Hop, Step, JUMP!

~~~OC: Onyx~~~

Onyx halted at the border of the Everfree Forest, looking over the treeline and observing the outskirts of the forest.

It seems that our sources have somewhat over-exaggerated the dark state of this forest. Natural light may have played a key role in the nature of the description, though. The Unicorn, after a few seconds of observation, pulled his cloak tighter around him and entered the 'sinister' forest. He kept moving forward at a rather quick place until he reached a more spacious part of the vast woodlands, at which point he relaxed himself and slowed down his moving speed to a slow walk.

Onyx looked over the trees and bushes of the Everfree forest as he continued on his way through the vastly varied plant life, apparently searching for something that drew somewhat peaked interest from him. Eventually, the stallion reached a clearing located not too deep into the forest. A bright oasis of freedom and space in the generally clustered and confining woodlands. The Unicorn took a handful of steps into the exceptionally spacious area and looked up, observing the position of the sun. Hmm. It may be a wise decision for me to attempt to quicken my pace. Time is one thing that I would rather not have to waste while I am here. He looked forward once again, walking onwards at a pace that could be best described as a light trot.

[[Oh my Glob is that referencing what I think it is referencing?]]

((*Vinyl Dash shrugs indifferently*))

"Woohoo!

Onyx stopped in his tracks, looking in the direction of the sound he had heard. He observed the forest in that direction for a few seconds, but did not see anything out of the ordinary. He was easily able to discern the earlier voice as that of another pony though, most likely a female child from the sound of it. Children. Obnoxious children. Of all the places... The Unicorn faced forward once again, sighing and continuing on his way, searching once again and hoping that the other pony did not cause to much noise, or run into him for that matter.

[depends on what it references too... :D]

Peppermint collapsed on the tree branch and let her legs flop over the sides. She'd been going at it for a good 20 minutes now, and she had developed a sheen of sweat on her brow from the exertion. Even so, she couldn't help herself from grinning goofily. "Phew! What a workout!" she exclaimed, wiping her brow with a hoof. Just a short rest...

Onyx kept going through the grass and brush of the forest, still searching intently and getting somewhat annoyed at the lack of any new discoveries. It had at least been 30 minutes since he had entered the forest, and even in such a relatively short time Onyx began thinking that he could have been wasting his time throughout the whole search. He kept going, though, knowing full well that he hadn't contributed nearly enough time to count the search as a truly productive expedition.

Suddenly, the Unicorn felt a drop of liquid land on the top of his head. Rain? No. It is a physical impossibility for atmospheric pressure to be able to change so quickly in order cause rain, even if the Everfree is not known to have normal weather relative to the rest of Equestria. The sky was brightly lit with few clouds last I checked. Onyx looked up and saw that a pony had collapsed on a tree branch a fairly large distance above him, a young Earth Pony mare that looked quite tired. Two thoughts linked together in the stallion's head, and he stepped out from under the Earth Pony's figure. Eugh. Prespiration.

Onyx called out to the mare. "You there! Are you the one responsible for creating the noises that I have heard emanating from within this area?"

[she's an earth pony. :P]

Peppermint opened her eyes slowly, glancing downwards at the stallion whom she happened to be above with mild surprise. Another pony in Everfree? Sitting up, the filly swung herself on the branch idly so she was upside down to him, she studied his figure. "Yea, I was the one making the "noise" you heard. I'm practicing my acrobatic skills." she chirped, happy to have someone to converse with. After all, being all on your own was kind of boring.

((Woops. Saw 'wings' somewhere in there. *Scolds brain for being stupid*))

The filly swung herself around the branch she was on so that she was hanging onto it upside down relative to him, as a sloth or monkey might have done. Strange pony. The mare observed him for a moment before speaking.

"Yea, I was the one making the 'noise' you heard. I'm practicing my acrobatic skills."

"I see." Onyx looked over the forest around the two ponies. "And why, may I ask, did you chose to practice these acrobatics here, of all places?"

"Because it's empty, it's clean, it's pretty and also because the branches provide perfect levels for me to swing along! Why else?"

"I see. All very acceptable and informative reasons."

With that, Onyx looked back towards ground level, passing under the mare and continuing on his way, once again intently searching throughout the forest's plant life and no longer acknowledging the mare.

Peppermint watched him pass under her and turned on the branch so she was facing him still. When she discovered that he was simply ignoring her, she shrugged, and hauled herself back onto the branch. Deciding she should probably continue, she crouched on the branch, mentally counting down in her head. 3... 2... 1... GO! Jumping down from the branch she was situated on, she flipped back and forth, doing neat somersaults in the air before grabbing onto the branch again. Reaching the final branch, she pushed herself off with more force, sailing high into the air and spinning in the air so she landed perfectly on her feet, panting ever-so-slightly.

[She was an acrobat in the circus, hence the MAD SKILLZ XD]

((Hardcore parkour))

Onyx kept moving forward, still searching and still not finding what he was looking for. He could hear the slight thuds and shaking of weaker branches as the earlier filly practiced her acrobatics above him, though he didn't bother to look up. He had seen a handful of acrobatic-based performances back in Canterlot, and he doubted that this young mare could show him anything that he had not had the chance to see before. And so the Unicorn kept walking, keeping his gaze on the bushes and grass around him and not saying another word.

Onyx noted the sounds of the filly's practicing halt, replaced by a light panting. About time she stopped. Younger ponies need to learn to respect silence. The Unicorn heard hoofsteps behind him, presumably originating from the same young mare, and within seconds he could see the mare trotting alongside him with his peripheral vision. Great, she had decided to following him.

"Um... Excuse me. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, but what are you doing?"

Without looking at the filly, Onyx gave his answer in a monotonous voice. "Searching, if that wasn't obvious."

"Searching for what?"

"A plant. A special kind of plant. It has become known to the scientific community that an isolated Zebran mare ((I think ponies and Zebras have the same gender-based terminology...)), apparently living somewhere within this forest, has been using a certain rare herb in various alchemic concoctions. The description given of this herb has not matched that of any other catalogued plant life, and so we believe that a new species of plant may have been unknowingly discovered. That is why I am here."

The Unicorn kept searching in silence for a few moments, but then realized that the mare following him may not have had the attention span to listen to and understand his explanation of why he was there.

"Or, a more simplistic explanation: Someone thinks they found a new plant, and I'm here to...see if they are telling the truth."

"Oh! I see! Now it all makes sense! But... How will you know when you find it? Did the sci... Scientip... Scientific community give you information on it?"

Onyx sighed. She can't even pronounce a word from a language that she has used her whole life. Typical. Still using his customary monotonous voice, the Unicorn replied.

"Of course they did. If they hadn't, then I would not know what to look for, and therefore, by extent, would have no reason to be here at this moment."

Tacha had been following these two ponies for quite some time now and had been trying to figure out how to join in their conversation. Since she was so far away she hadnt heard much but was pretty sure they had been talking about some kind of flower. That was why Tacha was here in the first place she had only wanted to get some flowers to liven up her home and heard everfree had the most curious plants of all. Thats how she had become lost wondering forever in the forest until she happen to come upon the most amazing sight, a pony flying in the trees. She followed this pony silently waiting for an excuse to talk with the two. lingering in the overgrowth nearby she tried to get closer without being seen.

"Interesting! So what does this said plant look like?"

Onyx heard a crack somewhere behind them, but didn't look. After a few seconds passed, nothing approached or attacked the pair of ponies, and so the Unicorn answered the filly's question. "Does it matter? Why would this plant interest you?"

Tacha carefuly walked through thr brush but not careful enough. she steped on a twig. the snap seemed to echo across te entire forest. she froze and lost her ballance, tumbling out of her hiding place and landing right in front of the two ponies. smooth real smooth. she wasnt sure how the two would respond and remained where she was. she let out a nervous laugh. "uh well i spose thats one way to make an introduction." looking up at them she tried to read their reactions.

Onyx halted in place when a new pony tumbled out of the nearby bushes and landed in front of Unicorn and the filly next him, not quite flinching but allowing the new mare to make her graceful stop. His horn instantly glowed with a dark blue aura at the same time this happened, and with his magic he grabbed whatever sharp objects he could find throughout the forest around them, not moving them but getting a good grip with his spell.

"Uh, well I suppose that's one way to make an introduction."

"AHA! I KNEW there was someone following us! It appears they have made their grand entrance. These eagle eyes see ALL!"

Onyx looked over the young mare nonchalantly as Peppermint spoke her thoughts loudly, his horn's aura fading as he decided that she was indeed not a threat as he had originally though possible. More annoyances to deal with, then. A manticore or timberwolf may have been better. Would have at least scared off the other filly.

"And simply because I'm curious, sir!"

"I see. Well, you should now that curiosity did kill the cat. And also the previous Aloan prince. Terrible way to die, though it was no one's fault except his own."

As he said this, the stallion stepped to the side and walked around the two young ponies, not waiting for either of them to continue after him but expecting them to follow nevertheless.