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

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease Spot spared a moment to give the guard a deadpan look of half disbelief and half disapproval. Then she returned to the task at hoof, forcefully prying the angry filly away from her target.

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Body (4) + Extra Talented (Strong) (1) = +5
[roll]1d20+5[/roll] 18
Second roll for Talent: [roll]1d20+5[/roll] 16
Ok, I guess no forum roller. I'll just roll IRL and post the results. I promise I won't fudge the dice.

[Ravian]

Soot tried to resist the stronger mare's attempts at prying her off of Crown Cork

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Body: 2
(1d20+2)[10]

but was wrenched off without much problem. The filly struggled in vain against Grease Spot, anger still boiling in her eyes as she looks at Cork.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease held the struggling filly back, considering how she could calm this situation down. She hadn't quite caught everything that the two had said in the struggle, but apparently all the colt had done was pay her to go to Canterlot and back, hardly worth jumping him like that. Well, the only way to find out was to ask.
"Now what in the name of Luna's striped stockings are you attacking your employer for?" she asked.

[TheAmishPirate]

With his attacker subdued, Cork picked himself up and dusted off his coat with a huff. There would be strong words for the security of this station come tomorrow. "Yes, what has possessed you, Soot?! Was your fee that insufficient?"

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb let loose a whoosh of breath, glad that things seemed to have calmed down. Good. Now, to get to the bottom of things... "Erm, e-excuse me," he said quietly. "Why is she even here? Shouldn't a foal be at home with her family, especially on Hearth's Warming Eve?" He ducked back, looking off to the side. "I mean, if you're going to c-come here anyway, w-why send her?"

[Ravian]

"Insufficient? Oh yes I suppose you did neglect to add in my non-local delivery rates, my overnight fees, and the additional cost for MAKING ME SPEND HEART'S WARMING DAY WITHOUT MY FAMILY!" she strained once more against Grease Spot's grip. "Now they're spending the holidays with no idea where I am, and I'm stuck here with a bit to my name until tomorrow!"

"So yeah I'd say it's insufficient you strutting, melodramatic, pr..." Soot stopped in mid sentence as the two foals' crying suddenly registered. She looks at herself, trying to attack a pony who never did her any wrong. Everypony else here was in just as rough a spot as her, and here she was taking out her anger on one of the few ponies to think highly enough of her to trust her with a gift for his very special somepony. All because forces beyond either of their control had conspired against her.

"I..." she whispered as she hung her head down "I'm sorry..."

[One Tin Soldier]

Once she was sure that Soot wasn't going to try attack the colt again, Grease let the filly go. For an awkward moment, she stood there, the only sound coming from the two crying foals and their parents' attempts to calm them.

Grease felt like she should say something, if only to break the silence. "I'd rather be with my family right now, too, but I'm not feeling the urge to beat somepony up," she said. It sounded a tad harsher than she really meant it to, but perhaps that was for the best. No pony should feel good about going around harming those who irritate them.

And on the topic of harm, she turned and helped the colt up off the ground. "Are you alright?"

[BlasTech]

The guardpony glanced between the two ponies, wondering what was going to happen next.

[TheAmishPirate]

The staggering vitriol this filly spouted at him laid Cork flat. Well, he was already flat from when she'd tackled him and tried to box his ears, but now he was flat physically and emotionally. Then she seemed to taste her own words and whimper out an apology, and Cork was silent. Such a turn of events was nearly enough to make him forget his own injuries. Almost. He gratefully accepted the leg up. "My nerves have taken a far greater beating than I, though my chest aches a bit," he stated shakily. True, apart from a growing bruise on his barrel where the filly had tackled him, he was unscathed. And in fact, it was likely just a bump.

Despite his grievous wounds, the colt managed to dust himself off, trot over to his fallen luggage, and then checked its contents for damage. None of the paint jars had broken, the brushes were still intact, and there was hardly a scratch on his palette. As he rummaged, he addressed the gathered ponies. "It may appear odd, even superfluous, to employ a filly to fetch an item from the same city I was traveling to. But until ten minutes ago, I would not have had even a moment to myself. And as this young lady is keen to remind us, it is a very special day, and this gift was for...a very, very special pony. And I would not stand to insult her with a belated delivery."

With a curt nod, he snapped his suitcase shut, the sound echoing through the empty terminal. "It cannot be helped now; fate has decreed we remain here for now. But really, if that made the fee so disagreeable, why did you not simply speak up? It would have been far less trouble than making such a scene." With a flick of his hoof, as if he were merely throwing out some rubbish, he tossed a bulging bag across to Soot. Bits glinted through its loosely-tied mouth; enough to nearly double her current fee. "Family cannot be bought nor replaced; I simply hope that may ease this evening's heartache," he explained, placing his suitcase on his back. "I trust that will suffice?"

[BlasTech]

"Awww that's so nice!" the guard pony beamed, enveloping both Soot and Cork into a powerful hug. "You're all friends again, and I didn't even need to give any pony a fine!!"

There was a second of stunned silence following this, before the entire room was plunged into darkness.

The guards voice was tinny in the large waiting room. "Who turned out the lights?"

[ooc: Soot can recognize this as similar to her area darkness spell, and gains a plus 4 bonus to dispel it, dc15. Everyone else has a mind based check. DC 15 to navigate out of the room by memory. Situational bonuses if you help each other out.]

[Balmas]

"Gah!" Blinded by the sudden loss of light, Dive Bomb dropped to the floor. Okay, what is this? Scanning left and right revealed nothing; even passing a hoof in front of his eyes showed no change. Alright, you can do this. Just like flying in a thunderstorm...

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No idea how to do forum dice rolls, so rolling in person. +5 mind = 18

He groped his way to where he remembered the door, and began digging in his left saddlebag. Flashbangs, no... Dynamite, not very helpful... Eventually, his lips moved over the thin stick that he sought, and the acrid tang of iron swelled on his tongue. Striking the sparkler on the floor to get a spark going, he called around it, "Ovher here!"

((Not sure whether it will light or no in the magic spell. Rather, not sure whether it will show in the magical darkness. Your call.))

[BlasTech]

The flare burst into light, casting an acrid white beam over an area ... Of about a meter. The darkness seemed to push back on the light. Preventing it from going further.

[Dive bomb and anyone who joins him, gains a +2 to his navigation check.
]

[TheAmishPirate]

An exasperated sigh came from where Cork had been standing. "Goodness me, now darkness itself conspires against us. Really, I'd ask what else might go wrong, but that would just give a thunderstorm an excuse to blow in." The guard and Soot would feel him start to move, nudging them both along as well. "Come, come, perhaps the lobby is still working properly."

Upon hearing Dive Bomb's voice, he tried to move to meet up with the pegasus.

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Mind Check: (1d20+5)[14]

But it seemed in all the scuffle, he'd gotten turned around. "Hellooooo? Mister Pegasus? Could you stop moving and tell us where you've gone to?" he called out as he wandered aimlessly through the darkness.

[Ravian]

"What the hay?" Soot muttered as the room plunges into darkness. Her horn alighted with golden energy as she searched through the magic maintaining the darkness.

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Mind 4 + 4 for familiarity = 8
(1d20+8)[25]

"There we go" Soot smiled as light begins to flood back into the lobby.

[BlasTech]

Light returned. There was a moment where everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

"Pound? Pound boy, where are you?"

"Pumkin dearie?"

The calls were coming from the earth pony couple who were peering under seats and behind their bags. There was a depressing lack of children accompanying them.

"Oh nooooooo! They've been foalnapped! Somepony call the guard!" cried the guardpony.

".... Oh wait, that's me isn't it?"

Puffing himself up, he continued, his voice dropping an octave or so into a bass rumble in the process. "Right! This 'ere is now an official investigation! For starters, you're all under arrest!"

"Now, to look for clues!!" Striding across to a nearby doorway marked for janitorial supplies, he threw it open. It slammed shut behind him.

The sound of muffled thumping could be heard for a moment, before a much less pompous voice called out.

"Uhh, can anypony let me out? .... Please?"

[ooc: posting via phone is haaard]

[One Tin Soldier]

"Oh, now what?" Grease mumbled to herself as the lights went out. As the others moved around, trying to navigate in the darkness, Grease chased down a line of thought. It seemed odd that it would be completely dark when there was daylight coming in the windows, not to mention the suddenness of the darkness. No, it had to be a spell, likely a Light Diminishing one. And if somepony was going through the trouble of blacking out the train station...

Grease tensed, preparing herself for whatever might appear out of the darkness. Just as she was about to call out a warning, however, the darkness lifted, Soot's horn glowing with light.

She surveyed the room, not immediately noticing anything out of place. That is, aside from the two missing foals. She was about to go look over her luggage when the guard decided that they were all under arrest. And then promptly got himself stuck in a closet.

She sighed, and walked over the closet in question, opening up the door. "Did you find any clues yet?" she deadpanned.

[Balmas]

Standing at the base of the doorway, Dive Bomb put out the sparkler, placing what remained in his saddlebag once more. Okay, so we're looking for a unicorn filly and a pegasus colt. Enclosed space means that whereever they went, it's out of here. He swiftly flew out the door and began scanning the station for any sign of the missing children.

((Does this call for a skill check? Probably mind or heart.))

[BlasTech]

She sighed, and walked over the closet in question, opening up the door. "Did you find any clues yet?" she deadpanned.

"Not yet!" replied the guard. "But I was able to defeat this 'ere varmint, after he ambushed me in there!"

He levitated out his trophy, a toy rubber chicken, and handed it to Grease Spot.

Standing at the base of the doorway, Dive Bomb put out the sparkler, placing what remained in his saddlebag once more. Okay, so we're looking for a unicorn filly and a pegasus colt. Enclosed space means that whereever they went, it's out of here. He swiftly flew out the door and began scanning the station for any sign of the missing children.

((Does this call for a skill check? Probably mind or heart.))

The main concourse was much as it had been earlier; cavernous and empty of life. Somewhere, the sound of a clock chiming echoed off the marble walls.

There was nopony in sight, even the ticket window appeared to now be closed. Apart from the doors to the platform, which remained locked, there were plenty of areas which might have hidden a child; Phone booths that lined one area of the walls near the entrances, a series of private waiting rooms on the far side from the public ones where Dive Bomb now sat, even a cafeteria area that looked like it would reach its peak patronage for the day as soon as anyone decided to pay it a visit.

[No skill check here, yet. Might wait till more people are searching]

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease balanced the toy on one hoof, glancing between it and the guard. She opened her mouth like she was about to say something, then it closed it firmly. Logic was wasted on some ponies. The rubber chicken flopped to the floor as she trotted over to the main part of the station.

"Hey! Uh, Dive Bomb, any sign of the foals?" she asked, scanning the area herself.

[BlasTech]

"H-Hey!" The amber coated earth pony exclaimed, as he saw the rubber chicken drop to the ground.

"That belongs to our daughter, little Pumpkin Cake!"

[Balmas]

After casting one more long look around the station, Dive Bomb folded his wings, dropping until with a flare, he halted his fall next to the mare, shaking his head. He hovered through the air, 'pacing,' after a fashion. After a few seconds of thought, he said, "No sign of them. And in a place this big, who knows which way they went?"

[One Tin Soldier]

"Yeah, if there's still here at all. Nothing for it but to look around, I suppose."
A moment later, the stallion's words in the other room registered in her mind, and she facehoofed. "Of course. Why else would a rubber chicken be in a closet?" She ran back the way she came. Maybe they weren't foalnapped after all, and they really did just run away in the dark.

[Balmas]

But if we look around, we'll lose time, and time is one thing we don't have when foals go—his head snapped around, tracking the blue mare's movements. "Did you find them?" he called as he followed. Oh, that would make life so much easier for me.

[TheAmishPirate]

Cork was at the parents' side almost immediately, offering a handkerchief to the mother and other such comforts. "Dry your eyes, we will find your foals. I swear it upon this day of Hearth's Warming!" His voice rang with the intensity and authority of somepony who was used to giving orders, and usually having others listen. "Now then, do the little ones have any other toys, names they answer to, anything notable about them that may help us find them?" Out from his suitcase, he produced a pad of paper and a pencil, and prepared to take down notes.

(Ugh, late post for me)

[One Tin Soldier]

"Maybe," Grease said as she ran back to the closet. She flung the door wide, looking for a sign of the foals.

[BlasTech]

Cork was at the parents' side almost immediately, offering a handkerchief to the mother and other such comforts. "Dry your eyes, we will find your foals. I swear it upon this day of Hearth's Warming!" His voice rang with the intensity and authority of somepony who was used to giving orders, and usually having others listen. "Now then, do the little ones have any other toys, names they answer to, anything notable about them that may help us find them?" Out from his suitcase, he produced a pad of paper and a pencil, and prepared to take down notes.

(Ugh, late post for me)

"Oh thankyou dearie." Replied the blue coated mare, taking the hankerchief in her hoof and dabbing at her eyes. "It means so much to us to have nice young colts like yourself who are good enough to help us!"

"Our two precious ones are called Pound, that's the pegasus (Thanks to my wife's great aunt second cousin twice removed)" said the husband, moving up to give the mare a reassuring hug. "and Pumpkin, the unicorn (because of my great great great great grandfather) .... But apart from that, they isn't that much that I can think of to say about them."

"Well dearie, don't forget that Pound does like to hit things." said the wife.

"Oh yes, buttercup thanks for reminding me."

"Oh, and Pumpkin has a bad habit of liking to chew on things, especially her toys" she continued.

"Yes, honeymuffin, I was just getting to that."

"Anyway, if you can find them, please be careful dearie." The mare continued, speaking directly to Cork. "They've been having these spells lately, their magic is rather unpredictable."

"Maybe," Grease said as she ran back to the closet. She flung the door wide, looking for a sign of the foals.

The cupboard was ... pretty unremarkable. A few water pails and a mop, but nothing large enough for a foal to have squeezed through, and definitely no children inside.

[Balmas]

Dive Bomb listened to the couple speak, mentally groaning when he heard the mention of "Foals" and "magic" in the same sentence. "Could that magic have done anything on this"—here, he gestured around them—"scale? Darkness, possible teleportation?"

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease pursed her lips, thinking. It wasn't surprising, exactly. The guard may have been dense, but she doubted that he would miss foals in a cupboard. But they must have been there, or else how did the rubber chicken get there?

"Hey, guard," she said to the guard, realizing that she had no idea what his name was. "What exactly happened when—" she rolled her eyes, "—the chicken attacked you?"

[BlasTech]

"Well, I was just minding my own business, looking for clues as to the perpetrator of this nefarious scheme and so on ... when that there plasticine fowl tried to jump me. It just went right for my head, but I fought it off with a crackle and a pop!"

"That's when I realised the blighter had locked the door on me, so I bravely called to you to rescue me, and then you did! Everything worked out fine in the end." He finished, with a big grin on his face.

[One Tin Soldier]

Grease looked up at the shelves that it had most likely just fallen from. "Locked the door?" she asked. "Are you sure?"