[1/2]
>Day forty of the eleventh moon.
After so long sailing unknown waters, we finally saw new land.
Finally. Finally we will escape the thrice damned war.
Salud's getting better, she can walk without vomiting now. I didn't expect her to get so nauseous while carrying our child.
Our. I still don't get used to it. She carries a little foal I helped in making.
I am equally horrified and giddy at the prospect of being a father. We decided to honor Seer and name the child Sarim, following unicorn customs.
Hah, maybe some day we will have Ludwig too.
[2/2]
>>27556266
We use the rowboat to go to the beach, leaving the ship anchored near the coast, and spend a moment looking around.
Not a sound but the wind.
"Huh." I say, more to fill the silence than anything else.
"This is empty alright." Nods Jenkins.
Seer turns to face the ship and looks at it for a moment, "It may've been a piece of shit ship, but--"
With a thundering groan, the Sterling promptly cracks in two.
"Oh."
We are in silence for a few minutes, watching the bubbles rise.
"Alright it was a piece of shit ship. And now we have to dive for our things."
>>27556475
Well, dive, I guess. Take turns so nobody gets winded.
[1/2]
>>27556730
It takes us the whole of the day, but we get the most important things out of the water. By night, Salud is waiting us with a fire started.
>Day twenty of the first moon.
Dear diary:
We decided to go further into the land, so if by chance people comes here they'll have it harder to find us. Seer sent a few messages in enchanted bottles, and said more people should arrive within a few moons.
>Day six of the first moon.
Huh, I had forgotten I had this thing. A year passed, more people came, our son is born...
Maybe some day I'll show this diary to him. Are you reading this, little boy? How do you think of me? How many times did I mess up? Do you know I'll always love you, or have I been enough of an idiot to not say it as often as I should?
>>27557553
Interrupt as Rarity. Ask what happened in the year that Ludwig skipped.
>>27557648
"A year without anything?" Asks Rarity. "Did you ask whatever happened?"
"Yeah, I did. They were starting a settlement, and those tend to be tiring." She groans tiredly, "Believe me, I had to help with one and there always seems to be something else to do. You wake up, work, and sleep."
>>27557553
Someone knocks the door, and Salud nearly hits me in the face when I open it, so insistently she is knocking.
"Have you seen Sarim?" She asks me, too worried for greetings.
My mind draws blank, "He said he'd eat at your home today."
"He told me that, but you know how he is..." She taps the floor nervously.
>>27557846
Assure her that Sarim is probably fine, and that we can go look for them if it makes her feel better.
>>27559199
I calm her down and head out to ask around. The first one I find outside is Seer, tending to a few plants he likes to have at hoof.
"Your boy? I saw him a few hours ago, talking with a member of the weather patrol. Give me a moment," He heads inside, says something to Jenkins I don't quite understand, and comes out again. "Done, I'll help you find the rascal."
>>27560084
Great, where am I following you to?
>>27560084
Go ask the weather patrol if they know anything
>>27560084
Do you know what he was talking to the, about?
>>27561275
Weather, probably.
>>27561275
>>27560786
We go to the small platform some of the weather patrol like to hang out in, and are immediately greeted by Rum.
Great.
She is immediately upon Salud, but thankfully the pleasantries don't last long once she notices how worried we are.
"Did Sarim talk with any of you a few hours ago?" Asks Salud directly.
"Oh!" The blue pegasus, which I need a moment to remember is called Marissa, flutters over me. "Yeah, your boy was asking us if it'd rain today, he mentioned something about the river south of here. Why? I thought some of you had sent him in an errand."
"We haven't seen him in some time and are getting worried." I explain.
"Oh dear," Marissa gives a look around until she spots some pegassi in a cloud. "I'll go tell them, if any of us sees him we'll search you, alright? You keep searching him." She flies off without waiting for an answer.I seriously fucking hate having to make new colour schemes. And forgetting stuff.
Paused for the day. And I'll have to suspend Miracle for some time as soon as Sacrifice is done, as something from Real Life happened sooner than I expected.
>>27562312Just kill me already.
>>27562312
We should head for the river.
beb
>living separately
o-oh
>>27562312
I can't think of anything more reasonable than >>27563140. It's our only lead right now.
Bump before bed.
beb
bump and resuming in a moment.
>>27563852
>>27563140
We go to the river, if one call something so small that.
Two foals, Iride and Leer, are splashing in the water.
>>27567607
Ask them if they have seen Sarim and if they know what he was doing.
>>27567607
anything unusual happen
>>27567654
>>27567684
"Boys?" We walk closer to them. "Did any of you see Sarim?"
"Yeah!" Iride turns to us. "We were playing dare and he said he had to go on an adventure!"
Leer looks everywhere but at us, pretending that he didn't hear the question.
>>27567751
Leer? What do you know where he's gone?
>>27568004
"Leer? Is there anything you aren't telling us?"
He keeps watching somewhere else.
"Leer." Snaps Salud.
Some day I'll understand how's that she does it. He turns to us with a guilty expression.
"He was going on about someone singing to him. I kinda sorta dared him to show me who it was. He went there," He points the direction the stream comes from. "Am I in trouble?"
>>27568371
Did you see who it was?
>>27568371
Do you know where they are at?
>>27568453
>>27568463
"Did you get to see who it was?"
"No," He digs the ground uncomfortably. "But I didn't hear anyone singing."
>>27568813
Well, go where he pointed. Continue fetch quest.
>>27569637
We follow the river, finding small clues of the path Sarim took, but after a while we have to stop.
I give a look to our surroundings. There is, against logic, no trees this close to a water source.
A shudder runs down my spine. Why? How is that we didn't find this place before?
Seer takes something from a bush over the small stone wall with telekinesis and examines it.
"Guys, you sure your boy isn't a pegasus?" He shows a strand of hair to us. "Because I see no way that he could've climbed up there."
We look around. The earth rises suddenly in what I have the feel unnerving feel is a perfect circle, as if someone had just added land where it didn't belong.Alright, paused for my P&P session.
>>27570088
Circle around the cliff until we find a portion that is climbable.
>>27570088
I kinda want to send Salud to get more ponies here. There's something very strange going on.
beb
P10Save.
>>27570913
>>27570961
"Salud?" I start. "Maybe you should go for others?"
"What!?" She turns to me, her glare making me back off. "It'll take me two hours to go there and back here again, and you'll need me to get up there!" She points to the small wall.
"I am sure there is some other way to climb, Seer and me can--"
"And you'll waste more time searching for a way up."
"Then take us up and go, we may need more people--"
"You may need to get higher! We are nearing the mountains, for wind's sake!"
"Hey, lovebirds," Seer interrupts us, "How about you look for a way up instead of arguing?"
Salud nods curtly and takes off. A few minutes later, she returns wearing a frustrated expression.
"There aren't any trees to climb, and the ground just goes up like this everywhere else."
>>27578120
Well then how did he get up there? To find him we need to find the way he got up there and follow that trail. Can we maybe have our pegasus fly straight up and see if there is any other way he could have got up there?
>>27578120
Just stomp on the cliff a bit until it collapses and makes a slope we can clamor up.
>>27578695
That would only work if it is very loosely packed dirt or sand with next to no rocks or roots holding it together. It would be better to climb up manually. Have ponies on the ground boost us up to pegusi that can fly up top to help pull us up.
>>27578759
Salud carries me up, and I help her pull Seer. We take a moment to collect our breaths.
"So," Says Seer after a minute. "Do you want to go search someone else or not?"
"I'd do it myself if I was a pegasus, but--"
"But you aren't. What if you need a flier? Or if Sarim fell down a hole?"
"Look, the earth is just--"
"Oh don't start with the earth now--"
"Can't you understand the earth here is just wrong?" I point to a nearby flower. "Look at that thing! Have you ever seen that species? Don't you think we would've noticed something that large?"
"I get this place is wrong, the damned air feels like I am flying too high! That's why we need--"
"Oh for gods' sake!" Snaps Seer. We both look at him mutely. "Look at you two! This is the reason I came here! You two insist in not marrying, but sure argue like a thrice damned couple!" He takes a deep breath and calms down. "Look at yourselves! You stick to each other like paste the moment anything goes wrong, even while arguing. Now, will you decide if you want to send for help already so we can find your son?"
>>27579652
Sending for help would take too long and we need to find him now before anything bad happens to him in this place.
>>27579652
>>27579994
Posted too soon. Go after him. Keep following along his last known path. Never mind that he shouldn't have been able to get up here, maybe that cliff didn't even exist when he came by. This place is unusual.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeJbSmNGXWM
[1/2]
>>27580014
We decide not to use up more time than we already have, and keep following Sarim's track.
After a while, we find a path of cobbles, which is better levelled the further we go into it. Soon, we start seeing patterns etched into the old stone, only disturbed by the trail of small hoofprints in the dust.
I don't know what is this stone, but we find barely a few broken cobbles-- they all feel as resistant as they are ancient, and after a while our hooves hurt from walking on them so we walk out of the path.
The breeze passes amidst the patterns etched in the stone, and I could swear there is some kind of song, too soft for me to hear well.
There are more paths around us, some of them cyclopean in size.
>>27580678
After a few more hours, we find a wall, high enough that a pegasus would need take minutes to land on the other side. The trail leads us to a gateway, large enough that the wall needs an arch to completely surround it.
I ask the others to confirm than they also have the feel this isn't an opening, but merely the gap between the two doors.
Against our protests, Seer puts himself in front of us.
>>27581031
Knock? Maybe search for a lever or pull chain? I doubt that we can just push something this big open, but I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to try.
>>27581195What for.
There is a gap.
You know what I'll just assume the command was to use the obvious gap between the doors. Making next image.
>>27581872
I thought that was a gap of wall in between the two doors. If the doors don't quite meet in the middle then go throughh.
Flashback bump.
>>27581942
We enter the city and keep following the trail left by Sarim.
After nearly an hour of it, there is a faint beep behind us which makes us stop.Took longer than I expected.
>>27583374
Turn around and investigate the beep. Also look at the drawing on the wall in more detail.
>>27583374
What's the little red squiggle around the corner?
>>27583374
When we turn around to investigate the beep, make sure one of us is still facing forward so we have eyes in all directions. This is not a place where I want to get a nasty surprise.
>>27584050
>>27583573
>>27583542
We give the hair one last look and confirm that, yes, it's Sarim's.
"Hey, could you keep watch?" I ask Seer.
"Aye aye," He walks backwards until we are closer to the source of the beep.
We give a long look to the etchings in the wall, and after a moment we notice than the lower square is shinning a very faint green. Salud presses it softly, and the rock recedes with ease, clicking softly.
She takes her hoof of it before anything happens, however.
>>27584188
Okay, first check and see if that did anything. While we're waiting to see if anything happened examine that small light colored rectangle in the corner to see if it is important (unless it is just a rock). If it isn't important, follow on in the direction we found the hair in. I don't want to push that button again without knowing what it does, and finding our lost kid is priority one.
If we hit a dead end, then we can come back and try the button, though.
>>27584242
There are a few faint clicks in several areas of the wall, barely lewd enough to be heard over the whisper of the breeze, but they die off after a few seconds.
When nothing else happens, we keep following Sarim's trail. Soon after we reach some kind of plaza, large enough to have a small city in, and our way takes us to two...
They are vaguely fish-shaped, with four flaps one of them moves lazily, seemingly to float. Their faces, if one can call them that, seem to be composed of four lips surrounding some kind of beak that they move slowly to produce quiet muttering sounds.
At first they don't notice us, but the one that seems to be resting sees us and muttering is what I can only think is a curious tone. The other also looks at us, and softly taps it's flaps against it's body.3AM here, pausing for the day.
Beb
>>27584892
Greet them. Ask them where we are.
>>27584892
I can't see any of that. Can someone brighten up the image?
>>27587509
Jesus fucking hell. Have I been missing this much information all the time? Look at that button. I never would have known it was there. This is like Inept tier pixel hunting, except with low contrast colors.
>>27587708
The creatures are visible in my monitor. And darkness only hides the shape of rooms. If a creature isn't within line of sight, said creature is invisible.
And not really I haven't visually hidden anything the players ought to know.
And lastly, no. I won't give cartoon network darkness where things are dark only not really.
Resuming in a moment.
>>27587708
Oh wait THAT BUTTON.
THAT BUTTON IS ME BEING A FAGGOT.
I forgot to disable it's layer.
So uh, yeah. Writing next update.
>>27588277
Oh good. Objection withdrawn.
https://files.catbox.moe/lw19tm.ogg
>>27586517
"Ah, hi?" I try.
They look at us and mutter among themselves. When we are walking away slowly, they turn back to us.
They greet us back and ask why are we here.
"We are searching our son," I walk closer to Salud in reflex. "He seems to have come here. What is this place?"
They tell us this is...
They share a look, and mutter more among themselves.
They tell us our language still doesn't have the words for it, but we can think of it as a bubble-- before something surfaces fully in water, there are always a few of them, aren't there?
"Have you seen our son?" Asks Salud. "We are scared that something may have happened to him."
One such as you, but smaller? They ask. There was one, not too long ago, who was lured by a song. The apologize for not having stopped him, but hearing their song could be dangerous to one so young.
>>27588549
Well, we appreciate the thought. Did they see where he went?
>>27588549
Whose song? Who are "they"? Are they the same people we heard singing in the floor? And dangerous how? How much danger is he in?
Finally, what is this place a bubble of, and how much time do we have before the rest arrives?
>>27588572
"Where did he go?"
They mutter for a moment and say they could guide us to him. The bubble... has an uncertain shape, they say. We may get lost. It can be dangerous, even if not evil.
>>27588666
Agree and follow them.
Ask all this stuff as we walk: >>27588584
>>27588871
We share a look and nod. The resting one leashes around for a second and raises to the air, and we follow them.
"Who are you?" I ask after a moment.
They take a moment to answer, but one tells us that we may call them whatever we want, as singing their own names could have repercussions. Music is volatile here, they say.
"Alright... but how dangerous is this place? Is he in danger?"
"The floor was singing at us," Adds Salud. "Is that bad?"
Danger is relative, they say, and so is much of this place. Therein lies the danger.
But nothing will attack him, they add. The bubble is not ill-intended.
And the singing floor is merely a greeting, put in place by the builders of the city.
"You said something was coming up," Adds Seer, severely. "Is it bad? Should we stop it?"
They almost seem to laugh for a moment, but tell us not to worry. It'll happen with time, so as to not stress too much the surrounding areas, and this place wishes not to hurt living creatures.Paused for the day
>>27589159
So why is the city coming here? Are they fleeing something?
>>27589563
"Why is it coming here in the first place?" I ask.
It has always been here, they say. It simply hadn't been apparent to ones such as us.
"And you?" I can't help but be curt when I ask it.
We are many things, they explain, but as for now they are... supervising, so that the bubble brings no unnecessary pain to mortals. They tell us not to worry.
Should we see more of them, however, we would do well to make peace with our loved ones.Things were canceled, so I can QM for a few more hours.
>>27590209
>danger is relative
>should we see more of them, however, we would do well to make peace with our loved ones
[worry]
How much farther is it? I want to make sure our son is okay.
Also, I think I wasn't asking the right question earlier. You said that the city has always been here and it just wasn't perceivable. What changed? Why is this place appearing? I know you said you meant no harm and you are here to prevent the bubble from causing pain, but why is all this happening anyway?
>>27590209
What happened to what was here before the bubble displaced it?
>>27590288
>>27590335
"Alright..." I try to take it off my mind. "This city, why is it appearing now? Did the bubble displace it?"
They tell me the bubble did nothing to the city, and is merely an anticipation of it's return.
They fall silent for several minutes after that, but talk again. They say the city is merely following it's cycle. Everything does.
We don't answer to that, and they guide us to a cyclopean door.
They tell us that while they can get closer to Sarim, they can't talk near him. Their song is too large for a child to hear safely. He is inside, close by.
>>27590645
Thank them for the helpand for at least making an attempt to answer WHAT the city was doing if not WHYand then head in through the door. Ask the bubble guardians to keep it open for us.
>>27590645
Ask what is behind the door.
>>27590645
Knock.
>>27590754
>>27591033
We thank them for the help and pass through the gap between the doors and the wall.
I can't see the whole room very well, but it seems to have relatively few pieces of furniture. Over us there is a stair-like assortement of metal tubes, just besides a table. There are two things I can't recognize at the other side of the room, as they are too far.
>>27591533
Oh and
>[SELECT CHARACTER TO CONTROL]
>>27591533
Head to the other side of the room to see what it is.
>>27591604
That choice makes me nervous, so I pick the only pone here with a horn.
>>27591604
I was going to pick Rimwig, but >>27592047 is fine too.
>>27592047
>>27592226
The metalic leg is supporting something, but I can't see what it is from this angle.
>>27592634
Can we move around it to the other side to see better? Maybe cast our light a bit higher to see what is there?
>>27592939#
It seems to be several nails in a metalic sheet... there is some kind of pattern to it, one I feel I'd understand if I looked deep enough into it.
>>27593152
Then let's look deep into it. Can we see it head on, maybe? Also, are there any other exits to this room? Because I'm not seeing the kid.
>>27593152
I really want to respond to the fact that I can see the kid there, but I think he might be blocked from our view by the ledge he's standing on. Go take a closer look at the nails in the wall, and maybe we can see him when we turn around since the angle will be better then.
>>27593661
I thought that was us.
>>27593953
The light is coming from below the face, anon.
>>27593255
>>27593661
I look deeper into the image, and walk around the room to see it from diferent angles.
"Sar..." My head aches, "Boy?"
Salud and Rimwig see him and shout at him, but he doesn't answer.
My head aches.
My head aches so much.
I look at the patterns.
Images move under the surface.
I can't stop focusing on them
Heavenly mechanisms opera
>CONNECTION LOST TO PEER
>SELECT CHARACTER TO CONTROL.Pausing for the day.
>>27594057
Salud.
>>27594118
Sure.
beb
Resuming in a moment.
>>27594118
"Sarim!" I shout.
He keeps staring at whatever that thing is. Before I have the time to do anything else, Seer's hornlight fades and he groans.
"Ugh," He rubs his head. "What is--" He sits down, seemingly tired. "Oh, hadn't felt like this since my first binge." He sways as he says it, barely staying upright.
>>27597496
Ask him if he is alright, and what he saw. Also call out to Sarim and ask if he is alright.
>>27597496
The fact that the zero on the right pillar has lit up worries me. This whole machine worries me. Can we climb up and grab Sarim and get out of here please?
Gosh dang it to heck, something came up. Back in an hour or two.
>Page 10'ing when I am writing the next update
nope.
Spooped bump
>>27597606
>>27597559
"Are you alright? What is it?"
"That painting--" He winces and closes his mouth, teeth clacking, barely in time to keep vomit in. "Don't look at it." He says after swallowing it.
"You go for Sarim, I'll help him out." Rimwig offers him a shoulder, which Seer leans on heavily.
I fly for Sarim, calling him, but he doesn't answer.
He doesn't answer to me either when I call him, or when I shake him.
I grab his head to look at his eyes, searching what's wrong, but he resists and keeps watching the painting.
>>27599773
Okay, the painting fucks you up. Block his view of it.
>>27599773
>>27599838
That sounds reasonable. If he doesn't react violently then pick him up and fly back down with him, facing AWAY.
Then get the hell out of here.
>>27599838
>>27599933
I grab him and, against his protests, pull him away from the painting.
The others are waiting me outside.
"Son?" I call him, and Rimwig echoes me soon after.
He blinks a few times, shivering, and his eyes focus on us. He blinks rapidly, groaning.
"Mom?" He rubs his closed eyes "Why do my eyes hurt?"
>>27600248
Magic alien space painting made you stare at it for who knows how long. Not important right now. We need to get out of here.
>>27600478
"This is a bad place. We need to get you out of here." I put him on my back.
Sarim looks around, and his eyes widen when he sees the guards.
"Mom? Dad? Can I ride 'em? Can I can I can I?"
>>27600248
Ask tentacle guy up there what happened to our two friends who looked at the picture, if there will be any lasting negative effects, and if they can lead us back out of here because this place feels more dangerous than we previously thought.
>>27600751
NO.
>>27600882 was supposed to go to >>27600751. Also what >>27600892 said.
>>27600932
"No." I snap, in nearly perfect sync with Rimwig. "Could you guide us out of here?" I ask the guards.
They nod. I am about to make more questions, but remember that they can't communicate safely if Sarim is near.Paused for the day.
>>27601348
>They nod.
H-how?
>>27601612With their heads.
Beb
Bip
[1/2]
We follow the guards out of the city, Sarim between me and Rimwig.Sorry for taking so long today, I just couldn't found some things
>>27606468
"...and you have to make sure that there isn't even a single hole in the--"
"Dear?" Salud lands behind dad, giving him a start. "Oh. Sorry."
"No problem, what--"
"Can we talk?" She interrupts him again. "Alone?"
"Yeah, sure." He turns to us, "Wait me here."
We watch them walk away for a moment.
"Hey," Selene pokes me in the ribs, "Wanna know what they are talking about?"
>>27606853
Probably boring grown up stuff.But yes.
>>27606853
Sure. What are they talking about?
>>27607279
>>27607713
Selene helps me climb a tree, and we sneak on them.
"...you know, the party at Zelma's?" Asks mom.
"What of it?" Almost immediately, he adds. "Oh, don't tell me..."
"Yes." She nods.
Selene has to supress a fit of laugher.
"You sure?" Asks dad.
"What?" I whisper to Selene.
"They were Ki-ss-ing." She whispers.
"Yeah," Answers mom. "I am pregnant."
"Huh," Dad digs the floor awkwardly. "And we never got around to, you know..."
"Yeah." Mom nods and falls silent.
"Marrying. There always seems to be something in the way." He pauses. "Want me to go take care of you?"
Selene giggles again, "As if they didn't spend half their time at each other's home."
"No, not yet," Mom shakes her head. "We'll see about it when the time comes. About both things."Making next time jump, if you want to do anything now do it before I post the next image.
>>27607817
Go ahead and time jump. I want to see Ludwig as a kid.
>"They were kissing," she whispers.
Oh good, they didn't die.
>>27607902
"I WILL TEAR YOU--"
"Calm down, it's--" Starts the midwife.
"I WILL TEAR IT OFF TOO--"
Dad closes the door, cutting off their voices.
"Mister? What's wrong with her?" Asks Selene.
"Look, birth is a beautiful thing--"
A shout escapes the house, containing many words I've been told not to use.
"Birth is a beautiful thing to remember. Now go search those tulips and rhubarb, there must be some at the greenhouse. I'll take care of everything else."
>>27608105
To the greenhouse!
>>27609282
We knock the door, but no one answers.
"Parry?" Calls Selene. We wait a moment, and there is no response.
>>27608105
Isn't that one of those unusual flowers from the bubbling area?
>>27609469
Is it open?
>>27609469
Open it and go in.
>>27612676
>>27610650
I push it, and it doesn't open. Selene and I share a look and we push against it with our shoulders, but it's not humidity swelling the wood-- we can hear the lock inside.
>>27613953
Unlock it with unicorn magic.
>>27614664
No one here is an unicorn
>>27614664
I'm going to assume you meant go get a unicorn. We can make that our plan B.
>>27613953
Make a circuit around the greenhouse looking inside. If it is locked on the inside then there must be someone inside who locked it, so look for them and then knock on the glass to get their attention to let us in.
>>27614732
We walk around the greenhouse, searching for Parry, but it seems to be empty. We go to the small, spartan brick building Parry has behind it, and after a moment's doubt look into the single window there is in it.
Parry is sleeping, snoring heavily and legs twitching under the mat. In the bed there is also some kind of glass tube, shaped not unlike a thermometer, and a small length of well polished wood with a rounded tip.
I tap the door, but the only response is sleep-talking.
Selene gives a look to a nearby stone, hmming to herself.
>>27615131
I hope you're not planning on putting that through the window. Just go to the other side of the wall from where he is sleeping and bang on the wall with a rock until he wakes up. I don't want to break any windows unless we have to.
>>27615163#
"Selene."
She acts like she didn't hear me.
"Selene what are you planning." She doesn't answer me. "Selene don't break the window."
"I am offended by the implication." She hmphs.
"You can just make noise with it you know."
"Science is about breaking stuff and seeing what happens afterwards." She says mater-of-factly.
"But we already know what'll happen. We will hurt someone with the glass and we will be rebuked."
"Hm. That stands to be tested."
"Just make noise with it will you. We can make science later."
She nods, grabbing the rock, and flies a small distance before throwing the stone to the ceiling.
Parry wakes up with a start, sees me, nearly falls off the bed, hides the wood lenght and the glass tube, and opens the front door of the greenhouse.
Parry is weird.
>---
The midwife exits the room, and I catch a glance of Mom devouring the tulips and rhubarb inside while she cleans a baby's face.
"It's fine," She nods, tired. "A beautiful unicorn filly."
We go in and have looks at...
My sister.
The word feels strange, and I use it aloud.
"Yes, she is," Says Dad, smiling widely while he watches her.
"Dad?" I ask him. "Are you crying?"
"Yes, I am," He moves her mane to see her eyes. "Salud?"
"Hm?" She asks between two mouthfuls of tulip.
"Will you marry me?"
She chokes, eyes wide from the surprise, and he gives her a few hits in the back.
She breathes deeply for a moment and nods.
"Yes. Yes I will."Preparing next time jump, if you want to do anything else here do it before I post it.
>>27615402
"Dad?" I call out to his workshop.
There isn't an answer. He must be done for the day.
Where could he have gone? To the bar, visiting someone, or at mom's?
Or maybe Sarim could know. Or I could tell him of the neat thing I found before telling dad.
>>27615793
Sarim. That way we can ask where our dad is and tell Sarim about that thing we found at the same time.
>>27616467
I search his room, but it's empty.
Maybe he's hanging out with some of his friends? I search for any, and after a few minutes I find Selene helping her mom sculpt a new fountain.
>>27617071
Tell them about the neat thing we found, then. I want to hear about it. Ask when it will be ready to turn on the fountain, also. I want to see it. Oh, and our dad too.
So many things to do.
>>27617071
That moon looks unhappy.
>>27617112
"Hey! Hey Selene!"
"Hmm?" She turns to me. "What's up sister?"
"Guess what I found!"
"What?"
"Nuh-uh, guess it!"
"A bug?" I shake my head. "A pretty stone? Another ratchet? A bird?"
"Nooo..."
"Alright, spill the beans." She takes off her lenses. "I had to take a break anyway."
"I found a city!"
"AlriWhat."
"And it's mine cuzz I found it!"
"What."
"All of it!"
"What's that?" Asks Selene's mom, leaving her tools in the floor and rubbing her leg joints.
"I found a city!"
"What?"
"A city! And it's mine!"
"Where was it?" She seems to be growing worried.
"Out in the mountains!" I pause for a moment. "Have you seen Sarim? I bet he'll be soooo jealous."
>>27617288
Beam a happy smile at them, then realize that they are looking at you like you are crazy.
Maybe explain what the city looks like and offer to lead them there.
Testing
>>27617288
Is it the same city as the one from the bubble?
>>27617288
Wait for them to answer if they have seen Sarim or not.That seemed like more of a prompt for them than us.
B U G test
Teste
miracle a shit
This quest a garbage
Hmmm
>>27617869
>>27617882
I'd disagree with you, but I can't post.
>>27617357
>>27617494
They keep staring at me.
"What?"
"A city?" Asks Selene. "Like you just turned around a corner and saw a city?"
"Yep!" I beam at them. Sarim's gonna be soooooo jealous.
"In the mountains?" Selene's mom asks.
"Yep! It was huge, too! I bet you could carve an entire house inside the doors!"
"Oh, damn it..." She rubs her face. "I really had wanted to believe it was just a joke..."
"Alright... but where's Sarim?" I insist.
"Come, we'll find him. And your parents."
"What?" I recoil. "I didn't--!"
"Not to ground you," She rolls her eyes and gestures at me and Selene to follow.On to the next time jump
Testing
>>27617927
>On to the next time jump.
Looking forward to it.
>>27617927
"I tell you, this place was outright dangerous last time we were here!" Mom nearly shouts. "We don't know if something can still be!"
"But that painting you talked about isn't here--"
"But you saw the marks on the floor, it WAS there! And do you want to find whatever took it?"
"Look, I get that this place was freakish before, but now it seems perfectly normal. How about we leave it alone a few months just in case, and then see about moving in?"
"How would we heat all these rock walls?" Rebukes Dad. "Without burning an entire forest every night, I mean."
The adults keep arguing about my city.
This is boring.
>>27618297
Wait, they've been here before?
Aw, that means it's not our city.
Why didn't they tell us about it though
I'd post one more update but I am too tired. Pausing for the day.
beb
>>27618885sleep well
Jumping into the sky.
>>27618661
"Hey, mom?" I tug her tail. "You've been here before?"
She shares an uncomfortable look with Dad.
"Yes, dear. We just thought it had been a really, really bad dream."
"Salud, what was that..."
"Oh, yeah. We also would need to check if something can be poisonous, like a plant or..."
They trail off again.
Hey, maybe I could check out my city. Or their city. Whatever. The adults already spent three days making sure there wasn't anything too bad, after all.
>>27624771
We can take a little look around at least. Maybe our brother could come with us.
>>27624824
And an adult. Just to be safe.
>>27625292I was just about to post the update, and I could add some adult. BUT adults are dumb-faces who won't let clever fillies explore like they ought to, are you sure?
>>27625326
We take them with us to the city so they don't worry, but then covertly split off from them once we get inside so we can do our own thing.
>>27625509
Then they'd worry because we disappeared. How about we just tell them where they're going to keep them from worrying and then explore in peace?
>>27625691
I tell Mom and Dad I want to see more of the city, and they tell me to search Sarim.
I soon find him, and he guides me along the parts of the city he's already memorized while helping search for anything that could be dangerous.
After a few minutes of walking among the giant buildings, something catches my eye and I go see it, Sarim chasing after me and telling me to wait.
"Hey!" I point. "This one wasn't broken like the others!" Just as I say so, the button clicks.
>>27625905
Buttons are for pushing.
>>27626054
Agreed. Push the button, then wait to see if anything happens. If nothing happens, push it and hold it down.
>>27625905
Is there anything we could use to climb up the stone? Maybe on the back? I want to see what that little thing on top is. Maybe Ludwig could use her magic to lift Sarim up there.
>>27626054
>>27626069
Before Sarim has the time to stop me, I press the button.
The carvings move slowly, and it stares silently at us.
>>27626317
Say hi and see if it can talk.
>>27626317
ay what's up?
>>27626390
>>27626364
"Hello?" I ask. Sarim stands nervously, still.
It's eyes twitch several times, "He- Hell- HELL- HE- HEEEE..." It fades away.
After a moment, I add, "Who are you?"
"Who-- WHO- WHO- WHO." Something inside the stone clicks several times, "Who? Are? You?" It speaks the words with an odd accent, as if unused to them. "Who are you. Hello." It keeps clicking for several minutes. "Who. Property of self?. Words insufficient. Provide words."
>>27626448
Apples. Forget. Hay. Sky. Cave. Cloud. Pony. Me. Doing. Obstacle. He. Pile. Interest. The. Delicious. Tower. Focus. Gone. Wet. And. Forgive. She. That. Giant. Purpose. Accept. Forest. Understand.
>>27626494
I recite words to the face carving for a moment.
"Who. Annex to other words that identifies an undefined individual of probably sentient and/or organic qualities?"
I stare at it in silence.
"Assumed positive provisionally. State your inquiry."
>>27626623
Who are you? Who means that I am asking for a unique identifier of an individual.
What are you? What means that I am asking you to describe what categories of things you belong to.
>>27626448
What was the last question you were asked before I showed up?
Also, have some more words:
Pony. Unicorn. Pegasus. Earth. Sun. Moon.
Be. Is. Am. Are. Were. Was.
Yes. No. Dead. Alive. Created. Born.
Choose. Make. Destroy. Listen. Hear.
In. On. At. Near. By. With. Upon.
>>27626623
How long have you existed for? A day is the time it takes to go from one dawn to dusk, then back to another dawn. A year is 365 of those.
Who made you? Was it something that looks like me? I am a pony. If it was another kind of thing that made you, what did it look like?
Why were you made? Everything that is made is made for a reason. The purpose of a lamp is to cast light. The purpose of a hammer is to drive nails.
What is the name of this city? A name is what you call something so you don't have to describe it every time you mention it. My name is Ludwig. This is Sarim.
>>27626748
>>27626792
>>27626960
"Who are you?" I ask immediately.
"The one you are speaking with holds no organic components nor the equipment to posses sense of self. Designation is--" It clicks several more times. "Designation is incompatible with language."
Before I have the time to say anything else, Sarim takes a step forward. "What are you then?" He pauses. "And what was the last thing you got asked, before us?"
"This one is an information unit." It clicks several more times, and a cracking appears in it's voice. "Last question: internal clocks damaged. Last count--" It pauses. "Timescale incompatible with language. Provide compatible timescale."
Sarim continues, "A day is the time between two sunrises. More or less. A moon is 44 of those. Eleven moons are a year."
It clicks for a moment.
"Last use of systems due to stray wildlife: Six-to-the-eighth-power years. Last use by sentient creatures: sixteen-to-the-forty-seventh-power years. Count outdated."
"What?" Me and Sarim ask in unison.
"Count much too large for practical use in present language. Arithmetic abridging is of convenience."
Sarim shakes his head, "Who made you? What for?"
"And what's the name of the city?" I add.
"Name of city incompatible with language. Name of creators incompatible with language. Possible psiquic damage if a conversion was tried. Function of this one: To provide information to both locals and possible visitors."
Before any of us can say anything else, a shadow falls over us, blocking the sun.
Wow.
I didn't know they were so big.
A claw comes down and scratches the surface of the carving, the dragon not even noticing us for now. It's eyes slide closed again.
"Reeh, seta ral--" It's eyes fall on us. "Ponies? When did you come to this continent?" It asks us in confusion, air whistling out of the holes in it's cheek and voice rasping. "And what are you doing here? This place is dangerous!"
>>27627151
3 undecillion 742 decillion 42 nonillion 951 octillion 225 septillion 759 sextillion 540 quintillion 14 quadrillion 535 trillion 187 billion 298 million 779 thousand 136 years. Fucking hell. This thing is older than the universe by a ridiculous amount.
Tell him how long ago we came here, assuming we know when ponies first settled in this place. The general area of the world, I mean. Not when we were shipwrecked here.
Also dangerous how?
>>27627151
We came here to get away from the warring tribes not long before my brother Sarim was born.
And we're here to explore.
Who are you?
>>27627206
>>27627276
"Ponies in the mainland were dumb and our parents got tired of them fighting, so they came here." I say matter-of-factly. Sarim cringes, but nods. "Like twenty years ago."
"Sixteen." Corrects Sarim.
"Dumb? Dumb!?" He laughs, making our ears hurt. "You wouldn't believe it! Last I checked they still were at it."
"And we were exploring this place!"
His laugher dies off, "You ponies have an uncanny habit to go into every strange magical place there is, don't you?"
"And who are you?"
The dragon's mood falls, and he opens his mouth several times before groaning, "When you are as old as I am, you forget certain things. I was idiotic enough to not write my name somewhere before it happened."
Other ponies come, and some start shouting at the sight of the dragon.
"Calm down, you idiots!" He says, irritated. "Do you think I am still some youngling trying to prove a dubious masculinity?"
They stand still, but giving the dragon uneasy looks. After a moment, Mom and Dad walk to us, the dragon backing off to not block the sun over us.
"Dears?" Asks Mom, nearly panicking. "Did he hurt any of you?"
>>27627366
No, but he killed the magical interactive library. Are there any more of those guys that you saw anywhere in the city?
>>27627366
Tell them what the library head said.
>>27627390
>>27627519
Sarim shakes his head.
"He broke the face," I point at it, nearly waiting for it to move.
"I didn't kill it," The dragon rolls his eyes, "I just cut it's power."Pausing for the day. You may now also make questions as Salud/Rimwig.
>>27627616
Bluh, same thing. It was talking to us too!
>>27627616
Rimwig: what did it say?
Sarim: [what it said here].
beb
>>27627151
>Function of this one: To provide information to both locals and possible visitors."
Awesome! Explanations at last!
>Before any of us can say anything else...
You fucker.
>>27627721
>>27629669
>>27628166
"Hey, it talked to us!" I insist.
"It's a machine, see?" The dragon puts two nails between the points of the carving he damaged, and the eyes open again. "You, machine. State your nature."
"This one is an automated information retrieval unit designed to not alienate the users."
"See? It's a complex stage play, nothing else. And a dangerous one at that.
"What are you talking about?" Dad walks to us, giving Sarim a confused look. Sarim complies, and soon Dad is nodding.
"I... this city..." He sits down. "This is why I don't want to come here. Every moment we spend here is just crazy."
The dragon chukles, "You talk as if you had been here before."
"I was."
The dragon chokes on his laugher, "When?"
"A few years back?"
The dragon looks at us for a second, brow furrowed, end turns around.
"Come, you four. We have things to discuss."
>>27633699
Like what?
And you need a name.
I'm thinkingBiggs.
>>27633699
What are your claws made of? You know, just in case we want to bridge those gaps and start the machine up again.
>>27634005
"What about?" Asks Mom.
"About whatever you found." He groans. "Will you come?">>27634127
Queued.
>>27634236
I guess.
>>27634543
>>27634005
>>27634127
Mom and Dad give dubious looks to the rest, but after a moment follow the dragon.
"Hey!" I tell the dragon. He makes a gesture I chose to think is an acknowledgement. "You need a name. You can't not have a name."
"I have a few hundred given names," He shrugs. "Go ahead."
"You are Biggs." I declare, to Mom's horror.
"Biggs it is." He shrugs.
"And what are your claws made of?"
"Of claw."
"And what is claw made of?" I insist.
"Mainly protein." After a moment, he adds. "You are a clever filly, but I am not telling a child how to use those things."
"Aaaaw--" Dad grabs me before I can add anything and makes a gesture for me to shut up.
Bummers.
After half an hour of walking, the dragon guides us inside a home large enough to contain him several times over. Against my expectations, there isn't any hoard here-- only a small pile of objects in a corner.
"Now that we have some privacy, what in Tartarus were you doing in this place before? And what did you find?"
>>27634924
I guess we're talking as the adults now.
We were here looking for our son. He wandered in after hearing a song.
>>27634974
"Our son," Mom draws closer to Sarim. "Was here. He said he was hearing a song."
"Go on," The dragon sits down, making the floor shake.
"And he was staring at... something. A friend who helped us looked at it and told us not to focus on it."
"See? That's why I told you it's dangerous. An adult will get serious mental problems if he stays here for too long. A kid will die." He groans, "And every time this damn place appears again, everything is here again, no mater how many times we throw it onto space."You can still select any member of the family to talk
>>27635155
Sounds like you need to find a better way to deal with it.
Also who's "we"?
>>27635155
Why did you throw it into space, and why does it keep coming back? Also who made it? The face wouldn't tell us.
>>27635388
>>27635311
"Out into space?"
"Oh, I always forget you haven't found out about that..."
"Found out about what?" I ask.
"Nothing, just... we, me and other dragons, used to keep an eye in this city. Every time it appeared, we took it away and threw it to the sky."
"Wouldn't it fall again?"
"Not if you throw it high enough." He makes a vague gesture with his claw I don't understand.
"But if it kept coming back, why didn't you try something else?"
"We did, it just came back faster. The point is not breaking it, just getting it away. That way it only comes back with the city."
I pause, "But who made this stuff?"
"I am sure the dragon is busy, dear--" Starts Mom.
"No, no, I like the kid," Interrupts the dragon. "And I have no idea whatsoever, or interest in knowing. I just know they made the city to last, and maybe did it too well." He pauses. "A few other dragons forced the faces to tell 'em. Wasn't pretty."
>>27635518
Have you tried just making it safer?
We can put warning signs or something.
>>27635518
What happens when a face tells you who built the city? How long can it last in space before returning? How long have you dragons been doing this? Do you know anything at all about what the people who made it are like? I can guess from the face on the block that they aren't anything that look like us. Are there any other topics to shy away from, or is it safe to talk to the face if we avoid the builders of the city? How long until you throw it into space this time? How many dragons does it take to throw it into space? Or do you not do that any more? If so, why not? Are there just not enough dragons any more? What happened to them? Is there anything else cool in space? Does the city come back the same way every time, or do changes to the city persist? Will that face still be broken next time it comes back, for example? Does it always come back in the same exact place?
>>27635518
How do you get your scales so shiny? Can I touch them?
>>27635541
>>27635589
>>27635901
"What happens?"
"You don't want to know."
"But I wanna."
"Have you ever seen someone unfold?"
"What?"
"Exactly."
We stare at the dragon for a moment.
"And you throw it into the sky?" I ask when he doesn't offer any other explanation.
"Yep."
"How?"
"With our arms." He deadpans.
"How long have you been doing it for?"
"Don't really remember," He scratches his chin. "Guess it has five or six digits on it."
"Why? Wouldn't it be easier to just put warning signs?"
"That'd only make you mortals want to see it more, and the warning signs go away too."
"...when do they go away?"
"When the city disappears again. Next time it comes back it's back to the way it was before, maybe a few kilometers south or north. No idea why."
"And when will you throw it to the sky?"
"Already on it. I'll be done in a few weeks at most."
"How many of you do it?" I ask, thinking in seeing a bunch of dragons throw things at the sky. I bet it'd be awesome.
"We used to be a few dozen, but these days I am on my own."
"Why?"
"Because that idiot, Torch, thinks we are larger than life, ridiculous upstart he is. And the younglings love the idea, too. There aren't many folks as old as I am," He shrugs with a far away look. "And all of them busy keeping this old rock rolling along its path."
I watch him in awkward silence, not knowing what to say.
"Uh, your scales are shiny." I say after a moment.
The dragon laughs softly, "Thanks, kid. But don't flatter an old dragon with empty words."
>>27635943
Can we ask the rest too?
>Do you know anything at all about what the people who made it are like? I can guess from the face on the block that they aren't anything that look like us. Are there any other topics to shy away from, or is it safe to talk to the face if we avoid the builders of the city?
Also, how often do you have to do this, and if Torch has his own name why did we have to give you one? And what does unfolding mean? Do they literally come apart?
And that scale thing wasn't just empty words. They look awesome. Do you shed? Can I have one?
>>27636005
"Hey, I wasn't lying. They are neat."
"Huh."
"Do you shed 'em? Can I get one?"
"If you are around in a hundred years, sure." He rolls his claw around in another alien gesture.
"But what does unfolding mean? Do their arms and stuff fall off and stuff?"
"I am sure he doesn't want to talk about it, dear." Says Dad in a way that makes clear I don't want to hear about it.
"Oh, no, nothing so physical. I don't want to talk about something this grim to a kid, anyhow."
"Uhm..." I try to think of something else to ask, "Why does Torch have a name if you don't?"
"Because he's a kid, barely entering the thousand."
>>27636462
Is it safe to talk to the face if we avoid the topic of the builders of the city? I really do want to know more about the place.
>>27636896
"And can I talk to the face--"
"No." He interrupts me severely. "Those things know to avoid the most damaging things, but will constantly let small details out. It's dangerous."
"But I wanna know about the ones who made them!"
"No, you don't." He says, irritated. "All I know is that they came in groups of three, but everything else about them is dangerous to know." He pauses for a moment. "They were... very alien to us, I don't know how else to say it in your language. Everything about them was simply too different from the way we work nowadays. The only thing we can look at safely is the very rock, and I believe than that's because they made it the city to... to change, and adapt with time."
>>27637088
Could they have adapted with time? Are they still here?
>>27637102
"And where are they?"
"I have no idea, assuming they still kick around the place." He shrugs, not very interested in the topic. "For all I know they simply got tired of the planet, or got exti--" Mom hmphs in a very emphatic manner. "I haven't ever seen 'em, that's what matters."
>>27637234
So you're basically telling me that we have an entire city of mysterious machines left by a long dead civilization, and no idea how to find out about it without frying our brains?
But I want to know what caused all this. How can you be fine with just chucking it into space and ignoring it? Isn't there ANYTHING we can do to find out more?
>>27637297
"But don't you wanna know?" I take a step forward, ignoring Dad's hoof in my wither. "How can you just throw stuff into the sky and leave it be?"
Biggs watches me silently for a moment, but I stare back at him. He lowers his head closer to mine, and I could swear he's trying not to smile.
"Do you know how many proud warriors would wet their tails in this very moment, child?"
"Nope."
His lips twitch for a moment... and he snaps back in thunderous laugher, making us back off from the surprise.
"I like you, kid," He says when he gets back his breath, "You have the heart of a warrior-poet. But to answer your question, we tried to find out things, that's how I know how dangerous this place is. It just isn't worth the dangers."
>>27637556
Then I'm going to grow up and invent mind protecting spells and make it safe to explore this place and find out what happened here. Mysteries exist to be solved.
>>27637556
But I want to know things.
>>27637606
>>27637638
"I want to know anyway," I pause for a moment. "I'll make spells that let me learn it anyway!"
"Ludwig!" Mom makes me back off grabbing me by the withers. "He's said it's dangerous already, can't you leave it rest?"
"No, no, it's no bother," Insists the dragon, holding both claws up. "If she wants to know she can search for ways to. Under supervision, of course." He pauses. "I will stay in the city for a few decades, to make sure that nothing pops up. If she wants to test her studies of arcanism here, I'll be more than pleased to keep an eye of her--" Mom and Dad open their mouths to speak. "With the parent's blessings, of course. You are both invited to keep an eye on me, if it helps you any."
>---
Ludwig pauses and falls silent for a moment.
"Did they accept?" Asks Rarity after a moment.
"After a few moons they were sure that he didn't mean any harm, yes."
Several minutes pass.
"Have you ever felt that someone you know just wants to sleep and never wake up?"
"You mean as in...?" Rarity leaves the question in the air.
"No, not suicidal. Just... tired."
>>27637909
That sounds like depression dear.
When everything just feels... heavy.
>>27638263
"You will have to forgive me, but that sounds awfully like depression." Rarity pauses for a moment. "I do know what you mean, and people like that..." She is about to add something, but cuts herself.
"What?"
"Only... that I think that's what happens," She gives a contemplative look to the city outside the window, "It isn't depression, exactly. It's just, how to call it, a crushing boredom."
"A feeling that you've seen everything there is to see?" Asks Ludwig.
"In a way. It may not be right, but that's how I think immortals feel after long enough. That they've seen everything there is, and that it got old too soon. That the only thing worth finding anymore are other people. New people." She adds, almost as an afterthought.
Ludwig nods slowly, "Yeah... sometimes I felt like he needed me more than I needed him, even at the end."Continue or ask something else?
>>27638312
What happened to him?
Any chance he's still around?
>>27638559
"What happened to him?"
"Last time we talked he was fine. As fine as he could be." She pauses. "Dragons don't age past a certain point, you know. They are more like plants than animals." Rarity nods, but makes no comment. "They just build up enough wounds over the years. He had been around for a lot of time," He gaze wanders aimlessly. "I am afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of searching him. And finding out that he did build up too many wounds. Maybe Torch got to him. Maybe young dragons believed he had a hoard to steal. Maybe a paladin in shining armour disposed of a wretched creature." She practically spits the last words.
>>27638602
Did someone try to hurt him?
>>27638625
"You seem to talk from experience."
"I am. Torch, young dragons, paladins? They all attacked him, several times. But I am getting ahead of myself."Same as before, any questions or do we resume Story Time?
>>27638731
Story time.
Was going to post another update, but I am too tired and I've been QMing for quite a while now. Paused.
>>27638931
Too busy playing LyraQuest, huh?
beb
