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With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

18th March
15:09 GMT -3


"Would you pardon us for a moment, please?"

Dawn Warrior hesitates at the door, then shrugs.

"Sure. Take me a couple hours to get home without you flying me."

I nod, smile, then make eye contact with my colleagues. "Team meeting."

Beatriz, Beryl and Raquel approach. Dr Munro takes a step towards me as well, then reconsiders and heads over to talk to Dawn Warrior. Once they're within convenient confab distance I stick an orange shield around us and make is as opaque as I can.

Raquel exhales heavily. "So. That happened."

I nod. "I does simplify things quite a lot."

"Ah. How?"

Beryl looks at me curiously, but nods. "Because if enough people get involved, it's not exactly a crime anymore."

"Pr-etty sure it is."

"No, it's a political protest. And since we're crime fighters and it's not our job to preserve the integrity of Brazil's borders, our job is completed once we confirm that the attack on the logging site was done as part of that."

"Seriously?"

"I'm not saying we should just leave, but technically… Yeah. Brazil as a country is descended from the Portuguese colony which conquered the area. These people are descendants of the people who were here first. If they choose not to recognise Brazil's claim to their land… That's not exactly a crime."

Even if we're looking at a rerun of Hugo Danner's original putsch attempt, with Sons and Daughters of Dawn who aren't vulnerable to disease and are at least ten times more numerous than their grandparents' generation. Against a Brazilian military which hasn't improved by anything like the same degree.
Say what now OL? Like if you want to bail because its become a political conflict of interest just say 'well its a civil war and the Charter says we're not supposed to get involved in those' the 'well its not really a crime thing'... doesn't work
"Twelve."

"Twelve ongoing insurgencies or flat out civil wars in the world right now. And I'd rather there wasn't, but stopping them isn't my job. And unless the Security Council rewrites the Justice League's charter, it's not their job either. Because..?" I raise my eyebrows.
That seems very low
 
"Would you pardon us for a moment, please?"

Dawn Warrior hesitates at the door, then shrugs.

"Sure. Take me a couple hours to get home without you flying me."
Superhuman speed and near-inexhaustible stamina for the win. Bet he's popular with the ladies for that last part.

I nod, smile, then make eye contact with my colleagues. "Team meeting."

Beatriz, Beryl and Raquel approach. Dr Munro takes a step towards me as well, then reconsiders and heads over to talk to Dawn Warrior. Once they're within convenient confab distance I stick an orange shield around us and make is as opaque as I can.

Raquel exhales heavily. "So. That happened."
Yes, yes it did. Now, how is it going to change things, I wonder.

I nod. "I does simplify things quite a lot."

"Ah. How?"

Beryl looks at me curiously, but nods. "Because if enough people get involved, it's not exactly a crime anymore."
It's not quite a war, though. A protest?

"Pr-etty sure it is."

"No, it's a political protest. And since we're crime fighters and it's not our job to preserve the integrity of Brazil's borders, our job is completed once we confirm that the attack on the logging site was done as part of that."
If anyone takes it further, well...

"Seriously?"

"I'm not saying we should just leave, but technically… Yeah. Brazil as a country is descended from the Portuguese colony which conquered the area. These people are descendants of the people who were here first. If they choose not to recognise Brazil's claim to their land… That's not exactly a crime."
Not the first native population to want to stand against colonists... But they do stand a better chance of success than previous ones.

Even if we're looking at a rerun of Hugo Danner's original putsch attempt, with Sons and Daughters of Dawn who aren't vulnerable to disease and are at least ten times more numerous than their grandparents' generation. Against a Brazilian military which hasn't improved by anything like the same degree.

"It's not a crime because the thing at issue is who has the authority to make things a crime within a given territory. Civil wars are only a crime if you lose."

Raquel nods. "Most a' the guys who lost the American Civil War got let off. An' I get where you're comin' from. Don't think Mister 'Fair Play' Terrific woulda tried enforcin' segregation back in the sixties. Or Indian Reservations."
Oof. Though that does make me wonder how close the modern Mister Terrific is to starting his hero career, if he even does. I suspect Raquel would have words for him too.

I nod. "As I told Kaldur when he wasn't me what I'd do if Atlantis had a civil war… Unless one side commits an atrocity, it isn't our job to back one side or another."

Beatriz doesn't look entirely sanguine about that statement.

"So you don't care about Brazil having a civil war."
Now, now, that's not what he meant... Okay, it probably was, but...

"It's not that I don't care, it's just… There are, what, eight..?"

I look at Beryl.

"Does Rhelasia count?"

"Not if there hasn't been any shelling this week."
I'm sure things are still quiet over there.

"Twelve."

"Twelve ongoing insurgencies or flat out civil wars in the world right now. And I'd rather there wasn't, but stopping them isn't my job. And unless the Security Council rewrites the Justice League's charter, it's not their job either. Because..?" I raise my eyebrows.

Beryl shrugs. "No one really wants powerful superheroes deciding that they can tell governments they're not allowed to have wars anymore." Raquel opens her mouth. "Except all of the people living wherever the war is happening. And probably most of the people doing the fighting."
Well, yes. And superheroes will do their best to keep them safe. They just can't do it politically...

"So we just go talk to them, and if they want to start a war we just tell them that's fine?"

"No, we try and persuade them not to, and we try to persuade the Brazilian government to offer a compromise, but we aren't obliged to help either side until the other one starts committing war crimes. And Dawn Warrior seemed pretty certain they weren't planning on going beyond property damage, at least to start with."
Generally, whichever side is commiting war crimes usually ends up being the wrong one. No-one's hands are clean, though... I suspect the cartels would push for 'pacifying the natives' but it would be a bit hard when said natives can flip tanks and peel armour plates with their bare hands.

Beatriz gives her head a small shake. "And then what happens?"

"A few hundred Danner enhanciles can smash anything Brazil can throw at them that isn't a jet aircraft, but they can't hold territory and probably can't run a government. I doubt that they're going to try conquering the rest of the country. They're getting support from other tribes so they won't be exiling them, and there aren't all that many other people in the jungle. If the Brazilian army attacks them, risk to civilians is minimal. The risk to civilians would come if they attacked a Brazilian city, and then… What are they attacking? Government buildings? Military bases? They're relying on superstrength, not guns. They're not where the collateral damage will be coming from. Though, in the spirit of the Spanish Civil War, if anyone here wants to back either side..?"
Admittedly, they can make quite the mess of anything, whatever they target...

Raquel shakes her head. Beryl shrugs.

"How, exactly?"

I raise my eyebrows at Beatriz.
Do you particularly like your government, Bea?

"You're a Brazilian citizen, so you have a personal stake in this that we don't. So if you've got a plan on how to stop-."

"I can't stop a hundred Children of Dawn!" She exhales sharply, then shakes her head. "Let's just go and see what they want."
Diplomacy it is! Jolly good.

"Good show. Orange Lantern to…" I should really send a message to Garth, but if he's in the middle of a ritual… "Overgirl."

"Overgirl here."

"We're going to see Dawn Warrior's tribe. We're not expecting anyone to attack your location. Will keep you updated."
"If someone does attack, please try not to damage anything or anyone too badly."

"Understood."

I dismiss the barrier and head towards-

"…or nine? I don't get back often, and we're pretty spread out…"
Ah, Arnold getting a primer on the tribes his father indirectly empowered...

Dawn Warrior shrugs, then turns to us.

"You ready to go?"

"Yes, all ready." I create a map construct. "Where are we heading?"

He points… That's a long way from anywhere.
Well, if it wasn't, they'd probably have gotten into trouble sooner.

"I can't guarantee that no one will be able to track me when I take us there."

"And do what?"

"Airstrike?"
Would the military even be watching this?

"Can you keep watch?"

"While we're there, yes. But it's extremely unlikely that we'll provide direct assistance."

He shrugs. "When we move, we all move. Don't worry."

"Alright then." I tag everyone with a filament. "Transition in two, one."

Welp, Time to try and talk the super-folks down. Hopefully, OL's luck doesn't turn.

Corrections:
...and make is as opaque as I can
...and make it as opaque as I can
I nod. "I does simplify things quite a lot."
I nod. "It does simplify things quite a lot."
 
I'm assuming you meant 'asked' there.
Corrections:
...and make it as opaque as I can
I nod. "It does simplify things quite a lot."
Thank you, corrected.
Say what now OL? Like if you want to bail because its become a political conflict of interest just say 'well its a civil war and the Charter says we're not supposed to get involved in those' the 'well its not really a crime thing'... doesn't work
The charter only applies to the Justice League. And going to war isn't a crime.
Superman isn't supposed to pick a side, but he's not above floating over a border and glowering at people.
 
Thank you, corrected.

The charter only applies to the Justice League. And going to war isn't a crime.

Superman isn't supposed to pick a side, but he's not above floating over a border and glowering at people.
... then he must be spending an awful lot of time in the sub continent, and Africa, and for that matter wider asia, because well after decolonization all those ethnic groups that hated each other before Europeans showed up went back to fighting each other with AKs.

I feel that this should have probably more directly referred to twelve ongoing civil wars. Like I could probably find you twelve separate insurgencies between the countries that are just in Southern Asia, or Central Africa, and depending on how you define insurgency in central and latin america (never mind South America), which actually is probably a good out with regards to the situation of the charter as to why the league isn't supposed to get involved, because bad feelings about US interventionism, because DC Earth including Earth 16 certainly appears to heave close to Real World relations, for example Bialya and their neighbors disputes
 
Say what now OL? Like if you want to bail because its become a political conflict of interest just say 'well its a civil war and the Charter says we're not supposed to get involved in those' the 'well its not really a crime thing'... doesn't work
The point is that, if there were no supers involved, the sheer scale of this conflict would still be beyond the purview of municipal law enforcement/the criminal justice system, so, yeah, the concept of "crime" no longer applies, until someone breaks international laws which actually apply at the same scale.
As a dedicated crime fighting unit, the Team is already discharged of their duties, and could kick it up the chain whenever they felt like it. OL isn't 'bailing' so much as 'indulging' the others by doing even this amount of diplomacy.
 
If this happened in the Renegade timeline, how would it go down? On one hand, Grayven would love it if humanity made itself physically superior. On the other, he might prefer it if he has more intel in that area and might set up some deniable assets to assist the natives and have more of a say in what happens.
 
'indulging' the others by doing even this amount of diplomacy
Indulging others, sure but he's also indulging himself. Paul wants to do this too. He likes helping peoples reach compromises. After all, a rising tide lifts all boats and the tide is going to have to lift a long way before they're out of the Reach's reach. :oops:
 
Fire could probably do alright even against 100 Danner Enhanciles. Even if her fire has trouble flat out burning them, she could probably just use her flames to suck up all the oxygen and asphyxiate them.

And I have to admit, the justifications for not interfering in this update is kind of amusing to me. None of these kinds of political concerns stopped the team from stepping in when Queen Bee was using her ability to try to bloodlessly annex one of her neighbors.
 
Are we allowed to beat other posters to the ground with rolled up newspapers?
As of now, yes.
And I have to admit, the justifications for not interfering in this update is kind of amusing to me. None of these kinds of political concerns stopped the team from stepping in when Queen Bee was using her ability to try to bloodlessly annex one of her neighbors.
That was one nation attacking another.
 
Fire could probably do alright even against 100 Danner Enhanciles. Even if her fire has trouble flat out burning them, she could probably just use her flames to suck up all the oxygen and asphyxiate them.

And I have to admit, the justifications for not interfering in this update is kind of amusing to me. None of these kinds of political concerns stopped the team from stepping in when Queen Bee was using her ability to try to bloodlessly annex one of her neighbors.
Eh it's not quite the same thing, Queen Bee was a known super villain who was suddenly buddy buddy with a leader who up until recently openly hated her and upon investigation was mind controlling him and, iirc, holding his daughter hostage to ease her conquest of a foreign nation

Whereas here it's citizens of the country in question, albeit superpowered ones, protesting against their government, making it a civil political issue and thereby outside of the League's purview
 
If this happened in the Renegade timeline, how would it go down? On one hand, Grayven would love it if humanity made itself physically superior. On the other, he might prefer it if he has more intel in that area and might set up some deniable assets to assist the natives and have more of a say in what happens.

Technically it's not an issue of 'if,' it should also be happening in the Renegade timeline as well (along, of course, with all the other Earth-16 SI timelines). I'd definitely be interested in how that goes, as well. IIRC, Black Manta is doing some work that's loosely related to assisting marginalized groups. Though the Brazilian government would probably try to stay far away from Renegade's radar, given his history in toppling governments (even if no one knows about his role in Darfur).
 
... then he must be spending an awful lot of time in the sub continent, and Africa, and for that matter wider asia, because well after decolonization all those ethnic groups that hated each other before Europeans showed up went back to fighting each other with AKs.

I feel that this should have probably more directly referred to twelve ongoing civil wars. Like I could probably find you twelve separate insurgencies between the countries that are just in Southern Asia, or Central Africa, and depending on how you define insurgency in central and latin america (never mind South America), which actually is probably a good out with regards to the situation of the charter as to why the league isn't supposed to get involved, because bad feelings about US interventionism, because DC Earth including Earth 16 certainly appears to heave close to Real World relations, for example Bialya and their neighbors disputes
To quote the manual to the old 1986 game "Balance of Power" (a wonderful Cold War-era geopolitics simulation by the then soon-to-be-legendary Chris Crawford), "every nation in the world is blessed with its very own insurgency." In game terms, yes, this meant the primary opposition to the government, which, in some of them (mostly stable Western democracies) ended up being the Opposition/Minority party; for example, in game, the US's "insurgency" was listed as the Democratic Party, since the game came out when the GOP held power in the US. That said, in less stable areas, the in-game insurgency would be a group more commonly associated with the term, such as FARC, the Contras, the Mujehaddin, and (in West Germany) the Red Army Faction.

Even so, in the real world, just about every nation has its own semi-underground group of people who are opposed to the government and want to see it overthrown; many of them actually have multiple such groups, each with its own take on how things should be. I suspect that Zoat's meaning here was twelve cases of a civil war or what US law refers to as an "armed insurrection" against the government on the level of, say, The Troubles in Northern Ireland, where open acts of violence are commonplace, widespread, and openly endorsed as a means of action by the bulk of the anti-government forces, and said anti-government forces are powerful enough to pose an actual active threat to the stability of the government. By contrast (and I'm deliberately picking older examples here to avoid violating forum rules--but I'm pretty sure anyone can identify more recent examples that would qualify), the political violence in the US in the 60s and 70s being perpetrated by groups like the Weather Underground and the Symbionese Liberation Army would not be considered an active insurgency for these purposes, but rather criminal acts being committed for political purposes.

The lines between a terror campaign committed by an active insurgency and a series of terrorist attacks by a small group of thugs motivated by political goals are blurry, but they're an important distinction in this case.
 
Fire could probably do alright even against 100 Danner Enhanciles. Even if her fire has trouble flat out burning them, she could probably just use her flames to suck up all the oxygen and asphyxiate them.

You're thinking of either the fire magic Green Flame version or the post gene bomb turns into green flame that flies around version.

Zoat went with the "can breathe fire up to eight inches away from her face" version.

There's a reason Paul thought Tora was the more useful potential recruit of the two.
 
You're thinking of either the fire magic Green Flame version or the post gene bomb turns into green flame that flies around version.

Zoat went with the "can breathe fire up to eight inches away from her face" version.

There's a reason Paul thought Tora was the more useful potential recruit of the two.


She can fly and throw fire a longer distances now, she leveled up after Linda/Noriel aka Loriel got recruited and taught Paul the modified magics Loriel is using and learned after thousands of years of being one of the angels of creation with her specialty being fire.
 
She can fly and throw fire a longer distances now, she leveled up after Linda/Noriel aka Loriel got recruited and taught Paul the modified magics Loriel is using and learned after thousands of years of being one of the angels of creation with her specialty being fire.

When did that happen? 'Cause I don't remember reading that or where if it was implied somewhere, maybe? In fact, I can't remember the angel bitch sharing any specific knowledge of fire magic or something... and now that I think about it, I'm still salty that they let her take the 'Supergirl' title, even if Kara didn't want to be a superheroine. It just feels stolen.
 
When did that happen? 'Cause I don't remember reading that or where if it was implied somewhere, maybe? In fact, I can't remember the angel bitch sharing any specific knowledge of fire magic or something... and now that I think about it, I'm still salty that they let her take the 'Supergirl' title, even if Kara didn't want to be a superheroine. It just feels stolen.


It came up shortly after the loriel episode, Paul visited fire and told her about Loriel and how she was cooperating with Atlantean magic researchers and how Paul figured the magiks loriel was using could apply to her aka Fire (Loriel is using magic to drastically enhance her new nature as a human soul "touched" by the angel of creation aligned to fire).

You would have to wait for Zoat or one of the regulars to give you the exact update as I am just a random internet dude with an above average memory that is too lazy and uninterested in life to put much effort into anything.
 
Jungle Gym (supplementary, Renegade option)
18th March
12:12 GMT -6


I sit in my chair in the dining room, staring pensively at the far wall. Sunset crosses my field of vision, her eyes splitting their time between her tablet and the sandwich cupboard. She makes it halfway there before noticing me, and three quarters before she processes my expression.

"Grayven?"

"Talk to me… About Harmony."

She blinks, looks me over, and then puts her tablet down on the sideboard and folds her arms across her chest.

"Did.. something go wrong?"

"It's going wrong. Not an emergency yet-."

"The Anti-Life fragment. You want to-." She shakes her head. "Grayven, that was a worst case scenario plan. Even if there is some way to channel Equestria's entire magic field into you, and even if you could survive that, I don't know if it would do anything to the fragment. We don't have things like that in Equestria."

I nod, not really focusing on her.

"Tell me about Harmony."

"It's…" She makes a vague circling motion with her right hand. "It's usually when I started tuning Celestia out."

"Oh. Um, in that case, how's the portal coming?"

"The terminus rerouting's all set and I've got it set up to open a year after I arrived. Keeping it open this time should be pretty easy." She looks away for a moment. "I.. do remember some of what she said. I…" She shrugs. "What do you..? Need to know?"

"What is it? Is it just a theology, or is there some underlying truth to it?"

Her eyes widen.

"Are you dying?"

I frown. "No, almost certainly not. Why?"

"'What is Harmony?' 'Is it real?' Those are dying pony questions, Grayven!"

"Heh." I manage a small smile and bow my head slightly. "No, not dying. It's possible that I'll go insane and become Darkseid's willing thrall, but it's unlikely that I'll die. So."

Sunset looks a combination of relieved and irritated, but masters herself, pulls out a chair and sits down on it.

"Harmony is something… How ponies live when they're completely virtuous. How Equestrian society would work… The 'utopian' version, rather than the real version we actually live in. But it's also… When ponies work together-. When ponies who know each other work together on something with their magic, they can do… More. Even if their special talents don't directly relate to the thing they're doing, and even if they aren't directly working on the same thing."

"Interesting."

And not at all how it works on Apokolips. Apokoliptian New Gods serving the same master could buff one another, but only if their natures and that of their master were similar. A couple of basket-weaving New Gods working for DeSaad couldn't get any sort of boost from one another. If anything, they'd probably make worse baskets and then be made to fight to the death with them.

"And… If they'd known each other a long time, the effect was even more pronounced."

"If they were friends."

"I couldn't quantify friendship." She blinks, her gaze growing a little distant. "I mean, I suppose I could quantify it in terms of exactly how much their output was boosted… But it.. could just mean that they've learned to instinctively harmonise their magic when they work near each other. I'd have had to find ponies who'd worked together for years and still didn't like each other in order to check, and I'd still have needed them to self-report."

"Is that why you didn't?"

She looks at me like I've said something a little dumb, then brightens up. "Hey guys, I'm Sunset Shimmer. I'm trying to study the effects of combining magics. Which of your co-workers don't you like?"

"Are ponies too friendly for you to get any subjects?"

"Either that, or they just didn't want to admit it. And that was about the time Celestia told me to move on to something else." She snorts. "Just when I was getting somewhere. Like always."

"I'd have thought that she would have wanted you to study Harmony."

"She got the impression that I was going to study it by learning to be more 'harmonious' myself. Ah…" She looks at me awkwardly, then looks away again.

"What?"

"Thanks. For… Y'know, everything. Taking me in. Setting up my lab. Stuff like that."

I slide my chair back, stand and walk around the table to her. Then I bend down and spread my arms out.

"Hug?"

She furtively looks around, then leans towards me and puts her arms around my chest.

Aw.

Then she pulls back and waves her right index finger at me.

"This didn't happen."

I nod. "Of course."

I rise to my feet and walk back around the table to my seat. "So. Harmony?"

"Like I said, Celestia told me to stop studying it. I guess… Over a sufficiently large area, if everyone synchronised their magic… But I don't know whether it's additive or multiplicative. And there are plenty of tail hole ponies so there's no way that everyone's contributing."

I regard her levelly for a-.

"Yes, I know I was one of them. I've got some ponies I… Need to… Need to be polite to. When I get back. It's just… Not having to deal with Celestia's horse apples all the time, I'm a lot less… Tense."

"You don't have to go-."

"No! No, I… I know you said I should just.. cut her out, but she was a huge part of my life and I… Want to-. I want her to see what I've done and just-! Admit she was wrong. That she didn't.. know? Ugh."

"I hope that it provides you with the catharsis you're looking for."

"Thanks." She thinks for a moment. "Harmony… There might be a way to focus it and purge the Anti-Life fragment, but… I don't think anypony in Equestria is going to be able to do it for you."

"No?"

"I tried studying it, remember? There wasn't anything written down that was any use, and Equestrian thaumaturgy is far less advanced than what Atlantis has."

"You don't think Celestia might have some sort of friendship-powered superweapon hidden away somewhere?"

"I hope not."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because I'd have wanted to study it. If a weapon like that existed and I'd seen it, that would mean that she'd been on to something with her whole 'friendship'.. thing."

"Yes, which-."

"And she'd have known that and still chose not to show me anyway. If I knew there was something like that laying around I'd have made friends just so I could study it. If that actually happened then after I ascend then I'm going to buck her in the face twice."
 
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I sit in my chair in the dining room, staring pensively at the far wall. Sunset crosses my field of vision, her eyes splitting their time between her tablet and the sandwich cupboard. She makes it halfway there before noticing me, and three quarters before she processes my expression.

"Grayven?"

"Talk to me… About Harmony."
Yeah, that isn't an trigger for "Oh my god, are you dying?" or anything...:D

She blinks, looks me over, and then puts her tablet down on the sideboard and folds her arms across her chest.

"Did.. something go wrong?"

"It's going wrong. Not an emergency yet-."
Definitely giving off a 'condition terminal' vibe there, Grayven... You need to learn not to worry people.

"The Anti-Life fragment. You want to-." She shakes her head. "Grayven, that was a worst case scenario plan. Even if there is some way to channel Equestria's entire magic field into you, and even if you could survive that, I don't know if it would do anything to the fragment. We don't have things like that in Equestria."

I nod, not really focusing on her.

"Tell me about Harmony."
Well, she's a smart one. Maybe she can work out some way to do it...

"It's…" She makes a vague circling motion with her fight hand. "It's usually when I started tuning Celestia out."

"Oh. Um, in that case, how's the portal coming?"
Heh, not the best student.

"The terminus rerouting's all set and I've got it set up to open a year after I arrived. Keeping it open this time should be pretty easy." She looks away for a moment. "I.. do remember some of what she said. I…" She shrugs. What do you..? Need to know?"

"What is it? Is it just a theology, or is there some underlying truth to it?"
Heheheheh... Oh, you guys are just going to love the trip back. I wonder if Twilight Sparkle's been sent to Ponyville yet?

Her eyes widen.

"Are you dying?"

I frown. "No, almost certainly not. Why?"
Come on, Grayven, you're flashing all the 'imminent death' flags here. I thought you were genre-savvy...

"'What is Harmony?' 'Is it real?' Those are dying pony questions, Grayven!"

"Heh." I manage a small smile and bow my head slightly. "No, not dying. It's possible that I'll go insane and become Darkseid's willing thrall, but it's unlikely that I'll die. So."
That is almost certainly the definition of 'a fate worse than death'...

Sunset looks a combination of relieved and irritated, but masters herself, pulls out a chair and sits down on it.

"Harmony is something… How ponies live when they're completely virtuous. How Equestrian society would work… The 'utopian' version, rather than the real version we actually live in. But it's also… When ponies work together-. When ponies who know each other work together on something with their magic, they can do… More. Even if their special talents don't directly relate to the thing they're doing, and even if they aren't directly working on the same thing."
The power of Friendship!

"Interesting."

And not at all how it works on Apokolips. Apokoliptian New Gods serving the same master could buff one another, but only if their natures and that of their master were similar. A couple of basket-weaving New Gods working for DeSaad couldn't get any sort of boost from one another. If anything, they'd probably make worse baskets and then be made to fight to the death with them.
I suspect the latter part is mostly on Desaad, though... The bastard probably expects a healthy amount of one-upmanship amongst his minions.

"And… If they'd known each other a long time, the effect was even more pronounced."

"If they were friends."

"I couldn't quantify friendship." She blinks, her gaze growing a little distant. "I mean, I suppose I could quantify it in terms of exactly how much their output was boosted… But it.. could just means that they've learned to instinctively harmonise their magic when they work near each other. I'd have had to find ponies who'd worked together for years and still didn't like each other in order to check, and I'd still have needed them to self-report."
And that would bias results because, guess what, people lie.

"Is that why you didn't?"

She looks at me like I've said something a little dumb, then brightens up. "Hey guys, I'm Sunset Shimmer. I'm trying to study the effects of combining magics. Which of your co-workers don't you like?"
I doubt she would have gotten many responses, other than "What the hay?"

"Are ponies too friendly for you to get any subjects?"

"Either that, or they just didn't want to admit it. And that was about the time Celestia told me to move onto something else." She snorts. "Just when I was getting somewhere. Like always."
And of course, she couldn't have had some secret plan for you, oh no. Clearly she was just being a royal plot-head.

"I'd have thought that she would have wanted you to study Harmony."

"She got the impression that I was going to study it by learning to be more 'harmonious' myself. Ah…" She looks at me awkwardly, then looks away again.

"What?"
I think she just realised something about her life here...

"Thanks. For… Y'know, everything. Taking me in. Setting up my lab. Stuff like that."

I slide my chair back, stand and walk around the table to her. Then I bend down and spread my arms out.

"Hug?"
Ha! Grayven's a good dad. Or father figure/mentor, in this case.

She furtively looks around, then leans towards me and puts her arms around my chest.

Aw.
The power of love...

Then she pulls back and waves her right index finger at me.

"This didn't happen."

I nod. "Of course."
She has a reputation as a hard-ass to maintain. One even Donkeys would say "Girl, ease up." to.

I rise to me feet and walk back around the table to my seat. "So. Harmony?"

"Like I said, Celestia told me to stop studying it. I guess… Over a sufficiently large area, if everyone synchronised their magic… But I don't know whether it's additive or multiplicative. And there are plenty of tail hole ponies so there's no way that everyone's contributing."
Or a handful of randomly chosen Ponies who discover their synergy through Adventure!

I regard her levelly for a-.

"Yes, I know I was one of them. I've got some ponies I… Need to… Need to be polite to. When I get back. It's just… Not having to deal with Celestia's horse apples all the time, I'm a lot less… Tense."
Good to see she realises how bad she was back then.

"You don't have to go-."

"No! No, I… I know you said I should just.. cut her out, but she was a huge part of my life and I… Want to-. I want her to see what I've done and just-! Admit she was wrong. That she didn't.. know? Ugh."

"I hope that it provides you with the catharsis you're looking for."
I just know it'll leave her feeling burnt-out and empty instead. She's changed in the last year.

"Thanks." She thinks for a moment. "Harmony… There might be a way to focus it and purge the Anti-Life fragment, but… I don't think anypony in Equestria is going to be able to do it for you."

"No?"
I seriously hope the Mane Six have assembled, just to see her reaction when she hears about it...

"I tried studying it, remember? There wasn't anything written down that was any use, and Equestrian thaumaturgy is far less advanced than what Atlantis has."

"You don't think Celestia might have some sort of friendship-powered superweapon hidden away somewhere?"
Dammit, trying to hold back laughter...x3

"I hope not."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because I'd have wanted to study it. If a weapon like that existed and I'd seen it, that would mean that she'd been on to something with her whole 'friendship'.. thing."
And you're wondering how you'd feel when you realised you were wrong. It's not a feeling you think you'd like...

"Yes, which-."

"And she's have known that and still chose not to show me anyway. If I knew there was something like that laying around I'd have made friends just so I could study it. If that actually happened then after I ascend then I'm going to buck her in the face twice."
Ah, there's the Sunset Shimmer we know and love.

Anticipation for the next episode building fast... We just have to get through the Second Children of Dawn Uprising first.
 
While Sunset may be extremely biased against her mentor, Celestia, to the point where she does some extremely stupid things, you have to admit that those secret tests of character can sometimes be extremely stupid, especially as some people will never pass them even if they have the qualifications, but may lack the necessary knowledge that they are being tested so won't perform in their best.
 

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