Post by Derpy on Mar 5, 2012 1:32:02 GMT -5
In which the Cutie Mark Crusaders, in their undying folly, again unleash the scourge of chaos incarnate unto the land.
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Sweet Apple Acres
O` O` O` O` O` O` === SWEET APPLE ACRES === O` O` O` O` O` O`
Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! Located just outside of Ponyville, this prosperous farm features an expansive apple orchard, a field for wheat and other secondary crops, and an assortment of buildings including an impressive red farmhouse, a barn, a hog house, and a recently refurbished clubhouse. It's a relaxing environment with plenty of rolling green hills, country breezes, and open sky. Depending on the season, you may encounter workers (typically Applejack and her brother Big Mac) tilling the land, planting seeds, setting out baskets, bucking apples, tending to damaged trees, or any number of other farm related tasks. If you wander through the trees, you may stumble upon an apple cart or garden arch, hear the yapping of the farmdog or the creak of old Granny Smith's rocker, or even find yourself on a path up into the curvaceous tree-studded hills.
This is where the countryside begins. We hope you like it here.
[ Obvious Exits: CMC <Club>house, Toward <Canterlot>, To the <Farm>house ]
[ Back to <Pony>ville ]
[ Players: Discord, Scootaloo, Apple_Bloom ]
[ Sleepers: Chance, Smooth_Shadow, Summer_Solstice
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Discord's smirking visage materializes on the pallid skin of a rotten apple, which dangles in a lonely and leafless patch in the branches overhanging the crusaders. "Well, well, well - what have we here? Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, two of the most helpful little fillies in Ponyville!" The apple drops, splats, and coalesces once more into Discord's typical form. He bends forward with his lion's elbow on his knee and his eagle's claw bent with feigned shock upon his cheek. "Oh my - look! Still no cutie-marks for either of you, aww." He sighs, then shrugs, and adds, "But it's all for the best. You two are -lucky- not to have cutie-marks."
Apple Bloom was merely doing her chores and chatting with Scootaloo. Mostly in excitement and talking about all the cool things Scootaloo will be able to do while and after going to Flight School. She still hasn't managed to foment a plan on how to visit up there in Cloudsdale. But, as soon as the rotten apple talks, she jumps, shouting out in surprise and, for the third time since she started her chores she drops the bucket of bad apples. And when it transforms into Discord, her jaw drops and she stares up at the dragon/pony creature. "Uh oh uh... ah.. ah..." She's a bit too stunned to say anything at the moment.
Scootaloo had been hunkered down with Apple Bloom discussing the recent events that have come upon the young pegasus. Flight School, rooming with her idol, and the inevitable opportunities for the Crusaders to find new adventures. She's giving her friend a hand with her chores, carting around a semi-full bucket on her scooter. She's forces to give it a hard brake as Apple Bloom stops at the odd talking apple and the orange filly blinks in surprise as it changes to the form of a familiar former statue. "...wh-what are you doing here?"
Chance is gathering apples nearby when he hears Apple Bloom's shout, quickly heading over to see what the fuss is about. "Is everything alright here, Apple.." He trails off. There's one very odd creature there in front of Apple Bloom. He blinks a bit, then heads the rest of the way over. "Can we help you?" he asks of the odd creature, hoping to distract it from Apple Bloom.. and now Scootaloo. He has nothing to worry about dangerous critters himself, but the young ponies.. that's another story.
Discord twirls the fingers of his paw inwards, then plants them splayed over his thin chest. "~Me?~", he gasps. "Why, I'm here to help -you-! I heard so much about you crusaders that I -had- to stop by and offer a little advice, and a few gifts too." He hrms, squinting and zipping around Chance. He peers in close at the pony's face, until their noses honk together, and asks with fragile hope, "You're not Sweetie Belle, are you?"
Apple_Bloom remembers him, most certainly. "But... what..." The young filly gets a grip of herself and gets back to the correctness of things. "But you made mah big brother act lawk a big puppy! An' made Ponyville really crazy! What could ya offer us?" Apple Bloom is not sure she should be sticking around for this talk. She looks ready to run any second. Fetch her big sister or big brother. Oh, but what about Scoots? When Discord asks Chance if he's Sweetie Belle, she says, nonplussed, "Does he *look* lawk Sweetie Belle?"
Scootaloo furrows her brows as she slants Discord a suspicious glower. "Yah. You don't even have a cutie mark. How can you help us?!" She asks of the chimera creature even as his attentions turn towards Chance. "Him? Pssh, that's not Sweetie Belle! She's not here. You better not have hurt her!" Says the filly with a sudden flare of defensiveness for one of her friends. Certainly, someone who knows of Sweetie Belle and is a clear suspect character might have potentially done some harm to their missing friend they've been trying to get ahold of.
<OOC> Nettleglum watches the CMC strike a deal with Discordopheles.
<OOC> Apple_Bloom gasps. "Discord signed Sweetie Belle up for JAZZERCIZE!"
<OOC> Discord says, "Jazzercise doesn't burn enough fat to keep Discord lean, what with all the cotton candy and chocolate milk. For him, more energetic forms of musical/aerobic hybrids are required: Japanoitretching. It combines yoga with hardcore Japanese noise punk rock."
Chance flicks an ear and blinks at the bonking of noses. He stares crosseyed at Discord, then pulls his head back a bit, waving his hoof at the odd creature as if trying to shoo away a fly. "Of course I'm not Sweetie Belle. Who.. or what, are you supposed to be?" he then asks. If the creature's attention is off the young ones, so much the better. He has no idea the power he's up against though. But that power might not have any idea how 'slippery' his talent makes him to hit. It might turn chaos out of Discord's chaos.
Discord folds his arms, and then he grins. "I'll tell you exactly what I can offer." He claps twice and the light of the night sky dims. Glowing, he leaps and swirls, revolving his body in a hypnotic spiral, suspended in mid-air. The coo of his voice glides as smoothly as his snakey body drifts, floating. "As I said, I've brought you advice / And wondrous presents, all free of price!" Airborne, he plucks a few apples from the tree, and begins to juggle, each one assuming the predominant color of one crusader. "There's something quite big you don't realize / a nasty, sad, unfair surprise!" The three fruits spin on his fingers like a magician's crystal spheres. "Consider these crusades that together you've done / reward them with marks, and end all that fun!", he pouts, taking a bite out of each one in turn. He burps quietly, blushes, clears his throat and continues. "The three of you fillies share a special, friendly bond - but what will you have left, when the cause of it all is gone?" Notes ascend in a harsh minor chord as the draconequus throws back and gulps each apple, then brushes his paws clean together. "You future as friends looks bleak I'm afraid. But you'll see the solution, if you don these rad shades." He lifts, and spreads like the blades of a fan, a selection of three totally gnarly sunglasses, just like his. "Just put these on - and get Sweetie Belle to do the same - and you'll see that there's no point in getting cutiemarks. It's no fun always failing, is it? So stop trying. We can make our own fun!"
Now, anypony else would probably have a more natural sense of self-preservation in this situation. But this is Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders we're talking about here. So many of their ideas are definitely in the opposite direction of "self preservation." And he had Apple Bloom on the point made on what would happen once they have their cutie marks. It's been mentioned to her many times before. How much do the Crusaders have beyond the lust for a cutie mark? So Apple Bloom walks over and takes one of the shades in her mouth and steps back and sets it on the ground to have herself a closer look.
How true those words seem to ring with Scootaloo, whom only in the past few days has begun to wonder what the future really does hold for the Crusaders. It's time to grow up, says the older mares, even her Idol. Time to put games aside and look to the future. But what is it? Can she really learn to fly? Can she earn her cutie mark? When those days come, what becomes of Scootaloo? Will she be the same pony? Will she still be a Crusader? When the Crusades come to an end, what then for these three friends? She regards the offered shades with a curious blink, letting out a thoughtful puff of breath. "I...I don't wanna lose my friends." She says in an oddly honest, real voice even as she steps forward and collects a pair for herself as Apple Bloom does. "...what kinda fun?"
Discord waggles his eyebrows. "Oh, I could -tell- you all about the fun, sure. But once you're looking at the world through chaos-colored lenses, you'll be able to see it all for yourself. And you'll look tres-tres chic!" His forepaws join into one rolling ball of claws, while his back hunches impishly and he awaits certain success. "You'll look at the world in a new light, believe me. You'll be able to see right through all the bright lies and whitewashed flaws in Equestria. Nothing at all will matter to the three of you...except having pure, unmitigated fun together! Now what could be better?"
Discord says "Everyone else in Equestria wants you to move on, to get your marks, to change. But when you have cool glasses on, then you'll really be yourself!"
Apple Bloom needs no further convincing, awkwardly moving her head into position, she gets the shades on over her eyes and is soon wearing them properly. It is hard for earth ponies to put on glasses, it seems.
Scootaloo needs no further encouragement. Between Discord's words ringing an all too real concern in her mind and Apple Bloom's apparent comfort in following through with this, the little orange pegasus scoops the open glasses up atop her hoof and bops them up in the air to let them fall into place on her face. So, is she cool now? At least by 10 percent?
You get: 9000 Coolness points!
Discord cackles to himself, wings flapping with glee. The shades remain gaudy neon - but the colors slowly drain from the fillies, as their view of the world grows dim. "Marvelous! Stunning! Tubular! Now, look around girls - what do you see in those apples over there? Most ponies would see these orchards as one big boring job to do! They wouldn't be able to spot all the prank-potential therein, oh no. But with your magical shades, you'll see that promise in everything. Oh I just can't wait to see what wonderful chaos you crusaders are capable of!"
The grayed out Apple Bloom looks around in wonder. So many possibilities! She can almost feel as if she could put all the bad apples on the trees and throw wayall the good ones. But that's so basic. She could, given enough effort, put *pumpkins* up in the trees instead! Wouldn't that turn Applejack's head. Yes, Discord most definitely has Apple Bloom in his clutches. "Ah can see so much! Tell me more!"
The smile that grows on Scootaloo's face could make the Grinch get goosebumps, even as the little filly goes grey against the luminous, gaudy glow of neon violet sunshades. She regards the world in a new light, looking skyward as her little wings flare. What's really holding her back from the skies? To bring the bad weather and the wind, because wouldn't the wind help all the little pegasus rise into the skies? Oh! And wouldn't it also help other little ponies fly too? "Yeeah! I'm liking this idea."
Discord joins the duo at his sides, one under each arm, beneath an apple tree rapidly sprouting pumpkins, some pre-jack'olanterned. "Once Sweetie Belle gets her shades, we'll show them just how chaotic friendship can be! The elements of harmony won't stand a chance against the Cutie Crusaders of Chaos!" Mwahahaha!, echoes Discord arching backwards, until one of the pumpkins falls and splats on his head. TO BE CONTINUED.
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Sweet Apple Acres
O` O` O` O` O` O` === SWEET APPLE ACRES === O` O` O` O` O` O`
Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres! Located just outside of Ponyville, this prosperous farm features an expansive apple orchard, a field for wheat and other secondary crops, and an assortment of buildings including an impressive red farmhouse, a barn, a hog house, and a recently refurbished clubhouse. It's a relaxing environment with plenty of rolling green hills, country breezes, and open sky. Depending on the season, you may encounter workers (typically Applejack and her brother Big Mac) tilling the land, planting seeds, setting out baskets, bucking apples, tending to damaged trees, or any number of other farm related tasks. If you wander through the trees, you may stumble upon an apple cart or garden arch, hear the yapping of the farmdog or the creak of old Granny Smith's rocker, or even find yourself on a path up into the curvaceous tree-studded hills.
This is where the countryside begins. We hope you like it here.
[ Obvious Exits: CMC <Club>house, Toward <Canterlot>, To the <Farm>house ]
[ Back to <Pony>ville ]
[ Players: Discord, Scootaloo, Apple_Bloom ]
[ Sleepers: Chance, Smooth_Shadow, Summer_Solstice
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Discord's smirking visage materializes on the pallid skin of a rotten apple, which dangles in a lonely and leafless patch in the branches overhanging the crusaders. "Well, well, well - what have we here? Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, two of the most helpful little fillies in Ponyville!" The apple drops, splats, and coalesces once more into Discord's typical form. He bends forward with his lion's elbow on his knee and his eagle's claw bent with feigned shock upon his cheek. "Oh my - look! Still no cutie-marks for either of you, aww." He sighs, then shrugs, and adds, "But it's all for the best. You two are -lucky- not to have cutie-marks."
Apple Bloom was merely doing her chores and chatting with Scootaloo. Mostly in excitement and talking about all the cool things Scootaloo will be able to do while and after going to Flight School. She still hasn't managed to foment a plan on how to visit up there in Cloudsdale. But, as soon as the rotten apple talks, she jumps, shouting out in surprise and, for the third time since she started her chores she drops the bucket of bad apples. And when it transforms into Discord, her jaw drops and she stares up at the dragon/pony creature. "Uh oh uh... ah.. ah..." She's a bit too stunned to say anything at the moment.
Scootaloo had been hunkered down with Apple Bloom discussing the recent events that have come upon the young pegasus. Flight School, rooming with her idol, and the inevitable opportunities for the Crusaders to find new adventures. She's giving her friend a hand with her chores, carting around a semi-full bucket on her scooter. She's forces to give it a hard brake as Apple Bloom stops at the odd talking apple and the orange filly blinks in surprise as it changes to the form of a familiar former statue. "...wh-what are you doing here?"
Chance is gathering apples nearby when he hears Apple Bloom's shout, quickly heading over to see what the fuss is about. "Is everything alright here, Apple.." He trails off. There's one very odd creature there in front of Apple Bloom. He blinks a bit, then heads the rest of the way over. "Can we help you?" he asks of the odd creature, hoping to distract it from Apple Bloom.. and now Scootaloo. He has nothing to worry about dangerous critters himself, but the young ponies.. that's another story.
Discord twirls the fingers of his paw inwards, then plants them splayed over his thin chest. "~Me?~", he gasps. "Why, I'm here to help -you-! I heard so much about you crusaders that I -had- to stop by and offer a little advice, and a few gifts too." He hrms, squinting and zipping around Chance. He peers in close at the pony's face, until their noses honk together, and asks with fragile hope, "You're not Sweetie Belle, are you?"
Apple_Bloom remembers him, most certainly. "But... what..." The young filly gets a grip of herself and gets back to the correctness of things. "But you made mah big brother act lawk a big puppy! An' made Ponyville really crazy! What could ya offer us?" Apple Bloom is not sure she should be sticking around for this talk. She looks ready to run any second. Fetch her big sister or big brother. Oh, but what about Scoots? When Discord asks Chance if he's Sweetie Belle, she says, nonplussed, "Does he *look* lawk Sweetie Belle?"
Scootaloo furrows her brows as she slants Discord a suspicious glower. "Yah. You don't even have a cutie mark. How can you help us?!" She asks of the chimera creature even as his attentions turn towards Chance. "Him? Pssh, that's not Sweetie Belle! She's not here. You better not have hurt her!" Says the filly with a sudden flare of defensiveness for one of her friends. Certainly, someone who knows of Sweetie Belle and is a clear suspect character might have potentially done some harm to their missing friend they've been trying to get ahold of.
<OOC> Nettleglum watches the CMC strike a deal with Discordopheles.
<OOC> Apple_Bloom gasps. "Discord signed Sweetie Belle up for JAZZERCIZE!"
<OOC> Discord says, "Jazzercise doesn't burn enough fat to keep Discord lean, what with all the cotton candy and chocolate milk. For him, more energetic forms of musical/aerobic hybrids are required: Japanoitretching. It combines yoga with hardcore Japanese noise punk rock."
Chance flicks an ear and blinks at the bonking of noses. He stares crosseyed at Discord, then pulls his head back a bit, waving his hoof at the odd creature as if trying to shoo away a fly. "Of course I'm not Sweetie Belle. Who.. or what, are you supposed to be?" he then asks. If the creature's attention is off the young ones, so much the better. He has no idea the power he's up against though. But that power might not have any idea how 'slippery' his talent makes him to hit. It might turn chaos out of Discord's chaos.
Discord folds his arms, and then he grins. "I'll tell you exactly what I can offer." He claps twice and the light of the night sky dims. Glowing, he leaps and swirls, revolving his body in a hypnotic spiral, suspended in mid-air. The coo of his voice glides as smoothly as his snakey body drifts, floating. "As I said, I've brought you advice / And wondrous presents, all free of price!" Airborne, he plucks a few apples from the tree, and begins to juggle, each one assuming the predominant color of one crusader. "There's something quite big you don't realize / a nasty, sad, unfair surprise!" The three fruits spin on his fingers like a magician's crystal spheres. "Consider these crusades that together you've done / reward them with marks, and end all that fun!", he pouts, taking a bite out of each one in turn. He burps quietly, blushes, clears his throat and continues. "The three of you fillies share a special, friendly bond - but what will you have left, when the cause of it all is gone?" Notes ascend in a harsh minor chord as the draconequus throws back and gulps each apple, then brushes his paws clean together. "You future as friends looks bleak I'm afraid. But you'll see the solution, if you don these rad shades." He lifts, and spreads like the blades of a fan, a selection of three totally gnarly sunglasses, just like his. "Just put these on - and get Sweetie Belle to do the same - and you'll see that there's no point in getting cutiemarks. It's no fun always failing, is it? So stop trying. We can make our own fun!"
Now, anypony else would probably have a more natural sense of self-preservation in this situation. But this is Apple Bloom and the Cutie Mark Crusaders we're talking about here. So many of their ideas are definitely in the opposite direction of "self preservation." And he had Apple Bloom on the point made on what would happen once they have their cutie marks. It's been mentioned to her many times before. How much do the Crusaders have beyond the lust for a cutie mark? So Apple Bloom walks over and takes one of the shades in her mouth and steps back and sets it on the ground to have herself a closer look.
How true those words seem to ring with Scootaloo, whom only in the past few days has begun to wonder what the future really does hold for the Crusaders. It's time to grow up, says the older mares, even her Idol. Time to put games aside and look to the future. But what is it? Can she really learn to fly? Can she earn her cutie mark? When those days come, what becomes of Scootaloo? Will she be the same pony? Will she still be a Crusader? When the Crusades come to an end, what then for these three friends? She regards the offered shades with a curious blink, letting out a thoughtful puff of breath. "I...I don't wanna lose my friends." She says in an oddly honest, real voice even as she steps forward and collects a pair for herself as Apple Bloom does. "...what kinda fun?"
Discord waggles his eyebrows. "Oh, I could -tell- you all about the fun, sure. But once you're looking at the world through chaos-colored lenses, you'll be able to see it all for yourself. And you'll look tres-tres chic!" His forepaws join into one rolling ball of claws, while his back hunches impishly and he awaits certain success. "You'll look at the world in a new light, believe me. You'll be able to see right through all the bright lies and whitewashed flaws in Equestria. Nothing at all will matter to the three of you...except having pure, unmitigated fun together! Now what could be better?"
Discord says "Everyone else in Equestria wants you to move on, to get your marks, to change. But when you have cool glasses on, then you'll really be yourself!"
Apple Bloom needs no further convincing, awkwardly moving her head into position, she gets the shades on over her eyes and is soon wearing them properly. It is hard for earth ponies to put on glasses, it seems.
Scootaloo needs no further encouragement. Between Discord's words ringing an all too real concern in her mind and Apple Bloom's apparent comfort in following through with this, the little orange pegasus scoops the open glasses up atop her hoof and bops them up in the air to let them fall into place on her face. So, is she cool now? At least by 10 percent?
You get: 9000 Coolness points!
Discord cackles to himself, wings flapping with glee. The shades remain gaudy neon - but the colors slowly drain from the fillies, as their view of the world grows dim. "Marvelous! Stunning! Tubular! Now, look around girls - what do you see in those apples over there? Most ponies would see these orchards as one big boring job to do! They wouldn't be able to spot all the prank-potential therein, oh no. But with your magical shades, you'll see that promise in everything. Oh I just can't wait to see what wonderful chaos you crusaders are capable of!"
The grayed out Apple Bloom looks around in wonder. So many possibilities! She can almost feel as if she could put all the bad apples on the trees and throw wayall the good ones. But that's so basic. She could, given enough effort, put *pumpkins* up in the trees instead! Wouldn't that turn Applejack's head. Yes, Discord most definitely has Apple Bloom in his clutches. "Ah can see so much! Tell me more!"
The smile that grows on Scootaloo's face could make the Grinch get goosebumps, even as the little filly goes grey against the luminous, gaudy glow of neon violet sunshades. She regards the world in a new light, looking skyward as her little wings flare. What's really holding her back from the skies? To bring the bad weather and the wind, because wouldn't the wind help all the little pegasus rise into the skies? Oh! And wouldn't it also help other little ponies fly too? "Yeeah! I'm liking this idea."
Discord joins the duo at his sides, one under each arm, beneath an apple tree rapidly sprouting pumpkins, some pre-jack'olanterned. "Once Sweetie Belle gets her shades, we'll show them just how chaotic friendship can be! The elements of harmony won't stand a chance against the Cutie Crusaders of Chaos!" Mwahahaha!, echoes Discord arching backwards, until one of the pumpkins falls and splats on his head. TO BE CONTINUED.