Affairs of Darkness

Chris looks back at its companions and whispers, "Stay calm and remember our duties. We'll get to the bottom of this as soon as we can."

Shock nods. "Sorry for the odd looks... Just I swear, you look just like a pony we know of, even your cutie mark looks like hers... It's kinda weird feeling to see somepony you think you know, yet you are sure that this pony knows nothing of who you are thinking of." The Medic explains, in cause the Countess asks. "But yes, as our, spokesperson said, we are looking for some ponies that have gone missing... And we believe that you can help us in finding one of them."

As Shock says "look just like" Paper Reign turns to him and stuff a rolled up magazine (Minotaur Monthly) into his mouth.

"Missing you say? My that is serious. Have you brought this to the guard yet?" She gestures towards one of the guards behind her with her fan and he steps up on cue. "How long have they been missing? How many are there? What are their names, and can you describe them or their cutiemarks? Worry not darlings I'll see to it that your friends are found with every ounce of my power and influence so for now just return to your homes and wait! Everything will be alright!" She says with a confident smile and another dramatic gesture.

If she notices the unusual looks she doesn't seem to show it, though she does tilt her head slightly when a magazine gets shoved in Shock's mouth. "Is something the matter?"

Shock spits out the Magazine. "No... Don't ask..." He replies to The Countess... "I believe my friend" Then he motions to Paper. "has some pictures of who we are looking for..."

Paper Reign floated pictures of the missing ponies over to Rarity.

"Ah, with respect, Countess..." Scarlet stepped forward, raising a claw and thinking. "We aren't in on this just for our health...We were lucky to get away from the mare who did this with our hides intact...She's powerful...Crazy powerful. You'd know her if you saw her, though...I can't think of many others who levitate around in a creepy-looking mask and covered in leaves to cover her appearance, anyhow..." She growled a bit in frustration...Being so helpless against the mare wasn't something she wanted to admit. "Something's got to be done, but...I don't know that sending out the guard like this is some common foalnapping would result in anything but more missing ponies...That's why we were looking into it ourselves." she finished, looking at the floor for a moment.

Rarity takes the pictures in her own aura, levitating them in front of herself as she looks them over. "Hmmm... so many ponies already, I can't imagine how this could've gotten so out of hoof without myself or the guards being made aware of it."

She continues to look through the pictures without looking up. "A masked mare in leaves you say, sounds dreadful...though I suppose with the right...no! focus Rarity!" she says to herself sharply with a shake of her head. "Ahem... I don't suppose you have a picture of this masked mare as well do you? If she is as dangerous as you say then we must at least have the guards aware of what to watch out for." Her expression looks distressed for a moment as she continues to sort through the photos. "Oh! How could this be?! Not Lady Lyra as well! We spoke just nights ago! How could the disappearance of such a talented artiste go unnoticed?!"

Her expression shifts from one of distress to one of puzzlement as she moves from one photo to the next, stopping and staring for a moment, her head tilting slightly, before turning the photo around to face you. "This mare is not missing unless she was snatched from the care of the Grand Duchess herself, in which case we have much to worry about indeed." facing you is the photo of the wall-eyed pegasus mare who was the second to disappear.

Paper Reign puts a hoof to one of its ears and pulls out several pictures of the Masked Mare from the various angles it saw her at and floats them over to Rarity as well.

"That's partly another reason why we've come to talk with you Countess Rarity." Shock explains after seeing both Rarity's confusion and distress. Then he looks to Paper, with a questioning gaze that asked 'are you going to let me speak this time?'

Paper Reign nods very slowly.

"We... Also had a run in with this Masked Mare..." Shock starts to explain after getting the OK from Paper. "The only details I'm 100% sure about is that afterwards the four of us ended up inside the Clockwork Tower in town. So we started to ask around after getting our bearings, and to our surprise we hear talk of one of the missing ponies had been heard of. That very Pegasus you talked of..." Shock motions to the picture of Derpy. "So we have also came here with the hope that somehow could beseech you Countess to help us perhaps talk with that wall eyed mare... I believe there might be some good learned of from talking about her experiences and where she has been. This is our only lead since our run in with said Masked Mare... Everything other option seems to have been lost to us. Or that is what I personally fear..." Then he turns to the picture of Lyra. "Though... I for one, thanks to that masked mare, can't recall much of any of these ponies other then they are missing and we are looking for them. So you said you know something, of this Lady Lyra?"

With another flare from her horn, the picture levitate before her in sequence as she quietly looks them over. After looking them over for a few moments she looks up at your group. "Pardon me for just a moment." With a flash of her horn she and the materials around her disappear into a light blue bubble of light that winks away in an instant.

A few minutes pass in silence as the guards continue to stand in stoic silence before the same bubble of light flashes again and the countess reappears. Her clothes have changed from a fancy evening dress to a more casual, but still stylish, dress and jacket combo with a matching hat. Floating alongside her are two scrolls, one noticeably thicker than the other, bound in ribbons with an official looking golden crest with a diamond engraved in it. There are also a large plain-looking white envelope with several sheets of paper inside already and both stacks of paper you gave her floating beside it.

She walks across the grand carpet towards your group and stops just a few feet away from you, levitating both scrolls over to Thorn. "I'm sorry for the trouble Thorn but I'd like to ask you to accompany these ponies to the Starlight Tower as my official representative. When you get to the entrance present the guards with these scrolls. This one first is for the Grand Duchess' eyes only and is a matter of top importance, be sure to tell them that clearly." She says last part in a stern tone as she indicates to the thicker of the two scrolls. "The second one is for the guards themselves, it contains my request that you be escorted to, and allowed to speak with, the grey pegasus mare." She indicates to the thinner scroll. "I do not have the authority to issue orders to the Praetorian Guard, but it should be enough for you to meet with the mare." After handing over the scrolls she takes a moment to compose herself before nodding slightly. "Lady Lyra is a marvelous musician well known among the nobility here in Listeneigh for her talent in the musical arts, a much coveted performer for any social gathering, and a close personal friend. I have been on close terms with her and her family since my youth, if she is missing I would like to be with them immediately." She turns to look towards Paper Reign. "Would it be alright with you if I pass these photos along to the guard station?" She asks, the stacks of pictures shaking slightly in midair. "They would help greatly in the search."

Paper Reign nods.

She nods quietly in response, the three stacks merging into one large stack and floating over towards on of the guards who was standing behind her. Freed of any kind of burden, the light blue glow around her horn dies away. "Very well then darlings, I'd like to be with my friends as soon as possible so if that is all...?" She asks with a friendly if slightly hurried tone in her voice as she once more effects the grandiose way of speaking she used when she introduced herself, though it falls a little short compared to then.

Thorn takes the offered scrolls and gives a bow to the countess. "My Lady."

Paper Reign follows Thorn's lead and also bows.

Scarlet nodded a bit, looking at Thorn for a moment before bowing as well...That went well...But what was Rarity doing here? That question still hadn't been answered...It was utterly surreal...Just another question as they pressed forward in this...Still, they had their appointment, though she wanted to know what was on that scroll...Probably just a situation report, but she supposed there was always a chance it read that they were insane and needed to be locked up...Or worse.

"I thank you for both your time and your help." Shock states as The Countess leaves. And he follows the rest of the party.

Chris bows, "I thank you greatly countess Rarity, you are indeed as generous as you are beautiful." And then it follows Thorn out.

Once the party is off of the Countess' property, Paper Reign produces several blank pieces of paper and tries to have them reproduce what's on the ones given to Thorn by Rarity.

---

Arcana: 16 + 15 = 31

"Good luck darlings." the countess calls as you leave her manor and head down the path to the gate. A short while after you leave her estate the countess herself walks past flanked by four guards, though two split off from the group and head in another direction. She doesn't appear to notice you as she continues down the hill with the remaining two guards in tow.

Under the influence of your magic, flowing script begins to write itself onto the blank sheets. The thinner of the two scrolls turns out to contain a fairly simple message for the guards, despite the rather self important way it's written. It ultimately boils down to "I, Countess Rarity, request that these four individuals be permitted to speak with the grey pegasus mare with the unusual eyes currently held in your care. They claim official visitation rights as close personal friends of the mare in question as outlined in Chapter 13, Section B, line 15 of the official Deceleration of Legal Recourse. As this request is being made in my name and bears my emblem, I have sent a representative from my own estate to deliver this message and safeguard my reputation."

The longer of the two scrolls is written in an exceedingly more humble and reverent tone. It is a near word for word repetition of everything you told her yourselves and includes magically created copies of the pictures of the masked mare, though not quite as flawless as Paper Reign's. At the very end it reads "If these claims of a powerful magical threat hold true, I can think of nopony who would better know what to do than you my lady. As always humbly yours, Countess Rarity."

Satisfied, Paper Reign stuffs the papers into its mouth and appears to eat them.

Scarlet padded along, looking around, still trying to figure it out..."So...Anyone else find that strange?" She asked as they were clear of Rarity. "I could have sworn that was..." She trailed off, looking at Thorn for a moment...Maybe it was best not to say anything around him, that might cause more problems than it solved. Still, they were on the way to that tower...She wasn't sure why Paper had eaten the scrolls, but it was a strange creature...She didn't figure it was the best idea to pry too much...Not like she'd get much of an answer from it anyhow.

Shock just nods to Scarlet, wordlessly agreeing that things are really feel too much the same, yet different... It was unnerving him deeply. But he was able to push past it for now and keep his mind on the mission. Besides getting to talk with that Blond Maned Mare to inform her that at least if nothing else help is here and trying to figure something out was worth it. Shock wasn't sure what to think of the Native Pony to this realm either... Events seem to be going that the group might be forced to reveal the truth of just where they're from to him... And that fact worried the Medic the most at this hour. Regardless Shock Therapy was trying his best to focus his mind on the possible help and hope he'll be gifting to that poor Mare who's been locked up in another realm for some time...