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Hat-Wearing Hoof-Bearing

Star-Staring Winged Freak



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Cutie Mark: Gold-and-silver split star DSOTM PC

Posts: 143





DSOTM PC (( And here's the first of four cleaned-up IRC sessions from today. ))





<Baxil> ------------ Lunar Temple - Basement -------------

<Baxil> Canterday, 4:45 pm

<Baxil> ((Ah yes: Dice pool check-in.))

<GeminiStar> (( 15, 1, 19, 4, 19, 16. ))

<RainBreeze> ((1, 20.))

<Baxil> ((They're at the bottom of the page of http://www.tomorrowlands.org/pony/YaBB.pl?num=1331516022)

<GeminiStar> (( Oh, yes, that handsome thing... ))

<FluffQRocket> (( 8, 7, 2, 5, 19, 19 ))

<MoonglowRiver> (( 7, 20, 19, 17, 5 ))

<Baxil> )) ((Thank you for that.))

<GeminiStar> (( If desired, I can refine those colours. I should have before, but.. scattered week. ))

<FlareStar> ((I am split between Flare's color being appropriate and it being HARD TO READ))

<GeminiStar> (( I'll work with it. I should have prototyped those before posting  DESIGNR IS SMRT ))

<Baxil> ((Flare: 12, 19, 17, 1))

<Baxil> Through the secret door, it is as if you've stepped into another world. Instead of the rough, cramped construction of the tunnel, a large room sprawls out, precisely cut and almost untouched by age. Your hooves echo off of the smooth floor, onyx inlaid with intricate abstract silver patterns. The walls are ringed with onyx and obsidian, with unrecognizable historical scenes cut in relief and enhanced with glistening gems and precious metals.

<FlareStar> ((I saw))

<Baxil> It's about 20 hooves square, with another set of doors on the far wall, covered in runes (which are inactive). Scattered throughout the room are insignia of an ancient war: banners, crests, standards, armor pieces.

<Baxil> The heaviest suits of armor, those battered most by battle, bear a solid white circle, with a pair of spears crossed atop it. Beneath the disk is inscribed "Luna Numquam Ponit."

<Baxil> There are some emblazoned with crests and tatters of what must have been a few old ribbons, which bear the same motto but show a disc waning in various degrees.

<Baxil> The lightest suits of armor, of most delicate design, bear an annular ring and a set of silver wings, beneath which reads "Servire Nocte".

FlareStar simply steps in - she keeps slow, looking around for any danger... ((Perception: 17+3 = 20))

<Baxil> For some of you, it's the first time seeing the Equestrian Old Tongue. Others might have picked up fragments of it through research or ((coughs and looks at Gem)) job duties.

GeminiStar can easily piece together quite a bit about these....

RainBreeze tries not to make too much noise as she steps into the room, and eyes the archaic armor. "Why did they save these things?"

GeminiStar says without a pause, "Because some of us choose nto to forget our history."

MoonglowRiver stops cold at the doorway, as if afraid to disturb the stillness. Her eyes roam around the patterns on the floor, only catching the historical artifacts after. "They're incredible," she murmurs as she finally enters. "They should be in a proper museum."

RainBreeze gives Gemini a wry sort of smile. "After being buried a thousand years, I think this stuff has been pretty forgotten."

GeminiStar tightens her expression, but doesn't say a word to that.

Luna surveys the piles of armor strewn about. "Why was any of this saved?" she asks quietly. "Perhaps it is a wound that my sister was unable to wholly close, and she sought to confront it at some later time. I shall have to ask at a later time."

RainBreeze examines the door with a critical eye. "What do these runes mean?"

<Luna> "I was told nothing of this." Her muzzle is inscrutable.

MoonglowRiver starts studying the runes distinct fr/w 4

<MoonglowRiver> (( Gah. ))

<FlareStar> ((Sorry. Did I do that? x.x))

MoonglowRiver starts studying the runes distinct from the patterns inlaid in the stone, over the doorway. "Luna? Are these...?" A lump of ice settles into her chest. "I'm sorry, I should have kept the book."

<MoonglowRiver> (( Easily-distracted pony is--squirrel! ))

<Baxil> Flare: You satisfy yourself that you are the only ones in the room. Despite the conversations, you strain, and hear little except silence beyond.

FluffQRocket sighs.

<Baxil> ((Argh. Keep talking among yourselves. I'm needed for domestic purposes for a few minutes.))

FlareStar mutters to herself... "I don't like this. It's quiet. /Too/ quiet."

RainBreeze tailflicks Flare. "Come on, you know that when _any_pony says that, they're asking for trouble to happen."

GeminiStar slowly examines the armour... especially the lighter set. Her mind is absolutely roiling, confronted with the tangible final punctuation of the millennium-old Celestial War.

FlareStar nods. "Exactly. Trouble's gonna happen no matter what, I'd rather it come to us than us having to hunt it down."

<RainBreeze> "...Huh. Good point."

FluffQRocket looks over the banners and inscriptions, trying to translate. He's seen a few of these words, just not in conjunction like this.

MoonglowRiver turns from the door, back to flare. Her muzzle is quirked in concentration, but her horn is blank. It's as if she's trying to fight the urge to make more light. "Your logic is impeccable, but I'd rather have the element of surprise. She has to know we're in pursuit, but she may still be distractable."

MoonglowRiver looks at Gemini and Luna. "Any idea on the inscriptions?"

GeminiStar mutters, nearly a whisper, "To serve the night...." Then, looking to the heavier armour, she adds, "The moon... shall never set. I know these phrases, at least. You might say they're still used for armour."

Luna examines the runes as well. ((Though she shall wait to see whether her recollections match Baxil's studies.))

MoonglowRiver chuckles dryly at that. "Emotional, not physical, but their purpose stands."

FluffQRocket moves from armors to runes. (( Arcana: 8 +7 = 15 ))

<Baxil> ((Sorry. Back. Catching up.))

FlareStar nods at Gemini's words. "Prayers of strength and victory. So... that's the counterpoint to 'The sun always rises', hm..?"

<FluffQRocket> Every now and then I see the moon in the sky at the same time as the sun. It's rare, but it happens. I like those times.

GeminiStar shakes her head. "'To serve the night?' Perhaps. That's reverent, a belief that the night has its rightful place. 'The moon shall never set?' That... that is a declaration of superiority. Not confidence, not sanity."

<Baxil> The runes are clearly recent, carefully painted onto the door. They appear to contain some sort of disruptive effect; holding a charge, and then releasing it on contact with another spell.

<Baxil> As noted, they are uncharged.

<FluffQRocket> Huh. To dispel magic, throw magic at it. Somepony wanted this door protected long enough to take care of something.

<RainBreeze> "Do you think Dark Storm might have used up whatever magic was in these runes?"

FlareStar shakes her head. "It's... a motto of the Searchlights, from what little I can piece together. 'Servire sol; sol semper oritur'... at least, that's how I remember hearing it as a foal.."

<Luna> "The latter insignia was for the front-line soldiers," Luna says quietly. "To strike fear into the hearts of their opponents."

GeminiStar looks to Flare. "It's almost comforting to know we're not the only mad, broken ones."

MoonglowRiver winces. It's too easy to imagine this as some ancient museum, to forget that these were used to actually hurt ponies.

<FlareStar> ...the war hurt everypony, not just Luna's followers. And not just physically...

FlareStar keeps herself alert, guarding the others as they investigate.

<MoonglowRiver> Do you think it's safe to proceed, Frocket? I mean, we have to keep going; we can't stop now. But do we need to do anything to take care of those?

<Baxil> Frocket: You satisfy yourself that they're some kind of spellbreaker, but you don't see any other spells to be broken here in the room, or traces of other runes they might have overwritten.

<FluffQRocket> It's tempting to look for other magics, but I don't see anything that's meant to be broken. Perhaps these were designed to open a magical seal on the door itself?

<Baxil> You can't sense any recent discharge from them.

<FluffQRocket> There's no taste of recent use, though. They've been done and gone, or maybe this was a preparation for later.

<FlareStar> ...maybe the door /is/ a seal. Are we so sure we're not blundering into doing Dark Storm's work for her if we open it?

<GeminiStar> Shall we list our other options?

Luna closes her eyes and focuses. "I sense strong magic, deeper within, but nothing in proximity."

MoonglowRiver chuckles at that, then hesitantly tries to open the door, letting just enough magic leak out of her horn to tug it open before letting go.

<Baxil> ((It opens outward.))

GeminiStar notions to the door. "Shall I?"

<GeminiStar> (( motions, even. ))

<FlareStar> (( http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmlsb/228428783/ ))

FlareStar nods. "Please."

MoonglowRiver eyes the door, sheepishly, then stands aside so Gem can push it open. "Be my guest."

GeminiStar slips through as silently as possible, again on full awareness of her surroundings....

<Baxil> It swings open with little resistance, and a quiet creak, loud enough to alarm you but likely not audible from deeper within.

<Baxil> --- Main Basement Hall ---

<Baxil> The door opens up into the main area of the Temple basement -- a central area with four halls that split off east-west, forming an H shape. It's taller than any basement you've ever seen: nearly 20 hooves from floor to ceiling. The effect is humbling.

<Baxil> The first thing you notice is that the basement is lit -- with a warm cast that gives it a bizarre ambience. Sigils litter the walls and floor, and few even glimmer down from the ceiling overhead. They shine in muted pink and gold.

<Baxil> They aren't bright enough to individually serve as light sources, but they're so pervasive that their cumulative effect makes it bright enough to read.

<Baxil> The stone surfaces against which they sit appear faded and washed out, as if sun-bleached.

RainBreeze slowly steps in, and makes a very undignified "Oooooooh."

<Baxil> The only surface that isn't plastered over with the sigils, in fact, is the wall of the room you just walked in from.

<Baxil> Both the sigils, and the washed-out glow behind them, stop in a fairly well-defined line corresponding to the entrance room's width.

<Baxil> ((My client is being very cranky about long pastes. :-p))

<Baxil> The left wall is dominated by an ancient frieze, high enough off the ground that only the pegasi could reach it comfortably.

<Baxil> Painstakingly carved from basalt, Luna's wings spread wide, arching out of the stone wall, with six ponies of mixed heritage below her kneeling in prayer.

<Baxil> To one side, the full moon hangs in tarnished silver, inset into the wall itself. To the other is a faded fresco, hinting at stars and comets roughly in the shape of a pony.

<Baxil> Below that sit the rotted remains of pre-war tapestries, the fabric gone to time, though the hooks on the wall where they clearly hung are still visible, and threads of ancient rope hang from them.

<Baxil> The wall opposite, however, still has its coverings, richly woven and lovingly painted. These are clearly ancient, faded, but not forgotten. A tryptich of tapestries hang.

<Baxil> There's a marked shift in art style, as if the tapestries were one of the last things added before the temple was abandoned.

<Baxil> ((Mood music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyQNqh88tzs ))

<Baxil> To the left, a fearsome black alicorn in metal armor gazes down hungrily with ice-blue eyes, backlit by a full moon.

<Baxil> Three ponies lift their hooves in adoration to her.

<Baxil> To the right, a serene indigo alicorn in royal finery stands with wings spread and horn aglow before the annular outline of a new moon, while the same three ponies prostrate themselves before her.

<Baxil> Between them is a curious piece for a Lunar Temple: an angry red sun sits directly in the middle of a cloudless blue sky, and a white mare with fiery eyes gazes unflinchingly down ...

<Baxil> ... her wings aflame and her horn surrounded by a glowing golden nimbus. At the bottom of the piece, six ponies crouch in an alicorn-shaped shadow.

<Baxil> The enshrouded figures' eyes are blue, and they all seem to be smiling, suggesting safety despite the clear and obvious threat.

<Baxil> (Careful eyes will note that six small golden ponies with similar halos walk beside the mare of flame.)

<Baxil> Directly ahead, a wider hallway leads toward a set of far-distant stairs upward.

<Baxil> The most immediately relevant feature of the room is a series of precise glowing letters on the floor, facing you.

<Baxil> ------

<RainBreeze> "Princess Luna, your temple is _beautiful._ Creepy, too. But beautiful."

<FlareStar> "She will lead us, protect us, teach us." Do I have that about right, Gemini, Honored Moon...?

Luna barely hears Flare, her attention fixed on the letters upon the floor.

GeminiStar almost wanders straight in, transfixed by it all... but she catches herself before reaching those runes. She simply stands there, jaw slightly agape, eyes shifting between the images....

MoonglowRiver has her head up and would probably trip on the inscriptions if she weren't being blocked. Her eyes are on everything, trying to make all the details. The practical matters like warnings or wards slip _right_ past her. She's clearly in tourist-mode.

<FluffQRocket> Leader, protectress, and goddess.

FlareStar glances back at Luna, and at Gemini's own slightly uneasy gaze. "...something isn't right..."

RainBreeze looks back to Flare, after admiring the tapestries - "How do you mean?"

<Baxil> The letters on the floor are shaped in thin, precise lines of glowing dust.

<Baxil> MANDATUS

<Baxil> INVENIRE ME

<Baxil> QUAERE LOCUM VIRIUM

<Baxil> INVENIRE VIRES

<Baxil> QUAERE LOCUM MEI

MoonglowRiver turns at that. "Hmm?" She blinks twice, then shakes her head. "Sorry, what?" She follows Flare's gaze to the others, visibly distracted.

<FluffQRocket> Mandatus.. a demand. Root word for mandate, as in proclamation, decree, or law.

RainBreeze lets someone a bit more schooled than her translate.

<FluffQRocket> This is a command of magic upon someone.. a prayer, writ as order.

MoonglowRiver winces. "My Old Tongue stops at the textbook medical terminology, I'm afraid. Gemini?"

<Luna> "Command," Luna murmurs, transfixed. "To find me, seek a place of strength. To find strength, seek my place."

<FluffQRocket> ... a riddle.

GeminiStar startles slightly and looks straight at Moonglow, eyes slightly teary. She's quiet, but you've got her attention now.....

Luna sets her jaw and arches her wings. Saying nothing more, she steps forward past the letters and begins walking deliberately toward the far right-hand corridor.

<FlareStar> Maybe more.

RainBreeze hm's, and eyes the frieze with the pony-shaped star-stuff.

FlareStar watches Luna step forward, quickly taking to the air and attempting to fly over her, place herself between the princess and anything that might wish her harm. "Luna! What's gotten into you?"

<Luna> "He is here," she says as she moves, not bothering to look behind to see if the others are following. "In the Room of Trials."

FluffQRocket narrows his eyes. "Then let us test him."

MoonglowRiver blinks. "Gemini?" Her voice is low. At the sudden turn of motion, she turns to the side. "Luna?" She canters past the others. "Luna, wait. Is... is that what I felt before? It is, isn't it?"

<FlareStar> ...he's not who we're looking for. If he hasn't been woken, I could care less where he is. We need to stop Dark Storm.

Luna pauses at Flare's interposition and gives her a stern look.

<RainBreeze> "Yeah, but who got her to start this in the first place?"

GeminiStar darts her attention to the Princess. "I'm at your side, ma'am." And, with a few silent flaps of her wings, she is.

MoonglowRiver gives Gemini a curious look, her head canted to the side, but then she nods and, only a few paces behind, joins Luna. "Where you go...." She looks to the rest. "With any luck, we'll have time later to come back. Please. Joe?"

<Luna> She explains brusquely, impatiently. "That was his message. The letters are too precise for hooves or horns. That is dust from crushed glowstone; it glows an hour or less in such a state."

<MoonglowRiver> The aforementioned earth pony, eyes wide as dinner plates, can't tell whether he's more scared of being left behind in this place or following the crazy people. Follow apparently wins out, but only by a nose.

<Baxil> Joe is looking around in undisguised awe, but has enough presence of mind to trot forward as the others do. "We're safer if we stick together ... I think ..."

FlareStar gives a stern look right back, voice lowering further. "Friends stick together, and friends protect one another. I don't care if you're the Princess of the night, I won't have you walking off without any warning. If that is where we must go, simply state it. I do not like it, but I will protect you. You are a target here; even if you do not require protection, I insist on providing it."

MoonglowRiver nods. "You're not going in alone, Luna. Just... try to give us a little warning, please?"

<FluffQRocket> Indeed, Joe. Your eye is needed, I think.

GeminiStar near-growls, "You be the one keeping us waiting out in the open in a well-lit room...."

<Baxil> ((*passes the Baton of Joe Control over to Moonglow))

FlareStar nods. "What Moonglow said." She steps out of the way, letting Luna lead to the correct door, at least.

<FluffQRocket> Gemini, I'm betting the attack won't be physical here. Or if it is, we'll see it coming.

Luna eyes Gemini and Flare, then looks back at the others.

<MoonglowRiver> Joe nods, once, and steps forward. He takes a moment to resettle his glasses with a hoof. "I'll... I will." He sticks out his chest in the manner of every teen everywhere who's been dared to eat a spider, and takes up position with the rest.

<Luna> Come, then. He is in the Hall of Trials. That is where I sense the concentration of power; that is where his message points, on multiple levels. Exploration can wait. This ends now.

GeminiStar takes a deep breath, then exhales, lowering her head slightly. "Aye. Apologies, Flare."

RainBreeze trots up to Luna's side. "You know more about this than I do, at least. Let's go."

Luna steps around Flare, her muzzle grim.

FlareStar nods. "Lead the way, and simply let me know if you need me ahead."

<FluffQRocket> If the First One gives us a message, then I will let one out for Dark Storm.

MoonglowRiver simply nods to Gem, then to Luna, following behind the Honored Moon as she leads deeper into the temple.

<Baxil> The hallway that Luna is heading toward is thick with wall art, though behind the glowing sigils, details are hard to make out. There are only two doors; a small one at the very far end of the hallway, and an ornate pair of double doors halfway down, leading into what you remember being a very large room on the map Luna drew.

FluffQRocket begins to sing, softly. It's an old song, though only by about forty or fifty years, something not much kept in print. He's not really singing the words, but the tune is recognizable.

<Baxil> The south wall, containing the double doors, is *thick* with sigils, shining brighter than the others.

RainBreeze smiles. "Should we knock?"

MoonglowRiver eyes the runes as she approaches. "Are those active?"

<FluffQRocket> (( It's a traditional harvest song, though with a slightly more modern arrangement. ))

<Baxil> Overlaid upon the door, the magic makes a circular pattern, centered upon a circular ring with six points highlighted, and around the central point of a horn-hole that exactly corresponds to the door lock behind.

<Baxil> The runes are VERY active. You don't have to be a unicorn to feel the power pulsing from them from here.

<FluffQRocket> Welp, that's a trap. Shall we set it off right now, or have a look at what it does first?

FluffQRocket continues humming.

GeminiStar observes, "Arranged as the Celestial Seal...."

<RainBreeze> "I am very tempted to knock. Except that it looks like if I do, I'll explode, or turn into something embarrasing."

Luna steps forward, without hesitation. "This is my sister's work. Stand back."

GeminiStar does back up somewhat, but she says, "Ma'am, if I may....?"

FlareStar nods and complies, giving a bit of space.

MoonglowRiver obligingly takes a step back, but she can't help but lean forward, craning her neck to watch.

<MoonglowRiver> Joe gladly takes a step back, behind Flare.

<GeminiStar> Er.... nevermind. We'll be right here.

<FluffQRocket> "For the sheaves are ever growing/ The day is fading soon/ Our tired bodies' rest shall come/ Beneath the peaceful moon"

Luna is filled with an intensity of focus you have not yet observed in her - more than a bit frightening. She spares Gemini a glance before stepping forward, horn flaring to life. She closes her eyes, summoning power, and touches the area within the inner ring at several precise points, seeming to find a little focus in the rhythm of Frocket's song.

Luna continues to let the power build, wincing a bit as dark energy cascades forth, and shoves her horn into the lock-hole.

<Baxil> There is an obliging click from the lock itself, and for a long second, nothing seems to happen with the spell.

<Baxil> Near the floor, one of the previously noted sigils begins to glow more brightly, shading from muted gold to a brighter yellow, then on into the pinkish gold of dawn.

<Baxil> A second one nearby follows quickly, and then a few more beyond that, and then within an eyeblink the light has spread around the hallway.

<Baxil> The rest happens so quickly you get little more than fragmentary images --

<Baxil> A surge of magic that makes everypony's hair stand on end --

<Baxil> A ring of light converges on Luna and ricochets outward --

<Baxil> A thunderclap and bright flash of green --

<Baxil> A blast of energy sends you flying away from her --

<Baxil> ... And then there's a big green sphere of energy where Luna used to be.

MoonglowRiver winces at the sudden jab, but her eyes go wide as the first run lights up. "Luna--" The rest is lost in a scream as she goes flying.

RainBreeze is thrown against the wall with a shriek and an "oomf!" She rights herself quickly and starts to rush back in, but freezes when she sees that Luna has been quite dramatically replaced...

<Luna> "..." she screams, staggering backward.

FluffQRocket lies still a few moments after impact, taking in the scene.

<Baxil> A form within the green sphere suddenly thumps against its rear wall, with a profound lack of sound.

MoonglowRiver is scrambling, hooves flailing, eyes wide and not quite seeing for a few seconds as the panic cycles through. It doesn't last, but there's a terrifying aeon where she's somewhere _else_, and then she's back on her hooves. "Luna!"

FlareStar has once again gone stoic, eyes narrowing as she picks herself up and glowers at that sphere. "Is that how you're going to play...?"

Luna whirls, and strikes at what she bumped into with all her energy.

FluffQRocket looks for Joe.

RainBreeze frantically looks from one pony to the next - "What do we do what do we do??"

<Baxil> Hooves press against the inner wall of the sphere, again in perfect silence, and then vanish back into its murky depths.

<MoonglowRiver> Joe groans and staggers to all fours with a shakes of his head. "I hurt in my everywhere."

GeminiStar has the wind knocked out of her as she's... knocked out of the air. She scrambles awkwardly to her hooves, gasping... then after a couple failed starts of her wings, off the ground. She darts toward the sphere, but a brief sanity check stops her short of it. _No. No, this... cannot...._

<Baxil> The sigils on the wall briefly flicker, then redouble in strength, taking on a bit of the green cast of the sphere.

<FluffQRocket> To cancel the spell, find what it's linked to, where it's drawing its energy from, and close the connection.

<FlareStar> ...Where it's drawing its energy from?

MoonglowRiver stares at the sphere, and then her mind is _open_, trying to grab onto whatever's putting it there, trying to shut it down, to find its source and unpack it and unfold it, her horn gleaming as she tries to work out whatever magic this is to pull it apart from the inside. (( Arcana: 19 + 7 = 26 ))

Luna slams herself bodily against the energy wall, scraping at it desperately with forehooves, pressing a panicked face against it.

FluffQRocket pushes himself up. Everypony else has responded, so he goes to help Joe to his feet. "Magic has rules, even if it can do unbelievable things. It requires energy from somewhere."

<FlareStar> ((The sigils are carved into the walls, yes?))

<Baxil> The Honored Moon's face appears. Her eyes cast about, not settling on any of you.

GeminiStar starts, "Moonglow. The ring of six circles. Perhaps the six of us can...." Then, she tries to put a hoof against the sphere, press her nose to it, let the Princess know that she is still here.

<FlareStar> Just a theory... but the power source is probably the First Stallion. The connection is what we have to break, which makes me think...

FlareStar glances at Gemini. "Go with Gemmy's idea. She knows more about this mystic celestial crap than we do..."

MoonglowRiver manages a nod to Gem and moves to her appropriate place, her concentration still on the sphere. "Everypony, join us. Please. Luna, hold on...."

<Baxil> The sigils are carved into the physical wall, but they are behind the wall of impenetrable force that seals the room away.

FlareStar moves into position, wings spreading wide.

FluffQRocket dusts Joe off. "There ya go, kid. No need to panic. Luna's trapped all right, and I'm going to scream in a little bit. In the meantime, I'm gonna pretend I'm okay until... woop! There it is."

<MoonglowRiver> Joe looks at Frocket with a smile. "I'm saving up all my screaming for when we get out of here. I have a lot of screaming to do." Then he's next to Flare, not quite sure how he crossed that distance, but that's okay too.

<Baxil> Moonglow: The sphere is clearly produced by the wall sigils in some fashion.

Luna continues looking around wildly, then stops -- her eyes tracking something back toward the central area.

FluffQRocket walks up to the others, and sits. "First One! Attend us! By the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the golden apples of the West!"

<MoonglowRiver> (( Are the glowing points on the Celestial pattern something we can get to? Elements-style? ))

<FluffQRocket> (( I've been waiting all week to say that. ))

GeminiStar watches this, then follows the line of Luna's sight. What's she looking at? Is it readily visible?

<Baxil> ((Moon: Yes; they are reachable, though you'll have to have two pegasi fly to reach the top ones. Frocket: *grin*))

RainBreeze is briefly taken by a moment of silent panic - eyes darting from pony to sigils to sphere to pony and back. With a moment to decide on some irrational course of action, she charges towards one of the reachable points on the Pattern and bucks it, hard, trying to break the trap with nothing more than brute force.

<GeminiStar> Rain, wait! We need to do it together!

<Baxil> Back in the basement's main area, it looks like several of the sigils ... have detached themselves from the wall. They float, will-o-wisps, down to the ground, swirling and coalescing into a shape like a pony.

<Baxil> ((belay description. Rain: Roll to hit. Also, Fortitude defense?))

<RainBreeze> ((Attack roll: 20 + 6, max damage if applicable. Fort: 16. Need refresh.))

<Baxil> ((Take back your 20; crits that would have their effects nullified get returned. Dice pool: also +19,14,13,2))

<FluffQRocket> The place of true strength is in the center. The heart. That's where he was all along.

<Baxil> ((18+8 vs Fort 16.)) Rain's precise strike sends her hooves sinking into one of the six highlight points of the Celestial circle. It seems to give slightly, then rebounds with a flash of energy. Rain's form rockets across the hallway, hitting the far wall with an audible crack.

FluffQRocket winces as Rainy goes boom-crunch.

FlareStar winces and hurries over quickly. "Rainy! You alright?"

<Baxil> ((2d8+5 = 11 damage.))

RainBreeze impacts the _same_ wall, much harder than before. She staggers to her feet, dazed. "That'll... show you...

GeminiStar turns to see what happened. "Together, I said! Can you stand?"

MoonglowRiver turns with a gasp. "Rain!" She charges over. "Get up, please get up. No, no, this isn't... I'm sorry, we have to do this together. Please." She's holding out a hoof, her horn off. "Right idea, we just have to all do it at once." If she notices the motes of light coalescing, she says nothing. "C'mon."

<Baxil> The coalescing stars pause briefly as Rainy kicktivates the seal, then resume their inward course. Smoke seeps outward from the points of light, filling in the form.

RainBreeze shakes her head clear, and immediately regrets doing so. She's not all there. "I'm okay... whoo. Okay together. Let's do your idea now. Whee."

FlareStar helps Moony pick Rain up, sighing... "Come on."

<Baxil> (( Thanks to Alice for art: http://tomorrowlands.org/ponyimages/20120310/First_Stallion.jpg ))

GeminiStar looks to the collecting... motes.... "Is that Do we"

RainBreeze gingerly steps up to the same point. "On... somepony else's count?"

<Baxil> The smoke begins glittering, filling in the space between the glow with glittering night sky.

FluffQRocket reaches out with his magic to push gently against a rune in the middle left of the sigil. "I'm sure we don't need to break ourselves just yet."

MoonglowRiver returns to the sigil. "Flare, Gem, on top. Fluff, you and I in the middle. Joe, Rainy, on bottom. Everyone, on three. One... two...."

RainBreeze touches - with half a moment's hesitation - when Moonglow gives the signal.

FlareStar takes to the air next to Gemini, placing herself in position and pressing down on Moon's count.

<Baxil> The smoky form halts, some 20 hooves away, watching your efforts with apparent curiosity.

GeminiStar backs toward one of the top sigils, still watching the formation of... of... two... one.... she turns and presses a hoof to her sigil, taking her part in the circle

MoonglowRiver rears back... then slams forward with a telekinetic thrust. "THREE!"

<Baxil> It's hard to see where the stars of its eyes are pointing, but the form of its head tilts slightly.

FluffQRocket releases a pulse of magic, focused on letting the unfeeling trap experience the warmth he has.

<Baxil> ((Collective Arcana roll. Moonglow, as coordinator, roll vs. Arcana. Everypony else, give me a roll to assist; Moon gets a +2 for each collective success vs DC 10.))

<FluffQRocket> "And when our final breaths we take / And spirits rise to stars / Our lives the harvest that we make / The fields of home do call."

GeminiStar closes her eyes and lets the full weight of her faith pour through. Everything she's experienced over the last day, the startling closeness of the Princess, the feeling of seeing the inner Lunar Temple for the first time, of contronting her own fears.... She wills it. She wills it all to be _right_.

<Baxil> ((Joe: Rolls a 2, fails to give assistance bonus.))

<FluffQRocket> (( Arcana: 7 +7 = 14. Pass. ))

<MoonglowRiver> (( 20 + 10 + 7: 37 ))

<FlareStar> ((12+1 = 13, pass. Need refresh.))

<GeminiStar> (( Arcana 19+2=21. Pass. ))

Luna appears not to notice the scramble of activity, though she did jerk her head sideways briefly when Rainy set off the trap. Largely, her eyes are transfixed on the glowing form.

RainBreeze is still fuzzy in the head, but Frocket's song helps bring her back into focus. She pushes in with a smile of pure, stubborn, muleheaded good humor. ((13 + 1 = Pass.))

<Baxil> ((Moonglow pool: +10,5,14,19,18))

<MoonglowRiver> Joe manages, almost a moment too late, to press one hoof against his point on the pattern, his other forehoof over his eyes, grimacing.

<Baxil> ((er, sorry, misread that. Ignore))

<MoonglowRiver> (( I'll note them, but I don't need them yet. ))

<FlareStar> ((Yeah, it's me that needs the top-up. Four, not five))

<Baxil> ((_FLARE_ refresh: +13,9,16,16,2))

<FlareStar> ((I'll take the five though))

<Baxil> ((ok, it'll just delay your next refresh by a roll.))

<FluffQRocket> (( Amusing that the sorceror takes a bard's role, but then, the game doesn't have to tell us who the participants are. ))

<MoonglowRiver> (( That's okay; the bard is acting like a sorceress at the moment. We can trade back and forth. ))

<Baxil> Arcana .... 43. Ye stars. Ok then:

<GeminiStar> (( And the holy ninja assassin is acting like a... something. ))

<FlareStar> ((Bigpony is acting like bigpony.))

<MoonglowRiver> (( You're still our Element of -googly eyes at Harmony- -Friendship- Magic. ))

<Baxil> There's a flash, and time seems to freeze. The room falls away.

<FlareStar> ((And now we're in a FF final boss.))

<GeminiStar> (( currently playing: Chrono Trigger, "World Revolution". Blame Kristy for the playlist. ))

<RainBreeze> ((A fitting one to fire Super Nova, at that.))

<FlareStar> ((...I think Gemmy had it more right.))

MoonglowRiver can't seem to figure out how to let go of the breath she's holding, but she doesn't seem to mind that. She's just focused on trying to get Luna... her _friend_ Luna... out of the trap.

<Baxil> And then ... you are in space. Or so it feels for a fleeting second. There is a huge glow, from a nearby sun; there is a second, much smaller glow, in nearby orbit; and a sleepy green planet behind, with uncountable thousands of points of light scattered, near and far, bright and dim.

RainBreeze regains her composure, and... stops to stare.

<Baxil> The star flares out, washing over you, with a feeling of warmth, and ... grips you in its heat, somehow? You are not sensing the whole scene so much as feeling it, somehow, and the sensations are difficult to relate to bodily analogues.

<Baxil> You are pulled into the light, and --

GeminiStar knows this place. This is where she is when she lets everything slip away. This is star-space, a distance from everything, serenity and comfort and solitude wait, no, this isn't

<Baxil> -- a fragmentary image, a room in Canterlot, Lighthoof staring earnestly at your face, your multicolored mane swirling as though in a breeze --

Quits: FluffQRocket (Read error: 104 (Connection reset by peer))

<MoonglowRiver> (( Well, poop. ))

<Baxil> -- he is speaking earnestly, but the words roll off, something tugs at your attention, an ancient pull you never thought to feel --

Joins: FluffQRocket

<Baxil> -- and the focus shifts, and then SHE is staring at YOU, in surprise and alarm --

<FluffQRocket> (( Sorry, I missed the last minute or so. ))

<GeminiStar> (( I'll handle this in PM. ))

<Baxil> (repeat)

<Baxil> ((/never mind, thx Gem))

<Baxil> ((pauses a moment to let Frocket catch up. Immediate reactions please)) ------------ Lunar Temple - Basement -------------Canterday, 4:45 pmThrough the secret door, it is as if you've stepped into another world. Instead of the rough, cramped construction of the tunnel, a large room sprawls out, precisely cut and almost untouched by age. Your hooves echo off of the smooth floor, onyx inlaid with intricate abstract silver patterns. The walls are ringed with onyx and obsidian, with unrecognizable historical scenes cut in relief and enhanced with glistening gems and precious metals.It's about 20 hooves square, with another set of doors on the far wall, covered in runes (which are inactive). Scattered throughout the room are insignia of an ancient war: banners, crests, standards, armor pieces.The heaviest suits of armor, those battered most by battle, bear a solid white circle, with a pair of spears crossed atop it. Beneath the disk is inscribed "Luna Numquam Ponit."There are some emblazoned with crests and tatters of what must have been a few old ribbons, which bear the same motto but show a disc waning in various degrees.The lightest suits of armor, of most delicate design, bear an annular ring and a set of silver wings, beneath which reads "Servire Nocte".simply steps in - she keeps slow, looking around for any danger...For some of you, it's the first time seeing the Equestrian Old Tongue. Others might have picked up fragments of it through research orjob duties.can easily piece together quite a bit about these....tries not to make too much noise as she steps into the room, and eyes the archaic armor. "Why did they save these things?"says without a pause, "Because some of us choose nto to forget our history."stops cold at the doorway, as if afraid to disturb the stillness. Her eyes roam around the patterns on the floor, only catching the historical artifacts after. "They're incredible," she murmurs as she finally enters. "They should be in a proper museum."gives Gemini a wry sort of smile. "After being buried a thousand years, I think this stuff has been pretty forgotten."tightens her expression, but doesn't say a word to that.surveys the piles of armor strewn about. "Why was any of this saved?" she asks quietly. "Perhaps it is a wound that my sister was unable to wholly close, and she sought to confront it at some later time. I shall have to ask at a later time."examines the door with a critical eye. "What do these runes mean?""I was told nothing of this." Her muzzle is inscrutable.starts studying the runes distinct fr/w 4starts studying the runes distinct from the patterns inlaid in the stone, over the doorway. "Luna? Are these...?" A lump of ice settles into her chest. "I'm sorry, I should have kept the book."Flare: You satisfy yourself that you are the only ones in the room. Despite the conversations, you strain, and hear little except silence beyond.sighs.mutters to herself... "I don't like this. It's quiet. /Too/ quiet."tailflicks Flare. "Come on, you know that when _any_pony says that, they're asking for trouble to happen."slowly examines the armour... especially the lighter set. Her mind is absolutely roiling, confronted with the tangible final punctuation of the millennium-old Celestial War.nods. "Exactly. Trouble's gonna happen no matter what, I'd rather it come to us than us having to hunt it down.""...Huh. Good point."looks over the banners and inscriptions, trying to translate. He's seen a few of these words, just not in conjunction like this.turns from the door, back to flare. Her muzzle is quirked in concentration, but her horn is blank. It's as if she's trying to fight the urge to make more light. "Your logic is impeccable, but I'd rather have the element of surprise. She has to know we're in pursuit, but she may still be distractable."looks at Gemini and Luna. "Any idea on the inscriptions?"mutters, nearly a whisper, "To serve the night...." Then, looking to the heavier armour, she adds, "The moon... shall never set. I know these phrases, at least. You might say they're still used for armour."examines the runes as well.chuckles dryly at that. "Emotional, not physical, but their purpose stands."moves from armors to runes.nods at Gemini's words. "Prayers of strength and victory. So... that's the counterpoint to 'The sun always rises', hm..?"Every now and then I see the moon in the sky at the same time as the sun. It's rare, but it happens. I like those times.shakes her head. "'To serve the night?' Perhaps. That's reverent, a belief that the night has its rightful place. 'The moon shall never set?' That... that is a declaration of superiority. Not confidence, not sanity."The runes are clearly recent, carefully painted onto the door. They appear to contain some sort of disruptive effect; holding a charge, and then releasing it on contact with another spell.As noted, they are uncharged.Huh. To dispel magic, throw magic at it. Somepony wanted this door protected long enough to take care of something."Do you think Dark Storm might have used up whatever magic was in these runes?"shakes her head. "It's... a motto of the Searchlights, from what little I can piece together. 'Servire sol; sol semper oritur'... at least, that's how I remember hearing it as a foal..""The latter insignia was for the front-line soldiers," Luna says quietly. "To strike fear into the hearts of their opponents."looks to Flare. "It's almost comforting to know we're not the only mad, broken ones."winces. It's too easy to imagine this as some ancient museum, to forget that these were used to actually hurt ponies....the war hurt everypony, not just Luna's followers. And not just physically...keeps herself alert, guarding the others as they investigate.Do you think it's safe to proceed, Frocket? I mean, we have to keep going; we can't stop now. But do we need to do anything to take care of those?Frocket: You satisfy yourself that they're some kind of spellbreaker, but you don't see any other spells to be broken here in the room, or traces of other runes they might have overwritten.It's tempting to look for other magics, but I don't see anything that's meant to be broken. Perhaps these were designed to open a magical seal on the door itself?You can't sense any recent discharge from them.There's no taste of recent use, though. They've been done and gone, or maybe this was a preparation for later....maybe the door /is/ a seal. Are we so sure we're not blundering into doing Dark Storm's work for her if we open it?Shall we list our other options?closes her eyes and focuses. "I sense strong magic, deeper within, but nothing in proximity."chuckles at that, then hesitantly tries to open the door, letting just enough magic leak out of her horn to tug it open before letting go.notions to the door. "Shall I?"nods. "Please."eyes the door, sheepishly, then stands aside so Gem can push it open. "Be my guest."slips through as silently as possible, again on full awareness of her surroundings....It swings open with little resistance, and a quiet creak, loud enough to alarm you but likely not audible from deeper within.--- Main Basement Hall ---The door opens up into the main area of the Temple basement -- a central area with four halls that split off east-west, forming an H shape. It's taller than any basement you've ever seen: nearly 20 hooves from floor to ceiling. The effect is humbling.The first thing you notice is that the basement is lit -- with a warm cast that gives it a bizarre ambience. Sigils litter the walls and floor, and few even glimmer down from the ceiling overhead. They shine in muted pink and gold.They aren't bright enough to individually serve as light sources, but they're so pervasive that their cumulative effect makes it bright enough to read.The stone surfaces against which they sit appear faded and washed out, as if sun-bleached.slowly steps in, and makes a very undignified "Oooooooh."The only surface that isn't plastered over with the sigils, in fact, is the wall of the room you just walked in from.Both the sigils, and the washed-out glow behind them, stop in a fairly well-defined line corresponding to the entrance room's width.The left wall is dominated by an ancient frieze, high enough off the ground that only the pegasi could reach it comfortably.Painstakingly carved from basalt, Luna's wings spread wide, arching out of the stone wall, with six ponies of mixed heritage below her kneeling in prayer.To one side, the full moon hangs in tarnished silver, inset into the wall itself. To the other is a faded fresco, hinting at stars and comets roughly in the shape of a pony.Below that sit the rotted remains of pre-war tapestries, the fabric gone to time, though the hooks on the wall where they clearly hung are still visible, and threads of ancient rope hang from them.The wall opposite, however, still has its coverings, richly woven and lovingly painted. These are clearly ancient, faded, but not forgotten. A tryptich of tapestries hang.There's a marked shift in art style, as if the tapestries were one of the last things added before the temple was abandoned.To the left, a fearsome black alicorn in metal armor gazes down hungrily with ice-blue eyes, backlit by a full moon.Three ponies lift their hooves in adoration to her.To the right, a serene indigo alicorn in royal finery stands with wings spread and horn aglow before the annular outline of a new moon, while the same three ponies prostrate themselves before her.Between them is a curious piece for a Lunar Temple: an angry red sun sits directly in the middle of a cloudless blue sky, and a white mare with fiery eyes gazes unflinchingly down ...... her wings aflame and her horn surrounded by a glowing golden nimbus. At the bottom of the piece, six ponies crouch in an alicorn-shaped shadow.The enshrouded figures' eyes are blue, and they all seem to be smiling, suggesting safety despite the clear and obvious threat.(Careful eyes will note that six small golden ponies with similar halos walk beside the mare of flame.)Directly ahead, a wider hallway leads toward a set of far-distant stairs upward.The most immediately relevant feature of the room is a series of precise glowing letters on the floor, facing you.------"Princess Luna, your temple is _beautiful._ Creepy, too. But beautiful.""She will lead us, protect us, teach us." Do I have that about right, Gemini, Honored Moon...?barely hears Flare, her attention fixed on the letters upon the floor.almost wanders straight in, transfixed by it all... but she catches herself before reaching those runes. She simply stands there, jaw slightly agape, eyes shifting between the images....has her head up and would probably trip on the inscriptions if she weren't being blocked. Her eyes are on everything, trying to make all the details. The practical matters like warnings or wards slip _right_ past her. She's clearly in tourist-mode.Leader, protectress, and goddess.glances back at Luna, and at Gemini's own slightly uneasy gaze. "...something isn't right..."looks back to Flare, after admiring the tapestries - "How do you mean?"The letters on the floor are shaped in thin, precise lines of glowing dust.MANDATUSINVENIRE MEQUAERE LOCUM VIRIUMINVENIRE VIRESQUAERE LOCUM MEIturns at that. "Hmm?" She blinks twice, then shakes her head. "Sorry, what?" She follows Flare's gaze to the others, visibly distracted.Mandatus.. a demand. Root word for mandate, as in proclamation, decree, or law.lets someone a bit more schooled than her translate.This is a command of magic upon someone.. a prayer, writ as order.winces. "My Old Tongue stops at the textbook medical terminology, I'm afraid. Gemini?""Command," Luna murmurs, transfixed. "To find me, seek a place of strength. To find strength, seek my place."... a riddle.startles slightly and looks straight at Moonglow, eyes slightly teary. She's quiet, but you've got her attention now.....sets her jaw and arches her wings. Saying nothing more, she steps forward past the letters and begins walking deliberately toward the far right-hand corridor.Maybe more.hm's, and eyes the frieze with the pony-shaped star-stuff.watches Luna step forward, quickly taking to the air and attempting to fly over her, place herself between the princess and anything that might wish her harm. "Luna! What's gotten into you?""He is here," she says as she moves, not bothering to look behind to see if the others are following. "In the Room of Trials."narrows his eyes. "Then let us test him."blinks. "Gemini?" Her voice is low. At the sudden turn of motion, she turns to the side. "Luna?" She canters past the others. "Luna, wait. Is... is that what I felt before? It is, isn't it?"...he's not who we're looking for. If he hasn't been woken, I could care less where he is. We need to stop Dark Storm.pauses at Flare's interposition and gives her a stern look."Yeah, but who got her to start this in the first place?"darts her attention to the Princess. "I'm at your side, ma'am." And, with a few silent flaps of her wings, she is.gives Gemini a curious look, her head canted to the side, but then she nods and, only a few paces behind, joins Luna. "Where you go...." She looks to the rest. "With any luck, we'll have time later to come back. Please. Joe?"She explains brusquely, impatiently. "That was his message. The letters are too precise for hooves or horns. That is dust from crushed glowstone; it glows an hour or less in such a state."The aforementioned earth pony, eyes wide as dinner plates, can't tell whether he's more scared of being left behind in this place or following the crazy people. Follow apparently wins out, but only by a nose.Joe is looking around in undisguised awe, but has enough presence of mind to trot forward as the others do. "We're safer if we stick together ... I think ..."gives a stern look right back, voice lowering further. "Friends stick together, and friends protect one another. I don't care if you're the Princess of the night, I won't have you walking off without any warning. If that is where we must go, simply state it. I do not like it, but I will protect you. You are a target here; even if you do not require protection, I insist on providing it."nods. "You're not going in alone, Luna. Just... try to give us a little warning, please?"Indeed, Joe. Your eye is needed, I think.near-growls, "You be the one keeping us waiting out in the open in a well-lit room...."nods. "What Moonglow said." She steps out of the way, letting Luna lead to the correct door, at least.Gemini, I'm betting the attack won't be physical here. Or if it is, we'll see it coming.eyes Gemini and Flare, then looks back at the others.Joe nods, once, and steps forward. He takes a moment to resettle his glasses with a hoof. "I'll... I will." He sticks out his chest in the manner of every teen everywhere who's been dared to eat a spider, and takes up position with the rest.Come, then. He is in the Hall of Trials. That is where I sense the concentration of power; that is where his message points, on multiple levels. Exploration can wait. This ends now.takes a deep breath, then exhales, lowering her head slightly. "Aye. Apologies, Flare."trots up to Luna's side. "You know more about this than I do, at least. Let's go."steps around Flare, her muzzle grim.nods. "Lead the way, and simply let me know if you need me ahead."If the First One gives us a message, then I will let one out for Dark Storm.simply nods to Gem, then to Luna, following behind the Honored Moon as she leads deeper into the temple.The hallway that Luna is heading toward is thick with wall art, though behind the glowing sigils, details are hard to make out. There are only two doors; a small one at the very far end of the hallway, and an ornate pair of double doors halfway down, leading into what you remember being a very large room on the map Luna drew.begins to sing, softly. It's an old song, though only by about forty or fifty years, something not much kept in print. He's not really singing the words, but the tune is recognizable.The south wall, containing the double doors, is *thick* with sigils, shining brighter than the others.smiles. "Should we knock?"eyes the runes as she approaches. "Are those active?"Overlaid upon the door, the magic makes a circular pattern, centered upon a circular ring with six points highlighted, and around the central point of a horn-hole that exactly corresponds to the door lock behind.The runes are VERY active. You don't have to be a unicorn to feel the power pulsing from them from here.Welp, that's a trap. Shall we set it off right now, or have a look at what it does first?continues humming.observes, "Arranged as the Celestial Seal....""I am very tempted to knock. Except that it looks like if I do, I'll explode, or turn into something embarrasing."steps forward, without hesitation. "This is my sister's work. Stand back."does back up somewhat, but she says, "Ma'am, if I may....?"nods and complies, giving a bit of space.obligingly takes a step back, but she can't help but lean forward, craning her neck to watch.Joe gladly takes a step back, behind Flare.Er.... nevermind. We'll be right here."For the sheaves are ever growing/ The day is fading soon/ Our tired bodies' rest shall come/ Beneath the peaceful moon"is filled with an intensity of focus you have not yet observed in her - more than a bit frightening. She spares Gemini a glance before stepping forward, horn flaring to life. She closes her eyes, summoning power, and touches the area within the inner ring at several precise points, seeming to find a little focus in the rhythm of Frocket's song.continues to let the power build, wincing a bit as dark energy cascades forth, and shoves her horn into the lock-hole.There is an obliging click from the lock itself, and for a long second, nothing seems to happen with the spell.Near the floor, one of the previously noted sigils begins to glow more brightly, shading from muted gold to a brighter yellow, then on into the pinkish gold of dawn.A second one nearby follows quickly, and then a few more beyond that, and then within an eyeblink the light has spread around the hallway.The rest happens so quickly you get little more than fragmentary images --A surge of magic that makes everypony's hair stand on end --A ring of light converges on Luna and ricochets outward --A thunderclap and bright flash of green --A blast of energy sends you flying away from her --... And then there's a big green sphere of energy where Luna used to be.winces at the sudden jab, but her eyes go wide as the first run lights up. "Luna--" The rest is lost in a scream as she goes flying.is thrown against the wall with a shriek and an "oomf!" She rights herself quickly and starts to rush back in, but freezes when she sees that Luna has been quite dramatically replaced..."..." she screams, staggering backward.lies still a few moments after impact, taking in the scene.A form within the green sphere suddenly thumps against its rear wall, with a profound lack of sound.is scrambling, hooves flailing, eyes wide and not quite seeing for a few seconds as the panic cycles through. It doesn't last, but there's a terrifying aeon where she's somewhere _else_, and then she's back on her hooves. "Luna!"has once again gone stoic, eyes narrowing as she picks herself up and glowers at that sphere. "Is that how you're going to play...?"whirls, and strikes at what she bumped into with all her energy.looks for Joe.frantically looks from one pony to the next - "What do we do what do we do??"Hooves press against the inner wall of the sphere, again in perfect silence, and then vanish back into its murky depths.Joe groans and staggers to all fours with a shakes of his head. "I hurt in my everywhere."has the wind knocked out of her as she's... knocked out of the air. She scrambles awkwardly to her hooves, gasping... then after a couple failed starts of her wings, off the ground. She darts toward the sphere, but a brief sanity check stops her short of it. _No. No, this... cannot...._The sigils on the wall briefly flicker, then redouble in strength, taking on a bit of the green cast of the sphere.To cancel the spell, find what it's linked to, where it's drawing its energy from, and close the connection....Where it's drawing its energy from?stares at the sphere, and then her mind is _open_, trying to grab onto whatever's putting it there, trying to shut it down, to find its source and unpack it and unfold it, her horn gleaming as she tries to work out whatever magic this is to pull it apart from the inside.slams herself bodily against the energy wall, scraping at it desperately with forehooves, pressing a panicked face against it.pushes himself up. Everypony else has responded, so he goes to help Joe to his feet. "Magic has rules, even if it can do unbelievable things. It requires energy from somewhere."The Honored Moon's face appears. Her eyes cast about, not settling on any of you.starts, "Moonglow. The ring of six circles. Perhaps the six of us can...." Then, she tries to put a hoof against the sphere, press her nose to it, let the Princess know that she is still here.Just a theory... but the power source is probably the First Stallion. The connection is what we have to break, which makes me think...glances at Gemini. "Go with Gemmy's idea. She knows more about this mystic celestial crap than we do..."manages a nod to Gem and moves to her appropriate place, her concentration still on the sphere. "Everypony, join us. Please. Luna, hold on...."The sigils are carved into the physical wall, but they are behind the wall of impenetrable force that seals the room away.moves into position, wings spreading wide.dusts Joe off. "There ya go, kid. No need to panic. Luna's trapped all right, and I'm going to scream in a little bit. In the meantime, I'm gonna pretend I'm okay until... woop! There it is."Joe looks at Frocket with a smile. "I'm saving up all my screaming for when we get out of here. I have a lot of screaming to do." Then he's next to Flare, not quite sure how he crossed that distance, but that's okay too.Moonglow: The sphere is clearly produced by the wall sigils in some fashion.continues looking around wildly, then stops -- her eyes tracking something back toward the central area.walks up to the others, and sits. "First One! Attend us! By the Sun, Moon and Stars, and the golden apples of the West!"watches this, then follows the line of Luna's sight. What's she looking at? Is it readily visible?is briefly taken by a moment of silent panic - eyes darting from pony to sigils to sphere to pony and back. With a moment to decide on some irrational course of action, she charges towards one of the reachable points on the Pattern and bucks it, hard, trying to break the trap with nothing more than brute force.Rain, wait! We need to do it together!Back in the basement's main area, it looks like several of the sigils ... have detached themselves from the wall. They float, will-o-wisps, down to the ground, swirling and coalescing into a shape like a pony.The place of true strength is in the center. The heart. That's where he was all along.Rain's precise strike sends her hooves sinking into one of the six highlight points of the Celestial circle. It seems to give slightly, then rebounds with a flash of energy. Rain's form rockets across the hallway, hitting the far wall with an audible crack.winces as Rainy goes boom-crunch.winces and hurries over quickly. "Rainy! You alright?"impacts the _same_ wall, much harder than before. She staggers to her feet, dazed. "That'll... show you...turns to see what happened. "Together, I said! Can you stand?"turns with a gasp. "Rain!" She charges over. "Get up, please get up. No, no, this isn't... I'm sorry, we have to do this together. Please." She's holding out a hoof, her horn off. "Right idea, we just have to all do it at once." If she notices the motes of light coalescing, she says nothing. "C'mon."The coalescing stars pause briefly as Rainy kicktivates the seal, then resume their inward course. Smoke seeps outward from the points of light, filling in the form.shakes her head clear, and immediately regrets doing so. She's not all there. "I'm okay... whoo. Okay together. Let's do your idea now. Whee."helps Moony pick Rain up, sighing... "Come on."looks to the collecting... motes.... "Is that Do we"gingerly steps up to the same point. "On... somepony else's count?"The smoke begins glittering, filling in the space between the glow with glittering night sky.reaches out with his magic to push gently against a rune in the middle left of the sigil. "I'm sure we don't need to break ourselves just yet."returns to the sigil. "Flare, Gem, on top. Fluff, you and I in the middle. Joe, Rainy, on bottom. Everyone, on three. One... two...."touches - with half a moment's hesitation - when Moonglow gives the signal.takes to the air next to Gemini, placing herself in position and pressing down on Moon's count.The smoky form halts, some 20 hooves away, watching your efforts with apparent curiosity.backs toward one of the top sigils, still watching the formation of... of... two... one.... she turns and presses a hoof to her sigil, taking her part in the circlerears back... then slams forward with a telekinetic thrust. "THREE!"It's hard to see where the stars of its eyes are pointing, but the form of its head tilts slightly.releases a pulse of magic, focused on letting the unfeeling trap experience the warmth he has."And when our final breaths we take / And spirits rise to stars / Our lives the harvest that we make / The fields of home do call."closes her eyes and lets the full weight of her faith pour through. Everything she's experienced over the last day, the startling closeness of the Princess, the feeling of seeing the inner Lunar Temple for the first time, of contronting her own fears.... She wills it. She wills it all to be _right_.appears not to notice the scramble of activity, though she did jerk her head sideways briefly when Rainy set off the trap. Largely, her eyes are transfixed on the glowing form.is still fuzzy in the head, but Frocket's song helps bring her back into focus. She pushes in with a smile of pure, stubborn, muleheaded good humor.Joe manages, almost a moment too late, to press one hoof against his point on the pattern, his other forehoof over his eyes, grimacing.Arcana .... 43. Ye stars. Ok then:There's a flash, and time seems to freeze. The room falls away.can't seem to figure out how to let go of the breath she's holding, but she doesn't seem to mind that. She's just focused on trying to get Luna... her _friend_ Luna... out of the trap.And then ... you are in space. Or so it feels for a fleeting second. There is a huge glow, from a nearby sun; there is a second, much smaller glow, in nearby orbit; and a sleepy green planet behind, with uncountable thousands of points of light scattered, near and far, bright and dim.regains her composure, and... stops to stare.The star flares out, washing over you, with a feeling of warmth, and ... grips you in its heat, somehow? You are not sensing the whole scene so much as feeling it, somehow, and the sensations are difficult to relate to bodily analogues.You are pulled into the light, and --knows this place. This is where she is when she lets everything slip away. This is star-space, a distance from everything, serenity and comfort and solitude wait, no, this isn't-- a fragmentary image, a room in Canterlot, Lighthoof staring earnestly at your face, your multicolored mane swirling as though in a breeze ---- he is speaking earnestly, but the words roll off, something tugs at your attention, an ancient pull you never thought to feel ---- and the focus shifts, and then SHE is staring at YOU, in surprise and alarm --(repeat) A Nightmare visits us so we may learn what we truly need. Back to top IP Logged

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