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Post by laserbolt on Jun 17, 2014 0:20:04 GMT
As Laserbolt's vision drifted in and out, he tried to communicate with whoever was pulling him. If honest trickery didn't work, perhaps pulling rank would. "D-don't you knnnnnnow who I ammmmmm? Immmmmm Lllllluuuuunaaaaa's rrrright hooof. I don't d-dessssserve this trrreatment." He was still conscious enough to realize how badly he was slurring his words. Hopefully the message got across.
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jun 17, 2014 17:35:30 GMT
The mare in latex gave the phone back. "Keep it. You'll need it soon enough. That way we can get a hold of you if you're in trouble."
The griffon chick called Switch gave her a look, and Trinity looked back steadily, as if to say, break it to him slowly.
To which, of course, the answering glare was since when did we start caring about breaking it slowly?
"He got away."
"A survivable setback."
"The informant is real."
"We know their plan."
"They think She knows."
"She doesn't know everything."
Aside from the fading ringing in his ears, and the sound of his body being half-dragged back down the ladder into the car, there was no answer from the guard. It wasn't until about a minute later, as far as he could tell, that he felt a bottle being lifted to his lips. He could already feel the potion clearing up his pounding headache and ringing ears; he should probably drink a little.
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jun 17, 2014 17:43:18 GMT
Neon says, "Sure. I will hold on to it for now." He seams to still be uneasy. He looks out the window for a bit. He then closes his eyes and begins to meditate. As he meditates he hums quietly to himself, his horn a very faint neon white glow. He thinks, "I will have to rebuild all my algorithms and remake my wings, with modifications of course. i need get me a new bass blaster or even a bass cannon. I can remember how they are made which is good. I also need to rework my meditation cycles and probably get a new job. This is going to be on hay of a night. Luckily for me it isn't my last."
((Meditation state = By entering his meditation state, Neon gives up sight for increase hearing, E.S.P. and mana usage awareness. He also gains the focused mind passive special ability, that reduces his mana consumption and allows for basic spell recall/preperation.)) |
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Post by laserbolt on Jun 17, 2014 17:52:06 GMT
"'is had better not be a trick," Laserbolt muttered as he took a small sip from the bottle, and looked up at his... rescuer? Kidnapper? He still didn't know exactly what he'd gotten into.
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jun 18, 2014 14:49:08 GMT
It was a tense trip, but fortunately it didn't seem that they were being followed, and shortly Runner and his new acquaintances arrived at an old, slightly abandoned-looking building that probably used to be a hotel of some sort.
As they climbed the stairs, Runner noticed that many of the ponies here wore black trenchcoats and sunglasses. Was this some sort of gang? No, it didn't matter. He'd find out soon enough, from the person he'd waited all his life to meet.
Trinity stopped at a door, then turned to the stallion.
"This is it. Let me give you one piece of advice. Be honest. She knows more than you can imagine."
As they entered the grand room, they saw a mare in a black trenchcoat standing at a window, looking out as raindrops fell like streaming lines of code. She turned around dramatically, and he almost could have imagined her folding her hooves behind her back if she had been bipedal rather than a normal pony.
"At last. Welcome, Neo. As you no doubt have guessed, I am Morpheus."
The potion cleared up Laserbolt's tinnitus and vision rather quickly, along with his headache. Whatever it was, it was some strong stuff. The guard who had been pulling him was surprisingly young, though his eyes were mature. Most guards' eyes were, considering what they saw on a day-to-day basis. He looked down at the stallion with a grim smile.
"Good, the potion worked. Briar Blossom, at your service."
He thought for a moment, then scowled. "And don't say anything about my last name, please."
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jun 18, 2014 17:12:31 GMT
Neon Runner says, after she introduced herself, "To be honest with you, name's Neon now. I had a bad run in that forced me to retire the name neo. other then that A pleasure to meet you. Odd place you have here? What's with all the trench coats and glasses?" he looks around taking in all the details he can see and hear. the focused mind passive helping his awareness.
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Post by laserbolt on Jun 18, 2014 20:58:06 GMT
"Why would I say anything about- oooohhhh, my head." Laser sat up, holding his head. "Well, in any case, nice to meet you. Sweet Celestia, everything hurts..." Laserbolt's eyes opened up suddenly. "Wait. Did you pull me from that train wreck?"
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jun 19, 2014 22:26:03 GMT
Morpheus smiled. "No, the pleasure is mine. Please, come. Sit down."
She grinned at the mention of the herd's attire. "Outside of this building, for concealing our identity. We wouldn't want members of our little group to get singled out by Agents of this place, after all."
The mare sat down in one of the pair of sofas that had been arranged in front of the fireplace, with a small table between them. "And be proud of that name. It's a good thing, if dangerous, to fight authority and seek independence. In fact, believe it or not, it is the name of 'Neo' that brought you to our attention as well. It takes a certain type of pony to bring about the sort of successes you've managed to make in such a short time."
Morpheus motioned at the run-down building, the other oddly-dressed ponies and griffons. "I imagine that right now you're feeling a bit like Alice, tumbling down the rabbit hole, hm? I can see some of it in your eyes. You have the look of a stallion who accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up. Ironically, this is not far from the truth."
She leaned forward, looking Runner in the eyes. "Do you believe in fate, my friend? And why, or why not?"
Briar nodded seriously as the headache slowly cleared, allowing Laser to realize that they were sitting only half a car away from a gigantic gaping and half-burning hole.
"Those ponies meant business, and I'd not have wanted to face them on my own. You're Laserbolt, aren't you? Princess Luna's own Student? What's a pony like you doing, getting shot at by assassins like them?"
The guard looked intently at the colt, and for the first time Laser could see that Briar was wearing a necklace of sorts, with the symbol of the Moon on it.
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Post by laserbolt on Jun 19, 2014 23:01:29 GMT
Laserbolt glanced at the necklace, and nodded slowly. "You're a Son of the Moon. That's what that sigil means, yeah?"
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jun 19, 2014 23:28:32 GMT
Neon Runner nods in agreement and responds, "Fate can be fickle, but it is we who chose the path that makes our fate. I am both Neo and Neon. I know that one of these names will be forever lost in the time to come. I do believe but I also believe we have a choice."
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jun 20, 2014 1:43:43 GMT
The guard looked around to make sure nopony was listening, then cast a silencing spell around them.
"Yes. But it is best not to say so out loud these days. I have a few guesses as to why those assassins were after you, but whatever it is that the Princess told you to do, you should get it done quickly. I don't know where the explosives came from, only that there's likely more than one group at work here, and whatever's going on, it's not pretty. I can't stay much longer. Just know that some of us are looking out for you, Laserbolt. Night Hideth All."
" I know exactly what you mean," grinned Morpheus, leaning back in her chair.
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because you know something. What you know you can't explain, but you feel it. You've felt it your entire life - that there's something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it's there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I'm talking about?"
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jun 20, 2014 3:07:12 GMT
Runner says honestly, "I believe I do. When something seams to go wrong but suddenly is fixed within minutes or something feels as if it is a dream but you know your awake. I always get the feeling that awake and asleep are one in the same for some odd reason? Is this 'normal'?"
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Post by laserbolt on Jun 20, 2014 18:16:23 GMT
Laserbolt laughed weakly. "Thought that was my line. I guess it's some sort of handshake? Day hideth naught." He struggled to pull himself to his hooves. "Thank you, Briar. I'm glad somepony had a plan up there... 'cause I sure didn't. Incidentally, since the train is wrecked, you want to walk me to Ponyville? I don't have my bags, and, consequently, barely any protection."
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Post by wanderingmagus on Jun 20, 2014 18:53:41 GMT
Morpheus grinned widely.
"There is a name for that which you are sensing, Neo. It is called the Matrix. The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us, even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes."
The mare leaned forward, looking intently into the stallion's eyes. "It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth: that you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage, born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind..."
She reached into her trenchcoat and pulled out a small tin can, like the sort that would usually hold mints. "Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself."
From the can, she took out two pills, one red, and one blue, and set them on two different saucers with a single tea cup in the middle. "This is your last chance. After this there is no turning back. You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. Remember, all I'm offering is the truth, nothing more."
Briar helped Laserbolt stand up, then motioned at the train, which was still moving despite having lost about half its cars. "It's actually probably safest to stay on the train and get off a short ways before actually reaching the Ponyville station, if that's where the Princess told you to go. Be careful when you get there. I have to report back soon. Oh, and here."
He gave the stallion a pair of small amulets.
"These little tokens double as communication and one-time teleportation devices. Press here to talk, crush to teleport to wherever its twin is. Could be useful in an emergency. One-time use, though. Take care of yourself, Laser."
With that, he got up and dispelled the silencing bubble, going over to the other guards and engaging in conversation with them. Laserbolt was standing next to a booth, a safe distance from the gaping hole in the back of the train car. He could see the remains of explosives and what probably used to be a pile of luggage. Most likely, the dynamite had been stowed inside the bags and crates.
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Post by Midnight_Aurora on Jun 20, 2014 19:00:16 GMT
Runner's telekinesis looks to just about wrap the blue one but then fully wraps the red one. He drinks the tea after swallowing the red pill. he then says after finishing, "What's next?"
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