[FwM] Bridle Shores 90210-Mlp without the Kiddy Thread XIII

[PurityIcekiller]

The trap wasn't the only thing that reacted.

Glowing green eyes snap open the instant Night Jewel (via screaming) gives a hint that something is wrong, and Dawnstrider leaps to his hooves with greatsword at the ready, looking around immediately for the threat.

Then his body remembers that he's actually still borderline incapacitated, and he stumbles. Still, his senses are still enough in order to realize that ninjas aren't attacking, and he sheathes his blade with a soft grumbling sound.

Checking Jewel over for damage with a concerned expression, he gently pulls the piece of metal over towards himself, giving her a look that conveys 'please be careful' even if he's just too damn tired to put it into words.

His metal-covered tail adjusts some of the hay nearby, clearing an advantageous (read: sitting right next to a paladin powerhouse) place in which to rest should she wish to use it before dozing off again himself.

"I'm fine. That was just... rather more excruciating than I expected." Night Jewel took a deep breath. "I certainly won't try that again."

"Please do." Arvadraa remarks as they step out the door. "And please make sure Stellar doesn't wind up our new friend too much."

"Pff...'wind up'....I'll show you 'wound up'....mrrzrrngrnfrngnffm. Hmph."

"Oh, do not worry. This is the most entertainment I have had in centuries."

Blades waved. "Bye! Stay safe out there, will ya, Arvadraa?"

"By the same token, I doubt you left them alive long enough to spread the word. Probably why you're an unknown."

"For your information, I lost that battle. Surely at least one had to be left alive to bind me."

"Well you know, if I-" She pauses, staring blankly ahead. Then her eyes widen and she all but jumps up and down with glee. "I think I just figured out a new way to cause serious bodily harm!!"

"Really? Tell me more."

[Mindfreak]

"They can be a bit...much, I'll admit." She nods, frowning slightly and looking around. "Err. I should be honest; I don't actually know where the school is either. Let's ask a guard?"

Gak
"That would probably be a good idea..." she said with a smile.
She looked around the town.
"So what's your opinion of weapons?"

[MCerberus]

Vampony Liar-down

Staccata can kind of see the new vampony-ally's assessment. Then again, there's some sillyness there. "Considering the head-vampony's course of action this far, they've got some... tactical issues. It still might have been a good idea to spring the betrayal as a surprise though."

The mare gets up and walks over towards the group. "And the faster this ends the better I think."

Random Alley

Well what do you know, the cords are either magic or structurally reinforced. If only the griffin was as strong as he was before his exile, he'd already be free. Instead it takes some struggling to get his wings out. If the trap is going to be like that, he'd just as soon rip it to shreds and untangle himself later.

[Kelvin360]

"I'm fine. That was just... rather more excruciating than I expected." Night Jewel took a deep breath. "I certainly won't try that again."

He sleepily mutters something about magic stuff and ninjas and preference.

"Oh, do not worry. This is the most entertainment I have had in centuries."

Blades waved. "Bye! Stay safe out there, will ya, Arvadraa?"

"You know I can't promise that, but I'll try."

"For your information, I lost that battle. Surely at least one had to be left alive to bind me."

"I call it tapping warmup, others call it variable strengthened draining. There you are, sitting all flush with victory, when BAM! The spell one of them cast beforehoof activates once it's strong enough and does...whatever. Big impenetrable iron bars or what have you."

"Really? Tell me more."

"Well, I used to think I could only do my 'better faster stronger' thing with weapons. But what qualifies as a weapon, really? In improv...everything's a tool. So if I counteract the law of velocity, mass and density in relation to momentous penetration using the adv-...

Uh. I can put a magic field around a rocket that'll let it punch through steel. And THEN explode."

(Since I'm bored.)

The group might find Lemongrass standing nearby. Or rather, doing his best to pick up a poor mare's groceries, who seemed to have fallen off and scattered all over the street.

"Here you go, ma'am," he said, pushing the last of the oranges into her paperbag.

The indigo earth pony mare sniffed haughtily. "Thank you, son. Young'uns these days just don't have manners anymore. No offense."

"None taken."

Gak
"That would probably be a good idea..." she said with a smile.
She looked around the town.
"So what's your opinion of weapons?"

"I'm not really qualified to make that decision...

Um, sir?" She gently taps Lemongrass to get his attention. "Do you know where the local school is?"

[Grif]

"I'm not really qualified to make that decision...

Um, sir?" She gently taps Lemongrass to get his attention. "Do you know where the local school is?"

"Bwah!" Lemongrass jumped some five feet into the sky, his wings fluttering. Fortunately, it wasn't another enemy sneaking up on him. He eyed Arvadaa and huffed. "Stop startling me shadow lady!"

He plopped himself on the ground next to her and coughed. "Anyway, school? It's right at the north end of town, next to a cafe. You shouldn't miss it. Has a big sign sayin' "School" and all." He tilted his head and studied the rest of the group. "Who's your new friend?"

[Benson]

Vampony Rabble

Zippity doesn't seem to regret her method of her earlier course of actions and remains in silence about it.

"Rainbow...you should probably take cover, don't want you out in the open--"

I would say there was a sudden stampede-like sound of the clippity clop of hooves against the stone, but vamponies seem not to make much noise with their bodies somehow. Sandy can attest to that.

"You two, get your torches ready, I smell them," She pointed to Gear and Silverpine. And then suddenly boom, vamponies. Gearstride was almost fully taken by surprise but kept to her nerves. Gripping the warm torch end she flagged down some vamponies. Those who got hit as they ran out cried out and tumbled out to the ground around the pews.

At the entrance the bobbing dead corpse of a pony could be seen approaching by those with night vision. Beyond that, twenty feet beyond the approaching cube, old familiar faces could be seen with all their mind controlled badness. And one new face, an annoyed one.

In the tunnel passageway

The police officers stared up ahead.

"Boss sir boss, its one of the dingleberries, up ahead!"

"Yes, we must prepare ourselves! We can't let these criminals get away for their crimes." Enforced their mind controlled captain.
===============

Faelands

"Are we ever gonna get there? Why does it seem like we've been walking forever? And why don't my hooves hurt?" The befuddled Ember asked his fae fillyfriend as they walked and walked.
-

Aubade-Taxi Carriage Ride

"Well I don't know, isn't our next meet up for staking out some ponies later?" Aubade asked with a tired smile.
===========

[Grif]

Vampony Rabble

Zippity doesn't seem to regret her method of her earlier course of actions and remains in silence about it.

"Rainbow...you should probably take cover, don't want you out in the open--"

I would say there was a sudden stampede-like sound of the clippity clop of hooves against the stone, but vamponies seem not to make much noise with their bodies somehow. Sandy can attest to that.

"You two, get your torches ready, I smell them," She pointed to Gear and Silverpine. And then suddenly boom, vamponies. Gearstride was almost fully taken by surprise but kept to her nerves. Gripping the warm torch end she flagged down some vamponies. Those who got hit as they ran out cried out and tumbled out to the ground around the pews.

At the entrance the bobbing dead corpse of a pony could be seen approaching by those with night vision. Beyond that, twenty feet beyond the approaching cube, old familiar faces could be seen with all their mind controlled badness. And one new face, an annoyed one.

In the tunnel passageway

The police officers stared up ahead.

"Boss sir boss, its one of the dingleberries, up ahead!"

"Yes, we must prepare ourselves! We can't let these criminals get away for their crimes." Enforced their mind controlled captain.

Silverpine lit up his own share of vamponies, then jumped back to avoid the inevitable counterstrike, still gripping his torch. He would wave the torch at the enemy menacingly, trying to grab their attention. Hopefully, this would buy enough time for the other team to deal with Team Cubey and co.

[MCerberus]

Vampony Showdownest

Staccata simply goes to meld in with some convenient shadows. She might not be exactly their most durable fighter at this point, but that won't stop her from the fun ambushes.

[Mindfreak]

"Bwah!" Lemongrass jumped some five feet into the sky, his wings fluttering. Fortunately, it wasn't another enemy sneaking up on him. He eyed Arvadaa and huffed. "Stop startling me shadow lady!"

He plopped himself on the ground next to her and coughed. "Anyway, school? It's right at the north end of town, next to a cafe. You shouldn't miss it. Has a big sign sayin' "School" and all." He tilted his head and studied the rest of the group. "Who's your new friend?"

Gak
"I'm Gabriel, but my friends call my Gak. I'm the new school teacher!" ^_^
Don't ask about Gak.

[Kelvin360]

Vampony Rabble

Zippity doesn't seem to regret her method of her earlier course of actions and remains in silence about it.

"Rainbow...you should probably take cover, don't want you out in the open--"

I would say there was a sudden stampede-like sound of the clippity clop of hooves against the stone, but vamponies seem not to make much noise with their bodies somehow. Sandy can attest to that.

"You two, get your torches ready, I smell them," She pointed to Gear and Silverpine. And then suddenly boom, vamponies. Gearstride was almost fully taken by surprise but kept to her nerves. Gripping the warm torch end she flagged down some vamponies. Those who got hit as they ran out cried out and tumbled out to the ground around the pews.

At the entrance the bobbing dead corpse of a pony could be seen approaching by those with night vision. Beyond that, twenty feet beyond the approaching cube, old familiar faces could be seen with all their mind controlled badness. And one new face, an annoyed one.

In the tunnel passageway

The police officers stared up ahead.

"Boss sir boss, its one of the dingleberries, up ahead!"

"Yes, we must prepare ourselves! We can't let these criminals get away for their crimes." Enforced their mind controlled captain.

"Oh great." What else, really, could be said?

Daniel unleashes his shin-stake and moves to headshot coup-de-grace the first vampire still recovering from being hit with a torch that he sees. He's still a not inconsiderable melee combatant, but given his physical state and without either of his combat specialties in play, easy does it.

"Bwah!" Lemongrass jumped some five feet into the sky, his wings fluttering. Fortunately, it wasn't another enemy sneaking up on him. He eyed Arvadaa and huffed. "Stop startling me shadow lady!"

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" She leaps back and looks embarrassed.

He plopped himself on the ground next to her and coughed. "Anyway, school? It's right at the north end of town, next to a cafe. You shouldn't miss it. Has a big sign sayin' "School" and all." He tilted his head and studied the rest of the group. "Who's your new friend?"

Gak
"I'm Gabriel, but my friends call my Gak. I'm the new school teacher!" ^_^
Don't ask about Gak.

She nods, deciding to let Gak do any necessary explanations.

[Orzel]

Vampony Rabble

Zippity doesn't seem to regret her method of her earlier course of actions and remains in silence about it.

"Rainbow...you should probably take cover, don't want you out in the open--"

I would say there was a sudden stampede-like sound of the clippity clop of hooves against the stone, but vamponies seem not to make much noise with their bodies somehow. Sandy can attest to that.

"You two, get your torches ready, I smell them," She pointed to Gear and Silverpine. And then suddenly boom, vamponies. Gearstride was almost fully taken by surprise but kept to her nerves. Gripping the warm torch end she flagged down some vamponies. Those who got hit as they ran out cried out and tumbled out to the ground around the pews.

At the entrance the bobbing dead corpse of a pony could be seen approaching by those with night vision. Beyond that, twenty feet beyond the approaching cube, old familiar faces could be seen with all their mind controlled badness. And one new face, an annoyed one.

In the tunnel passageway

The police officers stared up ahead.

"Boss sir boss, its one of the dingleberries, up ahead!"

"Yes, we must prepare ourselves! We can't let these criminals get away for their crimes." Enforced their mind controlled captain.
===============

"Sir!" The sniper bit onto her crossbow and dragged in behind the closest cover. A bolt was pinned on the incoming sounds.

Faelands

"Are we ever gonna get there? Why does it seem like we've been walking forever? And why don't my hooves hurt?" The befuddled Ember asked his fae fillyfriend as they walked and walked.
-

"Be a glamour. Trips tae th' coort ur mandated tae be a haf dozen hours in th' min'." answered the kelpie. In truth they only took 5 steps. It is tae gie ye time tae think. Time tae hush anger or sorraw. Or wallaw in it. Be yer true self by lockin' ye in hours ay walkin'.

Aubade-Taxi Carriage Ride

"Well I don't know, isn't our next meet up for staking out some ponies later?" Aubade asked with a tired smile.
===========

Heavy grinned back but they were nearing the destination. "I mean after all this. Unless you enjoy detective work with me."

[Tychris1]

Dreams

Phex floated about, looking upon the Dreamscape that surrounded him. Dots of light were scattered around the infinite expanse of dark blue, like stars in the night sky, and they shone all the brighter the closer he got to them. His sword hungered, it began with a slowly rumbling in the back of his head but he knew it would get more and more forceful if he prolonged it. Still, there were priorities for the Nightmare to assess.

For starters he had to feed himself. It had been far too long since he had given a pony a truly terrifying nightmare, and the short closet scares he'd been giving to keep him going were not cutting it. Like a man eating stale bread and water, it certainly kept him going but he needed something... Heavier, to feast on. The town of Bridle Shores was an ideal location, nice and secluded with no other Nightmare's present. Sure the concept of distance in the Dreamscape meant far less then in real life (As time itself worked very differently) but it's distance did mean the Knightmare could spot any approaching competitors and try to accost them.

Lurking through the blue expanse the Azure Knight swam like a shark with the scent of blood, looking for any prime targets for him to enter. He picked up on a few and decided to test himself out on a single pony before starting the feast. Reaching in, Phex began to search within Dawnstriders dream, trying to pick up on any lingering thoughts or ideas, and feeling the pony up for his resolve as the Nightmare finally began to enter his dreams; A low rumble of a laugh escaping the cursed knight's throat as he looked forward to a banquet of corrupted dreams.

[Grif]

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" She leaps back and looks embarrassed.

She nods, deciding to let Gak do any necessary explanations.

"Eh, teacher? We're finally getting a teacher?" Lemongrass said, chuckling. "About damn time too. A week longer and I swear the Captain would explode from all the complaints of delinquent foals." He waved a hoof vaguely north. "School's that way in case you don't know where north is. Anyway, name's Lemongrass. I'm one of the town guard. Pleased to meet ya."

[PurityIcekiller]

He sleepily mutters something about magic stuff and ninjas and preference.

"Right." Night Jewel laughed.

"Anyway, I'd better get going soon. I'll be back as soon as I can." She took the metal and wrapped it in cloth to see if that affected the emotional effects. One thing that definitely happened was that the narrator found himself stumbling over how to phrase that.

"I call it tapping warmup, others call it variable strengthened draining. There you are, sitting all flush with victory, when BAM! The spell one of them cast beforehoof activates once it's strong enough and does...whatever. Big impenetrable iron bars or what have you."

"That is a possibility. Iron bars would not be effective for obvious reasons, but "

"I can just imagine it now. Ya cast yar big fireball, then one of 'em jumps aside, sneaks behind ya 'n throws a bunch of knives at yar back while ya aren't payin' attention!" Blades laughed. "I'd pay good money to watch that!"

"Well, I used to think I could only do my 'better faster stronger' thing with weapons. But what qualifies as a weapon, really? In improv...everything's a tool. So if I counteract the law of velocity, mass and density in relation to momentous penetration using the adv-...

Uh. I can put a magic field around a rocket that'll let it punch through steel. And THEN explode."

"Sounds good! Even if I'm not really sure about zappin' up all my stuff."

"Better your equipment than your body, however," said Flare with a smirk.

"Hey, I didn't make myself get zapped there, did I?"

[Kelvin360]

Dreams

Phex floated about, looking upon the Dreamscape that surrounded him. Dots of light were scattered around the infinite expanse of dark blue, like stars in the night sky, and they shone all the brighter the closer he got to them. His sword hungered, it began with a slowly rumbling in the back of his head but he knew it would get more and more forceful if he prolonged it. Still, there were priorities for the Nightmare to assess.

For starters he had to feed himself. It had been far too long since he had given a pony a truly terrifying nightmare, and the short closet scares he'd been giving to keep him going were not cutting it. Like a man eating stale bread and water, it certainly kept him going but he needed something... Heavier, to feast on. The town of Bridle Shores was an ideal location, nice and secluded with no other Nightmare's present. Sure the concept of distance in the Dreamscape meant far less then in real life (As time itself worked very differently) but it's distance did mean the Knightmare could spot any approaching competitors and try to accost them.

Lurking through the blue expanse the Azure Knight swam like a shark with the scent of blood, looking for any prime targets for him to enter. He picked up on a few and decided to test himself out on a single pony before starting the feast. Reaching in, Phex began to search within Dawnstriders dream, trying to pick up on any lingering thoughts or ideas, and feeling the pony up for his resolve as the Nightmare finally began to enter his dreams; A low rumble of a laugh escaping the cursed knight's throat as he looked forward to a banquet of corrupted dreams.

Dreamscape: Chained

Spoiler

Show

The first thing Phex would notice is that Dawnstrider positively radiates an unshakeable aura. His resolve isn't anything to sneeze at, either. Of course, that might just make him more of a banquet.

The second thing Phex might notice is that this dream is really trippy.

Dawnstrider stands bare of armor in the middle of an empty field (one that looks like it used to be verdant, but was then burned to dust and cracked stone), a wasteland. His now-faded green eyes stare directly ahead at nothing in particular, black mane and golden coat waving slightly in the wind.

Around him, flickering images of various ponies that he recognizes swirl around like vultures, each one attached to him by a flaming chain. They whisper softly to him; Why? How? Destroy. Add two mililiters of salt...

Occasionally, a scared-looking filly approaches him quietly, begging for help. Where is her mother, she asks. Who is he? Each time, he pulls a sword from nonexistence and beheads her calmly, never changing expression, as though he has done this many times. With every death, the heat of the chains grows, until he would feel conventionally like a white-hot flame.

Then he burns to ash, only to burst back into existence moments later, and the chains grapple him once more.

"That is a possibility. Iron bars would not be effective for obvious reasons, but "

"I can just imagine it now. Ya cast yar big fireball, then one of 'em jumps aside, sneaks behind ya 'n throws a bunch of knives at yar back while ya aren't payin' attention!" Blades laughed. "I'd pay good money to watch that!"

"If it actually worked, I'd pay ALL the money to see that."

"Sounds good! Even if I'm not really sure about zappin' up all my stuff."

"Better your equipment than your body, however," said Flare with a smirk.

"Hey, I didn't make myself get zapped there, did I?"

"Hey, if you want I could probably....probably...uhhh. Turn a pony into an invincible engine of destruction, actually. Maybe. Depends. I'll work on living matter later. Maybe steal a pigeon."

[PurityIcekiller]

"If it actually worked, I'd pay ALL the money to see that."

"Sounds like the kind of thing a clever pony would do. Even if it didn't actually happen, we can call it a creative liberty, right?"

"A bit enthusiastic about embellishing my past, I see."

"Well, we don't know it didn't happen, do we?"

"Hey, if you want I could probably....probably...uhhh. Turn a pony into an invincible engine of destruction, actually. Maybe. Depends. I'll work on living matter later. Maybe steal a pigeon."

Blades laughed at the mention of experimenting on pigeons. It reminded her of a cheery little song she once heard about springtime and killing animals.

"Well, I'm sure not lettin' ya magic me up. I'm not trustin' the stuff. A lil' spell or two on some weapons is fine, but I don't need or want magic inside me. I've seen some of the things it can do."

[Benson]

Vampony Rabble

There were some cries as the burned ponies stumbled, one small framed vamp sissily screamed seeing one of their own get coup-de-graced in the head with a stake. Their body laid there flinching and twitching as black blood oozed from their head. That was gonna need a lot of Advil.

This glasses wearing vamp who screamed, worn for aesthetics naturally, jumped to hide behind a pew. But he still had his orders, so he blindly tossed some small rocks over, that sorta counted. Maybe one would hit their eyes and inconvenience them, or land in their throat and make them choke? Ehehehe....

The one Silverpine was menacing closed his eyes and blindly went try to hit him in a flailing manner.

Gearstride tried to her best not to laugh, it wasn't an appropriate time. Not when one was trying to sneak up behind her only to trip on the loose debris that littered this area in particular due to the earlier skirmish.

He fell forward and landed on her back trying to grab onto something. The unicorn brought the two down on the ground, Gear's torch falling out of her mouth.

"Waah..ow...." She laid there dazed. The other vampony laid there in a daze as well trying to get up.

One pegasus swooped in to pick up the torch and gripped it in their teeth and to try to torch Silverpine. But then Zippity appeared behind them.

"Boo." Zippity said monotone. The enemy vampony pegasus mare yelped as the torch flew into the air out of her mouth....and then fell right down on her. The pegasus was sent ablaze and fell to the ground yelling out for help. Zippity wasn't sure how to react to this.

"I kinda feel bad about this, like I'm beating up foals," Miss M said as she extended her left hoof without looking just as a vamp mare was to pop a surprise attack. Their face ran into her hoof.

The other nine vamponies went into hiding in the temple reaches.

"We..we-we need a real p-p-plan..." One of them gulped and whispered to their comrades. "I k-know we're ordered to k-kill them b-but...they have better weapons."

"M-maybe..uh...we uh...we ah...should try...uh...have Brussels Sprouts summon...sprouts?"

"Really? That's what you came up with? You ought go say hi by yourself for that."

"B-but but...I don't wanna do that and the get killed...!"

"Then no stupid ideas."

"Okaaay."

--
Meanwhile, Cubey was starting the process of pushing itself against the pews.

==========\

Faelands

"That's kinda weird....heh.....and a little mind screwy," He said and made silly screwy eyes.
--

Aubade

"I know, I was just being cheeky. Detective work?...I'm no real detective, let alone an amateur one. The biggest mystery I solved was that the young master had been stealing extra cookies from the cookie jar."

[Kelvin360]

"Sounds like the kind of thing a clever pony would do. Even if it didn't actually happen, we can call it a creative liberty, right?"

"A bit enthusiastic about embellishing my past, I see."

"Well, we don't know it didn't happen, do we?"

"Oh, and everything was in slow motion. And on fire. And you know what? During a meteor shower too, just because."

Blades laughed at the mention of experimenting on pigeons. It reminded her of a cheery little song she once heard about springtime and killing animals.

"Well, I'm sure not lettin' ya magic me up. I'm not trustin' the stuff. A lil' spell or two on some weapons is fine, but I don't need or want magic inside me. I've seen some of the things it can do."

"Eh, works for me. I'd rather use it on myself anyway. Kick the term 'squishy mage' right in the face."

Vampony Rabble

There were some cries as the burned ponies stumbled, one small framed vamp sissily screamed seeing one of their own get coup-de-graced in the head with a stake. Their body laid there flinching and twitching as black blood oozed from their head. That was gonna need a lot of Advil.

This glasses wearing vamp who screamed, worn for aesthetics naturally, jumped to hide behind a pew. But he still had his orders, so he blindly tossed some small rocks over, that sorta counted. Maybe one would hit their eyes and inconvenience them, or land in their throat and make them choke? Ehehehe....

The one Silverpine was menacing closed his eyes and blindly went try to hit him in a flailing manner.

Gearstride tried to her best not to laugh, it wasn't an appropriate time. Not when one was trying to sneak up behind her only to trip on the loose debris that littered this area in particular due to the earlier skirmish.

He fell forward and landed on her back trying to grab onto something. The unicorn brought the two down on the ground, Gear's torch falling out of her mouth.

"Waah..ow...." She laid there dazed. The other vampony laid there in a daze as well trying to get up.

One pegasus swooped in to pick up the torch and gripped it in their teeth and to try to torch Silverpine. But then Zippity appeared behind them.

"Boo." Zippity said monotone. The enemy vampony pegasus mare yelped as the torch flew into the air out of her mouth....and then fell right down on her. The pegasus was sent ablaze and fell to the ground yelling out for help. Zippity wasn't sure how to react to this.

"I kinda feel bad about this, like I'm beating up foals," Miss M said as she extended her left hoof without looking just as a vamp mare was to pop a surprise attack. Their face ran into her hoof.

The other nine vamponies went into hiding in the temple reaches.

"We..we-we need a real p-p-plan..." One of them gulped and whispered to their comrades. "I k-know we're ordered to k-kill them b-but...they have better weapons."

"M-maybe..uh...we uh...we ah...should try...uh...have Brussels Sprouts summon...sprouts?"

"Really? That's what you came up with? You ought go say hi by yourself for that."

"B-but but...I don't wanna do that and the get killed...!"

"Then no stupid ideas."

"Okaaay."

--
Meanwhile, Cubey was starting the process of pushing itself against the pews.

"Don't complain." Daniel says to M, roughly bringing the stake out and replacing it with an arrow. "That way lies badness and an ironic difficulty increase."

He jumps over the body and around the pew, and crach-tackles Glasses, putting his stake right through his throat. "Nice lenses." He says casually (and genuinely!), putting an arrow in his head.

(Arrows left: 3 normal, 1 fire)

[Tychris1]

Dreamscape: Chained

Spoiler

Show

Strong Resolve? An Aura even? Why yes indeed that would prove to be a hearty meal. You know what they say, the bigger they are.....

Phex continued to observe the events transpiring infront of him, gettif a sense of the dream and how it operated. All dreams had a kind of rhyme and rhythm to them, a theme so to speak, and given a keen eye and a starver's survivak instincts the Nightmare soon picked up on how he could slide his influence in. At first the change wasn't too bad. Dawnstrider's sword would just resemble Bane a bit more, then there would be no more changes to let Bane's existence settle in and become adjusted to by Phex's victim. It was his calling card, the sign he inserted every time to act as his own theme for nightmares. It set up a psychological link in the victims brain, made them correlate the blade with the same feeling of dread. Heck, there was one mare who grew to just have nightmares about Bane. Either way, almost every Nightmare needed one. They were normally their tether, the focus point for which they can manifest themselves in the physical world and interact with it. There were exceptions, but none that Phex knew directly about.

Now that the first changed had set in it was time for something more radical. Extending his grip Phex siezes the mare who approaches him and changes her course. She would approach him like normal, but when he drew his sword her face would contort into a grin and she'd take steps back to dodge the cutting edge. Her face would bend unnaturally into a terrible, fake grin as she began to chant something in a hushed voice. She would press forward, circkinf around the stallion with malicious intent, and would begin to slowly rise in volume as she occasionally moved close in to kick or bite at an exposed leg. Given time Dawnstrider would understand she was saying "Your fault" and "Bastard" over and over again.

[Grif]

Vampony Rabble

There were some cries as the burned ponies stumbled, one small framed vamp sissily screamed seeing one of their own get coup-de-graced in the head with a stake. Their body laid there flinching and twitching as black blood oozed from their head. That was gonna need a lot of Advil.

This glasses wearing vamp who screamed, worn for aesthetics naturally, jumped to hide behind a pew. But he still had his orders, so he blindly tossed some small rocks over, that sorta counted. Maybe one would hit their eyes and inconvenience them, or land in their throat and make them choke? Ehehehe....

The one Silverpine was menacing closed his eyes and blindly went try to hit him in a flailing manner.

Gearstride tried to her best not to laugh, it wasn't an appropriate time. Not when one was trying to sneak up behind her only to trip on the loose debris that littered this area in particular due to the earlier skirmish.

He fell forward and landed on her back trying to grab onto something. The unicorn brought the two down on the ground, Gear's torch falling out of her mouth.

"Waah..ow...." She laid there dazed. The other vampony laid there in a daze as well trying to get up.

One pegasus swooped in to pick up the torch and gripped it in their teeth and to try to torch Silverpine. But then Zippity appeared behind them.

"Boo." Zippity said monotone. The enemy vampony pegasus mare yelped as the torch flew into the air out of her mouth....and then fell right down on her. The pegasus was sent ablaze and fell to the ground yelling out for help. Zippity wasn't sure how to react to this.

"I kinda feel bad about this, like I'm beating up foals," Miss M said as she extended her left hoof without looking just as a vamp mare was to pop a surprise attack. Their face ran into her hoof.

The other nine vamponies went into hiding in the temple reaches.

"We..we-we need a real p-p-plan..." One of them gulped and whispered to their comrades. "I k-know we're ordered to k-kill them b-but...they have better weapons."

"M-maybe..uh...we uh...we ah...should try...uh...have Brussels Sprouts summon...sprouts?"

"Really? That's what you came up with? You ought go say hi by yourself for that."

"B-but but...I don't wanna do that and the get killed...!"

"Then no stupid ideas."

"Okaaay."

Silverpine had to blink once or twice to believe the situation unfolding before him. He cantered over to Gear to help her up. "Um, these guys don't look very threatening..."

[Kelvin360]

Dreamscape: Chained

Spoiler

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Strong Resolve? An Aura even? Why yes indeed that would prove to be a hearty meal. You know what they say, the bigger they are.....

Phex continued to observe the events transpiring infront of him, gettif a sense of the dream and how it operated. All dreams had a kind of rhyme and rhythm to them, a theme so to speak, and given a keen eye and a starver's survivak instincts the Nightmare soon picked up on how he could slide his influence in. At first the change wasn't too bad. Dawnstrider's sword would just resemble Bane a bit more, then there would be no more changes to let Bane's existence settle in and become adjusted to by Phex's victim. It was his calling card, the sign he inserted every time to act as his own theme for nightmares. It set up a psychological link in the victims brain, made them correlate the blade with the same feeling of dread. Heck, there was one mare who grew to just have nightmares about Bane. Either way, almost every Nightmare needed one. They were normally their tether, the focus point for which they can manifest themselves in the physical world and interact with it. There were exceptions, but none that Phex knew directly about.

Now that the first changed had set in it was time for something more radical. Extending his grip Phex siezes the mare who approaches him and changes her course. She would approach him like normal, but when he drew his sword her face would contort into a grin and she'd take steps back to dodge the cutting edge. Her face would bend unnaturally into a terrible, fake grin as she began to chant something in a hushed voice. She would press forward, circkinf around the stallion with malicious intent, and would begin to slowly rise in volume as she occasionally moved close in to kick or bite at an exposed leg. Given time Dawnstrider would understand she was saying "Your fault" and "Bastard" over and over again.

Dreamscape: Chained

Spoiler

Show

Oddly enough, the warlord seems to just roll with it. "Well yes." He comments, raising an eyebrow like she just told him that one plus one equals two. "This is intentional. Was intentional. But you are unimportant, like the hundreds I have killed before and after. The moment...it has importance..."

Briefly, what looks like a pony with butterfly wings attached to him by chain becomes clearer, then fades again, as does a small unicorn filly. "Bare importance." His eyes flash a very bright green. "Death is better to you than ignorance, than fear. I remember your face when I gutted your mother. The lower intestines, I believe. Just enough lessened mortality to leave her alive for a time...she was begging for her death. But she granted it to herself, not I. And you..." He sticks the sword into the ground and leans on it casually.

"I could not stand you. You wept, and I drank of your tears, your hopelessness, your fear. Such a sweet mixture it was. But you were weaker than the rest. I granted you a small mercy, to my regret. But you are not deserving. You are beneath me, as is your place."

His lips curve upward in a black grin, one composed not of joy, but malice. "Weep for me again, Morning Bloom. Your fear is my weapon, your pain my chalice, your tears the sweetest elixir. Weep for me, and know that pain will come for you in eternity."

Inside him, though, a creature like Phex could tell that his conscious self, the 'real' him, isn't actually there. Like some sort of shadow puppet is pulling the strings in this dream. Somewhere behind those green eyes, Phex feels, Dawnstrider can't but watch in absolute horror and disgust. He is trapped. He is afraid.

Boy, it's like a happy meal with legs!

[Luka]

Random Alley

Well what do you know, the cords are either magic or structurally reinforced. If only the griffin was as strong as he was before his exile, he'd already be free. Instead it takes some struggling to get his wings out. If the trap is going to be like that, he'd just as soon rip it to shreds and untangle himself later.

Well, they're actually both magic and reinforced: he may recognize the metal to be pretty much like the one the dark warriors' armors were made off.

His wings would get free, now the grapples on his limbs remain, they're trying to pull him out of balance. Meanwhile the activity around him seems to be a bit quieter.

----------------------------------------------

Aero
Aero strokes her mane, letting her sob into his shoulder.
"It's okay...just let it out."

she just remains there sobbing for a while, then would pull offf a bit, looking down silently.

----------------------------------------------

Clinic-Idle Chat

"Huh...oh yea, I'm fine, barely touched me, heh," He said with a small smile.

"Uh... I guess I'm glad? AGH!"
she winces again.
----------------------------------------------

[Southern gate]

The Crusader would be still in BSOD, pretty much broken enough to go behind a wall and sit down.... Then eventually fall asleep.

DREEMwurld! Dreamscape

If Phex were also aware of other dreams besides the one were he is, he might notice a new one appearing somewhere somewhat close.

[PurityIcekiller]

"Oh, and everything was in slow motion. And on fire. And you know what? During a meteor shower too, just because."

"The latter two, given my potential, may actually be possible. The first, however, would require someone with the power to manipulate time, and I doubt there was one on either side."

~

Approximately three hundred years earlier, a pony who may or may not have been an ancestor of Night Jewel sneezed.

"Eh, works for me. I'd rather use it on myself anyway. Kick the term 'squishy mage' right in the face."

"Better make sure ya've got the brains to back it up, though. No matter what they say, those spellcasters aren't always the smart ones." Blades shook her head.

"Now, do I first point out that I am not a moron, or that I endured for several hundred years in conditions of intense heat that would have killed lesser ponies?"

[Orzel]

Rainbow

This looks weird. The Sniper turns her crossbow to the rear and peers down the scope. Any tight group of enemies will get skewered buy a long woodtiped metal shaft.

Lochbed

"Really?" Suddenly the front doors of the court rushed toward them. The glamour was over and clarity washed over them.

And at the door stood a large mare in silk dress and saber armed. Cming right at them. "Lady Lochbed? Lochbed!"

The kelpie's voice was not happy. "Och ye. Ember, thes be mah faither's advisur. Layla, thes be mah advisor."

Heavy

The carriage stopped and Heavy Ale exited to help Aubade out. "Oh I think you have done more than that."

[MCerberus]

Vampony slaughter-down

Seeing the chaos and confusion going on, it's quite apparent that these vamponies are much less of a threat. Doesn't seem to stop many compatriots from going all crazy overkill but whatever. Staccata's not in a good position to jump on any vampony at the moment, so she slinks over towards the fight. Along the way and before ducking into cover, she observes, "These aren't even putting up a fight."

Random Alley

Well his wings are free, so that gives him another angle to try and rip himself out of this mess. The cords can't be cut it seems, but perhaps the mechanisms behind them aren't so strong. The griffin starts lifting off while using the strength of his muscles to pull at the restraints.

Plus this is another change to get some of the metal over towards general Flamestrong.

[Kelvin360]

"The latter two, given my potential, may actually be possible. The first, however, would require someone with the power to manipulate time, and I doubt there was one on either side."

"D'awww...now I want to meet a time mage. Of course, the problem with time mages is that they're all...weird. If they're from the past they're twitchy, if they're from the future they're all high and mighty, and if they just do that stupid time-stop thing you can taste the ego. So essentially we need to find a time mage because they'd fit in perfectly here."

Meanwhile, a Doctor looks up from a newspaper and looks vaguely confused for a moment.

"Better make sure ya've got the brains to back it up, though. No matter what they say, those spellcasters aren't always the smart ones." Blades shook her head.

"Now, do I first point out that I am not a moron, or that I endured for several hundred years in conditions of intense heat that would have killed lesser ponies?"

"That first one, because there are about a dozen ways to do the second just off the top of my head. And magic doesn't require brains any more than banging your head into a wall does. Intelligence is ingenuity and finesse, not talent. So now I think about it both your points might not help." She grins at Flare trollishly.

[Mindfreak]

"Eh, teacher? We're finally getting a teacher?" Lemongrass said, chuckling. "About damn time too. A week longer and I swear the Captain would explode from all the complaints of delinquent foals." He waved a hoof vaguely north. "School's that way in case you don't know where north is. Anyway, name's Lemongrass. I'm one of the town guard. Pleased to meet ya."

Gak
Gakb looks a bit ticked now.
"WHAT!?"
"You mean she already retired!? She said she was retiring in a couple weeks!" >=O

---

Aero
Aero will hug her for a bit more.

[Luka]

Random Alley

He would pull, and more than damaging the mechanisms he would pull them off the ground... Then comes a LOT more grapples and hooks, maysse some could also be TK-controlled; it would seem like the previous attack was the "nice" way to try to get him.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Aisis

She would still be hugged, pretty much like using Aero as a pillow or something, she just kind of hugs back, then would finally explain

"I-It was suppossed to be j-just a birthday party and an arming ceremony, both; one of us was being armed on it... Then....Then they appeared...W-We could resist at first, but the more and more appeared, then the strong ones appeared...And that....Black, big one too, t-they were too much, and the valley seemed to be falling on top of us.... Then...Then..."

She can't end it up, instead she just digs into Aero crying, but it would seem like that last part had hints of guilt, though more of the "failure" kind.

[Grif]

Gak
Gakb looks a bit ticked now.
"WHAT!?"
"You mean she already retired!? She said she was retiring in a couple weeks!" >=O

Lemongrass shrugged. "She kinda left in a huff after the moose invasion. Something about getting away from crazy town before she gets herself killed."

An understandable sentiment, actually.

[PurityIcekiller]

"D'awww...now I want to meet a time mage. Of course, the problem with time mages is that they're all...weird. If they're from the past they're twitchy, if they're from the future they're all high and mighty, and if they just do that stupid time-stop thing you can taste the ego. So essentially we need to find a time mage because they'd fit in perfectly here."

"'N then there's the fact that half of 'em probly mess up time with paradoxy-things." Blades shook her head. "That's probly why they're so rare. I expect some just get time magic 'n then go back in time to kill 'emselves just to see if they can."

"What kind of fool would do such a thing?"

"I know I would!"

"That first one, because there are about a dozen ways to do the second just off the top of my head. And magic doesn't require brains any more than banging your head into a wall does. Intelligence is ingenuity and finesse, not talent. So now I think about it both your points might not help." She grins at Flare trollishly.

"Now listen, I survived through-"

At this point, thanks to this scene going substantially faster than the other relevant scene, Night Jewel opened the door and slipped inside.

"Hi!" she said cheerfully. "I'd say any sufficiently advanced cleverness can defeat whatever magic anypony can come up with. Speaking of which... Stellar, right? I'd kind of like your help with something."