Licorice and Tip Top attempt to push back any onlookers as the party makes their way out of the treehouse, followed by Spike, who is still holding the sack filled with dolls. He tentatively tugs on Silver Shield’s side. “Is she…okay?” Spoiler: Roll Perception for Silver Shield 90 + 8 = 98 Silver performs a cursory examination of Twilight and determines that she’s breathing normally, and seems unhurt besides the lightly trickling wound on her Cutie Mark. He takes special care not to jar her too much as the party is led to the local hospital. Spoiler: Roll Willpower for Toxic Rain 44 + 2 = 46 As Toxic Rain grips the book tightly underneath her wing, she hears what sounds like whispering. [size=-4]Well done.[/size] She also feels as if someone is watching her. ----- About an hour later Location: Hospital Doctor Hockenhoof leaves Twilight’s room and slowly and softly closes the door behind him. He addresses the members of the party who choose to be present. A pair of improvised Ponyville militia (Mystic Heart and Silver Shield would recognize one of them as being Yellow Belly, the earth pony) flank the door. “She’s stable. Her vitals are normal, but she’s badly dehydrated, so we have her on fluids.” He glances at his chart, which hangs from his neck. “She has several hairline fractures in her pelvis, but they’ll heal with time…or sufficient magic.” He eyes you all warily, then continues. “The Mayor has told me that she wants to speak with Twilight Sparkle personally regarding her friends. It seems that she is most likely the one who saw them last…” “She’s fast asleep right now, and we should really let her rest. I’m sure you all have made arrangements to stay the night or whatever, so I won’t keep you.” You hear the low rumble of thunder (despite the fact that there are still no clouds in the sky) as the sun finally sets over Ponyville. Spoiler: End of the Day You may now adjourn to the inn, or whatever you want. If you wish to make a training roll, just post what stat you would like to train (either narratively, or in a spoiler tag.) Spike glances uncertainly between Twilight’s room and the party. After a few moments, he timidly asks, “Can…can I stay with you guys tonight? I don’t want to be in the library by myself…”
Toxic Rain was very jittery even hours after the experience, jumping at any slightest sound. She kept imaging the hoarse whisper repeating in her ear, and peered over her shoulder suspiciously every few minutes. The book had remained beneath her wing since the incident, but her gut wrenched at the thought of opening it. The young professor had enjoyed storms her entire life, yet the sounds of approaching thunder had her wince at every growl. Keeping close to Follia and Grey Mane, she remained silent and submissive. She was ready to fall into a warm bed any time now. Despite that, a part of her eagerly wondering about the tome beneath her wing, and she felt the desire to achieve more magic. She noticed the modest dragon, and she smiled at the gleam of worry in his eyes. She could identify with the weary dragon a bit. "Of course you can," she offers, peering at the others for agreement. [Idk how to put it exactly, but I'd like to train Toxic's magic if at all possible ]
Grey Mane looked through what happened in her mind, looking for any patern of events. Only finding more questions. Spoiler: Training roll Knowledge She smiled to Toxic, then to Spike, showing a hint of maybe, a little emotion.
Silver nodded. "Naturally. But...will Ambiance charge us extra for a dragon?" (I'll train willpower, and also, do we automatically have bits? You know, to pay for the inn...)
( I think accommodation would be payed for.) As Grey Mane looked for info through her memories, all she could find was questions. These questions she would have to answer, but now, the group must rest.
Mystic Heart heads back to the inn, where she had the rooms set up. Ensuring that the other ponies were following her, she'd take a moment to inform the innkeeper, and the ponies, of the two non-ajacent rooms that she had put on tab earlier that day. She also asked if there would be additional charge for Spike, as she saw no issue with the dragon staying with them. Though she would have one more important question for her comrades; "So... who has the book?"
Toxic felt her knees tremble, and her gut churn a bit. She had wanted to see this book for so long now.. could she give it up so easily, after that twist of fate brought it into her hooves? Biting her lower lip, she reminded herself that the mission was not to acquire the book so much as to assure Twilight and her friends' safety. "I.. I have the book," she said, her wing unconsciously tightening around it.
She turned to Toxic and eyed her carefully, as if examining her physical - or mental condition. She looked at the tightening wing and casually confirmed; "I see..." She looked at the others for a moment before staring at Toxic again. "If I might make a suggestion, professors. Perhaps I would be best to hold onto it, as my specialty is in artifacts and ancient magical things like this. I wouldn't want anything... bad to happen to you."
Silver nodded in agreement with Mystic Heart. "I think that's a good idea, no offence Professor Rain." He eyed the book suspiciously. "But...be careful with it, Heart. You saw what happened to Twilight..."
Toxic Rain stared at Mystic Heart for a long time, her eyes gleaming almost feral. But after the long moment, her eyes fell, and she slowly trotted towards her, holding out the book. Her gaze locked unto it longingly, but she relinquished the mighty tome to the other pony for.. safekeeping. "I.. I suppose you're right," she murmured regretfully.
Spoiler: Roll Willpower for Toxic Rain 8 + 2 = 10 As Toxic relinquishes the book, she feels as if a piece of herself is being given up with it (lose 1 Willpower). Although Mystic claims that the book might be safer with her, Toxic knows better. After all, she's already cast a spell from it. Who knows what great knowledge can be gleaned from its pages? Spoiler: Roll Perception for Mystic Heart 47 + 6 = 53 Mystic Heart notices that Toxic seems a little sad to be giving up the book. ----- Ambiance glances over the desk at the baby dragon. "Eh, you've been through enough what with the Library toppling over and Twilight getting hurt. You get a night on me, little guy." He scribbles Spike's name into his ledger. Spike nods and replies, "Thanks, Mr Oak!" He shifts the bag on his shoulder. "So...who am I staying with?"
"Well...whomever you want, I guess." Silver really wanted to get to his room; it had been a long day, and he was really looking forward to reading those books he'd gotten from the library...
Mystic Heart gave a breath's pause before taking the book that was being relinquished. "I think it's trying to take a hold on you already. Don't worry, Professor, it will be safe in my hooves." What plans she had for it would be kept to herself as she levitated it over to slide into her pack with the rest of her things...
Follia, however, still had his reservations. The book was clearly dangerous. So dangerous, all that would be required was simply to read the contents and we could have yet another Tikbalang roaming the streets of Ponyvile, looking to harvest. Well, this was a new creature to Follia and needed to find out what in the hey had he swiped the head off of. He was in a library, after all. He spent a little while looking through the volumes in search of knowledge about this creature and succeeded. He was continuing to read up on them and their unusual appearances within Equestria. Just in the event of another one appearing... "I think it best that no-pony opens the book. We'll get bad vibes, ju-ju, karma, wiggles, vibrations and Celestia knows what-else pouring out of that if anypony does read it. It would be best if it was locked away somewhere."
Silver sighed. He looked from Heart to Follia. He wanted to trust Heart, and she might be able to find something out about it without...reading it. However, what Follia said was a foolproof way to make sure nopony read it. Except... "But wouldn't somepony have to know how to get at it if it's locked away? If even one pony knows how to get access to it, it's not safe. And you'd have to know how to get at it if you lock it away, right?"
Mystic Heart smiled gently at Follia and reassured him; "I never said I was going to open it. Such a thought should not even be entertained. I'm sure we all have our own ideas of what to do with the tome, but I truly believe that we should leave that for after we've all had a well-deserved rest, and have had some time to think it over. Then we can all discuss it... together."
Spoiler: Roll Knowledge for Follia 66 -2 = 64 While pouring through the various tomes that have been collected from the library, you find woefully little information on the creature that you encountered. The best you could find was an entry in an exceptionally old Magical Creatures Guide. Enter ye into thy lands of Neighwa and ye shall find a creature unlike thee hast ever seene before. The wifes of yon locales say that the Creature hast the body of a Ponie and the limbes of a Krystal Kobold. Theye hast seene the creature with thy winges of a Pegasus and others have seen It with thy horn of the Unicornes. Some hast seene it withe a Cutie Marke and some hath not. the Creature carries upon its backe a hammer of greate weight. All who hast ventrurede to find the Beaste hath not return’d. Underneath the paragraph is an etching of the creature. It looks remarkably similar to “Buttercup”, except it has one apparently broken wing. Its head is skyward in a fearsome howl. It holds a stone in one hand, raised into the air while the other hand holds a pony’s lifeless body. Spoiler: Roll Perception 66 + 6 = 72 The dead pony doesn’t have a Cutie Mark, but that could just be an error by the artist. Anypony in the area at the time will have noticed the page that Follia is combing over.
Grey Mane looked to Mystic. "I believe we should return the book to the Zebra. We gave him our word, and I always keep my promise." Her eyes darted around the room, looking to see who thought the same.
Toxic nodded weakly. "If anyone can offer any explanation before Twilight can recover, it would be him," she offered. Her wings were tucked protectively around herself, and she felt beat.
