EldritchOne

Worlds Collide - A Futuristic Fantasy RP

A few stray thoughts gathered in his mind as he considered what he would do with the time he’d be in the festival. Lilith would likely try and drag him around the local markets in search of numerous fancy baubles, or general cheap crap which the usual street vendors sold, but he was not too interested in that. He’d do it for her sake, he sure as hell needed the company, but he wasn’t too invested. A dark cloud hung over him as the firebird girl wandered off, he needed some way to take his mind off of the sense of tension and discord… perhaps visiting a bar or some-such in the city might alleviate some of the inexplicable bitterness he felt towards this fragile delusion of reality. Suddenly his head was engulfed in the silky soft tail of a person he well knew. It was actually quite comfortable, kind of like having his head covered in a blanket of soft sable fur, and he leaned into appreciatively for a few moments before startling himself back to normality. Pulling gently on the tail his head eventually surfaced from the ocean of soft fur, and he began to turn towards its owner, holding her tail in his hands and stroking it subconsciously like some evil villain and his pet cat. “Only one person I know has a load of dusters attached to their arse, and that would happen to be you Lily,” he smirked. “Have you come to torment me again with your presence, or just rub your fluffy appendages in my face? I’m presuming you’re bothering me for a reason… at least one can always hope.” The probability of that is zero...

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Lens blushed at the words, and smiled. She knew of her stunning beauty, but Scalpel’s words were sweet to hear. He’s no poet, but I would prefer to hear his words over the best musicians who dared to ask for my hoof, she thought. “I must say Dr. Noxferus is that the feeling is… mutual. You’re one of the few ponies smarter than me, perhaps an equal to my grandfather, if not more. I do not exaggerate - he never did finish his training at Celestia’s School. As such, his magic is lacking though his intellect makes up for that. “I want to know about you as well, that kindness you showed me days ago was but a hint of who you are. And… I want so discover that, along with your mind. To bask in the light within, to discover your love… and that of my own.” She trembled in anticipation, heart beating fast. Scalpel had practically gone bright red at the compliments she gave him, he knew he had great aptitude, and he’d been complimented before, but something about them coming from Lens made it feel far more satisfying than it ever had before. Still, a level of fear crept into his skin as she spoke, she wanted to know more about his history, something he did not readily approach with many in his service, or those who were his friends. However, he could feel an element of release to unveiling his history, as if he might be able to let go of an old burden which had held him down for so long. “My history is not something I really approach much Lens… but for you I’ll tell you, I can’t keep secrets. However,” he paused, looking slightly solemn as he did so, “You may find out unpleasant things about me, my life has not been easy and there have been activities and duties which even I admit I’m not proud of. I’m willing to be honest with you about it though, I can’t pretend that I’m completely blameless for some of my actions.” he gave her a sad smile, “perhaps we could exchange information, one after the other, is there anything in particular that springs to mind that you’d like to know about?” Lens wondered if she said something off, for she did not want to particularly know the details of Noxferus’ life. She was curious, but Lens did not want to endanger him by knowing too much. Yet, she wanted more than ever to understand the stallion. “We should wait on your history - it’s clear that something drives you to the lengths you’ve taken. And the drive is so intimate to yourself, it would not be best to deal with that so soon. “ We should take this step by step, for it may be too soon in our relationship to reveal deep details,” she said. “We should let this grow, and appreciate each other, then we shall be ready. Is that ok?” A small measure of relief crossed his face and he gave her an appreciative smile, “You’re right of course, I could almost kiss you… well, I would, if we weren’t on the other side of an Astral projector. I agree that my history is something that should be gradual, letting it all out could not be the best option… Still, I think we can start with a couple of the basics? At least for the meanwhile. Until you’re safe with the rest of the scholars and I’m hidden.” He gave her another look, this one emanating with love and compassion towards her, “I’m so conflicted. On one hoof I worry about revealing too much and endangering you, on the other I feel I can’t just simply leave you in the dark…” “Still,” he said, bending his hooves into a pointed arch like position, “Should we start with the beginners stuff? I can tell you a little of my older family history if you want, that’s pretty much open, or we could generally ask in general about anything…” he shuffled a little uncomfortably, feeling like a teenage colt on a first date, trying to lighten the awkward situation somewhat, “Do you want to go first or shall I?” Lens smiled at the thought of the Noxferus’ kiss, her first kiss ever, three days ago. He was not the only pony who wanted to relive that moment. Or at the very least, feel the compassionate lips of the stallion. “It’s best not to provide too much that would risk your identity or operations, Master. I don’t want to get you into trouble on my behalf. “But I’m game for the basics too. After all, we have to start somewhere.” She smiled, looking far more cheery than she did in a long time. “So, out of Starswirl’s the Bearded works, which do you think was the best?” She blushed, mentally facepalming at the question. Why did I go for something so academic?! she thought. He wants to know you, not the facts in your brain. Blushing, she quickly spoke: “Well, my own personal favorite was the Symposium of Love, you know the one with Starswirl attending a party and they discuss the different loves, that sort of thing. So interesting and reflects the thoughts of the ancient writer Ponyto. Haha.” Her face was violet in embarrassment. “I must admit it was an enjoyable read, mostly from a philosophical perspective. Personally I think his ‘Treaties of Speculation’ was my own favourite. Despite his refusal to delve too deeply, he came up with some intriguing ideas which pointed me in the right paths in my own research, even if he thought that it was too dangerous to approach. Admittedly a good number of his principles were rather dated, but many still held powerful insights.” “However, I must say I favored his lesser known rival Tattered Spire slightly more than Starswirl himself. Though he may have thrown caution to the wind, he came up with some fascinating insights which have been very much overlooked. Admittedly most of his work was lost after a failed occult ritual, and the pony himself spent the last years of his life in an asylum, but what remains -even during his maddened period- shows startling revelations in the theory of magic. It’s a shame scholars have been so skittish around approaching his work.” “I’ve never did study much of the occult myself,” said Lens. “My grandfather told me to stay away from it. The only reason I know of those ‘forbidden books’ was because some in are in the care of the order. And as Prancer’s Librarian, I know about their wereabouts. “But my grandfather’s warnings wasn’t because of his ideology. But rather…” She went silent for a moment. “I can’t quite explain it, but everytime my grandfather talks about that subject, his eyes get wide and he begins to shiver. Yet the Director has an interest in the topic - he certainly read through plenty of them. “I mentioned the particularity to Steel, probably grandfather’s oldest peer. They might not look it, but they’re about the same age. Although, the Earth Pony has kept up his vigorous strength in his advanced years. He shook his head, and spoke: ‘Your grandpa had an avid interest in the dark lore when he was younger. But one night, back when we were both students in Equestria U., I saw Prancer so pale that I almost mistaken him for a ghost. His nerves were fried and he couldn’t speak for hours. When he did, he muttered something about a ritual at the Silver Dawn house, sort of an Occult fraternity. It failed, and something happened. I don’t know the details, but I know the Silver Dawn House was gone, and your Grandfather avoided using the occult. Mind you, he still read the stuff, but not put it to use.’” Scalpel gave Lens an intrigued look, “The Silver Dawn you say? I’ve heard that name before, directly in fact, my own grandfather was involved in it, one of the higher echelons I believe, although I can’t be certain. They were a tight lipped and secretive group. I wonder if that is the self same ritual that drove him into the asylum, although I did have some doubts about it, Father was always eager to take on the role of the Patriarch of the household, he may have sought it as an reasonable excuse to usurp him.” He leaned back in his chair, trying to rifle through and correlate his memories, “he was an odd stallion, I haven’t heard or seen him in over a decade… I wonder if he is even still alive.” “Unfortunate times,” Lens said. “My parents… well I should finish the topic at hoof. I found no records of the Silver Dawn in my grandfather’s personal records. He’s written tomes of his earlier days and experiments, but nothing about the Dawn. And since the Old University was sacked, any records on them were gone. She shrugged. “Oh well. I do find it interesting that your grandfather had something in common with mine.” Lens mind flash back quickly to that memory, the one that she saw of Scalpel’s early days. The sadness, and pain, it was but a moment but that seemed too much. She had to focus. “Do you know anything else about the Silver Dawn?” “I’m afraid not, as I said, Grandfather Silver Mist was very secretive about it. I know he kept a volumes of the Orders activities along with his own esoteric research, but Father had that locked away in the family vaults and I don’t think its seen the light of day since then. I have some connections with a few of my extended relatives, I might be able to have them taken from the vaults. Not all of them have been in favor of Fathers… direction of the family, and there are plenty who’d be happy to undermine him. If you want I could send off some letters and get them delivered to me, and then I might be able to decode what they were up to back then, I may need some time to do so however.” Considering what I know of Noxferus’ father, I can see why they’d be unhappy with such a patriarch Lens thought. “As curious as I am, we both have plenty of priorities to deal with first. The records of some decades gone order is probably not going to be needed right away. For all we know, all the order did was mostly drink ale during their meetings.” She smiled at the small joke. “I guess it’s your turn to ask me something.” He gave a small chuckle at that, “Probably. Still I might as well look into it at some point, even if it is just an account of various university binges for the nobility. I could do with some light reading in the future.” He paused and let out a hum of thought, trying to come up with something, “Might be a bit presumptuous to ask a lady, but I guess we might as well start with our ages and birthdays as one of our basics…” He gave a sort of offhand nervous laugh at that, “I’m August the 15th, and currently I’m twenty-nine, last time I checked. Study does seem to get in the way of the basic things in life sometimes...” “Well, I’m turned 20 last month, on the 3rd,” Lens said. She was a bit worried, her eyes giving that fear away. I’m almost a decade younger than him. Will the Noxferus be bothered by the age difference? He gave her a small smile, reasonably glad in actuality ‘I worried she was actually a bit younger than that, glad the age difference is only nine years’. “So you’re a turn of the new age mare? It’s strange for me, sometimes I forget an entire generation didn’t live under Celestia and Luna, and when I remember it makes me feel like an old decrepit stallion. I’m actually glad the difference is still under a decade. I’d feel mildly lecherous if you were a few years younger!” He gave a cheerful laugh and that. Lens smiled at the comment. “Thank you, I was worried about that, but I can rest easy. But you’re still plenty young. At least, compared to Steel and Grandfather. Both were in their 70’s when the Scholarship was founded. Steel probably tell you how he’d feel, er used to feel at least, when he reached 90. “But you’re not alone in your feelings - I hear it all the time from my peers in the order who are in their 30’s. Scroll himself is actually 35, and yet seems to act like an old stallion,” she chuckled. “But I find that it tends to be more perception than actuality. When the world changes, it feels like time does fly.” “I’d agree with you on that. Luckily us Argentum’s seem to age with relative grace, makes me feel a bit more relieved about the whole process. Not that I’m vain, but nobody likes to feel age creeping up on them. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to asking Steel as of late, poor old fellow is still in hibernation, although I had to turn the speaker off, his subconscious attempts at snoring are atrocious.” “Still, I’ve asked my question, I suppose its back to you again.” He looked eagerly at her, interested to see what she’d ask next, hooves tap tap tapping away as he did so. Lens was just anxious, her tail moving back and forth, and legs trembling. “That’s Steel for you - when he’s not chatting, he’s snoring. My next question… oh, do you ever watch the stars and moon at night? If so, what do you feel?” “Well the old me would probably tell you that they are divine signs of the Lady of the Nights grace, and a sign of her ‘continual unadulterated glory.’” He rolled his eyes slightly at that, mildly contemptuous of his past zeal, “I do occasionally watch them, but with my time occupied I don’t get many chances to do so. What do I feel about them? I don’t know exactly, one part of me views it as an unexplored vista of possibility, rich in undiscovered knowledge and discovery. Another views it as perhaps an object of terror, who knows what might come down from the stars? The gods have, and their influence has been… debatable. Could something worse come? I don’t know. A final portion of me just takes time to wonder at creation, each of those stars crafted and designed by forces beyond our knowledge, and as far as we may know, may extend for eternity. So much to wonder at, so much to discover... “ he drifted off slightly, his eyes becoming slightly glazed as he did so. After a few moments he recollected himself, grinning sheepishly, “I guess you could say that my feeling for them are complex. How about you, what do you feel when you look at them?” “Probably as complex as yours. But I must say your past self was partly right that the stars were a divine sign. But perhaps not of Luna - she was only the warden of the night, not their creator. But the nature of the stars, the unseen nature and not just the physical aspects, enimates a beauty. “In Manehatten, one can’t see the stars very well. Once the sun sets, the light pollution from the multitude of lamps and other devices blocks out most stars. Only the highest magnitude could be seen. It wasn’t until age 10 that I got a chance to see the night in it’s glory. “The Scholarship was training the next generation of the order, preparing us on both academics and our order’s purpose. Our group got the chance to travel outside the city, to an observatory in the Whitetail Woods. Though the structure would be destroyed years later, the experience inspired me. “Inside the dome, a pegasus named Star Dancer opened the aperture above us. And for the first time, I saw the stars in all their beauty. It was lovely, wonderous, a multitude uncountable, awe for it seemed like infinity. Of course, I ended up forgetting what Dancer was trying to teach us. But that sight… to this day I can but look at the stars and feel an ultimate euphoria.” He frowned somewhat, intrigued by her comments, “I guess you could say that my past self had a point, I have a tendency to ignore what he represented however, his zeal and attempts to appease my Father through any means other than a military vocation seem like such a waste of time now…” He shook his head, clearing away the darkening thoughts and focused on the rest of Lens’ story, “The are alluring, I tend not to see them as solely divine however, perhaps it is a fault of mine to search into the science of such things and ignore the beauty. I try my best however.” He paused in thought, a half remembered line of poetry echoing through his mind, the topic rusling old papers of his memories into wind disturbed action. Almost spontaneously he spoke softly, a half remembered stanza coming to the forefront temporarily, “...It shone through all the sunset's glories—thin At first, but with a slowly brightening face. Night came, and that lone beacon, amber-hued, Beat on my sight as never it did of old; The evening star—but grown a thousandfold More haunting in this hush and solitude…” He went silent after that, retrospectively trying to recall where such poetry had come from, but turning up a blank. “How strange…” “That sonnet is quite astonishing,” Lens said. Her eyes bright in wonder. “It’s as if I can see the stars now, instead of this dusty subterranean alcove.” Scalpel nodded, his attention temporarily elsewhere, in strange lands, but still attentive to her words. “Yes… I can’t recall who wrote it… but there is some echo’s of whoever it was within my mind. I guess he appealed to me on some level, sometimes I feel like I am a stranger to the people around me, as If I’d come from other lands… perhaps worlds and visions beyond our own, and through the darkness of the void. I shake them off eventually, but the feeling remains for a long time… and sometimes it seems that my dreams follow such thoughts elsewhere, they have become strange affairs. Bizarre landscapes, strange machinery and a calming, but alien entity, made of brass, silver and fire…” He became retrospective once more, staring off slightly into the distance, unspoken words ebbing off his lips as he moved them unconsciously. “Do you ever have dreams,” he asked, finally reconnecting with her again, “That you’re so certain are more than just dreams, but visions or messages, like someone is trying to tell you something through the strangeness of the mind?” Lens shook her head. “No, but then again I’m not particularly trained in the arts of divination or to receive messages from afar. There’s been rumors, if unconfirmed, that the Archmagister has developed such telepaths, but… sorry I digress too much on tangents. “These visions… I’ve read of instances of prophecy before. But these dreams, they are new to my experience.” “I don’t believe they are prophesying anything, at least not what I can tell. There is no dialogue of such things in them. But sometimes… after I have them, my mind is filled with ideas and thoughts that seem almost foreign to me, but which represent vast leaps in technological progress. I don’t quite understand it, but frequently they’ve been invaluable in my research, and my final goal.” He gathered himself together again, becoming more attentive, “Regardless of what they mean, I believe I’ll figure out in time. In the meanwhile I believe its your turn again.” “Well, if anypony can figure out such a mystery, it’s you,” Lens said. “ As for my next question… What music do you like?” “Well, I was raised with classical compositions, and that has been the mainstay of my life… still some venturesome parts of my mind have explored many musical variants and found them to be equally enjoyable, within some limits. Once I heard a symphony by two unicorn mares in my university years which tapped into the various harmonic hums of dimensional layers… the effects were both startling and strikingly alien at the same time. I sometimes wish I had the skill to do as they had done, I’d love to hear them once again…” “Really?” Lens said in surprise. “Professor Sweet had written of such a technique, of unicorns being able to use manipulate space-time to generate some very unique sounds that no instrument could create. When I get to the safehouse, I should ask if she knows how to achieve the feat. Or at the very least, see if she has a recording of something like that. “Though I don’t mind Classical, my favorite music is…” the mare began to turn violet again. “um.. it’s… it’s dubstep.” He gave her a grin, “Ah, DJPon3 and the likes, or has the scene moved on from her and branched out? I imagine Manehatten has seen its fair share of new musicians in that genre. I remember her coming to Canterlot once, it was quite an amusing sight,” he gave a small laugh, a smile crawling upwards as he remembered the event. “The nobles didn’t quite know what to do when she started playing, they all sort of stumbled about trying to figure out how to react. For someone who’s used to seeing them act in perfect motion to music, it was quite a hilarious sight to see them wander about like lost sheep.” “I would have loved to see that. Prancer and I was younger, and well quite a few of his Faction, had to regularly attend the Noble’s parties in Manehatten. Oh there was certainly intrigue going on behind the scenes, but most of the time… I read periodicals about the mating habits of tarantulas that were more entertaining.” She stuck her tongue out. “If my grandfather didn’t have to play their games to gain their patronage, we’d wouldn’t waste our time. “I still enjoy DJPon3, but its been some time since I heard any beats from her. Certainly a new generation of Dubstep musicians are on the rise, but its popularity is largely with the freeponies and lower to middle classes. Though, if the younger nobles were like Lightwing, they’d probably listen to it as a rebellious act against their parents.” Scalpel well remembered the intrigues of the nobility, he’d been raised among it, and had largely found it to be both unbearably unpleasant, tedious and irritating. That may have also been because it interfered with with his studies, but the feeling still held true, he didn’t miss it for a moment, although the entertainment was something he did occasionally pine for. “To be honest you could probably compare the mating habits of spiders and snakes to the intrigues of the Canterlot nobility, although I’d say they’re more like the habits of black widow spiders. If they aren’t mating with one another they’re chewing each others heads off, or in general killing one another in complex plots.” “I imagine there is some level of counter culture in the youth of Manehatten, not that I’d come to much, most of the nobility are too settled in their usual paths to deviate too far from the expected norm. It’s a saddening state of affairs.” He paused, considering his options now the ball was back to him. A lingering question sat on the edge of his mind. He decided to chance it, “Lens? I do have a more personal question to ask, but I’m slightly concerned over whether I should. I guess I could even it out by allowing you to ask one of your own… “I guess I want to ask whether you were solely raised by your Grandfather Prancer? you’ve never spoken of your parents, So I have been wondering. You don’t have to answer if its too personal.” “No, it’s not a problem,” Lens said. She had avoided it only because she didn’t want Scalpel to recall that horrible memory. “I barely remember my parents. They had passed away both before my 5th birthday. Officially, I was adopted by my father’s sister, May Spring, but it was only a technicality. She, like any of Prancer’s children, were working for the Scholarship, and my Grandfather’s agenda. “But while Aunt Spring was very busy off in foreign lands, her children and I were watched over my Director Prancer. And he was a great educator and seemed to appreciate children. After all, he did have over ten. Well, ten legitimate foals. Actually, my father was one of the illegitimate ones, born after a rather scandalous affair with a former student, Ms. Crystal Lens. She frowned. “If there was one flaw that my grandfather had, it was he was a skirt chaser. I still don’t know how he got a mare at age 70…” She shook her head. “In any case, Grandfather was a caring parent, if his education standards were higher than most other parents. But he shown me and my step sisters kindness and compassion, keeping us safe while his own children worked on the Project. “I suppose I was the closest to Prancer. My stepsiblings, well, they choose other educations. I stayed with science, medicine, and psychology. And who was a better teacher than the Director himself? I admired his genius, and spent a lot of time with him. Until I received my Bachelor's at age 11, I barely left his side. Indeed, even now I’m rather fond of him.” Scalpel raised an eyebrow as Lens’ described her grandfathers amorous tendencies, “My, my. I’d heard he was quite a rogue in his own fashion but I never figured he’d be still at it in his Seventies, I’m mildly impressed.” He leaned back a bit, retreating into his memories, “I remember I graduated early at Celestia’s School, I think I was the youngest in my specific field for a long, long time. Well, until I left Moon and Star behind and went on my own way, letting them think I’d snuffed it in the process. I didn’t really have anyone to assist me in my work, Father disapproved and tried to have me shut away in numerous military academies, and Grandfather was long in a Struttgart asylum by that point, although I imagine he could have taught me a few things about my studies and delvings.” His face fell slightly, “It was a lonely existence sometimes, only having books to talk to and the constant issues at home sometimes made me feel miserable. I managed to get through, and now here I am,” he gestured around him, a slight sarcastic smirk crossing his face, “Stuck in a dark cave in the middle of noponies land! The fortunes have favored me well.” A sudden sound of rustling metal made him pause momentarily, turning to stare off to his right. In a matter of a couple of seconds the large figure of the unicorn Risen captain, Tsan was brought into the light of the projector. “I take it all preparations are ready?” Scalpel said, a hint of nervous tension working its way into his voice as he spoke to his creation. Tsan nodded, “It is done Lord Father. We are ready, we’ll begin at midnight.” Scalpel relaxed slightly, “good. If all goes well we’ll have it within the hour.” Turning to face Lens he gave her an apologetic look, “Sorry Lens, I am going to have to be drawn away for tonights business. Hopefully I’ll be able to contact you soon after once the mission is complete, I won’t have to worry much about my safety afterwards if its a success.” He waved Tsan away, and the Risen bowed, first to Scalpel and then to Lens, before trotting off out the cave. “Thank you,” Lens said to the Risen. She looked back at Scalpel. “Your work must come first. Besides, I can rest easier knowing you are safer. Until then, I’ll try to rest. Please be safe, and if you see Honey and Nocturne, say hello for me. “Take care, my love.” “I’ll send them your regards… and I’ll try and keep myself safe for you.” he paused, a passionate look coursing across his face as he took her in one more time. “You take care as well Lens, the roads are treacherous. I worry for you…. He blew her a kiss, before giving her a longing look, reaching forward to deactivate the box with his magic “Stay safe Lens, stay safe my love.” With that, the vision of Scalpel clouded, the magic dissipating, fading into nothingness. The crystal settled into the box once again, and then the image faded away, leaving behind only the broken masonry of the cellar.

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Under the evening sky, two ponies ran across the plain. Their cloaks seemed to blend into the twilight, providing some cover. But it was little comfort to the two travellers. Lens and Southwatcher were still a long ways from Golden Pines, and were not sure if they were being pursued. Here at such open land they would be easy targets, if not hunting party then bandits or the minions of the Laughing Mare. Southwatcher, despite being under the influence of whatever the Inquisition drugged her with, was able to keep a steady pace. Alas, Solar Lens found herself struggling to stay active. She had spent more time in the labs than exercising. Much to their luck they came across what once was a farm. But the main barn had collapsed with the roof fallen inwards. Only the silo remained standing, and even then it lacked a roof. Lens looked over to Southy, nodding over to the structure. The Earth pony nodded, getting that would be the best place to spend the night. Half an hour later, the pair were in what was a small cellar. They had checked the area, carefully making sure no other ponies or unwanted guests were staying. The barn’s understructure was too wet and smelled foul, and the remains of the house did not provide much protection. By chance, they found some stairs that lead to a sturdy oak door. Inside was dry if a bit cold. As the stairs was obscured by the ruins, it was unlikely anypony would find it right away. Southwatcher and Lens blocked the inside of the door, and finally rested. --- On the other end of Equestria, Scalpel oversaw the readying of his forces for the task ahead. They had little time in which to achieve their goal, but with sufficient skill and a bit of good luck they might succeed where others would fail. The plan required the entire thing to go as smooth as clockwork, and it was making him nervous, anything else and the Stormwing legions would be alerted to his presence. He paced back and forth in nervous agitation, trying to calm himself down. Recently one of the squads of his Risen had come from Woodswatch and rejoined with the main group, which had given him some measure of relief. He hadn’t heard from the forest god either, so he assumed he’d managed to get her off his trail, at least for the moment. He was standing in the cave they had occupied with his equipment. Most of it was still packed up, asides from fold up chairs and a few tables which were easily disassemblable. Over in the corner the bodies of the captives lay from where Scalpel had dealt with them when Zodiac had returned. They drooled and muttered incoherently to one another on occasion, but for the most part they seemed almost catatonic. He’d have to deal with them at some point if he had the chance, although he figured that might just be a waste of his time. I doubt they’ll have the strength to even recover, let alone talk to anyone. he mused, wandering over to the Inquisitors serum bags and beginning to pack them up. He’d cleaned the equipment before he finished with it, and the dull steel glinted in what remained of the daylight. The serum had proven to be rather effective, it was a wonder he hadn’t used it much before really, but then he’d never seen much of a need to consult the brains of the living in regards to his studies. He figured he had enough to synthesize his own at some point, but that would require shipping in the chemicals and figuring out the formula for its completion, so it was out of the question right now. He turned to his nearby saddlebags, each pouch filled with accumulated lore, as well as both rare books which the trade had supposed to exchange. Lens had been on his mind of late, he wondered how she was doing, where she was, and how she felt. He’d left in a rush and an inopportune time, he hadn’t been given much time to get to know her as well as he might have under different circumstances. He paused before the bag, before lighting it up with a touch of magic, and lifting out a small intricate metal box and giving it a look. bringing it over to a nearby table he sat down, legs crossed, his forehooves on the table with the box in front of him. Should he make the call? it might have been a bad time to do so. He didn’t know yet, which was why he’d asked her to call him instead. He didn’t want to draw attention to the beautiful mare more than was necessary. He sat there frowning for a while, before making up his mind. He would send out a projection. --- Southwatcher took the first watch by the door, while Lens decided to get some rest. Around the bend of some rock there was small alcove with some shelves. At one time it might had held canning jars, but there was now nothing but dust. Somepony at one time or another took the food. Lens checked the area for glass or any pest, and it was nothing but bare stone. She lay down and attempted to sleep. Despite her tired legs and aching back, the unicorn could not fall asleep. Her mind was back to the Noxferus, whose real name she kept secret. Her heart was still with him, wherever he went. She turned to her side and took out from her saddlebag his gift. Looking at the device, she wanted to see the Doctor again, and wondered if he felt the same way. She avoided using the device during the run - Lens did not want to endanger Scalpel. That and no doubt the Doctor would have been busy setting up a new shop. But days have gone by… and each day her heart longed to see the stallion’s face. And now that Lens was by herself and secure (she hoped), perhaps she could give into her soul’s desire. She studied the device, and gave a guess in how to activate it. I have no experience with Astral projection. Grandfather noted the dangers of attempting such magic, but I’m sure the Noxferus’ device should be safe enough. Here I go… So she thought back to the handsome face of Scalpel, his smile, his eyes full of intellect and passion, his wonderful coat and well developed body. Her horn began to glow, and she felt the slow transfer of magic from her to the device. She closed her eyes to focus on the image more, and waited. --- At the same time, Scalpel on the other end of Equestria was doing just the same thing. He imagined her soft luxurious mane, parting wonderfully down her face in cascading waves, her piercing orange eyes, her soft blue coat, his heart aflutter slightly as he revelled in the memory. But most of all he remembered the towering intellect behind the beauty, and which intermingled fantastically with her features to create a truly stunning mare. Channeling these thoughts into his mind, and then activating his magic into the device, he readied himself for the projection. Suddenly his mind began to leave his body, still connected by a strong link to it, but drifting away towards the device. With a rush of magic he made the connection and the small box sang harmoniously, the gem rising from it to levitate above it, spinning and growing ever brighter. Finally with a woosh of exhilaration he felt the connection on the other side be made, but it was made even easier when he realised that at that same time, Lens had also done the same as him. With a rush of energy, the gem on Lens’ side erupted in a cascade of light and magical essence, pouring out like a twisting serpent from the gem. Slowly this magic correlated itself, the image growing clearer, until the ghostly ethereal form of Scalpel stood levitating before her, surrounded by a miasma of magic and a small amount of the cavern he was sitting in. He blinked momentarily in surprise and looked about, around him he could see what seemed to be a cellar, old and dusty. But that was not what caught his eye. Before him, Lens lay, looking up at him with a loving smile on her face. She looked tired, like she’d been on the run for a while, and there were faint traces of bags under her eyes, but to him she was just as beautiful as the day he’d first seen her. He gave her a small smile, the passion and adoration seeping out of him like concentrated magic as he took her in again. “Lens” he breathed, and savored the word, “I… I’ve missed you.” ---- The Scholar was silent as she looked into the eyes of Scalpel, usually hardened but were now lovely. Her own eyes began to quiver and she smiled. In the three days she and Southy were on the run, Lens did not forget him. And to hear his voice after running that long… Lens couldn’t hold back the joyful tears. “Thank you,” Lens said, wiping the tears away. “It seems like forever since we spoke, Doctor Noxferus.” His real name Lens swore never to reveal or speak aloud. In was kept in a maze of thoughts, buried under the most subconscious defenses that her training had prepared. If any pony ever penetrated those defenses via force, Lens would be left insane and incoherent. Any only Scalpel and the Inquisition were the only ones who do that without destroying her mind. And Lens had no intention of being captured by the Moon and Stars. A new passion drove her, love that was left kindled that meeting in the manse in Woodwatch days ago. Emotions now reawakening at the sight of Scalpel. “Please, if I am interrupting something, let me know. But…” Lens took a deep breath. “... I needed to know if you were alright.” Scalpel chuckled at that, a bright smile settling over his face as she spoke, “Quite the contrary, I have some time on my hooves as of late, although I’ll be moving camp later tonight. That will be the first of the decisive changes in my fortunes, although I’m afraid I should leave the details vague for now.” he scratched his chin thoughtfully, before returning to her with an eager look, “Interestingly enough we managed to activate the Astral projection at the same time… I must admit, I’ve been concerned about how you were doing for the last few days. I … left at an ill time, I worry that the Inquisition might still be on your hooves. Tell me, how are you progressing in your travels?” “Been rough as of the past day or so,” Lens replied. “But I should probably start from the beginning, after you had transported away. “I rushed out of the mansion as fast as I could, once I was able to compose myself. Funnily enough I almost forgot to close the front door. I went back and slammed it and made my way to the Inn. I found the place more than a mess after the party, with the bar mares less than happy with the job they had to do. I inquired about Scarlet and Southwatcher, my fellow Scholar. Of Scarlet, the maids knew nothing and they said Southy rested in my room. “The Innkeeper was there, attending over my catatonic peer. Alas, he did not see Scarlet either, and he seemed rather anxious when I mentioned her description.” Lens sighed. “Scarlet must have left, before I could properly thank her for saving me from the Inquisition. But she must have known that the Moon and Stars would send someone to find out what happened that night.” Scalpel nodded, “Scarlet is perfectly fine, we met shortly after the incident at the Monolith, I ended up hiring her to see to some personal matters on my behalf, although I didn’t know that she’d left so soon. She was... Ah, rather inebriated that night. She may have decided to start out on a whim. I may be able to contact her soon, if so I’ll send her your thanks, she was one of the people to vouch on your behalf after the incident.” Lens blushed a bit. “Well, Scarlet does know how to party, I think Nocturne could tell you the details if you want. In any case, thank you. “Now where was I… yes, the Inn. I gathered what little baggage I had, which was a medical bag. I wasn’t sure which serum the Inquisition had used on Southy. Chances are she would be fine in a couple of days. But time being short, I took some desperate measures and injected her with a syringe of hyperactivity stimulant, the stuff that acts like adrenaline. “Sure enough she literally jumped out of the bed and was standing on the ceiling.” Scalpel smirked at that, “Sounds like Nocturne after too many drinks, goodness knows Honey had to beat her down with a broom for roosting on the ceiling after the party you three had. She kept on hissing, but eventually settled down a bit after a lot of grumbling.” “Regardless, I think the serum used on her was a lesser variant, as far as I can tell the concoction you were injected with was a recent invention, high priority targets only. Doubtless she would have made a recovery sooner of later, but the shot you gave her couldn’t have hurt, probably helped in getting out of there fast I imagine.” Lens nodded, and chuckled at Scalpel’s comments. “Southy is a rather large unicorn, sometimes she gets mistaken for a stallion. I couldn’t drag her all the way to the safehouse at Golden Pines. But bad luck came our way. “Just as I was paying the Innkeeper extra money - to tell anyone looking for me that I headed south for Manehatten, the door busted open. There was one of the Town Watch, Pathfinder and Lily, who seemed rather worried.” Lens sighed. “It seems that Lily went to the Watch after Longsight did not return that night. Worse, it seems the Innkeeper contacted the Watch earlier about Southy. As a result, we were delayed by an investigation.” “It took hours, but I managed to convince the authorities that there was a misunderstanding. And by convince, I mean bribe. The Town needed medicine, so I traded my bag to get Pathfinder to look the other way.” Scalpel gave a small sigh of relief “Thank goodness for that, honestly now that I think about it I should have expected as much, I could have left a sizable amount of bits to assist with bribing process. Its not like my family had any dearth of wealth, even if you one is of the more unwelcome members of said family.” He began to pace slightly before the Astral projector, a slight frown on his face, “I do wonder if the Innkeeper will keep his end of the deal, hopefully he’ll keep his mouth shut. How far are you from one of your safehouses?” “This pegasus Pathfinder was rather odd - he didn’t want money. I had more than enough to bribe him as well, but instead he just began talking about Woodwatch’s lack of medical supplies, implying he wanted that instead. “Now I have two hypotheses why he wanted my bag. One was that he was a addict and needed a fix. But considering he was in fine shape and very focused, I don’t think that was the case. The second was, well, he was willing to bend the rules so the Town itself would benefit. I know it sounds strange in times like these, but there was something about him that indicated that. “But I should return from this odd tangent. We’re about a day’s march away from the nearest Scholar safehouse. But we needed to rest for tonight.” Scalpel’s frown got slightly deeper at the information Lens had just given him, the cynical portion of his brain beginning to question the watchpony’s motives. “That’s a very curious reaction to this Lens. Call me a cynic but it sounded vaguely like he was up to something. I don’t know, perhaps I should keep an ear out for him the future, see if he starts turning up in the ‘wrong’ circles.” Out of the gloom of the cave, another figure emerged from the darkness, heavily shrouded and bent to whisper in Scalpels ear. After the figure had finished it turned and left, but not before giving Lens an analytical look as it past, clearly displaying the features of the dead Inquisitor Longsight. Scalpel continued as if he hadn’t noticed, sitting back down again and turning to give her a warm look, “On my end we seem to have a bit of mixed luck. a portion of the force had to be split off as I couldn’t transport them during the ritual, regardless we’ve had them making their way to temporary camp over the past few days. Tonight we’re planning an operation, which, if it goes successfully will give me a permanent hidden base so I can work relatively undisturbed. Hopefully, with this developed I might be able to be with you in a more physical manner than the Astral projection device.” A slight blush erupted across his face, the tantalising thoughts of being close to Lens’ filling him with some level of glee, “It’ll be good to see you again in person…” But Lens had paled somewhat, her limbs began to shake. She closed her eyes and shook her head to regain her wits. She did not respond right away, but then spoke: “That… unit that just spoke to you… it was like seeing a ghost. Was that… who i think it was?” Scalpel looked a bit confused at that, tilting his head to the side. Eventually however, the dawning sense of realisation kicked in, and his mouth thinned a little at the mistake he’d just committed. Stupid, stupid stupid! he scolded, I should have realised, goodness me I’ve made a right mess. With a very clipped and formal tone he replied, looking a little nervous as he did so, “Ah… yes. That would happen to be the recently deceased Longsight, although there isn’t much of her left in there anymore. The resurrection process doesn’t bring back the souls of the dead the same way the cult does. There are fragments left, abilities, traits, not much else. The new possessor of the body calls herself Zodiac, and she’s proven to be a useful asset to the cause. I thought I had mentioned before that the Inquisitors had been ‘processed’. Perhaps I wasn’t as clear as I thought. I apologise for that… its my fault.” he looked a little downtrodden at that, slightly saddened to have made Lens so afraid. “No, no, this is no fault of your own,” Lens said. “It just… this is the first Risen that I could recognized as living before. I didn’t know Longsight very much, and until you told me, I didn’t even known of what she did to me. It’s unnerving, because just a week ago I saw her, alive, just a rather curious missionary. To see her body moving as if nothing happened, changed as it might be… it’s like the a ghost coming to visit. Something shocking even to a Doctor like me.” He nodded back understandingly, “I guess it would seem rather uncanny, personally I’ve never felt it exactly. Then again, I’ve never resurrected anyone who I knew particularly well, or much at all, I wonder how I’d react if I did so, probably not as well as you I imagine.” He rubbed his face, slightly relieved that the situation wasn’t as dire as he’d previously presumed, “Perhaps we should move to other topics?” I hope the Noxferus will never have to face such an instance, to see a friend come back from the dead, as if nothing happened, Lens though. She nodded. “I should finish my tale quickly. Of the Missionaries I had some difficulties. I informed Lily and her comrades of Longsight’s affiliation. I did not tell them about the events of last night, though I had to conjure a different story. “Lily was in shock, and a pegasus mare didn’t want to believe. But I asked if they knew anything about Longsight. Few knew anything about her, save that she joined their band a month or so ago. And Longsight was interested in meeting the Lady Sweeper, almost too interested. I then asked if Longsight had any strange behavior. ‘She would go out during dark,’ Lily said. ‘I followed her one time, quietly. She met up with a stallion and they exchanged notes. I thought they were, well, lovers.’ “Well, it was not proof, but it was enough to convince the Mission to leave town. I told them to head to Manehatten, to the Cathedral of the Sisters of Harmony. The bishop is the granduncle to one of the other Directors of the Scholarship - he should be able to keep an eye on the group until I could get back to try to sort things out.” With a nod of affirmation, Scalpel replied, his face still heralding a slight but noticeable frown set upon it, “It does seem that the majority of the Missionary group are trustworthy. Still, I’d advise caution for future work with them, their order is loose and could be easily infiltrated, as it has been done here. I’d advise someone keep a close eye on their membership in the future, just to make sure, Sweeper’s temperament, according to my sources, as well as your analysis of her is… erratic.” He shuffled some loose papers to the side of him, sliding them into one of his numerous travel packs, “Regardless they should still serve as good cover for Scholastic movement…” he paused, and gave her a small smile, “but despite all that’s been going on I guess I want to ask you something personal. Is that fine with you?” “Good advice - I was thinking of setting up protocols for the Scholars to use when working with the Missions. Perhaps we could set up an Counter-Inquisition as it were,” Lens said. “But that will have to wait....” She was quiet for the last part, unsure of how to respond. “Personal? Well, this is a first - I’ve never been asked that before. Most of my peers wonder if I have a personal life. But… yes, you can ask.” He gave her a grin at that, happy that his idea was being taken on board, not to mention getting to know her better. “I must say that everything seems to have been forced to move so fast with us, the attack put a stress on me which might not have happened otherwise. I know Dr Lens has a sharp mind, perfect and wonderful, and that she has a vast array of talents. I also know she’s the most stunning mare this stallions ever met, from her beautiful hair, wonderfully alluring orange eyes and a fine hau... “ he cut himself off there, blushing slightly as he realised he’d almost gone overboard, “Well… what I mean to say is that whilst I know these things about you, I don’t know the real you. What I said when we were back in the Manse still holds true, I want to get to know the real you Lens, not just rely on these sparse details… you're… important to me. I guess what I’m saying is, who is this magical mare who swept me off my feet?”

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

I'm currently planning on making a new post. I'll get it up later today.

@Bright_Ops

Awesome.

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Sure.

@Tai Falkenburg

Sent you a PM with the link, should be open and ready for collaboration.

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Interesting developments, I like it. Though I didn't expect Thea's reaction like that. But I wonder if she's enjoying the hunt more because of how clever her prey is? On a side note. Currently online for the next couple of hours hopefully.

@Tai Falkenburg

Awesome, you want me to start up a G-Doc?

Worlds Collide - A Futuristic Fantasy RP

Hi guys. I've been having problems with my skype for the past few days. So I'm posting here in the meantime. Anyway, i've a question... How do you guys do that post where two or three characters talk in a single post? Do one person control all the other characters in that single post? Sorry, I had to ask to be sure.

@Kyrisse

We do a collab together by using Google Documents, we've found it works better than doing extended individual posts as it comes across more realistic and takes less time.

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Yeah pretty busy trying to get a whole lot of stuff done, and there's also work as well. But I should have more time open soon. Overall, things are well. How about you?

@Tai Falkenburg

I've been okay, slowly plodding through university, reading books, studying and going to lectures, that sort of thing. Meanwhile in the offhand I've been enthusing about this RP a fair bit, given I'm approaching an exciting time for Scalpel and I'll be able to hone my skills in regards to battle, intrigue and political policy, as well as develop his personality as a arisen deity. Overall I'm in good spirits and quite excited about what's coming, even If I am currently trying to write up essays in advance of their due date.

Equestria Divided: In Nominé - MLP RP

Sure, no problem. I may be free later tomorrow evening, though Tuesday and Wedsnday I have off so I can write then. Also, got done with reading the new stuff. Neat entry. Zodiac seems rather frightful, especially since her methods are much more ruthless than Scalpel. Very interesting.

@Tai Falkenburg

Fair enough, I figure I'll have enough free time to set up something tomorrow, if you can't find the time Tuesday and Wednesday will suit me as well as I don't have much going on those days. Zodiac is a wild card yes, Although she'll likely be tempered and restrained from doing anything too terrible unless Scalpel gives her his assent to do so. Still its quite advantageous to have a zealot on your side, the threat of unleashing it scares the buggery out of those who might try and rebel against you. Anyway, how have you been? You were offline for a good long while so I wondered if you were particularly busy of late.

Worlds Collide - A Futuristic Fantasy RP

Things had been slow since the battle with the bird girl, Sindri hadn’t had much to do in the meanwhile expect study and tend to his flock of pigeons which he regularly visited. He hadn’t seen anybody much lately, not even Alice, who he’d been getting on with better as of late. So he drifted, reading here, practicing there, listening to the dangerous “talks” of Slyphide as she scrutinised him within her iron grip, fixing his watches and seeing to whatever happened to intrigue him. As of this moment he was up in his Hawthorne tree reading Ovid’s Metamorphoses, beneath him in the facility garden practically nothing moved asides from the passing of the occasional bird or student moving to classes. Thumbing through his clothbound copy, he admired the prose, but he felt restless and bored. After a few pranks which might just have gone too far, Slyphide had told him on no uncertain terms to behave himself or face the consequences. Frankly he never wanted to face her consequences again, once had been bad enough. One thing did lighten his mood a little however, Lilith had finally managed to make time in her schedule to meet with him later that day. Apparently there was some grand summer festival going on in the neighbouring city, an ancient Chinese traditions which stretched back hundreds of years, so they were planning to go to that. Not that there was much choice in the matter, the Academy had been abuzz with the news for weeks ahead, if they didn’t go they’d just end up enjoying the empty halls of the place as the students left to enjoy the festival fun without them. Besides, it had been a while since he and Lilith had been given a good time to chat to one another, it’d be good to catch up over a drink or two whilst taking in the festivities. All the thoughts about the festival made him feel even more restless than before, and he closed his book with a snap, returning it to its position in his bags. He had little to do as of this moment – It was still a few hours until Lilith and he actually met up— so he figured he might as well take a ramble around the place. After half an hour having a walk, he came upon the holographic sector of the place. A couple of weeks ago he and Lilith had started a little match in there over who could take the highest kill count. In the end it was Lilith, if only because holograms were not receptive to mind powers. Most of the place today was relatively vacant asides from a few practicing younger students in various shifter forms, and he paused only occasionally to watch as they beat the crap out of their opponents. Eventually however he paused before one and saw an intriguing light show. It was a phoenix apparently, utilising her abilities, attempt to refine them it seemed. He enjoyed the explosive colours that erupted across her as she flew, pausing for a while and observing from afar as she continued to practice. Finally she was interceded by a fellow student who went over to talk to her, obviously asking her something as she left. Obviously the response was a yes, because he jogged past Sindri with a grin on his face seconds later. Sindri suddenly noticed that the girl had extensive burns down one side of her face and body, and a measure of sympathy went out to her, although he did not entirely know her. Still he had no reason to stay here, so he began to float off. Behind him he heard the door close as the phoenix girl took the same path as him, and he slowed down as she walked by to a more measured pace, fixing her was an analytical look as he did so. Intriguing…