HALLOWEEN 2017: INTO THE WOODS CYOA

[SilverLutz]

After the jellies were contained Rising Sign breathed a sigh of relief. Her ears perked up as a familiar voice came down from a tree and with a quick glance up she spotted Skirmish and the others that had gone missing. She smiled and waved up at them, relief washing over her and letting her relax for a few moments. As Skirmish spoke she turned her attention to the tree she motioned to and indeed, there was something up there. The leaves rustled and she could just make out a rather large, if slim shape up there.

Moving to the trunk of the tree, Rising Sign bit her lower lip as she tried to think of a way to cajole the mysterious creature down. She wasn't very good at making new friends and often said some blunt things, but if she put her mind to it she could do all right.

"We've got the jellies under control," she said after a few moments. "And there's lots of Phonies down there that are willing to help you if you're in trouble. You're safe to come down." She waited a moment before rolling her eyes slightly and adding. "Also, in a month or two we're all going to have way too many Slim Spearmints and other cookies to eat ourselves and we could really use a new friend to share them with."  

[NymiiNym]

Kiwi let out an audible sigh of relief at the sight of the groups tour guide and other lost friends. Her eyes rested on the canopy, wings fluttering gently. What could she say to comfort them? Her nose wrinkled in concentration as she set her flashlight down, hooves settling on the ground gently.

"Hello, I'm Kiwi Kiss!" She called softly, wings buzzing for a rapid beat before they stilled. "You can come down! We won't bite, I promise. We have a bunch of stories about tonight, if you'd like to hear? Did you know we met a werewolf? We did, it was really neat!" Her hoof rolled the flashlight back and forth idly.

"If you're really the Mothpone, if it helps, there's a few flutters down here! I'm one, too. I know what it's like to be really small and how the world can seem really big at times, but you got us! We even scared the jellies away because we're that strong as a group, so you have nothing to fear. Come on down? You can even cling to me if that makes you feel better! I heard I'm pretty sturdy."  

[Snoofington]

Attempting to round up the jellies had nearly winded him. Even if he hadn't succeeded much, the group was successful in taking care of them and he nodded to himself once Benedict had finished the job. They could all breathe a sigh of relief, though one perhaps a bit more strong than initially anticipated at the familiar sound of their guide's voice. Crypt planted his rump on the ground and stared towards the the treetop she called from, blinking in a slight daze. Everyone was here, safe and sound - and with hot cocoa.

A small part of him kind of wished he had been whisked away on whatever adventure they had managed to have that ended in such relative comfort, but Skirmish's injury kept Crypt Keeper's envy in check.

With her instructions and the rustle of the nearby tree, the colt stood and tentatively approached it. What to say? "Excuse us," was the first thing he huffed, "the jellies are under control, they won't bother you anymore. And we're all very tired... so we won't bother you, either. We're very sorry if we scared you. We've been trying to find all of our friends out here all night. It seems like you kept them safe and comfortable, so that makes you a friend too. Everything's safe now, if you want to come down, but take your time. There's no rush."

He looked down at himself in the dim light and realized he was still carrying his camera. That probably wasn't a good look - appearing like a paparazzi. Crypt sighed and lowered his head to remove it from around his neck and placed it to the foot of the tree. At least there he wouldn't lose it but it also wouldn't be within easy reach. If whoever was up there was especially sheepish, the flash might startle him anyway and no one needed that.

"My name's Crypt Keeper, by the way. We lost our camp earlier. And, ah, quite a lot of marshmallows." He laughed quietly, "But we don't mind sharing. It seems like they're getting put to good use. If that was you, please don't worry; we're just happy everyone's safe now - and we have you to thank for that." Maybe it was how exhausted he felt but Crypt Keeper managed a small smile toward the phony hidden in the tree. "You've taken such good care of everyone, it seems we owe you a lot of gratitude. It's been a... very confusing night. Without your help, it could have been much worse. Thank you, really."

After all of that trouble, Crypt Keeper mostly just wanted to sleep. Well, maybe have a little bit of hot cocoa and sleep.  

[Fea Line]

Fright Night laughed as the jellies were wrangled and L'eggs pinned them to the ground successfully. His chest swelled out in pride at his efforts before glancing up to see the rest of their group plus the wild eyed and maned guide safe and sound in a rather spectacular tree house.

But as the guide explained the situation and that answers could be had if they convinced the flittery fellow to come on down, his head tilted up with a slight frown. Besides the jellies the entire group themselves probably scared the daylight out of him. Poor fellow, they must have looked like a crazed mob chasing after him in conjunction with the jellies.

Blinking, Fright Night replaced his frown with a genuine smile as his usual boisterousness returned. "Hello up there my fluttery fellow!!" he called up to the trees and waved a hoof in greeting. "The jellies are gone my friend, it is safe to come down! Ve can share cookies and tales of adventure together in the moonlight!" he called in promise, meaning every word of it. Oh how he'd love to just simply sit a while and chat. To learn all he had heard and seen.

Reaching into his flared collar, Fright Night pulled out his plastic bat on a string and dangled it in front of his face. His grin spread even wider as he made it bounce up and down before bobbling left and right. "I'll introduce you to my friend! Don't vorry, he's harmless! Vouldn't hurt a fly, promise!" he laughed and bobbed the bat up and down some more before momentarily getting lost in his childish joy. He ceased the bobbing and with a soft chuckle glanced up at the tree and tossed a wink in the Mothpon's direction. He stopped bouncing the bat and let it come to a rest on his outstretched hoof, glancing at it admiringly as he slowly brought it up to his cheek to give it a nuzzle before holding it out again in offering for the Mothpon if he decided to fly on down and give him a chance.  

[LizzyMoo]

Hybrid couldn’t help but whistle, clearly impressed with the Phonies who were able to wrangle up the feral jellies. Yet, the disappointment in her little buddy’s voice was enough to get the alicorn’s full attention. Giving he colt a small nudge with her hoof, she offered “Hey now, might not have been a monster this time, but it was at least a decent adventure!” With a quick wink, she added “I should take ya with me on some color sample expeditions, I think ya’d enjoy that!”

However, there was that flutter in a tree now. A timid, sad excuse of a Phony. And many of her fellow phonies spoke to the flutter, offering “sugar” to appease him. It wasn’t Hybrid’s style, she was more likely to give “vinegar.”

“Hey Bro,” she started, “those jellies already got caught! Ya ain’t got any excuse t’be up there anymore! Stop bein’ a babby and come down!”

She shook her head a bit before adding “Stally-up and at least come down and introduce yerself!” Hybrid definitely wasn’t going to coddle this phony, it wasn’t her style. Rather than hang around under the tree, she hung back and just waited, casually crossing her front legs as she stood there.

Rapidashtrainer

 

[purplerosesbeauty]

Torte looked up at the tree. The Mothpone was real! And Skirmish was there, and all the missing phonies. Wow! She never really expected... but, he seemed like maybe he wasn't so bad, if he helped them out. And the rogue jellies had attacked him!

"Hey dude, we got most of the jellies gone. I'm sure between the rest of us we can get rid of the strays... Uh. I got..." Torte looked in her hooves at the half drank large coffee she had. "I have coffee? It's real primo stuff, I assure you. Still warm too! I mean, I know you already have cocoa but..."

She glanced over at Night Scout. "We're all real friendly down here, you know? We'll take care of it! And we can have a good time together." She nodded firmly, her wings flapping in excitement.

 

[Gl!tch~]

"Oh!" Up in the tree was all the lost ponies! And...mothpone! A new friend? Huh! Guess they were cool after all despite ruining their camp and stuff. "Hi up there! Sorry we, uh, scared you and stuff. I have a granola bar if you want it... No hard feelings?" He looked over at Torte then back up. "I thiiiink they're good with coffee?"  

[Huni Pi]

Muck's experienced with being forced to do something he didn't want to do might have affected his approach with the Mothpone. While everyone else would try to convince them to come down with food and promises of being friendly (to be fair, they weren't lying), his attempt went more like so: "If you're not hurt or need any medical attention up there, I say you're free to stay right where you are for as long as you want. Whatever is most comfortable for you will get my support."

After all, if the Mothpone had survived in these woods all this time, they had to know what they were doing.  

[Tristam Lockhart]

And there were the missing phonies! Bokeh smiled as he listen to Skirmish explonation. So the mothpone was here...

Bokeh walked over and looked up, enough that he nearly almost topple himself backward. "Heeey! So...um....we caught the jellies, so they are like...you know, under control....and I think we can borrow some marshmellows from the girl scouts? If not, we can get some from camp....it's not far...and the woods aren't really scary...or even that big when you are in a big group like this" He paused, thinking about the very long night he had. He couldn't imagine what it would had been for the mothpone.

"....I am sorry! We didn't mean to disturb yo-....well we did. Like, we were just curious and stuff, but I don't think anyone of us wanted to hurt you or scare you. It's okay if you don't want to come down...I am sure we can figure out how to get everyone out of your house, but you know, you can come down and meet us...and see we are just..very silly phonies....like tonight was a really weird night. I have sooo many stories to tell to my parents...and you if you wanna come down. It's been a wild rollercoaster. Like i met a bunch of really strange but nice people. And you know...I would like to meet you too."  

[Biblioburro]

Woah. Either their lovely guide was a better actor than she thought or this wasn't as 'preplanned' as she had expected. Oh well, the night was long and this was just one bizarre cap on an already whacky night. She was almost ready to believe anything.

Ghosts were still totally not real and she would hear nothing otherwise.

But hey, Boysie's got a point. She's not good with shy folk, but there's one thing she knows damn well works, and that is food. Probably because she was already halfway through her pasta before she remembered that maybe they should be talking their new goth friend down. Whoops.

"Hey man, look. Name's Riot. And TBH, I am tired as fu- uuuuudddgeee..." She glanced at the few foals loitering around sure that at least one parent would have her head if she taught them how to swear. Hard to get a gaggle of rambunctious kids to pinkie swear their silence when no one had pinkies. "The bats weren't great, but I feel like the rave sort of evened it out. Point is I wanna sit my butt down and chill. So how abouts we cut a deal. See I'm pretty sure our dear sweet Filly Scouts rooked me good- trust me I deserve it. If not I've already got more cookies than anyone's got a right to be hoarding, and my team will riot- pun totally intended- if come next season they find i've been subsisting off pure sugar. So you help us out and you get literally all of my cookies, along with Miss Pie's grade A pasta- which btdubs this is a limited time offer cause the longer it's down here with me the less likely there will be any left to share, a girl's gotta carb up."

Hey what better way to make a friend than to be honest. It may scare mothpon off but if so then it was never meant to be. Riot wasn't going to play to something she's not.

"And if it's any comfort I can promise you that literally nothing could be more weird than the night I just had so you have already got a pretty good leg up on the whole 'first impression' thing."

Luafien

Yes she used TBH in a sentence

 

[Jun D]

Thwarted by non-existent chainsaw murderers. Thwarted by jellies. JELLIES. Diamond stared wild-eyed up into the canopy and pulled a deep breath:

"Mr. Mothpone, sir! I gathered up your marshmallows, but then the jellies made me drop them all. Could you maybe help me with picking them up again, pleeeease?"

Sweet as pie, like she wasn't going to shank him as soon as he got close. Good thing she didn't have a knife.  

[Maxx D]

"Please come down, Mr. Mothpone," Fireflight said wearily, peering up into the trees, feeling distinctly like a children's television program as they implored and coaxed.
"The very fate of the forest might depend on your descent." Less like a children's television program now. "The authorities are considering razing the forest to chase out interlopers."  

[Ruriska]

Once Banshee had recovered from trying to grapple the jellies, she sat back to listen as everyone pleaded their case to the Mothpone. It was a relief to know that Skirmish and the rest of their friends were okay, it was an immense weight lifted off her chest and she found herself smiling again. This night had been a long and adventurous one. She couldn’t wait to get back and tell her brother, describe all the details; the fun, the excitement, the moments of despair. He’d be sad he had missed out.

She peered up into the treehouse and finally called out, “HELLO UP THERE. I AM SORRY WE BOTHERED YOU.” She shuffled her hooves, a little chagrined they'd set off to find the Mothpone when he was just trying to quietly live his life in the forest. At least they’d dealt with his jelly problem. “IT’S OKAY. YOU CAN STAY UP THERE. IT LOOKS NICE.” She cleared her throat, lowering her voice before she scared him off entirely. “You seem nice. We can be friends, if you want to. Even if you don’t want to talk or meet. I still really like you!”

She grinned, hoping somewhere up there he could see her. “My name is Banshee!”  

[Ac.Wings]

Skirmish!! Golden Doubloon squeezed the jelly she was holding with glee at the sight of their leader safe and sound. Well...she looked kind of banged up BUT at least she was still in one piece. The blue jelly got another tight hug when the rest of the gang revealed themselves. Phew! They were whole once more.

Wowie zowie. It sounded like the mothpone had been through quite the odyssey tonight and couldn't catch a break. The poor guy. He was just trying to look out for others and ended up in a frightening predicament.

Golden Doubloon scooched up to join the rest of her team try to talk him down. She pulled out her handy dandy telescope that she didn't think to use until now. While she balanced the jelly in one hoof, the other held the scope up so she could look through and try to see the mothpone. "Hello sailor!!" Golden called up to him, "Don't fret and have no fear! We're here to help you out!"

"We caught the little buggers! The ground is clear for you!" She held up the blue jelly as proof but quickly pulled it back down as it started squirming. "Uh, and I promise they're not going to hurt you anymore."

The flutter's wings buzzed as she tried to think of something else that could lure him down. She tried to concentrate on finding what he could like...hm...wait!
"Have you ever heard of the Mothman? He's like a huge deal, and every year a festival is held for him! And they have a pancake eating contest! If you come down to thank you for all your hard work we could make pancakes! You deserve a tower of them! Do you like pancakes? They're so fluffy and delicious!"

Her mouth was watering at the thought of scarfing some down right now. "All you gotta do is be brave one more time. You had so much courage to help everyone out tonight and to face these pesky lil jellies. We just need you to have a lil bit more! Just come down and we can celebrate everything you've done for us. Please?"