>There’s still over one hour before the colours of dawn start to colour the horizon
>However, when Spume knocks at your door, the veil of slumber immediately disappears from you
>You’re still in the brother’s embrace when you wake up, but you immediately leave it without any second thought
>Almost mechanically, you walk out as the others start to do the same
>It’s strangely calm, everyone’s almost silent, only exchanging a few words while some oatmeal is given
>The atmosphere is grim, yet nobody’s shaking, and even though the smiles aren’t here…
>Everyone can feel something that ties us all together and which will give them the strength to push forward until the very end
>It’s determination
>The will to make the word change for the better, for oneself, peers, and the other ones to come
>Today, you shape the future
>This is the last chance you’ve got to prepare for the big showdown, before travelling to the Rostrum, and ending the Wind Lord’s tyranny
>What do you bring in your bag? Is there someone you’d like to talk to?

>What do?

>>25612618
Cloth to wrap up any wounds we'll get seems like a good idea.

>>25612618
It's hard to have an idea of what to take with us so let's go ask Spume for advice.

>>25613052
>>25613092
“Spume” you call as you approach the Pegasus who’s checking the equipment in the boats
“Do I need to take anything along in particular?”
>”Hmm…” She ponders “We have all the material prepared on board already, for climbing, treating wounds and the baits for the Coatls”
>”I think you should take a weapon, just in case… we have harpoons and knives”
“Hum, alright”
>”You should also think about what we found in our expeditions”
>”Do you plan on bringing the transcriptions of the spells with us? Or the fang of Abyss? Or anything else”

>What do?

>>25613189
I guess we could pack the fang of Abyss. Who knows, might come in useful at some point.

>>25613232
“Alright I guess I’ll take the fang, then, might be useful! I’ll also take a knife”
>You place the fang in your bag, and soon it’s already time for departure
>All twenty six of you embark in relative silence, there’s no hint of no fear not only concentration on everyone’s face
>As any error made now could be the last for everyone
>Three’s three boats in total which set sail in the end of the night toward the Rostrum
>While uneventful and rather short, it feels like days before the Rostrum appear in the first glow of dawn at the horizon
>You can barely make out more than the form of the building which reminds you of ancient Pegasi monuments
>The aesthetically but uselessly high column make it looks like a place of cult, surely fitting for the one with oversized ambitions of domination and power
>And today this temple loses its deity
>But before you may land here, the guardians must be taken out
>The plan is executed flawlessly, the baited fishes are all quickly thrown in the ocean, floating, their scales reflecting the first lights of the day
>And just in time, as you hear the signature grunt of Coatls coming from the Rostrum
>As the last fish is at sea, all ponies hide, while black aquiline shapes are cutting the still dark sky, getting closer and closer
>You all wait under tarps for the beasts to have their meal, and you somewhat relieved to hear they’re all quire eager to enjoy your treat
>Noises of dispute between the guard-dogs can be heard, but the sound of a savage feast can be heard too
>Barely daring to put your muzzle out, you have trouble counting those who’ve tasted your gift…
>Three… Five… Wait, didn’t that one come already?
>The travel has gotten a little on your nerves, but staying under this sheet, not moving a hair and simply hoping for the plan to work is very unsettling

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>>25613895
>You’re sweating all over and shaking slightly from the fear of the beasts sensing your heart which is pounding more and more intensely in your chest
>The ballet of the Coatls continue nonetheless, without caring about any pony
>And you think you’re seeing less and less of them
>When all of a sudden, you can see one of the winged serpent dive, right toward your boat
>You almost jump out of your cover, but you ultimately realise it wasn’t aiming at you
>In fact, it didn’t aim at all, you hear a loud splash and a feel few waves cradling the boat, coming from where the Coatl fell in the water
>It simply dived into the ocean, never to surface again
>You hear some more noises of flapping and diving around you, but they diminish, or go away, to eventually stop
>Around two minutes after silence fell, ponies from all the boats are courageous enough coming out of their hiding place
>The sun is starting to turn the black of the sea to its diurnal blue, same for sky
>A sky free of any flying creature
>The baits have almost all been consumed, and their seem to have been just as effective as intended
>”It worked” Spume whispers “They… they all drowned” Her voice shook a little at that last part
>But she regains her composure as she send a sign to the other boats, giving them the order to proceed to the Rostrum
>The place is once again silent, even when the Pegasi of the group tie the ropes on the platform of the island
>All the resistance now walks on the Rostrum, shoving signs of a mix of amazement and apprehension about being on the one place they were told they had not the right to be
>The room which leads to the inwards of the place is right in front of you but there’s something else
>One of the Coatls, collapsed on the end of the right wind, breathing slightly in a deep slumber
>The ponies are weary of the creature, despite his currently harmless state
>He’s lying on the edge, a single push would probably bring him to the ocean. Forever.

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>>25613912

What do?

(Map for downstairs)

>>25613912
Fuck the Coatl. Kill him by any means. Just cutting him open might be a good idea because pushing him off might make a loud splash. No risks. After that I guess we should go look for the last WL. Wherever Pearl is going have her proceed her group in disguise.

>>25614148
“We’ve got to finish it” You calmly say
>Most of the crowd seem to be agreeing, as soon three of you motion to the inanimate scaled form
>Just pushing it down the cliff won’t cut it, you have to be sure he won’t bother you later
>You silently approach the creature, and all at one, plunge three harpoons in his throat
>His body convulses and his eyes shoots open, but only a painful gurgle comes out of his maw
>Along with a small wave of dark blood… It doesn’t take long before the creature falls immobile again, this time once for good
>Despite the gruesomeness of the scene, you’re feeling strangely happy with yourself, one less threat to worry about is really good news
“Good job, guys” You reassure your companions “Now we can focus on what’s really important”
>And that is finding the Wind Lord
>You group get inside the building, and soon you’ll start to explore the complex
>According to the plan, first comes the room upstairs, the chamber
>A group of a dozen ponies including you and all your friends silently climb up the stairs to the room of the Wind Lord
>Soon you’re in front of a single door
>And after taking the appearance of Asterion, Pearl gets in first
>But after thirty seconds of waiting, she comes back, shaking her head to your group
>You all enter the room, and it seems to be empty
>There’s ancient and highly decorated furniture, in various degree of conservation but always clean
>A panoramic window get you a beautiful scenery of the sea around and the sun which has begun its ascent to the sky
>Since the place in altitude you can make out little bumps which are the other main islands of the Archipelago
>Among the things you immediately notice, the bed is made, no one has slept here tonight
>The ponies that came along start to look around the room

>What do?

>>25614850
I don't like it. Not one bit. You see the whole of the Archipelago from here. It's dangerously possible that he saw us coming. He might be holed up somewhere more defensible, who knows.

>>25614981
>You don’t like it one bit… It’s highly possible he saw you coming
>He might have barricaded himself already, somewhere where it’s going to be hard for you to chase him down
>After ten minutes of exploring, nothing of value is found in the chamber
>You join with the group which was waiting downstairs until now
>They saw nothing while you were away
>Now comes the main pert of exploring the place, going downstairs
>The plan was to split in to three groups of eight or nine to cover the three main paths and reducing the chances the Wind Lords has to escape
>One to the Coatls’ lair, and two through the main corridors downstairs
>How do you proceed? What are the groups?

>What do?

>>25615218
Let's sweep the southeastern chambers.

>>25615358
>Your group, consisting of you, Pearl, Alga, Wickwisp, the two brothers and their parents are taking the east corridor
>Spume leads a group of nine ponies into the caves
>While Blossom leads the remaining nine to the west corridor
>Your group enter the long hallway in dead silence
>The walls are adorned with shining crystals, efficiently lighting up the place with yellow glow
>You all try to be discrete as you progress forward
>The walls are adorned with various decorations, little statuettes of granite and engravings showing the Wind Lords shielding the Archipelago under his wings
>What a bunch of hoax! No wonder the sons became such despicable beings…
>You’ll start with the furthest room, the chamber
>Once again as you arrive in front of the door, Pearl uses her magic to transform to go first
>She’s a little shaky when she penetrates the room
>But once again, she quickly comes out, signing you it’s clear to come in
>It smells stuffy, you think there hadn’t been anyone in here for a while
>You search the room while Pearl, is watching outside
>There’s six beds in here
>Three seem not to have been uses in a long, long time, covered in rich tarps and without any stuffing beneath
>You search the furniture but find nothing besides a few showy robes
>The only noticeable thing you see is a strange wooden bust on the chest of drawers
>The face, while obviously pony-like has to features at all, in fact, it looks like a mannequin

>What do?

See you tomorrow

>>25615697
Maybe it'll be more busy tomorrow Pleeny. I wonder where everyone went.

>>25616146
I would've played, but I had to help with Christmas decorations. Also his quest never drew much attention to begin with.

Well then, sleep tight.

>>25615697
See you soon.

should we look in those drawers?

>>25615623
Inspect bust. Maybe poke it.

>>25623191
Yeah, might be/conceal a switch to some sort of hidden area.

We will win.

>>25623191
>>25624455
>>25622440
>This thing intrigues you, maybe it hides a secret mechanism of some sort
>You pick it up, try to open it and inspect every single inch of it
>But even your magical poking doesn’t reveal anything
>No matter what you try, it remains only a plain wooden bust
>It could even be used in shops to display jewellery of hats
>Geez… You sigh in frustration as you place the item back on the drawer
>This place is so bare, even in the drawers there’s nothing but winter coats
>No wonder they all became mentally ill if they lived alone in such a place, there’s nothing to do, nobody to speak with…
>That’s why you have to end them, they’re beyond saving… Taking their life would almost be mercy
>You don’t think there’s anything left to find in this room

>What do?

>>25626672
Where are we at?

>>25626707
You are currently in the chambers of this >>25613922 floor
It's the first room you've explored at this floor

>>25626733
Then lets check the dining room next since they seem to be connected.

>>25626672
Let's head back out though the dining room.

>>25626791
>>25626765
>Still, there’s another door in this room
>Spume said it would lead to the dining room, and the door you’ve seen outside seem to lead here to
>Once Pearl has scouted the place you all enter from the chambers
>The dining room is bare of any furniture except the table, but still smell of opulence
>The walls are covered with various beautiful tapestries representing various natural themes of coastal life
>On the huge table occupying the middle of the room, thirty ponies could feast and still be at ease
>However, There’s only one silver plate on it
>On it there’s a bundle of hay awaiting for a guest, as well as a glass and a bottle of what you think is wine
>The silence and general lack of action is starting to upset you while you all search the room, cold sweats staring to crawl down your spine
>You feel your blood starting to boil, you’re not going to be nice to the guy when you finally put your hoof on him
>No traps, no guards… Just emptiness between you and him, you feel insulted…
>Where should you search next?

>What do?

>>25627125
Try to stay calm and focused. It almost seems like they're expecting us, so we need to be careful and methodical.

>>25627125
The Coatls are the guards so there wouldn't be anybody besides the bastard in this place. Lets head to the library next.

>>25627125
So many red flags right now. Kitchen next?

>>25627125
I don't see a staircase on the opposite side of the map so where did the other group go?

>>25613922
Both group came from the room in the middle in >>25627260
I forgot to draw the two doors from the circular rooms to the two corridors

>>25627295
So we both went down the central staircase?

>>25627348
Yes
And there's a third group >>25613912 which went in the cave from the platform, they should then arrive where the whelps are>>25613922

>>25627396
Then the group that went for the welps should come towards us from the library and the other group from the kitchen.

>>25627454
>>25627224
>>25627194
>>25627145
>You breath in an out, trying to tame the eagerness in your head, you absolutely must remain as cold as ice
>They were expecting you… you just have to keep doing it methodically, no matter how long it takes
>Even if you have to go through every single room of this glorified prison
>You move on, and the head for the kitchen
>Unlike the previous rooms, this one is a lot starker and visibly aimed at being fully functional
>There’s all you need to cook almost anything, there’s even several jars contains spice unknown to you
>All cooking utensils are lined up in order, but there’s no sign of richness here aside from the silverware
>However, there’s something else that catches your eye here
>You can see a flickering light coming from under the door leading to the crypt
>Something like a candle, or a lantern, but it’s very different from the light from all the other rooms
>Finally… a lead to your prey? It’s about time!
>But soon you can also hear many faint hoofsteps coming from the other side of the door leading to the store
>You very calmly open the door, allowing your two groups to recognise each other without any uproar
“Found anything yet?” You ask Blossom, almost surprised with by the tension in your own voice
>”No… We searched the water room and the dungeons, but they were empty”
>”This place feels like a ghost castle, I mean... you can see ponies live here, but the place is just too big”

>What do?

>>25627624
Why would the dungeons be empty? What happened to the captain?

>>25627624
It doesn't make any sense. Unless the other group has met him then he's not here. I think he'd be to prideful to hide. Let's head for the whelp cave.

>>25627681
>>25627764
“So… You didn’t find Cordage?” You whisper
>”Unfortunately, no, the dungeons were empty… I don’t know what they did to him, we can only hope the others have found him”
“Hmmm… Him or the Wind Lord… We didn’t hear anything, and they should join us anytime now, right?”
“There’s only the crypt left here, but I doubt he’d hide like that, he’s too proud for that…”
>”Hum… that makes sense”
>”Let’s just hope the others are all right then… are you going to go search for them?”
“Hum, I think so”
>”Alright, my group will remain here in the meantime, take care”
>You group leave the kitchen to head for the library instead
>But the doors open before you reach it, and it’s Spume who cautiously walks thought it
>”Gem” Spume shows a little smile as she notices you group safe and sound “I’m glad to see you’re alright”
“Me too… did you catch him?”
>She shakes her head
>”We’ve gone through all the places over here but I found nothing more than memories, what about you?”
“We searched almost everything too, and we joined with Blossom’s group recently”
“Only the crypt remain unchecked”
>”Then there’s nothing left to wait for…”
“Wait! Did you… Did you find Cordage?”
>Spume blinks at your question
>”Yeah, I think we did”
>”We found a pony matching his description in the laboratory”
>”He was in a coma and obviously very sick, even his heartbeat was weak, but he’s alive”
>”I sent three ponies to take him on the boats already”
“Thank Celestia” You sigh
>It doesn’t seem like Cordage is out of danger yet, but at least he’s in your hooves now
>But you’ve got to forget about him for now, there’s only one room left, and the chances are high your prey is inside
>You’ve waited for so long, but it’s finally time to end this

>What do?

>>25628198
Did they check the shrine?

>>25628253
"Yes, we did"

>>25628274
To the crypt then.

>>25628274
Let's go.

>>25628376
>>25628505
>You nod, time to end this
>The whole of you gather in the kitchen, and for the first time a room seem a little small in this place
>You get some of the resistance to stand in the hallway to conceal you presence from the opening of the door to the crypt
>After a discrete gulp, Pearl channels her magic and transforms once again
>And a second of concentration later, her composure becomes adamant again, and she motions to the door where the Wind Lord is awaiting

>>25628656

>You are now Pearl

>The room you just entered is narrow and long, and unlike the other rooms, there’s no crystals on the walls to light it up
>Instead, endless rows of stone sarcophagus are sitting on stone slabs, some still empty, awaiting fot an eternal host
>The only light in the crypt comes from a lantern on the ground, right next to where the Wind Lord is sitting
>You’re almost frozen in place at his sight, as he immediately turns his head to you, the door having made way too much noise to go unnoticed
>He’s wearing the disguise, his mask covering his whole face, and the dark robe of his royalty on his back
>The wings are missing, though
>However, he suddenly takes his eyes away from you allowing you to breathe a little freer
>The Wind Lord instead goes back to staring at the rock coffin in front of him
>And then he speaks with the voice of a pony, and not the booming one you know the Wind Lord uses
>”So, you’ve returned…” He calmly declares, before patting the ground next to him
>”Why don’t you take a seat, Asterion, I know what you think about it…”
>”But surely you can spare a few minutes to mourn our brother with me while you tell me about what you accomplished since you left”
>“My wake is almost over for today, anyway”

What do?

See you tomorrow

>>25628671
We're going to have to spin a yarn about what we've done. Any ideas?

>>25628671
Play along, but insist on standing. The best lies are based on truth.

>>25628686
same

rump

>>25628978
lying with the truth is an art

bump at 10

>>25628671
Oh geez. He's asking the pony who killed his brother to come mourn with him. What a terrible position for Pearl.

How about this, we simply say "I found her. I found the mare that killed our brother." and walk out. I'm willing to say he'll be compelled to follow. By the time he gets to the door we will have let all the others know.

>>25637107
>>25633581
>>25628978
>>25628826
“It didn’t end all that well” You say in Asterion’s voice “I managed to find their place, but they quickly uncovered me”
>You walk to the side of the Wind Lord but don’t sit down
>The sarcophagus in front of you has been covered in flowers, which most have dried, an there’s also an arm-sized hourglass which is almost completely finished
>You blood freezes as you read the name on the stone, Ceneus, the one you killed a week ago
>The same rush of ill memories that you had when you got into the chambers come to haunt your mind
>You can’t help but to stutter the first words of your next sentence
“B-but still they… they didn’t catch me, so I came back here”
>Yet the Wind Lord doesn’t pick up anything, he’s almost completely still under his robes
>You decide to stick to the truth as much as you can. The less lies you have to create, the better
>”I see… Mother really is the one leading them, isn’t she?”
“Yes, I saw her there, she didn’t even recognise me at first”
>He sighs
>”She’ll fight to the bitter end, it’s really sad there’s no other way… The days to come look very dark to me”
>”So what do want to do now? Your plan didn’t really work, did it?”
>Your mind races, trying to find something to say to lead him to your friends
“I… I don’t know yet, but… I didn’t return empty hooved”
“I found her. I found the mare that killed our brother”
>You simply turn tail on that, hoping he’ll follow you
>But you hear no sound of him coming along, and as you look back, he indeed hasn’t budged at all
>Seeing your quizzical look on him, he gives a little tap to the hourglass in from of him
>”Like I said, there’s only a few minutes left. She’s in the dungeon, right?”
>”I’ll go there in a moment”

>What do?

>>25637412
Leave, we have a few minutes to set up an ambush at a known location.

>>25637463

>You simply give him a nod before you get out of the room
>That’s… good you think, you’ll all be able to set a trap for him in the dungeons
>You quietly exit the crypt alone, closing the door behind you
>You can see your friends hidden in the room staring at you and sign them to come out, so you can explain the situation

>>25638004
Spume would know the best place.

>>25638004
>You are Gem Stone

>You and all your friends are waiting inside the dungeons for the Wind Lord to come
>Pearl is waiting patiently in Asterions’s disguise while Spume, coated in rags is in one if the cells
>The rest of you are waiting beneath the various torture devices of the room, the dim light making it hard for anyone to spot you
>The bastard is coming right to you, you’ll barely have to lift an arm
>After a moment you hear a knock on the door
>That’s from one of the scouts you left out to watch the Wind Lord’s displacements
>It means he’s coming
>And indeed you hear hoofsteps coming closer some time later, as your prey is the only pony around not being careful with noise
>The door opens, revealing a pony very similar to Asterion
>As he has dropped his costume, you can see their mane and coat colours match
>But his hair is unkempt and his looks in a dire state of fatigue, big black bags under his eyes
>He acknowledges Pearl’s presence with a nod as he comes in
“So that’s her?” He asks as he turns toward Spume, leaving his back completely open to you
>It’s almost like an invitation
>Your body almost acts on its own as you pounce on him from your hiding place
>His face slams on the iron bars, getting a pained gasp out of him as you take him in a chokehold
>So easy… He goes limps under your hooves, the shock have visibly confuses him, he’s completely defenceless in you grasp
>One of your hooves slides to your bag without you even thinking about it and retrieves the knife inside
>Finally, after so long, you’ll finally obtain freedom

>WhAT dO?

>>25638015
AW SHIT

Fight back Gem! Throw the Abyssal tooth away!

>>25638015
Knock him unconscious. This would also disrupt any attempts at magic.

>>25638430
Abyss is taking control of us man and he wants him dead.

>>25638089
>>25638430
>>25638468
>Wait There’s something wrong… Very wrong!
>You never intended to end the Wind Lord, not like that!
>NonSEnSE, It IS ALL YoU EvEr WanTED, REvENge, FReeDOM
>EaCH COmE At ThE PriCe OF THiS PonY’s Life, AfTER ALL You’Ve GoNE THroUGH, You’LL CLaiM YouR PriZE
>The thoughts in your head sound like yours, but they’re not, there’s something else going on something very grim
>And as you realise that, you also feel your body is insanely cold, as if you had been staying naked in the blizzard for hours
>You instantly start to shiver and to breathe heavily, but yet, you can’t get off the Wind Lord
>Time itself seem to slow down while your brains seem to be working is slow motion, each coherent though echoing painfully in your skull
>And the knife, while slower than before, still makes it way to the Wind Lord’s throat
>He DEsERvES IT, YoU WiSH NOThiNG More ThAn His DeMISe
>He StandS BEtWEEN You AND EVeRYThiNG YOU CHeriSH, KILLinG hIM WILL FILL YoU wiTH Glee
>JUST EXEcuTE HIm, NO MERCY, HE HAS Hurt You FRIenDs, SPuME, PEARl, ALGA… HE HAs triCKed Them ALL
>He EVEN KILLED HiS FAtHER, He DOeS Not DEsERve TO WAlK THe Face Of EArTh
>Your brain is screaming for you to kill him, and you’re horrified to simply witness your body slowly but surely abiding to the command
>The intent to kill parasitizing your thought is stronger than you, you simply can’t shrug it away despite your efforts!
>Even simply knocking him out won’t work, right know any thing you’d be able to do him would be lethal
>You have to think of something else, and quick!

>What do?

>>25638501
No, no! Killing him would make me anything but happy! He may be a horrible pony but we're not.

The only thing I can think of is to get away from him. So it's either kill him and face Abyss or get away and risk our friends.

>>25638501
Stab ourself and then knock him out.

>>25638734
If we still have him in a chokehold then that seems like a good course of action.

>>25638664
>>25638734
>>25638807
>Lies, LIES that’s not what you want, you’re not like them, killing doesn’t make you happy
>This is not you, you grit your teeth, trying as hard as you can to fight against the will in your spirit
>Yet as your weapon gets closer to the vein of the pony, as sick form a primal bloodthirsty is growing inside you
>Images of the Wild Lord bleeding out are filling your head, yet part of you feel an unbridled fascination at the thought
>And still you can’t seem to swing your body the way you want
>The feeling of urgency is getting stronger in your mind, you have to act now, before it’s too late!
>You give in to the murderous impulsions in your brain, allowing the knife to lunge freely to the Wind Lord’s throat
>You feel a sickening yet oddly delectable thrill as you deliver the blow and a sadistic grin forms on your face
>But it is cut short as pain flares in your body, sending dire shockwaves from your arms as the knife deeply penetrates your flesh
>You let out a scream, but the alarm signals of your body and the rush of adrenaline are covering the foreign thoughts in your head for now
>In your relative moment of clarity, you manage to slam the Wind Lord’s head on the ground with a strength you didn’t knew you had, likely knocking him out
>And then you simply jump off him sending yourself as far as you can from him
>You can hear your friends gasping around you, and giving you horrified looks as you collapse of the ground
>But their voices seem dull, as if a wall of water was separating them from you
>The world returns to a slower pace as the shock fades off, and your vision starts to blur
“YoU DO NOT NEEd TO BE AfRaID OF YoURSelF” You hear a distorted version of your voice
“You HAvE WHaT IT TAkES To WieLD POWeR WiSelY”
>The room is dark, you can barely make out the shadowy forms of the other ponies here
>But there’s one form, right in front of you which stand out from the rest

>>25639336
>It looks like… you, but still it’s merely a black shadow with no light coming from it
>Your body stops shaking, you feel an otherworldly calm taking you over
>The wound on your hoof even stops hurting, and as you glance over it it doesn’t appear to be bleeding
“You Can MAKe Your oWN CHoICES, YoUr FriENdS WILL AccEpT THEM”
“BuT You NEEd TO Have THe STrenGth To UpHOlD THeM, Or Else IT’LL All Be For NAuGHt”
“Free YOurSelF, Gem, The Power TO LifT thE CUrSE OF these ISlanDS is YOuRs For tHe TakiNG”
>A strange knowledge start to flow in your mind, forsaken notions of primal power being infused in you
>You feel the magic around you, there’s a powerful magic right here, and it reaches to the ends of the Archipelago
>It seems worn out, fragile… only a single pull at the right place and it would fall apart, and you could almost do it
>Almost…
“But YoU nEEd THe DEtermInAtioN To Use IT”
“You Can SAVE EvErYOnE RiGHt NoW If You WiSH”
“All YoU Have To DO iS To SImPLy AcCepT ME”

>What do?

>>25639350
We already know the spell to free everybody.

>>25639350
If we don't already have the determination ourselves then it's no use making a pact with a questionable entity. Something that represents darkness and forsaken depth of the abyss. I refuse.

>>25639464
>>25639718
>Despite the strange situation you’re in, you feel like the influence in your mind is no longer as compulsive as it was before
>In fact you can actually think clearly about it before you answer Abyss
“If I can’t do it myself, then there’s no point in all this”
“So making a pact with you? Something that represents darkness and forsaken depth of the abyss?”
“I refuse. I already have what we need to get out of here”
>Silence falls on the room as the shadow stares at you with its two black pits of ink
>”You’RE WRonG” It suddently says
>“You CAnnOt AffoRD Not TO hAve ME On YOuR Side”
>“ThAT, YoU’LL LearN SooN ENoUGh”
>Suddenly you feel a painful strain on your brain, as the glimpse of eldritch knowledge is pulled out of your memory
>Then the shadow in front of you vanishes into thin air, and the world start to take back its colours again
>You realize there are several pairs of hooves holding you, and the dead-worried faces of Spume, Alga, Pearl and your daddy are right over you
>”I think she’s coming to!” You hear Wickwisp as your eyes flutter
>The low temperature of your body also send you in mad fits of shivering
>”Gem… What happened?” Pearl asks “You pinned the Wind Lord but then…”
“R-relax Pearl” You manage to articulate “I think I’m good”
“A hot cocoa and-“

>>25639985
>But your sentence is interrupted by a pony slamming the door open and dashing in the room, visibly out of breath
>”E-everyone! There’s a big problem! I have no idea how’s that possible of what to do!” The pony screams in panic
>”Calm down” Spume firmly says “what’s the matter? Tell me the story from the start”
>”Alright… A-After we put Cordage into the boat, we saw something coming to the island”
>”At first, we couldn’t make out what is was, but after looking through the spyglass wecouldn’t believe our eyes”
>”It was boat, or some sort of raft… but there’s a shadow on it!”
>”And it’s sailing right toward us! It’ll reach the island at any minute, now!”

>What do?

See you later
Probably not tomorrow but definetly the day after

>>25639997
Tell them to stay away from it. It us he wants for some reason. He sees something in me I think. I don't know what, I'm just an earth pony.

Fucking hell. How did Abyss suddenly gain so much power? Did Asterion die? I can't see anything good coming from agreeing to this deal. Even though now it may be too late.

>>25640934

>>25640934

>>25640934

>>25640934

>>25640934

>>25640934

You think "chocolate" sailed to our base and killed Asterion?

>>25640934

Woo hoo

page 10 bump

boop

>>25647527
Would he be able to enter the base with the crystals on the other islands still intact?

>>25654123
The other crystals don't matter because there wasn't one at our base and the one on Marack stopped affecting him.

>>25655139
Wait, the Wind Lord removed the crystal guarding Marack in the first thread, it didn't just stop affecting Chocolate. And the crystals on the other islands were never touched and should cover the entire island, right? Unless the base was built in a blind spot, but that wouldn't be very wise.

>>25655190
Yes, the crystal did just stop affecting him. That's why the population shit themselves getting off the island so quickly. The crystals only affect areas on the main islands and our base is definitely not a main island.

>>25655400
http://anonpone.pineapplecomputing.com/archipelago/24184912#navbar
>”PEOPLE OF MARACK” His voice booms again “YOU ARE ALL GUILTY OF TRICKING ME”
>”OUT OF TRUST I BESTOWED MY PROTECTION UPON YOU AND IN RETURN YOU GAVE ME NOTHING BUT ROT”
>”SO UNTIL YOU HAVE NOT REDEEMED YOURSELVES, THIS ISLAND SHALL NOT BE UNDER MY CARE ANYMORE”
>He rises his head in the air, a golden glow around his horn
>You do not understand what happens at first, but a few seconds later you a familiar blur passing through the hut
>And receding for everywhere outside to the crystal, until it disappears completely
>”As for that young girl here, I forbid her to leave. The shadows will decide of her fate”

The crystal didn't stop affecting him just by himself, so unless the Wind Lord went around the other islands to disable the crystals, they should still be functioning.
But I just looked up the part about the hide out, yeah, I mistakenly thought it was a cave on one of the main islands, you're right about that.

floomp

>>25640130
>>25654123
>>25655139
>>25655190
>>25655400
>>25655441
“E-everyone, you’ve got to stay away from him” You say as you slowly get back on your hooves
“His target is our group, I don’t know why, but he’s got an interest in me…”
>And that sucks, he absolutely not your time of otherworldly entity
>”That shadow…” A worried Alga asks “do you think it’s Chocolate?”
>You nod in response, there’s little doubt about it
>”Oh… And he’s not going to be nice this time, right? What can we do against him?”
>”There is something” Spume answer “A crystal in the shrine just like on the islands, but it’s not activated”
“Really? Well that’s a-“
>You’re interrupted by a loud thud above you, making a few pebble fall from the ceiling
>Just as if something huge just landed on the upper floor
>Sounds like your time is running out

>What do?

>>25658204
Could the whelps slow it down while the others find a way to activate the crystal.

>>25658268
>The ponies around you are getting really nervous from the unannounced guest
“Can we throw the whelps at him?” You ask Spume “To slow him down?”
>”That’s going to be hard… They’ll be afraid of such a creature unless he goes right through their lair”
“Damn… We need more time so we can activate that crystal”
>”It won’t be that simple” Spume says “I know only one pony who knows how”
>She glances to the Wind Lord, still unconscious
>”And he still is our enemy”

>What do?

>>25658347
Could we try to escape through their lair?

>>25658347
What if we go to meet him alone. Stall for time?

We need to get to the ocean. It's their one weakness we know about. Maybe the fang will help? But if we can get everyone into the boats, we could try to escape

>>25658383
>>25658452
>>25658464
“Then… we must run away”
“As far as we know, ocean is the only weakness we know him, he still used a boat to come here, right?”
>”Hum… You’re right…” Pearl comment “But we still need to go past him, how do we do that?”
“I’m… not sure… yet. By the lair is probably the best choice since whelps could provide some distraction”
>You could also play the bait, you think since he’s got a particular interest in you, you could buy plenty of time for the rest of your friends
>But you’re not sure your friends would let you do that alone, you’d have to slip away without them noticing
>Maybe there’s other solutions, maybe you’ve got something else that can help you
>You search you bag, thinking of the fang in it…
>What the? There’s something ice cold in your possessions, and it’s quite big… in fact you realize it’s
>The fang… And as you get it out of you bag, you realise something has happened to it
>First there’s the cold, but more importantly there’s a black, menacing mist oozing all over from it before disappearing in the air
>The ponies around you take a step back, at the eldritch artefact, visibly scared
>But strangely it doesn’t bother you at all
>You simple stare while your distorted reflection on its slick surface is smiling back at you

>What do?

>>25658604
Try to communicate with Abyss through the fang. Maybe he's tracking us via the fang?

>>25658667
>You focus you will one the fang, trying to reach its grim owner
>It feel like diving in deep water, but you feel no fear or hindrance at that moment
>As you do, you feel visions of another place coming in your brain, but not far away
>You see the exterior of the Rostrum, as if you were standing there on the platform
>But you’d have to be a couple of feet taller to see in from that perspective
>Yet, you still perceive the rest of the room around you, it’s rather bizarre
“YoU KNoW THE StAKES, Gem Stone” You suddenly hear your parody of a voice in your head
“WhaT arE YoU GoINg To Do?”

>What do?

>>25658848
What do you want with me? What do you want to do?

I.. I don't know what to do..

>>25659345
Me neither...

>>25658936
>>25659345
>>25659383
“What do you want with me? What do you want to do?”
>There’s a faint laughing in your head
“I WanT TO BE You, Gem”
“WHAT?! What’s even… How? WHY?” You cry in your head
“HOW? ThaNKS To AN OlD SpeLL FroM AuriGA”
“You See, HE diD Not ComPLeteLY FaiL WHen HE TRIED To AbSOrB ME”
“In FACt All It LAcKEd WAS MY COnSCenT For IT TO BE cOMplEtE”
“BuT STILL, DUriNG HIS aTTemPt, A FRaGMENt OF Him, Of THIs MOrtAL, WAS INtroDUced iN me”
“And JUSt LIKE A SeeD, IT GReW STRoNGER IN ME OveR TiME”
“YouR PunY LAnGuaGE BEcaME CLeaR TO Me, I COuLD FatHOm COnCePTS I THouGHt BEyonD mE PRiOR”
“AnD I HAD SHaDOws OF ASpIRAtIONS, OF NEEds and DESIREs ThAT WenT BeYonD MY NAtURE”
“COmPLeTeLy FoReInG COnCErNs To ME”
“AnD WHilE EterNItY Had AlWays BEEn My STaTE, I gREw BOREd IN My PrisoN, WhiCH WaS AnoTHER AbsurDITY For MY MInD”
“MoRE IMpoRtaNtLy, I started To Get INteRREsteD in MOrTALS, Their Ways, THeiR FEElINgs”
“I Saw Them THroUGh thE cRYSTAl, Day after Day, Year AFtER YeaR… GENERATION AfTEr GENErAtIOn, Ad INFiNE…”
“And I GReW Fond, ENvIOUS eVEn, OF THESe MERe MORtALs, For THE ExiStANCe they Could EXpERIenCE, And That I COUldN’t”
“That’S Why I nEEd YOU, All WouLD HAvE TurNED Tail In ThE Face OF Me, But Not You, Not Even Once”
“FrOM THe Very BEgiNNIng You WerE REadY To FaCE ME, You TRIED TO PiERce THe AbYSS DEspITE THe DAnGEr”
“At FIrSt, When I SHoWEd You THe WIDoW and YouR fAthEr, I ONLy THouGHt YOU’d Take OUT Auriga’s DEscenDantS For Me”
“BuT My PLAn CHanGeD, You… WE DEserVE BEttER”
“When We BEcoME One, You Are NOT GOinG to BE CRusHeD BY My PreSEnce, You HAvE PROVEd YouRSelF already”
”You and I cAn MerGE, anD BEcoME SOmeTHING That Has NEveR BEEn SEEN ON Th Face OF this WorLD”
“A mORtAL MInd, ImmBUed WItH GODly PowERs… AN UNpaRALELLed BeeINg, FrEe to DO ANyThinG IT WAnts”

>>25659610
“And SHoULD wE bEcoME One, All THE Spells And CUrSES On EACH US WOulD bE OBSoLEtE, For We WOulD become SOmeTHinG eLse”
“You Are Not BOUnD To ANyTHiNG On THeSe Islands, Gem, THe Two OF US hAVE All ThE KeYs To FrEE OuRSelVEs, And The ArCHiPElago Too”
“TheRE Won’T Be The NEeD To kill anyone Else”
“And You SHouKD ALsO Know, You And I Are Not SO DIFFeREnt”
“It tOOK You QUiTe ThE TiME To TeLL The DIFFeRenCe BEtWeeN My DesiRe TO KiLL AuriGA’s DEscenDant And Your DEsiRE to hUnt Him”
“You HateD hIM”
“WOuLD I nOT hAve BEEN a Part Of THIS EquAtioN, You’d Have KILLed Him At The fIRsT OCcASion”
“YoUR DEtErMiNAtIOn, It DOeS NoT HolD BaCK It FronT Of ANYtHinG”
“WheN You HAD To TaKE a Live TO eNSUre YouR SAfeTY, You DIdN’t HesiTAte a SEconD”
“JuST LIKe I WOulD hAvE DONE”
>You’re sweating all over, you have trouble lining up two coherent thought in the demon’s speech
“I WAnT TO TaStE FrEEdoM, Gem, AND YOu Can ProVIDE”
“IN ExchANge, You’ll GET tHe MEanS TO DO ABsoLuTelY EveYtHinG YoU CAn DreAm oF”
>And at that moment, Abyss’s voice become truly yours, but your tone is macabre but has yet a frightening playfulness in it
“You’re making a god look up to you, that’s not an occasion to miss”
“And besides, if you refuse… I’ll have to kill every single pony on this island”
“Just like you would if you had to”

>What do?

>>25659624
Why does he want to fuse with us instead of experiencing an entire mortal life.

>>25659624

Sorry buddy, but we're happy enough as is, and you're probably a manipulative asshole that will screw over our side of things. No deal.

>>25659670
Isn't that exactly why he wants us?

>>25659624
I... I'm not sure we have much choice.

Tell him we don't want to be a god. We don't want him controlling us. We just want to live our life in peace. Would I still be in control? Would I be able to live my life? Would I still... be me?

>>25659785
He said he wants to be fused with us, not to possess a baby.

>>25659886
I almost said something stupid but I finally realized what you were trying to say. He said he wanted us because we were strong enough and are worthy and such.

>>25659886
>>25659785
>>25660117
“Humf! Sorry buddy, but I’m happy enough as is”
“And you're probably a manipulative asshole that will screw over my side of things anyway”
>”As I SAiD, I hAve TrIED TO COnTRoL You, BUt I FaiLEd iN THe End”
>For the first time, the voice of Abyss takes another form than yours, which relieves the stress of your brain a little
>It becomes the distorted voice of some stallion you don’t know, who’s probably around the age of your father
>”But You ARE RIghT, THERe’s LITTLe For You TO gain, But YOU StiLL Talk like I COuldN’t CRusH EverY sInGle PonY I SEE on This IslAND”
“But I… I don't want to be a god… I just want to live my life in peace…”
“Would I still be in control? Would I still... be me?”
>“The WILL, ASpIRaTIons And DEsIres and MEmoRies Of OuR UNIOn…”
>“WOuLD PRoBABLY BECoME the Exact Sum OF Our OWnS”
>“No, You WOulD Not Be You AnYmORe, NEiTHer WOuLD I, We’D BecOMe SOmETHInG ElSe”
>“To Be HOneSt, I Don’t Know What EXacTLy Will BEcoME OF US, BuT I FIllS ME With… SoMEthINg I’D cALL HopE”
>“ThE HoPE TO GiVE a SensE To SoMEtHIng THaT Had Not”
>You’re left in silence for a moment, leaving you not very reassured about that fusion
>“I doN’t THiNK THERE is MuCH More TO TAlk AbOUT IT, Now”
>“I’LL BE GOinG Now, TO FiGHT for My FReDOm, JUST LIKe YOu”
>“SHouLD You ACCEpT My OFFer, Just Come To ME, anD TAkE My Gift”
>“If You Don’t, We Shall Be eNeMieS, And YouR MORtAL eXIsTAnce Will End, AS Well AS The OneS OF those aRounD YOu”
>You suddenly feel you mind being casted away from Abyss’s mental void
>A second tumbling in oblivious later, you gasp for fresh as you regain consciousness
>”Gem!” the five ponies around you exclaim as your eyes shoot open
>You’re not in the dungeons anymore, but it a strange room with weird geometric carvings everywhere and a big black crystal in the middle

>>25660137
>”Th-Thanks Celestia, Gem…” Your Father says with tears at the corner of his eyes “Even after we took away the fang you didn’t wake up”
>”That’s exactly the kind of stupid things I did not want you to do… please… don’t do that again…”

>What do?

>>25660151
We did it to find out what he was after, and we did.

Did you even consider the child option?

>>25660151
Unless they can get that crystal working quickly I see no much other choice than to fuse.

>>25660215
The child option?

>>25660263
Not that anon, but fuse with a child rather than us. A newborn offering to him? Maybe offer him our firstborn?

>>25660263
This >>25659670

>>25660151
Anywho, hug father tightly and explain to everyone what exactly Abyss plans on doing. How he wants us to fuse with him or he kills everyone.

Sorry to stop abruptly but I have to go to bed now

See you tomorrow!

And thank you all for posting, I had lots of fun!

>>25660678
I'm glad you had fun Pleeny. Hope you sleep well.

fast board bump

Up we go

another bump

up

>>25662078

boop

>>25667650
what an interesting reef

>>25660251
>>25660215
>>25660272
>>25660393
“D-Daddy, I’m so sorry”
>You greedily take him in an embrace, which immediately puts a wide smile on your face, and a couple of tears at the corners of your eyes
>It feels good be in contact, the soul void of Abyss seem a little more like a bad distant memory now
>But his words still echo in your mind, there’s no time to waste
“I-I *sniff” I did it to find out what he was after, and I did” You manage to articulate between to sobs
“But first, did- *Cough* did you find a way to reactivate the crystal?”
>”Unfortunately, we didn’t… The Wind Lord is still out” Spume declare, glancing at the inanimate, tied-up form at the other end of the room
“Then we’ve got to move, Abyss is on his way to find us, and he doesn’t plan on making prisoners”
>”He is? He hasn’t moved while you were out, or… with him, does it have a connection?”
“Hum… Actually, he offered me a bargain”
>”A bargain” Alga repeats
“Hum, it was really weird, but I think what Abyss really long for is freedom”
“That’s why he want to kill the Wind Lord so bad, and us too since we’re in the way”
“But he said there’s another way for him to be free…”
“He said he could… fuse with a pony to do that… and want me to do it”
>You friends stare at you in a mix of horror and disbelief, even more because you announce the option in a very serious manner
>”G-Gem” Your father stammers “You-you can’t tell me you actually considered this… atrocity of a deal?”
“Dad, he’s coming as we speak, if we don’t do something, he’s going to kill us all!”
“What options do we have?”
>You companions exchange some awkward look, and it seems like none of them has any concrete idea
>“Th-that doesn’t change a thing! I told you, I won’t be able to look straight at your mother again”
>”…or even myself in the mirror, if you should do something like that”

>>25670766
>“So I won’t let this creature take you away, no matter the cost!” He declares
>A decided expression on his face, he turns his back from you and suddenly snatches a harpoon from a nearby pony’s hoof
>”Wickwisp!” Spume calls “Stop right here, this is insane!”
>But by the time she had finished her sentence, your father had already bolted out of the room

>What do?

>>25670780
We need to escape through the cave, Get father to come with us and we also need to grab the captain on our way out.

>>25670887
“Everyone, we need to move!”
“Go through the cave, this is our best chance right now, hurry!”
>The ponies quickly react and they start to exit the room swiftly but without any panic
>However, as you’ve reached the library yourself, you don’t see your dad anywhere
“Where did my father go?”
>”He went in the direction of the stairs” Blossom answers “we didn’t have time to stop him”

>What do?

>>25671253
If we don't stop him he'll die. We'll bait Chocolate into the cave while everybody else gets the boats ready. Destroy Chocolate's boat if you can.

>>25671478
”Crap! EVERYONE, Change of plan, we go through the stairs, go, go, go!”
“Get to the boats, and make sure to destroy the shadow’s raft!”
>You enjoin them to head left, and once everyone’s gone past you, you run the other way
>You go through the lab, filled of strange metal instruments you and jars you don’t recognize before arriving in the cave
>The sunlight is coming in from a huge hole in the ceiling, but most of the place remain shrouded in darkness
>There’s no stairs going up, but four ropes are running along the wall
>And you hear sounds of scratching coming from the other end of the room
>You furtively see the form of a pony-sized creature move but it seems not in the mood for coming out of his hiding place
>Let’s getting moving, the ropes seem to be nicely attached to the top
>But as you were checking them, the luminosity of the room suddenly go down
>Mechanically, you look up
>A big, round object is obscuring around half of the hole above, you see none of its features since it’s standing against the light
>But the identity of the creature makes no doubt to you
>You can’t repress a gulp, even if you didn’t really expect anything else than Chocolate… or should you say, Abyss, to show up
>However, you didn’t expect the way he’d come down
>Having little concern for his form, the shadow simply dive into the 20 meters deep chasm in front of him
>It happens so suddenly you don’t even time to react
>It lands only meters away from you, the ground shaking impact throwing you down
>When you get back on you hooves, Chocolate is already standing, towering over you, still, while he awaits you next move

>What do?

Apologies for the sluggish session
Was distracted

See you tomorrow

>>25672866
Lets try to delay it for a few moments with talking, but be ready to drop that plan and run like hell.

>>25672866
We have to agree, for all our sakes. Concede.

I hope he didn't kill father.

>>25672877
it's fine

>>25673344
Hopefully

wump

>>25678113

>>25672954
>>25673344
>You’re not sure about what you can do, but earning some time can only be a good thing to do
“Abyss, I’ve thought about it… But I still have more questions” You slowly start
“I’m not telling you I won’t do it, but please understand… this a really hard thing to accept for me…”
“Would you mind answering a few more questions, please? Just to reassure me?”
>The shadow before you stares blankly for a moment before seating down, inviting you to voice your questions
“Thank you, Chocolate… first, there’s something” you start sweating as you seach your words
“Something I wanted to know… when I-“
>”GEM!” Alga’s voice cut you with a scream from the laboratory “FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! COME BACK HERE!”
>The sudden scream distracts the shadow enough to make it turn his head away to look at the door
>But still, he’s between you and the exit, and only a few meters away from you
>The obscure reaches of the cave are out of his grasp, though, you could try to hide, or simply go largely around him
>You only have one second to react, you’ve got to make it count

>What do?

File: dead1.jpg (271 KB, 950x1200) Image search: [Google]

271 KB, 950x1200

Alright, tomorrow I guess

Sorry for not being able to post bump.

>>25682098

So I think we need to decide whether we want to fight this guy or come to some other solution. If we want to fight, how? If not, is there a compromise that will give him his freedom without taking over a pony? Can we trust him with freedom, or will we only be unleashing his dark powers to threaten the rest of Equestria?

>>25686094

>>25682098
>>25682994
aww shit I didn't see, sorry Pleeny

splash

>>25686775
WE AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THIS

>>25689741

>>25692447
>>25686775
>You’re frozen in place, unsure of what to do
>Can you really fight right now? Or would it only mean death for everyone…
>Maybe you could strike another deal… One that doesn’t involve sacrificing anybody
>”Oh For FUCK’S SAKE! EVERYONE, GET IN HERE!” You hear Alga’s voice pierce the silence once again
>And then a thunder of hooves come from the laboratory
>A pack of pony invades the cave, harpoons in hooves, get inside the dark room and form an arc around Abyss
>You can’t see everyone because of Chocolate, but none of the pony in here look afraid as they bare their weapon to the creature
>Even at that distance, you can see Pearl shaking slightly, but she’s not looking away from her enemy
>You’ve only seen that look on Spume’s face once, and your body still aches a little when you think about it
>Strong Pick and Shovel Face seem ready to play hero, giving you a cheeky grin and wink as they see your gaze meeting theirs
>“YOU MADE ME SWEAR, GEM, NOW YOU BETTER COME BACK HERE BECAUSE EVEN AFTER I’VE KICKS THIS THING’S BUT I’LL STIIL BE MAD AT YOU!”
>”DID YOU REALLY THINK ANYONE WOULD ACCEPT THIS JUST LIKE THAT”
>”WELL LET ME TELL YOU YOU ACTED LIKE A SELFISH RETARDED PRICK”
>”AND WE’RE NOT LETTING YOU DEAL WITH THIS FREAK OF NATURE, EVER!”
>A clamour accompany the claim, the voices of the resistance challenging the eldritch creature in front of them
>You’re torn between the guilt from your plan to save everyone that just saved…
>… And at the same time you’re infinitely glad they all came for you
>However, the group of pony doesn’t seem to impress the shadow in the slightest
>He simply turns around to face them, his tentacles lashing around him as he prepares to pounce on any of them
>He’s appraising the crowd of ponies menacing him
>But suddenly his gaze turns back to you

>What do?

>>25693505
The entire situation is nonsensical. Everybody was supposed to go for the boats so why are they all waiting here for us! WTF WAS THE POINT TO THE WHOLE DECOY PLAN IF NOBODY LEFT!!

>>25693551
I was here yesterday, but I couldn't think of anything for this reason.

>>25693551
>>25693602
>No, this is bad… This is not going to end well!
“WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING?!” You yell
“I was supposed to be the decoy so you could all escape! Why did you come back? That doesn’t make any sense!”
>”YOU BEING ALONE FACING THIS THING IS WHAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!” Alga screams back
>”WITHOUT A WORD, YOU JUST… GEM! WATCH OUT!”
>But the warning comes too late
>With a dexterous swipe, the living bundle of darkness violently catches you in his tendril, knocking the air out of your lungs in the process
>As you’re flailed in the air, you can see your friends begin to charge the creature
>But then a rush of primal terror washes over you as the shadow brings you over the gaping abyss of its open maw, before simply dropping you in
>One bite is all it takes
>You’re plunged in cold darkness, impossible forces gruesomely squashing every inch of your body
>You’d like to scream, but you can’t use your mouth, or anything else in the deadly embrace of the shadow’s insides
>Everything is pain, you feel like every part of your body might just fall apart at any second
>There’s cold water entering your mouth and piercing through your skin, freezing your insides as it seems to make its way in your veins and organs
>You brain start to feel numb, you feel yourself… leaving…

>What do?

>>25694140
Fight back?

The plan was they prepare the boats se WE could escape and destroy his boat so he can't follow us. we were supposed to delay him so they had enough time to do all of that stuff and then RUN AWAY FROM HIM SO WE CAN JOIN THEM AND ESCAPE. Now everybody is going to die because they didn't trust us to follow the plan.

>>25694265
>>25694300
>As you drift away, hints of anger tickle your spirit
>Why didn’t they follow the plan…? If only they could have trusted you none of this would have happened!
>Wait… This is not the time for regrets, not yet!
>You’ve got to fight… You’ve got to fight!
>The cloudiness of your brains clears a little, but is replaced by an equal share of suffering
>But you cling to it, that’s all you have and you can’t give up!
>You feel your whole body being ice cold, from head to toe, but you try to thrash your way out anyway
>And strangely you start to feel the goop being moved around your moves as if the quantity trapping you was decreasing
>But as you do so, strange thoughts start to enter your soul
>The amount of pain your body is exposed to is diminishing, but your mind is not getting any clearer
>As instead, strange images are appearing in your mind
>Memories of your life, in the Archipelago and before
>But also realms of coral and darkness, fumes raising from bedrock as the sea life thrive around it
>Somewhat everything feels familiar
>And your moves start slow down, any pain having almost disappeared
>Forever
>After all, everything is going according to your plan

>What do?

>>25694679
Remember who we are. We are not Abyss, we are Gem Stone. We are a good pony.

>>25694679
Nothing is going according to plan, fight harder.

>>25694733
>>25694794
>No this is not you
>Is it?
>You don’t know… YOU DON’T KNOW!
>It makes no sense at all, nothing in your brain feels real, and everything is strange and foreign
>You’ve got to fight, but fight against what? Strife for what?
>There nothing but you in there, nothing to slam against, just your own soul
>You’re not Abyss, you’re Gem Stone. You’re a god pony!
>But the concept sounds empty in your mind, you simply know it’s false
>Abyss… It’s been a few thousand years, since Auriga called you that, yet this name has clung to you ever since
>Even you ended up accepting it
>These memories are part of you, there’s no denying it
>But you’re Gem Stone, you’re… you and you’re a good pony…
>A good pony… What does that mean? what would a good pony do?
>Not what would Abyss do, that’s for sure! He wouldn’t have done that to begin with
>You want to run away, but you can’t hide from your own eyes
>But somewhat you think it’s all a good thing
>The confusion, the pain, the fear… it proves you’re alive
>Just let it flow
>Mechanically your hooves coil around yourself and you feel water coming out of your eyes
>Torrents of it
>The splashing of water on the stone echoes to your ears as you feel the ground beneath your body
>You hear yourself sobbing, and you see hazy forms slowly coming toward you through your watery eyes

>What do?

>>25695061
Wipe our eyes and try to focus. Try to see our friends and inspect ourselves.

>>25695128
>Trembling from every part of your body, you try to bring your hooves in from of your eyes
>You’re glad to see they’re still pony limbs, but there’s something different about them
>First, the colour or the fur has changed, from your bright yellow, it changed to a vibrant azure reminding you of your mane colour
>But it doesn’t look like it’s actually fur on them
>You’re not sure if it’s the tears in your eyes but, there’s ripples of lighter blue shades on it
>Gently swaying across your body in a way that reminds you of waves on the summer sea
>There’s black spaces at the upper corners of your vision, and it doesn’t take you long to realize they are from your mane
>You catch a lock in your hoof, and while it detaches from the mass of your hair, it appears to be made of one block of a black slick bunch of jelly
>And the strangest thing is that you can actually feel things through it, all around your head and on your tail
>You don’t have fur or hooves, as if your body was one homogeneous block what makes the feeling of everything around your body weird
>Aside from that, it feels complete, you have all your limbs and nothing more
>But everything in and on you is cold, there’s no warmth left in your physical form
>And despite you know you can go without, you start to feel an intense carving for heat in every form as your realise that
>By the time you’ve finished observing yourself, you’ve literally cried yourself into a puddle, which is still growing under you
>Your vision has cleared up a little, though, and allows you to distinguish the ponies in circle around you
>They’re all members of the resistance, at a safe distance from you, and you can feel fear in their heart
>Their faces display grim expressions of confusion, and some half-heartedly hold their weapon at you in silence
>Only one pony, Wickwisp, dares to get any closer, albeit with the same look of deep worrying
>He calls your pony name

>What do?

>>25695715
Why couldn't they trust us.

>>25695715
Reach a hoof to father.

>>25695791
>>25695953
>The feeling of guilt crawls back in your mind
>If only things had worked better... you’d still be something… whole
>If only these ponies around you had listensedto you and simply turned their back away, you’d have joined them later
>Those ingrates… After all you did for them! They couldn’t even believe in yourself a little
>Maybe you should just splatter the walls with their blood… That would teach them to respect you…
>A gruesome chill runs down your spine
>You shake the insane thought off, disturbed that the train of thought made it this far in your brain
>No, this is not you, this not what you want to be!
>Remember Gem, a good pony
>Good
>Pony
>You turn your gaze back to the pony approaching you
>He mutters words to appease you as he takes careful steps closer
>you can feel he’s scared of you but, at the same time, there’s something else
>Something much deeper buried under his immediate thoughts
>A connection and care for you, like a valiant light eager to shield you from the terrors of the night
>He steps into your puddle, and timidly, you reach you hoof toward him
>Still as slowly as ever, he reaches his hoof too, until it touches yours
>It’s warm
>You whole body shivers, remembering its cold state
>Something deep in your mind urges you to “take” him
>Meanwhile, the pony asks you to come with him

>What do?

>>25695953
And try to stand. We have to acknowledge he is in some capacity our father.

>>25696169
Listen to him. Speak. Say something to father to let him know that Gem is not entirely gone.

>>25696169
We are dangerous. Be sure to keep them at a distance.

>>25696174
>>25696255
>>25696266
>He’s your father
>Your father as a pony
>What does that mean again?
>You get on you hooves, getting at eye level with your father
>Maybe you should say a few words, to reassure him
>But as you open your mouth, only a thick stream of sea water comes out of it
>The sudden overflow takes your father by surprise and he breaks contact with you
>It makes something ache in you
>Some of the ponies watching you also back away in surprise, some of them tightening their grip on their weapons
>They are right to be wary, you could do anything to them
>But Wickwisp says he’s ready to come to you again, and steps forward

>What do?

I'm going to sleep now

see you tomorrow

bump it

bunp

>>25696430

Well this is quite the turn of events. We should be fine as long as we remember who we are and stay in control of our actions. Abyss isn't in control here any more than we are.

That said, anyone have any ideas on how to turn ourselves back?

>>25696430
This is really sad. It's sad from our perspective but I bet it's even more sad from the other's.

>>25698004
I think you're right about him being no more in control than us. If Abyss wants to know what it is to be a pony than he must listen to us. If we are to know what it is to be a good pony we must listen to our pony half.

the power of the pony

>>25696733
sleep well

b

Welp

>>25701806

Ey Pleeny, could we get art of Abyssal Gem?

My tabletop session lasted longer than expected, so I'm going to get a normal night of sleeping for once isntead of making a few shabby posts
See you tomorrow

>>25705231
That's already in progress

>>25705977
Hype for the art.

>>25708452

>>25612611
bomp

>>25708452

Alright!

Could I get better descriptions of Shovel and Pick? Never quite got their manes and eye colors if I remember.

>>25698004
>>25698258
>Your heart is confused and sombre, but so is the one of those around you
>Especially in you mortal friends, the pain you’re feeling in their soul is real
>But still they try to remain strong, and hope, while shaky, shines in all of them
>You’ve got hang on too, you’ve got to remain strong
>As a pony you can’t give up yet
>You search your timeless knowledge is search of an answer, of a mean to turn you back, and to escape this sorry existence of yours
>But the closest experience you have about this is the spell that made you what you are in the first place
>You think you could perform a fettered version of that spell, only pulling a part of you into something else
>But what would happen then? Wouldn’t you simply divide yourself into more clueless hybrid creatures?
>You don’t remember any feeling of control over the magic which brought you on the face of the earth
>The unnatural changes in your mind having prevented you to achieve any control whatsoever
>This option seem impracticable, and yet it’s the one and only lead you have
>Your heart sinks a little more at the thought
>The grim thought is your head are interrupted by Wickwisp talking to you again
>He insist of bringing you to the hideout

>What do?

>>25715067
From a previous thread:
>Both of earthly colours, Strong Pick is a dark grey massively bulked stallion with a couple of lighter spots on his coat
>Just like his brother he wears the mane short, and almost all of it is covered by a helmet while he’s digging the ground
>For Shovel Face, he has a similar pattern of spots than his brother, but they’re white on a brown coat

>Their manes matche the main colour of their coat, althought in a bit darker shade in both cases
>Shovel face has steel grey eyes while his brother has hazel coloured ones

>>25715329
We need time to at least figure out how to control this body. We're little more than a living puddle and every time we try to talk the only thing that comes out is water. We're unable to interact with them in any meaningful way.

>>25715423
>You hesitate
>There’s yet to find a way to properly communicate with them, is there even a point besides risking to hurt them?
>Your body was never made to talk as a spirit, it was only a physical manifestation of your being
>And that doesn’t seem to have changed
>But although there’s hints in your mind, the body you’re in remains mysterious to you
>It appears that even though you exhaled all that water, it hasn’t diminished in mass or volume
>Besides, while your body seems like it’s made of fluid there’s a clear difference between your legs and the puddle you’re in
>And they remain compact as you move them. It appear you can walk normally in this form

>What do?

>>25715625
Nod to Wick and approach them slowly, try to smile.

>>25715625
Since we can't communicate leaving this place is kinda pointless since it'll be the same situation just in a slightly different location.

>>25715625
Uh, goodnight Pleeny?

>>25715697
>>25715782
>>25717380
4chan didn't work so I went to sleep

>You think you have enough control over yourself to go with them
>Slowly you get closer to Wickwisp, and take his offered hoof once more
>You smile at him, and he smiles back
>Once your father has assured all the ponies present that despite your apearence, you are still Gem Stone, you begin to make your way out of this place
>You wish you could believe him
>Even the others don’t, most of them giving you worried glances along the way, while they carry the Wind Lord and Cordage with them
>When you emerge out of the fortress, you instantly feel relieved
>As you see the bottomless ocean, your domain, stretch to the horizon
>It has always been your element, and you remember how much walking on the land always felt like a drag in comparison
>But still, you accompany the ponies in their boats, desperately dry and lying on the surface of the sea
>Most of the ponies still feel very uncomfortable around you, so you embark with only your closets friends
>Wickwisp, Spume, Alga, Pearl, Blossom, Strong Pick and Shovel Face… they’re all in the same boat as you
>Yet they seem so far away…
>During the first half of the travel, they let you alone at the prow
>Even without seeing them their nervousness is almost palpable to you
>However, it’s Pearl that ends up visiting you after half an hour of wailing, a tense smile and droplets of sweat on her face
>After a shaky greeting the white unicorn tells you she thinks you’re pretty, then asks you if she can touch you
>While there was a good amount of fear to overcome for her to come to you, you see no lie and genuine curiosity in the words she told you

>What do?

>>25719713

Nod

>>25720364
And...?

>>25720364
>>25721385
>You nod back, inviting her to proceed
>She seems unsure, though, but you simply wait for her to make up her mind
>And after a few moments she decides to take a timid poke at your chest
>Her hoof feels warm on you, just like Wickwisp’s one
>Apparently that experiment thawed Pearl’s apprehension, and she begins to stroke your front, making small circles on your chest
>The feeling isn’t unpleasant, it… tickles a little you guess
>Pearl says she’s never felt something like this before, like water, but solid a just a little more squishy than a pony
>Yet your skin doesn’t wet her hoof even when she accelerates and push harder on you, nor does your mane as she begin stroke it too
>It feels a little weird… but in a good way. You’re not sure how to react to the mare’s touch
>Somewhere deep in your mind you feel outraged to let yourself be treated like a mere pet dog
>But you think it would be acceptable to let her continue

>What do?

>>25724318
Gem was her friend so it's probably okay and the warmth does feel good.

>>25724318
Why stop it if it feels good?

File: Agem.png (90 KB, 800x600) Image search: [Google]

90 KB, 800x600

>>25724537
>>25724779
Almost forgot to post this

>Somehow, her hoof running in you mane feels simply otherworldly, you’d certainly have purred if you could
>Mmmh… Yes, more than acceptable to let her go on
>You can’t resit getting a little closer to your friend and decide to lie on her lap to give her a better access to the top of your head
>She mentions your weight has increased since you were a pony
>Luckily you can now see past your mortal former ideals of beauty and ignore the implications of the comment
>And after that, Pearl is more than happy to oblige your desires, gently caressing your mane and back
>Odd… the only place you’ve ever felt such peace was the bottom of the ocean
>And in addition to the way she pleases your physical senses, you’re also glad to see a real relief in Pearl’s heart
>Hope runs strong in her, and it makes her contact even more soothing as it radiates over you
>You remain on her lap for the rest of the travel, simply glad to indulge yourself in a moment of respite and carelessness
>It’s only when the hideout is in sight that you get off the cosy unicorn
>And she’s… shivering… you realise your body has remained cold on her for a while, that was to be expected
>You’re thankful but also feel a hint of guilt as she didn’t mention it before
>Additionally, even without a word of them, you can also sense that the trouble in your friend’s minds has also subsided
>Probably from seeing the two of you together, which won’t be the case of the other ponies
>As you’ll soon be ready to land in the hideout, Spume announces she’s going to hold a session of debrief with everypony
>She asks you if you want to be part of it or not

>What do?

>>25724928
We can't even communicate so how can we be a part of it?

>>25724928
We can sit and listen.

>>25724928
I want to give Shovel and Pick attention so let's sit by them during the meeting.

Also how the writing has changed and you don't explicitly say what exactly the other characters say gives a feeling of disconnect and separation and it's fucking brilliant.

>>25725041
>>25725187
>>25725233
>You nod, even if you won’t be able to say a word, it would be best to listen to all of it
>You all disembark in silence, and the knocked out Wind Lord is placed in the pantry, way from his brother
>Spume then goes for the workshop, and when she comes out, she gives you a piece of chalk and a slate
>She tells you it might not be as good as a voice, but it’s the best she has
>You write a “Thank you” in response, putting a relieved grin on her face, and on everyone else’s too
>But there’s other ponies to cater to that you, you’re all just back from a crusade after all
>Everyone gathers in the meeting room, and despite your results, the low whispers of the resistance as they sit down doesn’t sound like a victorious army to you
>You place yourself between Strong Pick and Shove Face, who seem to have mainly tamed their aversion toward your new appearance
>Spume will have to talk alone this time. She clear her throat to gather the attention of everyone, and start speaking
>First, she thanks everyone here for what they’ve done today
>Indeed, the primary objective of the plan has been achieved, and no more Wind Lord reigns over the Archipelago
>She mention you as the only “casualty” and enjoins everyone to treat you as normally as possible
>For you fought bravely among them for all of the Archipelago while it’ not even your land
>A rather tense moment of silence ensues, most of the room still being confused about your state
>Probably wanting to ease the mood, Strong Pick cheerfully puts his arm around your shoulder while he loudly declares you’re as nice as ever to him
>Before quickly retreating, as the coldness your body make him yank away from you with a yikes
>Still, he manages to get a few chuckles out of the crowd
>On that, Spume continues and now talks about what the resistance should do from now on
>The Wind Lords are in their custody and Abyss is harmless as long as it remains in you, she says

>>25725628
>According to her, the next goal of the resistance should be to find a way to clear the barrier around the Archipelago
>Before that is achieved, Spume advocate for not revealing the fall of the Wind Lords to the rest of the Archipelago to avoid causing any more uproar than necessary
>Then, she expresses her desire to find a safe way to give you back your body
>You welcome the intention, but you doubt they’ll have the and insight knowledge to do that
>After that, Spume proposes that once the truth will be revealed to the folks of these islands, they shall be the judge of their former sovereign
>So that justice will be served by the people, for the people
>And to conclude, she invites all the ponies present to have an afternoon for themselves
>Today, they all gave their all and changed the future of all the Archipelago as a result, they deserve some rest and to enjoy themselves for the rest of this day
>She gets a round of applause from everyone, and you sense that their spirits have been lifted by her speech
>They now feel more victorious than before
>After all, their main tormentor is no more in a position to hurt them, and it’s from the combined sum of all their efforts
>Soon after that most of them leave the hideout to meet their family and other beloved ones
>Only you and your friends remain, with the two Wind Lord imprisoned in the workshop
>And… why haven’t you obliterated them already, again?

>What do?

>>25725637
The Abyssal one wanted revenge and Gem wanted to help the citizens of the archipelago. The only thing we have against them now is that they possess stolen magic which is easily solved by removing their horns.

>>25725637
Because we didn't want... Abyss to cause problems and Spume just spelled out the second reason.

Request for the other's horn removed and go to see Asterion.

>>25725715
>>25725749
>No, that’s not right… You’ve got to let go of these passions
>Ending lives on a whim, even worthless ones, is not something a good pony should do
>Still, your newest prisoner must be made harmless, and you know the way to do that
>You scribble your will to see the Wind Lord’s horn roll on the ground, which is supported by everyone else
>Just like for his brother, Blossom and Spume will take care of the operation
>In the meantime, you’d like to see Asterion
>He hasn’t left the workshop, someone made sure of that
>And as you, Alga and Wickwisp enter the room, he’s still tied to the wall, a grim expression of consternation on his face
>Of course he would be like that… he’s heard you all return, which mean his brother failed just like him
>Unfortunately for him, he’s not stupid enough to deny that
>How amusing, it must be the first time in his pathetic live he realises he’s lying with the scum, at you and your friends’ mercy
>But still he refuses to give his composure, the remains of his shattered pride not allowing him to simply become a sad crying mess of flesh
>A swollen ego paired with deep despair… his mere aura hurt you senses, like the stench of a drowned body back to the surface
>He remains silent at your sight, but you can feel a hint of panic toward you as he discovers your appearance
>And unlike before, this fear feels… exciting to you

>What do?

>>25726004
Approach Asterion. Get into his face and look into his eyes long long enough to make him uncomfortable. I want him to know how small he is.

>>25726112
>Very slowly, you approach the powerless stallion
>You don’t even need any word, he’s alone, restrained, without magic, utterly defeated in every possible way…
>The dread in his heart grows as you get closer to him
>With no escape, he has no way to muster any kind of strength to oppose your presence, letting only room for more fear in him
>You stop only when you face is inches away from his
>His eyes are growing wider as you loom over him, unarticulated whimpers starting to come out of his mouth as your shadow covers more and more of him
>A single move his all it would take, less than one second, the quarter of an effort for you
>He knows it, he knows he’s powerless against you and his soul is overtaken by primal the need to get away, but his binds won’t let him
>The tiny stallion struggles against them, he squirms for you, adding to your pure delight in seeing the worm wiggle at the end of the line
>A melody of fright and panic plays in his soul, any reason having been swept away by your form
>All the things you could do to flesh out all the dread inside of him, you could have so much fun with him, you can’t wait…
>Where should you start?

>What do?

see you tomorrow

>>25726415
I think we've made our point. Let's back off.

>>25727239
No fun at all?

>>25726552
gnite

>>25728630

We already had some fun. Too much and we'll scare the nice ponies

>>25729375

hey hey, it's a new day

>>25729448
>>25728630
>>25727239
>Such an amusing looking toy, you’d love to stay and play a little
>Nevertheless, you decide to back away, giving him no more than a big scare. This time.
>You can’t help but to stare down at his pathetic form for a little longer though… but…
>No, you have to quit it… It pains you to do so but this is not the way you chose to go
>As you turn way you realise there has been a little change in perspective
>Alga and Wickwisp have to look up to stare at you, as you think you’re currently twice their height
>The fear that had subsided since your birth has returned, and it clearly shows on their face
>But their fear, you don’t enjoy one bit
>Seems like you overdid the “making Asterion feel small” part…
>Not wanting to cause any more harm, you quickly shrivel back to a regular pony’s size
>But it only calms them a little, they have already seen what you did, even though you only made it for the show in the end
>Wickwisp shakily tells you it’s alright, that he’s not afraid, but you know he’s lying…
>Still he asks you not to do these kind of things without warning, and you nod in response
>It’s strange… You don’t want to deceive them or something, yet you feel bad about displaying power in front of them

>What do?

>>25733149
Leave them. Go out and sit by ourselves on the docks and dip our hooves in the water while we think. What are we going to do now? We can't go home like this, can we? We can't run our jewelry shop anymore. What are we going to do? Did Abyss even think about the implications before acting?

>>25733475
To expand upon this, I think that Gem would be sad and scared and want to be alone. I don't know how exactly Abyssal Gemstone would feel.

>>25733562
Well the Abyss would be used to being alone so it wouldn't really counter Gem's feelings in this case. Although I think Abyss might blunt the emotions a bit.

>>25733475
>>25733562
>>25733605
>You silently excuse yourself, the reason you wanted to see Asterion since long forgotten
>A little time alone is what you need right now. Your companions don’t seem to disagree, and let you move to the quay
>You sit at the end of it, the gentle lap of the waves on you hooves, while calm, is not enough to make you forget your troubles
>You’re scared, and worst of all, you’re scared of yourself
>Never did you thought you’d see that ill glimmer in your own mind, but that’s the reality, and you don’t like it
>And despite all you can do, you simply can’t shake it away
>It hurts
>You remember… as Abyss, you felt trapped by your own being without any footage to cling to
>No goal, no need or purpose… It’s when this pony entered your mind long ago that you started to carve those
>After waiting for so long, with no end for you predicament in sight… You decided to bet it all in one shot, risking your own destruction in the process
>But now that you’re taken a pony’s form, it’s exactly the same
>You failed
>Just as Asterion and his brother, your might wasn’t what you needed to achieve your goals
>You stand eons above a pony in terms of possibilities, yet, even in your memories as a pony you never felt so meek and clueless than now
>Can you simply return to your pony home like that? You doubt so. If you did, it would only be a mockery of a life
>The rest of the ponies avoiding you until you’d give them a reason to cast you away
>So what are you going to do?
>Should you embrace your new existence? You still have all your powers after all
>Just as you chanted to the pony, all the spells sealing your power have been broken and you’re as free as you could be
>Or maybe should you keep trying to get things back to what they were before?
>But you don’t know how to do that…
>You’re not used to having thing out of you grasp, but what did you do as a pony when that happened?

>>25733818
>You’d ask for help you reckon… but who could help her with such a predicament?

>What do?

>>25733829
What about the Dragon? He's also ancient and powerful, but he lives alongside other creatures. Gem also had a strong desire to help him.

>>25733829
I believe she spoke with her friends. I think we should try to talk with Alga. That's helped pony-us before, right?

>>25733900
>>25734014
>Varesolace… It’s been a while since you’ve fought this pompous lizard
>You still feel him agonizing under the curse you’ve placed on him long ago
>Amazing… You thought he’d have died by now
>But you have no more grief with him, in fact, you even think you’ve taken a liking in him not so long ago
>He helped you a lot recently
>On a whim, you dispel the remain of the dark influence you had on him
>If he’s still alive after this, soon he’ll be get out of the volcano on his own
>Only a week worth of rest should be enough for him to regain his strength, he’s in his element after all
>Talking to him might be a good idea, after all, just like you he stand in the world between mortals and gods
>Maybe he has a solution… or at least hints about living among your friends
>You could go right now, it’ll only take a moment to reach him
>And you feel in the mood for a little dive
>But maybe your friends on this island can help you too, they’ve been here for you from the start
>Yet you still haven’t had a proper conversation with any of them since your… transformation

>What do?

>>25734080
How would we even talk with the dragon if we went there. We need to figure out how to communicate properly.

>>25734080
Can we use telepathy? That would be stellar.

>>25734157
>>25734174
>You’re not sure you could strike a conversation, though
>How did you do that when you were still a spirit?
>…
>Of course, you spoke directly to their soul, that has always been something you could do
>But the process is a little rough on mortals
>Because of the difference in power, your presence affects their body and can easily hurt their mind
>But for Varesolace, it’s highly possible he can communicate like that himself, and probably won’t be bothered by it
>in fact, you realise he might even be vindictive toward you
>There’s a chance he’ll see an old enemy in you before anything else

>What do?

>>25734286
But a part of us has been actively trying to help him since she learned of his plight and the first thing we did when we thought of him was to help him.

>>25734317
>It’s sad… you really tried to help him from the start, but dragons are beings of pride and fire
>That’s not a given, but he might try to attack you as soon as he senses your aura
>Since your raw power and its nature will be the first thing he’ll notice
>Maybe you could try to figure a way to make sure we won’t be on edge at your sight, or at least question your identity first

>What do?

>>25734459
Travel with others that he'd recognize as friends.

>>25734459
Shame telepathy would hurt our friends. Maybe we can ask them if they'd be ok with it.

>>25734552
>>25734626
>Traveling with your friend may be the easiest solution
>He won’t be wary of them and since he even taught magic to Pearl, you could even say they bonded a little
>You don’t know how many time you spend on the quay, but you feel ready to go see your friends again
>As you find Spume and Blossom, then inform you the horn of the last Wind Lord has been removed successfully
>You thank them
>And once you have them all gathered, you inform them of your wish to talk with Varesolace, and you’d like them to accompany you
>You find yourself glad they all agree
>Though Strong Pick and Shovel face seem a little intimidated by the perspective of meeting a dragon
>So they propose themselves to stay here and watch the prisoners, which is accepted by everyone
>After that, you also tell them you’d like to experiment talking to their soul
>While they like the perspective of conversing in a more normal way with you, they
>They tell you they remember how Gem Stone was affected when Abyss talked to her
>In the temple, she became as cold as you, and on the Rostrum, she simply fainted
>And they’d be right to expect that, it’s indeed what’s probably in for them
>They’re a little reluctant at first, but Wickwisp is the first to make up his mind and accept
>Soon the others follow, and are ready to try whenever you are
>You thank them again as you start to prepare for another trip on boat
>There’s a slight frustration in your mind as you set sail on the slow wooden embarkation
>Should you have gone alone, you’d have been there so much faster, and you could have spent some time in the ocean again
>Not that you dislike being with your friends, but you always preferred surging through your realm over walking on land

>What do?

>>25735297
Why was Abyss jealous of Gem to begin with?

>>25735297
Is there any way to test our powers while we travel? At least ask if we can have a short hug from dad since it would feel warm.

>>25735412
>>25735515
>You lean on the side of the boat and have your hoof caress the water and the boat advances
>While your image stares back at you, you reflect of the motives that pushed Abyss into starting this madness
>You remember…
>It all began when the first Wind Lord tried to acquire the magic of Abyss but ended up let a piece of his mind instead
>Then he was vanquished, and sealed away by the wizard
>But, at that point Abyss started to go insane while he was imprisoned since Auriga "infected" him with mortal feelings
>Time was now affected his soul, and in his powerless state, it only made him suffer
>And the more time he spent deprived of his freedom, the more reckless he’d become to get it back
>So when the plans of the resistance did not include killing his jailers anymore, he became restless, and decided to act on his own
>But when it became obvious to him he wouldn't manage to kill both the remaining Wind Lords, he settled for another option, Gem Stone
>Gem Stone… since the second she crossed the barrier, he wanted to use her for his own gain
>But he saw her wander through the islands, he saw how Gem didn’t simply follow the plan he had for her, but made it her own
>He was jealous of her freedom before anything else, and of how she was actually going to succeed escaping the prison of the Archipelago, while he would remain in his own
>While obviously flawed, merging with Gem would to allow Abyss him to obtain freedom without any condition
>He just couldn’t bear the thought of spending another eternity in oblivion
>And finally, Abyss had the faint hope that no matter how bad the result would be, Gem would find a way to make it right
>”You’re making a god look up to you” Abyss once told her

>>25735902
>As bizarre as it may sound, these words were no lie from him
>That’s a little sad when you think about it, but at least, you think the hope “to make it right” hasn’t disappeared from your heart yet
>You get up, and decide to go beg for some warmth to your father
>He immediately accepts, and happily takes you in his arms
>In additions to his embrace, old memories come back to you, of when you were a filly
>He’d hug you like that too, and it feels just as good to tuck yourself against this chest
>Your thought are interrupted by Wickwisp, who asks you if you want to try talking with magic
>It seems like the right moment, but you’re ensure about how to proceed
>Not that you don’t know how to do it, but the thing is, you never brother being considerate with who you were addressing
>You feel his soul inside him, he’s not afraid of you at all right now
>Usually, you simply yanked a part of their soul into your raw mental scape, and delivered your message here
>But now, aside from trying to be delicate, how should you go?

>What do?

>>25735915

Try entering their mental scape instead

[Spoiler]Also Pleeny did your grammar skills improve significantly recently?]

>>25736016

Fug

>>25735915
I just want to say how great it was that after going deep into Abyss' side we go into the potent memory of Gem as a filly in her father's embrace. It balances the two back out. Just brilliant.

We are still vaguely two in one. I see Abyss' reasoning and actions but I also see Gem's too. There are moments where we are one but there has not yet been full coalesnce.

>>25736016
>>25736149
>Maybe you could try to get inside of his mental instead, it might be less harmful that way
>Closing your eyes, you concentrate on the forces at stakes
>You can sense Wickwisp near you, his being, his soul...
>It’s at the same time beautiful and yet so frail. Linked to his physical existence, that spirit won’t outlast the body it’s in
>Your energy, in comparison, feel like a calm, nearly immovable ocean inside you, the body being a mere vessel of it
>But still, you reach out, trying to enter the thoughts of your father
>However, you ecounter resistance as his spirit isn’t ready to host you, his mental scape being unfit to let you in
>You hear Wickwisp says he feels something, like a distant echo and encourage you to keep it up
>But that won’t do it, keeping up would be forcing you inside right now, and you don’t want that
>If you want to continue down that path, you have to tell your father he has to shape his mental scape to allow you in
>You’re not even sure these are the right words to describe it, it feels so natural for you to do so
>Yet you’ll have to explain, and your means don’t allow to be wordy about it
>How can you make him create a mental scape open enough to your being without having him master the trickery of the mind?

>What do?

>>25736304
Uh, empty his mind? Imagine water, the sea? Shit, I wouldn't know.

>>25736304

Tell him to empty his mind/meditate

>>25736558
>>25736577
>You open your eyes again and start to frenetically scribble with the chalk
>Both of you are so close, you really want it to work
>You tell him to empty his mind to let you in
>He’s a little taken aback by your suggestion, but he replies he’s gonna try
>You also add he should imagine a vast entity of water, the ocean would be the best
>Once again he nods, and then starts to meditate
>You decide it’s time for another try, and close your eyes again
>His being is still here, just like before, but this time you know where to go
>You can fell less turbulence in his spirit, and after a moment you can clearly see the expanse of water Wickwisp is thinking about
>It’s a child’s play to include yourself in this setting, a part of your being sliding easily in his aquatic mental scape
>You’re inside the water, your body almost invisible in the element surrounding it
>It’s done, all you have to do is now to catch his attention for the connection to be perfected
>You swim out of the water and you call
“Dad! Can you hear me?” Your voice utter, it almost feels foreign to hear it, yet so right and so good
>Since that voice is deeply engraved in Wickwisp’s memory, it really is your voice
>”G-Gem!” You hear your father reply in glee “Y-Your voice! I can hear it!”
>There’s no image of him in here, but you can feel his presence all around you
>And it radiates with joy and relief
“Dad! I’m so happy, I can finally talk to you!”
>”Y-Your voice… Oh, dear Celestia, Gem… It’s really you!”
>As the same time, you distantly feel a few tears rolling from your father’s eyes on your body, as Wickwisp holds you tighter

>What do?

I’m going to call it a night here
Thank you all for playing, see you tomorrow

>>25725233
>Also how the writing has changed and you don't explicitly say what exactly the other characters say gives a feeling of disconnect and separation and it's fucking brilliant.
I’m glad it works the way I intended to

>>25736016
>Also Pleeny did your grammar skills improve significantly recently?
I just started to proofread more thoughtfully


>>25736149
Thanks a lot! You can’t believe how good it feels when people actually pick up some detail you’ve put some effort to, the more if they enjoy it

bunp

[Spoiler]>>25736853
>I just started to proofread more thoughtfully

You should have done this from the beginning, it really shows. Your writing went from like 40% to 90%[/spoiler]

>>25738121

God dammit

>>25736845
how touching

>>25736845
Is Gem speaking or is Wick hearing our voice as hers?

>>25742755

>>25736845
It's all so strange. I'm me, but I'm not. I don't think I could ever explain it. Abyss wanted to be a pony more than anything but when he fused it just made... this. What am I going to do? I can't go back to life like it was, it was almost like Abyss expected me to figure everything out.