[Everfree Forest Outskirts] The Second Encounter [Open]

[Winter]

Storm Feather was finally out near the Everfree hoping to meet Inkblot again. The moon shown down on the barely past twilight environment. Sure, it was a little bit dark, but Storm liked it better that way. It seemed more mysterious, more interesting, and oddly enough more beautiful. However, her mind was a completely different place. At that moment, it was a swirling center of activity as her anxiety made her think of every possible outcome. She was truly worried. She HAD sent him a letter asking him to meet her near the edge of the Everfree, right? He wasn't late, but she couldn't help but worry that something might go wrong. She performed another quick review of the events prior. Well, she had given the letter to the mailmare and asked for it to be delivered to him... Oh no, what if she gave the letter to the wrong pony! Maybe he never got the letter... What if he doesn't want to show up? Oh, what to do, what to do. Her mind was racing full of thoughts as her anxiety built up. After all, this was only their second get together. Gosh, I hope he gets here soon...

[SirShadowdeath]

Inkblot finally made his way to the edge of the Everfree forest. His mind was quite scattered at this time, and physically, his muscles were quite tired. However, the idea of seeing Storm, one whom he met under interesting circumstances. With Corvus perched upon his back, the white maned pegasus finally made hi way toward the hippogriff standing at the eerie border. Please tell me I'm not late...

"Hey....Hey there, Miss Storm!....It's been quite awhile...hasn't it?" he asked her, both eager and relieved to see her. "...I....I'm happy to...see you...again."

[Winter]

In the distance Storm could make out a dark form, and her complete attention shifted towards it as she tried to make out who it was. As it grew closer, she recognized Inkblot's white mane. When he finally got close enough for her to be sure it was him, she exclaimed, "Oh thank Celestia you are here, Inkblot! It has been so long! I'm so glad to see you!" She bounded up and hugged Inkblot, relieved that the mail had gotten to him on time. "So, not bad of a place to meet up, right? It is kind of... well... eerie, though, isn't it?" she asked as she pulled away to get a good look at him. "So how have you been?"

[SirShadowdeath]

"I...I'm glad to see you too, Miss Storm.." he replied with a warm smile. "Nothing too special...business has been slow...no one seems to want my books...anymore."

His smile changed to a small frown and then grew back again.

"But...Life's been good...I've been writing more poetry...Corvus has been healthy..."

His smile grew a bit bigger as he spoke more.

"How...How have you been doing, Storm?...I've been thinking about you lately...I'm happy we could finally...meet again."

This time, as he spoke, the raven on his back turned his head as he observed the hippogriff.

"I hope...you've been alright..."

[Winter]

"Oh, I'm glad to hear you are okay! It is too bad about your books though... I bet they really are wonderful..." She looked from him up to the raven. "And I'm glad to hear Corvus is fine." She said with a smile before looking back down to Inkblot before continuing on about her life, "Oh, I haven't been up to anything too special... My business is doing alright. I made a great sale yesterday. Somepony came in wanting one wagon, and she wound up leaving the shop with three! So about your books... I'd be more than happy to help sell them up from my store. After all, I'm sure I know a few ponies that would like to read them... Like me!" She smiled widely at him before continuing. "So... now that we are here... is there anything you want to go do? It isn't *too* dark to go exploring!"

[SirShadowdeath]

His smile widened a bit more.

"That would be quite nice...Miss Storm. I'd really...appreciate it. Honestly, I was...a bit sad before I came...but seeing you here really brightened up my day."

He scratched an itch in his right leg.

"But...nevermind that corny stuff, Miss Storm. Exploring is the...open gate of the mind...Of course I'd love to!...After all...a blind stallion who wanders gathers more than the one who sees all!*..."

He sighed a bit, then looked back up to her.

"Yes...I'd be happy to...How far do you want to explore?...it could be...a tad dangerous."

(*I'll give you a cookie if you know where I took this quote from)

[Winter]

(OOC: No, I don't. I've heard it before many times from my father, but... I don't know where it is from, and I can't just call him now for it. Can I still have part of a cookie? )

"I'm glad I helped" She replied to him, feeling warm and fuzzy inside. "I'm really glad you could make it. Let's go open up our minds in the Everfree Forest!" Storm Feather let out a sincere laugh. "After all, I have a big strong pegasus to protect me. I think you could keep me safe from anything too bad in there!" She thought a moment about it. "Yeah, we definitely will be fine! Well, after you!"

[SirShadowdeath]

(OOC: Fine. But only half. )

Inkblot chuckled a bit.

"Strong?" he laughed at the thought. "Maybe in mind...but certainly not in strength."

Rethinking the thought, he corrected himself.

"But who would I be...to leave a lady without protection...I would be a coward then!"

He laughed at the thought a he cautiously entered the thick overgrowth of the forest.

Corvus crowed from behind as they entered into the darkness of the forest.

"It's...quite dark...but it looks safe, Miss Storm," Inkblot called out once he became cloaked in the plantation of the forest.

"Adventure..." he said to himself. "An ideal of both opening the mind and heart to...those ideas of nature not yet discovered by one's eyes..."

He stopped himself.

"Sorry! Rambling on...about literature, as usual," the black pegasus said with a smile.

[Winter]

Storm laughed at Inkblot. "Glad you agree. We should be fine, it IS just the Everfree Forest..." She trailed off a moment as she watched him walk into the forest. At least I hope it is safe... "Hey, wait up for me!" she called as she walked in after him before barely catching the last part of his speaking.

"Those ideas of nature not yet discovered by one's eyes..." ""Sorry! Rambling on...about literature, as usual,"

"Oh no, please, keep going... It makes things seem... nicer, here. It is so quiet out tonight, it is nice to hear you."

[SirShadowdeath]

The pegasus laughed a bit under his breath.

"Sorry...caught up in thought again...I'm happy that you like to hear me talk...but...I always feel so bad...I feel like I never give you the chance to talk."

He shrugged a bit.

"Nevertheless...these woods...they really are...beautiful if you look past the darkness that covers the once golden lands of -"

He stopped as he felt his hooves slip into some mud, and then a shadow of some large animal run past some the trees in the distance. Almost simultaneously, Inkblot jumped back just a few inches for Storm, and Corvus hopped off of his back momentarily, cawed, and then hopped back on. The pegasus turned around.

"Oh...eh...sorry, Miss Storm...thought I saw something bad there...I'm not used to exploration..."

He smiled akwardly.

"I'll be more courageous next time though...like a wolf staring the moon in its decietful eyes..."

[Winter]

"Really, Inkblot, I don't mind... It isn't your fault I can't think of anything to say." Smiling, Storm stayed quiet for Inkblot, enjoying his voice, until he jumped. She startled as well and took a step back, bracing herself and feeling her heart beat faster until she saw Inkblot turned to talk to her.

"Oh...eh...sorry, Miss Storm...thought I saw something bad there...I'm not used to exploration..."

"Oh... okay," she replied to his explanation before adding on happily. "Even if it was something, we are two strong ponies out here. We have nothing to worry about, so let's just enjoy the night air and the dark forest. It really is pretty at night, isn't it?"

[SirShadowdeath]

"Yes..." He replied to her. "I guess you could say it...it is..."

Ignoring the former scare, Inkblot pushed on, taking Storm's advice. Even in his mind it was very unlikely that anything was to happen. But, he figured, it was probably still best to be cautious.

"These woods...," the pegasus suddenly started again. "Miss Storm...have you ever wondered about it's origin....? Of its dark planes and winding paths leading to...nothing but a void of forest contuing from the last...?"

He smiled again, feeling good.

"The forest...it makes me think of...diamond...black diamond...a shiny object encased in its case of night..." he coughed a bit bit, interrupting his conversation. "What does it remind you...of?"

[Winter]

"Well... this place reminds me of a good day at home... A day where I can just go out and wander around enjoying myself and finding new things. It was always nice to find a new secret hiding spot or a shady pond."

Storm thought a bit about the origins of the woods, where they could come from, and where they might go, before sharing her thoughts.

"I like to think these forests do go on forever, in some direction. I know there are mountains on one side, but... maybe, just maybe, they carry on. Maybe somepony should find the end in a distant land full of mystery, some day... Who knows what might be up there? It could really be anything."

[SirShadowdeath]

"I'd wonder that as well...Miss Storm."

Inkblot cleared his throat.

"Sometimes I feel...curiousity is our embodiment...if only I was stronger. If anypony was stronger. Maybe...just maybe then the strongest could fly to it's edge...but...curiousity...it can be dangerous...Yet I still wonder...you're right. It...it can't be endless...there must be an end...at an ocean...or a mountain...or....or..."

He shook off the thought of the infinite forest.

"But...it dosen't seem like we're going to be reaching the edge tonight...Miss Winter," he said with a quiet laugh. "However...it's nice. There's an eerie glow from the pale moon...the overgrown forest is thickened by it's natural desire...wildlife runs free as if life itself was not restricted to it's cell...and...even the two of us wander freely...as if an invisible leader leads us into the unknown..."

The pegasus coughed a bit, looked back at Corvus, and then back to Storm.

"Yet...even without my poetic touch...I'm still happy to be here with you...Miss Winter."

[Winter]

((Wait, "Miss Winter?" Why, I'm flattered ))

Storm Feather gave a goodhearted laugh. "No, we can't quite reach the edge, can we? It's probably better that way, to leave it a mystery. It makes it just that much nicer, in a way... Some things are better left unknown, don't you think? After all... it just gives us that much more to think about." She looked around the forest, her eyes shaded in thought. After a minute of gazing, she turned back to Inkblot. "I like talking with you about this, Inkblot. It's... nice to know somepony else likes to think about things that most don't worry about. Sometimes... Sometimes I just want to go out there and really learn about the world. Sometimes I just feel like getting outside and finding something new."

[SirShadowdeath]

(GAH! Multitasking, that's what it does to me. Sorry about that, lol. This is isn't the first time something akward like that happened. )

"Indeed, Miss Storm. I understand that...as an author...I always feel that expanding knowledge is vital....The more you know...the better you can observe and conclude..."

He wiped some dust from his eyes.

"It's nice talking to somebody, as you said....Miss Storm...I never really had the chance to...talk so intently...it's a nice feeling...it really is."

Inkblot looked into the distance of the black woods, trying to observe all the aspects of it's natural plantation.

"Hmm...I wonder Miss...I always will...I always wonder what inhabits this infinite forest...besides the hermits and the creatures...what ruins and lost civilizations call this place home!?...Ah! Sometimes I feel like I must know....but alas, I never will..."

He stopped himself.

"It's...it's almost as if...I wonder who else is wandering this woods...It could be someone familiar...someone far...some there...no one at all..."

[Winter]

(Isn't multitasking fun? I love awkward moments, they make life a bit more spontaneous)

"This place... it does bring out all the questions I could ask. I would love to explore this place someday... maybe I should schedule a vacation here? That is part of what's great about being your own boss, isn't it? You can just decide when you need to take some time off from work for things a bit more... important to you." The dark hippogriff gazed up at the moon, pondering the discussion and letting it's reflected light land on her feathers, making them a silver like color. "Of course, you are the most important to me." She said softly as she sped up her pace, plunging back into the darkness of the over branching trees and moving up parallel to Inkblot. She nuzzled him warmly for a moment before looking back to the path ahead. "I'm getting a bit tired... Do you want to spend the night in the forest? It could be... fun."

[SirShadowdeath]

(OOC: Yeah, I guess so. )

Inkblot blushed a bit, feeling a mixture of emotion. He finally found his voice after awhile though, and managed to speak out quietly in what was a bit above a whisper.

"You...you are the most important to me as well...Storm."

Continuing on, the black pegasus raised his voice a bit and focuses his attention on the hippogriff.

"That would really be the...peak of the adventure...wouldn't it?...Miss Storm...where do we 'camp'?...Do we set up shelter...? I've never done this before..." the pegasus whispered with an akward smile. "But...I trust you...I know it'll be okay..."

Corvus cawed a bit from Ink's back before hopping off to float near him.

"Well...what shall we do Miss Storm...? I'm fine with sleeping here..."

[Dunder]

Dunder Blust was flying low above the Everfree trees. He was tired from the long journey he had already had on top of his regular activities of the day. He was going to barely get to his destination with enough energy to rent a room and sleep. His wings flapped softly as the power in his wings drained. But, among the soft beating of his wings and the noises of the forest animals he could hear voices...one of them more familiar than the other.

He swooped down silently and hovered above the tree cover of the two voices below him. Through the trees he could recognize a female voice, definitely Storm Feather. The other voice, a stallion's, he was not so sure of, and why Storm would be with a stallion was beyond him. He laughed at the thought that they were more than friends, he couldn't imagine Storm not being single.

The pegasus flew down lower, right as Storm insisted that they sleep in the forest, claiming that it could be fun. He felt like leaving, like he was doing something horribly wrong by intruding, but something compelled him to stay. He listened into the stallion talk, he was almost inaudible and sounded like a wimp. When the stallion said they should sleep there, he knew it was now or never. Dunder flew up to gain some momentum before flying down through the tree cover. He busted through the branches and leaves with his eyes closed and his hooves in front of his face. He hovered above them, "Hey! I thought I recognized that voice!" He said happily with a convincing pokerface that he didn't know what was going on.

[Winter]

"Well, I think we should try to find someplace really nice. Maybe a small pond with some cover nearby? Or we could always set up here... Let's sleep in the trees! In could be nice to sit up there!" Storm leapt off the ground and with only three flaps of her wings managed to get up into a large branch over head. "These can keep us up, right? Or maybe I should lay off the-" The sudden interjection from Dunder halted Storm's speech and froze her up, startling her off of the branch over him, sending both of them tumbling to the ground below. Storm jumped off him and started to apologize profusely to the unknown pegasus. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I didn't see you there and you startled me and - ... Dunder? Dunder! It's great to see you buddy! What are you doing out here?"

[SirShadowdeath]

"Dunder..." Inkblot whispered to himself below his breath. "That's a familiar name..."

He looked to Storm, and then to large pegasus. Taking a breath, the black pegasus decided it was most likely wise to stay out of the conversation. Clearly the two knew each other, and Inkblot didn't want to get in the way of two old friends meeting. At least, he hoped they were friends.

[Dunder]

Dunder was startled by the sudden overwhelming weight on his back. He was even more surprised when the next thing he knew was that he was on the floor, dazed from acting as a cushion for the wight. He sat up, hearing the muffled apologies from Storm as he tried to regain orientation. When the world finally came back, he smiled and hugged her, "It's good to see you!" He said happily. When he remembered her possibly boyfriend was there, he let go almost hurriedly. "What are you doing out here?" He asked. He didn't look at Ink, but waited for him to do something.

[Winter]

Storm took a step away from Dunder and turned to Inkblot. "Dunder, this is Inkblot, my very special somepony. We were just enjoying ourselves with a walk in the woods when you showed up... We were just actually about to set up for the night. It is getting late... We thought it would be nice to sleep out here. After all, the moonlight and the stars make it really pretty out here..." She trailed off in thought before snapping back to reality. "It really is a surprise to see you here! What brings you out this far in the woods?"

[SirShadowdeath]

Friends it was, Inkblot thought, relieved that Storm hadn't met a sworn enemy or anything. The black pegasus didn't really do much. He didn't look at the somewhat larger stallion which had landed before him, or the mysterious density of the dark forest. Instead, he gestures for Corvus to return. Corvus did return to Ink's back, but he made sure to let out a loud caw first. Once he returned, the pegasus moved to a point where he was beside Storm, but not too close. He kind of just stood there, almost completely still, neither frowning nor smiling.

"Uh...hello..." he stated quite softly. "I'm...Inkblot...and this raven here is Corvus..."

He stopped to clear his throat a bit.

"Dunder is it...? Pleased to meet you..." he said quietly once again as he outstretched his hoof for a shake.

[Dunder]

Dunder felt more and more like he was intruding when he saw that the stallion was her special somepony. He felt like he should leave, but he was too deep in now to leave. He looked at Storm when she asked him a question. "You know... I was just flying over and I heard some voices... eavesdropped... and then I heard you and decided to join in." Dunder said casually and happily. "I didn't know I was kind of intruding on your date...." His tone changed to a somewhat apologetic one.

Dunder shifted his gaze to Inkblot when the stallion introduced himself. Dunder smiled that he took some initiative to greet Dunder first. Inkblot was a shy pony, maybe Storm liked them like that. He shrugged off the thought and shook Ink's hoof. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Inkblot and Corvus." He said.