Post by Virga on Nov 4, 2012 7:28:15 GMT -5
This event occurs primarily in the Palace Foyer. If your character has a valid reason for being in the Palace during this TP, it can be said that this ruckus was heard/seen by your character. The ending calamity can be heard by anyone in Canterlot and on the road to Canterlot
Cast:
The Bloom Doll.
Dynamite Rave, Private of the Royal Guard.
Virga, Private Guard of Princess Celestia.
----
The last and final moment is yours,
That agony is your triumph.
-Joan Baez, "Here's To You
----
VIRGA
Flight. Virga enjoyed flight like any pegasi, but this flight was one he didn't enjoy. He lost track of time since he noticed the first signs of something amiss in the farther reaches of Equestria, and the closer he came to Canterlot and the Palace the more things didn't shape up. She had a way of keeping him close, staying close and yet assigning him far to deal with things the Royal Guard couldn't handle. In the night he was strong under the Full Moon, but weak from resting only when his body demanded it, eating only when his stomach wouldn't let him do otherwise. The dark pegasus that appeared one night, falling from the sky, now swooped onto a balcony and came to a near, hoof-shafting landing. "Home...I'm home," he said. But there were no servants coming to see him, no warm tea or blankets.
DYN
Within the training grounds sits something new. A simple steel box. There is a small window cut into the side, unsuspecting.
BLOOM
It is a relatively still night. What guards there are out seem to be moving cautiously, all on edge as if expecting something to happen. It's eternal night! There has not been sun now for over a week. Celestia likewise has been missing that long. Still, aside from the steel box, nervous guards, and eternal night... nothing unusual to report.
VIRGA
Still nothing, no servants rushing about. Virga was by nature a cold one, given his talents, but this night felt colder than most even at high altitudes. It hurt to walk, even speak. Virga slowly folded his wings. The steel box was strange; no pony left their tools out. The guards went about like ninnies instead of proudly clomping like they should. And more, the moon had been out all week and Celestia was nowhere. He knew for sure, nowhere. All across the country, and not a sign. "Ahton (Order)!" he pronounced, hoping the Guard would shape up. "What is this change? It is much too quiet!"
BLOOM
One of the guards nearly jumps out of his armor, looking over at the Virga and stands at attention. He looks about nervously. "N... N-N-N-Nightmare Moon, sir! She has returned! We have to be ready for her. But... most of the guard doesn't want to be the ones to encounter her so we're on rotation." The guard does not seem aware of the Bloom Doll.
VIRGA
Virga's ears snapped quickly to the Guard; surely that wasn't normal. No 'Yes Sir' and huff, no mechanic of hoof and armor! He was not a tough, callous pony on lower ranks; he didn't even have rank among the Guard due to his relations to the Princess, but he couldn't show fear. And what did Virga fear? A good question as he lost most of everything already. He eyed the trembling guard with a softer face. "It speaks well of you to continue your post. Nightmare Moon, unfortunately, is not an entity the Guard can withstand. I'm relieving you of duty for now. Go home to your family."
BLOOM
( "Yes sir! Thank you sir!" The guard turns tail and runs for the nearest door and is soon cleared out very swiftly. Just as he leaves, an even colder chill fills the air about Virga. That is even more unusual. Nightmare Moon can't control the temperatures. This is... new? But surely this sort of magic could be old as well. Modifying temperature could hardly be considered an innovation. So why is *this* chill so alarming? )
VIRGA
The guard ran faster than any Virga had seen on normal patrol. Yes, they feared the unnatural foe, he felt it in the air. Cold temperatures were home, ice was his friend--any sort of water was. The pegasus half-opened his wings and turned about. Old, ancient; Virga was none of these things given his age at the time of transfer, but the mentality was there. Unicorns had power that extended from their body, but this was an artful use and only things of ye olde days were that artful, mixing emotion with magic. It was just like 'her', the Unicorn he once loved. "Show yourself!"
BLOOM
( There is a new feeling with the cold.. hatred... exposure. Virga may suddenly feel very vulnerable here. (HE BELLOWS LIKE SOME FOAL LOST FROM HIS MOTHER.) Taunts a voice. It sounds like... apple bloom screaming and whispering. But.... twisted, evil, indescribable. It's echoing in the steward's mind, impossible to triangulate. (WASTES TIME ON THE PAST WHEN THE PRESENT LIES WITH HIM AND THE FUTURE SEEKS HIM FURTHER. PITIFUL.) The voice taunts him as if he were some sad little experiment. )
VIRGA
His feathers twitched; ever since he came forward there had been things he hadn't seen before, but this was much closer to something he faced in the old days when magic was more dangerous a thing to tamper with. Mother? Virga didn't remember too much of his mother. Ponies died young in those days. He turned ear every which way, but the voice was everywhere, like The Royal Voice. Waste time on the past? Yes, he did. What of it? Comparing the past to the present had turned to a hobby since meeting Nightshade. "Yes, it is pitiful," he snorted, "that I actually have some semblance of life, isn't it?"
BLOOM
(I REMEDIED THE PAST. IS IT NOT A BEAUTIFUL THING?) The voice continues, but soon... an object just... is... on top of the steel box. No sign of teleportation magic. Just sudden existence in that place. (WHAT A WASTE. A PONY OF THE NIGHT, SERVING A PRINCESS OF THE NOT-THERE. SO MANY TRIALS, LEARNING NOTHING. IT STANDS ALONE.)
VIRGA
Remedied the past? What? Virga stiffened. It moved, manifested...something not so physical was here, playing with things that could be seen, heard, and felt. he flexed his wings upon hearing that second part. Princess of The Not-There was a dead giveaway this 'thing' was responsible for a vacant Princess. "What a waste that I am being told what I am when I've accepted this," he snorted. "What have you done with my Princess Celestia?"
BLOOM
(ACCEPTANCE OF FAILURE. THERE IS THE HEART OF IT.) The voice doesn't betray any emotion except perhaps cold hatred and malice. (YOU ARE A PLAYTHING LIKE ANY OTHER. WHAT DOES EVERYPONY SHARE?) The object atop of the steel box emits a subtle glow.
VIRGA
Another snort and Virga raised his wings, which blazed iridescent blue-silver fringed with the essence of the ice and moon. He was incensed, but anger did not control him. Another threat to the Princess, one he actually faced this time was going to receive his 'royal' attention. Thus, a shouting match would ensue, his voice warping to that loud, oppressive tone Luna had so many problems with. "WHEN THE SUN GUARDIAN ASKS YOU A QUESTION, THE RESPONSE IS NOT FAILURE!" And that shout might as well be heard throughout the entire palace, the loudest Virga had spoken since before the 'incident' that landed him in Equestria.
BLOOM
(YOU. ARE. FAILURE. INCARNATE.) The loudness does not seen to phase the voice. (WHERE WERE YOU WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU? AND NOW SHE IS GONE AND EQUESTRIA LOCKED IN ETERNAL NIGHT. FAILURE.) The object glows again. A little more eye-catching this time. (IT BELLOWS AGAIN, THINKING ITS VOLUME WILL BE ITS POWER. A WOUND IS NECESSARY.) A subtle, but undeniably *there* wave of magical energy strikes out at the very being of Virga. )
VIRGA
Virga's eye caught the glow, but as soon as he ddi that wave came racing at him. That changed everything; it was war now. The wave moved so fast that he barely had time to shield against it. His wings at full span, bellowing like sails as the force pushed him back and into the closed wall. The sensation burned, Virga's face burned as well s his check and neck, the joints in his wings too; a few feathered dislodged. He was Tough Pegasus, even after flying straight for a week with minimal food and rest. Though his wings hurt he fluttered them down and dragged their tips on the floor. "She is my friend," he said, that wave having taken most of his ability to speak. "There for me when I crashed. And I there for her. My life is about her. She showed me a new magic, friendship." He stomped his hooves, which thundered the sound of breaking glaciers and marched forward. This thing wasn't going to stop him, no. He strained and forced the old Royal Tone from his throat again. "SAY FRIENDSHIP ISN'T MAGIC, I DARE DARE YOU. I DOUBLE DARE YOU! His wings slammed to the ground, smearing an arctic blast that ripped the delicate brickwork so many aspiring artisan ponies laid in honor of their Princesses so many years ago. What was once masterpiece turned horrifyingly into a deluge of rubble that swept towards that little steel box.
DYN
( Within the steel box, Dynamite can't do anything but helplessly watch. He has been shouting for a full half hour as his voice is now raspy and sore. "Virga! RUN! Just RUN!" He calls out though he has no clue that no one can hear him. A bright flash of light erupts from the small window of the box. ".. Crap!" )
BLOOM
( Now why would the Bloom Doll say such a foolish thing? She knows how her master has been defeated before. She knows the nature of the Elements of Harmony, being an Element of Discord herself. As Virga fires off the rubble at the steel box, a chilly, frightening cackle can be heard and the object is just gone. Unfortunately for the poor pony locked in the steel box where One Does Not Exist, the rubble is still incoming. (I AM THE ELEMENT OF FEAR.) There's something... light and clothy now... just sitting on top of one of the lanterns, not even catching fire. (I KNOW OF THE NATURE OF FRIENDSHIP. BUT EVEN THAT MAGIC HAS ITS LIMITS.) Each of the lanterns in the area go out, one by one, making it darker and darker. (MY MASTER WOULD MAKE LIGHT OF YOUR ATTEMPTS AT HEROISM. I FIND IT PITIFUL.) The object glows once more... and the icy coldness about Virga gets stronger. (EVERYPONY FEARS.) )
VIRGA
Virga breathed hard after unleashing his wing power, but only because he had been yelling at the same time. Yelling and using one's wings didn't go well together for whatever reason. He turned about until his eyes caught the movement above the lanterns. "Fear?" he shouted. "I find you moderately annoying. What is there for me to fear?" He flicked the tips of his wings, encircling his body with the frigid air this thing sought to use against him. He had his limits to the cold, but not yet. He wasn't there yet. This thing was pushing him to unleash the full brunt of his power, something he'd rather avoid as it would collapse the entire foyer. "Even Fear has fears. If I must destroy the palace to free my princess, I will do it. If taking your life means freeing my princess, I will do it. "
DYN
As the crash of the energy of Virga's attack hits the box, the steel trap that houses the element of fire goes flying to the side, bouncing a few times before coming to a skidding stop. Crack. Thud. Splat. As his head comes hitting upon the metal sides of the box as he tumbles end over end, crumpling to the ground in a bloody heap. His breath is shallow, gurgling out a mouthful of crimson as it dribbles over his red fur.
BLOOM
This makes the voice quiet for a moment, then suddenly the Bloom Doll exists just beneath the pony. Virga may finally get a good look at the doll. It has a remarkable resemblance to Apple Blom... but a ragdoll. And very very creepy looking to boot. (YOU HAVE FINALLY SAID SOMETHING INTELLIGENT. VERY WELL. IF YOU MUST DESTROY ME, PROCEED.) No more words. Why would this... this thing suddenly be so willing to be destroyed? That might be cause for second thoughts.
VIRGA
Virga's attention and focus on keeping the cold air at bay was briefly broken by the sight of this doll. It looked familiar, like one of the younger ponies about the farm though he couldn't remember the name. There it stood, the answer to these problems. The doll was a mechanism, yet they all had roots. The fact it presented here was a quiz, a slight. Why else would a doll suddenly appear to be destroyed after being hellbent on taunting him with fear. A Guard would destroy this thing on the spot, missing the subtly. A Unicorn would miss or realize it depending on their education. As he leaned closer, the dark violet in his fur grew melancholy, grayed, and even started turning white. The Sun Guardian took a step forward, staring at the creepy little doll. "No..." he said. "There's something, someone attached to you...an innocent. Young, the age my son would have been by now." His muzzle had turned completely white and the wrest of him started graying; he wasn't growing old, he was growing weak. But it wouldn't stop him from stomping a hoof on either side of this doll and yelling in its face. "EXPLAIN!"
BLOOM
( This is definitely more like it. A pony who spends less time threatening or, as she may prefer it, cowering before her. (DESTROY ME AND YOU WILL REMOVE ALL HOPE OF ANOTHER FINDING HER WAY. ON AN UNRELATED NOTE... YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.) This is when the Bloom Dol elects to unleash an even larger sample of its power on Virga. At close range. A *far* less gentle and *much* more forceful wave of magical energy envelops him... mixed with all manner of images and horrors the Bloom Doll wishes upon him. It did not choose to curse him, but upward send him with a magical wound which may not heal so easily. (EVERYPONY FEARS.) )
VIRGA
He couldn't. Virga couldn't destroy this thing if it meant killing an innocent young pony. In the old days, he would to save his Princess. But that was only because most royalty back then didn't care about their subjects the way Celestia did. His Princess wouldn't approve of an innocent being token to her survival. His son didn't have a chance, he wasn't going to take it from the poor pony this doll bound. The hit came at the worst time. Virga lost his hooves from the floor and tumbled over the torn floor, plagued by things he didn't wish to think. His son from beyond the grave cursing him for not being faster, Celestia shouting at him for not being there when the Changeling Queen knocked the crown from her head. That wasn't right, not at all. Celestia visited him personally as the friend she was to tell him it wasn't his fault, tucked him under her wing. As much as they hadn't seen each other, he and Celestia were close; it was like his mate Firefly, being close to Luna.
When Virga hit the wall he cried in pain. It was the breath in his lungs painfully knocked, and his wings nearly bent in ways they were not meant. A week of flying, searching didn't prepare him well for this. He leaned on the wall, searching for that doll. "I still…don't fear…" Backlash, there was Firefly losing all confidence in him, and Rainbow Dash--who knew he was once Wonderbolt in antiquity--scornfully labeling him a has-been relic of a forgotten age. He moved his wings, but they were sluggish. "What…."
BLOOM
(AN HONOR GUARD WHO TELLS LIES.) The Bloom Doll is now beside him. She is not being merciful to this one. Perhaps she is cursing him in the worst possible way she could curse him. (LIVE IN DOUBT OF YOURSELF. YOU REMEMBER ALL YOUR FAILURES AND DENY THEM. JUDGE THYSELF UPON YOUR INABILITY TO SAVE THOSE YOU LOVE, EVEN NOW.) Harsh words. And finally the doll just lets him have it. The true power of an Element of Discord is that they are more powerful when not used together, unlike their counterparts the Elements of HArmony, a full brut wave of energy aimed inward at the guard, unmerciful images coupled within. (FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.) Everypoy fears. Everypony. A lesson the Bloom Doll will leave with the guard for some time.
VIRGA
Virga weakly peered at the doll, finding much difficulty to distinguish altered memory from truth. It prattled on; he didn't hear the words. Virga felt them. Virga closed his eyes as the next wave came over him, and this time he went with it. It forced him against the wall and snapped his wings into a full span before tossing him towards the balcony. There were some truths to those images; he and Rainbow Dash did drift apart and rarely talked. but everything else was a jumbled mess. When he first met Luna, he didn't get along with her and she thought he was something to be punted, shot down. In time they understood each other, something this doll reversed within his mind. "I…do not…fear…" his voice nearly wheezed when he spoke this time. One hoof reached for the balustrade and another pulled him up. He leaned with nearly broken wings on that edge over looking Canterlot, high above jagged crags and low towers. Another push and he'd fall.
BLOOM
The Bloom Doll slights on a small opening in the wall, just at the right eye level for Virga to lok in those evil, plastic button eyes of hers. (STRONGLY YOU DENY IT.) But she has already seen it. It's really not exactly something anypony can do, hide their fear from the Element of Fear. She can already tell she's touched on it. And knows also why this oe would not choose Equestria over Apple Bloom, a filly he doesn't really know. (MAKE YOUR CHOICE. DESTROY ME OR ADMIT YOUR FEAR.
VIRGA
Virga stared into those button eyes. He could do it, end it here. One little pony's life for the entire country. It wasn't much to pay. But there was a filly-Screaming Rainbow Dash--there was a filly, so innocent--Frothing Firefly--and undeserving of that prison--Celestia turned Molestia. "All I can ask is if that filly can forgive me for what I'm about to because you've caused her so much despair…because somewhere I know she'd want me to tear the stuffing out of you." This was about more than just Celestia now. He never met Apple Bloom…but now this was about her too, having at least some form of payback to this horrid thing. The air chilled, fog set in and glistening dust emerged from Virga's wing tips. The pegasus shakily curled his wings which burned aglow with ice that pulled free from gravity. In an instant, a blinding light, a storm of shards and a deafening boom shook the palace. Virga used his talent for the first time since he came to Equestria, but it would not be enough to destroy that doll. It did, however, completely destroy the balcony. Virga and the debris fell into the lower clouds in silence. If he gained flight or smacked into the cliffs, time would tell.
BLOOM
( The Bloom Doll, for once, is at least damaged. As she is blown clear of the balcony just as Virga's desperate bid to damage her, though in vain, in the glistening moonlight one could, if they looked very closely, see the glint of one of the button eyes from the Bloom Doll going over with Virga. It is a sign that perhaps even the tyrannical doll can take damage, but still too little to matter. At least Virga, for the time being, is free from the voice... that... penetrating voice. )
END
----
HINT: Virga may be able to aid in finding Celestia, even in his pitiful state if certain ponies find him. This is no guarantee.
Cast:
The Bloom Doll.
Dynamite Rave, Private of the Royal Guard.
Virga, Private Guard of Princess Celestia.
----
The last and final moment is yours,
That agony is your triumph.
-Joan Baez, "Here's To You
----
VIRGA
Flight. Virga enjoyed flight like any pegasi, but this flight was one he didn't enjoy. He lost track of time since he noticed the first signs of something amiss in the farther reaches of Equestria, and the closer he came to Canterlot and the Palace the more things didn't shape up. She had a way of keeping him close, staying close and yet assigning him far to deal with things the Royal Guard couldn't handle. In the night he was strong under the Full Moon, but weak from resting only when his body demanded it, eating only when his stomach wouldn't let him do otherwise. The dark pegasus that appeared one night, falling from the sky, now swooped onto a balcony and came to a near, hoof-shafting landing. "Home...I'm home," he said. But there were no servants coming to see him, no warm tea or blankets.
DYN
Within the training grounds sits something new. A simple steel box. There is a small window cut into the side, unsuspecting.
BLOOM
It is a relatively still night. What guards there are out seem to be moving cautiously, all on edge as if expecting something to happen. It's eternal night! There has not been sun now for over a week. Celestia likewise has been missing that long. Still, aside from the steel box, nervous guards, and eternal night... nothing unusual to report.
VIRGA
Still nothing, no servants rushing about. Virga was by nature a cold one, given his talents, but this night felt colder than most even at high altitudes. It hurt to walk, even speak. Virga slowly folded his wings. The steel box was strange; no pony left their tools out. The guards went about like ninnies instead of proudly clomping like they should. And more, the moon had been out all week and Celestia was nowhere. He knew for sure, nowhere. All across the country, and not a sign. "Ahton (Order)!" he pronounced, hoping the Guard would shape up. "What is this change? It is much too quiet!"
BLOOM
One of the guards nearly jumps out of his armor, looking over at the Virga and stands at attention. He looks about nervously. "N... N-N-N-Nightmare Moon, sir! She has returned! We have to be ready for her. But... most of the guard doesn't want to be the ones to encounter her so we're on rotation." The guard does not seem aware of the Bloom Doll.
VIRGA
Virga's ears snapped quickly to the Guard; surely that wasn't normal. No 'Yes Sir' and huff, no mechanic of hoof and armor! He was not a tough, callous pony on lower ranks; he didn't even have rank among the Guard due to his relations to the Princess, but he couldn't show fear. And what did Virga fear? A good question as he lost most of everything already. He eyed the trembling guard with a softer face. "It speaks well of you to continue your post. Nightmare Moon, unfortunately, is not an entity the Guard can withstand. I'm relieving you of duty for now. Go home to your family."
BLOOM
( "Yes sir! Thank you sir!" The guard turns tail and runs for the nearest door and is soon cleared out very swiftly. Just as he leaves, an even colder chill fills the air about Virga. That is even more unusual. Nightmare Moon can't control the temperatures. This is... new? But surely this sort of magic could be old as well. Modifying temperature could hardly be considered an innovation. So why is *this* chill so alarming? )
VIRGA
The guard ran faster than any Virga had seen on normal patrol. Yes, they feared the unnatural foe, he felt it in the air. Cold temperatures were home, ice was his friend--any sort of water was. The pegasus half-opened his wings and turned about. Old, ancient; Virga was none of these things given his age at the time of transfer, but the mentality was there. Unicorns had power that extended from their body, but this was an artful use and only things of ye olde days were that artful, mixing emotion with magic. It was just like 'her', the Unicorn he once loved. "Show yourself!"
BLOOM
( There is a new feeling with the cold.. hatred... exposure. Virga may suddenly feel very vulnerable here. (HE BELLOWS LIKE SOME FOAL LOST FROM HIS MOTHER.) Taunts a voice. It sounds like... apple bloom screaming and whispering. But.... twisted, evil, indescribable. It's echoing in the steward's mind, impossible to triangulate. (WASTES TIME ON THE PAST WHEN THE PRESENT LIES WITH HIM AND THE FUTURE SEEKS HIM FURTHER. PITIFUL.) The voice taunts him as if he were some sad little experiment. )
VIRGA
His feathers twitched; ever since he came forward there had been things he hadn't seen before, but this was much closer to something he faced in the old days when magic was more dangerous a thing to tamper with. Mother? Virga didn't remember too much of his mother. Ponies died young in those days. He turned ear every which way, but the voice was everywhere, like The Royal Voice. Waste time on the past? Yes, he did. What of it? Comparing the past to the present had turned to a hobby since meeting Nightshade. "Yes, it is pitiful," he snorted, "that I actually have some semblance of life, isn't it?"
BLOOM
(I REMEDIED THE PAST. IS IT NOT A BEAUTIFUL THING?) The voice continues, but soon... an object just... is... on top of the steel box. No sign of teleportation magic. Just sudden existence in that place. (WHAT A WASTE. A PONY OF THE NIGHT, SERVING A PRINCESS OF THE NOT-THERE. SO MANY TRIALS, LEARNING NOTHING. IT STANDS ALONE.)
VIRGA
Remedied the past? What? Virga stiffened. It moved, manifested...something not so physical was here, playing with things that could be seen, heard, and felt. he flexed his wings upon hearing that second part. Princess of The Not-There was a dead giveaway this 'thing' was responsible for a vacant Princess. "What a waste that I am being told what I am when I've accepted this," he snorted. "What have you done with my Princess Celestia?"
BLOOM
(ACCEPTANCE OF FAILURE. THERE IS THE HEART OF IT.) The voice doesn't betray any emotion except perhaps cold hatred and malice. (YOU ARE A PLAYTHING LIKE ANY OTHER. WHAT DOES EVERYPONY SHARE?) The object atop of the steel box emits a subtle glow.
VIRGA
Another snort and Virga raised his wings, which blazed iridescent blue-silver fringed with the essence of the ice and moon. He was incensed, but anger did not control him. Another threat to the Princess, one he actually faced this time was going to receive his 'royal' attention. Thus, a shouting match would ensue, his voice warping to that loud, oppressive tone Luna had so many problems with. "WHEN THE SUN GUARDIAN ASKS YOU A QUESTION, THE RESPONSE IS NOT FAILURE!" And that shout might as well be heard throughout the entire palace, the loudest Virga had spoken since before the 'incident' that landed him in Equestria.
BLOOM
(YOU. ARE. FAILURE. INCARNATE.) The loudness does not seen to phase the voice. (WHERE WERE YOU WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU? AND NOW SHE IS GONE AND EQUESTRIA LOCKED IN ETERNAL NIGHT. FAILURE.) The object glows again. A little more eye-catching this time. (IT BELLOWS AGAIN, THINKING ITS VOLUME WILL BE ITS POWER. A WOUND IS NECESSARY.) A subtle, but undeniably *there* wave of magical energy strikes out at the very being of Virga. )
VIRGA
Virga's eye caught the glow, but as soon as he ddi that wave came racing at him. That changed everything; it was war now. The wave moved so fast that he barely had time to shield against it. His wings at full span, bellowing like sails as the force pushed him back and into the closed wall. The sensation burned, Virga's face burned as well s his check and neck, the joints in his wings too; a few feathered dislodged. He was Tough Pegasus, even after flying straight for a week with minimal food and rest. Though his wings hurt he fluttered them down and dragged their tips on the floor. "She is my friend," he said, that wave having taken most of his ability to speak. "There for me when I crashed. And I there for her. My life is about her. She showed me a new magic, friendship." He stomped his hooves, which thundered the sound of breaking glaciers and marched forward. This thing wasn't going to stop him, no. He strained and forced the old Royal Tone from his throat again. "SAY FRIENDSHIP ISN'T MAGIC, I DARE DARE YOU. I DOUBLE DARE YOU! His wings slammed to the ground, smearing an arctic blast that ripped the delicate brickwork so many aspiring artisan ponies laid in honor of their Princesses so many years ago. What was once masterpiece turned horrifyingly into a deluge of rubble that swept towards that little steel box.
DYN
( Within the steel box, Dynamite can't do anything but helplessly watch. He has been shouting for a full half hour as his voice is now raspy and sore. "Virga! RUN! Just RUN!" He calls out though he has no clue that no one can hear him. A bright flash of light erupts from the small window of the box. ".. Crap!" )
BLOOM
( Now why would the Bloom Doll say such a foolish thing? She knows how her master has been defeated before. She knows the nature of the Elements of Harmony, being an Element of Discord herself. As Virga fires off the rubble at the steel box, a chilly, frightening cackle can be heard and the object is just gone. Unfortunately for the poor pony locked in the steel box where One Does Not Exist, the rubble is still incoming. (I AM THE ELEMENT OF FEAR.) There's something... light and clothy now... just sitting on top of one of the lanterns, not even catching fire. (I KNOW OF THE NATURE OF FRIENDSHIP. BUT EVEN THAT MAGIC HAS ITS LIMITS.) Each of the lanterns in the area go out, one by one, making it darker and darker. (MY MASTER WOULD MAKE LIGHT OF YOUR ATTEMPTS AT HEROISM. I FIND IT PITIFUL.) The object glows once more... and the icy coldness about Virga gets stronger. (EVERYPONY FEARS.) )
VIRGA
Virga breathed hard after unleashing his wing power, but only because he had been yelling at the same time. Yelling and using one's wings didn't go well together for whatever reason. He turned about until his eyes caught the movement above the lanterns. "Fear?" he shouted. "I find you moderately annoying. What is there for me to fear?" He flicked the tips of his wings, encircling his body with the frigid air this thing sought to use against him. He had his limits to the cold, but not yet. He wasn't there yet. This thing was pushing him to unleash the full brunt of his power, something he'd rather avoid as it would collapse the entire foyer. "Even Fear has fears. If I must destroy the palace to free my princess, I will do it. If taking your life means freeing my princess, I will do it. "
DYN
As the crash of the energy of Virga's attack hits the box, the steel trap that houses the element of fire goes flying to the side, bouncing a few times before coming to a skidding stop. Crack. Thud. Splat. As his head comes hitting upon the metal sides of the box as he tumbles end over end, crumpling to the ground in a bloody heap. His breath is shallow, gurgling out a mouthful of crimson as it dribbles over his red fur.
BLOOM
This makes the voice quiet for a moment, then suddenly the Bloom Doll exists just beneath the pony. Virga may finally get a good look at the doll. It has a remarkable resemblance to Apple Blom... but a ragdoll. And very very creepy looking to boot. (YOU HAVE FINALLY SAID SOMETHING INTELLIGENT. VERY WELL. IF YOU MUST DESTROY ME, PROCEED.) No more words. Why would this... this thing suddenly be so willing to be destroyed? That might be cause for second thoughts.
VIRGA
Virga's attention and focus on keeping the cold air at bay was briefly broken by the sight of this doll. It looked familiar, like one of the younger ponies about the farm though he couldn't remember the name. There it stood, the answer to these problems. The doll was a mechanism, yet they all had roots. The fact it presented here was a quiz, a slight. Why else would a doll suddenly appear to be destroyed after being hellbent on taunting him with fear. A Guard would destroy this thing on the spot, missing the subtly. A Unicorn would miss or realize it depending on their education. As he leaned closer, the dark violet in his fur grew melancholy, grayed, and even started turning white. The Sun Guardian took a step forward, staring at the creepy little doll. "No..." he said. "There's something, someone attached to you...an innocent. Young, the age my son would have been by now." His muzzle had turned completely white and the wrest of him started graying; he wasn't growing old, he was growing weak. But it wouldn't stop him from stomping a hoof on either side of this doll and yelling in its face. "EXPLAIN!"
BLOOM
( This is definitely more like it. A pony who spends less time threatening or, as she may prefer it, cowering before her. (DESTROY ME AND YOU WILL REMOVE ALL HOPE OF ANOTHER FINDING HER WAY. ON AN UNRELATED NOTE... YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.) This is when the Bloom Dol elects to unleash an even larger sample of its power on Virga. At close range. A *far* less gentle and *much* more forceful wave of magical energy envelops him... mixed with all manner of images and horrors the Bloom Doll wishes upon him. It did not choose to curse him, but upward send him with a magical wound which may not heal so easily. (EVERYPONY FEARS.) )
VIRGA
He couldn't. Virga couldn't destroy this thing if it meant killing an innocent young pony. In the old days, he would to save his Princess. But that was only because most royalty back then didn't care about their subjects the way Celestia did. His Princess wouldn't approve of an innocent being token to her survival. His son didn't have a chance, he wasn't going to take it from the poor pony this doll bound. The hit came at the worst time. Virga lost his hooves from the floor and tumbled over the torn floor, plagued by things he didn't wish to think. His son from beyond the grave cursing him for not being faster, Celestia shouting at him for not being there when the Changeling Queen knocked the crown from her head. That wasn't right, not at all. Celestia visited him personally as the friend she was to tell him it wasn't his fault, tucked him under her wing. As much as they hadn't seen each other, he and Celestia were close; it was like his mate Firefly, being close to Luna.
When Virga hit the wall he cried in pain. It was the breath in his lungs painfully knocked, and his wings nearly bent in ways they were not meant. A week of flying, searching didn't prepare him well for this. He leaned on the wall, searching for that doll. "I still…don't fear…" Backlash, there was Firefly losing all confidence in him, and Rainbow Dash--who knew he was once Wonderbolt in antiquity--scornfully labeling him a has-been relic of a forgotten age. He moved his wings, but they were sluggish. "What…."
BLOOM
(AN HONOR GUARD WHO TELLS LIES.) The Bloom Doll is now beside him. She is not being merciful to this one. Perhaps she is cursing him in the worst possible way she could curse him. (LIVE IN DOUBT OF YOURSELF. YOU REMEMBER ALL YOUR FAILURES AND DENY THEM. JUDGE THYSELF UPON YOUR INABILITY TO SAVE THOSE YOU LOVE, EVEN NOW.) Harsh words. And finally the doll just lets him have it. The true power of an Element of Discord is that they are more powerful when not used together, unlike their counterparts the Elements of HArmony, a full brut wave of energy aimed inward at the guard, unmerciful images coupled within. (FAILURE. FAILURE. FAILURE.) Everypoy fears. Everypony. A lesson the Bloom Doll will leave with the guard for some time.
VIRGA
Virga weakly peered at the doll, finding much difficulty to distinguish altered memory from truth. It prattled on; he didn't hear the words. Virga felt them. Virga closed his eyes as the next wave came over him, and this time he went with it. It forced him against the wall and snapped his wings into a full span before tossing him towards the balcony. There were some truths to those images; he and Rainbow Dash did drift apart and rarely talked. but everything else was a jumbled mess. When he first met Luna, he didn't get along with her and she thought he was something to be punted, shot down. In time they understood each other, something this doll reversed within his mind. "I…do not…fear…" his voice nearly wheezed when he spoke this time. One hoof reached for the balustrade and another pulled him up. He leaned with nearly broken wings on that edge over looking Canterlot, high above jagged crags and low towers. Another push and he'd fall.
BLOOM
The Bloom Doll slights on a small opening in the wall, just at the right eye level for Virga to lok in those evil, plastic button eyes of hers. (STRONGLY YOU DENY IT.) But she has already seen it. It's really not exactly something anypony can do, hide their fear from the Element of Fear. She can already tell she's touched on it. And knows also why this oe would not choose Equestria over Apple Bloom, a filly he doesn't really know. (MAKE YOUR CHOICE. DESTROY ME OR ADMIT YOUR FEAR.
VIRGA
Virga stared into those button eyes. He could do it, end it here. One little pony's life for the entire country. It wasn't much to pay. But there was a filly-Screaming Rainbow Dash--there was a filly, so innocent--Frothing Firefly--and undeserving of that prison--Celestia turned Molestia. "All I can ask is if that filly can forgive me for what I'm about to because you've caused her so much despair…because somewhere I know she'd want me to tear the stuffing out of you." This was about more than just Celestia now. He never met Apple Bloom…but now this was about her too, having at least some form of payback to this horrid thing. The air chilled, fog set in and glistening dust emerged from Virga's wing tips. The pegasus shakily curled his wings which burned aglow with ice that pulled free from gravity. In an instant, a blinding light, a storm of shards and a deafening boom shook the palace. Virga used his talent for the first time since he came to Equestria, but it would not be enough to destroy that doll. It did, however, completely destroy the balcony. Virga and the debris fell into the lower clouds in silence. If he gained flight or smacked into the cliffs, time would tell.
BLOOM
( The Bloom Doll, for once, is at least damaged. As she is blown clear of the balcony just as Virga's desperate bid to damage her, though in vain, in the glistening moonlight one could, if they looked very closely, see the glint of one of the button eyes from the Bloom Doll going over with Virga. It is a sign that perhaps even the tyrannical doll can take damage, but still too little to matter. At least Virga, for the time being, is free from the voice... that... penetrating voice. )
END
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HINT: Virga may be able to aid in finding Celestia, even in his pitiful state if certain ponies find him. This is no guarantee.