I'm Beside Myself with Worry

"Hey!" protested Rose, her glare practically shooting daggers at Rozencratz, ""Careful with the horn. Unicorn horns are more delicate than they look and I just had mine...filed..."

Rose trailed off as she stared at her old horn, now belonging to this other pony. She raised a hoof and tapped the horn.

"Your horn! My horn! You can use magic!" she exclaimed suddenly.

Jim perked up at this.
"That's right! Magic! I sometimes wish I was a unicorn. Pity I missed my oppurtunity here, but then again I'd rather stay a stallion."
He was getting exited now. Jim rarely had time to witness magic in action; he felt like a young colt feeling bedazzled by celestia's abilities.

Willow smirks and leans on the wall "But would he be able to use magic griffins dont really got any horns " He chuckles softly "but give it a shot i cant hurt to try"

Rozencratz gulped. "Well, I have no clue how to actually use magic." He said, tapping on the horn and laughing weakly. "But I can try." He said. Pointing his new horn at the keys, he concentrated with all his might to try and move the keys even an inch closer.

Rose gritted her teeth and silently prayed to Celestia. She willed for Rozencratz to be able to move the keys. It was their only chance.

"Come on, you can do it," she muttered, "Don't force it. Just feel the magic..."

She trailed off when she noticed it.


(DM)

The keys on the table were slowly surrounded in a pink aura, and floated closer and closer. They finally made it to the door before dropping to the ground, easily within reach.

Jim grabbed the keys through the doorway and unlocked the door. He stuck his head out, checking the coast was clear. He then stepped out, looking around. He was indeed confused at a few things- what made them bad ponies? Had he got drunk or something? Had he knocked something other than somepony else's body? He started thinking about what he actually knew about willow. He knew he had a thing for stallions- that might be a bit awkward. Jim was open minded and all but didn't like the prospect of meeting willow's coltfriend. Then again, willow was a griffon. That would be awkward.

And what would rose do in Jim's body? If the effects were irreversible, would she date stallions? What would sunny think? He couldn't stand to hurt her like that.....

He signalled the others to follow him, pushing the worries out of his head for the time being.

Willow follows Jim close as he let his mind wander he thought about how he ended up here and in this new body the last thing he had remembered was getting closing the shop and being excited about the next day because he was supposed to...to... "Meet Rough Draft..." he said his voice barely a whisper he and his friend Rough Draft had been planning to go to lunch together as Willow had just gotten out of the hospital how could he have been so stupid!! Rough Draft must have waited for him for hours and after all those hours giving himself pep talks to finally confess his feelings...."I blew it..."

Rozencratz let out a deep breath. "I have never concentrated so hard in my life." He said, wiping his brow. He quickly darted out of the cell, keeping low and close to the wall, constantly scanning his head to look out for dangers. "Alright everypony, stick with me. I've done tons of things like this before."

Rose felt clumsy in her new body as she trotted out of the cell, keeping an eye out for trouble.

She wasn't use to being so chunky. Stallions were just genuinely larger than mares, so she was not used to being less slender than before. Plus her new wings were giving her a little trouble. They didn't feel comfortable no matter what she did with them, so Rose eventually just kept them folded loosely against her body.

"Hold on a second. Over there." Rose gestured down a corridor towards a large wooden desk, with a chair and a chest. "Maybe we could search for clues?"

Jim looked over everypony. They were a good, balanced team. We have a doctor, a large griffon, a more light, agile pony and a very.....attractive......mare.......

Jim shook his head. He'd heard abut this "Allure". She always used her looks to get what she wanted, and Jim wasn't going to fall for it. Plus, it was actually a griffon in there. Not a good thing to start going for, not even mentioning his loyalty to Sunny.

He followed rozencratz closely- he seemed to know what he was doing. Rose made her point, so Jim just watched to see how the group went.

Willow looked over towards the desk. "I say we look for clues maybe well find out how we ended up this way and how to turn back." He says as he slowly makes his way down the corridor sticking to the shadows when he can.

Rozen walked over to the deck,cursing the long flowing mane and tail getting in his way. "I miss my body already." He sighed. He looked over the desk. He was going to grab a desk handle before realizing he does not have any form of extremities. Only hooves. "Will the pony in my body come and open this desk?"

"There's nothing wrong with my body, thank you very much," retorted Rose, tutting at Rozencratz. "Besides, any pony can open these with hooves. Look."

Rose trotted forward and opened the desk drawer. Inside was a small wooden box, she promptly lifted it out and opened it. She was glad she wasn't in her own body as the box and desk were covered in dirt and dust.

DM:
Inside the box is the following contents:
- A small bag
- A receipt
- A mysterious, non-labelled map

((OOC: At this point, if any character wishes to interact with an object, they may post something along the lines of "Rose picked up the bag and opened it."
I will then make a DM post to explain the details of the interaction))

Jim was mainly on judge mode right now. He was observing the team. They'd probably need to work together to get through this. They simply had to keep together and maintain at least a decent atmosphere around them. He assessed everypony, including himself. He appeared to have metal wings- he's heard something about a pony with those. He'd need to ask willow about that.

"Hey Willow, I notice this body has metal wings. Can they fly normally?"

Next, Rose. He'd heard a lot about that one. She was dangerous- very ambitious. Jim would keep that one close- best to have the most dangerous one on your side.

Rozencratz was in a pony's body, so adjustment would no doubt be an issue. Stealth wouldn't be his thing- he'd be too clumsy. Jim could probably do a bit of sneaking- Willow was quite small and thin so stealth would be easier for Him.

Jim walked over to the box, pulled out the map and surveyed it.

Willow nods "Yea they fly just about as well as normal wings just make sure the screws on the joints are tightened." He said as he looked over the map then turned his attention to the small bag beside it he grabs it and looks into it "Wonder what's in here...?"

Rozencratz looked at all that they have found. "Well, looks like someone was paid quite a lot to lock us up here. Whether or not they swapped out bodies, I can't say, but I think it has something to do with the map." Deduced the pony. "So, I vote for getting out of here."

Idly, Rose picked up the receipt and inspected it.

"Single Room, two beds, The Iron Hoof Inn, Dodge Junction," she read aloud.

Shrugging, Rose turned her attention back to the others, nodding her agreement to Rozencratz, or to her own body. It was still incredibly strange to be talking to herself. At least she could see how good she looked...

"I don't think we should stay here too long. Who knows when that diamond dog might come back," she said.

Jim looked over the map, trying to figure out where they were in accordance to it. Of course, it didn't show their cave- just greenery, probably the everfree forest. The blue plants looked familiar though. Where had Jim seen those before? And then the diamonds. Now, diamond dogs ansoloutely adored gems, and as implied in the name diamonds were the ultimate prize. Jim looked to the others after thinking for a moment.

"Well, firstly these diamonds worry me. If diamond dogs love these things, what lengths would they have gone to so they could carry out whatever it was they were told to do? I think they were meant to capture us- rewarded the best prize they could hope for just to kidnap some ponies. But what kind of damage would they have done in the process? Come to think of it, we don't know the date, do we? We could have been nicked right in the middle of something. Maybe I was out with Sunny, but a diamond dog swooped down and carried me off before she could even react! Secondly, if by leaving you mean this room then great idea. However, I think we should explore these caves more- we might find out how we were swapped, and hopefully a way to reverse it.

Willow frowned, Dodge Junction? that was on the other side of Equestria wasn't it? "Do you guys know anyone who might have something against you in Dodge Junction?" He asks the rest of the group as he looked down the hall keeping an eye out, goo things about griffins they have good eye sight.

Rozen cleared his throat. He knew there were many people who held a grudge against him, but no one from Dodge Junction. Still though, even if someone wanted to knock him out, he did not know why they would drag others into it."So, I think we should try and find a way out of here before the dog comes back."

Rose listened to others, trying to piece everything together. They had been captured by the diamond dogs? But why? Was it for the diamonds as Jim said?

"I don't think I know anyone in Dodge Junction," Rose said to Sweet, "It's...not really the place I socialise in."

Just as she was about to suggest her own plan, there can a sudden scuttling echoing throughout the caves.


(DM)

Three Diamond Dogs of different sizes and colours appeared at the end of the corridor.

"Ponies have our diamonds!" cried one of them, pointing at the bag of gems.

Another Dog stepped forward, clenching his clawed fists and growling. "Bad ponies gonna get it now..."

Jim listened to the others. Again, all good points. He didn't even know about Dodge Junction until this lot brought it up. He was about to suggest just thinking of getting out of there but three diamond dogs appeared. Bugger. Well, he supposed he needed information. Something occurred to him. Diamonds were unbreakable, right? These dogs weren't exactly clever. Ransom seemed like an idea.

He took the diamonds, lay them on the floor and put his hoof over them. Or Willow's hoof. This was going to get confusing. He spread out his wings to look as impressive as possible. He then spoke in a confident voice, trying not to show fear.

"That's right. The bad ponies have the diamonds. And the baddest Pony- me, the Great Metal Pony, will crush your precious diamonds of you don't lead us out of here, tell us anything we want to know and let us be on our merry way. I have more metal in me than just the wings- my hooves can crack the floor if I so much as stamp them."

He hoped these idiots would accept the bluff.

Willlow blinked, Jim was using his wings as a bluff....this might just work giving that Diamond Dogs weren't know as the sharpest tool in the took box of you get what I mean.