|
Post by rubynights on Jul 7, 2011 22:06:40 GMT -5
The night is dark and cold as the large full moon shone its radiant light upon the intimidating tree life within the Everfree Forest. The confines of the trees filled with murky shadows, a straight and clear path covered in snow made strong contrast. Haunting sounds echoed from strange and unknown creatures in the darkness. Few residents of Ponyville would dare to venture into such an unfamiliar land such as this... Ruby Nights was no resident of Ponyville.
Most ponies held fear in the so perceived "abnormal" qualities of the Everfree Forest. Ruby had been well aware of the discomfort typical ponies found in self functioning weather and biology. Familiarity however was not a concept Ruby very much felt need for. Venturing off into the forest, a simple walk along the snowy path was all she had been interested in.
"What in the hay?" Ruby spoke to herself as she heard the sound of peculiarly heavy hoovesteps. Natural dangers were of no threat. Somepony was after her. "Sounds like a new friend," she muttered quietly in a sarcastic tone.
In an instant, Ruby vanished into the murky shadows of the forest. With silence, she began to observe the armored pony approaching.
(Currently waiting for Corsair Razorwing. I request people to wait.)
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 8, 2011 13:06:41 GMT -5
(Sorry for not posting last night <3 I'm here now!)
Corsair stamped the ground with a his hoof, feeling the snow crumble and harden underneath him. He hated walking in the snow but he couldn't exactly fly easily with all the trees about. He'd come to the forest hours before to make sure no creatures were lurking too close to Ponyville. Now, as his shift ended, he thought it would be a good time to venture a little further inside Everfree. If there was adventure to discover, it wasn't to be found eating cupcakes in town.
Still, it had been a long day and he was tired. The wind blew over him harshly and he raised a wing to deflect it, his armored feathers reflecting the dim light that cut through the trees. There were sounds all around him, foliage rustling, and Corsair grew anxious.
Maybe I'll just scout around then call it a day... He thought.
He folded his wings and began pathing a trail in the snow as he walked deeper into the forest.
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 8, 2011 15:20:21 GMT -5
Still lurking transparent within the shadows of the trees, Ruby continued to observe the razor-winged pegasus. The pony had been unlike any other she had yet seen in her lifetime, his very body built as a weapon and designed to kill. And yet she could detect no clear hostile intent within him--only a slight feeling of suspicion. No longer was there purpose in hiding.
"There is nothing to fear..." Ruby calmly spoke to the anxious pegasus, her hooves rustling along black leaves as she became opaque entering the white snow. "...nothing but a lone mare in her stroll through the forest..."
Ruby's speech was taunting and charming at the same time. Before her stood a pony both larger and bulkier, his all encompassing armor shining in the radiance of the moon. Facing great potential danger, she made use of her charming tongue in order to judge him friend or foe.
"I really like your armor..." she complemented the pegasus, who still remained silent as she circled around him. "The regal details... the clarity as it shines upon the light... I'm sure it's as beautiful as it is useful against foes." As she looked deep into the pegasus' eyes, she saw no clear response to her flattery.
"I would take the thing off. It must be unbearable holding such weight in terrain like this." She faced the pegasus directly as she spoke her final word. One pony could hear the faint sound of a jingle within her bags as she walked.
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 8, 2011 15:40:03 GMT -5
Corsair jumped back, lowering his body, and preparing to charge if the need arose. His wings fanned out to half their normal span with a solid click of his armor joints connecting. His body had relaxed when she had first appeared, as an enemy would normally not show themselves, yet her last sentences drove him beyond suspicion.
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Corsair said sternly as he noted the jingle in her steps. Probably money. Hiding in the forest, too. No one's out this late in Everfree but me. Hiding? Money? My armor? All the pieces connected instaneously and he found himself speaking again before he realized it, "Would you like to get a closer look? Take it from me? It would be much easier to rob me with my armor off, wouldn't it, filly?"
Shwing!
His wings flew out on both sides. He crouched low again and glared at the strange pony before him. Corsair knew better than to take chances. He immediately changed back into his guard mentality. He had come to patrol for strange creatures and he certainly found one in this pony.
He stared at her, trying to find the exact location of the jingling. He tried to see any weapons on her. He tried to guess just how dangerous a filly in the forest could be. Then again: there was a reason she was here, and his mind only raced to crimes. He needed to intimidate her; most criminals he had encountered simply confessed before he needed to take action, given the way he was dressed. He prepared to gauge her reaction.
"What's in the bag?" he said sarcastically, guessing that he already knew the answer: missing bits and stolen jewelry.
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 8, 2011 16:35:14 GMT -5
"You take me for a robber do you?" Ruby questioned the anxious pegasus before her with a chuckle. Though she laughed from her exterior, Ruby truly felt insulted within. She swung her head around, quickly removing her first bag from her neck with skill. Thrown to shimmer in the air of the moonlight, the bag soon met with the ground, its contents of coin slipping out upon contact with the snow.
"The contents of this bag hold nothing but the spoils of my journeys. I've traveled the world in search of relics of the past...coming across the very edges of death in my pursuits." A short pause came up between the pony's words.
"You wound me pegasus. Nopony has come to deserve the title treasure hunter as have I..." Her second bag still left upon her body, she kicked it up with her back legs up into the moonlit sky. Suspended in the air, a dagger falls from out of the bag as the moon's light shines with clarity upon its stainless steel. With beauty and grace, Ruby gripped the dagger with her mouth from midair. Landing back to the ground, her relaxed expression was no more. Slanted brows upon her face now expressed fury as she lowered her body ready for combat.
"NEVER... mistake me for a common thief," she cried in a muffled voice.
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 8, 2011 21:29:40 GMT -5
"Hmph," Corsair grunted in disdain. "As if a thief would tell the truth; as if a thief would tell me anything but fantasy when asked about their inventory."
He chuckled loudly, yet never lost his stance.
"Treasure hunter. Thief. Robber. Mugger. Same difference, filly."
Still, the title had a ring to it that appealed to Corsair's nature. He'd only explored for the sake of exploration. There certainly was something to actually seeking something out while doing so. He almost backed down until he saw the dagger. Now it was serious. This was no time to lower his guard.
He took a step toward Ruby and dug his hoof into the ground several times, forming a small line as he readied to charge. He watched the dagger now, never removing it from his stare. If she made an expression, it was lost on him now that she had brought forth a potent weapon. This little filly has claws, Corsair thought.
"I'd rethink that decision, missy," he said as he leaned down closer. "Your pointy stick isn't going to cause anything but trouble."
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 8, 2011 22:43:16 GMT -5
"Underestimating your opponent won't cause you anything but trouble!" she responded yelling, still in that muffled voice due to the dagger.
No intent to flee at all, Ruby charged directly at the pegasus--and with speed to shock anypony who watched upon her. With both his wings and armor, the pegasus' weaponry would have clearly been overkill used against a mare of Ruby's size. Racing with surprising speed and agility however, Ruby proved more than capable of holding her ground against such might. The first strike she unleashed upon the pegasus had been easily deflected by the edge of his blade. Ruby with her keen sense and dexterity of hoof however could easily circle around him after each clash. The pegasus was practically immobile compared to the level of her swiftness. She sped both around and underneath his body, deflecting each slash of his wings using her blade.
In their most aggressive clash of steel yet, Ruby had been pushed back quite a distance as she traveled through the air. Landing gracefully on her hooves, she observed the pegasus who slid back just a tiny bit from the latest blow. She winked at him, taunting the pegasus who had clearly misjudged his opponent--both in character and skill.
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 9, 2011 0:05:40 GMT -5
Corsair panted for breath. His strength was already sapped earlier from his patrol around the both Ponyville and Cloudsdale. So much movement in his heavy suit was tiresome and the night air was thick and cold in his lungs. He was exhausted, physically and mentally. It was late, too, only adding to his weariness. Still, he couldn't lose. He'd drawn his weapon first and he intended to be the only one remaining to sheath one by the end of the battle, if necessary. The wink - that simple gesture - gave him a second wind.
Thieving little...
If there was one thing the Razorwings had plenty of, it was pride. He wasn't going to lose to someone so brash as to taunt him. That, he was sure of. He charged again and again to no avail. She dodged every attack, every swipe.
Curse this armor, he thought. It was the only thing keeping him from harm, yet also slowing him down significantly. He took the only option Ruby didn't have.
Corsair started with a charge toward her, but just before making contact, he jumped. With a gust of wind behind him, he soared upward into the sky and just beyond the treeline before flipping and diving down toward the other pony. He hoped his gained momentum was enough to catch her.
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 9, 2011 1:21:22 GMT -5
Ruby stood her ground in the face of the pegasus' charge only to be blown back by the wind as he took off into the air. Had he been fleeing? Had the battle been won so quickly? Thoughts such as these wandered through the mare's mind. The second the armored pegasus made his turn back toward her, Ruby exactly what was required of her.
A thief would have fled. Ruby Nights was no thief.
Sparks arose as blades clashed once again. As the pegasus charged toward her with dual wings, Ruby stood her ground with her blade held by mouth. Though daring for that brief moment, it was not long before Ruby's valiant heart grew weary. Her legs began to shake, her teeth began to lose grip of the dagger, and she could feel the immense weight of the pegasus against her slender frame. This was not the same circumstance as before. The strong momentum built up by the pegasus had shifted the scales drastically.
"Hwaaauhhh!!" Ruby screamed in peril, finally losing grip of the dagger. Losing her hooves' grip upon the ground, she's knocked several feet back. Her body tumbles violently across snowy terrain. Her dagger dropped down by the hooves of the pegasus, Ruby was left stripped of all defense.
She opened her eyes upon her approaching attacker. A scowling expression upon the mare's face, Ruby was truly reluctant to admit defeat. Upon her body there was no clear sign of injury. At least the pegasus' razor-sharp wings had failed to make direct contact with her body.
"Do you truly believe me to be some sort of thief?"
((When the monster appears, lets be sure to make an agreement on what to do Corsair.))
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Jul 9, 2011 14:00:45 GMT -5
A sudden snarl caught the attention of both ponies, what appeared to be a cross between a tiger and a rat, solidly white and cyan in color, was charging at them full force. Claws extended, rodent-like fangs exposed. It was obvious it was about to spring at them, but at which of them first?
The monster was slightly larger than Corsair, and obviously meant business, it was quick and ferocious, and had to be dealt with immediately.
FROZEN FERAL
Ferals are stallion sized crosses between rats and tigers, known all over Equestria as wild monsters, attacking anyone they stumble on. Frozen Feral's are a kind of Ferals that hide underground until the winter, very inclined for the cold. No one knows how they reached Equestria from the Frozen Barrens in the north, though some speculate they were brought in as shock troops in the Dragon Wars. But fact is, no pony has ever been able to locate their caves and end the threat they pose.
Special Effects
Frozen Bite - any pony bitten by a feral will experience frostbite in the affected part of their body, slowing down that part of them for a round.
Danger Level - Medium
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 9, 2011 17:14:39 GMT -5
He slammed his hoof down against the dagger and sparks flew when the metals made contact. He leaned forward, pressing all his weight onto the fallen dagger as he glared at Ruby. The battle was over; there was no need to attack. If she was a thief, she was the best one he'd seen in his days.
"You certainly don't fight like one; that is for certain." He was breathing heavily and his whole body heaved with each intake.
He was going to apologize, at least hear her out, when they were ambushed by the creature. Corsair stared at it with astonishment before looking back to Ruby. With a flick of the leg, the dagger went sliding toward her.
"Whatever you are: treasure hunter or thief, you aren't that," Corsair said, motioning his head toward the beast. His instincts began taking over. She was a pony of Equestria, no matter what she was, and she didn't act like a cultist. Corsair's first duty was to Equestria's ponies. "I can't let that thing get to Ponyville. Get out of here while you can."
Corsair only hoped that she wouldn't backstab him, quite literally, while he tried to lure the monster further into the forest.
Better see what this beast is capable of, Corsair thought, and he flew in a circle around it, keeping his distance, in order to gauge its speed and mobility. He readied himself to fly upward should it make a move.
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 9, 2011 18:14:43 GMT -5
He was probably right. Though the words of the pegasus had offended Ruby on a level far deeper than she would ever admit, the winged pony may have been her only friend against the frozen beast. But she had no obligation to become an ally of his. Though her fall had hurt quite a bit, she was strong enough to rise back to her hooves.
The heroic fool... Ruby thought to herself as she watched upon the pegasus circling around the Frozen Feral. If his wish is to die by the claws of the beast then so be it...
Gripping her dagger from the snowy terrain, Ruby made her escape from the area. Leaving the snow-covered path for the black shadows of the trees that surrounded it, Ruby became transparent once again as she fled both swiftly and silently.
But not even the mare knew the direction she was headed in that darkness. Would she escape to the town of Ponyville? Would she return to assist the pegasus so brave to defend her? Ruby was truly uncertain of herself and her own intentions. She detested the feeling, still debating upon which action to take as she ran.
|
|
|
Post by Red Charge on Jul 9, 2011 22:04:42 GMT -5
FROZEN FERAL
The monster sprung up, nicking Corsair's leg with its claws, before prowling around again, waiting for another opprotunity to strike. Though the scratch wasn't deep, it still left a gash in Corsair's forehoof. This monster meant business, it wasn't joking around.
|
|
|
Post by fethur on Jul 9, 2011 22:36:42 GMT -5
Corsair spun to the ground and rolled heavily against the thick grass, coming to a stop several feet from where he crash landed. The attack had thrown him off balance just enough to ruin his flight path. He looked down at his leg and cursed under his breath. The beast's claws had dug just above where his boot ended. His leg was bleeding, but the wound itself wasn't more than a deep gash. At the least, the creature didn't hit bone.
The armored pegasus hurried to stand up, balancing on three legs as he avoided putting any weight on the bleeding limb. He winced. Front-left. At least it wasn't a hind leg, or a wing, he thought optimistically. His head was spinning from his crash and his leg burned as his mind registered the wound.
But it's following me. That's good... he thought. Good for Ponyville, anyway. Facing the monster, he hobbled backward several steps, limping on the wounded leg, afraid to test its limit. He had to gain distance. He turned and planted the leg against the floor. It withheld against the strain of his weight, thankfully. Corsair sprinted a few short steps and began gliding around several trees. The trees should cover me while it follows, Corsair thought. He needed an opening to attack.
|
|
|
Post by rubynights on Jul 10, 2011 0:11:00 GMT -5
Ruby watched from below as Corsair glided through the forest. Tearing through trees in pursuit of the pegasus, the Frozen Feral had been totally unaware of the proximity it shared with the mare that stalked it. Ruby Nights had chosen to stay, swearing to see this battle though. Hiding from the shadow of a single tree, it was a matter of seconds before the Feral would approach. The fate of the two ponies relied upon this final sneaking attack.
Don't screw this up Ruby...
The beast charged and her tree shattered. Wood fragments met with her body as she leapt up to strike the Feral from the side with her dagger. She aimed directly for the beasts' neck, planning to hold on as tightly as she could upon contact.
(Revised.)
|
|