[Open] When the Bow Breaks

[chatwithdeath]

Who: Naomi and whoever follows
What: While a new Princess is born, something's shattered in the forest
Where: Everfree Forest
When: August 23rd
Warnings: Plot relevant maybe? Can't think of any real warnings
Prose or Commentspam: Prose

She galloped away from Ponyville at the sound of something shattering in the distance, obvious to the fact that wasn't just anything that must have broken. Though the light coming from the other direction had caught her eye, that could be examined later. Behind the barrier, what was supposed to lay there, it probably wasn't just hidden there now. Knowing it the sight of a battle, and possibly an area holding unstable magic, it needed attention quickly.

Hooves pounding, she didn't slow down even though hazards did come to her path. Her target - ears flicking; others were nearby? - their target was the area near the Castle of the Two Sisters. Nothing could make them wait.

Comments

[discorderly]

Discord DID promise to come to a picnic, didn't he?

A lot of things have happened all at once since then, but he likes Nephenee well enough that he decided midway through his tantrum not to have it right in front of her. So the draconequus appears with a flash halfway through the forest, unceremoniously smashing a chair against a tree before dropping down to hover near Naomi.

"Alicorns," he growls, arms crossed.

[chatwithdeath]

The picnic was going to have to be put on hold.

"Causing trouble as a side effect, aren't they?"

The barrier did begin cracking at the ascension before. So, had another...? Wow, so soon. Still, now wasn't the time to think about it. She comes to a halt, looking at him and his expression before turning her head forward. The castle isn't that far now.

[discorderly]

"What ELSE do they do?" he grumbles, floating along behind her. He could teleport them both to the barrier in an instant, but that would leave him MUCH less time to stew. Naomi can walk a bit.

After a few more moments, he decides to clarify: "Nephenee. Of ALL the ponies - she always seemed perfectly nice!"

[chatwithdeath]

She's at a trot now so they can talk. Still, he would know all about what else alicorns do so obviously, it's rhetorical. However, she just shrugs and goes on.

"I've heard others say before beware the nice ones..." Nephenee, huh? She knew the girl pretty much ran the Communes, but Naomi didn't really interact with her.

[discorderly]

Discord snorts. "They SHOULD have just let me devour Shanks's essence, and none of this would have happened..."

[chatwithdeath]

"Are you upset this mystery is over?"

They were getting close to the barrier - or at least, where it had once been.

[discorderly]

"I don't think you understand how GROSS alicorn magic feels." Discord gives a full-body shudder, mostly for dramatic effect. "Oh, what am I saying, of COURSE you don't! You can't sense magic! Well, it is, just like them."

The barrier is not his greatest concern right now, honestly. It's still INTERESTING, he supposes, but...ergh. He is just so annoyed at everything right now.

[weakbutwilling]

Homura had planned on going to help with the bid. Really. Honestly. She did. She had even gotten a fair amount of bits. It wasn't so much that she had any attachment to the commune, so much as she saw Tom Shanks as a potential threat who needed to give them some answers. Then came that scroll post where Tom broke down, and Homura decided to stop and watch. Less work for her, after all.

Then the shattering sound boomed through the village, and the idiot took over. The devil was panicking that something happened, but who knew what, exactly. There was something in that barrier that wasn't right somehow. And that sound was the sound of that barrier breaking.

Her imposing draconic shadow loomed overhead as she flew - too slow as a pony - but when she saw the tall white pony below her, she couldn't help but call out through her pigtails flying around her face.

"Dr. Kimishima!"

[chatwithdeath]

Naomi raised her head, eyes glancing down to keep herself from tripping as she goes, and then back up. At least she wasn't the only one going to investigate what happened out this way. Everyone else had been bidding for the Commune, they were probably still there around the light.

"Homura. Hard not to miss that sound..."

[weakbutwilling]

"No, not at all!" The dragon, meanwhile, did her best to get lower. "Do you need a ride? Or do you want me to go ahead?"

[chatwithdeath]

"Don't trouble yourself with me. Go on ahead; I'll be there soon enough."

Really, she doesn't mind. Someone needed to get there, and soon.

[weakbutwilling]

"...All right!"

And so she flew on. Now the question was, what was happening? Was the barrier down?

[chatwithdeath]

Naomi watched Homura fly ahead before focusing again on her path. She would join the dragon momentarily, but she still had some distance to go. What would be there indeed when they came upon it? If it was hostile, would Homura be able to hold it.

[weakbutwilling]

It was only a few moments before she arrived at the barrier. Landing as gracefully as she could - she was and wasn't used to flying. Homura closed her eyes and brought out her Dark Orb. She couldn't see anything, only feel. And she had to know if something was more wrong than before.

[myhatdisablestraps]

"You heard it, too?"

Daring Do soars in besides the pony running toward The Everfree. When she heard the sound, she rushed toward the forest, her gut telling her that shed find something major. She doesn't know exactly what awaits her and whoever else is coming at the end of this little investigation, but Daring Do isn't going to miss out on a potential major discovery.

"Careful, The Everfree's a dangerous place. Never know when you might need an archaeologist to help."

[chatwithdeath]

"Yes, I did. I doubt no pony missed it."

Naomi doesn't look up, but this didn't sound like a familiar pony. Glancing up towards them, sure enough they aren't. However, is this time to be wondering about familiarity? Not really. Her eyes come down to look ahead, ears high, and almost impressed that she's even running like this again.

"Right... Archaeologist?" That's new to her.

[myhatdisablestraps]

"Yeah. Back in my Equestria, I teach Archaeology in the Canterlot University. You'd be surprised how many people are interested in the past.

So what do you think we'll find out here?"

[chatwithdeath]

"I see... As for what we should find now, it should be the remnants of a battleground."

Since that's what should have happened here according to Celestia.

[ponymeisters]

For the present, at least where they are, there's no sign of battle. Just thick trees and brush, bent from thousands of years of pressing against the barrier.

The only way to find anything, then, would be to try and press forward into the thick, thick forest within.

[alentorbust]

[Justin hadn't had any time to celebrate their victory over Shanks before that awful sound hit his ears. It was enough to galvanize him into immediate action as he adjusted the strap on his sheath and took off towards the source of the noise; he wasn't worried about Feena on that, she'd probably be making her way there as well soon enough, adventurers could rarely resist this kind of call after all.

He did however notice someone familiar running the same way he was, the mare he'd asked all those questions too when he'd only just arrived! Better to run in a group, right? So he made his way over without breaking his stride and gave her a small sideways glance.]

Got any idea what that noise was all about?

[chatwithdeath]

[Her eyes only flick over to Justin before returning to the path they're on. However, the Everfree doesn't really have any clear paths. Her horn glowing and moving aside several obstacles further emphasizes that.]

I have an idea... Still, I'll explain when we reach it.

[alentorbust]

Alright, just lead the way!

[And with a lot more finesse than he'd displayed on the first day he'd arrived, he deftly drew his sword between his teeth and began to carve a path through any offending foliage that got in their way that Naomi wasn't quick enough to just move. They didn't need anything slowing them down now!]

[chatwithdeath]

[Fancy work, but she just continues on. Now wasn't the time to be commenting on something's skills. Instead, now was the time to step out into the open and stare.]

... It isn't there.

[alentorbust]

...What isn't there?

[Well, if her words were any indication, then that meant that something SHOULD be here, but apparently it wasn't anymore. He was starting to get a bad feeling about all this...]

[chatwithdeath]

There...

[She gestures with a hoof.] There should be a barrier over that portion of the forest.