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

CoffeeHorse · Apr 27, 2022

Unnerved by the mildew herself, but still fascinated by her surroundings, and Night Cap's unexpected mission by all appearances reaching an equally unexpected conclusion, Amber found herself somehow reluctant to return to her own.

She looked to Desert Rose, then to Night Cap, then to Light. Everypony was safe, and everything the Keep needed out of this corridor was already coming along with them. But surely there was something Amber was forgetting. What would Rhapsody do in this situation?

"Are you safe, sir?" Amber wrote.

I do not know.
I would assume so since I have been neither hungry nor thirsty.
Things Desert Rose hasn't felt while she's been here.
Yet she is sick from the air and I am not.
I think the only thing I have to fear is loneliness.

Light Fantastic felt a pang of sympathy. She wrote:

"Is there anything we can do to ease your loneliness?"

One of you could stay.
Of course, that would be unfair to you if this place makes you ill.
Still, I have hope that my situation will be changed by one of you.

Soon, the words faded from the notepad. Desert Rose swiftly walked through the three hallways and opened the door, revealing a swirling portal that she then stepped through...

Anchors Away returned Static Signal's nuzzle. "While it's disappointing we didn't get to explore the entire cave, we still got a good bit of research done. I'm sure the princesses will be understanding of the circumstances."

Just then, Desert Rose stumbled out of one of the large crystals and collapsed.

Misty, who had been idling near the crystals, is startled by Desert Rose's sudden appearance. She rushes over to the fallen mare's side. "Oh my gooodness! Are you alright?"

Just like winking, just like winking ... Amber stepped through the portal with her eyes closed and successfully resisted the urge to feel in front of her with a hoof.

Snowy swiftly strides over to the prostrate mare. "You're Desert Rose, I take it?" She certainly didn't seem alright, but it wasn't like she was bleeding from the neck or anything. It wasn't anything he could fix.

He steps back as Night Cap pops out of the crystal, closely followed by Amber. "Is Light coming too? Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"She should be right behind us," said Amber in the midst of a gasp of marginally drier air. She drew out her toolcase and frowned. "Has anypony taken a sample of this material yet?"

Static walks up to Desert Rose. "You're the one on the other side of the transmitter, weren't you? I'm Static and that's Anchors. Here, lets get you away from that crystal and somewhere where you can sit down and rest. You going to be okay?"

CoffeeHorse · Apr 27, 2022

"Rhapsody, you can fly her back to town faster than we can hike. You said you were wanting to get out of here anyway. How about you take her, the Morse Code transmitter and anyone else who wants to leave and go back to town."

"Mean while, we have two pieces of this puzzle. I'm reeeeally wanting to figure out what's going on here. Anyone with me?"

Rhapsody looks up from where she was laying down, half-asleep. She stretches out with a yawn as she gets back to her hooves. She wasn't fully rested, but still the little helped some. She takes a moment or two before speaking. "No." She says rather bluntly. "I am not splitting this party, NO ONE stays in his Luna-foresaken swamp. This mare requires actual medical attention, as far as I am concerned this is no longer an archaeological expedition. It is a rescue mission. It is our duty, ALL of our duties, to make sure she is safe and sound after spending who-knows-how-long in who-knows-where. Her life takes priority over any cave or puzzle box."

[This was Snowy]

"I'm with Rhapsody on this one. We'll be coming back here eventually anyways. Once Light comes out, we should leave."

Amber stepped forward and adjusted her glasses. "Rhapsody, we do have a task to complete here," she said. "If retrieving Ms. Rose was a rescue mission, it seems to have been completed quite satisfactorily, even if Mr. Cap seems to have done so largely by accident. I don't suppose if I can finish documenting this chamber entirely by myself, and of course we'll want to bring a fairly large sample of this curious crystal - hmm, pony sized, roughly? - for further experimentation. We'll need to send somepony back to inform the Keep of our present status, as well ... hmm, ah." Amber trotted toward Maple. "Ms. Jack, do you still have that chiseling tool with you? I'd like to try and section a piece of this wall if we can. I suppose it would be more valuable for study in situ, as it were, just a couple of weeks of study or so on site, you know, avoid doing anything rash, but given this little disagreement with the local flora, you know," Amber said, waving a hoof in surely-you-know-what-I-mean circles. "Surely in the interests of expedience some short-cuts might be taken. We could be finished with this chamber in - hmm, ah -" Amber made some quick notations in her notebook. "Three days, four, perhaps?"

Rhapsody looks to Amber and smiles, a forced smile but one would be hard to tell that. "Amber, dearest. I will drag you out of here by your tail if I have to." She states in all seriousness.

Static saw the fake smile and refused to be so nice.

"And who the buck are you, Rhapsody? You may be team leader over me and Light...when we're seperated into teams. But news flash, we're not separated into teams. That means you're not leader of anything right now...Anchors is. And even if we were separated into teams, Amber is also a leader of her own team. That means you don't have a pony feathered bit of authority over her in any case.

"So you have about as much authority in this matter as I do...which is to say not a whole bucking lot. Ms. Rose has been rescued. It doesn't take a total aborting of our expedition to take her back to town...if...that's what she needs. But again...you're not the one to decide that. Anchors is. So if you're thinking about forcefully dragging anyone out of here before anyone with real authority decides to abort this mission...you'll be dragging them out...through...me!"

Rhapsody grins widely and turns to Static, slowly trotting over to him. "I will not threaten you for being stupid, but I will remind you that I am the pony that breaks boulders with her bare hooves. Going THROUGH you, would not be a problem if you really wanted to test me." She says, her voice very calm, not yelling not hint of anger, but she was however VERY serious. "As for who I am? I am the reason you are not all dead right now. Or did you forget that? Forget that the last time the party got split, you all nearly got killed by a giant evil plant monster. And now, you want to split the part again? Do you REALLY think that is a smart idea? Splitting the party and sending the the reason your not dead away, far away that if the manure should hit the fans again, you have NO WAY of being rescued in time when it was pure luck last time? Here is my advice to you: Stop trying to impress your marefriend, and wisen up." She says and turns away from him and addressing everyone.

"I told you before, I am here to keep EVERY pony safe. That is my job, and seeing as none of you are yet dead, I'd say I'm doing a really good job at it so far. So no, we don't split the party and everyone leaves."

"Don't you issue a challenge to me and turn your back on me!"

"Yeah, I bucking would like to see you try to go through me, boulder breaker. Boulders don't hit back. And I would rather be dead and buried in here without you than to have to listen to one more of self-important, power grabbing, delusions of grandeur manure spewing from you for one...more...Luna...blessed...second!"

Moving between Miss Rhapsody and Mr. Signal, Maple started digging through her pact for her endlessly useful camping tool.

"Here you go Miss Spark, this has been a very helpful tool -I've had it almost as long as I can remember." Handing Amber the shovel with her wings Maple continued to stay where she was...

"A friend, gave it to me one day when he came by the Manehatten Keep's garden and saw me fixing a few things the he had done wrong... no fault of his own, a lot of people put plants together that can have negative effects on each other. He was a funny old Zebra ...

"Roses be red, while tulips be yellow
Guests in I's garden seldom be causing such fusses, tell I why you be moving I's crocuses?
I name is Bongani, am be saying hello."

Maple's wings buzzed as she remembered her good friend Bongani, Maple never even thought about it before... maybe he had something to do with her getting hired on. She'd owe him another hug when she stopped in again one day.

Desert Rose opened an eye when she heard all the commotion and looked at Anchors Away. "So, is this how it feels when you're on land?" "Only if your skin feels terrible too. I guess you taste like mint to help clear your lungs?"Desert Rose nodded. Just then, Light Fantastic exited the crystal. Anchors Away stood alert and addressed the group. "Alright everypony, I'm going to need you to listen to me. We're heading back. The drier air on the top of the mountain should help Rose breathe and we'll need to send a message to Caballuston so they can relay it to Officer Sands. Rhapsody, once we exit the cave, I'm going to need you to carry Desert Rose back to Nightmare Heights and we'll catch up. Pretty sure she'll recover but that requires she be out of here as quick as possible.

And Rhapsody, don't you EVER threaten another teammate again. Static, don't instigate."

Maple gave Miss Away a big smile... she'd found her footing.

"I didn't issue a challenge, you did. "you'll be dragging them out...through...me!"," She says, mimicking Static's voice through her audiomancy "is specifically a challenge; and I will not be bossed around by projectionist looking to get lucky."

As Anchor speaks up Rhapsody nods and then looks to Anchors. "Then keep your coltfriend on a shorter leash, that mouth of his will eventually write a check that he can't cash, and no one will be around to save him from himself."

"Stop trying to get in the last word, Rhapsody."

"We should probably get going right away. Moving back on the flying circles is going to be slow... and if we're in a rush, somepony might get hurt."

CoffeeHorse · Apr 27, 2022

Anchors Away nodded in response to Misty Monsoon's comment. The STOMP team made their way back through the cave. Upon reaching the exit, Rhapsody flew Desert Rose back to Nightmare Heights while the rest of the STOMP team traversed the swamp. They could see vines and various other vegetation pull out of the way to allow them through.

Spoiler

"I wonder if they'll be having stew when we get back?" Misty wonders aloud as she flutters through the swamp. "I really liked it last time! Maybe, since we helped Inferno pick more swamp peppers, it'll taste even better this time!"

Maple ... wasn't happy about leaving the job partly unfinished, but given the choices -this outcome was a win clawed kicking and screaming out from between two disasters.

Things began moving swiftly once Miss Away put her foot down... Maple could only hope Here Friend Miss Spark had had time to quickly get that sample she was after.

but all that could wait.... as the vegetation parted from them it was leaving small pockets of muddy puddles.. and Mr. Night Cap had been to obvious that the was avoiding them ...
- in order to catch up to him.... she would end up a soggy dirty mess on stumpy legs, and he would likely never forgive her if she flew up and gave him a big damp dirty hug ... so Maple resisted... it was hard, He was the hero who rescued a Damsel ...right there in front of her very eyes. - Maple blushed, embarrassed that she had even thought about getting him wet and dirty... If He wanted to look clean and handsome for the mares of Nightmare Heights, who would be so excited that such a dashing Stallion was in their midst...

Maple being a silly filly - she shouldn't ruin that for him... so she quickly dropped back. and started trying to better avoid the puddles herself.

Once out of the caves, Rhapsody takes Desert Rose up to the skies, making sure not to drop her, as she zooms off towards Nightmare Heights. She normally doesn't like splitting the team, she still doesn't really... but at this point she's kinda glad to be away from them at the same time. The flight is short and for the moment she's glad to be back in civilization. She makes her way to the town square figuring that's the best place to find some pony to help Desert Rose.

Spotting Rhapsody's return, Inferno Blue flew over, "Velcome back. Uh, who's this? And vhere are the others?"

"I'll keep things brief, as she needs some aid." Also Since she can't talk about some of it anyway "This is Desert Rose, we found her in a cave trapped in some sort of crystal. The rest are coming the long way, but it was decided for me to go ahead with her and not risk her health any further. If there is a clinic nearby I'd like to take her there to be looked over before we have to leave."

Inferno Blue motioned for Rhapsody to follow. A short distance away was a small building with a faded green heart on the door. Barely in the door, the older earth pony mare that served as medic put a stethoscope to Desert Rose's chest. She then began crushing something with a mortar and pestle. "If you vait here, I'll get the townsponies ready to help the others up."

As Amber quietly walked with the others, she occasionally seemed to begin to raise a hoof as if to point to one side, very quietly mumbling, now and then, "but," or "wall." With the talk of putting ponies on leads, she couldn't help thinking that it would be a little embarrassing to have Rhapsody dragging her around, at least while they were working. At least there were the curious little chests with the combination dials to investigate once they'd reached Nightmare Heights.

"Ms. Monsoon, once we have reached the base of the mountain, will you need to carry each of us up the slope one at at time?" Amber asked. "I should still be able to levitate somepony along with us on my turn if that's your plan."

Rhapsody sets Desert down in the clinic and nods to Inferno. "Sure."

"Hmmm..." Misty ponders Amber's question for a moment. She would have to carry everyone herself, wouldn't she? Maplejack was the only other pegasus, but she was so little... it would be rough on her to carry anypony else's weight.

Levitation, though... maybe if Amber levitated Snowy... and Snowy levitated Light... And Light levitated Night Cap... this would go pretty quick!

"Yeah, that's a good plan, Amber!"

Light Fantastic sighed.

"I'm so glad to be out of that cave," she thought to herself, "I don't know why I keep subjecting myself to these things."

Static didn't say anything as he walked. He just couldn't wait to get back to his projection booth and away from the whole STOMP team for awhile. Luna help him, at this point, that included Anchors. Heck, he was beginning to miss that uppity breezier for crying out loud!

Snowy was under the impression that this whole mission had been a much greater ordeal for everyone else than it had been for him. But then, maybe his standards were much lower. Nobody here had to live in the sewer for three days waiting for commotion to die down (or wear a perfumed disguise for the next month), and they had actually retrieved...something. Perhaps not everything, but that would be rectified eventually.

Today he had learned that exploring involved a great deal of standing around, so Snowy had reasonable reserves of energy and little to do with them. So as they walked (for lack of better ideas), Snowy began looking for Swamp Peppers. What else did one do in a swamp, anyhow?

Spoiler

"They're flying, Night Cap. If they see a hydra, they'll go over it. And the simplest way to answer all of those questions is to arrive at Nightmare Heights in a swift fashion." Snowy says, carefully omitting that if any of those questions actually turn out to be relevant, no one is going to like the answers. Or that he apparently is part of their lifting efforts today.

"When Miss Rhapsody gets safely back to town, if she hasn't already - She is really fast, and has wanted to go back for a while now... I'm sure she will tell somebody that we are following along behind. Maybe the nice Ponies of Nightmare Heights will help us back up the slope."

CoffeeHorse · May 2, 2022

When the STOMP team arrived at the bottom of the mountain, they found Veldfire Green, Inferno Blue, and several ponies from Nightmare Heights waiting to help them back up to the top. Once everyone was safely back in town, Anchors Away requested a Morse code transmitter from Night Cap and stepped away so she could send a message.

Spoiler

Static notes Anchors taking the Morse Code transmitter and moving away. "Well, this oughtta be a fun debrief," he mutters, finding himself a remote corner away from the others to wait for the transport.

Maple looked around for Miss Rhapsody, hoping the other pony was okay.

Spoiler
Zam, Shadewing

Looking around the small town, Maplejack easily found what was most likely the clinic for Nightmare Heights.

Rushing in Maple hugged Rhapsody.

"I'm so happy you made it here safely! Did you have a chance to get any sleep?"

Desk, paper, coffee. Amber's bag hung heavy with the combination box, the trebuchet gear, and in disproportionate weight on her mind than its contribution to the weight on her back, that inexplicable machine tile. What did it mean to have encountered another of them here of all places?

Next time, Amber swore to herself, she'd bring a tin of coffee. She could build the coffee machine if she had to. For now she'd need to settle for finding out whether it was possible to make a strong tea out of svamp peppers.

In the back of her mind, one last mechanism, entirely unattended, was clicking itself over in an even progression of clicks. Wasps-Barometz-Rhapsody-Static-Maple, tick-tick-tick-tick-tick. Like tapping a hoof counter against the rhythm of a metronome.

Amber looked for anything resembling a general store; she'd settle for anypony who seemed likely to accept bits in exchange for goods or services of any kind, in the hopes she might receive some complementary information with the trade. I'm Amber Spark-that's-Spark-singular with the Keep expedition team, and I seem to require paper.

As Night Cap wandered, he soon heard a familiar cheery voice. "Mister Night Cap, did you have fun on your trip?"

In search of a store, Amber Spark instead found Veldfire Green. "You seem to be searching for something. How can I help?"

Misty, standing alone, looks around the town square. Most of the team had split up upon arriving in Nightmare Heights. Amber, Night Cap, and Maple had all gone their separate ways. Anchors was busy sending a message back to the Keep, and Static was off sulking by himself. She hadn't seen Rhapsody, but figured she was probably here somewhere with the mare they'd rescued.

"Guess there's not much to do but wait for the ride home," she says to herself. She looks for a nice rooftop where she can curl up for a short nap.

Rushing in Maple hugged Rhapsody.

"I'm so happy you made it here safely! Did you have a chance to get any sleep?"

"Ah so you're back already." Rhapsody says with a yawn at the sudden hug, she didn't sound too enthusiastic, but maybe that's due to her having just woken up not long before the random flying hug. "Yeah, I got a bit more sleep after getting Rose here, and knowing that Inferno was organizing a way to get you all up here."

"Oh thank goodness, okay.. um if you want I can go find Miss Spark and tell her you're here, or maybe you'd like more sleep?"

Maple was a little fidgety... Miss Rhapsody has quickly become one of her most complex friendships ever. She might be the only pony to successfully and repeatedly win Maple over.

"I wanted this mission to go so well- wanted to help everypony I could, as best I could... but.... I think I let all of you down in different ways."

Stepping back from the hug finally, Maple handed Rhapsody a small silk pouch.

"At first I thought I should give these to Miss Spark, ... but well, it was you who saw them for what they were... I think she was trying to math at them.. or something." Maple paused and shrugged. "They just need water and a bit of shaded sunlight."

Maple sat down and waited for what instructions were to follow relating to her earlier suggestion of going to get Miss Spark or not.

"Hmm, yes, ma'am," said Amber, slightly distractedly. "I'd like to record some of our findings and take a closer look at some specimens we recovered from the caves. Do you know of anywhere I might find a clean working space and some paper?"

"Let her work, I am sure that she'll find me when she's ready." Rhapsody replies, very willing to give Amber... and everypony else really... all the space they need.

"You keep them for now." She says in regards to the flowers, though a small smile forms at the 'trying to math at them' bit. "You'll keep up with them better then I will. Maybe when were back home, and off work you can help me plant them outside my house."

"As for the mission: Don't worry about it. Its over, everyone is alive... somehow..." She says. a bit of irritation in her voice at the end there, obviously from just being sick of this mission herself. "Don't dwell on it, and just hope if we get another mission it goes better then this. Though honestly... I think this whole group needs a whole lot more training before we should be allowed on another mission."

CoffeeHorse · May 2, 2022

"Glad everything went well." The filly began to scamper off.

Veldfire Green waved Amber Spark on. "You're velcome to use the town hall. If you'd like, ve can get your team a basin and some vashcloths to clean yourselves off vith."

"Oh." Amber looked herself over, raising one hoof at an awkward angle as she ducked her head under her body, then over her shoulder, and shook her tail, a bit of bramble working its way out into a small pile. "Yes, that does seem prudent. Lead the way."

Veldfire Green asked a few nearby ponies to bring the STOMP team a "vashbasin" then led Amber Spark to town hall. Inside was an old, worn wooden desk and a few sheets of tan paper that looked like they were pulped by hoof.

Amber smiled at the desk and ran a hoof over one edge, then squinted curiously at the paper. Nightmare Heights really was a curious place. "Thank you, ma'am," said Amber, smiling. She spread out her notebook, her tool case, and the combination box on the desk, and began to take some notes in her notebook, lifting the box with her magic and giving it an occasional turn. Soon, she was sketching out a drawing of the chest on one of the loose sheets. She couldn't help appreciating, impractical as it was, how very artisanal everything seemed here.

"Will do, Miss Rhapsody. ... but um, where do you live?" Maple asked... there were still a few holed in the Cobbleston map in her head. She stood enough to put the silk pouch back in her saddle bags.

"I live fairly close to the edge of town, where I can have a bit of privacy and not be bothered if I decide on any night time activities." Rhapsody replies. "I'll probably show you later."

"Okay, that sounds wonderful - both having some privacy and night time activities... I've actually stayed awake longer then normal while on this mission - Maple beamed - I usually crash not long after sundown... sugar -you know." Maple rolled her eyes and then said goodbye before leaving.

She was only a few meters away when the blush crept up over her face. 'Night time activities' like neck nuzzling...

*O_O* yes, now would not be a good time to go talk to Miss Spark.

Snowy watched everyone spread throughout the town. The blend of emotions was interesting. He idly wondered what would happen if the team disbanded, but dismissed the idea. Things weren't quite that bad, and if they did he wasn't going anywhere. Brisk Iron would just find new recruits, and send someone more senior than him on missions with them to keep him out of leadership.

He really wasn't tired at all. Maybe he should lie down and see what might happen, but he didn't feel like it just yet. However, most of his conversational partners were otherwise taken. Static was in no mood for conversation, and making it clear (you could almost see the little cartoon smoke over his head), he'd completely lost track of Night Cap (credit to him for that one), and Light Fantastic looked about as fed up with this journey as anyone. Maple had already fluttered off to talk to Rhapsody (a conversation he couldn't imagine had gone terribly well, but if anyone could do it, it was certainly Maple). Anchors Away was not (as of yet) a very interesting pony, and that just left Misty, who had just fluttered onto a nearby rooftop (and if he had seen the top half of her figure clearly enough enough, he thought she might be curling up to sleep). Hm...he could always check in on the resident unconscious mare. It would seem like quite the grand gesture. Or...He had met one pony in Nightmare Heights. Where had he seen Inferno Blue move to?

The third window he looked in yielded up the blue pony...

"If you're looking for Misty, she's right above you taking a nap on the roof. Not sure where anypony else is."

"Oh thank you Mr. Signal... I would have asked you -but you look like you'd like to be left alone."

Spotting Snowy Skies' gaze, Inferno Blue flew over to the window. "Vas just doing a bit of repair vork. Vhat's up?"

"Mostly," Static said with a shrug. "Mostly just needed to have a moment to myself...especially from..." Static shook his head. "Sometimes all you need is a few minutes to catch your breath...gather your thoughts. In any case, if there's something you need, don't feel like you can't ask."

"So what's on your mind?"

CoffeeHorse · May 2, 2022

"Well I'm handing out successful mission gifts..." Maple paused and thought about it.

"...well end of mission gifts."

"Yeah, that was certainly..."

"I'm sorry Mr. Signal, I don't have yours with me... "

"Aww! You didn't have to..."

"it would have got ruined on the mission, if you wouldn't mind coming by Miss Sweet's store whenever you can... I can give it to you then..."

"I suppose I could..."

"Okay, well um... I'll go find Miss Monsoon.. oh, and do you think you could bring Miss Away with you when you come by... I asked Miss Sweet if she could help me get something for her too.. and it would have been even harder to bring with me than yours was."

"I suppose I can ask..."

Giving a slight smile and a wave, Maple's wings began to do their thing and with a little jump up off the street, Maple headed up.. keeping her eyes level with the building Mr. Static had told her miss Monsoon was on.

Static smiled and laughed a bit. "So that's what that's like. Poor Night Cap!"

Spotting Snowy Skies' gaze, Inferno Blue flew over to the window. "Vas just doing a bit of repair vork. Vhat's up?"

"I was just hoping to try a Swamp Pepper. I don't know how long we're going to be staying."

Maple reaches the roof line and spots Misty. Sleeping peacefully, and for a moment Maple thinks about floating back down and letting her finish her rest.

for a moment...

Spoiler
Zam and Patchi

checking that the wind wont give her scent away (maple syrup btw) Maple slowly and quietly fishes two tiny objects out of her right ride saddlebag... creeping low along the roof... her belly nearly touching it ... Maple stops withing inches of Misty's face.

Carefully she takes one of the items into each of her winds and using the tips of her feathers smoothly brushes back the bangs of Misty's hair. Her work done, Maple scuttles back a meter or so and smiles. She'd had this idea nearly as soon as she'd met Miss Monsoon, and thankfully Miss Sweet let her have them for the price of doing a few more chores around the shop. At first Maple didn't think Miss Sweet was asking enough for such beautiful things... but she said that with her new mane style, she wasn't really going to need any for a while.

Sitting close to miss Monsoon's ears, were two Crystal hair clips. Maple wished at that moment that she had Mr. Signal's camera equipment or that Mr. night Cap really was a Pegasus - because this right here was Beautiful.

Inferno Blue pointed behind Snowy Skies. "Looks like Mayor Damp Drizzle is bringing your team some ve diced yesterday and the last few servings of stew for everypony to take vith them."

Spoiler

"Neat, thanks." Snowy pauses before he turns around. "Have you ever considered exporting swamp peppers? I wanted to try one first, but they have a really lovely sheen, and I can think of a few fresh produce salesmen around Callabuston who might really appreciate the diversity in their ouvre."

Inferno Blue shrugged. "Ve don't really pick enough to sell elsevhere. I don't think the mayor minds but nopony really goes in the svamp. Though it vas actually kinda relaxing to pick them as a group."

CoffeeHorse · May 2, 2022

Night Cap's nose led him to the lingering scent of where the meal had been prepared the other day. However, he found a lone stallion whistling as he washed the pot clean.

The stallion didn't miss a beat as he switched from washing to drying that large cauldron. "Food's already served but I think some was given to your team leader. However...since you're here, you can help me carry this to the handymare. Need to make sure it's not developing any cracks. And don't worry, it's only halfway across town."

"One sec...honey, come here!" A mare trotted over. "Alright, you stand next to me Night Cap. She's gonna give it a shove so that it rolls. I'm gonna stick a leg out so it acts like a ramp and rolls onto our back while she runs over so she can stop it from rolling off. Then the three of us are gonna walk it over. Ready, GO!" Like liquid motion, ponies rushed to the stated tasks. It seemed they were used to this, though Night Cap soon discovered the reality of the fact that cast iron is indeed heavy. As the trio slowly walked through town, the stallion said, "So Mister Night Cap, our daughter said you were helping her with dreamwalking..."

Inferno Blue shrugged. "Ve don't really pick enough to sell elsevhere. I don't think the mayor minds but nopony really goes in the svamp. Though it vas actually kinda relaxing to pick them as a group."

"I still think you should consider it. Verdant Foliage charges exorbitant prices for her greens anyways, I'm sure she'd be willing to pay nearly as much." He pauses, trying to think about his next few words. "What is so...unsettling about the swamp, to you all?"

Inferno Blue whispered. "In the svamp, there's alvays this feeling of somepony vatching you. Plus, it's mostly earth ponies here so the climb isn't easy anyvays."

"Yeah, Plateau Precious popped up in our dreams a couple of times. She's also been going on about you being a pachycephalostirfryomer or something."

"Miss Monsoon, your nose gets all crinkly under your glasses when you talk... it's sooo adorable! Oh, I'm sorry I woke you up from your dream... I didn't mean to ..I just wanted to surprise you with your successful mission present."

Maple stayed still if she moved it would be to dash off and get Mr. Night Cap... Miss Monsoon was so cute right now, even if she spontaneously became a princess.. it might not have lowered Maple's opinion of her... and surely that would wow Mr. Night Cap. Right? hmm, Would a handsome earth pony stallion like him even ... oh sure of course he would. But then again he was a famous hero and rescuer of Distressed Damsels ... ooh...

Don't you get to carried away now Maplejack... let it happen on its own if it's going to... Maple thought admonishing herself for these thoughts and her earlier scheme in the cave...

"I could come back and get you in a little while if you wanted to go back to sleep Miss Monsoon... I mean I'm not sure when the Airship is coming.. I know Miss Away has mentioned it, but for some reason I just can't remember right now. ... um, if you don't like your present that's fine too.."

"Hm? Glasses? Present?" Misty wasn't quite catching on at first. Then something dawned on her, and she put a wing up to her face, feeling around her forehead.

"Oh my gosh! My hair moved!" She began looking all around to see where it might have gone. "I can't go back to sleep now, I have to find it before the ferry gets here."

"oh I'm so sorry... Miss Monsoon, I put a pair of hair pins in while you were asleep I wanted to surprise you... not make you upset." Maple reached out with the hooves to either side of Misty's head .... sliding them free, Maple held them out to her.. in her upturned hooves

"Oh...Ohhhhhhh." Misty takes the hairclips. "Gosh... they're so pretty, Maplejack! Thank you so much!" She excitedly scoops up her smaller friend for a hearty embrace.

"If it's alright... I want to save these to wear on a special occasion. And I hope you'll be there with me when I get to wear them."

In the middle of such a happy moment Maple wasn't sure what to say...

"Well they were made before the Crystal Empire disappeared... but I think that any occasion you wear them will be when they'll get to be special."

Static notes the three ponies lugging around the iron pot. His eyes pop wide open in sheer dread and he runs over to them.

"Geeze, Night Cap! After everything we've been through...you taking the worst of some of it...and here you are carrying this on your back? Sweet Luna, let me help!" With a grunt of pain, Static finds a place for him to help carry the pot. It was then that he was reminded that he wasn't in too great a shape either. None of them were after facing Barometz. Still, he could tell Night Cap was about to burst a blood vessel from the strain. "Sweet Luna, you're going to have to show me your endurance training regimen!"

"Awww! You're the best, Maple!" Misty sets her friend down and ruffles her mane a little with a wing. "Hey, do you know where the rest of the team is right now?"

Maple giggled, "huh?" ... then she realized she'd been let go and set back down...

Slowly shuffling away hap-haphazardly toward the edge of the roof, Maple wobbled still a little warm and tingly from making Misty so happy. She pointed a wing back down at the street.

"...in Nightmare heights hehe."

The stallion nodded in appreciation to Static Signal. "Thanks for the help. All and all, it seems like you folks are alright. You're welcome back anytime."

After a few hours, the air ferries arrived. While wobbly, Desert Rose was able to stand and was breathing much more regularly. It may have been a weary journey mixed with highs and lows but the expedition was over. Heading back to Caballuston, who knows what will be in store for the STOMP team in the future? Tune in next time folks for more of the Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour!

*static crackle*

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

*static crackle*
"You mean that was the mayor's strawberry ice cream I just ate? If she finds out, we could lose our jobs! What will we do now?"
*dramatic musical cue*

*static crackle*

Good evening folks! Hope you all enjoyed that stunning drama because now it's time for another exciting Saturday night with the Equestrian Radio Show's Adventure Variety Hour! This week we once again bring you to the riotous ramshackle of the Explorers of STOMP!

Previously, the Specialized Team for Obtaining Museum Pieces was sent to assess a cave ! system as requested by the princesses. A mix of wonder and danger was experienced, netting them with more questions than when they started and yielded the rescue of the previously missing Desert Rose. An exhausting journey home concluded an expedition that tested the strength of team unity. Soon, a new day began.

As Night Cap and Static Signal enter the Documents Department to receive the day's assignment, they found Ready Quill...hiding under a table.

A place for everything and everything in its place, Amber Spark found her office and all its contents undisturbed in the time she was away. She could potentially continue working with the mysterious puzzle pieces or she could perhaps shift attention to the new discoveries found on the trip.

When Rhapsody entered the Astronomy Department, the department director, an excited Destiny Spiral, was waiting on her arrival. "That meeting with Brisk Iron yesterday confirmed my theories. I knew there was more than meets the the eye with this place. The math just didn't add up for the layout. Anyways, got some important work for you later on. There's a major artifact being donated later today and you're one of the ponies supposed to be there to present a good face for the Keep and inspect its authenticity. Gosh, the Keep is being entrusted with the Amethyst Astrolabe!"

When Maplejack arrived at her stand, she found the director of the Greetings and Tours Department, Melon Hide, waiting for her. As per his usual, he was politely soft spoken and almost seemed scared of Maplejack despite being taller and in an authoritative role. "Good morning Maple. The Chief Director has a special assignment for you in collaboration with the Documents Department. I-I hope that's okay."

When Snowy Skies read the assignment board for his morning duties, he found that he was assigned to cleaning Amber Spark's office with a curiously long assignment window.

The sun peeked through various clouds scattered about the city as Misty Monsoon found Wingston Blues, the lead of the weather team, passing out fliers to the weather team. Everypony had an assignment and Misty's was cloudbusting a sizable chunk of the southern part of the city. In a voice indicating Wingston Blues' origin from the island of Jahayca, she said, "Greetings Misty. The mayor is hoping today goes smoothly."

After a peaceful night of sleep, Light Fantastic awoke to her morning routine and set out to meet the rest of the Canterlot Ballet Company. On the way in the door to meet the others, Light Fantastic almost bumped into an ivory colored unicorn mare in a purple suit jacket and fedora that was exiting the building. The mare bowed her hear respectfully. "My apologies, almost had us a collision. Just spoke with your boss lady and youse dancers got a real big show coming up."

Spoiler

Static walked beside Night Cap, doughnut in one hoof, coffee in the other. "You know, I loved the food, don't get me wrong. That stew they made was absolutely fantastic. Once I figure out the right mix and start making it myself, I my just have to have it all the time. But being back where they...have...coff..ee...

"Mr. Quill? Something wrong?"

Snowy awoke smoothly and quietly, content to be back in his own bed. While munching on his morning apple, he realized it was the third tuesday of the month. It was time for his test. He closed his eyes, jaws frozen mid-bite, and brought to mind everything he knew about alarm clocks. He opened his eyes when he heard a quiet ticking noise, and saw that before him was a bright red alarm clock, with a circular face, black hands, and even little golden brass handles, bells, and screws. He picked it up and looked it over very carefully. The paint was textured, and the metal was shiny, subtly reflective. the hands moved in real time, and the alarm could be set with a s! mall dial on the back. It had the weight, heft, and balance he expected an alarm clock to have. When tapped, it even produced a quiet metallic *bong*.

It was good to see he hadn't lost his touch. Now for the real test. Using his magic, Snowy delicately unwound the screws that held the clock face in place from their sockets. As he reached the last screw, he carefully turned the face of the clock slightly away from himself, and held it out over the table. As the screw popped out, the clock face swung outward, and from behind it descended a small avalanche of rusty gears of various sizes and shapes. The collapsed in a clatter of metal on the table, and Snowy regarded them with distaste as he finished packing his Viola up and strapping it on. There were no bolts, screws, or pivots on which the piled gears might turn, because he had no idea how a clock worked. He knew the texture of the paint, the exact motion of the hands, and he knew the ticking noise was emitted by some mechanism involving gears, but he didn't have the foggiest idea what that mechanism was, so his clocks had no mechanism within them. They were clocks, but they were not functioning clocks. This distinction was, in a practical sense, idiotic and moot, but it's core was a much more pervasive issue: His illusions were limited to his own knowledge, what he had seen and what he had known. It wasn't as though he could fix the problem. He'd have to know everything to do that.

The problem plagued him as he trotted towards The Keep, but an interesting idea occurred to him: If he ran out of his own knowledge, why not utilize the knowledge of others? To know everything would require multiple lifetimes, why couldn't all those lifetimes happen at once? But could illusions even do that? Draw on the mind of someone other than their creator? As he read his work assignment for the day, he had a wonderful idea. A wonderful, terrible, beautiful, more-or-less innocent idea...

Spoiler

Ready Quill's eyes darted around nervously, "They're-starting-up-an-inter-office-bowling-league. It-seemed-like-a-good-idea-but-then-the-Accounting-Department-joined. Who-knows-what-might-happen-if-they-enter-and-lose-and-everypony-will-wonder-what's-up-if-you-turn-down-entering-your-department-so-I'm-hiding."

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

"IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN MR. HIDE!" Maple says, giving her skittish boss a big hug.

Rhapsody has her typical morning routine: Alarm clock goes off, it has its high speed meeting with Mr. Wall, and then ends up in the alarm clock graveyard, while Rhapsody gets several more minutes of sleep. The day before had been so bad she pretty much went immediately to bed as soon as they were able once back. Sleeping the day away might not always be the best solution, but for bad days its sometimes the only one. She didn't even have the energy to meet with Gem Champron as she had planned to before the entering that bucking swamp.

Once Rhapsody had finally decided to join the land of the living, she was in generally better spirits then she had been. After quickly getting dressed, ad a quick breakfast and an actual cup of coffee, not the super expensive stuff but better then what the Museum usually stocked, Rhapsody took off to the skies. Taking to song as she flies over the city.

Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down, oh-no
I got to keep on movin'
Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
I'm running and I won't touch ground
Oh-no, I got to keep on movin'
I'm on a roll and now and I pray it lasts
The road behind was rocky
But now I'm feeling cocky
I look around and I see the past
That is the reason why I'm flyin' so fast

Spoiler

Rhapsody blinks, taking a quick step back, seeing that super excited look in Destiny's eye, sometimes this wasn't always 'good news' but she couldn't fault the dedication to the job. The minor apprehension vanished quickly as the mare started talking. 'so she's starting to suspect what I did months ago...' Rhapsody thinks to herself. Trying to figure out the mystery of this place was part of what got her involved in STOMP... She blinks at the rest of the news. "You sure I am the best choice for that?" She asks, she's not always the most personable pony around. "I mean, I am supremely honored and truly at a loss for words that I'd be able to actually study it, seeing it up close and seeign if its the real thing..."

Destiny Spiral seemed surprised by Rhapsody's comment. "It was the Chief Director's choice so I guess she had good reason. Besides you do good work."

Melon Hide initially squealed in terror but quickly relaxed from Maplejack's hug. "Yes, hugs are okay. Um, I have a question. Yesterday the Chief Director had a meeting with all the department heads and it revealed some things. A lot of things. Some of us had questions. So, um...is this a regular hug or some sort of super world saving hug that crushes cyclones and bears? I-I'm not a cyclone."

"A bowling game? I don't know the first thing about...but then I guess I can learn. I don't think you have to worry about us winning though. And if someone other than Accounting wins...well...they really shouldn't enter a competition if they're not prepared to lose." Static found himself unable to have too much sympathy for the department that left him and the rest of the STOMP team without coffee .

"I have no idea what you're saying Mr. Hide, but tee hee... you aren't a bear either. ... at least not any big old bear I ever saw."

Disengaging from hug, Maple gave her funny boss a look... a look that matched his funny. ...she gave him a funny look...

?

"Do I go to the director's office, or the documents department? ..."

Destiny Spiral seemed surprised by Rhapsody's comment. "It was the Chief Director's choice so I guess she had good reason. Besides you do good work."

Rhapsody nods some, filing it away that Brisk choose her not Destiny. "Thank you ma'am for that vote of confidence." She says with a soft smile. "I know I do good work and that isn't what I worry about here. Its just.. I know I am not always the... easiest to get along with." She comments remembering the past day. "So I am just surprised that part of my being there is to show our good side."

The black Pegasus shakes her head. "So when does it arrive? Should I start preparing, or is there other work that needs to be done first?" Despite her reservations about being chosen to put on a good face, she is rather excited about the chance to study the artifact being hardly able to stand still at the prospect of it.

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

Pleased to find her office as she had left it, Amber slid up to her desk and rolled her hooves against one another, cracking her pasterns. The adventure of the past few days was still ticking away with her in the back of her mind, but there was much exciting work to do. She began to lay out her various samples and specimens: the cave crystal and cymophane samples - these she placed in a small tray from a nearby cabinet; the rose gold machine tile with its intricate alabaster inlays; the mysterious chest with its combination dial, her diagrammatic drawings of its exterior folded neatly next to the box; and the crude trebuchet gear, Amber thinking as she ! placed it with the other items that she was probably not one of the authorities to whom the the gear most properly pertained.

The mineral samples should be taken to Savant Sard as soon as possible. The machine tile should be compared against the others - it could well be the one missing piece of her puzzle, or a sign of an entirely new one - and a quite pressing rationale for returning to Nightmare heights if it should be, I should think, and this time with coffee and hedge shears. The box's mysteries seemed all the more enticing for how little she knew.

Well, Ms. Sard couldn't analyze what she didn't know existed. Amber began writing an ID form with provenance details for each of the mineral samples. She would take the samples to Ms. Sard's office when she had finished, then return to the box. And of course it would be prudent to give a quick check of the rest of the machine tiles on her way back - one might begin to wonder just what they've been up to in the interim....

Spoiler

Misty gives her boss an eager salute. "I'll make sure it goes smooth as... um... what's a thing that's smooth... peanut butter! The non-chunky kind!"

Taking the flier with her, she rockets off to the south side of town. "All right! Bustin' makes me feel good!" she said to herself, grinning with anticipation.

"Night Cap...I've heard rumors about Hazel Naught. If by some miracle we manage to beat Accounting in a game of bowling..I'll put your name above mine on our documentary.

Ready Quill looked flattered, "You-two-will-enter? That's-great-since-it's-two-per-department. With-that-settled-I-need-to-give-you..." "Hey heeeey!" Ready Quill bumped his head upon hearing Plaid Paisley's arrival. Plaid Paisley seemed surprised to see Ready Quill under a table but redirected his attention to Static Signal and Night Cap. "Did you two hear yet? There's a bowling league starting!"

Melon Hide started to relax. "You'll need to go to the Documents Department. You'll be working with one of the new hires, Static Signal. Heard he's also from Manehattan. Also, I-I have a question. Do you know anypony who likes wrestling? I won a few extra tickets to an upcoming match but didn't know who to ask."

"Mr. Signal... but he's been here longer than me? Do you mean Mr. Night Cap... I know he just got put on the pay roll. Unless um, Mr. Signal was freelancing or a volunteer this whole time... OOOooH is that true!? that would give me some sort of seniority on him by like a week >_> hmm?"

Maple paused for dramatic effect and than struck a Static like pose.

"oh hello Miss Maplejack your mane looks wonderful today, mind if I fetch you some tea, I have thrown out all the coffee like you asked and await your next most assuredly correct and intelligent and beautiful and benevolent and not at-all-princess-like commandment"

Maple leaned in and smiled at Mr. Hide... "Have I ever told you you're a great boss Mr. Hide, because you are. You get the schedules all set up, also I didn't get a chance to thank you for getting Mr. Skies to come by and fix up the stand...!"

Maple was about to go in for another hug when she realized something.

"Mr. Hide, when I'm away - do you just not book any tours, or is there another pony who works the stand ...and I've just yet to meet them?" Maple balked at this sudden realization that there could be another pony here at the keep with something so wonderful shared between them.

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

Misty arrives in the southern part of Caballuston, greeted by a sea of puffy white. She takes a few moments to pop a peanut butter toffee in her mouth and do a little warm-up exercise. Then, it was time to get busy.

KAPOW! She dropkicks one cloud into submission.

BIFF! A solid uppercut with her hoof takes out another cloud.

She lines the angle for her next move... ZOT! She spears three clouds in a row with a single strike.

Several cartoonish sound effects later, a good chunk of the clouds have been cleared from the sky. Misty checks around, spotting a group that had strayed off to the southwest. From behind a mass of smaller clouds, a large, grey, angry-looking cloud rises into view, threatening the city below with a 40% chance of afternoon precipitation.

"So, the big boss reveals himself." She makes a determined smirk, and charges forward.

Static gives an incredulous sideways glance to Night Cap. "Champions...right!" He turns his attention back to Plaid. "Yeah, looks like we just became the Documentary Departments team, Plaid. Umm..." Static looks around nervously before lowering his voice. "Do...do we have to get our own shoes and balls...or do they have some they rent out? Cause...I've never seen the inside of a bowling alley before."

Light Fantastic gave an apologetic smile to the mare.

"Sorry about that," she said, "I'm a bit out of it today. How do you what we're going to do?"

Static was relieved when he sent Night Cap instead of him. A good nights sleep and a little bit of reading for the Luna documentary did wonders for the nerves after getting back from the expedition. But feelings were still raw when it came to...

Still, hopefully he'd get more reading time while in the projection booth...at least if that's where...

"So where do you want me?" Please say projection booth! Please say projection booth! Please say projection booth!

"Actually-need-you-right-here. Chief-Director-has-a-project-for-you-but-somepony-from-another-department-will-be-joining-in. A-'Maplejack'-I-believe."

"Oh, MJ? Didn't think I'd be seeing her again so soon. This ought to be interesting. I should warn you...she's a bit of a hugger."

Pleased to find her office as she had left it, Amber slid up to her desk and rolled her hooves against one another, cracking her pasterns. The adventure of the past few days was still ticking away with her in the back of her mind, but there was much exciting work to do. She began to lay out her various samples and specimens: the cave crystal and cymophane samples - these she placed in a small tray from a nearby cabinet; the rose gold machine tile with its intricate alabaster inlays; the mysterious chest with its combination dial, her diagrammatic drawings of its exterior folded neatly next to the box; and the crude trebuchet gear, Amber thinking as she placed it with the other items that she was probably not one of the authorities to whom the the gear most properly pertained.

The mineral samples should be taken to Savant Sard as soon as possible. The machine tile should be compared against the others - it could well be the one missing piece of her puzzle, or a sign of an entirely new one - and a quite pressing rationale for returning to Nightmare heights if it should be, I should think, and this time with coffee and hedge shears. The box's mysteries seemed all the more enticing for how little she knew.

Well, Ms. Sard couldn't analyze what she didn't know existed. Amber began writing an ID form with provenance details for each of the mineral samples. She would take the samples to Ms. Sard's office when she had finished, then return to the box. And of course it would be prudent to give a quick check of the rest of the machine tiles on her way back - one might begin to wonder just what they've been up to in the interim....

Snowy wound his way through the corridors, refining his plan as he went. He couldn't leave anything with her because any attempt to lift or move the clock would make it clear that it was illusory. But there were ways...

He stood outside her door, and the clock appeared next to him, hovering in his magical grip. He inspects the alarm dial on the back, adjusts it, then waits a few moments before knocking on the door. Not waiting for an answer, he enters the room and starts talking immediately. "Amber? Acquisitions wanted me to bring this in for you to look at." He floats it over a clean patch of table, closer to Amber than it is to him. "I'm not really sure what it--" Suddenly, the alarm starts going off with a loud *CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG*, and Snowy drops a place filled with snowy trees and devoid of clocks). Meanwhile, the face of the clock pops cleanly off, the inner contents pouring out...

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

"Oh," said Light Fantastic, mildly surprised, "Well, it was nice meeting you, in any case. Have a nice day!"

The room was rapidly and unaccountably filled with butterflies. A tiny colony - or a swarm of twelve tiny colonies, Amber noticed, a color for each hour of the dial - of iridescent butterflies, trilling in their enthusiastic and gleeful butterfly voices. Amber sprang backward and scooped up her specimen trays, balancing them precariously as if having forgotten entirely that she could simply lift them with her magic, and simultaneously swatting viciously in the direction of one of the beastly little insects with one hoof.

"Mr. Skies, a pleasure to see you," Amber shouted from the other side of the wall of swarming insects, thinking to herself that the statement wasn't entirely false, insofar as he really was Mr. Skies. "What brings you to my office today?" A spark of electricity leapt from Amber's horn as she attempted to strike one of the creatures that she felt had flown too close.

Snowy opens his eyes once he hears the rustle of wings (rather than the clanking of gears). He squints at Amber through the insectoid haze. "...Butterflies?" He asks, smiling slightly. You couldn't get much farther from his mind's expectations than insects sorted by hour. The experiment was a success.

Not that that meant he was going to dismiss the illusion yet. This was much too fun.

"What play are we doing?" asked Light Fantastic.

Misty picked up speed as she headed right for the cloud. Just before collision, she turns on her side, stretching her wings out to their fullest. She cuts through the cloud like a razor, bisecting it.

Spoiler

After passing through, she makes a u-turn and comes around for the next strike...

"OH... sorry. I forgot I guess Everypony can be newer than somepony else ... I'd best get going then eh?"

"Yes, well, I believe I see that!" shouted Amber, still swatting and sparking ineffectively. More quietly, she continued, "a Prench novelty butterfly clock. I'd thought they'd all been destroyed," Amber said. "Pity," she added, somewhat ambiguously. Shouting again, she pointed her free hoof at the clock. "The bell mechanism is broken. Stop the movement!"

Well, she was certainly in for a disappointment. Snowy Skies regards the swarm thoughtfully, then has each little butterfly turn into a tiny instrument. The *CLANGCLANGCLANG* of the alarm was replaced with a quiet symphony as the little instruments crammed their way back into the clock in a tiny but grand procession. He picks up the clock, shuts the face, and squishes it into nothing between his hooves. "Sorry about that. I needed to test something" He says, completely unrepentant as he pulls a second identical clock out from behind his back and unscrews it experimentally, catching the rusty gears that cascade out with an air of satisfaction.

Once Maplejack arrived in the Documents Department, Ready Quill immediately began outlining the plans for the day, "The-mayor-will-be-having-a-big-luncheon-today-about-the-city's-conservation-efforts. The-Keep-is-tasked-with-doing-a-presentation-on-the-Greenwing-Songbird-and-how-its-population-has-bounced-back-recently. Static-will-be-editing-footage-to-be-projected-with-our-new-equipment-while-Maplejack-will-be-doing-live-narration. You-two-collaborate-on-this. The-luncheon-will-be-today-at-lunch-on-the-south-end-so-you-only-have-this-morning-to-work-on-it. Wish-you-had-more-time-but-the-Chief-Director-said-the-mayor-sprung-this-on-her-and-she'll-have-to-be-there-too. Luckily-I-already-got-the-raw-footage-pulled-and-the-written-documents."

Spoiler

As Misty Monsoon was set to u-turn for another pass, a stray wind started to push the two halves of the cloud in different directions. Even worse, a stray cloud brazenly knocked aside by another member of the weather team was at risk of colliding with one of the raincloud halves.

Spoiler

Before Silky Double-Time could reply to Light Fantastic, an announcement was made up front. "The Canterlot Ballet Company has been contracted to perform a brand new play titled 'Six Rays of Harmony'. It's a retelling of the Element Bearers meeting each other and the return of Princess Luna. While other plays and reenactments based on this exist, many of them leave a lot to be desired."
"Oooh. I heard about one where they tried to be edgy and made Princess Celestia out to be some sort of villain for everything that happened."
"Didn't they get booed out the building and only have one showing?"
"It also had some random twelve minute song about books. The singer was really off key."
"And wasn't there another one where Nightmare Moon turned into some sort of darkness breathing dragon before being defeated and turning back into Princess Luna?"
"That one was exaggerated but it at least tried to be better. And the black streamers for the darkness breath were pretty."
"AHEM. The point is that this current script is a much better adaptation that is worthy of our high standards. If this goes well, we may even do a small tour for it. Anypony have recommendations for roles?"

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

Static's mind immediately jumped into creation mode. You could see the ideas forming behind his eyes.

"Two questions:

1. Does this new equipment project illusions like my field equipment or does it project onto a screen? Would illusions interacting with the audience be appropriate?

2. If the population's bouncing back, I'm guessing that means at one point they were endangered. With such heavy subject matter, are we looking to take the subject matter seriously and make kids cry or should we try to put some humor into it to take off the sting?

Basically...what's our audience? I don't mind giving grownups a big dramatic moment...but if there's a bunch of kids that are going to be traumatized watching a bunch of birds die..."

"Should-be-adults-there. They-were-thought-to-be-long-lost-so-it's-almost-purely-optimistic. There's-no-footage-of-them-injured-so-that-won't-be-a-problem. I-get-the-feeling-that's-why-the-mayor-picked-them. You'll-be-using-the-field-equipment-and-I'll-make-sure-you-have-extra-reels."

"Hmm...okay. Well, in that case, a lot of what I do will probably depend on what Maple has to say." Static looks to Maple. "Got any questions or shall I go ahead and lead you to the editing bays?"

"I don't really know much about animals." Maple shrugged.

Static takes the raw footage and hands off the written documents to Maple. "By lunch you'll be the museum's expert. C'mon! I'll show you the editing bays."

Static led Maple to the edit bays, letting her read through the documents as he ran through the footage. "Hmm. There's a few closeups. mostly it's a bunch of flying and diving and..." Static sighs. "I can see some some potential with having some birds dive right for ponies in the audience. I can probably get one to land on your outstretched hoof if you want. There's plenty of bird singing. That should be nice.

"Everything else is pretty generic. Definitely looks like the footage was meant more to enhance your speech than to show any real in depth information about the birds themselves."

Static looks over to Maple as she's reads. "Any specific requests on what you want the birds to do?"

Well, she was certainly in for a disappointment. Snowy Skies regards the swarm thoughtfully, then has each little butterfly turn into a tiny instrument. The *CLANGCLANGCLANG* of the alarm was replaced with a quiet symphony as the little instruments crammed their way back into the clock in a tiny but grand procession. He picks up the clock, shuts the face, and squishes it into nothing between his hooves. "Sorry about that. I needed to test something" He says, completely unrepentant as he pulls a second identical clock out from behind his back and unscrews it experimentally, catching the rusty gears that cascade out with an air of satisfaction.

Amber stopped flailing to woodenly lay the stack of specimen trays back on the desk, then spread them back to their places with her magic. She rolled her eyes without making eye contact with the stallion as she clambered down from the bookshelf she didn't remember scaling. "Mr. Skies, I would appreciate if you would limit your experimentation to artifacts of study in place of your colleagues." She ignored Snowy's antics with the gears and picked up the nearest available notebook with her magic to quickly scribbled a reminder - find illusion suppression spell, apply to office - then settled back into her seat at the desk. Staring at the combination box, she raised a hoof with a start and looked at Snowy again for the first time since he shifted his illusion. "Oh - yes, Mr. Skies, have you made any progress with the combination box retrieved from the grotto in the Nightmare Heights cave system? I was about to take this tray of mineral samples to Savant Sard, but I would like to compare notes with you if you have. I've been diagramming the exterior of this one, but I haven't yet attempted to open it."

"I don't study artifacts; I study colleagues." Well, sort of. Ponies, really. Close enough, at the moment.
The gears and the clock disappear in a puff of smoke. "I gave my box to acquisitions for filing when we got back, but I'd expect it to end up with you anyways, since they know you have the other one. In any case, I'm apparently supposed to clean your office for most of today, so perhaps we can work on that together?"

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

Destiny Spiral nodded, "I could see not knowing much about Petrichor Falls since not much news has come out of there recently. Gosh, for a while, crime was so bad that some ponies robbed each other as a way to say hello. One day, the mayor got kicked out of office and a mare name Grape Vine took charge. Over a few weeks, crime rate dropped dramatically. I hear they've got things like strict curfews and high taxes but if anypony gets robbed, Grape Vine herself will promise that everything will be recovered. I'm assuming the Amethyst Astrolabe is part of the Grape Family private collection."

Maple read and read and read until her eyes were red... but it just held no interest for her.

"There's nothing in here at all that suggests Why these birbs or whatever, started to 'decline in population' ... is there anything in the footage that seems odd to you... like um... anything obvious in any shot?"

Maple began to wonder if something else might be involved... pony's being animals themselves tended to notice other animals ... but plenty of plants had also become rare or nearly gone ... a lot of it just because of the way Magic tended to effect things...

everyone's favorite poison joke ... couldn't really be considered a practical one - because it grew in only a small number of locations in equestia's wilder forests

"Could you show me all the footage you have of the creatures with any sort of natural habitat in the back ground? Mr. Signal."
if there was some sort of botanical cause to the near disappearance/ reappearance of these creatures, maybe Maple could find an angle to make it interesting for her... she had no doubt she could present whatever dull stats and descriptions of the animal they wanted her to ..with gusto...
Ponies loved her presentation of the Princess display after all, and that was certainly never the best part of her day.

Spoiler
Zam

Maple gets ready to watch whatever Mr. Static can find... and then she realized where she was.

"This is a very nice way to watch movies Mr. Signal, I can see why Miss Away likes spending time with you in here." Maple hugs her own shoulders... its very warm and cozy.

"Ms. Away? She's never been in the editing bays. She's only ever been in the projection booth twice, but I don't think she's ever been in the editing bays, certainly not with me.

"As for natural habitat..." Static fumble through the reels, holding one after another up to the light to see if he can see anything. "Well, here we go." Static threads the film and starts to run it. He shrugs as it starts to show on the screen. "Looks like a normal forest to me. It's just...trees. But your the botanist. What do you see?"

"I don't know, it could just be the matter of us ponies moving into the area...deforestation in order to make cities, farm land...it's an old story. You sure there's nothing in the documents?" Static takes a look at the documents.

Spoiler

"Oh, yes, of course," Amber said, then shook her head. She was embarrassed enough by Mr. Skies' correction and that she couldn't remember even now his field of study that the remainder of his response was only very gradually setting into place. Not the music - equipology, perhaps? She lifted the specimen tray for Ms. Sard and began to walk toward the doorway. "I'll be back in just a moment."

She stopped halfway through the door and peeked back over her shoulder. "Clean?" Amber repeated, tilting her head to one side. "Isn't there a staff for that?"

Snowy looks at amber with his most soulless, joyless smile. "I am the staff for that. Part of the contract."

Contract? Something about Snowy's statement seemed almost ominous to Amber. What did she know about Mr. Skies? He had worked previously with Ms. Flint, he had been a part of the security team for the stakeout and the ballet, he was a member of STOMP, he seemed to have training and magical skill at least as extensive as Amber's own. He seemed to be friends with Mr. Cap, who was a formerly freelance paleoarcheoastronomer. Amber would need to find somepony else to ask what Mr. Skies' job was before embarrassing herself further.

"We'll work together at both, then," said Amber. "I will return shortly - feel free to start with either while I'm gone." She headed up to see Savant Sard, fully intending to stop by Ms. Flint's office about Mr. Skies before she returned.

Snowy watches Amber leave, then surveys her office. He suspected that the key to the puzzle chests lay in the markings that coated them, and he didn't think he stood a chance of deciphering them without Amber. But that didn't mean he should just sit here idly. He had been in this office before, but he had to admit it looked different every time. New artifacts, new papers...Celestia help him if he tried to organize it. He carefully lifted Amber's puzzle chest of her work bench and into the center of the table, but left it there, regarding the rest of her office with curiosity. It was perfectly possible that this room held wonders Equestria had forgotten, and that! not a single pony realized it. What was he looking at?

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

Spoiler

Static Signal couldn't find anything on the reels other than forest and more forest. Maplejack saw that it was Quercus velutina, more commonly known as eastern black oak, but otherwise didn't see anything that gave clues to the original decline of the birds.

Rhapsody's ears drooped the more Destiny described the place, she kept liking this whole thing less and less. Even the new Mayor, while it could be a good thing... there just this feeling she has that there is some ulterior motive going on. Yes, Rhapsody could be considered paranoid... but Crime City taken over by a new mayor that somehow near instantly makes everything better? Either this Grape Vine was really damn good at her job, or something else was up to bring the criminal element in line. She was willing to believe this was all above-board for the time being, but something in the back of her mind was bothered by this information and she just couldn't s! hake why.

"oh I didn't realize... I thought after talking about it in the cave the other day... um well I suppose you wouldn't want to be seen taking any and every mare in there... ponies talk after all."

Maple giggled, good joke - ponies thinking she'd be in here making nuzzles faces with Mr. Signal.

"So, um where does Mr Night Cap work?"

Misty knew that if the stray cloud was allowed to mingle with the raincloud, the mixture could produce a sudden shower right then and there. She wasn't about to let that happen. She gave herself some additional altitude... just enough... then dived right for the smaller cloud. As she descended, she brought a hoof back, readying a strike...

Spoiler

"MEGA

MONSOON

PUNCH!!"

The puffy cloud burst into bits of fluff like a pillow fight at a filly's slumber party.

Now, to deal with the two halves of the raincloud. She begins flying a figure eight pattern around them, hoping her tailwind would whittle them down to a more manageable size.

Spoiler

Disappointed Maple turns to the other topic...

"oh I didn't realize... I thought after talking about it in the cave the other day... um well I suppose you wouldn't want to be seen taking any and every mare in there... ponies talk after all."

Maple giggled, good joke - ponies thinking she'd be in here making nuzzle faces with Mr. Signal.

"So, um where does Mr Night Cap work?"

"Yeah...nothing like that's happened between me and Anchors. I just showed her a movie about deep sea coral. That's it. Don't believe all the gossip."

"As far as Night Cap...it kinda varies. Mr. Quill has given him his own assignments. Sometimes he shadows me so I can train him how to do the editing and theatre projection."

"Nothing's happened between me and him either."

Static sighs as he goes through the films and documents. "I don't know. I'm getting nothing from this. Maybe instead of trying to describe why the population was in decline, maybe just let it be enough that they know there was a decline and that's why this conservation thing is so important?

Snowy Skies' first impression of the office as he looked around was that it was made of bookshelves. The desk was set to face the door, and a small chair resided on the outer side, as if for visitors to speak with Amber, but the desk itself was stacked with shelves along its front edge, an nearly impenetrable barrier for anyone attempting a conversation. The desk itself was more workbench than desk - wide and long in an L shape. Here and there among the books or on the desk, Snowy would catch sight of an intricate puzzle cube in brass or wood. A single photograph in a heavy brass frame was propped against the books on a back shelf, a young brown mare ho! lding a violin.

Snowy remembered that the office seemed to phase with the moon between immaculate cleanliness and scattered chaos. At the moment, it was in a "clean" phase. The desk surface was empty but for a stack of paper (there was more at hand among the shelves above the desk) and the specimen trays. Amber's notebook lay next to the tray with the combination box; her tool case was propped against the "wall" (naturally made of more bookshelf) next to the desk.

The desk's drawers seemed to contain nothing but ink, quills, and stacks of hoofwritten notes. Any archaeological oddities Amber wasn't presently attending to, Snowy realized, would be kept in the museum lab or storage.

CoffeeHorse · May 4, 2022

"I don't think you're Mr. Night Cap's type... Mr. Signal." Maple giggles to herself for a time while going over the documents again...
"But I think you're right about how to do this... focusing on -that they are back- seems to be the right direction to go, seeing as we don't really know the whys either way."

Spontaneously Maple begins to giggle again. "Two Stallions Nuzzling alone in here while making a movie about Princess Luna... that's why I like you Mr. Signal, you think up fun things to talk about, I wish we got to work together more in Manehatton... they didn't seem to do much of this department mixing stuff... or maybe it's because we're in stomp... I don't know. I love it here, and it seems to have done wonders for you. You've got your movie, a Marefriend, a best friend ....

Maple wiggles her eyebrows during the pause

... who you don't secretly nuzzle... and everyone else on the team likes having you around. I hope I get have as lucky. Thank you helping me try to fit in when we were on the mission the other day. It means a lot to me to know I had a friend here already. You were half the reason I agreed to the transfer. "

Maple's eyes were a little damp as she turned back to her pile of documents and got back to work

Static perks up a little in surprise when Maple mentions him being half the reason she agreed to transfer. "Me? But...I always figured I was kinda horrible to you in Manehatten."

"I...I was a pretty different stallion altogether back in Manehatten. I...don't even want to think about who I used to be."

"I'm just glad I got a second chance here. I think I cheated myself out of some potentially really great friendships back there."

Static turns back to the pile of documents. "Ahem...so...yeah. How do you want to go about this? A lot of this footage is pretty stock. Very little showing them in their natural habitat. Most of it's just flying. I can zoom in for a really close shot on a few of them. But like I said...a lot of it's just stock flying. So I guess in that way, it can kinda act as background filler for what ever way you want the speech to go."

Misty's figure eight motion was causing the two halves to narrow into tall columns. With the right application of wind, she could get both to sail in the direction she wanted them to go. However, she had to figure out which direction would be best. She could send them south outside of city limits or east so they were sent out over the ocean.

Spoiler

The door to Savant Sard's office swung open. "Amber Spark! Your timing is impeccable. Was just about to leave out. How may I help you?"

"Hmm, well, I've brought a couple of mineral samples, ma'am," Amber said quickly, nodding at the sample tray and gliding it in Ms. Sard's direction. "I understand if you don't have any time to look at these straightaway, but some colleagues and I returned yesterday from a royally requested expedition to the cave system near Nightmare Heights, and these samples were found in the cave system. I was hoping you might learn a little more about them, when you have the chance," she said. "I've made notes on their provenance here, as well," she said, indicating the identification papers. "Sorry to disturb you on your way out," she added, somewhat sheepishly.

"Oh it's no trouble at all. New discoveries are always a treat." Savant Sard quickly set the samples and paperwork on her desk, then rushed off.

"Thank you, ma'am!" said Amber, heading fairly briskly herself back toward Ms. Flint's office.

When Amber Spark arrived at Steel Flint's office, she found a note on the door indicating that she had to step out and would be back later.

Snowy wasn't certain why he had been expecting secrets, or even what secrets he had been expecting. Perhaps a simple chocolate stash, or a stray bag of almonds. But Amber's office looked exactly the way one would expect. How boring. He scrutinized the photo of the young mare. She was distinctly familiar to him, but he couldn't place where because he was distracted by her violin. He felt a deep, spiritual attraction to this violin (almost like the sense of mourning a lost uncle), though he couldn't say why. He had the most arbitrary certainty that he would never hear that particular violin play, and that made him sad. He put the picture back in its place and surv! eyed the room once more. There really wasn't anything to work on except the puzzle boxes, and a single shard of stone that had patterns spiraling off the sides. He couldn't imagine what it was for.

With nothing else to investigate, he returns to the puzzle chest. What made them think it was a chest, anyways? There was no seam, no hinges. Nothing to suggest that it opened except the interlocked bands. He had heard of codes encrypted in wheels, that you had to rotate to correctly align symbols and relay the message. But these bands were free-flowing around the box, they didn't move the carvings. He remembered Static had suggested aligning both dials. Had anyone actually thought to try opening it like that? Amber had said she hadn't tried at all...

Snowy carefully lines up the two dials, then attempts to pull the two halves apart with his magic.

Impeccable timing indeed. Amber made a wandering circuit back to her office, clinging to faint hopes of bumping into somepony with a museum staff directory on her way back.

This was it. For Caballuston to have a sunny day, these clouds had to be swept away. Misty decides to try pushing them off to the south, that way, they wouldn't bother anypony who happened to be out sailing or fishing.

She takes a deep breath, and begins to summon the wind...

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · May 9, 2022

Silky Double-Time's hoof shot up. "Oh! I wanna play the role of Spike!" "That's one role. Light Fantastic simply must play the role of Twilight Sparkle..." Roles were assigned and the dancers began practicing their parts. After a few hours of rehearsing individual steps, the dancers began practicing the scene where Nightmare Moon revealed herself. Everything was sparse with minimal props and costumes but such a thing would suffice for the scene.

Spoiler

Misty Monsoons woefully wayward wind wildly whipped the rainclouds, causing them to empty their wet contents. She'd have to work fast if she was going to successfully salvage this unscheduled downpour.

Spoiler

As Snowy Skies rotated the dials, he could feel ratcheted clicks inside. Upon aligning the symbols...nothing happened.

Snowy doesn't bother looking up when Amber returns to the office. "I figured I should attempt the obvious, but I'm nearly certain that the key to this is the carvings. Do you recognize them?"

"Here, let me see," said Amber, bending around Mr. Skies and drawing up her tool case to extract a loupe.

Rolling GK to see if I do, indeed, recognize anything: 1d20 + 9=25

Static rubs his temples with his hooves, popping the joints in his neck.

"By the way, I just realized, you're still calling me Mr. Signal. Umm...my friends usually call me Static...so...please? Call me Static?"

Static turns his attention to a blank piece of paper. "You know, I'm not usually too good at planning what to say. One thing I am good at though is letting my mouth run ahead of my brain. Maybe..."

Static starts scratching the pencil across the paper furiously. He doesn't think of the words, only the general idea he wants to convey. After a few minutes, he hands the paper over to Maple.

"What do you think?"

"No need for that." The spell was familiar to him now. Since his test run in the cave, he had had time to adjust it.

A silvery mist seems to flow into the carvings, sinking into the wood. Suddenly, the wood seemed to expand, projecting to a much greater size. Despite the expansion, the grain of the wood could still be viewed in excellent detail.

Spoiler

When Amber Spark looked at the symbols on the box, they didn't seem familiar at all. That was, until she realized one of the symbols matched a subtle bit of trim work on the curtains in the rooms Desert Rose was rescued from.

Misty gasps. Oh no! She promised Wingston that this would go as smooth as peanut butter, but things were quickly turning chunky. She had to act fast.

Hitting the falling rain with a crosswind while it was still high up in the sky seemed like it might stand a chance of blowing it away from the city, but it was a desperate move. She would need to give it her all.

She lets loose the wind and screams a battle cry. "PEANUUUUUUUUUUT BUTTEEEEEEEEEER!!"

Spoiler

CoffeeHorse · May 9, 2022

Light Fantastic was shocked by the suggestion.

"Me?" she asked, "Playing Twilight? The personal protégé to Princess Celestia?"

'What an honor,' she thought to herself.

Maple looked over the paper Static had given her. Outlined were what was to be spoken and a few lines of 'stage direction':

Thank you ladies and gentlecolts, Mister Mayor. On behalf of the Equestrian Expedition Keep, I thank you all for your support in this endeavor.

Fortunately this preserve has done more for us than just being a place to take our kids and enjoy the greenery for a weekend afternoon. Many species that have been long endangered, and even those thought long extinct in this area have made a resurgence because of your efforts.

A flock of birds fly out of the trees and start to fly around the audience. They sing a melody that enchants. One lands very close to the mayor to give her a good look and then flies off.

This Greenwing Songbird is just one of many species whose numbers are back on the rise, insuring that their song will be around for our children's children and many generations to come. And it's all thanks to your continued support of Caballuston's conservation efforts.

Thank you for your support and congratulations to us all for the success we've had so far and the success that you've made possible for the future.

The birds singing hits a crescendo as the entire flock flies back into the woods.

"Mr. Static, ... while I was out in the woods before I came to Manehatten - I got reasonably good at communicating with animals. Or rather animal, one type at a time..." Maple paused as a strange look passed between them - Most likely it was about the 'Mr. Static' thing, but Maple continued anyway. "... remember on the air ship when we were going to Nightmare Heights... right right of course you do... well do you remember how every pony suddenly felt a little better and we had the sing and dance party that we destroyed the footage of. ..well it's kinda a thing I can do. And I could maybe do it to get a few real Greenwings to come by maybe... if there are any close."

Maple didn't really like talking about her 'whammy' magic... it was weird, and some pony's didn't like the implications of a few of the all to real ways she could use it... But Mr. Static seemed to have really come around on the concept of Friends recently - he'd even insisted she use his abbreviated name.. and that was only something really good best friends forever did, so Maple was only slightly uneasy about telling him about her 'gifts' ...

"I would like it very much if you called me Maple in kind, Mr. Static. ... I'm sorry the mister part might stick, I can't remember who told me -but a young filly should show respect to the Mares and Stallions she knows. "

Maple Had to smile ..even worried that Static was about to run out of the room in terror, this moment was ahead of the pack for the best part of her week.

"Ah, capital!" said Amber. "I wouldn't have expected a constructive use for illusion magics," she added somewhat distantly, as if making a mental note. "This is ... terribly strange, Mr. Skies, but I don't recognize these symbols at all. This one, though," she said, hesitating, running her hoof over the one she recognized. "I'm almost positive I saw this one used as a decorative motif in the corridor Ms. Fantastic, Mr. Cap and I found ourselves and Ms. Rose in when we were so rudely teleported away in the caves. If what we're looking for is a key to a combination lock, I fear we've left it in that room. Oh, if we could only have had one week to study that structure...." Amber stretched around Mr. Skies again to draw up her notebook and made a series of quick notes.

"Its fine, Ma'am." Rhapsody replies with a nod to Savant as she enters. Rhapsody Flies above the pair as they head to the hotel, though remains silent much of the way. "Well, isn't that Swank." she says with a light huff. "I guess Mayor Vine really is loaded."

CoffeeHorse · May 9, 2022

Copper Bezel:
"Ah, capital!" said Amber. "I wouldn't have expected a constructive use for illusion magics," she added somewhat distantly, as if making a mental note.

Snowy snorts derisively. "You know me, always full of surprises."

Copper Bezel:
"This is ... terribly strange, Mr. Skies, but I don't recognize these symbols at all. This one, though," she said, hesitating, running her hoof over the one she recognized. "I'm almost positive I saw this one used as a decorative motif in the corridor Ms. Fantastic, Mr. Cap and I found ourselves and Ms. Rose in when we were so unexpectedly winked away in the caves. If what we're looking for is a key to a combination lock, I fear we've left it in that room. Oh, if we could only have had one week to study that structure...." Amber stretched around Mr. Skies again to draw up her notebook and made a series of quick notes.

"Hm. What was that place like? Aside from mildly toxic."

Snowy snorts derisively. "You know me, always full of surprises."

"Yes, quite."

"Hm. What was that place like? Aside from mildly toxic."

Amber took a step back from the desk and looked to her left, thinking. "An old, heavy wood corridor. There was a curtain, which is where I'm certain I saw this symbol, with nothing behind it, and a room where Ms. Rose led us to a book on the ceiling that allowed her to communicate with an amnesiac acquaintance of ambiguous affiliation in another unknown and apparently adjoining area. It was rather unpleasantly warm and seemed quite rich in mold spores, which seems to account for Ms. Rose's condition." Amber glanced to the side again, now as if reading over her own spoken words and taking note of something. "Oh, yes, there was some sort of gravity spell in place as well. I believe we entered standing on the floor because the curtain hung in that direction."

Snowy focuses on the chest as he processes all of that. What a strange place. "...Did anyone bring that book back? It's not like we left anyone there to take care of it. Also, do we know where Desert Rose is now?"

Amber frowned and flipped through her notebook with her magic. "I don't know where Ms. Rose is recovering, no - I haven't seen her since the ferry ride back here to Caballuston yesterday," Amber said. "It didn't occur to me to bring the book with us - it may well still be in the chamber as we left it. Do you know if Mr. Cap is at the museum today? Ms. Rose and the book were his mission, after all."

Spoiler

It dawned on Amber where she had seen one of the other symbols. It matched a design on one of the puzzle tiles she had been examining.

Misty Monsoon's strong gust safely pushed the rain and the rainclouds outside of city limits. Disaster narrowly averted, she had managed to make good time as usual.

From what Light Fantastic had read, the beginning of the play matched up with reports about what happened in Ponyville. Nightmare Moon's arrival was the first noticeable change. In lieu of vocal proclamations and striking the royal guard with bolts of lightning, Nightmare Moon caused the guest's own shadows to attack them. During the actual play, this would likely be accomplished by dressing in black and clever use of lighting. For the rehearsal, the dancers representing the shadows simply wore black leg warmers.

When 'Nightmare Moon' and the shadows appeared, Silky Double-Time took her role as 'Spike' to heart as she made stumbling dance steps then "fainted" in a most exaggerated manner. Light Fantastic's moment was here as the shadow belonging to 'Twilight Sparkle' made aggressive dance steps towards her.

Spoiler

"My, it positively gives me shivers to see the sight of such an exquisite building. Well, we mustn't keep them waiting." Savant Sard, Rhapsody, and Night Cap entered the building and heard an extravagant door chime. Immediately the stallion at the desk greeted them with a beaming smile. "Welcome to The Silky Sheen Hotel, where every paying guest gets a complimentary mane brushing. How may I help you today?"

Rhapsody remained silent for different reasons, allowing Sard to take the lead, since she was of higher rank. She wouldn't want to speak out of turn or over someone of higher station then her.

CoffeeHorse · May 9, 2022

"oh, its okay Mr. Static, there are a few parts of that adventure I wish we didn't have to put in our reports." "But you certainly don't have to worry about being a bad influence... rumps! ... when you're cold, alone and hungry you can say some really nasty things to the sky." Maple put her wings over her face to hide her embarrassment.

"Hadn't heard it quite like that before, but yeah. Thanks for understanding."

Static starts to edit the film according to their rough script. He starts to show Maple some of the workings of how to edit, trying to judge her interest.

Taking a deep breath, Light Fantastic prepared to face the 'shadow'.

Spoiler

Maple puzzled for a moment at Static's response...

she was sure she'd told him about her life previous to when they had met in Manehatten, maybe he'd just forgotten about hearing her tell him all about her lonely nights on the road... he was fairly busy back then, always really needing to get to work in the mornings ..or home again at the end of the day...

Maybe she she should just let it go... Mr. Static wasn't an old OLD stallion just yet... but sometimes it was harder to tell with earth ponies -just how middle aged they were. Unicorns were much easier, the long beards and hairy hooves started giving it away even if they could magic up a glimmer ..>_> or whatever they called it.

When Static started showing her how the equipment worked, Maple forgot all about picturing Mr. Skies and Miss(es) Fantastic and Spark with big bushy beards and got very interested in what he was showing her.

"Ooh and Does Mr. Night Cap press all these buttons too?"

"I've shown him how to edit briefly. He hasn't gotten any hoofs on time yet. But given how quickly he caught on to the theater projector and the field camera work, I doubt it'll be long before he's doing all of this on his own."

Amber gasped with sudden recognition. "Mr. Skies, I have seen this symbol." She turned quickly to the rose gold tile in the specimen tray next to the chest's, then lifted both trays with her magic. "Come with me," she said, holding herself back from a gallop as she headed out the door toward the lab.

Snowy contemplates the spot where Amber was, his eyes lazily following her path to the door. He had a distinct feeling this was going to happen more than he wanted it to.

He silently follows, closing the door and proceeding at a quick trot to catch up.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll keep you on as a technical adviser... maybe by then he'll need and assistant - OOH we could make videos of our tours and send them out to ponies all over so they can tour the grounds and never have to set hoof on them!"

Maple smiled, then frowned then smiled even bigger."

"I just thought about it, and I don't want to give up doing the tours all together though, so maybe we can wait until I'm your age Mr. Static... I likely wont want to walk around as much then... rickety old joints ... but then I thought ..well I don't want to send videos out all over Equestria of me as an old mare either... so ... maybe when I'm a little older than Miss Monsoon."

Maple briefly pictured herself grown up...and up like Misty had, and then saw herself here with Mr. Night Cap... working all hours of the day and night together... Mr. Night Cap was son Nice to insist the Keep keep Mr. Static around even after he reached retirement age... ah look at him down there still the hero, adding a new tennis ball to the hoof on mr Static's walker....

Maple Snapped out of her momentary fantasy when she realized the slightly younger Mr. Static was looking at her oddly. Maple quickly spun in her chair to look back at the controls when she felt how warm her face was.

Misty's wings do the work of carrying her back to the weather team's meeting spot while the rest of her weary body takes a brief rest.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll keep you on as a technical adviser... maybe by then he'll need and assistant - OOH we could make videos of our tours and send them out to ponies all over so they can tour the grounds and never have to set hoof on them!"

"I think you're a bit mis-informed about who has seniority between me an Nigh..."

"I just thought about it, and I don't want to give up doing the tours all together though, so maybe we can wait until I'm your age Mr. Static... I likely wont want to walk around as much then... rickety old joints ... but then I thought ..well I don't want to send videos out all over Equestria of me as an old mare either... so ... maybe when I'm a little older than Miss Monsoon."

"HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM!?!?!?!?"

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

Exhausted, but still standing.

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