The Voyage of the Polar Star

[tacobob]

"Oh wow.", Pocket Change studied the picture and noted how the griffons were covering their ears. "This beast must make some sort of horrid sound as it attacks, which was probably it's main power, if he were to avoid that, there was always the nasty tendrils and fangs to contend with.", he thought to himself. While the unicorn was no coward, he could see himself being terrified of this creature, considering how the griffon warriors in the picture were at least a eight or nine on his 'brave-o-monitor', while he alone was maybe a four. He looked away from the drawing and tried to keep a brave face as he spoke, "So, your majesty, how were you able to defeat such a creature? From my stories, beasts who do not have physical forms can usually be defeated by magic or blessed weaponry, and an inky dark beast, I wonder if it fears the light of the sun? I do not have any offensive spells at my command, but I have a 'Sunny, Sunny, Burning Bright' spell on hoof. I have a feeling it would send an creature made of inky darkness away in an instant.”, he stated as fact, and not as a boast.

"Maybe... just maybe." Her voice grew more confident with every word, "Perhaps after all this time, they're not as angry anymore? They say time heals... Ooh, Emerath, you're an expert on timekeeping, what do you think?"

The stallion wanted to roll his eyes at such silliness, but he could never be rude to his friends, “Well Miss Spark, if the griffon hero’s armor is like the armor of my sister’s best friend, it would most likely be several pieces. One or two pieces for the body, and several pieces for the legs. Even if it’s one of those slip on types, the armor is still going to be smaller than a griffon..Still, we could always figure out how to do this once we get the actual armor, and considering I’m with some of the smartest ponies I know, I have a feeling that won’t be a problem.”, he added with a wink. “As for being angry, that’s a monster’s job! It’s their full purpose in their life to be nasty. To jump out from behind rocks and go ‘boogedy-boogedy’.”

[Emerath]

Emerath was amused by Ember and her antics, and found himself wandering over to the spot she curiously seemed to be rooted to as she asked him a question. He stood next to her as they looked at the rest of the group and opened his mouth to answer her question, before Pocket began to talk and answer her questions. Emerath felt a twinge of annoyance that Pocket kept doing that, as an ear twitched and he closed his mouth again. For Emerath being Ember's target of inquiry, Pocket sure did answer a lot of questions for him. Emerath didn't like it, and decided there needed to be a time where Ember and Emerath could get a moment alone to discuss whatever questions she might have about timekeeping, now that he wasn't so busy piloting an airship or taking care of their inventory.

But for now, he shrugged off his annoyance and let Pocket finish speaking before turning to the bubbly mare and giving his own answer, "Unfortunately, Pocket is mostly correct. It is a monster's goal in life to be scary, however..." he said, giving Pocket a bit of a scowl, " these may not be monsters. They could be normal creatures who were backed into a wall or had their territory encroached upon by the griffons." He turned back to Ember, "If they're normal animals, they'll be just as happy living in their dens, and will have in fact lost their anger towards the griffons. However, if we encroach upon their dens, they will probably attack us. We will be invading their homes, and possibly taking an artifact they covet."

He considered the next thought before continuing, "But if they are monsters, and are evil, then they will still hate us, and have probably just been biding their time until they get strong enough to make another attack on the griffons, in which case we'd be stopping an invasion before it happens. I'm hoping that my former theory is correct, despite that both scenarios are dangerous considering we'll have to enter their den in the tunnels."

Satisfied with his answer, he considered going back to his notes later and revising them. Perhaps the childish one wasn't Ember. Perhaps it was Pocket. Calling something a monster just because it seems scary and horrifying was a childish viewpoint and Emerath didn't appreciate it. He hoped that Cleverboots and Ember would be more understanding of the possible threat they faced rather than just fearing it because it looked scary.

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

Ember Spark wasn't sure about the armor, but she didn't have a chance to point out just how bit most griffin's heads were or how helmets usually come in a single piece. Instead, she furrowed her brow and pursed her lips as she listened to Pocket Change's treatise on monsters, and after shaking her head, she replied with just a hint of incredulity in her voice. [colour=#773344]"Well that doesn't sound very nice, we'll just have to find them a different job."[/colour]

When Emerath walked over to her, she tried to nonchalantly take a closer look at his notebook, hoping that maybe she could glean its purpose from either the title on the cover, some subtle clue hidden in its binding, size or general condition; or through some form of previously undiscovered visual osmosis. Of course, nonchalant for Ember Spark was actually chock full of chalance, and she ended up tilting her head awkwardly and looking conspicuously out of the corner of her eyes to try to catch the title only to be foiled at every turn.

This didn't stop her from paying attention to Emerath while he shared his thoughts on the subject of monsters as well. When he got to the part about the monsters perhaps still hating the griffins, Ember Spark stopped messing around and began writing down notes.

Once she was finished with her notes, she gently returned her notepad to its rightful spot and spoke up with an air of determination in her voice, [colour=#773344]"I do know one thing, if they're not going to be nice, then they're not going to get any thank you gifts from us."[/colour] A brief look of uncertainty was followed by a warm smile, [colour=#773344]"That is, of course, if they they should happen to remain in the first place. Which, in all likelihood, they don't. After all, thriving in these conditions must be no small feat."[/colour]

She tossed a wink to Queen Katabat, but before she could continue talking, that short pause had given her the chance to have a brilliant idea, [colour=#773344]"Oh! If they are still mad, I would wager that they have a big pile of books somewhere too. I mean, to help them remember stuff, cause that is a loooong time. Beyond the mundane fact that anything older than a thousand years must have significant archeological value, it might be helpful to know what is making them so upset in the first place."[/colour]

Suddenly, one of the gears in her head popped off and went rolling away across the metaphorical floor. [colour=#773344]"Lets hope we don't find anything like that, though. Still, we'd better be ready all the same, right? I'm going to go procure some provisions before we embark, lets meet back up in... wherever these tunnels are supposed to start, in a few minutes.[/colour]

Ember Spark carefully walked away from the table full of books, then once she reached the hallway outside, she broke into a canter. Down the steps, through the majestic entryway, out into the blustery wind and finally back aboard the Polar Star.

Even though the below-decks were just as warm and toasty as the great feasting hall of the Stormfast, if not more so, with the crew of the Polar Star nowhere to be seen, the entire ship took on an eerie disquiet feeling. Ember Spark hurried past the still messy mess hall, and past the empty bunks on her way to the boiler room. There, at the heart of the ship, the empty feeling faded away. The furnace rumbled as it slowly burned at an idle temperature, and filled the room with a soft cherry and orange glow. After checking the steam gauges, Ember Spark tapped on the boiler plate with her forehoof, giving the ship a contented, [colour=#773344]"'attagirl,"[/colour] satisfied that everything would coast along just fine for at least several more hours.

Once the routine checkup was finished, she hurried over to her workbench with a can of engine oil and a spare flow valve. Drilling a hole in the top of the can, she sealed the valve in place and strapped the whole thing to her back. Then she was back on her way again, stopping in the mess hall briefly to grab a box of salted peanuts before returning to the vaulted halls of the Stormfast yet again. She let one of the guards guide her down to where she hoped to meet Pocket Change and Emerath again. The guard brought her to a small waiting area and she plopped herself down to wait, only to drift off, fast asleep as soon as her head touched her forelegs.

[Emerath]

Emerath nodded as Ember spoke. He was glad that she was taking the idea seriously. Well, seriously for Ember Spark. But her words, despite their somewhat silliness, had a ring of truth. If these were intelligent beings and not just animals, they would have some form of data recording in the form of books or pictures somewhere, so they could remember the griffons misdeeds towards them. At the same time, it was entirely possible they weren't even there. Emerath hadn't honestly considered that either, and he was glad that Ember Spark had such a good head on her shoulders to think of the rest of the possibilities he had missed.

As Ember quickly ducked out of the room and told them to meet up at the tunnels, Emerath turned to the remaining party and agreed, [colour=#b22222]"I like her idea. Let's take a break from all the seriousness and relax for a moment before we get involved with all this mumbo jumbo."[/colour] He gave the Queen a bow, and the rest of the party a nod and turned to head off down the hallway. Before he was out the door, he turned back once more with a smile, [colour=#b22222]"Besides all that though, we won't know what happens until we get there. But isn't that the fun of it all?"[/colour]

As Emerath left the library and walked down the hallway, he found that last statement tasted strange in his mouth. Was that really him? He never was a risk taker before. Perhaps his new love of adventure was getting to him. Maybe he was just trying to lighten the mood. Either way, he found it strange. As he considered all the recent events, he found himself hit by a wave of cold air and realized he was outside again. His body shivered and he galloped across the deck, avoiding anypony who was still working there, not wanting to be caught in the cold very much longer.

When he had reached below decks, he realized just how long he had been thinking. He must've passed through the entire fort without a single thing but cold wind breaking his thoughts. He really had to stop daydreaming so much. He shook his head and his body, attempting to shake off the cold, although it was to no avail as his body gave another shiver. He found his way through the lower decks of the ship so that he could get to his room and his things he might need for the trip.

Despite how much he was looking forward to the adventure, he found that he wasn't really ready for it. His sharp mind was about the only thing he had to offer. Perhaps he'd just bring along the food and other such necessities they might need. He turned and looked at his dresser. On it was a picture of his ma and pop. He missed them. What would they think if he told them he was possibly saving the griffons of the cold north from some unspeakable horror, and that he was written in some "prophecy". They'd probably think him insane. He chuckled. His ma was always supportive though. She'd probably just nuzzle him lovingly and say,[colour=#000080] "Good for you, dear. You save the world and be a hero."[/colour] Oh, how he missed them...

He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. He probably could've judged it better if he had looked at what the time was before he had left. He gave himself ten minutes to get his things in order and get back to the tunnel areas, and would take up just that. He grabbed an actual pencil, which would make writing easier on the go, and threw his quill and ink bottle onto the bed. Then he figured he'd need a blanket, should they decide to sleep in the tunnels. As he pulled it off his bed, he forgot the ink bottle and quill were there, despite that he just put them there. And then the ink bottle hit the floor with a small crash, shattering and leaving a small ink puddle. [colour=#b22222]"Ah, buck,"[/colour] he muttered to himself. Not much he could do about that at the moment. He just hoped he didn't forget and stepped in it when he returned.

He quickly folded the blanket and stuffed it into his saddlebags. He grabbed yet another extra notebook, just in case he had to take extra, extra notes. He looked at his jacket, everything he was already carrying was still there, his pocket watch, his second notebook, and now a pencil. He had considered taking the picture of his family, but he didn't think he could live with himself should he lose that. His goggles were still strapped to his head. He did notice a lump in his chest, and momentarily freaked out, before remembering that it was just the pear he had grabbed from the feast. Now a little bruised, but still fresh and ready for consumption soon. He threw it into the saddlebags so he didn't forget and freak out again.

Perhaps he'd need a bit of reading material. He searched through the stack of books and plays he had brought along with him. It was a big stack and he spent a few minutes looking for what he wanted. This annoyed him, but he hoped he had brought along what he was looking for, and sure enough, there it was! Song of the Highlands a play about Fortissima and her adventures. The script had no author, but he assumed it was Fortissima at this point. This was a modern rewrite of the play, but it would have to do. It would be a good reference should they need it. He placed it lightly into the saddlebags, so as not to damage the script.

He pulled out his watch and looked at it. Ten minutes exactly, he had to go! He didn't have time to consider if he had forgotten anything else, since looking for that play had set him back far too much, and he quickly levitated his saddlebags onto his back, and took off at a gallop through the ship. He knew that he wasn't late for anything, and thus shouldn't be in such a rush, but he had set a time limit for himself, and he would keep to it!

When he reached the entryway, he stopped in front of a griffon guard, who took a moment to register his presence, despite his shivering and the chattering of his teeth in the cold. [colour=#b22222]"Hi... I'm Emerath, I've been here. Queen Katabat wants us to go to the tunnels where the shapeless horrors are supposed to be."[/colour] he said, quickly. The guard nodded and directed him to the same waiting area that Ember Spark had been led to. He saw Ember Spark lying down, and quickly trotted over to her. As he reached her, he opened his mouth to speak, but realized that the mare was fast asleep.[colour=#b22222] "Ah... poor mare. I understand how you feel."[/colour] he whispered to himself. He'd been in this situation before, and felt no need to wake the mare. She looked so peaceful and happy, a part of him wanted to join her. He sat down and let his saddlebags slide to the floor, before turning to them and pulling out the blanket he had packed. He turned away from Ember and flapped the blanket open from its folded state, before turning back to Ember and pulling the blanket over her sleeping frame.

After that was taken care of, he sat down next to her and pulled out his notebook he had taken notes in earlier. He turned to the page where he had written about Ember Spark, and levitating the notebook in front of him, and then the pencil shortly after, he quickly scribbled out the words "childish" and "naivete" and replaced them with "innocence". Emerath realized his previous observations were wrong. She wasn't childish or naive. She was a very smart mare, and he hadn't given her credit. She was just curious. Something he found he didn't have much of, being set in his ways as he usually was. He envied the mare for that. He let out a small yawn. He set the book down next to him, as he laid down himself, and drifted off to sleep a midst his thoughts.

[tacobob]

"A different job..Right.", Pocket still couldn't get the image of the dreaded dark beasts from his mind as he tried to ponder what sort of creature they were. Unfortunately cryptozoology was not one of his specialties and for now he would just have to speculate on what it was. He listened to others for a moment, "Yes, we will not know until it happens, but I suggest you all pack for a proper bit of underground exploration and be prepared for anything. Cave-ins, monsters and critters of all sizes and dispositions, not to mention the unfriendly weather. I know the basics of first aid, and I do believe Sky has been trained in preparation for his R.E.A schooling, so do come prepared. This is all very serious business." He started to ponder if the usually shy Pegasus stallion was still somewhere dancing with this griffon gal-pal, but decided to keep his mind on one thing for the moment.

As the others started to head back to the ship, the unicorn bowed his head gracefully to the queen, "Till we meet again, your majesty.", he smiled and turned to the others. He followed them back to the ship and to the cabins, where he had kept his supplies. Upon entering his room, he quickly slid off his outer coat, which revealed a slightly snug and sleek looking bodysuit. While in the underground cave, he knew it would be wise to protect his somewhat fragile, mortal form in such clothing as to keep his body temperature at a safe range, and the insulated boots would keep his 'hoovesies' warm, and the grips on the soles would keep him from slipping on any poor surfaces. He had some experience in spelunking and knew first hoof on the dangers he would be facing.

After visiting the 'little colt's room', he started to go through his gear. He glanced over at a small helmet he had kept on his nightstand and checked to make sure there was enough power in the light included. While he could easily throw up one of his light spells, the pony knew he would have to concentrate to keep the spell going, and even the smallest of spells could tire a unicorn after constant usage. The helmet was essential as anything could come crashing down during their exploration and it would also keep his mane from snagging on any sharp rocks or underground vegetation. He then checked his trusty saddle bags to make sure they were in good shape. He knew he would have to pack well, but also light. Light rations and water on one side, and a first aid kid and other gear on the other. He also checked his coil of rope and grappling hook. And while he enjoyed sketching in his notebook, he decided it would be wise to bring along his camera, which was made for underground or dark locations and did not have an obnoxious flash. Finally, he snagged his goggles, which were somewhat similar to the pair Ember Spark kept with her. Once he was fully dressed and ready, he glanced at himself in the mirror and made sure everything was on properly. Before leaving his room, he also made sure to take his waterproof notebook and pocket spell-book.

After leaving the ship, he quickly made his way to their castle rendezvous-point, which one of the griffon guards was friendly enough to point out. The stallion at first was a little annoyed that the two were snoozing away, but he quickly understood the wisdom of doing such a thing. The heavy food they had just enjoyed was making him rather sleepy, and it would be downright foalish to go wandering around in a strange and dark cave while tired, which he knew would be an instant death sentence! A quick nap would hit the spot, and it would give his body time to adjust to the heavy clothing and equipment he had on. So with a yawn, he slowly made his way down onto the floor and quickly shuffled off into dreamland.

The unicorn dreamt of the dark cave he would soon be exploring, but in this dream he was alone and naked. While wandering around in the buff in pony culture was hardly scandalous, it wasn't wise to go into such an environment without any proper protection. But there he was in a cave so dark he could not see his hoof in front of his face. He could, however see a small collection of eyes that shone in the dark which was nestled in a cloud of inky darkness. These eyes also came fully packaged with a set of fangs which came upon him like a swarm of angry hornets. Before they could rip him into shreds, the pony awoke....

[Trilobite]

...to find Princess Gale and her two steadfast Iceguard entering the small chamber from another tunnel. The three were dusty and a bit banged up, and Gale was just returning a tripardate key to a pouch on her belt. "Brave Pocket Change," she said, in low, warm tones. "Unsealed the catacombs are." From behind her came the quiet, eerie sound of air moving through subterranean corridors, and the faint drip of water. "Your companions wake, and with them forward venture. Remain here, we three will, until in truimph you return."

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

[colour=#773344]"Wake, huh?"[/colour] Ember Spark squinted and blinked her eyes, trying to force the blurry shapes and colors in her vision into recognizable things. She didn't bother trying to stifle her yawn as she cautiously rose to her hooves, and the strange weight on her back didn't make the task any easier. [colour=#773344]Did I go to sleep in my work clothes again? Brrr, what a chilly draft, I hope there's nothing wrong with the ventilation system. I guess I'd better get out of bed and check.[/colour]

The first step, however, was a doozy. Instead of stepping down off her cozy little bunk like she planned, her hoof clipped up against the completely level floor she had actually been sleeping on. While she was not the most graceful mare even in the best of times, having just woken up, the most graceful thing she could manage was to expertly plant her face on the ground before jolting to alertness. Her ears perked up, she sprang to her hooves and looked around, finally able to see that she wasn't actually in her cabin aboard the Polar Star.

Her mind raced to recall the events that had transpired, the approach, the feast, the prophecy. They would have made a fine dream, had they not been real.

Blinking her eyes a few more times to banish the last of their bleariness, she tried to figure out just who had asked her to wake up in the first place. Emerath was still asleep, and Pocket Change looked like his mind was preoccupied with something else. The three griffins standing in the doorway were looking rather expectant though, and once she saw that Gale was with them, she stretched her legs and walked a bit closer.

[colour=#773344]"Ooh, hello there! To again meet and thanks give, my hope it was. Most appreciated your invitation has been."[/colour]

[Emerath]

Ember Spark's sudden movements next to Emerath, not to mention the infernal noises of people talking, stirred Emerath causing him to begin to wake. He never was a deep sleeper, being that actors and actresses usually woke him up when they arrived at the theater. He didn't take long to open his eyes and get to his hooves, not having been too deep in his slumber to forget where he was. He looked around and saw his friends were talking to the griffons they first met when they arrived. Emerath still didn't remember the Princess's name, but he wasn't sure it mattered too much at the moment.

He levitated his notebook into his saddlebags and his saddlebags onto his back, and quickly trotted over to where the rest were gathered, bowing to the Princess upon his approach. [colour=#b22222]"Is it finally time?"[/colour] he asked, knowing the answer as the words left his mouth. He wasn't sure he was ready. And where was Cleverboots? Surely she didn't want to miss this.

[Trilobite]

Gale smiled. "And greetings to you, friend Emeber Spark, friend Emerath. Indeed, the time upon you is. By the ancient laws of Stormfast, none may this chamber enter, nor the catacombs beyond, save the Captain and her chosen retainers. For the safety of all, these laws are, and even the Queen exempt is not." She comes forward, along with the two others. Each produces what would be a small pin for a griffon but is a badge for ponies; a snowflake with a heart-shaped ruby in the center, backed by silver wings. They affix the badges to your gear. "Brave ponies, friends of Stormfast, welcome you are into the ranks of the Iceguard. Where you choose to go, we cannot, but with you are hearts and wings will be."

Solemnly, the three stand back, away from the dark tunnel, the open door, and the rubble-choked blackness beyond.

[tacobob]

"Thank you, your Majesty, this means a great deal to us.", he smiled as the pins were placed onto their gear, "Very nice. My compliments to whoever made these lovely pins.", Pocket knew he would have to either hide or protect the pin when he got home, knowing his sister would do her best to snatch it from his shirt the moment she would see it. He glanced back at the others in his little party as he lowered his goggles over his face. "I do hope you're all as prepared as you can be. This might get interesting."

He started to walk towards the dark, creepy tunnel's opening, and as he did, he started to briefly flash back to his very first encounter with such places. He stopped and looked back, "Sorry Captain, I do sometimes miss my manners, as this is your adventure, you may take the first plunge.", he then noticed his Captain was nowhere in sight, "Er...Right...", he glanced over at Ember and Emerath who he both considered very clever ponies, but hardly the most 'battle-ready' people he knew. So he decided that he would be the far best choice in going into the creepy-nightmarish-shuddersome-eerie-mane-raising [colour=#b22222]CATACOMBS OF DOOM[/colour] first.

"Right. Guess it's me then.", he gave off another one of his very sheepish grins as she slowly cantered towards the entrance...

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

Ember Spark beamed with appreciation as Commander Gale pinned the Iceguard emblem to her side. It may not have been as practical or delicious a gift as the feast, but she appreciated that it was a symbol of something more enduring. For her, it seemed like a symbol of trust.

She just nodded in agreement with Pocket Change as he conveyed his compliments, having already said her thanks just a moment before, and with her smile still firmly in place, she said her own hasty farewell. [colour=#773344]"Well... I hope still here you will be, once the armor we find, because to return here we will definitely choose. Besides, something to say, I..."[/colour] She noticed Pocket Change already walking towards the tunnels, [colour=#773344]"Oh, time to go! Until then..."[/colour]

Ember Spark caught up to Pocket Change with a quick trot, adding as reassuringly as she could, [colour=#773344]"Don't worry, we're right behind you. Right Emerath?"[/colour] and as she looked to make sure Emerath was following along as well, she added, [colour=#773344]"Besides, you're the one with the lights."[/colour]

Into the tunnels she went, and once they got far enough away from the welcoming glow of oil filled torches behind them, she carefully opened the valve on her oil can until just the faintest trail of drips was coming out. She didn't have any idea on how far they would have to travel through these tunnels, so she didn't want to run out too soon. Even if the can did run dry though, she was certain that with the chilly draft they were feeling, she'd be able to find her way somehow. She just kept her attention focused on the stone surfaces in front of her. In addition to keeping her footing and not hitting her head on anything, she was hoping to catch signs of any kind of moss or fungus. She had been amazed by all the strange growing things she had never seen before on this journey, and was hoping there would be something new to see down here too.

Of course the dim light made it a difficult task, and she couldn't help but share her thoughts on the matter. [colour=#773344]"I have a hypothesis, Emerath, and I would like you to tell me if I'm right or not. If you ever decide to turn our adventures into a famous play, I suspect that this scene will be the easiest scene to design a set for. Pitch black against jet black with maybe a bit of charcoal. Ooh! I bet the actors could even walk up and down the isles while they perform for the added sensation of being spatially compressed. Oh, and who do you think you would get to play yourself?"[/colour]

Even though Ember Spark wasn't speaking particularly loud at the moment, her voice echoed up and down the tunnels.

[Trilobite]

The walls were worked stone, or had been at some point in the past. Now they were run through with fractures and jagged spills of debris. The traces of scrollwork and engravings were still visible, if ruined. Ahead, just at the threshold where the light from the chamber behind faded into nothingness, the group could see a place where several slabs of stone had come down at once. They rested against each other, forming a triangular opening just barely big enough for a pony to crawl through.

[Emerath]

After the Princess had spoken, Emerath had managed to snap himself out of his sleepiness. Before they could head into the tunnels, he looked at Ember Spark and noticed that she didn't have his blanket with her. Turning around to where they had slept a moment before, sure enough she had left it on the floor. Probably too excited to think about it. He turned around and walked over to the blanket, picking it up, and unceremoniously stuffing it into his saddlebags, before trotting back to the group as they headed into the long hallway.

He had caught up with Ember Spark, and was looking around at the somewhat decayed surroundings that had long lost their lustre, but not their innate beauty. He found himself wondering what the ancient scrollwork and engravings had once said, and imagined that they were probably too faded to even be readable, let alone translated.

Ember Spark broke Emerath from his thoughts as she seemed apt to do once more, excitedly talking about Emerath writing a play. While he had never actually considered the idea, it was an interesting one. Fortissima wrote about her adventures, and so why shouldn't Emerath? He did so love to write, and he did love theater. This was a good idea. He nodded along with what Ember Spark was saying, and gave a light chuckle at her description of the scene. [colour=#b22222]"Well, how it would work," he began to respond, "is they'd walk down the aisle to the stage, to the opening," [/colour]he paused to point at the small opening they were approaching, [colour=#b22222]"and then the scene would probably have a spotlight, or the actor playing Pocket Change would cast a light spell like he has now."[/colour]

He considered her other question for a moment. [colour=#b22222]"And as far as who would play me, well, that would take the fun out of casting calls, now wouldn't it?"[/colour]

[tacobob]

"While I could cast a light spell, I'm sure you know maintaining a spell, even a simple one can drain a unicorn over time." Pocket paused as the light in his helmet slowly illuminated the area around him. He noticed the opening and slowly made his away over, "Looks like we're going to have to squeeze through this thing. Shouldn't be a problem for you.", he smiled at the mare, "Cause you're so tiny...And Emerath, you'll be fine. Me...", he double checked his gear and clothing, making sure there wasn't anything that could catch or snag onto the opening. "Might be a little harder, so I'll go first."

"Well, wish me luck.", the stallion started to make his way through the narrow opening as slowly and as carefully as he could. He knew if he put too much pressure against the stone, it might cause the entire thing to fall down on top of him, and that probably would hurt a little. As he squirmed through, he tried not to think of what could be waiting for him on the other side, which would be griffon munching, pony crunching shadow monsters with glowing eyes and unfriendly tentacles along with nasty teeth which they probably don't brush or floss.

Once he was through the hole, he let his hooves slowly touch the ground, "Right..Guess you're next Emerath.", he backed away, giving the pony room to move once he made it to the other side. While waiting, Pocket took time to study this new room.

[Trilobite]

This had once been some sort of antechamber or nexus of tunnels. Its former design, a neat octagon with a clearly labeled entrance in each wall, was still evident, but it had falled into a sorry state. Several tunnels were blocked by huge slabs or landslides of debris. In other places, new passageways had been opened by the devastation, jagged things branching off into utter darkness.

Colored stripes were still faintly visible on the floor; glazed tile and semiprecious stone used to deliniate the paths that once led from here. Now everything was covered in a thick layer of dust and grit...and something had gouged away at the designs as well, both on the floor and where murals had been on the walls and ceiling, something with numerous, oddly-spaced claws that raked furrows in stone.

[Emerath]

Emerath had been awaiting a reply from Ember Spark as Pocket Change made his way through the small opening in the wall. Instead, he heard a call from the far end of the opening from Pocket Change, urging Emerath to come through the tunnel. He supposed Ember Spark's reply would have to wait, as he gave the small mare a nod and levitated his saddlebags into the opening, before lowering his head and taking a few breaths. He was never really a fan of small spaces, much rather enjoying the large open ones that weren't quite so constricting.

Not much he could do about it now, as he took one last breath and began to push his saddlebags with his head as he crawled through the tunnel. He tried not to think too hard about where he was and where he was going, and just focused on getting to the other side. It wasn't too long, much to his relief, before he popped the saddlebags out of the opening and his head shortly after. He pulled the rest of his body out, and stood up fully once more, doing a light stretch as he did so. He levitated his saddlebags back onto his back, and looked around him, as he moved out of the way of the entrance so that Ember Spark could get through. [colour=#b22222]"Alright, Ember Spark,"[/colour] he said, as he looked around[colour=#b22222], "I'm through. Your turn."[/colour]

As he looked at the room they were in, he couldn't help but wish they had managed to be here before it had become so run down. Although looking at the murals around them, it appeared that they were maliciously destroyed by some creature. He gave a light sigh. He still held some hope that these creatures weren't monsters, but the evidence was beginning to pile up.

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

[colour=#773344]"Alright, here I go!"[/colour]

Ember Spark crouched down as low as she could and checked her clearance side to side. She didn't want any of her tools to catch on an outcropping, and she avoided ducking her head underneath the overhang in order to make sure she would have clearance for the oil can strapped to her back. It wasn't too difficult of a squeeze for the smaller mare, but she took her time anyway. [colour=#773344]Next time, I must endeavor to construct a quick release mechanism for these tight spaces.[/colour]

Emerging on the other side of the truss, she smiled and said a quick, [colour=#773344]"There, easy as pumpkin pie!"[/colour] before trotting around the room to take stock of her surroundings. Her hooves made a sharp clip clop sound even through the thick layer of dust on the ground. The claw marks along the murals were certainly an unwelcome sight, but Ember Spark wasn't entirely sure what to make of them. She walked right up to the wall and very nearly pressed her nose against it.

[colour=#773344]"Hmmm... *sniff sniff* mmhmmmm... *sniff*"[/colour] She wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting to discover by smell either, just the smell of stone, dust and distant water. While the room certainly looked like like something out of a storybook, that particular segment of wall smelled remarkably normal.

[colour=#773344]"Ahh... *Achoo!*"[/colour]She stifled a sneeze, which ended up being little more than a squeak, [colour=#773344]"It seems that there is even dust in the grooves of these claw marks. Whatever did this, it did so a long, long time ago. In fact, I don't think I see any kind of tracks in here except our own, do you? I admit the ambient light makes such a detailed examination difficult."[/colour]

Ember Spark slowly pirouetted, taking in the sight of the room as a whole rather than just looking at the individual details, and what she saw made her smile. It reminded her of the scrap yards back home, holding together in spite of the best efforts of the Iceguard of old, like a stubborn old ship that hadn't quite given up the ghost.

[colour=#773344]"I admit, I'm pleased that this place is in such good condition. The architecture is remarkably over-designed! The load bearing properties of these columns is simply astounding."[/colour] her enthusiastic smile tempered itself into a dimly lit grin, [colour=#773344]"Still, we should be careful not to disturb the load bearing debris if possible. As for the rest of the rubble, Emerath, Pocket Change... how large a stone do you suppose you could lift? I mean with your magic, if you had to."[/colour] Ember Spark paused for just a second before realizing that the looks on her companions faces meant that an explanation might be needed, [colour=#773344]"These claw marks are a good sign. I mean, they're only 35 smidgimeters deep. Impressive yes, but hardly cloven in two wouldn't you say? If we do find ourselves in a bind, a solid piece of rubble should provide respectable protection."[/colour]

She sniffed at the air again as strange scents tingled her nose. There was water down one of these tunnels somewhere, that much she recognized, but there were so many unfamiliar smells as well, she wasn't sure she trusted her gut to lead her in the right direction. [colour=#773344]Well, Emerath said that Pocket Change was the spy glass...[/colour]

Ember Spark finally settled down, coming to a rest in the middle of the chamber. [colour=#773344]"So, Pocket Change... You're our avant garde, do you see a path you might prefer to advance down?"[/colour]

[tacobob]

Pocket studied the claw marks as he listened to the others, "H-how much could I lift with my telekinesis spell? I have yet to actually try to see how much I could carry without passing out, but I did levitate a full grown mare before.", he tried not to think of about those sharp, nasty claws that damaged the walls and what they could do to his feeble non-stone pony flesh, "And I had a few drinks in me at the time, so I'm guessing I could probably lift even more if needed to. And if those monsters do confront us, I'm not sure what stone barriers could do, as it seems in the pictures they were rather misty like, almost like ghosts. I do know magic probably would work rather well against such beasts. Still, let's hope we don't have to face such foes in these cramped quarters."

He cantered over to where Ember Spark was standing and glanced towards the tunnels, "Ho-boy. Different paths to pick. I'm sure most lead to certain doom, or at least dead ends. Please let me concentrate for a moment.", he found himself a seat on the rough floor and closed his eyes. He was silent for a good thirty seconds before he opened his eyes, "We should take the third path on the right. Yes.", he took a good hard look what tunnel he had just chosen and sighed. Like the entrance, this path was partially caved in, and it appeared to be a dead end of sorts. Still, this did not bother the unicorn as he made his way down the corridor.

Once at the cave in, he studied the stones noting it would probably next to impossible for a pony his size to squeeze through such a narrow opening. He shined his light on all sections of the stone before he caught sight of a section of stone that was of a slightly different colour than the others. Apparently someone had placed the stone here to block the opening. Feeling confident that he would not cause a cave-in, the unicorn pushed the stone away with his front legs. The stone fell through, which gave him more than enough room to crawl through, which he did.

"Next."

[Emerath]

Emerath followed Pocket Change's lead, trusting his judgement with the tunnel selection. He would've just picked at random, so he supposed any judgement the pony made would be just as good, if not better than his own. He looked around them as Pocket Change led them down the path on the right. As they reached what appeared to be a dead end, Emerath looked at the stone, and figured they had picked the wrong way, and was ready to turn around. That was about when Pocket Change lifted his front legs and pushed a stone out of the way.

Emerath was a bit ashamed that he had been to ready to turn back instead of noticing the different stone himself, and mentally kicked himself. "Crafty little buggers..." he mumbled under his breath, as Pocket Change crawled through the small opening. He looked at Ember, who seemed quite content to let him go first, and he nodded, repeating the same process with his saddlebags as he had in the first small opening. This one was thankfully shorter, being that it was just a few rocks in a cave-in blocking a pathway instead of a small tunnel, and Emerath made it through with ease. He stood and quickly got out of the way to make room for Ember.

[colour=#b22222]"Ember, I'm through."[/colour] he said to the mare waiting on the other side.

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

Now that Ember Spark had the procedure down, fitting through more tight spaces was a matter of going through the motions. She was sure that there would probably be spaces she wouldn't be able to fit through so easily, but those would be spaces that Emerath and Pocket Change wouldn't be able to fit through either, so she didn't worry about it too much.

[colour=#773344]"If only I had some roller skates, this would be just like luau night at the roller rink."[/colour] Ember Spark chuckled to herself as she stood back up on the other side, [colour=#773344]"I don't suppose anypony makes spelunking grade roller skates, do they? They'd make running away from scary monsters a breeze."[/colour]

She brushed a bit of the dirt and debris off of her flank and once she had herself straightened out, she pulled her monkey wrench out of its holster and turned back around. Reaching carefully through the hole, she used the wrench to grab hold of some of Pocket Change's pushed away rocks and moved them back into place. It was a little bit tricky work, given that she didn't have the same kind of fine control as unicorn telekinesis, but she had plenty of experience using a wrench. Before long she had the stones pushed back into the rough ballpark of their original spots. Then she took some pieces of rubble on the near side of the hole and stacked them on top of each other, so that anything else moving through the hole would risk knocking them over and making a racket.

[colour=#773344]"There we go,"[/colour] She said with a tone of satisfaction in her voice, [colour=#773344]"That ought to hinder any scary monster's attempts to sneak up on us from behind."[/colour]

Ember Spark put her monkey wrench away again and filed back in line with a cheerful, [colour=#773344]"Onward! To a dead end, and hopefully one that has a specific set of ancient griffin armor there as well."[/colour]

[Trilobite]

The artfully placed debris had concealed an entrance to a long tunnel, and the ponies had emerged into a niche on one side of it. Facing away from them as if guarding the niche was an imposing statue of a griffon--or what was left of one. The upper half of it had been unevenly shattered, and the head lay on the floor, facing the group with fierce eyes. Something about its gaze seemed encouraging, rather than intimidating, as if the long-departed griffon it depicted were urging them on.

The damage had been done by a partial collapse to this part of the tunnel rather than claws. The tunnel curved away, gently sloping downward into the mountain. Solid arches of stone braced it every dozen paces or so, with niches on alternate sides containing statue after statue. Griffons in armor, mostly, rearing up with claws raised high and wings spread. But further down the tunnel was a mild-looking griffon in a sort of sash, bearing scrolls under one arm and a caliper carefully held in a talon, tongue sticking out in concentration. And there, just visible near the curve--was that a pegasus?

The whole scene was illuminated in a soft blue-green. Clusters of tiny, delicate-looking mushrooms grew thickly over planters set into the walls and spread wildly across the stone surface. They grew thickest along the raised portions of the decorative scrollwork and bas-reliefs that lined the tunnel, highlighting the designs with their slowly shifting light.

The bas-relief was one long piece, mirrored on both sides. It showed the rugged the Polar Star had been flying over for the last three weeks, punctuated by rustic dwellings formed from improved caves and stacked stone with rooves of living moss and wildflowers. Reindeer, moose, and hardy-looking ponies voyaged through this landscape or tended its plants and animals, all of them watched over by a widely-spaced series of towers on which noble-looking griffons stood guard.

The beautiful crafstmanship was marred by only a few things. An enormous cave-in blocked the tunnel in one direction, and pieces of stone furniture and floorstones were piled up against the rubble. In the other direction, halfway between where the ponies stood and where the tunnel vanished into its curve was a gap surrounded by hasty chisel-marks.

It wasn't very wide, maybe two ponies across--a challenging jump but not impossibly, given the running space available. But chains hung down from a long shaft in the roof over it, running down to each wall, where they were wrapped around very solid-looking, very jagged-looking pieces of rubble.

As Ember Spark entered the hall and everypony shifted slightly, there was a tiny click, and the chains released, setting the stones swinging. Somewhere in the ceiling, a mechanism could be heard ticking away, and the shaft from which the stones hung moved in time with the sounds of it. Clearly this set-up would be dangerous for a long time, even without the considerable momentum of the deadly pendulums. They moved back and forth, crossing each other in a complex pattern, hardly ever leaving a space free.

[tacobob]

"Oh my.", The unicorn was impressed by the large relief, "Talk about gaze-mazing.", he muttered to himself as he studied the wall sculpture. He felt like he could spend all day gazing at the impressive work of art, but there were rather important, hero type work he had to do. At least he could put the tired old cliche of these places being filled with deadly traps and puzzles to bed. As long as they can make it through this old catacomb without having a rock fall on their heads, or suddenly need to use the little colt's room, they should be fine. And monsters! He was starting to feel silly. Maybe the monsters in the art were simple metaphors of sorts, maybe symbolic of.... He stopped and watched Emerath make his way through the opening and then cute lil' Ember Spark was next. "Well then, we have a bit of a gap, but it's nothing. We could cover it in a hop, skip and..."

CLICK!

"Click? That's never good.", Pocket quickly glanced around the room, expecting to be hit with a series of poisonous darts, or mummies or mummies with poisonous darts. Instead, he noticed a rather deadly trap had been sprung. Thankfully one that they could avoid for the time being. "Well, that's different.", he watched the swinging stones and couldn't figure it out. All the things in his flat needed upkeep, from his squeaky doors to his creaky floors. If something wasn't oiled or cleaned, or whatever, they would quickly become undone, but these ancient old traps always seemed to work just fine. Never mattered how long it they were used before, or their last upkeep. They always worked just perfectly.

"I'm open for suggestions. I could try stopping or even cutting down those pesky stones, but that might cause another cave-in. I know bloody well I'm not agile enough to dodge those things and I'm not sure my magic would be strong enough to hold one of those in place. Any other ideas?", he glanced at the two ponies with a worried grin on his face.

[Ginger Mint]

[colour=#BFBFFF]hi hi[/colour]

Ember Spark took notice of the intricate scenery, but most of her attention was focused on the amazing luminescent mushrooms. She wasn't the most expert botanist that ever lived, but seeing a new kind of fungus was always exciting. Not only that, but they were yet another encouraging sign, even more so than the room immediately prior.

She knew some mushrooms didn't like being disturbed, so she didn't try poking or prodding them. She just moved up close to one of the clusters, hoping they might at least enjoy a little company. [colour=#773344]"Well now, those big scary shadows don't mind you little guys, do they? Who could hold animosity towards such resplendent mushrooms as yourselves anyway?"[/colour]

A click and a subtle shift in position were all it took to get her attention, the sound of clattering chains was all it took to spur her into motion, and by the time she felt the gentle gust of displaced air, she was already hiding behind a griffin statue in one of the hallway's many niches. She stayed there for a few seconds until the steady rhythmic swooshing noise convinced her that no sudden dangers lurked out in the hallway.

Ember Spark cautiously stepped back into the hall and blinked, then she blinked again. Somewhere in her mind, a little hamster was running for all she was worth on a hamster wheel and, understandably, not getting anywhere. The questions just kept piling up and there weren't any answers in sight. [colour=#773344]Who would build something like this in the first place? And why? It couldn't have been built to keep the formless monsters away, not only were weapons useless as they said, but who has time to build something so intricate and elaborate in the middle of an invasion? Did the formless things build this? They ought to have known griffins could fly around this trap with ease.[/colour]

Pocket Change's question finally made something in her mind click though, a question about how to get past the obstruction rather than the incomprehensible nature of the device itself. There still wasn't an answer to the question, instead there were dozens. The principles of pendulums were positively elementary for a mechanic. She smiled, she laughed. It was an unrestrained sort of laugh that matched the sparkle in here eyes, halfway between what you might expect from a mad scientist and a light hearted giggle.

She rubbed her pastern across the side of her face as she calmed back down again, as though she was trying to get something out of her eye. Still trying to catch her breath, she said [colour=#773344]"Aww, look how restless they are, they just need some friends."[/colour]

Ember Spark made a casual glance around the statues in the hallway, but didn't see any of them carrying anything like a spear or a staff, just claws pointed towards the sky. [colour=#773344]"Hmm... we seem to be missing a lever, but if we can't find a pole, we can still do this the easy way. Emerath, Pocket Change, would you be able to give one of those chains a nudge? We just need to get it swinging side to side a little bit...hmm, let me see."[/colour]

With a look of determination, Ember Spark crouched down on the ground and placed her notepad out in front of her, then using her protractor and level, she started sketching out her plan.

[colour=#773344]"There! See?"[/colour] Ember Spark shuffled her notepad towards her two companions a little ways, [colour=#773344] "If we have the capacity to push one stone into another's path at the right moment, it should set off a chain reaction and they'll all end up in one big, friendly tangled up hug with each other."[/colour]

[Emerath]

Emerath heard the click when everyone else did, and it gave him a bit of a start. He looked around, only to see the stones begin their swift pendulum across the gap. As he watched them, he knew one thing. The stones couldn't do that forever, but then again, they weren't just sitting in the middle of the gap when they walked up, which meant that either the trap had never been activated before, or that someone had reset it. If it was the latter, that was another tick on the wrong side of the "monster" theory of these shapeless beings they had yet to encounter.

He didn't like it, and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and say that it wasn't worth it. But it was. That spark of adventure still burned in his heart, and this was the most exciting thing he'd done in his life, despite how obviously dangerous it was. Pocket Change and Ember Spark managed to pull him from his thoughts with their discussion of how to solve the problem.

Ember Spark's idea was a decent one, but it would require a lot of magical power. Something he wasn't sure that him and Pocket Change had, not being adept magic users. But if it was going to work, it had to also be timed correctly. Driving one of the chains to tangle with the other chains would do little to no good if it didn't catch anything. He watched the pendulums, like those of a grandfather clock, all swinging at the same pace, uninterrupted, unfazed by the other pendulums. All doing their job, all doing their work. Tick, tock.

Emerath blinked and tore his gaze away from the sight to look at Ember Spark. [colour=#b22222]"We would only have one chance. If we mess it up and the pendulums don't stop, they could hit the walls and cause a cave in, crushing us. It would be dangerous, and I don't know I'm powerful enough to even move one of those rocks." [/colour]He slowly turned his gaze back at the sight, [colour=#b22222]"But..."[/colour] he started, as he was entranced once more by the beautiful swaying of the rocks. [colour=#b22222]"But... there is a safer method. Possibly. If we use our magic to stop the nearest stone, and then we could kick it into the other stones instead of trying to magically push it while it's moving. I could figure out the right time to do it, and it should catch the other stones."[/colour]

He looked over at Pocket Change. [colour=#b22222]"You'd have to use your magic with me to stop that stone. What do you think? Think we can do it?"[/colour]

[tacobob]

Pocket was a very distracted pony at the moment. While he was slowly getting over the creepy darkness and mental images of those horrible monsters lurking everywhere, the thought still disturbed him, and those giant rock things swinging back and forth ready to pulverize any pony who got in their way. Even worse, as he started to study the pendulums, he started to think back to his physics class and his teacher, Miss Mare Curie. Oh, Curie, as beautiful as she was intelligent with her little black glasses and her mane always in that little bun, which she probably undid in slow motion when she got back home, and did she ever have such an impressive...

The unicorn shook his head, hoping to get rid of the distractions. This did not work, but he did hear what the others were saying, "Good ideas guys. I just wonder one thing. If Emerath and I can control one stone, but at first match the speed it's going at, but then move the stone to make it go slower, until they all wrap up in a safe sort of 'hug'. I'm just worried if we stop them quickly, it will just cause a nasty cave-in and give us all some terrible headaches. So yeah, I know we can do it! Mostly because we have to, and I do have faith in you two!"

There will probably be improvements or changes to plans, but the stallion was ready with his telekinesis spell, so the moment they had things planned out, he would follow them to the letter!