Fallout: Beyond Equestria, 64: The Top of the World (Part 6)

[2013-12-11 13:18:32] <Little_Gloom> 3"23-5-5-8-22-18-3..." comes from the numbers station "...23-8-18."  Then it stops.  There is dead air for a few moments.  Then a snippet of a song.  Bookwright writes down the last number. "That'll be the whole message then. Whatever it is."
[2013-12-11 13:19:06] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart wobbles a moment in the air. "IT is quite hard to remain here. And there is no solid ground on the far side. We would suggest that CopyCat float us to the doorway and We can lift another up through the door to the other side."
[2013-12-11 13:19:12] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat calls back, "Okay Noble, I'll have you there in a jiffy. Thankfully our new barding makes hanging over those doorframes a bit more comfortable than they'd otherwise be."
[2013-12-11 13:19:39] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart frowns. "That would be dangerous. But We suppose it is true. Bookwright! Can you carry CopyCat as she carries Us?"
[2013-12-11 13:19:46] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright nods. "Yeppers! I'm ready when you are!"
[2013-12-11 13:20:02] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart nods her head. "We are prepared."
[2013-12-11 13:20:11] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright nods, and puts away his tools. For the sake of noise, he leaves the radio playing. "Let's go then. Does everypony want to go through the door Noble Heart opened for us?"
[2013-12-11 13:20:24] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream yells. "Yes!"  CopyCat smiles. "Then let's get to it!"
[2013-12-11 13:20:35] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart nods her head, looking down the corridor. "There is no place to go on the far side save through the large doors. We suggest being careful."
[2013-12-11 13:20:46] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright nods. "Right, so no playing loud radio stations, having arguments, or breaking down doors. Good plan."
[2013-12-11 13:20:52] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat tilts her head as she is herself floated. "But I thought we had already done all those things?"
[2013-12-11 13:21:00] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright tilts his head to mirror CopyCat tilting her head. "Gee, I wonder."
[2013-12-11 13:21:05] <Little_Gloom> 3Shatara flutters up to the doorway and peeks into the hallway beyond, trying to see what's past the doors.
[2013-12-11 13:21:14] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream is still in the hallway! Help!
[2013-12-11 13:21:19] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat works hard on concentrating on two things at once, and lifts up Golden_Dream so she can come too.
[2013-12-11 13:21:25] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream is floated!
[2013-12-11 13:21:33] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well 3stays with Get_Lost as the others work together to get through the transparent doors.
[2013-12-11 13:21:42] <Little_Gloom> 3A cold wind blows.
[2013-12-11 13:22:09] <Little_Gloom> 3Fallout: Beyond Equestria, Session Sixty-Four: The Top of the World (Part Six) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LETrhOP90p4
[2013-12-11 13:22:25] <Little_Gloom> 3--- Session Begins ---
[2013-12-11 13:26:32] <Little_Gloom> 3With considerable planning and effort, the get to the large, transparent doors.  It takes strength and effort to get them to open -- the liquid in the hydraulics meant to operate them had long frozen -- but the group has both aplenty.  Beyond the door is a huge room, one that would have taken up about third of the tower level.
[2013-12-11 13:28:29] <Little_Gloom> 3On either side of the door is stenciled writing: OBSERVATION (LEVEL 20).  The opened door becomes a ledge, a sheer drop below and a cavernous space above.
[2013-12-11 13:29:58] * CopyCat and a small flotilla of floating equines float inside. She looks down. "Ooo, there's a big drop in here! Err, please dont drop me..."
[2013-12-11 13:30:35] * Noble_Heart peers downwards into the darkness. "We do not think it is safe for all of us to stand upon this door. We shall descend, and check if it is safe." She spread her wings, to hopefully be able to glide downwards. The hallways were tight, but this was a large room, surely it would be big enough!
[2013-12-11 13:31:35] * Golden_Dream whistles. "That's, uh. That's a long drop!" It was around then where she sort of wished she'd bought more rope. Rope would be so useful here! As would a grappling iron, to be perfectly frank. She paused in thought. "Don't suppose any 'o ya'll got a grapplin' gun in yer bag o' tricks?"
[2013-12-11 13:33:35] * CopyCat shakes her head at Golden_Dream. "No. But I do have a quilt. You could tie it around your neck like a cape as your first step towards being a filly-wonder."
[2013-12-11 13:39:55] * Bookwright peers about. "'Observation', huh? I wonder what they planned to observe from here?"
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[2013-12-11 13:40:02] * Shatara nervously peers with the others.
[2013-12-11 13:40:30] * Golden_Dream put on a crooked smile. "Ah couldn't take that from y'. Y'd look so cold without it." She looked down. The abyss stared back. She spat in it to gauge the distance between where she was and how far down it went.
[2013-12-11 13:41:46] * Noble_Heart looks to Bookwright. "This was the twentieth floor, was it not? Likely it was meant to observe the surrounding terrain."
[2013-12-11 13:51:31] * Bookwright mutters something about not being able to see the forest for the trees.
[2013-12-11 13:55:55] * CopyCat wonders how that could even work.
[2013-12-11 13:59:12] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream's spit freezes as it falls. There is a shattering tinkle when it hits bottom.
[2013-12-11 14:00:45] * CopyCat announces: "Err, nopony lick anything."
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[2013-12-11 14:02:11] * Golden_Dream looks surprised, horrified, and amazed all within the span of five seconds. Son of a gun. This isn't just regular cold, this is /advanced cold/. She decided to tuck herself into her barding a little more. "So, uh. I'm guessin' there's loot down there. Anypony wanna go down there with me?"
[2013-12-11 14:03:56] <Little_Gloom> 3The room, as much as they can see, is painted in a gentle puce and creamy yellow.  Maneframes are bolted to what had been the walls at several places.  A few still blink with waning light.  Most of the group spot faint patches of weakly glowing green below.  The temperature in here is deadly cold, moreso than the rest of the tower, or outside.
[2013-12-11 14:07:56] * Bookwright frowns. "Puce and yellow? Those seem like they should be Ministry of Peace colors. How odd. CopyCat, don't you have a spell that mitigates the cold?"
[2013-12-11 14:10:05] * CopyCat nods. "Yes Bookie. But I will need to really concentrate to help everypony."
[2013-12-11 14:11:08] * Bookwright "Maybe just one or two should go exploring then. I've got winterized armor already, but I don't know if it's insulated enough to keep /that/ kind of chill out."
[2013-12-11 14:12:35] * Shatara shivers a bit. "M-maybe we could check some of the other halls..."
[2013-12-11 14:12:40] * Get_Lost frowns, she was terribly distracted, or occupied, playing with her new toy and didn't really listen to the others
[2013-12-11 14:20:29] * Golden_Dream takes out her binoculars and gets a closer look at those green lights.
[2013-12-11 14:21:19] <Little_Gloom> 3The green lights are piles of goo.
[2013-12-11 14:21:36] * CopyCat swallows, feeling the cold even through her own spell. "But if we wish to explore this place then I suppose we have no other option. Bookwright, can you hold onto Golden_Dream and Noble_Heart in my place please? I need to focus..."
[2013-12-11 14:22:09] * Golden_Dream blinks, then passes the binoculars to Shatara. "Welp. That ain't good."
[2013-12-11 14:22:16] * Bookwright takes over the slack.
[2013-12-11 14:22:23] * Noble_Heart looks around slowly with a frown. "We can attempt to gain access to the lower areas. It seems there was a battle here at some point." She tilted her head to one side. "It would seem this place was used for more than merely bird watching. We would assume it was for spying upon any possible zebra intrusion into Equestria."
[2013-12-11 14:22:40] * Shatara chirps and looks through the bincoulars.
[2013-12-11 14:24:00] * Golden_Dream has this look on her face. Her face grew longer. "Shatara. Do those things look like green glowin' goo, 'r is it jus' me?"
[2013-12-11 14:24:52] * Shatara nods somberly and glances at his rad gauge. No tick-tick-tickety yet...
[2013-12-11 14:25:48] * CopyCat closes her eyes and her horn flares into even brighter life. A wave of magic washes over each of her friends and they start to feel the cold less and less, until it doesn't seem troubling at all.
[2013-12-11 14:27:02] * Golden_Dream strains her eyes a little at the maneframes. Can those support her weight? They lasted this long.
[2013-12-11 14:36:47] * Golden_Dream coughs. "'Ey! Noble! You think those Maneframes can support m' weight?"
[2013-12-11 14:37:13] * Noble_Heart frowns and tilts her head to one side. "Likely. Though We would not recommend such a perilous position. Would you like a ride down?"
[2013-12-11 14:37:54] * CopyCat opens her eyes again, panting from the exertion. "There, that -ah- that should do it."
[2013-12-11 14:40:07] * Get_Lost takes a look around, confused, checks that nopony really needs her and goes back doing stuff on her own
[2013-12-11 14:40:51] * Golden_Dream sighs. "Ah /really/ need a grapplin' gun." She takes a stance as if she's getting ready to climb on top of Noble.
[2013-12-11 14:42:07] * Get_Lost "want one? i can try and fix something similar"
[2013-12-11 14:43:20] * Noble_Heart crouches down and extends a wing to help Golden Dream up. "We shall be happy to carry you. We wish to know what happened here as well. This is troubling. It should not be colder inside than outside."
[2013-12-11 14:44:53] * Golden_Dream hops on, looking none too pleased. "If you can, Get_Lost, I'd really like somethin' like that." So she didn't have to hitch rides as much. Her pride took a hit every time she had to ask.
[2013-12-11 14:45:26] * Bookwright "Set me down on one of those maneframes then. I want a closer look."
[2013-12-11 14:45:52] * Noble_Heart waits for Golden Dream to get up on her back before spreading her wings to fly down towards the floor below.
[2013-12-11 14:46:45] * CopyCat stretches her wings in the wide open room. At last she could fly again!
[2013-12-11 14:48:24] * Shatara cautiously follows the princesspones.
[2013-12-11 14:49:38] * CopyCat takes the time to pluck Get_Lost off the ground so she could join them. Better for everypony to stay together. "As I said before, we need to take care that we do not lick anything in here."
[2013-12-11 14:52:51] * Shatara blinkblinks at CopyCat.
[2013-12-11 14:55:34] * Golden_Dream waits until Noble and her touch down, then starts to look around the base of the /really/ cold room. She was happy that Copycat knew that spell. It would /suck/ if she didn't.
[2013-12-11 14:55:48] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well sits next to Get_Lost.
[2013-12-11 14:56:12] * Noble_Heart looks around, letting her horn glow, curious as to what's going on around here.
[2013-12-11 14:58:47] * Get_Lost mumbles "if i can find a decent spring, a gun chassis and another couple things i can start working on it.... i'll keep an eye open for the parts"
[2013-12-11 14:59:19] * Bookwright decides that it's better to be safe than sorry, and unslings his MASER. The warning was that it attacked in groups, and whatever 'it' was, several of 'it' got melted in here.
[2013-12-11 14:59:51] <Little_Gloom> 3The floor below is a wreck.  Structural damage from the tower impacting the ground is coupled with the devastation of multiple mainframes having broken loose and crashed down into the banks of terminals and systems that had lined this wall.  Huge monitors are shattered by massive arcanotech boxes.
[2013-12-11 15:00:29] * CopyCat brings Get_Lost along as she joins the others.
[2013-12-11 15:04:02] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart spots a single fallen maneframe bearing a Ministry of Arcane Sciences marking and the stenciled initials M.A.S.E.B.S.
[2013-12-11 15:04:05] <Little_Gloom> 3Amongst the wreckage are several ponies frozen and encased in ice -- from their races and armors, Enclave and Steel Rangers alike -- caught in the act of battle like a frigid photograph.
[2013-12-11 15:06:07] * Golden_Dream looks around and almost breathes a sigh of relief. Thank Celestia. They were fighting each other. She didn't ever want to see them cooperate.
[2013-12-11 15:06:15] * Bookwright "...What in Equestria could possibly flash-freeze somepony solid like that? I've never even heard of something like that."
[2013-12-11 15:06:31] * Noble_Heart moves across the frozen floors towards that maneframe, reaching out with her magic to see if she could get the maneframe upright and check for damage. If it was functional it could have records, or something useful, about what might have come through this facility.
[2013-12-11 15:07:53] <Little_Gloom> 3Some had fallen before the freeze.  There are a few puddles of green with bits of melted armor or skeletal remains.  One frozen mare was trying desperately to bandage her fallen comrade -- the loss of a his leg suggesting his chances were grim.

[2013-12-11 15:13:51] * Shatara quietly studies the frozen ponies' faces.The fear and hatred in their eyes...
[2013-12-11 15:14:30] * CopyCat frowns, seeing the pony-cicles and dusted bodies. "I don't think ponies should fight."
[2013-12-11 15:16:01] * Bookwright nods. "You and me both, CopyCat."
[2013-12-11 15:19:53] * Golden_Dream is... Disturbed by this setting. Not the violence per se, she'd grown too used to it to feel much but a numb sense that it should disturb her. It was the scale of it. That it wasn't a small group on small group or one on one battle, but a wide one. It sent her into a silent, darkly contemplative mood as she quietly looked for anything that was easily grabbable from the corpses. At least this...
[2013-12-11 15:19:56] * Golden_Dream ...fight might have some chance of having any sort of good coming out of it, although it was way too much bad to really want. "I don't think most ponies want t'. Most fights jus' kinda happen as a consequence of who's behind 'em, ah think."
[2013-12-11 15:25:09] * Noble_Heart frowns, looking up towards the ponies remaining above. "Bookwright! We have found a store which may contain much forgotten knowledge. But We cannot determine whether any of it yet remains. Would you like to come take a look?"
[2013-12-11 15:26:33] * Bookwright nods down at Noble_Heart. "Sure, sure. Lower me down then, I'll use my special eyes."
[2013-12-11 15:27:22] * Noble_Heart nods and reaches out with her magic to carefully lift Bookwright from the door and lower him down.
[2013-12-11 15:27:48] * Bookwright sets aside his ready weapon and bloops some bleeps.
[2013-12-11 15:29:50] * Noble_Heart eyetwitches slightly as she struggles to maintain her magic around Bookwright. "Be quick of it." She turns her back on Bookwright and moves up towards Golden Dream, sticking close to the filly. "We would not allow anyone to harm you. You should not feel afraid."
[2013-12-11 15:30:45] * CopyCat looks relieved. "Oh, thank goodness."
[2013-12-11 15:34:38] <Little_Gloom> 3A cold wind whirls through the dark chamber of the Level 20 Observation Center.  It cuts through barding and magic alike, giving everyone chills.
[2013-12-11 15:34:38] * Golden_Dream frowns as she begins her macabre work. "Ah ain't afraid o' them." And she wasn't. But it did put her in the right mood to ask something. "Noble? You ever talk t' a... Well, shrink?"
* +Golden_Dream shivers for a brief moment as the wind cut through her barding. She wondered briefly if it were an internal chill, not an external one before dropping it and trying to avoid eye-contact.
	* +Noble_Heart shudders from the cold, crouching down slightly to wrap a wing around Golden Dream. "Why would We need such a thing? We are stable. We are strong and noble and worthy of admiration!" Despite her words, her tone sounds more shaky than before. "We do not need another to give Us strength. We give strength to those around Us."
[2013-12-11 15:36:24] * CopyCat ruffles her feathers to dislodge the growing icicles, then shivers violently from the wind. "Ah! I think my barding might be a little draughty around the... um..."
[2013-12-11 15:37:22] * Shatara shivers and tries to wrap his wings around himself.
[2013-12-11 15:37:51] * Golden_Dream is silent for a little while. "I know you're strong. Ah' think yer hurt is all."
[2013-12-11 15:38:20] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright examines the maneframe.  He knows of the M.A.S.E.B.S. and is able to discern that this maneframe was part of that emergency network, relaying information both to the M.A.S.E.B.S. hub in Manehattan and relaying any broadcasts from the hub across Equestria.
[2013-12-11 15:39:57] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright suspects a slim chance there may be some information still in the system (although nothing that wouldn't already be at the hub) and he may be able to retrieve it with a PipBuck.
[2013-12-11 15:41:30] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream searches for anything she can take, but the bodies are frozen solid, equipment and all, underneath hard ice.  She would have to shatter it -- and them -- to get at any of their equipment.  She does, however, find something rather unusual: two anti-matrix grenades, used but still intact.  Apparently, they were duds.
[2013-12-11 15:41:45] * Noble_Heart nuzzles Golden_Dream briefly, closing her eyes. "We are not hurt. We are well and fine! As We have been for a long time." She doesn't sound confident in that. "We... We... I am no failure. I have not been a failure in a very long time. I won't fail you like I failed her..." Her voice gets quiet as something is definitely upsetting her.
[2013-12-11 15:42:54] * Bookwright grunts. "Alright then. I need somepony with a pipbuck to come over here. It's the only way I can get any information still left in here."
[2013-12-11 15:44:52] * Shatara shakes the cold from his wings and flutters over to Bookwright.
[2013-12-11 15:45:21] * Bookwright plugs Shatara's pipbuck into the maneframe and bleep bloops some more.
[2013-12-11 15:49:28] * Golden_Dream picks up the matrix grenades. She grunted. She would have to try to figure out what was wrong with these. She tried to work up words and failed for the first two times, the nuzzling didn't help. "You ain't a failure. Yer' a pony. Alright? And I don't want you gettin' caught up in somethin' like this because you think yer strong enough t' take it." She examines a fighter's face, frozen in a...
[2013-12-11 15:49:29] * Golden_Dream ...kind of emotion that nopony would ever want to die with. "I know you think you failed... Somepony. But no matter what y' look like, no matter how strong y' think you are, y' can't change what's been done. Ah' don't want you getting killed because of somethin' stupid I did." That last part hurt to say.
[2013-12-11 15:52:13] <Little_Gloom> 3The wind picks up, an unearthly howl.
[2013-12-11 15:54:12] * Noble_Heart winced slightly. "We wouldn't let something hurt you. Something take you away from me..." Her pronouns getting more mangled it seemed, the howling winds made her shiver again. "You're special to me... Please don't tell me to go away..." She looked back towards Bookwright. "This is his fault. He brought the memories back to Us. The pain back. We should not focus on the past,
[2013-12-11 15:54:13] * Noble_Heart but what We can do now..."
[2013-12-11 15:54:20] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright is able to salvage several old scraps of data, bits of recorded broadcasts from the looks of it.  Badly damaged, but intact enough to work with.
[2013-12-11 15:56:57] * Bookwright "Alright, I've gotten all I could out of it. Let's see if I can't piece together something useful with all this."
[2013-12-11 15:57:31] * Golden_Dream is kind of running off of emotion, not logic here. Her voice seemed a little slurred. "No matter what'cha are, yer a corpse in th' end, and th' worst way t' kill somepony is not tellin' the whole story." She muttered, mostly to herself. Her voice was tinged with the sort of anger that had been left to ferment long enough to become a solemn grout that held her together. She looked at Noble....
[2013-12-11 15:57:32] * Golden_Dream ..."Stop that. Y'wanna be pissed of at somepony, be pissed off at me fer raisin' it up. I ain't tellin' y' t' go away. I'm tellin' y' that y'r too good t' hurt that bad over some replacement to who you lost." There was maybe a little bite to that.
[2013-12-11 16:09:27] * CopyCat stares at the frozen ponies, then sits down on her rump and shivers. "I don't want to be alone. It's too quiet."
[2013-12-11 16:10:28] <Little_Gloom> 3Snow begins to fall.  Despite it being far too cold for snow.  And indoors.
[2013-12-11 16:12:00] * Noble_Heart shivers at the cold and the conflict and everything, but slowly she seemed to be regaining her composure. "Something... Something is wrong. We were... We felt so upset. Like in the hallway again. Like the argument never stopped." She shuddered and slowly stood, looking upwards. "We must get out of here. All of us."
[2013-12-11 16:14:26] * Shatara looks over at copycat with worry, but can't seem to bring himself to her side...
[2013-12-11 16:15:20] * CopyCat covers her head in her hooves. "Don't leave me. No, no no! It's too quiet!"
[2013-12-11 16:15:38] * Golden_Dream frowns. "What do y'..." And then a much more primal fear came along. "Noble, what do you mean?" She'd gone to solemn murmuring to deathly serious in the span of a moment. "CopyCat, get your flank over here."
[2013-12-11 16:18:00] * Noble_Heart shakes her head. "We felt something. The way We were in the hallway, when you asked your questions, it returned all at once. It should not do that! That is not right!" She shuddered a moment, raising a forehoof as it shook a bit. "And the cold. It cuts through CopyCat's magic. Something is very wrong." She pauses then contemplates aloud. "They can't get you if you are
[2013-12-11 16:18:01] * Noble_Heart alone..."
[2013-12-11 16:20:09] * Golden_Dream goes from afraid to /extremely/ afraid after Noble had said that. "Everypony! We're leaving! Pack yer shit, I'm not dealin' wi' zebra /ice/ ghosts."
[2013-12-11 16:20:29] * CopyCat curls up into a fetal position. "Alone. Can't hear anymore. Over the silence."
[2013-12-11 16:22:03] * Noble_Heart moves to CopyCat, leaning down to nuzzle her. "Do not listen to the feelings. They are false. A fake to hurt and wound. To give pain. Remember that We are your friends." She looks up at the snow. "The cold began when the feelings returned. The ponies here are all frozen. We must go, quickly."
[2013-12-11 16:22:47] * Shatara whimpers and curls up himself.
[2013-12-11 16:24:10] * Golden_Dream notices, and then /sprints/ to CopyCat, and forces her head towards her own. "Copycat. CopyCat!" If she remained unresponsive, she would proceed to slap her as hard as she could. "You are /not/ goin' t' let that thing into y'! You hear me?" Shit, there goes Shatara. She would proceed to do the same to him.
[2013-12-11 16:28:10] <Little_Gloom> 3The wind picks up, the sound unearthly and intelligent.  With a loud crackling, a sheet of ice begins to descend over the open doorway.
[2013-12-11 16:30:19] * CopyCat looks into Golden_Dream's eyes without seeing, but the slap rouses her, just a little. "Ouch. Golden? You're here? But you're so quiet."
[2013-12-11 16:31:10] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream sees something swirling in the air above them, a faintly glowing blue.  Through Kid's eyes, CopyCat can see it too.
[2013-12-11 16:31:38] <Little_Gloom> 3For a moment, the ghostly blue seems to take an equine form, but elongated and horrible.
[2013-12-11 16:32:38] * Golden_Dream looks rather dire, whips out her shotgun. ShitshitshitSHITSHITSHIT. "FUCKING ICE GHOST! GET OUT OF HERE!"
[2013-12-11 16:32:47] * Shatara squawks as Golden_Dream's slap snaps him out of his neurosis.
[2013-12-11 16:36:52] * Noble_Heart looks towards the ceiling. "They can't get you when you are alone. We must split up! We can carry all but one of us out of this room." She looked towards the others worriedly. "But We are not certain whether they will follow."
[2013-12-11 16:39:18] * CopyCat looks up at the swirling ceiling, then at Noble_Heart, and finally down at the floor. "Alone again. So quiet. So quiet."
[2013-12-11 16:41:08] * Golden_Dream pulls out her shotgun and attempts to blow the ice wall apart. "I ain't leavin' Copycat n' Shatara!"
[2013-12-11 16:41:10] <Little_Gloom> 3Golden_Dream can now hear the sound of the apparition above.  So hateful the noise it makes.
[2013-12-11 16:41:27] * Noble_Heart looks back towards Bookwright. "You can teleport yourself. We will take the others and go. Make your way back as quickly and safely as you can. They should not be able to get you while you are alone, if what We have seen so far is true."
[2013-12-11 16:42:37] * Golden_Dream glares at Noble. "No! It'll still get you! That pony was frozen! We gotta get outta here together!"
[2013-12-11 16:43:47] * Golden_Dream had only once been so scared in her life.
[2013-12-11 16:43:54] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well pokes her ghostly head through the sheet of ice now covering the exit, just as Golden_Dream shoots it with her shotgun.  The ghostly pony looks down in surprise, then up.  Her masked eyes widen in shock, and Golden_Dream hears her whisper "Wendigo!"
[2013-12-11 16:45:30] * Golden_Dream shoots a fearful look at Mare-Do-Well. She knows what it is! "How do we kill it?" She shouts back at the costumed crusader.
[2013-12-11 16:45:38] * Noble_Heart frowns. "But Bookwright can still get himself out. We cannot take everyone with Us. He is the best prepared to escape on his own." This had nothing to do with any lingering resentment towards the unicorn, honest.
[2013-12-11 16:46:13] * Bookwright shakes his head as he shivers. "No. I won't leave without the rest of you."
[2013-12-11 16:46:53] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well swoops down, looking frightened.  "Love!" she announces, adding with a shiver, "...although I can't imagine it really works like in the play."
[2013-12-11 16:48:00] * Bookwright nods. Puts away his weapon. "Alright, let's give it a try then." He hugs CopyCat. "Shh, we're here. We're all here."
[2013-12-11 16:48:15] * CopyCat has started to frost over. "Leave me again. They'll leave me again. So quiet. So cold."
[2013-12-11 16:48:38] * Golden_Dream tilts her head at the absurdity of that statement. Love? What the hell? "What the hell do you mean Love? We can't shoot it with love!"
[2013-12-11 16:49:49] * CopyCat starts as Bookwright hugs her. "I can... I can hear?"
[2013-12-11 16:50:36] * Noble_Heart moves to drape a wing over CopyCat. "We are here as well." She looks to Shatara and pulls the griffin in closer with her other wing. "We are all here. Friends. Who care about one another. Help one another."
[2013-12-11 16:50:38] * Bookwright continues. "Can you hear me, CopyCat? Can you hear me? Don't worry, we won't leave you alone. You don't have to be alone."
[2013-12-11 16:50:52] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well argues back, "It's a spirit.  You can't shoot it at all!"  She groans immediately after, thinking of all the spirits that have physical form and thus can be shot... or, at least, shot at."
[2013-12-11 16:50:58] * Shatara looks around at the looks of hatred and fear frozen around him. "Love...?"
[2013-12-11 16:54:31] * Shatara leans against Noble_Heart, reaching his wing around her and CopyCat.
[2013-12-11 16:54:46] * CopyCat takes her head out of her hooves and looks at Bookwright and Noble_Heart. "Not alone. My friends! I'm not alone!"
[2013-12-11 16:55:14] * Noble_Heart nods her head to CopyCat. "None of us are alone. We do not need to be alone. We are stronger together."
[2013-12-11 16:57:08] * CopyCat hugs back, wrapping her wings around Bookwright, Noble_Heart, and Shatara, shedding a few forming icicles.
[2013-12-11 16:57:10] * Golden_Dream looks at Shatara. Fuck it. Not the craziest thing she's done to deal with ghosts. She attempts to push Shatara into CopyCat a little more. The absurdity of everypony kind of getting saccharine so quickly struck a discordant note with her.
[2013-12-11 16:58:29] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright doesn't know much about spirits, but he knows enough to reason that if a spirit magnifies and feeds upon an emotion, the opposing emotion is likely unpalatable and may even be poisonous to it.
[2013-12-11 17:00:32] * Bookwright calls out. "Everyone! Listen! If it feeds on the fear of being alone, we can't let ourselves be afraid of being alone! We're here for each other!"
[2013-12-11 17:02:00] <Little_Gloom> 3The room fills with a howl of spite.
[2013-12-11 17:02:32] * Shatara sees some of the ice shed away from CopyCat, blushing a little as Golden_Dream nudges him towards her. He leans in and nuzzles under the green alicorn's chin.
[2013-12-11 17:02:48] * Golden_Dream winces. "Ah think it's workin'! Ah think it's workin'!" She looks up at the blue bastard. Ha!
[2013-12-11 17:03:35] * Noble_Heart pulls Golden Dream closer. "We do not think it is just fear of being alone. We think it is more spite between ponies. Look at all those we have found frozen. They were all fighting. Arguing. Hating. We do not hate Our friends. We would not."
[2013-12-11 17:06:31] * Golden_Dream looks up as she's brought into the hugpile. And for some weird reason, this generated words in her mouth. "Ah never hated any o' y'! Y' piss me off sometimes, but I wouldn't be around you so much if I didn't want t' be around you."
[2013-12-11 17:10:48] * CopyCat closes her eyes and smiles, feeling warm in the hug. "Never alone. Never again. Thank you, my friends. I love you all."
[2013-12-11 17:11:20] * Golden_Dream gets solemn for a moment again, and looks out at the frozen faces in front of her. Somewhere inside her, she knew that she wouldn't end up like them. It wasn't confidence. It was certainty.
[2013-12-11 17:12:57] * Noble_Heart gently holds Golden Dreams with her forehooves, snuggled up between two she cared about a great deal. "We would not allow Our friends to come to harm. It is because We care for them that We risk ourselves. Because they are worth it."
[2013-12-11 17:13:19] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well shivvers heavily and moves into the circle, trying to feel it's warmth.  Trying to add to it.
[2013-12-11 17:16:28] <Little_Gloom> 3The spirit above howls, now visible to everyone as a swirling eddy of ghostly blue from which snowclouds roll, turning the interior of the room into a blizzard.
[2013-12-11 17:16:40] * Bookwright shivers harder.
[2013-12-11 17:18:08] <Little_Gloom> 3The ponies and griffin fight with the love in their hearts and the strength of their souls, pushing back against the wendigo's spiritual onslaught.
[2013-12-11 17:18:10] * Noble_Heart shudders as the snow falls harder, keeping a close grip on those nearby.
[2013-12-11 17:18:50] * Shatara gets particularly daring and kisses CopyCat.
[2013-12-11 17:21:17] * Bookwright hugs CopyCat as tight as he can.
[2013-12-11 17:21:22] * CopyCat 's eyes widen in surprise. She attempts to speak but her mouth is otherwise occupied.
[2013-12-11 17:22:17] * Shatara holds the kiss with his eyes squeezed shut, both wings and talons squeezing around all his companions.
[2013-12-11 17:23:55] * Noble_Heart holds Golden Dream close. "We won't fail you the way I did my sister. I won't let it take you away. You're too special for that." She mutters quietly.
[2013-12-11 17:26:05] * Golden_Dream frowns, then looks at the faces in front of her. She remembered something Bookie said, that everything deserves to be remembered. She remembered her grudge with a stallion she'd never met. She remembered how much hate she felt for the death of someone she loved dearly. This almost distanced her from her friends. But then she remembered how absolutely lonely she was when she remembered...
[2013-12-11 17:26:07] * Golden_Dream ...hearing that her father died. And she held them all closer. "I won't let anyone forget what you are. I promise."
[2013-12-11 17:29:28] * CopyCat tries to make another muffled sound, a thin trail of blood running down her chin as Shatara's sharp beak kissed her just a little too hard.
[2013-12-11 17:30:39] * Golden_Dream realized something then. The grudge she felt was caused by the love she had for her father and brother. And that was the same feeling she had for her friends. That in the short time she knew them, they'd turned into what held her together.
[2013-12-11 17:34:40] <Little_Gloom> 3The wendigo howls in fury and pain!... and suddenly is gone, the interior winter storm dispersing rapidly.  The ice sheet over the exit cracks and breaks apart.  And the temperature increases to merely a naturally lethal cold.
[2013-12-11 17:35:26] * Noble_Heart shudders a few more moments, holding Golden Dream close with closed eyes, just glad to be close to those she cared about.
[2013-12-11 17:35:37] * Shatara tastes some of the blood in the kiss and squawks with alarm, pulling away. "Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry..."
[2013-12-11 17:37:38] * Golden_Dream enjoys the hug for a moment more, and then peeks up a little. She gave a hoof pump. "Fuck yeah! Ghosts 0, Goldy..." She paused, as if she had remembered something. "... And, uh. Friends, two."
[2013-12-11 17:39:47] * Bookwright stops shivering quite so much. He releases CopyCat after one last squeeze. "O-okay. Okay. Okay. Are you okay? I'm not sure if I'm okay."
[2013-12-11 17:40:57] * CopyCat blinks at Shatara, then she blushes wipes away the thin trails of crimson from her lips. "That's okay Shatara, I'm not, um, hurt. I didn't know that you felt like that. Or that you were so... passionate."
[2013-12-11 17:40:58] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well stand, shaking, looking up.  "Wow.... that... really worked."
[2013-12-11 17:41:18] * Shatara blushes deeply.
[2013-12-11 17:42:29] * Noble_Heart smiles down to Goldy. "We are glad Our companions are well." She released the smaller pony. "We would suggest taking a look around more quickly, before making Our way out, or deeper within. We would not like to risk that there is another of those creatures, as certain as We are that Our companions could vanquish it."
[2013-12-11 17:42:34] * CopyCat smiles back to Shatara. "Thank you." She turns to her friends. "Thank you all. I'm truly glad that you're with me."
[2013-12-11 17:50:08] * CopyCat tilts her head. "Am I supposed to stop hugging now?"
[2013-12-11 17:51:00] * Bookwright shrugs. "Nopony's stopping you."
[2013-12-11 17:51:26] * Golden_Dream smiles faintly. "I wouldn't have it any other way, ya'll." She frowns, now in a contemplative mood. This had gotten to her. A real friend who loves her friends would tell her friends everything. Even if it was painful. "Hey, guys. Ah... Um. I need t' be honest with ya'll for a sec."
[2013-12-11 17:53:36] * CopyCat simply wriggles more comfortably. "Well nopony's making me, either."
[2013-12-11 17:53:53] * Shatara relaxes into the hugs some and looks over to Golden_Dream curiously.
[2013-12-11 17:56:10] * Bookwright listens attentively.
[2013-12-11 17:56:57] * Noble_Heart looks down and tilts her head curiously at Golden Dream's words.
[2013-12-11 17:58:49] * Golden_Dream opens her mouth, and then closes it. She didn't want to say anything, but she had to. "... I didn't come on this trip t' find m' brother. I came t' get money so that I can have enough equipment t' do somethin'. An'... Mare Do Well, I'm kinda afraid of you because a Zebra ghost possessed me once and tried t' do somethin'. I don't know what, but it involved some sorta ritual. That's why I was...
[2013-12-11 17:58:50] * Golden_Dream ...so happy t' have you on my side. And why I never volunteered t' get possessed. Probably never will."
[2013-12-11 18:06:50] * Bookwright "Well, I for one never planned to press you on your reasons."
[2013-12-11 18:07:16] * CopyCat reaches over and strokes Golden_Dream's mane with her wing. "What was it that you wanted the equipment for? Just if you're happy to tell us, that is.
[2013-12-11 18:07:39] * CopyCat is, alas, too curious.
[2013-12-11 18:07:46] * Golden_Dream shrugs loosely, as if the strength in them had left her. "... I need t' kill someone. Someone important."
[2013-12-11 18:08:26] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well watches and listens, not having moved from the spot she stood in.
[2013-12-11 18:10:04] * Noble_Heart tilts her head to one side, frowning slightly. "We trust that you will do what is right. We do not believe you the type to do otherwise."
[2013-12-11 18:12:18] * Bookwright is concerned. "Uh. Who? Who?"
[2013-12-11 18:12:20] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well frowns, stares at the floor.
[2013-12-11 18:16:25] * Golden_Dream 's ears flatten, as if she was ashamed of it. She'd thought it through a thousand times. It was right, it had to be. But it didn't feel it. "I hope so." She sits down. "I..." Her heart faltered and moved to change the subject. "I was young. Really young. And there was this lighthouse up by Point Lookout, next to this tower thing. And... There was these herbs I'd never seen before. I knew th'...
[2013-12-11 18:16:26] * Golden_Dream ...folks had avoided this place, but I was hopin' that finding somethin' there would get me somethin' t' eat. Dad weren't lucky on his trip and there weren't steady work t' be had, so we were all hungry."
[2013-12-11 18:19:36] * Golden_Dream closed her eyes and gulped. "I'd gone, and there were these lights. They looked like fyre flyes, but just bigger. I thought that it was just swamp gas, so I got closer t' pick some more. And... Somethin' came over me. I weren't in control no more. I could see, I could hear, but I couldn't do much else. I passed out after a while. My dad was still off with my brother and they were doin'...
[2013-12-11 18:19:37] * Golden_Dream ...flight trainin'. I was alone when I woke up and back home. But this... Thing was still there."
[2013-12-11 18:26:04] * Golden_Dream sits down and shivers. "I think it'd done somethin' t' me, 'cause I didn't feel right for a week after. And it left th' oven gas on, and there was this giant drawin' on th' floor. It looked like blood and ah felt m' hooves all cut up. I was thinkin' that it was goin' t' burn me or kill me or somethin', burn me alive and burn down the house with it. I panicked and... I just get in control for...
[2013-12-11 18:26:05] * Golden_Dream ...a moment so I turn on the pilot light and... I dunno what happened next, I passed out. But I could see things after that, ghosts and shit. M' eye was out, but I could still see their trails through it. And then they found me all bloody up and with m' eye burnt out." Her head shook a little after that. "I... Don't like ghosts, but they kept me company after that. Sometimes, when they...
[2013-12-11 18:26:07] * Golden_Dream ...weren't zebras. Th' zebras there, they just looked like they were timber wolves lookin' t' hunt. Nopony believed me. So... I just shut up about it."
[2013-12-11 18:27:07] * Golden_Dream frowned. "I told y' that I burned out m' eye in a cookin' accident. That was a lie. I'm sorry."
[2013-12-11 18:27:39] * Noble_Heart gently reaches out a forehoof to pull Golden Dream into a hug. "We have been forced to do horrible things without Our consent. We do not blame you for not wanting to think of that time."
[2013-12-11 18:28:56] * CopyCat looks at her hooves and nods just a little.
[2013-12-11 18:29:33] * Bookwright is crying silent tears.
[2013-12-11 18:31:18] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well stares... then moves over and puts a costumed hoof on Golden_Dream's shoulder.  And then... Rainbow Dash pushes back her ghostly hat and removes her mask.
[2013-12-11 18:31:24] <Little_Gloom> 3--- End of Session ---