Blinded By The Light
IC date: Autumn 16, 1007
OOC date: October 5, 2012
PCs: Cascade-Snow, Dustdevil, Jellybean, Kludge, Manyara, Ruby-Blossom, Salty, Sky-Sparkler, Snowfield, Solar-Wind, Windrose, Winter-Solstice, Rising-Chaos, Mwai
NPCs: Daffodil, Hearth, Bonfire, Spectre
GM: Fluttershy, Applejack

It's not quite time for the sun to set yet, but the reds and golds of the trees are alight with the warm caress of Celestia's sun. The beach sands aren't as warm as they might be in the summer, but the air is crisp, the clouds are low, and scintillating Autumnal smells fill the air. Coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, and spice — none of them ponies, mind you, but the actual substance — seems to permeate every stall and shop along the boardwalk.

A soft breeze picks up, ruffling manes and teasing hooves. One such mane belongs to the rather blank-faced ex-mayor, who for once has found an adequate meal. A round-faced young baker has generously donated a basket of treats to the pony, and she happily gobbles them all up. Over the last several weeks, she's sort of become the awkward town stray: that animal that everyone wants to feed because it's so pitiful, but it's just So Very Creepy that maybe she could just eat and go away again? Please?

What I mean to say is the rest of the ponies are giving her a bit of a wide berth, but finally, finally! She's fed.

Cascade-Snow has been 'nesting' at the base of one of the dock piers and can't help but watch/scan the beach for intruders, friends, victims of a flutterfluffpounce, and snacks that may wash ashore. This stray beach pony though perks her curiosity enough for her to watch, and issue soft Squawks occasionally as if perhaps the stray ex-mayor may hear her and share treats. She doesn't know that she's not eaten much, she just knows sweet treats.

Down the boardwalk, outside Iron Stock's Sturdy Seaworthy Sinkproof Shipworks, lounges Winter Solstice. It's much too nice an evening not to admire, and after a day of work, she's taking a break, alongside the boss. Iron Stock is smaller unicorn, with a dull blue coat and dull black hair that hangs over her eyes; she's sitting at a battered wooden table, poring over some ledger whose pages periodically turn with a gleam of magic. Winter paces nearby, back and forth, her feet kicking at the numerous chunks of wood and scrap metal that litter the foundry's front yard. She's dressed in her work duds- leather boots to protect her front legs, as well as the back. The back pair are more than just boots, with thick metal encasing her hooves. They look exceptionally dense and heavy, clunk with every step of her back feet, and are scoured with the same sort of forge soot the rest of the mare is covered with. She's grinning like a loon, though, stopping every now and then to gaze out across the boardwalk before going back to her pacing.

Well, all the ponies are avoiding Salty except Snowfield, anyway. Where other equines give the soulless shell of the ex-mayor a wide berth the forest witch is merely giving her a reasonable berth and following her as the taller unicorn meanders through town trying to eat inanimate objects and occasionally be bribed into tottering off somewhere else. "There has to be some way to get that extra time out of you," the littlest pony mumbles conspiratorially.

Jellybean is laying on a bench at the boardwalk with a pencil in his mouth and some paper in front of him. He's been there for quite a while, actually, apparently trying to gather some thoughts and commit them to paper. His mouthwriting isn't the best in the world, though, so anypony who was looking at his shoulder would a) merit a look of big-eyed concern from the foal and b) probably not be able to tell at a glance what he was writing about.

A dusty pegasus trots in from the general direction of the farm roads content to just walk for right now, Dustdevil promised Sodium-Fizz that he'd collect some last minute goods before their planned hike early the next morning, pending weather of course. He tips his head to random passersby as he makes his way to the harbors edge admiring the sunset.

Suddenly Ruby! Long overdue has her visit to Winny's place of work been - her presence unannounced and very sudden; her presence only known when Winny turns about mid-pace and is greeted with a pair of big ruby-red eyes and a playful "Boo." the turquoise mare peeking around Winny's side to curiously examine "So this is where you work, huh?" giving a friendly little to Winny's boss. It should be noted she's not had the fortune to meet the blank mayor - because Ruby is hard case for nutjobs - why else would she try so hard to be Maddie's friend? Likely because she doesnt' know any better.

With the weather pony… situation largely self resolved, and the day's supply of components for magical research acquired, Sky Sparkler has some time for fun. Or at least 'fun.' The young adult unicorn still thinks she might be able to control the mayhem that this town seems to effortlessly cause. She'll learn better eventually. But right now she's keeping an eye on the evil mare that likes to trap ponies in caves… or at least her less violent half. Which is why, equipped with pith-helmet and binoculars, she is watching Salty eat, from her nest in the bushes. And yes, there are bushes by the docks. At least the one that Sky brought with her.

Windrose wings over the portside boardwalks idly, taking some time to enjoy the comfortable autumn evening. Now that the foal nonsese is over with and she can fly straight in the first place, that is. She's just casually cruising along, until she spots some familar faces down below… And after making sure there's not a fountain nearby, glides down to a hover overhead. "Hello Ruby! Winter!" Pauses to peer at the reading unicorn. "And a pony I don't know. Well, two out of three isn't bad!"

Solar-Wind glides over the mainstreet and portside area looking here and there for potential fire hazards and finally settles upon the framilar home of Rising Chaos, He precariously balances at the apex of the roof watching the harbor for potential fire-related threats. He was helpless last week as a mere foal, but now, he's big, buff, and Back in action!

Kludge is hauling a work-cart loaded with construction materials. He still hasn't gotten around to rebuilding his wagon, and he's rather behind on working on the foal's clubhouse, but at least he's got plenty of materials to work with. While his work-cart isn't as effective as his old wagon as an elevated platform, it's still more useful than a plain ladder.

Winter-Solstice turns about to find Ruby in her way. Acting on habit, she's ready to kick this latest interruption out of her path when she finds that this interruption is actually people- people she knows. Her absently cheerful grin turns to one of surprise, then delight, and she stops in place to stomp up and down, bouncing on all four pieplate hooves. Her metal boots add to the effect: BANG BANG BANG. "Ruby! Hi! Welcome! Yes! This is where I work! Iron Stock's Shippy Something Sinksort!"

Without missing a beat, Iron Stock glances up. "Sturdy Seaworthy Sinkproof Shipworks," she corrects, in the dry monotone of one who has grown well and truly accustomed to repeating the phrase. She looks up, watches Ruby for a moment, nods cordially, then goes back to her ledgerin'.

Winter is still grinning. She's about to say something else when Windrose appears, and Winter glances up to wave at her. "Windy! Hi! Gosh! So many people at once! You guys just visiting or are you here for something? We can do cast bronze. Want a bronze statue of yourself? Just iron maybe? Stainless iron! We can totally enchant it not to rust. Well, Iron Stock can, I just- I just do the lifting. How about metal plating, for your boat or your house or your face?" She reaches up and tries to bump Windy from below with her nose. "Tag! You're it!" she says, whether or not she succeeds. "Iron wings! Stainless steel wings! They'll be useless except they'll look SO SPECTACULAR!"

Manyara is out for one of her rather rare walks about town, taking a leisurely stroll along the beach. It's just that time of year, after all — the time that just cries for a nice evening stroll. And it looks like she's not the only one who feels that way! It seems it's a busy night out. She looks the group of ponies over, gaze lingering for a moment on Salty — oh, that was… interesting. Hm.

Ruby-Blossom pipes cheerfully "I told you I'd stop by, and I make good on my word. I mean I would of come by sooner, but like you know things got out of hand with the blobs and all." she grins ear to ear "You know what? I managed to.." she waves up at Windrose "Hi~ You might not remember me, but I'm Ruby." mischevious grin - surely she'll remember that.

Snowfield pauses in her stalking of Salty when she spots a familiar-looking pegasus foal lounding on a bench writing poetry. Another cast is cast Salty-wards. "…I guess she's not going to wander off any time soon. Certainly not until she's finished that food, anyway." The little mare begins to trot towards the bench, hooves clippity-clopping on the street. "I can't believe no one has gotten him ye—" Suddenly, a Manyara appears! The unicorn comes to an awkward halt to avoid running headlong into the abada.

Salty is oblivious to most onlookers, though she does peek cautiously at Snowfield. Are you going to take my food away? her gaze seems to say, as she hunkers over the basket of treats. But when no threat is forthcoming, she goes back to munching happily, tail swishing back and forth. Oblivious.

The stray Griffon sees another pony on the sandy beach front, her territory, more watching, more big eyes staring with near unblinking fascination emerges as the Faulty-Salty doesn't hear her simple squawks they were 'food squawks' even, anyone knows that, right? Cascade-Snow, untucks her wings and FLUTTERS down to the beach and slowly approaches the strange pony, making sure to click her beak in an attempt to not startle her, or perhaps warn her of her presence maybe?

A bush gets up on four legs, walking closer to Salty, before settling back down. The pith helmet and binocluars pop out. "Let's see… eating… Tail seems to be twitching slightly…" Sky Sparkler muses, taking notes.

Jellybean, seeing a collection of two ponies she knows well and one not-actually-a-pony that she's only seen a little of, gets up from the bench, tucks his pencil and paper away and trots up to join them. "Hi!" he says in his chirpy little foal way. He pauses, waving again when he sees a decided lack of response from the ex-mayor. Pause. "Miss Snowfield?" he asks, "How come Miss Salty is acting like that?"

Salty looks up at the beak clicking, and gives a little squeal of terror as she backpedals from the griffon — and runs into a bush! She wheels around and /bolts/ for the nearest bench — that would be Jelly's — and dives under it. She curls in a terrified ball, but at least her baked goods are free for the munching!

Windrose goes cross-eyed briefly as she gets booped on the nose, then snorts softly. "I prefer my wings being able to actually fly, thanks." Followed by a point at Ruby. "You're the reason I made sure there wasn't a fountain nearby first!" Pause. "Or a runaway cart. Or… no wait somepony else threw me in the bubble cure, nevermind." She waves that last one off.

(And Salty very nearly bowls Jellybean over in the process, too.)

Ruby-Blossom grins up at Windrose and beams triumphantly "No, that was me too. From behind when you were looking." she corrects with a giggle. "You're welcome for the last one at least. Last few weeks were real rough, never had so much head trauma before." a small frown that is quickly replaced by a warm smile. "I just came out to check out Winny's place of work." Shifting her weight between hooves as she continues. "It's very Winny like!

Spotted! Snowfield steps around Manyara as Jellybean addresses her. "That would be because she went and had her soul torn out like an idiot," the unicorn explains. Suddenly Salty is /right there/, diving under the bench to cower. "Gotcha!" the forest witch shouts as her horn starts to glow. A spell lances out to try to grab Salty, pull her out from under the bench and hoist her into the air. She's been getting pretty good at that kitten-hold spell of late.

Manyara blinks and chuckles down at the little unicorn. "Why, hello there. And hello to you too, Jellybean!" She asides to the Pegasus cheerily. "I don't recall you being quite so little." She looks back to Salty, shaking her head slightly. "Yes, it is quite… unusual, is it not?" She blinks down at Snowfield. "Ah. That would explain things."

Cascade-Snow is most startled enough to rightly Poof, but, Mission Accomplished! Sweets n food n stuff. The little gryphie Squawaks to the rapidly backpeddling/departing pony, "I just wanted to share, don'thave ta run away" she announces with some confusion before she takes a muffin, and attacks it as if it were some crunchy-munchie-mousie or something. She practically Rarrs at it as she devours it!

Emitting little whines and grunts, Salty wheels in the air as Snowfield hauls her up in her magical grip. She flails weakly, giving the crowd big, fearful puppy eyes. "Mwehhhh," she whimpers.

Winter-Solstice prances from foot to foot, clank thump clank thump clank thump. "Your loss! They'd look great. You could be a superhero, except one that isn't actually very good at anything except looking pretty?" She whirls about to face Iron Stock, who looks up. "BOSS!" bellows Winter. "Boss! This is my GOOD FRIEND Ruby Blossom and my GOOD FRIEND Windrose. Ruby's the one that made my hair not look quite so messed up that one time and Windrose is-" Winter stops, and thinks, while Iron Stock waits obligingly, sitting up slightly so she doesn't look TOO eager to get back to her reading. "… Windrose is the one that dumped me in the harbor that one night the mayor came back to town! Isn't that right, Windy!?" Winter glances up at the pegasus. "IT WAS PRETTY COOL."

Iron Stock smiles patiently and nods to them both again. "A pleasure. Let me know if I can help you with anything, but I'm sure Winter here can tell you anything you'd want to know, and probably stuff you don't as well."

"That's right!" agrees Winter. "I can tell you both don't want to know that the boss sneezed the other day and there was so much soot up her nose it was like she was gushing tar from her nostrils. That was a fun day. The forge exhaust backed up and all the soot blasted into the workshop. Hey, can I get you anything? A drink maybe? Sandwich? Mailboxes? We can make those. Even the little flag thingies, those too. Hey! Let's get you guys fitted for some shoes! You ever worn old-fashioned shoes?"

Snowfield glances over her shoulder at Manyara. "Say, I don't suppose you know anything about soul transference, do you, Watcher? Your friend the star keeper is trying to get this sorted out and it seems like the sort of task that would be right up your alley." The whimpers of the ex-mayor fall on Snowfield's deaf ears.

The bush had been writing a note about Faulty-Salty's reaction to sudden noises when the startled mare crashes into the bush. Poor bush. Sky Sparkler's head arises from the bush, her pencil stuck halfway into her nose, as she looks around. She looks to Cascade Snow, and asks, "Did you see where she went?" her voice nasal.

Manages to find a bench for himself, "Quite the crowd tonight, some big festival or something?" he asks to no one in particular more minding his own business untill he spots somebody he knows or something.

"Tricky subject, that," Manyara replies casually, looking Salty over. "I presume there are two bodies, then, to be transferred between? It's much easier when it's just a loose soul - well, presuming you've already caught it." She peers down at Snowfield. "Oh, you've gotten her involved already? Lovely! I'm sure she's having a glorious time of it, poor dear. I'm surprised she hasn't come to scold me yet," she added with a chuckle.

Windrose deadpans towards Iron Stock even as Winter is rambling. "It's okay, we've gotten use to it." Then back to Winter. "That was a pretty awesome cannonball, if unintentional." But then makes a face at the old horseshoes thing. "Didn't we just cover that too much metal on limbs isn't good for a pegasus?"

Cascade-Snow is engaged in her muffin, she rightly looks like a vicious animal, though the fluff doesn't particularly convince most, her noises likely would. She looks up to the talking bush bodied pony and quirks her head to her. She nods a little and points to the boardwalk and the suspended Faulty-Salty

Jellybean blushes but hops. "Well, everypony got turned into little foals but the cure got brought into town about a week ago but me and Typhoon-Wave who's my very special somepony thought about it and wanted to stay this way but then some other ponies said that it would work out if we talked to each other and so I'm writing a letter for her to read when she goes back to being a grown-up and I'm gonna ask her to write one too and then we'll take the cure." A pause. "That's how come I'm still little."

The autumn breeze picks up. Slowly at first, hardly more than a small gust, noticable after a minute or two of steady blowing. From breeze to gust, from gust to wind it grows. It's a cold wind, too. Unnaturally cold. Certainly not anything the local weather pegasus would have generated for this time of year. More something that might have sprung from the depths of the nearby dreded forest…

From wind to gale, the forces grow, whipping papers and trash about, bringing with it a strange, foreign scent. A very off-putting scent. The skies lighten from late-evening to something closer to mid-day, despite the proof of the sun's position on the horizon! A light, coming from seemingly everywhere at once! This light gathers, collecting in the air, around buildings, around a few of the harbor residents themselves. All of this happening in the span of mere moments…

Without warning, the light explodes out, scattering to the four winds, and taking with them…many things, buildings, stands, /ponies/!. And with the scattering of light…

KABOOM!

A harsh explosion rocks the ground, chasing after the scattered lights, hard enough to crack the nearby port and many of the buildings, the ones nearest ground zero outright shattering on their foundations!

The wind begins to die down once the explosion hits, the crater left behind containing a quickly swirling, sparkley, certainly magical mist that dissipates as quick as it came, leaving behind…four bodies. Ponies. One small yellow colt earth pony foal. Two purple adolescent earth pony fillies. And one pure white unicorn adolescent filly. The whole lot laid out as though they'd taken that dreadful bang face-first. Dazed, and surely confused!

Iron Stock deadpans back at Windrose. In her heavy gaze is writ plainly that while this is a periodic nuisance for others, for the Boss, this is her every day life. She's about to open her mouth and say something, and Winter is about to open her mouth and say something, when the sky starts lightning up. Iron Stock stays quiet, looking upward with concern, while Winter spins towards the light.

"Oh wow! Oh wow! Is it morning again? Can they do that? This morning WAS pretty terrible. I'm glad for a do-over. Hey, does this mean I need to make my sandwich again? Hey, Iron Stock, can you go make coffee? Hey, can you get my sunglasses, this is getting kind of brigh-"

And then she is gone.

Seeing this, Mwai dumps his flask out on the ground. "I don't know what's in this, but I ain't drinkin' the rest of it."

The white unicorn slowly starts to groan, lifting her face from the pavement and forcing her eyes to stop spinning with the force of the impact to her head. "Ooohhh…guys, I think it worked," she mumbles, lifting a hoof to her head. "'s already warmer…"

Cascade-Snow Is applied like a cut out creature to the sea-wall. Could be a sticker for that matter, as she's practically adhered to the wall, looking about as low as she can possibily get, she's freeking terrified bout now.

Down a ways, the back door to a smaller tavern kicks open as ponies start pouring out to see what the commotion is about. The movement is mirrored elsewhere as anybody who was inside steps outside to see what's going on- or to escape the sudden instability of the buildings that were so warm and boozey a moment before. Murmurs of curiousity turn to shouts of alarm and a general feeling of contained panic sweeps through portions of the crowd.

And standing seperately from the group, slipping out of a bar behind the initial rush of onlookers, a pair of fey figures emerge to quietly observe. Both appear to be earth ponies, though the hoods and cloaks that cover them obscure a lot of their finer details.

Dustdevil ponders, "sunsets don't do that back in Canterlot, Why is this place so screwed up?" he asks of no-one in particular. 'air-traffic control, are the skies clear?' The pegasus looks skyward, decidedly not wanting to be on the ground right now. He flits up and just hovers,

The Faulty-Salty who had been hovering in Snowfield's grip, now flattens on the ground and skitters away as quickly as her hooves can take her. Which means she crashes right into Mwai.

Salty is not having a good day.

Mwai stumbles briefly— and stares. "..Salty, is that you?" He squints at her unfocusing eyes. There's no evidence of the insane mare who'd left him to rot on a deserted island mere days ago. "What the devil happened to you then…"

"…Guys?" The white unicorn opens her eyes, revealing them to be dove-grey. As she staggers shakily to her hooves, she groans… and spies Dustdevil. She blinks a few times, head canting. Then she looks off to the horizon, and hisses, closing her eyes for a moment.

Then suddenly she squeals!

And she starts bouncing in a circle around the crater and the other prone ponies. "It worked! IT WORKED!! You guys! You guys! IT WORKED! Look! Look! Open your eyes!!"

Salty scrambles back from Mwai, ears flattened. She's dirty, underfed, and clearly hasn't done even the minimal personal maintenance she usually does. She also has no cutie mark! As the white pony starts hooting and hollering, she skirts Mwai and hides behind him with a tiny whimper.

Dustdevil just hovers for now, watching the scene unfold, though he does now take up more of a watchful eye upon the new 'guests' "Uhh, Greetings and welcome?" he somewhat asks "you come in peace?" he query's of the 'lead' unicorn

The two observing ponies slip closer towards the epicenter of activity, weaving between onlookers with the aid of slim builds and a drifting, weightless gait. They don't draw exceptionally close, but remain at the fringe of onlookers observing the strange new ponies and their fabulous new crater. One of them- the taller one, evidently a thin stallion, on whose cloaked back rests a wrapped bundle- turns to peer across the crowd at Salty and Mwai; lavender eyes gleam curiously from under his hood.

Of the other three ponies in the crater, the little yellow colt is next to stir. A soft groan rises, and along with it the little yellow body, bright eyes opening up to the soft evening light. Though they immediately close again, the colt ducking his head. "Owwwww…! I didn't think the sun would be so /rude/ on our first meeting! …But at least it's warm~"

The two purple fillies are stirring too, slowly working themselves upright to join the rest, though they're taking their time with the whole opening of eyes bit. "Mmmm?" "It worked?" "How can you tell?" "You mean besides the light?" the twins toss at each other, sharing brief nuzzlings as they adjust to the quite different atmosphere. Warmth is so rare for them!

The colt's already quite adjusted though. He's already bouncing! Right behind the white pony. "Sun! Sun! Just like my cutie mark! Look, look! The real thiiiiiiing!"

Mwai rolls 1d10 (Do I have any clue what's up with these fae ponies) — Result: 2 | Sum: 2

(OOC) Mwai: PROBABLY NOT
(OOC) Spindrift: we are from France

A bit late to the party, an ice-blue pony rockets out of the Mayor's mansion, eyes wide and ears back. "Oh dear oh dear oh dear… what happened /now/? What… was there another fire? An explosion? More phoenixes? Phoenixi? Whatever?" Lorelei is looking very much on-edge. And not at all pleased with things that go boom!

Dustdevil decides its time for action, they are in a crater after all, regardless of their reaction, he glides down to alight in the crater with them, and proceeds to Bow in a somewhat royal manner, "Welcome to Horseshoe Harbor" he mentions, "need a lift out of this, uhh, hole you've managed to dig?" he asks kindly

Mwai stays back, watching. He pats Salty absently, who doesn't react one way or the other to the touch.

"I thought it would be a little more…I dunno, slow!" the white unicorn says to the others in the crater, before she tosses the sun-marked colt onto her back gleefully. "Yeah, Daffy, look!! Look! The sun! I knew it! I knew we could do it!" She looks back to the twins, of whom one sports a bit of a mohawk and the other has a longer straight mane, but of an identical warm red-pink with lighter streaks, and she hops. Her own flank bears a barely visible ghost, while theirs each has a half of a heart edged on one side in fire, like one wing a piece.

It's about that time that she turns to Dustdevil, beaming… and slowly starts to blink. "Hey… I don't know you." She looks to Mwai, and Salty. "Or you…" And to the three newcomers. "Or you, or you, or you… or that tree. Or those rocks. Or those buildings!" She scrambles back a step into the crater, looking back with a whine. "Guuuuys….?"

Dustdevil shrinks a little so as to not startle the others, "Its ok, woah woah, just trying to help ya out of this hole here, don't know you either, but uh, I'm just trying to help ya out of this place" he looks around hoping to spot other pegasi whom can assist him down here with their evacuation from the hole. He glances back, to the 'leader' white unicorn. "I'm Dustdevil, and this is errr, was Horseshoe Harbor" he mentions, "you're in the middle of a great big crater, and I'm here to help get you out of it, ya with me on this?" he asks
The two slender, cloaked ponies exchange a glance as the unicorn in the crater acts the way one acts when they have no idea what's going on. Good, that makes three of us, seems to be the unsaid sentiment. Nearby, a grizzled sailor who has seen the town burn down way too many times to be shaken by this gums a corncob pipe in the direction of the two, at least until the shorter of the shrouded pair whips her head around to stare back. He smacks his lips and looks away, back to the show the strange foals are putting on.

"Whoa…" the yellow colt, Daffy, whispers from the white pony's backside. "What if… What if we not only free'd Celestia, but like…reversed /time/? And everything is, like, what it would be if everything was all sunny from the beginning?" His eyes are /wide/ as dinner plates! "That would be awesome!" He waves a little arm. "Hi new ponies! Did you just start existing? Huh? Huh?"

The mohawk-sporting pony of the twins creeps up next to the white one, glancing around at all the new surroundings. "Yeeeeah this is new alright." The other, straight-maned one flanks the white one's other side. "..But it's all old too." Both of the twins focus on Dustdevil for a moment, then look back at the crater they just stepped out of. "Oh my…" they say in unison.

"Crater?" the white unicorn looks back and squeaks, lifting a hoof in surprise. "Oh, /no/," she breathes. "Hi, Dustdevil. I'm Spectre, and… and this is Daffodil" — she gestures to the colt on her back — "and that's Hearth and Bonfire," straight-mane and mohawk, respectively, "and that's… wait, guys, where's Maelstrom? Where's Monsoon?"

Mwai pops to his hooves abruptly, a slight white glow around them. Looking over his shoulder at some unseen figure he says "Oh come ON, you have got to be kidding I'm not—" the whole way as he trots a little unnaturally towards the colts. When he arrives, he says, a little mechanically, "I am captain Mwai, is there anything I can do to help you?" he then mutters "Hopefully that doesn't get me killed…"

Dustdevil hears them mention the town looking on the old side, "Uhh, this is a /small/ town, really, ya popped out of nowhere, into practically nowhere" he looks back to the rest of the town, "no offense" then back to the new arrivials "If more of you are coming, I /really/ think we should be getting out of this crater bout' now" he asks practically pleads with them,

Cascade-Snow unadheres herself from her wall, its hers dangit, and practically bolts for her nesthome thingy under the old docks, this is not her shindig, she is totally outta here!

The taller of the cloak-wielding ponies leans down to say something to his slightly shorter companion. She makes a face but doesn't say anything in response. Both now watch Spectre closely, thoguh they are but two of many doing so.

Daffodil again waves one of his little arms. Despite the crater, he's still smiling his fool head off, probably tickled pink that there's /sun/ here. Even if they aren't where they were, wherever they are is already /so much better/! "Hi!" he says cheerfully, blinking especially at the fleeing, zooming white featherball. "OH HEY! What's that!?"

Hearth and Bonfire are too stunned by the fact that they had any part in something so destructive to register the questions at first. But mention of Monsoon and Maelstrom perk their ears up, the twins glancing around in opposite directions. "Huh?" "They're not here..?" "But…" "Where could…" They again look at the crater, with a new look of fear. "We didn't blow them up, did we?" "Oh…my…"

Then they both peek up at Dustdevil, nodding meekly, finishing their step out of the crater so they can enjoy the wonders of a cobblestone street that isn't blisteringly cold. "We're sorry if we hurt anypony…" Hearth says, her head lowered, Bonfire still looking around. "It's not, like, bloody in there, so I don't think they exploded. They've just gotta be somewhere else, right..?"

"Right! Of course. Sorry!" With a scramble, she takes the colt with her up after the twins out of the crater. She looks down and lifts her hooves in surprise at the cobblestone, then looks over at her companions, happily shifting her weight back and forth for the moment. "Yeah. They gotta be! Somewhere! Have you guys seen a mopey-lookin' pegasus or a HUUUUGE big blue lug of a unicorn?" she asks of Dustdevil, and of Mwai. "Cause, that's how you could help us. We need to find our friends and make sure they're okay. And… and to figure out what to do next. Oh my goddess, I can't believe the /sun/ is /over there/!" She hops in a circle around Mwai. Squee!

The shorter of the cloaked ponies glances up towards the sun for a moment, then winces and ducks her head back, shrouding her face beneath the hood once more. Her companion, watching this, can be seen grinning slightly under his hood. He's still grinning as he makes his way over to a bench that once upon a time hosted a note-writing pegasus foal and settles on it comfortably, while the other turns to watch him with a sullen glower. He simply smiles and shrugs back at her.

Mwai gags on a mouthful of unexpected words, but manages with at least a scrap of dignity. "Where were you, that you did not see the sun? The sun has been moving regularly here for a thousand years." He shakes his head and mutters, "what the bleeding devil are you on about…"

Dustdevil watches helps where necessary as he guides them out of the gap they were in, "I'm not gonna hurtcha, and that white fuzzyfluffball, she's going in the opposite direction, I think you startled her more than the other way around." he looks to them with a confused look, "Mmmsory, we're kinda shocked here too, you did just kinda appear out of nowhere, and" he looks around, "and" he furrows his brows, "and you're not the only one's missing ponies from your group" he now looks really confused, "there were…"

Dustdevil shakes his head some looking to Spectre curiously, "they were here, now, I, I don't see them" he intones,

(OOC) Mwai: | Bone Mistress: I really should SHOW you the fine print in your contract some time but it's so fun watching you *find out* 8]

Spectre gawks at Mwai. "A…a thou… a thousand years?!" she squeaks. Her rump hits the ground flat, sending Daffy tumbling. One of the other ponies will have to take notice of Dustdevil's missing compatriots; Spectre's just too busy staring in utter confusion at the zebra. "No. Nononono, no, that's not how it is! Unless…uness we changed time… Did we change time, you guys?"

Dustdevil looks about as confused as the new ponies here in town. "Ok, so we've got a bit of a clock problem here" he doesn't do well with this whole time travel bit or the sun issue, but he is trying to help out best he can. "So, you all are from?" he questions "Time, date, place even?" he asks, "Ok, skip that for now, Is everyone ok?" he asks, "injuries, anything?"
Dustdevil is ever the professional search and rescue pony, and doing his best to help these new ponies here, "Is there anything I, or this town even may be of assistance?

Spectre gawks a little more. "Um! Winter 278, year 1007, Horseshoe Base, sir! And I'm okay… are you guys okay? Is everyone here okay? Oh, no, we made a mess of things, didn't we…" She groans and covers her face.

"Whoa!" Daffy squeaks, tumbling! He goes into a neat roll, ending on his hooves and bouncing right back up to Specter to hop onto her shoulders, clinging like the worlds cutest cape. "I told you! We did, we did! We changed time! Now Soony won't be a grump, I betcha!"

"How could we change /time/?" Hearth wonders, glancing between Mwai and Spectre. "That wasn't a time-changing spell, it was a summoning spell!" Bonfire, meanwhile, shrugs. "Maelstrom was involved. It could have been an /anything/ spell and gone wrong." "That's true." Hearth says, the twins then sliding up to hug Spectre! "There there." "It's nothing we can't fix." Hearth peers back into the crater. "…I've never fixed a crater before."

(OOC) Mwai: Okay okay, um, what does *the Bone Mistress* know about this, because it sounds like these foals just undid some BAD STUFF.

"If you are so surprised to see this- then you must have been expecting something else. What was it you were hoping to find?" This is asked by the smaller of the shrouded ponies- a female, if the voice is any indication. Sure enough, her feminine build is clear enough as she separates herself from the cautious crowd to address Spectre, there at the edge of the crater. She stares at the unicorn, sea-green gaze piercing, even demanding.

Dustdevil furrows his brow still lost a bit "the times are right, but" he shakes his head in confusion, "Sorry" he mentions looking back to the crater and to Hearth, "Its ok, for now, I guess, don't worry about it, Save your strength" "This is horseshoe Harbor, no base here, no outpost, no" he trails off, "no Nothing really, its just a small town on the edge of the sea, ships, the bay, the trees, the sun" he pauses, "but you don't have that" he asks looking more confused, as he sits right down right there looking so confused

(OOC) Salty: The Bone Mistress knows that there was a giant magical discharge! … That's about it, I think.
(OOC) Mwai: hmmmmm
(OOC) Salty: There's a disturbance in the Force, Luke!
(OOC) Spindrift: While we are making knowledge checks for our unseen companions: what does Binky, the magical gnome that lives under my hat, know about this?
(OOC) Salty: Horble gleep glop.
(OOC) Spindrift: Binky you mouthy son of a stud

"That's true, with Maelstrom," Spectre agrees, turning to give Hearth a hug. She looks back to Dustdevil with confusion. "No base? No outpost? Just… a harbor?" She looks around, and around again, squinting a little. "No, no sun… Though I admit I /did/ think the sun would be brighter," she says of the swiftly fading twilight. "…Oh, well…"

Dustdevil still looks intently confused but looks to the setting sun, "Celestia's Sun is going down, to be replaced by Luna's Moon" he chimes almost musically, "The Celestial Sisters?" he asks "Do you not have stories where you are from?" he asks as he hops back up to hover and look over all the newcomers. "The sun will rise in the morning again, big and bright and full of life" he trails off puzzling things out in his head, "that, that doesn't happen where you're from?" he gulps hard, "The elements?

"Awwww, I miss it already." Daffodil says of the fading sun, sliding off Spectre's back to start bouncing around the three fillies. "I just got to know it. When's it come back?" The little colt alters course, bouncing around Mwai and Dustdevil. "Does it stay away long? Is it shy? Does it play games? Does it laugh? I wish the moon laughed. Not a creepy laugh like you hear sometimes when you're all out alone in the darkness staring up at the sky, but like a genuine big belly laugh!"

Hearth and Bonfire look just as confused as Spectre! But darnit, it's their job to stay calm. Or something like that. Bonfire dips her head. "It's so warm here." Hearth beams. Despite the crater, despite the new surroundings, and despite having friends mysteriously missing she's happy with the change. "I don't know what happened, but for once in my life I'm not cold, and that's awesome."

Then Dustdevil mentions Luna, which promptly makes the twins in particular freak out, squeak, and /cling/ to Spectre! "Luna's moon? /She/s still here?"
The female shrouded pony takes a step forward, shaking the hood back from her face, revealing a dusky blue coat and long black hair. She continues to stare at Spectre, and looks ready to say something else, when her companion, who has risen from the bench to join her, gently nudges her away from the group of strange foals, interceding before anything else is said. She's reluctant, but withdraws gradually, scowling like a stormcloud, as the two talk amongst themselves.

Mwai shakes a little. His head twitches to one side. "SHE IS. But you need not fear her here. The Princess of the Night has returned to balance with her sister the sun." He shakes again. "No really, WHAT?"

"Oh, /no/," Spectre wails, clinging to the two sisters. "I knew it was too good to be true! The sun's gone away and the Nightmare Queen will— will" She can't even finish her sentence she's so distraught. "/No/!" she says emphatically at Mwai, "she's incapable of balance! She's /evil/ and /wicked/, and and only Celestia can save us, and— and /the Elements/! Where are they?!" She's on her hooves again, looking around frantically. "GUYS!"

Dustdevil rushes in, wings spread and hugs/holds the others, "Shhhh, its ok, you're ok, you're safe here I promise" he asks, "both Celestia and her Sister are balanced, powerful but balanced" he tries to comfort, "Remember, you're /not/ there any more, you're here, differint place" he tries so hard to comfort them, "you're safe, I won't let anything happen to you, you're safe, Shhhhhh its ok" he asks/begs/comforts.

The twins cower! And whimper! And nod with Spectre! "Queen Moon is awful!" "The most awful pony ever!" "She doesn't have a good bone in her body!" "And the things she does to foals…" But Dustdevil's soothing is..different from the panick most ponies go in when talking about the Queen. So they stare at him, and stop shivering.

Daffodil, meanwhile, hadn't been spooked at all. He's sitting next to Mwai, staring up at him, and up at the sky, where the moon is no doubt rising. "That's a much more friendly-looking moon than our moon." he notes, observantly.
Mwai rubs his temples with his hooves while someone else works his jaw. "That is what the moon was meant to look like, before the Celestial war, before the Princess of Night's thousand-year banishment. It is a good moon."

"Balanced. Balanced?" Spectre sniffles and shivers, huddling with the two sisters; but like Hearth and Bonfire, she seems somewhat calmed by Dustdevil's advances. She turns to look on the moon fearfully… then nudges the two girls. "Hey… it's still warm," she whispers.
The two cloaked ponies exchange glances. Still simmering, the female looks at the male for several long moments, before breaking away from him and approaching Mwai and Daffodil. Her approach is a bit less confrontational this time as she joins the foal in looking at the moon. "What does YOUR moon look like?" she asks.

There's a giant crater in the middle of Portside. And a number of buildings have gone missing. The moon is just starting to lift over the horizon and a peculiar group of ponies is gathered amongst familiar faces:

A white adolescent unicorn mare with a ghost on her flank is huddled between a pair of nearly identical purple mares. One sports long reddish-pink hair with lighter stripes that she's let grow down while the other has spiked hers into a mohawk. Over near Mwai is a short little yellow earth pony colt with a sun on his flank and some rather spiky flyaways. All four of the ponies are staring up at the rising moon with a mixture of awe, horror, and trepidation.

Dustdevil settles back some though his wings are still wide and in a protective position, he sits back "I think we need to make some time for a story" he mentions softly to the small gathering. "here in this place this story is told to all the foals, and is celebrated every year during the Summer Sun Celebration, The day of the longest sun, well…" he leads in, "A thousand years ago there was a war between the Celestial Sisters, (See reference intro story episode 1 season 1, MLP:FIM, its a good show even)

Dustdevil finishes his tale as the moon rises still clear, "The elements of Harmony purged Princess Luna of the evil of Nightmare Moon, and the Balance was restored to all of Equestria.

Daffodil, for the record, is the only one of the four new ponies who's smiling at the moon. "Awwww it's so happy~" he states, as though he knows exactly what happiness should look like. "Our moon has a scary face. It's always watching us… We even have a rhyme about it!" He clears his throat. "Oh terrible moon flying so high, why do you look down from the sky? Watching me as I run and play, waiting for the chance to steal me away!" He beams. And probably just made that up.

"You just made that up!" Bonfire accuses, confirming any suspicion. Hearth is giggling though, and heaving a soft sigh of breath. "Okay, so the night's not so evil here. Wherever here is. That's good… Because we still don't know where our friends are. So at least the moon isn't going to eat them."

The blue mare stares at the moon alongside Daffodil for a few silent moments, before turning to look towards Hearth. "Perhaps they were left behind. You had to come from somewhere, after all. I suspect THEY are wondering where YOU are, right about now."

"I'm pretty sure they're wondering, yeah," Spectre sighs… before she turns and grabs Bonfire, shaking her. "AND WHERE ARE THE ELEMENTS, YOU GUYS!! We need Monsoon to find them!! The necklace thingies!! AGGHHH!"
Dustdevil perks up some as they talk of the elements, "You have the Elements of Harmony, back where you're from?" he asks, "We have them here too, well, not here here, but, ya know, "there's a town on the other side of the mountains" he gulps some, "through some forests that you DO NOT WANT TO GO through, or some of us can fly over, if you need to get a message somewhere in a hurry" he offers slightly

The seated, cloak-wearing stallion inclines his head slightly as he watches his blue companion. She herself is watching Hearth and Spectre with a slight frown. "The Elements of Harmony are kept in Caterlot Castle. It is as the pegasus-" She enunciates the word with a slight hiss. "- suggests- it is quite a distance from here. And they are not available for viewing."

Daffodil thinks about that suggestion for a long, hard moment. "Nah." he decides, like only a kid can do. In that sort of final way that he's gotta be right, because any other answer is just plain silly. "They're both kinda grumpy and blockheaded, but they're both good ponies. If we got zapped somewhere good, they had to of too!" He nods his head. And blinks at Spectre. "Maybe they got used up..?"

The twins squeak! Bonfire moreso than Hearth as she's being shaken! "Whoaoaoaooah! S-s-s-speeeectrrrre!" Her eyes swirl a touch, the mohawk'd pony tipping over! Hearth winces, her ears splaying. "W..well we'll just have to try and find them? Maybe they got buried in the crater?" Hearth blinks then too, looking up at the cloak-wearing stallion. "Huh..? B..but we had the elements when we were casting our spell… They can't be all the way in /Canterlot/ already."

Dustdevil furrows his brow, "you brought your own?" he asks, and hears 'back in the crater' and he's on it, He about Zooms straight up, then darts down into the crater to see if he can find anything of value "What do yours look like?" he calls to them from down in the hole

The cloaked blue mare who nobody knows the name of- perhaps it is Sue! Perhaps it is Buttons!- frowns a bit more, turning that intense sea-green stare towards Hearth. "The Elements have been in Canterlot for nigh-on seven years. They are…" She narrows her eyes slightly. "Not the ones you have in mind."

Salty rolls 1d10 (Does Spectre Get It?) — Result: 2 | Sum: 2

"Canterlot?" Spectre asks in dismay. "What if they all poofed there? What if Mael and Soon are there? What if we're stuck here! What if the Nightmare Queen gets the Base? WHAT IF" A convenient hoof — her own — stuffs into her mouth before panic gets the better of her, and she warbles around it a little before extracting it. "Um! Necklace thingies and a crown thingie! Seven years? But that's unpossible!!"

Dustdevil rolls 1d10 (Does Dustdevil find anything?) — Result: 4 | Sum: 4

(OOC) Dustdevil: anything at all?
(OOC) Salty: Nope :I
(OOC) Mad-Mare: There's most certainly nothing to find.

Dustdevil shouts from the bottom, "Mmsory Miss Spectre" he flies from the hole to alight infront of her once more. He shakes his head, "ya came in hard and fast and nothing but you few made it in" he offers softly. "Mmsory"
into the Square trots Rising Chaos, her cloak ruffled and untidy, her mane frizzy and unkempt. Her face shows her to be in a aprticularily awful mood. She glares at the assembly of ponies, old and new with a sneer. "Alright, who did it, what one of you clowns did that much magic.

Daffodil's giggling! He just refuses to be spooked, upset, or otherwise victim to ill thoughts. In fact, he gets up off his duff and steps with great purpose up to Spectre, sticking his tongue out in the goofiest face he can think to make at the moment. "Nyah~ Everything is going to be fine! Trust me." He nods.

Hearth is kinda panicking too though, what with the Elements potentially elsewhere, and the realization that this situation may not be the best ever finally sinking in. "Nnnnnhhh, Spectre… What do we do? No elements, no friends, j..just friendly ponies a..and a big hole a…and…and…" Bonfire finally recovers from her dazed moment, sitting up, glancing between cloaked ponies. And then at the newest sneering pony. She blinks. And hides behind the white pony. "Not me!"

Spindrift- or maybe it's Sue! or Buttons!- maintains her deep frown. Her companion sighs and approaches once more, but rather than pull her away, he merely lingers nearby. His hood, too, has slipped back, revealing a stallion with delicate but still masculine features, a mint green coat and a matching wisp of a beard trailing from his thin chin. He keeps a close eye on his female counterpart as she watches Spectre next. "It's not just possible but true. History, even. Your understanding of your location is limited. Either the story you are presenting needed a better editor or you are truly not where you think you are." She squints about the group for a moment, gaze briefly locking on the quavering Bonfire, and she looks away with a faint scoff. "Given the alarming after-effects of your arrival, I'm guessing it's the latter."

Mwai is momentarily unconflicted as he and the unseen force commanding him line up into agreement, and he resoundingly sits down, puts both hooves over his face, and announces, "Oh this is confusing."

"It— it's not like your story," Spectre says to Dustdevil. "The sisters fought, and Queen Moon trapped Celestia in the sun, and it's been dark ever since, and we were trying to summon Celestia, but we wound up here instead, and now the Elements are gone, and we're /here/, but Mael and Soon /aren't/, and the Base is gonna get attacked, and it's almost Ghostwalk, and this is bad, bad, ba" She halts, as Daffy sticks his face in her face and makes a weird face, which makes /her/ face do a weird face, and then her face is laughing. Face. "Wha Daffy— !" she giggles. "Take things serious! We're in…" And now Chaos arrives and she squawks, flailing as Bonfire hides. "Uh! Uhhh…it… I mean, we… we didn't /mean/ to…" she says weakly.

Dustdevil tries to comfort Hearth but looks to Daffodil, "Wait, you, You're an Element from your place err, from whereever your from" he asks, "you came here, not on purpose, but for what?" he asks gaining a worried look "are, Are all of you elements?" he asks sounding a little confused, but also somewhat sure of what is going on, well sorta. He mentions again to Hearth, "Don't worry about the hole, in fact I think it should stay like that, JUST like that until we get this whole thing sorted out" He glares up to RisingChaos, "Back off, they are a bit out of place, give em some space already" he pleads to her, "not their magic, well, I don't think so" he adds, "Don't know bout magic really, but that /was/ alot

Dusty just sighs some. "The elements aren't here, but you need them" he sighs, "I, I'm not exactly sure I can do anything to help like that" he looks down, saddened that he can't help in /some/ way to help them. He shhhh's Spectre, "Its ok for right now, uhhh, lets try and find you someplace to stay for now" he looks about town, and its rather bleak condition, looks to Muwai for guidance perhaps?

Rising-Chaos huffs, not receiving anything even close to resembling an adeqaute explanation. She continues her glare at the group, for the moment not recognizing the new ponies as anything special. "Do you have any idea, how hard I've worked for this not to happen? I almost had a heart attack!" Realization finally dawns, that she doesnt recognize most of the ponies here. "Who are you Jokers? Just my luck the ones who caused this are new." She falls to her rump and holds her head with a hoof, turning her head Dustdevil's way. "Back off? Fine, but you better tell me their story."

Daffodil is nodding. Sleepily, even. Using the elements is kind of draining to a little foal after all! "Actually I am kinda tired." he admits, though he still bounces. Because he must always bounce. It's his rule! "I don't think we're gonna find any elements, and Soony and Stromy are strong! Stronger than us! Nopony'll get them before they find us!"

Hearth is..nodding. If only because she agrees with the being tired bit, ears drooped, but smiling her best smile. Even if it is a little bit forced. "He's right… From a medical standpoint it's worse to do anything when you're exhausted." Bonfire yawns just to prove the point, leaning on Spectre's side and eyeing Rising Chaos. "We kinda appeared here in a big explosion!" she offers helpfully. "We didn't mean to cause it! Honest!"

Mwai twitches again. His eyes roll as though someone's helping him cut his dinner. "These Element Bearers should be taken good care of. If they have weilded the Elements of Harmony, they have necessarily faced much hardship, and won out."

Spectre adds her own nod to the group, trying to fight her own yawns and failing. She pauses though, and regards Mwai. "Are, uh… you okay?" she asks, bewildered.

(OOC) Mad-Mare wonders if it's even in Mwai's voice. He sounds awful eloquant right now. :o
(OOC) Mwai: It IS, he just sounds like he's doing a (surprisingly good) impression of the Bone Mistress. Not with a forced voice, just the tones and balance. So it's at his pitch, but definitely NOT his way of handling his mouth.

Spindrift maintains her stare for a few moments, before whirling away from the strange foals, evidently done with them. She glances at Rising Chaos in the meantime, that dagger gaze of her briefly lancing towards the mouthy unicorn, before she turns away and towards her companion. He sighs and gestures away from the group, and Spindrift- or is it Sue? or Buttons?- turns to follow, puffing her cheeks out as she goes.

Mwai rubs his head, "Oh fine, mostly, well, fine as I get these days, lost my hat, my ship, and a bigger slice of my freedom than I bargained for but oh, everyone do go about your apocalyptic business, I was just moping anyway…"

Daffodil waves an arm to the cloaked figures as they start to wander away! "Have a good day! Don't let the moon eat you in your sleep!" Beam~

Spectre waves as well. "It was a pleasure to meet you, uhhh… Buttons! I'm pretty sure your name is Buttons. Or Sue. Naw, Buttons. Sue's a weird name for a pony." She nods. Yes. "May the sun keep you til morning!"

Dustdevil looks about town eyeing the buildings suspisiciously he looks to the gathered ponies, "ya'll have to give me a few minutes, the explosion and impact, kinda umm, well I don't trust most of the buildings, they look, umm" he trails off and just states, "I don't trust em" he announces, "Could someone grab some scrapwood, make a nice bonfire here on the seawall, and I'll be right back" and with that the Pegasi launches himself up and heads with all his best speed towards distant clouds.

Its not too long before a fluffy heap of clouds is seen cruising back towards town and a tired looking pegasus seen keeping them in line more or less. He floats them down to the gathered ponies, he lands them more or less before them panting as he does, "best I can do on short notice" he offers as he frees up a patch of clouds for each of them and sits down with a flump on one he reserved for himself

Spindrift stops briefly to exchange a deadpan stare with her companion, who merely smiles in return. The two seem to accomplish a lot of communication without saying much at all. They withdraw to the bench for now, settling back and letting the milling- if dissipating- crowd fill the void where once they stood.

Better than nothing! Spectre flops over onto the cloud, practically disappearing. She has white fur, white mane and tail, light dove-grey eyes — even her cutie mark is a light grey. She vanishes into the cloud and curls up happily. "That's very nice, thanks~"

Rising-Chaos seems to settle down after reciving a glare, she didn't mean to be so rude. She holds her head in her hooves, rubbing her temples. "Look, I'm sorry for snapping, does anypony here need a place to stay? My house is clean, and has room for 2 or 3." She tries a grin, which turns into a wince. "I'm Chaos, Rising Chaos, nice to meet you all."

"I'm Spectre," Spectre says, before pointing out the others in turn. "Bonfire, Hearth, and Daffy. We're…not from around here." Blush.

Dustdevil looks after the disapearing unicorn whom took the offered cloudspace "Here, this time of the day, we call night, its when all the ponies sleep" he gives a wide yawn evidently tired himself, its been a long day, and longer still than most days he stays up, "In the morning I'm sure we can scrounge up something good, this town has /some/ hospitality" he offers softly and looks to the others, "Remember, Night is nothing to fear here" he smiles as he nestles into his cloud

Mwai trots back to Salty, his hooves apprently his own again. "Oh very nice, Boney, trot me around to help out the cometary debris but any magic for Salty here?" Salty continues to stare blankly. "No. No of course not…"

Salty is in fact huddling. She's pretty blank, yup!

The rest of the new ponies follow Spectre's lead, waving as they're introduced, and then each finding a pillow to flop into. Or in Daffodil's case, finds one of the other ponies to curl up on. Soon the whole lot are snoring away.