A Painful Announcement(Open)

Forte carefully straightened the papers containing Theera's speech on the table in front of her, using her hooves rather than magic like her fellow unicorns would. Her head was still spinning from what had happened the night before just before falling asleep. Luckily, she wasn't the one who had to give the speech. Even if she was, she probably wouldn't be the best speaker anyway.

Moving her senses about to make sure there wasn't anything out of place, she gave a slight nod. Training her senses on Theera while keeping her face straight ahead, she simply stated "Everything seems to be in order. The guests should arrive soon."

Theera was running up and down nervously. She hoped there would be some more guest as the last time she was telling about her gods. But it wouldn´t be so difficult to beat the last guest number of 1. She was going through her speech in mind, when she heard forte "oh what. oh okay thanks." she replied. The Blind pony was a great help for her and also a very good friend. maybe something more than friends, but atm Theera had no time for thinking about that, she had to prepare herself for the speech. she looked to the entrence for checking if somebady already showed up.

Steel walked into the smallish room. He had been informed of this...seminar type thing, from a poster on the wall. He had been a wreck since Megs had been almost killed a few days prior. He needed something to take his mind off of her, not out of mean-spiritedness. He just needed an excuse to get out and begin thinking rationally. Ironic for what the meeting was about. He took a seat, and began to attempt relaxing.

A path wound round the Undermarket alleys, and Jimmy assumed it was the way to go. He thought it was, at least. Jimmy wouldn't let on, but he was probably an inch from traipsing into a chasm or something. The 'Market was like a maze to him, and despite his proposed lifetime of navigating it, it never seemed to work out the way he thought.

He reached a building, or what he thought was a building. Actually, he didn't know what he thought. He saw a door, it looked like a nice door, so he went through the door. Not everything's got to be a big capital-D Deal. He walked in, seeing the three ponies who'd amassed in there.

"Whoa, sorry am I interrupting anything-" he began walking through the room, trying to find an exit on the other side or something. "I'm just- just comin' through, hey watch it guy, don't touch the bag." The building(?) seemed to be a clinic of sorts, or something like that. Maybe it was just a building that looked like a clinic. What'd he know, really?

"Okay, at the risk of sounding like a brick, does anyone know where the fuck I am?"

Forte turned her attention away from Theera as she heard the voice speaking to them, seeing not only the owner of the voice, but also a unicorn she hadn't noticed come in. "Ah, you are in the Mercy Heart Clinic good sir. Are you possibly here to listen to the speech of Theera Dune?" She asked in her usual monotone voice.

"We are about to begin, so why not take a seat next to...this good pony right here?" She asked, pointing towards what was a bland outline of a sitting pony to her, avoiding using a gender-specific pronoun as she didn't have enough information to judge the sitting pony's sex. "We are very appreciative of your willingness to listen."

Theera looked into the room. Only two ponies came and one seemed not really wanted to come for the speech. But she was happy at least she would have listeners. Theera walked at a good position To begin.

"Wellcome everypony" She started "I´m glad that you´re here To listen to my words."

Theera harrumphed "You all know about the power of the alicorn sister Celestia and Luna, but did you ever knew their ancestors? Great and powerful creatures which created the alicorns and all the live on earth? Well, let me tell you the story of the Creators, my gods." she stopped for a moment to see if everybody was listening

Steel listened. He hadn't really considered who hadd created Celestia and Luna. He, like many ponies, he assumed many ponies anyway, had thought of her always there. The prospect of ancestors or creators of the sisters, was interesting. He sat watching intently.

Oh sweet Celestia this was a cultists meeting- and these were cultists. Oh Luna why was he being forsaken- where's the punch, he had to avoid the punch at all costs. Any second now a robed crowd would come streaming from some billowing curtain and chop him up in celebration of someponies birthday.

Oh fuck, where's the door. Where's the door. Can't find the door, okay, calm down. Jimmy breathed hard, unable to calm himself. They had somehow removed the door- that was it, it was like a mousetrap, and he was the mouse. NO! He had his sledge- shit, no that was at the shop. He was defenseless, save for these heavy cushions lying around everywhere. If one came to him he'd- he'd... HE'D DO IT! HE'D BOP THEM WITH A CUSHION!

These thoughts and more raced through his mind as he courteously took seat and prepared to listen to the mare's speech. His face held a passive expression of bemused contentedness, and his attention was forwards to the mare. It was like his body was on autopilot, a suave, cool-headed pilot who went to charm school and learned some fucking manners.

Jimmy waited for her to continue.

Forte had focused her senses back onto Theera to listen to her speak, unable to see the sudden fearful change in Jimmy's aura because of it. She simply stood next to her, silently 'staring' at the crowd of two with her usual blank emotionless expression. To her and Theera, she was deeply interested in the desert pony's words, but to the others, she would simply seem completely emotionless and unmoving.

Theera continued

"Long time ago, even before Princess Luna returned from the moon, a small
group of ponies was formed in Equestria. The leader was a young
stallion, who wanted to explore the world far behind the Equestrian
borders. He started to call other adventurers and explorers together, to
form the group for the expedition. Earth ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns
from all over Equestria followed the call. They all met in Canterlot,
where the journey started. They headed to the east over the Equestrian
borders to the Zebra-Kingdom."

She looked into the >croud< while she was speaking

"The Zebras let them rest and tried to persuade the ponies from heading
deeper into the east. The Zebras told the ponies there would only be
death in the deserts. A few Ponies left the group, some headed back to
Equestria, some stayed in the Zebra Kingdom. The remains of the group
ignored the advice of the zebras and continued their journey. They went
further into the east. The land became more and more lifeless and dry.
The walked over Huge mountains and through deep and dangerous canyons.
They lost two ponies in the canyons to a rockslide; but everyone was
intent on continuing their journey."

Steel didn't know much about geography, so he could only go on the ponies word on how far away these lands were. They sounded like a rough environment.

And now the mare in the glasses was staring at him. Shit. Noose tied around his neck, rope pulled taught, just somebody PLEASE PULL THE LEVER AND END THIS. He could tell she was going to hate-stab him in some form of blood orgy, he could feel it all the way in his bones.

The pretty mare with the crown, now she seemed the real culty type. Jimmy couldn't tell, but he knew deep down that she was probably going to do naughty things with his corpse when they were done. It was just one of those culty things, ya know, and fuck- he'd gone and presumed himself dead. NO- he was going to live this through.

He gripped the edges of the cushion with a soldiers grip, intent on beating his path out if it took every last fiber of his existence. All he needed was a chance, some opportunity...

Meanwhile, his autopiloted body was in class, taking cordial notes. He rose his hoof politely to ask a question.

Forte turned her senses towards the two other ponies once Theera paused, seeing the hoof of the earth pony raising into the air. "Yes? Please ask your inquiry, we would be most delighted to know what you have on your mind." She stated plainly, voice matching her expressionless face. "Anything to make your time here more enlightening."

His hoof was up- his hoof was up! Why was his hoof up?! WHAT IN THE HAY IS GOING ON HERE?! This was witchcraft, or voodoo, or some other third thing he didn't dare to think of. He didn't even HAVE a question, now he needed a question. He hadn't been paying attention to a single word the mare had said, HOW could he have a question?

The world spun in circles around Jimmy; he felt sick. This was it. He was going to go full-on bopping spree any second now, he just needed to work up the courage. His hoof tightened on the pillow- but he couldn't do anything. THOSE EYES- he couldn't see any, but they had to be locked on him, expecting, judging. They knew, they KNEW he wasn't one of them, they were waiting patiently for him to slip up oh sweet Celestia what was his mouth doing?

His mouth, part of the autopiloted body, began asking a lucid and very cognate question.

"What was the name of this explorer who led your group into the Zebra lands? Was he a historic figure?"

Theera looked to the asking pony "In our city he is historic, but i don´t think he´s popular in equestria. I do not remember his name, but he got a statue in Pyreha, so if you would travel there, you could se his name." She replied simply.

Steel nodded at the earth ponies question. He hadn't heard of a pilgrimage to far off.lands.by anypony. However he supposed since they didn't return he wouldn't have become famous. He continued listening to the story.

The mare told him his answer and his arm bolted back to his side. He swore a silent vow of contempt to the traitorous limb, forcing it to remain tightly gripped on his side. His mind was officially in a quagmire, and he could no longer even begin to cognate things like rational thought.

His head nodded itself in the affirmative that it had, indeed, heard the answer.

Theera looked through the room. "Well no other questions till now i guess. so i will continue, where was i...ah yeah."

"After they left the Canyons behind, they had gotten out of the frying pan
into the fire. Behind the Canyons were only deserts. Sand as far as the
eye could see and beyond. The walked through the deserts for days. They
lost many ponies because of the heat and the strain. On the fifth day,
when most of the ponies had even lost their hopes, something happened.
When the ponies had accepted their death, they all saw an apparition of a
creature which looked a bit like an Alicorn, but it was bigger and
shone bright. The creature told the ponies to follow him and it lead
the ponies to a small oasis which had palms with coconuts, and a water
source.The creature disappeared, and the ponies started to drink and
eat. Near the oasis was a big temple. The ponies started to build a town
around the temple and the oasis. This was the foundation of Pyreha."

Forte turned her senses back to Theera once more after the questions seemed to be finished. She had already heard these words before, but she was still completely enthralled with them. This mare had such a deep knowledge of the world, and she wanted to learn it all.

Steel listened intently. An Alicorn-like being led them to an oasis near a temple? Of he hadn't known better he'd have guessed that it was the reading of a Daring Doo novel. It sounded pretty cool to begin with. He wondered where it went from there.

Jimmy had came to the inkling that perhaps, perchance, maybe it were feasible that these were not cultists. And perhaps he wasn't going to die today. His grip loosened on the pillow, and for the first time in the speech he actually listened to what was being said. Somethin' about a la' corn? Really, the material was a bit dense for him, but he could get the feeling that it wasn't really malicious. In fact, corn made him hungry, and he looked about to find that punch bowl he'd seen. Or had he imagined a punch bowl? Wow was he a spazz.

Neferi Dune arrived in the city a few hours ago. Someone gave her the hint Theera would be in maehatten so she started to search here. She asked serveral ponies and at leas one of them had told her she should search in the undermarket. At first she wondered about the place, but then she realized it was a hidepoint for ponies. The griffon occupation was hard in manehatten. Neferi got entrence to the undermarket and soon found one of the posters. "this must be from her" she told herself. She went to the meeting place that was written on the poster.
As she entered she heard theeras voice out of a small room. She entered and saw her sister and some other ponies. " Theera!" she said in a loud Voice

Theera was surprised when her older sister appeared. Instantly she stopped talking. Why her older sister would apear here? why Neferi would take the long journ just to find her? Theera was confused but somehow happy to see her sister.
She ran over to Neferi and hugged her "Neferi, what do you do here?"

Neferi hugged Theera but then breaked the hug. "I´mhere to cancel your speech. I have importend news to you!" she said then turned around "everyone here. The speech is now canceled. you can go now. The creators left us, we´re alone." she said with a sad but loud voice.

Forte turned her senses towards the new pony that had appeared in the room to interrupt their speech. She calmly stepped over towards the two, letting their guests be as she put her full attention onto who seemed to be Theera's sister.

"What pray tell do you mean by that, miss?" She asked while standing firm next to Theera, her voice plain, yet also somehow more firm than normal. She took a few moments before speaking up once more. "I do not wish to act as if I am an expert on your people by knowing Theera for just a few simple days, but how can we tell that the words you speak carry the truth?"

Steel looked to the speakers sister, supposedly. He felt like this was going to get dramatic quick. Instead of fleeing from the scene he stayed in case he needed to break something up.

Okay, so apparently there was some confusion. One or both of the young mares in the getup seemed to be distraught by something. Sheesh, Jimmy had no business here. He stood up and made his way to the door.

Neferi looked back to Theera and her friend. "Pyreha has fallen. The griffons have attacked and destroyed the city. The killed nearly everyone. There were only a few survivor." Neferi looked to the ground.

Theera was shocked by the words of her sister. She couldn´t believe what Neferi said. "It´s impossible. why would the griffons go so far out? I can´t believe it." Theera shuddered. her heart raced and she got goosebumps. " I just can not believe you." she said

Forte kept her face forward, 'staring' past Neferi while listening to her. A long silence followed as the news flowed over her like a raging waterfall.

"Imperialism. They seem to wish to take all equestrian nations rather than simply this one." She stated bluntly, perhaps a little too blunt for the moment. "I am very sorry for what has happened if your words ring true."

Steel stayed in place. Apparently this city had been a foundation of this religion. If it was gone, so too, was the hope. He continued taking information in.

Neferi looked into Theeras eyes. "Only way I can prove it, is to schow you." she said flat. then sha started her projection spell. her horn shined and she showed Theera in a vision what she has sawn at the days, the griffon attacked. Now the two ponies couldn´t embrace their envoirenment. They both only saw the memory of Neferi.

Theera couldn´t respond to Neferi. before she realized she was in her memories. This was the second time Neferi used the spell on her. But the last time it wasn´t this serious and sad.

Theera was parralysed by the things she saw. Her body was stiff and her eyes blank. Slowly tears begun to roll down her face. They rolled down on her cheecks and gathered at her chin. Slowly the drops fell down to the ground.

Forte was unable to see just what the sisters were communicating, the smoky wisp slowly floating off of Neferi's horn being the only indication of her magic being used. She hastily turned her attention away from Neferi and towards Theera as she noticed a shift on the edge of her sight. She was changing...blue...purple...

The blind mare suddenly took a few steps backwards, losing her hoofing and falling down onto her flank as her stoic expression shattered into one of pure shock. "B-black..." She muttered almost silently under her breath as fear began to fill her. She had only seen this color once before, and that pony had...no!

Without a word, Forte scrambled to her hooves and held onto Theera without an explanation offered, simply holding onto her as if trying to will her to not leave her side.

Theera saw the most terrible and horrifying things she could ever imagine. All she believed in, got crushed within sceonds. Her will to live faded. now she got nothing in this world. As she was realeased from this Terror she was at the end with her emotions. She felt the mare on her side, the last thing she got in live. But for her it wasn´t worth enough.
Theera pushed forte away and then she ran out ,with tears on her cheaks.
She disapeared in the tunnels of the undermarket.

Neferis was aware of the pain she gave Theera. So it was no surprise to her when Theera ran away. She would have followed her, but she was too exhausted from casting the memory spell. "I think you should try to find her. I don´t now what she will do now." she took a breath before continueing "You seem to be on a good term to her. please stop her before she do anything stupid." She said to the blind Pony. Then she sat down.

Forte hardly needed to hear the words from Neferi before she regained her hoofing and gave chase to the distraught earth pony. She clenched her teeth as she quickly galloped in the direction Theera seemed to have taken; the earth pony magic radiating from her hooves leaving faint black hoofprints on the ground for her to follow.

Celestia let her be okay! She thought worriedly in her head as she kept her pace as quick as it could be. Her unexercised body quickly began to wear down from the pace of her gallop, but she did her best to pull through, only caring about finding Theera.

(Storyline continues here: https://mlpgriffonkingdomsrp.rpg-board.net/t449-the-right-decision#5872 )