The Everfree Forest Is... Invading!

[Derpy]

This is a scene set in Ponyville during the Season 4 opener, when the Mane Six were venturing into the newly aggressive Everfree Forest and the princesses were missing. What was going on back in town?!

[Derpy]

#=#=#=#=#=# PONYVILLE SQUARE #=#=#=#=#=#

At the heart of Ponyville stands a proud and massive pavillion known as Town Hall. Around it lies the town square, a well-kept ring decorated with tall banners and the occasional picturesque bush. A fountain sits before the entrance to the hall with a joyous, reared-up earth pony statue as its ornament. Various municipal officials have pitched colorful, conical tents in the square from which they run their operations. The town square is lined along one side by a stream crossed by a broad stone bridge, while on its other sides it's surrounded by a combination of commercial establishments and some of the oldest houses in Ponyville. The mood here is generally cheerful but officious.

[ Buildings: [T] Town Hall(#160E), [CL] Clockwork's Clocktower(#772E), ]
[ [C] Magic Research Center(#631E), [LI] Ponyville Library(#213E) ]
[ Roads: [MAP] Maple Street(#813E), [R] Road to Canterlot(#278E) ]
[ Areas: Saddle Lake(#277E), [TR] To the Train!(#1026E), ]
[ [WO] Whitetail Wood(#458E), [M] Ponyville Market(#157E) ]
[ Players: Pumpkin_Seed(#272PBC), Dusk(#363PBM3), Virga(#383PBC), ]
[ Chalice_Flame(#858PBC) ]
[ Sleepers: Mercury(#1630PBC), Pinkie_Dye(#2011PB) ]
[ Vehicles: Wagon of Wonders(#390V) ]
[ Contents: Ballot Box(#1290) ]

Derpy shouts "Let's do it! Set your clocks back to summer, ponies! It's an Everfree invasion in Ponyville Square, while Twilight and her team are searching for the Tree of Harmony!" (Public-shout)
24 folks heard that.

Red_Velvet has arrived.

Derpy shouts "You can join us in the Square or RP it happening wherever you like, but anyone RPing in public outdoor rooms should be aware of the Everfree's attack. " (Public-shout)
24 folks heard that.

Nettleglum calls it a garden party. (Public-pose)

The sky was clear until recently, but this sort of thing doesn't normally bother Derpy Doo much. She's used to unexpected things happening and everypony else understanding them far better than she does. She just knows there's no mail delivery during the Summer Sun celebration, so she's better finish today's route quickly--no time to make it up tomorrow! Her vest worn proudly and hat askew, she settles by the Center for Magical Research, looking for the mailbox... this place does have a mailbox, doesn't it?

<OOC> Thrash_Nocturne says, "If it's not okay to play bad guy, will happily play reluctant good guy. Might be preferable acyually. ^.^;"
<OOC> Thrash_Nocturne says, "Your decision determines what entrance music. XD"
<OOC> You say, "Can play bad guy! Why not?"
<OOC> You say, "Play your character however you like!"
<OOC> Thrash_Nocturne says, "Oki www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEl6xcOIhbU XD"

Dusk has been right here in Ponyville, not having gone off to Canterlot or anything for the celebration. There's going ot be quite a local one, but that's not why he's stayed here. He has been up in the MRC, looking out through the telescope and taking readings. As he notices Derpy arrive and steps outside, "Greetings, Lady Derpy. Ah you have mail for us, thank you!" He magics it over, glancing up at the sky for a moment. "How have things been today?"

Derpy is delighted to see Dusk, which solves her problem for the nonce, though it isn't resolved for good. Her eyes perform a quick jumping bug act and then settle down, and she pulls out Dusk's mail, which contains nothing too out of the ordinary. "Things have been." She looks up doubtfully at the sky and hesitates. "Is so cloud for Summer Sun," she observes. "Maybe strange." And she raises one hoof slightly, looking around the square to see who else is about.

And yes the MRC has a mailbox. Though Dusk has a knack of being there when it arrives. And Mirage seems to take care of all the paperwork, but she's not in currently. Dusk nods to Derpy, "Indeed it is, Lady Derpy." Dusk's reason for coming to Ponyville, in fact Equetria at all, was to reasearch unusual things happening, and increasingly happening here and the general area. He's had a particular feeling of late, and signs are starting to show. "I hope everything is nice for the celebration."

Scope has arrived.

Red_Velvet is currently relaxing on a bench located not to terribly far away, looking through a small stack of tabloids and seemingly just barely keeping herself contained at some points while at others laughing outright at the ridiculous things printed about herself and her clients. The current checkout lane "rag" that she is reading has a picture on the cover of her own face twisted in rage and the title line reads in big bold red print "Red Velvet on the warpath!" In smaller text beneath that is the tag line "Claims to be hunting a former client!"

Derpy looks relieved that her worries aren't idiosyncratic, but also worried anew. She looks at the gathering clouds and sees something gleam among them, causing her to leap in place. "Hoping is so. Am trying to unload mails!" She spots Red Velvet and races over. "Is Velveteen! Maybe ~she~ will take some mails!!"

Chalice_Flame doesn't not seem to be aware of whatever seems to be bothering other ponies, she's sipping a hard cider and seemed like quite relaxed tonight.
Chalice_Flame doesn't seem to be aware of whatever seems to be bothering other ponies, she's sipping a hard cider and seemed like quite relaxed tonight.

Dusk notices Derpy's reaction to what she sees. It won't be long before things are much more noticeable. The pegasi will probably notice the unusual clouds first, being their job. "Delivering the mail is quite important. But do be careful, Lady Derpy." But he barely finishes that before Derpy is racing over to Red. He notices more ponies showing up. This is how it usually goes just before an event, it seems. He smiles and greets Red and Chalice with a wave from where he is at the Center. He magics up a clipboard and starts looking around the area some, still trying to put a hoof on just what might be up.

Red_Velvet blinks and looks up after having a good scoff followed right away with a giggle at the cover story, "Such utter drivel! Oh! Hello Derpy, darling! I didn't see you come in for a landing, some of you pegasai can be so very sneaky." She smiles in a good natured, teasing way, her friend had clearly not been sneaking at all. "On the job, dear?" The agent adds, looking over Derpy's apparel. "How lovely, I am expecting a missive from Manehatten. Might you have it?" She offers a wave to Dusk in return and then smiling she parade-waves to the rest of the ponies in the square who happen to look her way.

Autumn_Breeze has arrived.

Derpy doesn't understand Red Velvet's sense of humor and looks at her hoof, wondering how sneaky she'd been. "Was running, not fly," she explains gently. "Have maybe got missive, but better is mail!" She grins and digs around in her mailbag. To her astomishment, she goes deeper than she expected... and soon, her face is showing from within the mailbag, frowning and blinking through a giant hole! Oh no!

It is then that a cloud gathers. It's already fairly overcast, but this cloud is much too fast and... focused. One might even say... sentient. It descends toward the bar that Chalice is sat at. A number of ponies find their drinks drained as the fog descends.

Thunderfire has arrived.

Autumn_Breeze rolls in a pumpkin - a smallish one - and gently pushes it into the hole in Derpy's mailbag. It's just the right size to fill it. "Hello, everypony," she says, blinking sleepily. "Luna said something about me being the only princess in town for... something? Is there a holiday I need to preside over?

Dusk is somewhat busy in research mode, but trying not to be too noticable about it, going around, examining the area with his colorless magic. He lets Derpy take care of her mail, though does notice her head pop out of the bottom, and then the arrival of Autumn, "Greetings as well!" he offers. But the quickly moving in cloud gets his attention. And as it makes a beeline for the bar, it certainly doesn't seem to be by chance.

Red_Velvet blinks and leans down to regard Derpy's face through the mailbag, one hoof going to her mouth with a slightly surprised and sympathetic look on her face, "Oh dear me! However might that have happened? Derpy, darling you haven't crashed recently have you?" She knew the mailmare hadn't gotten her joke, but that was no longer important. She reached out a hoof to try and comfort the other pony, but then there was the pumpkin, and the cloud, and the pilfered beverages, and Red's focus just kept being pulled in different directions and so she ended up with one leg extended awkwardly and her mouth hanging open in astonishment.

Derpy's eyes twist about in dismay, and her mouth curves likewise. "Have... have lost mail?" she utters with dread. She jerks back as Autumn plants a pumpkin in her mailbag, as though proferring a headstone for the poor lost missives. "Oh nooooo," she keens. "Is mailpony pledge NOT lose mail!" With a horrified and apologetic look at Red Velvet, Derpy dives back into the other pocket of her mailbag, making sure the mail there is still intact. As she searches, a disturbingly animate black creeper rises from the ground and pokes at the pumpkin, trying to dislodge it.

Chalice_Flame says "Is there a problem with the mail?, I've been getting mine just fine."
The cloud rests at rest level above the establishment. More drinks disappear. A *Hic!* seems to come from all around.

Autumn_Breeze blinks at the creeper. "Pumpkin...?" she says dubiously, gingerly touching it. The vine pokes her with a thorn. "Ow! NOT pumpkin," she says decisively, sucking on her forehoof. She looks unsure. Luna told her she was going to be the only Princess in Ponyville today... but if there's a problem not involving pumpkins... pumpkins are all she does!

Chalice_Flame climbs up into the conveniently located cloud at head level.

Up above, two pegasi, a yellowish-brown pegastallion and a wine-dark pegamare are flying about in a square pattern, young interns under the tutelage of Ponyville's Weather Patroller. "I wish Rainbow would give us more exciting missions instead of...of this stuff!" the stallion complains. -- "Yeah, tell me about it," the mare concurs, "but like she says we gotta know how it flies on normal days, and this is a pretty normal day." -- The stallion sighs. "You're right, I guess. Still wish something would happen, though..." Well, strangely enough...

Red_Velvet blinks as the black vine seems to push up through the ground right in front of her, she reaches out to lightly pat Derpy's shoulder, "I will do what I can to help you find your lost items Derpy, darling. Um...perchance did any of your parcels include seeds or anything sounding like it may contain seeds?" Her head wobbles backwards a little when the creeper pricked Miss Breeze with sharp thorns, "Oh! O-Oh my..."

Dusk watches the cloud, but upon hearing the hickup, he gets a grin and seems much less concerned about it. Maybe that's the one he noticed in the telescope earlier. He looks back up to the sky, but his attention is drawn back down again at Autumn's cry. He turns back that way and takes a look. "Well what do we have here.."

The cloud waits for Chalice to climb into it, then promptly plops her back out onto the floor. Two tendrils of smoke seem to fold, like two arms folding sternly. o\./o

Chalice_Flame's pride seems hurt by being dumped on the ground by the cloud, she glares back up at it frowning.

Twist has arrived.

Derpy comes up from the mailbag with some mail in her mouth, but tragically none of it is missives from Manehattan. She's trying to decide how to answer without dropping the mail when the black creeper makes it past the pumpkin and grabs the mail right out of Derpy's mouth! Derpy's eyes spin around once, and she shakes her head sadly to Red. "Maaybe. Unprobably. I Just Don't Knoow What Went--" Then she looks down and sees the creeper retreating with the mail into the ground. And something clicks in Derpy's head. "What is happen, Autumn Leaf? How are princess??"

Chalice_Flame decides she's now in a bad mood from that cloud incident and promptly flies off.

Dusk is already examining the creeper when it grabs the mail. Before it can get away with it he reaches out with his magic and pulls it, trying to at least get the mail, but catching the vine too. "Come back here." He's in a bit of a tug of war with it.. this thing is strong for such a little vine!.. when he looks up, "We have another Princess?" He reaches further down with his magic, pulling harder.. The mail starts rising back up, the vine around it.. then more and more of the creeper, until it's practically a big old tree root about as tall as a pony. "I... think we have more of a problem than a little vine.."

Red_Velvet sees the creeper retreating with the stolen mail and her horn instantly flares, a magical aura gripping the stolen letters, "Uncouth, Uncultured, Uncultivated!" She hisses as she struggles to keep her friend's remaining deliveries from being thefted. However her magical hold only manages to have her drug across the ground, hooves scrabbling at the dirt as she is pulled towards the hole in the ground, "Darling! I think we may have just happened upon your mail thief!"

Chalice_Flame has disconnected.

Derpy looks between Dusk's efforts to raise the creeper and Red Velvet's efforts to retrieve the mail, and she staggers back in horror. "What IIS?!" she cries, her voice breaking. She slings her bag onto her back with what remains of the day's mail and watches the drama unfold. Chalice Flame's departure catches her eye and Derpy sees one of the dark clouds having descended, and moving around ominously. Again she backpedals to avoid the unfamiliar hazard.

"Whoa, look at that!" the pegastallion above declares, pointing out the creepy vines erupting all over town. "That's totally messed. We should call the town guard!" -- "Probably," says the pegamare, "but I think the ants can worry about their own- OW!" She yelps as she suddenly feels an electric force. Lightning? But that's not scheduled until. "EEK!" she shouts, as a big, evil-looking cloud looms before her, crackling with energy.

Autumn_Breeze taps her chin, frowning. "Well - well, I've been designated the Princess of Pumpkins by her Highness Luna, you see," she explains. "I'm just not sure if that applies to creepers. Although pumpkins DO grow on creepers... but then again, it's not Autumn, so maybe none of my princessness applies..." she starts as a another vine curls around her rear hoof. "And Luna and Celestia would be busy, Luna said, so I guess - umph - let go, scalawag."

As the vines seem to move on an unsaid agenda, the could seems to rear back slightly. Surprised? Perhaps; this view is reinforced by how a smoky shape emerges. It's in the shame of a unicorn head, and peers curiously at one of the vines. "Interesting, sss-sss..."

Dusk keeps hold of the vine and mail with Red's help.. "Don't let it go.. At least until we get the mail back." He looks over to Autumn, "Would you be familiar with what sort of vine this would be? Doesn't seem.." He pauses, getting pulled back by the vine for a moment, then pulling a few steps back with hoof and magic.. ".. doesn't seem something you find in inhabited areas. More like a jungle, or magical.." The two unicorns at least keep it from reaching any ponies. He notices the one grabbing at Autumn, and tries stomping it with a hoof, but not as effective being fairly occupied already.

Red_Velvet releases her hold on the vine that she and Dusk had been tugging at with their combined magics. And turns to attempt to aid Miss Breeze, "Oh, curse you, you contemptible creeping, collection of flora!" She pulls at the vine around the other pony's hoof, then all of a sudden lets out a startled yelp as she is lifted into the air by her own rear hooves, four of the vines poised near her barrel as she dangles helplessly. The Agent's eyes narrow and she practically growls, "Don't you dare..." This is followed right away by her voice raising into peals of laughter as all four tendrils launch at her and proceed to tickle her middle, "Ahhh! Ha ha ha ha ha! N-Nooooooo! Stoppit! D-Don't! I-I can't take it! YIPE!" The tickling vines suddenly turn vicious again and the fabulous Unicorn is pricked in her sides by the quite sharp tips of the more thorny portions.

Derpy keeps trying to keep her distance from everything scary. She backs away until she reaches a building, and then takes to the sky... but a weird unicorn-shaped head makes her gasp in silent terror, and she lands again, cowering in a corner next to the MRC and a building adjoining the clocktower. "Are tickly?" Red's plight turns more serious and Derpy's eyes go wise. "Are TRICKLY!" Then she looks at the mysterious Autumn Breeze. "P...Princess Pumpkin??" she repeats. "Then pump! Pumpkinate out!!" Whatever this means, Derpy seems to feel strongly about it, as she's shouting in abject fear.

Autumn's wish is granted. Dusk may not have the attention free to properly stomp the vine assaulting the Princess of Pumpkins' hoof, but princessly power manifests in the form of a miracle. Well, it manifests in the form of a watery-eyed filly with curly red hair. Twist's hair bounces with a soft rustle with her every step as she skips right up to Autumn, shakes her head until a short rope of taffy falls out, pins one end of it with a hoof and wraps it around the base of the little vine with her mouth, and... twists! The thin stretch of vine snaps free and falls limp, only to be scooped up in Twist's mouth. She sucks on it a couple of times, and calls up to Dusk, "Liqoripbbbth!" Suck suck suck. "Chaopbbbth infupbbbthed!" Suck suck. "It'pbbbth not bad!"

Dusk is drawn forward again as Red has to let go of the vine. Dusk decides to magic up a nice looking blade, wielding it with his magic and lops off the end holding the mail before it can pull it and him in with it, then lets it go, the large thorny vine vanishing into the ground. Some more envelopes and packages can be seen in the disturbed, upturned earth where it vanished. He turns and starts chopping at the vines assaulting, "Vines off the ladies there!" He notices Twist's rather effective handling of the one vine, but that's not what gets his attention most. "Chaos?" Would a filly know much of that? Well this is Ponyville. "Can you taste that?" he sort of half asks, half hacking at creeper ends. He best be careful with magic then until he understands them more.

Autumn_Breeze brightens at Twist. "Thank you, Miss ... Miss... we haven't met! That's why I don't know your name," she concludes thoughtfully. "Thank you, small taffy pony! Now let me see." She leans down to vine level, squinting fiercely at one. (ssssss....) comes from the small creeper, just before it explodes in a small puff of soot over her face. "Oh dear," she says limply.

Meanwhile, the two Patrol pegasi above are having a most uncomfortable encounter with several dark, spiky clouds that are drifting inward from the Everfree Forest. Despite their best efforts the clouds refuse to obey their wind manipulation, and they come out of it wet and ragged. "We gotta get Rainbow!" the pegamare shouts, and they fly at once to the Patrol HQ right on top of the Town Hall.

Red_Velvet wriggles in the grip of the vines, right up until they are sliced by Dusk, "Oh dear..." She manages just before plummeting down to land on the flagstones of the square with a muffled *whump!*. The manager rises, rubbing her backside with one hoof as she looks around at the ensuing chaos, "Well Darlings! As much as it rankles Miss Velvet to admit this, I do believe we are for the moment out matched, at least until we come up with a planned form of attack. I suggest a tactical retreat! Everypony! Make your way to the Magic Research Center! I shall cover our retreat!" Red plants her hooves, her horn glowing brighter...and brighter...a corona begins to form around it's tip and sweat starts to bead on her brow! "Get inside quick! This is the largest Firespell I have ever cast!"

The cloud descends, taking a more regular unicorn shape as it does. This unicorn is up on two hooves, the other two folded. Attempts by the vines to grab her are fruitless since she remains comprised entirely of smoke. "How interesssting... sss-sss-sss...." she seems to laugh as she observes the plight of the more... corporeal ponies.

Derpy panics, bouncing around the area in her little corner between two buildings, before she eventually opens up a window and flies inside, her mail rustling behind her.

Twist shrugs at Autumn, and trots over behind Red. A few more sucks, and Twist moves on to chewing the little length of vine, which clearly involves a lot of effort and twisting her head all over the place. When she finally swallows, then she answers Dusk. "Oh, pbbbthure. What do you think ipbbbth in tamalepbbbth?"

Autumn_Breeze scowls darkly (mostly dark because she has soot all over her face. "Now that's just wrong," she scolds the vines. She considers Red Velvet's idea of seeking shelter. "We'll need pumpkins!" she says firmly. The next anyone catches sight of her, she's rolling a large pumpkin in front of the Research Center. A minute later and another is by its side. Pumpkin barricade.

Red_Velvet winces, her legs starting to tremble, still her spell gathers power, the drop in ambient magic is obvious to anypony sensitive to the mana levels in the air. Red's horn begins to smoke as she continues to build upon it! The elegant unicorn mare giving a soft whimper. "C-can't hold it...much longer..." what kind of fiery conflaguration is Red about to unleash here?!

Dusk is going to guess that means Autumn is not familiar with his particular plant. He wonders if it would be anything Miss Nettleglum would know of. Well that's for a later time. He hears the cries from above, and sees the new threat, "Well I guess it wasn't the drink-pilfering pony cloud afterall.." These ones are spiky? Can clouds be spiky? Well they are, and giving the pegasi a sharp and shocking time. He sees Derpy's trouble and doing his best to keep vines away from her and the others, carefully slicing here and there. He nods to Twist, "I.. hadn't thought of that." Always so much more to learn! But then he senses a rising magic and turns, seeing Red just before she calls out, "Lady Velvet! We don't know what affect that will have if they have chaos in..." but her spell is already reaching the critical point.. "Everypony inside!" Derpy already is, and he helps clear a path and usher the others into the Center! He magics up any remaining mail on his way, after all the trouble to get it back, and dumps it inside the Center as well.

Magic Research Center(#548RC)
From the outside the Magic Research Center, with its magic wand and flask sign out front, looks much like any other Ponyville building. The door requires operating a latch and it automatically closes behind you. Inside, while rather smaller and simplier than a university site, the MRC is still quite spacious, and equally full of all maner of [lab equipment], projects being worked on, and things you're not sure about. There are no windows, and if you pay attention all the inner walls are covered with a material which blocks most all magic passing. Whether that's 'in' to protect the experiments, or 'out,' you're not sure. There are only the occasional loud noises or bright flashes. There are both stairs with a railing going up to an upper platform below an openable [dome] with telescopes and other gear, as well as stairs leading down to the lower level.

[ Exits: [O] Out to Ponyville Square(#630E) ]
[ Players: Snow_Bolt(#1224PBC), Twist(#1271PB) ]
[ Sleepers: NightRaven(#317PB), Skymist(#332PBC), BlueFeather(#393PBC), ]
[ Chance(#503PBC), Nimble_Hooves(#540PBC), Discord(#649PBC), ]
[ Starfire(#686PB), Iris(#980PBC), Damani(#1495PBC), ]
[ Jonagold(#1639PBC), Scarlet(#1854PBC) ]
[ Contents: Warning note(#1826C), Poison Joke(#1689), ]
[ Caldera Weeper (plant)(#1850), Building Materials(#886) ]

Derpy is shivering in a corner, her teeth chattering lightly.

Dynamite_Rave has arrived.

<OOC> Dusk notes the Center has no real windows for Derpy to have come through. Well maybe toon thing. ;-)
<OOC> Derpy didn't say she went through a window into the Center!
<OOC> Derpy maybe found her way over through a tunnel in the basement.
<OOC> Twist says, "Obviously, Derpy was in one of the barricade pumpkins."
<OOC> Thrash_Nocturne was gonna smoke through window so thanks. XD
<OOC> Thrash_Nocturne says, "If awake enough, may smoke under door "
<OOC> Dusk says, "Correct, you went through a window into a building. Just if here, there's not a window in. But yes, I would accept possible tunnels. There was suggestions of it being connected to the Library, and there are certainly other passages down there. Shown one to Chance, but he's not here. :-)"

Dusk activates the mechinism, causing the large dome overhead to open.

Red_Velvet remains outside as the others nearby flee the area, almost the moment the square is clear there is a tremendous flash of light from outside, a second or two passes, and a few heartbeats later, The high society mare comes staggering in having struggled past the barricade pumpkins, steam rising off her coat. Then she slumps against a nearby wall and presses her smoking horn against the cool floor of the Center, "Oh darlings, Miss Velvet doesn't feel so good. I think I may be dying, dears."

Dusk gets inside to make sure everypony is in and secure, shutting the door tight, and starting the dome to close with a clickity clanking sound of gears as it shuts tightly off, leaving just the internal lighting. He reaches out his magic to somewhat shield the area as well. As such there is the loud wooosh if Red's spell, but not much felt within the Center. He then hurries to open the door and meets Red coming back. He helps her in. Mmmm is that the sent of coooked pumpkins? Going to be a lot of pie if we make it that long. "Lady Velvet? What's the matter?" He helps her in and get settled comfortably as he can.

Twist trots in after Red (who she was standing exactly behind during the fireball sequence, and thus is completely unharmed). A small jar of fireball charred vine ash is tucked into her hair, and then she trots over to examine Red Velvet's condition. A hoof is held up to ward off all those nonexistent ponies who were trying to intervene, and Twist assures those phantom ponies, "I got thith." A quick shake of her tail, and a dozen glittering white objects fly over her back and onto her hoof. "Ipbbbthe mintth," she explains as she wraps the mints around Red Velvet's horn with a ribbon of taffy. There is an immediate hissing and steaming and tinkling.

Derpy gasps and hurries over to Red Velvet, her mailbags thumping lightly. "Dying?! NOOO! Velveteeen!" She nudges her friend's flank. Meanwhile, a pair of evil black branches have followed Derpy up the tunnel from the next building, and suddenly a pair of pods on them bursts! A hissing blue-green gas is emitted and starts to rise from the tunnel.

Red_Velvet leans against Dusk as he helps her to a comfortable position. When the little candy making filly places the mints upon her horn...oddly it seems to ease some of her suffering and she lets go a little sigh. "Oh my...that is good, do remind me my dears never to tax my magic so heavily. I am certainly not as strong as some unicorn." She nickers softly when Derpy comes rushing over to nudge her, reaching out with a hoof to hug each pony, trying to reassure them, "I think I shall be fine, my friends, but I certainly hurt myself with that little trick. I don't think I shall be able to cast anything for a good long while. At least until i heal...Oh my! *cough* *cough!* W-What is that noxious gas?!"

Dusk does take a step back, curious as to what Twist has in mind for Red. He watches her produce some.. mint, and more taffy, and applies it to Red's horn. He's not as skeptical though as one might expect. He's seen a lot of herbal remedies in his travel, many far more effective than magic or other means. But he is surprised at one so young performing it, taking a much more closer appraisal of little Miss Twist. "That is some nice work," he comments. But his attention is drawn to the sound of something crashing over down below, and then the hissing. He goes and shuts tight the metal hatches covering the stairs to the lower level.. "Well there goes our alternate escape." He backs off as some fumes still linger and spread out, waving a hoof before him.

With a great and powerul crash, something slams into the front door of the Magical Research Center. Could the vines be trying to break down the barrier? However, it is followed by a shriek and scrabbling at the portal. "Unhand Trixie, you overgrown garden weed!" A pause. "Ow! Stop pulling Trixie's mane! This is unfair! Open up already before Trixie becomes a great and powerful topiary!" The panicked hoof-banging on the door continues unabated.

Autumn_Breeze has arrived.

Derpy, relieved to see Red Velvet better again, walks over to the door and places her ear against it. Her mouth goes puzzled. "Should open? For danger pony?" she asks in a high tone. The noxious gas spreads until it finds the horns of the unicorns and immediately tries to sabotage their magic by making them lift things that shouldn't be lifted and spread general mayhem!

No amount of magic keeps the strange black vegetation down for long. Red's spell cleared a path, but even now more shoots are creeping out of the ground at random locations. Off towards Maple Street there is the sound of a small explosion, and a high-bitched shriek as a little purple unicorn filly runs flat-out across the square, pursued by clutching vines! "MAAAAMAAAAA!!!" Behind her daughter, struggling against the black tide, Lunar Eclipse pelts out of the damaged pharmacy and chases Starlight in hot pursuit! There are jars and a cleaver floating around Lunar, held by her magic, and she wears an expression of terrified determination! "Starlight! STARRY! Hold on, honey!"

Autumn_Breeze trundles in, nudging a pumpkin with her nose. Looking out the windows reveals an astonishing buttress of pumpkin defenses - it's a veritable pumpkin castle outside. Vines assault it continuously. The pumpkins respond to this by sitting in places roundly, looking miffed in the way pumpkins do.

Twist nods in satisfaction at a good candy job well done. Dusting off her hooves, she looks around, and... sniffs. Dusk's waving hooves send another gust of evil blue pollen past Twist's nose. Her nose twitches. She staggers to the left. She staggers to the right. Her head lolls. She spins in a circle, falls backwards... and SNEEZES. It's a blast of power that rockets the little filly right back against the wall, but that's just the recoil. The real effect of those tortured adolescent sinuses is to unleash a cannon shot of mucus (now glittery blue!) that blows the front doors off the MRC and the pumpkin barricade beyond!

The assault is too much. Starlight trips over an emerging vine and is instantly snatched up by the larger one growing after her, and hoisted up as though in a triumphant fist made of plants! Little sparks of light fly out of her horn as she tries desperately to free herself with the magic she can't really use yet! A wall of vines, thrusting from a dozen directions at once, springs up in front of Lunar, but the mare is barley even slowed; her cleaver chops hard down through the middle of the wall and a path falls open - only for a second, but a second is enough. The noxious flytraps, excited byt he nearby presence of magic, converge quickly, blasting their magic-muffling spores at Lunar!

Red_Velvet finds herself in much less the position she had outside. Oh yes Outside she was trying to save everypony else, in the past several minutes however things have rapidly deteriorated for her, and the dark gas that now clings to her horn and forces her to use her magic is not helping the magically exhausted agent. She winces as her magic takes on a life of it's own and she moans, "Ow ow ow ow ow ow..." She gestures to the door, then to the fleeing mare and filly, "Can somepony bring Miss Trixie inside? And...and those two/ And repair the doors? Oh my heaaaaaad...."

Entwined by plundervines, the Great and Powerful Trixie is whipped back and forth in the air from the concussive sneeze. "Trixie demands you release her THIS INSTANT!" With a sound like a rubber band, her mane slips from the vine and she is catapulted violently through the (now open) door, skidding facefirst and hindquarters up across the floor and into the far wall, cape fluttering down over her head. "That will do," she murmurs from beneath it.

Starlight's shriek, "HELP, MAM-" is suddenly cut off as the vine wraps completely around her. Lunar hesitates only for a moment, panicked by the prospect of losing her other child too... but THIS time she can do something about it! "LET GO OF HER!!" she yells at the plants; they don't react to this, but they certainly do react when the jar she tosses into a snapping flytrap turns out to have been full of acid! Plants can't shriek, usually, but this one tries anyway, emitting a terrible screech as the inside of the trap is *melted* away and it falls dead from its stalk! The others rear back, and the mare makes her escape - directly towards the vine entwining her daughter!

Derpy sees the doors blown open and the pumpkin rampants dislodged, and her irises go tumbling around their sclera just like the pumpkins tumbling across the square. She leans back from the wind blowing through the door, newly terrified. But Derpy must try to be helpful, so she flies over to the doors and tries to pull one of them back closed. A vine whips up at one of her back hooves! Derpy yelps! She hears a horrible florian shriek from halfway across town, which doesn't help matters.

Dusk works and manages to get the basement sealed off, fortunately not having been using magic to do so. He hears the pounding at the door and nods to Derpy, "Yes, let them in.." But before that can happen, Twist lets out quite the blast, totally taking the doors off the front, which is a rather impressive feat with the heavy sturdy door, clearing the way for any outside ponies, if they were not blasted away with it. Poor pumpkins are having a rough day today.

Vine after vine snatches at Lunar Eclipse as she charges towards the her daughter, praying desperatley that she isn't too late. Each snatching tendril just provides another platform for her to leap on, higher and higher and thankful for the adrenaline keeping her going... there's no way she could have done any of this normally, but she's determined to reach her daughter or die... no. Reaching Starlight is the only option. The cleaver whacks about, snicker-snacking the tips off of every vine that gets too close, until just as she reaches the one squeezing... a blast of magic-messing spores catches her, and the cleaver flies away randomly - whizzing through the open doors of the Magic Research Center and out of sheer luck only burying itself in the far wall!

"Trixie has had JUST about ENOUGH of-" begins the cornflower blue unicorn, straightening herself up just in time to shriek and duck her head down into the neck of her cape as a gigantic cleaver whistles over her head and embeds itself in the wall. A pair of eyes blink from the neckhole of the cape. "Okay, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" She returns to cowering, holding her hat down over her head as far as it will go.

Lunar panics. This thing is killing her daughter right in front of her. She can't go through this again. She CAN'T! "I... WON'T!" And the mare leaps onto the last vine and BITES it! It should be impossible. It SHOULD be incredible. These things are tougher than a tree... but even that can't stand up to a grieving mother's determination. Lunar digs halfway through the stalk, and it falls open, releasing its unconscious cargo. "STARLIGHT!" Lunar shrieks, but that's all any onlooker might get to see, as the pharmacist scoops little Starlight onto her back and gallops away, trying to find somewhere safe to hide.

Twist does her part to clear the evil pollens that have gotten into the center. She doesn't do this DELIBERATELY, it's just that every time a hint of glittery blue tickles her nose, she sneezes again! That first sneeze seems to have dislodged her mucus supplies, so now she rockets around the room, sneezing over and over and creating a wind that ranges from 'strong breeze' if a pony is lucky to 'gale force' if they happen to be in front of her. It does ventilate the place beautifully!

Red_Velvet is hurting, and has been having a very odd day, and she is not in a mood to witness her friends and a mother and filly come to harm. And just when things seem like they can't get any worse, a cleaver comes flying in through the open doors. For just a moment the glittering blade is right in front of Miss Velvet's face. Then it is passed and ringing softly while quivering in the far wall. Red slowly looks down, and there...lying on the floor, is a rather large segment of her crimson mane. She slowly reaches up to touch the butchered mane style. Then she slowly begins to shake. Oh this is not good...

Starlight has left.

Derpy finally manages to get one of the great doors closed again. But two of her ankles are being assaulted by plants now, and that's all Derpy can take! She lands and strives to get back in through the other door, but they keep tugging her out again! And now one of those big cage-like flytraps is coming closer... preparing its disorienting gas attack... "HELLLP!" cries the beleaguered mailmare.
Dusk sees Trixie, Starlight, and Lunar in trouble outside from the vines. Having sealed the basement off, and survived the Twisty Blasts, he reaches out with his magic to grab the blade he had and help fight the vines off. But before he can do so there is a sudden and powerful rumble in the Center, feeling like the whole place is shaking, and then virtually everything non-pony in the Center, even the bolted down stuff, rips free and goes crashing towards or against the front wall of the Center in an upward arc, and thumping and clanging back against the ground, fortunately avoiding any serious harm at least.

The hatchet that just flew in is in turn hurtled back, and right back out the door again, just missing Trixie once again and flying towards some vines.

Red_Velvet leaps to her hooves and rushes through the front doors even as the Center is torn apart behind her. She isn't running to save her own hide...oh no. Getting back out into the square she ducks into Miss Carrottop's gardening shed, and a few moments later she exits again...and this time...Red Velvet is carrying a chainsaw in her forehooves. Her eyes narrow, and with a vicious sneer she yanks the starter cord on the powertool. Her tattered and ruined mane will be avenged! She stands, glowering at the various vines, her left cheek twitching rapidly in a most unsettling way, "I...have....had....ENOUGH!" Red Velvet lifts the chainsaw on high and shakes it while revving the device. Miss Carrottop must not use it often, for the chain seems slightly off-kilter, sparks shower with each rev, falling down around The fabulous agent, merely adding to the over all appearance of a pony that has come completely unhinged.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so m-AAAH!" Trixie leaps into the air, doing a perfect splits as the cleaver passes perilously close right between her hind legs. She prances in place, eyes rolling around the scene for the next possible threat. Vines, check. Strange magical stuff, check. Small child, check. She narrows her eyes and a soft light engulfs her horn for a moment, but only a moment before it fizzles like a wet candle with a few paltry sparks. "Ooh! Ah!" she winces at the magical feedback.

Twist sneezes. And sneezes. And sneezes. The very last sneeze sends her skidding on her butt over to the door. She sniffles and snorts, peering up at Derpy with tears streaming from her allergy-reddened eyes. "Whad? Oh, pbbbthure." First, she grabs the flower, blows her nose on it with a sound like an imploding sewer filtration plant, and leaves it glued shut with mucus. She wasn't even paying attention to that, she just had to get a little sinus relief. More taffy is pulled from Twist's mane, wrapped around the vines below Derpy and tied into a savagely tight knot. Next Twist fishes around in her hair until she pulls out a spigot attached to a long needle. That is thrust into the vines, a jar is placed under the spigot, and a couple of plates of old, stale gingerbread are tied onto the vines with more taffy. Twist, twist, twist. The taffy is pulled tighter, black goo pours into the jar, and the vines holding Derpy wither and deflate.

<OOC> Red_Velvet intended for her last pose to be more comical and less...Jason Vorheez-esque.
<OOC> Twist totally dug it.
<OOC> Red_Velvet hugs! ^-^

Derpy falls to the ground once the vines holding her let go. She sniffs at the black goo and immediately regrets it, recoiling. Rather than thanking Twist for the rescue she frankly doesn't understand, she hears and sees Red Velvet going mad, and proceeds to panic and fly off, forgetting to shut the other door to the Center, let alone to pick up the mail that Dusk rescued. In some crises, you're better off without a Derp than with one!

Dusk gets back on his hooves again after the rumbling and flying objects come to a stop, deciding to take things on hoof for the moment and after checking that any pony still in the Center is fine, he heads to the door and looks out. "Well so much for a safe place to make a careful plan of attack, or escape," he says, watching Derpy race off and Red clearly at wits end, and Twist doing her special thing. Fortunately she had cleared out most all of the gas in the Center, effectively, intentional or not. "We need to either fight these things off, or figure out how to stay safe from them for a time!"

Never one to admit defeat readily, The Great and Powerul Trixie grits her perfectly white, shining teeth and buckles down on the spell. "Trixie says-" She's got a good little spell going as evidence by the brighter ball of light on the end of it. "Freeze!" She stamps a hoof down on a tiny root that had been winding its way toward her. A soft white fog travels the length of it, all the way up to the towering mawed head and with a crack, ice crystals begin to form. Slowing the thing at first, it begins to sieze up completely with a soft crackling sound. But alas, it is only one stalk among many.

Red_Velvet is out in the square, doing her best impression of a weed wacker, Getting so into cutting through these vines with her borrowed chainsaw that she has begun imitating it's noise each time she assaults a cluster of growth with it, "EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!" She does pause however when Dusk makes his statement, as furious as she is that her mane was ruined, the other ponies around her come first, seeming a bit dismayed when she realizes that she caused her friend Derpy to flee she calls out to Dusk, "We need to get to someplace made of natural stone! A cave or something too hard for these horrible plants to burrow through! Is there anyplace nearby like that that anypony can think of?"

Twist claps appreciatively at the magic. Having demonstrated her appreciation, she screws a lid onto her jar, balances it on the top of her head, and trots up to Dusk. Rubbing her nose with her foreleg, she asks, "Really? I jupbbbtht wadded thum pbbbthabblepbbbth id capbbbthe dethe rootpbbbth bage good caddy."

And then it starts hailing. And the hailstones have spikes on them.

Trixie starts to say something, stops, starts again, then stops, and finally scuffs a hoof and rolls her eyes, fighting past the embarrassment. "Th-there's a rock farm not far away. There are caves all over. Tr-... Trixie knows the way."

Dusk gives a nod and smile to Tixie, "Good job." And seems perhaps magic is working again with the spores cleared out. Or perhaps it's intermittent. He does rummage about and find his blade and after searching a few toppled desks, a clipboard of information. He stows them both and takes them along. He grins to Twist, "Well I hope you got all you wanted," he says glancing to the jar atop of her head. "But yes, we do have much to do, it would seem." He turns to Red as she calms down and inquires about a cave.. "Well, sorta," he says, glancing back in towards the sealed doors leading to the MRC basement, "But I don't believe we're going that way, too easily." He looks to Trixie again, "Oh? Excellent! Um.." He pulls out his clipboard, checking some details, "It's not towards the Everfree, is it?"

Twist nods agreeably to Trixie. Sniff sniff. "Dad thoudth good. I ged by rock caddy der. Dudding bud rockpbbbth growd od DAT ladd, dad'pbbbth for pbbbthure. You pbbbthould be pbbbthafe." She gives one more snort like rocks rattling around in a tin drum, and trots out the half-open front door. An evil flower immediately tries to gobble her up, but she tosses a jawbreaker into its mouth, and when its jaws break she keeps trotting off into the night.

Trixie jerks a hoof over her shoulder, the safe and completely opposite direction from the revolting (in more ways that one) Everfree Forest. "Just outside of Ponyville. Trixie.. kind of knows the owners." But her lips are tightly sealed on that matter. She flicks a hoof at a tendril seeking to entwine her tail and tries to summon the energy for another spell but it seems that was all she could muster under the malign influence of the magical plants. Faint sparks and fizzles.

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At this point we stopped, with the group about to trek off to Trixie's cave shelter near the rock farm. If anyone did any more roleplay regarding the Everfree's invasion, please post it here!