Adventures in Equestria IC.

[Mystic Muse]

The librarian just sighs. The unicorn then floats a book over to the group.

"Read up. Come back tomorrow. If nothing else, maybe you can help me cover the town in accellerants."

The book is titled simply

"The Dreadnought."

[Deme]

Foxglove, embaressed at having blurted out whatever crisis had come to mind, simply nodded. It was a step, and steps were important for transportation when you cannot fly.

"We'll be back..."

She muttered, taking the book with her own magic for easier carrying. She nickered at Tweedle, who was licking butter off of himself until he heard her. He followed after her, sheepishly.

[Benson]

Gear found herself frowning a little at the turn of events, things sure escalated quickly brah. But hey....a totally perfect opportunity to help folks out.

As the trio walked out of the library she took one glance over her shoulder at our dear librarian-mayor and shook her head to herself.
--

"Do you mind if I take a quick look at the book Foxglove?" She asked the unicorn trotting up to keep with her pace.

[Deme]

"You can see it just fine from here..."

She answered, without at all realizing what Gear meant. However, she still hovered it down and opened.

"It'd really be better to read it."

[Lycan 01]

Lucky tips his hat to the mayor, offering a meek smile, before taking his leave.

Outside, he trots after the other mares. When Foxglove sets down the book, he hops up and hovers in the air, reading it over her shoulder. "Lessee what we're dealin' with.."

[Mystic Muse]

"Would you mind if I got a look as well? The title sounds...familoar. Like an old story my parents used to tell. And if the town is in danger because of it, whether Unity likes it or not, I deserve to know about it. Celestia says.

[Deme]

Foxglove lets her read it, too. And when they're done learning what's inside, Foxglove tilts her head back and forth for a bit, as if sloshing the information around inside her brain.

"...It's like luck," she said. "Or something like that... Maybe."

[Lycan 01]

Lucky raises an eyebrow. And keeps it raised. "A lot of this don't add up. Especially the coordinates. I'm no cartographer, but I've been around in the wilderness enough to know how to figure out where stuff is. And these numbers? Preeeeeetty sure that's not right..." he frowns in concern.

[Deme]

She nods.
"That's, um, thats what I meant... It's like luck. You don't think dropping a glass is because you're cursed -- you don't think it's important at all -- unless you've broken a mirror. You only think about the ever-looming possibility of a giant meteorite crushing the world one day if you're already worried about how the world will end."

She explained as best she could -- though not that well. She started thinking about different things to do about that -- the idea of asking for information didn't quite work for her.

"Hmmm... What if I tried to find some comforting things? Like giant bears. Or cocoa."

[Mystic Muse]

"Well, it's possibly something relatively mundane that she's blown out of proportion...I've had to deal with that a few times, though there's usually some other thing causing it. I have some theories, but nothing solid..." she says, gazing off slightly, thinking about something.

"...I think cocoa is more likely to be of help here." she says with a giggle. "Most ponies aren't comforted by giant bears....or baby hydras..." she says, looking over the group.

"...Come to think of it, what exactly are you three doing together?" she asks the party. "Five if you count the baby hydra, and your Fox friend." she says, waving to Tweedle and Foxglove the fox to make sure they know she isn't excluding them.

[Benson]

"Oh you know, tackling on an adventurous life, exploring Equestria, seeing what she has to offer, rescuing damsels," Gearstride casually glanced at Lucky and smirked. "Adventuring and all it entails, and trying to provide help where it is needed, like here, this situation even if it is not really wanted. Your majesty." She finished with a small bow.

[Lycan 01]

Lucky just grins sheepishly, before removing his hat and bowing respectfully. "Beggin' yer pardon, yer Highness. Where are my manners. Name's Lucky Break, son of the late Captain Rough Break. The Guard Academy didn't work out for me, so I've been wanderin' Equestria doin' odd jobs, mostly of the bounty hunting sort. I was kinda mistaken for an assassin by the Mayor... Mayors... whatever," he grins sheepishly. "And, well, you saw how that turned out."

[Deme]

Foxglove paused and considered this, but didn't quite understand why bears might not be comforting. They're so fluffy. Still, it might be hard to find them.

As to who they are and why they're together...Well, Lucky wasn't really with them, per se, but...
"Oh, that's right! Gearstride and Foxglove and Tweedle and I were going to Canterlot to see you. At some point."

She considered all the things that have happened, and she's not really sure if she still needs to tell the princess that, but decides to go for it,
"We got a little delayed by making temples and helping hairdressers and reading diaries and helping families reunite, but I think we should still tell you..." She took a deep breath. "There's a hole in the world where the magic's been destroyed -- the first of many -- and we're looking for the first shrine of death to help the lady who's doing that."

Foxglove the fox shook his head and yipped sharply.

"I'm sorry. Foxglove said... That I should add 'help her so she won't do that.' Like the mayor. Sorry if that wasn't clear"

[Mystic Muse]

"Oh you know, tackling on an adventurous life, exploring Equestria, seeing what she has to offer, rescuing damsels," Gearstride casually glanced at Lucky and smirked. "Adventuring and all it entails, and trying to provide help where it is needed, like here, this situation even if it is not really wanted. Your majesty." She finished with a small bow.

"Ah, very well, that's quite a noble goal." She says simply.

Lucky just grins sheepishly, before removing his hat and bowing respectfully. "Beggin' yer pardon, yer Highness. Where are my manners. Name's Lucky Break, son of the late Captain Rough Break. The Guard Academy didn't work out for me, so I've been wanderin' Equestria doin' odd jobs, mostly of the bounty hunting sort. I was kinda mistaken for an assassin by the Mayor... Mayors... whatever," he grins sheepishly. "And, well, you saw how that turned out."

"Mayor. She has an exceptionally rare condition where one mind is essentially spread acoss multiple bodies. I'm not surprised she thought you were an assassin. She's the second most paranoid mare I've ever met." she says. "I'm sorry the royal guard didn't work out for you, but hope your new line of work is what you wanted."

Foxglove paused and considered this, but didn't quite understand why bears might not be comforting. They're so fluffy. Still, it might be hard to find them.

As to who they are and why they're together...Well, Lucky wasn't really with them, per se, but...
"Oh, that's right! Gearstride and Foxglove and Tweedle and I were going to Canterlot to see you. At some point."

She considered all the things that have happened, and she's not really sure if she still needs to tell the princess that, but decides to go for it,
"We got a little delayed by making temples and helping hairdressers and reading diaries and helping families reunite, but I think we should still tell you..." She took a deep breath. "There's a hole in the world where the magic's been destroyed -- the first of many -- and we're looking for the first shrine of death to help the lady who's doing that."

Foxglove the fox shook his head and yipped sharply.

"I'm sorry. Foxglove said... That I should add 'help her so she won't do that.' Like the mayor. Sorry if that wasn't clear"

And this is where Celestia's expression changes and she looks legitimately worried. "You three are not, under any circumstances, to try and find Death's first shrine. Unless the world is going to end, nothing is worth that." She says.

[Lycan 01]

Lucky raises an eyebrow, and looks up in thought. "Uh..." After a moment, he furrows his brow, and gives Celestia a quizzical look. "Far be it from me to argue a Princess, but wouldn't holes in the world be kinda... en route to world ending? I mean magic's a kinda important thing. Spells, pegasus flight, certain critters bein' alive, you and Her Majesty Luna throwin' the heavenly bodies around..."

He turns his quizzical gaze to Foxglove and Gearstride. "I mean, how big of a hole are we talkin'? Like, twenty paces wide, the size of this town, or... not really worth worryin' about at all?"

[Mystic Muse]

"...Look. There's only so much I'm allowed to say about this, but there has to be another way. No one should have to deal with that. If there is any other way at all you can think of, take that path instead." Celestia says, practically pleading to the group. "If there's no other way...I won't stop you, but I did warn you. No one should ever go that far into the Ev-" She cuts herself off before spilling something she's not allowed to. "...Sorry. I tried to find it once. I know where it is, but had to promise not to tell anyone...and I'm reasonably certain Death could by definition strike me down on the spot for breaking said promise." She says to the group.

"As for magic being gone...it would be awful, but the world could function without it. Luna and I long ago set things in motion for things to keep running in case something like that ever happened. There just...there has to be another way." Celestia says.

[Deme]

Foxglove tilted her head, and stared up at the princess with big, emotionless eyes.

"Are you telling us to find another way because it'd be hard on us, or because it'd have bad consequences for others?"

She said it in a small, clear voice, with a certain focus and gravity she usually lacked. It sounded like... well, she was taking this seriously, sure... But she was also weighing things very seriously. She'd made a Promise.

[Mystic Muse]

"...Potentially both. You might all die, I doubt you can get to it in the first place, and going that deep in might...aggravate things." She says. "...I doubt Death means any malice. However, I can't think of any way this can turn out well. I can't imagine any of you actually getting there...is there no other way?" She asks.

She clearly just wants them to be safe, but makes it clear it's their decision.

[Deme]

"Really, she did like my windows... But she could have just been soothing me..."

She thought back on that; if anything, her literal brush with death made death...Even less scary than it already was to Foxglove, and to be honest, she'd never quite worked out how to be afraid of death anyway.

Of course, there were other options, weren't there? Mostly unacceptable, but wait -- what was and what wasn't a part of which stage of the process exactly? Her head turned away, following clouds with her eyes.
"Do you know anything about gods?"

She burst out suddenly.

[Benson]

"Why exactly not should we try not to find Death's shrine?" Gearstride gave a quizzical tilt of her head and looked up at the princess queen with a furrowed brow.

[Mystic Muse]

"Why exactly not should we try not to find Death's shrine?" Gearstride gave a quizzical tilt of her head and looked up at the princess queen with a furrowed brow.

"It's very very dangerous, and I feel, as ruler of the realm, I'm basically obligated to advise ponies against taking a course of action that could very well kill them." She says.

In all fairness, they haven't told Celestia that Death herself told them to find the shrine, as that's a fairly relevant modifier.

"Really, she did like my windows... But she could have just been soothing me..."

She thought back on that; if anything, her literal brush with death made death...Even less scary than it already was to Foxglove, and to be honest, she'd never quite worked out how to be afraid of death anyway.

Of course, there were other options, weren't there? Mostly unacceptable, but wait -- what was and what wasn't a part of which stage of the process exactly? Her head turned away, following clouds with her eyes.
"Do you know anything about gods?"

She burst out suddenly.

"...A few old stories. And the first most paranoid mare I've ever met claims to be one and to know the only way to become one. There are old books with about three dozen different theories of course, all of which contradict one another. Assuming that's even possible in the first place. Sorry, but I can't really help there..."

"Where I can help is helping out this mare. Or at least, trying. I think we should ask around town about her a bit...I have a feeling I know what's going on, but don't want to presume anything." She says.

[Lycan 01]

"Eh, I have a knack for not dying..." Lucky mutters a bit furtively. A wing dips down to the hem of his shirt, and he pulls it up to reveal a patchwork quilt of scars across his torso. Many of which look like claw marks. He lowers his shirt back down, and gives a small cough. "So if anypony is gonna be sent to look for a place like that, I may be one of the best choice," he murmurs humbly.

At the mention of gods, though, he quirks a brow. "Deities an' such? Well my first galfriend was a griffon, and she babbled a bit about some git named Icarus a few times. Old griffon god, or something like that, according to their folklore. Beyond that, I know there are some folks that sometimes deify the Princesses..." he says, before giving a sidelong glance at Celestia. "Particularly among the ranks of the Royal Guards, though fanaticism among its numbers is kinda to be expected. But the status of the Princesses as actual deities has been officially denied, and such discussion is downplayed or outright discouraged among the Guard, generally."

He gives the Princesses a knowing, somewhat playful smile. "Rather humble pair of sisters, they are..."

[Mystic Muse]

"We know for a fact we aren't gods, just very long-lived mortals. While we don't know what's required to become gods, we know we aren't them. It's just-"

She gets cut off by a bat flying around, screeching, with a message attached to its leg.

"...Really? another letter from her?" she asks the bat with a sigh, as it decides to alight on her horn. The bat nods, as Celestia takes the message and reads it. She rolls her eyes and crumples it up after finishing.

"Just ignore that. Anyway, as I was saying, we aren't deities. We haven't done any of the things that are allegedly required to become them, because all the options are either tremendously horrendous things to do, or would result in us dying." She says. She then looks at the bat.

"She wants a response, doesn't she." she asks. The bat nods again.

Celestia sighs and begins writing out a letter.

[Deme]

"Oh, a messenger bat!"
Foxglove perked up a bit from all this kind of boring talk of horrible pain that wasn't happening.

"Relative to other species, bats have few homing instincts, so their use of messengers is very rare!... He must have had to sit under a waterfall, or things like that."

[Mystic Muse]

The bat flies over to Foxglove and gives her its best impression of a hug.

[Benson]

"That is a little barfingly cute heh," Gear commented with a smile. "Anyways, so about this issue with the town and a bad naughty monster creature..........I will need a lot more butter." In her head there was a lock 'n load montage.

[Deme]

Foxglove wraps a little leg around the bat, protectively.

"You here to tell the princess a message and also maybe prevent the destruction of a town via preventing the destruction of a populace, little fella?"

She asked, much more interested in the bat than in the letter.

[Mystic Muse]

Spoiler: For Foxglove, since she's the only one who understands animals

Show

"Just to deliver a message. My master likes messing with Celestia a bit too much for her own good. I don't know anything about town disasters."

The little bat says, in animal language.

[Deme]

"Well, I'm sure one day, you will." She said in an encouraging tone...Which actually, to an animal, would probably make that encouraging. It really was all in the feeling of how you said it. She liked that.

"Hey, Mr. Bat, when you need to calm someone down, what do you do?"

She'd been mulling this over, since she probably wouldn't be much help in asking townsponies.

[Mystic Muse]

Spoiler: For Foxglove

Show

"well, if they're a friend, I dp my best to be there fpr them and comfort them. If not, it depends pn how badly they need calmed down."

the bat says.