To Tartarus and Back [Sign-Up]

[Melancholia]

Melancholy looked at the quiet pony and flexed her wings a little. "Bloodstone is good for making dark magic more potent... I've only seen it be used once...but it's effective..." She looked to their companions.

"Well I think we have a pretty strong team here... lots of varied skills..." She mused.

[Irroro]

Honest was actually a little worried about their mission. There weren't many details given to them before they left. Of course, he would have asked Celestia a few questions concerning their mission, but with the mention of a guide, his questions subsided to be asked for later. And now that they were finally on their way, the guide just a few hoofs ahead of him, they've rose to the forefront of his mind once more.

"Actually," he said, his cyan-blue eyes on their guide, "Aurora, I think, I've got a few questions for our guide over there," before, with a flap of his wings, he launched into the air -- but not for long, as he didn't flap much more than a second time before he dropped onto the ground next to Blazing Glory, parallel to the wooden cart (opposite to the side which Shadow Knight presently is at) back onto his hoofs again.

He turned his head to face Blazing, and without much delay, "Hey," his face as serious ( as he was) as a guard on duty, investigating a suspect for the first time.

[annosrules]

"What is it now," Blazing Legend asks Honest with disdain.

[Irroro]

"I need a hug. I was uh..." He looked at Blazing and scratched a hoof behind his back. "Wondering if you could breif me on Tartarus... And stuff." Honest inquired, cheesing a little bit at the end of that sentence.

[Space Ace]

Aurora decided rather than ask their guide more questions that would probably just be repeating what her team mates had already asked, she would just listen now. She sped up a little until she was cloe enough to hear the answers Blazing Legend gave.

[annosrules]

"What's to be said about Tartarus? It's a repurposed volcanic cave surrounded by nothing but wastelands and holding some of Equestria's greatest villains," the guide says rather unamusedly and somewhat sarcastically, "So really it's a great place all around."

[Irroro]

"Well, when you put it like that, it doesn't sound so bad." Honest smiled happily. "Nevermind then. Or, actually, how come you know so much about Tartarus? You ever been there?" He asked.

[annosrules]

"I've been everywhere, kid," Blaze says looking straight at honest. He turns his gaze back to the road and says, "Now lets keep moving, I want to make forest by nightfall."

Off in the distance, a green thicket of trees begins to rise from the horizon as if growing before their eyes.

[Peace Keeper]

Shadow can see the forest coming up ahead. Interestingly this is his first time going into a forest as he never went very far from his town in Ponyville. This will be his first experience, but fun to him nonetheless as he always wanted to explore the outside. Even so, he still feels serious on the mission so he keeps a mind of being... a little jokester to the situation in their journey.

I suppose we will be skipping the campfire stories, eh? well least it beats scaring some ponies senseless to want to run home and cry to mama. Would be entertaining if we have timberwolves to help us out hehe. Could use a bit of warming up.

[Irroro]

Honest was tempted to continue on assailing him with questions, but with how quick he put up a metaphorical wall between them already, he just looked towards the forest, anxiously thinking about what exactly may lay ahead.

Honest looked behind him to see Aurora trotting close behind, along with the rest of the group trotting behind them. He smiled at Aurora, despite his chest in turmoil, before turning back to look ahead, (inadvertently) ignoring what Shadow Knight just said.

[Melancholia]

Melancholy moved a little closer to their guide as they walked through the forest, she found the massive trees to be very... claustrophobic.

She cleared her throat. "So you've been all over Equestria?" The question was aimed at their guide. "Um... maybe.. when we;ve been to Tartarus and... you know... saved all of Equestria... you could tell me more about it's lands? Like... if you've ever written a book or anything then..." She trailed off and blushed a little. "Well actually... if you've written a book... you uh... might have to... read it to me..." She gulped and looked away as heat continued to rise in her cheeks. "I... actually can't read..." The admission spilled from her.

She glanced briefly at her companions, hoping they didn't think less of her for her inability to read... she had never been taught, there had been no need in her ancient home.

[Irroro]

Honest Truth grinned widely and felt like bursting out of his armor. "You can't read!?" He exclaimed loudly at her admittance. "What?!" He had the sudden feeling to roll into his back, laughing hard and well, but when he looked at Melancholia's poor face, he immediately felt like a... You know. And suddenly, he felt very akward. "Uh... I'm gonna stretch my wings. Yeah." Before he opened his wings and took off hastily, flying over the group in the sky above them (and perhaps the forest now too).

[Space Ace]

//Sorry for my disappearance, I got pretty sick for a few days but I'm recovering now and can actually do things instead of just sleeping it off haha

Aurora's eyes widened at Honest's outburst. She narrowed her eyes and her ears turned back. But as he flew off, she shook her head and sighed. She turned to Melancholy, making sure she was okay as they continued journeying into the forest.

[annosrules]

Not seeming to acknowledge Melencholy, Blaze stops his movements and looks to the sky. "Luna's watch is going to start soon, we should rest here for the night." 

[Peace Keeper]

Okay, chief.

Shadow stops and looks around where he is at. All he can see is black trees and twinkling stars. Shadow didn't really have a tent or sleeping bag, but wasn't much to him to sleep barebones. Only problem is that he isn't tired yet thanks to him staying up late most of the time. He knows that in a mission like this, he will need to rest soon to be able to get up early to catch up. He looks around for a spot and finds a tree branch on a tree. The branch looks thick enough for him to lay on comfortable and decides to climb up to the tree to the branch. It was only about 3 meters from the ground, which isn't too high of a danger, in fact low enough to easily jump off of. As he is on, he gets himself comfortable trying to lay on the tree branch to prepare to sleep.

[annosrules]

As shadow goes off on his own, Blaze pulls the cart off to the side of the road and retrieves several tents, lumping them onto the ground in a small pile.

"Alright, you ponies can start on constructing a campsite, I'm going out to gather some dinner."

Not waiting for the group to react, the guide heads off headstrong onto the ever-darkening woods.

[Space Ace]

Aurora didn't hesitate to lift one of the tents with her magic and get to work. She started setting up the tent. The sooner they had the tents up the sooner they could rest, and the sooner they could continue with their quest. She used the light of her magic as a torch as she set up one tent. She wanted to get it done quickly so she could help the others with their tents, or with starting a fire.

[Irroro]

Honest could hear the gentle flapping of his own wings as he flew through Luna's silent night, a cool breeze upon the unarmored parts of his fur. He'd been flying for awhile now, his face a mixture of embarrassment, anger, and sighs, appearing in chronological order. Only after his last sigh, many minutes after the first did he think to look down to see where the others were, and only a few seconds passed after that before he saw emerald light reflecting off the trees to his left. He banked towards it without hesitation, and before long he hovered right over the source of the light before lowering himself down to the road. When he landed, he looked about curiously, as the light seemed to have been from Aurora, the unicorn seemingly already having set up a tent, already working on another. Using her light, he looked around their chosen campsite and noticed a lack of earth ponies around. He also realized that the camp still lacked a warm fire to keep them warm. Without a word said, he turned and trotted into the already dark forest for that.

[annosrules]

The umbra of the forest's canopy sucked away all but the few rays of moonlight that shine through the cracks. These woods weren't infamous for housing wild and pure nature, like that found in the Everfree, but few still could be asked to traverse outside its paths during dusk.

Around the campsite, the sounds of the free-roaming animals begin their nighttime symphony to Luna. The hoots of the owls, the chips of the crickets, and the howling of far off canines beginning their evening prowls. 

[Melancholia]

Melancholy had to admit, she preferred the night instead of the day, the darkness settled around them and brought a sense of comfort to the Pegasus...it reminded her of home and the creatures who had raised her.

She trotted over to one of the unpitched tents and a blank look crossed her face. She had tried not to look put out that Blazing had ignored her question and how Honest had looked like he was going to publicly laugh at her inability to read. She had been raised to be more polite and not to retaliate when others were hurtful,intentional or otherwise.

The tent was tricky to get up by herself, her saddlebags lay on the ground a few feet away. She tried to focus on getting the tent up but her yellow eyes, which seemed to glow a little in the darkness, were drawn to the unfamiliar flora around them.

"Um... Aurora? Could you lend me a hoof?" She looked at the unicorn, admiring the ease she had with her magic.