Snowfall: Equestria - A Snow Day in the Winterland [IC]

[TheAmishPirate]

There's something that the enhanced senses can pick up in Charger's mind, concealed well behind layers of focus and discipline. Deep in the heart of her mind is a swirling vortex of nihilism. She thinks it's too late, that the world is already over, that she may as well squeeze whatever she can get out of this dessicated carcass before it dies too. She thinks your attempt to do otherwise is a sad joke, a delusionary cult wasting Equestria's last days.

It's not as simple as sharing hope; she's not in emotional turmoil. She needs concrete, real proof that it's possible.

Charger's mind was a hopeless, despairing wasteland, where all life was spent sucking down brackish water from shallow wells, and Eclipse couldn't provide the cure she needed. And yet, relief flooded her soul, because at least there was a cure. She could still save her, and all her followers too.

It's a strange thing, hope. Somehow, it can still be found even in the blackest news.

[Deadly]

"Thank you."

Charger tossed her mane and went inside. She could feel the crackle of energy in the air, in her hooves, an energy that went to what she was rather than what body she wore. This had not been the first time she'd worn a different shape.

She stepped up onto a crate and looked over the following. This was it, finally. She was here and they were hers. She swept her gaze across them, looking at the faces, remembering the names, looking at all her little ponies. What was the mood in the room? What were they like?

Everypony was there, with the notable exception of Phrase and Fable. Two missing, exactly as Wide Eye had promised. The mood was embarrassed, mostly because ... well, they were all tied up all neat and orderly, the unicorns with magic suppressors. They all looked unharmed, aside from their pride.

This was uncanny, though. Your followers were all exceptional individuals, and all but two had been caught seemingly without a fight, or not much of one. Phrase and Fable were going to be so smug, to have evaded what the others had not.

But it raised the question of how. It was no small feat.

Snow Eyes was moving down, fast. She had both her guns out and the time for subtlety had long since passed. She started with light covering fire. Whatever was after Angel or anywhere near her, be it heads, hands, or any other scaly dragon body part was getting a load of charged energy gems to the face.

[roll to aid Angel's escape with covering fire. [roll0]

Then, it was pointed right at the gaping maw directing the claw that was about to grab her, and she unloaded the full power of her gem blaster at it. Crystal energy shards shot out from her gun, aimed for the eyes and the vulnerable mouth. Some part of her figured this was a dream, but symbols of death had as much power as real guns in a place like that and she was quite certain, before the claw closed over her, that if she went down, she was taking this thing along for the ride.

This was a battle and Snow Eyes was fully engaged.
[Many dice.]
Seize by Force on the creature. I intend to seize the opportunity to break free. [roll1]
-I take definite hold of it
-I impress, dismay, or frighten the enemy

The dragon let go of Angel, losing all interest in the pegasus amidst all the shooting.

It tried to grab you with its claws, but you slipped through its fingers and grabbed ahold of its scales while firing into its gaping maw. Scales and teeth were blasted off, and sprays of red blood spattered the sky and the snow. The four heads roared and pulled back as it tried to shake you off. You hold on tight, but the scales are sharp and jagged and tear at you as you're shaken and battered around.

[4 harm + 1 merciless - 2 armor = 3 harm to dragon head.]

Your shots don't stop it, and you suspect it can live without a few heads, but it is definitely frightened and no longer happy to fight you. It will still defend itself.

[You take 2 harm before armor. Roll+harm, please]

*

Angel, you're free and the dragon is paying you no attention. Unfortunately, the way it's flailing around and roaring in fright, you can't get close enough to Snow Eyes. You may have to tell her to let go and hope you can catch her when she falls. Or just hope she can hold on and not get hurt.

And lastly, a Weird roll, for seeing death. [roll2]
This dragon, whatever it is. It's going to die. I don't know if Snow Eyes will kill it or not. But I know it's dead.

It was already happening. This thing was dying even as it fought to live. A poison most vile was coursing through its veins, tearing it up from the inside. Its death would be slow and agonizing, unless you put it out of its misery first, and it would take everything down with it.

This was bad. Really, really bad.

Sure, it looked like a five-headed dragon, but it was more than that.

It was Windbreak.

And it was going to die.

[Elanorin]

Angel, you're free and the dragon is paying you no attention. Unfortunately, the way it's flailing around and roaring in fright, you can't get close enough to Snow Eyes. You may have to tell her to let go and hope you can catch her when she falls. Or just hope she can hold on and not get hurt.

Angel fell, hurtling towards the ground so fast that she was halfway to a snowy death before she regained her wits and with powerful beats of her wings quickly went soaring back up in the sky.

She tried to get to Snow Eyes but narrowly escaped crushing blow after blow from the flailing dragon and she had to back away. She hovered in the air just out of reach for a second as she thought. Watching Snow Eyes hold on for dear life she felt it was only a matter of time before she fell. Decided, Angel dove once more.

"I can't reach you, Snow Eyes! You have to jump!" She shouted, at the top of her voice.

Regardless of whether Snow Eyes jumped or not she remained ready to dash to catch her, in case she fell.

[Thanqol]

Everypony was there, with the notable exception of Phrase and Fable. Two missing, exactly as Wide Eye had promised. The mood was embarrassed, mostly because ... well, they were all tied up all neat and orderly, the unicorns with magic suppressors. They all looked unharmed, aside from their pride.

This was uncanny, though. Your followers were all exceptional individuals, and all but two had been caught seemingly without a fight, or not much of one. Phrase and Fable were going to be so smug, to have evaded what the others had not.

But it raised the question of how. It was no small feat.

Charger knew exactly what had happened here. Phrase and Fable had sold the others on an elaborate scheme to pretend to get captured. This would lead the evil Eclipse to bring her prisoner out in the open, and then they'd swing in dramatically and turn the tables. Obviously - it was exactly their style and the only way all of these ponies could have been captured cleanly.

She appreciated the gesture. Unnecessary though. She had everything she needed right here.

She stepped up, swayed slightly, opened her mouth, and sang. Soft and low, using her own hoofbeats as the backing. A sad song. One from the heart.

"You look like... a perfect fit,
For a girl in need... of a tourniquet.
But can you save me?
Come on and save me...
If you could save me,
From the ranks of the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone."

Her voice was unmistakable as Charger's, even as Eclipse was giving it. Her voice was more than the muscles in her throat. Her voice was her soul, it was who and what she was, even aside from her body.

The room was spellbound.

"'Cause I can tell... you know what it's like.
A long farewell... of the hunger strike.
But can you save me?
Come on and save me...
If you could save me,
From the ranks of the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone."

It was a honest request. Something that had weighed on her mind for so very long. So many love songs in the air, so many stolen hearts and stolen kisses. So much ink spilled and breath wasted on the topic and all she could do was close her eyes and pretend her heart was beating faster.

"It struck me down, a gradient
Like Snow Eyes, or Celestia,
You will come... to save me.
Come on and save me...
If you could save me,
From the ranks of the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone,
Except the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone,
But the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone."

She knew that love existed. She knew that all the ponies in this room loved her. She knew that any pony she wanted, any pony she chose, any pony she met or imagined could be bent to her will. She could sing and the tide would come. Anything with or without a heart could be commanded, because love was the most powerful force of all. And she could command it to come anywhere but into her own heart.

So without a heart, she prayed for something to break down her walls and offer something to fill the nothingness inside of her. It wasn't a matter of letting anypony in, she'd tried and tried, told all her secrets and confessed all her sins. She had never needed it, though. Never needed their approval or praise or even that oh-so-powerful love they were so desperate to give her.

It was there for her to use, though. The most powerful force in reality, paint for her brush. And devoid of love all she could use it for was what she wanted in that moment.

"Come on and save me...
Why don't you save me?
If you could save me,
From the ranks of the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone,
Except the freaks,
Who suspect they could never love anyone,"

A crystal tear dripped from her body, Flycatcher's eye. She noted that she was physically capable of tears. Magic swirled around that tear, drawing the possessing pony out of her body, wrapping her up in the crystal tear, trapping her in that shining bead of glass. Trapping her as totally and completely as a pony named Flycatcher might imagine. And, using her as bait, it spread out, notes of music drawing the hundreds of ethereal paranoia-spiders out, freezing them in place, locking them into the crystal too, leaving the town free from their influence.

And as easily as that she let Eclipse's body tumble to the floor and slipped back into her own body in a flash of deep red light.

"Except the freaks who could never love anyone," finished Charger, scooping the gem up in her hooves, wiping tears that weren't hers from her eyes.

Augury: 9+1 : 10
• Isolate and contain a fragment of the world’s psychic maelstrom itself.
• It’ll persist (for a while) without your actively maintaining it.
• It reaches broadly throughout the world’s psychic maelstrom.

Artful and Gracious: 8+2: 10
Flycatcher loves me.
Sweetie Bot loves me.
Wide Eye loves me.

[Anarion]

Snow Eyes didn't need much ground to be off and running. And here, there were dragon heads, hands, claws, and tails aplenty. She was already galloping along an entwined neck. It was easier now that the creature wasn't trying to kill her, especially since she was running away from its center, not towards it. She wondered idly if there would be an avalanche of some kind near where she'd shot the head. That was how these sorts of dreams worked, right?

Quick leap onto a neighboring coil. She didn't know where the Pegasi who had been carrying her had gone. Dropping her wasn't supposed to be part of the deal. But she could hear Jade and she trusted her, so that was where she ran. Windbreak was dead. One of the last great bastions against the winter. It chilled her heart to think it, but she knew with all the certainty that she had always known. The question now was what to do about it. They could run. They wouldn't though. Charger wouldn't put up with life on the road, Eclipse would spout some nonsense about fighting to the last and then keel over and die, and Snow Eyes wasn't sure that Jade was up to such a trip.

Snow Eyes always thought well while she was running. It gave her focus. She kicked up with her front legs and pushed forward with the hind ones, launching her body in an upward curving arc. She'd hit a point on the scales where there was clear air between her and Jade, and this was as good a spot to jump as any. She tried to channel some magic into the leap too, a spell like down feathers to give herself extra distance and slow her descent. Plus, this was all a dream anyway, so if she figured it would work it probably would. So if they couldn't run and they couldn't stop the city from dying...they'd have to replace it. Burn off the corpse and build something newer and stronger. Maybe there was something that could be salvaged, a way to at least make sure that the poisoner was taken care of so that whatever took up residence atop the dead dragon's corpse would be safe. That seemed like a good plan to her.

She hoped Jade would catch her.

[Deadly]

Regardless of whether Snow Eyes jumped or not she remained ready to dash to catch her, in case she fell freely towards the ground.

She hoped Jade would catch her.

Snow Eyes jumped, the air howling around her as she fell freely towards the ground.

Angel rushed up to meet her, catching her in her hooves. You landed heavily in the snow, tumbling down a hill together before coming to a stop in a snow pile. You shake off the snow and open your eyes ...

Augury: 9+1 : 10
• Isolate and contain a fragment of the world’s psychic maelstrom itself.
• It’ll persist (for a while) without your actively maintaining it.
• It reaches broadly throughout the world’s psychic maelstrom.

Artful and Gracious: 8+2: 10
Flycatcher[One of Wide Eye's cronies] loves me.
Sweetie Bot loves me.
Wide Eye loves me.

Flycatcher, who hadn't really been paying great attention and thought herself out of reach, realized too late that she had been betrayed by the one she loved and abandoned by those she had foolishly trusted in her thirst for revenge. The look of anger and hurt on her stolen face promised that she would not soon forget either. "You promised!" she howled at the air as her face twisted in an ultimately futile struggle to escape the bind.

The spiders were chittering and spinning in their web, a mixture of annoyance and arrogance in their voices. "You think you can contain us?" they laughed and spat at the back of your mind, even as the crystal tear swelled and pulsed with a nightmare glow. "We hold this town and its ponies. Their fears bind them to us; bind you to us. You may as well attempt to contain the whole city and all its fears," they blustered. "You will never conquer fear; your own or others'."

Snow swirled and howled around and through the warehouse: a trillion ethereal crystals and emotions filling the air and coalescing into a single crystal of ice, a tear-shaped hailstone pulsing with a thousand trapped fears, barely contained.

Silence, deep and terrifying, filled the space around your song.

It was around this time you realized something was wrong. Your followers were drooping, some already tipping over where they sat. You were feeling it too; your thoughts were growing cloudy and your vision faded as you fought to keep your eyelids from closing. But you couldn't stop now; you had to hold on just long enough to finish what you began.

Sweetie - unaffected by the sleep - had sensed something was up too, and was beeping warnings and errors while trying to locate the source of the threat, seemingly without success.

You were distantly aware of an old speaker scratching to life above the door of the warehouse, somewhere in the background, sounding behind everything else. Sweetie Belle too perked up at the sound.

"Overwrite code four-four-four-sleepytime," Wide Eye's voice spoke from the speaker. Sweetie beeped and instantly all lights went out of her, leaving her as nothing but an inert hunk of metal, haunted by the ghost of Eclipse. "Apologies, stallions and gentlemares," Wide Eye continued. "This is a recorded message. Do not be alarmed by the gas filling the room. Be assured that no harm will come to any of you while you sleep. Stay put where you are, Eclipse, and we'll have you out of that robot and back in your own body in no time. Until then, try to have pleasant dreams."

Your eyes closed, finally losing the fight just as the song ended and the tear of crystal ice and trapped nightmares fell to the floor with a clink that cut through the silence like thunder. Losing focus from sleep, you felt the crystal pulling at you too ... Unable to resist, you fell towards it.

A storm raged above Windbreak as thousands of souls connected by the industrious spiders were torn kicking and screaming towards a single point ... a lonely warehouse, in which the echo of a crystal tear hitting the floor was the only sound now heard among the motionless bodies of several ponies and one robot filly.

*

Charger, Eclipse, Snow Eyes, Angel ... you all open your eyes to find each other stranded in the snow, trapped inside a magical nightmare gem.

What's it like where you are?

Spoiler: Old post for posterity

Show

Flycatcher realized too late that she had been betrayed by the one she loved ... at about the same time you realized something wasn't right.

A little tickling in the back of your head became a whisper. "Did your honestly think we wouldn't know?" the spiders whispered smugly in your ears. "We have already touched half the city or more, anchored ourselves to them, enough bodies to host us all. All we need is a pull ... and you deliver."

"You promised!" was all Flycatcher got to say in her final moment of realization.

"She would have given us away if we warned her," the spiders whispered to you in secret. I guess this is where we learn not to make Faustian deals with mind-snaring paranoia spiders in exchange for revenge and immortality. Shocking, I know. If you can't trust mind-snaring paranoia spiders, what is the world coming to?

Ahem.

You felt the maelstrom shift its pull, everything suddenly coming down towards you, and it was too late to hold it back now. You suddenly felt faint. That was strange ... Your eyelids were closing, and your head was as heavy as stone. That shouldn't happen. You were distantly aware of an old speaker scratching to life above the door of the warehouse.

"Overwrite code four-four-four-sleepytime," came Wide Eye's voice from the speaker. Sweetie beeped and instantly all lights went out of her. She was nothing but an inert hunk of metal, haunted by the ghost of Eclipse. Like haunting a rock, really, but you've more or less been there before so this isn't too new.

"Apologies, stallions and gentlemares," Wide Eye continued. "This is a recorded message. Do not be alarmed by the gas filling the room. No harm will come to you while you sleep, be assured."

"Wait, what?" came the whisper at the back of your mind, and something felt very wrong all of a sudden. I guess when you only have your webs spun around half the city's minds, you don't really know what the other half is planning. "No, you can't sleep now!" The spiders cried out in sudden panic and confusion. This wasn't part of their plan.

The voice of Wide Eye continued calmly from the speaker. "Stay put, Eclipse, we'll have you out of that robot and back in your own body in no time. Until then, please enjoy this song. Have a good night."

The speaker clicked, then began playing a song, almost perfectly tailing your own. Your eyes closed, and suddenly the rush of the maelstrom shook and twisted, and the rush became a violent pull, like the sky reached inside you to tear out your guts and your soul by its root.

Flycatcher screamed in rage and betrayal, but it was too late for her.

The spiders screamed in rage and confusion, but it was too late for them too.

Half the city suddenly found itself collapsing on the spot as they were torn out of their bodies and pulled into a single point. The gem, a pulsing tear of a thousand ponies' anger, confusion and betrayal, fell to the floor of the warehouse with a soft clink. The song continued playing at a low volume from the speaker, but no one remained to hear it.

Betrayal, it seemed, was in season and things got so easily tangled when everyone were trying to out-scheme everyone else. Delightfully chaotic, don't you agree?

*

Charger, Eclipse, Snow Eyes, Angel ... you all open your eyes to find each other stranded in the snow. Even stuck in a permanent dream, trapped inside a magical gem, it's still snowing, snowing, snowing. But at least you're together, right?

What's it like where you are?

[Thanqol]

Charger stirred in her sleep. She felt something pricking her in the back.

"Mmmh, not now," she muttered, shuffling away slightly - and touched something else spiky. She reached out for the gas lamp and jabbed her hoof there as well. "Ungh - what?"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes against the darkness. She couldn't see anything except the chink of light from the window. She stumbled out of bed - and shrieked as her hoof jabbed into something incredibly sharp.

She bit down on her lip and focused her pain into anger. She stepped down off the bed again, gently, slowly, easing her way around the sharp spikes that covered the floor. Finally she reached the window and carefully pulled down on the cable, sending the blind up into the ceiling and filling her room with light -

Illuminating hundreds of Crown o' Thorns starfish. All over everything. Not moving or anything, just kind of... out there.

They were all over the farm too. F*cking thousands of the bastards. Just sticking onto walls and robots and everything else. Doing just fine in the cold, thanks for asking. She felt a pressure on her neck - she felt at it, yep, a starfish there too.

Aw goddamn it.

She took the anger, folded it back, and converted it into murderous intent. Something was going to die for this.

She tossed her head, brushed her mane roughly into place with her hooves, awkwardly levered the starfish off her neck, pulled a half-dozen starfish off her big red coat, and made her cautious way out into the town, looking for the others.

[TheAmishPirate]

A pungent odor grabbed Eclipse by the throat and beat her about the face until she started awake, gasping for air. Her head pounded, her stomach turned, her back ached, and it quickly became apparent why; for some reason, she'd decided to fall asleep on a bed of barrels. And not just the bed, it was barrels as far as the eye could see. Tall, short, metal, wood, all sloshing-full and too heavy to push aside. Everywhere barrels, and that sickening stench.

This was going to be a good day. She could tell.

She stumbled upright, the floor heaving and swaying beneath her. Her hooves struck kegs, casks, tables, stools, and was that somepony passed out? The pegasus leaned heavily against the counter for support. Behind it, an elderly stallion in a smart jacket and a white mustache sat cleaning a glass and watching her bemusedly. "Wa...water..." She croaked out. He nodded, and slid her down a mug of something clear. She grabbed it in both hooves, tipped it back, and immediately spat it out as the hard liquor burned her throat. Somewhere, the barkeep was laughing a deep, belly laugh. She snorted, and blindly swung a hoof in a wide arc. It connected with something. Maybe a face? Kinda felt like a leg. Whatever it was, it must've been hilarious, because now everypony was laughing. Helpful hooves grabbed at her coats, carried her safely through a hazy sea of voices, and flung her unceremoniously out the door. Eclipse tasted snow, and stuffed it into her mouth to drive out the foul taste.

Alcohol. Nghhhhhh.

Shocked back into sobriety, Eclipse picked herself up and started off down the street. She needed some food. Badly.

[Thanqol]

Shocked back into sobriety, Eclipse picked herself up and started off down the street. She needed some food. Badly.

"You already dressed like a homeless tarpony who ran through a grandmother's washing line," came Charger's voice from behind Eclipse. "Which is why I'm standing here wondering if the vomit stains are a deliberate attempt to complete that look or just a happy accident."

She couldn't conceal a flare of irritation as she brushed a clump of crown-o'-thorns off her shoulder.

[Anarion]

Snow Eyes pulled herself out of a thick pile of snow, shaking off the dust and magically brushing the remains off her back. They were in town, they'd rolled off the hill somehow and were just sitting at the base of the walls in nothing but a big snow pile. There was a Pegasus wing sticking out of the clump, and Snow Eyes wasted no time digging out Jade, who seemed unharmed if not entirely conscious.

"We made it Jade!" She shouted excitedly as she hauled the Pegasus over her back (they were the light ones, not like the damn earth ponies, each of which was obviously morbidly obese on the inside).

It was about that moment as she tried to slide Jade across her back that she felt fabric and not armor. She had somehow lost all her guns and equipment. Instead she was wearing her Pony Wars Pajamas and had none of her other stuff. She gently put down Jade and went digging back in the snow pile, but she couldn't find any of it anywhere. She tried taking off her PJs but the zipper was apparently stuck, even to magic. Ugh, she'd be mortified if Jade came to or she ran into Charger dressed like this.

But there was nothing to do, she'd just have to get Jade to her lab and hope nopony saw her. She put the Pegasus on her back again and started heading over there.

[TheAmishPirate]

"You already dressed like a homeless tarpony who ran through a grandmother's washing line," came Charger's voice from behind Eclipse. "Which is why I'm standing here wondering if the vomit stains are a deliberate attempt to complete that look or just a happy accident."

She couldn't conceal a flare of irritation as she brushed a clump of crown-o'-thorns off her shoulder.

Oh. Princesses.

"Afraid my dress uniform's in the wash." Eclipse said grumpily, taking a blatant, deep breath to steel herself, before turning to face Charger. The night hadn't been kind to her; little wonder the morning would be any different. "You've got something on your back." She commented, head tilted.

[Thanqol]

Oh. Princesses.

"Afraid my dress uniform's in the wash." Eclipse said grumpily, taking a blatant, deep breath to steel herself, before turning to face Charger. The night hadn't been kind to her; little wonder the morning would be any different. "You've got something on your back." She commented, head tilted.

Charger bucked the starfish off her back and then kicked it with one hoof as it fell, sending it to splat sucker-side into the face of some passing pony.

"Shut up. Shut up. And then explain to me what your psycho friend and robot buddy did," she growled.

[TheAmishPirate]

Charger bucked the starfish off her back and then kicked it with one hoof as it fell, sending it to splat sucker-side into the face of some passing pony.

"Shut up. Shut up. And then explain to me what your psycho friend and robot buddy did," she growled.

Eclipse took a step back. Charger had never held that much venom that openly. Nor had she ever made so little sense. And...well, at first none of that made any sense at all, but the more she turned the words over the more memories came drifting in. A warehouse, a ritual, a strange set of bodily circumstances, a voice over a loudspeaker, and a crystal tear, leaking nightmares. Like a distant dream, only with the opposite implication. She hadn't gone on an accidental bender, she'd just been sucked into a crystal nightmare prison.

First though, Charger. "I was your robot buddy," Eclipse started, fighting through the queasiness. "You took my body, and that's where I ended up. I was watching your back in case whatever had your body - or worse, your fan club - started damaging the plan. Wide Eye though..." She shook her head. "I don't know. Only Snow Eyes and Spurs knew I was in there, but somehow she found out too. She must've taken some healthy initiative and tried to get me my body back. Only she didn't know what you were trying to do, and now we're taking a trip for it." Made sense, in a broad sort of way.

Eclipse gathered up her cloaks, wrapping them tightly around her forehooves as a pair of makeshift gloves. At least enough to dull the spines. "Here; I'll get the rest of them." She offered.

[Anarion]

Eclipse gathered up her cloaks, wrapping them tightly around her forehooves as a pair of makeshift gloves. At least enough to dull the spines. "Here; I'll get the rest of them." She offered.

"What are you two doing?" came a sudden gasp as Snow Eyes rounded the corner and saw what looked like Eclipse digging sharp spurs out of Charger's back. That meant whatever had taken over Charger's body had tried to mutilate it, which was certainly one of the most terrible things that Snow Eyes had ever heard of. "Charger are you okay? And what happened to Eclipse?" She said, addressing Eclipse.

[Thanqol]

First though, Charger. "I was your robot buddy," Eclipse started, fighting through the queasiness. "You took my body, and that's where I ended up. I was watching your back in case whatever had your body - or worse, your fan club - started damaging the plan. Wide Eye though..." She shook her head. "I don't know. Only Snow Eyes and Spurs knew I was in there, but somehow she found out too. She must've taken some healthy initiative and tried to get me my body back. Only she didn't know what you were trying to do, and now we're taking a trip for it." Made sense, in a broad sort of way.

Eclipse gathered up her cloaks, wrapping them tightly around her forehooves as a pair of makeshift gloves. At least enough to dull the spines. "Here; I'll get the rest of them." She offered.

"Do it," she snapped, turning to give Eclipse better access to the starfish.

"What are you two doing?" came a sudden gasp as Snow Eyes rounded the corner and saw what looked like Eclipse digging sharp spurs out of Charger's back. That meant whatever had taken over Charger's body had tried to mutilate it, which was certainly one of the most terrible things that Snow Eyes had ever heard of. "Charger are you okay? And what happened to Eclipse?" She said, addressing Eclipse.

"Wh -" Charger was cut off from her vicious response as she took in Snow Eyes and her getup. It was so unexpected that she burst into laughter and didn't even try to hold it back. "Truly, this is the land of nightmares," she managed to say.

[Anarion]

"Wh -" Charger was cut off from her vicious response as she took in Snow Eyes and her getup. It was so unexpected that she burst into laughter and didn't even try to hold it back. "Truly, this is the land of nightmares," she managed to say.

"Charger? You got your body back?" Wonder briefly took over before Charger's comment sank in. Then Snow Eyes coat turned nearly as red as Big Macintosh. "I can't get it off" she mumbled and started inching past the two of them with Jade.

[TheAmishPirate]

"Do it," she snapped, turning to give Eclipse better access to the starfish.

She approached her, cautiously, like stepping over thin ice. Charger had, to her credit, gotten out most of the obvious ones. It was the ones out of her reach, or tucked away in the folds of her coat that had eluded her. A lot of digging around her clothes, prying them off her sides, and watching her flanks closely. Eclipse filled her head with every curiosity, thought, and contemplation about the growth patterns of snow flowers. It...helped her focus while she worked. Yes.

The pegasus winced as yet another starfish clipped through her wrappings, and tossed it away into the snow. Almost there...

"What are you two doing?" came a sudden gasp as Snow Eyes rounded the corner and saw what looked like Eclipse digging sharp spurs out of Charger's back. That meant whatever had taken over Charger's body had tried to mutilate it, which was certainly one of the most terrible things that Snow Eyes had ever heard of. "Charger are you okay? And what happened to Eclipse?" She said, addressing Eclipse.

"Charger? You got your body back?" Wonder briefly took over before Charger's comment sank in. Then Snow Eyes coat turned nearly as red as Big Macintosh. "I can't get it off" she mumbled and started inching past the two of them with Jade.

Eclipse looked up from her work, and stared silently at the new terror before them. She didn't say anything right away, but her face let Snow Eyes know - in no uncertain terms - just how much this explained.

"Angel. Is she well?" She asked, glancing over at the still body. Snow Eyes would smell a hefty draft of alcohol on her breath, and notice some gross stains on her coats. Blegh.

[Thanqol]

She approached her, cautiously, like stepping over thin ice. Charger had, to her credit, gotten out most of the obvious ones. It was the ones out of her reach, or tucked away in the folds of her coat that had eluded her. A lot of digging around her clothes, prying them off her sides, and watching her flanks closely. Eclipse filled her head with every curiosity, thought, and contemplation about the growth patterns of snow flowers. It...helped her focus while she worked. Yes.

The pegasus winced as yet another starfish clipped through her wrappings, and tossed it away into the snow. Almost there...

When you put it like that it sounds like we were alone together for long enough to trigger Hypnotic. 2d6+2: 10 - I'm holding 3 over you.

So good luck with those snow flowers.

"Charger? You got your body back?" Wonder briefly took over before Charger's comment sank in. Then Snow Eyes coat turned nearly as red as Big Macintosh. "I can't get it off" she mumbled and started inching past the two of them with Jade.

Charger clapped one hoof on her mouth, simulated heavy mechanical breathing, and rasped "You underestimate the power of the Nightmare Dimension."

[Anarion]

Snow Eyes stopped and let out a small sigh, lowering her head. Her subsequent look informed Eclipse in no uncertain terms that if Snow Eyes possessed laser eye beams, Eclipse would have already been dead. She lowered Angel gently to the ground. "She's fine, I think, just unconscious. Combination of the fall and landing...wherever we are." She brushed at her pajamas uncomfortably. "Can't even get them off with magic, the bloody zipper." Then she looked back up. "I figured I should take Angel to her lab, but I don't even know what I'd do, or if the lab is even here and I can't find any of my stuff. Maybe we can all head over there? For...safety?"

edit:

"Charger, shut up!" Snow screamed in what was by far the most hysterical voice any of you had ever heard from her.

[Thanqol]

Charger bit her lip a little to stifle further giggling.

"We should not take her to the infirmary," she said, putting on an air of command. "One, this is a nightmare dimension and that's an infirmary. Two, if Jade is in any way afraid of anything that can happen in or to her home that's not where we want her to be. Three we shouldn't go anywhere we care about because chances are it'll break out in starfish even if Jade has her act together. We need to go somewhere boring and that we don't care about. I suggest Eclipse's house."

[Anarion]

"Okay, yeah that makes a weird kind of twisted dream sense. Which is what this is. A dream. That none of us will remember later. At all." Satisfied, Snow Eyes nodded to herself and got ready to shoulder Jade again and follow Eclipse. Unspoken, because it was so obvious, was the fact that nobody cared about Eclipse's house.

[TheAmishPirate]

When you put it like that it sounds like we were alone together for long enough to trigger Hypnotic. 2d6+2: 10 - I'm holding 3 over you.

So good luck with those snow flowers.

Eclipse plucked the last starfish out. She turned to toss it away, when something tugged at the corner of her eye; Charger's smooth, luxurious coat, peeking out at her from behind her clothes. She paused, then took the second glance.

A spark of red danced in her eyes, before flickering away.

Snow Eyes stopped and let out a small sigh, lowering her head. Her subsequent look informed Eclipse in no uncertain terms that if Snow Eyes possessed laser eye beams, Eclipse would have already been dead. She lowered Angel gently to the ground. "She's fine, I think, just unconscious. Combination of the fall and landing...wherever we are." She brushed at her pajamas uncomfortably. "Can't even get them off with magic, the bloody zipper." Then she looked back up. "I figured I should take Angel to her lab, but I don't even know what I'd do, or if the lab is even here and I can't find any of my stuff. Maybe we can all head over there? For...safety?"

edit:

"Charger, shut up!" Snow Screamed in what was by far the most hysterical voice any of you had ever heard from her.

Startled, Eclipse flung the starfish away with the rest. Jeez they were bad at staying calm.

Charger bit her lip a little to stifle further giggling.

"We should not take her to the infirmary," she said, putting on an air of command. "One, this is a nightmare dimension and that's an infirmary. Two, if Jade is in any way afraid of anything that can happen in or to her home that's not where we want her to be. Three we shouldn't go anywhere we care about because chances are it'll break out in starfish even if Jade has her act together. We need to go somewhere boring and that we don't care about. I suggest Eclipse's house."

"I don't have a house." Eclipse replied, deadpan. "Homeless tarpony."

She stretched out her wings. "There's hundreds of homes built into the walls. We're bound to find one that's empty."

[Thanqol]

Eclipse plucked the last starfish out. She turned to toss it away, when something tugged at the corner of her eye; Charger's smooth, luxurious coat, peeking out at her from behind her clothes. She paused, then took the second glance.

A spark of red danced in her eyes, before flickering away.

"Hmm-mm, mmm~" hummed Charger.

"I don't have a house." Eclipse replied, deadpan. "Homeless tarpony."

She stretched out her wings. "There's hundreds of homes built into the walls. We're bound to find one that's empty."

"That could take forever and run us into all sorts of trouble," said Charger. Then, with a dangerous little smile, "Why don't we just go to the public library? Nopony goes there."

[Elanorin]

Jade Sun gradually became aware of being gently jostled around, it felt like she was being carried around. Everything felt sluggish, foggy and slightly uncomfortable on the periphery of her senses like she knew with some eerie certainty something unpleasant was coming, or had come, but she was still too bleary to remember what.

She breathed a deep reluctant sigh and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was little oddly dressed ponies in various kapow! poses.

Huh?

Jade blinked and only then realised they were figures on fabric. She looked up, her eyes fell on Snow Eyes and immediately eyed her over head to hoof. She didn't seem hurt. Good.

"Nice pyjamas." Angel commented without a smile and got herself up.

Then she spotted Charger and Eclipse. Jade gave Charger a look that was hurt but brief. Eclipse however earned a look of pure fury.

"You," Jade spat and began to slowly advance towards Eclipse. "You appreciative, honourable, trustworthy and indispensable pillar of society!" she snarled with a glare of daggers. Realising what she'd said Jade suddenly stopped.

"You invaluable item of treasure." she tried again at Eclipse but was immediately horrified at herself.

"What the fluttering honeybees?" She instantly clapped a hoof over her mouth. Oh princesses no.

"What is this? Some kind of beautiful dream? Gaaaaah!" she cried and hid her face in her hooves.

[Thanqol]

Charger burst into laughter again, flopped down onto her side and let out a loud and distinctly un-censored swear as she landed on a starfish.

Even that couldn't keep her mad for long, though, and she started laughing again. Today was suddenly much less boring.

[TheAmishPirate]

Eclipse, backed up to a wall, held her hoof halfway between shoving Angel away and helping her up. "...thank you? I think?" She looked helplessly to Charger and Snow Eyes, then back to the babbling pony on the ground. "I...I don't even know how to respond to this - you know what? No."

She sidestepped Angel, took off with a mighty flap, and immediately zoomed out of sight. Less than a minute later, she landed in a blast of snow. "There's an empty house in the wall; five minutes, that direction. We head there, we bunker down, and we start sorting this out."

She licked some snowy moisture from her lips, pulled a face, and gagged. "In the bucking air?!" she groused, hiccuping.

[Anarion]

Snow Eyes stared at Jade as she recovered. She went crimson again at Jade's compliment, then smiled as Jade Launched into her, well, tirade would perhaps be too strong a word. "So, Jade, what are your feelings on providing extra charity work for us after this is over? I'll take silence to be a definite yes." She winked at the pony, suddenly feeling a lot better herself.

She also licked a snowflake off her nose, which was definitely water and tried to pay attention to the situation. "Okay, so I'm defenseless, Jade is...happy, Charger is spawning starfishes, and Eclipse seems normal."

[Elanorin]

Charger burst into laughter again, flopped down onto her side and let out a loud and distinctly un-censored swear as she landed on a starfish.

Even that couldn't keep her mad for long, though, and she started laughing again. Today was suddenly much less boring.

Jade stood in silence and watched Charger in the snow laughing. She was channelling all her embarrassment, frustration and bewilderment in to fury and a moment ago it had been aimed mostly at Eclipse but being laughed at was not something Jade was able to take, and to be laughed at publicly and by Charger...

"By all means, keep laughing," she said, with eyes that told in no uncertain terms that Charger had just crossed a Line.

Snow Eyes stared at Jade as she recovered. She went crimson again at Jade's compliment, then smiled as Jade Launched into her, well, tirade would perhaps be too strong a word. "So, Jade, what are your feelings on providing extra charity work for us after this is over? I'll take silence to be a definite yes." She winked at the pony, suddenly feeling a lot better herself.

She also licked a snowflake off her nose, which was definitely water and tried to pay attention to the situation. "Okay, so I'm defenseless, Jade is...happy, Charger is spawning starfishes, and Eclipse seems normal."

Jade turned her attention to Snow Eyes and did not hide how offended she was by her little joking comment. She'd just saved her damn life, again, and she goes and makes jokes at her expense?

"That's all the thanks I could ever ask for. I mean, it's so kind of you to- I mean, it was so thoughtful- You are everything I could ever- Argh!" Jade clasped her head in despair.

"Cuddle me now," she squeaked, before cringing yet again.

When Eclipse returned she had oddly become the least objectionable pony to be around. With a couple of strong beats of her wings she rose in the air, glad for the excuse to leave.

"Show the way... please."" Ugh!

[Thanqol]

Charger managed to stop laughing for ten seconds. She got up and started to follow after Eclipse.

"Okay, so, as appealing as cramming into some abandoned nightmare house and talking about our problems sounds, the solution to this is actually pretty simple. Jade and I find and talk to the big spider and negotiate the terms of its surrender, while Snow Eyes and Eclipse - OW!" she'd stepped on a starfish. She gritted her teeth and continued "- gather all the ponies in here and herd them into the town square. If the spiders refuse to play ball we can fill the ponies with some emotion other than fear and wipe the spiders out."

[Anarion]

Snow Eyes looked at Charger in fear that Jade was mad at both of them, with a "fix this!" look in her eyes. Then sighed as both Pegasi took off and ran after them.