Foxside: The Temple of Inari 51

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari nods and steps back a bit from Myobu as slides both the Katana and Wakizashi into their sheathes, then draws them and executes a few swipes with both blades in unison, getting a feel for how they work together.

[Lost_Deep]

Summoning Chamber

"Hold that thought."

Caravan spins around, to face a wall, and pulls out... a cell phone.

"Maybury, listen. I need a list of places that will grow darkwood, especially anywhere with very large darkwood trees. Especially ones that might be inhabited."

Maybury, who is in charge of the local shadow plane branch of Gilded Caravan Tnr, will get that info for Caravan. That's likely to get some solid results.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

~Seriously?~ Sunder gapes. Well. Not gapes so much. Opening her mouth is kind of hard and it sort of melts closed again unless she focuses on it. But that general emotional reply is still accurate. ~Well... I mean... he could...~

She glances back at the gloomling. Her gloomling. Her first spawn. This guy is her responsibility even if he's slavishly bound to her will and whims.

~People deserve a chance to live, don't they? It go stolen from this guy, he didn't deserve any of the **** he got. He could... I don't know... He could do something, couldn't he? What about the rest of his family or whatever?~

"Those I once called kin are held by the Lady Evercraft to experiment upon. The one that was once my son was turned into one of the Lady's draugr. I am unsure of the fate of the others."

Sunder just kind of stares at the gloomling in horror.

"Please forgive me for my ignorance, mistress!"

~Uh... it's okay. Don't worry about it...~

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods

Truly, they do. But I cannot depose the baron. If deposed by someone else, I cannot guarantee his replacement will be any improvement. I cannot confront Lady Evercraft and compel her to release his family: she is no follower of ours.

You claim you destroyed him... but he is standing right here, reborn as your child. You say enslaved, but are not all children compelled one way or another to obey their parents? I see that his existence this moment is better than it has been in many years. If I restore him to life then I restore him to misery, despair, poverty, and pain. Are you so certain that you did not save him the moment you bartered your freedom to prevent him from falling to Lady Evercraft's control? Are you sure that his old flesh is what is best for him? Are you sure that is what he wants?

---

[Outside]

Raiju watches as Hikari practices, gradually understanding more of what a sword is and how it is used.

Myobu's natural curiosity gets the better of his judgement, and he quietly gestures at Raiju while mumbling in Celestial this time. Raiju yips in surprise at the sensation

What did you do to me?

Myobu smiles

I gave you a gift. I think you should practice with Hikari and learn the way of the swords: then you will best know how to help her

The little lightning fox's head tilts. Then his eyes go wide. Then he blurs and expands into the appearance of a young man.

You made me into a kitusne! WHEEEE! Gimme a sword!

Myobi smiles at Hikari

Try not to beat him up too badly on his first lesson.

---

[Summoning Chamber]

The tree in question is notorious... the problem is that Tamamo and Myobi are working on antiquated geography. They were looking 50 miles south of Inside for something that was 50 miles south of Town... The tree in question is now in Midnight Park, in southwestern Inside. When Tamamo looked for signals Inside, she only looked downtown.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

Sunder fidgets uncomfortably. She glances at Tsukiko, then back at Jacob, then to the body she had dumped on the ground. She's only been at this nightmare thing for, like, two days and she already has an undead spawn following her around trying to kiss her hooves! The pools of icy lichlight in her eyes wink out as she lets out a deep breath through her nose.

Not that she really needs to breath right now.

~Do you want to be alive again, Jacob?~

"Whatever your desire is, mistre-"

~NO!~ the nightmare snarls back, spreading her wings as she suddenly seems that much taller and more imperious. The gloomling cowers at her fearsome glory. ~I don't want you bucking telling me what I want. I want to know what YOU want.~

The gloomling swirls a bit, little more than a thin shade given the present daylight. "Mistress, I have been treated cruelly for many years. Those who were once my family are dead or undead under the will of Lady Evercraft. But you desire to know my desire. You are truly the most merciful, most gracious, most magnificent, most compassionate-"

Sunder waves her wing in a 'get on with it' sort of way.

"I could not ask for a better sire to lead me, mistress."

~What... what about just... like... dead. Dead dead. You would get to see your dead family again, or whatever.~

"No, mistress. You are my family now and I exist to serve you."

Sunder gives Tsukiko a pleading 'what do I do?' look.

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari gasps and blushes at the specific form Raiju takes, falling to her knees as she says, "I-I just...Can't do it...Not...Not like this..." and tears begin rolling down her cheeks. See, the problem is that Raiju just happened to have a human form extremely similar to Matt...And that was enough to cause her to break out crying, knowing she could never go back to him.

[Fenric]

[Outside]

Raiju blinks and changes back to a lightning fox

Hikari? Did I do something wrong?

Myobu looks concerned and sympathetic

Whatever is the matter, Hikari? I thought a sparring partner would be a good thing...

---

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods

Tossing magic around in an attempt to make problems go away often merely shifts the problem elsewhere. Now, Sunder, you must choose your path. We can send Jacob to the shadow plane, where we have a temple where he can be stabled and cared for. The shadows are rather more civilized than the gloom, and you could visit him there.
Or ... there is a shadow mystery called Shadow Investiture that adapts a physical person to exist as if a native on the shadow plane. As is the case with most such things it can be adapted to other situations, and Material Investiture is the mystery that we use ourselves - it is not the same as your unusual case, but will allow him to remain and interact safely with the people here.

Tsukiko takes a deep breath, knowing that was almost certainly beyond Sunder's INT check.

We can send him away to the shadows, or adapt him to life here so he doesn't eat people. He won't be alive like you, but close enough

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari shakes her head and says, "Y-Yeah...I'll be fine...H-H-He...He looks like Matt...And I couldn't deal with it..." She shakily gets to her feet and says, "I'm okay. It was just a shock."

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

~Umm...~ Sunder grunts as she glances over at the gloomling.

"I desire to stay by your side and serve you, mistress," Jacob replies.

~Okay, that second one then. Are you sure that'll make it so he doesn't have to eat people?~ she asks. Some part of her mind has a vague understanding of how the process works. Nightshades can drain living things to create gloomlings under their control. Or they can use their death curse to create a new, free willed nightshade. Both gloomlings and nightshades can reproduce in like fashion. And Sunder doesn't want Jacob making swarms of new gloomlings while she isn't looking. ~Because the not eating people part is important.~

Very very important.

She might be able to hide one gloomling.

But dozens of them? That's a lot harder.

[Atreyu the Masked LLama]

[Arboretum]

A fuzzy head peeks around the corner Also, not eating the llamas is important, too the randomly appearing beast of burden says before ducking back around the corner and going back to whatever it is he was doing, probably keeping the grass trim and the alfalfa under control.

[Fenric]

[Outside]

Raiju blinks cutely

Sorry... my form was based on your expectations... I don't have a lot else to go by.

Myobu pats Hikari on the back

There, there.

---

[Arboretum]

Hey Atreyu!

Tsukiko chuckles

Just, perhaps, don't take him to Lady Evercraft's tower. There aren't so many people around here who can casually undo something I have done, but she may very well be one of them.

And with that, she concentrates on her magic: a shadow mystery that alters and changes the very being, making it suitable for the plane it is currently on... and Jacob should rather abruptly find himself a black-eyed, dark gray earth pony, probably blank-flanked, and hungry for more usual pony stuff... candy, doughnuts, and that sort of thing.

He will not be able to control it... perhaps ever. But you can, through the same mechanism you change yourself. But for him, it is merely turning the power on and off. While I am powerful, this effect can most certainly be dispelled: so take care.

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari nods and says, "It's fine." She then draws her blades, smiles weakly and says, "Well, we were going to spar, weren't we?"

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

~And no eating the llamas, too,~ Sunder agrees. Glad everyone is settled on that particular point. ~And don't take him with me when I visit Lady Evercraft. Got it.~

And then?

Shadow mysteries happen.

The result is...

Surprising.

"Mistress? Why am I a pony?" Jacob asks as he lifts one of his forelegs to peer at his hoof, very possibly because he needs to make sure that he is, in fact, a pony. He pounds his hoof on the ground a few times and it makes a solid clopping noise. Yep. Totally a pony.

~That... Is an excellent question,~ Sunder replies before turning to Tsukiko. ~Why is he a pony? He was a human when he was alive.~

[Lost_Deep]

[Summoning Chamber]

The tree in question is notorious... the problem is that Tamamo and Myobi are working on antiquated geography. They were looking 50 miles south of Inside for something that was 50 miles south of Town... The tree in question is now in Midnight Park, in southwestern Inside. When Tamamo looked for signals Inside, she only looked downtown.

Caravan whirls back around. "Found it! It is in inside, here. Almost on the other side of town, but still in the city. Not too far. The issue is, if we leave for it, will DART attack the temple? For that manner, will they do so anyway?"

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko smiles

Sympathetic resonance: Just as Sunder's nightmare form drove your gloomy shape, so her pony form drove your material shape.

er...

You're a pony because your mother is too. Go to sleep, gloomy Sunder: you son would like to meet your other half.

And that's "sympathetic", not "clone stamp tool", so he's not a Pegasus.

---

[Outside]

Raiju is back to human shape in a flash with a bounce and a grin

Yeah! Let's go!

Myobu hands Raiju a pair of rather metallic looking swords

These have a bluntness enchantment so you cannot accidentally cut Hikari. There's no need to alter her blades as you cannot be harmed with your own home sword. In general, you cannot be harmed with non-magical weapons of any variety.

Got it!

---

[Summoning Chamber]

Tamamo looks thoughtful, then looks appraisingly at Caroline

Uh oh... does that look mean what I think it does?

We'll just have to make sure they follow you instead.

There is a brief flash, and Caroline is changed into a human who is identical in every way to the avatar currently in the Caravan Building, even her dress.

Yeah... Human again...

Tamamo smirks

Now: you send whatever folks you have surrounding the Temple out just a trifle early so the DART spies get a chance to see Caroline get back into your limo and head out. We've already proven that attacking us can get expensive fast, so they won't bother attacking the Temple if there's nothing worthwhile to attack.

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari nods and says, "Alright. Nice to know I can't hurt him," as she drops into a defensive stance, allowing Raiju to make the first move.

[Lost_Deep]

Summoning Chamber

Caravan nods. "Where should I take her? My location? Or do you have a safehouse somewhere? Details are important."

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

~Go to...~ Sunder mutters as the gloom bleeds out of her, causing her to diminish as it goes. She must have lost at least a foot of height, her wing span has shortened to those impossibly stubby wings pegasi have, and her imperious presence is all but gone. The now normal flesh and blood pony gives her head a shake. "Geeze that still feels weird," she says as she forces her eyes open. Interestingly enough, the scar on her wing from her last visit is gone. She's all living meat again.

"You appear just as glorious as ever, mistress," the dark-colored pony says.

Sunder gives him a look. "Please lay off the groveling. It's creepy."

"Of course, mistress, whatever you desire."

Sunder sighs.

This is going to be obnoxious. But she's worried about just freeing her spawn. Would that make him go all gloomy again? Would he start eating people? A plague of gloomlings isn't something Sunder wants on her conscience.

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko looks at Sunder

Interesting... you are recovered once again.

As fate would have it we may have need of your talents, Miss Sunder. We have a... situation, or sorts, that will require someone who can deal with a rather unpleasant environment. Have you heard of the Midnight Park?

---

[Outside]

Raiju attacks like someone who has been watching too much anime.

YIIIIIII!

---

[Summoning Chamber?]

Tamamo nods

Would you mind a trip to the mountains? I hear they're lovely this time of year. I think Caroline should go visit her dear friends Rick and Verise Hawkin.

Realization dawns on Caroline

Oooooooh! The werefox's home base.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

"Yeah, when Elestra yanked out my living half and twiddled with it she was able to separate out the undead bits from the living bits," Sunder replies with a nod. "That's what balanced me out last time, too. I think she's looking for some way to make it so I'm in e... uhh... eek... so I'm both alive and undead at once all the time. Without one side eating up the other, or whatever."

Equilibrium is the word you're looking for, Sunder.

And then questions!

"Midnight Park? The place with all the spooky trees and stuff?" she replies, her ears perking up a bit. "Yeah, I know about it. Haven't really spent much time there, though. Usually set my eyes on bigger prizes. If you fox-folks need me to go crack some skulls or whatever, then sure. I owe you for helping me out."

Oh boy!

Solving problems with violence!

This is something Sunder is good at.

[Lost_Deep]

Summoning Chamber

Caravan smiles and nods. "I'll give the word."

[Fenric]

[Summoning Chamber]

Tamamo nods

Good luck.

---

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods

It is a small remnant of what was once a vast and dreadful forest, long since swallowed up in the expanding sprawl of Inside and converted to a park for the enjoyment of those less well suited to daylight. You may find it pleasant these days, actually.

Deep in the heart of the park is a huge and ancient darkwood tree. It has proven indestructible over the years: healing itself as often as it has been broken. It has seen terrible things and been used as a cover for many dreadful activities. A vile cult has attacked us and kidnapped the soul of someone very important. Our efforts to locate their captors have identified this tree as one of two possible locations where they may be hiding. The other is near the seashore and can be dealt with far more... directly.

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

Sunder gives a curt nod.

"Right. So you want me to go to the park, buck some teeth in, and rescue your buddy. Got it."

This seems fairly straight forward to her.

"Do you want my to smash the tree while I'm there? The spooky darkwood one? Because my talent is breaking things. Even things that can't be broken. Especially things that can't be broken."

She shattered an illithid's mind blast once.

That was pretty neat to see.

"And what about... uuh..." she glances at her spawn, who is busy eating some of the nearby greenery. "You're probably going to need an Equestrian name, aren't you? Since you aren't really that other guy anymore."

The gloomy pony finishes chewing up his mouthful of roughage and replies, "If that is your desire, mistress. Being named by you would bring me great pleasure."

Well.

Now Sunder needs to come up with a name...

[Ionbound]

[Outside]

Hikari parries the swing and counters it with an upwards swing, aimed at Raiju's hands, trying to disarm him.

[Where Frederick Is]

Helen is here, looking for Frederick so he can take her to the Shadow Temple.

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

It's a dwarf hawthorn, actually...

Tsukiko shakes her head

It is not the tree's fault that it has been used improperly... I would rather you find a way to discourage such use without destroying it, if you can. The wretches currently occupying it, on the other hand, get no such consideration from me.

then she tilts her head

You're right, he does need a name. And he may be helpful, once you are there. I rather doubt he would willingly be left out of the fun, regardless.

---

[Outside]

Raiju squawks as the sword is struck from his hands, which he proceeds to flap up and down in comical fashion

Ow! Ow! Ow! Hey! You said it wouldn't hurt!

Myobu chuckles

I said you could not be harmed, I did not say you would not experience any discomfort.

[Bathing Area]

Frederick is half-asleep sunning himself in the grass beside the bath-house, waiting for his long fluffy tail to dry. He seems quite content.

[Ionbound]

[Bathing Area]

Helen pads up next to Frederick as quietly as she can and then lies down next to him and snuggles him as she says, "So...When are you going to take me to the Shadow Temple?"

[Outside]

Hikari laughs as well and says, "Next time don't use a move out of the TV." She then bows to Myobu and says, "Thank you so much, sir. I'll treasure these for as long as I live."

[Rebonack]

[Arboretum]

"Yeah, well, you know what they say. When the only tool you've got is a hammer you smash the **** outta stuff."

Sunder.

That isn't how the saying goes.

Then?

She considers her spawn.

"Well... I dunno... I'm no good naming stuff. Uhh... Shaded Spring?" she offers uncertainly.

"Shaded Spring is an impeachable name, mistress. I shall take it gladly," Shaded replies, holding his head a little higher. "And I will help you destroy your enemies wherever they might be!"

"Tidy. Sounds like Shaded wants to tag along. Is this something that's gotta be done right now? I have a friend who was going to meet me here," Sunder says. "Like... is this quest time sensitive, or whatever?"

[Fenric]

[Arboretum]

Tsukiko nods

Indeed, and it is that I am counting on: there are people quite in need of smashing.

And it is fine: a short delay would perhaps be best to ensure that our distraction works properly.

---

[Outside]

Raiju pouts, though it is more silly than serious, and then he jumps back into Hikari's blade

Myobu smiles

You are most welcome, Hikari: I wish you the best of fortune with them.

His ear swivels

And I do believe I hear Sunder out front.

[Bathing Area]

Frederick rolls over and snuggles Helen in return

Whenever you're ready: it wasn't a difficult spell to begin with, and now it will be nearly trivial.

[Ionbound]

[Outside -> Entrance]

Hikari nods and says, "I'll do my best to live up to their power. Thank you for telling me about Sunder, too...I'm worried about her. Farewell for now, though." With that, she turns and runs off to the entrance, looking for Sunder.

[Bathing Area]

Helen smiles and says, "Well, I'll let you dry off first. After that, maybe?" as she cuddles closer to Frederick.

[Lost_Deep]

Entrance
(Some other time, maybe?)

Punch walks up and in, looking around for Sunder. She'll politely ask someone if they know where the pony is if she doesn't find Sunder right off the bat.