Moonlit Adventures

"It's my partner," continues the painting as he shifts colour, "He went missing a while ago, and I want to go and find him, but I don't think I can. Not alone, at least." He moves closer to the floating star pony and pleads, "I beg of you, please help me find my partner."

Flash receives a response, though one of inquiry and confusion. It seems the little star will have to be a bit clearer on what it wants. Amber's call just causes confusion, but is also responded to by a different call. A deep, chaotic call that isn't immediately recognizable, but seems vaguely familiar...

Well...that was slightly less impression than I intended to make.
Masque coughs and changes color slightly. "I can help search!...why have you not asked the village?"

"I would, but..." Kyo changes to a informative grey as he remembers The Last Words of the Original. "'Let them not see your bright hues; For your visage, they will hunt down.' If I ask them to help, they might destroy me, and I'll never see my partner again. Surely you'd know that as well, we recite it every year during the festival." Kyo takes a good look at the painting here. He's never seen this painting before, even during the festivals. "Wait," he asks the other painting, "Who are you?"

Masque mentally stores that phrase away for later use, while the faux-painting's eyes go wide as he rapidly changing colors. "Not of the others, no! But here, among the gallery."
The faux-painting thinks for a moment when asked for a name, before he says, "I am called Masquerade...I have traveled far, pulled toward the falling light."

"Oh, I have, and we have searched the surrounding woods, but he didn't find him and no one wants to stray too far from the gallery." Kyo checks his mind to see if he recalls the name, his colours altering as he ponders. While he is unable to, he knows that he doesn't remember the names of many of the others as well, since they only meet up once per year (apart from the occasional visit). Off the top of his head, he can only remember the names from his generation, his gallery, and the current Elder Painting. Still, not to be rude to the unfamiliar painting, he asks the usual question. "So, what age are you and what gallery do you live in?"

"I don't remember pulling you. Did you pull him Star Flash?" Amber asks in reply to Masquerade's statement. "I will help if my new star friend is coming too. I want to see more things and make new friends since I'm inside anyway." she directs mostly to Kyo.

Masque lowers his face slightly and darkens his color. "It has been quite some time since I was around my...gallery." He remembers his point, raising his head and shifting color yet again. "I do not wish to be blunt or fearful, but we need move from here. The village has no doubt seen the falling light, and their fear of the dark will drive them to find it...they will be coming," he adds ominously.

Meta:

"Oh, we're going to go meet them?" Amber says, clearly excited. She flies off in a random direction only to immediately come back and ask, "Which way?"

"You're right," gasps the painting at this realisation. "Oh this is bad. Really really bad. We must leave now. Quickly, through the woods." The painting begins to gather the creatures still in his ruined home and lead them outside. He turns towards Amber and replies "We aren't going to meet them Octopus Pony, they will hunt us down if they see us. Follow me friends." he then begins to flee in the direction away from the Hollow Shades, signalling the others to follow with haste...

"Oooooooh ok. That's sad. I wanted to meat new friends. I'm not an octopony, I'm........................ Amber." she said and followed along.

Masquerade follows along silently, a sly smile beneath his facade.

Star Flash blinks at the response and smiles, letting out another ping of silent sound as it follows. This one is longer and more complex, and though it still lacks any real words so much as just blasting Flash's intentions and emotions out, roughly translated it becomes something like "Star Flash is okay, not eaten by Black Star. Met new friends! Weird Not Ponies! One can hear song but no sing well. We play now I think. Tag?"

Its message sent, it floats up to Kyo and pokes him with a hoof as it floats behind. "Partner be lost? Flash help find! Where be look? What happen? What be bad? Why we run? Where we go? Why look funny?" It continues on like this as Flash seems to find new questions to ask for every footstep Kyo takes. Not having any idea that they're trying to hide, Flash is of course still glowing like a beacon.

"I will tell you, I promise, but we must move now. Do you think you could shine less please?"

"Me too?" Amber says, assuming the answer and turns off her shining, though she still glistens faintly in the moonlight.

Star Flash blinks silently for a moment before its glow begins to quickly dissipate. Before long its almost completely gone, reduced to the point it appears like shadows simply aren't being cast over the little pony's body as opposed to an actual beacon of light.

"Yes please Amber," answers Kyo to Amber, "I'm sorry to bother you both with this, but no one must know we are here." Kyo continues to lead the pack through the woods...

"Well that's good then because I certainly don't know where we are. Do you?" Amber asks Star Flash. While they move along Amber occasionally brushes the others with a tentacle.

They hear a great amount of activity behind them, rustling leaves, a few voices and the tell-tale sound of armor colliding with itself that told you someone was wearing plate-mail. "This is where the light came from!" a feminine voice said, accompanied by the sound of armor again and a cracking twig. "Where'd the light go? I swear it was here a second ago..." A different voice said, this one sounding a bit more sluggish. "Nevermind that you dolt! Search the area! They're probably still around here somewhere!" The first voice said with a hint of anger. "R-Right boss!" You can see the light of multiple torches coming from the clearing behind you.

Amber looks back to check how many there are and tells the others, "There are..." she lifts a tentacle each time she counts, "One..two..three..four..five..six. Six of them back there."

"Star Flash know! Star Flash is be on planet!" It announces with a proud smile.

"Oooooh. That explains why all the thoughts are crowded in here." Amber muses.

Interested in moving this group to safety, but also the potentials the following creatures offer, Masquerade takes advantage of his position following behind the living painting and...things...and stops, abandoning his form before quickly moving to investigate the voices.

Meta:

(Perception Check: Natural 20)

As Kyo watches Masquerade head towards the ponies, he turns and whispers "Wait, what are yo-" However, as the creature shreds its disguise, the painting can only watch in silence. He had never seen anything like it. He knew that Living Paintings could temporarily change their form if they truly desired (he has done it once or twice in the past to see how it was like), but it was very exhausting, and he had to have seen a creature he wanted to change into. The fact that is always seemed to have went invisible is even more amazing. He was torn between watching the creature and running further away...

Masque is able to sneak to the edge of the clearing, where he notices the six armored ponies. There's one that seems to be the leader of this small group, and five less-armored ponies being bossed around. "Something landed here, and chances are it was a threat. Find it!" The leader exclaimed, at which point the rest of the squad starting searching more frantically. "Over here! I think I found hoof-Er... Thing... prints...What do you call these anyways?" One of the squad members exclaimed, though obviously confused about what he found.