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

[Talon Tiger Dino]

If we "throw her away," then at least she'll be out of reach for the wolf, maybe

Click to shrink...

I will have you know that Velvet has a 100% success rate for treating terminal depression with Wolf power*.

*Long term effects still to be determined.

 

[Limabot]

To be honest, if bring over EQ!Twilight didn't seemingly necessitate banishing the original to this kind-of unpleasant parody dimension, I would be perfectly fine with doing it and watching Velvet try to claim she's actually some long lost cousin who is 100% not a Twilight clone at all.

Alas, it does, so it feels a bit less like Velvet is actually helping someone in need and more that she's slipping further into a mindset of seeing the ponies around her as props rather than full sentient beings.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

(That's enough effort for one day...)

Click to shrink...

Thank you kindly!

And I realize that this is not an omake, yes. But this is still something I want to revisit, for my own notes. And since I am chronically inept at using bookmarks, a threadmark is in order.

Plus, there is a possible future where this will be even more relevant. And this also scratches an itch that I always have, where I wish I had reason to threadmark certain effortposts.

So, thank you for your effort! I personally appreciate it.



In other news,

VOTING IS CLOSED

Spoiler: Tally

Vote Tally : Esquestria: The House of the Sun - A pony cultist experience | Page 319 | Questionable Questing [Posts: 9611-9801]
##### NetTally 4.0.2

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
No. of Votes: 38

Spoiler: Voters

[x] Earth-Destroyer
[X] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] Arrkhon
[x] Artemis_Fowl_2nd
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Calico J
[X] dcoconeo
[X] DelightedOne
[X] des-pair-2
[X] Diamondfiend
[X] Enna's Fractal Wings
[X] Greymere
[X] IronHydra
[X] K4lepo
[x] Kai Merah
[X] keykigdom
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] Limabot
[x] MisRAR1
[X] moonlock
[X] Nevermort
[X] Pittauro
[X] Portec
[X] Potdl
[X] Qwoptermain
[X] Rafuki22
[X] Random Anon
[X] Shaper47
[x] Solace2117
[X] Spacemurica
[x] spiderhellian
[X] Steady Gaze
[X] steampvnc1880
[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Venerable Ro
[X] Waela
[X] Witherbrine2671

[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
No. of Votes: 27

Spoiler: Voters

[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] Arrkhon
[x] Artemis_Fowl_2nd
[X] Biowolf
[X] Calico J
[X] dcoconeo
[X] DelightedOne
[X] des-pair-2
[X] Diamondfiend
[x] Kai Merah
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] Limabot
[X] moonlock
[X] Nevermort
[X] Pittauro
[X] Qwoptermain
[X] Random Anon
[x] Solace2117
[X] Spacemurica
[x] spiderhellian
[X] Steady Gaze
[x] steampvnc1880
[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Venerable Ro
[X] Waela

[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.
No. of Votes: 24

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Talon Tiger Dino
[X] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] Arrkhon
[X] dcoconeo
[X] des-pair-2
[X] Diamondfiend
[X] IronHydra
[X] K4lepo
[x] Kai Merah
[X] keykigdom
[X] LieutenantSpirit
[X] moonlock
[X] Pittauro
[X] Potdl
[X] Random Anon
[X] Shaper47
[x] Solace2117
[X] Spacemurica
[x] spiderhellian
[X] Steady Gaze
[X] Venerable Ro
[X] Waela
[X] Witherbrine2671

[X] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)
No. of Votes: 16

Spoiler: Voters

[x] Earth-Destroyer
[X] Alan975
[X] Anjaxis
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Biowolf
[X] DelightedOne
[X] Enna's Fractal Wings
[x] HellFire666
[x] Jame
[X] Limabot
[x] MisRAR1
[x] Nate700
[X] Nevermort
[X] Pittauro
[X] Qwoptermain
[X] Steady Gaze

[X] This place has a library. Go take a look.
No. of Votes: 16

Spoiler: Voters

[X] DelightedOne
[X] Alan975
[X] Calico J
[X] Enna's Fractal Wings
[X] Greymere
[x] HellFire666
[X] IronHydra
[x] Jame
[X] Limabot
[X] moonlock
[x] Nate700
[X] Potdl
[X] Rafuki22
[X] Shaper47
[x] Solace2117
[X] Witherbrine2671

[X] Alright, WHERE is Stormchaser? (Look for your dear beloved)
No. of Votes: 11

Spoiler: Voters

[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Biowolf
[X] des-pair-2
[X] Diamondfiend
[X] keykigdom
[X] Limabot
[X] Portec
[X] Qwoptermain
[X] Random Anon
[X] Spacemurica
[X] Waela

[X] What is this "cellphone" all the kids are talking about? Why do you have one? And what is this "Internet" thing?
No. of Votes: 10

Spoiler: Voters

[x] Earth-Destroyer
[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Greymere
[x] HellFire666
[x] Jame
[x] MisRAR1
[X] moonlock
[x] Nate700
[X] Portec
[X] Rafuki22

[X] Return home, with Diary and Frangiclave, and fulfill your bargain with the Daughter-of-Axes. (End the dream, and redistribute your remaining action points.)
No. of Votes: 6

Spoiler: Voters

[X] Greymere
[X] Arrkhon
[X] dcoconeo
[X] Limabot
[X] Qwoptermain
[X] steampvnc1880

[X] Return home, with Diary, Frangiclave, and something else besides. Or rather, someone. (End the dream, bringing Twilight Sparkle with you, and redistribute your remaining action points.)
No. of Votes: 6

Spoiler: Voters

[X] retrueno
[X] Alan975
[X] Diamondfiend
[X] Flaregamer82253
[X] spiderhellian
[X] Steady Gaze

[X] "Is there anything on your mind, Miss Jack?" (Approach Applejack)
No. of Votes: 2

Spoiler: Voters

[X] AuthorTransient
[X] Limabot

Total No. of Voters: 44

Writing has begun.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

I really can't accept the argument of "if we can't help her, we might as well throw her away."

Click to shrink...

Question what do you do want to help someone but cannot yourself. Get someone who can help.

How about living parents, a brother that has not been gaslit into ignoring her, etc. And for anybody saying they would not believe twilight nope this is the EQG world they roll with that stuff like it normal.

 

[Pittauro]

By all accounts Sunset departure is like a few months before episode 1 at most. With time flowing faster on the pony side by around 3x.

Click to shrink...

Impossible. Twilight was Celestia's personal student for YEARS, AND she didn't know about Sunset.

Sunset disappeared BEFORE Twilight had her exam at Celestia's school. Assuming she was somewhere between 6 and 12 (no idea about actual ages) that's somewhere between 10 and 20 years before canon. Probably closer to 10 than 20.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Impossible. Twilight was Celestia's personal student for YEARS, AND she didn't know about Sunset.

Sunset disappeared BEFORE Twilight had her exam at Celestia's school. Assuming she was somewhere between 6 and 12 (no idea about actual ages) that's somewhere between 10 and 20 years before canon. Probably closer to 10 than 20.

Click to shrink...

In case you missed Celestia is pretty darn good a information control, a rouge student is just bad optics.

And? time flows differently by the comics the Sirens arrive in modern day, as shown by the modern buildings, and they where sent thou the mirror over a tousand years ago on the Pony side. It we take comics as canon then the Siren's probably arrived after Sunset did.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Writing has begun.

Click to shrink...

Neuron Activation

Question what do you do want to help someone but cannot yourself. Get someone who can help.

How about living parents, a brother that has not been gaslit into ignoring her, etc. And for anybody saying they would not believe twilight nope this is the EQG world they roll with that stuff like it normal.

Click to shrink...

They already don't believe the Twilight native to this world, why would they believe a Twilight with even more outlandish claims?

 

[Pittauro]

Celestia never responded to Twilight, not sparing her a thought. This is critical for two reasons. First, Celestia has a clear priority to her sister even at the cost of all other personal relationships. Second, it is the initial indication to Twilight that she isn't worthy of even a moment of Celestia's attention.

Click to shrink...

I'll point out that, IF Twilight is thinking about it for real, she'll realize that her last few conversations with Celestia and/or Luna were with a changeling, so they don't "count".

the bits about the Apprentice's tower are true, of course. Arguably she's "special" as a faithful student because she was the one that gave Luna back to Celestia, and of course OOC we can assume Celestia actually cared for Twilight deeply, though she likely doesn't believe it now.


IF she was told about the near-corruption of Daybreaker, she MIGHT understand. but of course she's not in the headspace for it. Still, I think the chance of a RECOVERED/SANE Celestia to break through to Twilight are not zero.

See, this is Cadance's nightmare, but it's important to understand where the distortion is here. Every event that happened is a fact, but Cadance's distortion is that she is at fault for them. I take this to mean pretty definitively that she failed in that conversation, and that she can't, or at least won't try further, to save Twilight in respect of her wishes.

Click to shrink...

a depressing, but fair and reasonable reading.

...You know, I had forgotten she asked us to promise not to leave her.

So I want to end this off by saying that if you don't believe that the method we have in front of us is one that can be abided by, then that's okay! I completely understand that some of us won't agree with each other on these decisions. My main purpose with this post is to stress that we have no guarantees that we will have another opportunity and that I don't ever see things changing without an action by Velvet Covers or Soft Sweeps, and the latter is the only one "active" with Twilight.

(That's enough effort for one day...)

Click to shrink...

All true.

my 2 cents on the situation is that chucking Pony-Twilight inside the mirror is extremely unlikely to help her. To those that believe her situation is hopeless (or nearly so), then replacing her with a more pliable Twilight makes sense.

It's convenient to us too. We gain a talented confidant, possibly with knowledge of technology beyond what ponies possess too, which could be valuable.

I just don't agree with arguments saying this is a good thing for pony twilight.

Question what do you do want to help someone but cannot yourself. Get someone who can help.

How about living parents, a brother that has not been gaslit into ignoring her, etc. And for anybody saying they would not believe twilight nope this is the EQG world they roll with that stuff like it normal.

Click to shrink...

this is a HUMAN world, where magic is not real, and Spike probably is a dog.

I see no good way for them to help Pony Twilight which will likely either maintain her apathic/depressed lifestyle, OR be put into a psychiatric ward.

I suppose there's a small chance she'll try to adapt, take what's available as a "good enough" substitute of her former life. I don't see it though. And she won't have the memories of EQG Twilight to help, I imagine.

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

this is a HUMAN world, where magic is not real, and Spike probably is a dog.

I see no good way for them to help Pony Twilight which will likely either maintain her apathic/depressed lifestyle, OR be put into a psychiatric ward.

I suppose there's a small chance she'll try to adapt, take what's available as a "good enough" substitute of her former life. I don't see it though. And she won't have the memories of EQG Twilight to help, I imagine.

Click to shrink...

This is the EQG world where magic is rare but not something unknown or out of context. They react to someone going mad with magical power, with a wrist slap and stern lecture, at most they have to clean up the mess.

As for helping Twilight how about actually being alive parents, to talk to, a brother that not been gaslight into not believing her. Pony Twilight has nobody to help her as their are all dead, or sacrificed by Velvet for her own safety.

 

[DelightedOne]

I'll point out that, IF Twilight is thinking about it for real, she'll realize that her last few conversations with Celestia and/or Luna were with a changeling, so they don't "count".

Click to shrink...

Wait... Wait... Wait... Twilight knows about the changelings? I thought she had some hazy memories of "Celestia" and losing Spike but she is aware of the whole shapeshifters thing?

 

[Pittauro]

This is the EQG world where magic is rare but not something unknown or out of context. They react to someone going mad with magical power, with a wrist slap and stern lecture, at most they have to clean up the mess.

As for helping Twilight how about actually being alive parents, to talk to, a brother that not been gaslight into not believing her. Pony Twilight has nobody to help her as their are all dead, or sacrificed by Velvet for her own safety.

Click to shrink...

EQG world is EXPLICITLY without magic.

the ONLY magic in it comes from Equestria.

Mostly stuff Starswhirl banished there. At least in canon cartoon and comics.

and yeah, the thing about nobody really reacting THAT much about magic is unbelievable. Suspension of Disbelief, honestly it's a shame we never see something like the government trying to research what happened, could have been interesting, maybe even with, yeah, a reveal that magic was a known (if rare) thing, Men-in-Black style (but magic instead of aliens)

and sure, local Shining is not gaslit into not believing Twilight. Doesn't matter, as everyone will (involuntarily) gaslight her into her "no, you were never a pony, you're suffering from some weird amnesia + delusions".

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

This is the EQG world where magic is rare but not something unknown or out of context. They react to someone going mad with magical power, with a wrist slap and stern lecture, at most they have to clean up the mess.

As for helping Twilight how about actually being alive parents, to talk to, a brother that not been gaslight into not believing her. Pony Twilight has nobody to help her as their are all dead, or sacrificed by Velvet for her own safety.

Click to shrink...

You are confusing the show with the quest. Here Mirror Twilight is regarded as crazy for trying to find magic, Velvet has been her first successful detection of unnatural energies as far as we can tell. So either people are being unreasonable dicks to her, or all the magic starts kicking into gear after Starswirl's Mirror/Statue portal activates. Point is we currently lack any indication that people believe in magic here.

 

[Xoden]

I also don't appreciate that Velvet decided to make a promise just so that we'd have to break it to not be a callous monster to equestrian sparkle. A bit of forced drama I'm annoyed at.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, cheap guilt-tripping drama like that is probably the most annoying facet of the quest's writing for me.

 

[steampvnc1880]

Well the qm did edit it to feel less coerced.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Yeah, cheap guilt-tripping drama like that is probably the most annoying facet of the quest's writing for me.

Click to shrink...

I spent less than five seconds writing the two lines where the word "promise" appears, out of the hours it took to write everything else. And it flowed out naturally because it felt in-character, so I didn't even think about it.

And yet, I got DMs commenting on it.

This is being quite the, uh, interesting lesson, to realize what people take issue with.

Well, back to writing.

 

[Alan975]

This is being quite the, uh, interesting lesson, to realize what people take issue with.

Click to shrink...

Overblown and petty, but thats the internet.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

To many people, a promise is binding, and not lightly made. A binding, or a chain.

 

[IronHydra]

Overblown and petty, but thats the internet

Click to shrink...

Yeahhh....and here I thought with the migration we'd escape most of that shit, but what do ya expect. Some people just overreact. Meh

 

[dcoconeo]

To many people, a promise is binding, and not lightly made. A binding, or a chain.

Click to shrink...

I agree the promise is In-Character, but Out-Of-Character I believe some of us did not see this coming, or expected to retain the ability to not follow through if the actual choice was too unpalatable (and thus would not appreciate something weighing the scales towards being 'forced' to follow through)?

 

[Shaper47]

It was In-character, and really that's all I care about.

It was really clear that it was going to happen so complaining about when it's a result of the votes seems disingenuous.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

Tally
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore even beyond that. Map the roads, learn the rules, and seek the very end of this dream.
[X] Apparently, they are not alicorns here. But they are still the highest authority. (Approach the Principals)
[X] Now that you can reach the city center, it is time to explore it properly. Check the stores, see the sights, and discover what wondrous things this world considers mundane.

You think you are gaining a better understanding of this place. Slowly but surely, you feel like you have been able to spend more time aware than not.

The trick, or at least one of the tricks, is to always be doing something. You must always be doing something, or you must have planned to do something ahead of time.

For example, ever since you found the Key, and the diary that was written by Axe's sister, you have been aware of your surroundings after arriving home. And that is because every night you get home from work, you realize you can do… something, with those items. You could take them back home with you, or you could try to read more of the diary, or perhaps you could attempt something with the Key that you probably shouldn't.

Still, once you realized that having certain activities (or the possibility of certain activities) lined up, your options to navigate this strange place multiplied.

Inviting your coworkers to spend time at the city center resulted in you regaining your conscience there, even if only to spend a mundane evening exploring the city. Using your dastardly strange "cellphone" to call ahead to a certain place, and make an appointment for a visit, would allow you to actually remember doing that when the time came. So on and so forth.

So, ever since you decided to treat this place like a dream, and began searching for rules and paths that would be utterly nonsensical in real life, you believe you have been able to slowly draw a map of sorts of this strange place.

And of course, you can always rely on being awake and aware while on school grounds. You have no idea of why this is the case, but you are honestly content in slowly figuring out the how.

Although, you can't really shake the feeling that you are missing…

… something.

…

Well, nothing you can do but continue to learn about this place.



- - -



"Professor, please!"
"We beg you!"
"Yes! And it would, uh, help our studies!"
"Oh yes, definitely. Morale improvement and whatn-"
"VELVET PLEASE I NEED THIS!"



Your class has just ended. The bell has already rung. But some of your students… well, actually, the entire class is still in the classroom with you.

And they are begging you to do something. There is no other way to describe it, and there is no sugarcoating it. It is still early in the morning, and you are currently looking at several dozens of teenagers who are almost yelling over each other. Asking, clamoring, even supplicating.

Rarity was the first to get on her knees, but by no means she is the only one right now.

You honestly do not know what to do. The memories in your mind, also, hold no answer to this. More than just that, you have to admit you are a bit taken aback right now. Not to the point that your mind has completely frozen, but still having your thoughts run in a confused circle isn't helpful either.

And besides, your students are being so loud that the noise is almost hitting you like a wall.

So, you panic. You are ashamed to admit it, but you panic.

"I… f-fine?" you blurt out.

You say that.

You accede to their demands.

You promise to fulfill their collective wish.

And the cheering that follows is almost deafening.



…



But now, twenty minutes later, when you actually have to do it, the only thing in your mind is-

"-what the hell was I thinking?" you say out loud.

To which your students, or at least those who are with you right now, answer with a mixture of nervous laughter and excited giggles.

Still, their reaction can be forgiven. They can be forgiven, because they are teenagers. They are basically still children, or foals, or whatever you want to call them.

But you? You should never have agreed to this. You should have stopped this ten minutes ago, and you should stop doing this right now.

So why…

Why is it that you have just accepted yet another piece of clothing that Rarity just gave you?!

"Here you go, Professor," the young woman says, her voice sounding a bit more deep and nasal than usual thanks to the pieces cottons she is using to stop her nose from bleeding. "You just have hold on to these, and the show basically runs itself."

Rarity says that as she hands you… a pair of pom-poms.

Yes, pom-poms. Not Ponpon, your trusty maid, but actual pom-poms. The round clusters of streamers attached to a handle, that are meant to be waved in this and that direction during an elaborate dance.

Of course she just handed you a pom-pom.

Because, according to them, that is the final accessory that every cheerleader should have.

"Guys, I really… reeeeally don't think I…" you begin to say, your voice carrying across the female locker of Canterlot High's gymnasium.

But just like the last eight times you tried to escape, your dear and innocent students answer by giving you the most hurt and fragile of looks. Making it very clear that, if you complete that phrase and go back on your promise, you will be breaking their little hearts forever.

And you… you…

Ack! Curse you and your motherly heart! When did you start thinking about blasted simian students as your own?!

"Fine. Fine! FINE!" you say, realizing there is no way out of this but forward, as you push your inhibitions away and get up from the bench you were sitting. "You all want a show? Well then, let's give you a show."

Are you embarrassed? Absolutely. (But not really). Is this a bad idea? Probably. Will this irrevocably alter the reputation of the quiet and aloof Professor Covers who had taught History in Canterlot High for several years now? Yes.

But by God, this will not be your problem to fix once you leave this place.

And who knows, maybe this is the kind of mess that Professor Covers needed in her life, to kick her out of her sad shell.

So, you mentally grab hold of the makeshift excuses you are telling yourself, and the unhealthy dose of inspiration you just allowed to wash over you, and you make your way out of the locker room.

Behind you is the abruptly assembled Cheerleading Squad of Canterlot High, many of whom decided to skip their current classes (summoned through means unknown to you) just so they could be here.

And ahead of you is, well, the three classes who are currently using the gymnasium for Physical Education. Who are currently engrossed in an inter-class match of soccer, under the direction of the school's coach. Naturally, the class you just taught (and that somehow convinced you to do this) is here, and several of your boys are part of the team that is currently playing in the field.

…

"Alright ladies, we are only going to do this once."



[A dice roll was made]



…

…

…

You are… an adult.

You would not say that you are an unattractive adult.

In fact, one could even say that you are quite good looking.

Which only makes sense, you suppose. Your father married your mother for a list of reasons, and beauty was certainly one of them.

And although modest clothes and an unexciting demeanor can do a lot to hide those things…

You are not exactly wearing modest clothes right now.

Granted, you are not wearing anything that your fellow cheerlead-that your students and pupils aren't wearing.

But you… well, it's just basic biology, isn't it? Your body just had more time to develop certain assets than theirs did.

Plus, you think you did a good job when repairing your leg.

And then there is the teeny, tiny detail that you have a lavish necklace around your neck, of gold and rubies and Mareinette's own blessings, that made every last soul in this gymnasium look at you the moment you stepped out of the locker room.

However, despite your best efforts, this gym class did not end in triumph.

Because you see, when your students' cheering became so loud that you couldn't even hear your thoughts over the noise-



"EVERYONE, GET BACK TO YOUR CLASSROOMS. RIGHT. NOW!"



You snap out of your thoughts. Or rather, your body stops moving on its own, and you freeze in place together with the other cheerleaders around you.

And everyone, yourself included, turn their heads towards the entrance of the gym.

Where you all see a pair of well-dressed women, standing just by the entrance door. One of them, who just yelled so loudly the ground almost shook, is absolutely livid. The other one looks… shocked, with her eyes wide in surprise and her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Well, you suppose that walking into the school's gymnasium, just to see a derailed P.E. class and your History teacher balancing herself on top of a pyramid made out by her cheerleading students, must be quite the sight. And you are sure that your current attire is not helping this scene look any more normal.

Still, more importantly, you instantly recognize one of those women. Before your memories even have the chance to provide you the answer.

Why, of course you would know who she is. That's your Selene! And you would always recognize her, even when she is fully grown up, and in a simian body completely unlike her more beautiful self.

However, that wave of happiness you got from looking at your daughter only lasts for a moment. Because you very quickly remember that…

Well, that this is not your Selene. That is Vice Principal Luna, and the shocked woman standing next to her is Principal Celestia.

And boy oh boy, does that realization wash over your energy like a bucket of cold water.

"I said… OUT!" the Vice Principal yells again, her voice echoing through the now-deathly silent gymnasium.

And every last student, and even the coach (the coward!), is gone in less than thirty seconds.

Leaving you alone with… well, with your bosses.

"Hello there, Principal and Vice Principal," you say through a nervous smile, as the former looks at your attire from head to toe, and the latter glares at you as she all but marches in your direction. "Quite the, erm, lovely morning, isn't it?"

Oh God, you swear you can see a vein on your daught-on Vice Principal Luna's forehead that is about to pop. And you are sure that any second now she will start yelling at you, or maybe even worse.

But moments before the dam of her anger finally bursts, Celestia finally reaches her side and puts a placating hand on her shoulder.

"You know, Professor Covers," she says, with a voice that you swear is trying to stifle a laugh, "we keep tabs on the little chat rooms our students have on their cellphones for a reason. Just to make sure they are safe, or that they aren't hiding anything dangerous from us teachers because they are afraid they might get punished for talking about it."

Luna is shaking. Dear Lord, she is shaking.

But for some miraculous reason, Principal Celestia's voice seems to be able to hold her in check. No, it's not that. It feels like Luna is holding herself back, precisely because she trusts that her sister should be the one who handles this.

"But when my secretary told me her cellphone was being flooded by pictures of…" she doesn't say anything. But she does let out a chuckle, as she waves at you and your cheerleader outfit. "Well, you can imagine how surprised I was."

You are in trouble. You definitely are in trouble. You absolutely are in trouble.

But for some reason, you can't help but feel that… you aren't?

It's Celestia, you can see. There is something about her that is just… soothing? No, that's not it.

Still, there is something about her that just makes you feel like everything will be alright.

Something that tells you that she is more mature, or maybe even wiser, than anyone else you have ever known. Something that tells you she already understands everything, and that she knows the way forward.

Something that makes you feel that she is so… so ahead of you, so much more graceful, that she can see this situation for what it really is. And that, in her judgment, this is something that can be taken care of with a spirit of play and an attitude of nurturing.

She doesn't need to punish you. She can do that, of course. But a single word from her, here and now, and she will not only gain your appreciation and loyalty for the rest of your life, but she also knows you will never do anything like this ever again.

Not without her approval, that is.

You don't know why, you don't know how, and you can't even properly describe it. But looking at her, you can't help but feel… at peace.

And also, you can't help but see that standing next to her is-

"-Luna? Can you please make sure the students have done as you asked? I wouldn't want for them to be wandering around school unsupervised," she says.

And Vice Principal Luna immediately moves to comply.

But the way they interacted just now. The way that Celestia spoke and Luna moved, you can't help but feel that…

You feel like you just witnessed something. Something deep. Something that is just right.

Now that you think about it, you don't think Equestria has ever seen Celestia and Luna acting together. Not in a thousand years, at least. Not like this. Now that you think of it, this is what the real world was robbed of.

Because this… this is how it was supposed to be. This was the plan all along. This is how things were meant to go.

Two sisters, acting together, like two sides of the same coin. Absolute good together with necessary evil. The nurturing leader together with the harsh taskmaster. The sun together with the moon. Two partners that trust each other implicitly, and who know when to act, and when to relent to the other, as easily as a pair of hands knows not to bump against each other.

Principal Celestia talks to you, after the Vice Principal is gone. She talks to you, and although she did not really admonish you, you still leave red-eared and embarrassed as if you were just another student who got caught doing something you shouldn't.

But more importantly, you leave with a memory that you will not soon forget.

Because even though this world is just a distorted dream, and even though what you see here is an echo of an echo, you can't help but think that you witnessed something… you can't really describe.

And a part of you, one that you do not know how small or large truly is, wishes your Selene could also have something like that.





- - -

- - -

- - -





The city center is a… very interesting place.

There is noise, and there are cars, and there are people going this and that way. And everywhere you look, you can see that this place is as real as it is alive.

And yet, you swear that everything around you also feels like a play of sorts. You can't shake the feeling that none of this, nothing of this busy scenario around you, is truly real. To the point that you always think that the next person who bumps into you will just ignore you and keep walking, like a puppet following along with its strings.

But that moment never comes. The moment where the curtain finally falls never arrives, and every last person you speak to, from the store clerks to the tourists, continues to speak, act and feel like a real person.

There are times when the dichotomy of this place is maddening. And this is certainly one of them.

That is, until you remember you are supposed to treat this place like a dream.

And every time you do that, you are once again able to walk around this place like a peaceful visitor, rather than a paranoid denizen.

…

During one of these strolls of yours, during one of these forays into the city center that you scheduled with one of your acquaintances, you come upon a particularly interesting shop.

Well, the shop itself is unremarkable. A window, an entrance, a smiling clerk ready to assist you. Nothing that you wouldn't see in the real world.

However, the wares of said shop catch your eye, for some reason.

Because you see, for all that this strange reality is completely ignorant of magic, and for all that you think its grasp on science is help in place by its dream-like logic, the humans of this world still created quite a few interesting trinkets.

It is their clockwork, you see. And from a certain angle, you suppose it only makes sense. Because since they don't have any magic, you suppose their scholars and inventors could only ever focus on crafting physical tools and appliances.

They could only create physical objects, since they know nothing of magic. So, it stands to reason that they would enhance, perfect, and eventually miniaturize their gadgets to the point of obsession.

And this shop, it seems, is specialized in the sale of such wares.

The clerk talks you through objects that look like gramophone vynils, but that she assures you carries a thousand books within it, in the form of tiny engravings. She offers you better "cellphones" that, according to her, are capable of… doing more things, none of which you were able to really understand.

And near the end of your visit, she shows you a writing machine that, according to her, has mechanisms so minuscule that they are microscopic. A machine that can increase a person's writing speed several times over, offering corrections through some unexplainable mean, and that is also capable of producing said writings if fed with paper.

You couldn't believe her words. A tiny typing machine? That can also store its work? That also functions as a printing press? Impossible! You have seen the size of printing presses and you know for a fact that they would never fit in a small room, let alone such a suitcase-sized apparatus.

You don't believe a word that she says… until she shows it to you.

…

You have never desired a physical object in your entire life, as much as you did that miraculous thing.

It runs on electricity, she told you. Electricity that is stored in specially made packs, built with exotic metals and wires. But you have electricity back in the real world, and you are sure you can create those objects she referred to as "batteries" well enough to make it work.

You will take this thing back with you. You must have this object.

With it, the possibilities are endless.

And yes, you would love to subscribe to this shop's credit system! You are sure this will not cause your counterpart any problems whatsoever.





- - -

- - -

- - -





Like you said, the city center is… an interesting place.

It is large, it is expansive, but it is also terribly claustrophobic.

Especially once you realize what streets lead into the fog, and how many paths would cause you to lose awareness for the rest of the day.

Mapping this place out required time. It required time, dedication, and maybe other things besides.

And who knows, maybe it also required a bit of luck.

Whatever it was, one particular day… one particular afternoon, as you made your way through an alley you had already marked as safe three times over, you realized you had no idea where you were.

You had no idea of where you were, but for some reason it didn't feel wrong. You didn't feel alarmed, or that you were in danger.

In fact, you barely felt anything at all.

This was not the empty feeling of the Blank Plains, and this was not the dream-like unconscious state you so frequently feel into either.

Instead, you were just… there. Wandering down an alley that was longer than it should be, wandering about things you had not considered in a long while.

Your body felt peaceful. Almost numb. And you didn't think you would feel it even if you tripped and fell down.

But on the other hand, your mind was sharp. More than just that, you felt like you had just woken up. You felt like you had woken up, after being asleep for a very long time.

And during that time, during that curious wandering, you were able to think about things you had not been able to consider, ever since you entered this world. During that time, you were able to… you were finally able to see what was wrong all along, and what you were missing this entire time.

Because during that phase-like moment, during that curious exception, you felt like a bubble of sorts had been popped inside your head. And that you could finally see clearly.

…

For starters, you realized you had not dreamt of the Mansus in a very long time.

It was obvious, in hindsight. Almost self-evident. After all, you would always lose awareness once you left school, or at most right after you were finished with your nightly routine. You would always lose awareness of what you were doing before going to bed, and you would regain your senses just when you arrived at school.

So, of course you never dreamt of the Mansus while here. You aren't even sure "you" ever fell asleep here to begin with.

However, you were more intrigued by the implications of that.

Was it even possible to dream of the Mansus while in this world? Was it impossible to do so? Could it be that this place was somehow disconnected from the House of the Sun? Or that it was more "distant" than that?

You never even stopped to consider if this place was a faraway History, or if it was something else. That line of thought didn't even occur to you, until now. And for all that you were able to make some casual use of the Lores, you also realized that those uses seemed to flow "from" you rather than form the world itself.

Of course, those were not theories you could verify. Those lines of thought were nothing more than hypotheses and conjecture, based on a perspective you had only just begun to consider. But the very fact you could ask yourself those questions to begin with already weighted on you.

Still… there was something else you realized. There was something more that, during that strange moment of clarity as you walked down that endless alley, suddenly came to your mind with the strength of a hammer.

Because you realized that… you suddenly noticed that…

You suddenly noticed that you never looked up, while in this world.

No, that's not it. You have looked up plenty of times while here. You have already looked up, towards the sky, and you saw the clouds and the stars and whatever else you were meant to see.

But now that you think about it, you haven't really seen…

…

It was almost silly to think about it. It wasn't really something you would ever notice, back in the real world. But you in that strange moment, you suddenly realized you had not yet seen the sun. You had not yet seen the sun of this world, for as long as you had been there. Of course, you could look down and see your shadow, and that world had daylight, and a proper night, just like the real world.

But still, you realized you had never really seen the sun. You had never seen the source of all that daylight. Not even in a mirror, or in a pool on the ground, or in your peripheral vision as you moved to look this or that way.

You realized, in that strange moment of clarity, that you had never seen the sun.

…

But for some reason…

For some maddening reason…

You also remembered that you recognized that light.

The light that was shining down upon you, that was casting a long shadow before you, was a familiar one.

It was familiar to you, because you had already seen it before.

Not in the real world

Not in the Mansus.

But in that moment you were sure, you were absolutely sure, that the light shining down upon you was the same light that was shining from under the Dreamlands, when you walked those hallowed and Worm-infested walkways.

It was the same sun, the same beacon, and the same pulsating star that seemed to be the only source of light in all of creation.

Yes, in that moment you were sure of it.

The sun shining down upon this world was the same one that was shining up from the depths beneath the crisscrossing Dreamlands.

And for a single, maddeningly short fraction of a moment, you felt that was good. And you were in peace under its light, with not a single thought left for the harsh glare of Glory.

But that only lasted for a moment.

…

Before you realized it, you had reached the end of the alley. And you were left with nothing but your memories, and the nagging sensation that you reached the very limit of a stage, crossed an exit you were not supposed to cross, saw something you were not supposed to see, and that you were then gently turned around and sent back.





[Dice rolls have been omitted]

[Winter re-roll has been consumed]


And just like that, now you have less time than you had before.


PERSONAL ACTION POINTS REMAINING: 1


You have made time in the real world, so you will have time here. What shall you do with it?


You will return home, back through the foggy mirror.

[] Return home, with Diary and Frangiclave, and fulfill your bargain with the Daughter-of-Axes. (End the dream, and redistribute your remaining action points.)


[] Return home, with Diary, Frangiclave, and something else besides. Or rather, someone. (End the dream, bringing Twilight Sparkle with you, and redistribute your remaining action points.)

Spoiler: LOGISTICS AND DETAILS

-You will bring back with you "Twilight Sparkle, the student of Canterlot High". She will follow you back to the real world and immediately become a Confidante.

-However, in order to transport such an unprepared ward, you will not only have to make the journey with her, but you will have to ensure she still has a reflection behind the mirror.

-You will take "Twilight Sparkle, the Element of Magic" through the Foggy Mirror, and leave her in place of her alter-ego on the other side.

-None of these actions will fail, or cause any immediate suspicion. However, you will have to deal with certain complications, and make a few decisions, as they arise. You cannot predict what the future might hold, other than the certainty of these four notes.

You will stay a while and… (Costs one personal action point. Pick THREE options)

[] Alright, WHERE is Stormchaser? (Look for your dear beloved)
[] They are young and impressionable. Thankfully, you are a responsible adult. (Hang out with Rarity and Fluttershy, your real-life confidantes)
[] "Is there anything on your mind, Miss Jack?" (Approach Applejack)
[] "To be honest? I think your job is better than mine." (Approach Cheerilee. She is here… somewhere)
[] "Yes, it's about your daughter. What class I teach her? Well…" (Approach the Rich parents)
[] This place has a library. Go take a look.
[] What is this "cellphone" all the kids are talking about? Why do you have one? And what is this "Internet" thing?



Twelve hours moratorium. Approval voting. An "exit" option will only win if it is the very first place, otherwise the three activities with the most votes will be picked.

 

[Sveta08]

Interesting.

I think, we should leave.

 

[dcoconeo]

Let's get our AP back already, we still have to figure out how to get the Blood (alas, I would consider this turn a waste of our AP - what we got seemed to be a Forge idea, and that of Harmony)?

 

[LieutenantSpirit]

And yes, you would love to subscribe to this shop's credit system! You are sure this will not cause your counterpart any problems whatsoever.

Click to shrink...

We cannot forget that Velvet is the daughter of a rich family. Truly, that upbringing perfectly prepared her for this wondrous, alternate world.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Okay, wait just one freaking second. Are we looking at Harmony?
Get over here you big glowing goober, we got Lores to cram into you to better annihilated Worms, screw your gentle redirecting!

 

[IronHydra]

Great update, cheerleader Velvet was not something I knew I needed

So out of seeing those two, we get to see how the function should be, Celestia at her greatest, never having lost her sister to the worms and her own doubts, not sure how it'll be useable, maybe showing it to Luna in a Dream, and later after she reveals herself, she shows it to Celestia. Idk, it remains to be seen

I'm glad both exploration options were chosen, we got to see what the world is like, or at least Velvet's best interpretation of it, being that the world is only real seeming whenever she interacts with it, if she remains passive, the world is dead and dull, moving to its pattern and route. It takes something (Magic or Lore I'm assuming, or just something from Equestria in general) to become truly active outside of the schools.

And the Mirror World itself is further away from the Mansus, protected and lit by Harmony, who'd have thought, this just really makes even more sense for us to swap Twilight's, if anything can help Pony!Twi, it's spending some time resting under the rays of healing and soothing Harmony.

I think we've gotten everything we can out of here, I'm ready to leave.

 

[Alan975]

>: )
Got close enough to shout 'I called it'

Now I'm still very much up for searching some more, but am expecting that the majority want to go back.
So just letting it be known where my vote will land

[] Return home, with Diary, Frangiclave, and something else besides. Or rather, someone. (End the dream, bringing Twilight Sparkle with you, and redistribute your remaining action points.)

 

[Earth-Destroyer]

Not a lot of time left, so Stormchaser, Applejack and Cellphone

We can probably clear all 3 in one action.

 

[Shaper47]

Well DoV is going to be very anti Harmony after this.

I'm not especially surprised about this kind of plot. Not after we got some more details on how Velvet nearly got killed/assassinated in her backstory.

 

[Limabot]

I see there is no option to abduct Principal Celestia, so that's probably good. Still, the finishing line for that segment may imply that Velvet will be willing to be more active in trying to "fix" Celestia and seal away Daybreaker.