Post by Mal on Apr 4, 2016 22:56:41 GMT -5
Moonriser managed to make it home, and not a moment too soon. His mane was a little ruffled, but he didn't care a whit as he locked all the doors and retreated behind a wall in his study- stairs that lead down into the stone Canterlot sat on. It took a while to make such a thing to find a cave for his purposes, but he would at least go unheard of down there. Would raging even help him feel better? Perhaps not, but he had a new target to deal with. The spirit of chaos- but how could Moon contend with a powerful being as that? There had to be away, even among all of the dark magic tomes and objects.. A table holding a small assortment of things was flipped on his way in, scattering what it held- such small destruction made him feel a little bit better.
Zoetic Flicker was out running through Canterlot that night whenever she ran into a bit of a problem. She really should have listened to Miss Shocker and Mister Jumper whenever they told her to not go running around at night! She could only let out a cut-off cry as she tumbled into some boxes that were left out. Several broke and she found herself tumbling into a bit of a hole that had been hidden. Where did it go?! The filly felt strange magics; perhaps something that might have kept ponies out, but it it wasn't like she'd know that! The boxes oddly had a lot of dust on them. In any case she tumbled down into the stone corridor and laid there for a few minutes. Once up she tried to nudge the boxes out of the way only to fail... They were heavy and her leg hurt! Thus the filly only had one option; walking down the tunnel? Did she hear the sound of something falling echoing off of the walls of the corridor? Who really knows how far she'd have to walk....
Moonriser couldn't destroy much of what he had hidden away down here. Some of it was boxes of smuggled away things, awaiting to be shipped off to.. wherever. One of the back-alley shops and the like where they could sell it. Like the destroyed bakery. He felt frustration with Blue for being careless, but it was like a speck compared to his current rage. He kicked out a box blindly, distracted- he hadn't heard the distant crash of something falling down one of the secret tunnels. Or.. he did, but it never registered. Maybe just an echo of the noise he made. Harrumph. It was hard to think.
Zoetic Flicker was forced to hobble along at some point even as teddy-ursa laid upon her back. The stuffy air of the tunnel was slowly starting to change into something more... foreboding? I-it felt like her 'basement'... no, her home was destroyed! "H-Hello?" she'd call as she came to a stop. The filly was admittedly scared as her sightless gaze drift around the tunnel and perhaps the room as well! Did she sneak up upon Moonriser or did he hear her coming? Teddy-Ursa was 'whispering' comfort into the filly's ear, promising her everything would be okay!
Moonriser was pacing now over the stone, walking back and forth, grumbling to himself. His horn was beginning to glow faintly, the aura in hues of fire. "That smug... how dare he.." Other such things were muttered and he turned towards a blank wall, prepared to unleash a beam upon it to melt the stone.. but something made him stop cold. Was that a voice he heard just now? Or had he gone mad? Moon shook his head. "Who's there?" He barked. Surely if somepony had found a way down here, they wouldn't be missed.
Zoetic Flicker stepped onward with the bear on her back. "I think I-I fell in a hole.." she'd say as she stepped out. The pony sounded angry and it did make her back into the tunnel. "Do you know how to get o-out of here? I don't know where I am!" she'd continue on from her hopefully semi-hidden position. It was a very poor position of hiding though. She didn't want to go out and get caught by the mean sounding pony! Meanwhile in the back of her head Teddy-Ursa was growing upset.
Moonriser did hear a voice, but it was a foal! A small filly. How did she get down here? His head jerked towards her position when he saw movement, and his gaze remained where she'd been even after she retreated. His brow wrinkled. If it had been an adult, he wouldn't have a qualm in the world about murder.. but a child was a completely different story. Moon would like to believe he was above being a monster. The unicorn's eyes closed and he took a deep breath, pushing back on his anger. It wasn't useful; he would have time to vent later. ".. Unfortunate, but I do know the way out. It's just part of the caves under Canterlot, in the mountain. Who are you?"
Zoetic Flicker perked her ears and poked her head out from the spot. "Oooh... the crystal caves?" she asked in curiosity. She wished she could see the crystals though.... "I'm Zoetic Flicker." she'd begin only to motion back to her back where the blue head of Teddy could be seen. "A-and this is Teddy-Ursa." The blindfold was still upon her face for the moment. Perhaps that would reassure Moon just a bit.... She was quite blind, and thus couldn't tell anypony what anything looked like. Only voice!
Moonriser hadn't noticed the blindfold before, but once she reappeared he could see that. He could be soothed that she didn't know the location or where to find it, at least. He exhaled slowly through his nose. "No crystals down here, I'm afraid, just rocks. We're not that deep in the mountain." Moon didn't speak to Zoetic like one spoke to a child, but like he spoke politely to any other stranger. He didn't know how to deal with kids. Didn't care for them. "If you fell down here, are you hurt?" He queried, his eyes briefly glancing to the teddy-ursa; a favored toy? "You'll have to forgive me if I don't give my own name."
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "My leg huts, but I can walk on it. I-I just need to get out so I can go back to Miss Shocker! She's probably worried." the filly was rather uneasy about being with a strange pony in a uhm... strange place. Didn't a lot of adults say that was a situation that wasn't good to be in?! The unicorn would definitely get the sense he was being watched... But obviously not from the filly! Just the 'blank' almost hostile stare from the bear that by all means shouldn't have any awareness!
Moonriser frowned and flopped down onto his stomach, forelegs crossing in front of his chest with a little huff. "I can offer some healing magic before I lead you back to this 'Miss Shocker.'" He offered begrudgingly. "The caves are not a good place for a blind filly to be wandering around in. There could be any unstable ground, or holes, you could fall into." He stated gruffly as he glanced up to the bear on her back. It was a little strange, that paranoid feeling, but it was undetermined to him yet about the bear.
Zoetic Flicker perked her ears and quickly nodded. Perhaps she was wrong about the pony! He didn't seem so mean now that they ere talking... perhaps he just wasn't a social pony that talked to many! "Thank you, sir...." she began only to blush. "I-I know... I didn't mean to wind up here! I was running in an alley and then I was in the tunnel." she scuffed a hoof and looked over her shoulder back the way she came. "Teddy-ursa says I should be more careful but... I didn't believe him." her ears laid back and her gaze fell. She really should have believed him! As she stepped out one could see a few cuts on her foreleg but that was about it. Perhaps she didn't fall on it as hard as she could have.
Moonriser lifted a hoof with a little wave, dismissive of the thanks. Whatever got her out of his mane faster. "You should probably stay out of those alleys. They're dark and dangerous, though Canterlot is usually.. not so bad. Still. Have caution of such places." He would have to cover that tunnel up with something else. Her.. bear? Probably just a foal's imagination; there were many who believed their stuffed animals could talk. His horn lit again, not as intense in glow, as he spied the cuts on her leg. They weren't much, and they shouldn't keep her from walking.. still. Moon focused his magic on it and make to heal it for her if she was close enough. Why not. It turned his mind off of Discord.
Zoetic Flicker came to a stop a few paces from Moon and quirked her head. "Oh... Teddy-ursa has told me that to, but.... There are less ponies to run into in alleys." The filly could feel the magic in the air and all of the dark magic from the artifacts around her was causing the fur on the back of her neck and back to stand on end! She looked about uneasily and suddenly shivered. "C-can we leave?" She sounded a little more frightened than she did before. The aura from all of the dark artifacts were reminding her of home and it scared her!
Moonriser made a face, confusion in it. "Maybe your Teddy is wrong on that. Dark alleys aren't safe." He repeated again and pushed himself back onto his hooves. The foal seemed unsettled by... what? The cave? "Of course. You'll have to tell me where your Miss Shocker lives." Moon turned away, heading back towards the stairs that spiraled up. Would she need help climbing stairs? His snout wrinkled. "There are stairs up here, watch your step."
Zoetic Flicker inclined her head. "Maybe...." She shrugged and followed Moon along towards the stairs. Her leg was feeling somewhat better thankfully.... Once they arrived at the stairs she smiled and nodded happily. "I can make it! Teddy helps me!" Thus she started to bounce up the stairs like they gave her no problem. Another tic on the 'da heck is with this bear' notebook, no? "Teddy protects me from anypony that will try to hurt me." And the ball of anger and chaos quite likely would! He 'was' her guardian after all!
Moonriser sidestepped quickly when the filly just went.. bouncing past him and up the stairs. What? He was a little baffled that she could manage, with just a blindfold over her eyes.. unless she actually wasn't blind. What was it about the bear then? He scowled a little and followed her up, but at a slower pace. "You must be lucky to have a.. friend to watch out for you then." Moon humored her, but with little amusement; who could be when they were as angry as he was? They would soon come out in his office, and he could slide the door shut until it looked like part of the wall. Nothing to see here. "Come, the front door is this way. So where does Shocker live? Do you know?"
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "I don't know the route from strange places back to Miss Shocker's home. If we could find the Canterlot Police Department we could see if she or Jumper are there working! O-or from there I can make my way home!" she smiled some at the pony. She felt so much better now that she was out of the cave with all of those dark artifacts! Not that she knew that was what she was feeling though. "Teddy has a grudge with Mister Strife... and something he refers to as a noodle." The filly as confused about that phrase since well... what did a noodle have to do with Mister Strife?!
Moonriser almost faltered on the way to the front door. Canterlot Police Department. That made him nervous. He had teleported into the holding cells to take care of a certain Blue Frosting, and nearly got captured in the process. The stupid pony had been raving like a madman. He peeled his lips back from his teeth a little and opened up the front door to head out, waiting just long enough for the filly before he could lock it closed "I.. see. Well, it is not a hard place to find." Moon hoped he hadn't been recognized. Actually.. he wouldn't have to go into the station at all. "Is that so?" Noodle? What? His.. head was starting to hurt. Just a little. Moon started off before he could linger on that for too long. This day was just.. not for him. At all.
Zoetic Flicker let out a bit of a giggle at that. "Yeah! The big mean noodle! He was threatening teddy... and Teddy has vowed embarrassing revenge upon the foul noodle!" she'd declared with a stomp of the hoof even as she felt a pang of approval from the teddy bear upon her back. Even as she walked through Canterlot it sounded like she was... sniffing the air? perhaps but at the same time she was taking in the feel of the surrounding magic. She found herself uneasy with the strange pony's magic to be perfectly honest... It tasted..... strange and unpleasant!
Moonriser puzzled over that, silent as he walked along. "Noodle..." He murmured thoughtfully, staring ahead as he navigated without paying much attention to his surroundings. "Did this 'noodle' have a bunch of strange colors and mixmatched limbs?" Moon inquired curiously. If Zoetic was talking about who he thought she was talking about, considering the only noodley thing in Canterlot was Discord. That annoying snake. He snorted, anger biting at him again.
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face and turned her head to look up at teddy. The bear of course didn't reply but it was like he was seeing one half of an conversation! "Teddy says yeah... Mister strife wanted to borrow teddy and then... something about a being a mismatched noodle that stuck him in a filing cabinet! I don't know what teddy meant..." she'd say as she walked along with the pony in the cool night air. Hopefully they'd get to the station soon!
Moonriser briefly glanced back at the child when there was a lull in speech and came to a stunned halt. It was brief, but in that moment he found a very important nugget of information. "I dislike the 'noodle' as well." He agreed vehemently, filing that important bit away in his mind. It would come very useful to him. A vicious smile crossed his face for a moment, full of teeth, before it returned to its same, vaguely disgruntled look. The Police Department was nearby, it wouldn't take them much longer to reach it. "He's arrogant and.. not very nice." He resorted to a more child-friendly way of saying it.
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "You're the second one that's said that! But... I know I've met him a few times before. He wasn't... mean." she'd say with a quiet and rather strange voice. However the filly just shook her head and continued walking with the pony. Soon enough they were outside the station and she smiled wide at the sight of Shocker exiting the building. "Oooh! There's miss Shocker!" The filly smiled and bounced. "They've been taking care of me since my dad was arrested.. I like not living in his basement anymore..." she was already bouncing off towards the ponies. Dare he stop her, or?
Moonriser couldn't care a bit. The draconequus probably wasn't mean to children, but he was still a --. The unicorn grunted, peering ahead towards the mare exiting the building who the filly soon recognized. "Ah, safe to go home at last." Moon stated with some relief, and yet again found himself smacked in the face by more useful information. He had been furious earlier, but now it seemed the universe was granting him odd gifts. The draconequus and this Strife fellow.. and perhaps the very filly Blue Frosting hid away in his basement! That was one question partially answered. "How cruel of him. Farewell, small filly- Zoe. Stray not far from your caretakers."
Zoetic Flicker was out running through Canterlot that night whenever she ran into a bit of a problem. She really should have listened to Miss Shocker and Mister Jumper whenever they told her to not go running around at night! She could only let out a cut-off cry as she tumbled into some boxes that were left out. Several broke and she found herself tumbling into a bit of a hole that had been hidden. Where did it go?! The filly felt strange magics; perhaps something that might have kept ponies out, but it it wasn't like she'd know that! The boxes oddly had a lot of dust on them. In any case she tumbled down into the stone corridor and laid there for a few minutes. Once up she tried to nudge the boxes out of the way only to fail... They were heavy and her leg hurt! Thus the filly only had one option; walking down the tunnel? Did she hear the sound of something falling echoing off of the walls of the corridor? Who really knows how far she'd have to walk....
Moonriser couldn't destroy much of what he had hidden away down here. Some of it was boxes of smuggled away things, awaiting to be shipped off to.. wherever. One of the back-alley shops and the like where they could sell it. Like the destroyed bakery. He felt frustration with Blue for being careless, but it was like a speck compared to his current rage. He kicked out a box blindly, distracted- he hadn't heard the distant crash of something falling down one of the secret tunnels. Or.. he did, but it never registered. Maybe just an echo of the noise he made. Harrumph. It was hard to think.
Zoetic Flicker was forced to hobble along at some point even as teddy-ursa laid upon her back. The stuffy air of the tunnel was slowly starting to change into something more... foreboding? I-it felt like her 'basement'... no, her home was destroyed! "H-Hello?" she'd call as she came to a stop. The filly was admittedly scared as her sightless gaze drift around the tunnel and perhaps the room as well! Did she sneak up upon Moonriser or did he hear her coming? Teddy-Ursa was 'whispering' comfort into the filly's ear, promising her everything would be okay!
Moonriser was pacing now over the stone, walking back and forth, grumbling to himself. His horn was beginning to glow faintly, the aura in hues of fire. "That smug... how dare he.." Other such things were muttered and he turned towards a blank wall, prepared to unleash a beam upon it to melt the stone.. but something made him stop cold. Was that a voice he heard just now? Or had he gone mad? Moon shook his head. "Who's there?" He barked. Surely if somepony had found a way down here, they wouldn't be missed.
Zoetic Flicker stepped onward with the bear on her back. "I think I-I fell in a hole.." she'd say as she stepped out. The pony sounded angry and it did make her back into the tunnel. "Do you know how to get o-out of here? I don't know where I am!" she'd continue on from her hopefully semi-hidden position. It was a very poor position of hiding though. She didn't want to go out and get caught by the mean sounding pony! Meanwhile in the back of her head Teddy-Ursa was growing upset.
Moonriser did hear a voice, but it was a foal! A small filly. How did she get down here? His head jerked towards her position when he saw movement, and his gaze remained where she'd been even after she retreated. His brow wrinkled. If it had been an adult, he wouldn't have a qualm in the world about murder.. but a child was a completely different story. Moon would like to believe he was above being a monster. The unicorn's eyes closed and he took a deep breath, pushing back on his anger. It wasn't useful; he would have time to vent later. ".. Unfortunate, but I do know the way out. It's just part of the caves under Canterlot, in the mountain. Who are you?"
Zoetic Flicker perked her ears and poked her head out from the spot. "Oooh... the crystal caves?" she asked in curiosity. She wished she could see the crystals though.... "I'm Zoetic Flicker." she'd begin only to motion back to her back where the blue head of Teddy could be seen. "A-and this is Teddy-Ursa." The blindfold was still upon her face for the moment. Perhaps that would reassure Moon just a bit.... She was quite blind, and thus couldn't tell anypony what anything looked like. Only voice!
Moonriser hadn't noticed the blindfold before, but once she reappeared he could see that. He could be soothed that she didn't know the location or where to find it, at least. He exhaled slowly through his nose. "No crystals down here, I'm afraid, just rocks. We're not that deep in the mountain." Moon didn't speak to Zoetic like one spoke to a child, but like he spoke politely to any other stranger. He didn't know how to deal with kids. Didn't care for them. "If you fell down here, are you hurt?" He queried, his eyes briefly glancing to the teddy-ursa; a favored toy? "You'll have to forgive me if I don't give my own name."
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "My leg huts, but I can walk on it. I-I just need to get out so I can go back to Miss Shocker! She's probably worried." the filly was rather uneasy about being with a strange pony in a uhm... strange place. Didn't a lot of adults say that was a situation that wasn't good to be in?! The unicorn would definitely get the sense he was being watched... But obviously not from the filly! Just the 'blank' almost hostile stare from the bear that by all means shouldn't have any awareness!
Moonriser frowned and flopped down onto his stomach, forelegs crossing in front of his chest with a little huff. "I can offer some healing magic before I lead you back to this 'Miss Shocker.'" He offered begrudgingly. "The caves are not a good place for a blind filly to be wandering around in. There could be any unstable ground, or holes, you could fall into." He stated gruffly as he glanced up to the bear on her back. It was a little strange, that paranoid feeling, but it was undetermined to him yet about the bear.
Zoetic Flicker perked her ears and quickly nodded. Perhaps she was wrong about the pony! He didn't seem so mean now that they ere talking... perhaps he just wasn't a social pony that talked to many! "Thank you, sir...." she began only to blush. "I-I know... I didn't mean to wind up here! I was running in an alley and then I was in the tunnel." she scuffed a hoof and looked over her shoulder back the way she came. "Teddy-ursa says I should be more careful but... I didn't believe him." her ears laid back and her gaze fell. She really should have believed him! As she stepped out one could see a few cuts on her foreleg but that was about it. Perhaps she didn't fall on it as hard as she could have.
Moonriser lifted a hoof with a little wave, dismissive of the thanks. Whatever got her out of his mane faster. "You should probably stay out of those alleys. They're dark and dangerous, though Canterlot is usually.. not so bad. Still. Have caution of such places." He would have to cover that tunnel up with something else. Her.. bear? Probably just a foal's imagination; there were many who believed their stuffed animals could talk. His horn lit again, not as intense in glow, as he spied the cuts on her leg. They weren't much, and they shouldn't keep her from walking.. still. Moon focused his magic on it and make to heal it for her if she was close enough. Why not. It turned his mind off of Discord.
Zoetic Flicker came to a stop a few paces from Moon and quirked her head. "Oh... Teddy-ursa has told me that to, but.... There are less ponies to run into in alleys." The filly could feel the magic in the air and all of the dark magic from the artifacts around her was causing the fur on the back of her neck and back to stand on end! She looked about uneasily and suddenly shivered. "C-can we leave?" She sounded a little more frightened than she did before. The aura from all of the dark artifacts were reminding her of home and it scared her!
Moonriser made a face, confusion in it. "Maybe your Teddy is wrong on that. Dark alleys aren't safe." He repeated again and pushed himself back onto his hooves. The foal seemed unsettled by... what? The cave? "Of course. You'll have to tell me where your Miss Shocker lives." Moon turned away, heading back towards the stairs that spiraled up. Would she need help climbing stairs? His snout wrinkled. "There are stairs up here, watch your step."
Zoetic Flicker inclined her head. "Maybe...." She shrugged and followed Moon along towards the stairs. Her leg was feeling somewhat better thankfully.... Once they arrived at the stairs she smiled and nodded happily. "I can make it! Teddy helps me!" Thus she started to bounce up the stairs like they gave her no problem. Another tic on the 'da heck is with this bear' notebook, no? "Teddy protects me from anypony that will try to hurt me." And the ball of anger and chaos quite likely would! He 'was' her guardian after all!
Moonriser sidestepped quickly when the filly just went.. bouncing past him and up the stairs. What? He was a little baffled that she could manage, with just a blindfold over her eyes.. unless she actually wasn't blind. What was it about the bear then? He scowled a little and followed her up, but at a slower pace. "You must be lucky to have a.. friend to watch out for you then." Moon humored her, but with little amusement; who could be when they were as angry as he was? They would soon come out in his office, and he could slide the door shut until it looked like part of the wall. Nothing to see here. "Come, the front door is this way. So where does Shocker live? Do you know?"
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "I don't know the route from strange places back to Miss Shocker's home. If we could find the Canterlot Police Department we could see if she or Jumper are there working! O-or from there I can make my way home!" she smiled some at the pony. She felt so much better now that she was out of the cave with all of those dark artifacts! Not that she knew that was what she was feeling though. "Teddy has a grudge with Mister Strife... and something he refers to as a noodle." The filly as confused about that phrase since well... what did a noodle have to do with Mister Strife?!
Moonriser almost faltered on the way to the front door. Canterlot Police Department. That made him nervous. He had teleported into the holding cells to take care of a certain Blue Frosting, and nearly got captured in the process. The stupid pony had been raving like a madman. He peeled his lips back from his teeth a little and opened up the front door to head out, waiting just long enough for the filly before he could lock it closed "I.. see. Well, it is not a hard place to find." Moon hoped he hadn't been recognized. Actually.. he wouldn't have to go into the station at all. "Is that so?" Noodle? What? His.. head was starting to hurt. Just a little. Moon started off before he could linger on that for too long. This day was just.. not for him. At all.
Zoetic Flicker let out a bit of a giggle at that. "Yeah! The big mean noodle! He was threatening teddy... and Teddy has vowed embarrassing revenge upon the foul noodle!" she'd declared with a stomp of the hoof even as she felt a pang of approval from the teddy bear upon her back. Even as she walked through Canterlot it sounded like she was... sniffing the air? perhaps but at the same time she was taking in the feel of the surrounding magic. She found herself uneasy with the strange pony's magic to be perfectly honest... It tasted..... strange and unpleasant!
Moonriser puzzled over that, silent as he walked along. "Noodle..." He murmured thoughtfully, staring ahead as he navigated without paying much attention to his surroundings. "Did this 'noodle' have a bunch of strange colors and mixmatched limbs?" Moon inquired curiously. If Zoetic was talking about who he thought she was talking about, considering the only noodley thing in Canterlot was Discord. That annoying snake. He snorted, anger biting at him again.
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face and turned her head to look up at teddy. The bear of course didn't reply but it was like he was seeing one half of an conversation! "Teddy says yeah... Mister strife wanted to borrow teddy and then... something about a being a mismatched noodle that stuck him in a filing cabinet! I don't know what teddy meant..." she'd say as she walked along with the pony in the cool night air. Hopefully they'd get to the station soon!
Moonriser briefly glanced back at the child when there was a lull in speech and came to a stunned halt. It was brief, but in that moment he found a very important nugget of information. "I dislike the 'noodle' as well." He agreed vehemently, filing that important bit away in his mind. It would come very useful to him. A vicious smile crossed his face for a moment, full of teeth, before it returned to its same, vaguely disgruntled look. The Police Department was nearby, it wouldn't take them much longer to reach it. "He's arrogant and.. not very nice." He resorted to a more child-friendly way of saying it.
Zoetic Flicker made a bit of a face. "You're the second one that's said that! But... I know I've met him a few times before. He wasn't... mean." she'd say with a quiet and rather strange voice. However the filly just shook her head and continued walking with the pony. Soon enough they were outside the station and she smiled wide at the sight of Shocker exiting the building. "Oooh! There's miss Shocker!" The filly smiled and bounced. "They've been taking care of me since my dad was arrested.. I like not living in his basement anymore..." she was already bouncing off towards the ponies. Dare he stop her, or?
Moonriser couldn't care a bit. The draconequus probably wasn't mean to children, but he was still a --. The unicorn grunted, peering ahead towards the mare exiting the building who the filly soon recognized. "Ah, safe to go home at last." Moon stated with some relief, and yet again found himself smacked in the face by more useful information. He had been furious earlier, but now it seemed the universe was granting him odd gifts. The draconequus and this Strife fellow.. and perhaps the very filly Blue Frosting hid away in his basement! That was one question partially answered. "How cruel of him. Farewell, small filly- Zoe. Stray not far from your caretakers."
The End.