone through!" the striped pony calls out before giving Rarity an apologetic look. "Sorry we don't have time to slow down, Rarity. But I think I can help with the other part."

And with that he focuses power through his horn as he utters a string of what sounds like very poetic gibberish!

The unicorn should feel all the grime and sweat suddenly vanish as her hair becomes quite a bit more ruly. Not as perfect as her usual styling, but still better. "That's about the best I can do," Sigil comments with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof. "Sorry..."

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Canterlot]

The Cricketbatman hangs back, waiting until all present members of the mane 6 are through the portal before following them through. He's rather glad to be leaving. Means he can finally be done with this silly ponyfication illusion that Luna placed on him.

[Lord Magtok]

Canterlot => Somewhere Else

Magtok follows along, nothing of interest happening as he-

"Wait, what? You betcha what now? I didn't say anything..."

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot Castle - Bugging Tia]

And now for something altogether different!

There's no magic involved. No flash of light or puff of smoke. No arcane power of unicorn nor chaotic energies of a draconequus. Before there was empty space. And now there is a regal pony, or something like a pony, black as midnight with a strangely flowing indigo mane. On her flank is emblazoned a strange branching symbol that hums with muted prismatic white light. Eyes like the sunset sky regard Celestia with equal parts sadness and curiosity. And at her sides six wings, equal parts bird and bat, are neatly folded. Branching antlers adorn her head, motes of magic dancing between the points.

This mare is clearly the same that arrived at Ponyville and dispensed cupcakes. But she looks... different this time. Her splendor less shrouded.

"I hope I'm not being too presumptuous in coming here," she says, her tone stricken with grief. "And I'm sorry that the meeting of our homes couldn't have been a more joyous event. Sadly a rather malevolent force has seen fit to ensure otherwise. You have my prayer that your dear student will be restored to you."

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot -> Leaving Home So Soon]

Felt like they were there only minutes.
So much for coming home and staying home.

Although, at least they're leaving with purpose...


Luna, Dash, and Applejack move on through first, it seems. The latter two a bizarre mix of laughter and protesting.

Pinkie Pie moves on next, with nudges here and there for Magtok. She may or may not be wondering if this is what it's like to herd cows.
"Of course you did! They were most definitely jumping off of the balcony!"

Fluttershy and Rarity next. The former continuing to be largely silent, while the latter gives Sigil a thankful smile.
"Oh, that was a rather lovely spell! You'll have to teach me later."
'When Twilight is with us.'


Nice and quick, everyone in, everyone out.
It's almost like this trip was a benevolent surgical strike, rather than a disorganized mess!

[In the Castle]

Celestia is looking out from her balcony.
Not down at the courtyard, where her little ponies are leaving again, but at some point beyond the city. Off towards the small group of friends' home.

She seems forlorn and troubled, as to be expected of the situation.
"I have faith in the Elements. Twilight Sparkle is in good hands."
Although there is buried doubt in those words. Hadn't Luna "been in good hands", from most perspectives, before she went rogue?

As the Princess turns her head to look at the intruder to her chambers, there's the briefest flicker of unhappy recognition in her eyes, a finger of solar flame along her other tranquil mane.
It fades, as her gaze takes in the horns, multitude of wings, the peculiar cutie mark.
"You were the one that gave us the location, in the library, correct?"

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot - Gate]

"I've got plenty of spells that'll be fun to fiddle with. Once Twilight is safe and sound we can all compare notes!" Sigil says as he trots through the Gate behind the others.

Back to outside the MagCave!

Back to the Nexus, and back to adventure!

Though this trip was kind of an adventure. Chasing Pinkie around counts as an adventure, right?

Aaaaanyway...

Though the portal!

[Canterlot - Palace]

A small smile tugs at the corners of the strange interloper's mouth. "In my own fashion, yes. I suspected that your aid would be needed. This... Star is as much of a threat to my home as it is to yours. It doesn't follow the same rules that my kind does, so it leaves me in a bothersome position to repulse it."

The smile grows ever so slightly.

"And Pinkie Pie thought that you and your sister might appreciate the cupcakes. I was inclined to agree."

That's certainly thoughtful!

"I am-"

The creature blinks.

"Aah... I haven't been named here, have I? Well. This is rather awkward," she tilts her head off to the side slightly. "We don't have names, as such. Usually we use whatever titles we're given by those we contact. Perhaps you would like to do the honors?"

[Lord Magtok]

Outside Mount Olympus

It took nine days of walking, six days of hobbling, three days of crawling, and one afternoon full of hallucinations and nightmares, but at long last, Magbot #27378 has finished his journey along the bank of the river Styx, and has finally reached Zeus's Greece. He stares up at the mountain his master had asked him to find, smiles, and then lowers his head back into the muddy ditch the rest of his body was lying within.

It would all be worth it soon, though. His master would use the signal generated from his body to telewarp directly to this land, bypassing the 'nine days to get to the Styx, another nine to get to your destination' rule that Magbot had to abide by to get here. In return for his loyal service, Magtok would surely reward the automaton, wouldn't he? #27378, who never faltered, who never looked back, who had no seconds thoughts about his duty even as all manner of creatures tried to stop him from fulfilling his duty. There'd have to be a promotion or pay raise or medal or something for all of this, ri-

ZORP!

Magtok's feet fall out of a portal and hit the ground (or more specifically, the Magbot's torso lying on top of the ground) with a sharp, metallic clang. Followed not long after is his shapeshifting cohort, Ms. Evangeline. The woman once known as Linda Dahilan, with her hand wrapped around the cyborg's own.

"Oh neat, a doormat! That was a close one; would've been a shame to have gunk all over our shoes and whatnot."

Magtok floats right off the ground, taking Linda with him as he carefully avoids setting foot down upon the muddy pit that some poor, weary, broken Magbot has fallen into. It groans in agony, feeling its oils and battery fluids leaking out the stump where a leg once was.

"Oh, and can't forget the news crew, of course."

WHAM! An entire stampede of feet follows, holding up Magbot bodies that carry video-cameras and microphones and protective sunglasses and all sorts of heavy equipment! If that Magbot thought he was humiliated before, he's sure in for a big surprise when an entire Channel 13 news van drives right across his face!

"So Li-err, Evangeline, that is. I suppose I should let you know now, since we're only a few minutes away from the enemy fortress and eternal glory...that soul you've been worrying about so much? Bought it off of Escalus. All we have to do is win this and you'll never have to worry about gods again."

Well, excluding the one.

[happyturtle]

Outside Mount Olympus

Evangeline responds to Magtok's news by throwing her arms around him and kissing him passionately.

[Lord Magtok]

Outside Mount Olympus

"I had a feeling you'd say something like that. Deal doesn't count 'less we put the Z-Man six feet under, though. So no more of that until we've got the keys to Cloud City, kay?"

Magtok glances past Evangeline, still holding her in his arms as he looks towards one of the camerabots. Still not recording yet, as per his orders. They're not to start until he gives the signal either, so any last-second preparations necessary can go entirely unscrutinized by the general public.

"...Well okay, just once more."

Urgh. Making out with someone who once killed you, at the foot of the lair of the gods? Magtok, your brain is so messed up I don't even know where to begin with this. The other clones were right to nearly exile you from the Cave, you're the creepiest weirdo I've ever seen.

Sometime later, Linda's given a huge harpoon gun to strap to her arm, Magtok puts some fancy contact lens over his right eye, his robes turn from purple to a bright, bloody shade of red, and unless anyone does anything to stop it, rain starts pouring down from the sky. The downpour centers around the same mount that Magtok and his entourage are ascending, spilling all over the home of the Olympian gods without any concern for who lives there. Soon enough, thunder begins to boom across the peaks of Olympus, too. Seems Maggy intends to make quite an entrance.

"Alright guys, now remember, I see them, I raise my left arm, everyone starts filming. Linda, you watch my back for any sneaky tricksters trying to lodge a knife in it midbattle. Above all else though, do not doubt a thing I do. It'll all make sense quickly enough. You guys ready for this? Live, televised, uncensored revenge. Let's see Real Housewives of Inside beat that."

[Chaotic Bob]

[Canterlot - Palace]

Celestia frowns slightly and resumes staring off into the land beyond Canterlot.
"The Stars...do as they will. It has always been my place to act around them and try to mitigate the damage."

Protecting the world from her sister by banishing her, and then orchestrating the uniting of the new Elements as she is released again being the more recent additions.

Twilight's situation is unexpected and confusing.
But it will have to be dealt with all the same...

The comment in regards to Pinkie Pie is left mostly silent, a concerned glance towards the study that holds the ensorcelled dragon dragging her mind further into a dark place.


For the name though...that is a rather important part of diplomatically communicating, isn't it? But how do you name someone you don't even know?
"To grant you a title, I would have to understand you, I suspect. Although calling you 'creature' is hardly polite.
The guards outside may appreciate some elaboration as to what you are as well."

There are always guards outside.

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot Palace]

What is she?

Well. That's always a troubling question to answer. But the being will do her best. "I would be remiss not to mention that your sister doesn't trust me. She has good reason. My kind is similar enough to the Stars that it puts her on edge. But rest assured that we're similar in much the same way that a pony is similar to a cactus."

They're both alive. And that's pretty much it.

"This..." she gestures to herself with a hoof. "Is a fragment of my dreaming mind. Manifesting fully in your world would have probably left a negative impression since I dwarf the mountain your castle is built on."

Yeah... mountain sized monsters appearing out of nowhere usually upset people.

"I am the dynamism of life. The capacity to adapt and endure in the face of adversity. The capacity to become stronger in the face of hardship. I am the love a mare has for her filly and the desire to leave her with a better world than the one she inherited from her mother before her," as she speaks there's a... feeling. An impression.

A wave of sensation that puts undeniable reality behind her words. Eons of life and love. She's attempting to communicate to Celestia in the language of her kind, or at least a lesser form of it that won't shatter the mortal mind. It is glorious and beautiful and awesome and vast and terrifying. Standing at the edge of a incomprehensible expanse and feeling one's own smallness before. Frightening and yet comforting. Real beyond reckoning, so much so that all else seems like a pale dream ready to vanish away by contrast. And yet through it all a kind hoof to guide, full of love and compassion and a boundless joy at seeing all creatures great and small thrive.

"That is what I am."

[happyturtle]

Outside Mount Olympus

"I'm ready," Evangeline says, and steps back, ready to play her part.

[Slii Arhem]

Outside Mount Olympus

Hope Magtok brought a hover-raft, because boy is this mountain steep. The sheer cliffs and rocky overhangs afford even less purchase in the slick rain that Magtok's weather meddling has created, and it's fairly obvious why those crazed madmen who sought to climb it before resorted to taming flying beasts to reach the summit rather than climb themselves. Magtok can hover himself of course, but bringing his whole entourage along might require more force than his noodley arms can bring to bear.

In stark defiance of what normally happens when some foolish mortal challenges the might of the gods, Magtok is not struck by lightning, swarmed by gadflies, or belayed by a giant enemy crab. Instead, a spotlight pierces the clouds like a ray of glorious warmth that casts away the rain, bathing the entire assembly in golden radiance.

It looks like they're expected, and a door has been left open for them. The clouds, by the way, don't reach all the way up the nearly vertical mountain, collecting around 3/4's of the way up its slope and simply drenching everything below that, leaving the summit high and dry.

[Chaotic Bob]

Spoiler

Show

[Canterlot Palace]

What is she?

Well. That's always a troubling question to answer. But the being will do her best. "I would be remiss not to mention that your sister doesn't trust me. She has good reason. My kind is similar enough to the Stars that it puts her on edge. But rest assured that we're similar in much the same way that a pony is similar to a cactus."

They're both alive. And that's pretty much it.

"This..." she gestures to herself with a hoof. "Is a fragment of my dreaming mind. Manifesting fully in your world would have probably left a negative impression since I dwarf the mountain your castle is built on."

Yeah... mountain sized monsters appearing out of nowhere usually upset people.

"I am the dynamism of life. The capacity to adapt and endure in the face of adversity. The capacity to become stronger in the face of hardship. I am the love a mare has for her filly and the desire to leave her with a better world than the one she inherited from her mother before her," as she speaks there's a... feeling. An impression.

A wave of sensation that puts undeniable reality behind her words. Eons of life and love. She's attempting to communicate to Celestia in the language of her kind, or at least a lesser form of it that won't shatter the mortal mind. It is glorious and beautiful and awesome and vast and terrifying. Standing at the edge of a incomprehensible expanse and feeling one's own smallness before. Frightening and yet comforting. Real beyond reckoning, so much so that all else seems like a pale dream ready to vanish away by contrast. And yet through it all a kind hoof to guide, full of love and compassion and a boundless joy at seeing all creatures great and small thrive.

"That is what I am."

[Canterlot - Castle]

Well.

Isn't that interesting.

"I see."
Celestia's attention is reclaimed, as she focuses on the Far-entity with a thoughtful look.
Life...evolution...nurture...
Hm.

"Somewhat invalidates my argument for not naming who I don't know, since you have solved that rather well."
So what to name what appears to be some realm's Mother of Life?
Last being she knew like that...
"I'm afraid I have little aptitude for this, Pinkie Pie may have been more useful there as well. She always comes up with rather colorful names for things.
Perhaps 'Momma Spooky'."

[Rebonack]

[Canterlot Castle]

Mother of life? Nah. That would be Shub-Neggurath, one of K'rax' progenitors. But in this particular case the apple hasn't fallen too terribly far from the tree.

"Momma Spooky?" the entity echoes before giving a rather amused laugh. "That will do well enough. And it's better than the names that I'm usually pinned with. You wouldn't believe how often people insist on calling me things that are virtually impossible to pronounce."

She never could figure out why the verbal gymnastic names are so popular.

I mean... K'rax-Naggath? Seriously? What does that even mean?

Just a bunch of nonsense.

"It makes introducing myself such a bother. Stumbling over the pronunciation of your own title is rather embarrassing."

...interesting. That odd overly realness of Spooky's seems to have redoubled since she was named. It was an odd inkling of something unusual before but now it's absolutely impossible to miss.

"Aside from apologizing I have two reasons for being here. One an offer of a more official capacity and the other..." her voice hitches slightly. "The other a request as a concerned mother."

[Lord Magtok]

Outside Mount Olympus

Hope Magtok brought a hover-raft, because boy is this mountain steep. The sheer cliffs and rocky overhangs afford even less purchase in the slick rain that Magtok's weather meddling has created, and it's fairly obvious why those crazed madmen who sought to climb it before resorted to taming flying beasts to reach the summit rather than climb themselves. Magtok can hover himself of course, but bringing his whole entourage along might require more force than his noodley arms can bring to bear.

In stark defiance of what normally happens when some foolish mortal challenges the might of the gods, Magtok is not struck by lightning, swarmed by gadflies, or belayed by a giant enemy crab. Instead, a spotlight pierces the clouds like a ray of glorious warmth that casts away the rain, bathing the entire assembly in golden radiance.

It looks like they're expected, and a door has been left open for them. The clouds, by the way, don't reach all the way up the nearly vertical mountain, collecting around 3/4's of the way up its slope and simply drenching everything below that, leaving the summit high and dry.

Mount Olympus

I'm sure Ms. Evangeline over there has no objections to being carried up by her object of worship. The Magbots and the van, on the other hand, aren't so lucky. They struggle to keep pace, ditching the van along a relatively flat area of the mount before opting to dangle ridiculously from jet-propelled camera drones, letting their spherical brethren do all the heavy-lifting. There's not enough drones for everyone though, so some have to hang off of Magbots hanging off of drones, which just delays this whole procession even further and irks Maggy considerably.

As soon as there's ground to stand on, Magtok and crew set down, the cyborg takes a moment to pull down his crimson hood, and he starts counting down. The moment he reaches zero, the Magbots start recording, and he marches right through that door that's been left waiting for him.

[happyturtle]

Mount Olympus

Evangeline has no objection to letting Magtok carry her, though she doesn't forget her role and continues to look around for danger on the way up, keeping her arm mounted harpoon gun ready.

Assuming they make it up, she'll dismount and walk alongside Magtok, a few steps back, still watchful. Sure hope Magtok gave her some of those special eye protectors too! Otherwise, she won't be much help.