>>41073695
Inspect benis :DDD

>>41073695
Have we tried getting acquainted at the very least with our cell mates? Better to know who we're dealing with than being strangers indefinitely.

>>41073915
"So...who are you two? You don't look so good." You ask awkwardly as the bug horse twitches her ear, ear locking onto you, "So the creature speaks...I am, was...the queen of the changeling race. Now I'm, nothing." It was almost sad to hear such a thing, to lose ones people...

"And how about you mysterious shadow? Are you faring alright?" You ask with concern over the mysterious shade. Her eyes gaze into your soul as she releases an sigh, "Your concern isn't required, I am not so pitiful as to need it...but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Over the next few hours, you began to exchange names, small talk, etc. Chrysalis, and Nightmare, and you...an herald of destruction of the current order. Not even you remember your origin, you simply, were. Wandering the world is an almost comatose state. Called towards Equestria by almost instinct. A poor excuse for food that was slop was served as you sat patiently, spooning the slop into your stomach to keep your strength up.

[Time passes as you talk to your cell mates, but what about?]

>>41074280
Who's gonna end up on the chopping block first? My vote is that we eat ze bug.

>>41074280
Complain about ponies locking us up over our fucking mark that we know nothing about, while they walk around with their own willy nilly.
Hopefully the topic of bad mouthing ponies for a while will get us to be liked more by them. Other than that? Search around the cell. Doubt ponies would dumb enough to leave an escape opportunity, but you never know.
>>41074288
But what does a shadow actually taste like? That's the more interesting question.

>>41074280
I see two ways out of here. The radical one: amputate the offending hand. The rest of our body doesn't appear to make the pony society feel insecure. The classical one: seduce the jail guard using our weary charisma and steal the keys. Jail guard like love songs as much as anybody else.

>>41074437
I don't think the guards like us at all.

>>41074288
>>41074304

This is some downright bullshit, to be judged so harshly for something one could not change or alter was so heinous a crime, then no wonder was the land itself rioting against the incumbent rule of the land. "We need to find a way outta here...I'm not going to spend my existence rotting in this hole."

The two look up at your hopefulness, wondering what could drive a creature such as you to see a way out of this situation when they, powerful beings, could not. "It's hopeless to try, we've not the power to escape by hoof even if the way was opened expressly for us..." Nightmare explains limply as she smolders in the corner, afraid to be evaporated by sunlight. And Chrysalis too starved of love to even truly lift her body, an somber position it seemed. Though mayhap you could try something to help them regain their power?

[Time to plan what's to come next.]
A. Teamwork makes the dream 'of escape' work.
B. Time to do the Ole pretend to be sick and hurt routine.
C. Write In

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>>41074535
Teamwork

>>41074535
How about we do A.

>>41074535
A. Still need a good plan, which is hard with the lack of what we know of our surroundings, but committing to teamwork is a start.

>>41074652
>>41076289
"So...we need to work together to get out of this mess, I don't plan to go out like this, and neither should you?" You state as you get up. "Alright Chrysalis, Nightmare, what can we do to get you two in tip top shape?"

"Well this changeling feeds off of love, and I am unable to maintain more than this form, drained of magic with no body to...support my existence."

"Hmm, would I make an suitable host for your form to subsist in sunlight? And how does one to give another love? Do I just uh, hand it over?"

Nightmare seems to consider it before nodding, "Yes, I suppose if you have sufficient magic to leech off of I should be able to survive as youe 'shadow',"Nightmare states as she as she attempts to attach to your body, "Hmm, you seem to have an greater reserve of magic than I thought possible? Though the bottleneck seems to be your only issue. Such is that of beings who don't use much magic...what is next Aulas?" You nod as you turn to Chrysalis, "Alright bug queen, you can feed on my love. I don't have any waiting for someone so take a deep drink of it."

Lifting Chrysalis up onto your chest, you lean in to give her a kiss, "H-hey, I'm not just going to kiss some barbarian...l-love..." She aggressively and with sudden ferocity kisses you, the feeling of color draining from your vision as you slowly began to grow weaker. Your not sure when to stop as you suddenly almost pass out before Nightmare takes control of you hand and shoves Chrysalis off you as breath in deeply the dust filled air. Cough, cough! "Gods be damned, you trying to kill me you vampire!?"

Chrysalis smirks as she rises to her hooves, blushing lightly as she shakes her grogginess from her form. "I thank you, I might have gotten...carried away creature. But I must say your determination has inspired us, our mutual hatred for Celestia will bind us for the time being...and your love, was delicious. A taste that was sublime amd almost like a pick your own flavor, or perhaps an bouquet of flavor?"

Rrriiiight...,"Well, we can try to force our way out, if we combine our...strengths? We could break the crystalline bars?"
You suggest as the two nod.

[Now all that's left is to ask anything else of them or formulate an possible escape plan...]

>>41076453
First of all, how common do guards come to patrol and/or give us grub? We should time our breakout when there's little to none of them to see or alert everyone.
If we know the best time, and have the strength to break the bars, best next thing to do would be to have Chrysalis quickly scout the area while disguised to get knowledge of guard locations, weapons, and most importantly the exit. She's got to be quick though, since it'll only take a single guard to come and notice the break out.

Might be a good idea to have chrysalis alert the guards of the breakout before falsely reporting where we last went so we can funnel them elsewhere and make it easier for us to escape the dungeon, but better to scout out our options first.

>>41076941
"Alright Chryssi, you know the guard patterns around here, times they patrol or give food?"
"Don't call me that." She says a bit annoyed as you explain to her about trying to divert the guards attention a bit before they find we've escaped. Wouldn't hurt to find the guard spots, Weapons lockup and hopefully the exit.

"You seem to not be as stupid as I thought beast, your clear use of my powers belies the wisdom of a strategist. Now hurry and break the bars before we lose our minds from boredom." Chrysalis says as you pick up an rock and begin to chip at the magic crystalline prison bars, slowing cracking it bit by bit as you took your time.

After an while, you manage to Crack and break the bars with an stone rock, with an small bit of sweat on your brow as Chrysalis take the form of an guard as she headed of to scout the halls and area. Soon returning with some gear, handing you an shortsword and small shield. "Upwards is bad, we need to go deeper down to the base of the mountain before they notice we've gone." Chrysalis says as she tosses you an key as you look at the other cells. Different prisoners locked away behind bars.

[Free the other prisoners or make an silent getaway?]

>>41077702
Some prisoners joining us would be useful in our escape and perhaps would serve as long term support, depending on if they stick with us after our escape. Trouble is that if they start noticing us freeing prisoners, they'll all demand to be let free and yell for the guards out of revenge if we don't free them as well. Could always just have Chrysalis disguise as a guard again and free them to escort out of sight so the other prisoners don't throw a hissy fit.
Search for a group of prisoners strong enough to help but not enough to overpower us should they backstab us for whatever reason.

>>41077702
Even if they don't join us, they can cause a bit of chaos and buy us time to escape. I wonder if there are any that have an axe to grind with the guards and would rather stay back and fight than escape?

Going to respond once I return from the store

>>41078478
>>41078310
With an swip and and a swing of the key in your hand, you hand it over to Chrysalis to start freeing prisoners one by one, two by two, and so on as she tells them a false direction to go escape to while she flies back to us to go and and escape as we began to hurry deeper and deeper into the mines, that went deeper and down ever onwards, the sounds of fighting having started mere minutes after the escape began. Our targets on our backs were probably the biggest out of anyone there so we had to be sure to hide and sneak past any pursuers.

[Ahead is an path, Forward or Downards, but which way?]

>>41079485
Whichever is comfier. If both are comfy, I'd say downwards. Find the darkest shadow of the underground and rechange Nightmare there.

>>41079700
This.

>>41079975

>>41080499

>>41079700
Deeper and down the trio went, through the deep tunnels and caverns into inkest black until Chrysalis told Aulus to stop before an crevice ahead as they rested, letting Nightmare the chance to drain some of your magic with another embrace as she hugged you closely as her horn was pressed to your forehead gently, magical energy siphoned from your body. You felt a bit weaker bymut otherwise you felt completely fine.

Nightmare was able to manifest her body once more as she was another creature of beauty as her starry mane formed an cavalcade of stars. "You look beautiful..."

Nightmare nods humbly as she blushes, "N-naturally...I am the mare of the moon after all." Aulus could only chuckle at her flustered looks he pulls himself up. "Comr on ladies, we should keep moving." Nightmare leaps back into your shadow as you and Chrysalis crosses a gap, leaping and fluttering across.

[Next was an deep decline and another path. An steady path downawards, but which way was right?]

>>41082478
We're the least competent person of the three when it comes to choosing paths in dark underground tunnels. Steady?

>>41082478
The steep one is probably too dangerous to traverse even if it might be quicker.

>>41082478
Anyway, what's their deal? How did they end up in prison?

>>41081083

>>41083709

>>41084442

>>41085312

>>41085598

>>41082522
>>41082573
>>41083204
Walking through the cold and dark caverns, you look to your companions as only silence and hooffalls clatter amongst the dark, lit up by hornlight from Chrysalis. "So ladies...what is it exactly that you did to get locked up anyway?" An awkward silence continues before Nightmare first spoke up.

"I tried to defeat my sister, princess Celestia, my night,so beautiful..was never appreciated, our subjects love and adoration directed only at her. She always set me aside, even as we fought together I was merely a nuisance to her. We were not equals, no matter how she might of construed things in her head. So we fought, I was banished, only to return a thousand years later to lose to her and her disciples friends...the coward." She says with sadness, malice, and loneliness.

More silence went on as Aulus gave his silent condolences to the Mare of The Moon until Chrysalis, perhaps spurred on by Nightmare, would add her own sad backstory. "I wanted to feed my subjects, we feast on love, and we were never able to establish our own culture, greatness, we lived as an wandering, starving mob and horde, trying to merely get by...that is, until I was defeated and my children slain. My heart aches knowing only I remain now." She grimaces at the thought, pain and contempt for those who defeated her clear as day.

You sigh, "Survival comes first, vengeance will come after." Aulus says directed their emotions to the effort of getting out of here. Up next came the final stretch as you could hear voices ahead, women's voices? You sneak forwards to the light as you spot 6 mares standing at the final exit towards freedom. Were you fated to be stopped, imprisoned forever?

[What do you do? 3 vs. 6 aren't exactly ideal odds.]

>>41086313
Do either of them recognize those six? Also, since we hear voices, can we tell why they're here?

>>41086306

>>41087408

>>41086313
How they look?

>>41087863

>>41088979

>>41089757

>>41086789
>>41088312
"Its...it's them." Chrysalis and Nightmare mutter in fear and malice, wary of their power to overcome them despite the odds.

You peak from the shadows as you spot an Pink Mare with an bouncy personality, an yellow mare looking shy yet resolute, an blue one that was bragging to the others about how they would win this no problem. Then was an prim and pompous mare who fears they might have to go in after you three in the dusty cave. An orange mare with a stetson, and lastly an purple mare who seemed to be their leader.

"Looks like we'll have to beat them to get past..." You mutter as the other two seemed apprehensive, "If we work together as one, then maybe we'll have a chance." You tell them as the mark on your hand glowed dimly.

[This was it, the moment of truth...victory or defeat.]

>>41091108
Their fear tells me it wouldn't be so easy. Have there been any paths branching off the main one?

Bump

>>41092304

>>41090291

What should we do now?

>>41092912

>>41093807
Can't really plan with so little info.

>>41094485

>>41091388
"Any other paths around here?" Aulas asks as the two seem to shake their heads, if there was another way then they'd have had it blocked off anyways.

>>41096210
I wasn't asking for that, I was wondering if we could lure them into some side path, somehow lose/trap them there, and then leave when they're no longer in front of us.

>>41096210
What Nightmare Moon can and can't do? In the pilot her abilities were kinda fuzzy. We saw her randomly manifesting fears and dreams, and also randomly stealing mustache for some reason. Can she will a side tunnel into existence if we try really hard to force ourselves to fear tunnels and dream about them at the same time?
I don't know how the mustache-based part of her magic can help, unless she can retroactively steal mustache from some historical character and butterfly effect us far away from here.

>>41096302
>>41096480
Luring them would require bait and an willing hunter ar the very least. Nightmare Moon has some powers of spatial teleportation but the mines are unable to he warped out of. She can manifest parts of herself as her shadowbolts, like cloning herself by halving her power each time into her shadowbolts. It would be possible to Smash an alternate route through, though it may simply alert them to your presence if random chance betrays you. I'm willing to go with the side passage part, Chrysalis likely had some worming knowledge to entering or leaving the caverns.

>>41096626
So Night can make a sacrificial clone and Chryssi knows her way around down here? They can work out a plan to bait them while we look for a hiding place that will let us get past them once they're occupied with a wild goose chase.

Bump

>>41097159

>>41097695

>>41098622

>>41096727
"Alright, alright, Nightmare, I need one of those shadow clones to bait those assholes to go on a wild goose chase, and Chrysalis, we should find an hiding place while they get after the fake. "Do you think it'll work?" Nightmare posits nervously, if this fails then she would be unfit to fight.

"It doesn't matter, if we can give them the slip then we'll survive...we will have our revenge..." Chrysalis says with apparent vengeful venom.

You nod, all that matters is the safety of your new friends. Not like you have any memories. Nothing tying you down...nothing to live for.

Thus would the plane be levied as you have become Nightmare Moon's Ghost, an pale imitation of the real thing. Destined to return to yourself should, when, you perish.

[You approach the party of 6]

>>41099234

>>41099819

>>41099306
Lets act like we're surprised by their presence and than run.

>>41100371

>>41102025

>>41102701

>>41103252

>>41101263
You approach the edge of the entrance to see the Mane 6, your mortal enemies as they are shocked but quickly assume a combat stance, "Girls, prepare the ele-" you don't give them the chance as you turn tail and go to run away back into the deeper recesses of the mine. Rainbow Dash easily took the bait, wanting to quickly end the threat to the land as she follows you into the dark. Then came Applejack to try amd reign her in, them pinkie for the fun of it, causing the rest to cave in and chase after Nightmare Moon.

Over crevice and ledge, you flew using the imparted memories of your progenitor as they are led on an wild goose chase. Getting more and more lost, you cackle and goad them ever onward, letting them catch glimpses of your dark coat and spectral mane, you could feel your true self start to make her escape as your friend and ally of convenience got closer to their escape. It was time to make your final stand, to wound or otherwise make one of them unable to continue the chase when they discover your simply an cloned shadow.

[How and Whom shall you wound?]

>>41103654

>>41104344
Applejack seems like the fastest (on land) of the bunch, and since we're running over dark uneven terrain, it should be easy to cause her to injure her legs. If we can get a second one before being defeated, clip Dash's wings.

>>41104831

>>41105613

>>41104862
Second this.

>>41104862
Thirding

>>41106580

>>41108568

>>41109118

>>41107952
>>41107264
>>41104862
Hiding just over the hump of an ledge, you Spear Applejacks rear hooves with blackened spikes as she cries out in pain, her kicking greaves not enough ti Shield her from harm as you loose several reading darts at Rainbow as she turns to look at Applejack in extreme pain. Her wings are clipped, wounded as Twilight leaps above and unleashed her alicorn tier magic upon you as you evaporate from the major blast. An final glimpse showing your progenitor had long escaped and made their way past the exit to the abandoned mines...you are, conten-

"Agh! Myself, I'm sorry!" Nightmare says wincing in pain as you fled along the open Plains, an blot among unblemished green. Luckily Chrysalis took the form of an guard, helping camouflage you both as your force to carry Nightmare through her pseudo pain and grief. An symbol of an darkened moon was upon your palm strangely enough, but you couldn't think on it now as you made way for the everfree. The pace being unbearably slow due to the carrying of Nightmare and your own form inhibiting fast travel. Nightmare seems to have calmed as you she returns to your shadow, in seeming embarrassment for her show of weakness.

[What do you say as you wander to the cover of the Everfree?]

>>41109794

>>41110447

>>41111023

>>41109902
Tell them what we did while we were away.

>>41109902
Are we still hiding from somebody or not? If we don't we can sing a song to lift everypony's spirits! Can Chrysy shapeshift into a lute? Or even better: we can steal a real lute somewhere and then Chrysy can make this lute a grouchy pony with the mean stick spell. Unless this quest is on a strict canon character diet?

>>41111355

>>41112470

>>41112942

>>41113475