Fandom MLP - Age of Exploration (Discord Chat Available)

[Dreamweaver]

Avedon
Luna was not expecting to be called 'Devil-Adjacent' and did not overly like it. "I detest that." She said, speaking directly to Luciel this time around. "Everything I do, I do for the betterment of Equestria or the world at large. I am never unnecessarily brutal unless doing so opens up a brighter future. I am playing a very, very long game here Luciel; but the end result is a better future for every race on the material plane. Your kind would love nothing but to exterminate us all and become the new ruling force in the planes."

Luna took that one a little personally but she was also kind of feeling emotional because of this whole fiasco. Rather than having Luna ramble on or allowing the angel to speak next, it was actually Aurelia who spoke up. "I may not be a mortal, but I believe that I am closer to one than any of you could ever be; as funny as that sounds given my current curse." She said with a slight smile.

"Despite my corrupted soul, I still understand what it is like to be a mortal and be plagued by your decisions. Their soul, even my own, is what us differentiates them from yourselves. It's as you said, Luciel; if he were to become a devil, he would no longer be burdened by guilt. But guilt is what makes us who we are, it makes us question our decisions and reflect on our actions. Without guilt, Avedon will not be the Avedon you all remember. He will not feel remorse for what he did in the past, nor will he care who he hurts in the future. If you take that internal conflict out of the stallion, he might as well move onto the afterlife and not be brought back as a soldier. Can any of you look me in the eye and tell me that Avedon wishes he never felt guilt for his actions? Or would you say he accepts his actions and would rather use that guilt to make himself better?"

 

[Avedon]

Dreamweaver
Luciel looked to Luna, her wry devilish tongue lashed behind her teeth but she held her quiet smile. Better to not poke an injured beast any further.
"Don't presume my plans are as basic as either of my predecessors."
She however quietly shrugged and accepted Aurelia's assessment. Nopony changed into an angel or devil without losing some bit of what it meant to be mortal. While she felt that made who they were purer. A more refined core of their true self.

Nightfall threw a tiny plush cat at Aurellia's face
"Hey I'm the youngest of any of us! I still totally understand what it is to be mortal. I'm reminded of it every day as I see souls off at the end of their life! I won't say it's easy but I've not been tempted to disconnect myself from my empathy to them like my former master just yet...You can keep that as your reward for making a good point though."
The little plushie stared at her with empty eyes. It was probably haunted knowing Nightfall.

She turned to look at Raphael
"And what difference would it be if he was some angelic soldier?"

The angel had been sitting politely, polite enough to have swallowed down a solid laugh at Luna being called practically a Devil herself! She was more respectful afterall...When she spoke it was in a voice as calm and clear as a chime and as golden as the sunset that seemed brought to like amidst the blaze of her wings.

“I saw him as distant flame before the dawn. I saw a dark tide sweep it away to a starless sea beyond the light of sun or moon...I saw what his soul was before Nightmare took it. A herald golden and selfless that you could not imagine. But on his blood is a mighty doom, spawned by the undying beast trapped within the reaper's scythe – and from each generation it has carved it's due. Twice cursed, Avedon's light was swallowed by pitch-black night and a bloody hunger yet even then he found his way towards the light but was never allowed the rest he deserved for his struggles. His mind troubled by the vampire's curse and memories of his bitter wars, and born into a time of war and troubles on this mortal world he was always called back to violence.

Even now with his final breath was an act of sacrifice. I wish to see that flame restored. To see him brought back to what he had always meant to be and through it give him the rest he could never find in the living world."

 

[Cyan Hide]

Dreamweaver

Gallus shook his head and wolfed down two cupcakes in quick succession. "It's been ten years. She's probably changed. But I'm not sure if I could ever trust her after all the things she did to us. That said, she's lost the trust of the ponies around her, and Empress Luna must be keeping an eye on her, and doesn't have any ancient magic artifacts, so how much damage could she really do this time? Still, if even Cozy's been given some leeway, I shouldn't have anything to worry about coming back here. I've already noticed such a big difference in the anti-Griffin prejudice since just after the war."

 

[Dreamweaver]

Cyan Hide
"Oh yeah, yeah..." Trixie muttered out while a burst of dragonfire appeared in front of her, along with a scroll. She was basically ignoring Gallus by this point and was focused on the scroll. After a few moments of reading the scroll, Trixie rolled it up and shoved it in her mane so that it wouldn't get lost! "Right, Trixie must be leaving now. I hope you settle in nicely. I will come visit you tomorrow, in the mean time I must get going."

And with that, Trixie disappeared in a brilliant flash of blue magic! And in true Trixie fashion, the flash of blue magic was accompanied with fanfare and magical fireworks. Of course.

Avedon
That was exactly the kind of gift that Aurelia loved! Something creepy but cute at the same time. "Thank you, Ms. Reaper. I will hang onto this plushed cat and find new and inventive ways to torture the soul trapped inside." Aurelia said while teleporting the plush cat away with a smile. And then she listened to the angel speak and nodded ever so slightly when it was finished.

Now it was Luna's turn to speak up. She actually directed her words at Luciel rather than the angel. "You have to admit, the angel has a way with words. A little intense, but impressive nonetheless." But of course, something was missing here. Something that made Luna feel extremely uncomfortable as the angel was speaking. This time she turned to speak to the angel.

"Well spoken, but something has caught my attention in your words. Luciel, when she was speaking, was honest about what would happen to Avedon. He would lose the part of him that feels guilty over his actions. But you, you have said no such thing. You make it sound as if Avedon will be able to come back as an angel, just the same as he was as a mortal. Nothing lost. Is this true?"

"... Do not lie to me, angel."

 

[Dreamweaver]

Shadeofshade
Now it was Silva's turn to laugh. "13 silver? That could at least buy you a stay in an inn for 13 days, but that's all. Get your hooves under you and then perhaps you can pay me back, in the future. Though I doubt you have anything that I would want." Silva said before standing from her seat and offering Titania her hoof. "I am going to take us to the Castle and show you to your room. My form of travel is... different... from teleportation. You may throw up if necessary."

With that being said, Silvanus sent them both to the Canterlot Gardens! Her form of 'teleportation' was called 'ground gliding' and consisted of literally travelling through the soil to a destination. Soon enough the two of them were spit out of the ground, inside of the gardens!

 

[Cyan Hide]

Dreamweaver

While Trixie read the scroll, Gallus shrugged and continued eating cupcakes. When Trixie annouched she was leaving, he was mid-chew and couldn't vocalize a reply, so replied with a nod, closed-eyed smile and was cheerful wave. After she had left, and Gallus had finished his box, he set out again.

On his way through Ponyville, he saw a crowd forming and a stage being set up. Cozy Glow, her manestyle different but still unmistakably the same filly Gallus had spent close to a year at school with, was flying around, helping out where she could and cheerfuly chatting to ponies who clearly didn't recognize her without the curls. Gallus facepalmed, and moved on. Ponies could be so stupid sometimes.

As he approached her house, Gallus wondered how Silverstream would react to Cozy's return. More to the point, how would she react to his return?

 

[Dreamweaver]

Cyan Hide
Before Gallus could approach the house very closely, he was met by a throwing axe! It whipped through the air and embedded itself in a tree a few feet to his right. Right after that happened, a mare stepped out of the house carrying two greataxes (like an insane pony) and let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm real sorry fer that, I was meanin' tah land the axe betwix yer legs. That was bad. Lemme try again, just ye sit yer butt there..."

She pulled another throwing axe out of somewhere and threw it, this time landing it between his front legs! "Aha! Still got me aim. So anyway's ye ain't takin' one step closer ye creepy little blue bastard. Whatcha want with me girlfriend? Ye got twenty seconds to answer 'fore I come o'er there an throw ye to the other side o' Ponyville."

 

[Shadeofshade]

Dreamweaver

Titania was dizzy. After being teleported, she took a few moments to try and get her bearings and to not fall over. “That...was...Awesome!!!...I...would...love...to...go...again...but...I...need...give...it...some...time...for...the...world...to...stop...spinning.” She said as she swayed around a bit.

 

[Cyan Hide]

Dreamweaver


Gallus's eyes went wide and his pupils dilated as he recoiled away from the tree the axe had embedded himself into. Despite this, he still didn't draw his weapons. This was Silverstream's house, right? There mist be some kind of miscommunication here. When the second axe landed in between his front legs, he laughed very nervously, and was sweating with fear. "Heh. Well, second time lucky, right? Okay. Not moving. Got it. I, uh, I'm an old friend of Silverstream from way back. We went to the School of Friendship together. I have't seen her in a decade and I'm back in Ponyville now so I thought, you know, I'd have a reunion."

 

[Dumbledoof]

Dreamweaver
This could go rather well or it could go really poorly. That's the thought process Rainbow had as she was flying over Ponyville, not going her normal speed of 'if you saw a blur, she's not going fast enough.' She hasn't had much contact with this particular pony in like... ever. Of course, Platinum Rose has likely heard a bit about her from Fluttershy—kinda hard not to when they're best friends. They've known each other since fillyhood in flight school, for crying out loud!

For some reason, the thought to actually talk to them and hang out only occurred to her after Spitfire had left. The whole construction of the building was underway... which, honestly, Rainbow had no idea what she's doing. That part was mostly asking Twilight about all things construction, finances, whatever. They knew far more on the subject than she did. Rainbow mostly has street smarts, not exactly book smarts, which is exactly what constructing a new headquarters for their flight team is. Book smarts with only a little bit of street smarts on the side.

Touching down in front of Fluttershy's house, she wasn't really sure who'd be answering. If Fluttershy... guess that just means asking if they want to hang out. If Rose... that means the same thing, but possibly a little more, depending on how things actually go between them. Dash knocked on the door loudly a few times, tipping back and forth on her hooves as she waited for an answer. Bit of an odd time to knock, considering how late into the afternoon it was.

 

[Dreamweaver]

Dumbledoof
To be completely honest, Spitfire had basically been expecting Rainbow to go to Twilight for help. This was a construction project, and that was not at all in Rainbow's list of skills. Twilight would be needed to help balance the budget and make sure the work was actually... happening. They probably should have just hired Starstreak, but that was way out of both of their budgets. Maybe if this place got big enough it would attract the hippogriff's attention!

Fluttershy and Silhouette were out right now, leaving Rose home alone. Unfortunately Rose was not actually in the house right now, and was instead in the backyard working on a large fence. A shooting range, actually. Fluttershy owned a pet store, and Rose adventured for a living. However that often meant she was away and in danger, so she wanted to do something a little safer.

A shooting range seemed like the perfect choice. She could offer lessons for bits, and was one of the few ponies who was actually own the experimental firearms! That meant there was pretty much nowhere else ponies could go to test them. This was going to make a lot of money. For now Rose was busy actually building the range, and was right now building the perimeter. Luckily these guns shot lasers, so no cleanup needed!

 

[Dumbledoof]

Dreamweaver
That's a bit surprising. She knocked a few more times just for good measure. Seeing as she got no reply at all, Rainbow decided to take a bit of a look around. Somebody had to be home! Fluttershy wouldn't leave the house for very long because of all the animals that she takes care of, and if she has to, that means leaving somebody else to do the work for her. Or multiple ponies, who knows. There is a lot of work to be done, Fluttershy is just really good at it. Other ponies perhaps not so much.

Rainbow jumped up into the air, flying over top the house... which is when she spotted Rose in the backyard working on a fence. Interesting. Must be something that Fluttershy asked them to do while she's gone or something. Oooor they were doing this on their own. Either way, time to try and make friends! She's not very good at that whole thing but there ain't no time like the present, and she ain't no bitch to not even give it a try! Being on neutral or unfriendly terms with her best friend's marefriend feels a bit wrong.

Either way, she came down and landed a few feet away on the other side of the fence. "Heya. I was knocking on the door but I guess you weren't in, huh?" She chuckled a little bit, walking forward and standing, glancing over the place. "What'cha making, another pen for the animals? Has she brought in even more animals?"

 

[Dreamweaver]

Dumbledoof
It was probably a very good idea for Rainbow to get to know Rose. Considering her and Fluttershy are kind of engaged and have a kid, it would be a bit weird if Rainbow and Rose weren't at least on a talking level. Rose had also calmed down a lot during the past few months since quitting adventuring, because she no longer greeted ponies with a gun! Now she greeted Rainbow Dash with a smile and a slight wave.

"Oh would you look at that, it's the Blue Blur herself. I am graced with your presence." Rose said with a chuckle, hammering another post into the ground with a metal mallet. After that post she set the hammer back in her little tool pouch and wiped some sweat from her brow. For a unicorn she was awfully physical... must have some earth pony in her blood or something.

"I am building a firing range, actually. I'm going to be starting a business to allow ponies to test these new firearms and pay me while they do it. The lasers are rather silent so it shouldn't scare the animals. I'll need some serious safety precautions, though. I'd kill myself if I got a foal hurt..." She was quite serious about that. She shook her head after a moment staring off into nothingness and then looked back at Rainbow with a smile. "What can I do for you?"

 

[Dreamweaver]

GeneralTyrus
"Likely the quickest death possible." Aurora said with a little nod of her head. There were very few ponies that Aurora was actually scared of, but both of her mothers made that list. Luna because of how efficient and brutal she was, and Celestia because she had a godly rage inside of her that rarely ever came out. Daybreaker was not a joke and Aurora wouldn't want to fight that.

At the mention of 'dealing with their problems now' Aurora simply nodded. "We must go now. If this deity of yours is as powerful as he seems, he will likely already know what is going on. Giving a magician time to plan is a death trap. Were either of my mothers to afford me a mere hour of preparation, they would die in the confrontation. We must strike now, as quickly and brutally as we can. He will not doubt have magical protections in place, we must work around them."

Aurora gave Sombra full access to the Weave. However, his shadow magic would be much weaker when coming from her Weave rather than the other one. "You will teleport us. I'm trusting you here."

 

[GeneralTyrus]

Dreamweaver

Sombra was shocked at just how fast she'd planned on acting. He'd figured they'd come up with a plan, but she had a point. The enemy would likely already know at this point, and be preparing for whatever was to come. He could feel the access from the Weave coming to him, and he'd inhale deeply, feeling a new power. He'd pop his neck, and reached out far with his magic. It was straining, to find what he was looking for. After a minute, Sombra would blink, and look at Aurora, "Alright... It's time for us to move." He'd say, before there was a black flash, and shadows would swallow them up, and they'd vanish from that plane of existence.

A moment later, they were in a dark room, and Sombra looked around, his ears swiveling about to hear for anything. He knew the wards of this place, and thankfully this room would be safe for them. He'd look at Aurora, wondering if she was alright through the shadow leap, "Are you well?" He'd ask, before looking around once more.

 

[Dreamweaver]

GeneralTyrus
Aurora would have loved to have more time to prepare, but it just wasn't a realistic scenario. The longer they waited, the more this spellcaster had time to prepare. And of all the creatures to face in combat, a prepared spellcaster ranked among the most dangerous. There's a reason you never invade a wizard or sorcerers private sanctum. Thankfully the best counter to a prepared wizard or sorcerer was an equally powerful wizard or sorcerer!

And as it turned out, Sombra was a powerful magic user backed by the Goddess of Magic herself. This should be okay. Aurora was not even slightly phased by the shadow leap, it's nothing she hadn't been through a hundred times before. "I am perfectly fine. Where are we?" She asked immediately. "Are we at least on the planet any more?"

 

[GeneralTyrus]

Dreamweaver

Sombra would chuckle at her question ,"Yes, we're still on the planet. This place was hidden with many wards, things to keep nosy ponies from finding it... Luckily... I knew where to look for with my magic." He'd say, continuing to look around. He really doubted they'd be by themselves for that much longer, considering where they were. He'd look back at Aurora, motioning around them, "Keep your wits about you." He'd say, starting to trot around, his ears standing up straight. His hooves clopped loudly against the stone floor, and he'd look back, seeing his own died blood on the floor. He felt resentment well up, and he was hoping he'd get a chance for revenge soon.

His horn would begin to glow an eerie red, and he'd feel about the room, making sure there was no traps or anyone hidden out of sight.

 

[Dreamweaver]

GeneralTyrus
"I fought off Hell itself for twenty years. Whatever your master has to throw at me, I can handle." She said, though she felt uncertainty deep down. The truth was that she was mostly just saying that to give Sombra peace of mind. A mortal walking into a conflict between two deities, well... he definitely wasn't in a very good spot. But he was capable, and Aurora trusted he would be able to at least survive the ordeal and help in the battle a bit.

"Whatever happens here, you put defence before offence. One spell from a foe of this magnitude may end your life. Help me where you can, and make sure that you don't die. After what you've been through, you deserve a better end... probably." She didn't really know the extent of any of this. Sombra was kind of a dick, but also an understandable dick. Aurora hoped he at least survived so they could talk a bit more.

It didn't seem like there were any traps in the area, and Sombra would certainly not be able to detect a hidden deity anyway. In fact, things seemed almost... inviting.

"I have been expecting the two of you..." echoed out the voice around them, a clinging shadow seeping down the walls. Aurora erected a dozen magical barriers around herself. This all felt strangely familiar to her, but she couldn't quite place the voice.

 

[GeneralTyrus]

Dreamweaver

Sombra would look around, nodding at Aurora's words. He had faith in her. She was a goddess, and he hoped that him teamed up with her would be enough to tip the balance in their favor. Sombra was a powerful mortal after all. He'd just been out of the game for a while. He'd glance back at her, raising a brow as she brought up fighting through hell. He couldn't tell if she was trying to be funny, but he was certain she was speaking the truth. All the more reason to have faith in her ability.

Being told to maintain his defensive was a welcome thing to hear, instead of being told to charge in first. He was also surprised to hear her say that he deserved better than dying at the hands of his tormentor. He'd smile for a split second, but the faint happiness died the moment he heard that voice, and a scowl appeared on his face, his eyes darkening quickly as he turned to face the voice.

"Tormentor." He'd spit bitterly, venom dripping from his voice. A flash from his horn, and wards and shields appeared around Sombra. He was skilled, and he planned to maintain a heavy defense with light offense. He kept a close eye of the shadow, but listened for anything that would signal an attack.

 

[Dreamweaver]

GeneralTyrus
Aurora could swear that she knew the voice speaking, but she just couldn't place it. It would likely drive her mad trying to remember that voice, but it would have to drive her mad later. She and Sombra had a deity to kill, and then she had a marefriend to go see. Speaking of which, she probably should have let Twilight know she was going to throw down with another deity. Damn.

"You are brave to come here." the voice said while speaking to both Aurora and Sombra. "Brave, but foolish. This is my realm, but it will be your grave." without another word, the attack began! Before Aurora could react at all, pillars of shadow fell down around her and black lightning erupted from the pillars. To her surprise, the lightning did not strike her shielding; instead the lightning leapt from pillar to pillar, until it was encircling her. She soon found herself locked in a cage, surrounded by bars of crackling lightning on all sides. She reached out to touch the bars, only to recoil in pain. The magical power contained there was impressive. Testing the power of that lightning is not something she wanted to try.

"Ha! An Arcane Cage spell, against me? I expected more." Aurora arrogantly replied, before teleporting out of the cage! Or at least, she tried. She was absolutely stunned when her magic failed her completely. She was reaching out for the Weave, and yet she could feel it not responding. She could feel the Negative Weave cutting away the strands connecting her to it. "That's... not possible." was all she could really say.

With Aurora bound up, Sombra was left to dealt with this alone. "You could still serve me, Sombra... although you have betrayed me, you have also delivered a great prize to my doorstep. I can be a forgiving god..."

 

[GeneralTyrus]

Dreamweaver

Sombra had been expecting a quick retaliation, but to see Aurora being handled and dealt with so easily made him so much more uncertain. He'd told Aurora that she could trust him, and now she was in the exact spot his tormentor had wanted her. He knew they should have planned better. The longer he'd kept her away from him, the better it likely would have been. He'd grunt, growling as he looked to the shadows, "Still thy tongue." He'd say, growling out the words as he started to think of a plan. He remember the device Aurora had! Which she still had on her...

There was no backing out of this really. He knew the stakes. It was the world, the entire world. Sombra wouldn't be the first to admit that he himself... was a piece of shit, but he wouldn't let himself go down in the remaining history as the one to ultimately cause this.

"I'm tired of you... Lording about as if you're the supreme being in this world." He'd say, pawing at the stone with a hoof. He'd inhale deeply, feeling out for all the magic he could muster into himself without being ripped apart, "Aurora! I need more power!" He'd say, glaring at her, his eyes pleading.He needed as much power as he could right now, and it couldn't be wasted through using entirely defense.

 

[Dreamweaver]

GeneralTyrus
Sombra could immediately tell that ordering the deity to be silent pissed him off. The shadows in the room began to darken, and a figured formed there. For the first time ever, Sombra got a look at his master. He was... nothing special. He was not handsome or tall, muscular or lean. But he radiated power. Power that made Sombra and Twilight Sparkle look like little insects. The room suddenly got very quiet.

Aurora was suddenly shaking in her little royal shoes. To be dealt with so easily was not only embarrassing for her, it was down right terrifying. She had never met a foe she could not defeat, let alone one using magic. Magic was her domain. To have it used against her like this was absolutely terrifying. But... that's not really why she was shaking.

"... Mythic?" She asked, breaking the silence of the room. Mythic looked over at her, and just cracked a smile. He said nothing, and focused again on Sombra. "I am this worlds leader, boy. You had a chance to join me, and you threw it away! This will not go unpunished."

While Mythic was rambling, Aurora knew that she had to just fight. Whatever this creature was, it wasn't her old husband. It was a monster. And even if it was her old husband... he had been a monster in the end anyway. One of the benefits of immortality is being able to quickly move on from things. She began feeling out the cage with her magic, looking for any sort of weak point. Something she could exploit. She found nothing. This arcane cage was the creation of a master sorcerer, with the powers of a god. And made from something she had no control over.

Rather than actually confront Sombra, Mythic stepped back and disappeared. In his place was three figures. Exactly like Sombra would have remembered them! The apparitions floated closer to Sombra and his wife is the one who spoke. "It is over, my love... it is time to rest..."

 

[Avedon]

Dreamweaver
"Nothing that could not stand to be lost...The darker aspects he picked up and clung to him from where his life diverged."
It would be much the same as becoming a Devil! A refining of the core but in the different direction is all. It was Nightfall that spoke this time as she sat on her seat mulling over these decisions.

"My father always said the reason he didn't rest in retirement is that there is no respite for anyone brave enough to have convictions and stick to them. He was always willing to fight when there was need of such a thing...besides, I kind of like my jerk, grumpy, half-psychotic dad...He grows on you..."

 

[Cyan Hide]

Dreamweaver


Applejack was doing some light apple-bucking while she was waiting for Lucian to arrive. She'd have stood waiting but she hated standing around when things could be done. Waiting in one spot made her uneasy and restless. Lucian been finalizing the sale of his house, and would be moving here to both help out, and live with Applebloom. Applejack would certainly appreciate the help. She gathered her buckets of apples, both full, and made her way back to the farm.



Avedon


The Mayoral election was set up. Wing Gambit, now thankfully returned to regular size, had put her name down to run, and was running a stall. The cupcakes she had received from Sugarcube corner were being put to use as she gave them out to passing ponies and wished them a good day, sometimes stopping in the middle of a candidate speech to do so. The result was that she looked sweet and caring on top of pragmatic and with a good head on her shoulders. She didn't do much bashing of the other candidates. Not yet, anyway. She wanted people to think she was nice bu had no chance of winning. She wanted to be the dark horse. She wanted Kroger to dismiss her as his main competition.

 

[Dumbledoof]

Dreamweaver
Rainbow rolled her eyes at the mention of being graced with her presence. "Wow. Now I know what a suck-up looks like." She giggled, shaking her head slowly. "Nah, but seriously, I should be the one saying it's a pleasure and all that. Anybody that can get Fluttershy to fall in love with 'em obviously has a good heart in 'em. Always really shy, always incredibly kind... guess that means you're something of a match for that, eh?"

She came over to lean on the fence—a bit of it that Rose wasn't quite working on, and even then, only loosely. Can't entirely be sure if she has the whole thing really sturdy yet. "A firing range sounds kind of cool. I'm not much for those new guns and stuff that have been gettin' 'round, but I am a fan of bows and things. Besides, those guns and stuff seem to be pretty rare still. How'd you come to get a hold of them, got 'em from that... I don't remember their name, but it was a hippogriff that made them up in Canterlot, right?"

Technology isn't something that she's ever paid much attention to. In fact, weaponry altogether is something that she doesn't deal much in. All that preaching about friendship and harmony for years has done a number on Rainbow. She just... holding a weapon hasn't felt very comfortable in a long, long time. Pretty much why she uses mainly her hooves. It feels like she's always in control. Too easy to kill with a weapon, but with her hooves? She has all the control she could ever need.

Dash gestured to the work they were doing. "Do ya want any help with that?"