/q/ - Quest

>H/W: 1/4

>>715957
>>715954
Onyxia smirks as she brings up her wall to fend off the attack, but her eyes widen as it shatters and pelts into her. She stumbles back, sore but still standing.
("Glad I fused with that metal.")
She mutters under her breath, looking through the debris at Valor.
"As I'd expect of the Prince."
She responds, quickly running in as she sees him ready another arrow, thrusting forward with her right hoof-dagger to cut in before it fires.
>Attack [1d10+1]

Roll #1 4 + 1 = 5

>>715957
>Due to Crystal Emotions, that last roll has a +1 to hit, 3 succeeds on Leap of Faith
You quickly roll up from your tumble, your iron body absorbing most of the impact. You charge at the Prince, your iron hoof-steps shaking the earth as you charge him, and catch him just moments too late as he lets the arrow fly, impacting against the side of your head. It doesn't breach the armor, but it sufficiently rattles you, leaving you disoriented as he quickly widens the gap between you once again, clearly preferring to fight at long range.
>0/4

As you're left disoriented, he prepares another three arrows at once, aiming them precisely towards your hooves to pin you down with a serious glare as he makes sure his aim is true, letting them fly without his usual banter
[1d10+2] Blast

Roll #1 10 + 2 = 12

>>715961
Onyxia falls to her knees as the arrow strikes her helm, head throbbing from the impact. She regains her focus too late as she sees the arrows already in the air, quickly panicking as she tries to stand and move out of the way.
>Recover [1d10]

Roll #1 8 = 8

>>715963
Onyxia manages to roll successfully out of the way from two of the arrows, but the third one finds its mark again, pinning the armor's hoof-guard to the ground as it cleaves through part of the biological protection, the armor 'skittering' in the back of your head again in what you surmise to be some indication of pain. It keeps you helpless, however as you're pinned you feel something invigorating you from elsewhere in your armor, like a gel soothing the ache in your head
>Raise to 6/4, Blast takes Onyxia down to 0/3, but Regeneration kicks in taking you back up to 0/4

The Prince reaches up to wipe some of the displaced hairs from his face, preparing another arrow as he sees the one that pinned your armor. "That's one hoof down… three to go."
[1d10] Regular ranged attack

Roll #1 3 = 3

>>715966
Onyxia breathes in exhaustion as she manages to avoid the first pair of arrows. But as the skittering runs up her neck she tenses up, almost feeling that injury herself. She tugs her hoof as she tries to move it, composure dropping as she tries to act quickly before the next arrow hits her.
>Recover [1d10]

Roll #1 4 = 4

>>715970
You tug at your hoof trying to free it from its trapped spot, and just narrowly avoid the other arrow whizzing past her head. Valor prepares another, aiming it towards one of your free hooves, giving a calm, concentrated glare as he takes aim carefully
[1d10+2] Blast

Roll #1 7 + 2 = 9

>>715972
Onyxia pulls at her hoof again, trying to free it.
("Come on armor! I know it hurts, but I heard so many things about how great you are! We need to get this arrow out!")
She again mutters to herself, trying to get back into the fight.
>Recover [1d10]

Roll #1 8 = 8

>>715973
The skittering at the back of your head lessons, as though the armor is responding properly to you as it tries to work through the pain on its own side, and to its credit you feel it starting to put some effort in on its end as well, the armor 'snapping' off the ice arrow reflectively as it tries to heal itself while you manage to stand up back up.

However, the arrows let loose from Knightly's bow impact against your chest piece, pushing you back down again after freeing your hoof as they deliver a striking blow
>0/2

He cocks one more arrow, taking careful aim as he smirks, "I think this last one will do the trick, Onyxia…"
[1d10] Leap of Faith

Roll #1 8 = 8

>>715977
Onyxia falls as the arrow strikes her chest just after getting free, collapsing to the ground as the wind is knocked from her lungs. She glances up as another arrow is aimed down at her. She struggles, hooves shaking as she tries to push herself to stand.
("Please… Stand up…")
>Recover [1d10]

Roll #1 9 = 9

>>715977
You manage to stand up successfully just as the last arrow is let fly from Knightly's bow, just barely glancing your armor's side as it hits the ground behind you with explosive force, your armor letting out a small 'cry' of pain but gritting its non-existence teeth, helping you to stand up to full
>2/2

Knightly puts down his arrow, smirking as he instead reaches for his sword to draw, "You've got a great deal of spirit, as I'd expect for any Onyxia. Let's finish this up close, shall we?" He says as he runs towards you, sword drawn ready to finish the fight
[1d10+2] Blast

Roll #1 1 + 2 = 3

>>715984
Onyxia manages to stand, her breathing ragged as adrenaline pumps through her body as she's pushed to her limits. She stumbles to the side as the arrow glances off her, taking a few steps before she feels something wet in her armor around her torso. She panics, believing she was wounded from that arrow, but feels oddly refreshed.
>Regeneration [Instant Auto]

Looking up as Valor charges at her, she steadies her stance. She refuses to call the fight off, determined to put up some fight against the Prince. As he draws close, she holds up a hoof, sidestepping his swing and pushing her bare hoof down on his sword, drawing his weapon into her and replacing the old iron in her body.
>Fusion [Instant Auto]

>>715988
>>715984
Onyxia then reaches up with her dagger hoof, grabbing Valor's bow and spreading her black crystal over it, reshaping it into a small cube to be rendered useless for fighting.
>Transmute [1d10]

Roll #1 3 = 3

>>715988
>Healed to 2/3
You take the sword away from Valor as he charges headlong with it, the prince's eyes opening wide in surprise as you manage to place your hoof on the side of the blade, and absorb it into yourself, Knightly dropping the hilt as you absorb the freshly cut steel into your body to replace what was there before
>Iron replaced with Steel
>+1 to hit with weapons, Huge (max health 5/5 again)

Valor jumps back in surprise as you took his sword, him managing to evade your grasp as he looks at his bow, smirking. "Right. Starting to remember why I was keeping my distance. Perhaps not the most valiant way to win, but it is no less elegant, to be sure." He cocks another ice arrow, taking aim and firing
[1d10] Regular attack

Roll #1 3 = 3

>>715992
Onyxia smirks smugly as she steals Valor's sword, though she has a bit of discomfort as the iron chunk she took is now stuck inside the armor.
"Don't count on your victory just yet, I'm just getting started!"
Onyxia says, feeling pumped at the quick turnaround. Her dagger hoof glows as it widens out, forming into a kite shield to help fend off further arrows.
>Shapeshift [Sword & Shield] [Instant Auto]

As Valor readies up another arrow, Onyxia rushes him, going for his bow again as she throws out her hoof to disarm him.
>Transmute [Valor's Bow] [1d10]

Roll #1 7 = 7

>>715993
The arrow fired by Valor glances off the side of your armor as he doubles back, but you successfully grab hold of his bow and transmute it, Valor letting go as you turn it into a small chunk/block of steel that falls to the ground, depriving him of his weapon. He looks at you, smirking as you deprive him of both sword and bow. "Well, this isn't exactly fair now, is it? I appear to be disarmed." He makes a run for you, jumping towards you as he uses his magic to start tugging your remaining out of your hoof, "Might lend me yours?"

[1d10] Stealing your weapon

Roll #1 3 = 3

>>715995
Onyxia kicks the block of bow aside to add insult to injury, turning to face Valor.
"I think it's plenty fair. I walked into this duel with only my hooves afterall, so now we're even."
She jests.
When Valor tugs on her hoof, Onyxia runs forward as well.
"Sure, let me give it right to you!"
As they draw close, Onyxia swings her shield-hoof up, going to strike Valor in his side to knock him aside.
>Smack [1d10+2]

Roll #1 9 + 2 = 11

>>715996
You allow Valor to tug on your hoof, pulling you closer to him as he tries to reach for your sword to use for his own, but you blind-side him with raising your shield hoof, knocking it straight into his face as he's thrust aside, pony-tail having lost its neat braid and now flying wildly over his head as he tumbles outside of the ring, shaking his head as he looks down at the line, frowning.
"…well, damn."

"Prince Knightly Valor is outside the ring." Princess Ulmash states loudly, pointing a hoof towards you, "Winner: Onyxia."
You see Steel approaching you, and Twonyxia approaching Valor to help him up, as he smiles, putting a hoof on your shoulder with pride. "Our lessons are paying off."

>PAUSED

>>717549
Valor smiles, shaking his head as he continues to fix his hair (now with Twonyxia's help). "As I said: no rush."

As you urge Steel to send you some love again, he tenses up, not quite sure how to respond. "Oh. Uh… I love you?"
>You feel sort of the same sensation as before, with the armor gladly siphoning some of it off, though not as much.

Ulmash raises an eyebrow at your theory. "Well, we knew it was 'alive', it's biological armor, but you mean it's, sapient? Intelligent?"

>>717550
You tug up on the strings, having felt them connect to something far away under the surface of the water, like a fisherman making a hook on his line. Your newly divine-empowered strings pull, and you see a large, oval shape begin to ascend from the waves, the water shaking as your plesiosaur lets out a roar of surprise as the massive figure ascends from beneath the water, hoisted up and caught in your strings.

Bossa and Plasm both look on with surprise as you casually force the figure to emerge from the water, looking on as they see a large, jet-black submarine being pulled out of the ocean waters. Both blink in shock, Plasm taking a step forward.
"Is… is that a damned submarine?!"
"Yeah…" Bossa confirms, "And I got a pretty good guess who it belongs to." She points to a mark by the side of it, indicating the Order of Eon's symbol emblazoned on the side.
Soon, you see movement from the top of the submarine, the top hatch opening up, a new and unfamiliar voice calling out from within
"Hey! Holding our fire, just a minute: don't go slicing up our ride just yet!"

>>717551
"Are you here to swear your loyalty to me and give me all your possessions?" she asks.

>>717551
"I think it is," Onyxia answers, "During the fight, it felt like the armor was actually trying to help me. Almost like it's aware of everything, like an animal. And… I felt it take some of the love from Steel just now, twice."
Onyxia explains, trying to piece together the things she felt.
"…I think it only acted the way it did to Dad because it was hungry."

>>717552
"Hah… not quite!" the voice shouts out, and out from the top of the submarine deck pokes the head of a ruby-red crystal pony. The pony wears a long, crimson garb that takes a modern approach to classical imperial robes, and noticeably a missing right-foreleg. He grins, waving his hoof at you from atop the deck of the sub.

"I just came to talk. Hope that's cool: last guy I tried to talk to wasn't so conversational, but you strike me as a mare who can be reasonable. Loving the new look by the way: found some dreamstone already?"

Bossa spits off the side of the plesiosaur, "Rubianca. Looks like the Order's finally catching up. How are you doing you little piss-ant?"

"Come on, Bossa, is that anyway to treat an old friend?" Rubianca grins, trying to seem nonchalant. You notice he has several deep scars along his body. "Yeah, we wanted to try and catch up to you earlier, but those seals Steel use aren't quite as accurate as when Wing's doing it. Looks like you lucked out. I was hoping you'd be willing to bargain all business like for the dreamstone you stole from the monkeys."

>>717553
Steel turns towards you in surprise. "It's stealing my love from you? Is that… good?"
"Well…" Twonyxia coughs, "It might help manage her controlling the 'intake'."

"That's… surprising." Valor says, finishing having fixed his pony-tail back into its proper place. "Nothing from what we read said that the armor was intelligent. Is it speaking to you, verbally? Is it 'pony' intelligence or, more animal?"

"When your father tried it on," Ulmash clarifies, "He took it off rather quickly after feeling it poking at his mind. He was afraid it was going to try and pull him under 'hive' control again but, maybe it was less malicious than that."

>>717554
"I'm not looking for negotiations, only servants. Join me, or go away. Plasm, keep our fish moving."

>>717554
"I don't know… It might help like that, but… I don't really like the idea of it taking your love that's meant for me."
Onyxia says, with maybe just the slightest bit of jealousy.

"Definitely more animal. I only feel feelings come of it, like determination during the fight, or pain from your arrows, or being happy when we won."
Onyxia explains to Valor, thinking back.
"I wonder if that excitement I was feeling earlier was from the armor too."
She mutters in thought.

Onyxia looks over to Ulmash.
"When you gathered all those changeling treasures, was this armor used in battle or was it in storage? Maybe it just hasn't been used in a long time, which is why it latched on like it did to Dad."

>>717555
"It's actually a reptile. I was looking it up earlier, apparently it isn't even a dinosau-"
"Just move it." Bossa says very curtly, before turning her attention back towards Rubianca. "I'm sure Sight might already be listening, but you can tell the Order to screw off." She says, sounding much more confident against him than she did against Steel. "And we'll be coming for you soon enough."

As Plasm starts to urge the acquatic reptile forwards, the plesiosaur giving a satisfied nod before starting to swim, Rubianca's jaw drops. "Wa-wait, come ON! Why does no one ever wanna just talk it out any more?!" He gives an angry growl, before sticking his hoof forwards, a beam of bright red-light gathering around his hoof tip. "Just hold on a second!"

The right light shoots out in a zig-zag motion, but your previously set-up wire traps all light up at once, a criss-cross grid blocking the laser and fragmenting it into harmless beams that scatter around you. Simultaneously, the wires home-in and grab hold of Rubianca on the submarine, trapping him. However, much to your compatriots' surprise, the wires home in on two other figures who you find half-way crawling out of Bossa Nova's shadow, sticking out half-way as the wires ensnare two figures draped in darkness. Bossa Nova turns around in surprise, looking at her shadow upon the back of the plesiosaur. "What the fuck?!"

"W-what?!" You see one of the figures, a gruff, angry looking goat with a dirty beard and blood-shot eyes, turn towards you, "H-how in the-"
"FUCK!" the second figure, who appears to be yet another Rubianca, is also trapped partway through the shadow. "H-how did they get on us so quick?"

Plasm, Bossa, and Kino all look pretty shook-up at the sudden capture of the enemy, who your newly empowered strings caught in their shining mesh before many realized they were there.
>Rubianca, Rubianca's clone, and the goat all made an attack, but fell victim to traps
>Two traps left up, can control one of them per-turn for two turns

>>717556
Steel smiles. "Neither do I, honestly. There is 'one' pony that love is meant for."
"I hear you…" Twonyxia points out, "But, you have to admit, you could do with a little less love, right? And Steel will always have more for you after you take it off."

As you offer the armor praise, you feel a sense of giddiness or happiness, and the sudden urge to waggle your own tail as the armor skitters at the back of your head. Valor reaches up and rubs his chin, "Animal-like intellect… perhaps to take advantage of animal-instinct? This is pretty far-fetched as a theory, but perhaps its creator made it that way to make it able to act on its own without risking taking over entirely. That's more than I would have ever given it credit for, though."

Ulmash shakes her head, "It was in storage: from what we could tell, it hadn't been used in decades, maybe even centuries. If what you're saying is true, it may have been alone for all that time…" She frowns. "That is not a happy thought."

>>717557
Southern slices the Rubianca clone into pieces, all while making more Traps.

[1d10+3], using auto-instant minion kill

"Stand down before I have to do that again," Southern says. "You chose to limit your options from what I gave you. Now your choices are to submit or die."

Roll #1 8 + 3 = 11

>>717557
"W-Well, yea. But I don't want it to siphon off from a good moment!"
Onyxia mldly protests.

Onyxia look back as her tail wags, her body reflexively going with the impulse.
"That would be a smart way of doing it. Almost like making a pet that'd help you in a fight."
She scratches the back of her neck at the skitter, rethinking her analogy.
"Hmm, putting it that way makes it a little uncomfortable to be wearing it…"

"That long? Even if it wasn't alive, that's a terrible waste of an armor."
Onyxia says in disbelief.
"If it really was that long, I'm surprised it can still move."
Onyxia pauses in thought.
"That would explain why it worked when I put it on though, with my "condition"."
She says, a little embarrassed at summing herself up as a snack for the armor.

>>717558
The strings cut into Rubianca's light clone, dicing it into ribbons as the light particle effects spread everywhere, Rubianca and the goat both looking on at it pretty shocked as you string up more wires around you, bringing the total number of traps up to four. Bossa Nova looks back at her shadow, sweat beading down her head.
"Moving through this shadow… Zill?!"

The goat looks pained by the wires cutting into him, but offers a smile all the same. "Hey, Bossa-a-a-a-a-a. L-like the new look?"
"…so you DID survive the building's collapse."
"I'm a.. grrnt… slippery little devil, ain't I?"

As you make your offer known to Rubianca and Zill, Rubianca turns his head as much as he can, "H-hey, come on, give us a break here- I was just trying to stop you from leaving so rudely! Can't we work out another deal? I-I mean, you know what the Order will do to us if we just submit-"
Plasm turns his head back, "If anything like Bossa Nova, I think it's worked out decently so far. Also, I used to work for the Order… indirectly, but still."

Zill grins, "That offer even open for me? We cool like that?"

>>717559
Steel smiles, "Then, we'll make sure you don't wear it during the good moments."

As you wag your tail, Valor and Twonyxia both give each other a worried glance, before Twonyxia points it out, "I uh… I assume that's the 'armor', not you?"
"Well, it's a little disconcerting, but, in a way, that does make it more intuitive in battle. Still, I don't know… I still think you should take it off."
The skitter slows, a chill going down your spine.

Ulmash shakes her head, "Well, there was only so much we could do: it ONLY reacted to changelings, of which there was only a single one in the entire Empire. And then that one it almost felt like it wanted to take over. If you meant why the Changelings didn't use it for all that time… I'm actually not sure. I was under the impression it was too old and would break upon use, but, you clearly show it's more than usable. And, I dare say it's taken a liking to you."

>>717560
"Give me the last of my string and you may live, in submission to me as your ruler and god forever. If you should prove your greatness and loyalty, I will give you a kingdom to rule for yourself; land to tame and servants to command as you see fit. Or you can fight me and die here."

>>717560
"Yea, I think it's gotten a little happy with all this talk about it."
Onyxia says, taking a second to stop her tail under the armor's movement. As the chill goes down her spin as Valor still sounds unsure, Onyxia reaches out and pats her shoulder, or the armor's pauldron to be specific, to help ease it.
"I think you should speak a little more positively at the armor. From what I can tell it doesn't mean any harm, but I think it gets upset easily."
She says to Valor.

"I'm not surprised, I gave it it's first run in Celestia knows how long."
Onyxia says with a laugh.
"…But, speaking about that," Onyxia pauses in unsure thought, "…Does it have to go back in the case?"

>>717561
Zill shakes his head, "No can do, sweet-heart… I told you, I gave that string off to the big-wigs a long time ago." He grins, "Buuut… let me go, and maybe I can get it back for you, huh?"
Plasm grimaces. "Right, you seem like the trust-worthy sort…"
"Come on, do you even really need your string back? Look at where you've gotten without it!" He smiles, "A god, huh? Feels pretty good, I bet. To think, if it weren't for me taking it away, you wouldn't even be here, joining at the top of the food chain. Ways I see it, you owe me."
Bossa grips her guitar, sticking it at Zill's throat. "Funny, 'ways I see it', you're about ten seconds from me seeing how much of a smear I can make across the back of this dinosaur."
"Hahahah! Well, to answer the question… I can only get you the string if you let me go. But do that, and I think I'll wisely consider the offer, assuming I can get me some of that dreamstone as well."

Rubianca grins, "Well, well, if Zill's thinking about it… I really like the idea of owning my own kingdom, but lemme ask you a question: we going to kill a lot of guys? I mean, that's practically the whole reason I signed up with the Order in the first place."

Plasm whispers to you, "I should let you know, Bossa had at least a 'mostly' clean slate. From what I've read in the data we got from Claw, Rubianca is a wanted mass-murderer in the era we were just in. I don't know if we should just accept that…"
>Still trapped, no actions taken yet so I haven't moved down the timer

>>717562
Twonyxia and Ulmash can't help both but suppress a few snickers as you try and hold down your own tail from wagging. As you pat down the shoulder of the armor to soothe it, it actually seems to work, reducing the chills and returning the comforting 'happy' clicking at the back. "It's… sensitive?" Valor says, a bit bewildered. "Seems somewhat ironic… isn't an armor supposed to be impervious? I mean, take your fine Steel for example: a living exemplar of stoic and hardy demeanor. Exactly what I imagine when I think of living armor."
Steel gives a heavy frown at Valor. "…thanks."
"You're quite welcome, my friend."

Ulmash nods, "Yes, I think that may definitely have something to do with that. But, to answer the question…" Ulmash sighs, "I… really think it's supposed to. You have to remember, Onyxia, this isn't exactly 'ours' to play around with. We're supposed to be keeping it safe."
"But-" Twonyxia speaks up, "That was before we realized it was this 'alive'. It's not just a thing anymore, it has feelings."
"It's a hard question to ask, I must admit. Where exactly do we draw the line?" Ulmash mumbles. "…I assume you would argue against it going back? Can you be sure it isn't a danger?"

>>717563
Southern ponders this for a moment, then gestures to Zill and Rubianca.

"Fight for it. The survivor shall follow me into eternal glory, rewarded in the highest measure for his loyalty."

>>717563
Onyxia gives Valor a look at his rather flat description of Steel, seeing how Steel is also displeased with it.
"Maybe changelings have a different ideal for armor."

"I know… But after feeling it now, I just can't stick it back in that case. It needs to eat at the very least!"
Onyxia says in her defense.
"Well, from what I've felt, it hasn't done anything dangerous. And we just fought the Prince of the Crystal Empire. If this armor wanted to do anything bad, it would have already."

makin some mo' traps
[1d10+3]

Roll #1 3 + 3 = 6

>>717564
>>717566
>Two more traps made, total brought to 6
As you make the offer to the two of them, Zill and Rubianca look to each other, each grinning widely as they heavily contemplate the offer.
"Well… a battle to the death?" Rubianca says, "Sounds like fun. I heard lots of fun rumors about Zill, wouldn't mind testing it out."
Zill looks towards Rubianca, grinning as well. "Right back at you, boy… this goat wasn't exactly my ideal next choice for a body. Maybe if I took yours instead, I wouldn't have gotten caught so quickly."
"I think between dying here or living as a king, the choice seems pretty obvious. Alright, I'm game!"
Zill turns his head, nodding as well. "Agreed. We'll even do it right here and now. I assume you'll let us out of these strings now? A little hard to kill each other all tied up like this, darling."

Plasm and Bossa both look to each other, Bossa reaching up to rub at the back of her neck. "I… I know I turned kinda quick but, that was faster than I was expecting for these guys."
Plasm leans in, whispering, "I agree… I smell something. You really going to let them go?"

>>717565
Twonyxia moves over, bumping into Valor on one of his more sore spots from the battle, not-so-subtly giving him a reminder to be nice. As he winces, he turns towards you, "I suppose that's possible. Changelings do thrive on emotion. Perhaps an emotional armor is only sensible." He grins, hoping to have caught back some favor.

Ulmash nods, "Right, especially good point on it having just had a good opportunity to exact any vengeance it may have held… alright. In which case, Onyxia, as one of the Crystal Empire's most trusted blacksmiths, I believe I can feel confident leaving this armor in your care. Please, treat it with love, as I've seen you give all your works."
Twonyxia smiles, "Teeechnically *my* works but, you know what she means."

>>717567
Southern makes more Traps [1d10+3]

"Oh, I don't think so… I didn't say I'd force you to fight alone. Whosoever pledges his unquestioning, absolutely loyalty to me, here and now, will get a bit of extra help."

She flexes the strings, moving their limbs, to demonstrate her point. "So who's it going to be?"

Roll #1 1 + 3 = 4

>>717567
Onyxia snickers as her twin jabs Valor.
"Maybe there's an edge it gives in battle they knew about. I wonder if Exonich made it with that emotion, or if it picked it up later on."

Onyxia looks at Ulmash, astonished at what she heard.
"R-Really? I can keep it?"
She says, just to be sure of it.
"Oh thank you, I'll treat it as if it was my own craft!"
Onyxia says with excitement over the news, a big smile on her face as she goes forward and hugs Ulmash for the gift.

>>717568
As their limbs move along to your commands, both Zill and Rubianca open their eyes wide in surprise… and realization.
"Oh…" Zill murmurs. "Oh shit. C-come on, that's hardly sporting, I-"

"I swear!" Rubianca blurts out first, "Dibs, called it!"
"You FUCKING brat, what happened to loyalty?!" Zill cries out. "Hey, forget him, you want ME anyways: you notice this guy only has three legs? One of them got ripped off by Nero like tissue-paper, I at least had to make you guys work to kill me."
Rubianca grins. "*I* know where Mammon is going to be. We know you're looking for him: where else were you going to get more dreamstone? Take me, and I'll show you."

Zill turns towards Rubianca, his goat-eyes widened. "You do? I mean, s-so do I! We all know that!"
"No you don't, liar-liar-pants-on-fire. You've barely had any time to get filled in on shit since pulling yourself out of that rubble in my era."

>>717569
Valor smiles. "Yes… yes, I think you may have made your point. Painfully, I might add. But, another time," he nods towards his sword. "I wouldn't mind testing it again, just to be sure."

Ulmash is taken by surprise as you rush to hug her, the armor itself skittering with joy mixed in with your own. Ulmash returns the gesture, wrapping her wings around you, and nuzzles into your head as she laughs, "I don't doubt you will for a second, Onyxia. I think it'll see better use with you than kept in a dusty old treasury. If it really is as alive as you say, I'm sure it appreciates it."

Valor chuckles, "You know, I don't know if you quite have the authority to do that, Princess of Miracles: I think mother and father will have words for you when they discover it's been given away."
"You'd do any different?"
"Not really, no. But just pointing out the obvious."
"Mother and Father will understand. And if they don't, well, perhaps we'll have just have to hope for the best."
"With you, 'hoping for the best' tends to lead to good results."

>PAUSE

>Southern sits back and enjoys her carrots. "Just leave it and lock it up tight," Bossa says. She then turns to Rubianca. "We'll figure something out."

Bossa waves back in confirmation as you nibble on your carrots. "Right, got it. Time to figure out if submarines have parking breaks…"
Rubianca shouts back, "They do, on the side of the console! Took me and Zill a bit to figure that out…" the ruby crystal pony turns to you, snickering. "Hah, yeah, I'm sure we will. Worse comes to worse, something tells me YOU can take her now."

Bossa Nova 'parks' the submarine off shore, and then returns to Nessy (as she named the Plesiosaur), hoping on as the reptile continues its way upriver, Plasm begrudgingly grabbing more carrots for you as you recline in your chair.

After a bit on the river, you see a pillowing tower of smoke emanating over the tree-tops, and the temperature steadily rises as you hear the 'pops' of lava. Rubianca climbs up to the top of Nessy, much to the dinosaur's irritation, and points ahead. "Volcano ho! Hehe, as in, I see the 'volcano', not Volsa. See what I di-"
"I'm starting to wish you kept Zill instead." Plasm grumbles.

>>719127
She makes another chair with magic, then pushes Plasm into it. Periodically, she will take a carrot and feed it to him instead of the reverse.

"Alright, where's that volcano hoe?" she asks as they draw nearer.

>>719129
As you make another chair for Plasm, the mutant pony turns with surprise as you push him into it. "What th-"
He grunts as his seat gets planted, then looks to you with surprise in his eyes as you offer HIM a carrot in return. "O-oh! Uh, that's… appreciated, but, you don't have to-"
"For Luna's sake just take the damn treat, No. 3." Bossa teases, before Plasm huffs.
"Fine… if you insist." He says, taking the carrot in the corner of his mouth and chewing it slowly. Appreciatively.

As you turn around a bend in the river, a great sea of steam rises to meet you, and Nessy holds off in her advance. It would appear that a flow of lava eeps out of the volcano ahead, meeting with the flow of the river and solidifying into rock hard obsidian that seperates the rest of the lava flow going one direction, and the other part of the river going around it deeper inland. Looking up the volcano, you see it is constantly spewing lava from its peak, and there are several caves that lead inwards along its slope. Each one is guarded by what appear to be living creatures of magma, pacing around the front of each entrance.

Rubianca gives a good look around the front, before shaking his head. "I don't see her. Probably inside, doing who knows what."
"So, what's the plan?" Plasm asks between chews of his carrots. "Sneak in, force our way in? If Volsa 'is' home she might appreciate us making our presence known at least, know we want to bargain."

>>719136
"Rubianca, go in there and announce us. Use lots of fanfare. Make it look good," she commands. "Bossa, come here."

Assuming Bossa does, she will make another chair on Plasm's other side, then gesture for him share a carrot with her too.

>>719139
Rubianca looks to you as you ask him to make introductions. "You want ME to knock?"
"You want HIM to knock?" Bossa replies in turn, before another chair is made for her to sit down with. "Huh. Yeah, you go roll out the welcome mat, Rubicanca. I got managerial stuff to take care of." She says humbly as she moves to lay out much more relaxed and readily than Plasm does (the officer still a bit stiff even as you feed him another carrot), and opens her mouth greedily as she passes on to you as well to munch on.

Rubianca grins. "Well, hey, trust me: if there is ONE thing I can do, it's put on a show. Well, that and murder but, they usually go hoof-in-hoof. I'll hold the murder this time though, just for you." He winks, confidently striding out onto the cool obsidian (mostly: he hops a few times as he steps on the burning rock), and strides up to the front of the volcano. You see him from the river, watching him clear his throat as he begins shouting up at the mountain.
"Attention, may I have your attention please! I, the mighty and brilliant master of scarlet light, Rubianca, act on behalf of the newest, baddest, and hottest goddess this side of the zeroth century: the goddess of… uh…" he pauses, thinking for a moment, "The Goddess of Garments, Southern Point!" With this, he starts up his light magic, sending out several dozen pin-point lights that loop around in a dazzling display resembling your strings. "She seeks an audience with Volsa, Lady of the Volcano!" He pauses, awkwardly trying to think of what to say next. "So uh… she home?"

After a bit, the lava elementals turn to look at one another, before one dips further inside the cave. Before too much longer, an elderly looking, red unicorn cave stallion comes out, several obsidian rocks wrapped around his neck like tribal beads and burned in several spots along his body. He holds a solid stone staff in one hoof that he taps against the ground, calling out to you.

"Great Volsa is no home! Gone, to seek lost treasure of Prominence! Will return soon, but me am able to bring word to her through veil of fire! Great Juju Shaman Atak would ask, what business does new goddess have of Great Volsa? Me would invite goddess into volcano to speak!"

>>719147
"We're going to go kill Mammon and want her to come along."

>>719150
As you make your announcement so boldly, it seems to give Atak pause, visible concern upon his face as he looks all around him, as though expecting the ape-demon to be around any corner. He offers his hoof to you from up on high on the slope, waving it into the interior of the volcano.

"…come. Volsa want to hear this herself. Me can only speak to her through sacred veil of fire."

Rubianca coughs, "And uh, what of us, her humble servants?"
Bossa grumbles, "YOU'RE a servant. I'm like upper management…"

Atak grumbles, "Servants may come… IF they no cause trouble. You keep them in line, or Volsa be big angry when she return. Whole volcano go 'boom'." With that, he heads inside, beckoning you to follow.

>>719153
Southern follows, putting away the carrots.