It's About Time, part 2.5: Journey to Tartarus

[no_vampires_plz]

As the three humans, one Hyrulian, one unicorn, and one demon-dog press forward, the character of the woods around them changes. The undergrowth gets denser, the canopy above lets in less light, and the flora in general is much more... exotic than what one usually sees in the woods by the lake.

"Now, I know that the pathway to Tartarus starts somewhere in this general area," says Twilight. "But I don't know of its exact location. It's not something that ponies really want to advertise."

Comments

[fiss84]

Watching and not doing anything was really hard for 84 but duty to those who can't protect themselves is important. She's glad Moon Shadow is okay now though his...display causes a blush and an arched eyebrow.

"Is it down?" she asks since everyone else seems distracted. The last thing they need is a jack-in-the-box surprise monster centipede.

[no_vampires_plz]

Good question. Its legs are still twitching...

[gorgonfondness]

Mia raises up just a little to get a look at the giant, twitching insect.

She then looks back to Twilight and mouths, "You okay?"

[no_vampires_plz]

"I'm fine. But Moon Shadow..."

[sky_child]

Link won't consider the thing dead until it's stopped moving.

Or at least until its mandibles are gone. And since he's found that weakpoint, he'll keep hitting it until that happens.

Or until he has to change his plan of attack. But for now, he's still slashing away at that weak point.

[basic_powers]

"I...I am just very, very sick of things thinking that I am some sort of snack. I am not edible dangit." He's getting up and trying to wipe off the giant millipede drool and blood that he's covered in.

Link is...well dang if Link isn't handling that giant bug perfectly.

"...And the thing is I can't tell if that was better or worse than the time the dragon tried to eat me."

[fiss84]

With Moon Shadow talking normally, the last of 84's tension vanishes. She'll still keep her eye on the ceiling and the walls for any signs of movement though.

She's not at all surprised that Moon Shadow has fought, and survived fighting, a dragon. He is Moon Shadow after all.

[no_vampires_plz]

"--wait, you got eaten by a dragon??'

[basic_powers]

"And I have one of his teeth to prove it. Before that it was a rampaging marshmallow monster."

...things that eat him have this tendency to wind up dead. Or in many pieces over the landscape.

"...Twilight, I will explain later, I promised you that."

[gorgonfondness]

"I was right," Mia says to Twilight. "Our friends are strong."

She stands again, ready to continue on.

[sky_child]

Link is still hacking away at the monster, meanwhile. And he's not being quiet about it, either.

[basic_powers]

..Right he's only got a wooden sword right now, and how the heck that just appeared in his hand is anyone's guess, but he's going to see about attacking some of those legs himself now.

It's not just to help Link out. He really dislikes getting eaten. And that it's become such a thing for him.

"rrrRRRRrrrr...."

[fiss84]

"Are they okay?" 84 asked Mia and Twilight as she's not sure what to do. "Should I go help?"

[no_vampires_plz]

"Uh, I'm pretty sure it's dead, guys," calls Twilight. "Guys?"

[gorgonfondness]

"They just need to get it out of their system," Mia says, covering her smile with her hand.

[sky_child]

Yeah, Link's noticed that the thing's decidedly not moving...

"...oh...I guess it's dead..."

[basic_powers]

So what if it's dead? Moon Shadow's just going to work and getting a few chunks off of the creature for himself.

"No one minds if I take some of the mandibles or legs, do they? I know someone who will want to see what they can make with these."

[fiss84]

"As long as I don't have to carry it," 84 replies a little worried. He may be Moon Shadow but he's still a boy and they can be so gross sometimes.

[no_vampires_plz]

"Or me," adds Twilight. She draws the line at carrying dead animal parts.

[gorgonfondness]

"I can carry extras," Mia offers.

Who knows? There might even be a magical use for the spoils.

[sky_child]

Link's...pretty sure he can't hold any of that anywhere, but that won't stop him from staring at the monster's corpse, wondering if he could use its parts as potion ingredients.

...if Mr. Bertie had any idea what to do with those parts.

[basic_powers]

"I've got space in my packs, you don't have to worry."

No, seriously, he just made a mandible, a section of bug armor, and a couple of legs just disappear into somewhere.

...probably the same place he pulled that sword from.

"I'm going to be safe and grab a few extra. Just in case."

[fiss84]

84 tries to peer in without being too obvious about it, which of course means she's obvious about it.

[no_vampires_plz]

"We should get going," says Twilight. "Before anything else has a chance to escape."

[gorgonfondness]

"You're right. Especially since more of us are on foot now."

Not that Mia seems to mind this development too much. She didn't have the family carpet when she was out saving the world.