[FO:E] The Southern Wasteland of Equestria 1

[Lycan 01]

Lucky catches the bottle in his hooves. "Thank ya."

He takes a small sip, and lets out a contented sigh. "This is nice. Drinkin' with a friend... fergettin' yer problems... an' gettin' drunk. It's... the simple things in life... ya know?" he asks rhetorically and drunkenly.

He then notices Gwendolyn struggling with her armor, particularly her wings. "Need any help?" he casually asks.

A short pause.

And then he blushes through his bandages. "Just tr-tryin' to be nice!" he states defensively, eyes wide from fear of her smacking him. "Not tryin' to be... seductive or nothin'... sketchy like that."

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge]

Spoiler

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Ebon can't help but smile as the Goddess plays right into his hands.

"I'm sure your lone ally will appreciate it when you ravage his claimed lands in search of six ponies whom you don't even know the names of."

Suffer the wrath of LOGIC, Goddess!

Meanwhile, Ebon telekinetically loads the pistol in his saddlebag, assuming that hasn't been taken from him. Whether or not he still has the pistol, he further attempts to counteract the Alicorn's telekinesis with his own. Sure, he's weaker in that area than the Alicorn likely is, but his personal strength is likely at least comparable. Also, gravity is on the underdog's side right about now.

WE ARE THE GODDESS! the voice booms back. WE ARE ALL KNOWING! NOTHING IS HIDDEN FROM US! BREAK YOUR OATH AND THE LIVES OF YOUR FRIENDS ARE FORFEIT!

The alicorn grits her teeth as a layer of over-glow shrouds her horn to maintain her grip. From the looks of things she isn't going to be able to keep this up for long and even now she's swiftly descending toward the bottom of the gorge.

A massive bramble of coiling thorny vines clutches the bottom of the canyon, all but covering the river of sluggish brown water shimmering with a sickly rainbow sheen. Probably irradiated down there. And worse.

As they draw closer the alicorn screws her eyes shut and when they open again the look of dreadful rage and arrogance has been replaced by one of fear and concern.

I'm afraid our landing is going to be uncomfortable, the alicorn says as she releases her telekinetic grip on Ebon and shrouds him in a bubble shield which shortly there after crashes through the woody brambles and slams into the sticky mire below with a wet thud. The shield should take the brunt of the impact, but that still won't feel very nice.

As for the alicorn?

She can't shield two things at once. That's more of a green thing. She smashes into the thorny bushes with a sickening crunch.

[Toward Shattered Hoof]

Spoiler

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Rusty jumps a bit as the minigun fires, and frowns a bit, rubbing one of his ears.
"Eesh, bullet-guns suck when you're not afraid for your life..."
When you have the adrenaline pumping, the deafening noises just don't seem so bad.
All the other times? Absolutely horrible.

"I'm surprised that no one has been able to get in there at all, if you're living right on top of it. Locked with computer bits or lock bits? The former would be nicer."

"I guess you would have your preference toward energy weapons then?" Heimdalr inquires conversationally.

As for Sivr, she makes a scowly face. "Computerized lock. I haven't been able to crack the thing yet. It feels like I'm missing some vital bit of information, but I don't know what it is."

Griffon scowly faces look silly.

"Hopefully you'll be able to supply that insight we need. Gawd will certainly be happy to have it open."

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Uh oh. Radioactive sludge and thorny vines are not a pleasant thing to land in.

Ebon feels a pang of guilt as he finally comes to the conclusion that the Alicorn he's been speaking to is not necessarily the same pony as the Goddess. Close to being the same pony, perhaps, but not quite. Whatever remnant of the pony that the Alicorn had formerly been certainly didn't deserve the kind of suffering he'd planned to inflict; perhaps not even the Goddess truly did.

It didn't matter anymore as the unicorn crashed through the brambles, thankfully protected from severe injury by the shield. He doesn't lose consciousness or anything, thankfully. Perhaps even more thankfully, he's fairly tough by unicorn standards; He's certainly sore and his genes are probably crying in response to the radiation in the area, but there's nothing that's going to keep him from walking about now.

Ebon didn't think too much before his next action: He attempted to slice through the foliage with beams of magical energy before shoving it aside telekinetically, moving at a steady pace in the direction opposite the Alicorn. It was imperative that he get out of this radiation, but RadAway is an excellent tool. UnityAway, on the other hand, doesn't actually exist.

Still, given the opportunity, he'd certainly prefer a rocky, dry path to the mire of flux and radiation.

[Rebonack]

No-Name. Anoma.

It was... a joke. To begin with. There are so many names drifting about in our dreams. So many names and thoughts and figments and phantoms that finding one's own is all but impossible. Some loose themselves in the sea of voices. Others build a new self of all the drifting memories and images.

I didn't know which name was mine. And I didn't wish to take somepony else's. So I made one, as some of my sisters have as well. No one. No name. Anoma.

Despite being more of a name than those who lost themselves have.

I didn't say it was a very funny joke...

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

A psychic cry of pain sounds through the gorge, echoing through the minds of all the ponies present.

Which is to say, one.

As Ebon slogs through the irradiated, tainted muck he'll feel a rather horrible crawling sensation. As if something were creeping about under his skin. It'll require a few minutes, but eventually he should be able to heave himself out of the tepid slew and onto a wide rock-shelf that winds its way along the bottom of the canoyn.

Behind he'll hear the sound of several fizzling pops as the Alicorn attempts to teleport to safety. Seems she isn't having much luck at the moment.

Please! Do not leave me here!

[Chaotic Bob]

"I guess you would have your preference toward energy weapons then?" Heimdalr inquires conversationally.

As for Sivr, she makes a scowly face. "Computerized lock. I haven't been able to crack the thing yet. It feels like I'm missing some vital bit of information, but I don't know what it is."

Griffon scowly faces look silly.

"Hopefully you'll be able to supply that insight we need. Gawd will certainly be happy to have it open."

[Towards Shattered Hoof]

"Yes, actually. Much more...gentle on the ears. And I can actually sort of play with those."
Rusty is knowledgeable in the department of dismantling and putting together energy weapons...but not more physical guns. His repair skills are sort of focused.

"Putting together an energy pistol is almost like putting together a tiny computer. Wires and matrices, it's fun!"
Such a nerd.

But at least he doesn't go off on a complete tangent on it, since Sivr also has interesting things to talk about. Interesting, MoM-related things.
"Hmmm, well I can't really promise anything, but I will certainly try my best.
Know anything about that missing information?"

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Psychic screams. Fun. Another pang of guilt strikes at the unicorn's subconscious, but he manages to continue forward.

Also, yuck at that crawling feeling under the skin. RadAway cannot come soon enough, and one of those Taint-cleansing operations at Tenpony Tower would be great too. As long as that damned crawling would stop!

After some effort, Ebon does indeed manage to clamber onto the shelf before attempting to scrape off as much of the gunk as he possibly could without a bath or an inordinate amount of time wasted.

Once the immediate threat of the muck is dealt with, the Alicorn's cries finally cause something to snap. Against his better judgment, Ebon tries to identify the Alicorn's rough location, and will even travel towards it if such a thing does not involve touching any of that muck ever again. Yech.

"I can't believe I'm doing this. Try anything and you'll get a hornful of voidfire, though."

[Benson]

Lucky catches the bottle in his hooves. "Thank ya."

He takes a small sip, and lets out a contented sigh. "This is nice. Drinkin' with a friend... fergettin' yer problems... an' gettin' drunk. It's... the simple things in life... ya know?" he asks rhetorically and drunkenly.

He then notices Gwendolyn struggling with her armor, particularly her wings. "Need any help?" he casually asks.

A short pause. And then he blushes through his bandages. "Just tr-tryin' to be nice!" he states defensively, eyes wide from fear of her smacking him. "Not tryin' to be... seductive or nothin'... sketchy like that."

"Its...alright...I have it...you ain't uh...very seductive anyhow, not looking like a mummy, a smelly, whiskey addled mummy....but ah...thanks anyway Mister Lucky," She replied, as if this wasn't a big a deal, the whole time she kept her back facing Lucky. She had a tired drunk look, but the faint pink blush sticker was still there. She reached over to a wing and tried to massage it down, to get it to relax.

[Lycan 01]

[New Appaloosa Drunken Romance Antics]

Lucky blinks twice. With her back turned to him, he has an amazing view of Gwendolyn's fully flared and outspread wings. Sputtering slightly, her averts his gaze as a small blush rises to his cheeks. He then chuckles softly as he realizes what she said. "Gee, thanks. It's nice to know... you think... I'm so bad... bad at... seduction. Is... is that a challenge, Miss Gwendolyn?" he grins playfully.

[Benson]

[New Appaloosa Drunken Romance Antics]

Lucky blinks twice. With her back turned to him, he has an amazing view of Gwendolyn's fully flared and outspread wings. Sputtering slightly, her averts his gaze as a small blush rises to his cheeks. He then chuckles softly as he realizes what she said. "Gee, thanks. It's nice to know... you think... I'm so bad... bad at... seduction. Is... is that a challenge, Miss Gwendolyn?" he grins playfully.

"A challenge, bhwuh? What are you......going on about?..." She dared to look behind her with the corner of her eyes. "Wha---what is with that grin?"

[Lycan 01]

[New Appaloosa - Alcoholic's Paradise]

Lucky smirks, and gives a dismissive wave of his left hoof, clutching the whiskey in his right. "Oh, ya know. What you said about me... bein' a whiskey-scented mummy... thing. You were sayin'... I ain't seductive. Implyin'... that I can... can't seduce ya. And I was askin' if... if that was a challenge," he playfully remarks, leaning forward in his chair - but not too far, since he doesn't have nearly enough balance for that right now.

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Eeww eeww eeeewwww! That stuff is so vile! Exposure to Taint never results in anything other than the poor pony feeling vaguely violated when all is said and done. But thankfully Ebon manages to scramble free, right?

Finding the alicorn doesn't prove to be terribly difficult. There she is, all tangled up in the brambles and looking miserable in general. The radiation and taint are causing her to heal at an accelerated rate, but when one has foot long thorns rammed through their body here and there the healing does little more than simply keep one alive and suffering.

Please cut me free. My magic is all but exhausted from reaching you quickly and saving you from your fall.

Then comes an audible sigh.

The Goddess is not very pleased with my performance... you were... at least uninjured in the fall?

[Toward Shattered Hoof]

"We've got quite the wealth of energy weapons at Shattered Hoof. If you wanted to buy one once you've made some caps I'm sure somepony would be willing," Sivr comments with a wave of her talons. "As for what we're missing? I don't know exactly. Some bit of insight into the general insanity of that pink demon, maybe."

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Yes, taint really is rather nasty stuff. If Ebon knew about its role in Unity, I'm sure he'd appreciate the irony.

In any case, he blanches a bit in horror at such a gruesome sight; It may not be the most unpleasant memory of his, but he's not exactly in need of more trauma.

"I have not been seriously harmed, though I apologize that you suffer for my sake. The boulder would at least have been immediate and more or less painless."

As he says this, Ebon attempts to carefully cut and remove the briars impaling the Alicorn. His aim is good, though he might accidentally scorch her fur once or twice if she doesn't remain very still.

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

On the upside though, the Taint poisoning may have granted Ebon some regenerative abilities! Oooor it might have just given him cancer. More likely the latter. But at least he isn't dead, right?

The vines are cut away and eventually the alicorn manages to disentangle herself from the thicket and clambers onto the rock shelf. She breaths heavily, gasping in pain as she yanks thorns out of her body. Given all the irritated muck she's covered in the wounds heal swiftly. But the sight is gruesome none the less.

I have no desire to repeat that again... Thank you. For not leaving me behind. It is rare that a pony shows Us kindness.

Well! Isn't that nice.

Still breathing heavily she turns her gaze up toward the mouth of the canyon. The radiation here is strong. While it will sustain me it is not quite so healthy for you. We should climb higher. Unless you wish to begin your apotheosis without the Goddess' direction. Which I would advise against.

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Yay, Cancer! Wait...

In any case:

"Do not thank me, for I very nearly left you to the briar. I would have, had you called for help in the voice of the Goddess."

Hmm. It's not really a conscience if it's selective like that...

Sensation flowed to Ebon as he realized the truth of those words; He could feel the radiation from this place beating upon him, and he'd likely come down with poisoning fairly soon if he didn't get moving.

"...I am inclined to agree with the latter sentiment, however. This shelf seems to extend a fair distance, and since I can neither fly nor burrow, it is probably the best path for me to follow."

[Benson]

[New Appaloosa - Alcoholic's Paradise]

Lucky smirks, and gives a dismissive wave of his left hoof, clutching the whiskey in his right. "Oh, ya know. What you said about me... bein' a whiskey-scented mummy... thing. You were sayin'... I ain't seductive. Implyin'... that I can... can't seduce ya. And I was askin' if... if that was a challenge," he playfully remarks, leaning forward in his chair - but not too far, since he doesn't have nearly enough balance for that right now.

"Mister Lucky....I'm too old to be...seduced....so...you auto-lose the challenge....and stuff," Gwendolyn dismissively hand waved him off.

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Welp! Time to move!

The alicorn rises rather shakily to her feet and nods for Ebon to start walking. Probably because she doesn't want to get shot in the back. Which is understandable.

I do not speak as the voice of the Goddess. But she uses me as her mouth when she desires. As it is with all who are of Unity. Some choose to lose themselves in the Goddess' will and become little more than extensions of it. Others like myself and Blackheart choose to forge our own identity within Unity.

Wait, who is-?

The Alicorn you met at Appleloosa is Blackheart. She and I are... different.

That's an understatement.

Should Ebon begin trotting along the shelf he may be pleased to discover that it is in fact a winding trail that slowly traces a path up the face of the canyon. Probably carved out by Earth Ponies when a hike down Ghastly Gorge wasn't inherently life threatening.

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Canyon Floor]

Well, that was nice of those Earth Ponies.

Ebon begins walking, eager to be out of this hellhole, though he's certainly wary in case the Alicorn does try something.

"What is Unity like, anyway? You've mentioned it about twenty times over the course of this conversation."

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

Most Earth Ponies were much nicer back then. More likely to share some small bit of kindness or hospitality than shoot you. So much less shooting.

Unity is just that. Unity of thought. Unity of purpose. Unity of dreams. Unity of being. But not unity of self. I am We but I have not ceased to be Me.

Well.

That's an interesting little sing-song.

The Goddess binds Us together. She gives Us direction and purpose. She gives Us goals and shapes Our desires. Though how We carry out those goals is left to Us unless she chooses to use Us as an extension of her will. Some of Us are more adept at some tasks than others. I was sent to fetch you because I am... more diplomatic than many of my sisters. And because I was close.

A pause as the alicorn studies the layered sheets of sandstone in the rockface.

Have you ever used a memory orb?

[Chaotic Bob]

[Toward Shattered Hoof]

Rusty gives a little shake of his head and a peculiarly enigmatic smile.
"Don't worry about it. I won't need any of your folks' weapons."
He fails to actually elaborate on that point however, instead resuming pondering the present problem.

"I suppose I might have a little insight, from my time picking through bits and pieces of her legacy...you have my curiosity pretty well."

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

Ebon thinks a moment as he processes this new information. Then answers the question.

"Yes, I have. It was used as a trap, however, by a Raider named Bladeweaver. She'd found a recollector and used it to extract the memory of being skinned alive from an earth pony mare that she'd found.

It was not a pleasant experience.

However, they made the mistake of waiting for the memory to end before killing me in a similar manner. Within thirty seconds of waking, I had broken my bonds, removed the psychopath's horn, and eviscerated her compatriots with their leader's favored weapons.

It may not have been pleasant, but it was justice."

He does neglect to mention the whole bit about skinning her alive with her own knives immediately afterward, but that's not relevant here.

[Rebonack]

[Toward Shattered Hoof]

Lots of walking.

Lots of talking.

Now the sun is beginning to dip low.

And those clouds are beginning to look rather threatening. Unfortunately the flat, arid wastes between Shattered Hoof and New Appleloosa aren't exactly... well. Terribly given over to providing shelter.

Thankfully Heimdalr has a solution for that! Using that shaping spell of his he begins to gradually mold a rather large rock into a crude cave! How very useful magic is. Thankfully he finishes just before the rain starts to come down in earnest.

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

The alicorn opens her mouth.

Then closes it again. She looks equal parts shocked, appalled, and disgusted.

This... this is why ponies need Unity. Once We have all been joined in Unity nightmares like that will NEVER happen again. No more slavery. No more murder. No more torture. Only Unity. Harmony was never enough, we need more.

She gives a shake of her head.

As terrible as a memory that must have been... Unity is akin to a memory orb. Except that in a memory orb one can resolve one's self from the memory. You are... riding in it, so to speak. When We experience the memories of Unity there is no such resolution. I do not know where my old memories end and the memories of another pony begin. All of the memories are Ours.

The alicorn offers a small smile.

It is difficult to describe. But you will experience Unity for yourself soon. I look forward to meeting you soul to soul.

The trail continues to wind its way upward, small scraggly bushes clogging the path here and there.

[Lycan 01]

"Mister Lucky....I'm too old to be...seduced....so...you auto-lose the challenge....and stuff," Gwendolyn dismissively hand waved him off.

[New Appaloosa - Bar]

Lucky suddenly leans forward in his chair, and fixes Gwendolyn with a serious stare. "Now, wait a sec..." he grunts. He pauses to take a quick sip from the whiskey bottle, before he raises his left hoof and points accusingly at the griffin. "You... keep goin' on and on... about how yer too old. Too old to dance. Too old to be seduced. Too old to be awesome," he swings his arm in a grandiose manner.

"Yer lyin' to yerself, Miss Beak," he states firmly, giving a disapproving shake of his hoof. "I don't know... what sort of... dishonest mirrors you been lookin' in... But you don't look to old for anythin'. You've... how do ya say it..." he pauses, raising an eyebrow, before smiling. "Ah yes. You've 'aged gracefully.' Ya still look pretty. Ya've still got a nice figure. Ya can still outdrink just about anypony. Ya still know how to dance. Yer wings are still quite... majestic. Bla bla blaaaaa," he rolls his eyes, "Ya get what I'm sayin' to ya."

"There's a sayin' they have," Lucky states factually. "It goes... 'Yer only as young as you feel.' Wait. No. 'Yer only as old as you feel.' Or maybe it is the other way around. Huh." He pauses, then shakes his head. "Anyway, the point... the point remains the same. As long... As long as you don't think yer old, you... you ain't old. So stop bein' so hard on yerself. Don't let yer age be an obstacle. Enjoy yer life. Live a little. Be awesome."

He leans back in his chair, and smiles. After a moment, though, that smile disappears. "And just to clarify, this is not me trying to seduce ya..." he deadpans. "This is me bein' a good, honest friend. If I wanted to seduce ya, I'd....... nevermind."

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

Ebon snorts slightly. Then speaks again, changing the subject once more.

"Down by the briars, you mentioned something about 'starting Apothesis without oversight.' What precisely did you mean by that?"

...He might be a little too curious for his own good.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Let's Make An Artificial Cave]

Rusty peers over Heimdalr's shoulder rather curiously as this process goes on.
It's a spell he can't say he's seen before. Not...that he's seen the vast majority of spells in existence.

But he's still curious.
"Was that as exhausting as it looked?"

[Rebonack]

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

The alicorn frowns slightly at the snort. "I know you do not believe me, but it is for the best."

Yep. Speaking out loud again. She does that every so often. But... not terribly so. It could be that her magic is just so exhausted that she doesn't want to waste any. Or maybe speaking out loud is more personable?

Something.

At the question she glances over the edge of the trail toward the sluggish slew below. "That water is tainted with the ambrosia the Goddess uses to transform Us. Though in a less pure form. No doubt you can feel it changing you. Without the Goddess to direct the Apotheosis it can be... dangerous."

She offers that small smile of hers again. "Do not be troubled. You weren't exposed enough for it to be of any great concern. All will be well once we reach Maripony."

[Toward Shattered Hoof]

"Yep," Heimdalr replies, sounding a bit out of breath, and he plops down inside the shelter and begins rubbing his horn.

Ouch...

Thing is sore...

"I should be fine after I sleep it off."

"I'll take the first watch I guess," Akwellen pipes up as he starts removing some of the bulkier bits of his armor.

[Chaotic Bob]

[Pit-Stop To Shattered Hoof]

"Magic is pretty spiffy...it'd take ages to dig this out with tools."
Rusty mumbles a bit to himself, before unloading his saddlebags to some spot in whatever approximates a corner here.

"Well! Since he politely offered first watch, I won't refuse a little R&R time."
At which point he plops down next to his bags and starts rooting through them.
"Let me know if we all die in our sleep, hm?"

[Benson]

[New Appaloosa - Bar]

Lucky suddenly leans forward in his chair, and fixes Gwendolyn with a serious stare. "Now, wait a sec..." he grunts. He pauses to take a quick sip from the whiskey bottle, before he raises his left hoof and points accusingly at the griffin. "You... keep goin' on and on... about how yer too old. Too old to dance. Too old to be seduced. Too old to be awesome," he swings his arm in a grandiose manner.

"Yer lyin' to yerself, Miss Beak," he states firmly, giving a disapproving shake of his hoof. "I don't know... what sort of... dishonest mirrors you been lookin' in... But you don't look to old for anythin'. You've... how do ya say it..." he pauses, raising an eyebrow, before smiling. "Ah yes. You've 'aged gracefully.' Ya still look pretty. Ya've still got a nice figure. Ya can still outdrink just about anypony. Ya still know how to dance. Yer wings are still quite... majestic. Bla bla blaaaaa," he rolls his eyes, "Ya get what I'm sayin' to ya."

"There's a sayin' they have," Lucky states factually. "It goes... 'Yer only as young as you feel.' Wait. No. 'Yer only as old as you feel.' Or maybe it is the other way around. Huh." He pauses, then shakes his head. "Anyway, the point... the point remains the same. As long... As long as you don't think yer old, you... you ain't old. So stop bein' so hard on yerself. Don't let yer age be an obstacle. Enjoy yer life. Live a little. Be awesome."

He leans back in his chair, and smiles. After a moment, though, that smile disappears. "And just to clarify, this is not me trying to seduce ya..." he deadpans. "This is me bein' a good, honest friend. If I wanted to seduce ya, I'd....... nevermind."

"You'd what Mister Lucky?" Gwendolyn quirked her head in that bird like way. She wanly smiled and shook her head. "Your word....are too kind...Mister Lucky, in their way."

[PurityIcekiller]

[Old Appaloosa]

"Why do I even bother?" muttered Night Jewel as she headed onwards. As far as she was concerned, Eledwhen was metaphorical dog food now.

Then she glanced up and noticed the beacon. "Huh. Must be trying to regroup. Well, the game's not entirely over yet. We can see if they're actually reliable this time." She trotted over towards the rendezvous point to see what was going on.

[MCerberus]

Old Appleoosa

Finder makes his way over to the rendezvous, keeping a paranoid, shell-shocked look about him. Those that had seen him before the event might be able to tell he was pretty calm when he was just being shot at.

"Seriously, we all need to go now."

[BladeofObliviom]

[Ghastly Gorge - Climbin' the Trail]

"Well, that explains why it feels like there are bloatsprites in my skin."

...That's wonderful, Ebon.

"...Wait, Maripony? As in Maripony Military Base? Isn't that on the other side of Equestria?"

((Sorry for the wait, wasn't feeling very inspired. ))