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#Post#: 2087--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Silver Sage
Date: March 22, 2017, 12:49 pm
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"Oh yes, I remember reading about the attack in the newspaper,"
Sage replied as she followed Nivalia. "So unfortunate..." She
shook her head.
Everything that happened next seemed to happen very quickly. One
moment there was Nivalia before her, the next, there was a
changeling. Sage had never seen a changeling herself, of course,
but she had read eyewitness reports about what they looked like
in the paper.
Sage's eyes grew round and she took a few steps back. She was
more surprised than frightened, but her voice still shook
slightly as she called out, "Hey! Who are you, and what have you
done with Nivalia?!" She glanced around, as if expecting to see
the real Nivalia pop up. She felt sick to her stomach. How long
had she been talking with a changeling? Surely not the whole
time...
#Post#: 2088--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Morgayne
Date: March 22, 2017, 12:52 pm
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Morgayne watched it all happen without a trace of real surprise.
However, she was a good actress. Her whole countenance changed
as she shrieked, "A changeling! Guards! Guards! There's a
changeling here!" Her calls only added to the growing panic.
#Post#: 2090--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Moonlight Mist
Date: March 22, 2017, 1:16 pm
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Moonlight stood with the others while Nivalia was paying her
respects. Out of nowhere all Moonlight could recall was the
sound of coughing and screaming. She looked over at Nivalia,
or...who she thought was Nivalia. Instead of the earth pony she
has gotten to know, what stood in her place was a changeling.
"Wha-" Moonlight was frozen with shock.
**********************
Moonlight knew this feeling, if she felt in danger her
connection with her twin would occur. Her vision blurred and
everything around her went silent.
Moonlight? What's happening? Are you okay? Her brother Asher
called through her thoughts, viewing the scene before her with
her eyes. IS THAT A CHANGELING?!
Moonlight took a deep breath and communicated with him using her
inner thoughts, Asher, I don't know what's happening but DO NOT
COME HERE. I can handle this.
She could sense his reluctance, If you think that's whats
best...stay safe Moonlight, I know you can handle yourself.
**********************
Nopony would even notice what happened, to the common eye it
would just look like she's zoned out.
With that Moonlight came back to herself, looking at the
disheveled changeling along with Sage and Schwambart. She stood,
listening to the chaos around her but still observing.
#Post#: 2091--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: A. Capella Schwambart
Date: March 22, 2017, 1:40 pm
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Schwambart walks along with the rest, hanging a bit behind,
keeping his thoughts to himself. The attack had happened before
he had moved into Canterlot, so he hadn't been there, which he
was incredibly glad about. Bugs he could deal with. Giant ones,
even. But bugs that look vaguely like ponies, that could also
change to look even more like ponies, and even specific ponies?
Too much for him. The only way to know for sure if somepony was
a changeling was if they changed right before his eyes...
He comes back to reality when the colt trips. Ah, silly youth.
So clumsy at times. He lets Nivalia go to help because she's
clearly going to, walking in a direction to pass the two on the
way to the monument. How many lost, how many...he stops.
"Nivalia, what's wrong?" he asks, turning to her. "Wh-"
"GYAAAAGH!!!" he cries out in a wordless articulation of
surprise and fear when she's apparently engulfed in flames,
which he shields his eyes from. "GYAAAAGH!!!" he repeats,
louder and higher pitched, when he looks back again and there's
a changeling on the ground in front of him. He turns and leaps
upward, flapping his wings to propel him to a rooftop, digging
under his bags and clothing, a small cascade of bits falling
through the air and landing on some of the frightened bystanders
beneath him. When he lands, he spins around, shortbow strung and
in hoof with an arrow nocked, trained in the direction of
the...apparently helpless changeling on the ground. But...where
there's one...his eyes dart around, looking for signs of more.
How many ponies here weren't really ponies?
#Post#: 2092--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Nivalia
Date: March 22, 2017, 2:09 pm
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Everything around her started to spin, voices and ponies seem to
blur into a foggy clouds of confusion. The distant shout for the
guard jolts her rationale to take hold for a moment. She's been
discovered. In the middle of a festival full of guards about...
oh no. Nivalia knew she had to escape. Her horn glows as she
tries to teleport, but it fizzles out. She steps back from the
crowd, who by now have formed an angry mob. "Look!" One of the
citizens calls out, "She's the thief!"
"Of course she is," another calls out, "it's not enough of what
they did, they have to steal from us! She deserves the noose!"
The phrase 'Squash the bug!' is chanted throughout. "Please! I-
I didn't do anything! I'm j-" Suddenly a bottle smashes the side
of her head, shattering to pieces as the ponies roar with
delight. The mare's ears ring as she struggles to get up. Her
dress is in ruin as blood seeps from her mane. "L-leave... me
alone..." By now the guards have arrived and begin to rush
towards her. The threats, the bottle, everything just breaks her
down to her last nerve. Once back on all fours, she turns to the
crowd, her senses still blurred. "Leave. Me. ALONE!" Her eyes
glow bright, her wings stretch out, and she lets out a hiss
bearing all her teeth. The crowd, and guards themselves gasp in
terror. It gives Nivalia more than enough time to turn and flee,
tears and blood falling from her face.
The guards pause, actually considering whether they should give
chase or not after that. But it is their duty, and they give
chase.
Nivalia's things are left behind, Mark the bat had been trampled
and torn himself. The crowd slightly calm, though others follow
the guards, intent that she doesn't see the light of day again.
#Post#: 2093--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Silver Sage
Date: March 22, 2017, 3:03 pm
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Sage remained stoic up until the bottle was thrown, when her
ears went back and her expression turned distressed. It was one
thing to be frightened, it was another thing to be cruel. She
did let out a startled gasp as Nivalia hissed. This wasn't
Sage's new friend, it couldn't be...
Starting to get nervous, she took another few steps back when
suddenly she started shaking violently. Her head lowered and she
started hyperventilating as her shaking increased. Suddenly, she
looked up, and her pale brown eyes were narrowed to slits.
"SQUASH THE BUG!" she roared as she watched Nivalia flee, only
for Sage to give chase with the others. She galloped right over
the plush bat, her face contorted in pure hatred, very unlike
the distressed and concerned expression she had worn before.
#Post#: 2094--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Morgayne
Date: March 22, 2017, 3:22 pm
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Morgayne had one more thing to do. Talking loudly as to draw
attention to herself, she announced, "If that bug really is the
thief, there's only one way to find out..." Having most of the
remaining crowd's attention, she stalked over to Nivalia's
saddlebags, left behind. Upending them with a swift kick, the
contents spilled out... Including a beautifully made ruby
necklace on a gold chain and a silver broach with an inset
emerald.
The crowd, along with Morgayne, gasped in shock. "It really did
steal that old mare's things!" One pony called out. "That
disgusting creature! Will we never be safe from them?!" Called
out a mare, holding a small colt close. Morgayne interrupted
them. "Someone has to give this evidence to the guards! We have
to make sure that changeling doesn't get away with stealing from
the innocent!" Several ponies cheered, and a few stepped up as
volunteers.
#Post#: 2095--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Moonlight Mist
Date: March 22, 2017, 3:52 pm
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Moonlight flinched at the sight of the bottle hitting Nivalias
head. She watched as the changeling ran off, her face covered in
blood and...tears? She looked over to Sage to get her opinion on
the whole chaotic event, "Sage, what shou-" Moonlight stepped
back when Sage started to violently shake, it was almost like
she was changing before her eyes. Sage didn't look...right...her
face was distorted with hate.
She watched as Sage ran off, trampling over Mark and following
the angry mob.
Moonlight turned her attention towards a mare who stood by
Nivalias bags. She kicked them open revealing the stolen jewels
from earlier that evening. Wait, that can't be right...
At that moment Moonlight knew she was faced with a choice, her
gut told her something wasn't right...aside from the obvious
changeling reveal. I have to do something... If there was one
thing she knew, it was to trust her instinct. Moonlight ran over
to the trampled worn bat and hastily shoved it into her satchel.
She snuck away from the crowd as they were focused on the
strange mare.
She used her magic to summon Jenny, placing it onto her back.
Moonlight scanned the rooftops, spotting Schwambart. She ran
over to the bottom of the building he was stationed on and
yelled up to him, "Schwambart....listen I don't know what
happened to Sage, she ran off with the mob. I'm going after
Nivalia myself, if I'm lucky I can get to her before the others.
Something isn't right here, I'm going to get answers. You can
go, with them or with me...even just go home if you want. I just
wanted to let you know..."
Moonlight turned around, running towards the back route and
alleyways Nivalia most likely would have taken. It's getting
dark. A dark blue glow from her horn lit the way ahead of her,
she started to track the blood and use her wits to narrow down
her search. Good going Moonlight, one of your only friends
turned out to be a changeling. It's not ending like this.
Moonlight knew she was being brave and rather stupid to try and
find the changeling, but she knew deep down there had to be more
to it.
#Post#: 2096--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: Sadowi
Date: March 22, 2017, 4:12 pm
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For those with their eyes to the rooftops a moment ago might
have seen two figures cutting the appearances of wraiths as they
leapt across the night sky and skipped along the purple and gold
tiles that were their chosen paths. One went away, and another,
one smaller, went towards the crowd, drawn by the ruckus of the
festival.*
With one last hop to span the last drop, a tumbling roll
followed by a slight clatter of metal, and a skidding halt,
Sadowi kneeled next to the gutter surrounding the top of the
building, watching the spectacle turned debacle before him.
Small and frail, worse for wear, and not at all dressed to hide
his current state of being, a girth wrapping his waist and
holding a mismatched pair of swords upon his back and hemp cloth
around his hands were his only clothing. Mostly intact, a pair
of gashes decorated his left side, but his head was incomplete.
Eyeless sockets studded his visage, sight granted from the
sparks of yellow that took their place. One side smaller, the
other side split open, a depression on his skull stretching back
to his ear.
He leaned forward and watched an angry mob; male and female;
earth, pegasus, unicorn; young and old; rich and poor; dash with
bloodthirsty conviction after something or someone he could not
see. He smiled at the sight, showing off a mouthful of filed and
broken teeth, and looked up at the hovering green pony he
apparently landed beside. Ear pricked, he looked back down
towards the blue mare and listened.
Sadowi stood up and faced him, Schwambart his name, and nodded
his head in the general direction of the madness. "Sounds like
she's saving someone. Will you be joining her?"
*the one who went away is Foxtrot. I do hope this isn't
godmodding. Excuses: he left this thread to A Hard Day's Night,
where his entrance began with bounding over alleyways.
#Post#: 2097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Reaching The Top
DIR By: A. Capella Schwambart
Date: March 22, 2017, 5:02 pm
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He could have taken the shot. He could have. Would it have made
a difference? Maybe. But he didn't, and now Ni- the changeling
was fleeing. Well...better that than carrying off innocent
civilians and extracting their love. Had he even met the real
Nivalia tonight? Maybe. Maybe not. There were ample
opportunities when he wasn't around when she could have been
switched out...or were there?
Whatever the case, it's not as much his problem
anymore...possibly. He lowers his bow and turns to watch the
unceremonious upending of Ni- the changeling's things. Possibly
Nivalia's herself, even. And stealing! And he thought...he
thought...he shakes his head, trying to clear it. With most of
the crowd gone chasing after the changeling, he has some time to
listen to himself think.
He immediately starts shaking his head when Moonlight lines out
her course of action - and stops just as immediately. What if
she was a changeling as well? Going after her - or its -
thieving colleague to protect it from...
Thieving. Thieving changeling. Those two words...they don't
mesh. He doesn't answer the pony who may or may not be
Moonlight, who runs off into the night, leaving him-
No time to think before somepony else addresses him from right
next to him. He turns- and does a double-take. He rubs at his
eyes behind his glasses and looks again. Maybe it's just the
late hour, maybe the low light, possibly the rush of what's
happening, but the pony in front of him hardly looks like a
pony...or if it is, it hardly looks like a living one. He shakes
his head. Maybe he needs new glasses. "Maybe," he replies,
putting his bow away and starting to unfold his fogwoven garb
from under his regular clothes. "I need to think."
Schwambart drops from the roof into an alley and finishes
unfolding, becoming little more than a large blur against the
pavement. With his concentration somewhat freed, he decides, no,
not following her. There are already plenty of ponies devoting
themselves to that little conundrum. What he's thinking about is
one that has already been dismissed as solved at this point.
Changelings don't steal. Well, they steal ponies, but that's
different. Worse, but different. No, they have no use for such
things, and definitely would have nothing to gain by stealing
them, and everything to lose by the attention it may garner.
They're not ponies, but they're also not stupid. But if it was
stolen by somepony else, they might easily be able to abscond
with it after all the attention was taken by the changeling.
Still blurred, he leaps into the sky to keep an eye on the
stolen object.
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