The Eternal Nightmare[Closed]

Winter listened carefully, but she was disappointed to hear that she only got the same response as she did from Atriark. She had winced at the name he'd called her, how he was so afraid. She looked for a moment like she might reach out to hug him, to tell him it was alright and that she was going to get him and the others out of there. But she couldn't. She could see it in their eyes, how they looked at her. To them she was nothing anymore. She put a hoof to her head as she closed her eyes, "This is so wrong... I died... I should have died. I remember it... the pony in the cave who cast a spell... the feeling of bliss and peace... but then I woke up here today" she said, partly to herself.

She put her hoof back down as she looked up, "How is it I haven't aged, why was I spared in the cave... where was I the entire time of the attack!" she said in a frustrated annoyance. She calmed herself before exhaling deeply. "I'm going to fix this... I promise" she said with a determined tone, "But I need you to trust me" she said as her eyes looked to each of them, meeting the cold stare with a determined one.

===Violet Star, Arc Weld and Lightning Flash===

The first two slashes of the sword landed badly, causing more pain than actual hurt, only lightly denting the rough skin on the tentacle. The creature writhed in pain nonetheless, releasing the grip on Violet a little. The small unicorn managed to get together enough to pull out her knife and start stabbing into the maw, causing further trashing. Then the sword landed for the third time, slicing through air, skin and flesh alike, severing the mouth part from the rest of the tentacle. Two plasma bolts streaked through the air and turned the rest of the appendage into dust that fell back into the water.

Flash managed to grab Violet, and with her on his back tried to escape from the reach of the other tentacle, but he was not fast enough, getting a deep bite into his flank from the long, thin teeth the creature possessed. He managed to buck it away, causing a painful tear into his rear right leg muscles. Then the tentacle came for another bite, wanting more of the tasty pegasus. This time, Flash knew it was coming and quickly banked just as he was about to fly into the cistern's wall. The tentacle was not so fast, though, and managed to slam into the wall, stunning itself.

=Status=

Arc Weld has 238 HP

Violet Star has 121 HP and is clutching to Flashes' back.

Lightning Flash got bitten into his arse, lost 36HP of pride and now has 264HP

HeadA is severely wounded.

HeadV has been blasted, sliced and diced.

TendrilA moderately hurt.

TendrilB is moderately hurt.

Lightning frowned a little in frustration at how tough the tentacle was as he swung his sword against it. He had to get Violet out though and that was his only goal. The second that his sword finally sliced cleanly through the beast felt satifying and with a quick adjustment of his wings, dived under Violet and quickly caught her. To his dismay though, the second the stallion was about to fly away, the mutated monster managed to get close enough to him to bite him hard, causing him to recoil in pain and nearly banking hard enough to knock Violet off.

Once the tentacle let go, Lightning didn't waste any time in pulling another manuver to get away, narrowly missing the second attempt to tear more meat from his leg. He could feel the blood run down his leg and with a small growl, he spoke through clentched teeth to Violet, "Violet, take my sword. Swing it at anything that gets too close!" If the purple filly levitated the sword out of his mouth, he would draw a new weapon, his .45 Auto SMG, and aimed it at the head. If not, he would simply put it back in it's sheath. Keeping his speed unpredictable, he pulled the trigger in controlled bursts.

(Drawing .45 Auto SMG, 4 AP)

(Firing at HeadA x2, Roll Bonus: 60, 30 AP)

(Dodging, 8 AP)

(Total AP Used: 42/49)

Rad launched another barrage of attacks at the guard, hoping for the ghost to finally go down, but he wasn't to get his wish, the guard was ready this time. As Rad attacked he felt a sting of pain as the spear went through a joint, at the same time as Rad managed to hit the guard. Rad felt blood trickling from the wound. But the pegasus wasn't done yet, he leapt at the ghost again, but felt himself abruptly stopped as the breath was torn from his lungs along with a lance of pain through his chest. Rad stared in shock as he felt his lifeblood pouring from the hole in his chest, he tried to swing again but the ghost pony simply turned the swing back on Rad as the pegasus hit himself in the face with his own power hoof.

Rad simply fell to the ground as the guard pulled the spear free. He tried to stand up, noticing the electricity arcing over his armour, both amazed and confued that it didn't hurt him. He looked at the guard again, knowing he had to keep trying since he doubted the ghost was planning on showing mercy. He looked at his foe, before lunging at him, albeit painfully, with his power hooves again and hoping that the guard would finally go down.

[Attacking 4 times again with power hooves, unarmed 60]

===Nova Surge, Rad Boom and Shooting Spectrum===

Rad lunged at the armour clad pony and gave him a flurry of hoof strikes. His streak of bad luck must have finally ended, since when he was done, he stood there, on top of a pile of bones and metal armour, bleeding from his chest, covered in ash of his fallen opponent.

Nova's endeavours over the table were equally frantic. Her rapier sliced at the unicorn with speed, and while the pony was quick to dodge, Nova managed to cause him three deep wounds, once slashing him across his face, and twice plunging the rapier into his chest and back. After the third strike, the unicorn collapsed, but he was still breathing, not yet turning into a dust. A blue mist started to flow from his wounds, forming a puddle under the body. "M-mercy..." he weakly moaned out.

=Status=

Rad is still bleeding, losing 5HP. Now has 136HP

Nova was spared of any wounds this round, keeping her 174HP

Guard1 is dead.

Unicorn1 is very close to death, now incapacitated and lying on the floor.

Nova looked at her downed opponent, surprised by how ferocious she had actually been. Still, he was asking for mercy. Nova was willing to grant him it, but still didn't trust him. Especially after that damned lightning attack. Nova moved her gaze over to Rad a moment, noticing the blood on his armour. These things didn't bleed red. Nova remembered the healing potion Ark had given her before they'd been separated and carefully took it out, passing it over to Rad.

"I think you might need this more than I do. That damned pipe didn't do too much to me."

Nova smiled slightly before turning back to her captive with a stern glare, holding her rapier pointed at him as she spoke around it.

"Now, tell us how to get out of here. Or further in as the case may be." Nova thought again, remembering Violet and the others. "And is there somewhere the sewers meet the surface?"

===Winter Bell===

The group stared back at Winter, making her feel like she was staring down a deep dark cold pond filled with all the bad emotions ponykind could feel, all the wrong things that happened to the Stableton ponies in the passed months, all the memories of those they lost.

Still, they were not understanding what she was talking about, to them, she just disappeared one day, and returned by pushing Spectrum over the edge with noose around her neck. Still, there was some tension in them, some hope left, a small portion naively hoping that... that this was their Winter.

The whole building shook, dust falling from the ceiling, several bricks falling down from somewhere above. The shockwave blew in what windows there were left in the hall. A hoof loudly thumped against the closed door. "Winter! Get out of there, trouble! Got a carriage over here to get you away!" Ring's voice bellowed from outside.

Violet ‘eeped’ as she was released from the mouth, the sudden drop breaking her concentration and causing her to accidentally releasing her knife, the blade clattering to the cistern below. Thankfully it didn’t fall into the water.

Her fall didn’t last long however, the unicorn landing with a wet plop on Lightning’s back. The impact drove the air out of her lungs. Her entire body was in pain, her leather barding pierced from the teeth and her body punctured in at least a dozen places, if not more. When the mouth tried to thrash and rip her apart it only made those holes bigger, and now that the teeth weren’t plugging them up blood was flowing freely out of them, onto her pegasus savior and onto the cistern below. If it wasn’t for the adrenaline coursing through her she would have passed out by know from the pain and blood lose, and who knew how long that'll last.

She clutched onto Lightning’s back, squeezing him with all the strength she had left in her limbs, which wasn’t that much, as the pegasus maneuvered away from the monster. When he unexpectedly banked around, Violet felt herself nearly violently lurch off the pegasus, but she just barely held on.

When Lightning asked for Violet to grab his sword, the filly removed her face from the pegasus’ back, nodding slowly. “I-I’ll try.” She put all her energy into her horn, magic flaring out of it as an aura engulfed Lightning’s sword. She slowly lifted it away from Lightning’s mouth, bringing it to a hover above the two as she turned towards the tentacles.

[45 AP]
[2 AP ‘Drawing’ Broadsword]
[5 attacks to any attacking tentacles with broadsword]
[50 Melee, STR Penalty (1)]

Arc continued to shoot. With the big long teeth out of the game, and therefore no clear danger left, Arc calmed down a little, the frantic rush to shoot apart the tentacles flowing away. Seeing Violet and Flash swoop in to cut the remaining two stalks, he put down his plasma rifle, afraid he might shoot them, and used the moment to reload. He floated a fresh battery from one of his pockets, ejected the slightly used one and returned that one into the same pocket.

Arc trotted over to the small box with their remaining explosives and stood guard.

{AP:35
Moving over to the box: 5AP
Reloading Plasma Rifle: 4AP
2x Plasma Rifle Shot, saving it for anything that might come from the water, 26AP
0 AP left for dodging.}

===Arc Weld, Lightning Flash and Violet Star===

The SMG rattled, and, with deadly efficiency, the .45 bullets ripped the tentacle with the mushroom like head on top. Tattered remains of the organism fell into the water and sunk.

Violet tried to direct the sword towards the other one. It was heavy and took all of her concentration to not lose it into the water. She looked at the other head, and then suddenly something slammed into inside of her head, just behind the ears. Violet stammered and gritted her teeth as she fought her best to keep her concentration despite the pain, and she managed to slice the other tentacle two times, making it look just about to die.

The guardian was angry. The food proved to be tougher than he expected, and they even managed to cause him a lot of pain. He sent more of his limbs to tackle the problem, hopefully finally getting his snack.

The water erupted again, this time in three pillars. One almost managed to smack Flash out of the air, but the pegasus managed to dodge with Violet still on his back. Arc quickly aimed at the closest tentacle, and before the water managed to even drop, scorched the appendage in plasma.

===Status===

Arc Weld has 238 HP

Violet Star has 121 HP and is clutching to Flashes' back.

Lightning has 264HP

HeadA is dead.

HeadB is almost dead.

Mouth1 has emerged from the depths, and has been scorched with plasma, causing heavy damage.

Mouth2 has emerged from the depths.

Mouth3 has emerged from the depths.

Lightning's .45 Auto SMG was amazing. He loved it. The sheer power ripped apart the enemy with ease. However, something else worried him. Violet was losing a lot of blood. He could tell as he felt what seemed like a waterfall pouring down his body. Plus, the way she responded to him showed that she was very weak and could barely stay awake. Still, she managed to wield his sword against the tentacles and slice it up.

Lightning knew that Violet in her current state would not be able to hang on his back for long. Therefore, he made a split second decision. He had to get Violet off of his back. "Violet! Stay awake, Violet! Stay with me!" With a controlled but rather fast dive, the pegasus flew down back to Arc before saying to him quickly, "She needs help NOW. Get her out of here, I'll keep that thing busy." After saying that, he'll gently lower her off his back then take off, firing teasing shots to draw the monster to him. "Come at me!"

(Dodging/diving, 8 AP)

(Dropping Violet with Arc, 4 AP)

(Taking off, 5 AP)

(Firing .45 Auto SMG x1, Roll Bonus: 60, any target, 13 AP)

(Dodging x2, 16 AP)

(Total: 46/49 AP)

Rad looked down at the pile of bones and armour that used to be his opponent, breathing heavily. "Finally..." Was all he'd manage to say before slumping to the ground and lying on his back. That would keep the blood in, right? He looked over at Nova as he heard her speak, and saw the health potion she offered him That might stop me bleedin' a little better... He thought as he took the potion, drinking it before rolling dizzily back onto his hooves.

He watched as Nova questioned the unicorn, hopefully they'd get some answers. Rad didn't want to fight through many more of those guards if he could avoid it.

Violet shook her head as she struggled to stay conscious, more and more blood pouring out of her. It took all her concentration to hang onto Lightning while also keeping his sword aloft. And after her first slash she didn’t think she could pull it off again, in her weakened state the big sword was just too heavy, just holding it up was almost too much.

“I-I’m trying.” she stammered to Lightning, voice weak.

The pegasus soon landed next to Arc Weld, and the moment his hooves touched the ground Violet dropped her magic, the broadsword clattering to the ground. She just couldn’t hold it anymore. Violet nearly fell to the ground soon after, only to be caught just in time by Flash and lowered to the ground.

Violet groaned, the cold stone floor not feeling good against her many wounds. She turned her head towards Lightning, before the pegasus took off. “T-thank you...Lightning. B-be careful.”

Her glowing eyes spotted her knife laying nearby, and using some of the last of her energy she grabbed it with her magic and dragged it across the ground, towards her. She picked the handle of the blade up with her mouth, and managed to shakily slide it back into the sheath on her shoulder.

Her weapon recovered, Violet stumbled to her hooves. Her body was drenched in her own blood, violet coat stained crimson, and the strain from the blood loss was visible on her face and posture. She wasn’t going to be standing up for much longer, she needed medical attention, soon.

It still wasn’t the worse she’s ever been, although it was certainly in the top five.

===Rad Boom, Nova Surge and Shooting Spectrum===

The unicorn looked with fright at Nova. Whatever he may have been alive, he certainly wasn't a soldier, trained for strength. He coughed out a small cloud of white mist. "Out... you've... you've came from outside... Celestians... you know how to get in... behind me... is just the..." He stopped talking to hack out another cloud of white mist. "Behind me is just... the prison and the kitchen... with the mess hall..." He stopped again to take a shallow breath. "Don't know... about sewers. Just cared about not smelling them..."

Away from this conversation, Rad downed the minor healing potion. He started to feel shivering around his wounds as they started to knit together, most importantly the hole in his chest closing. The process did not reached full recovery though, the skin on several places stayed unsealed, leaving tissue under it exposed and still oozing trickles of blood. Still, Rad was out of the worst now.


Rad has been healed 75HP, now has 206HP and is no longer bleeding.

Nova has lost one minor healing potion.

Nova resisted the urge to hurry this unicorn along, giving him at least that. As she listened to the description, she knew going back wasn't the answer. If they could somehow get through that cave in that still left the bloody zebras on the other side. But they did need to get back to the others. Nova sighed again.

ANova remembered an unopened door in the chamber they'd come into right after they got split up from Arc and Flash. Knowing their luck so far, the way to it was probably through the mess hall. Wich was probably packed with these damn ghosts. The. again, the kitchen probably was as well, and considering it seemed like it was meant to feed an entire batallion of these guards, it would likely have easy access to the sewers to save time.

Nova turned to Rad again.

"Looks like both our best and worst bets lie with sneaking through that mess hall and then into the kitchen. At least for now." Nova sighed as she looked to the unicorn again. "Is there anything in there that will stop us being spotted? Long tables? Unlit walls? I'd rather avoid more fighting."

Damn it all!
BZAP! the plasma rifle answered to Arc's inner monologue.
Damn it all!
BZAP!

Flash placed Violet on the bank and took off to buy him some time. The filly was not doing well, that much was clear, horribly torn by the long thin teeth. Arc feared the worst. "Violet! Just... keep it together, right? We'll make it good again!"

Arc bloody hoped that Flash would do his job and keep the attention off them, since at this point, he stopped paying care to the situation behind him and instead focused of Violet.

As he galloped to her, he was already fishing a healing potion from one of his pockets, followed by a roll of healing potion infused bandage. He sůlid to a halt in front of the filly unicorn and already started to wrap her up in the bandage, held by his magic.

Then he actually slipped into panic, seeing her wounds up close, and shoved a healing potion into her mouth. "Drink!" he shrieked, and flipped her with his magic onto his back.

"Flash! Flash, give me two minutes, then retreat into the tunnel, you hear?!" Arc shouted, already starting to move towards the exit, Violet bouncing on his back, looking like a small mummy. As a good bye, Arc brought up his plasma rifle again and fired at the tentacles for the last time before attempting to run through the tunnel.

{AP:35
Firing plasma rifle at MouthA, 13AP
Using Medium Healing Potion on Violet, 4AP
Using Healing Bandages on Violet, 4AP
Placing Violet on Arc's back, 5AP
Galloping back into the tunnel, 5AP
AP left for dodge: 4AP
}

===Arc Weld, Lightning Flash and Violet Star===

Flash managed to dodge a mouth snapping at him as he tried for a landing. He had to pull up and bank around the cistern, dodging another maw full of teeth, before he saw an opening and dropped the filly to Arc's hooves, instantly taking back into the air. Seeing that Arc has managed to pick up Viol and was making his way to the escape route, he aimed his SMG at the scorched tentacle and lightly squeezed the trigger in his mouth, feeling the weapon kick three times.

Arc fired his plasma rifle at the same moment, before turning around and running into the tunnel, leaving the cistern. All of the four projectiles managed to hit, and the combination of hot gas and bullets made the tentacle almost explode in a fountain of gore.

Flash turned around, flying in between the two mouths, deftly dodging their snapping at his wings and rump, ending the manoeuvre with a loping above the battery of sharp teeth under him. Finishing this, he found himself facing the other type of appendage the unseen creature, or creatures, possessed. Somehow... the mushroom head seemed to be looking at him. Then it flashed with light.

There are times, in the evolutionary history of the world, which we will for the sake of simplicity call just Equestria, where even the lazy creatures get to have the upper hand. Millions of years ago, a random mutation gave a random four legged creature ability known as The Stare. It randomly managed to make appearance further down the gene tree, in the descendants of this animal. Sometimes it appeared in ponies, yes, but Guardian, in all its monstrosity, was another of those creatures, allowing him to hunt his prey with ease.

Flash suddenly felt like drunk. Not the normal happy, slightly slowed drunk, but drunk like every cell, even every atom of his body, has lost control over itself, and rebelled against the control of Flash's brain. The pegasus flew straight now, unable to evade any incoming attack, should it come. Luckily for him, though, this stupor was broken when the loss of drag turned him into a dive, breking the eye contact. Flash managed to open his wings just in time to pull up, his hooves touching the water level.

Luckily for him, he was not heading to slam into a wall at high speed. Instead, he took himself into the tunnel they came in, suddenly being faced with a rear of a brown unicorn carrying a filly. Flash crashed into Arc and sent all three of them tumbling downstream in the tunnel, their bodies floating upon the water, being carried back to the camp.

The Guardian was furious. The snack has escaped and even managed to hurt him, without him getting even a proper bite. The tentacles above water trashed and from the depth came a low, rumbling roar that echoed through the tunnels, making the ceilings quiver. Nevertheless, he was bound to the cistern and to the underwater river beneath it, prevented from chasing after them.

=Status=

Arc, Flash and Violet have retreated.

Violet has been healed for 125HP, now has 195HP

===Nova Surge, Rad Boom and Shooting Spectrum===

The unicorn hacked and coughed white mist again, the small cloud seemingly thicker this time, and painted in a more vibrant, richer colour of white.

"The... the mess hall is full of guards... long tables, yes, and a balcony around it... and... there's a back entrance into the kitchen from this side too. Just... please, don't kill... spare me... I... don't want to die. Please... I was... just a clerk. Doing paperwork..."

Nova looks sternly at the unicorn again. The information would definitely be helpful. Nova was already formulation a plan, but she still had to deal whoever this was. Nova knew he had cooperated, and didn't wish him death. They'd attacked first after all. Nova sighed before speaking.

"Clerks don't know an attack as powerful as the one you used on me. Still... Al I want to do is find the others and get us out of here." Nova looked back to Rad. "I'm not killing you. You're too weak to fight and you might be able to find some help. Just don't let them know of us."

Once that was done, Nova returned to Rad, whispering so the unicorn couldn't here.

"We take the side entrance to the kitchen, see if we can find a way to the others. If we can, we bring them up, sneak under the tables, and get out of here. Sounds good for now?"

Arc felt something kick into him from behind. He got lifted, as did Violet on his back. Then he felt the cold, slippery rock floor hit him in the head, and then his head got filled with lights, loud, screaming lights.

Arc had no idea how long has passed. He felt the movement, yes, cold water pushing around his hooves, carrying him somewhere. He had no idea where. He hoped there would be no fish, or ghouls. Or grenades. A small voice somewhere in his mind piped in that if there would be no objections, perhaps Nova could be there too, but, of course, only if she would be okay with it.

The immense heat returned. Arc didn't wanted to open his eyes. He didn't wanted to look inside the reactor. He hated the machine. He hated all of them, every gear, wire, abstract mathematical principle hidden behind the physical form, guiding it from behind. They took them.

Arc opened his eyes, and there it was. Maw full of yellow and orange fire, breathing at him, stripping him of his moisture, cracking his skin and flaying the body hiding under it. He fell every cell get ripped off the structure and get carried away by the river of fire flowing past him, until skeleton remained, and in it, the soul of Arc Weld flickered. Brave. Unyielding. Hating the machine, looking at it, forcing its will into it as it torn the unicorn apart.

Arc opened his eyes. He groaned as his whole body hurt and screamed at him what the fuck were they doing again. He was washed up on a grate that closed hole leading goddesses know how deep down, taking away the water that carried him there.

Arc pushed himself back to stand on his hooves, finding that nothing was broken or bleeding. "Uhm... Violet? Flash?" Arc asked the surrounding space.

Rad watched as the unicorn talked, he didn't know how much they should trust what he said, but they didn't exactly have anything else to go on. When Nova told him her plan Rad simply nodded, it made sense, he simply hoped they'd actually be able to find the others and get out of here.

Though soon after he had agreed, a thought came to the pegasus, that he then whispered to Nova "Uhh... I ain't to great at sneakin' about... 'Specially not in this armour, and even without it..."

Lightning felt that his flying was pretty good so far. His speed was certainly helping him in this situation despite his little mistake earlier in the fight. But he managed to get Violet down and Arc was tending to her now. He just had to keep the beast away from them. Narrowly avoiding becoming fish food, he smirked. He couldn't help but feel a little cocky now at his successes.

However, as Lightning looked down at the animal, there was a strange flash. He suddenly felt as every nerve in his body was halted and he felt frozen. Diving toward the monster, he began to approach the monster's mouth. Because of his loss of flight, his descent broke eye contact with the beast and made the stallion snap back into what he was doing. Sadly, he was approaching the water very, very fast.

Lightning did what any good pegasus flier would do. He quickly jerked his wings to even out. However, with his speed, he couldn't slow down and he happened to be flying for the exit. Right into Arc's back. The blue pony crashed into the unicorn and all three of them went tumbling back into the camp. He wasn't sure how much time has passed but waking up, he realized that they were safe. Arc's voice soon caught his ear, "I'm here! I'm alright. Violet? Where's Violet?"

Nova nodded to Rad, still thinking at this. Obviously, the armour would be a problem. Still, they could get into the kitchen without issue. But, if someone were inside, they'd need to get rid of them quietly. Nova thought a while, before she spoke once more.

"Right. One step at a time. Taking off the armour first is probably a good idea. I'll go into the kitchen and see if it's empty. If not, I'll be careful in making it so."

Nova decided to let Rad handle the armour as she dropped into a low stance and drew her rapier once again. Nova made her way quietly over to the kitchen and carefully opened the door to peek inside.

Violet stumbled a bit as Arc rushed over to her, beginning to feel more lightheaded. Arc quickly began wrapping bandages around her, and Violet tried to raise a hoof and point out that the bandages weren’t going to do much with her barding still on, but she was too weak, the words weren’t coming out. And before she knew it a bottle was shoved in her mouth and she was flung onto Arc’s back, the bottle nearly flying out of her mouth. Thankfully her jaw was able to keep a grip on it and she soon started gulping it down as Arc ran away, the filly already feeling the healing effects as the liquid spread throughout her body. She’d need to check her wounds and ensure they didn’t need a proper bandaging later, although with any luck the potion just healed them outright.

Just as the bottle fell out of her mouth and clattered to the ground, she spotted out of the corner of her eye Lightning flying towards them, flying way too fast. She tried to warn Arc, but she was too late, Lightning crashed into them and sent all of them flying.

Violet’s mind instantly kicked into gear, and acting on instinct and practice as she went airborne. She oriented her body sideways to where she was falling and tucked her hooves and head in. A second before she hit the floor below she rolled, carrying her momentum and preventing herself from just hitting the floor and breaking her leg or something.

The filly rolled down the tunnel along her two floating friends, eventually coming to a stop at the end of it...And finding herself very dizzy. She stumbled to her hooves, the world spinning around her as she clambered out of the tunnel and leaned against a nearby wall, trying to get her bearings. Her eyes were wide as she breathed in and out, trying to ward-off the extreme dizziness from her impromptu tuck-and-roll.

She soon heard Arc stirring and calling out for them, followed by Lightning who called for her specifically. The filly waved a hoof by entrance of the tunnel, showing where she was, before pushing herself off the wall and stumbling over towards the two, still a bit dizzy.

“Can, we, not do that again?” she asked, a small smile on her face and her tone light despite everything. “Being food wasn’t on my list of things to do today. Nor was bleeding out.” she said while poking at the bandages on her barding, her eyes cast down at her chest. The wounds appeared to be healed, so she should be alright after taking the bandages off. “Although technically neither of those things happened...Soooo...Anyway...” She looked back up at the two, smile widening just a bit. “Thanks...For saving me...You especially Lightning.”

Winter jumped as the building shook. She looked around as the dust fell before looking to the door as Ring's voice sounded from the other side. She quickly looked to what remained of Stableton, "Come on, we're leaving. I know... I know you have questions about me and what I've done... where I've been... and I'll answer everything I promise, but please, come with me... let's leave this place" she said before putting her shotgun onto her side, between the straps of her saddlebag. She moved to the door, pushing it open to join up with Ring.

Since talking with the spectral guard, and off put by his sorrow, Spectrum was rather out of it, so by the time Nova and Rad had finished with the fight, and had taken considerable damage due to her own negligence. She may be sad for whatever was keeping these ponies to live an echo of their life, but they were dead, and her friends were still alive. Felling a need to help these ponies fine release was by no means a reason to overlook her own friends health. A literal shake of her head with her new resolve she toke the few steps to find a place beside Rad " Nova will go first, then you can go after her once she deems it ok to cross, I'll tie up the end, I'm somewhat good at sneaking" She cracked a reassuring smile, wishing the best for her, and everyone in the group that had entered into this "that way if your luck has run up you got me and Nova ready to jump in" Spectrum patted Rad on the back before turning to watch Nova make her way towards their goal one last glance at Rad " Just imagine your sneaking into the kitchen to sneak a second snack after lights out" A mischievous wink as she herself has preformed such a feat several times being the holder of a major sweet tooth.