[MLP:FIM] The Clock and the Mirror (IC)

"Seriously, someone see if that's alcohol or not, we need water fast in a desert and alcohol dehydrates so it is useless to us. If so then empty it out as it's now a water bottle."

"...How do you find out if something's alcoholic anyway? Besides drinking it and seeing if you get drunk?"

"Sniffing it and seeing if it smells alcoholic of course. I know I recoil from anything like beer or wine with even a touch of alcohol in it."

Taking a look around you, you feel a slight tickling in the back of your mind. You head snaps up and someone you instinctively know that that way is north. Looking back down on the map, you feel your gut instincts are telling you that you are right. Travel 6 hours south west to reach Appleloosa.

Talos gives Alex the weapon, handle out.
Without warning, the second the dagger is out of Talos' reach the blade flares white again. Although, seeing you're in the middle of the desert at noon, it isn't nearly as blinding as the first time.

Celestia-Blessed Kukri: Wootz steel blade, Heartwood handle, feather of Celestia inlay inside of handle. Hilt is socketed in a circular fashion with 6 gemstones representing the elements of harmony. Blade will dull after 100 years with constant use. Magic will fade after 5 years with constant use. Barter for 5 room house in relatively metropolitan area. True worth likely to earn mansion, sell to collectors or wealthy mercenaries.

Taking the stopper out, you smell the sweet, heady scent of fermented fruit. You're not sure what kind of apples they made this thing out of but it smells heavenly despite your alcohol aversion.

"...Huh, I don't think this dagger likes you Talos."

"Well, that's interesting..." Alex muttered to himself, swinging the dagger around a bit (Although he was careful not to hit anyone with it). He looked back up at the others.

"I think the Element of Generosity is giving me the ability to...identify what an object is made out of, as well as other stuff like how long it will last and how much it could be sold for." Alex explained, holding the dagger up to his face. "Assuming we didn't have to give this back to Celestia, this pretty little thing could buy us a mansion...I've always wanted a mansion...But I think it's likely that we'll have to give this back eventually though, but until then this thing should be useful if we're attacked by a Timberwolf or something, and plus we'll never have to worry about it dulling or breaking...although I do wonder what enchantment is on it exactly, all I know is that it has one and that it will wear off in five years..."

"Five Years?" I ask. "Oddly specific period of time"

I sigh though and start packing up the satchel again. "Unfortunately, I'm not really able to do a whole lot, I haven't Actually Seriously Considered needing to prepare for being shunted off to another universe. Not really sure what I'm doing here with all that said, but at the least, I can try carrying the bags."

"He was also the only one who didn't have a shield around him, remember?"

"Celestia's own spec ops griffon attacked us with it against her orders and despite us not doing anything, wounding one of us. I say it belongs to Talos now and I don't think she'd be begrudging about that decision.

And right now it's going to be used as a cactus slicer, unless you all wanna trek across the desert without any water."

"Oddly specific would be five years, three months, twelve days, sixteen hours, forty-nine minutes and three seconds.

Five years is kind of broad."

"Wow, this smells so good, but I know that alcohol dehydrates you, that's what causes hangovers. So it's pretty much poison right now and I don't think we have any other makeshift canteen for going about in the desert with, do we?"

"If north is this way..." I mutter "...Then there's south... and there" I turn slightly "is south-west." I look up at sun, or more specifically - at it's position.

"You think?" I commented off-handedly as the blade flared brilliantly. " But I would suggest that you give it back to me. There's no telling what other abilities it may have -- Celestia may be able to track it and I don't want to be found just yet. It seemed to dim when I was holding it. Unless you can also tell what abilities it may have...?"

"That is right." I nodded. " Taking into consideration what you've been able to do, it would be logical to assume that I have the ability to nullify or otherwise neutrilise magic. Interesting. Quite an advantage if we're smart about it."

"Not to seem that I think it belongs to me, but I do think it'd be safest if I hold onto it. Who knows what other tricks and spells are cast on it and what it could do to someone not its official wielder? If I'm holding it, it probably won't be pull to pull anything off."

"Keep the cider. It's not so hot that we cannot make it to town, and given his worlds, it is probably valuable. Meaning we can trade it once we reach town." I reply.

"And I agree with the stabbed one. Let him carry the dagger. His abilities seem to counter magic, meaning it is safest if he carries it, at this time." I look to towards Appeloosa. "And on that note, we should probably start walking."

After nearly four hours of walking, every single one of you is already sick of the desert.

With the events of the day catching up with you, being dragged up in the middle of the night, exposed to open vacuum and in one case stabbed, you imagine that today could have gone better but you really not sure how it could have gone worse. There where a few silver linings, at least for one of you. Despite being in the desert in your pyjamas, the heat isn't really all that bad. You can also spot a town in the distance, likely Appaloosa if the map is correct. Besides the town there hasn't been much other activity that can be noticed.

Striding ahead of you all is InsaneCat, utterly unaffected by either the heat or apparent fatigue. In the past few hours, he's acted less like the stranger he was and more like he had lived here his entire life. Walking in barefoot didn't phase him, happily crunching over stone and scrub. At one point he managed to point out an utterly alien looking cacti that 'probably' had good drinking water. He then promptly pulled it open with his bare hands and drank without thinking. Simply dusting off the spines like they were cat hair.
Only afterward did InsaneCat freeze and realise exactly what he just did.

Back the present, the sun is now beginning to dip down beyond the horizon. A deep chill suddenly whips through you as the night wind starts blowing. Looking at the mountains, you can see a small cap of snow on each of the ridges. In the real world that would mean that it was winter, for whatever that's worth in a world where magical horses physically change the seasons.
While Insane might be fine, if the rest of you try to stay out here in your current state of dress you may well freeze.

Suddenly, out of the corner of your eye, you notice a small distance away from you is single carriage travelling towards the town. The twilight is just enough that if you hide it may not spot you. On the other hand, if you make an enough of an effort they just might notice you.

Walking, I hated walking. And why did InsaneCat get the good powers as Loyalty? What did Rainbow Dash's element Loyalty have to do about survival? Talos was magic and had anti-magic and was definitely magic given the headdress, Alex was generosity and could learn stuff about stuff. That left the unknown guys who hadn't introduced themselves yet, one was Applejack's element honesty, the other Laughter. Didn't know their powers either.

So, I was Kindness? The heck kind of powers did that give me?

And while I was on the subject. "Hey, you two that didn't introduce yourselves earlier, what are your aliases?"

Soon after that and with more marching, as the sun set it was getting cold, I started to look around for material to build a fire before someone else spotted the carriage.

"Talos, it's time to hand over the blade to someone else so they can wave over that carriage with the shining blade.

Unless anyone has any better ideas like how to get the material for a fire and stuff."

The F*ck?!

"Cat, an insane one - Just call me Cat."

"You all are dead tired. Give me that thing and I will go before we will be forced to spend night here."

"Who am I?" I reply quirking an amuses eyebrow. "A name lightly given has no value, and my aliases are many. But in the interest of fairness, a chance I will give you to discern that which you seek."

I pause for a moment before speaking again. "Four of eleven, does my name share with a finely crafted source of sound. Wanderers carry them to help tell tales, dancing strings upon which attention hangs. Who am I?"

"Are we sure we wished to be noticed yet?" I note as the others discuss the carriage. "Given the situation, might it not be better to gather information before we reveal ourselves?"

"Okay, we'll call you Four."

"It's a carriage, we're on foot, we're close to freezing to death, hesitation equals likely death for those of us who aren't Cat.

Either wave it down before it passes or try desperately to search for firewood, those are our options."

I shrug. "As you like. It matters not."

"And, what will you do if they are hostile? Which is apparently quite possible. Not to mention, we are wearimg the Elements, and are obviosly not native to this plane, even if one scientist pony recognized our species." I inquire. "You are correct that we could die if we stay here, but we must be aware that the matters will likely remain as dire, should we be found."

"Agreed." I said. " I'm not too sure that we want to be noticed right now. I'm fairly sure that we're like nothing that has been seen here for a very long time -- I would say ever, but that griffen did seem to know what a human is, or have a basic idea, so obviously there may be some kind of contact..."

"Better to possibly have to fight the contents of a single carriage than having to fight the cold, which is a battle all but one of us can't win.

And given what we've seen so far, talk is more likely than violence in my opinion.

Fine then Talos, tell us how we're going to survive. NOW."

"Oh?" I said, staring at the other. "You try to speak with authority. But it is assumed authority. I do not recall anyone giving you the authoprity to issue commands. And as to how we could survive the cold, why this-" Here I lifted up the dagger once more. " Has an answer to it, I am quite sure. It seems to raidate light. Well, if I am not holding it, in any case. I am sure that we can use it for something."

"If there has been contact with humans before, then any sane pony will be hostile, or at least wary. And all of us but Cat would be useless in a fight against a pony and you lnow it. Even a baseline pony is vastly above us in strength, speed, and durability."

"My suggestion would be to find shelter, and make a carefully hidden fire."

"Why are we considering fighting?" I point out at this point. "They may not be much of a help, and may even be frightened off, but if we spend a few hours ill-prepared in the desert at night? We're going to be in major, major trouble. Besides, we're basically existing in a cartoon universe right now, chance encounters are always for the best after all, and we need to avoid getting a bad reputation if we're going to keep a few steps ahead of that one guy."

I shake my head "Picking a fight won't help anyone, so let's just avoid even using that terminology here"

I roll my eyes.
"Ok whatever. It's not like staying here will end bad for me, but you guys are dead if we stay. Im going whatever yu want it or not."

"Splitting is up stupid." I pointed out. " Right now, we may be the only humans in this existance. We had better stick together."

"Haven't you ever heard the old song? "Never Split The Party!" " I point out in an attempt to lighten the mood. "You know, Clerics in the back to keep the fighters hearty, the wizard in the middle, where he can shed some light, and you never let the damn thief out of sight!. Of course, we don't really seem to have any wizards or clerics here, but the basic idea still fits I'd imagine."

*sigh*
"Then what? We all go? Or stay and try to stay alive?"