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

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Shaper's just sad we missed out on possibly having two Wolfed daughters.

But to a pony or Mansus being in-universe, his claim would appear to be absolutely correct. It's only from our position beyond all such things that we know the terrible truth - that there was nothing we could have done to protect all of Velvet's daughters from a partial death that day.

 

[Shaper47]

Shaper's just sad we missed out on possibly having two Wolfed daughters.

But to a pony or Mansus being in-universe, his claim would appear to be absolutely correct. It's only from our position beyond all such things that we know the terrible truth - that there was nothing we could have done to protect all of Velvet's daughters from a partial death that day.

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Yeah, Talon is pretty spot on.

It's an IC vs OOC take.

It's probably best we move on though and change the topic.

 

[DeadArkShow-e]

I finally caught up with the story. It was incredible. I've always loved pony fanfics, fluff and slice-of-life, existential and larcraft horror. I'm really glad there is something that was able to bring them all together. Now I'm joining this story.

As I was reading, I was kept in my thoughts. I really wanted to express it with those who know what it's about.

Velvet is not a very good pony, despite what she convinces herself and us otherwise. She is truly her master's best apprentice. The Moth flows in her. She is one with Moth. XD

Reading the arc with Twilight gave me a guilty pleasure. I'm afraid if I read an omake on behalf of someone main 6, about the spiritual death of a unicorn. I'll snap and read that arc again.

As for Marrinette, it's disgustingly normal. A normal mare like her gives a chthonic normality to the story. I don't want and crave to see what kind of horrifyingly normal imago the mare turns into.

Also excited to read when the Mother of Wolves reaches glory. Someone affected by the agony is bound to affect all of Wake. Maybe it was making Baldermare feel pain? She sees the hidden, even if the hidden is devouring.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Also excited to read when the Mother of Wolves reaches glory. Someone affected by the agony is bound to affect all of Wake. Maybe it was making Baldermare feel pain? She sees the hidden, even if the hidden is devouring.

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Given that the Wolf-Divided is already an Hour, I feel like Velvet's comparatively miniscule portion of Agony (which came from the Wolf in the first place) isn't going to change much. And full Mother of Wolves is an Ending in and of itself, where Glory is never reached, so we can't exactly end up with two Wolf Hours.

 

[DeadArkShow-e]

Given that the Wolf-Divided is already an Hour, I feel like Velvet's comparatively miniscule portion of Agony (which came from the Wolf in the first place) isn't going to change much. And full Mother of Wolves is an Ending in and of itself, where Glory is never reached, so we can't exactly end up with two Wolf Hours.

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Velvet became guarding mother with Agony several times. Silky Stream come with Agony of Flesh. Selene come with Agony of Dream. Soft Sweep come with Agony of Heart.
Wolf-Divided and Velvet is too different, but so similar, that I think they are United and Divided both.

 

[Talon Tiger Dino]

Velvet became guarding mother with Agony several times. Silky Stream come with Agony of Flesh. Selene come with Agony of Dream. Soft Sweep come with Agony of Heart.
Wolf-Divided and Velvet is too different, but so similar, that I think they are United and Divided both.

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What do you mean by "became guarding mother with Agony"?

 

[DeadArkShow-e]

What do you mean by "became guarding mother with Agony"?

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Sorry, English is not my native language. I mean that Velvet very protective ( for my language this have another phrase - "a wolf mother"). And she becames mother with big pain for someone's.

 

[Sveta08]

Ah!
Den Mother.
Gotcha.

 

[Sveta08]

In the interim, I've been reading and thinking. Nothing much mind! No major prophetic questions or audacity today

Only thing this is for... Is to congratulate @spiderhellian !
In Which The Guest is Finally honored appears to be changed from theoretical canon, to canon in wait!

 

[spiderhellian]

In the interim, I've been reading and thinking. Nothing much mind! No major prophetic questions or audacity today

Only thing this is for... Is to congratulate @spiderhellian !
In Which The Guest is Finally honored appears to be changed from theoretical canon, to canon in wait!

Click to shrink...

Thanks Sveta I'll be honest, I'm curious how Bird will play it. It might depend on how we get there, which isn't 100% set in stone yet. In my omake I'm pretty light-touch… but this is a horror story (among others), and I wonder if he'll paint in bolder colours, as it were.

 

[Sveta08]

Grail is about not just the sensate and desire, but about experience.
I have no doubt it will be painted with colors broad and bright and beautiful.

... well. Some sort of beauty at least.

 

[jelloloaf]

The heart is the drum of blood and that drum is beating which means that

it is dancing which really is almost so obvious as to not be worth mentioning but shortponies are notably not very good at knowing things so it will mention it anyway just in case because it is making a special effort right now to be comprehensible to them because it has just been summoned by a shortpony which on one hoof is somewhat convenient seeing as how it really is quite nice to be embodied especially when the summoner is the one doing all of the effort of the embodying but on all the rest of the hooves it has not been summoned into the shortworld for a long time and shortponies are not very good at dancing like it is so things have probably changed since it was last embodied and it might have to change its routine which would mean having to learn an entirely new dance which it really does not want to do the current dances is has are already very nice

but also in addition to the normal hesitance of being in the shortworld at all it is also not very enthused by its summoner because she does not look like a very good dancer even by shortpony standards which indicates that she probably does not really know how to be a good summoner either but then again there are a whole circle of dancers who are all listening to her so maybe she is a conductor or some other type of less important but still musical shortpony which means it should at least give her the benefit of the doubt and also beyond the circle of dancers there is a lorecircle on the floor which is making a much more persuasive argument about why it should give this summoner a chance even though that persuasiveness is just because it knows how circles get when it ignores them and it has much better things to do with its time than slog through a circle whining about being ignored like dancing for example that is a very good thing to do so yes it will listen for a while and hear where this goes because after all even the worst summoners never ask for it to do things that take very long anyway for example one time a summoner asked it to protect it from a disease and that took barely a month or a moth or some other measurement of that sort and it got to dance the whole time so it will listen to this summoner for a while like it said but it bears repetition like all good things do yes

and oh the summoner is giving it orders now it can do orders very well especially when they are orders like these that involve the routing of blood it likes blood yes blood is very nice everypony should have blood oh it just realized the summoner looks sort of like blood that is probably a good sign because perhaps she is a special shortpony that has blood on both the outside and the inside making her immune to the usual shortpony problem of the inside blood becoming outside blood yes that is very clever of her this might be better than the usual embodiment yes the summoner being clever a very good sign it will definitely listen to these orders and oh the summoner is already done clicking her teeth time to go it had thought that that part would take longer because usually in its experience summoners like using teeth quite a lot so the fact that this one has spent so little time on it is yet another good sign yes this will be an excellent embodiment but back to what it was doing orders yes it will go follow those and start doing a more energetic dance while it does so that is better than this little tapping in place that it has to do because of the circle around it but did the summoner forget to open the circle it cannot leave until she opens the circle hmm maybe just think opening thoughts yes that would work but how to correlate how to correlate ah yes dancing of course the answer is always dancing because it lives to dance and dances to live and the dancing is the living that is the key of its existence yes key it worked the circle is open it can leave the circle now time to start dancing but oh the summoner had orders it can still feel them inside its head but that is not a problem really because the words are so lively they are almost like music and so it can dance to them yes that is nice it loves dancing this summoner is almost certainly a conductor or something of that sort which makes her better than most shortponies who barely even try anything dancing related at all which is a shame because dancing is the best thing they would be much happier if they tried it yes

but enough about the shortcomings of shortponies it is already bounding over the groovelines in the floor and dancing out past the summoner and the other nonsummoner shortponies and through the door and down the hallway and up the stairs and almost into the street before it realizes that there will be a lot more notsummoner shortponies on the street and one of the orders is to avoid being seen by any of the notsummoners other than the ones that work for the summoner and are thus okay to be seen by because they are kind of like extensions of the summoner and thus practically the same shortpony it is not the best at geometry but that sounds about right yes it is very clever for figuring that one out

anyway it should at least try to avoid disobeying orders so it turns away from the door and does not show off its dance to all the shortponies outside even though that would be a very nice thing to do because maybe they would start dancing as well which would be excellent because dancing is always better with partners yes it would very much like to do that but it has already agreed to obey the summoner at least for a little while and if the orders really end up being so intolerable to do despite how nice they sound then it can just leave as soon as possible instead of extending the agreement yes that is a good plan it will do that after all there is nothing in the shortworld that can hurt it because it is a very good dancer and being good at dancing is how you continue so it will endure whatever happens no problem at all as an example one thing it endures is the staring from all the partsummoners as it thinks it will call them now yes that is a good name for all of those ones inside of the building that the summoner said it was okay to be seen by but anyway all of them staring at it is something that it endures but actually then again the staring is not really something that needs to be endured because staring is not at all harmful and if the partsummoners watch it dancing then maybe they will also start dancing yes that would be very nice the more ponies are dancing the better the world is and if shortponies dance for long enough then they could even stop being so short and instead be normal like it is yes that would be very very nice it likes having new partners to dance with very much yes

but sadly it cannot stick around for too long it has orders to follow which are that the summoner wants it to find a specific notsummoner shortpony and flip all his blood inside out which does not seem like a very hard thing to do because most shortponies are very bad at dancing and thus very bad at preserving themselves but even if this specific shortpony is somehow a good dancer then it will still win because it will dance even better and more forcefully and beat the shortpony yes it is good at force it knows about many forces like gravity and love and teeth there is sure to be one that will work on the shortpony to rearrange his blood like the summoner wants because after all if none of its forces would work why would the summoner want it to use them that would be very foolish of the summoner and it has already seen that the summoner is clever but unfortunately not quite clever enough to tell it where to find the specific shortpony it needs to duet with which is a shame but it is good at dancing around the uncleverness of summoners so it does not have very much trouble no not at all it is able to find the shortpony very quickly and it does not get seen by any other shortponies that it should not be seen by except for a few close calls but it avoided those incidents by closing their eyes for them so that it could go past without being seen and then it even put the eyes back the way they were afterward so really the whole situation worked out fine like nothing ever happened at all

yes it can be very sneaky when it needs to but that need is almost over because it is very close now to where the target shortpony is and it will start dancing with him soon this is very exciting it loves dancing with partners dancing is the best thing although the summoner does not seem to think that thought because she said that dancing makes it stand out and that it should not be noticed but also it should be dancing because that is the purpose and cause of its life and also also it has already been so sneaky while it was getting here so it compromises and settles for just a very little dance the smallest dance it knows which is a sort of tapping in place like it used back when it was inside the circle which looks sort of like when a shortpony is impatient which somewhat fits because it is a bit impatient right now but it can be patient if it needs to which unfortunately seems to be right now because the shortpony is not coming the door even after it drummed on it which is quite rude of him to keep it waiting but then again that does give it time to touch up its shortpony disguise by folding its mane a bit shorter and rounding off the skull a little and removing another hoof or two at least visually because shortponies just have so few of them and really how do they manage the whole situation seems very hard for them hmm perhaps that is why they are so short and bad at dancing yes that seems quite plausible it is very clever for figuring that out it should remember that for when it gets summoned back to the shortworld some other time the information would be very helpful to have most likely yes

oh the shortpony opened the door he is right there time to give the message that the summoner gave to it to pass on which means that it should start singing the shortpony music about consequences for your actions or something along those lines yes it remembers how the song went now and even though singing is not as nice as dancing it is still very nice and it starts singing in its best approximation of shortpony instrumentation and based on how the shortpony is covering his ears it feels like it probably made a mistake with how all the syllables are clumped up or it used the wrong resonance or something but then again shortpony music is very strange compared to normal music so maybe it did sing correctly after all and it just thinks there was a mistake because it almost never has to do this kind of thing yes that is probably what happened it is very good at music it would surely not make a mistake even if it had to sing a shortpony song yes this shortpony is simply just rude for not listening to its nice music that it worked so hard on that is probably why the summoner sent it after him

oh but wait the shortpony is doing a strange shivering movement stop singing oh maybe he is about to start dancing that would be very very nice it loves dancing especially with partners as it said which of course bears repetition like all good things do maybe this shortpony is not so bad after all but oh no wait he stopped shivering and instead grabbed a knife from somewhere and tried to kill it and steal its blood oh no no no it completely misinterpreted the situation the shortpony was not trying to dance with it he is trying to stop it from dancing that is double bad it should always be dancing this is definitely why the summoner sent it after this specific shortpony he is trying to stop dancers from dancing but not to worry it will overcome this shortpony notdancer very easily because dancing is how you endure and therefore the notdancer will cease all on its own but it will help hurry the process along regardless because notdancers do not deserve to be alive they squander the drumgifts it does not like them at all no

it dances backward to avoid a very poorly choreographed lunge and counters with a castanet bite to the foreleg because teeth seemed like the most prudent force to use in the current situation given how much summoners like them and even though this current summoner did not use hers very much she is still a summoner and all summoners like teeth and also regarding the fight it calls out to the heart of the notdancer to stop helping him by pumping his blood and instead help it by beating him to death from the inside while it works on the outside which will probably not result in anything given how fickle shortpony hearts can be but you never know until you try after all and it does not even need to reduce the frequency of the biting to ask because it can sing with every part of its body instead of just its mouth like stupid blood-stealing notdancers that hate dancing and music and everything good about the world it hopes that the notdancer will die soon this is not a very fun dance even if it is important to perform but once the notdancer is ceased it can go on with better dances again that will be nice yes just keep that in mind while the notdancer is spasming in a weak imitation of a real dance as though that will save him why is this taking so long all of his inside blood has already become outside blood that is supposed to be the end of the matter for shortponies

ah yes there finally the notdancer stopped moving now it can go tell the summoner that it followed the order yes it did a very good job as was to be expected the better dancer always wins that is how fighting works yes but there is still the question of how the notdancer noticed that it was not actually a shortpony perhaps it was the skull it has never been very great at getting the geometry correct when it is embodied because that is more of a flute thing and it is much better at percussion than other types of music which might be a bit of a misleading way to say that now that it thinks about it because it is good at all music but it is especially good at percussion because that is the best kind of music and the one that is most worth being good at so of course it is better at that kind and the other kinds only look bad by comparison oh which reminds it of how a previous summoner once told it that comparison is the thief of joy which seems very sad because joy is like fire in that you can always just make more of it and it is very easy to spread yes there is no need to steal it at all shortponies who steal joy are probably not very clever if they do not realize this truth like it does even in addition to the usual shortpony noncleverness or maybe in subtraction to because the cleverness is negative

but enough about the shortcomings of shortponies the time has come to go back to the summoner and let her know that it followed the orders very well yes it is good at following orders well it is good at everything but especially following orders and double especially dancing which reminds it that it should do some more dancing now that it finished its task yes but what kind of dance hmm maybe something long and bounding to stretch its legs a bit all this shortpony tapping which feels too restraining but no wait it is still not supposed to be seen that is very unfortunate it was looking forward to dancing some more but then again there will always be more time later yes that is how time works it is very smart of time to be so endless even though it is less endless than it used to be but then again that was not really the fault of time was it no it was because of all the hours trying to take from each other instead of just being longer yes that would have been much cleverer of them

and oh back at the summoner again already hello summoner it did a very good job at following the orders yes and was there anything else it needed to do or not because probably not based on how you keep clicking your teeth like that which by the way it knew that this summoner liked teeth all summoners like teeth even when they should not an excessive love for teeth is one of their major flaws aside from the shortness and the poor dancing skills and the vulnerability to having their blood flipped inside out and then all of a sudden the bindings have been released time for it to leave the shortworld which is nice because as fun as being embodied is there was nothing really going for this one outside of the inherent qualities it had thought that having a clever summoner would make the whole thing a bit more interesting but no there was only the base level of interestingness of being embodied at all and the only really notable thing that happened was killing that notdancer but that was more duty than anything else and while it will do its duty and there is some pridelike joy in the process it much prefers to be dancing because that is the best thing yes it will just keep on dancing back in the normal world and everything will be fine because everything is always fine in the normal world because there is nothing there to stop it from dancing oh the doorskin is open time to go back goodbye.

---

Hey folks, hope that you've all been doing well, despite our long wait.

Since we never ended up seeing what a Percussipony! would look like (and because I love nonhuman (nonpony?) perspectives), I wanted to do something with that idea. As per usual, my interpretation may be completely wrong (probably time for a re-read anyway), but it will hopefully at least be wrong in new and exciting ways that are interesting to read about.

Fun fact, I had originally planned to format this as one single block of text, but I eventually decided to place 'being at least barely readable' above 'purity of artistic vision.' Still no punctuation though; periods are very wasteful. You just throw away perfectly good blood.

 

[ses]

I miss it too. I think of this story all the time.

I appreciate that you made it actually readable because I enjoyed it. I would not have read a block of text.

because they are kind of like extensions of the summoner and thus practically the same shortpony it is not the best at geometry but that sounds about right yes it is very clever for figuring that one out

Click to shrink...

Spitting facts about what cadres are.

 

[spiderhellian]

That was an unexpected and delightful notification. This was really cool. I loved the voice of the Percussipony, that unnatural perspective was really perfect. It felt so... right, as the train of thought of this totally different type of being.

which by the way it knew that this summoner liked teeth all summoners like teeth even when they should not an excessive love for teeth is one of their major flaws aside from the shortness and the poor dancing skills and the vulnerability to having their blood flipped inside out

Click to shrink...

I was genuinely laughing by the time we got to the end. So good!

Great omake. Hope you, and everyone, have been well.

 

[Royalist]

Was delightful getting a notification from this thread. The new omake (and entire quest) was so good and "This is a regrettable action" is still a core part of my vocabulary, even if no one else in my life gets the reference

 

[Pittauro]

Was delightful getting a notification from this thread. The new omake (and entire quest) was so good and "This is a regrettable action" is still a core part of my vocabulary, even if no one else in my life gets the reference

Click to shrink...

That's indeed regrettable

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Good HEAVENS!

Has it been six months? Really?

Boy oh boy, I don't even know where to begin...

How are you all doing? I hope you are all doing well. And pardon the lack of communication! I was able to respond to some private messages here and there, but I was constantly thinking that "I'll be able to return there next weekend, so it's alright" for so long that... well, time passed.

I've been doing fine on my end, thankfully. Although it is a bit funny that something very impactful to my life happened not long after the last update, so I can see why I wasn't able to be here as often. But hey, it's the best kind of change, and no one died or got sick, so I'll just chalk up to "it's life!"

Now then I... have a lot of stuff to do. But I would like to post the next voting update before the end of the day, so we can have a week of voting like we used to. I thank you all for your patience, as I regain my bearings, and if anything looks out of place please let me know! This quest has so many spinning plates it's hard to keep track at times, even with so many notes.

Now without further ado, let me... well, let me post the "smokescreen" update so the wolves don't jump at me.

I'll be here until the end of the night, so let me get to work.

As always, I hope you are all doing well! And welcome, welcome back.

 

[jelloloaf]

Welcome back Bird, good to see you again. Glad you're doing alright.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

If it isn't too much of a bother, can anyone find the vote tally for the Followers' Phase we just finished?

And more importantly

The heart is the drum of blood and that drum is beating which means that

Click to shrink...

I loved this so much.

Monstrous perspectives are hard to pull off, in my opinion. It needs to be inhumane, while also delivering a message. But this nailed it so, so well! Thank you so much for sharing this!

Also, it never occurred to me that Percussiponies! could have more than four legs. So when you mentioned that this one went down to four legs to hide better... a delightful chill of "oh, we really are dealing with a monster" ran through my spine. It was awesome!
By the way, I do agree that making it a single block of text would have been a bad idea. I am glad you didn't go with it, but the separation of paragraphs you decided on was very well done! It felt natural, it gave nice pauses for changes of scene, and it made the (very aptly done) lack of punctuations way more digestible. But yeah, it is basically my headcanon now that Percussiponies! would communicate in a constant stream like that (that is, if they could speak).

Thank you kindly for this, again!

 

[Pittauro]

Now then I... have a lot of stuff to do. But I would like to post the next voting update before the end of the day, so we can have a week of voting like we used to. I thank you all for your patience, as I regain my bearings, and if anything looks out of place please let me know! This quest has so many spinning plates it's hard to keep track at times, even with so many notes.

Click to shrink...

wait, really? yay!

...I might need to recheck the last few updates, I don't remember where we are

Any chance we can get a short recap of, like the last turn?

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[Y] [FLEETING OPPORTUNITY] As promised, you will let Soft Sweeps help you. So, you will accept her invitation for...

You are Whacky Amor.

You are Lady Velvet Covers.​

And you can already tell that today will be…

And you can already tell that today will be…!​

A HORRIBLE/WONDERFUL DAY​

- - -



Most days are… bearable. The other maids don't really like you, you can tell. But you are just good enough at pretending to be good at your job that they just have an uncanny feeling of wrongness about you. Like they don't consciously know that you are a fraud, but can't really silence the voice inside their heads that insist otherwise.

Still, you have a job now, and a place to sleep. Which already makes this better than your previous arrangement.

So again, most days are… bearable.

The repetitive tasks and motions that must be done, to stop the house from rotting and dying.

The repetitive stress of following rules, and putting on a smile, and mewling out an apology when you inevitably do something wrong.

The repetitive agony of hunger, before it is finally time for the next meal.

But you can endure all of that. Not just because you have to, but because this entire arrangement keeps you so close to her.

Yes, you will keep doing whatever it takes, put up with whatever pain and humiliation… to stay close to your very best friend.

Because it is no longer enough to see her just once a week. You are no longer satisfied with just walking her to and from the meetings, and chatting with her for however much time she has available during those so very short evenings.

No. You need more of her. You must have more of her.

And here, you can have just that.

On a good day, you can see her flying overhead. Taking the little nobles to school and then coming back, doing this and that errand around the house, or just fussing around the areas that a maid of your station can't really enter. Yes, you have already learned about all her tasks. You have already committed her schedule to memory. And whenever you think your supervisors (or that damn butler) aren't looking, you will do your best to sneak towards a window or go outside, just to catch a glimpse of her flying.

And whenever you manage to do that, you know it is a good day.

On a better day, she will notice you back. Yes, it always makes your heart flutter when it happens. On a better day, when she isn't as busy or when you sneak out to a spot that is particularly easy for a pegasus to see, she will notice you. She will notice you and, if you are lucky, she will even address you.

A wave of a hoof, a mouthed "hello". Sometimes, she will even land and exchange a few words with you. And for all that it takes every last ounce of your willpower to answer her like a normal pony because what wouldn't you give for a sniff or a taste or the opportunity to wear her maid dress and feel her warmth you still cherish the rare opportunities when that happens.

Whenever that happens, you know you had a better day.

But other than that, most days are… bearable.

Other than that, most days are just that: another day. You get up, you do what you are told, you get paid bits you have no use for, and you get fed so you can do it all again tomorrow.

It's not ideal, but it could be worse. It used to be worse. And here, you at least have a better chance of something good happening, to counteract the bad.

So, you will keep working here. You will keep a smile on your face, and you will keep fumbling through your job.

You will stay here, even though… even though you know about the risks.

You will stay here, even though you feel like you might go insane, at how nerve-wracking it can get.

You will stay here… even though this place terrifies you.

Because…

…

Because of…



- - -

You almost skip down the stairs as you make your way to the first floor.

Because again, today will be a wonderful day!

Well, a wonderful evening. Or a wonderful night? Ah, what the hay, you won't get caught up in semantics. Instead, you will just enjoy yourself!

After all, you are about to spend some quality time with one of your daughters.

And what makes it even better is that she has a surprise planned for you!

"Soft Sweeps dear, are you ready to go?" you ask, as soon as you reach the door to her room.

Of course, you already know the answer to that.

You know that her door is not locked. And you can smell that she is right in front of her mirror, probably taking one last look at herself. And you know and you know and you know what her "surprise" is to begin with.

But still, Softy asked you to spend some time with her. No, it's not just that. Softy said she wants to help you, or be more helpful to you, and according to her she planned this evening with that in mind.

So, you cannot wait to see how things will turn out! In fact, you are feeling something quite curious right now. Part of you feels giddy, as if you are about to watch Silky make a school presentation in front of a crowd. While another part of you feels proud, the same way you feel when Selene tells you about something serious she is working on.

And all of that puts a very big smile on your face.

"One more minute! Let me just…!" you hear her answer through the closed door, followed by a very low rustling noise. But true to her word, she heads towards the door and opens it right after.

And you are treated to the sight of your Softy wearing a darling saddlebag on her back, filled with what looks like a few scrolls and other items.

"Mrs. Velvet…" she says, for some reason very embarrassed. "There's… there's nothing special about this saddlebag? R-really, like I told you, we're not supposed to be wearing anything flashy or…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say that out loud?" you ask. But none the matter, you shake your head and start making your way to the entrance hall. "Well, I still think that saddlebag looks wonderful on you, dear."

You hear her mumble something, but you don't think anything of it. And with that, the two of you make your way out of the mansion and towards the central garden.

"So, you did mention you wanted to introduce me to your friends?" you ask, looking at her as you walk to gauge her reaction. "I take it we won't be late even if we walk? Or would you like me to take a carriage?"

"No, no, we will be fine," she says. But more importantly, she barely even noticed how you referred to her group as her friends, and just gave you a casual nod as you talked.

Which is, of course, a wonderful sign! You realize Softy started going to that group so… well, to help her. But you are honestly glad that she thinks of them as her friends now.

And of course, that makes it all the better now that she is comfortable enough to introduce you to them.

"We won't need a carriage. Oh, but we can't leave just yet. Somepony is coming with us, if that's not a problem," she says, looking around the garden and searching for somepony.

Although you can't sense anypony. And soon enough, Soft Sweeps' eyes narrows as she comes to the same conclusion, realizing that there is nopony else in the garden other than you two.

"That's strange. She is usually waiting for me here," she says, tilting her head slightly. "Do you mind waiting here for a bit, Mrs. Velvet? She works here in the mansion, and she sleeps in the servants' quarters. I'll go check on her and be right back."

She says that, part confused and part apologetic for her friend's absence. But you are already waving a hoof at her, telling that it is alright, before she even finishes her sentence.

"It's quite alright, Soft. I'm sure she just got caught up in something. And really, I'll join you. I don't think I've visited that part of the estate since it was renovated, so let's go check on your friend together."

You say that, and the encouraged smile your daughter answers you with is all that you need to see.​

- - -



Staying here… working here, and living here, is for the best, you tell yourself.

Catching glimpses of her, and even talking to her more often, is worth it, you tell yourself.

The benefits outweigh the risks, even if the risks are so horrifying, you tell yourself.

But still… despite all that… despite all the encouragements, and the motivations, and the lies you try to bribe yourself with…

Despite all of that…

There hasn't been a single week where you worked here, and did not fear for your life.

There hasn't been a single night where you slept here, and did not have a nightmare.

There hasn't been a single hour where you have been here, and did not have the impression that… that the walls, and the doors, and even the reflections on the mirrors looked like a set of fangs, that were about to sink into you.

Your very best friends is here, yes. Your one and only friends lives in this place. Your very own reason to live calls this place her home, and you wouldn't be able to leave any more than you would be able to rip out your heart and walk away.

However, you still know…

Even though, somehow, nopony else notices it…

Even though, for some unexplainable reason, nopony else ever points it out…

You are still aware that…

You are still aware that this mansion is the lair of a monster.

One that you know all too well in your nightmares.



- - -

You follow Soft Sweeps into one of the side buildings. Not the larger one where your brother lives, but instead another one that is closer to the front gate.

You can't really remember when was the last time you have been to this building. But you do remember that, back then, this was just a collection of storages and the odd workshop used by the servants. Definitely a building that had more rooms than use, and one that was meant to accommodate more than you could provide during your lonely stewardship.

But now that your brother is here, and the estate has twice as many nobles and many more times the work, you can see how this building was elevated to its full potential.

"The mess hall and the servants' kitchen are that way. The maids from your side of the estate come here for lunch, sometimes. But I hear things are still a little tense with the newcomers. Oh, and those stairs lead to an underground storage, which is entirely new. And over there…"

Soft Sweeps seems to be very familiar with this place. And even though it is evening, and there is very little activity going on right now, she treats you to a little tour.

You are also impressed by the renovations themselves, and you are glad that your brother's servants have access to these facilities. After all, your own staff is mostly from Ponyville, so they get to go home after work. But most of your brother's servants are from Canterlot. So, you are glad they have this place as their home away from home.

"And she sleeps in the dormitory, which is that way. So, I suppose we should look for her there first?"

"I suppose. But now that I think of it… I can go wait outside, if you prefer. Wouldn't it be bad if I just waltzed into their dormitory at this time, Soft?" you ask, pursing your lips slightly at that thought. After all you are a noble, so you wouldn't want to stir up the maids in a place they would consider personal, and at a time they would be resting. "I wouldn't want to cause a fuss or anything like that."

"Oh, it's alright Mrs. Velvet. It's the last day of the week, and it's not that late. I expect the dormitory to be mostly empty. I hear that most of the maids have gotten used to spending time in Ponyville after their shift is done, so I don't think there will be that many ponies there."

You answer her with a nod. And indeed, you can tell the building is mostly empty.

So, you continue to follow her, deeper through the corridors.

"And who is this friend of yours we are looking for?" you ask.

To which she answers with a rather complicated smile. As if she is about to tell you something that she is slightly embarrassed of.

"Do you remember a few weeks back, when I told you about a friend who was looking for a job…?"​

- - -



It's happening again.

Oh, no. It is happening again.

IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN.

You hate it.

You hate it, you hate it, you hate it.

Your heart is pounding so hard inside your chest it is actually painful.

Your limbs… your muscles, and your bones, and your blood, and even the wings you wish you had during times like this, all start begging you to run.

Your lungs start seizing up. Yelling at you that you need to breathe, and also that if you breathe you will die.

And you start to feel…

You start to feel that…

…

You don't even how to describe it, this feeling that you have.

…

All that you know is that you hate it.

You wish this felt like a pressure, inside your skull. Like that strange sensation your kind has, when the plants are ready to sleep and the ground begs to be covered in snow.

You wish this felt like some kind of nausea. A sinking feeling inside your gut, as if you had just eaten something bad and was about to feel sick.

Hay, you wish this felt like pain. You wish you could describe it like having a knife pushed into your ears, or like a branding iron being jabbed on the back of your head.

Because pain is something you know. Pain is something you can deal with. And if it gets too bad, pain is something you can escape from. That anypony can escape from.

But this is not pain.

This is so, so much worse.

It feels like… this feels like you know, you just know, that there are fangs closing in around you neck. Because sometimes you can feel a stinking breath against your fur, right over your jugular. And sometimes, but only sometimes, you can feel the thinnest prick of a sharp tip brushing against your coat.

It is maddening. Because you know it is right there. You know that jaw can snap shut at any moment, and that those fangs will sink into you any second now, but it never happens.

It feels like that, but so much worse.

It feels like black clouds are about to appear in the sky to block out the sun, forever.

It feels like the very air will suddenly burst into flames, but that nopony will ever really die anymore.

It feels like a perverted imminence. Like the split second between a spark flying and a flame igniting. Like the moment right after a plate hits the ground, and it is already broken, but the shattered pieces have not yet flown in all directions. The very last moment that the world will ever retain its current shape, before breaking apart forever.

But that next moment never comes.

And you are just stuck with this knowledge, this certainty, that something horrible is just about to happen.

It is agony.

And you are stuck with it.

And you hate it.

But worst of all, you know what the cause of this thing is.

You have known it all along, ever since you stepped hoof in this distant village called Ponyville.

It is…

---

"Mrs. Velvet Covers?" your daughter's voice comes to you again.​

It is that Lady they call Velvet Covers.

"Yes Soft?" you answer her, as you look around the empty corridor, just as your daughter returns from the servant's dormitory.​

But you know the truth. You know better. You know that in reality…

There is no Lady Velvet Covers.

"I couldn't… she isn't in the dormitory. Or at least I couldn't find her," she says, awkwardly scratching a foreleg as if somehow she is to blame for it.​

This… this whole arrangement… this job, and this mansion, and this entire system they have in place. It is all a façade. It's all just a big, elaborate lie.

"Maybe she went ahead without you? You did say you two go to this meeting every week," you say, trying to find an answer that would make her feel better. "Who knows, maybe she left earlier to do something in Ponyville, and decided to head straight to the meeting once she was done."​

It's all just a lie, like this entire world is a lie.

"That's the thing. There were two maids in the dormitory and I asked them… They said she was here just a few minutes ago, and that she left in a bit of a hurry."​

But you know why that lie is there. You know why everypony goes along with it, and why nopony ever tries to think too hard about it.

Because you know what isn't a lie?

"Do you mind if I look for her around the building a little more?" Soft asks. And well, who are you to deny her?​

Evil isn't a lie. Paranoia isn't a lie.

"Not at all dear, go ahead. I'll wait by the entrance then." You answer.​

And everypony knows that as long as you go along with their wishes, then you will be spared their fangs.

But of course, you set to work yourself. It won't do for Softy to think this evening won't be perfect, just because this friend of hers decided to disappear. And really, looking for something is already trivial for you, which means that looking for somepony will be even easier.​

So that's why everypony goes along with it. That's why the maids work, and why the house is swept and dusted, and why the noble of this house pretends he has a "sister" who he can't really push against.

That is why the central mansion is kept all prim and proper, like a temple or an altar. And that is why every time, every time, every time this so called "Lady" returns from her "trips", everypony bows down and looks towards the ground as she walks by.

That is why everypony closes their eyes as tightly as they can.

You watch as Soft Sweeps makes her way down the corridor, and disappears into another door right after. Once she is gone, you sniff the air a few times, and you parse through the few ponies that are still in this building, until you find the one you are looking for.​

But you have been singled out. Like with everything else in your life, ever since that day, you have been singled out.

Because who knows, maybe everypony else does see a noblemare, when they look at her.

Maybe they do see the lies that they chose to believe in.

Or maybe, just maybe, that thing just chooses not to hide from you so it can torment you.

Tracking her scent is an effortless task for you.

So, you start making your way towards this friend of Soft who decided to disappear.​

And oh sun please help me she's coming this way.

Curiously, the scent-trail brings you to… a broom closet? It doesn't really make a lot of sense. But following the trail you picked up on leads you to a lonely side of the building, far from the dormitory and closer to the workshops. And without a doubt, the pony you are looking for is currently hiding behind a closed door, in a room so small that could only be a broom closet.​

You can feel it. There is a great, horrible and overwhelming presence coming towards you.

So, with a curious tilt on your head, you make your way towards the closed door.​

You can feel it. You can't hear it, and you can't see it, but you can feel it. As if a hurricane was raging right outside the door. Barreling against the walls and pulling the very ground from underneath it.

Step by step, hoof after hoof, you walk towards the door until you are right in front of it.​

And the smell, oh the smell, it is overpowering. That smell that isn't quite ozone and isn't quite blood, but that is something else that is equally rotten and putrid.

You can feel it, coming from under the door. From under the door and from behind the walls and from inside your very skull. You can smell it, and you don't think you will ever be able to smell anything else for the rest of your life.

And now that you are right in front of the door, you can tell that... well, it is not locked. But it is barred, in some way. You can only assume that the door is either very old, and jams easily, or that the pony behind it is somehow blocking it.​

You don't dare to move. You don't even dare to breathe. You are so terrified that you aren't even shivering anymore. Your back is pushed against the door, as if that could help you, but your muscles are so tightly locked you wouldn't even notice if they started cramping.

But… but why would this friend of Softy ever do that? This makes no sense. Part of you considers calling Soft Sweeps here, but you quickly dismiss the idea. This is the mother-daughter evening you planned spending with her, so you don't really feel like dragging this mystery into your schedule.​

You can feel your end approaching.

But not the true, final ending that would release you from any of this. Oh no.

You feel something approaching, and you understand that it will break through this paltry and thin door on your back, and that it will spell the end of your current life and the beginning of what happens next.

Still, you feel like you should at least try to talk to her. So, you raise a hoof towards the door. And you give it a gentle trio of knocks.



Knock​

BANG

Knock​

BANG

Knock​

BANG



The door spams behind you. It spams, and it groans, and it nearly breaks. And you know the only reason it did not fall is because… the thing behind the door is mocking you.

You hear a small whimper coming from somewhere far away. Maybe from your mouth.

You feel something wet trickling down your face.

And the moment your heart is about to give out-

"I think we should go? Maybe she is waiting for us at the meeting or…"​

-you hear her voice.

But before you can do anything else, you hear your daughter call out from behind you.​

And maddeningly, impossibly, the mocking presence behind the door begins to recede.

And once again, for a moment, you consider telling Soft about who is hiding inside this broom closet. Or, if nothing else, you think about sneaking a whisper into the closet, just letting her know that she is in there, or that you will be leaving with Soft now.

But you decide against that.

And without further ado, you leave with your daughter towards Ponyville.​

Leaving you alone… Alone and, not for the first time, wondering if it is you who are mad.

Because later, hours later, when you finally open the door, you don't see any signs of the destruction you know took place.

There are no signs of a storm, no burned pawprint on the wooden floor, and not even a trace of stinking fur on the corner.

Only the mocking emptiness of a predator who decided to toy with its prey.

…

You don't stop shivering until you see your one and only friend, on the next day, and you remind yourself who you are doing this for.





- - -
- - -
- - -





In the quiet village of Ponyville, yet another evening fades into night.

And as far as anypony was concerned, nothing particularly important took place that day.

The sunset was not especially beautiful. The night wind was not too warm or too cold. The wildlife and the surrounding forests were not really that noisy. And everypony seemed quite ready to forget about that night once it was over.

Except for one group of ponies.

In one of the larger rooms of the Town Hall, a group had gathered for their weekly meeting. But that meeting would not be like the others. Quite on the contrary.

Because that meeting would have a special guest. A very important guest, of whom everypony had been told about weeks in advance, and for whose visit everypony worked hard for the last month.

And from an innocent pony's perspective, everything went fine. Introductions were made, hoofs were shaken, and awkward giggles were extracted from a particularly nervous pegasus mare.


"Lady Covers! We hear so much about you from her."
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Miss Sweeps!"
"She's so precious, we would just about do anything for her."


Wholesome jokes. Unabashed praises. Sincere appreciation. The mares and stallions present that night all knew the importance of their visitor. But more importantly, they also understood that their group was formed for a particular reason. So, instead of boring their visitor with one of their regular meetings, they instead hosted a party of sorts, where they could all reminisce on how far they have come, and give no small amount of thanks to the young pegasus mare who they say kept them together.

And as it usually happens with parties, especially when a distinguished guest is present, conversation inevitably shifted towards certain topics. The older ponies confiding with her about their worries, for their foals and their community and the future. The younger ponies asking for advice, about how they should think about the past and how they should prepare for the future.

But all in all, that night felt like a success. And despite the absence of one member of the group, everything proceeded like it was supposed to.

…

Or at least, that… is what an innocent pony would see. That is what the young pegasus mare saw, as her guest mingled and talked and laughed with the ponies who helped her through such hard times.

But from the perspective of a more knowledgeable pony… well, a more knowledgeable pony would also say everything went as planned, that night.

It would just be a matter of whose plan that was.


"Lady Covers! We hear so much about you from her."
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Miss Sweeps!"
"She's so precious, we would just about do anything for her."


Because everypony, with the exception of the young pegasus, saw it. Everypony saw it, the moment their guest stepped into the room.

With their eyes, they could see a mother and a daughter, yes.

But in their hearts, they could see the Mother and the Daughter.

And their guest, in turn, saw them for what they truly were.

Because more than lies, or robes, or any trickery that could be weaved, the ponies there gathered were wearing the greatest disguise of all.

They were wearing their own faces.

And they were delighted and honored to see that, on that night of nights, they were being graced by the one who had gifted them their guiding brimstone. The fire that cast the shadows they followed. The answer to the questions they were still learning to ask.

They could see her for what she really was.

And she, in turn, could see them for what they really were.

Because her daughter had called them a group, and a gathering, and most importantly she called them her friends.

But the guest knew that, in truth, they were her followers. Her servants. Her… cult.

And innocent Soft Sweeps didn't even realize it.

Maybe that is why a smile came to the guest's face when, by the end of the night, she cleared her throat and asked for everypony's attention.



The innocent Daughter had a delightful night with her loved ones. The knowing Mother is generous with those who treat her foals well. And the Followers, behind masks of calm smiles, await with rapt attention.

What Gift will be given tonight?



[-] Gift her inspiration.
-"There is a reason why "Caput" is the first word in His invocation."
-Velvet Covers will gain the Trait [XVI:18-19], which will have the following effects:

Spoiler: XVI:18-19

Soft Sweeps will narratively begin to act as if she has "one more Stain than in the current counter". However, mechanically, she will continue to have the same number of Stains Velvet Covers has.

-She will understand exactly what it is that you want. And you will be so proud of her.
-This is NOT a Regrettable Action.


[-] Gift her tools.
-"Whatever it is you desire to do, these are the means to do it."
-Soft Sweeps (and through her, her congregation) will learn all the usable rituals you currently know.
-Rites that can no longer be used, or that have not yet been fully researched, will not be taught.
-You will not give her any directions of what to do, exactly. And she will understand that you trust her, and that this is a test.


[-] Gift her influence.
-"Ponyville is growing. I would like the right hoofs to take the reins before it grows too much."
-Soft Sweeps (and through her, her congregation) will gain power and influence over Ponyville.
-Mayor Mare will be… "negatively affected" if she does not become a "Close Friend" to Velvet Covers by the end of Turn 23. (Leashing her from Friend to Close Friend is fine)
-You will tell her that you hope Ponyville turns out "the right way". And as much as it scares her to have this much responsibility, she will try her best.


[-] Gift her freedom.
-"Now this is quite a fine group of friends you have made Softy. Would you mind if I joined you next week as well?"
-Velvet Covers will permanently lose one Action Point per turn.
-Velvet Covers will assume control over Soft Sweeps' nascent "gathering," and will be given options to direct it each turn.


[-] Give her nothing.
-"You regret this, you regret all of this."
-You will not be refunded your action point for this.
-"Dire consequences" will ensue, as if you had chosen not to spend time with Soft Sweeps and fulfill your promise.
-But oh, the inspiration this will give your daughter.
-This is NOT a Regrettable Action.





None of the options presented are Regrettable Actions. That fact was only pointed out in some options to be doubly clear about it. But again, nothing offered here is a Regrettable Action.

Even if you grow to regret them.

This omake will turn canon if you select the Fleeting Opportunity to "Spend time with Soft Sweeps", as you promised.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

wait, really? yay!

...I might need to recheck the last few updates, I don't remember where we are

Any chance we can get a short recap of, like the last turn?

Click to shrink...

I'll do a bit of a recap, for my own sake, but it will be in-character. Probably Velvet weighing her options during the blurb prior to the voting phase.

I remember there being some contention about "What to do about Mareinette". I recall keeping Mareinette close (as opposed to send her to Cadance) won. But I recall that making preparations for a Sacrament with her didn't win. So I'll check the votes, and what won, to figure out what we were focusing on for the Velvet Phase voting.

But I'm sure Velvet will tell us all that.

Now that I think of it I miiiiight not be able to post the voting phase tonight. Won't try to bite more than I can chew.

But hey! The engine is revved up again, so I'm sure we will have it up shortly.

Now, onto figuring this whole thing out...

 

[Oblex]

Thanks for the chapter! I'm glad this updated again!
Oh dear, it seems our now confirmed wolf-cult has even given Softy a stalker. I can't believe our choices have consequences

Honestly I'm strongly tempted to go with [-] Gift her freedom despite the huge permeant loss of an action point. It seems like the only way we'll be able to control the fallout of this (because ignoring/encouraging it seems like a one way trip to the wolf ending), short of suddenly acting out of character and directly telling everyone involved to knock it off (and probably exposing our own part in this) or something.

You will give tell her that

Click to shrink...

Under "Gift her influence" I think there's a minor mistake.

I was going to mention gouge/gauge but that's already gone. While gauge as in "to test/measure" is more 'grammatically correct,' I thought gouge as in "to tear out" was also fitting as a stylistic/artistic choice in this context. It would probably get corrected but I think it works given the Wolfy context.

 

[DelightedOne]

...I might need to recheck the last few updates, I don't remember where we are

Click to shrink...

Bureau is being subverted by us, Celestia is at Lantern 1, Cadance was introduced to the lores(by Mareinette), people want to do Mareinette's sacrament, Spoiled is being prepared for Moth Sacrament, we are working on befriending Baldomare and Cherenkolt and I think we are also doing Biedde's Sacrament?

Here is the plan that won for those that need a reminder:
Plan: Prisoner Chomping
-(Free) Sell Edge 3 artifact
-(Detectives) Follow Up: Dodge City
- (Constables) Follow Up: Tall Tale
- (Commissioner) Introduce Lore: Forge
- (Director) Lantern
- (Mareinette) Honored Guest: Spoiled Rich & Filthy Rich
- (Biedde) Channel an Edge Influence
- (Baldomare) Channel a Lantern Influence
- (Selene) Soothe the night
-(Rarity) Focus on her work
- Perform the Reflection of the Tapestry x 2
-- Target: Easiest Level 7 book to acquire
--Target: Easiest Forge 6 reagent to acquire
--At Jade's old house
-Acquire a prisoner, preferably not an innocent civilian
- Build a prison
-Obtain a dead body
-Perform the Attention of the Laws (Edge) (x2)
-Cover your bases (-2 Follower AP, +1 Velvet AP)

Damn, had to guess Bird would come up with a Wolf update.

 

[W00F3R]

Wooooo!!!! Yeah!!!! It's back!!!!!!!! I <3 layered metaphors!!!!

 

[Greymere]

Welcome back Bird!

Haven't read the update yet since I really should have gone to sleep like a hour ago, so for now I'm just popping by briefly to say hello and that I'm glad things are still chugging along!

 

[jelloloaf]

A HORRIBLE/WONDERFUL DAY

Click to shrink...

Ah, good old Wolf, he never misses a chance to make the world a worse place. Truly an inspiration to us all

[-] Gift her inspiration.
-"There is a reason why "Caput" is the first word in His invocation."
-Velvet Covers will gain the Trait [XVI:18-19]
-She will understand exactly what it is that you want. And you will be so proud of her.
-This is NOT a Regrettable Action.

Click to shrink...

For anyone who doesn't want to look it up:

And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Click to shrink...

 

[Shaper47]

Nice to see you back Bird !

Hmm, Inspiration or Tools look nice.

Influence or freedom look too much like another AP sink to me.

Nothing is a nice option but I suspect it might put a spoke in the wheel of her relationship with her sister Selene.

Edit.

But I recall that making preparations for a Sacrament with her didn't win. So I'll check the votes, and what won, to figure out what we were focusing on for the Velvet Phase voting.

Click to shrink...

I checked and the plan that won was

[X] Plan: Prisoner Chomping

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure the prisoner was for eating with our dear Lady of Wires given the plan name.

 

[DelightedOne]

This omake will turn canon if you select the Fleeting Opportunity to "Spend time with Soft Sweeps", as you promised.

Click to shrink...

...

Say what now?

Okaaaaaaay so her request has the potential to be very awful just like I said it would... sometimes I hate being a Lantern main, then I remember that I just have a warning and not cause the future.

And my dumb brain also voted for it for some reason, so I can't even say I had no hand in it.

Oh, if only we had chosen to spend time with our daughter... but the Wolf could have gotten in as well so it might just be one of those lose-lose situations.

[-] Gift her tools.

Click to shrink...

[-] Gift her freedom.

Click to shrink...

My possible votes. Not entertaining any other option, might drop tools and go just for freedom.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Damn, had to guess Bird would come up with a Wolf update.

Click to shrink...

I checked and the plan that won was

Click to shrink...

Thank you! That was exactly the post I was looking for.

The 19 votes / 17 votes split for the winning vote was the argument I remember happening.

Just seeing the difference between the two top-voted plans will already be a great refresher of what our priorities were.

sometimes I hate being a Lantern main, then I remember that I just have a warning and not cause the future.

Click to shrink...

You are the kind of person who is sitting on the Baldomare Couch yelling at the tv about what is about to happen and how the actors are all idiots.

At least you are in good company!