Freedom Of Will
IC date: Autumn 54, 1007
OOC date: 11/14
PCs: Solar-Wind, Plot-Twist
NPCs: N?A
GM: None

Solar-Wind sails across the flats to the center point on the ice beach, hoping
she'll come, hoping she'll be there, because of the circumstances, hoping
she'll be there because of what has happened, but also fearing deeply
fearing what she may become. Be what it may Solar-wind will be there, ready
for her, ready for whatever has become of her. He has packed a bit more gear
than before, a full survival kit, and a second thermal suit more suited for
a mare than for the big guy himself, base-sider thermal gear, and that sort,
and food for several days worth of keeping alive out here, if things come to
that.

There has been no sleep since the loss of Nightmare will. General
Eyes has kept the captain busy with shuring up the forces. Something the
captain was glad to do perhaps because it kept her mind off of having free
will again, armies are good at pervading that. So when it happens she finds
all she can do has been taken care of and all she has is time and her
thoughts she slinks out of camp again to the waists and to be alone. No even
she doesn't believe that lie, she knows who she is looking for but just
can't figure out why. "Solar." she says, perhaps a little more emotionally
charged than she meant to. "What did you guys do?"

The big stallion looks up, on hearing his name, shirks his heavy
saddlebags, you actually feel them hit as he slumps them off onto the ground
beside him. 'wow those were heavy' He pads over to her bringing his wings up
into a feather hug, "Twist, Oh, I was so worried about you!" he gasps out
his whole form tells you of his concern, as he feather hugs you. His eyes
dart some as she asks what they did, "things have changed at the base, The
base, oh gods the base, They were crazy, hay they are all crazy, what they
did, I, I don't necessarily condone their actions but, but it helped you, it
helped set you free of, of the glimmer eyes you had"

The mare stiffens at the hug, not being used to touch let alone
concern. A hoof goes to her face to take off her goggles, grey eyes stare
into yours. "She was turned into stone and her head was removed! I kill
ponies but I make it quick, you don't turn ponies into stone." There is a
look of disbelief in her eyes there was a line crossed not even the
Nightmare would cross. Taking your head in her hoofs she forces your eyes to
meet her. "See Solar? This is what I see all the time! The rebels keep doing
things … things I can't imagine. We may not have a perfect world here but
you can't tell me that is better solution, and I wanted Will dead as bad as
you!"

He looks back into those eyes, looks into your soul, "It wasn't the
rebels, it was us, my crew that came from the other-side, a friend even." he
murmurs, "The rebels, us, whatever you want to call it, who-ever" he
mentions, "while I saw you last, my friends were looking for me, and they
went to the base thinking I'd be crazy enough to go there to see you. I, I
would, but I know better, I know it would be the death of me if I tried
that, they, they have other means of doing things, I didn't even know that
they had that, that potion whatever the hay they used to get into the camp."
he shakes his head some frustrated, "That potion, it didn't kill her, its
not permanent, she felt no pain when it happened" he intones. "It is
reversible i've been told that much, but they aren't telling me everything
either" he sighs some feeling that he let her down in some way.

"You wanted her dead too?" he blinks, "I know you hated her control, or
at-least it felt that way before" he looks down, mind spinning, then looks up
and back into your eyes again, "What do you want with your life Twist,
things are happening that will alter everyone's future, mine, yours,
everything is changing, and fast too" he sighs, "I don't want you to get
hurt, I, I know I shouldn't feel this way about someone from the other side,
your camp, the darkness, but I see something within you that I care about
deeply, Some one, You, I know you've committed things that would make most of
my friends squeamish, but, I also sense something greater in you" he just
shakes his head. "I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt, or killed in
this coming conflict, and I know something is brewing, I just don't know
how its all going to go down" he states

Heavy lines under the mares eyes tell of the weeks without sleep or a
place to rest her head, all nighters and back to back missions. Twist just
falls back on her flanks and into your fluffy warm embrace of your wings,
head resting on your withers. "What I want? Its always been protecting my
ponies. Get a mission done as quick and simple as I can so as few ponies die
as possible." she sighs, a defeated kinda sigh "I … I don't even know what
I would do now … do I run from the blame they will cast on me, go to the
land of sunshine and rainbows let another pony die in my place?" sunshine
and rainbows both being foals tales she figures must exist somewhere now
that there is a place with a sun. "I don't want you hurt." pausing for a
moment she thinks. "What do the rebels need to open the portal back to your
world?"

"I too am a protector, I once wore the armor of the guard, flew for
our queens, dark and light, and served as a protector for those whom
couldn't protect themselves. I was recruited into the guard after my primary
service, that of fighting fires, as I, 'had what it took' to protect others"
he notes. "If you lead this fight, you will likely die, there are" he looks
to his hooves He too looks conflicted. "I know you're a leader and a
protector, but what happens if that leader turns into a guardian of all" he
asks, "If you go to the base, many ponies on your side will die" he looks
pained and lays down more curls around you, those massive wings of his
shield you from the chill, "The portal is already open" he swallows hard,
"its a matter of getting to it" he states

Solar asks, "Every other nightmare night, the zombies just go away,
right? We don't have a zombie problem where I'm from, when ponies die, they
fade, and their souls go elsewhere to the stars some say, here that doesn't
happen, the queen won't let them go to their endpoint, thats why there's so
many zombies, but don't they usually just go away after the Nightmare Night
concludes?" he asks, "Something has changed, and I saw the Zombie Queen on
Nightmare Night, Her and the Queen got into a bit of a tussle, thats why our
base's Foals were spared from, from whatever she does with them." he notes,

"that one, the dead one, has changed the game so to speak, for us, for your
forces, for everything here, and something is happening, something big" he
murmurs. You can hear a certain pain in his voice when he brings his next
bit of information down, "the base will be abandoned by the time your team
arrives, it will be empty, but it will not be safe" he states, "It will be
deadly for anyone whom enters it" his eyes are squinted shut tightly though
you see tears, "if you go there, you will die, that is a sure thing" he
gulps

"Getting to it?" Plot Twist tilts her head. "Is it some place
dangerous? Pony feathers I was hoping it was a matter of supplies." she
stomps a hoof and trots about in a little circle. Its clear she is trying to
but her full focus on a plan that makes everypony win. "I know! I know,
don't you think we all can't see that?" she groans and falls into the snow.
"You know why the bolts exist Solar? Because Pegasi revolted again Nightmare
so many times she destroyed Cloudsdale! There are so few of us because we
fought back this is the only way we can survive!" its been along time since
she had to justify herself and old pains are starting to ake. "I can't take
my unit and tell them we are going rouge. Their families will be …" she
groans and her wings slump. "Well … at least I don't feel so bad about my
nasty plan I cooked up now, you guys have a worse one. Solar what should I
do?"

Solar watches her furrows his brows, looks to his forehooves. His demeanor
fades down to something base, some thing at his core and he speaks very
clearly, softly, and its almost a very scary voice. "I'll do it. I'll stay
at the base, you can bring your team in, and we'll blow the base all of it
but one room. I can have Fizzy cook up some explosives, trap the entrance,
so that it triggers it, and your entire team can follow my lead, on my
wings, right into the core of the base, we get to the lab, it can handle
about anything, hay it survived us porting in, its got some sort of buffer
setup. The rest of the base will go up, and we can wait there. There's
something about the lab that failed when we ported into this place, the roof
failed, blew the top off, but our winter-witch, sealed it with a thick dome
of ice, and snowdrifts" He gulps, "We'll stay there for a week or so, give
or take, their families won't be killed as their husbands, fathers will have
been believed to have died in action" he states. He ponders aloud. "Does
that sound right?" he asks softly

Plot Twist considers your offer for a moment, and nods. "I'm not
saying we are teaming up with the rebels, they are as bad as the Queen."
raising a hoof to make that clear. "But dang it Solar if we are not done
with her too." Tired and at odds with what she thought her whole life had
been up to this point she just wants to let the cold take her. It would be
easier … but then ponies would die because of it. "You will have to be
ready to fight. Diamond Dogs are going to be coming up form the lowest
levels if they are still looking for revenge for their lost lady. You will
also have a very ticked dragon who has lost the love of his life looking for
ponies to answer for what happened to Will. Toms a good guy but he has awful
choice in mares."

Solar ponders, "It will be just me there when this hits" he sighs,
Tom won't be able to get in, at least not right away" he gulps, "Diamond
Dogs, I've only heard rumors of those creatures, I've never faced them in
combat before" he sighs some, "The Queen has something coming, not
necessarily from the rebels, I know that much, She has an equal that may
come to bare, not to mention there's the elements" he trails off some,
"Portal goes both ways" he comments, "I don't know the particulars" he
offers softly getting frustrated with what he knows and doesn't know, he
stomps a hoof HARD venting some, you litterally feel that shock wave ripple
the top layers of ice, and leaves an impression of his hoofprint on that
surface. The ice is too deep to rightly crack, or be threatening, but it
certainly leaves a mark. "When it all comes down, it will be just me at the
base to set this off, just me, alone, not returning to that portal with the
others" he swallows hard and sighs.

"That might be our only saving grace." Plot Twist considers. "The
fact that the Nightmare is focused elsewhere. The fact we are the least
important things right now." she yawns eyes snapping back open as you strike
the ice, shocked back to alertness. "Careful you might wake up the sea
ponies." she chuckles and wraps a wing about your shoulder. A gesture
that she is clearly not used to giving to another and pulls you in close. "I
… I could stay. You need to get back to your world of sun shine and farts
smelling of roses." giving you a little nuzzle. "You gave us free will again
… thats more than any pony has given me in a long time." she is a big mare
but still is shorter than your massive self dull eyes looking over the
waists. "Solar what does the sun look like?"

Solar sighs out deeply nodding then is swept about by that wing, "I
can't leave you, I love you" he admits with out an ounce of guarding in his
voice, "Free will is only the first step, the first step of many" he tells
the smaller pegasus. "I don't know if your eyes could handle its brightness
nor intensity, It would take time, a time that one day I hope to be able to
show you, perhaps even someday, here in this land of darkness" he intones as
he hugs you right back giving you a kiss on the muzzle, right on the lips
this time!

"You can't live in this world me or not … I couldn't take your
light from you." Plot Twist nuzzles you, the hard captain has melted a bit
and she just settles into your warmth drifting off to sleep. She is rather
cute, at least the side of her face without scares. Makes you wonder who she
would have been on the other side of the portal. Your lips meet and her
wings flutter against you, eyes closed still but she leans into it with full
force, her tongue searching for yours. The kiss breaks though and she just
passes out in your arms, exhaustion finally taking over.

Solar-Wind comforts his exhausted pegasus, He sets up camp out here on the
ice-flats, He brought everything needed for surviving out here for a full
week's worth of time for the two of them anyway, so he may as well use it
for a good cause. After he finishes setting up he sets off a snow-bomb and
the 'encampment is shrouded in drifts making it practically invisible even
amongst the sea snow dunes. He beds down with Twist both to keep her warm
and to keep her safe, Wings over her like massive blankets for warmth.
"Goodnight Twist" he murmurs softly

•~•