Empty (open)

It had been months since Bright Eyes had been home to Trottingham, and just as long since she had last seen her parents. Her mother and father, her only family, were growing older, and she missed them. But the village seemed deserted -  cobble stone roads were absent of any ponies. Windows were shattered, stores abandoned. There was concern on her face as she looked around. "Where is everypony?"  Her knees weekend when she saw her old home, now empty, with wooden boards covering the window. Her chin trembled as her emotions threaten to overwhelm her.   What had happened here in Trottingham?  Where was her family?

((Thanks for reminding me about Dawn, Bright Eyes, I actually pretty much forgot I had this character there to play as. You have been busy! It's so nice to see activity up around here! Dawn's page will probably get updated in the next couple days when I can manage it but for now, she's just fine how she is... Did you have a plan for this RP?))

Dawn Shard had been wheeling above the outskirts of Trottingham for hours now but... no luck. No other ponies. Until... From the ground, she would have appeared as nothing but a lonely speck set against the sky, but when she saw movement in the square, she sped towards the earth so fast she couldn't pull up in time, and she landed roughly and tumbled to a halt in a smallish heap of distressed pegasus. She shook her head slowly to try and clear the daze, but her ears were ringing, and her vision swam as she swung her gaze around to refocus on the moving shape she had seen - a blue mare.

((You bet!  I'm glad to see Dawn in action!  Just doing my part to keep this place active, I'm rather fond of it <3 I have no plans for this, it's open to anyone and everything))

 The panic was welling within her when suddenly, a flurry of peach fur and feathers came streaking toward the earth like a comet from the sky above.  Bright Eyes could not contain the frightened yelp that escaped as she stumbled backwards, eyes squinting behind her glasses to see what had just happened.  When she realized it was a pegasus, likely injured, she rushed forward in concern.  "Oh dear!  Miss, are you well?"  Somehow, her Trottingham dialect seemed accentuated in her fear.

Dawn coughed as she struggled to her feet and ruffled her wing feathers a few times. "Oh thank goodness," she said, words slurring in her disorientation until her gaze seemed to clear as she looked at the other pony. "Yes, I... think I'm alright."

Bright Eyes was feeling a nervous wreck now - both the startling fear that her parents had apparently vanished, now an injured pegasus who didn't look nearly as alright as she claimed to be.  The unicorn mare rushed to her side, offering herself for the stranger to help steady herself on her hooves. "I'm dreadfully sorry for your accident, dear, is there anything I can do to help?  I'm afraid I have no medical experience, though." She looked around for others to help, but it was in vain. The place seemed eerily abandoned.

"Jus' mah luck, huh? Suppose ah better fin' out wah' happened tah evereh poneh...." Iron spoke aloud as he walked through the city streets, draped in his long duster and with his black stetson on his head as normal.

"No, no, thank you. I'll be right in a few minutes." Dawn looked gratefully at the stranger, but her relief was soon clouded by worry. "Please, do you have any news? Do you know what's happened? I only arrived this morning, but I haven't been able to find anypony at all! I was meant to be here to help my friends, but..." she trailed off as she began to babble, stiffening as she saw a dark silhouette at the other end of the street.

Her worries were not really eased by the stranger's words, since Bright Eyes feared the pegasus would require medical attention.  But her anxiety for another problem was soon flamed anew, and Bright couldn't help but whimper softly.  "I-I don't know.  I came and there's... there's just nothing.  M-my mum and dad.." she began, emotion heavy on her quavering voice, but she spied another pony coming near.  Much to her surprise, it was someone she was already vaguely familiar with. "Iron Dreams?"  She blinked, uncertain if her eyes were playing tricks.

Iron narrowed his eyes as he moved closer to Bright and the mystary mare that seemed to be a pegasus. "Been a while, huh? What 'appen'a 'er?" He said as he looked down at the small pegasus

Dawn looked with concern at the kind pony who had helped her as her voice began to thicken with emotion. She obviously had family here... Her thoughts were interrupted when the stranger approached and she up with a guarded expression at the newcomer. "I just landed a little roughly, is all, I'm more worried about what's happened to Trottingham, Sir... obviously you two know each other?"

She watched Iron with some caution - after all, he had made some pretty stunning confessions when last they met, in Appleloosa.  Somehow, it was hard to imagine the outlaw pony anywhere but the dusty town, surrounded by Sage brush and tumble weeds.  "Yes, we have met once before," she explained to Dawn.  "Iron, do you know?  Have you been here for long?  What's happened to every pony?"  Deep down, she knew he likely didn't have the answers.  But her panic was growing by the second.

"Ah came inn'a town las' night. 'round midnight las' night a fog blew in. Ah don' know much else." As he spoke he walked over the the wounded Pegasus, and pressed down on both of her wings, and not gently.

Dawn winced as the stranger pressed firmly on both of her wings and cried out as pain lanced through her left side all the way down her shoulder, but she gritted her teeth, determined that they should be focusing on the obviously more pressing matter of Trottingham's residents disappearing. "Were there ponies here when you arrived?"

She watched, confused, as the stallion stepped closer to Dawn and began to.. hurt her?  Instantly, an angry looked appeared on Bright's face as she rushed forward to defend the stranger.  She didn't know much about Iron, but she knew he was a self-professed killer, and that was enough to make her nervous.  There could be nothing darker than murder. Her voice lowered.  "What are you doing?  Stop touching her, Iron. This is an emergency situation in Trottingham, do you have answers or not?"

Iron signed "Calm down Bright. Her wing 's broken, and nee's'a be set. Who ev'a y'all are, grit ya teeth 'cuz 'is gonna hurt." As he finished speaking, he grabbed Bright's left wing with his hooves, and snapped the bones back into place. "Now don't y'all move a bit, Ah'm gonna go grab somthin'a make a splint fer ya wing so it'a heal how 's supposed ta."

As the group of ponies helped the pegasus, they were watched by a dark blue creature standing on a building, its head hidden under a hood. Only a pair of blue eyes were visible. Around its hooves was something that looked like armor plates, similar to royal guard ones. But they seemed old and very used. It stood there, quietly watching the group of ponies

Dawn lost the ability to speak for a moment as the stallion put pressure on the wing and her bones slid agonisingly back into place. "Oh I don't think I'll be going anywhere," she hissed through her clenched jaw. As he walked away to find something to splint the wound, she turned back to Bright Eyes. "Thank you so much, miss, for your assistance – even though I think he thinks he's helping. My name is Dawn Shard, and I was here to see a friend of mine – Silverwork, he's a jeweller." She continued babbling to distract herself from the pain, or try to, but when she could bear it no longer she turned around and called out to the stranger in a strained voice. "There's something you could use to splint it just here, by the edge of the street. It's an..." Her words faded as she eyed the object with a fresh rush of nerves. "It's an arrow," she murmured, voice tremoring with dread.

((Muahaha continuity, see, this is assuming that Inferno sent Glitter off here and that's why everypony is missing. If this isn't the case, Bright, let me know and I'll change it to something else.))

Unable to hide the doubt in her eyes, she watched the stallion.  She couldn't help but think that a doctor would have been better suited for such a procedure, and would have known if it was even necessary.  Instinctively, she moved closer to the injured pegasus protectively.  She hadn't noticed the first clue - a single arrow, its tip stuck into the muddy earth.  It was only when Dawn saw it first that Bright Eyes glanced over, an eyebrow arching questioningly.  "It is called Robin Hoof Square," she began, trying to reason.  "Maybe a young foal was playing, and that's where the arrow came from."

Frowning, she looked over at Dawn again.  "Can you walk?  As flying seems not to be an option at this moment," she commented wryly.


((Yes, well done  xD  The whole town hasn't been abducted, maybe just displaced?))

Jack narrowed his eyes, grabbing some old boards and hurrying back to the others. He took a bit of bandaging out, making a very crude, but effective splint for Dawn's wing. "Might not be pretty, but it'll work.

Dawn eyed the splint doubtfully for a moment and tried her best to settle the wing awkwardly back into place. "Thank you, sir..." She said slowly. She turned to the unicorn mare apprehensively. "Yes, I can walk. Do you... think we should have a look around town?" Dawn broached the question carefully. This pony had mentioned her parents here, and this place was obviously close to her heart.

((I assume we skip Jack's posts from now on?))

Already, her racing mind was conjuring up as many explanations as it could - but none of the reasons made any sense.  Her parents wouldn't just leave.  She was certain of this.  She glanced over at Dawn again when she asked a question, and Bright Eyes could do little more than offer a feeble response in reply.  "I suppose I have to start somewhere." From the corner of her eye, she thought she saw movement, the flutter of drapes behind glass in a nearby home.  "I'll knock on a few doors.  But you should rest, really.  Take care of yourself first."

Dawn scanned the Square slowly and did her best to conceal a slight shiver. There was something... unnatural... about the emptiness of this place. The Town Square, especially, was often the bustling heart of towns like Trottingham, and to see it so silent and so deserted was unnerving. "I suppose we should," she said quietly. "If you begin to take a look, I'll follow close behind – but I want to take a look at this arrow first." Summoning only about half of what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, Dawn moved uncertainly, treading unrationally quietly as she moved to examine the glinting projectile. As the pain from her wing faded, the apprehension that had caused her to dive to earth in the first place was returning, stronger than ever.