Last thread: >>27295159
>We spent a week in a small room while a Nightmare tried to enter, nearly died of hunger, were saved by Dere, had a small talk with Luna, found zebra porn, and are having a talk with a giant floating blue sphere.
INV:
- AJ
Crystal ball, 6 torches, Hat (Worn), Humorous cow statuette, Cross necklace, Rope, Blank paper, Strange cross amulet, Shard of Ludwig, locked box, whisky, book, keys.
- Mirria:
Cape (Worn), 3 pens, Binoculars, Ankh necklace (Worn), notebook
>>>
"You are saying someone made you?"
"Affirmative. There was no planning behind To Be's creation, it was a nearly accidental act of desperation, but it resulted in To Be's creation..." it trails of, clicking "Estimated time between creation and activation: Over six hundred million ticks. Converting to standard measures: Approximately two years ago."
>>27359835
What was the reason you were created?
Why was your creator desperate?
>>27359992
"What was your creator desperate about?"
It clicks for a few minutes, the motes fading and reappearing constantly. When I am about to speak, they all fade and disappear again.
"To Be's creator, which To Be's archives say was named 'Rubicon', was escaping from what he considered a beast of his own creation. He tried to create a beacon that would misguide the beast, but he was too tired and poured too much into it. His mind fragmented as a result. To Be was the result of it, and holds much of Rubicon's memories. To Be has no knowledge of what happened to Rubicon after that."
>>27360097
Tell us more about the beast. Does it have any weaknesses?
>>27360216
"A beast? What do you know about it? Did it have any weakness?"
The answer is nearly immediate this time, "The beast is a child in nature, created by the bearer of a heightened soul." There is a click. "Rubicon believed that the bearer of a heightened mind could counteract it. The beast was also a memetic entity, and as such making it doubt it's own existence could heavily lessen its power or even kill it. It would require incredible charisma, however, as the beast had what Rubicon considered an extremely conceited, even masturbatory, mentality." When I am about to open my mouth, it adds something: "That or a Hear It Believe It spell, but Rubicon was too old to execute magic that advanced and I only perceive trace amounts of unicorn magic in you, possibly from unicorn heritage."
>>27360348
My stomach groans, and I reach for my bags in reflex.
We forgot to pack food. Drat.
>>27360348
>>27361236
Ask what's at the top of the tower.
Ask how we can go further up from here.
Then go get food.
>>27361351
Mirria's stomach groans too, loudly, but I gesture at her to give me a moment.
"Do you know what's at the top of the tower? Or how we can go there?"
"The tower is-- the tower is-- the tower is--" Violent clicking grows in volume before stopping suddenly. "The tower has, usually, no lower of higher floors, it's size virtually unlimited. Sensors indicate, however, that it's size was constrained for reasons and through means unknown. Space has been warped in many areas, and as such the only indication I can give is going upward."
"Yeah, but what's at its top?"
"Sensors indicate an incredibly large amount of heat in the highest room of the presently higher area of the tower. The heat produces enough energy that most of To Be's sensors are blinded by it, yet is insulated to such a degree that even the surrounding rooms are cold. Protective measures are advised."
"Alright, thanks," I turn and gesture at Mirria to go. She is avoiding my gaze, but I ignore it. It'll pass. I guess.
We walk down to the first floor and pack a few cans of peaches in our bags, opening a few to eat now.
The crystal ball falls from my bag, and I put it back in distractedly.
>>27361735
>ball
Fug. Check the room above the forest
>>27361735
We should get the crystal ball holder and find a power source.
>>27362499
>>27362511
Our bellies feel heavier when we approach the moon room, but I gesture at Mirria to stay outside. I can't imagine how it must feel for a flier to be trapped in a small, badly lit space.
With the machine in my bags, we make our way to the generator room.
I didn't see any electric outlet last time we were here, but maybe something can be improvized?
>>27362643
Unattach one of the wires from the device above.
Did we try the keys we found on the locked box?
We should do that too.
>>27362731
I ask Mirria if she can disconnect one of the cables. It takes her some effort, but the cable of what I guess are the lower batteries comes off.
The lights of the lamp outside fades slightly.
>Did we try the keys we found on the locked box?
I did that automatically because it was too obvious to not try and wanted to have it out of the way.
>>27362812
Try to attach it to the ball holder.
[1/2]
>>27362881
Mirria connects the machine, and as soon as it does it starts clicking. I approach with the ball in hoof, and it's attracted by the machine.
The light grows dimmer the monent it starts working.
[2/2]
>>27363376
With an electric humming, a third ray arcs out of the machine and connects with something on my bags. I don't know what it is, but it's growing hot.
>>27363404
Get back and check the bags.
>>27363404
Retreat. If it stays on the bag, remove it and empty its contents. Don't burn your snootle.
>>27363404
This: >>27363435
Not this: >>27363493
>>27363493
>>27363435
We step back, me trying to take out whatever is that atracted the ray.
I fish out the shard of Ludwig. The instant it is free of the bag, it jumps out of my hoof.
A growl comes from the forest below.
>>27363575
What are we looking at here?
Can they talk?
>>27363585
The light on them is fading.
"Hello?" I ask it in several languages, trying to tear my eyes from the dog.
Winona. The name jumps to my mind immediately. Winona, pup of Carver, pup of Bagley, pup of Winona. I remember... yes, I remember when she was birthed, when... who was it that asked me for an appropriate name?
"Streita?" The voice that interrupts my train of thought is strangely calm at first, but grows hysteric. "Selena!? Sarim!?"
I give Mirria a dubious look, but she doesn't seem to understand it. The growl grows into a full-fledged shout.
>>27363682
Didn't the eldest dog call Mirria that once?
Regardless, we should switch the sun back on, which means trying to unplug this thing without getting shocked.
>>27363739
Mirria tries to touch the machine, but Winona and the mare wail in pain the moment she approaches. She gives me a dubious look and lands again besides me.
Something punches the other side of the crystal. The entire room shakes, but it holds firm for now. Mirria doesn't seem to notice it, watching the mare in surprise now that the light's faded enough for us to make out her features.
>>27363882
Lets try communicating again.
>>27364066
The rooms shakes as more hands impact the glass, but I approach the mare. Winona seems to notice me for the first time, and barks.
I talk to her in every language I can think of. She seems to be doing the same, but her use of the few I can recognize is just too outdated for me to talk.
The only thing I can understand is that she's asking me about someone named Selena, but only that.
>>27364174
The glow dies, and both of them are released. The crystal ball falls to the ground with a clank, and the shard of Ludwig falls to the ground shattering to a small pile of dust.
Winona runs to my side immediately and barks at the glass, but the mare's gaze is shifting between us and it in panic.
>>27364249
Collect dust and orb. Then run as fast as our legs can carry us.
>>27364249
Get her off the glass and run. Call Winona too.
[1/2]
>>27364266
>>27364306
I collect the dust and run. The mare seems dubious for a second but seems to agree to, at least, run in the same direction as us.
In our rush, I forget that the hallway leads to a sudden fall.
Huh.
Is this how it ends? It's... so silly.
WAIT wait wait what the flying fuck are those tiny hands in the fingers WHAT THE MOTHERFUCK--
[2/2]
>>27364493
Mirria hits us like a bag of bricks, saving us from the giant's grasp.Pausing for the day. Had hopped to get further, but it's 4 AM here.
>>27364493
*The dust and ball and run
And this is what happens when I QM at 4 AM.
>>27364536
Uh, brace for impact.
Bump before bed.
pump for breakfast
Resuming in a bit.
>>27364536
We descend, Mirria going too fast and carrying too much to slow down in time, and descend into the hole. Gripping to her and Winona, I tell her to go to the room with the normalizer, and she nods.
We enter it, taking a deep breath, and Mirria wastes no time in glaring at the mare. She steps back, but her horn alights in silent threat.
>>27367011
Does Mirria know her?
>>27367055
"Ah, do you know each other?"
The mare says something that, again, I don't understand, but Mirria takes the pen from her ear without taking her eyes from the mare.
She writes "Ludwig" in the floor and draws an arrow pointing to the mare.
After a second, she adds "Before she was put into the blade. I don't understand it either."
This seems to take some severity from her stance, but she still stands glaring at the mare.
>>27367098
Well, she was apparently better before she was imprisoned.
We should take her to the library.
>>27367176
"Maybe we should take her to the library?"
Mirria's gaze shifts between us, and after a moment she turns her back on Ludwig gesturing at me to give her a moment. Ludwig takes the chance and walks to the other side of the room, where she sits muttering something to herself.
Mirria taps her hoof against the ground impatiently and, after a moment, takes a paper sheet from my bag.
"She's the exact same as just before becoming" She pauses. "That thing. Even her mane cut is the exact same."
>>27367472
After a few minutes, Mirria takes us up one by one.
The library is in silence for a moment... before Ludwig... the blade impalles itself in the ground in front of Ludwig.
This will be confusing.
The library asks me who is this.
>>27368394
Pre-blade Ludwig.
>>27368407
"I think this is Ludwig--"
The blade raises again, interruting me, and launches itself at Ludwig's head. only to be intercepted by a book.
This goes on for several minutes, both blade and books growing faster, until there the wood groans and the blade is completely covered by a hill of books.
~Enough!~ This time it isn't Ludwig's voice that speaks.
~Do not dare--
~I am growing tired of you! I choose to be your guardian, not your baby sitter!
Ludwig, the blade, doesn't answer.
~I have given you too much freedom, I see. I have tried to justify your utter idiocy to the mortals, but perhaps it's time I make you talk out of your own errors, by force if necessary. ~There is a pause~ I am waiting.
The books pile shakes, but after a few minutes Ludwig speaks again.
~I. Apologize. For. My. Wrongdoings. ~There is no feel behind the words, and I can feel Mirria grow tense at my side.
>>27368558
Does it even acknowledge what the "wrongdoings" were?
>>27368604
"And what where those wrongdoings?" I push further, if only for Mirria's sake.
Ludwig doesn't answer at first, but the wood groans again, ~I. Tried. To. Kill. Your. Friend.
>>27368680
Was that the only wrongdoing you remember?
>>27368722
"And?" It feels like talking to a filly, dammit. Is this what happens when one gets old enough?
~I have nothing else to apologize to you, pony.
>>27368834
What about giving her the ability to speak just so you could make her your slave?
>>27368876
"What!? You gave her a voice just to manipulate her!"
~I gave her a voice as a sign of good faith. Her interpretation of it's meaning is not my responsibility.
>>27368924
From what we heard of that conversation, it appeared that you used that "sign of good faith" to convince her to do what you want. If you didn't, she wouldn't have had a reason to react the way she did.
>>27368924
You manipulated her and you know it.
You made an agreement and broke it.
You tried to kill her and steal her body.
And you don't even have the courage to accept it.
>>27368986
>>27369253
I am about to talk, but Mirria interrupts me and writes something, then gives it to me.
I read it for her, "You took over my body, tried to kill me, broke your promise after treating me as if I was a foal for not using you the way you wanted, and when I said this to you you called me an ingrate over the one thing you gave me. I don't care about what is that you meant with it."
~And I don't care for what you--
~Sister, you are responsible for your gifts and what people think of them, rega--
~No I am not, you idiot, and I don't care--
~Well, I do--
It devolves into a shouting contest between them, each trying unsuccessfuly to keep a hold of the voice. This one seems like it'll last a few minutes.
>>27369690
Looks like somebody just wants a body and doesn't care about what problems it causes.
>you are responsible for...
>No I am not, you idiot, and I don't care
>>27369843
"You want a body that bad, huh."
~I care nothing for a shell--
~Don't change the topic--
~Oh, don't you start with--
They get on their argument again.
Ludwig taps my shoulder, and I turn to her.
"I," She says with a thick accent, pointing at herself, "You?" She points at me.
Mirria gives her a look, but returns to her reading. This close, I can't help but notice Ludwig's mouth. There's no tongue in there.
>>27370154
Yes.
I'm Applejack.
>>27370450
"Yes, Applejack"
She looks at me in confusion for a moment.
"Ies, Ees, Yes..." She pauses, "Inha?"
It takes me nearly a minute that she's saying 'Yes' in the most antiquate Sturgean I've ever heard.
>>27370558
[furious nodding]
>>27370622
I nod, confused.
"Yes et inha-- Yes is,think, believes..." She pauses. "Yes thinks, I think yes itha?" She shakes her head, frustrated, "Applejack, you, Ludwig I-- seh, Ludwig, my?" She shuts up with a frustrated grunt, then takes the pen from Mirria's ear and a book.
She makes several drawings in it, then shows them to me in order. I think the second may have a book in the middle, but I am not sure.
>>27371305Fuck me, I forgot a zero in the miliseconds count.
>>27371305
She wants us to teach her how to speak Equestrian.
And it involves writing.
>>27371387
I grab the pen and write something, but after a moment she takes a random book and takes the pen from my hoof.
She reads gibberish from the book, says "You", and shoves it into my face.
>>27371686
Oh, she wants us to point out 'you' in it.
>>27371751
I take a book I can understand and point "You" in it.
She looks at me in confusion for a moment, then her eyes, alight in realization and she makes another drawing.
>>27372093
Read the book out to her.
>>27372150
I give the book a look and search for one in Tharatean, not wanting to make any new language barrier.
I read it to her. From time to time she stops to make me read a word more than once, but half an hour later she gestures at me to put down the book.
"Me-- I am understanding? Seh, You am-- are understanding?" She nods to herself. "You are understanding?"
I give her a wide eyed look, but nod.
"I have-- I am Ludwig, son... son?" She points at herself.
Mirria gives me an odd look, but writes 'Daughter' in a piece of paper.
"No, daughter" I correct.
"I am Ludwig, daughter by Salud and Rimwig. You?" She asks Mirria, and I answer. "You Mirria," She nods. "Words is easy when have a tongue--" She stops, mutters something, frustrated. "I have good tongue," She says with an irritated sigh "Good tongue, near the right words. But, why is Mirria and knife and books angry? Where is Selena and Sarim?"
>>27372360
Well, this is going to sound odd, but there was a different version of you trapped in that knife, and she tried to kill Mirria.
And the books are apparently being controlled by your brother.
>>27372360
The knife is also Ludwig. You came from a piece of it. It tried to betray and kill Mirria and we're all angry at it.
>>27372438
Did we ever get the library's "gender"?
>>27372438
>>27372452
>>27372461
I pause and take a deep breath to try to make some sense of it myself.
"I think Sarim is... the books, and that the knife is also you," I give myself a moment. "You, I mean the boo-- the knife, tried to kill Mirria."
"How? I, I am no knife, I--" She cuts herself, "Which year it is now?"
Mirria writes it down before I have time to try remembering, and I read it. "three thousand and forty nine,"
Ludwig taps the floor with a hoof nervously, "My... my calendar had reached the five thousand. How long? The second three war tribe had just ended." She adds.
I share a look with Mirria, both of us remembering this perfectly. The last three tribe war, the windigos', was the fourth.
Slowly, Mirria writes a number. I read it for her.
She starts hyperventilating.
>>27372896
Give her a hug.
>>27372896
Hugging.
[1/2]
>>27373175
>>27373043
I try to grab her in a hug, but she steps away from me.
With an earth-shattering groan, Lud --the blade is expelled out of a window. I could swear I hear her curse.
"Sarim?" asks Ludwig.
The library takes a moment to answer, but one of the books takes the pen from a corner and uses it to write something carefully in another.
>>27373320
He spends several minutes drawing circles in diferent pages, but it seems to calm Ludwig. I guess that's how they wrote, back then.
As this happens, several more books flutter near me, asking me how and why did this happen.Pausing for the day.
Last bump before bed.
>>27373385
She came out of a piece of the knife when you were getting your dog from the a radioactive glass ball. I am sure the magic library will understand.
>>27375025
Oh and ask Mirria what was she reading.
>>27375025
>finally our turn to say shit that makes no sense
>>27375213
Imagine how it feels to live in this place.
You go for a can of peaches but a giant hand steals it from you. You return to your wife, trailing pachless shame, and ex[lain it to hwr.
She only nods slowly, not believing a word, and tells you dinner will be cold because the gas is green now and she fears it may be toxic now.
You only nod, not knowing if she's telling the truth or bullshitting you.
Resuming in a bit.
got distracted by things and stuff.
And props to Invertigo for pic related.
>>27379829Too much I didn't plan for came up too quickly, I don't know if I'll be able to QM today at this rate.
>>27380044
With double dubs you Qm anytime
>>27375025
I take a moment to try wording it in a way that makes sense.
"I... put a ball in a... thing I found on the moon, plugged it into a battery that fed a giant light bulb, and the ball started making my dog."
The library doesn't answer in any shape or form.
"And then a ray came out of the machine, touched a piece of Ludwig's blade I had in my bags, and made your sister too." I nod to myself. That seems about right.
Books flutter around me, their pages shifting, and a message is arranged.
"Can I see the ball? What happened to the fragment of the blade?"
I take the ball and dust from my bags and show them to... the magic library. When did it became usual for me to do these kind of things?
It takes a moment for the books to rearrange themselves, "I may have been too swift in taking Ludwig out of your way. Give me a moment, I have questions for her as well."
The right window rattles, and the books fall to the floor with a racket.
Strangely enough, the whole place seems to have lost a certain shine, with the sole exception of the cracks in the glass that seem to be mending when I don't look at them.
Ludwig gives us an odd look, but looks at the windows silently. Before I can ask anything, my belly groans.
>>27375044
Queued.
>>27381507
Eat food. Offer Ludwig 2 some.
>>27381961
I and Mirria open cans of peaches. I offer one to Ludwig, but she doesn't accept it and sorts the books.
Once it's done, she asks Mirria if she's mute. I cringe, but Mirria nods without hesitation.
Ludwig falls silent for a moment.
"And she gave you a voice just to... to use you?" She seems hurt. "Why would she-- why would I do such a thing?"Had like six kernel panics in a row. Thank god for Lazarus Form Recovery.
>>27382423
She's been trapped for a long time.
>>27382801
"I guess she was in there--" Mirria shakes her head and writes something in a piece of paper.
Ludwig gives it a look and shakes her head too, "I can't read it, I have not... I don't have good eye, just good tongue."
I take the paper and read it, "She says Ludwig really didn't care about having a body. She's just haug--" Mirria taps the table, annoyed. "She's just a bitch like that."
"Yes, but I wouldn't..." Ludwig's voice fades for a moment. "I wouldn't do that to someone."
Mirria hesitates, but writes something else and passes it to me.
"It wasn't the entrapment. It was the time. I think Ludwig, the blade, doesn't think of others as living people anymore."
The structure shakes slightly, and books rearrange themselves over the table.
I read them aloud too, "She thinks of others as things, yes. But she thinks of them as things to protect. Her problem is valuing quantity over everything else."
Ludwig shakes her head, "I don't think I can understand that reasoning."
The books rearrange themselves swiftly, "I think I prefer it that way."
Ludwig sighs and is silent for a moment, then turns to me.
"Anyway... is Sele-- Luna a good leader?"
>>27383078
Well, she's still around, and she seems nice enough.
She kinda removed all my memories of her though, so I don't know.
>>27383132
"L
("Memories are never gone, just forgotten")
un
("Hey, can I make you a question?"
"Can I make the obvious remark?"
"What elements did you hold, back then?"
"The Elements have a tendency to change. Back then, I held... Outsight."
"Don't you mean insight?"
"Insight is understanding yourself, Outsight is insight bounced back out." Luna pauses. "Modern Equiish doesn't really have a proper name for it, really. I find it sad.")
a?" My head hurts for a moment, but the memories start to tickle, little by little. "She's a good leader."
>>27383513
Oh god what is that outside?
>>27383939
We step away from the window. The griffon outside puts her claws against the glass... is she making ghost moans?
No, wait, is that the griffon I buried?
"OOoooooOOOoooOOH I AM A G-- Shut up Jack. No, you shut up Jenkins. No you shut up. BOYS IF YE DON'T STOP THE RUCKUS I SWEAR I'LL-- Calm down Elise, I'll handle this. You," The griffon points at me. "Do you know where we are? We are kind of lost. Oh, wait, forgive me, I forgot introductions. I think we are Surane."
>>27384288
Hey there, I'm Applejack. I'm also very confused.
And right now you're inside a tower full of weird shit.
>>27385009
I stare for some time, until Mirria walkes to my side and nudges me awkwardly. "Uh. I am Applejack."
"Pleased to meet you. A pleasure. And I am Jim. And I am Han. And..." It goes on for a few minutes. "--I think Applejack gets it, you lot. Ah. Sorry--"
I interrupt them before they can start with it again, "I am not sure of where we are, really. But everyone here just calls it the tower."
"Par for the course, then. Have you seen a giant, by the way? We, ah, kind of have a necesity to speak to him-- no, you idiot, I didn't see anything between its legs-- Him is a neutral pronoun when--"
"Could you please not do that again." Interrupts Ludwig.
"Yes, yes, surely. But we have a certain necessity to speak with it. It killed us all, you know."
>>27385031
You're the ones who were in the phylactery seeds aren't you?
>>27385038
"You were the people in the seeds?"
"Well, there IS a point, not too long ago, that we have difficulty remembering. Are you the mare that helped us?" I nod. "Thank you, then. Much appreciated-- could you all just shut up already. Alright."
Books arrange themselves in front of me, "I hadn't been this confused in centuries."
>>27385055
That makes two of us.
Now what do you lot need to talk to the giant about?
He's kinda dangerous you know.
>>27385065
"What do you need to talk with the giant about? He's kind of dangerous."
"We wanted to demand a formal apology from the cretin, if you excuse my language. No, I will kick it's ass. Why be so uncivilized...?"
We all just stare at them. I could swear the books take a deep, laboured breath.
After a few minutes, they seem to have reached a consensus.
"We want to give it the psychological assistance it surely requires. At least two hundred of us have the necessary titles."
ded
>>27385949
I think it's fair trade to pause it for now. In the last panel I had been QMing for about ten hours, and I'll go without sleep for the rest of the day. It isn't good for quality when you've gone without sleep for like eighteen hours, as made obvious by the fact that I could've handled this better.
Kind of sad really. I had been really hyped about writing Surane.
>>27385097
I doubt he's going to listen to you.
I also doubt the friend of that body you're using will appreciate you borrowing it.
beb
