[IC] Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour: Explorers of STOMP

CoffeeHorse · Mar 16, 2022

The townsponies began lowering the STOMP team and some of their equipment down. Anchors Away tucked in, not unlike the way part of the team was shown by Sky Lynx, and rolled down the mountain like a wheel. One of the pegasi acted as a spotter as Maplejack flew down. Those who reached bottom first briefly caught Anchors Away rolling around and splashing until she caught herself. "Ahem. Heh heh. Haven't been in a swamp for a while."She then quickly set about filling a few vials with swamp water.

Spoiler

[This was Static]

Spoiler

Spoiler

"Sure!" Misty says cheerfully. She takes to the air and hovers over to Snowy, gently lifting his slender form into the air. "Alright, here we go!"

Spoiler

Like Maple, Misty's enthusiasm was infectious. On the way down (though he made certain the sound didn't make it past the two of them), Snowy says "Wheeeee." in a high-pitched voice.

Misty giggles. "Isn't this fun?"

Snowy's eyes sweep over the terrain underneath them, memorizing as much of it as possible. "Yes. I've imagined what this view might be like a lot, but I never really got it right."

Light Fantastic jogged in place for a few seconds.

"Alright," she said, "Let's do this. Banzai!"

Spoiler

Rhapsody glances over to Night Cap. "Well, you certainly are Mr. Popular here." She comments with a huff before looking to Amber. "I'll carry you if you want, love." She smiles to the beige Unicorn next to her.

Amber gratefully accepted with a smile and held on tight as Rhapsody descended. Amber couldn't help watching Anchors as she bounced and rolled her way down the hill, Amber wondering briefly if there had been an opportunity to be peculiar thus far that the expedition lead had missed.

As the others arrived at the bottom, Anchors Away smiled at Static Signal, "Can't have too much fun though, got work to do. While the main goal is cave exploration, it's still good to record as much as we can about the surrounding area. If you could record a quick pan of the area before we get moving again, that would be good. Misty, this canopy is going to make aerial survey difficult but you can still navigate at a lower height, right? Maple, Brisk Iron said you had some experience with gardening and landscaping. While not the same as full botany, still keep an eye on the plants we pass on our way there. Light, while we hopefully won't need to split, make sure each of the defined teams gets a med kit from our gear.""Gosh, you're mighty organized. I'll keep out of the vay. Most svamp peppers are purple and round. If you see some, don't hesitate to pick a few. The blue ones are especially rare."

Spoiler

Not that there was anything quick about it. It takes a few minutes just to set up the equipment every time Static wanted to get a shot. Still, he agreed that he definitely wanted to get as much establishing footage as possible.

It certainly was a pretty place. Not saying he'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely.

After getting as much footage as possible without being redundant, Static looks briefly for some peppers.

Spoiler

He finds a purple one that he takes some footage of before picking it and handing it over.

Maple thought about looking for a pepper, but Mr. Signal already had one so she noted other things.

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · Mar 21, 2022

"Misty, this canopy is going to make aerial survey difficult but you can still navigate at a lower height, right?"

"Oh, definitely!" Misty takes out a compass along with the map Brisk Iron had given her. After checking them over for a few moments, she flies up beside Anchors, pointing to a spot on the map. "Here's where we're at now... the cave's entrance is to the northwest, if we keep a steady pace we should make good time!"

Spoiler

Snowy looks around the swamp. He didn't really have a job right now, and they weren't exactly expecting an ambush by something feral. Until a crisis showed up, he wasn't going to be of much use. So instead he sidles up to Inferno. "So what's down here other than swamp peppers?" He wasn't making that mix-up again.

Amber drew out her notebook and began taking notes on the surroundings. With nothing of note to record, it seemed sensible to record everything. She stopped shy of emulating Ms. Naught and itemizing any unpicked swamp peppers she encountered. She couldn't help casting the occasional quizzical glance at the searching ponies. Really, was this the time for thinking about stew?

Maple moved toward Misty, a sketch book held in her wing tips.

"Miss Monsoon, where there any trees on our path to the cave that weren't either of these varieties?" Maple held the book up and pointed to her little drawings and then an example of those trees here in this area.

"I should have noticed on the way down... but I didn't know which direction we were headed in." Maple shrugged.

Inferno Blue shrugged in response to Snowy Skies, "Trees and vater. I don't really stick around after I finish harvesting. Does get darker farther in though." As Inferno Blue turned to pluck a few peppers, Anchors Away pointed her hoof at her head as if she had a horn. "Snowy, if you could keep your ears open. We wouldn't want to make too much noise. Night Cap, since we're at the bottom, you help with carrying the rest of the gear. Misty's got a heading so it's time to get moving."As the STOMP team started on their journey, the tree canopy rapidly grew thicker. Thin strands of light pierced the looming shade as the group dutifully ventured forward.

As much as Static wanted to capture as much of their journey as he could on film, camera's needed light. This place was night ideal, so he decided to just keep up with traffic. Hopefully the caves would have better lighting...or at least be bright enough with what light they brought with them.

When Ms. Iron told them they would have packed what was needed, he hoped that included light sources for his camera. It just occurred to him that who ever was in charge of the packing might not have much of a background in photography and not think about what he might need to make this documentary work.

He almost felt like taking his pack off and searching it right then and there to make sure. But if what he needed hadn't been packed, it was too late to go back now. And if it was packed, holding things up to double check now would still be equally as pointless.

With an inward sigh, he trudged on with the others.

As barbed as the statement had been, Anchors made a good point. It was counterproductive to block sound in a bubble around them (they needed to be able to hear farther than a tail's length away), but there were other solutions. One by one, the squelch of each ponies' footsteps, the snap of twigs beneath their hooves and the rustling of leaves against their coats faded down to a whisper.

Everyone suddenly became aware of just how loud bugs could be, when nothing was trying to be louder.

Spoiler

Misty looks over the drawings. "Hmm... let me think... uh..."

Spoiler

As the STOMP team continued on, Inferno Blue continued picking swamp peppers. Occasionally, he would pause with ears darting back and forth as he would listen to his surroundings.

Maple followed close to Misty, waiting for her answer... Maple wondered if she should have asked her to look before she flew up... but the other Pegasus was so good at flying Maple hadn't really had the chance. It also didn't occur to her at the time >_< ... First mission errors, she hoped they would be few and far between if she'd had to have more than this one.

"It is starting to get darker under all these cypress trees..." Maple began, the swamps she'd traveled through further north had been white ceder... for the most part, it was nice to be in a swamp that 'looked like a swamp'... and not a stinky rump bog. The insects were even staying away, perhaps that was one of the unicorns. Mr. Skies most likely, the things he could seem to do were a little scary -but then again Maple herself could do scary things.. so she didn't hold it against him.

...Mr. Blue, is the cave entrance above the water table, or are we going to be continuing to get lower as we move forward?" Maple asked their guide - tehee it was a little fun to be on the other side for once. - but she would try to not be 'one of those' ponies and annoy him. 'Those ponies' were the worst part of her day. Maple's hooves hadn't started leaving tiny little pools behind her .. but she was worried about some of the other Ponies who were shouldering a lot more weight. She certainly wouldn't want to watch Mr. Signal sink out of sight, though she was sure as sure could be that Mr. Night Cap would save him if he started to. But it was good information to have, as it would quickly change the vegetation around if the ground got wetter or dryer. While she waited Maple took wrapped the roots of a small sapling she'd dug out of the loose soil with burlap and twine from her saddlebag, before carefully putting the treasure next to her other samples. If this expedition proves to be of value and interest to the keep, Maple thought that perhaps adding a living testament to the adventure would be interesting to museum patrons. Smiling at the thought, Maple also hoped it would give her a stronger connection to her new workplace.

Inferno Blue looked surprised at Maplejack's question, "I've never been as far as any cave. There's a fallen tree a little vays in and that's the farthest I've been."

"Oh... i'm ...I'm sorry." Maple shuddered as she looked quickly for something else to do...

x_x

"Oh! I think I may have seen different kinds of trees along our path, but I'm not sure... I looked it over briefly while on the way down, but I was paying more attention to the direction of the path than to the kinds of trees. Hope that helps... maybe?" Misty finally replies to Maple's question.

Maple smiled, Happy to avoid any further embarrassment -she turned back to Misty.

"That's fine Miss. Monsoon, I'll see them when we get there. I Know to expect something now... its like you gave me a present."

CoffeeHorse · Mar 21, 2022

Static sees Inferno Blue as he starts to pay more attention to the surroundings.

At first it didn't make sense to Static why Nightmare Heights would be so destitute with a rich crystal mine within walking distance. Watching Inferno, it started to make sense. Bad things must live in this swamp.

Static also pricked his ears open to listen for anything...untoward.

Spoiler

"Gosh, I really hope I was right then?" Misty replies. She double checks the directions again before taking a good look around at the swamp.

Spoiler

"oooh that's Pretty. Congrats on finding one Miss Monsoon." Maple gave it back after having a good long look at it, and then used her wing to take down some more notes on the peppers.

Misty takes the pepper and gives it to Inferno Blue. "Here you go. I hope this helps you make even more delicious stew!"

As far as Static Signal could tell, nothing was out of sorts about the swamp as birds chirped and flies buzzed. Meanwhile, Inferno Blue happily stuck the swamp pepper in his saddlebag, "Vow, this is going a lot faster than usual. I'll be headed back shortly but thanks for your help."

CoffeeHorse · Mar 21, 2022

After traveling another mile, the STOMP team arrived at a large overturned bald cypress tree blocking their path. If still standing, it would have been 150 feet tall and the trunk was 10 feet thick. It seemed partially rotted, giving evidence that it had been here for quite a while. Inferno Blue patted his bulging saddlebags and smiled, "This vent faster than any other time I've collected svamp peppers. This is as far as I go, so thanks for the help." He then walked back the way they came. After he was fairly out of earshot, Anchors Away breathed a sigh of relief. "We should be able to talk a little more freely now. Glad you figured out the request, Snowy. You were doing the cracked horn thing and I didn't want to blow your cover. So now to figure out a way around this WHOA!"Anchors Away fell through a puddle only to soon poke her head back out. "Looks like I found a sinkhole or something. Gimme a sec."As she dove under, a fin could could be glimpsed as her body arched. After a minute, her head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side."

As much as Static may have known it in his head before, it didn't really hit home until just now.

[Yeeeeah...I'm in love with a seapony!]

He looked around to the others. "Great...so...what about the rest of us?"

Maple wasn't shocked seeing Miss Away in her true form. Though she was already missing Mr. Blue, he was fun. But he did not seem to want to be out here for very long.. Maple could only wonder what it was beyond this point that would pickle the pony's packs of purple peppers.

Maple looked over at Misty and then to Rhapsody after hearing Night Cap's Suggestion. She would do it, but they were both so much better.

"If she's just swimming to the other side of the log we should hear from her again shortly Mr. Signal." Maple smiled.

After a minute, Anchors Away's head popped back out of the water, "I can swim under to the other side. Everypony else climbing, or flying, or what?"

Maple opts to try flying...

"Flying works for me! ... although I'd be happy to give somepony else a lift."

Static considered his options. With the equipment on his back, he wasn't sure he should try swimming. He didn't even have to look at his shoulders to know flying was not an option. Seemed like he was going to be climbing then!

Spoiler

Light Fantastic shrugged.

"I guess I'll climb," she said.

Spoiler

Oh. That sort of sea pony. Amber calmly opened her notebook and made addenda to Ms. Away and Mr. Skies' entries, in large capital letters, as well as a question mark in the case of Mr. Skies.

She stared at the tree for a moment, considered the merits of climbing, then glanced around to see if Rhapsody was nearby. Really, though, I shouldn't bother her with every little vertical inconvenience, Amber thought. Still glancing in Rhapsody's direction, she began thinking very hard about the feeling of bark under her hooves and drawing a globe of sparking trails around herself from her horn. Moments later, with a sharp, electric pop, she was standing on top of the log.

Wink (Teleportation) (3) – 6/Day [Created By Philadelphus]

Preparation Time: 30 Seconds

You or target willing ally can teleport to a location up to 30 feet away from the target of this power’s starting location. You must be able to clearly see both the ending location and, if using this target on an ally, the ally in question. You may expend additional uses of this power to increase this range by 30 feet per use, or expend a Magic Point to double the range of this power to 60 feet for the next five minutes.

Snowy's face hardens as Amber blinks onto the log, and hastily moves to clamber over the lump of dead wood. Perhaps too hastily...

Spoiler

Rhapsody watches a most everypony attempts to climb over the Tree, She was about to Offer Amber help, seeing her glance to her, but then the beige unicorn just winks up onto the tree in an instant. She glances over to Snowy, she had figured something was up with his horn, but now knew that it was an illusion, she remains quiet on this for now as she flies over the tree.

Spoiler

Most of the STOMP team managed to bypass the obstacle in their path and many with little effort. However, as Snowy Skies attempted to scramble over the fallen tree there was a loud crack and the rotted trunk gave way, causing him to fall in and taking Amber Spark with him since she was still standing on top. Soon, the group heard a large buzzing as that section of tree was home to a hive of wasps. Initially resting peacefully since they didn't even hear the STOMP team coming, they were quite furious at the intruders to their home. Many directed their ire to Snowy Skies and Amber Spark while the others spotted their nearby friends...

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · Mar 21, 2022

"Buck! Umm, when I was a kid, I was told to stand absolutely still when there were wasps around. I'm kind of inclined to listen this time. Umm...Misty? You maybe wanna drown the hive?"

Spoiler
All

Maple stands up on shaky legs and hears the loud buzzing ... and Mr. Signal's Idea was effective but not nice... Maple had an alternative.

"We're sorry." Maple says to the wasps... her eyes wide staring down the swarm, she only hoped her magic worked the same on a lot of tiny mad bugs as effectively as it did one large photogapony.

The wasps seemed to calm themselves at the sound of Maplejack's cheerful and friendly voice. However, this moment of calm was lost when Night Cap tripped over a tree root and rolled several yards before loudly splashing in a puddle of mud. The wasps grew angry again with many redirecting their attention to Night Cap.

Still, wobbly and perhaps mildly concussed, Maple slumps back on her haunches... unable to save Mr. Night Cap...

Spoiler

"MIS-TER-SKIES!" Amber shouted on the way down, half out of anger and half of concern for him. Righting herself and shaking herself off, she drew out three of the brass orbs from her saddlebag and began spinning them around herself in a close orbit, crouching and looking as if bracing for another tennis ball.

Why are you blaming me for this? Snowy barely has time to wonder as the tree collapses underneath him. He's rather perplexed by the buzzing until the wasps swarm out of the tree, at which point, amidst the hazy swarm of stingers, he has to ignore the pain and focus on an illusion. He quickly shapes the plan in his head: an iridescent pony, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow, would spring from his side side, running back down their trail at a reasonable but not breakneck pace and making a wide array of branch-snapping, leaf-rustling, and pebble-kicking noises.

Things do not go as planned.

Spoiler

Static moves really slowly, trying not to draw any attention from any of the swarming insects, as he tries to move away from the swarm. Paramount in his mind, thank goodness Anchors is underwater. She should be safe there.

Spoiler

"Oh no! Um... I don't think rain will stop them..." Misty fidgets nervously. Time is of the essence in a situation like this, so she decides to try something else. Condensing the moisture in the air, she forms it into a thick fog, hoping to foul up the insects' wings with condensation.

Spoiler

The pain of the stings proved to be too much for Snowy Skies to properly concentrate. In attempting his illusion, he conjured an image of a pitch black alicorn with glowing electric yellow hair and a striped magical aura. Prancing about, the display of warning colors further angered the wasps as they were whipped into a frenzy.

Spoiler

However, Misty Monsoon's fog seemed to slow the swarm slightly and the illusion eventually disappeared to lessen their aggression.

Maple couldn't do much but sit there and get stung ... Miss Monsoon's idea seemed to work... maybe if she tried again with a little help.

Spoiler
Zam, Patch

"Yikes! Let's get away from here, quickly!" Uninhibited by the fog, Misty flies up over the tree and swoops down, attempting to grab Snowy out of the rotting tree and carry him out to safety, hoping that Rhapsody or Maplejack could do the same for Amber.

Spoiler

Had Snowy been in a better mood (or perhaps a better vantage point), he probably would have appreciated the absolute chaos going on around him. As things stood, he just wanted to make a path and get people across. The fog was dampening sound, but it seemed like the majority of the shouting, buzzing, and irritation was coming from behind him. That made sense, because he didn't think he'd turned around while being stung, and he'd been facing away from the ponies behind him while climbing the tree. He steps forward, trying to pick out a way to flag down Rhapsody in this fog when he's whisked away by Misty, losing most of his breath in the process. Once he understan! ds why there's no wood under his hooves and takes a few breaths, he says "Work--with Rhapsody--make heavy winds--back down the trail."

Maple watched Misty take to the sky... and just didn't understand... oh... didn't she tell her she should try the fog again... why does her head hurt?

"Miss Monsoon... try making the fog thicker.. please..."

Maple's eyes spun in her head and she was out.

Wasps. Why did have to be Wasps? She wasn't sure which would have been worse these or arachnids... This is why she hates swamps and such. Rhapsody huffs and shakes her head as she watches all chaos break loose after Snowy attempts to climb the tree. The only thing that really spurred her onwards, was the fact that Amber was in that ~~tree~~ wasps nest, that thing had ceased being a tree ages ago... She'll be fine, right? She's a unicorn, she probably has dozens of spells for this... then remembers that is is Amber if it doesn't involve books or puzzles, then she doesn't have a wide array of spells and doubts a single night of having balls lobbed at her head would prepare her for wasps. "Luna Darn it, you all just need to grow wings." She huffs to herself.

The light fog that appears thanks to Misty doesn't help things much, but she knew where the tree was. She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and dives in to retrieve her marefriend... its days like this that she wished she had actual superpowers... any one of the Power Ponies could take care of this easily, but this group will be lucky just not to have half the party wiped out by bucking wasps...

Spoiler

Well, stealthing his way out of the swarm didn't help Static any. And it seemed like few of the other escape attempts were working very well either.

"Luna Darn it, you all just need to grow wings."

Static rolls his eyes. "Yeah, remind me when we get a moment, I'll get right on that!"

Static sees Night Cap digging in, as if a few mud splatters would do anything for him. Stealth be damned, Static ran over to Night Cap and tries to nudge/shove him out of the danger zone.

"What the buck's going through your head? RUN!"

Night Cap takes off just as Static is trying to nudge him forward, causing Static to be overbalanced. Static falls face first into the mud.

"Well, whatever works."

Static runs through a mental list: Rhapsody saved Amber, Misty saved Snowy, Night Cap saved himself, Anchors should be able to stay underwater long enough to outlast the swarm. He couldn't see Maple, so either she got to safety herself or is beyond his help anyway. If Light Fantastic hadn't run away yet, she was certainly faster than he was. If anything, he'd hinder her.

Time to think about his own skin. He tries to outrun the swarm.

Acrobatics

1d20+5 → [1,5] = (6)

buck

Static trips over the deep muddy hoof prints left in the mud from Night Cap's stomping.

Misty sets Snowy down a good distance away from the fallen tree. Without so much as a word she heads back to make sure that someone had helped Amber.

She spots Rhapsody taking off with Amber. However, she also spots Maplejack, who had apparently lost consciousness. Diving down, she scoops up her smaller friend as quickly as she can, and carries her away from the tree as well.

Spoiler

Light Fantastic was desperately trying to escape from the wasps.

"Do we know where they're coming from?" she asked.

"The nest is in the fallen tree! Just run!" Meanwhile, Anchors Away swirled the water to make a giant bubble. Climbing back on on land, she stuffed Static Signal in the bubble and dragged him underwater. After a few minutes, she surfaced at a nearby lake and pushed the bubble with Static Signal in it to shore where it then popped. "Now to figure out how to regroup. You might be able to catch their attention if you use the projector to make a beacon."

Static's head spun. One moment he was face down in the mud, then water, now he was being told by Anchors to make a beacon. Though he did smile inwardly that now he'd seen the real Anchors Away, not just a glimpse of her as she dove under. But he could let that sink in later. Right now, he'd been given an order.

"Yes, ma'am!" he said as he snapped to it. In five minutes, a beacon of an anchor and a radio tower side by side and an arrow beneath them pointing down shot up 50 feet into the air.

"You don't suppose that's a little on the nose, do you?" he asked turning to Anchors. "Thanks for the save. I feel like a rank amateur tripping up like that."

After carrying Maplejack away from the tree, Misty carefully sets her down. She's breathing heavily from expending all that effort, but hasn't forgotten Snowy's words. She looks at Rhapsody. "Heavy winds... down the trail... for cover," she manages to spit out.

She raises her wings and begins to summon the winds...

Spoiler

In the fog and the milling wasps, Amber had lost all sense of direction. The ring of orbs continued to orbit, turning up trails in the mist, but she couldn't see clearly enough to do anything about the wasps. She gasped in surprise when Rhapsody broke through the fog.

Rhapsody smiles, trying to not look shaken from diving into a Wasps nest. "You're Welcome, Amber." She replies and chuckles faintly. "I think that might be wise." She says before hearing Misty above her. Heavy winds, huh? She wasn't the most skilled when ti came to weather crafting, but she's sure that between the two of them they could do something effective. She takes to the skies once more flaying near Misty as she starts to flap harder.

Light Fantastic made sure to stay the heck away from the tree as she darted around trying to shake the wasps.

As Light Fantastic managed to evade the wasps and get away to safety, the wings of Misty Monsoon opened as she began her marvelous work. Masterfully beating the wind as if a chef preparing batter for the grandest cake of their career, she stirred the fog into a floating, airborne foam to capture the multitude of stinging insects. They were then blown farther down the path previously traveled. This was neither painful nor harmful to the wasps as the precipitation of scolding was manifested as a sedative and reassuring lullaby. Once they dried themselves out, the swarm would be in a calmer mood when they returned to the hive. By then, the STOMP team would be long gone. For now, it was time for the STOMP team to regroup and rest.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

Snowy did a quick head count. Rhapsody, Amber, Light (whew!), Misty, Maple, Static and Anchor's signal, and... "Where is Night Cap?" He asks, unworried and unhurried. Looking up at Static's signal in the sky, he focuses and broadcast's his own. The numbers 6/7 float in the sky above them, next to a symbol of a white key. The key is replaced by a picture of two simply-drawn ponies sitting next to each other. One inches closer to the other, then closer, reaching to put a hoof around the other's withers...and then the image loops, reverting to the white key for a period.

It seemed unlikely that Night Cap had run towards the bee hive. Given that Static was with Anchors, he had probably been carried out underwater, which meant that any signs of someone tearing through the swamp, away from the tree, on foot, should belong to Night Cap. He looks around, hoping to spy some broken branches or splashed footprints.

Spoiler

The trail could have been mistaken for a warpath, in more confusing circumstances. Snowy trotted along, following the hoofprints and the skid marks, until the trail abruptly stopped at an upturned stone. looking up from the ground, Snowy could pick out the mud-streaked branches Night Cap had flown by, launched airborn by what Snowy judged to be the second fall of hisrun. And there, hovering amidst a tangle of branches, vines, and wisteria, unceremoniously held with his head inches above a nest occupied by two very loud baby finches, was Night Cap. "You know, last time we were in these disastrous circumstances, you were the more level-headed one." Snowy comments, carefully lifting the bird's nest in his magic and holding it off to the side as he set about biting through vines and snapping branches.

Spoiler

Snowy's mouth is full of bitter leaves, so he doesn't respond. After a few more bites, Night Cap falls to the ground, with a thump that unsettles the floating nest and sets the baby birds a-chirping once more. Rolling his eyes, Snowy sets the nest down on a nearby branch and pulls Night Cap to his hooves. The 6/7 rolls over to display 7/7. As the two of them walk back towards the group, with Snowy steadying Night Cap quite a bit. The light show overhead collapses into an arrow, pointing at Static's signal, as they return. "Head towards the signal."

After she finishes the wind-summoning, Misty drops to the ground, seemingly hit by the full weight of her fatigue. After a few moments' rest she gets back on her feet, shaking her head as if clearing it.

She moves to Maplejack's side. Leaning down, she nuzzles her smaller friend. "Maple? Are you okay...?"

"Yup." Snowy says cheerfully. "You were the last one to find."

Snowy looks at Night Cap for a long time before evenly replying "We didn't lose."

As more of the team make it to the rendezvous, Static adds their cutie marks to the beacon. He figured that's what Snowy was doing anyway with the numbers he was adding, but buck it all, this was his illusion!

As Static Signal focused on the projector, Anchors Away made a depressed sigh and flopped down into the water. "What a fine expedition this has turned out to be so far."

"It's had a hell of a start," Static agreed, not really thinking of his words. He'd have to watch that. When he was really focused on one thing, he never quite knew what he was saying out loud.

"What are we going to tell the commander?"

Snowy wrinkles his muzzle. "What does that matter?"

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

Maple's eyes didn't open quickly .. she wasn't stung a lot... no more then most of the others, but there was also a lot less of her to sting... while she'd never hated bugs, and could understand how they must have felt about the events that had just happened - well, she figured she could live her whole life without doing that again.

The nudge at her side wanted her awake... "mmrrmmh....just a few more minutes momma, my head hurts." a wing flapped weakly brushing lightly at the nudging object.

Static, who do you think will make it here first? I figure Light Fantastic has the fastest land speed but Rhapsody's got the air advantage."

Misty pulls her head back after getting a faceful of wing. She ponders for a moment how to get her friend to wake up. "Hmmm..."

Finally, she gets an idea. Reaching into her saddlebag, she fishes out one of the candies Maplejack had given her earlier. She sets the candy down near Maple's nose and unwraps it, letting the sweet smell of maple toffee drift into the little pony's nostrils.

"Don't care who, as long as they bucking get her," Static replies, stress beginning to show on his face. "Buck, what are they doing, dinner and a movie?"

Anchors Away winced. "Static, it's a swamp. It's not easy to navigate in, even if they've seen the beacon."

Maple's mouth opens, her tongue lolling out trying to reach the sweetness ... but it is far to far out of reach.. forcing Maple to open her eyes to find it.

"That isn't very nice Miss Monsoon..." Maple said as her eyes focused on the nearest pony. Then they rolled back over to see where the candy was...

Maple moaned as it was just out of reach of her tiny arms... making her have to stand to go to it.

Rhapsody notices the symbols in the skies have changed. "Well, looks like our 'favorite' runaway has been found..." She says to Amber with a sigh and shakes her head. "Come on, let us get to Static. We'll do this the right way this time." She says with a giggle as she takes to the skies offering Amber a hoof up so they can get their quicker.

Static didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, took a deep breath and kept up his concentration.

Misty scoops up the candy and holds it close enough for Maplejack to reach. "Sorry about that! Here you go."

After Maple has had a chance to eat the candy, Misty gives her a big (but gentle) hug. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Maple had just plopped the candy into her mouth when she looked up and saw smiles on both Amber and Rhapsody's faces... it warmed her tiny heart, and made her head hurt a little less.

Amber smiled and nodded, still shaking off the disorientation, and held tight as Rhapsody took to the air.

"Didn't mean to sound so curt," Static said, eyes still clinched. "It's usually not a problem to keep up an allusion for a short time. But it does require...concentration. Prolonged use can be..." Static winced as the beacon flickered. He doubled down on his concentration.

"Great!" Misty smiles broadly, glad that her friend is all right. She moves off to the side so that Maple can see the beacon up in the sky. "I think Static and Anchors are trying to gather everypony together. Are you feeling well enough to go?"

With Amber holding on tight Rhapsody glanced to Misty as she consoled Maple, knowing they should be fine together, before making her way to the beacon.

"I'll be fine Miss Monsoon... the log did more to my head then the wasps seemed to do to the rest of me." Maple shrugged, speaking of the knock on her head, Maple nearly started crying... she remembered something. "Please hold still a moment Miss Monsoon, I remember how to do this - but I'm a little rusty."

Spoiler
Patchi and Zam

Snowy wrinkles his muzzle. "What does that matter?"

Click to expand...

Night Cap takes a very unsteady step.

"Well not losing doesn't exactly sound like winning, and the colonel was really hoping for good news today."

Snowy looks at Night Cap curiously. "Who exactly are we supposed to be reporting to? Refresh my memory."

"Oh wow! I didn't know that. That would be great!...ouch!" Misty yelps a little as she gets airborne, feeling her wing brush against a sting she hadn't noticed earlier.

Together, the two pegasi follow Rhapsody and Amber to the source of the projected beacon.

Light Fantastic sighed in relief when she saw the beacon, and promptly headed towards it source.

"Newer than you." Snowy replies, refusing to add 'sir' to the end of the sentence.

Static almost feels like putting a flicker into the beacon as though to make a point. But then it happened quite involuntarily to remind him he really didn't have to fake it. He was exhausted before even starting the beacon.

As the beacon flickered, he dug his hooves into the ground, squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, trying instead to not make it flicker.

After a short flight across the bog, Rhapsody lands carefully down next to Anchors and Static. "So it seems we are the first two here." She comments as she lets Amber down gently. "Let's try and avoid any more wasp nests shall we? ...Really I'd suggest avoiding the rest of this swamp all together... but we got an expedition to complete and I know you probably don't want to go back with empty hooves."

A moon with a music note and a gear appear next to the other cutie marks in the beacon.

"Empty...hooved...would...suck."

Amber kissed Rhapsody on the cheek as the big pegasus set her down, then nodded as Rhapsody stepped forward and took charge of the situation. Amber looked up at the projection, then at the struggling pony below it. "Mr Si - Static, are you quite alright?" asked Amber.

"Con...sen...trat...ing!" Static growled through clenched teeth as the beacon flickered again.

"Oh, dear me. Is the projection apparatus really that difficult to operate? It looks like you're trying to ... hmm, ah. I might have assumed something gastrointestinal."

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

The beacon flickered and finally went away. As long as it had been up, he was sure the others could still find their way back. There was still Snowy's addition to the beacon to guide them in any case.

Static collapsed to the ground. "Easy enough...for a brief time...under normal circumstances," he huffed between breaths. "Stung by wasps, barely able to stand and not having had cider or coffee in a reeeeally long time...I was pushing it." Static tries to push himself upright...only partially succeeding before he goes back down. "I've had that thing up since getting clear of the wasps. That was...how many hours ago?"

Static shakes his head bitterly. "That thing's magical, feeding off my thoughts of what I want the projection to do...constantly feeding to work its own gears. There's got to be a better way...a way to switch it on and off...or even just on for a limited time...without constant feedback from me."

"I hate to ask this, but you are the more tech savvy of the group. Do you think maybe you could lessen the need for me to keep in constant contact with it? You've seen how it works."

"Hmm, yes, I do think I could take a look at it. It actually depends on the operator as a magic source? What a strange design - particularly for an earth pony of all things, no offense intended of course - " the device was soon levitating off Static's back and churning over its reels, access panels unlatching and unfurling themselves at Amber's behest. Her saddlebag was open at her side with her notebook and tool case sliding up to her as if placing themselves on an invisible workbench next to the machine, the vivid purple gemstone electrical spark on the tool case's lid glinting in the sun as it snapped open.

"Hmm. Well, you showed me the operation during our night at the museum, but I had no idea that it required such concentration. Really, it's only a matter of projecting a recorded imagine into three dimensions, after all. Even Mr. Skies' intolerable illusions are self-sustaining," Amber said, with no sign of malice or awareness that Snowy might actually be present and listening. "But that dreadful substitute Sword of Shining Dark does give me a notion, I must say. These crystals should be able to sustain the illusion themselves based on their inherent thaumoptic properties if they're properly aligned - it's like, hmm, if somepony wanted to make an office chair more mobile, and added handles instead of adding casters. And this device does seem rather ramshackle as a piece of equipment, to be quite honest with you, Mr. Signal. Do look at the mooring on this adjustment lever - it's as if they quite intended it to snap off at any inopportune moment. Really, this is what happens when the engineering is left to the scientists, I do quite believe. Hardly field ready." The machine was now a cloud of dissociated parts. Calipers reached up to grip fine cables running from electromagicnetic coils or any of the merciless horde of switches that had decorated the device's upper surface. The film canisters were sealed and forgotten, resting on a nearby rock and looking dangerously close to the mire around them.

Key elements of the device began to glow, first in the amber aura surrounding them, then in the orange of hot metal. Amber's tool case and notebook gently settled back to the ground as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the components in front of her, gently teasing them, in her mental construct of the device, into more suitable shapes.

Spoiler

Static watched fascinated as Amber went about her work. He was tech savvy enough to operate devices. But tinkering with the very insides of a machine, figuring out and adjusting how they tick...that was simply amazing!

He did take his eyes off of the event just long enough to put the precariously balanced film canisters in his saddle bags.

Maple noticed part of the sky pictures disappear as she both tried to keep up with Misty and not look at the ground.

Rhapsody simply watched in awe as her marefriend worked on the projector.

Amber Spark's careful reconstruction bore the delectable fruit of ingenuity. While it already had a small measure of protection against the elements, components were made even more watertight and the crystals were sealed in the projector's heart. Angles were softened for easier handling while an internalized webbing made it even more structurally sound than it was before, despite the reduced material. The final structure maintained a deceptively similar size and shape but she removed a fair bit of die-cast that was needlessly weighing down the projector. The film reels were probably heavier than the projector's final form.

Spoiler

Just as Amber Spark finished, Light Fantastic, Misty Monsoon, and Maplejack joined the rest of the group.

Amber lofted the projector back to Static. "Do be careful - the internal magicapacitor can run out with extended use and will take some time to recharge," she said. "But it's much better than having to strain your head like that. And it should be waterproof now."

"That was some really pretty magic." Maple says to Amber as she stutters to a stop, her tiny legs hitting the ground before her wings stopped... resulting in a sort of descending graduation of bounces - until finally stopping at the unicorn's side. Maple Smiled really big and then trotted back over to where Misty was.

"Are you ready Miss Monsoon? This might take a while... I'm a little rusty."

Spoiler
Patchi and Zam

"Good idea Maple. Amber, come here. Let me work on those wasp stings."Anchors Away patted the surface of the water as she motioned to Amber Spark.

Wasp stings. Yes, of course. As she put down the projector, Amber gradually remembered that she was in rather a bit of pain. "Yes, ma'am," Amber said, somewhat wearily, and she walked toward Ms. Away.

Anchors Away started searching through her bags until she pulled out a bottle of ointment. While still keeping her lower half in the water, she began to slowly massage the liquid into Amber Spark's coat. "This should help. Usually use it on jellyfish stings but we should probably be worried if one of those showed up. I guess this explains part of the team makeup. Each trio has something sorta like a medic."

Spoiler

"Thanks, Amber. You're amazing," Static says with a hug before Amber walks over to be healed.

"I wonder if Miss Fantastic gets this tuckered out when she uses her magic for healing." Maple wonders out loud as she plops back on her rump exhausted... but Misty seemed okay now so that was good at least, and Mr. Signal wasn't wrong about the wasps being horrible. Maple herself wasn't doing so good, she could fall asleep again at any time if she didn't keep her attention on something...

"Your turn, MJ. I may not be much of a medic, but I doubt one needs a degree to put salve on a sting."

Static treats Maples wounds.

Spoiler

Maple sidesteps and dodges Static's hooves as he tries to apply the medicine to her...

"I'm fine Mr. Signal... you should wait and see if Mr. Skies or Mr. Night cap are hurt worse than me..."

"Thanks, Maplejack, I feel so much better now!" Misty says, grateful for the first aid.

She turns to the other pegasus in the group. "I want to thank you too, Rhapsody, for helping me out back there."

"Night Cap's delirious." Snowy relays before Night Cap can say anything. "How does everyone feel?"

Amber sighed in relief as Anchors Away applied the salve. "Thank you, Ms. Away," she said. She looked up as Night Cap and Snowy Skies approached. "Returning to normal operation, Mr. Skies."

"Oh crud!" Static curses as he runs over to Night Cap. He directs him over to the water so he can wash him off enough to see where he was stung. He then applies the salve he had intended for Maple.

Spoiler

"Pony feathers! He seemed okay when we were all making a run for it. What happened?"

Snowy does his best to visualize the occurrence as he had derived it, then displays the sketched scene to the group, saying nothing as a hand-drawn version of Night Cap flew several feet forward and suspended itself upside down in mid air.

Not that anyone was paying attention, but he took the time to magic away the counter int eh sky, too. No reason to leave such an alert to their presence lying around.

"Geeze, Night! There's bad luck, then there's the laws of physics getting out of the universe's way of making you its buttmonkey!"

As Anchors Away continued massaging in the ointment, she looked over the group. "If Static's taking care of Night Cap, could someone see about Snowy's stings? I guess Light Fantastic is the most qualified. Speaking of Night Cap, he dropped something when he tripped earlier. Who has a free hoof...? Rhapsody, could you reach into my saddlebag and get it? The one on the right."

"Okay ..see Mr. Night Cap and Mr. Skies need help much more urgently then I do." Maple rubbed her shoulder a little with a wingtip, partly out of the embarrassment of jumping and hopping around to avoid Static, and because it hurt a little more then most of he other places she was stung.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

As everypony was getting healed, Static felt like giving his equipment a test.

As he revved it up, random members of the STOMP team started to appear.

Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Sea wind blows, to where, who knows? The waves will be our guide.
O'er across the ocean's tide. Rays of sunshine far and wide.
Birds they sing, of cheerful things, in circles passing by.
Bid farewell to weaver's town, say so long to port renowned.
Sing a song, it won't be long, before we're casting off.
Cross the gold and silver seas, a salty spray puts us at ease,
Day and night, to our delight, the voyage never ends.
Static gave a shocked look to Amber. "Sound too? Wow! You do good work!"

Several of the STOMP team could be seen dancing.

"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Binks' brew.
Pirates, we eternally are challenging the sea.
With the waves to rest our heads, ship beneath us as our beds,
hoisted high upon the mast, our jolly roger flies.
Somewhere in the endless sky, stormy winds are blowing by,
waves are dancing, evening comes, it's time to sound the drums.
But steady men, and never fear, tomorrow's skies are always clear.
So pound your feet and clap your hands 'til sunny days return."
Static tried to only catch Anchors on camera when she seemed to be dancing not clumsily. He mostly succeeded. For the most part, she looked rather graceful. Not as much luck when he himself was on camera, he noted with a grimace. He knew he couldn't dance, but he didn't realize he was that bad.

He glanced over to Light Fantastic. "Looks like we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"...Pirates we eternally are challenging the sea
With the waves to mumble 'ed
Ship beneath the mumble ahead...."
After the song was done, the illusion flickered off.

"Thanks for adjusting this, Amber. It works beyond my wildest dreams.

Maple hid her face behind her feathers...

"Oh my gosh can that be destroyed somehow!"

Misty looks confused. "Why?"

"Did you hear me singing.... I couldn't hit the right key at all." Maple's lower lip shot out as her eyes started to water... for a pony to find out she was a bad singer... this was the worst part of her ~~day~~ WEEK!

Momentarily pleased at Rhapsody's voice and then slightly recoiling at the image of herself singing, Amber tried to focus on Static's question. "Actually, the phonographic apparatus was already present and recording the entire time. The switch was on the inside."

Rhapsody blinks as anchors asks her to retrieve something of Night Cap's, considering the whole thing on the airship. She shrugs and trots over to Anchors and starts to search for the item, not really knowing what it is when the projector starts up, giving her a bit of start... "I didn't know you were recording that..." She says looking over to Static and Amber.

"That - you - where did you get that?" said Amber, her staccato stammering lacking her usual vocabular variety.

"Hmm... yeah, that really does look familiar," Misty thinks out loud.

"Mr. Night Cap must meet lots of girls who want to thank him with gifts, and hugs, and nuzzles, and new exciting adventures ... I mean even the chief director meet him and gave him a nice job working with the rest of us... Maple paused... But that last one likely doesn't happen as often as the first two or three." Maple was nearly pink at this point with all the blushing ...

Maple hid her face behind her feathers...

"Oh my gosh can that be destroyed somehow!"

"I'm afraid not," Static lied with a sly smile. "Once it exists..."

"Did you hear me singing.... I couldn't hit the right key at all." Maple's lower lip shot out as her eyes started to water... for a pony to find out she was a bad singer... this was the worst part of her ~~day~~ WEEK!

The film gets to the part of Static dancing and he shrinks in his chair, covering his eyes with his hooves. "Umm...looks like you're not the only one with blackmail worthy material on this." Note to self, destroy this film.

Rhapsody blinks as anchors asks her to retrieve something of Night Cap's, considering the whole thing on the airship. She shrugs and trots over to Anchors and starts to search for the item, not really knowing what it is when the projector starts up, giving her a bit of start... "I didn't know you were recording that..." She says looking over to Static and Amber.

"I didn't either. I must have bumped into something without realizing it when we hit that turbulence or something." Which means he probably caught the argument between him and Rhapsody as well. Yeah, definitely going to have to destroy this reel.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

Amber wasn't certain how much information she could reveal without revealing how little information she actually had. "That square tile at the center is a piece of a machine that the Keep is presently attempting to study. The project has been assigned to me."

"You have a nightstand?" Static couldn't help but feel jealous. "That's it! Next paycheck, I'm going shopping!"

Maple decided then and there not to tell Mr. Signal about her glow in the dark stuffed Ursa Major .

"I think that that may be somewhat unwise," said Amber. "May I see it?"

"We're not quite certain of the scale of the project -" Amber hesitated - "or of the machine." She lifted the tile out of Night Cap's trophy and retrieved a cloth from her tool case to begin wiping it off. "The Keep discovered an unmarked crate in storage containing a fair number of these tiles, some of which fit together into a sort of three-dimensional puzzle. I believe it may be some sort of astronomical apparatus." Amber lifted the tile close, drawing out a loupe and looking the tile over as she wiped away the decorative grime.

Spoiler

Amber Spark's attempts at cleaning the tile went extraordinarily well. The paint eagerly pulled away as if it wanted to be revealed. And behold, the designs on the square matched up with one of the sides of the mysterious puzzle that patiently awaited back in Caballuston.

Maple had to turn away.. she couldn't watch Miss Spark ruin that little pony's hard work.

Rhapsody's ears perk as Amber talks. "Something about the idea of a 'unmarked crate' makes me distrustful of this puzzle." She says and walks over slowly. "Do we even know if its actually something the Keep stored? Maybe I might be being a bit paranoid, but how can we be sure its not something more nefarious? With the COIN break-in a few days ago, how do we know they didn't leave something behind while the others teams were giving us the run-around?" She asks as she looks to the piece, looking it over as if it might be somehow dangerous. "Plenty of stories about cursed puzzle boxes floating around. Hell, just plenty of cursed artifacts in general..."

"Maybe if we move the pieces to a remote location before assembling them?"

"Are you suggesting that little pony is a nasty coin badguy!?!" Maple stomped once with each of her tiny hooves... still facing away, but soo very tempted to show all this big ponies the look of disbelief on her face

"Are you suggesting that little pony is a nasty coin badguy!?!" Maple stomped once with each of her tiny hooves... still facing away, but soo very tempted to show all this big ponies the look of disbelief on her face

"You don't have to be a part of an organization in order to be duped into doing their dirty work."

"Not at all, Maple. Just because she has a part doesn't mean she's part of COIN. She could have gotten it anywhere. COIN might not have even known she had part of it. I'm speaking purely of the crate and the pieces inside."

"Or it's totally possible that COIN has nothing to do with this at all and the puzzle can range from totally beneficial to totally detrimental...or even neutral.

"But when even going to a ballet...or heck...just going home for the night...can wind up being a matter of life and death...it's better to be safe than sorry. Better paranoid than dead."

Static took a look at the film he was still holding in his hand. "Does anypony know how to make a camp fire? Serious city slicker here. I've never had to..."

Maple had made plenty of fires while on the road... whether there was any dry wood to be found was a question though.

"I've made campfires almost nightly at points in my life Mr. Signal... did you or Miss Away see any dry wood around while you were here waiting for the rest of us?"

Static nods at Rhapsody then looks to Amber. "So, maybe find a more remote location before going too much further with putting this thing together? Probably wouldn't be a bad thing to have someone with you too. In case something bad does happen, it would be better to have someone to..." [She's a big mare, now, Static. She doesn't need to be protected.] [We all need help every once in a while.] [Fine, but try to find a word less condescending than "protected."] "Help with damage control...or to get the buck out of there."

Static turns to Maple. "I didn't have a chance to look. But I'm sure there must be some around here."

Spoiler

"I didn't see any dry wood and I doubt there would be that much in the swamp. I guess there's the dead tree the wasps were in but I'm not taking that risk."

As the others discussed irrelevant details about COIN and firewood, Amber slipped the tile away in her saddlebag. "Yes, well, due precautions will of course be taken. The crate was not found at the museum, so any nefarious involvement by COIN is unlikely." She looked away, preoccupied, thinking. "Were you intending to cook something, Static? I do have a lamp if we only need a light source."

Static holds up the film. I think 'cooking' would be the wrong word. But I thought everypony was in agreement that we'd all be better off if this reel didn't exist.

"Oh, my, yes, well. Static, you may be aware of this, but videographic film is actually quite flammable on its own and shouldn't require any kindling. Would you mind opening the canister and setting it down here?"

Static hesitates. "Ah, yes, well, we should probably dig a pit or something so the fire doesn't spread further than we intend."

Static digs out a small hole in the ground. He strips the film off the reel and dumps it into the hole, putting the reel itself back in his saddle bag. Waste not want not after all.

"Shame. I kinda like that song. Still...yeah...this film needs to go away."

Amber dips her head toward the pit, and the film erupts in a foul-smelling but colorful blaze.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

Static walks back over to Anchors. It wasn't so much that he had anything to say really. Just that after a long...coffeeless day like today, he felt a need to be around her.

He wasn't sure if it would be appropriate or not, but propriety be damned! He nuzzled her gently as he sat down beside her. Feeling any better? You seemed kinda down earlier.

Light Fantastic approached Snowy.

"Let me see if I can do something about those stings," she said.

She began to tap into her healing magic.

Spoiler

"Feeling a little better just..."Anchors Away awkwardly paused, "I really don't want to keep comparing everyone to prior teams I've been on. And that sorta answers your earlier question. But it does feel like things are working a little better now."

With Amber's Magic, Maple could have avoided a lot burs and thorns and poison joke looking for fire wood. Unicorns have it easy-er... Maple corrected herself, she had a lot of Unicorn friends now, and it was time to stop being such a jealous filly. She'd even >_> until recently made progress in flying, so being grumpy about all the tall beautiful Pegasuses around would have to go too. perhaps a suitable gesture to each.

"Miss Spark, thank you for saving us a lot of work out there in the damp looking for wood. I don't know much about film... but I do know there are tiny bits of silver in it..." Maple Paused and looked at Mr. Signal. "..when the film is done burning maybe you could collect that from the ashes and make something nice with it." Pausing again, this time looking between Miss Spark and Miss Rhapsody... "Silver doesn't really stand out against my body... but it would look like starlight on Miss Rhapsody." Turning again to Mr. Signal... "after seeing what you did for Mr. Signal's machine, I'm sure he wouldn't object to gifting you such a small thing."

Maple smiled, she couldn't do anything so magical... but she did herself owe Miss Rhapsody a debt for helping to build her confidence enough for her to even think she could be of use on this expedition. Maple had a green hoof, and sometimes ideas could be like seeds... she hoped this one might bloom into something beautiful now that she'd planted it.

"Trace amounts of silver nitrate, which...." Amber shook her head. "Hmm. Well, I do think -" she eyed Rhapsody for a moment, smiling almost slyly and tilting her glasses slightly. "Yes, hmm, when we aren't in the middle of an expedition, Ms. Jack - you know, Rhapsody, you do rather shine all your own, but I think something in silver really might just -" Amber stopped and looked slightly embarrassed but began to scribble something in her notebook.

Maple's wings buzzed she was so happy to hear Miss Spark liked the idea.

[Dang, ponies! Trying to have a moment with my marefriend here!] Static thinks to himself.

He regards Night Cap. "It's my first, but it's certainly been...interesting."

He turns his attention to Maple and Amber. "I'm not sure silver nitrate is quite the same as silver. And I'm not really sure how much you'd be able to pull from burned film stock. But your certainly welcome to try. I won't be needing it!" he answers, looking over to the pit that contained the smoldering heap.

Light Fantastic approached Snowy.

"Let me see if I can do something about those stings," she said.

She began to tap into her healing magic.

Spoiler

Snowy shifts and mutters "I'm fine, really." But doesn't physically object to the healing. He had a few choice words for Anchors on the subject of lacking faith, but didn't feel like this was a good time to say them.
As the magic flows through him, he sighs appreciatively. "Thanks." he says emphatically, noting how quickly he'd forgotten that your limbs weren't supposed to throb when you stretched them.

Light smiled at Snowy.

"You're welcome," she replied.

Misty, meanwhile, takes a moment to check her map and compass, attempting to reorient herself again.

Static sat there thinking to himself, letting his mind wander. It was a dangerous thing to do. His mind would go off on tangents and he could very well come back to reality asking somepony something totally off the wall. But at the moment he just really need to give his brain a rest.

He couldn't wait until payday so he could get some furniture. The bonus would be nice. Bonus because accounting in Manehatten was screwed up. Accounting...where he met Plaid Paisley.

Hey heeeey, didn't know they transferred you down here too!

Funny, at the time he thought he might have meant a transfer from the documents department to...wherever the heck he was in the museum at that point. For the life of him, he couldn't remember where that conversation took place. But that doesn't seem to fit.

"Hey, that happened with me too."

He was stiffed too. Dang! He always did have problems when it came to socializing with ponies. He had no idea...was Plaid from...?

Hey, MJ...do you remember if there used to be somepony named Plaid Paisley back in Manehatten?

"How are you feeling?" Snowy looks very closely at Light, trying to pick out stings against her fluorescent coat. "I can't say I have healing magic, but there's always good old-fashioned ointment."

"Um, let me see..." Maple paused and thought a moment.

Spoiler
.
wtchop!?!

CoffeeHorse · Mar 23, 2022

Misty Monsoon found that her first attempt at navigation was a few degrees off. The calamity had the silver lining of giving her a chance to correct this before they got farther. It also allowed them to discover the lake they were resting at.

Misty suddenly speaks up. "Oh wow, everypony! This lake isn't on the map... which means... we may be the first to discover it!"

At this new information, closes his eyes, as he tries to get a feel for how far they had come, both from Nightmare Heights and from the tree. According to Inferno, they were past the end of foraging territory, but Anchors had presumably swum from the tree's pond to here, right? He was reasonably certain that was how she and Static had arrived here. Were they standing on top of a waterway? He looks out at the lake, trying to get a feel for how reasonable that might be.

Spoiler

"Um, let me see..." Maple paused and thought a moment.

"Oh sure, he got transferred out before you did." Maple added after a few seconds of silence.

"Oh! Makes me wonder how many other pony's I've gotten to know in Caballuston that I completely ignored...in...Mane...hatt...pony feathers!" Static gives Maple a guilt ridden look. "I'm so sorry, MJ. I was such a mule. If it means anything, I'm glad to have gotten to know you now."

Maple just grinned at Mr. Signal, not a clue in her head that he'd only just now started to consider them friends - like she'd been doing all along.

Spoiler

Snowy Skies saw that the lake was shallow and somewhat clearer than the muddy bank surrounding the team. With a sizable towhead covered in trees sitting in the middle of the lake, it was presumable that this islet was why the lake wasn't immediately noticed when the area was mapped. However, he couldn't see much farther in the light fog and overall cloudiness.

Light Fantastic winced as Snowy pulled the stingers out from her hide.

"I've been better," she said, "but I'll live."

Anchors Away climbed out of the water and her tailfin formed two hind legs. "Night Cap, make sure to record that little filly's name. Even with foals, I'm pretty sure the Keep will want to record whoever discovers individual pieces."

Anchors Away hung her head a bit. "Yeah, I hope she doesn't take it too hard. Or maybe she'll be happy to see it part of a bigger project, I don't know. Alright, decision time. With those who were hurt the worst taken care of and with all of us getting a breather we need to decide if we're going to rest a little longer or start back towards the cave. Don't want to lose too much time but I don't want to push everypony too hard either."

Amber nodded to Night Cap. "Yes, we should find some time to more closely inspect the title and take some sketches. You might also take a rubbing as well. Since we haven't yet precisely identified the origin of the tiles, I'd certainly appreciate if you have some insight," she said. "But here in this very, this very, ahm ... hmm, this terrain - or in a cave - probably isn't the best place for such a close inspection." She turned to Ms. Away. "I'm not at all averse to pressing on, but I don't pretend to speak for everypony."

"The fire is almost done... so going on is okay with me too." Maple spoke up while still giving Mr. Signal her smiling equivalent of a blank stare.

"Pressing on sounds like a good direction." Snowy says, turning his gaze away from the lake. That was a question for another expedition. "Misty, aside from being next to the lake, what can you tell us about our position?"

Static was feeling better. The stings still throbbed a bit, but he'd dealt with worse in his life. "I vote we press on if everypony's in good enough condition. Stupid bugs still got me hurting a tad, but I think any lingering injuries can be dealt with on the way."

"Well, going by the map, we're closer to our destination than we are to Nightmare Heights at this point. Ending up here by this lake was only a slight detour," Misty replies to Snowy.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Making sure the fire was properly doused, the STOMP team once again set out on their expedition. After another hour of hiking, they eventually arrived at a slanted rock overhang rising out of the ground that was covered in a multitude of vines. All was silent.

Static was on auto-pilot as they hiked. The pain from the wasp stings didn't really hurt any more...or at least he'd grown used to it as they walked. Still, in his efforts to ignore them, he pretty much zoned out on everything else as well.

So when the others stopped at the overhang, he was about to walk right on by until he noticed Anchors falling back. He turned around and walked back over to the rest of the group.

He looked perplexed as he looked at the vines. Were they supposed to climb them? He looked down at his hooves wondering how that was supposed to work.

In that moment, he envied the unicorns their ability to teleport...not so much the pegasus ability to fly. He couldn't begin to imagine how that could be any fun. But then he was an earth pony and earth ponies were meant to stay on the ground.

Maple had been looking up at the rock with the others. Once Mr. Signal got back to them and began looking from the vines to his hooves it was obvious what the poor earth pony was thinking.

Maple moved up closer to the vines and begun to examine them ... if they were strong enough.. perhaps a makeshift rope could be made ...

Spoiler

The species of vine were unfamiliar upon closer inspection, Maple could do little more then guess at their strength.

"I've never seen vines like these before, If the earth ponies are going to have attempt climbing -I'd suggest one of the Pegasuses attempt to first ... that way if it wont hold the weight... at least we would be able to recover."

Misty quickly checks her map to see if this overhang is on it.

"Well, before we start
climbing, let's make sure we actually want to climb it?" she says after Maple's suggestion. She flies up into the air to get a better look at what was over and above the overhang.

Spoiler

While Misty goes to check on where they are, Static takes the opportunity to do another heal check on somepony. He searches out the one who seems to be the worst off and walks up to Night Cap.

Spoiler

As Misty Monsoon began to fly near the vines, dust, hair, or something else got in her eyes. Taking a midair tumble, she fell through the vines like they were a thick hanging curtain. Bumping her head on the interior, she fell to the ground, tumbling and rolling deep into the downward sloping interior of the cave.

[broken spoiler tag]Misty's not actually hurt by the head bump as far as Fatal Damage or anything like that. The nat 1 just so happened to give me a much more literal version of forward momentum.

As Static applied the salve to Night Cap, he breathed a sigh of pity. "I don't know what happened to make the universe decide to make you it's plaything, but I hope this helps. You really must be the unluckiest pony I ever..." Just then Misty takes her tumble. Static jerks his head around in surprise. "Ponyfeathers!"

Snowy steps forward to poke his head through the vines, but starts and looks upward as Misty parts the vines for him. He lights his horn and looks down after her, trying to judge how steep the slope is before going down after her.

Snowy Skies saw that it was roughly a 30 degree slope and there seemed to be a winding curve as Misty Monsoon quickly slipped out of sight.

"Light, follow me down." He says, stepping carefully down the slope with his horn lit. He hopes the others understand the unspoken half of the order that the others shouldn't pile down after him.

Spoiler

"Wait. Light, you stay here. Rhapsody, you and me should go with Snowy. Keeps the teams closer to the original split and you'll have a flier with you."

Static was half a step away from running after his tumbling team-mate when Anchor's order came. As she, Rhapsody and Snowy dissapeared into the cave, Static looked around.

"Buck! I hate being left behind," he said, fidgeting on his hooves. "So what are the rest of us supposed to do?"

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Sitting down on her rump, Maple watches as the party begins to split up...

"So we just wait here then?" she asked nopony in particular

"Well, I would say we should ask our team lead, but..." he looks forlornly back at the cave where Misty had just taken a tumble. "I guess waiting here is the best thing we can do." Static sighs. "I've never been good at being patient," he grumbled to himself.

Static huffs. "Not for me." His hoof trembles a bit. He hold it up and looks at it curiously, then nods in understanding. "Buck I could use a cider. Lucky me I'm far away from any source of it." He looked around helplessly. "Buck I need something to do!"

He sets up the camera and starts recording what he can of the scenery.

"Could you please get a few shots of the overhang Mr. Signal, I'm never seen these types of vines before... I'd go over and get a sample, but I don't want to risk falling in like poor miss Monsoon. I hope she's okay." Maple asked, silently cursing herself that her fortunate luck might have emboldened Misty into suffering some unknown doom.

Of course Static was going to make sure to film the overhang. It was the most important part of the scenery after all. But Static was more concerned about hiding the trembling of his cider deprived hooves than answering questions. He simply obligingly panned the camera over to the overhang.

"Should be okay," Static answered a bit more curtly than he meant. It was hardly fair, he knew. It wasn't Maple's fault he was having withdrawal. "Misty only fell because she was flying."

"Um, Miss Fantastic - how have you been? we haven't really had a chance to talk since the tour group the other day." Maple asked - turning her attention away form Static.

As Snowy Skies, Rhapsody, and Anchors Away descended the winding and twisting tunnel, the light from Snowy Skies' horn bounced off crystal fragments embedded in the rocky walls around them. After walking about 100 feet, they came to a junction where the tunnel split into three paths. "Oh, of course it would split. I can taste water in all three of them but with the angle of this turn, it's probably not the left tunnel. Trying to figure out which one to go down since we shouldn't split up even more."

As Misty Monsoon dizzily came to, she found herself lying on her stomach at the bank of a pristine lake in the middle of an enormous cavern. Growing from the rocky ceiling was a sizable cluster of bulblet bladderfern. However, the plants had an unusual glow and formed something akin to a large spherical cage.

Static Signal filmed a good shot of the rock and vines that covered the cave opening. The entire area was silent.

Static returned his focus on his camera. He felt bad that he just snapped at Maple, but he wasn't about to move from behind his camera. He needed to keep his focus on his camera. Anything else would allow the cider to enter into his thoughts.

Light Fantastic sat on her haunches, mindful of the stings she had received.

"I've been fine," she said, "though, I may be feeling these stings for a while. How was your trip here?"

"There were issues... and honestly it might have been both better and worse for different reasons if Mr. Signal had accidentally filmed that conversation instead of the song and dance number afterwards." Maple avoided getting more specific than that, given that one of the chief combatants was here, as well as the other one's special somepony.

Ms. Away had led her team into the cavern after the unfortunate Ms. Monsoon before Amber could protest. She nodded a "good luck" to Rhapsody as they descended, then looked over the remainder of the team, descending on the one remaining flyer. "Ms. Jack, do you think that you could take a look around from the air? We may need to remain here for some time while the others retrieve Ms. Monsoon. It would be best if we had a notion of our bearings, don't you think?"

Static winced. Having skimmed through the film before destroying it, he was actually pretty certain that the conversation actually had been caught on film. All the more reason to be glad it was destroyed.

Losing his concentration, he sighed. He'd gotten everything he needed on film anyway. No sense wasting film just because he was having withdrawal fits.

He sighed again as he turned to Maple and Light. "That was...unpleasant. I still maintain that they were things that needed to be said, however. But it's in the past and probably better left there."

"Good Idea Miss Spark, it's a wonder those three left you here." Maple said before buzzing slowly up into the air..staying very clear of where Miss Monsoon had flown.

Spoiler
Zam

Maple looked around when she got to a decent height... but her field of view was slightly hampered by her unwillingness to look directly down. Until an idea came to her and she started slowly turning clockwise as she descended back down to the group to report what she saw.

Static couldn't figure how Night Cap couldn't take it personally. It didn't get more personal than that.

But then, that was between him and Rhapsody now.

It wasn't something he wanted to dwell on in any case.

He was done filming. He needed something else to occupy his mind. He never should have started drinking cider. He never should have thought that coffee would be a suitable substitute. Buck, he needed cider. Buck, he needed something to occupy his mind.

The square root of 912.04 is 30.2. It all seemed harmless.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

"Rhapsody only wants to protect the team," Amber said rather quietly. "I do think her reaction was a bit ... excessive, but I really don't believe she did mean anything as a personal insult to either of you."

"Oh, I have no doubts about her loyalty to the team. That mare would go to Tartarus and back for any one pony on this team. I totally respect her for that. I would trust her with my life a hundred times over. I hope that was never in question.

"I just get the feeling that she took a single event and convinced herself so totally that Night Cap wasn't someone she trusted that she can't even begin to accept that she might be wrong."

Static shrugged. "But that's between the two of them, now."

"Yes, I believe you're right."

Maple spun to a stop just about where she'd started from.. but waited for the current conversation to end before she gave 'S.A.W team leader Amber Spark' her first report.
Maple managed to hold in the giggle at her own joke...

Spoiler

"Whoaaaa... owww..." Misty groans as she gets back on her hooves. "Wha... where is this place?" It takes a few moments for her memory to come tumbling down and catch up with the rest of her, and it eventually dawns on her that she must have ended up inside the cave the party was supposed to be exploring.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" she calls out. "Umm... please don't be worried, I'm okay!" she adds thoughtfully.

She pauses to listen for a response. While doing so she takes a look above and notices the illumination coming from the bioluminescent ferns. Curious, she flies upwards for a closer look. Hovering next to one of the fern-cages, she touches the plant lightly with a hoof.

Rumps to the report ... Maple gave Mr. Night Cap a 6 limb hug.

Rhapsody blinks as everything happens so fast, from Misty falling into the cave, Snowy going in after her, and then her sorta getting drafted to join by Anchors. It's not a bad call, and she doesn't disagree, but everything seems to happen before she can get much barrings. She smiles to Amber before leaving. "Try and keep everyone safe, love." She says before joining Snowy and Anchors in the cave. It's not that she thought the rest would specifically get in trouble, least most of them wouldn't; but she knew Amber was good with defense and better to be proactive about it, with the way things are going.

As Snowy Skies, Rhapsody, and Anchors Away descended the winding and twisting tunnel, the light from Snowy Skies' horn bounced off crystal fragments embedded in the rocky walls around them. After walking about 100 feet, they came to a junction where the tunnel split into three paths. "Oh, of course it would split. I can taste water in all three of them but with the angle of this turn, it's probably not the left tunnel. Trying to figure out which one to go down since we shouldn't split up even more."

Rhapsody looks over to Snowy. "You got anything in your bag of tricks to help narrow things down? I know you're good at illusions and audiomancy, but you probably have a few other things kept in reserve." She states calmly to the unicorn before trotting over to the right path and seeing if she could make anything out with her own senses.

Spoiler

"I'll definetly have to get to reading that report when we get back. But honestly, preaching to the choir here."

"You came to help us the night COIN attacked the Keep when you could have just as easily have stayed out of it. We all see how you fought against the Anugypt princess.

"And on a personal level, you were there for me when I had to face Dazzling Midnight. I know I must sound like a broken record with that one. But it means a lot to me. I know you might have found her attractive and all. Heck, she is really attractive. But you stuck with me anyway and I know I can trust you not to betray me when it comes to her."

"I just hope some day Rhapsody will come to realise it too."

Rhapsody hears something like a voice coming from the right tunnel though it sounds faint and distant.

Misty Monsoon saw that in the center of the glowing cage was something resembling a large wooden treasure chest. However, instead of wood, it was composed of numerous dried leaves that were stitched together like a stiff quilt.

Maplejack got as good of an eye as she could in her survey but the only noteworthy landmark in the swamp from her vantage point was the rock the team was already at and Nightmare Heights. However, she realized that the swamp was abnormally silent. She couldn't hear a single animal making even the slightest noise.

Light Fantastic quirked an eyebrow.

"That bad, huh?" she said, "Well, if it's too unpleasant, I'm willing to let it drop."

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Maple backed away from Night Cap and then sat down next to Amber.
"There is nothing going on, we're apparently the only living things out here making any noise. other than that Miss Spark, I didn't see anything remarkable. just Swamp, lake, and this rock."

"Oh... wooowww..." Misty hopes the team can make it down here soon. They've got to see this!

Static's raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? We're the only things alive in this swamp? That's odd on a couple different levels.

1. Inferno Blue was definitely on guard and listening for something while he was guiding us and,

2. The wasps?"

Suddenly an uneasy feeling comes over Static. "I hate it when things get too quiet. It's like waiting for a storm."

"Yes, you certainly do project a certain impression," said Amber. "It's fortunate that we all know how harmless you really are. Ms. Jack, good work, and thank you."

"Static, the wasps might very well have calmed down from our so very unbecoming intrusion by now. But you're certainly right that we should be on alert."

Rhapsody blinks as everything happens so fast, from Misty falling into the cave, Snowy going in after her, and then her sorta getting drafted to join by Anchors. It's not a bad call, and she doesn't disagree, but everything seems to happen before she can get much barrings. She smiles to Amber before leaving. "Try and keep everyone safe, love." She says before joining Snowy and Anchors in the cave. It's not that she thought the rest would specifically get in trouble, least most of them wouldn't; but she knew Amber was good with defense and better to be proactive about it, with the way things are going.

As Snowy Skies, Rhapsody, and Anchors Away descended the winding and twisting tunnel, the light from Snowy Skies' horn bounced off crystal fragments embedded in the rocky walls around them. After walking about 100 feet, they came to a junction where the tunnel split into three paths. "Oh, of course it would split. I can taste water in all three of them but with the angle of this turn, it's probably not the left tunnel. Trying to figure out which one to go down since we shouldn't split up even more."

Click to expand...

Rhapsody looks over to Snowy. "You got anything in your bag of tricks to help narrow things down? I know you're good at illusions and audiomancy, but you probably have a few other things kept in reserve." She states calmly to the unicorn before trotting over to the right path and seeing if she could make anything out with her own senses.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Another pony might have snorted, knowing how utterly wrong Rhapsody's assumption was, but Snowy merely kept his features composed until she turned away, then grimaced and closed his eyes. There was only so much to be seen on the walls of the cave, but surely the sparse life and low-action environment would afford sound some smoother travels. After coming in from the swamp, it reminded him a little too much of Anugypt princess' attack. But he beat that back and focused on listening. A quiet sound passed through him, and one ear flicked towards the right path, but he keeps quiet, waiting to see what happened to it.

Spoiler

Static looked around for something else to do. Needed to keep his mind occupied. He walked over to the vines and cut a few sections off. He walked back over to Maple. "Is this what you needed?"

Snowy opens his eyes, checking to make certain nothing ambushed his compatriots while they were closed. "Misty's voice just came down the right path." He resists the urge to trot off to the front of the procession again, instead turning to Anchors. "We know absolutely nothing about what's down here, right? Should I quiet things?"

Anchors Away nodded. "Yeah, we just know it has similarities to the caves beneath Canterlot but we don't know any more than that. Keeping things quiet is probably best. My eyes have already adjusted to the darkness so I'll walk in front. Plus, Misty will probably recognize me faster since I've known her longer."

Once Static Signal turned away from the vines he cut, they grew back and then the entire mass tightly and silently pulled across the cave opening like the skin of a drum. Four trees bent towards each other to form something similar to a tent until being suddenly sucked into the ground. Rising in their stead was plantlike entity in the form of a giant ram. Adorned with moss and kudzu, it's curled horns breached the treetops. It glared down upon the group with a vicious gaze.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Snowy nods. "Alright. I'll be in the middle, since I need to focus."

Spoiler

Rhapsody huffs softly as Snowy also checks the right tunnel, as she wanted him to check the center one. But doesn't say anything since he recognizes the voice as Misty, which is better then she was able to do. "Don't forget we're both skilled in this area. You might be more used to running on silent, but I know how to quieten an area as well." Her tone might come off as a bit blunt, but she was trying to help lessen the burden on Snowy to make things easier for him.
Spoiler

The collaboration of Snowy Skies and Rhapsody dampened the sound of the area around them. However, they also managed magnify the sounds coming from deeper within the cave so it was easier to hear Misty or anything else inside the cavern.

Static's hair raises on the back of his neck as he drops the vines in front of Maple. He turns to see the "ram" and smiles sheepishly.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea you were a sapient plant. We don't get very many sapient plants where...we're...from...aaaaaand you probably don't understand a single thing I'm saying, huh?"

Spoiler

The ramlike plant's voice boomed through the clearing with a great measure of disdain,
I understand you perfectly well. Why are you here?

"Exploring...mostly. We ponies can be a curious bunch. We heard about a group of caves around here that resemble a series of caves near our capitol city. We were curious and wanted to see what we could find out about them."

"Sorry about the vines.

Maple's eye's and grin expanded to the natural limits of her face... she couldn't help herself, as the colts tensed up -Maple buzzed past them... until she stopped at eye level with the creature.

"This explains everything off with my notes... we're ever so very sorry to disturb you. My Name is Maple, how would you like to be addressed?"

I am Barometz and you are but an annoyance. You have until the count of three to begone from the swamp. 1...2...

Anchors Away cautiously led the team down the tunnel. She was actively alert but reacted in shock when she saw the cage of fern dangling from the cavern ceiling, barely stifling a gasp. She walked forward and stuck her head underwater to look around, then waved to try to get Misty Monsoon's attention without making any noise.

Misty was too distracted to notice the arrival of her teammates in the cavern. Still hovering next to the fern-cage, she intently studies the strange chest. She doesn't want to disturb it or attempt to remove it from the cage without showing it to the others first, but... it genuinely piques her curiosity.

Spoiler

"With all due respect, sir, no," said Amber, her horn beginning to crackle with electricity.

The *plipplip* of water droplets was a new sound to work with, but Snowy caught it before it went too far. His first impulse is to aid Anchor's attempts at grabbing Misty's attention, but he's loath to waste all the effort they put into arriving unobtrusively. Instead, he looks at Amber's face and tries to judge how urgently she wants Misty to come down, just in case she saw something underwater that he was unaware of.

Spoiler

Spoiler
All ...woo woo cachoo!

Maple wouldn't have normally done these things in tandem.. but she didn't like that time limit... she hopes, everything works out okay she'd hate for the team to have to battle such a beautiful creature.

Barometz seemed caught off guard by the pint sized pegasus. Maplejack could sense that he seemed threatened by the STOMP team's presence. It was almost as if he was seeking to protect something. However, she could also sense a strong amount of hatred, disdain, and sheer contempt for the STOMP team. He viewed them as being utterly beneath him. As he started to come to, his attention, and his ire, began to refocus on Maplejack.

Spoiler

As far as Snowy Skies could tell, Anchors Away seemed rather relaxed, if not relieved, to see Misty Monsoon, despite the fact that the pegasus seemed to be preoccupied.

"Mr Barometz sir... whatever it is you're worried we might do... we wont if you tell us what it is. But You should know that we aren't the only members of our group." Maple sweeps a hoof down at the others in the s.a.w. team and then continues.

"One of my friends accidentally fell into the caves and three others have gone in to rescue her. It may be wise for you to either appear to them, or let us go in to find them and prevent them form accidentally doing anything that you would consider a trespass against you. I also wish to appologize for everyone if we have already inadvertently done something already."

"Is is an 'accident' that you are here, miles from civilization, or am I to believe you suddenly poofed into existence at this very spot?"

"It was an accident if we've done anything to bother you. I was honest when I said we are here as a matter of curiosity. If there's anything that belongs to you, tell us and we will not take it. We won't disturb anything you don't want disturbed.

"And if all you want is for us to leave, please allow us to gather our friends in the cave and we'll leave!"

"Poof... no, there was running and flying and some swimming...but no poofing, oh no wait there was one poofing... Miss Spark down there ...the one with the glasses ..I think she poofed once... but I had hurt my head at the time so I might be not remembering it right." Maple eventually caught herself rambling and got back to point. "we have been asked to explore this area because nopony had ever done so, it is a very beautiful place... I can see why you love it so much, so full of life."

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

"I deign not to grant you information since such a thing is power. You may leave but I can handle those in the cave. As far as the bespectacled 'Miss Sparks', it can be presumed that her eyes are failures, substandard from the rest on this team."

"When you say you can handle the ones in the cave, I hope you mean that they'll be returned to us...alive?"

Well then. Snowy took a brief break from muting the group (which was, at this point, the occasional *plipplip* and the odd rustle of fur) to speak magically, two words bouncing in Misty's ear. "Down here."

Upon hearing Snowy, Misty whirls around and spots the others. "Oh, hey, everypony! When did you get down here? Look what I found, isn't this cool?" She gesticulates excitedly at the chest inside the cage with a hoof.

"That's an understandable view of things, if a little disappointing. I'd have hoped that we could part ways as friends, because I would love to return here and converse with you more. I love seeing things grow strong and proud ..and you are so very much both of those things, and it would be nice to have a different perspective on that. The flowers and trees I care for at home don't speak to me so forcefully, it would be wonderful to know if I could do anything better. As for Miss Spark's eyes... no pony is perfect, But she has other attributes that are better than those of others." Maple paused for a moment. "Would it be to forward to ask if there were more of your kind around? It might help us avoid things like this in the future if when knew where to avoid and why. It seems like we could have made a better first impression, had we known to expect you were here. But with that being said, we can't possibly leave without our friends - it was a long complicated path that lead us here ... and our navigator and group leader are both among those inside.. were those of us here to go on without them I fear we'd end up getting lost and you would see a lot more of us. not only Us, wondering around all over, having to make fires and eat any food stuffs we happen to find... but also others that would come looking for us... and then more that would eventually come looking for them - were they not to return."

"I am unique and without comparison. You and the one carrying the machine are the only ones standing before me that might be trustworthy by sheer virtue of being untouched. Those inside I'll need to look at more closely but I'll deal with them as I see fit. It may be best for them to never return and by your words, it may be best for none of you to leave either, if it will bring others here."

"Others will come if we don't all leave... but, if we leave we can help you keep anyone else from coming... those ponies closest to you already know not to venture far into this realm... we can expand that knowledge to the rest of Equestria... that is what we do."

Maple thought of something else

"Now those Ponies, only know to stay away by fear alone... and as you can see by us being here... that ceases to be enough after a time, If you let us... we have a way for you to speak to ALL of us everywhere... and tell us all why we should leave you alone... if you let our friends return to us safely we can make sure that No good-hearted pony ever purposefully disturbs you again."

"You know, going with that," Static interjects. "I see a way we both win. You want us all gone. We need something to make this expedition a success."

"Let us and everyone inside the cave go, alive and unharmed...I can record your message and take it with us to show everyone. I can make copies of it, send it to other cities so that our bosses can quarantine this entire area."

"I get my documentary. The others who are with me have a heck of a story to report to their respective managers. You'll have your warning out there to stay clear of this place."

"Everyone who makes it their job to explore will know not to come here. And...if by some chance somepony does come here...well...we can hardly blame you for doing whatever you have to do to those who have been warned."

Maple would have covered he face with her wings if she wasn't using them for flying ...and still the temptation to just fall out of the sky was a strong one.

"as Mr. Night Cap has shown we are very determined to make this work for both yourself and us. Compromise is a thing that can happen, I understand being alone - I've spent a lot of time that way... but while I didn't enjoy it, I can understand that you might and I am more than willing to help you keep things the way you like them... but please, I can't keep making promises that depend on the safety of the others if at any moment they may inadvertently do something disastrous that I can't foresee. Is it in your power to bring them out of the cave safely?"

"I want to hear what 'Miss Sparks', or the bright colored one that has been silent, has to say about this."

"If I may say one more thing...? I think what's needed here is a good will offering. Right here I have a transmitter that can send messages to our bosses."

"Just in a the way of fostering trust, I will tell them to make this area forbidden...free of charge...in the blind hope that maybe you'll reciprocate by letting our friends go. I'll do that right now. No pony will ever bother you again. I'm sending the message right now. All I ask is that you consider our plea to let our friends go."

STOMP TEAM ENGAGED WITH POWERFUL AND HOSTEL INTELLIGENCE. IF NOT HEARD FROM IN HALF HOUR, FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FAMILIES OF NIGHTMARE HEIGHTS, REQUEST AIRSTRIKE. RAZE ENTIRE AREA. LEAVE NO PLANT UN-ASHED.

Static sighs. "Of corse, I'm afraid I lied just a bit. The reason I told you to ignore that pony right there, that's because he doesn't need to leave to order in a strike. I just did that. If I don't call back in 29 minutes and 45 seconds to call them off, this entire swamp will be razed to ash...including you."

"I will call them off when our friends are safely outside the cave, I have your warning on tape and we're all back a safe distance from you. That's a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in. Your choice!"

Maple decides that now would be a good time to do that falling thing.

"This is just sad." She's not even sure how far up she is... but it doesn't change the fact that Static just took this so far across a line, there was nothing worth talking about now... he'd just proven to this creature that we can't be trusted to even keep our word for a minute.

Maplejack's fall was caught by a giant leaf that rose out of the ground, then receded back into it. Barometz laughed a booming and echoing laugh. Eventually regaining composure, he replied to Static Signal with,
"You witless fool. I contemplated staying my hoof upon the plea of this small filly but it is for naught by your actions. You take me for a fool if you think there's anything in Equestria with the might to raze the entire swamp. The closest to that would be a princess and I doubt that will happen. And what if they do? I can wait it out. The same can't be said about the team you previously claimed was so important to you. Furthermore, nothing but the ponies on the mountain are close enough to get here in under an hour and they are no threat to me."

Springing from the ground were a multitude of small blue flower buds, followed by many small red flowerbuds. Barometz smirked as he looked at Static Signal.

Spoiler

Static Signal soon received a reply to his Morse code message:

ELABORATE UPON INTENTIONS OF THE TERM 'AIRSTRIKE'. SUCH CAPACITY IS TYPICALLY FICTIONAL.

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Maple didn't want to fight..

Upon hearing Snowy, Misty whirls around and spots the others. "Oh, hey, everypony! When did you get down here? Look what I found, isn't this cool?" She gesticulates excitedly at the chest inside the cage with a hoof.

Everyone generally seemed too at ease for Snowy's tastes (with the exception, perhaps, of Rhapsody), but he doubted he was capable of putting them more on guard. "...yes. What is it?"

Static gulped as Barometz started battle.

[Another fine mess you've gotten us all into]

[That thing has Anchors hostage. I was trying to...]

[WELL YOU BUCKED IT UP!]

[Buck if I'm not going out fighting.]

Static took a deep breath. He was sure he was going to get an ear-full out of everypony after all was said and done...if he was lucky...but for right now, it was time to get into the zone. Time for that one final dance.

Spoiler

Rhapsody was trying to remain calm, but snowy is probably the only one that could see she was on edge being down here. She flies over to Misty. "Do you think it's important? Becuase I feel its really in our best interest to get out of her as soon as we can. I don't like leaving the others alone like this." Her voice remained hushed, but trying to show a sense of urgency in her body movements. "If its important, lets grab it and go."

Misty flits down to the floor of the cave where the others are. "It looks like... some kind of chest? But it's made out of leaves and light as a feather and oh gosh this is so exciting!"

"This is ridiculous... You just saved me... see we DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS!" Maple yelled to the skies.

Misty points at the object in the cage. "It looks like... some kind of chest? But it's made out of leaves and light as a feather and oh gosh this is so exciting! You really think it's okay to take it with us?"

Rhapsody takes a deep breath as Misty continues to be overly excitable. "This is an expedition, I do believe we are expected to bring something back. That would qualify as 'something'. So let's grab it and get the buck out of here."

Anchors Away tried to get the best view possible of the cage. "If you think you can get it out safely, go ahead and get it."

"Alright!" Misty uses her forelegs to pry the vines apart enough for her to fit through. Once she has a wide enough opening, she enters the fern-cage. Gently picking up the chest with a hoof on each side, she carries it with her as she turns and exits the cage.

Raise the swamp? That really would take the efforts of the Princess. And why would anypony want to raise a ... I really do need to learn this Morse code.

"The good ponies of Nightmare Heights may not be any threat to you, sir, and we wouldn't wish to be. But if you insist on separating us from our friends, you leave us no choice whatsoever."

Amber drew out the brass spheres again, setting them into an orbit around herself, and a very faint, golden light emanated first from her horn, then across the bog below her hooves, surrounding Night Cap, Light Fantastic, Maplejack, and Static Signal.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Maple moves closer to the rest of the group to make this easier for Amber... She wasn't sure that magic worked that way, but it couldn't hurt. Plus it put her in range of the colts in case they weren't done being rumping rumps who'd rump their own rumps if they seemingly felt like it.

Light Fantastic sighed as she began to channel her magic.

"Once," she said, "Just once it would be nice to meet something new and not have to fight."

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · Mar 28, 2022

Anchors Away waved the group on and they exited the cavern, weaving back up the tunnel. As they reached the top, she was surprised by the more secure vine curtain. Lightly poking it with her hoof, she asked, "Weird. Anypony have any suggestions of how to deal with this?"

Outside of the cave, the battle continued in earnest. A flower sprang from the ground and its petals wrapped around Maplejack, pulling her into the ground. A time later, she popped out of a tree trunk an unknown distance away. Meanwhile, the blue flowers exploded into a massive cloud of pollen. It shot a painful wave of piercing anxiety through their bodies as if binging on coffee. Rather calmly, Barometz stated,
"What I'm trying to figure out is which one of you removed part of my mind. The vines are trying to repair my memories but it's taking some time."

Spoiler

RUMPS, Maple thought as she tried to struggle free

"Why don't we try opening the chest?" Snowy suggests. "I don't think any of us are equipped to tear these down, but there could be something useful within it."

"If it wasn't for the fact it could be potentially valuable, I'd almost suggest setting it on fire to free it. But I don't think Snowy knows any fire spells..."

"Don't think we need to burn it. It looks sealed but not locked. Misty, come here for a sec..." Anchors Away reached over to open the chest. Inside was a large and freshly green leaf that lined the interior. Setting on the lining was a scroll with some sort of ancient language written on it.

"Oh, it won't take fire to open it. It's not locked. See?" Misty sets the chest down and opens it up.

"I don't suppose anyone in here speaks Sylven?" Snowy says drily. In his head, he's starting to concoct ways to magnify or enhance the miniscule writing...

Spoiler

"Sylvan? What's that?"

Misty leans down to have a closer look at the scroll.

Spoiler

Misty Monsoon was not able to decipher the meaning of the writing on the scroll. However, her concentration was interrupted by Anchors Away. "I've got an idea. Misty, try to drop the temperature in here. If the vines freeze, it might be brittle enough for us to barrel through and shatter it. May be kinda difficult though."

Spoiler

"Which one of us? We've been out here this whole time," Static tilts his head and grins in spite of the pain. "Are you sure you don't want to give us back our friends and let us go?"

Spoiler

While Anchors pulls Misty aside, Rhapsody trots over to have a look at the scroll, she wasn't sure how much she could gleam off of it, but it couldn't hurt to try anyway.

Spoiler

Amber was concerned about Maple, but as the pollen spread, she gasped and jumped back, the golden glow at her hooves flicking upward into a faint bubble around her, redirecting some of the pollen. She still coughed and winced as the stinging particles began to settle and cling to her, shaking her head and trying to keep her eyes open.

One of the three orbs in their trail around her leapt off in a tangent toward the beast's head to plow into him, then release its electromagicnetic charge in a crackling discharge, rolling to the ground uselessly.

Spoiler

"Here, try looking at this." Snowy says, casting a rather hastily prepared (but nonetheless effective) spell to magnify the text, detailed enough to capture the texture of the scroll and the ink.

Spoiler

Misty thinks for a moment. "Hmmm... I've never tried that before, but I think I know how to do it... Though, we should stand back a bit first, so nopony gets frostbitten hooves."

It takes Rhapsody a while to study the scroll. It's not a language she knows but she realizes she recognizes some of the symbols and starts decoding the rest of the writing based on them. Then it finally dawns on her where she's seen the symbols before: far, far in the north.

Rhapsody might not be the level of scholar her mother is when it comes to these kinds of scrolls, but she's learned enough to have a basic understanding of things, and thanks to Snowy's assistance it becomes even easier as she doesn't have to focus so hard on making out the words themselves, and can focus more on what translating skills she does have, though it becomes easier when she realizes she's seen some of these symbols before. "Oh buck me..." She huffs, all the color seeming to leave her face for the moment. She recovers a bit as she rubs the brow of her head with a hoof, most anypony else would probably be ecstatic for this kind of find... most other ponies haven't had to deal with one before either. Rhapsody knew just how much trouble this could end up being. "Congratulations Misty, You have discovered a potential-end-of-the-world brand 'Wand of Incomparable Green'. By Luna this is both the best possible find in terms of the expeditions, but its also the worst because it is incredibly dangerous if the last wand I dealt with was anything to go by."

"So, can it move the plants, or not?" Snowy says, backing up to give Misty space. He rather wanted to grab the scroll and try...something, some magical manipulation, but if Rhapsody was this visibly perturbed by the scroll, that was reasonable cause for alarm and caution.

Misty seems confused. "Wand? I don't see a wand?"

"I don't either, weird. Do...do you think somepony found this before us?"

[IC] Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour: Explorers of STOMP

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.

Exhausted, but still standing.