[IC] STOMP Super Spooktacular Special!

[CoffeeHorse]

The situation does not improve on its own.

"Would anypony help me up?"

---

Maple's front leg shifts into a long tendril that coils around Night Cap and stands him on his feet. ... letting him go is recoils in on itself and returns to the shape of a tiny horse leg.

---

"Thank you, Maplejack."

Green Night Cap then makes an effort - well, effort is a strong word- Green Night Cap then makes an attempt to wipe away some of the slime. It's not very effective, as his limbs are already coated too.

---

Static grinned. "Some of the coolest comic heroes do wear eyepatches," he mused.

---

"Static, you poor dear," said Amber, looking him over and putting a hoof on his shoulder.

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Static takes a deep sigh and shrugs."Thanks, Amber. But I think it's better we just focus on the good side. Unfortunately, we lost some ponies last night. But...we did manage to save more than we lost. A lot of ponies are still alive that wouldn't otherwise be." He looks to Rhapsody. "Or at least...undead. A few added scars can't be counted as too bad a thing. Although..." Static rubs his chin thoughtfully. "...if anypony has some pruning sheers, I do have a bit of a vendetta against a certain rosebush!"

---

Maple gasps... "GASP!" as her gardener instincts kick in.

---

"Does anyone have a really tough brush? Or a mop?"

---

"If you can stretch up enough for me to get under you, I can pick you up and carry you out of here Mr. Night Cap... I mean, if nopony did bring any goop remover." Maple answers after rummaging in her pack and coming up empty.

---

"I only have a hairbrush, but Miss Monsoon might be able to help you, Mr. Cap," said Amber, still glancing uneasily at Static.

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Static as still mulling over the reality of no depth perception. So he hadn't even considered how his field of vision had also been impacted. He hadn't noticed Amber staring at him until she got his attention by talking to Night Cap.

He sighed as he finally caught her glance. "Don't worry about me, Amber. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's adapt. I hardly got the worst of it tonight," he says, lifting his chin to the now vampiric Rhapsody. "You two should probably talk."

---

As he inhaled sharply from the massive intake of alchohol, Scarlet felt like he been smacked in the face. Hard.

Clambering to his feet and finding it much harder than it should be, Scarlet 'walked' over to Static. Swaying only slightly, he hoped, the pegasus gave his friend a reassuring look.

"I'ym surr it'ss notas bd as you thing Static. Waittil we get some medics to look you ovre befrore resignin yurself. This niyt cud have bin far ,far wurse.

Frowning slightly, Scarlet added.

"Th rooms not actully spinnin, right?"

---

Static raises an eyebrow. It only just then occured to him that he hadn't checked the bottle before giving it to Scarlet. He grabs the bottle and his eyes pop wide open. "Mezcal?" And the bottle was empty. "As long as you were on the wagon...please till me you didn't just down this in one gulp!"

---

Scarlet laughed slightly unsteadily and grinned. Voice still strained and a bit raspy from the strong drink, Scarlet said.

"Aftre ths night. You bet i did!

...?

Why?"

---

...

"I'll...have the aspirin ready for you in the morning."

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Scarlet tried to look shocked, and failed.

"I-i-i-i'll hv ya kno that when i ws in STOMP, i cud easily hld ma drnk. I hvnt hd a drk in months, but i nvr lost mu---"

Scarlet was waved his wings and forehoof around...

Then slipped and fell flat on his face! Popping back up with too much speed, Scarlets cap bounced away as the pegasus tried to look as if nothing had happened.

"You dint see anythin, right?

Right?"

---

"No! I absolutely did not see you falling flat on your flank. Nnnnnope! Not me!

---

"My stallion form won't be big enough to carry all you silly colts out of here." Maple laughs, passing a look between Misty and Rhapsody... and then shrugging with a sigh that was 1 part resignation and 9 parts relief... "It's not like I could keep it a secret forever anyway."

Maple's Magic flashes over her body... not in its usual fire-like way, but in a smaller more controlled burst of energy. Stepping out of the light Maple stood in her new larger regal form.

"hi." maple waved a hoof at everypony and tried not to make any eye contact.

---

Trying to steady himself, Scarlet continued to sway slightly.

"Thas... good?

...?"

Looking over to where Maple stood, Scarlet cocked his head at her new look.

"Huh."

Then he grinned.

"Cool."

Cautiously moving a wing, Scarlet went to straighten his cap/ finding nothing but mane and air, the pegasus looked confused. With exaggerated care, he said almost plaintively.

"Where's my hat?"

---

"We could check the hallway for it." Maple suggests, since it was the last place they were that wasn't this room

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

"It's by your hooves," Static deadpans towards Scarlet as he looks at the empty Mezcal bottle he had taken from Scarlet.

[Pity! After a night like tonight, I could seriously use a drink.]

[Probably just as well. Is that what I used to look like when I was drunk?]

[Still could use a drink!]

---

Scarlet looks down.

"Oh, right.

Uh, sry boutht."

Picking his hat up, Scarlet perched it back on his head. Although it was now, despite his best efforts, at a slightly wonky angle. Eyeing his friend, Scarlet grinned while carefully mouthing 'I know what you're think9ng'.

I swear to your Luna that this is me on one bottles gulp of Mezcal, after going cold turkey for months!
Please, be kind to my pounding head when i wake up tomorrow?

---

Static eyed his friend right back.

[You're coherent enough to know exactly what I'm thinking, but you can't even find your hat that's right by your hooves?]

[We will not be kind!]

[Nah, we'll be kind.]

[Depends on what you think of our anti-hangover concoction. Some have said it's worse than the hangover.]

Static walks over to help straighten out Scarlets hat with a devious cheshire grin. "Tomorrow's going to be so much fun! I do believe the cheif said something about a monthly fire alarm test?"

---

"Golly I didn't hear anything about that!" Maple whimpers, trying to navigate the innards of her pack with her new lengthened and thinner appendages -looking to make sure she still has her whetstone... if the chief sets fire to the marketing department -she might be their only hope of having somepony come put it out.

---

[Night Cap]​

"I'll have to be sick tomorrow."

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

"Heyyy, mults...multaa...mlti... doing things is hard aftr bottle a Mezcal."

As Static spoke, Scarlet visibly paled.

"Oh the bells. The bells!"

You're joking, right? Please, tell me you're joking.

---

[Who, me, joking? Have you ever known me to have a sense of humor?]

Static's grin grows ever wider.

---

"Oh by the Princesses! I didn't know he could do that." Static's new facial contortion is the scariest thing Maple has seen all night

---

Amber looked in Rhapsody's direction at Static's prompt but fell silent as the conversation shifted to drinks and what to do in the morning. She managed a "hello" to Maple when she changed shape again and a "hmm, yes, a very good idea" to Night Cap on the suggestion of being sick in the morning.

Finally she spoke up to address the group. "Well, ah, hmm, it was very good to see you all again, and I hope I might do so again under less ah - hmm, lethal circumstances in the future," she said. "It just reminds me just how very exciting all of this adventuring can be and why I don't do it anymore," she added with a slight smile and another glance in Rhapsody's direction.

---

Scarlet tried to death glare at Static, but it came as more of slightly frustrated and bemused expression.

"i gnna mk you pyy fr this, Mr. Phantom. Gnna get mum tu mak a movie of alla this. An yr the comc reliyf!"

Then his grin broke through.

"gonna beg Cheif not to have a fire drill," he said very carefully.

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

"Sorry we didn't get to do much dancing Misty." Maple says... as she fails to subtlely shuffle toward the other filly. Her Mind still having trouble recognizing her massive bigness.

---

"Vell... there's always a next time..." Misty replies with a smile.

---

"With these new legs I may take you up on that rather soon." Maple giggles before flopping over onto her back and wiggling on the floor while failing to hold in the odd snort amongst the rolling chuckles and hoots.

---

Scarlet took a deep breath and tried to focus. Ish.

"And now, you know, why i don', drink any more," he said while Static a suspicious look.

---

Static looked at the empty Mescal bottle. "Riiiiiiight!" Having already finished off his own bottle, Static was also finding it harder to focus. But he at least seemed to be having a slightly better time of it than Scarlet. But you could see the gears turning. "I was kidding about the fire alarm test...but...do we even work tomorrow?" A slightly puzzled look crossed his face. "What day even is it?"

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Scarlet tried to think, waving a wing absently as he felt his brain complaining.

"Hey, you ponyfeathered buck! Ow, i really shouldn't shout. i almost believed you!

...?

Well it's... uh... It's...um...?

It is... Today?

Today is...uh... "

---

Maple checks her watch. "It hasn't even been..." but she doesn't bother, let those two stew..or rather pickle for a few minutes.

---

"Well, I think I should go home now." Maple gets up and nuzzles Misty a little before walking toward the door.

"Good luck with your family Rhapsody."

---

Green Night Cap turns to leave.

"Well if this party's over I'm going to bed. I've got work in an hour."

---

Rhapsody turned to looks to everypony as this night grew to its finale and Swift Tart had managed to return most the mask's victims back to normal. "I am sorry that this all happened." She states with a sigh. "It seems like my family has more issues then I was aware of.. At least you all survived..." She says and glances to Static. "Mostly."

"Yes, Everyone is safe from this evil. and I am personally very impressed by all of you." Swift Tart says with a smile. "I think it might be time I should be heading home as well, but that is a very... different journey for me then what the rest of you have... I might just have need of you lot in the future, but I will be much more upfront about that if it happens." He says and glances to Rhapsody. "Though you, will have to join me. Afterall, I can not let a fledgling vampony go unsupervised. There is stuff that you need to learn, and stuff I can teach you about how to deal with... the darker side of things better then you might on your own."

Rhapsody nods some. "I suppose that is reasonable." She states and then turns to look to her sisters. "I also suppose that means you two will have to deal with mother... Maybe dad can help you get through to her, he always seems to have something up his... or her sleeve..."

"Ah... Yes... Um... I t-think I can uh... can handle that... You need to... um... be you and Harmony should go back to... to Manehatten and her store. N-Not that I thik she couldn't help... but... well... I just feel that this is something I um... I need to do on my own... After being trapped all night... I-Its important that I feel I contribute some how..." Symphony says as she speaks up.

Rhapsody nods and takes a deep breath before trotting over to Amber. "None of this is your fault. You still may be the most important pony in my life, but I know I am not in yours." She says closing her eyes some. "There is no guilt to hold on to, but I just had to see you again... I don't like things being left hanging and unresolved... One way or another, I think they have been. Go, be happy with whoever." She says with a slight smile before going over to join Swift Tart.

Swift Tart chuckles. "Don't worry, I doubt this is the last time you'll see any of them... but unless anypony else has something to add, I believe that Night Cap does have the right idea..."

Spoiler

Sorry this took so damned long to do. RL has been a bit of an annoyance still, while also just kinda destressing from the past month. I wanted to do a much grander and more fun finale post, but my creativity just wasn't there. So I finally just sat down and got to the important bits. I'm giving everyone a little time to make any responses to the info here before the curtain closes. Otherwise in a few days I'll post a very short 'everyone leaves' type post.

---

 

[CoffeeHorse]

Static, seeing that ponies were fixing to leave, took this moment to say his goodbyes. "It was good to see you again, Amber. I'll be sure to write. Please feel free to write back," he said with a wink to insure her that what he said was a request, not a judgment.

He then turned to Harmony and took a deep breath. "It was nice getting to know you...you know...before things went sideways. I actually do make my way to Manehatten fairly often. I could make it a point to visit...if you wouldn't mind."

---

"I'd love to go back for a visit too, I loved working there..." Maple's eyes narrowed at Static briefly

"Maybe we could ask our marefriends if they want to come with us? ... oh right ANCHORS isn't here right now, but what do you think Misty... fancy a trip to the big city?"

---

"Sure, I vould love that!"

---

Scarlets felt a twitch that could become a headache start. Shaking his head slowly, he looked over at Maple and raised an eyebrow.

"Maple, yur bein mean ago. Yur bein suspicious ovr nithin.

I mean, really?"

'sigh'

Turning to Rhaosody and still swaying slightly, Wcarlet smiled

"I am glad yur ok Rhapsody. No mttr how this night has gone, i'm glad you an yur sisters are ok. Symphony, Harmony.

Until we meet again Swifty.

'sigh'

Somehow, i thnk flyin home is gnna be a bad idea. Oh well, it's gonna be a looooong walk.

---

maple shrugs and shrinks back to her normal size ... She needed a nap in the worst way, and hopefully, at some point, the boys made it home on their own because she was going to be unavailable for any more search parties.

---