Fallout: Beyond Equestria, 56: Northern Blues (Part 39)

[2013-10-09 13:51:52] <Little_Gloom> 3Pink-E swoops out of Kid's bags.  "Yay!  We have the Crystal Heart!  Now everything's going to be better, right?"
[2013-10-09 13:52:13] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart frowns. "First, We suggest some time to rest. We have done much this day and would like to meet with Doctor Amore when properly revitilized."
[2013-10-09 13:52:21] <Little_Gloom> 3Get_Lost "probably we can talk the princessbot into reverting the love sucking process from the ponies and wake them...."
[2013-10-09 13:52:27] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid frowns. "As ya'll wish. Just keep a real close eye on it. We don't want it stolen."
[2013-10-09 13:52:34] <Little_Gloom> 3Get_Lost "still, we need that juke-box monster to open a passage in the city's forcefield"
[2013-10-09 13:52:42] <Little_Gloom> 3Get_Lost "and i'd like to check the hospital for more personal and less important matters"
[2013-10-09 13:52:58] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid nods at Get Lost, the only pony not staring at plot or playing oblivious. "That c'n wait 'till we muster up the strength t' head out."
[2013-10-09 13:53:06] <Little_Gloom> 3Noble_Heart frowns and nods her head. "We are not certain how finding the jukebox will go. But that is the... Erm... Heart of Heartless territory."
[2013-10-09 13:53:14] <Little_Gloom> 3Sweet-E hesitates.  "I don't think I want to go there."
[2013-10-09 13:53:26] <Little_Gloom> 3Bookwright "Then... maybe we should give the Crystal Heart to Doctor Amore and have her wake the sleepers."
[2013-10-09 13:53:40] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat stretches her hooves. At rest did sound good. "I don't think you two should go there either. We should bring you to the hospital first, like Get said, so you can visit Butterfly."
[2013-10-09 13:53:48] <Little_Gloom> 3Shatara pulls his 'Equestrian Army Today' from his bags. "I'll uh...just be over there..."
[2013-10-09 13:54:54] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid heads over to CopyCat. "Hey, you."
[2013-10-09 13:55:00] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat looks over attentively. "Yes?"
[2013-10-09 13:55:15] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid settles down and looks at Bookie and Shatara to see if they'd cleared off. If they were at a distance, she talked, if they weren't, she leaned in so she could lower her tone so that they wouldn't hear.
[2013-10-09 13:55:29] <Little_Gloom> 3... a few moments of conversation later...
[2013-10-09 13:55:42] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat grins. "Tell you what. If you let me know when someone is treating me like a tool then I'll try to act a bit more Noble." CC double blinks at Kid's instinctive reaction to the thought of two Noble Hearts. "Alright, more princess-like. How about that?"
[2013-10-09 13:55:48] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid nods. "I'd like that." She rests her head onto Copycat.
[2013-10-09 13:55:53] <Little_Gloom> 3CopyCat mutters to herself. "Princess like... princess like... how to be more..." There is a flash of magic, and Kid suddenly finds herself hugging an alicorn whose coat is like a dark blue midnight sky.
[2013-10-09 13:56:00] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid blinks and looks up. Now there's Luna there. "Uh." She guffaws simply. "Wow, that works, Copycat.
[2013-10-09 13:56:25] <Little_Gloom> 3Fallout: Beyond Equestria, Session Fifty-Six: Northern Blues (Part Thirty-Nine) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH01FhqMdc8
[2013-10-09 13:56:34] <Little_Gloom> 3--- Session Begins ---
[2013-10-09 14:00:23] <Little_Gloom> 3A long day transitions in to a surprisingly restful night as, for once, Professor Paladin seems content to leave the air free of proclamations and rantings.  After the first hour, Doctor Amore seems to notice the difference, and, by the end of the second hour, she too has slipped into silence.
[2013-10-09 14:02:01] <Little_Gloom> 3The group awaken, one by one, to the fresh rays of sunrise, and the smell of Pink-E cooking.  You don't know where she got the ingredients she is working with, or how many times she has cheerfully refused to let Sweet-E help, but it smells delicious.
[2013-10-09 14:10:39] * Kid shifts and grumbles awake, tossing her mane out of her eyes and readjusting her hat so that it didn't block her vision. Funny, for such a nice, quiet night, she didn't seem like she has slept well. She stretches tensely, then goes to find out just what the heck Pink-E was cooking. "Mornin'."
[2013-10-09 14:11:23] * Noble_Heart slowly awakens with a yawn and climbs to her hooves. "The first good nights sleep We have had since We arrived."
[2013-10-09 14:12:34] * Bookwright snores gently.
[2013-10-09 14:12:48] * CopyCat yawns and gets to her hooves sleepily. She wasn't really paying attention, but she still wore the guise of Luna, the image formed from the memories and imaginations of her friends. She sniffed the air and followed her nose towards Pink-E's cooking.
[2013-10-09 14:15:10] * Shatara snores in the corner, pawing at the air occasionally, with his book draped across his chest.
[2013-10-09 14:18:03] <Little_Gloom> 3Pink-E breaks into song as she's cooking.  The lyrics are a recipe for s'mores put to rhyme.
[2013-10-09 14:20:20] <Little_Gloom> 3True enough, she seems to have put together the major ingredients of s'mores... or a close approximation thereof... and is roasting colorful marshmellows over a pile of burning terminal directories.
[2013-10-09 14:20:30] * Bookwright turns over and mumbles. "Jus' fife murr minutes.... ma'am..."
[2013-10-09 14:20:51] * Noble_Heart blinks in some surprise. "Where did you find the supplies for this?"
[2013-10-09 14:22:08] <Little_Gloom> 3Pink-E giggles.  "Inside the castle."  Then sings, "S'mores!  S'mores!  S'mores!"
[2013-10-09 14:23:35] * CopyCat licks her lips. "They smell delicious, Pink-E. Oh, good morning Noble_Heart and Sweet-E."
[2013-10-09 14:24:31] * Noble_Heart yawns again, stretching a few moments. "Well, We are impressed to see it."
[2013-10-09 14:28:40] * Bookwright puts his pillow over his head
[2013-10-09 14:28:40] * Kid blinks as she stares into the S'more. She had a long standing policy of not eating anything where the answer to "Where did you get this?" was "I don't know." It saved her life a couple of times. But even though her policy would've probably mentioned something of not taking food from strange robots, this was a weird enough week that such a thing was permitted to slide. As she proceeded to...
[2013-10-09 14:28:42] * Kid ...make a s'more into nothing more than a few crumbs and a bit of melted chocolate, or at least, what she hoped was chocolate, she couldn't help but feel a little worried about the task ahead. "Noble. You still got the Crystal Heart?"
[2013-10-09 14:29:28] * CopyCat tilts her head. "Will they be ready soon? Should I wake the others for breakfast?"
[2013-10-09 14:29:47] * Noble_Heart checks her bags. "Yes. We are still carrying the artifact of arguably-divine power." She sets about making herself one of the s'mores as well.
[2013-10-09 14:31:43] * Kid nods slightly, visibly worried and maybe a tad bedraggled. "Good. 'Cause we don' wanna lose that." Her voice was not hostile, but there was a air of tenseness, like she expected everything to go wrong any moment now.
[2013-10-09 14:34:57] <Little_Gloom> 3The sugar in the marshmellows has crystalized... or perhaps they were always this way in the Crystal Empire.  But aside from the marshmellows giving the s'mores a weird texture, and the staleness of the crackers, the breakfast is actually quite good
[2013-10-09 14:35:41] * Noble_Heart eats another. "It is perhaps a bit higher on sugar than Our prefered breakfast. But We cannot complain too much."
[2013-10-09 14:37:16] * CopyCat chews on a smore and goes to wake the others. "Shatara, Bookwright," she calls out, "breakfast is ready."
[2013-10-09 14:38:21] * Bookwright groans softly, and gets up. He blinks heavily, as if shifting tectonic plates.
[2013-10-09 14:38:25] * Shatara snortflails a bit, his book falling off his chest...with a certain magazine sticking out between the pages.
[2013-10-09 14:38:53] * Bookwright yawns. "Must we...? Fine." He begins to eat.
[2013-10-09 14:42:50] * Kid tilts her head over to Shatara and deadpans when she spots the magazine. "We're about t' give an artifact of huge power t' a thing to unfreeze thousands of ponies, and you're lookin' at butts." Her voice wasn't full of vitriol. But it was totally full of judgement.
[2013-10-09 14:46:26] * CopyCat raises her eyebrow at the magazine but doesn't say anything.
[2013-10-09 14:47:34] * Bookwright looks up at Sweet-E. "This is really good. Do you have any coffee, or tea?"
[2013-10-09 14:49:11] * Shatara half-awarely blinks at kid, mind still fuzzy. Glancing downward, he notices his book and squawks with alarm, flailing about to gather it up and shove it in his pack.
[2013-10-09 14:50:00] * Kid just rolls her eyes and smirks a little. Well, at least he's easy to figure out.
[2013-10-09 14:51:42] * Get_Lost sits and noms something, while mumbling to herself
[2013-10-09 14:54:10] * Noble_Heart frowns slightly and sighs. "We hope this turns out well. We do not wish to see another tragedy of such a scale."
[2013-10-09 14:54:53] <Little_Gloom> 3Time passes, breakfast s'mores are eaten, and the sun pulls itself higher into the sky.  The colors and shadows of sunrise slowly fade into the blues and greys of a new day.  The rising sun catches on hundreds of thousands of shattered crystals across the empire ruins, creating a blinding sea of light.
[2013-10-09 14:55:02] * Kid crooks an eye at Noble. "What was th' first big tragedy you seen?"
[2013-10-09 14:56:07] * Bookwright speaks up. "Was it the moment you woke up and realized you weren't part of the Many anymore?"
[2013-10-09 14:57:08] * Noble_Heart looks down to Kid and frowns. "When the world burned and all things which were once great died." She turns from the fire to move towards the stairs.
[2013-10-09 14:58:49] * Get_Lost turns her head towards Noble_Heart "is that a memory of yours or something you collected from the collective mind, if i may ask?"
[2013-10-09 14:59:28] * Noble_Heart paused only briefly at Get Lost's question. "No." A simple answer to a simple question, such a lovely thing sometimes.
[2013-10-09 14:59:56] * CopyCat chews slowly. Trying to eat smores in a princess-like fashion was tricky.
[2013-10-09 15:00:06] * Shatara stealthily nabs a smore before resuming hiding in embarrasement.
[2013-10-09 15:04:08] * Kid doesn't notice Shatara grabbing a S'more. She's a busy walking up to Noble. She wasn't about to be the one to let all those bad memories out. At least, not right now. "You ready t' do this?"
[2013-10-09 15:04:49] * Get_Lost nods and follows the alicorn
[2013-10-09 15:05:13] * Noble_Heart sighs quietly. "We are as prepared as We are likely to get."
[2013-10-09 15:06:39] * Get_Lost "want me to try and trace some recursive logic in the computer? probably i could send her into some sort of logical loop if things go south...."
[2013-10-09 15:07:16] * Get_Lost then adds "i'm not completely sure that it will work, though"
[2013-10-09 15:10:13] * Kid doesn't turn around. She's looking ahead at the door leading down right now. She doesn't look like she's budging. Her whole body looks rigid, like a spring pressed down and ready to explode out upon release of pressure.
[2013-10-09 15:10:19] * Bookwright shakes his head. "Let's try talking to her first. And we still need to talk to the zebras, and get their assent."
[2013-10-09 15:11:19] * Get_Lost "sounds fair... also, i'd like to have that soundwave thing before we try to get out of here anyway.... maybe it can transform"
[2013-10-09 15:12:37] * Kid "We're gonna have to. Mare-Do-Well can't leave without it."
[2013-10-09 15:13:10] * Noble_Heart nods her head. "We are not certain -We- can leave without it. At least not safely."
[2013-10-09 15:13:11] * Get_Lost "mare do who?"
[2013-10-09 15:13:39] * CopyCat finishes up her smore. "I'm ready. We must hope that Amore is willing to put the lives of those under her care above the mission she has been given."
[2013-10-09 15:13:52] <Little_Gloom> 3Sweet-E speaks up.  "All those ponies are going to wake up to find their homes gone, their kingdom in shambles, with little food and supplies to go around.  They'll need their princess to guide them.  Or, at least, someone whom they will look up to and who cares for them and loves them."
[2013-10-09 15:15:42] * Bookwright "By the way CopyCat, I love what you've done with your coat."
[2013-10-09 15:18:10] * CopyCat smiles. "Thank you. Kid and I were talking and we decided I should stick up for myself more and be more princess-like... and then this happened, but I think it fits."
[2013-10-09 15:22:31] * CopyCat suddenly gets an idea. "Oh, before we talk to Doctor Amore we need to do something. It's very important." She holds her front hooves out wide. "Group hug everypony!"
[2013-10-09 15:23:22] * Bookwright hugs CopyCat. Yes. Soft. Goooood.
[2013-10-09 15:23:39] * Kid blinks. "Uh." Well... Okay, fine. She just kind of awkwardly shuffled up and just pressed herself against the Luna-like, not even really feeling up to a full hug. But the not-hug helped.
[2013-10-09 15:25:14] <Little_Gloom> 3Pink-E cheers!  Yay hugs!
[2013-10-09 15:25:35] <Little_Gloom> 3Sweet-E and Pink-E hover a bit back, notibly unable to hug.
[2013-10-09 15:26:04] * Shatara meeps and peeks over a corner
[2013-10-09 15:26:15] * Get_Lost joins the group hug. you can never have enough of hugs
[2013-10-09 15:26:53] * Kid nuzzles a little. "Shatara, you too."
[2013-10-09 15:26:58] * LunaCat grins. "Come on Shatara and Noble_Heart. Don't be shy!"
[2013-10-09 15:28:22] * LunaCat wing-beckons the bots over. "You two as well. The fate of those ponies below depends on us friends. Together, we'll do our best!"
[2013-10-09 15:31:06] * Shatara manages to slink out of the corner and join the others.
[2013-10-09 15:33:40] * LunaCat waits until her friends are together, then her horn begins to glow. Tingly warmth envelopes her friends from head to hooves (or talons), fading gradually as her spells come to an end. "Together I know we can do it!"
[2013-10-09 15:39:58] * Kid feels... Pretty good, actually. Like a pressure had been taken off her back. "... Well. We just gotta make it happen. And I guess it shouldn't be that hard t' convince a princess t' do the right thing." She seemed to believe that. "Let's get to it, then." She attempted to open the door and, upon knowing that ponies had her back, descend.
[2013-10-09 15:41:06] * Shatara feels faster, sexier, and somehow less antisocial. Neat.
[2013-10-09 15:42:20] * Get_Lost feels less clumsy, and also absolutely fabulous! maybe this time she'll find a coltfriend!
[2013-10-09 15:44:04] * Bookwright is becoming handsomeglasses!
[2013-10-09 15:44:37] * Bookwright "Right. So, do we want to talk to the zebras first or Doctor Amore first?"
[2013-10-09 15:46:50] * Get_Lost "probably, doctor amore will be the hardest to convince, being... you know, programmed for the job she's doing... i'd see if we can reason with her first... giving false hope to the zebras seems cruel"
[2013-10-09 15:47:22] * Noble_Heart sowly descends into the castle.
[2013-10-09 15:47:56] * LunaCat follows closely behind Kid. "I agree with Get, we should talk with Amore first."
[2013-10-09 15:48:22] * Shatara shrugs. "We're here already anyway, might as well have a go..."
[2013-10-09 15:48:40] * Noble_Heart was, evidently, not in a hugging mood. It would seem whatever was going on was stressing her out quite a bit.
[2013-10-09 15:52:47] * Kid looks back. Alright. Everypony's ready to talk to the princess. She descended.
[2013-10-09 15:59:16] * Bookwright "Alright, time to speak to Doctor Love..."
[2013-10-09 16:00:22] * LunaCat nods. "Pretend princess to pretend princess."
[2013-10-09 16:00:53] * Noble_Heart breathes deeply and sighs. "Yes. Let Us negotiate."
[2013-10-09 16:01:28] * Get_Lost "well, maybe we shouldn't put the hoof on her real nature while we talk with her... it could lead to some sort of major breakdown"
[2013-10-09 16:04:34] <Little_Gloom> 3It does not take long to reach the throne room of the Crystal Tower
[2013-10-09 16:05:27] * Noble_Heart nods her head. "We would suggest avoiding the topic. She is not likely to react well. Much as Sweet-E did not react well to Our attempts to tell her of what had happened."
[2013-10-09 16:05:51] <Little_Gloom> 3The early morning sun sends its rays through the windows, banishing most of the interior gloom.
[2013-10-09 16:06:59] * Kid would probably be the first to reach the throne room. "Doctor Amore! We're here!" Her voice was raspy and lower pitched, the same one would have near the end of a journey.
[2013-10-09 16:07:58] * LunaCat stretches her wings a little in the warm sunlight, still a little surprised each time she saw them. She listens attentively for Amore's answer.
[2013-10-09 16:11:49] * Noble_Heart stood tall, or at least stoic, or possibly just waking-up-not-yet-relaxed as she entered the room, looking for the good doctor. "We have returned."
[2013-10-09 16:19:58] <Little_Gloom> 3A soft hum, a flicker from above, then Princess Cadance appears on the throne room carpet, looking frazzled and weary.
[2013-10-09 16:20:46] <Little_Gloom> 3The pink alicorn smiles, spreading her wings.  "Do you bear good news, my little ponies?  Have you retrieved the Heart?"  There is a clear sparkle of hope in her eyes.
[2013-10-09 16:22:02] * Bookwright "So, before we give you the Heart... What will happen to the zebras when you cast the spell?"
[2013-10-09 16:22:30] * Kid frowns. Here comes the hard part. "We ain't talkin' 'bout that yet."
[2013-10-09 16:22:55] * Get_Lost simplry sits there and listens
[2013-10-09 16:22:56] <Little_Gloom> 3Kid and Get_Lost spot the ghostly Mysterious Mare-Do-Well fly in through another wall.
[2013-10-09 16:23:43] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadance blinks.  Then, to clarify, asks, "Those in the zebra lands?  Or do you mean those here in the Love Camp?"
[2013-10-09 16:23:56] * Kid blinks and guffaws a little. "Uh. Hi there, friend." She said to the ghost. Then she realized she was looking crazy. "Both."
[2013-10-09 16:24:54] * Get_Lost smiles at the unfortunate ghost for a moment, a bit confused
[2013-10-09 16:25:49] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadence looks at Kid with confusion.  Then answers as best she can.  "Those who are here?  Nothing should happen to them.  The spell is targeted to spread across the zebra lands, a continent away.  The zebras there will find themselves full of love and friendship, especially for ponies, and will lay down their weapons of war.
[2013-10-09 16:26:51] * Noble_Heart frowns and contemplates that. "And if they would not wish to do so?"
[2013-10-09 16:27:28] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadence smiles.  "Love changes hearts.  They would wish to do so."
[2013-10-09 16:28:22] * Bookwright "But it's no longer necessary. The war is over. Has been over, for more than two centuries. You don't need to spread love in the zebra lands. You just need to restore the crystal ponies."
[2013-10-09 16:28:32] * LunaCat looks down. "We'd like to know if there was a way to release the crystal ponies without casting the spell."
[2013-10-09 16:29:07] * Noble_Heart scowls slightly. "We have spent two centuries beneath the surface of a mind greater than Ourselves. A slave to its whims, unable to feel or think or do as We please. We will not see another, much less a nation of others, stripped of their freedom of choice. Whether We agree with that choice or not."
[2013-10-09 16:30:57] * Kid smacks her lips. Yup. This is what we were afraid of. And this is what she's been trying to dream up an argument for. "... Did ya'll notice that Professor Paladin stopped yellin' at y'? He's still alive and stuff. An' we haven't made him change his mind or anything."
[2013-10-09 16:41:27] * LunaCat picks up on scattered thoughts and half remembered tales, brought into recollection by the words of Amore. "To force them to love... this reminds me of a story. There was once a princess who nearly lost her prince to a changeling. The changeling took on the princess's form and cast a spell on the prince to force him love her instead. Doctor Amore... this spell you are casting... are you sure it is the right thing?"
[2013-10-09 16:42:23] <Little_Gloom> 3Princes Cadance looks startled.  She steps back, frowning at this story.
[2013-10-09 16:44:11] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadance looks down.  "We need to stop the fighting.  There can't be anything wrong with love.  It's... /love/."
[2013-10-09 16:45:52] <Little_Gloom> 3Mysterious Mare-Do-Well clears her ghostly throat, although only Kid can hear her.  "Speaking of fighting..."
[2013-10-09 16:46:11] * Kid looks at Kid. "What's up, Mare-Do-Well?"
[2013-10-09 16:47:05] * Noble_Heart sighs quietly and shakes her head. "Love is important, on that We agree. But love must be something which exists already, not forced upon another. The war is long over, both sides lost. Now is not the time to make the descendants of those who were there feel what they do not wish to. If hate they have for us, then it is only because we have ended them as much as they have
[2013-10-09 16:47:05] * Noble_Heart ended us."
[2013-10-09 16:47:12] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well looks back over her shoulder briefly.  "I came to warn everyone that something's got the Heartless real riled up."
[2013-10-09 16:48:04] * Bookwright cocks his head at Kid. Why is she talking to the air again?
[2013-10-09 16:48:55] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadance frowns.  "So... you're not going to give me the Heart?"
[2013-10-09 16:49:43] <Little_Gloom> 3The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well blinks.  Her jaw drops.  Then she zips right up to Kid.  "You guys have the Crystal Heart?"
[2013-10-09 16:49:51] * Noble_Heart sighs quietly. "It is not that We do not wish to give it to you. It is that We do not wish you to use it in that way. What We want is for the crystal ponies to be free of their trappings. But the spell should not be cast."
[2013-10-09 16:51:24] <Little_Gloom> 3Princess Cadence frowns.  "The spell is already in casting... that cannot be undone."  She thinks, "At most, I could change the target and scale, but once the Crystal Heart is in place, the spell will go off."
[2013-10-09 16:52:15] <Little_Gloom> 3Sweet-E asks, "But you can aim it someplace else, right?  So it doesn't hit all those zebra?"
[2013-10-09 16:53:47] <Little_Gloom> 3Princess Cadence retorts, "Where would you suggest I send it?"  Then seeming to grasp an epiphany, "I could focus it on just a few blocks.  My own magic may not be able to affect Professor Paladin anymore, but with the full power of a megaspell, surely I can make him love me again!"
[2013-10-09 16:55:00] * Noble_Heart frowns. "Do you believe he ever stopped loving you? It is not that he did not care about you. It is that he felt what you were doing was wrong for those it would affect." She contemplates. "But... Perhaps there is another place it could be aimed. The Heartless have given so much they have no more love to give. Perhaps a spell of such magnitude could he used to help heal
[2013-10-09 16:55:01] * Noble_Heart them?"
[2013-10-09 16:55:15] * LunaCat tilts her head. "Then I have a thought, Amore. Many of the crystal ponies below have lost their way. The so called heartless. They gave their love to this spell for so many years... perhaps it could give their love back."
[2013-10-09 16:56:04] * Kid blinks. And then she got this look of dread on her face. "... Guys, Mare-Do-Well's tellin' us that somethin's got th' heartless all rustled up." She looked at the others and nodded her head pointed out of the room. "Copycat, Noble, I think ya'll got this, and ya'll know how t' make two and two make four. I think the rest of us are best left makin' sure yer' alright." She looks at the pink...
[2013-10-09 16:56:06] * Kid ...alicorn. "And... He already fuckin' loves you. All we had t' say t' get the Crystal Heart was t' bring up how long it's been since he's had dinner with you."
[2013-10-09 16:57:22] * Shatara blinks at kid. "Define 'rustled up'..."
[2013-10-09 16:57:40] * Kid just looks at Mare-Do-Well.
[2013-10-09 16:58:25] * Bookwright "Copycat, that very likely would work. I think."
[2013-10-09 16:59:50] <Little_Gloom> 3Princess Cadance gasps, her eyes widening.  "I... I hadn't even thought of that!  Yes... yes, that should work!  We could use the spell to heal the Heartless!"
[2013-10-09 17:01:08] <Little_Gloom> 3The Mysterious Mare-Do-Well prances in place.  "Well, you better hope it does.  Cuz when you light things up with the heart, the Heartless are going to descend on this place like ants on honey."  For emphasis, she adds, "/All/ of them."
[2013-10-09 17:02:49] <Little_Gloom> 3Princess Cadance stares at Kid.  "...dinner?..."
[2013-10-09 17:04:47] * Kid nods. "After that... I dunno. It was a lot easier t' talk to him." She looks at the other. "All of them are heading to this point." She gulps, and gives the herd a grave grin. "At least if it don't work, we ain't gon' miss."
[2013-10-09 17:05:12] * Noble_Heart sighs quietly. "Yes. We asked him when the last time he attempted to make up to you was. When he actually talked to you, went to dinner together, spent quality time with you." She shakes her head. "But this sounds like the best plan We have heard."
[2013-10-09 17:06:40] <Little_Gloom> 3Pink-E cheers.  "LET'S DO EET!"
[2013-10-09 17:09:59] <Little_Gloom> 3Cadance stammers, blushes, then shakes her head as if to clear it.  "I'll refocus the spell.  It will take just a few minutes.  Then... on my signal... place the Crystal Heart on its pedestal in the center below the castle."  With that, the hologramic pink alicorn flickers and disappears.
[2013-10-09 17:12:29] * LunaCat grins. "You heard the mare. Let's get down there!"
[2013-10-09 17:12:34] <Little_Gloom> 3Mysterious Mare-Do-Well grimaces.  "A few minutes.  Yeah, that's not going to be a problem."  She looks towards the windows.  "The Crystal Heart will draw the attention of the Heartless scattered throughout the empire, but some of those from out around Solaris are already on the warpath."
[2013-10-09 17:12:51] <Little_Gloom> 3"Somepony better get up on the battlements and prepare to stop any who try to crash the party early!"
[2013-10-09 17:13:56] * Kid draws her shotgun, and placed her .44 magnum in an easy-to-get-to area on her body for LunaCat's sake. When she heard where it's supposed to go, she didn't like it. At all. "You mean in that wide open area where /everypony/ can fuckin' see us? That pedestal in the middle of th' fuckin' castle?" Shit. This is /bad/. "Cadence, Mare-Do-Well, where are th' battlements?"
[2013-10-09 17:15:56] * Bookwright is puzzled. "What are you on about, Kid?"
[2013-10-09 17:16:43] * LunaCat tilts her head. "Battlements? But we don't want to hurt them if there's this chance to save them."
[2013-10-09 17:17:25] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well answers, as Cadance is already gone.  "About midway up.  Some of them are pretty broken up, but they should give you height and cover.  I can fly around as a spotter, but you're gonna need several ponies with good range to cover all sides."
[2013-10-09 17:18:45] * Noble_Heart nods her head. "We shall come to help as much as We can. We can teleport Ourself down to the base of the tower when the time is right."
[2013-10-09 17:20:04] * Kid stares at Bookwright. "Lemme lay this out fer you. There are a /bunch/ of fuckin' Heartless headin' here. When we start th' count, they're comin' here, and they ain't gon' be happy. Now, I'm for savin' all of them that's possible, but killin' none ain't gonna happen 'cause we can't talk them outta this odds are." She gulps. "There's some battlements about midway up the castle we can use t'...
[2013-10-09 17:20:06] * Kid ...defend. We're gonna need all th' folks with range on their side t' go up there... And fer th' rest of us, we're gonna just have t' guard th' pedestal."24.0/20130910160258])
[2013-10-09 17:20:43] * Bookwright grimaces. "I really don't want to have to kill any of them. We're trying to save them, remember?
[2013-10-09 17:21:30] * Kid frowns and just shakes her head. "You got any better ideas?"
[2013-10-09 17:23:11] * Shatara fidgets. "I guess it might be a good time to see if all this less-lethal stuff we picked up actually works on crystal...?"
[2013-10-09 17:23:56] * Kid nods. "Alright. You do that. But I ain't got that much Beanbag shells left."
[2013-10-09 17:24:12] * Bookwright "I have three stun grenades."
[2013-10-09 17:24:45] * Shatara pulls a quartet of dart rifles out of his pack. "I have these...but only about two darts each..."
[2013-10-09 17:25:18] * Kid nods. "Gimme one." She outstretches her hoof towards Bookie.
[2013-10-09 17:25:43] * Bookwright "You and Kid are the only ones who know how to use those things, I think you're the best one to use it."
[2013-10-09 17:26:11] * Bookwright waves Kid away. "I know how to use these. You've got your beanbag cartridges, use those."
[2013-10-09 17:28:04] * LunaCat nods at Shatara and pulls out her own dart rifle. "Good idea Shatara. Even if we only have a few darts we can try to save as many as possible."
[2013-10-09 17:28:34] * Shatara finds a sixpack of stun grenades when digging through in vain hope of finding more darts. "Oh!" He shows them to Bookwright and Kid.
[2013-10-09 17:29:05] * Noble_Heart frowns. "We suppose then that We shall head to the base. We do not wish to tire Ourselves out too much. And We do still have magic which may disable without slaying."
[2013-10-09 17:30:15] * Bookwright looks around. "I think... I think we should all be down by the Crystal Heart. We don't have enough stun supplies to split them up if we don't want to kill any of the heartless."
[2013-10-09 17:31:27] * Kid nods, and takes three. "Thank y' kindly, Shatara." She heads on down, loading in her bean bag shells, pinning the stun grenades on her armor. Getting ready for hopefully the least lethal battle in years. But... Before then, she had to say something to Mare-Do-Well. "Mare-Do-Well. Can I talk to you? It's important."
[2013-10-09 17:36:02] * Bookwright takes the other three. "Good. Okay. I'm gonna go downstairs with Noble Heart. Shatara, you might have a better vantage point up on the battlements to use a dart rifle. I leave that up to you."
[2013-10-09 17:37:03] * Shatara nods. He looks over his four rifles, wishing he had time to dismantle a few and fix one up. Instead, he tries to pick the best one, and loads up it's magazine.
[2013-10-09 17:39:44] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well notes softly, "I'm... gonna need you up on the battlements Kid.  Nopony else here can hear me."
[2013-10-09 17:40:08] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well can't be much of a spotter if she's mute.
[2013-10-09 17:40:43] * Kid breathes in deep, eyes still focused on moving forward towards... Now the battlements. "I need you to know somethin' before I do this in... Case things go wrong." Her heart was heavy. "I used you. When I met you first, I started talkin' about Dashites and Enclavers t' see where your heart is, maybe get some hint who you are. But that was wrong o' me to do." She frowned. "I should've never...
[2013-10-09 17:40:45] * Kid ...manipulated you like that. I'm sorry. And if somehow I... Fail here. I w-wanted you to know that before it's too late." She put up a stoic front. She was scared as hell.
[2013-10-09 17:43:29] * Shatara loads his rifle so the five para darts feed first, followed by two tranq darts. He nudges at CopyCat a bit, holding the remaining two darts out in his talon for her.
[2013-10-09 17:44:47] * CopyCat slides back the bolt and checks her rifle over. She notices Shatara's nudge, and smiles, taking the extra darts. "Thanks Shatara. I'll put these to good use."
[2013-10-09 17:57:03] * Bookwright "All right then... let's go if we're going..."
[2013-10-09 17:59:16] * Kid is going!
[2013-10-09 18:00:36] * Bookwright looks to Noble_Heart. "You're the one with the Crystal Heart. Lead on."
[2013-10-09 18:01:32] * Shatara repacks his things and gulps. Dartgun in hand, rifle across back...
[2013-10-09 18:02:33] * CopyCat follows the others, dart rifle at the ready.
[2013-10-09 18:12:09] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well floats next to Kid in silence for a bit...
[2013-10-09 18:13:17] <Little_Gloom> 3Finally, she says, "Hey, no problem.  You're fighting to get me out of this prison, right?  And to save all these ponies?  So... totally water under the bridge."
[2013-10-09 18:18:13] * Shatara walks beside CopyCat, glancing over to her with a bit of a blush. Sadly, even with +2 to sexy, he doesn't manage to do much else.
[2013-10-09 18:20:41] * CopyCat has plenty of sexy, but she keeps in mind what Kid said to her and does her best not to walk provocatively.
[2013-10-09 18:21:35] * Kid sighs. "I... Guess. Don't make me feel better." She feels sick to her stomach as she hits the battlements. "Thanks. And... I guess if it ends badly, y'no. Maybe I'll end up with you in here."
[2013-10-09 18:23:38] <Little_Gloom> 3Mare-Do-Well eeks.  "No, no.  Don't jinx it!"
[2013-10-09 18:24:16] <Little_Gloom> 3--- End of Session ---