My Little Pony - Dark magic

He turned to Roan, "What should we do? Follow or keep going?"

"We fight. Let's go" Roan replied as he turned to follow Tuxedo.

Geo followed, horn already glowing with a faint green-blue light, he was ready to cast any magics as needed, especially healing.

As they caught up with Tuxedo they saw Falsetto, bloodied and unconscious, in front of Crimson Dagger. Tuxedo gritted his teeth and said "Why... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!" "Why? He got in the princess's way" Crimson replied.

Leaping over Tuxedo, he bucked Crimson Dagger in the chin with his powerful hind legs, "Get away from him!"

Galloping over to Falsetto, he leaned down and released a burst of magic to heal him, "Come on Falsetto. Get up."

Tuxedo dashed forward, as did Roan. Tuxedo got Falsetto on his back as Roan used his wings to send dirt flying into the guards eyes. "This way!" Tuxedo called as he lead the others deep into an uncharted forest.

"Coming!" He ran after the two.

Looking back, "Screw you." He muttered as he released one final burst of magic meant to change the ground to thick, sticky mud to slow them down. At this point, he didn't care if anypony saw his horn.

((When they stop, Geo's going to collapse. That last spell really drained him.))

(If I have it posted as "[Dungeon Master]" it's because I plan to narrate a few actions for you guys, give a general idea of the setting without using a specific character)

[As the group continues running through the forest, they eventually cross into a small clearing in the trees. Ponies have clearly been around here before, as can clearly be seen from the small pit, an overturned metal pot likely used for cooking, and a construction of some type of material flattened out between four spikes in the ground. Not a soul can be heard nearby, the guards that you left behind nowhere within earshot.]

Geo stopped and breathed heavily, "Guys, stop. Please." He collapsed on the ground, utterly spent. Physically and mentally.

Tuxedo lay Falsetto on the ground, assessing the injuries since the other unicorn did some healing. "*huff huff* we... should be fine now" Roan went to Geo and asked "you gonna be alright?"

"I... I should... be... fine... Just... need to... rest." Geo panted.

[As of right now, nothing else seems to be occurring, nothing of immediate interest anyway. However, the waning light of the sun through the treeline hints towards there being barely any daylight left, night clearly on it's way.]

"Roan, stay with these two" Tuxedo instructed "we're fairly open here. I want to make sure we know a way out"
"What! You don't know this place?"
"Oh I know it... the thing is, it never stays the same"
"A changing dark forest. Perfect"

(Last post until around 5ish Sunday)

[As Tuxedo walks out of the clearing, the sun isn't all too far from setting, barely another 5 minutes. Just as Tuxedo passes through the treeline out of the clearing, a barely audible sound is heard just behind him, somewhat similar to the sound one makes when they clear their throat. Were he to turn around, he would notice a fully-armoured Royal Guard propped up against a tree lazily, glaring at the unicorn with a sly grin.]

"Goin' someplace, Mr. Masquerade?" the guard asks with a light chuckle, his voice deep and commanding, hinting at a more malevolent intent.

Tuxedo chuckled and replied "No... but you are" He whirled around leapt into the trees above

[The guard simply watches Tuxedo leap up into the trees without so much as a change in his expression. He chuckles again, adjusting his posture ever so slightly into a more neutral stance.]

"Calm down, Tuxedo~. All is well here, so long as you do not throw the first swing. Now get down from there before one of us does something they regret."

[His tone is...shockingly neutral. He doesn't seem angered, annoyed, surprised, happy, or anything in between. He's just...blank.]

"You expect me to trust a guard? feh, you must think I'm an idiot"

[The guard chuckles lightly, his face changing from one of total neutrality to one of along the lines of cheeriness.]

"Oh, come now, I'm unarmed~. Besides, your friends are sitting just within this clearing, tired and weak, and it wouldn't take much effort for me to call for reinforcements. Now, accept my offer and allow me to speak with you and your compatriots, then we can all leave this place without injury. Refuse, and I'll call in a few more lackeys. It's time to choose, Tuxedo~."

Though he was tired, Geo kept an ear out for anything out of the ordinary. His time hiding had taught him to rest with one eye open, "Roan? You think we'll be able to do anything to help?"

((Geo gets a little down in the dumps when he's tired.))

Roan looked between Geo and Falsetto and replied bluntly "No." He went over to Falsetto and said "not as we are now. We just need to train ourselves as best we can, trust Masquerade, and stay out of his way for now"

Tuxedo reluctantly went back to the ground and asked "how do I know I can trust you..."

[The guard chuckles, walking slowly towards the clearing]

"If I had honestly wanted to harm or kill you, I'd have attacked your friends by now. The simple fact that I haven't *should* tell you that I'm not looking to hurt anyone...yet~."

[As he steps into the clearing, he gives Geo, Falsetto and Roan a curt nod before sitting down near the dug-out pit, signalling to the group to sit down near him.]

Tuxedo joined in the clearing, but kept himself slightly in front of the others. Roan went to Tuxedo and whispered "Friend of yours?" Tuxedo whispered back "No. Be wary." Tuxedo glared at the pony and said "alright, we're here. What do you want"

Getting to his shaky hooves, Geo walked slowly over to the pit, wary of this guard. Something about him was pricking at his subconscious.

[The guard took one careful look at all the ponies sitting around the pit with a sly grin, then seemed to try and look over them, scanning the treeline]

"I suppose this is as good a place as any now..." the guard spoke...wait, the voice had become that of a mare, not the colt sitting at the pit! With a deep exhale, the guard's armor and physique seemed to fade away, evaporating in a few short moments and revealing a completely black-coated mare with white orbs for eyes. The mare chuckled softly, speaking again in a calm, almost seducing tone, "Sorry about the charade I had to pull a moment ago, I feared that one of my 'colleagues' would rear their ugly head before I was done speaking with you. I have a deal for the lot of you that you may or may not like..."

[She leaned back a bit, looking to the others as if expecting a response]

Roan went ridged as the colt 'transformed', for lack of a better word. Tuxedo managed to hide his surprise. When offered a deal he asked "can I hear it before I agree?"

Geo leaped backwards slightly when the colt transformed, energy flowed back into his body, "Who are you?" He inquired.

[The mare gave a slight smirk]

"For future reference, you may refer to me as Doppel. And as for my deal..."

[She inhales deeply, in preparation of her oncoming statement]

"A good friend of mine, a unicorn, has been chased out of house and home recently. As of late, she's all but disappeared from the Royal Guard, judging from how every single one I've communicated with hasn't seen her before. However, this mare also holds a...volatile power within her, that one could VERY well use in an escapade of your choosing. Course, if that isn't enough, I'm sure she has food and shelter available, if she's lasted this long, and if it turns out she's dead, well...I'll erase all record of the lot of you, ensuring that no particular guards will follow you wherever you may lead. You may 'haggle' if you will, but those are my terms: Find the unicorn, avoid the guards, then return to this forest."

[One immediate concern starts to arise. The mare in front of you transformed not too long ago, yet she has no horn and does not appear to be of any other magical race. In fact, she has the appearance of an earth pony.]

Tuxedo thought hard. This pony obviously wasn't natural, and every word seemed threatening, but what else could they do? "Give us one moment, if you will" Tuxedo finally said as he huddled with the others and close to Falsetto, who had awakened sometime while they were talking.

While they talked Falsetto got up and approached the new pony. He bowed his head and said "my apologies"

Huddling with the others, Geo glanced over to the mare, "I think I know who... she... it is talking about. The plants kept 'saying' something about a 'blazing one,' I didn't pay too much attention to it though. And now, the plants won't say a thing." He sighed, "And I doubt I could track this 'blazing one' as I can only track what I've seen in the past, or have been. Otherwise, I'm next to useless."

Doppel looked over to the colt who had approached her, "What do you have to apologize for? If anything, I should be thanking you~," she replied with a chuckle, looking to Falsetto out of the corner of her eye.