Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience

[Greymere]

Probably. But the question is, do you really want to spend a full four Name actions on it?

Consider for a moment what actions we could use them each for. Baldomare could help the Outsider hunt and Sacrament with an Influence, or just going on the hunt herself. A bunch of people wanted to get Heart stuff from Marinette, and unless we can find another Heart scrap somewhere we need two actions from her minimum to get All 4 and finish Selene's education, as well as our family's. Unless you want to put that off a turn, she's pretty much locked in for the next two turns. And DoA doesn't have much else to do… until we need another Wrong Key, anyways.

Click to shrink...

If we're not doing Frangiclave next turn, we really should have DoA make Wrong Keys. Our last one expires at the end of T20, and surprise EiB to the face just as we're getting ready to go get Frangiclave would be incredibly annoying.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

It's not just his weapons to be fair. Even Biedde's Brand suggests being an assassin. What was it…

Cutter, opener, exsanguinator. The blade that was meant for precision. For the artery that lies beneath the armor. For the skin that has not yet scarred into a lesson. Blood can be replenished. Time cannot.

Click to shrink...

By all indications Biedde was the Colonel's personal assassin, before he was assigned as a guard instead. Probably because Moth is just as good stopping the sneaky people as it is at being sneaky—since you know their tricks—and if you're going to be watching the Worms having both is a good idea.

 

[spiderhellian]

The other piece is that just killing Copper and leaving the cult to Neighnia also seems like a bad time. And there are our books, and whatever else the cult has in its store-rooms.

So I can see the argument to do more of a ransacking with (e.g.) DoA + Biedde.

I really hope this is a discussion we can have in earnest soon with full information because the summon goes smoothly

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Copper knowingly sacrifices pony prisoners for her rituals. Screw that, strike her, either ending her outright or forcing her to dedicate time and effort to devising a way to circumvent Ash.

I could understand arguments that we shouldn't use Ash to do it because of what doing so says about Velvet, that using Ash like that is too evil, but not arguments that Copper has done nothing wrong and was simply minding her own business in Manehatten.

 

[DelightedOne]

Copper knowingly sacrifices pony prisoners for her rituals. Screw that, strike her, either ending her outright or forcing her to dedicate time and effort to devising a way to circumvent Ash.

I could understand arguments that we shouldn't use Ash to do it because of what doing so says about Velvet, that using Ash like that is too evil, but not arguments that Copper has done nothing wrong and was simply minding her own business in Manehatten.

Click to shrink...

I don't think anyone is saying Copper did not do anything wrong, personally my refusal to use Ash is my usual revulsion for anything that comes from the Wolf and just wanting to kill her ourselves if it comes to that. Copper is a stereotypical cultist and that should be enough for those in the know to understand how bad she is.

And about the "Copper is evil so we should kill her" vibes, everyone should remember that on the great scale of things Velvet Covers did much, much worse than Copper could ever hope to match, for a cultist she is pretty basic.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

[X] [PRIDE] You will tell him a little bit, but also that he should ask her the rest himself. (Reveal to Pride what action Axe will take this turn only)
[X] [ASH-GUARD] Stalk.
[X] [ASH-PREY] No Prey.

I have changed my mind. Let's not give in to Wolf temptation. I don't like what it says about Velvet.

 

[Bakkasama]

[X] [PRIDE] You will tell him a little bit, but also that he should ask her the rest himself. (Reveal to Pride what action Axe will take this turn only)
[X] [ASH-GUARD] Stalk.
[X] [ASH-PREY] No Prey.

I have changed my mind. Let's not give in to Wolf temptation. I don't like what it says about Velvet.

Click to shrink...

That we rather deal with the problems we have with the resources available regardless of where they come from? The damage is done already, we might as well reap de benefits.

 

[Pittauro]

Yes. The great crime of...

Being fooled by the Master.

Truly an unforgiveable evil. Nevermind that pretty much the entire thread bought that same lie hook line and sinker.

Click to shrink...

to be fair she STILL tried to kill us, and we STILL tried to have her go mad.

Deescalating is possible, but it's also very difficult to do.

Copper already knew Velvet was getting close to the Alicorns for the Cult, her bailing to become Comissioner is not necessarily a "she told on us" moment it could also be a "she left us to play secret police" one. Velvet didn't directly tell Windy to leave either, she just made things seems so bad he left.

Click to shrink...

Let's be real, Copper is the SOCIAL one of the group. she'd likely notice Velvet playing those games.

Velvet was not THAT subtle about pushing Windy to leave, I think.

…Bro, as we literally just said, we didn't buy it. And being fooled or not, you are massively downplaying that she tried to murder us.

Like, I'm sorry, but if some motherfucker starts shooting at me with a bazooka, I'm not particularly going to care why they're doing it. I'm just going to start shooting back.

Click to shrink...

now, admittedly she DIDN'T shot last turn (and neither did we).

IF she doesn't attack us this turn, we COULD potentially consider de-escalating.

Arguably even the Wolf-stalk is not necessarily stopping us from doing that. It's not like She'll know we sent Ash against her... or even that WE caused Ash to replace the Woods.

Here's a funny idea: if we make peace, we come up with a nonsense ritual/trick/sign we'll teach her to "avoid" the wolves hunting in the Ashen Wasteland we discovered on our own (or Baldomare told us, if we need another excuse), as a sign of good faith.

I looking at the Character Sheet and this line caught my attention. It seems to me as echoing some of the ideas I've seen @Pittauro and others talk about — that the Forge/SiS "birthed" Harmony in some way. Because here, I can see "cutie marks" as an analogy for Harmony, and "desires" as an analogy for the Forge/SiS's desire.

It's that last line especially that really stands out: "The two things are a commemoration of Birth."

What?

It doesn't make any sense if it's referring to lower case-b birth. But it does make sense if it's referring to the upper case-B Birth of Harmony.

It does seem to really point to the Forge's (consummated?) desire being tied to the Birth of Harmony.

Click to shrink...

It's an interesting possibility, though you MIGHT be reading too much into that blurb.

That said, I can't think of another explanation for Harmony's origins then "It was either created by, or the child of, or "what's left" of, the Forge and Sun".

So if we successfully summon Biedde, what do we actually want to do? Channeling an Edge Influence for +2 Edge Scraps + Comet confrontation + Ruined Church has come up before obviously, but is there anything else we might want to send him out to do?

Click to shrink...

well, it depends on what he's good at. For all we know we can already work on his sacrament, or has some other special ability.

Maybe we can even send him to teach Comet the Sacrament, for all we know.

Either extra guard just to be absolutely sure that if Copper tries to attack physically we're fine, or send him on a scouting trip to Manehatten so that we're not relying on a Name hit squad to go from zero to one hundred next turn.

Well, assuming people actually support that plan anyways. We could also try throwing him at the Outsider hunt, but that's probably not his specialty. Maybe searching for that quick expedition close to home might be smarter.

Click to shrink...

Influence means we roll that +40 if attacked AND get the 2 scraps.

To be fair, if we put all of our Names in that action we would have a hit squad capable of wiping out a whole cult for sure.

Click to shrink...

Honestly we might actually do that. A short expedition to find the cult, steal all they have of worth, kidnap Copper and sabotage everything left...


Send Baldomare, Axe, Mareinette and Biedde. 5 days, 5 bits each (I think that's enough?), 100 bits to solve the problem once and for all. And we get all of that cult's artifacts, and potentially prisoners if we want to pursue Lantern personal or Grail Mareinette Sacraments... or if we want to impose terms on Copper from an undeniable position of strength.

Consider for a moment what actions we could use them each for. Baldomare could help the Outsider hunt and Sacrament with an Influence, or just going on the hunt herself. A bunch of people wanted to get Heart stuff from Marinette, and unless we can find another Heart scrap somewhere we need two actions from her minimum to get All 4 and finish Selene's education, as well as our family's. Unless you want to put that off a turn, she's pretty much locked in for the next two turns. And DoA doesn't have much else to do… until we need another Wrong Key, anyways.

Click to shrink...

but yeah, we need Heart for All-4, we need to go on the Frangiclave expedition, Baldomare can basically do 70% of the outsider search in a single action all on her own, we need more wrong keys to be safe...

And about the "Copper is evil so we should kill her" vibes, everyone should remember that on the great scale of things Velvet Covers did much, much worse than Copper could ever hope to match, for a cultist she is pretty basic.

Click to shrink...

mostly as indirect results of some of our actions, really.

The most evil things we "knowingly" did were sacrificing the two changelings, and sending guards to die in a fruitless search.

Oh, and actually "forcing Shining Armor to marry Cadance", arguably, though that's more debatable.

... oh, right, also the regrettable actions and summoning mareinette...

 

[angelsadvocate666]

Influence means we roll that +40 if attacked AND get the 2 scraps.

Click to shrink...

I mean, sure, but I don't think it's really a question whether an Edge Influence or Biedde himself is better to have in a fight.

And that comment was specifically in response to "what could we do instead of influence?"

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Voting will close as soon as I get this small update ready. Should happen within the hour.

Let me check a tally real quick.

Spoiler: Tally

Vote Tally : Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience | Page 92 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 2812-3066]
##### NetTally 4.0.2

Task: PRIDE

[X][PRIDE] You will tell him a little bit, but also that he should ask her the rest himself. (Reveal to Pride what action Axe will take this turn only)
No. of Votes: 31

Spoiler: Voters

[X] angelsadvocate666
[x] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Bakkasama
[x] BunnyLord
[X] Cochimetl
[X] DelightedOne
[x] des-pair-2
[X] Greymere
[X] Gyldir
[X] HellFire666
[X] Iustus Vitea
[X] K4lepo
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] Limabot
[X] Lorrie
[x] Nevermort
[X] Pittauro
[X] Rafuki22
[X] Shaper47
[X] Solace2117
[X] SolemLupus
[X] spiderhellian
[X] Starlit Horizon
[X] Steady Gaze
[X] Sveta08
[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Turamarth
[X] Waela
[X] Witherbrine2671

[X][PRIDE] You will tell him everything you know. (Reveal to Pride all of Axe's actions, for the next three turns)
No. of Votes: 1

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Steady Gaze

---

——————————————————————————————————————————————
Task: ASH-GUARD

[X][ASH-GUARD] Stalk.
No. of Votes: 21

Spoiler: Voters

[x] des-pair-2
[x] BunnyLord
[X] Cochimetl
[X] Earth-Destroyer
[X] Greymere
[X] K4lepo
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] Limabot
[X] Lorrie
[X] Pharohman777
[X] Pittauro
[X] Shaper47
[X] Solace2117
[X] SolemLupus
[X] Starlit Horizon
[X] Sveta08
[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Turamarth
[X] Waela
[X] Witherbrine2671
[X] Zxzx24

[X][ASH-GUARD] Feast!
No. of Votes: 16

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Iustus Vitea
[x] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Bakkasama
[X] Darkday
[X] DelightedOne
[X] Greymere
[X] Gyldir
[X] HellFire666
[X] K4lepo
[X] Nevermort
[X] Rafuki22
[X] spiderhellian
[X] Steady Gaze
[X] Turamarth

[X][ASH-GUARD] Starve...
No. of Votes: 1

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Shaper47

---

——————————————————————————————————————————————
Task: ASH-PREY

[X][ASH-PREY] Copper Secateur
No. of Votes: 21

Spoiler: Voters

[X] spiderhellian
[x] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] Bakkasama
[x] BunnyLord
[X] Darkday
[x] des-pair-2
[X] Greymere
[x] Gyldir
[X] HellFire666
[X] K4lepo
[X] Pittauro
[X] Rafuki22
[X] Shaper47
[X] Solace2117
[X] SolemLupus
[X] Starlit Horizon
[X] Steady Gaze
[X] Turamarth
[X] Waela
[X] Witherbrine2671

[X][ASH-PREY] No prey
No. of Votes: 12

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Iustus Vitea
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Cochimetl
[X] DelightedOne
[x] des-pair-2
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] Limabot
[X] Lorrie
[x] Nevermort
[X] Sveta08
[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Zxzx24

[X][ASH-PREY] Windy Flakes
No. of Votes: 3

Spoiler: Voters

[X] spiderhellian
[x] Earth-Destroyer
[X] HellFire666

[X][ASH-PREY] Peculiar Rumor
No. of Votes: 1

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Venerable Ro

Total No. of Voters: 36

Right, right, fuck Copper, that makes sense.

I hope you are all doing well! And a great day to us all.

I'll eventually, at some point, catch up to the thread as usual. But I had more time to write than I had to be online, so I'll finish something, post it, and get back to talk to everyone much, much later.

EDIT:
By the way

[X][ASH-PREY] Peculiar Rumor

Click to shrink...

Didn't have the time to notice that during voting, apologies. But that's not something you could ask Ash to do. Either pick a target, or give it no targets.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

What does sadden me is that we cannot have Ash hunt Sealed Windigos, because they aren't in the Mansus. Would have been the most hilariously aggressive bomb defusal in Equestrian history.

 

[Greymere]

Maybe we can even send him to teach Comet the Sacrament, for all we know.

Click to shrink...

Does he even care about that anymore? Baldomare made some sort of comment on him giving up on (implied to be) cult/Lore Stuff to focus on Fluttershy. And Sacramenting is explictly the point you become something not entirely mortal anymore, iirc.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

Eh, he's not climbing or growing his Lores just for the sake of it, but I really doubt Comet wouldn't recognize that better Edge is still useful for protecting Fluttershy. Having an option to get past that one roadblock without having to do something Fluttershy disapproves of—killing someone just because—would probably be fine. Especially since he knows he would need as much as he can get if he ever has to kill Velvet.

Well, unless he's really focused on the "more Edge makes me more of a monster and I don't want to be just a beast that Fluttershy has to take care of" idea. Or he doesn't want to owe Velvet for doing such a big favor.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning Plan

[X] Plan Pittauro, With Changeling Detectives
-[X] Axe, yes! (Costs one VELVET action)
-[X][DETECTIVES] (FOLLOW UP) There are still changelings out there. Hunt them. Look for them, and for the ponies who colluded with them. (One of the chief expectations of the Bureau. Avert a future Catastrophe)
-[X][CONSTABLES] It is less paperwork for you if they just help with the investigations. (NO ACTION from the Constables. GAIN one VELVET action for the next phase)
-[X][COMMISSIONER] The Bureau is more than an institution, it is a gathering of dedicated ponies working towards a unified goal. Ingrain yourself with them. (Establish, increase, or salvage the loyalty of the Bureau towards you personally.)
-[X][RARITY] Take a commission. (Gain at least 100 bits immediately, will "fail" her career roll)
-[X][SELENE] Realize something about Edge. (Unlock her Edge skill) (TRAINING ACTION)
-[X][SELENE] Realize something about Knock. (Unlock her Knock skill) (TRAINING ACTION)
-[X] One extra Velvet action! (Costs 2 follower actions)
-[X] You need somepony to perform this ritual… (Reflection of the Tapestry, search for "The Key that Only Opens" the Daughter of Axe wants)
--[X] To be performed on the safe place Baldomare directed you to. (Will expire at the end of turn 20)
-[X] You need somepony to perform this ritual… (Reflection of the Tapestry, search for "the easiest lvl 6 book we can get for Baldomare")
--[X] To be performed on the safe place Baldomare directed you to. (Will expire at the end of turn 20)
-[X] WRITE IN: Canterlot part 2 expedition
-[X] Attack your foe, or defend yourself. In war, there is no other option.
--[X][GUARD] You would very much like to keep this safe. (Your home)

[X] Plan Betterer Biedde
-[X] (AotL) Edge
-[X] (Forge) Edge 3, Knock 2 Edge 1, SH 1
—[X] Gift used on Knock 2 Edge 1 retroactively
-[X] (Steppes) Ask about any rumors and general perceptions of us, Fair Trial, and our respective institutions, among both nobles and the commonfolk.
-[X] (Social) Level up Jade
-[X] Summon Biedde
--[X] Sacrifice Edge 3 and Knock 2 Edge 1 reagents
--[X] To be performed on an inconspicuous place, located by Baldomare
-[X] Fleeting Opportunity: Comet Feet
-[X] Study: Forge 3, Forge 3, Mystery Book
-[X] Explore the Mansus
--[X] Find a new location in the Ashen Wastes
--[X] Explore the depths of the Ruined Church

Spoiler: Winning Vote

Tally
[PRIDE] You will tell him a little bit, but also that he should ask her the rest himself. (Reveal to Pride what action Axe will take this turn only)
[ASH-GUARD] Stalk.
[ASH-PREY] Copper Secateur

You are Princess Luna, and right now you are doing something you have not done in a very long time.

You are training.

Ever since you woke up, you felt… different. You felt different in a good way, as if there was a part of you that had been missing this whole time but that you finally got back. You feel different in the sense that you no longer feel like a stranger in your own body, and it no longer feels wrong to walk, or to breathe, or even to exist.

Part of you misses the simplicity of when you were "just" Selene, but you can still say confidently that returning to that stage of your life would be taking a step back. Because now you feel complete, in a sense. Now you feel whole.

However, it is precisely because you feel "whole" that you are now able to realize just how small you are. After all, now that you finally feel… now that you feel solid, you finally realize that you could be doing a lot more than before. Now that your life feels like a stable foundation, you can see that you were always meant to build upon it.



And this is what you are doing right now. This is what you have been doing for the last several days.



The first thing you started working on was, well, your own body. Granted, you don't think there is anything you can improve in your body, given that you are an alicorn. However, you very quickly realized that your constitution is so good that you had no idea of how far you could push yourself.

So, you have been pushing yourself. You have been pushing yourself as much as you can.

You started small, at first, by answering some very simple questions. How fast can you run? How much wind can your wings blow? How long can you hold your breath? You started by answering those questions, and accumulating the much-needed personal experience that a pony needs to be active in a healthy way.

And then, you moved to the unhealthy questions.

How long can you go without sleep? How much pain can you take? What is the color of your blood?

Of course, you only started answering those questions after you found a place that is far from your home. And you have already decided you will never tell these details to anypony. Not even Silky.

And especially not your mom.

Tartarus, she would flip if you told her what you have been doing.

But still, you carry on.

Because you have so much you still need to figure out.

Because you are a Princess.

Because you can't afford not to be ready, when the time comes.

Not again.

So, you fly away every night to this little training place of yours, and you return home every morning.

This will be your life, until you feel like you are ready.



- - -



You haven't slept in… a while, now.

Silky has already noticed, and you almost dozed off during Miss Cherilee's lecture this morning.

But that's the thing. You are tired, exhausted even, but you still feel like you can carry on.

And knowing that, knowing that your body responds so well even when you are like this, is precious information for you.

Although, staying awake isn't the only reason why you are so tired.

Because after you went through all the exercises and physical tests you could think of, you started testing the limits of your magic.

"All right… one more time," you say to yourself, "give me one more."

You are talking to yourself, or maybe to your horn, or perhaps to the moon. Still, you say those words out loud, as you fight against your increasingly heavier eyelids and focus on the magic you are trying to cast.

You are far, far away from your home right now. More than one hour of flight away. In a valley surrounded by tall hills, where you know you can stay in your Princess form without the risk of anypony stumbling upon you.

However, this little valley you have located has certainly… changed, thanks to what you have been doing.

When you first arrived here, this valley was green, lush and calm. A relatively large stretch of grass, surrounded by a few pockets of trees here and there, inside a circle of hills.

But now, this place is almost completely destroyed.

The grassy plain is blasted and uneven, pockmarked with small craters almost everywhere you look. A group of trees in the distance had their tops sheared clean, due to a previous mishap of yours. And even some of the hills that surround you have signs of damage on them.

And that is because.

"And this time… try… to make it… focused!"

You say that, almost yelling that last word. Just as you finish focusing that deep well of magic you have inside of you, gathering it at the very tip of your horn and-

!!!!!!!!!!​

-and the world explodes around you. A magical blast coming out of the tip of your horn, and spilling in every direction like a malformed ball of moonlight.

It feels like you just got hit in the face and chest by a hammer, and for a moment you go entirely deaf before your ears finally start ringing again.

You weren't thrown off your hoofs, thankfully, and your legs are still firmly pressed under you. But still…

"Ouch! Stars… damnit…!" you say out loud.

You almost had it. Or at least you think you almost had it. But still, you ended up with the same result as before.

Because this whole time, you have been trying to test… no, you have been trying to tap into the magical reserves you have inside of you. After all, you know that you have a much greater magical power than almost anypony else, by sheer virtue of being an alicorn. However, you also know that having power does not equate to having the skill to use it, just like having a strong body doesn't mean you have the finesse to dance or fight or do anything else.

But still, every time you try to cast a stronger spell, or every time you try to use those magical reserves you know you have, the whole thing just gets out of control.

No, more than just that, your magic literally explodes at the tip of your horn. And for all that your magical energy in itself doesn't hurt you, the compressed air and resulting shockwave certainly do.

Still, you know you are making progress… you are not lost, and you know the direction you need to go.

You just need to dig deeper. To make your magic sharper. To be more in control.

You will get there, in time. You are sure of it.

"Still, I think I should…" you say, but your words trail off before you can finish that sentence.

Because it is getting late into the night, or perhaps early into the morning. Or is it… late in the morning? Ehh, you aren't entirely sure how to word it, and you are too tired to care. Still, the fact remains that sunrise should happen sooner rather than later.

You should go back home, clean yourself, and get ready for another morning of school. And thank the stars Silky has been doing your homework for you, because you can still walk around and pretend you are awake, but you cannot muster the energy to do all those math and grammar lists.

Miss Cherilee has certainly been stepping up on her homework assignments, ever since more foals have been moving into the city and joining your classroom… You even think you heard that they will separate you all into grades? Maybe get another teacher?

Wait, no, your mind is already drifting away. You shake your head and try to focus on the task at hoof. You think you can shove in one last attempt before going back home, so you should concentrate on that.

"Yeah, one more time. One last time before we call it," you say out loud, as you step out of the… small crater that you are in, that you just created with your latest explosive magic.

You trot out of the crater, find somewhere you can stand on even ground, and you start your now-familiar routine of trying to cast stronger magic.

You take a deep breath…

You close your eyes…

You start pulling at the well you have inside of you…

And you almost fall to the ground as something very, very wrong happens.​

An overpowering sense of vertigo suddenly crashes into you, and you almost fall to the ground even though your four legs are firmly rooted under you. And you… you…

What in Equestria just happened?!

You look around you, turning your face this and that direction as you try to understand what the hay you just felt.

Because one moment, everything was fine. But for a split second, you… you felt that…

How do you even describe it?

It felt like a wave just crashed against you.

It felt like the very ground moved under your hoofs.

It felt like the whole word was being twisted, forcibly bent into a straight line as something very large slithered through it.

But it only lasted for a moment.

In fact, for all that the sensation was almost dizzying, now that you think about it you barely noticed it was there. Or rather, you only noticed because you had the means to notice it. You only realized it happened because a part of you, a very small part, already learned about this kind of thing.

You think that, if you didn't know about it, you wouldn't have noticed it at all. You think that if anypony else was here, they wouldn't even have realized something just happened.

But something did happen.

And more importantly…



You are no longer alone.



That sensation. That thing. That mind-numbing, world bending thing that just rushed through you. You can tell that it just landed, or perhaps burst out of the ground, somewhere nearby.

And just a few moments later, your eyes are immediately drawn to a small group of trees. A patch of woods that your explosive experiments have not yet accidentally damaged.

You look towards those trees. And sure enough, moments later you spot a figure walking out of it.

"Who's there?" you ask, your tone loud and clear, as you turn your entire body to face the newcomer.

You think you know who it is. Because that thing you just felt, it wasn't magic. It was something else. However, as the newcomer steps out of the tree line and into the moonlight, you can also tell it isn't your mother.

Which only leaves…



"Ae knew ye were a lil' freak… bu' ae had no idea 'ow right ae was."



The moonlight shines down on the old, battered cloak she is wearing. Every now and then you can see a hint of the hoofs of her forelegs, as she walks. And the long and purple braid of her mane dangles slightly in time with her hoofsteps.

But her voice alone was more than enough for you to know who that is.

Not long ago, you would have called her Velvet Axe. Going by the name your sister gave her, and that the mare never seemed to object to.

But now? Now that you know what she is? Now that your mother told you of her true nature?

Now that she is glaring daggers at you, wearing a scowl on her face and keeping a distance from you that is clearly cautious?

Now you are not so sure how to call her.

In fact, you are not even sure why she is here. Or rather, you have a suspicion, but a good part of you hopes that you are very wrong.

Still, the mare glares at you. She walks in your direction, but she stops several hoofsteps away from you. And the way she glares at you makes it very clear she is not here just to talk.

You feel tense, the muscles of your legs coiling inside of you, as your body makes it very clear that…

… that this could very well turn into a fight-or-flight situation.



"Now, are ye just a freak… or are ye also a monster?"



You can feel a certain poison in her words. A mixture of revulsion, or disgust, or maybe even hate.

To which your heart begins to hammer inside your chest. Because you remember Axe. By the stars, you remember being fine with Axe. The memories almost flash inside your mind, as your body tenses up. But still, you distinctly recall how you suspected her at first, and how the two of you slowly found a common ground of sorts, until you trusted her enough to ask for her help.

You were… the two of you were in good terms, or at least as much of a good term as one can be with a mare like her.

So why…

Why does she look like she doesn't even recognize you, as she speaks to you?

"Are you threatening me?" you ask, although you can tell how dry your throat is as you say those words. In fact, part of you thinks you should just leave, and fly away as fast as you can. Because you are tired, you have no idea why this is happening, and you definitely don't want to make this situation any worse than it already is.

You should fly away, go back home, or maybe just rush to Canterlot to try and find your mother. After all, she told you she had recently summoned the snakemare. So she has to know what is going on, right?

However, before you can make a decision.

!!!​

The air splits, as if something has just sliced the atmosphere around you in two.

Because with a fluid and dangerous motion, the Daughter-of-Axes reaches into her cloak, and draws out the instrument that is her namesake.

The great, double-bladed and antler-topped axe digs deep into the ground, as she rests her hoof on its hilt. And the way she glares at you is almost painful now, as a rousing air starts to blow around her.

"Yer asking if aem' threatenin' ye? Well, tha' depends entirely on how ye answers me next few questions."

You are in danger.

This is dangerous.

You are in danger.

A rush of adrenaline courses through your body, and in an instant your exhaustion is forgotten. Your throat feels dry, and you think your hoofs are digging into the ground, but other than that your mind is clear.

No, it's not that your mind just became clear. You simply threw away all of the small concerns you were carrying in your brain. It's just that you stopped paying attention to anything that isn't related to surviving the next few seconds.

Because you could die here.

You might die here.

You will die here, depending, according to her own words, on how you answer her questions.

And as you look at the snakemare's eyes, you feel like you are staring at a predator. A very large predator. It might not make any sense, but you feel like there is something very long and very large all around you. As if a great slithering body was just outside your view. Surrounding you. Constricting against the very hills that are around this quiet and grassy plain.

"Firs' question," she says.

You swallow something dry.

"Hav' we ever met before?" she asks.

And for a moment you feel… confused. But only for a moment.

Partly because you don't have it in you to feel anything but stress and tension right now.

But also because you…

"Yes?" you say, but you repeat yourself as soon as you realize how dangerous your doubtful tone is in this situation. "I mean, yes. We have met before. I know who you are."

The mare continues to glare at you for a few more moments, before doing some strange noise you can't identify.

"If ye sae so… Secon'. If ye sae we met befor', then how much do ye remember o' that time?"

Your heart is still hammering inside your chest, so much so that it is also painful.

However, a thrilled, adrenaline-rushed part of your mind thinks you understand where she is going with this. And perhaps why she is here.

"I remember everything," you say, trying to make your words as clear as possible. Because you know she won't let you speak for too long, so you must make sure she doesn't misunderstand anything you say. "I remember everything ever since I woke up as a filly. I remember it because I lived it."

You say that, and the snakemare's glare… narrows. Or at least her eyes narrow, as if she is scrutinizing something about you that you can't quite name.

You even swear you see a forked tongue sniff the air a few times, coming out of her mouth.

But just when you think she is about to back down-

-the very air around you grows heavier, and the ground under the antlers of her axe doesn't so much crack as it opens, and in that moment you understand that even though she is locked and chained and looking at you from behind the bars of a prison her fangs are still more than enough to pierce cleanly through you-

-because she may be a creature of poisons and locks and openings and paths, and her keys might not be as sharp as blades, but she is still long enough to constrict and crush the mountain that is your life-

-and most importantly, having her body destroyed here and now would mean nothing to her, while it would mean death to something like you-



"Third. If ye really remember tha' time, than ye remember we made a deal. Does. Tha'. Deal. Still. Stands?"



Your body freezes. Every muscle you have goes rigid from the sheer weight of her eyes. And that small but attuned part of your mind realizes that, this whole time, you never had any chance to escape. You never had any chance to fly away, because this whole time she was already in the ground under your hoofs and waiting to pounce at you from the skies and behind every keyhole you have ever seen in your life.

Your body freezes. But your mind does not. And you know exactly what "deal" she is talking about.

"… yes," you say, although it takes effort to even force the word out of your lungs.

The snakemare holds your gaze for several moments longer, as if trying to wring any lies out of you with her glare.

Until-

…

-the air finally starts to grow lighter. And the sensation that you were being glared at by a snake the size of the horizon slowly fades away, until you can barely remember it was ever there.

And the wave of relief you feel coursing through you is so strong you almost feel lightheaded.

"Good… good… jus' a lil' freak then, aye…" you think you hear her say to herself.

But you don't… dear stars your body feels heavy… still, you don't really have it in you to answer her, or even say anything at all. You just stand there, breathing in heaves as too many parts of your body cry for oxygen at the same time.

"Aye then, ae'll take yer word fer et," she says, nodding to herself.

And before you realize it, Axe is walking towards you.

You are still so disoriented that you don't even believe it for a moment. But sure enough, after you blink two or three times, you confirm to yourself that Axe is walking towards you, rather than away. Her great axe is nowhere to be seen, and she only has a practiced scowl on her face.

But much, much more importantly, you don't feel like you are staring down at a monster hunter who is judging whether you are a target or not.

"Wha… what are you doing?" you ask, shaking your head as you try to regain your balance.

Still, you manage to recompose yourself only when Axe is standing right in front of you. And you look at the mare just in time to see her parsing through a keychain, that she took from somewhere inside her cloak.

"Fokken obvious, innit?" she says, her tone more annoyed than anything else. "Yer keeping tae yer part o' the deal, so ae'm keeping tae mine."

She says that as she picks one particular key from the heavy keychain, plucking it out from the ring that was holding it and holding it between her teeth.

"I… what? No, what do you mean? What exactly are you planning to do?" you ask, even more confused by her answer.

But instead of answering you, the mare just…

Your eyes go wide in surprise as she quite literally grabs your face with her hoofs, and unceremoniously yanks your head downwards. Until your horn is practically aiming at her chest.

"Jus' shut up an' let me work'," she says, rolling her eyes as she does. "Becos' a deal is a deal. Ye take care of yer hatchlin' sissah, and ae'll help ye with yer mind doors."

You barely have time to comprehend her words through her accent, let alone understand what she means by that.

And before you can even object to how she is still gripping your head-



KA-CLICK



-she jams the key she is holding in her mouth straight into your forehead. Right above the base of your horn. And then she turns it.

You feel pain, for a split second, as the sharp tip of the key digs through your skin. And then you feel a strange sense of invasion as the key goes even deeper than that, as if it was somehow extending past your skull and all the way into your brain or your mind or your soul.

But finally, you feel as if a set of rusted gears were suddenly twisted into their proper places, as the turn of the key does something inside of you.

Axe lets you go right after that. And much to your surprise you… she just did something in your mind, but you don't even feel disoriented. If anything, you just feel better.

You even rub the place on your forehead where she stabbed you with her key. But you don't see even a drop of blood on your hoof. Your coat isn't even prickled or damaged.

"Did… did you just help me…?" you ask, more than a little confused, as you once again turn your attention to the mare.

But as you look at her once more, you are faced with the back of her cloak, as she unceremoniously makes her way back to the patch of woods where she came from.

"W-wait! I… well, thank you?" you say to the retreating mare.

"Fak off!"

But she only gives you that one answer.

And after she is out of your sight, you feel the world shift under your hoofs once again, as the weight of a great snake slithers away to another part of this world.

Leaving you alone once more.





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are Silky Stream, and you are…

… barely awake.

You sit up on your bed, stretching your forelegs as you do.

Your room is still mostly dark, but a few rays of sunlight are already making their way in through the drapes of the window. Which means that you didn't just wake up in the middle of the night, and that you didn't just imagine the sound of Soft knocking at your door to wake you up.

Oh no, the knocking was very real.

But, as you open your mouth to let out another long yawn, you can't help but wish this was all just a dream.

…

However, as the minutes drag on, you slowly but surely begin to wake up properly.

Or rather, the desire you have to stay on your bed and laze for a little longer is slowly replaced by the memories of how Soft will react if she catches you on your bed like this.

Of course, your older sister won't do anything bad to you. That's not what you are afraid of.

But still, you also know the first thing she will do is to carry you on her back… take you to the bathroom… and then splash that cold water on your face as she cleans the drowsiness from your face.

You feel a shudder running down your spine just from that memory.

"Silky? Are you up already?" you hear her voice, almost as if on cue, coming from the closed door.

And you practically leap out of your bed at that, making sure she can hear the sound of your hoofsteps as you make your way to your closet.

"Yes! Yeah, I'm awake sis," you say out loud, clearing your throat before you continue, so you don't sound as sleepy as you are. "Just, uh, getting my bag ready!"

"Okay then, I'll be fixing breakfast downstairs," she says, and you hear her walk away from your door right after.

You let out a small sigh of relief, glad that you avoided a small crisis. Because sure, Soft cares about you, and you also care for her very much! But one of the ways she expresses that is, well, by taking care of you. And sometimes she can be quite, uhm, zea-… zai… zealot about it?

Well, she can be very enthusiastic about it at times. Cold-water-splashingly enthusiastic, even.

With that in mind, you open your closet and start collecting your stuff. You collect both your and Selene's homework, put them in your saddlebag together with the books you will need for today, and you make sure your other things are properly stored in there as well.

After you put your readied saddlebag on your work desk, you start waking towards your closed window so you can let some fresh air in-

BANG



"Ack!"​

-and you almost scream in surprise as your bed jumps up from the floor for a second.

"Me… me fokken 'ead! Tha's gonna smart fer longer than ae want et to…"

No, it's not that your bed just jumped up. Instead, there is somepony under your bed. There is somepony under your bed, and they just tried to get up and hit their head against the underside of your bed.

And you… and you recognize that voice!

"Axe! You're back!" you say.

And your mind doesn't even think about the fact that, well, somepony just appeared under your bed. You don't even stop to consider that you, a filly, just had her room invaded by a fully grown mare, who just appeared under your bed of all places.

And why would you think any of that? After all, she didn't invade your room, you'd invite her in anytime she wants! And this isn't just anypony, she is your friend!

The perks of being an innocent filly…

Regardless, you can feel a smile appearing on your face as you watch the mare slither crawl from under your bed, still rubbing the top of her head with a hoof.

"It really is you!" you say, not being able to contain your excitement.

"W-wait, hol'on! Lemme first- OOF!"

And you are already hugging her, literally slamming against her chest (and maybe smashing the air out of her lungs) on the next moment. Rubbing your face against her cloak and feeling the braids of her mane against your cheek as you do.

"I missed you so much! And I'm so glad you're back! Oh, but you're staying this time, right? Are you going to be in your old room? Oh, and what did you do while you were away? And can you take the crusaders on an adventure again? Please, please please?!"

You just say everything that comes to your mind, the moment you think about it. Because how could you not? You remember having a very bad dream the last time Axe suddenly left, and you were sad about it for a while. But when your mommy said Axe would be coming back soon you really couldn't wait!

You're going to be able to talk to her whenever you want now! And you will be able to see her around the house, and take her to the crusaders' headquarters, and you will be able to share cookies with her in the middle of the night!

"Aye, aye, just lemmego!" she says, prying her away from you.

And you let go of your hug, of course. But you're still jumping in place while you look at her!

However, you… start to slow down.

"Wait… is… Axe, is everything alright?" you ask.

Because you… you think that…

There is something wrong with her eyes?

Yes, the more you look at her, the more you are certain of it. You don't know what it is, but…

You stop jumping in place, your expression becoming a lot more serious as you grow more and more worried about your friend. Because this entire time, while you were hugging her and prancing all excited, you didn't even notice she had not yet met your gaze. This whole time, she has not yet looked you in the eyes.

"Aye, everythin is… actually, no." She says that, and then she shakes your head. She takes a deep breath, and finally looks you in the eye, with a serious expression on her face on top of her usual scowl. "Ae hav' an important question to ask ye."

She says that, and you can feel the weight behind her words. You have no idea what is going on with her, but you know she means it.

So, you sit down on the ground and give her a small nod. Your own seriousness mirroring hers

"Yer sis… the freak one. The other hatchlin'. Do ye kno about 'er? Ye kno wot happened?"

She asks that, and you immediately understand what she is asking about.

Because she knows. You have no idea how she knows, but your mommy did say she is magical. So, she knows, or maybe she just found out.

And now she wants to know if you know.

"Yes." You answer, without even thinking about it.

After all, you trust Axe. So, if she knows, then either your mommy or Selene told her.

Which means there is no need to keep this secret from her.

"Good, good…" she says, nodding to herself.

However, her seriousness doesn't really go away. This strange… thing, you can see in her eyes, doesn't really fade. Instead, she just seem to be deep in her own thoughts now, for some reason.

"Ae'd hav' told ye, if ye dinnae kno… et's a fokked up secret tae keep, between sissers…" she says, but her tone is so low you realize she is talking to herself.

And after that, she stays quiet for a while. She stays quiet for a while, and slowly the seconds begin to stretch into a full minute.

You are not sure if you should say something. Well, you feel like you should say something, but you don't know what. You feel like there is something bothering her, and that you want to help her, but you have no idea what you could possibly do or say to…

"Just dinnae forget," she suddenly says. But there is something about her tone of voice that makes you perk up your ears in attention. Because the way she is saying this… she isn't just talking to you, you know. She is also talking to herself. She is talking to you, to herself, and you can tell that she believes this is something very important. "Dinnae ever forget. Yer sissers. Et's tha two of ye agains that world, aye? No matter wot happens, ye'll always hav' each other. No matter how many times ye shed, always come back to the nest."

She says that, her tone at the same time resolute and… something else besides. But you don't know what it is that you see in her face right now. You don't know the name of this feeling.

She doesn't look sad, but she doesn't look happy either. She doesn't look hopeful, but she doesn't look lost.

It's almost like she is remembering something, or like part of her mind is elsewhere, even though she just told you something that she thinks is very important to you. Or perhaps that is very important to her and…

Oh, and speaking of remembering things!

"Ah, Axe, I almost forgot!" you say, immediately turning your back to her and going back to your closet.

And before she can say anything, you open your closet, flutter your wings a little bit so you can reach the topmost shelf, and very carefully pick up the thing you had kept there.

"Here, I kept Pasharka for you," you say, giving her back the doll you had gifted her several months ago, and that she left in her room the night she left. "I promise I took good care of her," you finish.

You never felt like she abandoned her doll. Nor did you feel that she forgot about it either. So, when you entered her room in the morning you realized she was gone, and you found her doll resting on a soft pillow, you decided to take care of it for Axe.

That's what friends are for, right?

Axe takes her doll on her hoofs, and then she just…

Huh. She looks surprised.

You can't remember if you ever saw her without a scowl on her face. You don't think you have ever seen her without a frown, or without an expression that made it look like she had just eaten something bad.

You don't think you have ever seen what her face really looks like. How she truly looks like, without all the expressions she puts on for some reason.

Until now.

Because the way she is looking at her doll, with her eyes wide up in surprise, is certainly...

She blinks. Once. Twice. She blinks again, and you think you can hear her take in a deep breath.

After that, she very carefully brings the doll into her cloak, as if she is storing it somewhere safe. And even though you can't see the doll anymore when her foreleg comes out again, you know she still has it.

And more importantly, the way she is looking at you now is…

You think she had a smile on her face, but right now she is shaking her head. But still, even after she is done doing that, she doesn't have a scowl anymore. Not right now, at least.

"Ye… yer a good hatchlin', ye know that?" she says.

And you can't help but let out a short giggle. You cover your mouth with a hoof as you do, but still you can't help but laugh a little bit.

"Oi, yer laughin' at me?!" she asks, her expression turning serious again.

And just like that, there is is once again. There's the Axe you know, once more. Scowling at you as she talks maybe a little too quick for you to understand most of her words.

Still, you don't mind it at all. She's your friend after all!

"No, no, not laughing at you! I promise," you say, still smiling.

To which the mare shrugs.

Before either of you can say anything else, you hear the distant sound of something happening downstairs. Maybe somepony closed a door, or maybe something heavy was dropped on the floor. But whatever it was, that noise reminds you two that it is still morning! It's morning, and you have school, and you gotta go downstairs for breakfast!

And the mare seems to realize the same. So, without a word, she makes her way to the door so she can leave your room.

You are about to ask her if she is having breakfast with you all, but she speaks up before you have the chance to.

"Ah, and et's Pasharka. Passs-harka. Not Patcharka. Ye drag out tha ess," she says, opening the door and making her way outside. "An'… an' thank ye," she finishes, mumbling those last two words in such a low tone that you can barely hear her, right before she closes the door behind herself.

But hear her you did.

And you have a smile on your face as you finish your morning routine, and you make your way downstairs for breakfast.

Spoiler: Teenager shouts and yells

"What… what the HAY were you doing IN THERE?!"

"Fakoff, ye wolf-maid freak."

"You get back here RIGHT THIS INSTANT, or so help me-"

"Ae do what ae wont! Sod off!"

The two voices drag on to the distance, followed by the sound of doors being slammed open, slammed shut, locked and forced open, as two mares draw their respective lines in the sand within the Velvet household.

Selene is on the fast track to advance on her training. Her character file has been updated. (Edge Realization, Knock Realization, +1 Health). However, her newly learned skills will only be available at the beginning of the next turn.

Silky Stream has succeeded in her "Hold on to this!" action. "A Doll – Pasharka" has been removed from her inventory. Further actions down the Snake Path have become available.

More to follow.

 

[angelsadvocate666]

…Dangit, we still don't know whether the Biedde summoning worked!

Silky Stream has succeeded in her "Hold on to this!" action. "A Doll – Pasharka" has been removed from her inventory. Further actions down the Snake Path have become available.

Click to shrink...

Silky. Honey. What are you doing?

--[X] Find a new location in the Ashen Wastes

Click to shrink...

…Wait. Why was this crossed out @OurLadyOfWires

We only did the free search action to find our way to the Blank Door, right? Or was the place with Starry's corpse a distinct location? You didn't mark it as one I don't think…

 

[Greymere]

So, let's see what Selene's got...

[EDGE SKILL]: Selene may use "No holds barred" in combat, which gives her a flat +30 bonus, but causes her to attack all ponies within range (regardless if they are friends or enemies) and to cause severe damage to her surroundings.

Click to shrink...

Berserk mode. We saw something similar with Celestia when vs. Chrysalis. It definitely matches the "severe damage to surroundings" part, and I'm pretty sure it was also a +30 bonus. Presumably Celestia's version also entails collateral damage, but there wasn't exactly anyone around besides Chrysalis to check.

[KNOCK SKILL]: Selene may once again dream-walk with confidence. She may also contact almost any character, even if she does not know her location or if they do not want to be contacted. However, she may not impersonate Velvet Covers, or anypony else, when doing so.

Click to shrink...

Aaaand dreamwalking! Maybe we can ask her to find out what Windy is up to? Or I think someone suggested before seeing if she can help Twilight at all via dreams?

 

[Venerable Ro]

Silky. Honey. What are you doing?

Click to shrink...

Her very best, and that's no small matter!

 

[Alan975]

Maybe we can ask her to find out what Windy

Click to shrink...

Maybe, lets not have her immediately go into the minds of some of the bigger fishes. But Twilight, element bearers, goverment personal or Cadanse would be good options IMO

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

…Wait. Why was this crossed out @OurLadyOfWires

Click to shrink...

Good catch. I read too quickly and forgot the free-explore wasn't listed in your plan at all.

 

[Iustus Vitea]

Maybe, lets not have her immediately go into the minds of some of the bigger fishes. But Twilight, element bearers, goverment personal or Cadanse would be good options IMO

Click to shrink...

Let's not send her into the minds of bigger fishes he says, immediately suggests fucking Cadance and Twilight.

 

[Alan975]

immediately suggests fucking Cadance and Twilight.

Click to shrink...

does cadanse or twilight have reason to murder? even more reason to murder a princess spesifically? Was mentioning them as aformentioned therapy and/or secret comunication

 

[Venerable Ro]

does cadanse or twilight have reason to murder? even more reason to murder a princess spesifically? Was mentioning them as aformentioned therapy and/or secret comunication

Click to shrink...

Cadance the next morning: "Hey Celestia guess who I met last night!"

 

[DelightedOne]

Believe it or not I got here the moment the update did.

Let's see...
Selene training... and hurting herself in the process, okay can we ground her for that somehow, I feel like Velvet(even without Frightened) would approve.

DoA facing Selene to see if she is still herself(how many of you are glad we went for the Harmony option again?). Oh, she is the one who helped her with the Realizations? Makes sense, she has those lores after all but that is still unexpected.

Silky and DoA's reunion was so sweet, really makes it hurt knowing Axe lost her whole family and Velvet's daughters reminding her of the good old times(for her at least, the old World still sucks) is a nice touch, shows how much Axe hides and how the isolation may have affected her behaviour.

"What… What the HAY were you doing IN THERE?!"

"Fakoff wolf-freak."

"You get back here RIGHT THIS INSTANT, or so help me-"

"Ae do what ae wont! Sod off!"

The two voices drag on to the distance, followed by the sound of doors being slammed open, slammed shut, locked and forced open, as two mares draw their respective lines in the sand within the Velvet household.

Click to shrink...

Ha. Velvet fucked up so much the Daughter-of-Axes has a point, would you do anything somepony who works with the Wolf tells you to do?

Silky Stream has succeeded in her "Hold on to this!" action. "A Doll – Pasharka" has been removed from her inventory. Further actions down the Snake Path have become available.

Click to shrink...

If that is the QM way of saying the Name befriending in Axe's case is going to be by Silky Stream interactions I'm in.

 

[spiderhellian]

-the very air around you grows heavier, and the ground under the antlers of her axe don't so much crack as they open, and in that moment you understand that even though she is locked and chained and looking at you from behind the bars of a prison her fangs are still more than enough to pierce cleanly through you-

-because she may be a creature of poisons and locks and openings and paths, and her keys might not be as sharp as blades, but she is still long enough to constrict and crush the mountain that is your life-

Click to shrink...

I love the moments we get a glimpse of the true Name that underlies the projection we see in the Wake. Baldomare stopping the wheel of history, Neighnia showing us an ending, Axe here. They're perfectly terrifying.

"I missed you so much! And I'm so glad you're back! Oh, but you're staying this time, right? Are you going to be in your old room? Oh, and what did you do while you were away? And can you take the crusaders on an adventure again? Please, please please?!"

You just say everything that comes to your mind, the moment you think about it. Because how could you not? You remember having a very bad dream the last time Axe suddenly left, and you were sad about it for a while. But when your mommy said Axe would be coming back soon you really couldn't wait!

Click to shrink...

Man. If I had a nickle every time an Axe summoning combined a deathly serious sequence with an extremely fun and funny one, I'd have two nickles. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice one of the things I love about her character, which seems to so well lends itself to such varied moments. (And one of the things I love about this quest.)

"Third. If ye really remember tha' time, than ye remember we made a deal. Does. Tha'. Deal. Still. Stands?"

Click to shrink...

...Does anyone remember what chapter it was that DoA made that pact with the Crusaders of the Brand?

I'd quite like to re-read it.

(Is Luna obligated to come on the Frangiclave expedition..?)

 

[angelsadvocate666]

let's not send her into Cadence's mind unless we get assurance that she won't tattle. Twilight, however, can't really tattle at the moment, so she should be safe. In the other hand, I'm not sure Luna really knows enough to help her right now. Not unless she can promise a ritual to fix Twilight's horn, but even secretly borrowing a reagent from Velvet that won't be easy.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Oh I am so pro-scouting Windy with Luna. I don't need to know his exact situation, I just need to know if his brain is on Wolf now or not. Because for all we know Culting Solo has proven too difficult for him and he took up a career ice sculpting or something else that tickles his fancy for beautiful things ending.

Also hold up a second. How the fuck did Soft Sweeps crack open doors Locked by a damn Knock Name?

 

[angelsadvocate666]

...Does anyone remember what chapter it was that DoA made that pact with the Crusaders of the Brand?

Click to shrink...

One of her Kncok Lessons, IIRC. Not sure which.

 

[spiderhellian]

Because for all we know Culting Solo has proven too difficult for him and he took up a career ice sculpting or something else that tickles his fancy for beautiful things ending.

Click to shrink...

Come. On.

Why are we conflating not having recent knowledge with not having any knowledge.

WINDY IS HEARING THE WOLF. THAT'S WHAT HE WAS ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE.

"There is something out there, Velvet. Maybe it was always there, and I just couldn't hear it. But that's the thing, just like how my life changed when I learned that everything will end, I feel that my life is changing thanks to this… thanks to this thing that I can hear now."

Click to shrink...

"I feel like it's trying to tell me something, Velvet, but the voice is so far away that I can't… or maybe, this thing is telling me to reach out for it? Because… because I almost feel like I will be able to hear it, if I go somewhere else. Maybe to Canterlot, where so many things have happened? Maybe to another city, given how so many ponies have died not long ago?"

Click to shrink...

THAT IS NOT THE KIND OF THING THAT ENDS IN ICE SCULPTURES!

 

[Venerable Ro]

Also hold up a second. How the fuck did Soft Sweeps crack open doors Locked by a damn Knock Name?

Click to shrink...

The Wolf goes where he wills.

 

[Sveta08]

.....Aaaaaah

Ah-ha! Hehehe

Of course! Of course of course of course.
Betrayal by the mother, bonding by the sister, secrets kept and safe by family used as knives made of chains.

No wonder! Of course Ax won't respond to Velvet. The Key that only opens is the beginning step, but not the only step! Because relationships aren't stats. They are things! Living breathing moving things. And the chains in the eyes of Ax will never let the bond with Velvet begin until they are broken.

But!

Bonds can be built and forged between sisters. Family! Actions Velvet can take to support. To show. To not let Ax find more fault in the same vein as the Other Mother.

Even if Velvet didn't, Silly befriended Ax.
And that means something to Ax.

Love it.