[center][h1]Cloaks crew[/h1][/center]
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[@evanist]

The big golem just shrugged, even though he was out of sight, and the cat thing called back one last thing [color=f7941d]"Heh, well then, I hope you find something 'else' tall enough to see over the trees, you actually stand a 'chance' of seeing 'somewhere to looking! heeeheheh. HSSH! HEY!"[/color] [color=a0410d]"dont. Be. Rude."[/color] That was before they mentioned drones, but the group was already out of their ear-shot by then anyway...

Something to consider though, was that if they stayed standing still too long while there, some might start to notice vines trying to crawl up their legs...

Otherwise, it'd be roughly a minute later before something started to tick in their ears, something messing with one of the communicators it seemed, tapping at it roughly it seemed, and a sounds of some unknown language inundated with musical sounds not unlike a bass horn, could be heard on the other side of it...

Of course, that was suddenly drowned out by something else... someone from the ship shouting about 'the forest trying to eat the ship'...


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[center][h1][color=39b54a]Changeling Crew[/color] And[color=662d91] Some Shadowbolts[/color][/h1][/center]
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[@thedman]

The creature speaking to Specialist Lee on the bridge appeared quite joyed by him actually responding, even more so by the confirmation he would inform the others that they were not a threat... he could not completely assume that it would perfectly counter the possibility of them being a threat, but even at it's 'least' it was a step towards solidifying a peaceful relation. [color=39b54a]<You're quite welcome. That queen may not have been near peak, but in a hive the Queen still holds the majority of power, She could certainly have destroyed much within here... I have never seen a weapon that could pierce a queen's armor so easily either, even a weakened one.>[/color] Then he did something perhaps quite odd, standing himself back up, and delivering a short bow, then quickly straightened back up and added [color=39b54a]<and I thank you in-return. Given the arrival we witnessed, it was clear you did not come here on purpose, and it is good to know you're not in a hurry to wage war.>[/color]

The other pair finished applying their treatments to the unconscious crewman, and split up then, one of them went to the once they'd cocooned more thoroughly, proceeding to drag it near the unconscious one where it's horn began to glow the same pink as it's eyes, a similar glow manifesting over the heads of it's two 'patients', slowly moving down and stopping near the necks. The other returned to the conscious pair, horn glowing as well, though this one matched it's 'blue', and focused on individual patches of that goo it had applied.

[color=39b54a]<I will let you recover, but I should leave with the basics about our species... as they say, Knowledge breeds understanding, and understanding a great counter for fear.>[/color] There was a very buggy chuckle that followed. [color=39b54a]<We are called Changelings, We primarily live off of the energy other sapient's produce through emotions, particularly the positive ones... Different hives have different ideas of how best to gather it, and 'some', like this one, tend to starve because of their inferior overly aggressive methods. Your... giant vessel most likely disturbed their hiding place, and they sensed 'you' here as quick sources of food. These also tend to be the hive's with a Queen that exercises tighter control through the hive-link, with a very short temper, and by extension with the least chance to choose a better way... My hive is quite small, with no 'Queen' per se, though I sortof lead it myself... Without the queen, the leftovers of the hive are essentially aimless... We will try to salvage what we can of them, but long-term starvation tends to break things that we can't afford to fix.>[/color]



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[center][h1]Luna's intervention[/h1][/center]
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[@double][@hellotraveler][@Rune_alchemist][@Lugia]

Luna too was often vexxed by the pink one, but it was liable she understood more about the reality defying mare than most others did... she was also familiar with the affect that she could have on others, and was quite understanding of the unicorn's predicament, she especially tended to have a most powerful effect on intellectuals... It was no surprise that she had rendered Astral some degree of temporary madness, the pink one exudes madness afterall, and she was very patient with his slow return to reality.

A return that thankfully coincided with their renewed encounter with alien life, and led to finally hearing his opinions and experience thus far, limited as it was, every ounce was invaluable. [color=662d91]"Thank you for your input Astral, it is good to know 'anything' ahead of time, and confirmation that they are at the very least, not quick to turn hostile eases my worries considerably."[/color] She noted quite easily that while Astral asked about the translation ring again, one of the aliens made a circular motion which... honestly, could have reffered to anything, but since they had specifically looked to Astral first, it was easy to assume they were requesting the circle itself, though this one removed themselves shortly after, assumedly at the behest of the one they'd arrived with. [color=662d91]And I do believe casting the circle yourself will work quite well... My attention is already divided in several places to manage this crisis.[/color]

Almost on cue-
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The bat certainly knew how to sneak, he clearly no amateur and had certain natural advantages as well, not to mention the aliens out there were not likely used to such a creature stalking them... maybe, supposedly, who knows with aliens, right?

Alas, there were also creatures in this world entirely unfamiliar to his place of origin, where such things were, as far as the waking world, extinct, or simply confined to the realms of dreams... something that had also been ordered to guard the place that the strange bat had just trespassed upon.

This one looked like the Batly ponies that the mistress commanded, but it was not one of hers, this was clear, it smelled and 'felt' so different from their presence, dressed strangely, armed with something unusual, and most of all-TRESSPASSING!

It was sudden that the darkness of the castle's entrance lit up, becoming like a twinkling night-sky once more and something vaguely pony shaped 'grew' out of it... This time it elected to use a much more simplistic approach... 'call mommy'... Alas, for such a creature this meant a very different thing than a pony would expect.

That entailed the air being split suddenly by something that could best be called the shriek of the damned, and it's great starry maw shred open once more, revealing the bright whiteness within and casting it forth upon the tresspasser, bathing the area in bright light immediately... It knew of the power mistress' bat minions had, this deserter would not escape before she arrived!

Something that 'may' register, is that if this were all 'fake' as he'd come to think it 'had' to be, then this 'fake' light shouldn't be able to deter the use of his power... It wasn't fake...

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Back at the ship, the shriek could easily be heard in the distance, and though this time the shadowy mass wasn't grand enough to be seen from so far, the bright light being emitted in the area certainly was, especially amidst the eclipse's 'mild' lighting, and Luna's attention was immediately drawn that way... [color=662d91]"Case in point... I have not been gone five minutes and already another has trespassed in the castle."[/color] She released an exasperated sigh at this [color=92278f]"'Another' Division, I shall have to see to this one as well."[/color]

At that moment, as if to tell the world that 'pinkie pie' was not the only one who could defy reality, the princess seemed to 'step out of herself'... quite literally, a second Nightmarish Luna simply walked out of her mid-turn and took flight towards the castle without another word... a Third actually walked out in the other direction, and carried off the 'bag of dead dragon'. [color=662d91]"Mmmm, That should help, now 'I' can focus more here, and my others may focus else-where."[/color] She looked back down to Astral while awaiting his casting. [color=662d91]"As for your questions, it is undoubtable that Cadence and Shining armor have already been informed, and if not then messages are on the way. A more official correspondence will inevitably follow when my sister and I have time to personally communicate in more detail, and indeed we will all be involved with these interactions. Your colleagues will surely hear of it at 'least', if not of your direct involvement in first contact with alien life, and if you happen to be indisposed in the long-term, there will be no issues."[/color] A little smirk followed then [color=662d91]"I'm 'sure' you're eager for a long term indisposition to come to pass, hmhm."[/color]

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One of Luna's... clones, it could be said, carried the bag off into the woods a fair distance... it would likely be a mere matter of time before it began to try reforming on it's own, afterall, it was a fireproof bag, not a magic suppression bag.

[color=662d91]"I see you continue to have unusual dreams, but it won't be for much longer."[/color] Her voice range through his dream-realm for a moment before the sensation of 'anything' started to disrupt the sleeping state, and her magic began going to work... not that he could really see it of course, being technically dead... but the sensations of returning to a physical existence would steadily fade into reality, and... show him a rather more 'shocked' looking night mare standing over him. [color=440e62]"Okay... well... 'This' was not the outcome that we had intended..."[/color]
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From her own side, Luna had simply cast a similar spell to what she used to forcibly reincarnate her sister's phoenix when it was misbehaving, or had recently traumatized 'another' ignorant subject by making them think they'd murdered the princess's prized pet, and combined with something of an 'ironic metamorphosis' spells... It was a simple thing, she'd done it before, it was a common tool to punish speciest criminals... of course, nobody is perfect, and she did not factor in the element of 'interdimensionally inconsistent biology' nor latent magics of another word, and... well, there were unknown factors, okay?!

She had intended to give him a more equine form to try and fight his equiphobic instincts, but she did not expect 'this' Equine form to be the actual result... and she rather hoped it was 'only' the form...