Evening in the Everfree [Open, RainbowDaringDash]

[PyroBlaze]

Flux paused in mid-inspection of a tree in front of her when Luna spoke again, saying the tree they were looking for grew somewhere else in the forest. At that bit of news, Flux sat down and hung her head in slight sadness. All her searching was for nothing, since the tree didn't even grow where they were. Luna also mentioned something about a group of timberwolves in the area.

Eclipse reiterated that the gathering was for making medicine for some ponies, probably to bring Luna up to speed. Pretty soon, Spring asked Luna why she was here, and Flux looked up at that. She knew she had little knowledge of Equestria's government, but it did seem a little strange to see a princess in a place like the Everfree Forest. Flux's colors became muted again as she became defensive, one of her imaginary friends assuming the worst right off.

After a couple moments, she managed to force herself to appear jovial and bring her colors back to normal. It wouldn't do to let her disguise slip while in the presence of an alicorn. That didn't sound like a good idea at all, let alone doing so without the princess nearby. If her hunch was right, Spring was a changeling, but she fell nothing like that about Luna or Eclipse. Plus, Spring had made it clear that she didn't want to see any other changelings, so she might not help if Flux's disguise were to fail. It scared her somewhat, being outnumbered and, in Luna's case, outmatched in a possibly dangerous situation for her like this one. She waited in silence for the princess' response to Spring's question, looking between the two as she waited.

[SunsetSombra]

There was, Luna sensed quite readily, a little tension amongst the ponies - they did not seem as harmonious as they first appeared, and something was tugging the corner of the alicorn princesses consciousness, something that was telling her to proceed carefully...'lest all was not entirely as it appeared. Still, it made no sense to raise any of her concerns at this particular moment in time - indeed, it was more the moment to offer a little peaceful disarming of their own ponderings about her own presence here.

" Given the surroundings, I'm not surprised you would ask me such a question - whilst it IS not exactly common to see royalty such as I to be roaming around in open sight, the Everfree and I have a long history...I have explored the forest for many years, and keep abreast of it's many oddities. " The Princess of the night pauses and offers a small smile. " For example, did you know that there are rare plants within the Everfree that, if found in the right season, have an interesting Candy floss scent, or that the bark of the Kreepwood tree changes color depending on season? " - whilst these were trivial little details to some, but she offered them more as a tidbit of friendly information shared in good humor.

She felt it important that they had a little something perhaps to smile and think about briefly before they resumed this little trail of theirs.

Luna, internally, was keeping herself aware of the surroundings as they continued - she was aware of the potential for threats externally by forest flora and fauna, but there was still potential for something else to figure into this equation, and she had no intentions of keeping her guard down for long. A moment of probing magic wasn't immediately picking up anything unusual, but she couldn't discount that there was still a chance for things unseen to be lurking that had no business of even being here...but it was only a notion she felt she needed to account for, and not something she had any idea for certain was worth anything more than a brief moments thought!

[SymphonicFire]

Eclipse was thinking about a plan to make the changelings reveal themselves until she heard the Princess talk about the plants in the forest. She smiled and said "Yes! Kalder melons have vitamins that increase the intelligence of a pony if picked on a full moon!"

She was happy that somepony else knew about the rare and magical plants in the forest, but they can talk later. Right now she needs the Princess to know about the suspects and to show that she is not one of them. Eclipse knew that if she said the wrong things, both sides would attack her. It was also possible that a changeling was disguised as the Princess...a powerful one.

[DerpRavener]

'Spring Breeze' saw Flux go through what looked like another subtle mood swing out of the corner of her eye. There was something wrong with that mare, but for the time being there were other things on her mind, and she looked like she was doing alright despite that otherwise. 'Spring Breeze' resolved to keep an eye on Flux, but didn't feel she warranted any more attention that that.

The princess shared a few interesting tidbits of knowledge about plants from the forest. If 'Spring Breeze' didn't know better she'd say the princess was trying to act friendly, and set them at ease. It was a strange experience, 'Spring Breeze' never would have expected such a thing from royalty, and she blinked in surprise. Eclipse filled the silence, adding in some trivia of of her own, which gave 'Spring Breeze' a chance to recover and respond. “...I can't say I've heard any of that myself, no.” She rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “To be honest, I've only started exploring around here in the last month or two. Most of what I know is of the 'eating it/touching it is bad' variety.”

In the silence that followed, 'Spring Breeze' let her mind wander as the group walked. She looked over at Eclipse, scrutinizing her and still wondering just what the mare was up to. The pegasus didn't seem particularly inclined to put it in the open however. If 'Spring Breeze' were to learn it, she'd have to bait it out somehow. She started thinking of ways to make that happen, but looking back to Luna gave her second thoughts. Exposing a plan to find changelings could backfire horribly with the princess of the night around.

For now, 'Spring Breeze' would bide her time. There was one other thing she realized she could investigate at the moment, if Luna was in a friendly mood and given the alicorn's resources as a princess. “So, erm, Princess,” even if Luna was being friendly, the false pegasus was still nervous about possibly overstepping her bounds, “you must have caught our earlier conversation. What do you think the chances are of changelings being in the forest near Ponyville? Especially given two failed attacks.”

[PyroBlaze]

Apparently Luna had been in the forest a lot in the past... It must be nice to know your past. Flux didn't remember anything before waking up around Ponyville that day. Flux gave a sad sigh as her mind drifted. The others were all saying something about plants, but she didn't really care to listen, instead staring down at the ground as she followed the group.

What was she still doing here? None of these mares would like her anymore if they knew what she was, so what was she doing? Was she just here in some hope of making new friends? Devil was asking the same questions, suggesting that she slip away while she still could. Angel, however, was doing a much better job at convincing her to stay with the group. Maybe, if they came to know her as her before discovering her true race, they wouldn't react badly to the truth.

She looked up again as Spring asked Luna about the possibility of changelings being nearby. She was kinda wondering herself about that. Maybe she could make more friends among her own kind, or find one that recognized her and could help her figure out her past.

"Yeah Luna, think there are any nearby?" Flux asked, bouncing in front of the princess and traveling backwards to keep her eyes on Luna.

[SunsetSombra]

It seemed as though her words of comfort had brought an interesting mood in some of the ponies - Spring Breeze and Eclipse seemed to have allowed perhaps a little more calmness enter their thoughts, whilst Flux seemed to have become a little more withdrawn and internal. Luna had no idea what could have been the trigger for such a reaction. However, she also really had no time to focus on something like that, not when she was clearly being spoken to.

"Yes! Kalder melons have vitamins that increase the intelligence of a pony if picked on a full moon!"

" Ah, yes - excellant! " Luna offeres a small chuckle and looks to Eclipse, impressed with that little display of knowledge. " Both of those are found more commonly down in the deeper foliage because of the nutrients in the soil located there - the Kalder especially has to be in a cool, damp atmosphere to grow at all...which is why it is easier to find them growing at a farm than in the wild here...luckily the seeds live for a good while! " she points out in addition, before finding herself sidetracked by Spring Breeze's comment..

“...I can't say I've heard any of that myself, no - To be honest, I've only started exploring around here in the last month or two.

Most of what I know is of the 'eating it/touching it is bad' variety.”

" This is not a place to take lightly, I'm sure you are now well aware - it seems rather curious to me that somepony so new at this dared approach with no caution with regards to the location...surely you know the stories and legends of Everfree, I hear that the tales of decades and years ago still haunt the world at large to the here and now. " Luna says as they continue on, the royal keeping up with the other ponies easily.

The topic of changelings, however, immediately sets Luna's mind on edge - the incidents surrounding them were fresh in memory, and Luna was not entirely confident that she could say for sure that she was in a position to determine where any might be. Truth be told, this was not something she had experience with directly...the ponyville incident had been particularly brave of them, and it's resolution was mostly satisfactory...but nagging doubts were always going to surface about who was who, in any situation, considering how things had been in that particular situation.

"Yeah Luna, think there are any nearby?"

Luna knew the answer was a delicate one - what she stated might well be taken to heart as a representation of how the castle and the royalty were handling the threat potential - she wasn't really sure she could answer in a way they'd be entirely satisfied with, but she had to at least make an attempt to pacify their obvious curiosity.

" Alas, I cannot say for sure - I do not have a full knowledge of where they may be located, other than the locations they have been spotted recently. It IS possible to detect one if they transform with a location spell, but it is enough of a spell that it would be impossible to teleport directly to it, and without a specific changeling identity, it would be implausible to tell who the changeling is....as a race, they are still as mysterious as they have ever been, but rest assured that the mages of the castle are working quite tirelessly on iscovering more about this particular subject! "

Honestly, Celestia would probably not be so open on sharing such information, but Luna was not going to simply leave these ponies in the lurch....she didn't ALWAYS support the 'show, don't tell' action mentality if it was a situation where telling would benefit all parties far more - such as, for example, right now when dealing with lost ponies in a very, very unfriendly location with potential for some very unexpected circumstances.

[SymphonicFire]

((Sorry i'm not typing much. I'm on my phone and limited wifi access))

The fact that the Princess was here excited Eclipse. She was finally going to expose the changelings and with Luna there, they cannot escape. Though she has grown a little attached to them and think of them as friends. But that cannot stop Eclipse from doing her job, especially when she is this close to finishing it. She was certain that she would feel bad but, it has to be done.

"With the Princess here, i'm sure that we wouldn't need to worry about changelings or any other predator in the forest" Eclipse said studying the other plants in the area. "They may be ponies of some sort but they still want to suck all the love out of our bodies"

[DerpRavener]

The princess commented that it was a poor choice for a pony as unfamiliar with the place as 'Spring Breeze'. 'Spring Breeze' shrugged in response. “I've seen worse, I can take care of myself.” She smirked. “I've never been know as the smartest mare, and,” she looked away and grew a little distance as she continued, “better me than somepony else.”

---

With Flux backing up 'Spring Breeze's question, Luna did her best to answer though the answer itself proved to be frustratingly non-specific. Changelings were an evasive species if nothing else, so it wasn't entirely surprising that even the best of Canterlot didn't have a precise fix on them. While 'Spring Breeze' considered asking further, she also knew that any information would be severely out of date at best, and decided not to press the issue and instead just nod. She also found a certain satisfaction in hearing the Equestria was working to actively defend itself, bringing a small smile to her face, and although it could work against her later she hoped to have moved out of the line of fire entirely before it became an issue.

Eclipse commented that they were probably safe from changeling attack with the princess around, and then that they only desired to drain other ponies of their love. While 'Spring Breeze' agreed with the first point, and understood the sentiment behind the second, she couldn't tell just what the pegasus was trying to say, and gave the pegasus a quizzical look for a moment.

With all her questions for the moment answered, 'Spring Breeze' returned to her question at hand: just what it was Eclipse was up to. Thinking as she walked, 'Spring Breeze' figured that she'd need to see what the pegasus did once she was alone with the princess. Now if only to figure out how...

Seeing a cluster of bushes a little ways to her right, she developed a plan. Well, maybe 'plan' wasn't quite accurate, there wasn't much to it beyond poking the situation with a stick but she should get her answers. And maybe she could even get some distance to get away should things go the way she doesn't want.

She walked over to the bushes, starting to poke her way through them, and called out, “Hey Flux, help me check over here.” She kept her ears perked, hoping that Flux would follow, and that Eclipse would think they were far enough away to take a risk.

[PyroBlaze]

Flux continued her backwards movement as Luna began to answer. The answer itself really didn't answer anything. In fact, all it did was reveal that they could track her if she were to transform, which would be useless for them without a specific identity to look for, apparently. Interesting. She then looked over at Eclipse as the pegasus also commented, saying changeling attacks wouldn't be a problem with Luna around. That was probably true. Flux's eyes narrowed at the second part of Eclipse's comment, but she said nothing to refute it. Seriously, just because some are like that doesn't mean all of them are. Flux turned around again and began walking forward.

Spring called her over as she was walking, and she paused to look at the pegasus before heading over to the bushes as well. Might as well help her friend, she supposed. Angel agreed with that sentiment, and Flux began poking around in the bushes as well, not really sure what she was doing.

"Umm... Spring? What am I supposed to be looking for?" Flux asked quietly, trying to hear if Eclipse or Luna said anything about hunting changelings.

[SunsetSombra]

Luna found herself wondering just what it was that was tweaking her mind so about this group and it's subtle inner rift - it was almost like there was a small element of distrust amongst them that was keeping things from truly making progress as a group. She did not speak her mind on the subject at the current moment, however, as her focus was occupied with keeping quiet observation of their actions going - if they needed to be guided to their destination, then she would have to be the one making the first move to do so.

" I believe that we should probably make a move - if memory serves me correctly, I recall seeing plant nearby a small river about 15 to 20 minutes from this location, towards the east. " she speaks up, glancing at all of the figures, who seemed to be caught between splitting up into groups and staying put. As frustrating as it was, Luna knew better than to rush ponies who were even slightly indecisive about their following actions - she had made her point known about the plants location, all that was needed now was a little prodding of those present to see just why there was a holdup between them. " It is in our best interests to not waste time! "

She didn't exactly have a whole lot to say about the changelings - considering she hadn't exactly been around to handle them for both occasions, and wasn't necessarily keeping tabs on the situations that surrounded them save the few small scraps of information that she HAD gleaned here and there. It wasn't out of a lack of personal interest that she hadn't gone to find out more about the situations involved, it was just that she had her own nightly duties to keep track of, and the Changeling menace was being handled by the more elite unicorn mages and her sister...with so many hooves already taking the reings of it all, Luna had left it to those who had experience with things of that nature.

This did not, of course, mean that she didn't know a few things that would come in useful - the ponies still needed assistance with changeling encounters afterall!

" I know there are a few who occupy these woods now and then, as we have discussed. " she warns carefully. " I reccomend treading with care to avoid attracting undue attention...whilst they may be unfocused and unpredictable, Changelings do have keen senses, and will be able to keep track of those entering any domain. If we encounter any, I should be able to take care of a few but...it would still be us versus a potential hive, and the odds that we would emerge triumphant from a battle that could become larger than we can possibly handle are not odds to ignore...rest assured, however, that we can undoubtably acquire what we need if due attention is paid in doing it! "

All she could do was offer her assistance - whatever happened beyond this point was entirely in the hands of fate itself!

[SymphonicFire]

Eclipse saw Spring and Flux going to talk between themselves, ensuring that she and Luna don't hear their conversation. This made Eclipse sure of her suspicions and also meant that they where suspicious of her. They may be cautious because the Princess was here but they may know something about Eclipse too.

" It is in our best interests to not waste time!"

"You're right. We need to gather the ingredients fast so the patients can recover" Eclipse said as she started heading east, turning back to look at the others. Spring and Flux must think that she is a Changeling hunter; soon her cover will be blown and her chance of surviving would drop.

[DerpRavener]

On arriving at the clump of bushes, Flux asked what she was supposed to be looking for.

As 'Spring Breeze' was already dividing her attention between a cursory search of the bushes and keeping her focus on the princess and pegasus a little ways off, it took her a moment to respond to Flux's question. “Hmm? Well, cerrok and bildo bark, at least in theory,” she said, before glancing over at the pair away from the bushes. “But really, I wanted to poke the hornet's nest, and not only do I need you here for that but this also gives both of us a chance to get away if things go south.” She contemplated explaining more, but while she liked Flux so far she wasn't sure how far she could trust the mare so she kept her explanations somewhat vague for now.

Luna spoke up, evidently trying to bridge the now fractured group together, and made her voice loud enough to be heard by all of them. The princess called out a location where she thought they were likely to find the plants they were looking for, before warning them against taking too much time and giving some cautionary information about changelings.

'Spring Breeze' called back, “alright, I'll keep all that in mind,” acknowledging she'd heard. It was useful information, hopefully it would shorten the time they'd need for this, and the sooner they were done the sooner 'Spring Breeze' could relax.

Eclipse then spoke, and the first thing 'Spring Breeze' noted was that she wasn't making any effort to keep her voice quiet enough that 'Spring Breeze' or Flux might not be able to hear it. The pegasus was apparently in agreement with Princess Luna that they needed to move quickly and collect the plants.

Apparently she wasn't going to try and inform the princess, and make a move. 'Spring Breeze' was almost disappointed. This left a few possibilities: maybe Eclipse wasn't actually hunting them, or didn't actually suspect them of being changelings. Maybe she panicked, or got cold hooves, or saw danger where 'Spring Breeze' hadn't and wanted to regroup. Maybe she had something in store for them that she didn't want a princess of witness.

The uncertainty was frustrating to 'Spring Breeze', but there was little she could do about it now. At least, nothing she could do which wouldn't have disastrous consequences for her. She was however quite confident that if Eclipse hadn't acted then, she wouldn't act at all here, so she felt safe enough returning bringing the group back together. She finished her token search of the bushes, turned to rejoin the princess and Eclipse and said to Flux, “I think I've found all there is to find from here, let's head back, unless you've got something.”

[PyroBlaze]

Flux idly scratched at the dirt with a hoof as she awaited Spring's response. She gave a small snort at the first part, then froze completely at the second part. Poke the hornet's nest? A chance to get away? Flux stared at the mare for a couple moments, dumbfounded, until her imaginary friends snapped her out of it. Either this meant her suspicions about Spring were true, or that Spring really was a pony, and that she thought Luna and Eclipse were impostors. Flux was hoping for the first option.

"Alright." She called to Luna, who had just told them they shouldn't waste time. Flux began searching through the bushes to look busy, though she really wasn't looking at the plants. Eclipse spoke up soon enough, though she simply agreed with Luna about wasting time. Oh well, it probably was a bit much to hope for Eclipse to reveal anything. After Spring turned back to the group, Flux searched for another few moments, stopping just as Spring finished speaking.

"Nope! Can't find anything here!" She said, returning to her usual cheerfulness as she bounced her way back over to the group with a smile on her face.

[SunsetSombra]

Luna's uncertainty about this group was not quite silenced yet - the dilly dallying, to use an old fashioned phrase', of the ponies whom had gone over to take a look at some other plants nearby in spite of what was said had drawn her attention somewhat. It was peculiar that they should be so eager to take such a light approach when dealing with the everfree, which was the stuff of many a fairytale and fable of danger for young and old ponies all across Equestria. Was it possible they didn't think her words to be serious?

Luna didn't want to think that there would be many foolish enough to go against advice from somepony who had patrolled these woods for much of her life, and as such shakes such a notion from her mind...perhaps they simply felt they were capable of handling the dangers ahead, if such were to be encountered. Perhaps, she mused, it would be a better idea to see just what they were capable of between them before stepping in - if she wasn't needed beyond directions, then so be it...but if things turned too much for these intrepid explorers of the everfree to take care of alone, then she would certainly do the needful.

It was unlikely that they'd run into any troubles around these lighter areas of the woods, but treading further still into the shadow filled maze of trees and foliage was a whole other matter entirely.

" Well, if all are present and correct... " she states as she purposefully heads towards the direction she intended to lead them, where their desired supplies would be waiting.

" I fear timberwolves may out on their own stroll this evening, so tread carefully and swiftly - they may not be fond of princess encounters, but I do not think it wise to test the limits of this notion! "

[SymphonicFire]

Poke a hornet hive? That was the most dangerous and stupid thing to do, especially in a place like this. Spring Breeze was probably going to use it as a distraction while the two of them run for it and my lead to the two changlings would be wasted.

"I fear timberwolves may out on their own stroll this evening, so tread carefully and swiftly - they may not be fond of princess encounters, but I do not think it wise to test the limits of this notion!"

"Timberwolves? How do we avoid them?" Eclipse said looking around the thick forest. She picked up some leaves and recognized them as Nagon leaves, so she collects some and puts them in a bag. She had no idea what the suspects are planning, but she knows it's not good. She glances back at the both of them before narrowing her eyes. "I should start thinking of a plan to capture them, but i can't do it alone" She thought while looking at Luna

[DerpRavener]

Flux couldn't find anything either, which wasn't a surprise, though it was through no fault of hers. 'Spring Breeze' didn't expect to get that lucky, and she'd accomplished what she'd really hoped for with her little diversion. With nothing left there, they returned to the rest of the group, whereupon Luna gave them a warning.

The princess cautioned them about timberwolves in the area, suggesting that although such creatures would hesitate to attack while she herself was around, that wasn't something she wanted to press. By this point, 'Spring Breeze' hoped that wouldn't be a concern. If they took so long that timberwolves got aggressive, even with the escort of the lunar princess, she was sure other problems would have developed. At least for her, if not the rest of the group. Having little to add to the actual conversation at this point, she just nodded her agreement to the princess.

Eclipse spoke up, asking how best to avoid timberwolves. It was a good question, though 'Spring Breeze' doubted they'd need any special trick. “With our current group, I think if we work fast and avoid making too much of a disturbance we should come out okay. Though that's kinda true regardless, I wouldn't want to dawdle or draw attention to myself anywhere in the Everfree.” Though cautious, she wasn't overly concerned at the moment. Or at least, she wasn't concerned about outside attack.

Glancing over as she fell into step behind the princess, 'Spring Breeze' noticed Eclipse looking around the group with a suspicious expression on her face. She just shook her head slightly and resumed walking, not entirely sure what to make of the mare at this point. Either she was the most obvious spy in Equestria, or she was being deliberately blatant in an attempt to set 'Spring Breeze' on edge. But to what end? Eclipse had already missed her chance to coordinate something with Luna, and 'Spring Breeze' wasn't about to willingly give her another. There was nothing to do now but keep walking, and soon enough the false pegasus could put this behind her. She silently hoped they'd accomplish their goal soon, the tension was getting irritating.

[PyroBlaze]

Flux bounced her way along the path, humming quietly to herself as she listened to the others talk about timberwolves. Seriously, they were creatures made of wood, how was the solution not obvious? Of course, she had yet to encounter any of them herself to test the theory... Not that she remembered anyways... But it sounded like it should work. Now if only she knew any fire spells. Her eyes drifted off of the path ahead to rest on Eclipse, who was looking at Spring and her in suspicion. That was unfortunate, it seemed her suspicion about that pegasus was correct. Eclipse was hunting changelings, and she had her eyes on Spring and Flux. Oh well, no point in letting on that she knew. Flux simply looked back to the path ahead as she continued to bounce her way down it, humming all the while.

[SunsetSombra]

At the question from Spring Breeze, Luna gave a small look at the pony for a moment. " Remaining out of sight is usually the best tactic - for a pile of echanted sticks and dirt, they have equally as keen a sense of smell as true canines, and may well already be aware of our scent, which may mean you should keep your eyes and ears alert for all signs of a potential ambush - it is, afterall, their usual method as a hunter. "

Whilst she wasn't particularly afraid of the timberwolf kind under normal circumstances, it was another situation entirely when other ponies were in the scene...an experienced pony could take down, perhaps, 1 or 2 timberwolves on their own without much risk potential, but once there was a group of the regenerating canine creatures on your tail then you were certainly going to be in for a rougher experience all around. The Princess knew that they would all be keeping eyes on her for help - something she remembered learning, as a matter of fact, prodded at her consciousness; an old sneaky spell that would help keep their presence somewhat unseen for this particular situation.

" If you all stay close, I do believe I have something we can use as a cover... " she says with a stern expression, looking around at the surroundings for a moment - she was almost sure she heard something rustling around them, but the breeze had picked up and it was in all likelyhood simply rustling foliage. " I do have a simple camouflage spell - I have never needed it for myself, so it has long since been unused for as long as I can remember, but so long as there are no large levels of disturbance or magical interference, it may well serve us some good here. at any rate, it would possibly buy us some time to consider an escape route, should it be required. "

She hadn't truly group-casted a spell in quite the long time, and she didn't know if she was quite as capable at pulling it off fully at such short notice...but there were few options open to the group and she didn't exactly want to use an offensive spell against a living entity if she could avoid it. As dangerous as Timberwolves were when confronting supposed prey, she respected their existence as part of the natural order of things in Everfree - burning one to cinders and ash, whilst still a most likely outcome in a life endangering scenario, was not exactly something she wished to have to be forced to do if she could avoid it entirely.

[SymphonicFire]

Eclipse nodded, saying "That would be great, your highness. It would make our search safer"

Eclipse still hasn't gotten a chance to capture the changelings, she was so close now. She had probably failed her mission because she took too long to expose them. Now they probably know she was a hunter. Does Luna know? She would probably have a spell to distinguish who is normal and who is a changeling. It's going to be much more difficult now that Flux and Spring Breeze know that she is a hunter, they must have seen it from her eyes. Eclipse specialized in pursuing changlings that were on the run after their true identity was found, she didn't have much experience with undercover missions.

[DerpRavener]

Luna suggested that she knew a spell the group could use as camouflage, albeit one she apparently hadn't had too much practice with. At least not lately.

Eclipse thought it was a good idea, and 'Spring Breeze' had to agree. She'd certainly come to appreciate the value of combat avoidance and non-violent solutions since leaving the hive, particularly for the low profile they carried with them. And, if she was being honest with herself, a part was looking forward to seeing a possibly ancient spell cast by the Princess of the Night.

She still felt like they needed a little more information however. The princess didn't seem super confident in the spell, and even brought up a limitation. “I like the idea avoiding a fight, and of an escape plan, so I think the spell would be a good idea. Although...” She hesitated, evidently uncomfortable openly criticizing royalty but still certain there were concerns that needed to be addressed. “Is there anything else we should know about this spell? Not that I doubt your abilities of course, your highness, but if there's anything we can do to improve the spell's effect just let us know.” It was a little clumsy, but 'Spring Breeze' thought it serve well enough to get some information without causing offence.

As she listened for a response, and kept one ear to the woods for any signs of danger, she couldn't help but cast a sideways glance at Eclipse again. The mare still seemed a bit stiff, as could be expected of somepony who thought they were being watched by an enemy, but now her curiosity was piqued. She still hadn't gotten a straight answer from the mare, and given the way things had gone 'Spring Breeze' felt she had the upper hoof in the little social contest she suspected they were having. For the moment she was patient, but she was still contemplating how best to tease out an answer.

[PyroBlaze]

Luna had a camouflage spell? Cool! Flux continued to bounce along happily with the group as the others agreed to Luna's plan of using the spell to hide them from creatures that were less than friendly around here. Namely, timberwolves. Fights were fun sometimes, but they rarely lead to positive emotions. It was more common for the winning side to have good emotions than it was for the losers, but there were still times when neither side left feeling good.

Spring had also asked about what the spell did, claiming it was so they could strengthen the spell if needed. Well, seeing as how Flux and Luna were the only ones with magic... Or at least the only ones willing to use it openly... the only thing the other two could do would probably to stick near Luna to decrease the amount of area she had to cast over.

"Sounds great! Invisibility spell ho!" Flux said, perhaps a bit too loudly, though she couldn't really say either way. She wondered if she could learn the spell herself... Though she wasn't sure why she would, she wasn't exactly the stealthy type.

[SunsetSombra]

Luna knew that none of them would refuse the chance for some level of concealment - considering the dangers of the forest and the likelyhood of being placed into unseen perils no matter where you may turn, it would be enough to give any pony a desire for some cover no matter how it was to be achieved. Even then, with the proposed incantation in place, it wasn't going to prove to be exactly perfect cover.

" It is important you all stay close once the spell is cast. " she says with a cautionary tone. " It is radius based, and thus those who stray too far from it's effects will be likely more readily exposed. " - Luna wasn't exactly sure how much of a distance the spell would travel amidst them, although it would likely cover a decent area...but she didn't want to risk making mistakes and endangering anypony needlessly...the warning, whilst entirely legitimate, was really more of a precaution to curb any potential slacking that might occur, leading to the spells effects not being effective.

With her warning in the open, Luna stops to work on casting the spell - horn aglow and eyes closed as she focused her thoughts around the incantation...after a moment of silence, a warm blue light fizzles quickly into existance, followed by what might feel like a small popping in each ponies ears as the spells invisible fields intermingles around them and hides their presence from prying eyes outside. Once the light fades and the incantation is completed, The princess rubbed her horn a moment with a hoof...sensing that the spell had completed without too much of an issue.

" It is done, but it's effectiveness I cannot judge as of yet. If I remember correctly, those outside the range of influence will simply see nothing where we would be standing - however, magical interferences and such things can disrupt what is seen...and there may well be lifeforms who can sense beyond this aetheric disguise. Be wary... " Luna re-warns, to ensure that the ponies understood fully that whilst she could hide them in this field of hiding, there were still many things that could yet potentially foil their disguise, although Timberwolves were likely not to be one of such things.

A howl in the distance interrupts, and Luna frowns slightly...it seemed as though potentially she had acted in good timing, as the hunters of the Everfree forest awaken for their nightly prowl!

[SymphonicFire]

Eclipse watches as the Princess casts her spell as she looked around for predators. Soon as the spell was cast, Eclipse heard a howl that sounded close to them.

"Timberwolves..." Eclipse said as she looked to the direction the howl came from. She had come across Timberwolves a couple of times during her hunt for Changelings in the Everfree forest, she usually manages to run away without getting injured. The camouflage may hide them from sight, but can it hide their scent?

[DerpRavener]

'Spring Breeze' stared at Flux after the sudden outburst. As much as a part of her found the unicorn's attitude endearing, that wasn't exactly the mood she'd be hoping for when they were trying to avoid notice. At least Flux seemed to understand basic concerns, even if she seemed a bit out of touch with the world, so chances are there'd be nothing to worry about. Hopefully.

Truth be told, 'Spring Breeze' understood her position as well. As Princess Luna readied to cast the spell, 'Spring Breeze' couldn't help a little excitement at the prospect of seeing it, even if she was more careful to keep it contained. Seeing a spell cast by an alicorn was a rare occurrence, from this close at least, though she was also aware she wouldn't get to enjoy it if predators caught up with them in the excitement.

After all her expectations, 'Spring Breeze' found the casting of the spell to be somewhat disappointing. It would seem alicorn magic wasn't that different from other sorts. Or maybe it just faced the same difficulties. A stealth spell wouldn't be much use if casting it made such a large display. She could content herself with that, to say nothing of the benefit of the spell itself.

Although it would have been more comforting if the princess herself had a little faith in the spell. As soon as it was cast Princess Luna made a point of reminding the group of its risks and weaknesses. The takeaway from this, as far as 'Spring Breeze' could tell, was that the spell wasn't something the group should rely on more than needed. The false pegasus nodded in response, acknowledging the information but also having a desire to make as little noise as possible. It wasn't the most confidence inspiring turn of events.

The howl timberwolves in the distance shook 'Spring Breeze's confidence that much further. Even if they were far away for the moment, they could move through the forest very quickly when they wanted to. She froze in place, nervously listening to the surrounding brush for any signs of movement as she felt her heart rate go up. After a moment, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She was no help to anypony while nervous. Less than that in fact, she could actually get somepony hurt like that. She couldn't actually force fear away, but she knew how to channel it to useful ends. Sufficiently prepared, she covered the short distance she'd lost on the group and returned to her vigil.

Something caught her attention to the side of the group. It took her a couple seconds to make it out as anything other than an enemy, but once it did she nudged Eclipse and spoke in a low voice. “Hey. Isn't that the tree you're looking for?”

[PyroBlaze]

Flux frowned slightly at the warning from Luna. That wasn't exactly encouraging. Flux stopped and watched as Luna went about casting the spell. The magical field showed Luna was casting, but nothing else happened save for a popping in her ears. Flux yawned widely in an attempt to pop her ears again. When that didn't work, she frowned momentarily before continuing to bounce along near Luna.

When the howl was heard, the only outward reaction she gave was her ear twitching. She looked over at Spring, who had stopped and was looking around nervously. Soon enough, she caught back up with the group, and Flux looked back to the path. She liked Spring, but that mare needed to lighten up a bit. She seemed a little high-strung at the moment.

Flux was interrupted from her thoughts when she overheard Spring's question about a tree being the kind Eclipse had been looking for. Flux turned in mid-air to look at the tree, and kept bouncing along even though she wasn't facing the direction she was bouncing in. Soon enough, she tripped over a root and fell onto her side. She laid there in a bit of a daze for a couple seconds before giggling and rolling back to her hooves.