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

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Many ponies have died, in the search for the Princess of the Moon. Go to the place where their sacrifice shall be celebrated.

[X] Yes, the alicorns have returned and all that. But more importantly, you have free time inside the Royal Castle. And the Royal guard's numbers have… regrettably dwindled. That means you are inside the most ancient building known to Ponykind, with little to no oversight being directed at you. Go to the older and deeper reaches of the castle, and try to find something interesting.

[X] The Woods grow around the walls of th… wait… Gardens, right. The Gardens grow around the walls of the castle, and they are huge. The Royal Gardens are also a place you have not visited yet, seeing how tense and work-related your last visit was. Go explore it.

- - -

[X] You talked a lot about many things, important and not, but it was one thing in particular that gained her your respect and friendship: "In the end, Cadance, we're all doing the best we can with what we have, and limited by what we know. Sometime that doesn't feel like enough, but all we can do is try and do better. Sometimes we regret our choices, even while we think it was really the only choice we could have ever made. And sometimes, it helps to have a friend to talk to, someone that will listen and give some advice without judging you for your weaknesses. they can give you strength when you find yourself with none of your own."

Princess Cadance will remember this.

- - -

That was honestly unexpected.

You truly wish that there was something more you could do for Cadance. But you can tell that her problem is far more complex than your talk, as long as it might have been, could have possibly covered.

To tell the truth, you even identified yourself with her, a little. There is a mare, underneath all of those problems, who is doing her absolute best given the circumstances. A mare who at times thinks that she is way out of her depth, but who truly believes that she has to keep going regardless. As much as it might be confusing, or frightening, or even painful at times.

Heavens, even the words you left her with were words that you have told yourself several times already.

And you could tell from her expression that they struck her.

However, there is also the other part to her situation.

The part that no matter how much you think of her as a simple mare that is trying her best, she is still an alicorn. You would have thought that it would be easy to see past her, that it would be easy to just think of her as a pegasus with horns or a unicorn with wings.

Oh, how wrong you were.

Cadance might be a pony, underneath all of that. Celestia as well, as you have well seen, might have been a pony who was borne like anypony else. But the fact remains that they are still alicorns. They are still Princesses.

And you don't mean that just in the sense that they are powerful, or that they might live a very long time (or perhaps forever) or any of that.

No, as much as you might think of Cadance as a mare, she is still… she is still relevant.

You don't exactly have the words to describe it. It really is more of a gut feeling than anything else. But still, you know that even if you met a terribly powerful unicorn, perhaps some figure of myth and legend, they would still not have that same weight about them that the Princesses have.

There is the fact that you know, that you have seen in Luna's mind, that at least the Two Sisters came from outside of this world.

There is the fact that you know that they, perhaps Cadance included, made a covenant with Harmony, whatever that might mean.

There is the fact that she is called the Princess of Love. And for all that it might be a cute title, and there is little information surrounding it, you can tell that it's not a label that she bears just for show. Much like how Princess Celestia and Luna are the Princesses of the Sun and Moon, and it is all but confirmed that they have a connection to those things.

Heavens, you… even the way you found her, a few hours ago. You didn't just wander around the castle at random and stumbled upon Cadance as she had a very personal moment by sheer chance.

No.

You felt her.

It might have been your awareness of Winter, it might have been because of your Brand, or perhaps a mixture of everything.

But you found Cadance because you could feel her mourning. Because you could feel her sadness. And you followed that feeling like you might have a scent.

Something that you very much doubt would have happened if it was anypony else.

"Still," you mutter to yourself, as you walk past one of her two guards, his back still turned towards you, and trot back towards the castle at large. "I really hope I helped her, even if just a bit."

Because after all, even though they might be special, or perhaps "destined" to do more due to their nature, they still can't carry the world on their backs.

And the hug she gave you, as you two exchanged your goodbyes, still feels warm against your coat.

So, you know that she is still a pony with feelings, who you can very much help. Even if just with the small things.

"Uh… excuse me. Miss? Did you just come from that corridor?!" you hear the confused guard who you just walked by call out for you.

Oh, right. You completely forgot you snuck past him on your way in!



- - -



It is very late. Or perhaps very early, depending on how you look at it.

You started to think that was the case when you realized you had not passed by a castle servant, or another wandering noble, in quite a while. But you confirmed it once you checked on a clock in one of the more public areas.

Your talk with Cadance took a lot longer than you realized. To the point where you even wonder if she will sleep at all. After all, there will be ponies who will be waking up in a few more hours.

It's this damn eclipse, you think idly. You can see the symbolism of it, of course, but you really think that keeping it for an entire week is being too much. Of course, maybe it's because the whole situation has been stressful, but nowadays you can't think of the constant orange light as anything but gloomy.

"Still, this might be a good opportunity to do something I had in mind for a while," you say to yourself, as you look around to see if there is anypony nearby.

And of course, you confirm that you are alone.



Which makes this the ideal moment to check on something.



You had a thought the last time you had been to the castle, all those months ago.

You had a thought that many other ponies like yourself have wondered about. Something that has been well documented in some books, even, in various degrees of accuracy and speculation.

You wondered to yourself just how old Canterlot is. Or rather, how old the Royal Castle itself is.

Pony history is a rather complicated thing. It is well documented, of course, but not exactly in a cohesive manner.

You see, the problem is that until a few centuries ago there wasn't much of a concerned effort to record pony history in a unified and objective manner. Of course, Princess Celestia has been a patron of education and culture for as long as anypony remembers, but the fact remains that only the last eight or nine centuries of pony history is actually documented in a scientific manner.

That is, only the last few centuries have enough books, accounts, and trusted sources about them for everypony to be able to agree that "yes, that is indeed what happened".

The centuries before those, on the other hoof, also have their accounts, books and sources. But many of them have problems like not using the Pony Kingdom's calendar, which makes it hard to pinpoint when they were written, or not being dated at all. Other sources of information from those long-past centuries come from texts written by isolated scholars, or from communities which had not yet been brought into Princess Celestia's fold, which brings another set of complications to the table.

So, to put it simply, the first few decades (or perhaps even centuries) of Princess Celestia's reign are even to this day the subject of debate and confusion. To the point that events that should have been of extreme importance, such as Princess Luna's imprisonment, have been thought to be legends and myths.

To be honest, nopony really knows what other bits and pieces of knowledge is missing from ponykind's collective memories. Nopony can say for sure what the world was like before Princess Celestia's rule, apart from what can be gleamed from unreliable texts and myths.

And although Princess Celestia is a benevolent and wise ruler, she is surprisingly unhelpful when it comes to clearing up those mysteries. Much to the dismay of the more studious ponies.

Of course, the fact that you know that history is full of inconsistencies to begin with makes this whole affair even more convoluted than it normally would be.



Anyhow, back to the matter at hand. The Royal Castle.



It is well accepted that centuries ago, when Princess Celestia became the ruler of ponykind, there were several communities of ponies scattered throughout Equestria. Details of that period are hazy at best, with oral tradition being often the best source of information regarding said communities, but still it is also widely accepted that Canterlot was founded so as to serve as a ruling seat for the Princess' reign.

The fact that Canterlot is very close to the center of the known mainland, also, lends good sense to those assumptions.

Still, there are all sorts of mysteries and blank spots when it comes to said founding. For starters, trains would only be invented much, much later, so it makes little sense for contemporary scholars as to why Princess Celestia would build the Royal Castle on the top high face of a mountain.

You have already heard your fair share of speculations, so you won't dwell on those. Instead, you are much more interested in what you can find with your own two eyes than anything else you might have heard throughout your years at the university.

So, you set out to the deeper reaches of the castle.

After all, it is late in the night, or perhaps early in the morning. And you have nothing to keep you company but the gloomy light of the eclipse.

The fact that the castle is also much emptier than it should be, thanks to the engraved names before which you and Cadance had your long talk, is also something that you decide not to think too much about.



- - -



You look down at the wooden ground beneath your hoofs, double-checking for the third time that you are indeed seeing what you think you are seeing, and not that you have gone insane on the last five minutes.

This is…

Well. Truth be told, this is what you had hoped to find. But having found it, you still have that feeling of disbelief about you.

And now that you think about it, you are not sure you would have found it if you had looked for it in a more mundane manner. Or to be more specific, you are not sure you would have found this if you did not have the Brand you carry upon your flank.

Although you are not sure how you might explain that particular thought of yours.

Still, you are in a rather curious place.

The Royal Castle is old, of course. Perhaps it might even be more accurate to call it ancient. But it is still the very current and in-use residence of Princess Celestia. Which means that your initial plans to "go somewhere on the deeper levels" in order to find a glimpse of something older and half-forgotten didn't exactly go as planned.

Specifically because the Royal Castle does not have any "deeper levels". Not in the way you were imagining there would be, at least.

Everywhere you went, even the underground passageways that lead to the other buildings of the Royal District, looks like they have been cared for or renovated not long ago. You don't know much of architecture, but you think those places have all seen an architect's hoof no more than a century ago.

Which meant that you couldn't even find an old place to investigate in the Royal Castle to begin with.

That is, until you had a flash of inspiration. One that you can't tell if you should attribute to luck, or a stray thought, or an itch you felt on your cutie mark for less than a second.

But still, you decided to stop skulking around the castle as if you were looking for something old.

And you started going about it as if you were looking for something secret.



That is how you got here.



You are currently in a small and empty cellar. One underneath the servant's wing of the castle, and that by the markings on the walls you believe was used to store coal, perhaps for the servant's own uses seeing how far you are from the more important parts of the castle.

Still, you are in a small and empty cellar. The place is pitch dark, it was locked behind a door that you know had not been opened in years, and you had to sneak by three puffy-eyed maids who had clearly just woken up just to get here.

But still, you know that you found what you were looking for.

And that is because…

Because the floor, the old, wooden, coal marked floor on which you are standing, is denying you passage.

You wouldn't have noticed it. It would have been impossible to notice it, without your Knock-sense at least. But somehow, you are absolutely sure that… that there is something down here, underneath the floor.

You simply know, by the itching on your cutie mark and the whispers of the not-floor that there is a lot more underneath this cellar than its simple appearance lets on. A lot more underneath this castle, perhaps, and that you just might have found a door to it.

However, you resist the urge to check on it now. You resist the urge to give the ground that gentlest tap that would open it. You don't have time for this, at least not right now.

You also think that you will need to bring a lot more rope, and perhaps a few more helping hoofs, if you are to take a peek into someplace as old and forgotten as whatever might be underneath this cellar.





You have located an Expedition Site of unknown details: "Beneath the Royal Castle".

More to follow.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Sneaking out of the servant's wing was, much to your surprise, somewhat challenging.

You thought it would be a simple matter. That you would only need to flutter a little bit here and there until you were safely at a place where your presence was socially acceptable. After all, heavens forbid a noble such as yourself from being seen at this time of the morning exiting the servant's wing of the castle.

That would be absolutely scandalous, and the kind of gossip-fuel that no amount of isolation would ever be able to wash off, no matter if you were to be spotted by a servant, a guard, or even a higher noble. After all, regardless of their social standing, everypony in the Royal Castle likes to talk.

However, despite (or perhaps because of) the ample motivation you had not to be noticed, it was still a feat easier said than done. Perhaps it was because those were maids of the Royal Castle, who you assume are more observant than the servants of your own estate. Perhaps it is because you don't quite know as much Moth as you believe that you do.

But regardless, sneaking out of the servant's wing took you a bit longer than you had anticipated.

Still, as soon as you managed to extricate yourself into the more public areas of the castle, you immediately headed towards the place where you and Twilight are staying.

After all, you are still worried about her.



But you can say that you are especially worried because yesterday was rather tense, so to speak.



Of course, you knew for a fact that Twilight yesterday had slept well. You quite literally had a hoof in it, after all. However, whatever good spirits the young mare had upon waking up were slowly, but surely, eroded as the day went by.

Needless to say you tried your best to be a soothing presence. And you can say without any presumptuousness that you understand when you ought to try and say something, and when it is better to just offer silent companionship. After all, you have seen enough stressed out and unhinged ponies to know how to deal with them. Heavens, you have been one such pony, for many years of your life.

But still, despite your best efforts, you knew… actually, you still know, that the only thing that will truly help Twilight Sparkle settle down is for this whole situation regarding Princess Celestia to be solved.

And well, Twilight proved your point a little bit, regarding her mental state that is, when she lashed out at you yesterday.

You could tell that she didn't mean it, of course. You have the maturity to understand what she is going through. But still, that was the moment when you realized you should give her a little more space. So you left for a walk.

Said walk eventually led you to Cadance, then to the cellar under the servant's wing.

And here you are right now, in the morning of the following day. Walking as fast as you can, without actually running, towards where Twilight Sparkle is.

She is probably awake by now, seeing how long you took to stealthily leave the servant's wing. And as much as you know the two of you might have left yesterday on an awkward note, you still very much want to at least check on her. Even if only to see how she is doing after a night's sleep.

If she even slept at all, that is. You can clearly imagine her nervously chewing her books, and then her hoofs, as she tossed around her bed this past night.

And with thoughts like those coursing through your mind, you continue to make your way towards the guests' quarters.



Only to nearly bump into Ponpon, who seems to be in as much of a rush as you are, as the two of you turn around a corner while going in opposite directions.



"There you are ma'am!" she says without skipping a beat, as soon as she realizes it is you, "I've been looking for you all over!"

"Ponpon? Why are you… wait, what is going on?" you ask, your words changing mid-sentence as you take a better look at your maid's face.

Because it doesn't take long for you to realize that Ponpon is clearly distressed. There really is no other way to describe it. She has the well-schooled expression of an experienced maid, of course, but said features are also lined with the furrowed brow and slightly pursed lips. The sort of thing that would let anypony know that she is a good maid, but one who happens to be in a hurry.

And you have only ever seen Ponpon in a hurry when something had gone very, very wrong.

"Miss Twilight lost the last of her patience, ma'am. That's what's going on," the maid says in a rushed tone.

She doesn't need to say anything else, and neither do you. You give her an understanding nod, and without thinking twice Ponpon immediately turns around towards the way she came from.

And to all hell with appearances and conduct, you think. This morning the Royal Castle will be treated to a sight of a noble and her maid galloping through its halls. The only thing that truly worries you about all this being the fact that, much as you feared and expected, Ponpon's path takes the two of you unerringly towards the entrance to the Princesses' personal wing of the Royal Castle.



- - -



You arrive right on time.

Right on time, that is, to see the beginning of a disaster.



"I don't CARE about this. Can't you see how strange this whole thing is?!"

"Miss Twilight, please!"



You hear Twilight Sparkle before you actually see her, but moments later you catch a glimpse of the purple of her mane, and your eyes quickly focus on her as you take in the scene as a whole.



"I am her pupil! She trusts me!"

"Listen miss, we understand. But we have our orders t-"



Twilight Sparkle is standing before the great doors that lead to the Princesses' private part of the Royal Castle. There are two royal guards in front of her, and several others forming something akin to a circle around her.

Not a close or intimidating circle, though. You can clearly see that they are giving her a wide berth.

But that, and the fact that everypony bar Twilight seems to have an extremely uncomfortable expression on their faces, shows you that nopony has any clue on how to handle this situation.



"No! You DON'T understand. And I'm going to see her right now, even if you don't let me!"



You heart suddenly starts hammering inside your chest, however, when you hear Twilight Sparkle shouting those last words.

Because you can see that right after that her horn quickly begins to glow as it gathers more and more magical energy.

You and Ponpon are galloping towards her while all of that happens. But the maid quickly stomps into a halt, eyes open in panic, as soon as she sees the telltale sign of magic.

You, on the other hoof, continue racing towards Twilight. You will not reach her in time, seeing how you have only just gotten past the wide circle of guards that is surrounding her.

But you just got close enough to recognize that she is about to do a teleportation spell. Clearly, you think, to force her way into the Princesses' quarters. Perhaps even into Princess Celestia's very presence, as you wouldn't put it past Twilight to have visited the place before and know exactly where she is supposed to teleport to.

Still there is less than a second to go before the spell finishes its configuration, and you can already see parts of it expanding from the young mare's horn, starting to engulf her whole body in a brilliant sphere of bright purple.

And with that, you quickly decide to-



What will you do?



[] Twilight, no!
(She is about to do something very stupid. And as much as she might get mad at you later, you can't allow her to go any further. Not when you know the truth of what is happening in the Royal Castle. Try to stop her spell from casting, even if it means locking figuratively locking horns with her and trying to compete with the bearer of the Element of Magic.)

[] Twilight, yes!
(She is about to do something very stupid, and you are going with her. Try to link yourself with her spell, and tag along to wherever she is going.)

[] Twilight, what?!
(You are surrounded by royal guards, within the Royal Castle, as you watch a unicorn try to break into the Princesses' personal quarters. Just like Ponpon, watching with a shocked expression as the events unfold before you is exactly what a normal mare like you is expected to do. You will not do anything, and this will certainly draw the least amount of attention to yourself.)





You could not get any more details out of the situation with how quickly things are happening. Consider yourself in a tunnel-vision of sorts, and that you can't reliably say if there are more ponies around you or watching from the sides, or if there are any details you are missing.

Kindly observe a two hours moratorium, for discussion's sake.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Spoiler: Winning Vote

Twilight, yes!

- - -

You only have a split second to decide.

But it really isn't a decision at all.

Everything clicks inside your head, faster than you would normally be able to think.

You are the only pony who knows it, but the Princess Luna that is within that part of the castle is a fake. That, and the only ponies allowed in there so far have been the guards who returned with her and "earned her trust".

Changelings, all of them. Changelings, or worse. After all, your Master might have said that they were driven away from the Mansus, but you have a dreadful inkling that despite said banishment they are still able to use what they learned there.

So, if not changelings, spirits they might have summoned. And if not spirits, monsters. Who knows, perhaps the one impersonating Princess Luna is an order of magnitude above them. Perhaps it is not even a changeling at all.

Those ideas flash through your mind faster than you can parcel them, as you watch Twilight Sparkle's horn light up before you.

But you still reach the obvious conclusion in the blink of an eye.

You reach the only conclusion that really matters: The moment Twilight sets hoof inside that place, she will be in danger.


And as soon as you reach that certainty, your horn finishes casting the spell. The one you had been unconsciously weaving this whole time.

A bright lightning flashes from your forehead, heading unerringly towards the complex spell that Twilight is placing around herself.



[Link up, cd 40/60/80/100/120]

[Roll: 41 + 13 (Magic) + 5 (Gifted) = 59]

[Minimum required success, -10 passed over to Twilight's roll]



[Twilight's desperate measures, cd ??/???/???]

[Roll: 95 + 16 (Magic) + 10 (Very Gifted) + 10 (The Sun's Pupil) – 10 (Unexpected Passenger) = 121]



For a split second, you feel like a foal. For a split second you feel like a pony who is still learning to write, and who just opened a book of classical literature.

For a fraction of a moment, you catch a glimpse of how deep exactly is the chasm between you and Twilight Sparkle, when it comes both to raw talent and dedication to the arts of magic. You always fancied yourself as competent when it came to spellcasting, even if you didn't make it into the School of Gifted Unicorns when you were younger.

However, as soon as you focus your magic into your horn, and start harmonizing yourself into Twilight's spell in order to link your essence to it, you understand how utterly pedestrian your abilities are when compared to hers.

Even this much participation from you already feels like meddling. Even while you are simply trying to connect yourself to her spell, you feel like you have damaged something. As if you just entered a house by breaking one of its doors, or you vandalized a brilliant formula that was written in a blackboard.

But still, the house is so well-built, and the formula so genius, that your meddling is not even felt.

Just like the foal you feel like, Twilight's spell picks you up, transforming your body into magical light and carrying you into its core moments before its configuration closes itself into a circular loop.

And the next second, your surroundings turn into something completely different.



- - -



You land on your belly, legs sprawled all around you and wobbling like soft hay.

Although, even if you might not want to admit it, you are acutely aware that this sickness you are feeling is your own fault. You know for a fact that Twilight's spell landed you neatly on your hoofs, less than an inch from the ground and perfectly balanced.

You fell on the floor moments later because your mind was immediately overtaken by vertigo.

Teleportation, you have just learned, feels extremely wrong.



"Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no, she's not here... She's not here!"



But you have more pressing matters to take care of than your own physical discomfort.

Mercifully, your nausea seeps away from your head as quickly as it appeared, and you manage to get up on your four hoofs moments later.

You find yourself inside a pitch-dark room. You wonder for a few moments if the teleportation spell accidentally shrunk you in size or messed with your body, because everything around you is enormous, the whole room being scaled for a pony at least twice your size, furniture and all.

You can see Twilight nearby, the glow of her horn lighting her surroundings as she searches the place, despite it being clear that the room has not been used in quite a while.

The combination of those two things makes you understand that this must be Princess Celestia's room. And you can tell by Twilight's distraught expression exactly how she feels about this place being empty and dark.

"Princess Celestia, can you hear me?!" she shouts out, breaking the silence of the room, and of probably several other rooms next to this one.

Your heart immediately leaps inside your chest as she does that.

"Twilight!" you say, whispering as loudly as possible as you run towards the young mare, who is still searching the empty room despite there being nopony here.

"Velvet?! What are y-?" she says with a yelp as soon as you put a hoof on her shoulder, her tone still far too loud for comfort, but you interrupt her before she can finish speaking.

"Twilight please, I need you to listen to me very carefully," you say, your tone urgent, trying to be as gentle as possible with the hoof you are keeping over her mouth, despite the obvious contradiction in that.

But still, you need her to listen to you, and you need her to be quite.

Part of you knows that you can't tell her exactly what is going on, your fear for your Master's retribution still starkly clear inside your mind. The idea that you should bring her into the know flaring inside your mind only for a split second, and even then, only for expediency's sake with how much the gears inside your mind are spinning right now.

But you know you can't. You have to take care of Twilight, but not in a way that might endanger your family.

However, you still have to stress to her exactly how delicate the situation in which the two of you are happens to be.

And seeing how wide-eyed and tense she is, this will be a lot harder than you initially thought.



[Deep breaths, Twilight, cd ??/??/???]

[Roll: 28 + 13 (Diplomacy) + 10 (GRAIL bonus) = 51]



"Twilight, listen to me, first of all, I am here to help you" you say, your tone a lot shakier than you would have wanted, but something tells you that you have a lot less time than you wish you would have.

But still, she slowly grows less tense as she looks at you.

And you thank the heavens for that. It makes you glad to know that despite the whole situation, and despite how much pressure she has been putting on herself these last few days, she at least trusts you to be by her side.

"However, you continue, your voice hushed and urgent, "we just broke into a place we aren't supposed to be, and if we are found they will at best kick us out, and at worst actually put us into real trouble."

You let those words sink in, praying to whatever might listen that she actually takes some of that to heart.

And something does seem to get through to her, even if only partially. Or at least you think it did, because as the seconds go by you can see her ears getting slightly lower, and you see her bite her lips at that.

You carefully bring down the hoof you had covering her mouth, and much to your relief she chooses to whisper when she answers you.

"But this situation doesn't make sense, Velvet. Why aren't they letting anypony see Princess Celestia…? Why aren't they letting me see Princess Celestia?" she asks, her words weighted down by something deep inside of her.

You can tell how much grief she must be feeling. You can tell from her pained expression that she is all but panicking right now. Heavens, considering how she just forcibly teleported into here this might actually count as some sort of panicked state. Even if it is a methodical, Twilight-y one.

Still, for all that you wish you could do something to ease her, even if only a little bit, the hammering inside your chest tells you that there simply isn't time for that.

"That's exactly the point. Listen, I promise you I'll help you get to the Princess, but we have to be careful. And we can't get caught," you say, looking into her eyes.

Feeling a slight twist inside your chest as you see the young mare look back into yours, her thoughts racing and all but bursting out of her head.

Until she gives you a nod. A fearful and doubtful nod.

But a nod nonetheless.



[Bare minimum success. Twilight Sparkle will follow, but will do so hesitantly. -10 to rolls that involve subtlety while she is with you.]



You slowly take your other hoof off her shoulders, giving her the best encouraging smile that you can.

You have to calm her down. You have to protect her, even if she doesn't fully understand just how dangerous your situation is.

Even if deep down you are terrified.

You understand what Twilight is thinking. Even if only unconsciously, you know that she thinks that ultimately there will be no great complication in all of this. After all, her brother is a captain of the Royal Guard, and her teacher is the most important pony in all of the kingdom. You know that her stress comes solely because of her worries for Celestia's wellbeing, and maybe an inkling of suspicion that some things don't quite make sense right now.

But deep down, even if she hasn't rationally thought that far ahead, she thinks that the worst that is waiting for her in case this whole thing goes south is a slap to the foreleg. Maybe a severe scolding, or at the very worst some sort of loss of favor in her teacher's eyes.

She doesn't know that there are monstrous, potentially murderous, shapeshifting creatures lurking around the castle, posing as guards and maids and who knows what else.

She doesn't know that the two of you might be captured, or killed, in order to be replaced if things turn out sufficiently bad.

She doesn't know any of that.

But you know.

And that makes a world of difference.

So although you wish you had done better, your smile still comes out far less confident that you would have wanted.

Well, at least you remembered to keep your eyes open during this whole conversation. It would have been disastrously uncanny of you if you had forgotten to do that.

"Okay…" she finally says, and you can tell that she is doing her best not to sag or curl up while she speaks, "what do we do nex-?"

A click comes from the large double-door on the other side of the room, both yours and Twilight's ears immediately perking up at that. The two of you turn towards the sound a moment later, and you almost hurt your neck with how fast your movement was.



"You sure you heard something from here?"

"Just open the damn door. She told us to check what the racket on the entrance was, but we're still on guard duty. A quick check won't hurt."



Two voices, a stallion and a mare, barely audible from behind the thick wooden doors.

Your mind barely has any time to interpret what they just said before you hear the sound of a key being twisted inside a lock. The acute knowledge that the doors are no longer denying you passage hitting you at the same time.

You freeze for a second. Until you realize Twilight also froze on the spot right by your side, and that you have to do something about it for her sake.



[First check, cd ??]

[Roll: 85 + 12 (Intrigue) + 15 (MOTH bonus) – 10 (Hesitant Twilight) = 102]



You have a foreleg around Twilight before the key finishes turning, yanking her from where she is stands and pulling her towards you, as you drag her away from the direction that the door will give sight to once it opens. A soft tap of a hind-hoof, that you make almost without conscious thought, opens the door of the giant-sized wardrobe that is now behind the two of you.

You push yourself and Twilight into the waiting wardrobe just as the large doors to the room open, and you all but hug Twilight to keep her from moving from where you are.

The two of you might be inside a wardrobe, but the place is almost a walk-in room on its own, designed with Princess Celestia's size in mind. You quickly wonder if you should head further into the place, perhaps to hide amidst the large dresses that are hanging next to you, but you decide against it.

It would be too risky, now that you can hear the sound of hoofs walking into the room.

You hold your breath, willing your heart to beat more slowly as you hear the sound of two ponies walking around the room, clearly checking the area in search for something.

A set of hoofsteps starts coming closer to the wardrobe.

The foreleg you have around Twilight begins to shake.



"Hey, check this out," the closest voice says, and you swear that whoever said that is looking in your direction.

"Hmm?"

"…"

"…"



You hear them whisper something, and you can't hear their hoofsteps anymore. But you know it's because the two are purposefully being quiet now.

They're closing in on the two of you.

You can almost feel them getting closer and closer, and-



"IT'S AN EMERGENCY!"



A third voice, shouting from somewhere outside the room, almost makes you and Twilight jump up in surprise.

You can also hear the two voices yell in surprise.



"You two, come quick! Captain Shining's sister has just-"

"What in TARTARUS' PITS are you doing in here?"

"Yeah, what is your problem?! Princess Luna explicitly said who can and can't get inside this wing of the castle!"

"I know, but listen to me! Somepony got past us, and she's clearly trying to get to the Princesses!"



The commotion happens almost too quickly for you to follow.

You recognize the newcomer's voice as being the pony who was, very apologetically, barring Twilight's entrance a few minutes ago.

You can also tell how tense is, how the whole situation seems to have become more heavy, as he hesitantly walks towards the two others who were already inside the room.



"Oh for… You, go tell our captain about this. Go. And YOU, go tell YOUR unit to stay put outside the entrance. Unless our captain says so, WE are going to take care of this. Besides, if you couldn't even keep some pony outside I doubt you'd be of much help to search for her and…"



You hear the trio making its way out of Princess Celestia's room moments later, their voices getting lower and lower as they gain distance from you.

And you risk taking a single peek out of the wardrobe's half-opened door before they completely leave the room.



[The nature of your pursuers]

[Roll: 69 + 12 (Intrigue) + 30 (LANTERN Level 3) = 111]



A shiver runs down your spine as you confirm exactly what you had suspected.

For a split second, you see the back of three ponies as they rush towards the door.

One of them, the one you recognize, is absolutely normal. A royal guard stallion with grey coat that contrasts with the gold of his armor. Her is large, as royal guards normally are, and you can barely discern the colors of his cutie mark as her turns towards the corridor after leaving the room.

But it only occurs to describe him as "normal" because, in comparison, the two ponies are…

Well, because the two others are not.

They are not even ponies to begin with.

It is a strange sight, one that is even stranger because you know that your understanding of Lantern is much more attuned to your sense of touch than to your sight. It is a view you can somehow only describe as if you were stepping on mud, or as if you were trying to understand what a clay statue's shape is by feeling it with your hoofs while blindfolded.

You can see them, the mare and the stallion royal guards, wearing the golden armor much like the other one. You can see them, but you can also see so much more.

You see the green not-glow coming from their eyes, even though they have their backs turned to you.

You see how they keep their bodies changed. How they do so because they constantly lie to the world around them, until it convinces the very air that their false shape is the truth.

You see many things, as if two transparent images were being juxtaposed one over the other.

But you definitely don't see two simple royal guards.

Mercifully, they close the doors to the room behind themselves, after they leave.

And you hear the clicking sound of a key being turned, the door once again telling you that it is a thing that denies passage.



You sag, your hinds hitting the floor as you let out a long sight.



"Sorry about that," you mumble, finally realizing that you still have a foreleg around Twilight and letting go of her.

She just shakes her head, clearly as tense as you are, relighting her horn moments later. The two of you allowing for a few quiet moments to pass as you take deep breaths.

Twilight's mettle returns to her far more quickly than your own. You can still feel your heart hammering inside your chest, and you consciously push away the allure of using Winter to calm yourself down, not sure if it would make you less alert than you absolutely want to be. But still, you are still trying to regain your wits when the younger mare stands up and walks out of the large wardrobe.

"I… I had no idea there was this much tension going on within the Royal Guard," she says worriedly, her expression still nervous.

You very much agree with her. And even if she does not know the half of it, it's still good that she noticed the tone used by the "guards". If anything, you can tell this encouraged her not to be discovered while you are here.

You try to follow suit, standing up and heading towards her. Although the two of you are still talking in whispers, and you still make sure to keep an eye on the locked door.

"Well, I can tell that you brought us straight into the Princess' room," you say, quickly looking around and soaking in a few more details of the place.

It's clean and well kept, as one would expect, and you can tell that even the bedsheets have been dutifully changed frequently. But you have no doubts that this place has not been used by its intended occupant in quite a long while.

"But there's no sign of her here. Heavens, even the door was locked by the looks of it," you continue. "Any idea of where she might be?"

Twilight thinks for a few moments.

"Well, it would make sense for her to be in her sister's room, then. But…" she trails off before she finishes her thought. And you think you know why.

But, you think, Twilight most likely has no idea where said room is. It could be nearby, the Two Sisters choosing to have their rooms near each other's, but it could also be in some farther part of the castle wing, or even up in a tower for the same argument of the Princesses' preference.

Besides, the two of them are fliers. You hardly think a bit of distance would make that much difference for them. The years you spent with your husband and daughter have taught you that pegasi have a rather twisted sense of distance, with how fast they can cover ground.

And then there is the added problem that this entire part of the Royal Castle was literally blown up a few months back. Now that you think of it, it's a bit of a surprise that Princess Celestia's room was in the same place, for Twilight to know where she should teleport to. That, or she visited the Princess months ago, before she left in her earnest for the searches.

But regardless, the fact remains that you have no idea how much this place has changed during renovations. And that even if Twilight might have been here in the past, the whole place might also be utterly unfamiliar to her now.

To you, it makes no difference of course. This place is completely new to you regardless.

"It makes sense," you say, echoing her thoughts, "but then if we are to find it, we will either have to do it through sheer luck, or... we might be able to gleam something from the guard's behavior, perhaps?" you finish, although you have no idea how to make your 'idea' work, or even if its a good plan to begin with.

But Twilight nods at that, for some reason slightly more confident than she was a few moments ago.

It makes you a bit happy to see that she is feeling somewhat more brave, thanks to you.

Still, if only she knew how you are feeling right now…



- - -



Being inside a locked room, one that the guards probably think had already been searched, gave you a few more moments to talk things through. Although the two of you silently agreed that it would be best if you were done as quickly as possible.

Still, you had something approaching a plan.

Her teleportation spell was too loud to be used stealthily, so the two of you would have to stalk by the corridors on hoof.

Hopefully, the two of you thought, the mysterious tension between the royal guards meant that there would be few ponies searching for you. That is, unless the "captain" they mentioned decided to call for help from guards tat were outside Princess Luna's trust. Of course, even if that was not the case yet it was still something that could happen at any moment. So it would be best if you started to move while your number of pursuers was still small.

But anyways, your plan was crude and simple, mostly because you lacked information to do anything better. The two of you would try to sneak around the corridors searching for a sign of Princess Luna's room, and Twilight would teleport the two of you back to Princess Celestia's locked room if you were spotted.



And you two would pray to the heavens that this place would remain a reliable hiding spot during the execution of said plan.



With nothing else to decide on, you and Twilight head to the locked door that will lead you out of Princess Celestia's room.

"One last thing," you say, as you raise your hoof towards the door. "I can unlock this without a problem, but I'll have to lock it back with magic once we're outside. So wait for a few seconds while I'm doing it," you say.

You see the question forming inside her head, about how the hay you can do that thing with your hoof, but she swallows it down a few moments later.

Something you will tell her about another time, you hope.

But for now, you lightly tap the door with your hoof, the lock of its internal mechanism coming open with a soft click.

And the two of you head out into the corridor.



[Skulking through the corridors, cd ??/???]

[Roll: 37 + 12 (Intrigue) + 15 (MOTH bonus) – 10 (Hesitant Twilight) = 54]



You close the door behind you as soon as you leave the Princess' room, lighting up your horn and fiddling with the lock as quickly as you can.

There is no way to "go back" when it comes to applying Knock. This is a principle of opening, and of bridging that which is isolated, so you cannot "go the opposite way" in order to lock a door any more than you can turn a cloud of smoke back into a log of timber after it has been burned.

So what you are doing is, quite frankly, fiddling with the lock through magical means. Your unusually extensive knowledge about locks is being helpful, of course, but there are no mysteries being applied right now.

Still, less than ten seconds after you lit up your horn, the door locks itself with an audible ticking sound.

You turn to Twilight, exchanging a glance as you try to mutually give each other courage. She had mentioned that she knew an invisibility spell, but was fearful that the unicorn guards might notice it. You didn't challenge her fears, but for entirely different reasons.

But this still means, in the end, that you two will be out in the open while you go about the castle wing.

However, the two of you only take five steps away from Princess Celestia's room when two figures turn around a corner and come into your sight.

…

And of course, you come into their view, much like they came into yours.

You and Twilight Sparkle, and the pair of not-guards, stare at each other dumbfounded for perhaps three full seconds.

…

This time, it is Twilight that snaps you out of your petrified stance.

"Run!" the young mare says, yanking you by the foreleg. You body follows after her before you can think about anything else.



"GET THEM!"



And the two guards, mud-covered in lies and shadows in a way that your eyes can't comprehend nearly as well as your hoofs, follow right after you.



[Evading pursuit!, cd 75]

[Roll: 50 + 12 (Intrigue) + 15 (MOTH bonus) = 77]



Being spotted immediately after leaving your "hiding place" threw all your plans down the drain.

The two of you ran, because there was nothing else you could do.

And when the two guards following you began shouting for help, you and Twilight immediately and wordlessly agreed that there was no point in being cautious any longer. Not for the time being, at least.

Twilight's horn lit up, her eyes closing in concentration for a few seconds as the two of you galloped down a hallway, and moments later her horn erupted with a wave of magic. It was a simple cantrip, done under pressure and while she was running nonetheless. But for all that it was a cantrip, Twilight still managed to multiply it into a hundred different versions of itself and fire them in every direction at the same time.

What resulted, as she intended, was chaos.

Doors that were flanking you on both sides of the hallways burst open, miniature globes of light appeared all around you, erupting in loud fireworks seconds later. The very carpet underneath your hoofs came to life, turning into a tall wave that went towards the two guards that were closing in on you.

None of those things did more than slow down your pursuers for a few moments, and you were acutely aware that the cacophony around you was attracting all sorts of attention. But still, those precious few moments started piling up, and the two of you soon managed to turn a corner a few seconds ahead of them, breaking from the guard's line of sight for a tiny bit longer than they could afford.



You took it from there.



Your heart was hammering inside your chest, and your leg was calmly telling you that it could start to hurt if you wanted it to. But you ignored all of that, instead pushing yourself and Twilight into one of the nearby rooms.

You had absolutely no idea if it would work, but you could only trust yourself.

The secret, you knew, was to treat it like a dance. Like a chaotic dance that you forgot you performed once, long ago, with nothing but the bark of black trees around you as witness.

You blasted a wave of telekinesis at the door to your left, loudly slamming it shut.

You pushed yourself and Twilight to an open door to your right, making sure to keep it open.

And the two guards appeared before you moments later, having turned around the corner seconds after you and Twilight did. But they immediately lunged at the closed door, crashing into the room that was behind it without a second thought, both of them instinctively sure that you had closed the door behind yourselves in order to create yet another obstacle in their way.

They would have noticed you and Twilight, wide-eyed and nearly panicking, had either of them turned their faces only a little bit in your direction.

But they didn't.

You didn't stop moving either, knowing that the dance was not over until your two pursuers were well and truly lost. With that in mind, you took Twilight's hoof and pulled her after you, the two of you backtracking through the way you came while the cacophony of Twilight's spells masked the sound of your frantic galloping.



It is hard to believe that all of that happened in the span of a few minutes.

Yet here you are now, hidden inside another room. One, of course, that is far away from where your pursuit took place. You and Twilight still heaving from the exertion you have just been through, sitting down on the floor with your backs lying against each other's.

"You… you alright?" you ask between deep breaths, your eyes glued to the closed door next to you and your ears perked up in attention, despite the slight ringing you think you can hear.

"I… I think so," she answers hesitantly, as shaken as you are.

The two of you grow deathly silent as you hear the sound of loud talking in the distance, instructions being shouted and horseshoes galloping in different directions.

But Twilight, and much later yourself, slowly begin to ease back down when you realize none of them are coming your way.

"They caught up to each other," she says, her voice still quivering slightly, "they probably talked. We can't go back to Princess Celestia's room anymore."

"I… it seems so," you agree with her.

As much as you hate to admit it, there is no other way to go now but forwards.

Because despite all of this, you can still see that Twilight is adamant in seeing this through. And by all the heavens you know you won't abandon her here.



- - -



[A second attempt, cd ??/???]

[Roll: 90 + 12 (Intrigue) + 15 (MOTH bonus) – 10 (Hesitant Twilight) – 10 (Guards on high alert) = 97]



You think you did it.

It was nerve wracking, and more than once you came from a hair's breadth of being spotted.

But you think you did it.

You and Twilight hesitantly peek out of the small reading room. The place must have been a small storage of books and scrolls that, for whatever reason, eventually saw enough use to justify having more furniture and even a table moved into it.

But you are not really sure. You can only make educated guesses about what several rooms inside a castle this large are used for, but right now you really don't care.

The two of you look out through the door, looking for any of the guards that are searching for you.

And once both of you are satisfied that the coast is clear, your eyes immediately go towards a particular door at the far end of a corridor.

It is a large double door, made out of rich wood and died in a dark-blue like the midnight sky. A great crescent moon, made out of white jewels and marble, is artfully laid on its surface.

And furthermore, the two of you swear that at least one guard passes around this area every few minutes.

That has to be the door to Princess Luna's room. It simply has to. Which means Princess Celestia is probably behind that door.

Of course, you have a much greater problem which Twilight is unaware of. Specifically, you don't know what comes next. Sure, the two of you can sneak up towards that room and make your way in, but what then? There is a very great chance that the false Luna is in there, and if push comes to shove, well…

"Twilight, can I ask you to promise me something?" you whisper to her.

And the mare immediately turns towards you, sensing how dreadfully serious your tone is.

The two of you are nervous beyond your wits, and you can tell that Twilight is all but holding herself to not run or teleport into that room. But still, she looks at you with as close to an encouraging expression as she can.

"I think so… what is it?"

"If we happen to find Princess Celestia in there, and if things start to get strange… then please, teleport us out of there."

She purses her lips at that, the innate belief that nothing can truly go wrong if you find Princess Celestia clashing with just how serious you sound right now.

"Please," you say, and maybe you strike something inside of her, because a few seconds later…

"Alright, Velvet. I promise."

"Thank you, Twilight."

You know that this is as close to a lifeline as you will be able to get, and at least you have a promise from her that she will get out of here with you if things really turn out wrong.

Still, you realize that... really isn't much.

But with that said, the two of you look out through the door one last time, and as soon as you confirm none of the guards are nearby, you two start going towards Princess Luna's room.

There is nothing else you can do now. There is nothing any guard can do, even if they spot you. Not before you make it to the great moon-engraved door, and right now that is all that matters.



So, the two of you run.



As silently as you can, as quickly as you can. You and Twilight Sparkle gallop down the hallway towards the place where, hopefully, her mentor is. And you can practically see your friend going faster and faster as she gets closer to her dear teacher than she has ever been in a long, long while.

Twenty meters.

Fifteen meters.

Ten meters.

Five meters.

Twilight's horn lights up, the lavish metal doorknob lighting up as well as her magic begins to exert control over it.



And before either of you can even think to react, a brilliantly green magical barrier manifests around the door, coiling around the light of Twilight's magic over the doorknob like a violently territorial snake.

The next moment, the barrier expands. Or rather, it explodes, you and Twilight not being thrown farther away only because you are not that close to the barrier when it erupts.



[The fortress of the body, breakpoints 50/65/80]

[Roll: 47 + 9 (Martial) + 10 (HEART bonus) + 10 (Distance from blast) = 76]

[Second breakpoint passed. You are only disoriented]



[Rolling Twilight's resistance]



You hit the ground hard, even rolling once as the force of the explosion washes over you. It wouldn't have been enough to truly wound you, even if you were right next to it, but it was still the sort of spell that mixes a blasting noise and a brilliant flash in order to knock a pony out of their hoofs.

And in that, it worked very well. You hear an ear-splitting... something, ringing inside your ears for a few seconds, and the thought of getting up on your hoofs doesn't occur to you for quite a while as you lay down on the ground with your eyes closed.

You only remember where you are, and what you are doing, when Twilight Sparkle's voice reaches you, her words hitting you like a bucket of cold water.

That is, when you hear her voice, and a second one answering her.



"Princess Luna? What… why? What is going on?!"

"So you are the little ponies who have been causing all this racket in my castle."



A chill runs down your spine, and you force yourself to get up. Your legs answering to your plight all too ponderously, as if you had too much to drink after a long day.

But still, you know you have to.

After all, Twilight has no idea of who, or rather what, she is talking to.

You even try to say something, but your tongue is being as helpful as the rest of your body is.



"I… we… please, Princess. I came here because I need to speak to Princess Cel-!"

"QUIET."



You finally get three of your four hoofs under you, and you manage to raise your head high enough to see what is going on.

Twilight Sparkle is standing a few steps from you. She seems to be completely fine, and maybe the blast didn't hit her quite as strongly as it did to you.

But standing right in front of her is…



[The Enemy, cd ?????]

[Roll: ??? + 12 (Intrigue) + 30 (LANTERN Level 3) – 15 (Disoriented) – 30 (???????) – 20 (??????) = ???]

[Lantern insufficient to know result]



Standing right in front of her, the moon-marked door firmly closed behind her, is Princess Luna.

The realization hits you like a train.

That pony right there is Princess Luna. You have never been so certain of anything in your life.

And it is not just because of her appearance, or her presence, or the tone of her voice, or her bearing, or the way everypony is relieved she has finally been found. No. It is something much deeper than that.

She is Princess Luna because that is how things are meant to be.

That is the great secret, the big lie. The only truth that exists is that she is Princess Luna, which means that everything that goes against that statement is immediately false.

Except that…

Except that...



"You, the TWO of you, have very much overstepped your boundaries," Princess Luna, and nopony else, speaks. "GUARDS! Come here at ONCE!"

"No, wait! Please, Princess, I can explain!"



Except that you know your Selene is waiting for you back at home. And you know that she has a great and heavy destiny waiting ahead of her, one that you will try your utmost best to help her face.

And you know, for all that you still have no idea how, that you promised her parents you would do what is best for her.

That certainty, the certainty that you have met and that you care for the true Princess Luna, is the only thing that is stopping you from thinking that you have somehow gone insane at some point.

Because every other sense in your body, every other voice in your head, is utterly and completely certain that the alicorn standing before you is Princess Luna.

And with that, you finally get enough of your bearings to be able to get a better grasp of the situation.



"I ordered you to be QUIET."



Which makes you realize just how bad things look.

Twilight Sparkle is all but shaking where she stands, as Princess Luna towers before her with. The alicorn's pose is the very definition of regal, for all that her expression is irate, with her wings outstretched and her horn held high.

You also turn around just in time to see four guards galloping towards you, having heard the Princess' call.

All of them have that clay-like feeling to them. All of them have that not-light of green coming from their eyes, the one only you can see.

But their shapeshifting presence serves you as another reminder of what exactly is lording over you and Twilight Sparkle, reminding you that you have not gone crazy when it comes to what you know about Selene. But it also makes you realize just how utterly outclassed you must be, if you can see so easily through her guards but can't help but doubt yourself when you look at the Princess herself.

It also bears mentioning that even if their shapeshifting might be "inferior" to whatever Princess Luna is doing, they are still four very large creatures.

And as soon as they reach the two of you, they block off any chance you have of escape. Their postures shifting as they clearly prepare to pounce at the two of you on a moment's notice.



"Please, Princess Luna," she tries pleading again, "we just came here to-"

"You came here for nothing! And I already have in mind exactly what shall become of the two of you," the alicorn answers, a chill running through your spine as you realize exactly what she means by that, the four guards preparing to jump almost automatically.

"Twilight," you say under your breath, your head still spinning slightly from the blast as you summon the effort to talk. Or heavens, as you try to even take a few steps closer to your friend, dizzy as you feel. "I think now would be a very good time to-"



"Twili!"



But another voice interrupts the three of you. And all of you, including the guards that are blocking your path, turn around as another group of ponies approach you.

"Twili, I… I couldn't believe it when they said it. What in Equestria are you doing here?!"

A wave of relief washes over your spinning mind as you see captain Shining Armor, and a group of royal guards, quickly making their way towards you.

And the mood shift around you, on everypony but Twilight, is also almost instantaneous. You very nearly collapse on your hinds from relief, as you realize that at least the appearance of more ponies means that you are no longer alone with Twilight, surrounded by five murderous creatures and no witnesses to speak of.

The changeling guards, as well, also relax their pose. Although you can tell that they are all annoyed, or outright aggressive, towards the newcomer guards. And it stands to reason, seeing how you can tell all the newcomers are actual ponies.

However, what worries you the most is the shift in expression on Princess Luna's face.

Because you can very clearly tell that the gears inside her head are shifting, with new thoughts of how to deal with you two coming to the fore.

"Princess Luna, I…" Twilight continues, almost oblivious to her approaching brother. Almost totally oblivious to the situation as a whole, in fact.

The young mare is still single-mindedly focused on getting past the door that is so close to her, in order to see her dear mentor.

"Please, Princess. Don't you remember me?" she continues. "I… I helped save you. And Princess Celestia… I am her pupil! I just came here to see her, Princess. Please!"

And the transition in Princess Luna's tone is so seamless that you wouldn't have believed she was shouting at you moments ago, if you hadn't been the one she was shouting at.

However, for all that she does not sound irate anymore, her tone is still severe. But instead of anger, it carries the absolute tone of authority and reason.

"Twilight Sparkle, put yourself in your place!" she snaps back.

And Twilight flinches at that, almost as if she has just been slapped.

But Princess Luna takes that almost in stride. In fact, you almost think that the alicorn relished the young unicorn's reaction, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face for less than a moment.

"Do you truly think you are that relevant? Are you really so arrogant that you think of yourself as being so important?!" she continues, taking a step forward towards Twilight.

The young mare, her expression between shocked and terrified, takes a step back.

"I have been nursing my dear sister personally these last few days, and we have known of your presence ever since you first made that… that racket by the entrance to our domain, when you arrived. Did you truly think we did not know? Stop thinking of yourself so highly, Twilight Sparkle. You haven't been admitted into here because we didn't wish to see you. Because my sister did not wish to see you!"

Princess Luna's words finally cause Twilight to trip backwards, landing on her hinds with a rather painful sound. But she doesn't even seem to notice it.

Her expression, you can tell, it utterly shocked from Princess Luna's words, her face going through several motions in the span of a few seconds. Going from disbelief, to fear, to...

To hurt.

"Wh… what…? No. Princess Luna, there must be a misunderstanding, I…" and her voice… you feel a tinge of pain inside your chest as you hear Twilight's voice. "I a-am her, her p-pupil and-... her f-faithful studen-!"

"You are not her pupil, small one. You are a pupil. A passing interest that she deigned to train, like dozens before you. You are not the first, you will not be the last, and that certainly does not make you special."

Your mind is still spinning as you hear her. You know that you are not yet entirely aware of everything around you.

But you can tell, without the slightest shade of doubt, just how horribly wounded Twilight's expression is right now.

You almost think that the mare might be moments away from crying.

And you are so focused on her that you don't even notice captain Shining Armor walking by you, placing himself between his sister and Princess Luna.

"My Princess," he quickly says with a short bow, "I am so sorry. Please, my sister here has been distraught at your sister's condition. If you would just allow me to-"

"You are more than sorry, captain Shining Armor," she says, interrupting the stallion before he can finish speaking, "you are also incompetent. And the fact that a member of your family is the one who is doing… is the one who is breaking into my domain, then it reflects poorly on you."

"Princess, please. I can guarantee you that my sister jus-"

"You will guarantee me that she will be removed from here. And I will discuss at length with my sister about whether or not you are even worth your rank, when she wakes. In fact, if a pony like yourself has managed to climb this high in the Royal Guard, then it might be time for me to make some more radical changes to how things are done in here."

Shining Armor is speechless at that. You can't see his expression, but you can tell he is more tense than he initially was. And he is either shocked from what he just heard, or he has realized that trying to reasonably talk to the Princess will simply not work.

Princess Luna's face, also, makes it abundantly clear that she is all but daring him, or anypony, to try to say anything else.

"Now away with you. All of you!" she says, stomping a hoof on the ground for emphasis. "And if anypony else even thinks of pulling a little stunt like this, I will have them thrown into the dungeons!"

Shining Armor simply gives her a half-bow at that, and you immediately follow suit. But Princess Luna does not even bother to acknowledge any of that, turning her back to all of you and heading back into the large moon-crested door behind her.

Everypony is speechless at what just happened. Well, at least you and the royal guards are. The four of Princess Luna's own guards have chosen to simply watch all of that, with poorly hidden satisfaction on their faces.

But you don't really care for any of that right now. Not for the speechless guards, not for the smug not-guards, not even for the possibly shocked Shining Armor. The only think you have in your mind right now is to try your best not to trip, your mind still spinning inside your head, as you walk towards Twilight.

And that is because...

Well, because it didn't escape you that the young mare has been utterly still this whole time.

You finally get close enough to Twilight that you can see her face behind her mane, and you don't even think twice before you put your forelegs around her, bringing her into a hug as soon as possible.

And only now, that you have her face this close to yours, do you realize she is actually saying something. That she is saying something under her breath, that perhaps only she can hear.

"Twili, c'mon… we can talk later," Shining Armor catches up to it a moment later, also walking up to his sister and putting a hoof on her shoulder, "let's just get out of here for now."

"Yes, come with us Twilight," you say to her ear, as softly as you can.

But you are not even sure if she is listening.

You are not even sure if she will be able to move, with how rigid her body is.

The only thing she can do, it seems, is whisper something to herself.

"No, you… you are lying, and… I… Princess Celestia, she…" you think you hear her say, her voice a low whimper, her eyes still aimed at the large moon-crested door, so close to her yet firmly locked.

The guards that were accompanying Shining Armor quickly take their cue and leave, and all but one of Princess Luna's guards shadow you until you leave the deeper parts of the Princesses' personal quarters.

But still, it takes you and Shining a lot of time, and quite a bit of effort, to take Twilight all the way back to her room.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Lady Velvet Covers.

Spoiler: Wake up

You open your eyes. Slowly. Reluctantly. Mostly because your mind already knows, even though you are not yet fully awake, that as soon as you wake up things will continue from where they left off yesterday.

And yesterday was not a good day.

You still have no idea of the ramifications that will come from your extremely contentious encounter with Princess Luna. Heavens, you didn't even have the time to think about that in any real depth. Are you in some kind of trouble? Or rather, how deep is the trouble you and Twilight got into? After all, you know very well that breaking and entering into a guarded place, and then being scolded by a Princess, is not the sort of thing that one does without repercussions.

Heavens. Again, you and Twilight broke into a guarded area. A closed-off area of the Royal Castle, of all places. By all right the two of you should be in jail, or worse. However, you two "only" got the very worst talking-to possible, and then were sent on your way.

But you know that won't be the end of it. The royal guards that were with Shining Armor, who saw the whole thing, will talk. The fake guards that are serving Princess Luna might also talk. In fact, you will not be surprised at all if by the end of this morning the whole castle already knows what happened, and that the noble houses, your father included, will know about it by tonight.

Still, that is not something you have thought about at length. Not yet, at least. That was not something you had the time to think about, yesterday.

And that is because you had something very important to take care of, as soon as that whole thing was over. Or to be more specific, you had a pony to take care of.

After you left the Princesses' section of the castle, you and Shining Armor took Twilight Sparkle to the room where she is staying. And that was basically where the three of you spent most of the rest of the day.

Twilight was… your heart starts to ache just from remembering it, but the best way you can describe it is that she was unresponsive for nearly two hours, after what Princess Luna told her. Then she started to shiver. Then she turned unresponsive again. She was not exactly catatonic, but it still took a lot of coaxing just to get a few words out of her, and even then she only said the most disheartening "I'm fine" you have ever heard in your life.

But you also have to give it to Shining, though. You have no idea if Princess Luna's words about him, and the outright threat to his job and rank, were true or not, but the stallion didn't seem to care. Well, you could tell he was distressed, and you have an inkling that he simply locked away his thoughts about that whole situation for another time. But yesterday, while he was with you and Twilight, it was clear to you that his sister was the sole thing he was worried about at that moment.

You concluded then and there that he is a very good big brother. He only left the room when another captain, who knocked at Twilight's door with a very worried "we need to talk" expression, asked if he could have a moment with the stallion.

And even then, he only left after making you promise that you would take care of Twilight Sparkle.

Which you did, of course. You stayed with your friend until the last bells of the night rang, and you only left her because you truly believed she would also need some time alone.

And after that, you…



"Oh, who am I kidding…?" you murmur to yourself, idly noticing how dry your throat feels as you speak. "I'm already wide awake."



For all that you woke up less than a minute ago, your mind is already galloping at full speed. So you sit up, still on your bed, acutely aware that if you don't start doing something you will think yourself to exhaustion.

Looking around you, you slowly begin to take stock of your situation as you mentally prepare to start your day.

You glance at the door, catching the faint impression that it is still locked. Then you look at the dress you were wearing yesterday, strewn on the floor, the thought that you simply left it there before collapsing on your bed vaguely crossing your mind.

Well, you were exhausted after yesterday. And you brought a few more dresses as a matter of course. So it doesn't even bother you even if that dress is no longer usable until it gets cleaned up properly.

You shake your head, noticing how ragged your mane is. That will take some brushing to fix, you think to yourself.

A sigh escapes your lips, the movement causing your still-numb limbs to grow twice as heavy. You know you should wake up, but you also know you don't have to. And that sigh, you can tell, is one last attempt at resistance from your reeling mind, hoping against hope that you will allow yourself just a little more rest.

You decide to…

Spoiler: Get out of bed

You get out of bed with as much enthusiasm as you knew you would have, which is not much.

However, it also happens that you know these kinds of days well. You are acquaintance to days when things simply do not look up, or when you see that the path ahead is still going downhill and looks like it will continue to do so for a long, long while.

But the fact that you know days like this is exactly the reason why you know that the only thing you can do, or rather the best thing you can do, is keep moving forward.

You know that is easier said than done, of course. Much, much easier said than done. But it also happens that you have already been inside a rut that you couldn't escape alone. So at the very least you can tell that, right now, you are definitely not in a situation like that. This current predicament of yours is definitely something you can forge your way through.

And besides, you know Twilight got hit a lot worse than you by this whole situation. You may have taken a blow to your reputation, you may have some sort of punishment or repercussion coming your way, and it may be that things might still take a turn for the worse. But the thing is that you can almost certainly deal with it, whatever comes your way. Mentally, at least.

Twilight, on the other hoof, very clearly cannot. She has neither the age nor the life experience to reasonably be able to. So you know you have to be the stronger pony on this situation. For her sake, if nopony else's.

You steel yourself with as much self-pep talk as you can, while you float a brush towards you and start working on the disaster that is currently posing as your mane. Part of you regrets not having Rarity here with you, seeing how you are sure she would be able to solve almost all the problems you are currently facing, be it Twilight or mane-related.

But unfortunately, she is not. So, you will have to make do with the mirror you have in your room.

The brush, glowing with the same light of your horn, eventually settles into a tempo of sorts, rhythmically flowing through your mane as you set about your task. It bumps into fewer knots than you feared it would, and soon enough the mare who is looking back at you from inside the mirror is one who might pass for presentable, depending on the situation.

Although you are not done with the brush when you hear a knock coming from the door.

"Excuse me ma'am? It's me," Ponpon's voice comes from outside the room.

More out of habit than anything else, you quickly float the dress that is strewn on the floor towards you, clumsily covering your right hindleg with it. Just in case there is somepony else with Ponpon, that is. And moments later you send a flicker of telekinesis towards the door, unlocking it with a soft click.

"Come on in, Ponpon," you speak up, the door being opened right after.

"Good morning ma'am. It is good to see you up and awake," she says, looking at the room as she closes the door behind herself.

You normally fancy yourself as a clean and organized mare. But after what happened yesterday, you don't really feel bad about your room being somewhat untidy right now.

And from Ponpon's expression, she seems to agree.

"How was Miss Twilight yesterday?" she asks meaningfully. Ponpon was with you and Shining Armor for some time, while you were with Twilight, so she is well aware of what happened. Or at least about the general details regarding it.

"She was as fine as she could possibly be when I left her. Which is to say… not quite well," you answer, still combing your mane. "But there was nothing else I could do, and I figure she needed space."

You sigh, turning your head slightly so you can look at Ponpon's face through the mirror's reflection.

"Speaking of which, how bad is it?" you ask her, and you don't even need to specify what you are talking about.

Although, watching the usually straight-to-the-point Ponpon purse her lips and think about her words before she says them is certainly not a good indicator, as things go.

"It's bad, ma'am," she finally says. "It was already quite a commotion yesterday, when you and Miss Twilight disappeared into the Princesses' quarters. But the fact that the two of you stayed in there for such a long time, and that the guards went into an uproar, only made it worse and… Well, it's the talk of the castle, ma'am. I've already been accosted by several of the castle's maids, asking for tidbits of information. And even a few nobles have already tried to talk to me," she says with a tired expression.

You grimace at that.

Gossiping and intrigues really are the ugliest things about nobility, in your opinion. Things that you have been sheltered from, thanks to your isolation in Ponyville. And despite the rather distasteful events that led you to said isolation, you must admit that being cut off from those aspects of the noble life has been a blessing of sorts, these last few years.

For the longest time, you had the peace of anonymity. With nopony but your family even knowing you existed. And that was great, in the case of your husband and daughter, and horrible, in your father's case.

But you can't help but feel that your idyllic days as an unknown noblemare, sheltered away in a backwater town, might be slipping away from you.

"Thank you Ponpon," is all you can answer. You don't want to dismiss her, seeing how you are surprisingly thankful for her company as you slowly wake up, but you don't know what else you can say either.

But thank the heavens, the maid seems to pick up on that. Or it might just be that she also just wants to be in the company of a friend, with how complicated everything is out there. Whatever it is, she simply sits down and keeps you company for a little while longer.

"Oh," she eventually speaks up as if she just remembered something, "some bit of news, ma'am. I got an answer from the main house yesterday. Lord Steppes is here in Canterlot, and I believe he will be staying for a while longer, so it might be possible to meet him."

Your eyes go slightly wider at that, with perhaps a tiny spark flaring within them for a few moments.

That is certainly good news, to hear that uncle Steppes is nearby. Even if "nearby" equates him being at your family's mansion, and all the other things that entails.

But still, at least seeing him while you are here has become a possibility, slim as it may be.

"Which brings me to my next question, ma'am," Ponpon continues, taking your slight smile as a good indication, "what do you plan on doing today? I understand if you prefer to stay with Miss Twilight, but…"

Ponpon leaves a very large "but that might not be the best idea right now" unsaid, and she knows you well enough to see that you picked up on it.

"But," she continues, her silence not lasting for longer than a moment, "it might also be good if you busy yourself with other things, even if just for a few hours. I do recall that you intended on shopping while here, for books and whatnots."

You ponder on her words for a few moments. Both of you know that she is trying to convince you to unwind, even if only a little bit, by doing something else for a while. Something away from the Royal Castle, preferably, and all the gossiping that has already spread through it like a wildfire.

And you very much appreciate her gesture, of course. You really are thankful that, despite your status and her job, the two of you still see each other as friends.

However, the fact remains that Twilight is the one who needs somepony to be there for her, right now. You have your own problems, and you will certainly have to deal with your own windfall from what happened. But still…

"What is more, ma'am, I'm sure Miss Twilight is not even awake at this time. And Canterlot has plenty of clock towers and bells, so even with the eclipse I don't think we will lose track of time," she presses on, a confident smile forming on her face as she lightly taps a hoof on the floor for emphasis. "I am sure we will be back before midday. And a walk around the capital could very well give us a fresh perspective to deal with this whole situation."

"Alright, fine. You make a good point," you say with soft laugh, to which Ponpon's smile fully comes into being. "It might be a good idea to get ourselves centered before… well, before anything else happens, really."

You had planned to call Twilight when you went for your book-hunting, as you have no doubts that the young mare has a talent for that sort of thing. But you don't really see that happening anymore. Not today, at least, and perhaps not for quite a while, even as a cheering-up activity for her.

And for all that you might chastise yourself for not doing anything about her first and foremost, you can't really see yourself being able to enter Twilight's room anytime soon either.

So, if there is nothing you can do here then…

"But we'll come back to the Royal Castle before midday," you say, more to yourself than to Ponpon, "and no carriages or anything. I quite enjoy walking, and I really don't want to go anywhere near our family's mansion anytime soon."

Heaven knows, your father will probably get in touch with you sooner rather than later. And going to his estate just to procure a carriage would definitely make that event tend towards the "sooner" part of it.

"I quite agree, ma'am," she says nonchalantly. "But you haven't had breakfast yet either, and that might take you a short while. I know, why don't I go ahead and see if I can get a hold of Lord Steppes while you get ready?"

Now, that was a valid question. Truth be told you don't really see yourself staying here in Canterlot for more than a day, due to this whole conundrum. In fact, the only reason you are not in a train heading for Ponyville right now is because of Twilight, and something tells you the young unicorn won't be staying long either.

So, if you are going to meet with your uncle Steppes, today is probably the only day that will be possible.

And it will indeed take you a short while to get ready, while Ponpon already seems to be ready to go. So why not have her go ahead, without you, to your family's mansion, and see if she can get a hold of your uncle?

"Now that you mention it, Ponpon…"

You think about it for a few more moments, and decide that…

Spoiler: You will go out with uncle Steppes!

- - -



You eventually decided that there was absolutely no reason not to meet up with your uncle. Or at least to check if he was available today.

Of course, you know he is a very busy stallion, despite the fact that you still have no idea what exactly he does for the family. But still, the two of you agreed that it wouldn't hurt to at least try to see if he is available this morning.

Or, to be more accurate, the two of you agreed that it wouldn't hurt for Ponpon to go see if he is available this morning. Heaven knows you are not stepping a single hoof at your family's place if you can avoid it.

And if your uncle happens to be unreachable today, then there was nothing you could do about it.

With that in mind, you continue walking down the streets of the noble part of Canterlot.

The city itself is still as excited as ever. You have not yet passed through any parades or celebrations, and you assume the posh and imposing energy radiating from the several mansions around you is playing a part in keeping this part of the city organized. But you can still feel it, in the air and all around you. You can almost taste it, the mood that is covering the whole city like a blanket. This mixture of mute excitement and unspoken tension caused by Princess Luna's return and Princess Celestia's subsequent fainting.

You have also noticed that even this part of Canterlot is also much more packed than it would usually be. Looking around as you walk you can see all sorts of ponies that clearly hail from different cities. And you can tell at a glance that many of them are simply sightseeing.

You suppose it makes sense. Canterlot's noble district isn't exactly a tourist attraction, seeing how there is nothing to do here in particular. But since the city is full to bursting with ponies, many of them must be taking the opportunity to also get to know the capital itself. And for all that there isn't anything to do here, the mansions and the district itself are beautiful, with how the noble families constantly try to out-do each other in their displays of wealth.

And that, you think idly, is yet another part of the noble life you feel somewhat disconnected to. This whole competition and this need to display wealth that you see around you. Really, you can understand living in a nice house, or having a nice garden. But some of the things you have seen, even on your short walk here, can only be described as downright decadent.

You continue walking, letting your mind leisurely jump from thought to thought as you go down the white-stoned sidewalks of Canterlot's upper crust. Feeling yourself slowly unwind as you let the gentle breeze flow past you.

For all that the eclipse might not make for a pleasant view, as you would much rather it be a sunny day, you have to admit that Ponpon really had it right when she suggested this. The Royal Castle cannot truly be described as an oppressive place, but now that you are out in the streets you notice that it did have a rather heavy atmosphere to it, with how everything is alicorn-sized and pompous to the standards of royalty.

It probably isn't the Princesses' fault, you think, seeing how the vast majority of the castle's population are the high nobility who are there for one reason or another. But still, now that you are taking a breather outside that place you can teel that there was definitely something weighting you down while you were there.

Of course, yesterday's fiasco certainly helped with that.

Something snaps you out of your thoughts, causing you to stop on your tracks. The random thoughts you had in your head suddenly screeching to a halt and tripping all over each other for a single and very confusing moment.

You shake your head, trying to remember what in the heavens you were thinking about, and trying to understand what happened.

Something. You noticed something. A voice? A movement on the corner of your eye, perhaps?

You look around, taking stock of where you are for a few seconds.

Well, you are still inside the noble district, which is only obvious since it would have taken you twice the time you have been walking, at full gallop, to actually leave it. And you are in a place you recognize, so you didn't just wander randomly and somehow got lost.

Yes, you are a few minutes away from your home, near the spot where you agreed to meet with Ponpon after she was done trying to reach your uncle.

And also, and also…

"Strange," you say to yourself, still looking around you while trying to understand exactly what just happened, "there doesn't seem to be anything unusual."

So why did you just have that… that sudden snap a few moments ago?

You almost decide to ignore it, and continue walking, when your eyes fall on a group of ponies.

And once again you are struck by that curious sensation. Because somehow, for some reason, you swear that you recognize one of them, although you have no idea why.

Curious, you start observing them a little more carefully. Wracking your brain as you try to remember where you might have seen them before.

The group of ponies you are looking at is made of five stallions. One unicorn, three earth ponies and a pegasus. Two of the earth ponies, mind you, are quite large. Maybe as large as Comet Feet, although you can't tell for sure.

But what is more, they have this… feeling, about them. A strange mixture of posture and mannerism, something that you can't quite put a hoof on, that certainly indicates they are not from Canterlot. Or at least, you think, that they most certainly don't come to this part of Canterlot often. You narrow your eyes slightly as you try to focus.

Maybe they are from the cult? Some passersby or a group of recent converts you haven't heard about yet? But if they are, then what are they doing all the way here in Canterlot? They wouldn't be together like this if it wasn't cult business, and you very much hope you would have heard about this if it is cult business.

It doesn't help that you can't see any cutie marks. In fact, it doesn't help that you can't see much of their bodies at all, truth be told. The three earth ponies and the pegasus are wearing wha you can only describe as a trench coat, and the unicorn is neatly dressed in a suit.

But that makes a few more bells jingle inside your head.

They just look too… too inconspicuous, you think. That is, they look intentionally inconspicuous.

The four larger stallions don't exactly look out of place. The trench coat-wearing stallions even seem to have gone to a few lengths to be presentable, with how you can see they all wear neatly kept shirts with ties underneath their clothing. But the way they are standing, the way they are looking around as they talk to each other… it doesn't make them stick out in a crowd, but now that you have noticed them it's as if you can't see anything else.

The unicorn is fine, you think. He almost gives you the idea of a young son of some noble house, accompanied by his four…

Four…

See? That's the problem. Those four stallions absolutely don't look like regular servants, no matter how you try to put it. Maybe they can blend well enough with their surroundings if you just give them a quick once-over. But now that you are looking at them more intently, all those little things you noticed seem to be piling up, making them appear even more glaringly out of place. Heavens, the two larger ones even feel a bit dangerous, now that you look more closely, with how they seem to be frowning and-



And one of them, the largest of the three earth ponies, suddenly looks your way, and his permanent frown immediately turns into a scowl.



A slight chill runs down your spine as the two of you immediately read each other's expression, almost as if you are reading each other's thoughts. He could tell at a glance that you have been staring at his group for way too long, and you can tell at a glance that he is not at all amused by it.

The large earth pony immediately beings walking in your direction, and you realize a few moments later that your hoofs are frozen on the spot.

You aren't in danger. You shouldn't be in danger. No here. Not in the middle of Canterlot's noble district. That is what the rational part of your brain is trying to tell you, at least.

But as you watch a stallion who is probably twice your weight walk towards you, with an expression that very clearly says he is not pleased with your curiosity, your body can't help but completely ignore that rational part of you. In fact, your body can't help but ignore absolutely everything you are trying to tell it.

You think you wouldn't be able to run away even if you wanted to, as something inside you simply turns into stone when a normal pony's instincts would tell them to flee.

And you can already tell how things are going to happen. The very large and dangerous looking pony will ask you if you have any problems, you will promptly answer him that you do not, and then he will politely suggest you to be on your way. A suggestion to which you will acquiesce without thinking twice.

The stallion finally comes up to you, standing a single step away from where you are. Close enough for you to appreciate just how tall he is, with how you have to look slightly up to be able to face him.

His voice, also, is a lot harsher than you expected.



"Do you have any probl-?"

"Oi! You hoof-head! The hay you think you're doing?!"



But his almost prophetic words are suddenly interrupted, by an angry and commanding voice that comes from the group of stallions. And to your surprise, the one who just shouted at him was the suit-wearing unicorn, who is now coming towards the two of you.

A part of you wants to say that you know him from somewhere, that he is the one that you recognized a few minutes ago.. But your mind is still too frozen to care about anything but the trench coat-wearing mass of horsepower that is still standing menacingly in front of you.

"Lady here was staring at us, sir," the stallion turns towards the unicorn, "I was just-"

"Just what? We ain't in Manehattan or Baltimare you oaf. If a lady wants to stare at you, then she can stare all she wants!" the unicorn cuts him off, forcing him back with nothing but a glare.

Literally forcing him back, mind you. You see the much taller earth pony visibly shirk under the unicorn's gaze.

And then he turns to face you, taking a better look at you for the first time.

"My apologies, Miss, my partner here doesn't know his manners, but I assure you that…"

But the unicorn trails off, his mouth going slightly wider as he looks at you from mane to hoof.

And much to your growing worry, the unicorn stays frozen like that for quite a few seconds. To the point that even the stallion next to him realizes something is off, the other three ponies who were a few steps away coming towards you to see what is going on.

"Uhm… sir? S'something wrong?" the large earth pony asks, the harshness he had in his voice a few moments ago completely gone, as the pony you assume to be his superior seems to have gone mute because of… something.

But he snaps out of it before you can say anything.

"Of course something is wrong, you huge cart pusher!" he says, turning to the earth pony so quickly that the larger stallion almost jumps up in surprise. "You have a donkey brain under that pony head of yours? You the kind of pony who can't even recognize their own cutie mark?! This lady you just talked to is the boss' niece!"

The large earth pony's face goes white when he hears that, the hairs on his coat standing up and his ears coming down in what you can only describe as fear. The three other stallions, who are standing behind the unicorn, also seem to be very thankful that they are not the ones being yelled at. But they also back off slightly, as if feeling some kind of sympathetic pain for their larger friend.

And you, quite frankly, are just as surprised by what the unicorn just said.



- - -



"Ah am really sorry, Mrs. Boss Lady, I really didn't mean no-"

"Of course you didn't mean anything, you huge slab! Now go not mean anything over there, before you really do something you'll be sorry for."

It really was a curious experience, to watch such a young unicorn scold a pony who has almost twice his (and your!) body mass. And it was almost funny, watching the earth stallion desperately trying to apologize again and again, only to be cut off by the unicorn before he could finish any of his sentences.

Although you were still too frightened to actually laugh during any of that.

By the time the unicorn is done, the large earth pony, whom you learned is called Heavy Trot, has almost sunk to the floor in shame, his ears low and his posture all but curled up. But at least he has enough in him to dejectedly walk towards the other three stallions, after being dismissed by a harsh wave of the unicorn's hoof.

Then the young unicorn turns towards you. And the way his voice, and everything else about him, immediately turns much more pleasant as he addresses you is almost shocking.

Wait… not shocking, you correct yourself. It is actually familiar, the way he talks and the pleasant smile he has on his face. And for a moment, you almost think you are looking at a younger, less experienced version of your uncle.

"I am truly sorry you had to see that, Lady Velvet. Please, let me apologize for that big blunder of his. He's not used to being in this sort of place, you see."

Yes, this is definitely it. This is what you thought you had recognized from a distance. The similarity in mannerism between this unicorn and your uncle is striking, you think. To the point where you even relax a little bit as you talk to him.

"There… well, there really is no problem," you say, trying to calm your slightly fast heart with your own words. "Although he did surprise me for a few moments."

You watch the unicorn throw a glare at the four other stallions, Heavy Trot in particular almost hiding behind his companions at that. But moments later his expression is once again as polite and pleasant as it was before.

"And I'm terribly sorry for asking this," you continue, "but from what you said, I gather that you work for my uncle? It's just that I swear I remember you from somewhere, but I can't quite place a hoof on it."

"Oh, it's no problem at all that you don't remember me, Lady Covers," he says with a polite nod, "my name is Vellum, and me and the boys do work for Lord Steppes. And you must recognize me because I did have the honor of meeting you, but only in passing. I was at your estate last month on an errant, on the second day of Lord Steppe's visit. What happened was that he went straight to your mansion in Ponyville, when he got your letter, so he had me fetch his luggage and deliver it there."

With that, your memory finally clicks. Yes, it's no wonder you couldn't remember the young unicorn. You only saw him once, for a few moments, when he came with your uncle's things as he said. And Vellum only stayed for a few hours while he took care of some things with Ponpon.

"But don't even bother with the name, my Lady. Lord Steppes also only calls me 'boy'," he says with an unexpectedly satisfied smile and a short bow. "And I'm at your service, whatever you choose to call me."

Oh? You raise an eyebrow at that.

You know for a fact that your uncle is single, and for all that you have talked to him for hours and hours, trying to get details out of his personal life is as hard as trying to put a thread through a needle without magic, as Rarity would say it.

So you are quite surprised, or at least curious, that you just met somepony who seems to be close to your uncle.

Close enough for him to call Vellum "boy", at least.

The unicorn lacks the usual, brown-tinged coat of your family, but for a few moments your mind can't help but come up with a few more wild (and rather scandalous) ideas about your uncle's life. But you suppress them after a few moments. You dear uncle is definitely not that sort of stallion.

"Charmed to make your acquaintance, Vellum. This time properly, that is," you say, curbing your stray thoughts, "and it really is a coincidence for us to meet like this, then. What are you doing here at this hour?" you ask him, honestly curious.

After all, it really strikes you as somewhat strange, to see five of your uncle's employees… they are his employees, right? Well, it is strange to see five of them here, this early in the morning. In fact, it feels even stranger when you see that, not counting Vellum himself, the four other stallions are all on the "workhorse" side of things, with how large they are.

But Vellum's answer…



"Ah. Well, Lady Covers, the things is that… uhm… ahahahaha. You see, what we ARE doing here is that we…"



The unicorn doesn't really answer your question, he doesn't answer anything at all. The smooth and polite voice he had but a few seconds ago turning into a stammer, and his calmness immediately shattering for… some reason.

You have no idea why, but you have the impression that something on your question has just made him extremely uncomfortable.

But what in the heavens did you do wrong? You just asked him what he is doing here.

"Vellum? Is everything alright?" you ask, your raised eyebrow turning into a concerned furrowed brow as you watch the unicorn begin to sweat.

"Nothing's wrong, Lady Velvet. Nothing at all! We are definitely not doing anything suspic-. I mean, there's nothing wrong! We were just standing here and were having a nice chat, right boys!?" he says looking back at the four other stallions with a strangely pleading expression, almost as if he is hoping they will help him with something.

But for some reason, the other stallions seem equally hesitant to speak, shaking their heads and waving their hoofs as if the didn't want any attention to be directed at them.

"I ain't lying to the boss' niece."
"Yeah, me neither. S'already scary enough that she's this close in the first place."

Seeing that no help is forthcoming, Vellum simply looks back at you, a cracked smile appearing on his face as if hoping you would be satisfied with what he just said.

But of course… you are not.

Because he didn't tell you anything at all.

And because you are a bit worried for him, with how much he seems to be scared of something.

"So…" you begin to say, slowly, "you were just here with your friends?"

Vellum nods, the movement jerky and hesitant.

You bite down the next obvious question of "why?", and decide that perhaps you should try to guide this conversation more directly.

"And the five of you work for my uncle, right?"

Once again he nods, and you have the impression that he started to breathe faster.

"And since you are all here… together… I take it you were going to do something for my uncle?"

Vellum's eyes go wide at that, as if you had just come to a conclusion you were not supposed to reach. Or rather, as if you had just realized something he was not supposed to let you realize.

Which doesn't make any sense, really. They just work for your uncle, why would that have any strange implications to it?

More importantly, why would his employees think that his own niece shouldn't have dealings with their business? You and him are both nobles from the same family, and that basically equates to working on the same company, or something.

But before he can answer you, you hear the sound of an approaching coming from behind you. And you think you hear Vellum mutter something about "Celestia" and "have mercy" as you turn around to see what is going on.



However, the thing that you see actually surprises you for a few moments.



There are no less than three carriages are coming down the street, each of them pulled by a pair of stallions almost as large as Heavy Trot. The number of carriages is somewhat unusual, but not completely unheard of. But what really makes you curious is the fact that none of the carriages are marked.

And that is basically because carriages are not exactly cheap things. Of course, a regular old chariot can be something cheap from a noble's point of view. But that is the gist of it: if a carriage is cheap by a noble's standards, then it is not up to noble standards to begin with. After all a carriage, like almost all other material possessions a noble has, is but another tool to show off power and influence to the other noble families.

So, naturally, a good carriage will always be engraved or marked with a family's symbol.

The three carriages you are looking at, however, are unmarked. They are sufficiently lavish to go around the noble district just fine. And in fact, just like the four stallions that are accompanying Vellum, the carriages seem to walk on that fine line of "acceptable but not eye-catching". But still, it strikes you as odd that you can't see any family crests on them.

And again, why the hay are there three of them?

The three carriages come to a neat halt by the sidewalk. And without further prompt, or almost as if they were running from something, the four larger stallions immediately go towards the third carriage, entering it without a word and closing the door once they are in.

Although Heavy Trot does send you one last apologetic (and maybe fearful) glance.

Vellum, on the other hoof, freezes for a few more seconds. His gaze alternating between looking at you, and then at the centermost, and largest, carriage.

But after a few moments, he finally seems to gather himself enough to go towards the middle carriage.

And you follow right after him, curiously standing by his side as he walks up to the door and opens it.



"Good morning boss. We, uh…"



You have to admit that the interior of the carriage is far, far different than what you expected.

You can only see half of its interior, and unfortunately you can't see the pony to whom Vellum is talking to.

But what you can see is a trio of ponies, sitting on the side of the carriage that is within your view. Two of them are pegasi, also veering to the "large" size of things and wearing the same trench coat attires you have seen before. And between them, flanked by the two pegasi, is a scrawny looking unicorn who is wearing glasses. The unicorn seems unphased by his surroundings, most of his face hidden behind a large book that you are almost certain is some kind of ledger.

The sweet smell of cigars, also, hits you as soon as Vellum opens the doors.



"No 'uh's, Boy. Either think before you speak or stay quiet, or else other ponies might not take you seriously when you talk."



And your uncle's voice, unmistakable despite the strangeness of the situation, comes right after.

You immediately smile at that, the happiness of meeting your uncle here on coincidence making you forget about just how unusual this whole thing is.

"Right. I apologize. But the thing is, boss, we happened by Lady Velvet Covers while we were waiting here," Vellum says.

You hear somepony puffing a cigar.

"Well, then you and the boys better have treated her right. Now get in, we have places to be."

"Well, about that, boss…" Vellum says, visibly cringing as he gather his courage to say his next words. "She's still here, boss," he says, and you take those words as your cue to walk around Vellum so you can come into your uncle's view.

Of course, this also lets you see the other side of the carriage's interior.

Which means you can now see your uncle, wearing a neat suit and smoking a cigar, flanked on his seat by two stallions who are somehow larger than Comet Feet.

But if your uncle had a serious expression on his face, as he smoked his cigar, then it disappeared as soon as he saw you.

"Covers!"

The next moment, all he has on his face is a great and honest smile.

"Niece! By Celestia, it's good to see you! I heard from your maid yesterday that you were in town, but I didn't think we'd be able to meet," he says, all but jumping up from his seat and exiting the carriage, covering you in a hug before you can say anything.

And if the ponies who are with him think there is anything strange in how he is acting, then they are making a very good job at now showing it.

"Uncle Steppes, it's uh… strange to see you here," you answer, putting a foreleg around him as well.

While Vellum very carefully walks by the two of you, closing the carriage's door and blocking your view of its odd passengers.

"Strange? Me being here? Our family's mansion is just a few minutes down that way, kiddo. Nothing strange of me being here," your uncle says, letting go of you and, as usual, looking you from horn to tail as if you were still a growing filly. "You, on the other hoof, I wouldn't expect to find here. Anything the matter?"

"I was…" you bite down your words for a few moments, not exactly sure how much your uncle might know about yesterday's occurrence. It wouldn't surprise you in the slightest if he already knew about what happened with Princess Luna, seeing how fast gossip tends to gallop. But still, you'd rather not talk about it. "Well, Ponpon convinced me to take the morning off, as it happens. Go for a walk, unwind and all that. And we both thought it would be nice to check in on you. Just to see if you were free to join us."

Your uncle's smile somehow grows more genuine at that.

"I'm always free for you, Covers. So of course I'd love to join you two! Did you have anything in mind or-?"

"Uhm… uncle Steppes?" you gently interrupt him, causing him to tilt his head for a few moments.

Of course you are glad you met your uncle, and of course you are happy that he is available to join you. But there is still a, uhm… a tiny little detail you would like to address, before continuing this.

"I'd love it if you could join us, but…" you continue, "aren't you doing something right now?" you say.

Your question, however, just causes him to tilt his head further.

And realizing he has no idea what you are talking about, you helpfully point a hoof at the three carriages waiting by the street, and the nervous-looking Vellum who is standing a few paces from you two.

"In fact, what exactly are you doing? If you don't mind me asking, that is. But Vellum seemed awful nervous when I asked him that."

Velvet Steppes looks at the carriages, and then at you, narrowing his eyes as if he was really wondering what you are talking about. Until his eyes finally grow wide again, a soft "Oh!" escaping his lips as if he realized something.

"Oh, right. That! Nothing important kiddo, don't worry." You see him glance at Vellum for a few moments, as if wondering why the young unicorn is so nervous to begin with, "I was just going to a friend's mansion to play some golf. You know, old pony's sport, nothing too exciting."

You let out a soft "huh" at that, and Vellum visibly sags in relief, for… some reason.

"But since you're here, I know just what we can do for this morning outing of yours. Vellum," he says, turning to the waiting unicorn, "tell the boys we are done for today. We'll go golfing tomorrow. Something much more important just came up."

Vellum nods without a second thought, and quickly makes his way towards the first carriage. No doubt so he can tell its puller to take it away.

And although you admittedly don't put too much thought into it, you decide to…

Spoiler: Wait! Let's go golfing!

"Wait, uncle! That's not right," you say. Or rather, the words come out of your mouth before you can really think about them.

Vellum freezes when he hears you say that, although you still can't understand why the unicorn is so nervous.

And in a much more normal reaction, your uncle simply raises an eyebrow as you continue speaking.

"You already had your plans for golfing and all. It doesn't feel right for you to throw everything to the wind just because I showed up," you say.

And you mean it. Your uncle is his own pony, and no doubt this morning golf he planned with his friend must be important to him. You can't just take that away from him and have him change your plans just because you showed up!

"Ah, it really isn't much of a hassle, kiddo. In fact, they might even be thankful I don't show up today," your uncle says with a chuckle. "That friend of mine is really bad at golf," he adds with a wry smile.

"I insist, uncle. And besides, I've never seen anypony play golf before. And if you don't mind me watching from the sides then it might even be a fun experience," you retort, trying your best not to sound forceful. But you really would feel bad if you were to change your uncle's plans like that.

You see his lips curl up slightly at that, as if something about this situation was amusing to him, and you hold his gaze as he thinks about the situation.

"Boss," Vellum chirps up from the side, his voice shaking as if he was extremely fearful of something. "We, uh… it's golf, boss. We can't possibly take the Lady t-"

"Hush Vellum," but your uncle cuts him off before he can finish, "you should know better than to think I can refuse my niece. And by Celestia, don't even let me get started on my grandnieces!"

You laugh for a few moments as you remember the utterly baffling day when your uncle and your daughter first met. And before Vellum can say anything else, your uncle makes his way to his carriage, opening the door and addressing the ponies in it.

"Give us the carriage. My niece and Vellum are coming with me."

The ponies who are in the carriage move to obey without a word. The unicorn walks down of the carriage floating a pile of ledgers, and the four other stallions make their way out right after. Two of them being so huge that they actually have to negotiate their way through the door and you watch as the two ponies who were seated next to your uncle.

But all of that hassle just makes you appreciate just how large the thing is, once you and your uncle enter it.



- - -



"Uncle Steppes, I have to ask… did you hear anything about-"

"None of that, kiddo. If you're gonna ask me anything with a face like that, then at least wait until we have something to drink! But that is if… you are old enough to drink, right?"

"Oh, stop with that silliness, you."

"Wait, you are?! By the princesses, Covers, you look younger than Vellum here. Are you hiding wings under that dress of yours?"

As usual, being with your uncle is a balm to your soul. You will have to thank Ponpon later, for insisting on this.

The carriage had been moving for less than a few moments, and already the windows were open. Velvet Steppes got rid of his cigar right after, the sweet aroma of the smokes was slowly but surely being replaced by fresh air from the outside. And the two of you were talking, and laughing, as quickly as the carriage gained speed.

You were so distracted that you even forgot to ask why the hay he needs three carriages filled with his employees just to go golfing.

It just didn't seem important to ask.

Eventually, the carriage comes to a halt, one of the doors being opened from the outside by a trench coat wearing stallion soon after.

You don't quite recognize where you are, with how you can't see the Royal Castle from here. But you believe that you are still on the noble district, somewhere on the outskirts.

Well, it makes sense for you to be far from the center of the district. From what you have heard, you assume golfing takes up quite a lot of space. The sort of space that would be prohibitively expensive to own near the center of the noble district, no matter how powerful a noble is.

You follow your uncle as he makes his way out of the carriage, the two of you heading towards the large gates of the mansion that is before you.

Curiously, the gates are unlocked as one of your uncle's stallions pushes it open. But Velvet Steppes doesn't seem to find it strange, simply entering and making his way through the front gardens as if it was natural, so you decide to do the same.

Although it also strikes you as odd that you don't see any servants… in fact, you don't see anypony at all. Looking behind you, you can see that maybe a dozen other ponies have disembarked from the carriages, all of them wearing those similar trench coats, and all of them are following behind you and your uncle as you make your way through the front passage.

It can't be that a group this large would go unnoticed.

"Uncle steppes," you ask, watching your uncle's ears perk up, "could it be that there is nopony home? I mean, this place is quite large even for Canterlot's standards, but I don't see anypony here."

"Oh, don't worry kiddo," your uncle answers with a smile. "I wrote ahead telling him I'd come today. He must have given his ponies a day off or something. He's odd like that, but you'll get what I mean once I introduce you to him."

You nod at that. It is indeed rather strange, not to have any servants in your home when you know somepony is coming to visit you.

But your uncle did bring a lot of ponies for his own part, so maybe it's an old arrangement they have.

Whoever it is you are visiting, they must surely be an old friend of your uncle's.

The two of you make your way past the garden, and your uncle opens the front door, which was also unlocked. And soon you are introduced to the owner of this mansion.



- - -



It turned out that you very much liked golfing.



"Princesses' love, Steppes. Please listen to me! I promise you, I'll have it by next mon-!"
"Whatever you are talking about, my old friend! Here, let me introduce you to my beautiful niece before you say anything in front of her that you might regret."



And Black Kettle, the middle-aged stallion that owns this mansion, was indeed as weird as your uncle said he was. The whole time you were with him he seemed to be extremely nervous and fidgety.



"Delighted to meet you, Mr. Kettle."
"The p-pleasure is mine, Lady Velvet."
"Great! Now that we are done with the introductions. Vellum, why don't you take Kettle here for a walk. Let him show you and the boys where he keep the drinks, then come join us at the golf course."
"Alicorn's mercy, Steppes. Please, I-"
"Here, Covers. Right this way. I'm sure Kettle will join us before I'm done teaching you how to set up the course."



You also never heard of any noble family named "Kettle", but there are plenty of families you never heard about.

But anyways, as you were saying, golfing is indeed fun.

Even more fun when it's your uncle who is teaching you.

The two of you talked for quite a while, as he slowly taught you how to play. The rules about not using magic made sense, but it really took you quite a few swings before you managed to hit the ball without scraping a good portion of grass.

Still, the first time you did it, and you saw the ball zipping towards the distant flag-hole, was thrilling!



"Ah, there you are boy. I'm surprised Kettle hasn't joined us yet. Anything holding him up?"
"He uh… volunteered, to talk to our bookkeeper about something, boss. He wanted some… advice, about finances and stuff. He'll be here in a few minutes. I also sent one of the carriages to pick up Ponpon, sir."
"Good lad. Are the boys playing nice?"
"Yes sir. Everypony is keeping their hoofs under their legs."
"Excellent! And grab a bat from over there, will you? Velvet here is taking to golf like a fish takes to water, and I want to check if it's because I'm that good of a teacher, or if it's just because she's being brilliant as usual."
"Humpf! None of that, uncle. I can barely hit the ball as it is, and I swear you have one of your pegasus hiding in the trees, with how much the wind seems to send your balls exactly where you want them!"



Eventually, Black Kettle did join you for the rest of your match, but his grip on the golf clubs was as shaky as his voice whenever he said something.

He really was an odd fellow. But at some point, your uncle pulled him away from you and spoke to him in private, and eventually the stallion calmed down.

Or at least that's what it looked like. After all, he did stop shaking.

All in all, it was an extremely pleasant morning. Ponpon arrived less than an hour later, and you were having so much fun that you almost didn't have it in you to deny your uncle's suggestion that you stay the afternoon.

But in the end, you had to leave.

Although you did have one final, pleasant surprise as you were making your way out.



"Wait a minute… This thing right here… Mr. Kettle, where did you buy this?"
"Oh, uh… this? This is nothing, Lady Velvet. Nothing that you should think much of. Just an old rag I bought on a whim and…"
"No, no, no. Mr. Kettle you don't understand, this tapestry here…? This thing is ancient. It's ancient and… by the heavens! Please Mr. kettle, do you remember from whom you bought this? Or at least where?!"
"Hmm? Did something catch your eye there, kiddo?"
"Nothing, Lord Steppes? Lady Velvet didn't-"
"This tapestry here, uncle! I, well… I read a lot about antiques, and I think this here is the real deal!"
"Is it now…? Well, it really looks old… and is this thing on the center supposed to be a broken grail? Or is it a large cup…? Uh. Regardless. Kettle, my friend, my niece is usually right when it comes to these sorts of things. So tell me, have you been making any bad financial decisions again? Spending your hard-earned bits on things that you weren't supposed to?"
"By Celestia, Steppes, please. I swear that-… You can't possibly… that thing cost thousands of bits and it-!"



You are not sure what exactly your uncle and Black Kettle talked about after that, you were honestly… entrapped by the tapestry you had chanced upon, hanging one of the mansion's halls on display.

But when you snapped out of your trance, Mr. Kettle said he was going to give it to you as a farewell gift! Much to your uncle's delight.

Really, the two of them must be really good friends, seeing how nice Black Kettle was with you!

All in all, you didn't regret following Ponpon's suggestion in the slightest.



[] Black Kettle, your uncle's good friend, has gifted you an antique tapestry after a delightful visit you paid him. (Gain book: "The Grail, Bleeding". GRAIL, level 6 Book. Codified, must be deciphered before being studied.)

Spoiler: Follow your uncle's idea

You decide to follow your uncle, and as soon as the three carriages are gone, he very quickly tells Vellum to go fetch Ponpon, assuming she is still looking for your uncle in your family's house, and tell him to meet the two of you on a certain address.



- - -



"Would you care for some wine, niece?"

"Uncle, I just had breakfast less than two hours ago."

"Is that a yes, then?"

You roll your eyes, conceding to him with a chuckle as he floats the bottle towards your empty glass.

And your glass is empty no longer.

"Really, uncle Steppes, I had no idea this kind of place existed. And even if I did, I never would have guessed they would be doing this so early in the morning."

"Well, that's because you have been isolated on that lovely house of yours for too long," he says with a smile. "But considering the company you have, I don't blame you in the slightest. Also, it so happens that you got lucky. This usually only happens three times a week, but seeing how packed the city is there has been an increase in interesting goods circulating Canterlot."

You are about to ask what exactly he means by that, but before you have the chance a mare walks up to the stage and clears her throat.

As if on cue, the low chatter that had been permeating the room immediately falls silent, and everypony's attention is suddenly focused on the mare.

"I bid you all a good morning, and thank you for your continuous patronage and interest. Welcome to the Orion Flame's Auction House, and allow me to display today's first item."

As she says that, a pair of stallions walks up to the stage, carrying a large and intricately carved vase between them.



- - -



You didn't think that taking part in an auction was this interesting.

But it started to make a little bit of sense, once your uncle started explaining it to you.

"Think of it as gambling, dear. A mixture of dueling, poker and chariot racing," was how he chose to say.

Because as it turned out, despite the curios in display that were being auctioned, everypony's attention was actually focused on the crowd of nobles participating.

"Now, you have to keep in mind that it's all about power, and that there are several ways to display it. See that necklace that's on display just now? It is obviously old, and very well made, and the ponies of Orion Flame's really put in the effort to trace back its origin and attest to its authenticity. But what really matters is: who exactly is interested in it?"

He then brought your attention to the two ponies that were currently out-bidding each other for the necklace, despite how the several tables were the nobles were sitting were poorly lit.

But after a few moments you notice what your uncle meant with his question.

Of the two bidders, one of them had a smug grin on his face, every time he offered a larger sum for the necklace. And the other bidder… was sitting next to a mare.

"Oh…"

"Exactly. That mare is his wife, and everypony knows Lady Sprout has a thing for jewels. And I can guarantee you that the bastard over there that keeps outbidding Mr. Sprout is doing it just for the kicks of it. Power plays, kiddo. That necklace has already reached three times its original value, just because one of the sides is willing to pay that exorbitant amount, and the other side knows it, and is forcing the price up just to mess with them."

Oh…

You and your uncle continue talking in hushed whispers, but as he tells you more and more details, about the nobles around you and other things, you slowly start to understand what is going on.

Just like he mentioned it, this is a game. Very few ponies are interested in the objects being auctioned as much as they are interested in winning over whatever prize they decide to fight for.

And… maybe you don't even need to win a bid for it to count as a victory, you think, as an idea comes to your mind.

"But uncle, what if Mr. Sprout decides he's had enough, and pulls off from the bid?" you ask.

To which your uncle replies to you with an honestly proud smile.

"Atta girl. You sure are quick," he says, floating his glass in a half-toast. "And answering your question. If Mr. Sprout does that, then his enemy will leave with a useless necklace, several hundred bits less on his pocket, and most importantly with the sour taste of defeat on his mouth."

You slowly nod at your uncle, understanding what he meant by that.



- - -



The games, if you could even call them that, continued for quite a while.

And you have to admit it was quite thrilling, once you got into it. Although to be fair, it was also mind-boggling just how many bits were being thrown around over trinkets and curios of little value. Hundreds of bits going down the drain to purchase antiques of little worth, their prices inflated thanks to the petty squabbles of nobles and their ideas of what fun is.

Which makes you realize this auction house is… quite smart about this, considering they are the ones hosting this show, and certainly receive the alicorn's share of the revenues.

However, not everything on display was exactly unimpressive.

"Next up," the mare speaks up, cutting through the crowd's constant whispering, "is an antique book. Hardcover, in excellent conditions, discovered by a group of explorers out on the far east. We could not pinpoint exactly what language it is written in, but our specialists have been able to confirm it is not a forgery, and that it is at least several centuries old."

Your eyes go wide as the book, the large and ancient tome, is put on the central pedestal.

Because you can see, on its cover.

"Hm? Something caught your eye, kiddo?"

You see that symbol. The same symbol you saw scribbled on certain paths of the Shattered Stairways, high up in the Mansus. The same symbol that you simply know is relevant and important, even if you do not know why.

"Ohh… I see. That book caught your fancy, didn't it?"

"I… uncle, that book…"

Because you see on its cover the symbol of a Sun, split in two.

"The starting bid," the mare says, her voice clear and sharp, "is three hundred bits."

You instinctively frown upon hearing that, the starting bid already being enough to dash your hopes of ever acquiring that book.

But your uncle picks up on that as well, and he gives you a charming smile.

"Don't worry kiddo. Just watch and learn. Uncle is going to teach you how to win a bidding match. My treat for you," he says.

And before you can even think to respond, his horn lights up with magic, floating the small sign towards the host, indicating he would like to place a bid.



[] Your uncle, in a display of wealth and guile that far surpasses your own, has kindly gifted you an immeasurably old book. (Gain book: "The Sun, Divided". LANTERN, level 6 Book. Codified, must be deciphered before being studied.)

Spoiler: You will go out alone

You let out a sigh, a tired and long sigh that Ponpon immediately understands the meaning of.

"Let's go out for a bit," you say, both to yourself and to Ponpon, "but I really don't feel like meeting uncle Steppes right now."

You are very fond of your uncle, and you are almost sure that you would cheer up a little bit more if you met him. Provided that you were lucky enough for him to be free, that is.

But still, for all that you would be happy so spend some time with him, you don't really want to see him face to face.

Maybe what you are feeling is… embarrassment?

You are not quite sure if that is the correct word. But what you do know is that you have just messed up, and you don't really want to mar an encounter with a pony you like very much with this cloud you have hanging over you.

"Let's go out for a walk, just the two of us," you say, looking up towards Ponpon.

And although you are not sure of what her expression means, a strange mixture of apprehension, support and worry, she eventually nods back at you. Accepting that at least she will be able to get you out of the Royal Castle.

"Of course, ma'am. Now, shall I go get you some breakfast?"



- - -



Getting out of the Royal Castle unnoticed was not exactly easy. Mainly because had to avoid using your… "more advanced" tricks, since Ponpon was right there with you. But still, at least nopony came up to you to say or ask anything about yesterday.

Although you could still hear some whispering as you walked through the castle, about Princess Luna and other things. But none of them were being directed at you, so you assume they were just regular gossiping.

Well, being the "regular gossip" of the nobility is never something good to begin with. But at this point being talked about is probably unavoidable. At least you had the benefit of them not knowing you were there, or else they would certainly try to approach you.

But you made it to the very edges of the Royal District without a hitch, and you only had to break your anonymous stride and talk to the guards because the gates to the district were still being kept closed.

And eventually, the two of you left the surrounding noble district, and made it to Canterlot at large.

The city is still as lively as it was when you arrived, with all sorts of ponies from all walks of life joining together in the spontaneous festivities that have spread throughout the whole kingdom.

It is an uplifting scene by its very nature, to see so many ponies gathering for the sake of celebrating something joyous. A cultural turning point where everypony acknowledges that something great has just happened, and that even better things are looming on the horizon.

Or at least, that's how you think you should be feeling about what you see.

But to be frank, right now you can't see Canterlot as anything but a gigantic mess.

"Is everything alright, ma'am?" Ponpon asks, glancing sideways at you as the two of you stand before the raucous… noisome… mass of pony bodies that is blocking the street.

"Yes Ponpon, everything is alright," you tell her, you lie to her, hoping that you would somehow start believing in it if you said it out loud. "Everything is alright, and this is certainly what we wanted to do."

You watch your maid purse her lips at that, and you feel a slight jab of guilt as you realize she might have taken that as if this was her fault, for suggesting this idea.

"Don't worry, Ponpon. Let's just… go look for a bookstore. Or a library. Or anywhere we can talk and breathe without…" you bite down your tongue, realizing that you would just make things worse if you kept talking.

This is not Ponpon's fault. This is nopony's fault, you think to yourself. You're just feeling a bit down, and you're starting to let it get over to your head.

You take a deep breath, finally realizing just how worked up and stressed you really are. And you try to be rational about it. Maybe this is really what you wanted all along, maybe this is just how you really feel about all of this, your feelings coming to the fore now that you are away from the oppressive atmosphere of the Royal Castle, and now that you don't have anypony you need to take care of.

Maybe this is exactly what Ponpon had in mind, and for all that you really don't want to lash out on her, your trusty maid might have predicted even that.

Still, that's not how you want things to work.

You know what it's like to be stressed. You've already been stressed plenty of times thanks to your work and other things. But you're not about to lash out at your friend just so you can cool down a little bit faster.

You're not that kind of pony.

"Say, Ponpon," you say, after another deep breath. "I think we will cover more ground if we go our separate ways. Let's meet up back at the entrance of the Royal District, but for now let's just search for those books I told you about on our own."

"Are you sure, ma'am? I really don't mind coming with you," she asks, and you know exactly what she means with that.

Really, bless Ponpon for existing.

"Quite sure, Ponpon. And who knows, we might even bump into each other while we make our way around here."

You see Ponpon looking at you for a few more seconds, wondering how she should answer that. No doubt trying to see if this is really a good idea, or if perhaps you are a little less balanced than you appear.

But in the end, she gives you a slow nod, still checking to see if you won't perhaps change your mind at the last moment.

"Alright then. Have a good morning, ma'am. I'll meet up with you shortly."

"Thank you Ponpon," you say, as you watch your maid turn around and head towards a nearby street.

And for your own part, you really just want to get away from all this mess…

You decide that you will…

Spoiler: Look for a quiet place

…

…

…

You blink, the movement slow and alien to you. As if you had just realized you were awake instead of dreaming, and that you had a body that was your own.

As if you had just realized you are, in fact, alive and breathing.

You blink, your mind slowly beginning to move like a watermill that had laid abandoned for several years.

You take a deep breath.

And finally, you realize you have no idea where you are.

That thought frightens you only slightly, with some rational part of you saying that something very strange has happened. However, you are not immediately afraid because you understand, somehow, that what happened was merely "strange", not "wrong" or "dangerous".

You just… went out for a walk.

To a very quiet place, perhaps. To a place outside your body, perhaps. But whatever happened, was with your consent. Even if you don't remember it.

You breathe out, slowly getting your bearings as you do so.

Looking around, you realize you are in… some sort of…

You are in some sort of art gallery?

A large gallery-like corridor, wide and lit with oil lamps, stretches in both directions. And you can see several statues, and other works of art, on display, each of them with a neatly kept plaque next to them, indicating their name and whatever other relevant information is available.

You take in all of that over the course of a few moments, looking at the nearby art pieces, taking in the still air of the gallery, idly noticing that there is no window or natural light coming from anywhere but the oil lamps.

You take in all of this new scenery, and then you once again turn to the one thing you recognize on this place. The one pony you know, that you have known for a while now, even though you two just met.

You turn your eyes back to Miss Neighnia.

And your mind goes back to the conversation you had with her.

She is a painting, you are sure of that. Miss Neighnia is a painting, and nothing more. A painting of a dark-coated mare, her short mane the color of ivory and her eyes the color of snow. She is standing by the side of a small tombstone, covered in flowers.

She is a painting, and yet you remember everything she told you.

You don't remember a voice, or a tone, or even a conversation. You just remember how the two of you talked, just now. The same way you remember gossiping with Rarity a few days back, without recalling exactly the words you two exchanged.

Still, for all that you don't remember it in detail, it was a very pleasant conversation.

To the point where you can even say you are feeling a little better about yourself.

She didn't give you a pep talk. Not exactly. But she did tell you about waiting, and about the joys that lie at the end of the road called patience. She did tell you, even if only shortly, about the beauty of a very particular sunset, which happened only once. She did remind you that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, and how you ought to try to behold things differently, then, if you can.

And you have an inkling of what actually happened. Call it a hunch.

But you think… that you feel a little better because maybe, and just maybe, what happened between the two of you was a trade. An exchange of sorts. And that she gave you the memories you have, with her, and in return you left her a treasure of your own mind.

However, you know with utmost certainty that Miss Neighnia, in her absolute kindness, took from you only the treasures that were weighting you down the most.

Because even thought nothing deserves to be forgotten, there is no harm in passing your burdens on to somepony else.

The evening bells toll in the distance, from the city that surrounds this place. So you offer her a small curtsy and make your leave, for the art gallery will soon close.



[] You have met the ever delightful Miss Neighnia. And despite her being a motionless and inanimate painting, and nothing else, you very much wish to meet her again. (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a DREAD malus)

Spoiler: Look for an empty place

- - -


You have been walking for a while now.

It has been a pleasant stroll, and for all that the eclipse's permanent glow can be quite gloomy at times, the dark-orange hue that it lends to everything around you actually made things prettier for a change. It made the marble-white of the streets look more somber, it made Canterlot look just a little less happy.

And that is saying something, for a pony town. For ponykind's capital, above all else.

But that suits you just fine. You don't really feel all that happy.

Still, you have been walking for a long time now.

You are sure it is still morning, despite there being no moving sun to lend any credit to that. However, you are certain of it.

You know it is still morning because you have not heard a single bell toll, ever since you and Ponpon went separate ways.

You know it is still morning because you have not really heard anything at all. Despite the permanent festivities, you have not passed by a single crowd, or a single pony. Not even a stray bird or gust of wind has broken the peace under the eclipse's gaze.

You know it is still morning, because…

Time has not really passed.

You don't know how you know this. You do not truly care about why you know this. But you know.

You know that you have walked a very, very long distance, but that no time at all has passed.

It is an implicit thing. The same feeling of certainty, you suppose, that you husband feels whenever he sees something important, or that Rarity feels whenever she creates a dress. It is an innate understanding that simply makes sense, about how time is a river that runs in one direction, and that this whole time you have been walking across that river, and not going with or against its current.

A deep kind of knowledge. One given to you by your cutie mark.



No… By your Brand.



You have been walking for a long while now.



You are still in Canterlot, but there is something wrong about it. And you know it is not in the ground or in the air or in the world.

The only wrong thing here, you know, is yourself.

You are not supposed to be here.

But not in the sense that you are prohibited, or that your presence here is a crime. But you are not supposed to be here by some baser principle, one of logic and impossibility. Much like how an earth pony is not supposed to be seen walking on clouds, or how a newborn foal will never be seen with a cutie mark on their flank.

And yet, here you are.

After a while walking through the streets, you arrive at a park, of sorts. A large and circular place of fountains and trees, lined with sitting benches or white and gold that surround a statue of an alicorn. You see a pony, sitting on one of the benches. A unicorn mare. The very first pony you have seen in a long, long time.

You walk towards her, consciously ignoring the fact that you have no idea who the alicorn depicted by the statue is supposed to be.

You stop a few meters from her, when she notices your presence, and the two of you stare at each other for a while.

The mare is wearing a long dress, the hem of her skirt almost touching the floor. Her bearing is elegant, although you can very clearly see a fire in her eyes as she analyses you back. Her mane is well kept and she looks surprisingly young, and you think you see a hint of a necklace around her neck.

And despite the fact that her skirt is completely covering her flank, you know of her cutie mark. You know that it is a book, an open book surrounded by winged creatures that worship flames. And you know that said book is about to be burned in the name of change, the first spark for the first flame that will feed the fires of a forge. The igniting blaze that will light a great crucible, the heat of which will reforge and reshape the world itself.

Although you also understand that is the deeper meaning of her cutie mark. Because if anypony were to look at it, they would see nothing but an open book, surrounded by butterflies.

A cutie mark, you must say, exactly like your own.

Looking at her is like looking at a mirror.

"A book that has the entirety of history written in it?" she asks, a smile appearing on her face, "how very much like us."

"Yours is far more inspiring. I have the impression that you get far more things done than I do," you say, smiling back at Lady Velvet Covers.

To which she laughs, making you wonder for a few moments if that's how you really sound like. Not that you dislike it, mind you, it just feels weird.

"Well, you can say that, but I figure you are the only one of two who can pull this stunt, between all of us."

You think for a few moments, then you concede her the point with a nod, moving to sit by her side.

And the two of you stay like that for a little while.

Until your curiosity gets the better of you.

"That statue," you say, "I don't recognize it," you say, although it worries you a little bit to see her expression darken a little bit.

"Well, I don't recognize the eclipse either. So I suppose this is a mixture of both of our places," she says.

And you immediately understand that, much like yourself, she doesn't exactly want to talk about it.

"But I think both of us have a few more interesting things to talk about," she says, regaining her good mood after a few moments. "They say only a single pony can keep a secret, otherwise it's not a secret anymore, right? Then let me tell you a few secrets I know. Because I think it might just count as me talking to myself."

She then begins to tell you about the secrets that exists in mixtures, and the many different ways in which different things can be brought together. About how they may be simply fused like two metals in a furnace, or how they may be guided into creating something completely new and different, like when two ponies have an offspring of their blood.

And in return, you tell her some secrets of your own, about cause and effect, and about how a life, much like a book, is nothing but a sequence of random words and occurrences, that only make sense when they are in the proper order.

It is night when you return to where you came from.



[] You have met yourself, from another History, and you have learned many secrets of Forge. Gain three scraps of FORGE Lore. (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)

Spoiler: Just five more minutes...

To Tartarus with is.

You let your sigh draw out for a few more moments, your eyes closing without conscious thought as you slowly let yourself fall sideways towards the bed. Your head hits the waiting pillow, and soon enough you float yet another one to cover your head.

Darkness will not come to you, not while you have your eyes closed, but at least you can make your view as bland and uninteresting as possible until unconsciousness reaches you.

And it really doesn't take much time at all for that to happen.



- - -



You wake up to a completely different scenario.

Not the Mansus. You resisted the urge to escape there in your not-dreams, knowing full well that you've had enough excitement yesterday to last you a long time.

Instead, you wake up to the sight of a clean room. The dress that was on the floor a few moments ago is nowhere to be seen, and everywhere you look you can see the telltale signs of Ponpon's hoofwork. There is even a tray with some breakfast on it, covered by one of those fancy glass domes, placed on the nearby table.

Bless Ponpon, you think, as you languidly make your way out of your bed.

You sneak a glance at the door, seeing that it is still locked. But you figure that Ponpon, through the castle's servants, probably managed to get herself a spare key to your room. It's probably pretty standard practice for them, now that you think about it, and…

And you realize your mind must still be only half-awake, with how engaged you were on that particular train of thought.

But at least you feel well-rested. To the point where you think that staying in bed any longer might become physically painful.

Floating the breakfast tray towards you, you idly start nibbling on its contents as you head for the nearest mirror and start working on your mane.

It's a slow process, one that you don't put much effort into making any faster. And that is both because your mind is still sluggish, as well as because, to be honest, the solitude is being quite welcome right now. At least being alone gives you time to think.

"Alright, Velvet… So…" you mumble to yourself, looking back at the half-closed eyes of your reflection.

So…

Princess Luna has returned. She has returned and is currently taking care of her sister. It also seems that she is working with changelings, but you very much believe that she is in control of the situation given that yesterday she-

"Not," you interrupt yourself, stressing that single word as much as it is possible. "Not like this, Velvet… don't think like this."

You take a deep breath and try again, your mind slowly growing sharper as you continue taming your mane with the help of a brush.

So.

Princess Luna… Selene, your daughter, is back at your home. And you have factual evidence, born from a promise between two mothers, that she is all there is to Princess Luna.

Right. That is a good start.

You have also discovered a few days ago that there have been "changelings", monsters that you still know little about, slowly infiltrating Ponyville, and that they have been doing so for a few months now. You also surmise from what you heard your Master say that they came from the Mansus, or were somehow exiled form it.

Yes, all of that seems to add up.

And yesterday, you have confirmed that there are changelings in the Royal Castle. And that Princess Luna is back, and is currently taking care of her sister seeing how sh-

You let out a groan, shaking your head. You have confirmed that something with close ties to the changelings is also in the castle.

"Heavens… I can't even think about Princess… about her, without getting derailed," you say, taking a deep breath.

Even thinking about her feels like getting lost. But in a way that your knowledge of Moth can't control, and that your Lantern can't even notice is there.

This… is very dangerous. Knowing there are creatures out there who can control your thoughts, your very perceptions of the world this deeply, is very dangerous.

It might be a good idea to distance yourself form the Royal Castle, even. To not return here unless absolutely necessary, as you have been doing, and just stick to what you know. Because if nothing else, it seems you can at least notice regular changelings with less trouble.

But their… leader? Well, it might be a good idea to put whatever is guiding them on the same level you put your Master, at the very least.

"Although if you think about it, finding out about all of this is really what I came to Canterlot for," you say to yourself, turning your face sideways to get a better view of your mane. "Well. That, and accompanying Twilight. Although that second part… could have gone better?" you say, unsure if you believe your own words.

And your mane looks good, but it could do with a little more care.

"So. Damage control."

You think back to how things happened, after you and Shining took Twilight Sparkle away and…

And to be honest, you'd rather not think about it.

It won't help you. Not now. Not like this. Your heart goes out to Twilight, and you know that Princess Luna's words about her sister struck the young mare in a very deep and personal level. But if you are going to plan what to do from here onwards, then you need to be calm.

So, you focus for a few moments, reaching for that still lake you have inside of you, that Winter-place where things matter just a little less than they should, and where you are perhaps just a little calmer than you should be.

You find that place in your mind, that is now always there, patiently waiting, and you dive into it.

…

Yes.

Now you can think properly.

"Again. Damage control," you say to yourself, your voice just a tinge lower, and in a tone that could also be saying how well-kept your coat is.

Not a dismissive tone. Not exactly. But not one laid with emotions either.

First of all, you muse, you and Twilight Sparkle just committed a crime, and were implicitly acquitted from it by Princess Luna herself.

And there is no way you could dance around it, mind you. There is no way to sugarcoat it or try to spin that story in another way. You and Twilight committed a crime, and that's it. The two of you teleported into that place, evaded two guards in a chaotic chase, and then laid low for more than an hour as you wormed your way towards the Princesses.

The only reason you are not in a jail cell is, again, because of the Princess' implicit forgiveness. But her dismissal only acquits you from the legal part of things. By all other accounts, what the two of you did was still the very definition of the word "scandal".

Ergo: damage control. How exactly can this scandal harm you?

As if on cue, the image of your father immediately comes to mind. You know he has no love for you, but you also never really caused him any trouble. His harsh letters and criticism usually relating to more personal or administrative concerns, and despite their frequency you don't really think your father puts much energy into them.

That being said, this will be the first time you will really be the focus of his attention, you suppose, so this will be the first time you will see how he reacts to that. And what you did was no teenager-level trouble, like trying to elope with some stallion you just met, but a full-blown Crown-level offense.

Whatever his reaction will be, you can immediately tell it will not be pleasant. And a short list of how he can affect or punish you comes to mind.

He can order you to stay put in Ponyville permanently, which wouldn't be much of a punishment at all. He could hit you financially, since the bits you receive monthly is, for lack of a better term, an allowance. Or he can try to make you suffer in a more personal way.

The only way you can really see him going for that final option is by doing something related to your daughters. Forcing you to move back to Canterlot, and taking them with you, comes to mind. And at the very worst you think he could try to do something legal towards Selene like taking her custody, since you have technically adopted her only a few months ago.

The edges of your calm-lake become very sharp at that thought. But you bottle those ideas for later. You know the rituals to use if it really comes to that, and you will have to consider the aftereffects very carefully if you are really forced to protect your family.

Next is your husband. Gossip will surely reach him. In a day, if you and Twilight appear on the newspaper, or in a month through word-of-mouth. Still, regardless of how long it takes you know it will inevitably reach him, but you think you can deal with him well enough.

Stormchaser, if nopony else, will listen to your side of things. You trust him when it comes to that.

Rarity… is not up to consideration. She is your best friend, and she knows about Selene, so you know she will stick with you on this. Even more so as soon as she learns that what those things happened because you decided to go with Twilight. Heavens, she might understand how this whole thing affected Twilight better than you do. To the point that, not for the first time, you wish she were here.

Who else, who else…

Your thoughts idly pass by Princess Luna, but she is a factor you can't really predict. Not right now.

And Princess Cadance comes to your mind a few seconds later.

Of course she does. She is an alicorn, after all. One of the only two active alicorns, seeing how Princess Celestia is still being kept away from the public eye.

However, she is also an alicorn who went out of her way to publicly show favor towards you. Even if the only time that happened was when some of her guards were ordered to escort you, a few months back. But still, you have no doubt that caused a few rumors to go around. Especially because you used said escort to go to a noble party, where gossips spread like wildfire.

And on a more personal note, you really like Cadance as a pony, and you hope that she thinks of you at least as an agreeable mare. If nothing else, the two of you are kindred when it comes to the idea of having a family.

But again, she is also a Princess. Which means your actions will reach her, and she will be forced to at least emit an opinion about what happened. Even if her opinion comes in the form of silence.

Still, you conclude that Princess Cadance, much like Princess Luna, is a factor you can't rightly predict as things currently stand. And for all the rapport you might have built with her, the fact that she is a Princess makes it better if you avoid her altogether, seeing how the best course of action appears to be avoiding any kind of attention at all.

And on that note, you conclude, leaving Canterlot as soon as possible feels like the smartest thing you can do right now. Something you should do before your father has any chance to summon you, and before anything else happens that might pile into the scandal you are currently at the center of.



You idly notice your breath is rather chilly, and you pass a hoof over the mirror's surface to clear the slight hint of fog that appeared there.



"Still, I don't believe I will be able to move Twilight anytime soon… not today, at least," you say, nibbling at the now-cold croissant you just floated from the breakfast Ponpon left you.

Which leaves you "stuck" here in Canterlot at least for today, or until Twilight feels well enough for her to be able to talk.

Leaving Twilight here and going back to Ponyville by yourself is not worth it, as things currently stands.

But since factoring Twilight Sparkle into all of this means that you can't leave Canterlot, you are stuck with another question: what should you do right now? There is nopony in Canterlot with whom you must speak urgently, to give them your side of the story before rumors reach them. You absolutely will not volunteer a visit to your father, and Cadance is both out of your social reach, as well as a pony you are not sure you would want to talk to even if you had a chance.

So what do you do right now, after you are done with your mane?

"I could spend the whole day locked in here, of course," you say to yourself. You would certainly have the patience to do so. "Even if it feels like an awful waste."

But still…

Well, you could take some time to go around Canterlot itself, you think. Physically distancing yourself from the noble part of town while the uproar is fresh sounds like a good idea. And you did plan to search for books while you were here, before yesterday happened, so that might be floating two stones with a single spell. Especially considering how confident you are that you can get out of the Royal Castle rather inconspicuously.

Or you could simply try forcing the issue with Twilight. Ideally, you feel the right thing to do is to wait for her to come out of her room on her own terms. After all she's a grown mare, much as you might think otherwise most of the time, so she should at least be able to compartmentalize her grief to some extent, right? At least enough for you to be able to convince her to board a train.

But apart from those things… you can't really think of much else you could do. Well, of course you can, but things like exploring the underground of the Royal Castle, or other things like that, are not subtle or risk free, and you really don't want to take any risks right now.

"That settles it, then. Staying here, talking to Twilight or just going away from the castle. Any of those will do," you muse idle, putting your brush down and giving yourself a final once-over in front of the fogged mirror.

Reasonably satisfied with what you see, you turn around and head for your bag, floating a dress towards you while you gently ease yourself out of your mental Winter-lake.

And you slowly begin to come back to your feelings, calmly dressing yourself in your emotions just like how you are putting your clothes around your body.

"…"



The first thing that hits you is the cold.



A shiver runs down your spine as the cold fabric of your dress hugs you with its chilly embrace, and you look around as you slowly take in your surroundings.

Your breath, you realize, is coming out as fog.

The surface of the mirror… the edges of the windows… there is a layer of frost covering them.

But what strikes you the most is your own thoughts, as you trace back to them.

And very slowly, you recall how you just pondered on murdering a pony in cold blood. It doesn't matter if it was your father, or how much you dislike him or not. What matters is that you have just casually considered murder.

And also… the way you thought about your friends? You take a deep, ice-pained breath as you remind yourself that the other ponies you just thought about are ponies you love and care for, not objects or names that you can coldly consider on a list.

You shake your head, feeling the faint beat of your heart in your chest as you try to come to terms with the thoughts you just had. This, you know, is a part of yourself. A cold, calm, patient and rational part of yourself, given focus by the utter understanding that nothing really matters.

And for all that you will not say you are afraid of it, you still know that just because it is a part of you it does not mean it is something entirely good. It doesn't mean that it is evil, of course, but still.

It simply… is.

This is the first time you went this deep into your Winter-calm, but you feel a small bout of relief over the fact that you haven't been using this skill of yours as a crutch. As useful as it might be…

You shiver slightly, both because of the cold and because of other things beside. A flick of magic sees the windows opened, with comparatively warm air gushing into the room.

Although you know that it will take a long time for the air in this room to become agreeable again. So, if nothing else, staying in here and doing nothing for the rest of the day is no longer an option.

You quickly decide that you will…

Spoiler: Try to talk to Twilight

You will talk to Twilight. Or at least, you will try to.

Of course, you know it won't be simple. You remember how she was yesterday, you recall how it took you and her brother hours just to get a few words out of her. The only way you can describe it is that Twilight has locked herself inside her own head, but what worries you is that you don't know if she is just numbly sitting at a corner of her own mind or if she is setting fire to the whole place while nopony is looking.

Heavens, you really had no idea just how connected she was to Princess Celestia. You knew she was dedicated, you knew she was worried, and the whole break-and-enter teleportation thing did show you just how unhinged the mare was. But Princess Luna's words… well, they might as well have physically harmed Twilight, with how she was yesterday.

Besides, for all that you thought it better to leave her for the night, you don't think she was able to sleep.

You can't just leave her like that.

You check on yourself one last time, making sure that your skirt is adjusted and that everything else is in order. Moments later you are out of your room, locking the door behind you.

Much to your relief, you don't see anypony nearby as you quickly make your way to Twilight Sparkle's room. Her door, as you expected, is locked, but you really just want to check in on her, so you simply put an ear against it and try to listen.

You don't hear anything. Which is not as good as, say, hearing her talking to her brother, but it is also not as bad as listening to somepony sobbing quietly. But silence could also mean that she is sleeping, or reading, or that she is numbly sitting on her be like she was for the most of yesterday.

And although you don't want to be pessimistic… you really think that last option is the most likely.

"Twilight? Is everything alright?" you say in a gentle tone, raising your voice slightly so you can be heard through the closed door. "Have you eaten anything today? Did you manage to sleep a bit?"

You keep your ear pressed against the door, straining to hear something. Anything. A mumbled response, the sound of somepony shifting on their bed, even a book being put down. Anything would do.

But you don't hear… anything.

A chill runs through your spine?

"Twilight, can you hear me? It's me, Velvet," you say, doing your best to keep the worried edge you are feeling out of your voice, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I just wanted to check if you need anything."

You wait for a few moments, the side of your face almost hurting a little with how pressed you are against the door.

But still, nothing.

You can hear your heart beating against your chest.

"Twilight?" you try one last time, as your thoughts begin to race faster and faster.

She is just sleeping, you tell herself. She is sleeping and you are going to wake up if you keep that racket. And you should let her sleep. Quit being a worrywart and go do something else with your time. The two of you will surely have a chance to talk later today.

And what are you afraid of, even? Twilight is a smart girl, she wouldn't do anything stupid. She wasn't that affected by what she was told about Princess Celestia, right?

She was just affected enough to worry for several days, without sleeping much, and then work herself up to the point where she broke into a guarded area. But that's normal, right?

She wouldn't do anything even more stupid than that.

She's a smart mare.

…



And so was Jade Whistle.



You nearly slam your hoof against the door, the loud impact drowning out the soft click of the lock coming open, and you are inside her room moments later.

"Twilight?!"

You look around, heart hammering inside your chest as you look for Twilight. The fact that you first looked up towards the ceiling not helping you calm down in the slightest.

But the seconds go by as you slowly realize that… the room is empty.

Twilight Sparkle is not here. You run that phrase several times inside your head before your heart begins to slow down.

Twilight isn't here, everything is alright. She just… she just wants to stay alone for a while. She didn't do anything stupid.

And if she is not here, you think as your pulse slows down, it means that she wants to be left alone.

Probably.

…

Hopefully…

…

You decide to…

Spoiler: Give up

You decide to respect Twilight's bid for privacy, wherever she may be.

Helping other ponies is fine. And doing something that they might not like at first because "you know better" can also sometimes be fine, if done with extreme care and maturity. But trampling over the barrier that is a locked door and invading somepony else's privacy is as far as you are willing to go.

The fact that Twilight is not here, also, shows you that she simply doesn't want to be around other ponies for the time being. That she really needs to be by herself, wherever she may be.

In the end, you can only trust her, and hope that she comes back alright.

Funny, you think. Twilight is a grown mare, but for some reason she still pushes at a few of your motherly instincts. But this situation you are in right now, this powerlessness to help her that you feel… You wonder if this is also a lesson you have to learn, about limits you can't reach and problems you simply can't solve.

If this really is a lesson, then you hope you will take it to heart. After all, one day your own daughter will be all grown up. And very soon, sooner than you dare to think of, she will also face problems that you will not be able to do anything about. When that day comes, you will only be able to trust her to solve her own problems by herself.

Well… you trust Twilight, and you dearly hope the young prodigy comes back feeling a little bit better.

Thought this will still be a long day of waiting and worrying.



[-] There is nothing left in this strand, and nothing more will come from today. You wonder if things could have gone differently.

Spoiler: Look for her nearby

"Hopefully," you quietly repeat to yourself.

Hopefully, Twilight just wants to be left alone. Hopefully, her being alone will be good for her. After all, her not being here means that she at least got out of bed and moved on her own, if nothing else.

But still, if she went out of her room then it wouldn't be strange if you accidentally bumped into her, right? It wouldn't be invasive or overbearing of you if you just happened by her.

Barging into her locked room was certainly impolite of you, but since she wasn't here she will never find out about it. But since she is not here, it means you can talk to her in a more casual way. As long as you can find her, of course.

Lucky you, you think, you have several tools at your disposal when it comes to finding things.

You take another deep breath, looking around her room one last time in case you missed her, before you leave her room and lock her door with a bout of magic.

And then off you go, searching the Royal Castle for Twilight Sparkle.



- - -



You don't much enjoy doing… this, whatever it is.

Are you looking at other Histories? Are you looking at other worlds? Is there even any difference between those two things?

Regardless of the answer to those questions, you don't much like doing this, looking through other Velvet's eyes, gazing at worlds that are uncannily similar yet wildly different from your own. It gives you a bit of a headache, but most of all it makes you unnerved. And that is because you only see flashes, images from a few seconds ago that belong to a memory that is not yours. Faces of ponies you have never met, stairways of places you have never been…

However, for all that you find doing it uncomfortable it still works most of the time.

"Most of the time being the key term here," you say to yourself, your tone clearly annoyed. "Wherever Twilight is, I still haven't even caught a glimpse of it so far."

You have been walking around the Royal Castle for a while now. And you have been subtle about it, to the point that nopony tried to talk to you so far.

And it's not being that hard, to be honest. Being inconspicuous and "hiding in plain sight" is much easier than it is to "completely hide" you presence. Being in a public space has the perk that you can get away with just having other ponies' eyes glaze over you without them really paying attention.

Not paying much attention to passersby is natural, you are just enhancing that naturalness when it comes to you.

Still, for all that Moth has availed you thus far, you haven't had much luck when it comes to locating Twilight.

Of course, you have already tried the obvious places.

You recall how she mentioned she knew Princess Cadance years ago, although you have no idea how their relationship is nowadays. But still, you went as close to the Audience Chamber as you could without being noticed, even catching a distant glimpse of the Princess of Love herself, but you saw no signs of Twilight.

You also tried looking for Shining Armor, although you didn't dare to enter the barracks of the Royal Guard. Still, you didn't pick up anything from the conversation of a few passing guards that would suggest an update from yesterday's occurrence. Which in turn makes you believe that none of them saw the passing figure of one of the captain's younger sister.

And right now you are in the castle's library. On its public section, of course, but still you see no sign of your friend.

"She couldn't have gone back to Ponyville on her own," you say to yourself, as you walk between the tall and imposing bookshelves, "her bags were still back in her room."

You also muse over the possibility that maybe she was attacked by changelings, during the night. But once again you discard the idea. So far you have no reason to believe that the changelings know that you, or anypony, can see through their illusions. So if Twilight had been taken, you believe you would have "met" her in her room, possibly posing that she was feeling better, and that the two of you should go back to Ponyville.

No, you are confident that she is out there… somewhere. Call it intuition, but you can almost feel it.

Still, the fact remains that she wants to be left alone. And if she is not in any of the more public areas, then continuing to look for her will be like barging into her locked room all over again.

You are thinking about that, when a sudden thought occurs to you…

Spoiler: Give up

You think that… it might be better if you stop here.

If you had found Twilight inside her room, then you would have a single problem. That being that you just wouldn't know what to say, and that there would be nothing you could do but offer her your company, for al it might have been worth it.

But now? Well, if you somehow find where she is then you will be walking up to a mare who very clearly wants to be left alone. And for all that she might "need, but not want" somepony to be there for her, you get the feeling that you are stepping over the line where finding her would do more good than harm.

It might be better if you stop here. You have already ruled out your most worrying suspicions. And even if nopony will acknowledge, you have your own peace of mind over the fact that you did try your best to find and help your friend.

But heavens, there is a time and place for everything, and everypony has their own pace. That is something you know from firsthoof experience. After all, for all that you might love Stormchaser you do remember how uncomfortable you were with him at first. And he taught you through his actions that patience, and love, are the right tools to employ on this sort of situation.

You decide you will give Twilight Sparkle space. You will be here when she returns, and you will help her if she needs it.



[-] There is nothing left in this strand, and nothing more will come from today. You wonder if things could have gone differently.

Spoiler: A flash of inspiration

- - -



Walking here was a little bit like reliving an old memory.

It was also a stark reminder that not all memories are good, mind you. A painful poke against your ribs reminding you that, as much as you might act otherwise, your life did not begin the day your daughter was born.

However, even if it might be unpleasant, you still hope you will find Twilight here.

The School for Gifted Unicorns looms ahead of you, the dull-white of its mansion-like entrance contrasting against the purple walls of its side wings. A trio of towers juts from its structure, one of them with astrological instruments poking out of its several windows, and a large and golden sun-shaped symbol hangs over its front door.

Of course, that symbol being here is only natural seeing how this school was founded by Princess Celestia herself.

You feel something inside your chest tighten as you look at the place. And as much as the rational part of your mind might be trying to convince you that this place is not as large as you remember, the School for Gifted Unicorns still feels as imposing as it did all those years ago.

Yes… you remember them, all the admission exams you took. Or rather, all the admission exams you failed. And for all that you might not care for your parent's disappointment on an intellectual level, sharply remembering how their unimpressed expressions looked like after each failure still hurts.

You take a deep breath, slightly dipping the edges of your hoofs on your lake of calmness before you begin walking towards the entrance.

Unsurprisingly, there is a notice on the front door. A sign explaining that there will be no classes during the holidays, with a set date for when activities will be picked up again.

However, you can also see that the door is not locked.

You highly doubt that immediately means Twilight is in here, seeing how easily she can teleport. And you are not sure if a school almost exclusively dedicated to teaching magic would have a… an anti-magic bubble set around it, or whatever.

Or would they? Having something to stop foals from casting magic inside a magic school sounds counter-intuitive. But you would also need something to stop them from accidentally casting dangerous spells, wouldn't you?

Heavens, you really need to read up on how anti-magic works, if that is even a field of study to begin with.

Still, you don't think an unlocked front door is an indication that Twilight is here, simply because you don't think they would leave an important place like this without somepony taking care of it. Even during a holiday.

This is, after all, a school founded by Princess Celestia herself.

"Excuse me, is anypony here?" you say out loud, slightly opening the doors and knocking on them.

A slight wave of vertigo comes over you for a few seconds as you step into the entrance hall, and you grimace for a few moments at that. By Tartarus, you remember this place.

But you bring your expression back under control as soon as you hear somepony approaching.

"I'll be with you in a moment," an aged voice comes from one of the adjoining corridors, its owner coming into view a few seconds later. "Ah, good evening Miss. We're not having any classes for a few more days, but can I help you with anything?"

"Ah yes, I saw the sign by the door," you answer, giving the stallion a smile.

He is an old stallion, although you can't exactly tell if he is a teacher or just a janitor who volunteered to come by during the holidays. Still, you can see him eye you curiously, looking first at your horn, and then at your dress with an understanding expression that says "you're too old to be a student anyways".

"And pardon my intrusion," you say, pressing on the fact that you feel he has not decided fully on what to think about you yet. "I am Lady Covers, and I'm here just for the nostalgia. I am not sure how unusual this is, but I haven't been here in years, so… would it be much of a problem if I just took a look around?"

You see, or rather you feel, that the old pony softens slightly at that, and your mind jumps at the chance presented to you. You are not sure if he is just old, and understands well the feeling of nostalgia, or if you pushed at some deeper and more personal part of him. But still, you do your best to sound as young and hopeful as you can, and you weave the words you feel he will savor the most.

"It's just that…" you press on. Not lying, but not telling the truth either. Not telling him your family name, in case he heard any recent gossip, but not outright saying that you were never a student here either. "I have a lot of memories here. It feels like I was just here yesterday, but I know it was a bit longer ago, and…"

And after a few moments, you see the old stallion taking in a deep breath, followed by a heavy sigh. The kind of sigh, you know, that usually precedes a pony doing something they are not exactly allowed to do.

"Well, young Miss. I'm not much for walking up and down stairs nowadays, if you don't mind me not accompanying you. But I don't see any harm in an old student taking a look-see at the place either," he says. "For the good old days, and all that."

To which you reply with the most innocently thankful smile you can make.



- - -



You tried to go about it as quickly as possible.

However, you would be lying if you said that you did not dally just a little bit as you looked around.

And now that you are done, the correct word to describe how you feel is "bittersweet".

It was a curious experience, to walk down the halls of a school you could never enter. To look at the classrooms of an institution your parents so furiously tried to get you into, but ultimately failed.

The place is beautiful, of course. Its halls and its corridors and its libraries, everywhere you look has a certain charm to it. Everything also looks expensive, and you passed by more than one laboratory that was lined up with equipment that very much lives up to its Crown-born patronage. Which in turn makes you think about its staff, and how the teachers who work here must be some of the very best in Equestria.

But ultimately, what strikes you the most is the bittersweet sensation of "what if". Several of the classrooms have desks and chairs that are foal-sized, and you can clearly see how those grow larger in the classrooms of the higher floors. After all, the School for Gifted Unicorns has a course that begins when ponies are still very small, some of the students being admitted even before they acquire their cutie marks.

Still, as you walked down those corridors and looked into the empty classrooms, you could… you could almost picture yourself, as a young filly, studying in one of those. Studying, and learning, and growing, and changing classrooms and chair sizes as the years passed. Until you finally graduated from the most prominent magic school in the kingdom, receiving the approval of a family that did not think you were a failure.

…

Of course, you know that was just wishful thinking from you, and you know it would not have been as simple as that. But still…

"Well," you say to yourself, looking out through one of the windows, your voice hoarser than you would like to admit, "in the end you never made it, Velvet..."

You let those words echo through the empty classroom, and it strikes you just how much you have to fight down the sigh that is building up inside your chest.

After all, it would be so easy to add a 'not in this History' to that phrase. It would be so easy to turn your efforts into looking for a when or a where in which things turned out different for you, even if it turned out to be a fool's errant.

But you wrestle that urge. You already have too much to take care of, and wishing that things were different in your life would be a disservice to all the good things you have.

So… you force yourself to focus on the present once again.

"And Twilight is not here," you say, shaking your head slightly as you once again turn your thoughts towards looking for your friend.

However, as you look out through the window and towards the Royal Castle, one final idea comes to you. And idea borne from your reminiscing of your own life, and from thinking about how things could have happened differently. How things might have gone in another direction that you could very easily think was "better"… if you were in a particularly bad spot.

One last hunch of where she might have run to.

But if your idea turns out to be correct, and if Twilight really is in the mental state that she would need to be in order to think what you are thinking, then it really might be for the best that you don't go look for her.

Still, the choice is yours.

Spoiler: Give up

In the end, it is better if you don't. You won't be able to do anything if she really is there.

What you really should do, on the other hoof, is get ready for when she comes back. After all, the next time you see her Twilight will have just returned from a very dark place.



[-] There is nothing left in this strand, and nothing more will come from today. You wonder if things could have gone differently.

Spoiler: One last place...

- - -



She is here.

The door before you is locked, the long stairways that brought you here have clearly not been disturbed by anypony but the cleaning maids for months now and you know for a fact that will continue to be the case for many years to come.

Even finding this place had been difficult. Straightforward, but still difficult. Like trying to force the sand inside an hourglass to go up with magic, or like trying to pull up a rock from a strong river. Finding your way here was akin to a manual and repetitive task, of repeatedly finding the direction you had to go and following it until you hit the next corner or hallway, where you would then have to find what new direction you should go once again.

But this elusiveness makes sense, now that you are here. This is an important place, a place that almost everypony who works in the castle knows about. And yet, it is a place almost nopony thinks about or has much care for. This is a place that serves a purpose, but since it is not currently serving its purpose then it is a place which lies forgotten and overlooked. Just another empty tower in the Royal Castle, just another tool waiting for a Princess' attention to be once again deemed relevant.

Twilight only mentioned this place once, and in passing. Still, you are absolutely sure that she is here.

And that certainty makes a knot you have in your chest grow slightly tighter.

But you have come this far, and you are not about to give up now.



Click.



With a tap of your hoof, you unlock the large double doors, and make your way in.

You find yourself inside a great circular room, the orange light of the eclipse casting long shadows everywhere you look. There is a little bit of everything here, but everywhere you look you see some form of utensil that would fit a scholar or a researcher. High shelves stacked to the brim with books both old and new, enough chemistry tools to fit a small laboratory, telescopes and constellation charts by one of the larger windows, even some sort of half-assembled machine lies on one of the far sides of this place.

You also see adjoining doors, and you can only guess to where they might take. But apart form that, you can clearly see that this is a sage's dream, with mountains of study material all around , covering every possible subject. A place that you have no doubt would be able to keep several studious ponies busy for decades, or perhaps even longer than that.

And at the very center of the room, you see her.

You see Twilight Sparkle, just sitting there on the ground with her back turned to you. But although you cannot see her face, you have a good idea of what her expression looks like.

And even though she surprises you by speaking up before you do, her voice is…

Well, her voice is more than enough to confirm what you are thinking about what sort of look she must have on her face.

"Oh, it's you…" she says, even though she has not turned around to look at you, "I thought it would be you, with how the door unlocked without magic and…"

She trails off, and you grimace at that, unsure of what exactly you should do. Of what you even can do, to begin with.

And that is simply because Twilight sounds…

Dispirited.

Hollow.

Hopeless.

Lost.

You can tell she is looking around, facing each of the bookshelves and each of the learning utensils one at a time. But although you know she has lived in this place for many years, you can tell that she… doesn't really recognize any of the things she is looking at.

You know this place was left untouched, that the contents of this room must be exactly like how she left them, when she moved to Ponyville.

But still, she clearly… doesn't… know this place anymore.

"Yes, Twilight. It's me," you say, half of you scolding yourself for breaking the silence, while the other half admonishes you for letting silence build up to begin with.

You say that, but you have no idea what to say next.

There is nothing to be said. You shouldn't even have come here.

You being here won't make this any quicker for here, your presence won't make this any less painful for her. If anything, it will only remind her that, despite everything that happened, there is still an entire world out there, and it keeps on going regardless of how much she is suffering.

And you know that, you understand that, because you realized exactly what she was thinking when she decided to come here.

"Velvet…" she says, and you can hear that her voice is trembling, "do you know where we are right now? Do you know what they call this place?"

You feel a knot inside your chest growing tighter and tighter as you see her mane fluttering slightly. As you see her whole body shaking as she asks that question.

You don't have it in you to answer her, so you just shake your head, even though she can't see it.

"This place," she says, and you can hear her swallowing something dry, "is called the Apprentice's Tower. And I know that sounds obvious… I know it's something everypony knows… but still, I only found out that is what it's called today."

She says that, and then she turns around to face you.

"Isn't that funny?" she asks with a smile.

And you can feel your heart break a little bit as you look at her.

Twilight Sparkle has a smile on her face. It is not an insane smile, it is not a smile with too many teeth or something that would make you worry for her sanity. It's something much worse than that.

It's a calm smile, a rational and hollow smile of a pony who just realized the punchline of a joke.

Her cheeks, also, are damp with tears, and her eyes are red from crying. But curiously, you can see that she is not crying right now.

Perhaps because she has already cried all she possibly could.

"For the longest time… for years, even. I thought of this place as my home, I thought this place was called Twilight's Tower, or something like that. After all, this place was all mine, and I spent every… I was here all the time. I only ever left when I had something more interesting to learn somewhere else."

Her tone is so low that she might as well be talking in whispers. But still, you don't dare get any closer to her.

And that is because… her eyes are so hollow and her smile so faint that you think she will crumble into dust if you take even a single step towards her.

"Princess Celestia said it herself, even. That this place was all mine to do anything I wanted. That is, to study anything I wanted," she continued, turning her gaze towards the surrounding bookshelves. "And I remember how happy I was… this place was a like an amusement park, like twenty different libraries mashed together in a single place. And I thought Princess Celestia had prepared all of this for me, Velvet…"

Twilight lets out a dry cough, her chest shuddering so much with the motion that you have no doubt that it was actually painful for her.

It takes you a few moments to realize that was a chuckle.

"That's the thing, Velvet. I just realized that she didn't. This place… all of these books, on all of these subjects, and all of these tools… they are all leftovers. They are all the interests of her previous students, things that were left behind and that piled on top of each other as the years and decades passed. They were all left here for the next occupant of this place to pick up, because this is what this place is for. This is the Apprentice's Tower."

You watch as Twilight looks towards a particular table, lined with books and scrolls. And for some reason, you understand that particular spot to be her own "addition" to this place, the contribution that her own interest produced as she spent years studying here under the Princess' tutelage.

"But in the end… that's what I was the whole time. Exactly what Princess Luna said. My whole life, I was just a passing interest, one more student in a long line of ponies who caught Princess Celestia's eyes…"

A single tear comes out of her eyes, slowly making its way down the fur of her cheek as she says those words.

"And when she said I was her faithful student… I can see that she meant I was a faithful student. Not her faithful student, or the faithful student… Just another pastime she decided to take under her wing and…"

The young mare suddenly shivers, as if a cough or a hiccup came up to her, interrupting whatever she was going to say next.

And with that, her whole demeanor changes. As if she just realized where she was, as if she was suddenly afraid of what was happening, Twilight's eyes suddenly shoot wide open. Her breathing becomes ragged as she looks around herself, and her horn lights up as she starts walking backwards, away from you.

"Twilight, wait!" is all you can say, running towards her after the split second it takes you to realize what she is about to do.

But before you even finish speaking those words, the light of her horn flashes a brilliant light purple, and then she is gone with the soft puff of a teleportation spell.

Leaving you alone, with nothing to keep you company, but the memory of Twilight's frightened expression.

And no matter how much you think about it, you can't describe it in any other way but as the expression of a pony who can no longer recognize anything around her. Not even herself.



[-] There is nothing left in this strand, and nothing more will come from today. You wonder if things could have gone differently.

Spoiler: Go out for a walk

You decide that leaving the Royal Castle, and gaining some distance from the noble part of Canterlot altogether, is in order. And you decide that it is best you do it as soon as possible, before your motherly instincts regain their senses and start telling you that you should go check on Twilight.

Of course, you are going to check on her. But deep down you know that is something you should only do much later. Or at least not right. Because if she has not left her own room yet, then it means that she still wants to be by herself.

And who knows, you plan on going out to buy books, right? Maybe talking to her later tonight with a heap of recently bought books might help a little bit.

Even though you would have much preferred if she came with you during said book-hunt…

With that in mind, you go out through the door, making sure to lock it after you leave. A quick look around tells you that there is nopony nearby, and you resist the urge to go towards the door to Twilight's own room when your eyes pass over it.

You take a few deep breaths, shaking your body here and there in order to shed away the Winter chill that still clings to you. Then you begin to slowly work your thoughts in the direction they need to go, for what you are about to do next.

You run your memory through the spiraling paths of the Woods, and how it felt like to walk between its dark trees not knowing if the things that caressed your side was a leaf or your mane or something with insect-like wings. You focus on those images until you are no longer exactly sure of why you are doing this in the first place. Until you can't really remember why is it that you want to get out of the Royal Castle without being noticed. Although you still want to do it anyways, just because you can.

Just because it is a whim of yours.

You don't really notice how long this process takes, but a small part of you idly mentions that it is much, much smoother than it was before.

Maybe you are getting better at this.

And being pulled by your stray thoughts, you begin walking through the halls and corridors of the castle.

You are going to the main entrance of the castle, of course. Or at least you know you will get there eventually. But still, you decide to take a long and winding path, because why not. The longest shortcut is still a shortcut. And several times you walk by the castle's main entrance, but decide not to leave yet for one reason or another.

You'll get to it eventually, but it doesn't have to be right now.

You keep fluttering here and there, listening to the idle chatter of servants and the bored sigh of guards, until you chance upon a pony that you vaguely remember you know.

Something tells you she is an old friend of yours, probably. She is wearing a rather nice maid uniform, and you can see that she is talking to a trio of ponies.

You narrow your eyes as you walk towards the group. You are not being completely silent about it, but that is because you don't need to. After all, they aren't any more likely to notice you than they are likely to realize that they are breathing without putting any thought into it, or that their tongues are currently inside their mouths. And besides, being too silent would create the sort of vacuum that, paradoxically, is easy to notice. Or at least that is easier to notice than a pony who you don't much care about.

You get close enough that you are able to hear their conversation. Not that you have any interest in it, mind you. But still, the mare's voice almost rings a bell…

You keep listening to them until a name finally clicks inside your mind. Of course, the maid-dressed one is Ponpon.

But who the hay are these three ponies she is talking to?

Eh, you don't really care.

But more importantly, the stary thought hits you, you suddenly find yourself wondering if you should tell Ponpon about your outing. You can get out of the Royal Castle without anypony noticing just fine, but it occurs to you that she might be worried, if she happens to go in your room and realize you are not that. And also, Ponpon is surely going to make for good company if she comes with you on your little book hunt.


Yes, you think, the hunt. Your eyes are merry with hunger for the books to come!


You are close enough to her that she will probably notice if you take but a single step forward. Well, she won't have any choice but to notice you if you take said step, seeing how you will be standing between her and the pony she is talking to if you do that.

Really, you could bite Ponpon's mane from where you stand, if you had the mind to it. How the hay haven't they seen you yet?

Spoiler: At least tell Ponpon

"So Ponpon I'm going out t-"


"AHH!"
"What the HAY!"
"Celestia's throne, where did she-?!"


You give them a moment so they can recompose themselves. Surprisingly, despite it being three noble guards and a maid, Ponpon was the only one who did not scream, or jump, or take to the air with their pegasus wings in the case of one of the guards.

Although you do see that her eyes are wide open, and that her coat seems to be on its end. That, and she briefly takes a hoof to her chest as she takes a deep breath.

Well, you figure you have given them enough time now.

"As I was saying," you continue, as the trio of guards slowly get their senses back, and Ponpon politely turns to face you, "I'm going out for a bit of shopping. Figure it's best to look for books now, before we go back home. Would you happen to be free to join me, Ponpon?"

Ponpon looks at you with a slightly confused expression, one that you figure means "why wouldn't I, I work for you" or something like that.

Which you suppose makes sense. But still, you felt like asking her anyways.

"I… well… sure? I mean, yes ma'am, I would love to join you," she says.

And you answer her with a delighted nod.

"Perfect! Let us be on our way then. I haven't heard any of the afternoon bells yet, so I'm not sure how late it is, but I still think I overslept and time's-a-wasting!"

"Actually, ma'am," Ponpon interrupts you, taking hold of your hoof as if you were about to walk away from her.

Well, you were, but that is beyond the point.

"There has been a…" she continues, rather hesitantly, until she shakes her head and begins talking more straightforwardly. "These three ponies, ma'am. They are of the Royal Guard, and they would like to talk to you. That is, they are of Princess Cadance's Royal Guard. May I please ask you that you listen to them for a little while?"

Oh?

You raise an eyebrow at that. This is certainly unexpected.

So unexpected, in fact, that you even… decide it might be better to give them more of your attention.

You look at the three guards, watching as they look at each other hesitantly, wondering if they would remember this conversation even happened if you were to walk away right now.

They probably would, but not in any detail.

Still, these are Princess Cadance's guards… not at all what you were expecting, if you had caught word that somepony form the Guard was looking at you. And definitely not something that looks like it will end with you being thrown in a jail cell.

So, you decide to hear them… You decide to be a little more "here" than "there", as you hear them.

You take a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

And the buzzing stops.

Suddenly, the guards, and Ponpon, seem a lot more at ease.

As if you had just walked up to them and politely introduced yourself.

As if nothing strange had just happened.

"Ah, Lady Velvet Covers!" one of them said as he takes off his helmet, the other two following suit, "it is fortunate that we bumped into you're here. We were just talking to Miss Ponpon, may we please have a moment of your time?"

"But of course," you say, suppressing a slight and whimsical chuckle at the repeated question.

"My Lady, we are in service to Princess Cadance," he says, proudly puffing his chest and the emblazoned pink-and-violet colors of his armor, "and earlier today she has given us express orders present ourselves to you, should you be of mind to accept our services while you are in Canterlot."

"Oh?" you say, honestly surprised, "indeed?"

You say that, and then you exchange a glance with Ponpon.

A meaningful glance, one loaded with a question that she immediately understands. One that asks if, in her previous talk with these three guards, she went to the lengths to check if this was really what you think it is about.

And Ponpon looks back at you, giving you a single nod.

Yes, this means exactly what you think it means.

Which makes a soft warmth to appear inside your chest. A small mixture of happiness and relief, and perhaps the faint hope that, somehow, it might just be that somepony here in Canterlot has your back.

"Well," you say, turning back to the guards, "if that is our Princess' will, then there is no way I could deny it."

"I am delighted to hear that, Lady Velvet Covers. So, how may we serve you today?"



- - -



The five of you step into the crowded streets of Canterlot. Utterly unnoticed by the mass of ponies that is slowly beginning to surround you.

The five of you are on hoof, and you very politely asked the guards if they could eschew their armor for the rest of the day. As long as it wasn't disrespectful, of course. But they did agree to your request, saying with few words that they understood your desire for anonymity.

And Ponpon, you think, quite enjoyed their company.

But still, the five of you make your way through the busy streets, as you merrily tell them of what exactly you will be doing this afternoon.



[Book hunt – Canterlot]

[Roll: 49 + 15 (Learning, SH doubled) + 40 (SECRET HISTORIES bonus, doubled) + 20 (Favoured in Canterlot) (bonus suppressed) = 104]

[Re-Roll: 100 + 15 (Learning, SH doubled) + 40 (SECRET HISTORIES bonus, doubled) + 20 (Favoured in Canterlot) (bonus suppressed) = 155]

[First roll result discarded. Re-roll result picked.]

[Commencing the First Great Book Hunt]



But suddenly, you hear something shatter. You hear the sound of ripping, as if a large piece of cloth had just been divided in two, then into four, then into smaller and smaller parts. You hear the sound of glass hitting the floor, what was a single reflection turning into a kaleidoscope as shards fall in every direction.

But for some reason, you know that to be good.



[] After a pleasant evening with Ponpon and a few of Cadance's guards, you have found the following books: GRAIL 5 (120 bits), GRAIL 4 (60 bits) SECRET HISTORIES 3 (30 bits). (These books will be available for purchase like normal, and not buying them will cause them to be lost) (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)



And considering how much of a good time Ponpon had being pampered by those guards, and the coincidental nature of the books you found, you idly wonder if your trusty maid has ever been in a relationship before…

Spoiler: Don't tell anypony

You resist the urge to nibble at Ponpon's mane, but ultimately decide not to disturb her.

You also decide that you should really start walking around with scissors. Biting her mane would have hurt her, but cutting away a lock for later definitely wouldn't have hurt your good friend in the slightest.

Anyways, out the Royal Castle you go, and into the streets of the Royal District. From there, you make your way to the full-to-bursting streets of Canterlot, and go have an afternoon of fun among the nervously-celebrating masses present in the capital.

The strained smiles and raucous dancing almost makes you feel like you are home.



Oh, right, you also found some books, between your bouts of fluttering and dancing.



[Success level: 155]



[] You have found the following books: SECRET HISTORIES 5 (120 bits), HEART 4 (60 bits) WINTER 3 (30 bits). (These books will be available for purchase like normal, and not buying them will cause them to be lost) (This may be picked for free, in exchange of a FASCINATION malus)

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan The Sun and It's Heat
-[X] Your uncle, in a display of wealth and guile that far surpasses your own, has kindly gifted you an immeasurably old book. (Gain book: "The Sun, Divided".
LANTERN, level 6 Book. Codified, must be deciphered before being studied.)
-[X] You have met yourself, from another History, and you have learned many secrets of Forge. Gain three scraps of
FORGE Lore. (Fascination)

- - -

You will allow yourself to feel pleased.

Granted, your problems still exist, and you won't say that you feel like a filly who just received a Hearth's Warming gift that you have been wanting for a long time. Not exactly, at least.

But still, you have a smile on your face as you and Ponpon talk.

"You do realize this thing is too large for our saddle-bags, don't you ma'am?"

Yes, you retain your smile on your face even as Ponpon tries to rain on your parade with the cold, harsh waters of logic and common sense.

"Yes, Ponpon, I do realize. Especially since this book is almost as heavy as Silky," you say, as you float down the book onto your bed, "but there is an old saying about looking inside a gifted dog's mouth which I think applies quite well here. But jokes aside, we can just cover or wrap this in something so it's not damaged, and I can float it just fine."

"That's what I had in mind as well… I'll go look for something to wrap it with. Won't be the weirdest request somepony ever did to the castle's staff."

Less than an hour later, the two of you are finishing the last touches of your now-packaged gift. The large tome being encased in a neat layer of leather, tied with several knots for an extra measure of safety.

Ponpon mentioned the castle staff actually offered her a bundle of silk to get the job done, which made you raise your eyebrows as much as she did. After all, you know you are a guest in the Royal Castle but realizing you can be offered that sort of thing on demand…? Silk, to bind a book for safe carrying?

Well, your uncle just took you to an auction house that, apparently, is a few noble's idea of "fun". So maybe you really are out of touch with how excessive the higher crust of Canterlot is…

Regardless, you are glad Ponpon got her hoofs on leather. It really adds to the feeling of "grimoire of ancient knowledge" to the package you are looking at.

"Right," Ponpon says as she finishes tying the last knot. You were going to do it with magic, but Ponpon somehow managed to do it faster and more securely with her mouth than you would have been able to with your horn. "All safe for travel."

You nod towards her, your mind shifting gears slightly as you wonder if you should say your next words.

"Yes, it's good we got that out of the way," you say, pursing your lips slightly.

But eventually, the thoughts you had been pushing away the entire day come back to you.

And Ponpon doesn't look at all surprised with what you say next.

"Well then, shall we go check on Twilight?"



- - -



"She did what?!"

The stallion nearly jumps up in surprise, eyes going wide in fear at the suddenness of your tone.

"I, uh… my Lady, I just said that the guest who was here… she just-!"

"Calm down, you're not in trouble," Ponpon says, gently putting herself between you and the ponyservant, sending you a worried glance before turning back to him, "now, are you absolutely sure of what you just said?"

The ponyservant nods, although still sending you a few fearful glances every now and then.

And can't help but let out a groan as he confirms his story.

"I-it's as I said, the guest who was in this room has already left. I was just told to clean up the room and get the chores done."

"But was it really her?" you ask, walking towards the ponyservant without really noticing that he gave a step back for every one you did towards him. "Young-looking unicorn? Purple coat? Dark mane with a single streak? Did she really leave?"

"I-I wouldn't know my Lady! I was just given the key to the room a-and-"

You let out a loud groan, looking around the room as if hoping you could somehow prove him wrong. But still you don't see hair or horn of Twilight, nor any sign that she has been here recently. Her saddle-bag is gone, the piles of books she brought with her are nowhere to be seen, and although you would love to think she simply asked to move to another room or something, it doesn't make any sense not to think she simply left.

Wait, isn't Twilight from Canterlot? Maybe she went to her parent's home or something? Shining Armor, also, must definitely live somewhere nearby, right? Perhaps she just went somewhere familiar to…

Oh, who are you kidding? As much as you'd love to think Twilight went to one of those places, somewhere she has family or somepony to look out for her, you just know she didn't.

Because none of those places would be familiar to her, would they?

She moved out from her parent's as soon as she got a cutie mark. She lived in a boarding school almost her entire life. And these last few days, not to say months, her greatest concern had been Princess Cel-

"Ma'am? Lady Velvet?"

You snap out of your thoughts to the feeling of Ponpon's hoof lightly shaking your shoulder.

You blink a few times, looking first at the still-frightened stallion that was cleaning the room, then to your own maid.

She looks worried. But of course she is, Twilight just up and disappeared!

"Lets…" you say, pausing for a few seconds and letting out a sigh, "go grab your things, Ponpon. I think Twilight went back to Ponyville without us."

Ponpon looks at you for a few more seconds, before hesitantly nodding and following you out of the room.



- - -



You step out of the nearly-empty train, and onto Ponyville's train station. You and Ponpon made to Ponyville as soon as you were able to, but the train ride is still a few hours long, and trains that go to Ponyville aren't nearly as frequent as those heading to the more populous cities.

Which means that, despite the eclipse's unmoving gloom, you figure it is early in the morning.

You think you slept during the trip. You think you slept, and that you had a dream about… something. About going somewhere and talking to somepony. Which is a given, seeing how you haven't dreamt in months now. But that is a mystery you will leave for another day. Right now, you have other things in your mind.

Ponpon seems slightly unsure when you ask her to go back to your estate without you, but she agrees to it once you assure her that you will only take a detour to Twilight's library-home to put your mind at ease. She also insists that she takes both your saddle-bag and the large grimoire with her. Which you refuse at first, since carrying everything without magic would be ridiculous, until you watch her balance everything on her back without any real effort.

Right… Earth ponies, she reminds you with a wink, are indeed made of sterner stuff.

Regardless, you and Ponpon make your way through the empty streets of Ponyville, as you figure the festivities must only be taking place during regular day-hours now, until you reach the point where your paths must split.

And you make your way towards Twilight's house.



You'd be lying if you said your pace didn't quicken a little bit, once you were out of Ponpon's sight.



The large and hollowed-out tree that makes Ponyville's library finally comes to your view. And to tell the truth, you are not sure what you were hoping you would see, although you still hoped to see something.

And you do see something. More specifically, you can see candlelight coming from the windows of the topmost room.

Which means, your mind makes the leap without needing any further encouragement, that Twilight must indeed be here. It means that she is here and that she is awake.

You hope it isn't too much of an intrusion, knocking on her door at this hour. Of course, the eclipse has been muddling things a bit and the thought of what time it is hasn't really been much in anypony's mind this past week.

But she still ran away from Canterlot. And for all that your mind has been inventing all sorts of worrying ideas regarding that, you still know she ran from Canterlot without telling you. So, you understand that coming all the way here might be the exact opposite of what she might want you to do.

"But you won't be able to think about anything else," you say to yourself as you walk up to her door, "you won't be able to worry about anything else, unless you at least check on her."

And with that, you knock on her door.

…

You make sure not to unlock it, and you can tell that you aren't really knocking all that hard. Almost as if you are afraid of what might happen if she answers it.

Does she want to be left alone? Will she lash out at you? Are you making some sort of mistake? You don't know… but you sure hope that-



Your heart freezes for a moment, as you hear the sound of a key being turned, the door quickly being opened right after.



"Thank goodness it's you!" is all he says, one of his clawed hands reaching for your hoof and all but dragging you inside.



"Please, I… I need your help. I don't know what to say anymore, she won't listen to me! I-I tried everything, but I don't know what to do anymore but I have to do something and-!"

It's Spike. The small purple dragon answered the door, and then yanked you into the library with so much strength that it almost hurt you.

But you can't blame him for that. In fact, you can't even think about anything for a few moments.

"a-and she's just sitting there and-… P-please, you have to do something! The thing you did last time, or j-just talk to her! I-… I'll do anything for you Velvet, just help her and-!"

Spike… you can't describe it in any other way.

Spike is in panic. He is stuttering as he says all that, and he is crying, and he is scared.

And he is still holding onto your foreleg, his claws shaking, like a colt who suddenly realized he was lost and didn't know what to do.

You put your other hoof on his shoulder, gently prodding him to look at you, and you are shocked how even doing that much seems to scare him.

But at least he has quieted down, even if only for a few moments.

"Spike, shh, shh, it's alright, I'm here," you gently say, as the young dragon looks at you glazed, tear-filled eyes. "It's alright, calm down. I'm going to help you Spike. I promise I will."

The grip he has on your foreleg tightens. But slowly, he gives you a jerking and confusing nod.

His eyes very much tell you that he trusts you. And for all the tightness you feel in your chest, you wonder just how much of an impression you left on him the last time you were here.

The two of you did… talk quite a lot. And if you are reading this right, then the circumstances were similar, much to your dread.

"Now Spike, please, I need you to tell me exactly what happened. I promise I'm here for you."

The young dragon, the all too young dragon, tries to speak, but only manages to let out a few hiccups for a few moments.

A thought occurs to you that he might actually draw blood, with how strongly he is holding onto you. But that is the last thing you are worried about right now.

Because a few moments later, he manages to tell you what happened.

"S-she… she got home last night and… I t-think it was night. Didn't remember to check clock and… Well…"

You take a deep breath, and slowly sit down on the floor. Unconsciously, the young dragon follows suit, his shaking legs all but giving up under him as he tries to breathe in like you are.

"It's alright, just tell me what happened," you prod him gently.

"There's… there's this thing I can do, with my breath. I can breathe magic fire, a-and they taught me how to transport things to Princess Celestia when I was really young, with my breath. T-Twilight used t-to do it all the time, to send the P-Princess her reports and…"

And his breath fails him for a few moments, tears once again falling down his scaly cheeks as he looks you in the eye again.

"And Twi was desperate. S-she came home and she asked me t-to… All these months, while the Princess was away, she kept writing her reports. She made me send them all to the Princess, saying s-something was wrong, and that she had to get through to Princess Celestia and… and we stayed the up the whole night, w-with her giving me reports and me transporting them…"

As he said that, Spike's expression slowly went from confusion to fear, as if what he was about to say was the cause of everything that happened. His tone making it all too clear that he was terrified, and had no idea what to do.

"B-but… Princess Celestia wrote back."

A chill runs down your spine when he says that. And slowly, terribly slowly, you nod at Spike.

"I'll… I'll go talk to her, Spike. I promise," you say.

To which he finally lets go of your foreleg.

He follows behind you as you walk up the stairs of the entrance hall, making your way to the half-opened door that is on the very top. You know that to be Twilght and Spike's room in this place, and you can see that the faint glow of candlelight coming from there.

Spike follows you up until the point where you reach the door, but the young dragon freezes as soon as you move to open it.

You enter Twilight's room alone.



"Twi… Twilight?"



The mare has her back to you. She is sitting in front of a study desk, but she doesn't react to your words at all.

All around her, you can see heaps and heaps of scrolls. Most of them bound and unopened, but some of them are not, and you can see parts of their content. You have no idea what they are about, but you can see Twilight's neat hoof-writing on all of them.

You realize that some of them are torn and shredded.

Spike didn't mention that Twilight's "mail" had been returned, but you think you can picture how it happened. After all, despite everything you can't imagine Twilight would have damaged her own letters like this.

The ones that are ripped in half… must have been returned like this.

"Twilight? It's me, Velvet," you try again, slowly walking towards the mare.

But still, she doesn't seem to move an inch. You move all the way until you are standing right beside her, and still she hasn't moved at all.



Up until the point you can finally see her face.



Her eyes are wide open, red from crying and still leaking tears. Her expression is distraught and shocked, as if she couldn't believe what she is looking at.

And you follow her gaze, the knot inside your chest growing tighter and tighter, until you see what she is looking at so intently.

There is an open letter, on her study desk. An unbound scroll that she seems to be reading again and again and again, the several candles laid on her desk not allowing a single shadow to touch it.

You purse your lips, and before you can stop yourself you begin to read the letter.

Twilight Sparkle.​

Despite all these years you have been learning under me, and despite the fact that you have proven time and again to have several abilities and talents, it always weighted down on my mind how you are utterly lacking in some very important skills.
That said, I am very disappointed in you.
More than that, even. I must say here and now that you have failed.
I sent you to Ponyville, or more precisely I sent you far away from me, so you could grow. So, you could come out of your little shell and realize the potential I for some reason thought you have. But instead, you insisted on clinging to me.
This is not what I need from you, Twilight Sparkle. That was not what I expected, and it goes to show how much you failed on this test by the simple fact you didn't realize it was a test to begin with.
Part of me wants to believe I am somehow to blame for this. But no matter how hard I think about it, it really comes down to you being a poor candidate to beg-

​

You look away, almost as if you have just been slapped. Your heart hammering inside your chest as you realize just how much…

Just how much this must have… for Twilight, and…

Despite your best efforts, your eyes still skim to the very end of the letter, where you can clearly see the words "I will search for a new student", right over what you think is Princess Celestia's own signature.

You… you don't know what to think. You don't know what to say.

And when you look back up, you realize Twilight is looking at you.



"This…"



And she is trying to say something.

But her voice is so hoarse… so broken.



"Velvet, this… this is wrong, right? T-there… there is something very wrong, right? This is a l-lie… Right?"



With those words, her shocked expression finally begins to crumble, her hoof shaking as she passes it over the letters written on the scroll.



"P-Princess Celestia… she didn't mean any of this… R-r… Right?"



Spike glances in through the crack of the half-open door.

Twilight looks at you, her expression on the tipping point of despairing.

And you tell her that…



[] Twilight, I… I am so sorry. But I think Princess Celestia really means what she said, and… I am so, so sorry. (This will break her heart.)

[] Hang on to hope, Twilight. There has to be something very, very wrong with this. All of this. (She will not give up on her dear mentor, no matter what.)





I will only say this once. Think very, very carefully of what you will do.

Kindly observe a two hours moratorium.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Hang on to hope, Twilight. There has to be something very, very wrong with this. All of this. (She will not give up on her dear mentor, no matter what.)

- - -

"Of course she didn't mean it," you say, after perhaps a few too many seconds of hesitation. But still, you say it nonetheless.

Are you telling her a lie? Of course not. You might not know exactly what is going on in the Royal Castle, or how it is that Princess Luna is back. But you know about the changelings.

You know about the changelings and you know about Selene. And most importantly, you can clearly see that Princess Celestia's "absence" has all the signs that she is, in reality, being intentionally kept away from the public's eye. So even though you don't have any evidence or proof, you know that the contents of that letter are not true. You understand that they can't be true, even if that means that instead the whole world has gone mad.

However, there is also another side to your answer. Because even if you knew that letter was completely truthful, even if you somehow knew that Princess Celestia truly and honestly meant what she wrote... you still wouldn't have been able to say anything else to Twilight.

And that is because saying anything else… would have destroyed her. Because that letter, every last word and every last drop of ink contained in it, is nothing less than the end of the mare called Twilight Sparkle.

So you say those words, bringing Twilight into an embrace.

"I don't know what happened, Twilight. But we both know, deep down, that she would never say any of that."



And the young mare doesn't lean into you so much as she collapses towards into you.



"B-but she… Princess Luna, she s-said th-…! The l-letter! And…" she tries to say something, anything. Again and again she tries to say several things at once. But all that comes out of her mouth are half-sentences, broken down by sobs and choked by tears.

And you keep holding her, gently rubbing her back as she soaks your chest with tear and finally let loose the all the weeks… the months, the years that she had locked inside her chest. All her stresses and fears, all the weight of expectation that she had on her shoulders while she was a pupil under Princess Celestia's wings.

This letter, this night, is not just about the period Princess Celestia had been absent. It is not just about the last few days that led to your harsh meeting with Princess Luna, nor is it just about the letter laid in front of Twilight.

No, this night is about everything Twilight ever knew. About everything she ever was. About who she is. Because for as long as she remembers, for as long as she had a cutie mark, the sole purpose of Twilight Sparkle's life was to study. To study, and to improve herself, and to learn, and to become better, and to be better, and to make Celestia proud.

And that… All of that. All the books she read, all the papers she wrote, all the nights she spent awake, all the times she chose not to visit her parents just to study a little bit more... All the time she slowly drifted apart form her brother, and everypony else she knew while growing up. All of that is being shattered, judged as being a waste of time and effort, by the single letter that lies over her study desk.

"Princess Luna said those things, yes. But still, we know that isn't true. It just isn't, Twilight. You have to believe me on that."

Or rather, all of that might be shattered. All of that will be shattered, if you let go of Twilight right now. If you let go of the hug you are giving her, and give her any other answer than a firm denial to each and every one of her claims.

So, you know you can't tell her anything else.

If you do, it will destroy her. It will uproot her entire life and leave her drifting without a ground under her hoofs or a sky over her head.

Heavens… it might even take from her the very meaning for her existence.

"It isn't true, because we both know you are a genius. You are the brightest pony I've ever met. And no matter what that letter, or the Princesses, or even yourself say, I am sure that there isn't a single pony in all of Equestria who would have done half as much if they had been chosen as Princess Celestia's pupil."

"B-but she-… She said it, and Cel-lestia… wrote and-!"

"And that is wrong, Twilight. You know in your heart that it is wrong."

So you keep saying those words. You keep saying them, and you keep holding Twilight, and you keep denying every single attempt that she makes to claim otherwise. You do it again, and again, and again, and again. Until your body is aching from holding her for so long, and the only argument you can make is the sound of your heartbeat, as you keep Twilight's face tightly held against your chest.

You stay with her, holding onto the life she was about to let go. Sheltering her from the storm that would have unmade her. Refusing to let her cease.



Until you finally start to convince her.



Maybe this is a test. Maybe this is a ruse. Maybe this is something that she did in order to protect you. Maybe this is the first time you are supposed to disagree with her. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe!

Maybe there is something wrong. With that letter, or with the Princesses, or with the world. But still, no matter what happens, she absolutely cannot let go of who she is or what she believes in.

It's not what Princess Celestia would have wanted her to do.

And although that might sound like a contradiction, to hold onto her faith in her beloved mentor during all this, you tell her to do just that. You tell her that she is who she is today because of everything she learned from Celestia. So, she would only ever truly fail if she gave up on the everything she learned, everything she became, on the long path that brought her here.

In the end, she promises you she will try, and in return you promise you will help her.

And she does not seem to object when you take the letter with you, as you exit her room.



- - -



"Spike, are you sure you don't want me to stay over?" you ask the small dragon, as the two of you stand before the door that will lead you out of the library. "I don't mind staying here for the rest of the morning or-"

But he interrupts you.

Or rather, he stops you from speaking out of sheer surprise, by closing the distance between the two of you and giving you a tight hug.

You think he is going to say something, but he just stays like that for a little while. Still, you can feel the sheer relief... the honest gratitude, that is almost radiating out of him as he hugs you.

Until he lets go of you, and simply looks you in the eye with those innocent, emerald-green eyes of his. The expression on his face telling you, without the need for words, that he absolutely did not know what to do until you showed up, but that he thanks all the heavens that you came.

And you feel utterly foolish that you were ever afraid of him when you met him. Spike, you can see now, is the most honest, loyal little brother you have ever met. And he will take care of Twilight, now. He will pick it up from here, now that you gave him this miracle. You are sure of it.

"Alright…" you say with a tired sigh, a small part of your worries draining away from you as you look at Twilight's little protector.

And as if on cue, your body seems to understand that you are done here today, your aching muscles suddenly starting to protest the fact that you are still here. That, and your eyes start burning up as if you warn you that you might also start crying if you look stay here with Spike any longer.

Dear heavens, you are exhausted. What time is it, even? If it wasn't for the eclipse you think the sun might have already appeared on the horizon. You have no idea how much time has passed, but you must have been here for hours now.

"Alright," you repeat, "but please Spike. Promise me one thing. If anything happens, anything at all, you call for somepony right away. Call for Rarity, or one of Twilight's friends. Or call me, even though I live a bit far from here. But if anything happens with you or Twilight and you don't know what to do, just call somepony, and I promise we will help."

"I… I will! I promise!" he says, somehow managing to sound cheerful, despite how terrified he was not long ago.

And with that, you give him one final nod, your horn lighting up as you move to open the door.

"And, uhm… Velvet?" he speaks up, making you pause and look back at him for a few moments. "Thank you… really. I don't know what I would have done if it wasn't for…"

You see him take a deep breath, the conflicting emotions of relief and fear clashing with too much intensity inside his all-too-young head for a few seconds.

But eventually, one emotion comes out on top, and that emotion is gratitude for what you did.

"Well… I, I owe you my life, Velvet!" he says, earnestly. Unabashedly saying just how much Twilight means to him, and how happy he is that she… is a little bit better, now.

"You don't owe me anything, Spike," you say, lightly patting his head with a hoof. "Twilight means a lot to both of us, and I promise I will take care of you two as much as I can."

The young dragon gives you a beaming smile, that you answer with a tired one of your own.

And although you very much want to stay just a little bit longer, to make sure that Twilight really is as okay as she told you she is, you eventually make your way out of the library, taking the long road that will lead you back to your own home.



- - -



For a moment, you thought you would not feel that good when you returned home.

For a long and dreadful moment, one that has been dragging on for a quite a while, you thought you would be too weighted down by your worries, and your fears, and the shame of what happened in Canterlot. You thought it would weight you down so much that not even your home would be able to make you feel better.


But you are so very glad that you were wrong.


It turns out that you weren't in Twilight's home for as long as you thought. You are definitely exhausted, and it did feel like you were there for hours. And who knows, maybe you are right about that, and time itself decided to pass a little slower while you were holding the young mare.

But the fact remains that, at least for the rest of the world, not that much time has passed, and it is still morning.

Everypony in your home is still asleep.

So, you make your way towards your room. You don't even bother to look for Ponpon, to tell her you arrived. She is probably asleep as well, you think.

Although, even if she were awake you still wouldn't really to look for her. You can't find it in you to really care for little things like that, right now.

No. Right now, there is only one thing that you want to do. There is only one pony that you truly want to see. One pony with whom you truly want to be with.

You sneak into your room, silently closing the door behind you and noiselessly walking towards your bed.

And there you see him.

Stormchaser is asleep on his side of the bed, his eyes closed and his body relaxed as if he didn't have a single care in the world. And you can feel it, as soon as you lay your eyes on him. You can feel how his peaceful expression, his mere presence, is somehow telling you that everything is alright. You can feel that just by looking at him... you know that everything will be alright.

Everything will be alright, as long as you are here with him.

You don't even bother to climb onto the bed with him. You just sit down on the floor by his side of the bed, and lay your head next to his.

And when you close your eyes, everything actually goes dark.

This… this is what you really needed. This is the only thing you will ever need.

He is the only one you will ever need.

And as long as you can come back to this place, as long as you can come back to him, then you know that you have not yet truly lost. As long as you have your husband, and everything he gave you, then you know that the shadows that weight you down have not truly drowned you yet.

...

It might be that you slept, or perhaps Stormchaser simply woke up. You are not sure. But at some point the two of you open your eyes, slowly and at the same time, and you do nothing but stare at each other.

You don't really know when he put a wing around you, you only know that you feel warm. You also don't know who started smiling first.

But for a good while, the two of you simply stay like that, smiling sweetly at each other. All your fears, your worries and your troubles utterly failing to reach you while you are there.

And when he asks you a simple question-


"Good morning sweetheart… how have you been?"


-you answer him. Plain and simply, you open your heart to him. Without fear or concern, you simply tell him everything that happened.

You tell him about your worries for Twilight, and how you followed her into a guarded part of the castle, and everything after that. You tell him of what might be coming your way, of the fact that you will be soon hearing from your father, and that it might not be just that.

You tell him all of that, and he listens.

And when you are done, he simply gives you a slow, thoughtful nod.

Then he plants a soft kiss on your lips, and welcomes you back home.

And you know that, whatever happens, he will be right there by your side.





The Velvet always answers "No", but we can shelter in that "No" like beasts in the crook of a tree. You have sheltered Twilight Sparkle during a life-rending storm, and have refused to let her go. You have gained one scrap of HEART Lore.

Something happened, not long ago. And that something caused one to become two, then four, then many. You do not yet remember exactly what else happened, but you can feel that "else" coming to you like the bright warmth of a sunrise against a waking face. Gain one scrap of SECRET HISTORIES Lore.

Your uncle has gifted you something. Gain one book (LANTERN 6, encoded).

Forge Scraps, and their adjoined Fascination, will be rewarded before the end of the turn. But not yet.

You told Stormchaser what happened. You told him about everything except the changelings. But still, you kept no secrets when it came to the gravity of what exactly you did when you followed Twilight's teleportation spell, and the very real trouble you have gotten yourself into.

And privately, you think he is relieved that you had no reservations towards him (that he knows of…). And that the coming problem with your father, that both of you agree will certainly crash upon you soon, is something that he both understands and can help you with.

Now we can continue with the turn.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Technically, you do sleep a little bit.

Technically.

Just a little bit.



Your husband pulls you up towards the bed, and you close your eyes while surrounded by warmth and comfort. And you think that despite whatever happened to your mind, you actually are about to have a dream, even though your brain is still in the middle of shutting itself down. Still, you have a weird half-feeling that you can see some flash of light, or whatever.

But you don't have time focus on that dream, if it even is a dream to begin with.

Because as soon as your mind gratefully dozes off to sleep, and your entire world spirals into darkness while you are softly cuddled against your husband chest-



*BLAM*

"DAD! MOM IS BACK!"



A sound. A shockwave. A force of nature slams your door open.

You can feel your heartrate spike at the sudden burst of adrenaline and surprise. And even though your face is pressed against your husband's chest, and you are under three different bedsheets, you can still somehow see with your mind's eye how Silky Stream rammed herself into your room with the intensity of a cannonball.

Heavens, for a split second you almost think she made a hole through the door.



"DAD! MOM IS BACK!"

"Silky, dear, I really think we should both let your mom sleep just a little-"



But you know your husband's efforts, however valiant, are as pitiful as throwing a feather against a coming hurricane.

Because without breaking her door-breaking momentum, and with a precision that begets the unnatural, the localized storm that just invaded your room immediately alters its course. In the split-second she had since she entered your room, Silky has somehow already recognized the sheet-covered silhouette on the bed as being you. And before your body had the time to un-freeze from the sudden shock of surprise, she has already landed on top of you.

And for every word she speaks after that, you can feel the cushioned weight of her hoofs jumping on top of your bedsheet-covered self.



"MOM! YOU. ARE. BACK!!!"



Of course, you know you brought this upon yourself. And even your husband understands that your fates, both yours and his, have already been sealed for the rest of the day.

After all, you did promise that you would all go out together for the eclipse's celebration as soon as you returned home.

And silly Velvet Covers just had to return home at the beginning of the morning, after spending the whole previous night awake, didn't she?

"Good morning sweetheart…" you say dejectedly, your voice muffled as you savor the last seconds you will have hugging your husband's chest.

"GOOD. MORNING. MOMMY!"

"I, uh… Mr. Stormchaser, I swear I tried to stop her, but she…" you also hear Selene's demure voice coming from somewhere, probably from the maybe-damaged door.

"It's alright Selene. Me and your mother will go downstairs for breakfast in a few moments," Stormchaser answers.

And secretly, in a way that only your husband will ever hear, you let out a low and tired groan. And he pats a supportive hoof on your back.

Whoever said mothering is always picnics and roses?

You also really need to teach your daughter patience, one of these days…



- - -



Thankfully, you did manage to finagle a short nap before you left. And you can't really give yourself any credit for that, it was all on your husband this time.

He didn't give you any signs or cues to follow, and you only realized what he had done much, much later after he woke you up asking if you slept well. But still, as soon as Silky had given you her enthusiastic "welcome back", Stormchaser scooped her and Selene with his wings and hauled them off downstairs for breakfast, saying that you would follow after them in a few minutes.

You didn't even hear him lock the door when he left, and you have no idea how neither of the two fillies noticed the sleight of hoof he pulled off to do that. You were already several notches beyond unconscious before they even made their way out of the room.

Still, you had the very definition of a power nap. And although you were disoriented for several seconds when he woke you up later, your body still managed to recover some much-needed energy.

What is more, he also got your daughters dressed up and ready to go while you were out of it. Of course, he must have done it just to squeeze as much time as possible for you before Silky realized you were still asleep. But still, seeing your cute daughters all dolled-up is always a balm to your soul.



And before long, you were all crossing the outskirts of the town and making your way into Ponyville proper.



You like Ponyville. You appreciate the sense of closeness that everypony seems to have for each other. You admire how a burgeoning town such as this has managed to maintain its idyllic aesthetic and way of life. And most of all, you enjoy how peaceful this place is.

Of course, the more "urbanized" cities have their own charm, with its skyscrapers, and its fancy stores, and how everything is available to you in one way or another. But what makes it charming is also what makes it overbearing, at times, with how everything seems to move so quickly within those hoof-made mazes of concrete and stone.

You wonder how Princess Luna's return is being celebrated on those places…

Well, you think, it doesn't really matter. You are sure that, no matter what the alternatives are, you will always prefer what you have here right now.

You will always prefer the happy spectacle that is happening right in front of your eyes.

Although, a part of your mind whispers, slightly distressed, Stormchaser is letting Silky go a bit too high on that thing and…

"Mrs. Velvet, is everything alright?"

Selene's voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and you look down to the filly that is sitting by your side.

"I'm sorry dear, what was that?" you ask.

To which she answers with a furrowed brow. As if you somehow had just answered her, and your answer only made her worried about something.

The two of you are sitting on a bench, in one of the several parks that dot Ponyville. The whole town is still up in festivities, to the point where most of the city feels like an amusement park of sorts. The delightful kind of amusement park, mind you. Not the chaotic, shoulder-brushing, filled-to-the-brim fiesta that was Canterlot.

But anyways. To that effect, from what you understand, the spontaneous celebratory nature of ponies made it that the largest and most elaborated ideas gravitated towards the parks of the town. For example, you heard the Apple family set up an entire obstacle course on one of the nearby parks.

And on this particular park where you are, there is an entire maze of cloud arrayed in the air, the thing becoming more and more complex the higher it went. You and Selene are just watching, your youngest daughter emphatically refusing to try her hoof into that thing, even though she has her enchanted horseshoes on.

But Silky, Stormchaser, and even Soft Sweeps who showed up to work despite the holidays, are having a blast inside the cloud maze.

"I asked if something is wrong," Selene repeats herself, looking up at you with a complicated expression, "I mean… well, you…"

But she trails off, looking down embarrassedly as soon as your eyes meet.

Of course, you have an encouraging hoof on her back one moment later, and you make sure to look up again towards the cloud maze while you talk to her.

"Of course everything is fine, love. Why wouldn't it be?"

And just like you hoped, you spy Selene giving you a few cursory looks from the corner of your eye, now that she thinks you are not looking.

You can tell that she is worried for you. In fact, you can tell that she has been worrying about you for a while now, as you remember how she asked you the same thing the last day you were home before leaving for Canterlot. But still, you can tell that she is a bit unsure on what to do about it.

So, you give her time, calmly looking up at the cloud maze as Storm and Soft try to push Silky through a wind-tunnel that her wings are too small to force her way through alone.

"It's just that…" until Selene finally speaks up again, although you resist the urge to steal a glance at her. "You haven't been sleeping well?" she says.

And for all that she worded that like a question, you can tell that she is clearly making an affirmation.

So she can tell these sorts of things? Interesting…

But ultimately, you think, burgeoning possibly-alicorn related skills are less important to you than a distressed daughter. So, you focus on addressing what really matters.

"Well, mommy has been a bit tired these last few days, that is true. But it's not because of anything worrying," you say, in your usual gentle tone.

However, you can tell that her reaction is… rather fidgety.

No, more than that. You keep glancing at her only from the corner of your eye, still pretending to be looking up at the cloud maze. But you can see it, from the way Selene looked straight at you for a few moments, then glanced back at the ground.

Your daughter… she is downright uncomfortable.

Uncomfortable with you.

"You are lying, aren't you?" she asks, clearly downtrodden, before you can think of anything else to say.

And despite your best efforts, you are so surprised by her words that you actually turn to look at her.



But her reaction to that is far stronger than you expected.



You know Selene is on the shy side of things, but during the split second your eyes meet, she is not just shy, or surprised or sheepish.

No. You can see in her eyes that she is afraid. It only lasts a single moment, but in that moment you see her eyes grow wide in fear. The rest of her body, also, reacts the same way. But not like a filly who had been caught doing something she shouldn't, or who just said something that would get her in trouble.

You see terror in her eyes. As if she was not looking at you, but at… something else. And for a moment, she is not sitting next to you in bench. Instead, she is alone, somewhere very far away and dark.

That thing over her eyes, that shadow of something else, lasts only for a second.

But the echo of fear remains, and you immediately understand that she equated that fear to what she just told you.

"I… I didn't mean it like that!" she quickly tries to say, her eyes fixed to the ground and her ears down. Her forelegs gluing to her chest as she hugs herself.

Heavens, she even tries to inch away from you, hesitantly working her way out from the foreleg you have around so she can-



"Scoop!" you playfully say, not even giving yourself time to finish that thought. Gently surrounding her with a halo of magic and floating her even closer to you.



You have no idea of what you just saw, or what just happened. But for a split second your daughter was afraid of something, and now she might also be afraid of you. And that is utterly unacceptable!

You watch as Selene flails awkwardly for a few seconds, the sudden irrational fear she just felt being replaced by the very real surprise of suddenly not having the bench under her hoofs, before you deposit her between your chest and your forelegs.

You don't hug her, you don't pull her towards you or force her into anything. You just put her there, and wordlessly make it clear that she can just walk away if she wants to.

And for a moment, she even looks up at you. Her expression clearly confused as she tries to parcel what must have been a second-long rollercoaster of emotions. She even looks at your horn, as if trying to check if it is lit up so as to grab her again if she tries to make a run for it.

But you just stay there, calmly smiling at her, as she… very clearly tries to and gives up on the attempt to understand what just happened. Almost a minute later, much to your delight, she simply leans her head against your chest.

You can see from her body language just how awkward she is feeling right now. And for your own part you make a mental note to… watch out for this sort of thing, in the future. But for now, you think you just completely sidestepped a small crisis, and you see no reason to press her regarding anything that just happened.

Not with how uncomfortable she is feeling.

"Now, Selene, as mommy was saying," you continue as if nothing had happened, "I have been a bit tired, but I don't think it's because of anything in particular."

You hear her say something under her breath. Maybe it was just a sigh or a frown.

And you can tell just by that, that she will keep worrying about you as things currently stand.

"But," you say, and you see her ears perk up at that, "well, sometimes other ponies have problems that they don't even notice. Even if that problem is obvious to other ponies around him. There's even a saying about that, that a pegasus should always remember the weight of his wings, or someday he will be carrying the world on their backs and think it to be normal."

You probably misremembered exactly how that saying is supposed to be like. But you can see that Selene understood you.

"That's why we keep our loved ones close," you continue. "Because if something like that happens, and we notice that somepony we love is carrying a weight without realizing it, then we can work out how to help them. And they can do the same to us, of course."

You see Selene slowly nod at that, but she doesn't say anything.

However, you can see that she is thinking about something. Perhaps thinking a little more deeply than a filly ought to, but you decide not to disturb her.

The two of you just stay like that, with you looking up at the cloud maze, until Selene looks up to you.

"Uhm… Mrs. Velvet," she says, calling your attention, "I… I'm sorry for the question but… Uhm… Is it okay to lie to somepony you care for?"

You tilt your head slightly, raising an amused eyebrow at your daughter and watching her blush slightly.

"I-I haven't been doing anything wrong!" she says defensively, fidgeting for a few moments, "it's just that… well…"

She takes a deep breath, but you can see that she is more embarrassed than anything else. And after a few moments, she continues to talk.

"Remember that thing, from a few days back…? That question I didn't know how to ask you?"

You give her a nod, urging her to keep going.

"Well… I… please don't tell this to Silky but… the thing is that the two of us made a promise, to each other. We promised we'd always take care of each other and… well, that we'd always tell everything to each other."

You bite down a smile, although a very large part of you just wants to tackle Selene in a hug. The sheer innocence and embarrassment coming from her, as she hesitantly says those words, is almost too much for you to bear.

"But the thing is, I… well, there's something I don't want to tell her. Because telling her will…" she hesitates, not exactly knowing how to put it into words.

But you understand it immediately.

Selene is starting to face… certain problems. She has not yet had anything happen to her, nightmare or otherwise, that was as bad as that one time. Still, you know with a spine-chilling certainty that "not yet" is the key word here.

So, Selene knows, even if she doesn't realize it yet, that there is something going on. Something that Silky won't be able to help her with.

And more than that, you think she understands, even if only subconsciously, that pulling Silky into all of this will only cause her sister to suffer. At best, because Silky will feel helpless about it, but at worst…

"Mrs. Velvet, is it okay to lie to somepony you care for…" she words her question slowly, almost as if unsure if this is how she wants to phrase it, "if it is to protect them?"

She asks that, and she looks straight into your eyes.

And despite all your thoughts, despite your common sense telling you what you should answer, despite your opinions as a mother suggesting you exact how you should address this situation… Despite all of that, you simply look back at Selene.

You wonder what expression you have on your face, right now.

"Selene, listen to me," you say, lightly putting your hoofs on her shoulders.

Because somehow, during this short conversation, the two of you know.

It is not something that you can describe with words, but the two of you simply know.

She can see it, even if she does not understand what she is seeing. But she can see your worries, and the weights you are carrying, and the struggles you are going through as you desperately try to live a normal life with your family, at the same time you are working on threading the needle about… something.

And you can also see, in her eyes, everything that she avoids thinking about. All the strange little things that have been happening to her, or that she has been noticing. All the moments she just stops and wonder if she is living inside a dream, or if she is a dream. With the utter knowledge that she is not in trouble, but that there is still something very, very strange happening.

You look at her, and for a very long second it is almost as if you are seeing two juxtaposed images. At the same time seeing your beloved daughter, as well as a filly with a horn and wings and half the weight of the world on her back.

The two of you share that moment.

And then it is gone.

"Selene," you continue, her eyes still locked onto your own, "there isn't a right answer to that question. It depends, and it will always depend. On what problem your loved ones have, or on what problem you are trying to hide from them. It depends on how much you trust yourself, to be able to solve things without any help, and how much you think it will hurt them to see you hurting if you fail. I won't tell you that no, it is not okay. But I also can't tell you that it is alright to do that."

You say those words, and then you look up at the cloud maze, at the trio of pegasi playing in the clouds under the soft glow of the eclipse.

Your gaze goes to Stormchaser first, and then to Silky and Soft Sweeps. And you know that Selene's gaze followed your own, even if she first looked at her sister, and then at her father.

And you see her nod, at you and at your answer, because she understood what you meant to say. Even if that nod was not a conscious movement of hers.

"But I can tell you something, Selene, with absolute certainty," you say, folding your forelegs around her in a hug, as the two of you look up at your family. "It is always worth it, to do whatever you can to protect the ones you love."

She nods once again, this time just a little bit more consciously.

And the two of you stay like that, until your winged family finally finishes the maze and make its way down to you two.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Selene, and although it is already late at night you are wide awake.

You are still awake, despite the late hour, because you are thinking about something.

Something that you have been mulling over your head for a few days now.



"It is okay to lie to somepony you care for."

That is what Mrs. Velvet told you.



She didn't tell you exactly that, of course. She used prettier words, and made it sound a lot more complicated than it needed to be. But you could see it, in her eyes. You could see it clearly, then and there, that Mrs. Velvet is perfectly willing to lie to the ponies she cares for, if it's for their own good. And since Mrs. Velvet is willing to do it, and you know she is a pony you can trust, then it must mean that it really is okay.

You also understood that you should only do that if you have a very good reason, and if you are absolutely sure that you can take care of things.

But still, you caught the true meaning of her words.

And you… agree with her.

...

You really like Mrs. Velvet, but sometimes she scares you a little bit.

You understand Mr. Stormchaser, or at least you think you do. He is a very caring stallion, and somehow you know you can trust him as a matter of fact. You think there is a word to describe that kind of pony, something you heard Sweetie say once when she was talking about Apple Bloom's sister... it must have been "dependable", or something like that. But regardless, you like Mr. Stormchaser, and although you have never done anything to deserve it you somehow know he will always be there for you.

You also understand Silky. Maybe a bit too well, even. But in all honesty, you wouldn't have it any other way. She is your sister, you are her sister, and that's that.

Mrs. Velvet, on the other hoof, is a bit different…

You know that she cares for you. That she really, really cares for you. It almost makes you uncomfortable sometimes, when you see how her expression looks like when she looks at Mr. Stormchaser, then at Silky, and how her expression continues to carry that same doting smile when she looks at you right after. It makes you uncomfortable because, just like with Mr. Stormchaser, you don't know what you did to deserve that from her. But that's not what you find so strange about Mrs. Velvet.

No, the thing is that she… You are not sure how to describe it, but she just feels different, somehow.

Mr. Stormchaser feels like how you think a father should feel, just like how Silky feels like a sister ought to. But Mrs. Velvet… you can't really tell?

You feel safe when she hugs you, and it's really nice when she puts you between her forelegs and her chest. You really like how she hums a song while she brushes your mane, and how she doesn't mind when you and Silky interrupt her work, and a lot of other things.

But that's what feels so strange about her.

Sometimes… most of the time, actually, she really makes you feel like you are a just a little filly. She really makes you feel like you are a real daughter, and not just a nopony whose parents abandoned her and who somehow got really, really, really lucky.

However, there are times when...

There are times when Mrs. Velvet just feels different.

It happens when she says some things, every now and then, that just click inside your head, even if they don't make any sense. It happens when she gives you a few nods and winks when you don't know what to do, as if she was giving you a hint to a puzzle you didn't even know you were trying to solve. And when those things happen, she somehow feels like a... like an old friend, instead of a mom.

She feels different, when she does those things…



You feel different, when she does those things.



But in the end… you still trust her. She may feel strange, sometimes. She may be a bit scary, sometimes. You somehow know she doesn't dream, and that is an entirely different package of weirdness that you haven't even touched yet. But still, whether if she feels like a mom or like a friend, you still like her either way.

You still care for her.

"Even if it's impossible to care for her as much as she cares for me," you whisper to yourself with a chuckle.

That said, you know that she... that she might lie to you. But then again, she just told you that it's okay to lie to somepony you love, if you have a really good reason.

And you trust Mrs. Velvet. So if she is lying to you, then you know it's for your own good, and that she must have a very, very good reason for that.

You just hope that someday you get to know what the lies were about.



"…"



You hear a noise coming from somewhere, outside your room. You almost missed it, and the noise was so low that you could have thought it was just the wind outside the house.

But you know better. You have been hearing that noise almost every night, these past few weeks, and you have already gone out of your room more than once to investigate it. You know what it really was.

And this time, you are going to do something about it.

You jump out of your bed, not needing any light to make your way towards your wardrobe for the things you need.

A few minutes later you have your scarf around your neck, and you put on your special horseshoes just for good measure. Then, you silently sneak your way out of your room.

To be honest, you have no idea of what you are doing, but… this feels like the right thing to do, for several little reasons that you can't quite put your hoof on.

Also, you really want to help Mrs. Velvet. And you might not understand her enough to know what you can do for her directly.

But there is nothing stopping you from helping her indirectly, is there?



- - -



You lied a little bit.

You told Mr. Stormchaser that you couldn't sleep, even though you were sure you would pass out from tiredness if you went back to bed.



Mr. Stormchaser lied a little bit.

He told you he just got up to drink some water, even though you know he has been doing this, this whole thing of wondering around the house at night, for a long time now.



Was it wrong, that you two lied to each other?

Was it right?

You don't really know.

What you do know is that you care for him, and that he cares for you. Maybe if things were a little better, maybe if life wasn't so complicated, you two would have been able to talk to each other, without lies or reservations. Maybe then, he would have been able to tell you, or Mrs. Velvet, or somepony, what has really been keeping him awake.

But life is not that simple, and things are not that easy. So, you two lied to each other. But thanks to that lie you could get close him. Thanks to the fact that you two were pretending everything was okay, you could walk up to him.

And thanks to that, you could give him a really long hug. And then you could put a smile on his face when you asked him if he could take you for a fly through the night sky.

Maybe this is the secret Mrs. Velvet tried to teach you. You know you can't help Mr. Stormchaser with what is really bothering him. But if you do this, if you pretend to believe in his tired smile when he says everything is alright, then you can at least give him a few moments when he doesn't have to think about what really troubles him. Then you can at least give him a few moments when he is just a dad, carrying his daughter on his back through the night skies.



You think you get it, now… the importance of lies.



And you know you can't talk with Silky about this. You know she wouldn't understand, and that she would say you should never lie to somepony who trusts you. You also understand that she is right.

But the real secret is exactly in the contradiction. Silky Stream would be right, if she told you that you should never lie to somepony who trusts you. But you also know it is alright to lie, to protect somepony you care for.

You and Mr. Stormchaser flew through the night for quite a while, then you settled down over a few clouds so you could look at the moon. Neither of you said anything, but when you two went back home, and when he tucked you into your bed, you made sure to give him one last, extra-long hug. And you think you saw a smile on his face before he left your room.



…



…



…



But you know you can do more than just that.

After all you want to help Mrs. Velvet, and you know that also helping Mr. Stormchaser will be like hitting two birds with one stone.



So, when you wake up in Mr. Stormchaser's dream after falling asleep, you start snooping around. You still have no idea how any of this works, but you somehow know that you will be able to do a lot more in here. That you will be able to find out a lot more, both about Mr. Stormchaser and his problems, if you look for those things in here.



You weren't lying when you told Mr. Stormchaser you wanted him to take you for a fly. And of course you liked doing it.



But that whole time, you really just needed an excuse to give him a hug.



You hope this is the kind of lie that is okay to do, since you're doing it for somepony you care for.

And really, you can't do this with Mrs. Velvet because for some reason she doesn't dream. So it really is her fault that you have to be so roundabout about this!





Selene's MOTH Lore is now level 2.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

[Reading a book, CD 70]

[Roll: 82 + 14 (Learning) + 5 (Well read) + 15 (LANTERN bonus) + 7 (Artifact) = 123]

[Gained one scrap of EDGE Lore. Level 3 Essay added to the Bright Library.]



"Excuse me ma'am? You have a visitor," Ponpon says, causing you to look up from the book you are holding on your hoofs.

You blink a few times, struggling to come to terms with the scenery around you as you push yourself out of your own mind. The book you are reading, a supposed biography of an ancient pegasus, is extremely interesting. But to be honest you have never had such an intense experience with your hoof-reading as the one you just had.

Everything inside your head was just so… bright.

"Ma'am?"

You shake your head, looking towards Ponpon as you realize, from her tone, that she must have said something before. What was it again…?

Oh, right, a visitor.

"Yes, Ponpon, thank you for letting me know. Who is it, by the way?" you ask, trying your best not to show just how out of it you were for a few moments.

Ponpon answers you by opening the door to your study just a little more, revealing the familiar face of a pony who is standing next to your maid.

"Hello Velvet Covers."

"Jade!" you say, getting off your chair and walking towards her with a smile on your face, "It's so good to see you."

She gives you an uninterested nod, but you know her too well to take it at just face value.

"I'm also happy to be here," she says, with such a bland tone that Ponpon can't help but give her a dubious sidelong glance.

But her answer only makes your smile grow wider. After all, to this day you have not heard Jade Whistle tell a single lie.



- - -



"So… what is your take on all of this?" you ask.

You and Jade are in your garden, sitting on comfortable chairs in what must be one of the more secluded parts of your estate. You haven't been in this particular spot in quite a while, maybe even years, but it still as well kept and gardened as you remember it.

Jade is holding on to a teacup as she thinks, looking at her tea with as much absent interest as she usually looks at everything else.

Still, you give her time to think.

"I am not sure," she finally says. "I know you met Princess Luna and all, but there's a few things that just don't add up. And I'm not just talking about Selene."

"Oh? Did I miss something?"

"Not really," she says, looking up at you, "but this past week the Master had us perform a scrying ritual again, looking for Princess Luna. And it fizzled, again. I got worried that maybe there's something wrong with the ritual to begin with, but Master just told us not to worry…"

She blows at her teacup before taking a sip.

"Master also told us to get ready for other rituals, scrying or otherwise, so he must be confident it works anyways. But still, that means that the Princess Luna that returned to Canterlot… well, that there's something wrong with her, at the very least. And again," she finishes, looking behind her and towards your estate, "there's still Selene to begin with."

You nod at that. It is interesting to know what the Master has been up to after coming to the Wake, even if Jade only knows bits and pieces about it, but this new information about the attempted scrying really makes you think about certain things in a new light.

Specifically, the fact that it feels wrong to think that the Princess Luna you saw in the castle has anything strange to her. But at the same time, now you can't help but think that certainty is strange to begin with.

You feel a bit of a headache coming your way, with how you are trying to Moth your mind into accepting both things at the same time, so you decide to think about that later.

"Well, thank you for letting me know about that, Jade," you say, drinking from your own tea to keep your headache at bay.

She just nods at you, her expression as bored as ever.

"I've also been researching something, about Selene. From that strange dream I've been having that I told you about. And there's something I'd like to check, if you don't mind."

"Oh?" your ears perk up at that, "well it's still morning so she and Silky are in school right now."

"It's ok. I actually came here this early because of that," she says, and for some reason she pauses for a few moments.

And you get the impression that, for all that her expression has not changed in the slightest, she is actually struggling to say something. So you stay quiet as she looks back down at her teacup.

"And this might sound a bit awkward, but…" your eyes go wide as she mumbles something under her breath, "could I… take a look at her room?"

You tilt your head. It takes you a few moments to realize why she is so flustered to be asking something like that, but you let out a soft "ah" once it dawns at you.

"Of course Jade," you say, getting up from your cushioned seat and walking back towards the entrance of your mansion, "right this way. I'm sure she won't mind us taking a peek in there."

And you make a point of pretending you don't notice how long Jade takes to put down her teacup, or how she takes a deep breath before following after you.

…

Up the stairways on the entrance hall, down through the corridor that stretches to your right, and eventually you arrive at the door to Selene's room with Jade Whistle in tow.

"Here we are," you say with a hoof on the doorknob, turning back to face her.

But to your surprise, Jade is still a few paces behind you, staring intently in a very specific direction. In fact, it is quite clear that she did not even hear you just now, with how focused she looks.

She snaps out of it a few moments later, but before you can say anything else she looks at you, and points at the direction she was looking at.

"Is this where Selene usually sleeps?" she asks.

And you look at her quizzically.

Because she is pointing at (and she was looking at, just now) the door that leads to Silky's room.

"Well… technically it is?" you say, partly unsure and partly curious about what she just said. After all, Selene has been sleeping in Silky's room a lot more frequently these last few weeks.

But she had been in her own room for far longer before that, and… well, and more importantly how could Jade even tell that?

"Oh, it's your other daughter's…" she says, her monotonous voice clearly dispirited, "do you think she would mind if I…?"

"Of course she wouldn't," you interrupt her, before she forces herself to finish the question. "As a matter of fact, knowing Silky, she'd practically drag you here given half the chance."

Brushing away your friend's hesitation, you walk towards her and open the door to Silky's room. You think you can see Jade flinching on the corner of your vision, but seeing how hard it must have been for her to even get this far you do your best to pretend you didn't notice it.

"Here," you say, walking into your daughter's room, "I have to say I'm still curious of what… well, of what you saw here. But come on in."

Jade Whistle looks into the room, her face going uncharacteristically tense for a few moments, as if she was approaching some creature that might bite her if she got too close. Still, after a few seconds she eventually steps in.

But the moment she walks through the door, and her expression relaxes back to its bored tone once again, Jade Whistle doesn't even bother to look around as you thought she would. Instead, she walks straight towards Silky's bed, her eyes fixed on it as if she could see through it.

And she crawls underneath it before you can even say anything, dragging a small wooden chest from its underside with her mouth.

"Oh?" you say, looking at the chest, your eyes curiously darting between Jade's concentrated expression and the chest itself for a few moments.

"In here," Jade says, pursing her lips but not moving to open the chest, as if unsure of what to do next. But why is she hesitating now? You can tell that the chest is unlocked and-…

Oh, right. Silly Velvet.

"It's alright Jade," you say, lighting up your horn and opening the chest with your magic.

Although you too purse your lips when you see the contents of the small chest.

"Actually," you say, "I'd rather if we didn't look into that. That's a diary I bought for Selene. It's interesting that you could… that you could see it? But I don't want us to look into something that private." You're not sure if you should say Jade has sensed her diary or if she saw it from behind the walls, with how her Lantern-gift seems to work through her eyes while yours work through your hoofs.

But still, regardless of that, you really do mean what you just said. You are sure that neither of your daughters would have minded if you showed Jade their rooms, but looking into Selene's diary is clearly a line you will not cross.

"This is her what? Oh, right, there's a diary here. Sorry, I didn't even notice it."

But much to your surprise, Jade says those words. And then she proceeds to carefully, almost reverently, take Selene's diary in her hoofs and place it on Silky's bed.

"This is what I'd like to take a look at," she says, pointing a hoof at what was underneath the diary.

And you see, neatly folded at the bottom of the chest, the crocheted blankets that you brought back from that strange house, when you found Selene all those months ago.

Your eyes go slightly wide at that. You have already tried studying those blankets, but although you could tell they are somewhat special you couldn't really grasp why.

But it seems Jade might have a far better shot at it than you, which makes sense in hindsight.

Wordlessly, you nod at your friend, and she carefully takes the blankets from inside the chest and begins to unfold it, slowly going over its knitted surface as if she is reading a book.

She stays like that for quite a while, and you almost worry your daughters might return from school before she is done. But eventually, Jade nods to herself, and carefully folds the blankets and returns them to their rightful place with the diary.

When she turns to speak to you, you can somehow tell that she feels sad about what she is about to tell you.





Velvet, I… I really, really trust you, and I know you will know what to do with what I'm about to tell you. But unless you absolutely have to, please… don't do it. Please.

You have learned the Rite of Childhood's End.

Jade Whistle also says there are more things that she is missing, and asks you to let her know if you feel Selene is any more "awake" than she currently is. (Jade will have more chances to research Selene as your daughter's KNOCK level increases.)

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Seeking Illumination
-[x] 7+1 actions
-[x] The Lies We Tell
--[x] Stormchaser: Silence
--[x] Rarity: A cautious explanation
-[x] Confidant/Servant Actions
--[x] Rarity: Focus on her work
--[x] Jade: Investigate Selene
--[x] Selene: Moth Lesson
--[x] Servants: Canterlot book search
-[X] Uncle Steppes: We are going to be making the rounds in Canterlot given the occasion. Perhaps he can help out somehow?
-[x] Attention of the Laws: Secret Histories towards book search
-[X] Buy
--[X] (ARTIFACT) SH 3
--[X] FORGE 3
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Openly go to the Royal Castle
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Accompany Twilight to Canterlot
-[x] A fleeting opportunity: Gather followers
-[X] Talk to Windy Flakes
--[X] Let him know that you arranged a prank for him; you haven't interacted too tightly so far, but given some of his earlier actions you thought it would amuse him.
--[X] Explain that you weren't originally expecting to be able to aid his... project... at the same time, but you are glad things worked out well. Ask if it is something he is willing to talk about; you aren't really clear on the details yourself, but perhaps you can help?
-[x] Study
--[x] SH 3 Artifact
--[x] Edge 3 Book
-[X] Book Shopping in Canterlot
--[X] Invite Twilight to join you
-[x] Family idle interaction
--[x] With Selene.

- - -

Hey.
You.
Yeah, you. The new one.
Did you know? Have you heard?
The Loremaster has written a new manifest.

She… she has?​

Yes.

And… and we should read it?​

Of course. They say it is one that speaks of hate and ambition. Of combat and strife. You should read it, and see if it speaks to you more deeply than the others.

I… I will, but… can I ask you something?​

Maybe… why the hesitation to begin with?

Well, because… it's a question nopony has given me an answer to yet.
Or rather, it's a question nopony has given me a good answer to, yet.​

In that case, then it depends. What would you like to ask?

Who is… the Loremaster?​

Why, everypony knows. The Loremaster is Lady Velvet Covers.

Yes, but who is Lady Velvet Covers?​

Why, everypony knows… Lady Velvet Covers is the Loremaster.

…​

Now, now, don't make that face. A clue, then.
From the very first line of the grey scroll, that you will find in the Club's library: You will begin to understand the answers only when you stop asking the questions.

Yes, I read that damn scroll. I read all the scrolls! But that doesn't mean that they make any sense or-!​

It means you should be quiet, and just hear what everypony around you is saying.

You… you mean eavesdropping?​

You can't say something is a secret if you are allowing it out of your mouth to begin with, can you?

…​

Pff. Don't worry, you'll grow out of it. Just don't waste an advice freely given.

If you say so…​

…

…​

.


…

Hey.
Did you know?
The Loremaster has left us a new scroll, at the Bright Library.

…

Hey.
Have you heard?
Lady Velvet Covers has left us another hint.

…

Hey.
Are you in on it?
I heard
that she
has left us
a new riddle.
For us to search.
For us to solve.
For us to try and get closer to the truth.

…

But after all, who is the Cult's Loremaster?

...

The noblemare is surely a mask. A pawn that our Loremaster impersonates, just for the sake of wearing a face. What else could possibly make sense?
After all, the noblemare is almost never seen out of her mansion.
After all, the noblemare is almost never seen within the Club.
Lady Velvet Covers is not the Loremaster. I'm sure of it.

…

No, you are obviously wrong. Just ask around, talk to those who have been in the Club since the beginning.
The noblemare had been coming to the gatherings ever since then, when there were less knowledge and less followers. For years, perhaps. Way before the Master came to the Wake.
We have seen less and less of her because we lack the eyes to see. But her presence can be felt all around us.
Lady Velvet Covers is the Loremaster. I'm sure of it.

…

You lie.
You are both fools.
You are both lost.
Lady Velvet Covers is not the Loremaster. And neither of them, not the noblemare and not the Loremaster, are even real to begin with.
Have you ever asked about her cutie mark? Has anypony seen her cutie mark?
Can anypony even confirm, here and now, if this supposed noblemare, if this supposed Loremaster, is a pegasus? Or an earth pony, or a unicorn?
Can anypony even confirm that, instead, she is not something else entirely? Something with too may legs, hidden underneath a lofty dress?

​

I heard her cutie mark is a spider.

No, it's a view of the Woods.​

No! It is the Mansus itself.

I heard she has no cutie mark at all.​

…

I heard there is no Loremaster to begin with.

…

But still, have you heard? Did you know?
They have found another riddle, buried in the black dirt of the Woods. Another secret, that may only be found by the worthy and deciphered by the knowledgeable.
They say that the riddle carries instructions, of how one might rise higher.
They say the riddle makes no sense, and that is what makes it so enticing.
They say the Master smiled amusedly, when asked about it, and refused to elaborate any further.

…

Some claim to have already solved it, and that they have entered the Loremaster's favor. That they had an audience with her, or him, or it, under the glare of the Mansus Moon by the bark of black trees. In the appointed time and at the appointed place, as instructed by the riddles.

And what few whispers could be coaxed out of them, by alcohol or bits or Grail, claim that they have been offered hints, in exchange of service. Tasks, in exchange of the Way into the House, and higher and higher still, should they prove worthy.

Personally, I think they are all lying.
I do not believe the Loremaster is real.

And yet, under the black dirt of the Woods, I have found a hint. An engrave piece of Mansus-stone with an enigma, the first breadcrumb of a path.

And unless I am sorely mistaken, I have deciphered it. And tonight I shall meet with her.

Personally, I think they are all lying.
I do not believe the Loremaster is real.

And yet, I very much hope to meet her tonight, and enter into her service. So that I may rise higher and higher still.

​

You have gained a small following in the Cult, a select group comprised by ponies who are among the better versed in their respective Lores. You will meet with them in the Woods, and they will follow you in exchange of certain lessons.

You have currently no reason to believe they any more loyal to you than they are to the Cult.

You have gained one "cultist minions" action. These actions can be used similarly to Servant Actions, but are immune to "suspicion", and apply Lore bonuses based on the Cult's current Lore levels.





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are Lady Velvet Covers.

And you think that you are better rested now.

It is hard to believe that all of that happened in so little time. You crossed the Branding Door, saw the interior of the Mansus, aided in summoning the Master, then went off to Canterlot with Twilight Sparkle to have a very unfortunate encounter with nopony less than the Princess of the Moon herself.

All of that, mind you, must have happened in a span of four or five days.

That was a horribly hectic beginning of a month, as far as they go.

Still, you allowed time to pass, and so it did.

For starters, the eclipse is finally gone. At midday of the seventh day the moon was set, in a rather dramatic way, and the entirety of the Pony Kingdom had one last day of celebrations before things came back to normal. Everypony knew that to be good news, the return of the day/night cycle indicating that things were finally back to normal, but the newspapers of the following days confirmed what everypony already suspected: Princess Celestia had recuperated herself, and made one last public appearance before she started giving some of her more public Royal Duties to her younger sister.

Privately, you took that those news with a grain of salt. There were precious little details of what exactly that meant, but you can't help but think about how little Princess Celestia has been seen ever since the eclipse was ended.

Or rather, you wonder if Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were ever again seen together and at the same time, after that last public appearance when the eclipse was done.

Still, there is precious little you can do about that right now.

On more private matters, you eventually got a letter from your father. It arrived by pegasus courier, and it was waiting for you when you and your husband returned home from taking your daughters to town.

You are still not sure how you feel about it, but in very few words he made it abundantly clear that you are not to leave Ponyville any longer, and that he will be cutting your payment. You can tell that "locking you" in Ponyville is what he truly cares for, as you are sure he simply doesn't want you to cause him any more trouble. But cutting your payment, you gather, he did just to spite you.

However, as much as that might be… demeaning to you, you are still relieved that he has decided he simply does not want to think about you any longer.

Why, he even wrote that on the letter: "I hope you will not give me any more reasons to even think about you".

Although you have no doubt that he will really turn on you if you are not careful. Right now, this feels like he is running damage control, and has decided to simply lock you away while he deals with more important problems. But if you disturb him after he is done with said damage control… well, then he will be able to turn his full attention to you.

Something for you to keep in mind, you suppose.

Still, after all of that (or rather, after that capital lettered "All Of That") you've had a blessedly uneventful few weeks. Which is a given, because your sanity might have started slipping if everything kept happening in a frenetic pace like that.

You are nearing the end of the month now. Your husband has left for a work trip a few days ago, your daughters have once again settled down on their school routine after the impromptu holiday, and you had plenty of time to work on a side project of yours with the Cult.

Why, a few ponies have even started solving your riddles already! To the point that you now have a tiny following within the Cult. And although you haven't been able to address them at length as of yet, you are sure that the ones who reached you have the greatest mastery of the lessons you and your Master have been giving in the Cult.

You are also sure that they are all level-headed ponies, and that the little game you set up to meet them will have no negative ramifications whatsoever.

With that in mind, you walk down the street towards the Wildhoof Club, appreciating the sensation of the afternoon sun on your coat as you do.

Ironically, you still don't feel you are that well informed when it comes to Ponyville itself. Sure, you talk to Rarity frequently, but you can tell that the two of you use those opportunities more to unwind from your respective work-lives than anything else. So yes, you do hear about this and that on how Ponyville is going, but you still don't feel like you have in-depth knowledge of how your idyllic little town is doing.

And that thought came to you specifically because you are now face to face with the approaching building of the Club. For starters, it must have been weeks since you last came here, since you asked Jade to deliver the manuscript on the last book you studied. But it also strikes you how much the Club has changed.

Although that is the thing about it, that's the catch. You can tell that the Club changed, that the building looks slightly different, but you can't put your hoof on what is different about it. Maybe they just changed the colors of some of the letters, maybe they expanded the building. You can't tell for sure.

That realization also reminds you of the fact that… well, the last time you were here, you entered through the Woods. Together with your Master.

Which reminds you of how utterly terrified everypony looked during the ritual… and how Jade seemed scared on the first time she saw you, right after that, and…

Heavens, you just hope you are not met with too many weirded-out gazes as soon as you enter the place.

"In fact," you say to yourself as you approach the front doors, "I think I prefer not to find out."

With that thought, you slightly alter your stride as you walk into the Wildhoof Club.

And nopony really turns to look at you as you make your way through the entrance hall, and towards the door that leads to the backrooms.



- - -



At least this part of the Club is still as you remember it.

The small administrative part of the Club is still very tame and unassuming. The sort of place that any Club member could enter to speak to the staff if they wanted to, with no locked doors or barred passages to speak of. Although you do notice that there less empty rooms here than before, which means that more space has been occupied with offices and staff. Which in turn tells you that the Club has at least been growing as a business.

Good news, you suppose. For the Club and for the Cult both.

You pass by the sub-offices without much thought, walking towards the door at the end of the corridor.

And soon enough, you start hearing the sound of a gramophone, the soft tune of its music being muffled by a closed door.

Curious, you think. Now that you know a little bit more about Winter, you wonder if Windy keeps that thing playing because the music is nostalgic to him and reminds him of something from his past… or if he simply enjoys the sensation of when the music ends.

Well, that just goes to show how little you know about the stallion. You do believe you have a healthy relationship with him, even if it is mostly work (or rather, cult) related. But still, you don't really know much about him as a pony, do you?

Time to amend that, you suppose.

Oh, and to apologize for what you did to his living room. For the longest time you truly hoped that your minion did not really "rearrange" his furniture, and that the message it gave you was just some garbled Moth-interpretation of how much it had messed the place around.

But the more you thought about it, the more you really came to believe that your minion really did… find a hammer and nails, and methodically put every last piece of furniture he had on the ceiling of his living room.

Heavens, you hope that talking to him about that won't turn into a disaster.

Much to your surprise, the door to his office opens before you reach it. And out comes walking Windy Flakes himself, together with an earth pony mare who has an extremely happy smile on her face.

"Oh? Well, good afternoon Windy. Were you about to leave somewhere? I was hoping we could chat for a while," you say.

The mare jumps up in surprise as soon as she hears you, and you think you feel a tinge of Moth about her as she first looks at you with a frightened expression, then moves slightly behind Windy as if trying to hide from you.

The unicorn stallion, for his part, simply looks at you as soon as he notices you, although you can tell that his eyes did go slightly wide for a moment.

"I…! Windy, sh-…!" the mare gasps for a few moments, her eyes alternating between you and the stallion, "wait, so she's-…? Why is…?!"

"Now, dear, let's not be uncourteous," Windy Flakes say, putting a placating hoof on the nervous mare's shoulder.

And for some reason you can feel… a slight layer of frost about his words, almost as if some cold dust, or perhaps a chilly breeze, was gently settling around him.

The mare, whoever she is, seems to calm down slightly with his gesture. Or at least she stops talking in fits and starts.

"And Lady Velvet," he says, turning to you, although you can feel that even the strange chilliness seems to be avoiding getting closer to you, "what a great honor to have you here! How can I be of service?"

You tilt your head at that, doing your best not to show on your face how unnerved you are by the fact that…

That you are making Windy Flakes uncomfortable.

You are not happy with that mare's reaction, of course, but things might be getting out of control if Windy is acting this defensive.

"I just wanted to chat? We haven't had the chance in quite a while, and I was hoping we could talk about a few things," you say, putting on your most pleasant and inoffensive smile.

Heavens, you even sprinkle a bit of Grail on your expression to see if it helps. You don't want to be known around the cult as a monster or somepony scary.

The Cult already has Comet Feet to fill in that sort of role!

"I'd be charmed to," he says, perhaps too quickly, turning to face the mare that is all but hiding behind him. "I'll see you later Goldy? And tell the staff not to disturb us, if you don't mind?"

The mare gives him a nervous nod, and practically dashes down the corridor as soon as she gets past you.

By the stars, that poor mare… If she is anything for you to go by, then you do not like the image you currently have in this place.

"Right this way, my Lady," the stallion says, as if trying call your attention so you would not look at the fleeing mare.

With a sigh, you follow him into his office.



- - -



["I'm a mare, not a monster!" breakpoints, 30/50/80]

[Roll: 58 + 13 (Diplomacy) + 5 (Beautiful) + 10 (GRAIL bonus) = 86]



You had a long chat with Windy Flakes.

More than that, even, you feel like you salvaged something that you almost lost, regarding your relationship with him.


"Windy, I've known you for years now. By the heavens, I bought ice cream for my daughter from you almost every month. And until today, you've never once called me 'Lady' without that smug grin of yours!"
"Yes, Lady Velvet, you might be right… but the thing is that…"


But eventually, and much to your relief, he started coming to terms with what you were saying. And you think the gramophone's music got slightly louder, and that his office grew slightly less cold as you two talked.

His smug grin is not back. Not quite yet at least. But at least he no longer sounds like an intentionally-pleasant clerk as he speaks to you.

"Velvet, you have to understand that ponies talk. And that they haven't been doing much but talking ever since the Master came to us in the flesh."

"Well, I thought that might be the case, but I still didn't expect them to react like that. At least if that mare that was with you is anything to go by."

"What? Why the hay would you ever think they wouldn't… Oh…" Windy's brows furrow for a moment as he looks at you.

And you raise an eyebrow at that. His expression almost makes it look like he is worried about you.

"Velvet, I won't make any assumptions on what you think about our Master… but I think we both agree that she is rather erratic, right?" he says very carefully, as if gently testing the waters on a particularly delicate subject.

And you completely understand his caution. After all, your Master is a rather… unpredictable subject.

Still, you give him a slow nod.

"Well, Velvet. I don't presume to understand our dear Master's ins and outs, but let me just say that for all that we might meet her every so often when the six of us meet, the regular cult member sees even less of her. And even though she now has a physical body, very little has changed in regard to that."

"Oh?" you say before you can stop yourself.

"Yes. 'Oh'," he retorts with a frown. "There is no doubt that Master knows a lot, and that she can teach a lot. But for reasons that I simply cannot grasp she simply doesn't. Sometimes I think this is all just a game for her, and sometimes I think this is her way of saying that certain things are just that simple and easy. But still, well… Nopony has ever seen the Master, in the Woods, and most ponies in the cult only ever heard whispers from her. Important whispers, enlightening and teaching whispers, but whispers nonetheless."

"I honestly thought she would be more active… or at least more present now. Not that she isn't," you quickly say, almost as if fearing that somepony might be eavesdropping on you, "but still…"

"Exactly. She isn't even staying in the Club, even though we had a room ready for her arrival. We don't even know what she has been up to, although everypony says that she has appearing more frequently in dreams and what not. But most importantly…"

He says that, and he taps a hoof against his table in an almost dramatic fashion.

"Despite all of that everypony saw, or at least everypony eventually heard of, how you came walking out of the Woods… with her."

Ah… yes, now that Windy puts it like that, it does make a lot of sense.

And really, the only pony from the cult you have spoken to in the meantime is Jade. And as much as you consider Jade to be one of your closest friends, you really can't expect to hear much about these sorts of things, cult-gossips or otherwise, from her.

"Then you brought in two… zombie things out from a horror novel. Then you summoned the Master. Then the Master proceeded to out a group of shapeshifting monsters in our midst."

Right, the changelings. You have been so worried about the ones in the capital that you almost didn't think about the ones here in Ponyville at all.

"I… see…" you say, causing Windy to shoot you another worried look.

And you think he sees something in you that actually gives him pause.

To the point where he stops talking for a while, as if he is reconsidering something.

"Although," he eventually says with a sigh, "I have to admit that… well, maybe we shouldn't get too ahead of ourselves. I don't know what the Master is, but the rest of us are all still ponies. And for all that we can't help but see things differently as we learn the things she teaches us… I don't know where I'm going with this, but I'm just glad to know that you're still just a mare."

Surprisingly, you feel a bit of warmth coming from him as he says that, and you can't help but give him a small smile.

"Yes, I wholeheartedly agree. We are still just ponies, and we really should look to help each other in all of this… Speaking of which, Windy," you say, your tone somewhat low as you try breaching a subject you are not sure how to talk about, "could we maybe… put that little prank war of ours to rest now? I don't think either of us will have time to continue that, now that the Master is around."

Windy looks taken aback for a moment, until his mouth opens in a soft "Ah" as he seems to remember something.

"Oh, that? By Celestia, of course! I'm just relieved to know that the… thing you did wasn't a threat. Goldy has been more freaked out than normal ever since that day," he says.

But then he looks at you questioningly.

"That wasn't a threat, right?" he asks, his tone a lot more meaningful than it was a few moments ago.

"Of course not, Windy," you say, "if anything, I'm just glad I could also help with that project of yours. Or at least it felt like I helped. To be quite honest, I'm not really sure on the details, but would you like to talk about it?"

Windy's eyes go wide open at that, and for a moment you almost think he has somehow frozen.

You are not sure if Windy Flakes is scared of you. But less than an hour ago you have learned how Windy looks like when he is tense, and he is most certainly tense and nervous right now.

But you watch as he slowly recomposes himself, almost as if he was reviewing what you just told him, word by word, trying to make sure that he really understood what you just said.

His reaction… worries you, but less than a minute passes before he opens his mouth again, his expression a lot calmer.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," you say. "Going into your home was a bit too much from my part, and I apologize. And finding your project was certainly a consequence from that."

"Yes, don't worry," he says, perhaps too quickly, "but more importantly… you didn't… mind it?"

His reaction is rather strange. And normally, you would even find it rather worrying.

However, for some reason, you think you can feel a certain… anxiousness from him?

But not in a sense that he is disturbed that you saw his project to begin with, but more that he is… nervous? About what you thought of it?

Almost as if he was an artist…? And a piece that he is working on had been seen and…?

Oh. It suddenly dawns on you.

You have no idea of what his project is, exactly. But you do remember what your Risen felt.

It felt that the thing was beautiful, and that it was incomplete.

"Of course I didn't mind it. Although again, I'm not really sure on the details," you say, "but I could tell that it was something very beautiful. Even if it is still a work in progress," you finish with a pleasant tone, using the words you learned throughout your life that every artist would like to hear.

And Windy Flakes smiles at that, a relieved smile of a creator whose work had not been found wanting.

Curious, you think. Windy might not told you much with words, but he did tell you a lot through his reaction. You never would have thought that he was an artistic sort, and yet here you are.

"And I'd be happy to help you. If you don't mind it, of course," you say.

To which his posture once again completely relaxes, and he gives you an honest nod.

"Of course! I'll think about it Velvet."

With that, you ask him how the Club has been, and your conversation slowly shifts towards the ever-heavy weight of paperwork.





Your monthly funds have been cut. Currently, your only income are the dividends given to your by Rarity. You do not expect your father to go back on his decision anytime soon, if at all.

Your father has also commanded you not to set hoof outside of Ponyville, and you have no illusions that some of the servants in your house might secretly be informants.

It seems you have quite a reputation within the Cult. A frightening reputation, that is, one that your Master's incongruous absence (for all that she has a body now) only seems to exacerbate. But at least Windy Flakes has come back to his senses regarding you, although you are not sure how helpful the insufferable unicorn will be when it comes to clearing your name with the rest of the cult.

And speaking of the stallion, you think you have taken a few steps forward in your relationship with Windy Flakes. He seems to be awfully defensive about that "project" of his, but much to your surprise the normally unsettlingly-cold pony appears to be quite passionate about whatever he is working with. You might be able to discover more about it, if you talk to him more or follow through with the offer you made him.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You and your husband have a deal, of sorts. An understanding that you have reached many years ago. Something meant to make both of your lives easier, or at least less hard.

Although your take on this understanding is that it serves no purpose but to make both of you equally miserable.

It is early in the morning. In fact, it is so early that it was dark but a few minutes ago, and you watched as the sun was slowly floated until it was over the horizon. And the reason you are up and awake this early is because your husband is leaving for work.

Yes, it's one of those days. Today marks the day of your first hopefully-one-week-long wait, although you know it will likely be two to three weeks until you see him again. Today marks the first day of that blasted period of empty beds and lonely afternoons.

You hate these days with a burning passion.

And to make things worse, there is the blasted agreement you have with your husband. Said agreement being that, while he is getting ready to leave, you can't whine, beg, or otherwise grumble in any way saying that he should stay with you a little longer, or pretend he lost the morning train, or simply quit his job and not think about it any further.

The nerve he has! To not allow you to make it any harder for him to leave his huge mansion and beautiful wife behind. Just so he can go to heaven-knows-where and do his thankless-yet-very-important job.

It's just not fair!

However, trailing after him through the house in a nightgown while only half-awake is perfectly legal according to your deal. It also has the added bonus of seeing him shoot you those long glances of him, which you pretend not to notice, and hear him sigh in a regretful manner right after.

Yes, husband dear, gaze upon that which you willingly abandon!

But as always, common sense eventually prevails, and just like it has been for the last several years you are once again looking at the receding shape of your husband, as he flies away towards Ponyville to catch the earliest train.

So now, once again, you are alone. In a house that's way too big for just one pony, and looking forward to do things you really wish you didn't have to.

Of course, you are not really alone. You know that. You have your daughters, and your friends, and your servants, and you are perfectly aware that Stormchaser has it much worse than you do. But still…

You are perfectly aware that his heart is probably aching as much as yours is right now, as he flies away from his home. But still…



Well, that's the thing about wanting to spend the rest of your life with somepony… It doesn't feel like you are living, when they are not there.

…



You should find something to do.

Heading back into the house, you start blinking your sleepiness away as you wonder what you should do next. It still is dastardly early, so it will still be a short while until your daughters wake up. The servants, also, shouldn't start arriving anytime soon, and although the estate has a few rooms for some of them to sleep over you are not sure how often any of them are used. If at all.

"Huh…?"

Or at least, that is what you thought. Until you hear something coming from the dining hall. Nothing suspicious, mind you, just the sound of activity. Hoofs clicking against the ground, the muffled sound of a cabinet being opened every now and then.

You raise an eyebrow at that. Silky has already passed her cookie-stealing phase, and Selene is orders of magnitude quieter than that, so you are sure its neither of them. You roll over the options on your head for a few moments, looking at yourself and wondering how bad it would be if somepony other than your husband saw you in this clothing.

But eventually, sheer curiosity, and the belief that you should be able to go around unnoticed unless you wish otherwise, leads you to investigate what that sound might be.

You adjust your trot, the sound of your horseshoes going down to a whisper as you head towards the dining hall, then to the kitchen as you realize the noises are coming from there.

And peeking in through a half-opened door, you are somewhat surprised as you see a familiar figure.

Soft Sweeps has her back turned towards you as she goes about her business. It strikes you as slightly odd to see her not in her maid uniform, but that is more because you are so used to seeing her wearing that. And of course, what strikes you as even more strange is how early it is, and the fact that she is already working despite that.

But still, you think you see a slight smile on her face, despite the awkward angle you have of her. You are also sure she is humming a tune of sorts. So, at least you know she is not here at this time because of something you should worry about.

You take one last look at yourself. Your nightgown is not the scandalous sort, of course, and its not like most ponies even wear clothes to begin with. But still, you remember a conversation you had with Rarity once about knee-high socks, and the two of you indeed agreed that "a little can add a lot", sometimes.

However, you quickly reach the conclusion that you shouldn't worry about that. Not with Soft, at least. The mare is as good as family after all.

You walk into the large kitchen and walk up to her, but you stop just as you are about to tap a hoof on her shoulder, remembering the rather surprised reaction ponies usually have when you do this.

A few seconds pass like that, as Soft Sweeps continues humming while she works on something, none the wiser that you are but a few inches from touching her.

You slowly bring back your foreleg, and retrace your steps until you are back at the kitchen's entrance.

It's not like you did it on purpose, the last few times you walked up to a pony and accidentally frightened them. But you can't gloss over the fact that you frightened them nonetheless, so you really should start being mindful about that.

"Soft Sweeps?" you say, knocking on the door as you enter, "I thought I heard somepony. Good morning. And it's quite early for you to be here, is everything alright?"

"Good morning Mrs. Velvet! And yes, everything is fine. I just woke up early today, so I decided to get a few things out of the way," she says, turning towards you with a smile on her face. "The cook is not here yet, and he's very particular about us not starting doing breakfast until he is here, but I wanted to at least get the fillies' lunchboxes ready and-"

At that point, she finally looks at you, and her reaction is… quite unexpected.

She tries her best to hide it, you can tell that she dearly tries her best not to let it show. But several seconds pass between the moment she starts staring at you and the moment she realizes she is staring at you.

You make a point of looking over her shoulder, towards what she was working on, and you pretend not to notice how wide-eyed and blushing-red the young mare is as she all but gawks at you. For her own sake, more than anything else.

Like Rarity said… a little can indeed add a lot. Heavens, Soft really is young.

"Their lunchboxes you say?" you ask, your tone of voice perfectly neutral and normal.

But all poor Soft Sweeps can give you for an answer is a mechanical nod, her expression making it very clear that she doesn't even know where she should look. You are talking to her, so good manners and years as a maid dictates that she should look at you. But at the same time, she knows that if her eyes fall on you again she won't know how to turn them anywhere else.

You walk towards the kitchen counter she was working on, turning your back towards her and making it very clear that your whole attention is being directed at what she was doing. You then hear her take a few deep, near-hyperventilating breaths, and then you hear a gasp which you assume means that she finally realized her wings are rather… poised.

At this point, you realize the mare will probably need more than a few seconds with your back turned for her to regain her composure.

"Well, I was just seeing Stormchaser off, so I don't think I'll be going back to bed," you say, not turning to look at her for the sake of her own self-esteem, "so why don't you let me finish this? I just realized I never really prepared Silky's lunchbox ever since she started going to school."

"YesMrsVelvetthankyousomuch!" the mare says, tripping over her own words as she all but flees from the kitchen.

She slams the door behind her before you even have the chance to turn around. Not that you would, anyways. And although the closed door is enough of an obstacle for you to not understand what she mumbles to herself, it is not enough to muffle out the ragged breathing you hear right after that.

Tut, tut… Well, to be fair she has been working since such a young age that you realize she must never really have had the chance to be a mare.

You wonder if you should talk to her about that. If nothing else, it'll be a good experience for when you have to talk about those sorts of things with Silky when she grows up.

But those are thoughts for another day. For now, you have lunchboxes to prepare!



- - -



…

You… are not sure what happened.

Maybe you got a bit too excited, and the excitement carried on to what you were doing?

Well, you definitely were inspired. So inspired that you decided that the fruit jam you had available to use was not enough for the sandwiches you wanted to prepare, and consequently the production of another superior fruit jam was required.

But only now you realize that line of thought… was probably not the kind of conclusion a pony would normally reach.

Still, the results of your work are undeniable.

You wished to create a sandwich. A sandwich up to the standards of worthiness to be put inside your daughters' lunchboxes. You realize now that your work is incomplete, that you lack the resources and the knowledge to produce such a thing. And that is without even entering the merit that perhaps such a sandwich might not exist, and is instead more of a thought experiment or a fool's errant like the Philosopher's Stone.

However, even if the final threshold that is the Perfect Sandwich might not be attainable in this world, this jam… is a first step towards that.

It stands within an open jar, its complexion strawberry red with hues of pink and purple. It lacks the gooey appearance of lesser jams, and you know from previous tests that its taste is sweet, and energizing. Perfect for growing fillies with a sweet tooth, perfect for shy fillies who could use a push when it comes to making friends.

But perhaps… too perfect.

You are not awed by your creation. You know that this is but a sample of what is possible, a narrow view of what is to come. You know your creation is not entirely perfect, and that more could be done with better tools and ingredients.

However, you are no fool either. You realize that, for all of its mouth-watering taste and enticing smell, this jam might be too powerful for the unprepared, too strong for the uninitiated.



To put it simply, you are under no illusion that you will not be sued for property damage if Silky takes a bite of this during her lunch break. There is way too much Heart in this. And sugar, also, which is never something good to give a hyperactive filly.



So, as much as it pains you… you close the lid of the jar.

Perhaps one day you will cook something worthy of your daughters, something that they will both enjoy and that will be good for them.

But that day is not today.





You have learned the art of crafting, and the small joys of creating lesser things. You may now craft reagents to boost your rituals!

You have created Hyperactive Strawberry Jam! But have come to realize its powers are too great for its intended purpose.

You have sealed away the Hyperactive Strawberry Jam, and have relabeled it as a HEART Level 1 reagent! It has been produced, exceptionally, free of cost, and has been added to your inventory.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

The knock comes to your door, and the greater part of your mind barely registers it as you continue hoof-reading your way through a yields report.

Knock came form above doorknob line, so it is not one of your daughters.

Husband is out of town.

Ponpon knows better than to simply knock and wait.

You turn a bit more of your attention towards the door as you notice how unusual this situation is. A few more moments passing until you finish the report you were reading and put it down on your desk.

Then, you look towards the door and raise an eyebrow, only to hear somepony knocking on it once again.

The knocks are too calm and spaced out for it to be an emergency.

Soft Sweeps wouldn't have knocked a second time if it was her wanting to talk to you.

You had asked your uncle to write ahead if he were to visit you, and he did mention he would be busy with the latest happenings in Canterlot.

As your mind begins to summon ideas that are less and less logical, you finally give up on trying to guess. Your concentration is already ruined as things stand, so you might as well just get this over with.

"Come on in", you say towards the door, watching as somepony opens it a moment later.

"Excuse me, my Lady."

Ponpon walks in, much your surprise, but you immediately realize something is wrong. You see no sign of her usually pleasant expression. And everything, from her posture down to her tone as she called you by her title, shows you that she is acting in a fully professional manner.

And what is more, she steps into your office, and moments later she is already moving to open the doors wider.

"We have a visitor, Lady velvet. A pony from Canterlot, and in the Crown's service."

Your posture stiffens at that, as another pony walks into your office.

But of course, this is one of the few cases, one of the rare exceptions, that a visitor would be brought to you without previous notice. There is a very clear order of precedence within nobility, and it is natural for a higher ranking noble to expect that he will be well received and treated when visiting a pony of lower noble rank.

Said visits usually happen with prior notice, so a whole show of pomp may be prepared for the coming dignitary.

However, when said higher-ranked pony decides to visit without prior notice, it is also natural for he or she not to be barred upon entrance, and to be brought to the Lord or Lady of the house immediately.

And of course, there is no higher ranked pony than one who is in service to the Crown.

You can tell at a glance that the pony who is entering your office is not a noble. You know it, and he knows it, to the point where he takes off his hat as he comes to your presence and offers you a small bow. A show of respect, and that he understands that his job gives him his station, but that you are still socially above him.

However, despite this token show of respect, it still does not escape you that he exercised his right to come straight to you as soon as he arrived at your estate.

"I bid you good afternoon, Lady Velvet Covers," he says, putting his cap back on his head. "I am inspector Dull Glass, sent from the Central Constabulary by decree of the Crown."

You nod at the stallion, taking in more and more details about him. He is an earth pony, with burnt-yellow coat and black mane. He seems to be middle-aged, his expression serious but perhaps slightly tired. As if the cap upon his head, with the sun-symbol emblazoned in metal on its front, somehow weighted on him. But all in all, his eyes still look sharp.

And those sharp eyes are clearly focused on you.

"Good afternoon, inspector. Please, do take a seat," you say, pointing at the seats in front of your desk.

He nods in thanks, and the two of you begin to talk.



[A battle of wits]

[Your roll: 27 + 12 (Intrigue) = 39]

[His roll: 25 + ?? (????) = ??]

[Unknown result]



Unfortunately, you end up not knowing what to make of the stallion.

You got his measure, and her got yours, but you think that the only thing the two of you learned was that both of you hid something from each other.

You asked to see his mandate, and confirmed his authority. And you got managed to coax a few words from him that Princess Luna has decreed "extensive searches" for her attackers now that she is safely back in Canterlot.

But in return, he asked you about a few names. A list of ponies that went missing recently, and whose cases he intended to go deeper into. And you realized too late that the names he asked you about was of the ponies who were part of your cult, and who had secretly been changelings in disguise. You didn't know any of them, of course, and you answered truthfully.

However, you know he noticed something in your eyes, and that you are still a pony of interest in his books until further notice.

Of course, the two of you exchanged pleasantries, and he made it very clear that he came to you first as soon as he arrived in town because you are the "standing noble authority" in Ponyville. But that he would be making his rounds with the local mayor right after.

Still, you know you have not seen the last of him. In fact, you have an inkling that the two know that neither of you have seen the last of each other. Not by a long shot.

But there is nothing you can do about him. At least not right now.





The search for Princess Luna is over. And as expected, the Crown seems to be diverging its resources towards investigating the circumstances of the Princess' disappearance, by means of a Royal Decree signed by Princess Luna herself.

You have met a Foe: Inspector Dull Glass.





- - -

- - -

- - -





Dull Glass' visit has added yet another stain of worry in your mind. No matter how you look at it, his coming can only bode ill for you.

For several reasons.

On one hoof, you know the cult's dealings have not exactly been entirely legal. You avoid thinking about it as much as you can. But the fact remains that, all those months ago, the building of the Wildhoof Club was "acquired" under murky circumstances. Several other things come to mind, from gravedigging to the possibly dubious ties your cult has been making with the local Guard. But again, you'd really rather not think about that right now.

Because on the other, heavier hoof, there is also the fact that… Inspector Dull Glass is here because the Crown's attention has now been turned towards locating Princess Luna's aggressors. And no matter how much you try to sugarcoat it, your Cult is the one who has attacked Princess Luna. That, and the fact that there is something extremely wrong with the "Princess Luna" who is currently ordering these investigations.

So, no matter how you look at it, this whole investigation already seems to have started in a very specific and directed manner. That Dull Glass mentioned a small list of "recently missing" ponies, who you know were all changelings in disguise, only makes things worse.

But again, there is nothing you can do about him right now. You are loath to admit that you are on the backhoof regarding him, but you also believe that he has the initiative when it comes to deciding what the first move will be.

And it also happens that you are in the middle of something very important, so you shouldn't be thinking about something that stressful right now.

Namely, you are on your way to visit Rarity.

Rarity has been dedicating herself to her new career, with a healthy dose of overwork that you very much respect. The mare has closed her boutique in Ponyville in order to dedicate herself exclusively to this, and the servant you have acting as middlepony for her frequently reports to you that another line of clothes and accessories has been shipped out to the Needles back in Canterlot.

However, as much as you might have several things in common with your friend, good looks and dedication being but a few of those, you also have a few things that she currently lacks. One of those things being the experience to know that (shockingly!) overworking yourself too much can indeed have negative consequences.

Consequences worse than a bad mane day, mind you.

So, you have taken upon yourself to periodically go to her home in order to force her away from the drawing boards and sewing machines. The call of good company and a pleasant conversation being enough for the unicorn to drop her projects for a few hours.

And truth be told, these regular chats have been doing wonders for both of you.

Your thoughts are interrupted, however, when you reach the door to her now-retired boutique. There is nothing wrong with it, of course, the place still being as gorgeous as ever despite the plaque on its front now being permanently set to "closed".

But you find it only slightly weird that her front door is unlocked.

Well, she knows you can unlock doors just fine, and the only time her locked door was ever a problem was on your first visit. And that was because you didn't want to make your way in uninvited, even if it took you several minutes of shouting (very elegant shouting, thank you very much) to catch her attention.

Regardless, you know you can go into her house just fine, Rarity herself said as much. But it still bears mentioning that she usually keeps her door locked regardless.

You only find that slightly disquieting, but you make your way in regardless.


"Oh, that is so much like him! Speaking of which, darling, I have been wondering for a while how he might look like in some clothes. Something like a formal attire, or even a tuxedo."


And you immediately hear Rarity's voice, as she talks to somepony else.

Ah, so Rarity has other visits over? Wonderful!

You pass by her studio, seeing the telltale signs of recently stopped work, and make your way up towards her room on the second floor.


"Although I'm not sure about the scales. Say, did he ever wear anything? And I mean real clothes, not raincoats or things like that."
"Not that I remember, honestly. I think the most he ever had on him was a bowtie."


Twilight's voice comes right after, and you let a smile settle on your face, your previous worries fading away as you hear your two friends having a pleasant mare chat.

Your hoofsteps, also, go slightly giddy at that. You can't wait to join them! Your pace quickens as you go up the stairs, and moments later you have a hoof on the doorknob to Rarity's room.

"Good morning ladies!" you say as you swing the door open, stepping into your friend's room.

And you see-

You see…



You… see…



Your body immediately freezes at what you see.



[Lantern?]

[Roll: 61 + 12 (Intrigue) + 30 (LANTERN Level 3) = 103]

[Success]

[Immediate reaction, breakpoints 40/80]

[Roll: 46 + 9 (Martial) + 15 (WINTER bonus) = 70]

[Cover not immediately blown. -10 "Shocked" malus applied.]



Your first reaction is to scream, to jump back, to spring into action as if you had just seen your daughter innocently walking towards something you know to be dangerous.

But you suppress those reactions. For the first time the fear that freezes your body when you panic actually helps you, and you stand there motionless for a few seconds as you look at the scene before you.

Rarity lets out an amused laughter, thinking perhaps that you have frozen after opening the door as some sort of joke. Twilight, on the other hoof, just tilts her head as she looks at you, but decides to follow Rarity's lead.

The young purple mare joins your friend in her short bout of laugher.

And the wrong, clay-like shadows wave around her with every movement she makes.



That thing sitting in front of Rarity is not Twilight Sparkle.



You force yourself to laugh. Or rather, you force yourself to smile, to do anything that would look normal if you were just visiting Rarity and she had another visit over.

But how can you act normally? How could you ever act normally under these circumstances?!

The thoughts come to you faster than you can process them, one after the other.

Twilight Sparkle is not here. Something is wearing her face, and can do so naturally enough to the point that Rarity, a close friend of hers, is none the wiser.

Twilight might not even be in Ponyville anymore. You have no idea how they operate, you have no idea how the swapping happens, but at the very least you expect them to only do something like that when they are absolutely sure the original is not around to interfere in their plans. Maybe they might be willing to do one-offs, local impersonations without taking out the originals for the sake of achieving one goal or another, but can't see how this would be the case.

But most important of all… Twilight Sparkle is… Twilight Sparkle has been-!

"Darling, are you alright?" Rarity asks, her expression slowly changing from amused to perhaps confused.

You feel physically ill as you put smile on your face, mustering every ounce of willpower you have not to start shuddering while your mind thinks about…

This is not right.

Twilight is too young. Too young, and sweet, and bright, and innocent.

How did this ever happen… how did you let this happen to her?!

"I'm… fine, Rarity," you lie, not even bothering to check if you are sounding normal or not, "just a bit under the weather, is all…"

To which Rarity gives you a kind and understanding look, scooching to the side of her sofa and offering you a seat next to her.

You forget how to walk. Or at least, you forget how to walk normally. But you do your best, you do the best impression of a walking pony you can manage, as you sit next to Rarity.

As you sit opposite to the monster dressed as one of your closest friends.

"So, Twilight, as I was saying…"



[A nerve-wracking battle of wits]

[Your roll: 87 + 12 (Intrigue) – 10 (shocked) = 89]

[Their roll: 27 + ?? (???) + ?? (Natural Empath) = ??]

[Noticeable victory]



"So, darling, Twilight here was just telling me about her last visit to Canterlot."

"She… she was?"

"Yes! And I didn't have the chance to talk to you, Velvet, but thank you! I figured the riddle out, and the next day me and Spike went off to Canterlot, and this time Princess Luna let us see Princess Celestia! It was a test from them all along, just like you told me!"

You know it was not intentional, but Rarity ends up doing most of the work for you. And thank the heavens for that. You wouldn't have the spirit to answer Twi-… to answer that thing in a convincing manner even if you wanted to.

But it didn't take long for you to get a clear picture of what happened.

She went to Canterlot, plain and simple. The creature seems to know a few "details" about certain things, like how you talked to Twilight beforehand, but mostly it just seemed to be grasping at straws. Throwing obvious baits in the hopes that you would mention something, or let some information slip, that it might get a bit more context of.

Still… none of that matters. The moment you heard that Twilight… that Twilight and Spike went to Canterlot less than a week after you last saw them…

After you last saw them…

Last. Saw. Them.

You feel sick. Physically, bodily sick. You feel a pain in your chest that you don't know the name for, but that very much feels like a twisted version of the hug Spike gave you when you left Twilight's library-home.

The creature, thank the heavens for small mercies, doesn't seem to notice. And neither does Rarity. But you excuse yourself as soon as you can, despite Rarity's protest, and make your way… make your way out of there before you do something you might have no control over.

And you make sure there is nopony within earshot when you start crying in panic.





Twilight Sparkle and Spike are currently MISSING. The last information you have on them, despite its unreliable source, indicates that they went to Canterlot, and met with the Two Sisters in private.

You have discovered a Foe: An Infiltrated Changeling (Twilight Sparkle)

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You wake up with a start, heaving for air as you try to understand what just happened. The world around you appearing to be at the same time too dark, and too bright.

"Sweetheart, whats the matter?"

Somepony has their forelegs around you before you can do anything about it, and it takes you several long, panicked seconds for you to realize that it is your husband.

"Shh, it's okay dear, it's me. You're with me, we're together," he says as he gently keeps you in his embrace, "there's nothing wrong. Don't worry…"

You are not sure how long it takes you to settle down, but you do realize that it takes you some time.

Because you finally understand what just happened to you. What has been happening to you for a while now.

That wasn't a dream.

You should have known better, that you simply don't dream anymore.

There is something very wrong with you.

"Stormy, I… I'm sorry, I just had a…" you try to say, trying to blink away the things you just saw. Trying to blink away the light.

"It's okay sweetheart, it was just a dream," he says, gently passing a hoof against your back.

But you know better. You know that wasn't just a dream.

And even if it was a dream, even if it was a nightmare, it still wouldn't have been like that.

Because light is not supposed to turn around corners. It is not supposed to bleed through cracks and… and invade places, and ponies, and minds, and skin.

Light is not supposed to have thoughts. It is not supposed to want anything, and it definitely is not supposed to want you.

"It… it wasn't just a dream, Stormy," you try to say, your own forelegs slowly working their way around him as you unconsciously begin to return his embrace. "I… I saw it, Stormy… I couldn't help but to see, and… and it scared me."

You bury your face on his chest, years and years of doing this allowing you to get closer to him without your horn poking against his face.

"Don't worry love, it was just a nightmare," he keeps saying, his calm voice soothing and slowly calming you down. "Try to get back to sleep, dear. Don't worry about it."

You feel yourself gently settle down with that, you heartrate slowing down and your eyes growing heavier as the light grows brighter.

"Just go back to sleep, love. Don't be afraid of it," he continues saying. "Just come back to us, Velvet. Walk into the Ligh-"


"Ma'am, is everything alright?"


Your eyes shoot wide open, fear coursing through your whole body and adrenaline shooting you awake as you realize that… that…!

Ponpon is at your door, looking at you with a worried expression. The usual morning-mail neatly tucked in her uniform's pockets.

And you are on your bed. Alone. Your husband still out of town on his work trip.

"Apologies for waking you up, ma'am, but I thought you were saying something. Anyhow, the sun has already risen, and here are your letters for today," she says with her usual mannerism, walking towards your study and laying down the usual bundle of newspapers and other assorted things.

Meanwhile, you… do your utmost best to hide how much you are shivering, and how drenched you are in your own sweat.

Those things, those visions you have been having for a while now, were not dreams.

You remember now, how you walked through the empty streets of Canterlot almost a month ago. How you walked and walked until you arrived somewhere very far away and met what is perhaps another one of your selves.

And you think you understand now… that when you returned, something might have followed you. A light, that shone down too brightly on you as you walked through the less protected ways.





You are now afflicted by FASCINATION.





- - -

- - -

- - -





"The Lies We Tell"

This not an exhaustive list. More of a helpful reminder.

Spoiler: The Lies We Tell: Stormchaser

Stormchaser has explicitly told you not to involve him or Silky Stream in anything occult related.

You HAVE told Stormchaser about the following:
-That Selene is Princess Luna, and that due to a great tragedy that befell her she cannot currently bear the weight of her memories
-That you have been part of a… "group" for several years now, and hid that from him
-That said group is led by a learned and powerful master, whom you can't exactly fully trust
-That you have been studying about certain "unusual" magics, to which your recent breakdowns or changes in behavior can be traced back to
-That the Worms, or some great threat to Equestria, exists

You have NOT told Stormchaser about the following:
-The more unsettling details about your Master's nature, or at least what little you have interacted with them (your husband does not know that your Master is... well, he thinks they are a regular pony)
-The murders you believe your cult has committed
-The cult's actions about Princess Luna's ritual and eventual disappearance
-Details about the cult itself, and details about the Lores.

Spoiler: The Lies We Tell: Rarity

You HAVE told Rarity about the following:
-That Selene is Princess Luna, and that you remain certain of that even though "Princess Luna" has returned to Canterlot
-That you are part of a Cult
-About the Lores, the Mansus and the Worms. Her depth and understanding of said pieces of information being her current level on the occult

You have NOT told Rarity about the following:
-The more unsettling details about your Master's nature, or at least what little you have interacted with them (your husband does not know that your Master is... well, he thinks they are a regular pony);
-The murders you believe your cult has committed
-The cult's actions about Princess Luna's ritual and eventual disappearance

- - -

Last turn's shopping list

(These are the items that you had the option to purchase last turn. They must be bought with the resources you had available then, but if bought will be immediately available for use or study at this turn.)

Last turn's available bits: 193

-[] GRAIL lvl 3, "A novel telling the forbidden romance between a foreign spy and a soldier. The writing is not as spicy as the theme would suggest, but the details is goes into to describe the conflict they feel is intriguing." 30 bits
-[] EDGE lvl 1, "The title is self-explanatory: 'Four self-defense spells every unicorn should know'. You doubt they are anything more than different variations of concentrated telekinesis." 7 bits
-[] MOTH lvl 1, "A booklet, that shortly details the life-cycle of several kinds of insects." 7 bits

(Books not bought will be lost, other items will be available through the following turns, but have a chance of being sold to somepony else every turn)

- - -

The changeling invasion has been in Canterlot for "1" full month now.​

This turn's available bits: 228 (minus items you decided to buy)

Monthly revenue: 120 bits/month currently cut
Rarity's dividends: 35 bits



[] How much will you dedicate yourself to your family's affairs this month? (You must pick one)

Spoiler: Number of Actions

-[X] A sense of urgency: There has never been any need for this, not for this much at least. No more double-checking, no more zeal. There are far more important things to be done. (5 personal actions. Does not cause suspicion. DEFAULT PICK)

-[] A measured commitment: Give everything a once-over, sign everything in stacks. The farmlands won't just crumble and burn if you miss a few numbers this month. (6 personal actions. Might be noticed by those closest to you. Will not be noticed by the family head if you do not do this often.)

-[] A furious dedication: You will not be able to do what really matters if you dedicate so much of your time to such mortal affairs. Do as little as it is acceptable, then move on. (7 personal actions. Will worry those closest to you. Will be noticed by the family head, although you cannot say to what extent.)

-[] A desperate obsession: Everything is falling down, everything depends on this. You will not even sit on your office this month. (8 personal actions. It is guaranteed that you will be called out for this.)


Regardless of your choice, you also dispose of ONE servant action and ONE cultist minions action.

[] How fearful you are, of the Light that comes? (You must pick one)

Spoiler: FASCINATION

-You are currently afflicted by ONE level of Fascination. You MUST pick one of the following actions, and its results will affect you until the END of this turn. At the end of this turn, you will roll to dispel one level of Fascination.
-Failing the end-of-turn "dispel fascination" by too great a margin has a chance of, instead, increasing your Fascination by one level.
-Fascination may be dispelled earlier by a successful "Incision of the Heart" ritual, in which case this action will be canceled, and any actions spent here will be refunded.

-[] YOU WILL NOT FEAR THE LIGHT. (Costs 0 actions. -15 to "dispel fascination". -15 for all other rolls this turn.)

-[] You cannot outrun the light, but you can resist it. (Costs 1 action. -0 to "dispel fascination". -15 for all other rolls this turn.)

-[] You will police yourself. Have the servants dim the lights of the house. Do not leave your home when it is too bright outside. (Costs 2 actions. +15 to "dispel fascination". Other ponies are less likely to notice something about you is off.)

-[] Close the shutters. Douse the candles. Pray that the darkness around you douses the light that comes from your eyes. (Costs 3 actions. +30 to "dispel fascination". Other ponies are much less likely to notice something is off about you.)

-[] For heaven's sake Velvet, fear it. (Costs 4 actions. +45 to "dispel fascination". Other ponies are much less likely to notice something is off about you.)

[] Do something about your foes

Spoiler: Foes

Inspector Dull Glass
-You currently have no relevant information about him.
-You currently have nopony keeping an eye on him.

-[] Have somepony tail him, see what he has been doing. (This action requires dedicated time, and is best done by a servant or a minion than by a single action from yourself)

-[] Do something about him. Talk to him, trick him, hurt him. (Write in what)



An infiltrated changeling (Twilight Sparkle)
-You currently have no relevant information about her.
-You currently have nopony keeping an eye on her.

-[] Have somepony tail her, see what she has been doing. (This action requires dedicated time, and is best done by a servant or a minion than by a single action from yourself)

-[] Do something about her. Talk to her, trick her, hurt her. (Write in what)

Confidants and Summons

Spoiler: Options of Focus

-The ponies and creatures listed below can be given a "focus" for this turn. Not mentioning them will incur in their "default picks" being selected. Be wary, also, to the "expiration date" of summons.
-The ponies and creatures listed below may be safely taken for a single one-turn (five days) Expedition without hampering their "focus". Taking them for a two-turn (6+ days) or greater Expedition will cause them to not execute their selected "focus".

Spoiler: Rarity

Rarity (currently an Initiate, GRAIL Level 1, FORGE Level 0):

Current Health: 3

-[X] Focus on her work. She has a contract with high-end merchants and a noble family, after all. (DEFAULT PICK) (She will still work on her designs if this is not picked, but there will be a chance for this month to be a "failure" by her reckoning)
-[] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN, and Rarity will accompany you while you perform them, giving narrative advantages or mechanical buffs as needed)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool, Rarity will perform it to the best of her abilities, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] The Bright Library has enough knowledge for her to learn on her own. Tell her to focus on her studies, so she may turn into a Disciple. BRIGHT LIBRARY INSUFFICIENTLY LEVELED
-[] Call her, you have a lot of things to tell her… and then a few introductions to make. (Induct her into the cult)
-[] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] Other (WRITE IN, in case you have a viable idea that I have not thought about. Certain ideas might even enter this list if they make sense)

Spoiler: Jade Whistle

Jade Whistle (currently a Disciple, LANTERN Level 3, HEART Level 1):

Current Health: 3

(You are personally worried that Jade might react badly if she fails on an action she attempts)

-[X] As per orders. She will go with the motions, as she usually does, and focus on her assignment given by the Master. (DEFAULT PICK)
-[] "You do you." Let her do whatever she wants for once. It might do her some good, both mentally and personally.
-[] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN, and Jade Whistle will accompany you while you perform them, giving narrative advantages or mechanical buffs as needed)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool, Jade Whistle will perform it to the best of her abilities, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] The Bright Library has enough knowledge for her to learn on her own. Tell her to focus on her studies, so she may turn into an Seeker. (This will level her up, at the expense of her own focus action instead of an action of your own) BRIGHT LIBRARY INSUFFICIENTLY LEVELED
-[] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] Jade mentioned she has a... feeling, about Selene. She'd like to investigate it, if that's alright. (Require Selene's Knock level 2)
-[] Other (WRITE IN, in case you have a viable idea that I have not thought about. Certain ideas might even enter this list if they make sense)

Spoiler: Selene

Selene (MOTH 2; WINTER 2; EDGE 1; KNOCK 1):

As an alicorn, Selene has TWO actions.

-[X] Go play. (Selene will live a normal and happy life. This option costs one of her actions, it will always be picked, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.)
-[] Perhaps it is time to confirm it, that curious inkling she always had. (Teach Selene the final lesson of MOTH)
-[] There is something that she must learn now… for everypony's sake. (Teach Selene the final lesson of WINTER)
-[] Life is an adventure, so go live it! (Subtly teach Selene a lesson of EDGE)
-[] There is always something more to be learned from our dreams. (Subtly teach Selene a lesson of KNOCK)

[] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [SPECIFY LORE] (This is a free action to summon "The Attention of the Laws")



[] Before this month starts, you will write uncle Steppes! [SPECIFY ACTION]
(Pick an action and ask if he can help. He may not be able to help, depending on the context, but there is no way of knowing beforehand. Do not pick this option if you don't want to ask his help this month.)



[] A fleeting opportunity (rumor mills spin, opportunities come and go. These actions will never be available again)
(There is nothing particularly interesting this month that you might miss if you don't act on immediately)



[] On what must be done
(There are too many paths towards fulfilling your Master's orders. They will not be listed here. Exploring higher reaches of the Mansus will be of great use, and you must teach the cult the secrets of Lantern)



[] On the treasures that bits may buy (actions where you search for things to purchase)

Spoiler: Bits and Buyings

-[] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them.
--[] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost) (HEART, FORGE)
--[] In the great libraries of Canterlot… the ones that are open to public access, that is (20 bits in transportation) (applies "Royal Favor") (LANTERN, GRAIL, SECRET HISTORIES)
--[] In the many small bookshops that dot the side streets of Manehattan (35 bits in transportation) (MOTH, EDGE, KNOCK)
(Due to SECRET HISTORIES 3, now you have a better idea of what you are more likely to find in each city)

-[] The cult now has an appropriate place to meet, but you could still use a discrete location that is all your own. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.

-[] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place… right?

-[] You haven't forgotten about it, you just put it on hold until a more convenient time. (Purchases done here will arrive/be completed at the end of this turn.) (Does NOT cost an action)

--[] NO ARTIFACTS AVAILABLE

[] On furthering your influence

Spoiler: In Ponyville

-[] In Ponyville

--[] You now have a better grasp of the merchants in Ponyville, having had several letters of introduction sent around in your name. But what would you like to do next?
---[] Meet a few of them, and ingrain them to your cause. (WRITE IN if you will try to win them as personally loyal to you, or if you will point them in the direction of the cult)
---[] They are bit handlers, and that means they are a source of income. "Borrow" a few bits from your family and do a few quick investments. Everything will be back to its place by the end of the month, and you will be a little richer for that. (Attempt to gain a few more bits on the side, using your family's fortune as a lever)
---[] They know somepony who knows somepony who knows somepony. Use that to your advantage. (Ask them to search for an artifact. Specift LORE and LEVEL, up to Level 3. It will be added to your available list, but will be more expensive than normal)
---[] Something else. WRITE IN.

--[] They're not the Royal Guard, but they're still guards, and as much as they might not have that much work on their hoofs, they're still the go-to ponies in case something worrying happens. Try to ingrain yourself with them.
---[] Starry Dancer, as you were told, already made great progress in this front. Ask for her help, or offer to help her in this regard.
---[] Windy Flakes, it seems, is patroning them with the Windhoof Club. Talking to them there, and with him present, will probably be a lot easier.
---[] Do it yourself.

--[] A pony needs not to be a faithful of your cult in order to be useful, said pony needs only know what to report to whom, and when to keep one's mouth shut. Ponyville has an underworld, small as it might be, and their eyes and ears could be useful. Attempt to contact them.

--[] There is a house near the outskirts of town. One which very nearly got burned to the ground. You know its sole owner will not step hoof in it for a long while, but you surely can put it to use, right? Highly suspicious (Your first turn there will be spent "cleaning up" the most alarming things of the house. Further cleaning will surely be needed, but after this first once-over its suspicion level will lower)

Spoiler: In Manehattan

-[] In Manehattan

--[] There are two members of the Inner Circle there, and it seems their influence is beginning to spread. Go there, and make sure some of that influence can be traced back to you. (Manehattan might soon have a cult cell founded within it, if the Master decides not to consolidate in Ponyville. Make sure you are known and respected over there, in case that really comes to pass. COSTS 35 BITS in transportation)

Spoiler: In Canterlot

-[] In Canterlot

--[] Reach out to your family, at least the ones you go along well with.
---[] Reach out to your mother, as much as it might be… complicated. (costs 20 bits in transportation)
---[] Attempt to locate your older brother, Velvet Wings, as much as it might be difficult. (attempt to locate him, at first, via correspondence)
---[] Go there yourself and try to talk to your younger brother, Velvet Pride, although getting caught will probably be bad. (costs 20 bits in transportation, involves invading your family's own mansion)

--[] Reach out to other minor nobles of Canterlot.

--[] Reach out to other higher nobles of Canterlot, although that might be more complicated.

[] On aiding the cult

Spoiler: The Wildhoof Club

-[] You are the Loremaster! You are supposed to help your Master teach the faithful in the cult all manners of eldritch knowledge. Get to writing a Manifest on a Lore! [SPECIFY LORE] (Will produce a "book" to be added to the Bright Library, said book will be of the same level as your current level on the chosen Lore)

-[] Help Comet Feet
--[] He is gone from Ponyville, and is currently working to further the cult's interests in Manehattan. Reach out to him. (Costs 35 bits in transportation. WRITE IN what you would like to do involving him.)

-[] Help Starry Dancer
--[] Now that you know her a bit better, you can always just spend time with her.
--[] One step further from getting into the good graces of Ponyville's Guard, she is now supposed to somehow get them even closer. She would surely benefit from your presence.

-[] Help Copper Secateur
--[] She is gone from Ponyville, and is currently working to further the cult's interests in Manehattan. Reach out to her. (Costs 35 bits in transportation. WRITE IN what you would like to do involving her.)

-[] Help Windy Flakes
--[] You realize you don't know very much about him at all. Time to remedy that.
--[] His business is all set up, and now he has to run it. And do you know who is good at running businesses? That's right, you are.

-[] Actually, you just want to chat with somepony. (Write in who, if it's an Inner Circle member or if you want to get to know more about the Cult in general. Write in if there is a specific subject to talk about. Talking to ponies outside of Ponyville costs transportation.)

[] On planning an Expedition.

Spoiler: Out into the World

-[] "Beneath the Royal Castle"
--[] Scout out the place so you can have a better grasp of what lies ahead of you. (costs 20 bits in transportation)
--[] You know enough, and there is not much time. Gather your followers and head out. (Write in how many actions you will invest on this. An expedition will start at the end of this turn.)

[] On furthering your knowledge.

Spoiler: The allures of Power

-[] The matters of [SPECIFY LORE] intrigues you, petition your cult's Master for a lesson (currently willing to teach all Lores up until level 5, gives a single scrap of Lore WITHOUT triggering a test)

-[] A boon? A gift? A trade? Petition your Master for something. (WRITE IN WHAT. She walks the Wake, so talking to her is now less complicated. She may, however, ask for something in return for a boon. She may also react in an entirely unexpected way).

-[] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is (pick two artifacts to learn from their Lore, and check it for hidden abilities).
--[] No artifacts available. (Unless if recently bought)

-[] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it! (Pick up to three books to attempt to learn a scrap of Lore. Consumes books).
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 1. "A small book that covers a particular kind of elegant dancing".
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 2. "A novel about a mare who fell in love with a drummer, the romantic parts all written in rhyming poetry".
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 3. "A study about yak culture. The part about their history and folklore is of little use. The chapters about their songs, however…".
--[] BOOK, FORGE Level 1. "A small handbook on camping, explaining the basics of how to build a tent and start a small fire".
--[] BOOK FORGE Level 3. "A real guide to beginner's level blacksmithing. The bookstore owner almost seemed excited in having this reach your hoofs via your servants."
--[] BOOK, KNOCK Level 2. "A fairly recent, and short, book about dream interpretation. You know it is recent because it was dedicated to Princess Luna's return".

--[] Some other book (select a book you have bought this turn)

-[] This thing is ancient, and its secrets were nearly lost. You will have to first understand it before you can begin to learn from it. (Decoding a book requires dedicated research, your progress being based on a study roll. Reaching at least 50% of the total progress will "reveal" the total amount needed.")
--[] BOOK LANTERN Level 6. "An ancient, and enormous, hardcover tome written in an unknown language. You are not even sure what its title is, if it even has one, but the symbol laid on its front was enough for you to understand what it is about. On its cover you can clearly see the icon of a Sun, Divided." (Current Progress: 0/???)

[] On scaling the Mansus (Pick TWO options for every action spent)

Spoiler: The House without walls

-[] The Woods
--[] Explore the Woods, and its many whispers.

--[] There are other places connected to the Woods, but that are not in the Mansus proper. Look for them.

-[] The Blank Door
--[] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[] Visit the Lodge of the Sage Pony. You may not be able to talk to Baldomare, but you surely can listen very well.
--[] There are other parts connected to the Blank Plains. Look for them.

-[] The Shattered Stairways
--[] Some markings point to a… a place of sharpness? A castle of knives? (0/2 progress made)
--[] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.
--[] This… this is the way upwards. (You may only search for the next Door after completely exploring TWO places within the Shattered Stairways)

[] On more personal matters

Spoiler: Home and heart

-[] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[] Just another pleasant day that you will spend with them. Perfect for cooling your head off.
--[] Alright, this might be a BIT on the cult-y side, but… why not start giving your family subtle hints of Lore here and there? You might catch their attention, or perhaps even their interest. (Stormchaser will surely see this as a major breach of trust)
--[] WRITE IN (other ways to spend time with your family, or anything else)

-[] Bits are the engine of Equestria! You have been working your hooves off for years now, so it won't be seen as scandalous if you write a letter to your father requesting an increase in your share of the family's grants… right?

-[] You do know "your place" in the family, but bits are still important. A letter asking for a one-time gift will surely be better received than one asking for a permanent "raise", right?

-[] You really shouldn't, but needs must. Every single ledger from the farms east of Ponyville pass through you, it would be a simple matter to have some "administrative mistakes" make some bits disappear from the coffers and appear in your pockets.
--[] Have a servant do it, having an actual scapegoat is ideal if things go wrong.
--[] Do it yourself, it's better this way.
--[] Wait, right, the Wildhoof Club. Get in touch with Windy Flakes, and see how serious he was when he mentioned the whole "laundering bits" thing.

-[] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting.

-[] Sit down and work on a letter. Reach out to nobles who do not live in Canterlot. They, much like yourself, might not be deeply entangled on the webs of politics that surround the capital, but that just means they can also act with more freedom, right?

-[] Much to your own satisfaction, you now have a personal life outside of your maids, immediate family and business related meetings. You could choose to spend some time with… (SPECIFY if it will be "a social call" or "a step forward to converting said pony". SPECIFY if "you are willing to spend bits on this", for that little extra leverage)
--[] Teach Rarity yourself, and have her turn into an Disciple Insufficient personal levels
--[] Induct Rarity into the cult
--[] Teach Jade Whistle yourself, and have her turn into a Seeker Insufficient personal levels
--[] Twilight Sparkle, who leads the bearers of the Elements of Harmony
--[] Cheerilee, your daughter's schoolteacher
--[] Mayor Mare, the de-facto ruler of Ponyville
--[] Filthy Rich, a well-to-do and wealthy bussinespony
--[] Fluttershy, the recluse mare who lives on the outskirts of Ponyville
--[] WRITE IN (arrange to take your daughter to meet some of your younger acquaintances, or plan something else entirely)

[] On invoking the Lores (see RITUALS for more information, as well as CD and cost. SPECIFY if you will offer SACRIFICE)

Spoiler: The old ways

The White Room, and the cult's cupboards:
-3 live changelings stored in the White Room
-1 changeling body stored in the White Room

Your own reagents, and other possible sacrifices:
-All of your Artifacts
-HEART, level 1 reagent

-[] It's actually a lot simpler than it sounds, now that you know what you are doing (produce a reagent, write in which Lore/combination of Lores. Cannot produce a reagent with a Lore level superior to your own.) (Producing a single reagent is a FREE ACTION, producing 3 costs 1 action, 5 costs 2 actions, so on.)
--[] Level 1 reagent (5 bits)
--[] Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
--[] Level 3 reagent (45 bits)

-[] It's grim work, but needs must.
--[] Acquire a dead body from the local cemetery.
--[] Acquire a live pony for the White Room.

-[] "The proper things, in the proper manner, in the proper order. God help us all." (Perform a Ritual)
--[] "The Attention of the Laws" (specify Aspect)
--[] "The Rite of Childhood's End"
--[] "The Forge's Redemption"
--[] "The Incision of the Heart"
--[] "The Path Through Nightmares" (specify target)
--[] "The End is Beautiful" (specify target)
--[] "The calling of Influence" (specify Aspect)
--[] "The Reflection of the Tapestry" (specify subject)
--[] Invoke a Risen (SPECIFY dead body used as source. ONE Risen is a FREE ACTION)
--[] Invoke Baldomare

--[ ] To be performed at your cult's gathering place, where it is discreet. But the cult will know of your actions.
--[ ] To be performed at your own home, where the cult will not know of your actions, but you probably will be discovered or leave traces of it. (Disallows the use of the cult's Cadre and possessions)
--[ ] To be performed on another location (you do not yet know or own any such location)

[ ] Others WRITE IN (anything, but I will have to consider it, and it might make the voting period a bit longer)





I have tried simplifying the voting phase, at least so it is more presentable and easy to navigate. Please let me know if it is any better/worse! I have also removed the "suspicion" tracker, since they were suggestions at best, and voter interpretation must apply. But regular servants still have their own opinions!

Remember that write-ins for anything may be suggested. I'll do my best to answer if they are reasonable in a timely manner.

There will be at least 48 hours of voting.

Velvet Covers is devoted to taking care of Selene. Actions that may ultimately lead to said duty being threatened will be extremely difficult to pull off. QM will comment if anything like that is being voted on.

Kindly observe a SIX HOUR MORATORIUM before voting.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning plan

[X] Plan Language of Light
-[X] (Work) A measured commitment. +6 Actions
-[X] (Fascination) You will police yourself. -2 Actions
-[X] (Purchases) Buy Grail 3, Edge 1
-[X] (Winter 3 Boon) Use a changeling corpse to summon a Flourishing Risen
-[X] (Forge 3 Boon) Craft a Lantern 3 Reagent for the Baldomare Summoning
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Lantern towards deciphering the Lantern 6 text
-[X] (Uncle Steppes) Ask if he has any advice about getting along with Velvet Hill
-[X] (Selene) Learn Knock 2
--[X] Unless we get Edge 3; then learn Edge 2.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Shadow the Twilight imposter
-[X] (Cult Minions) Petition the cult for a book/ritual budget.
-[X] (Servants) Search for possible expedition locations near Ponyville.
-[X] (Rarity) Learn what she can about the Detective
-[X] (Jade) Perform Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] If Baldomare is unavailable: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
--[X] Else: Details on "Beneath the Royal Castle" expedition site
-[X] (Baldomare, if available) Reflection of the Tapestry: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
-[X] Ask the Master for a Boon: rid us of this Fascination
-[X] Try Summoning Baldomare
-[X] (Priority 1; repeat until completed) Work on Deciphering the Lantern 6
-[X] (Priority 2) Read Books: Lantern 6, Heart 2, Heart 3
-[X] (Priority 3; repeat until completed): Retry summoning Baldomare if necessary
-[X] (Priority 4): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] A Place of Sharpness x2
-[X] (Priority 5): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[X] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.

- - -

The light. It comes to you in your dreams.

Or at least you think it does. It has to, right? That is the only way any of this can possibly make sense.

Because the things you have seen, the things you are seeing, they can't be happening while you are awake… right?

Right?

You see it in the candles, the way they seem to grow brighter and brighter the more you look at them. So, you had the servants dim the candles. Pretend you have a lasting headache, give one less chores to the pegasi who light up the high chandelier of the main hall.

You see it in the sun, the way it seems to be moving closer to you instead of going higher in the sky, as the hours pass. So, you avoided it entirely. You did not look out through the windows, and you made your absolute best to ignore the fact that you could see the sun's light coming from two different windows, each of them at the opposite ends of a hallway.

And above all else, you dread that you will see, that sickly sweet light, reflected in your daughters' eyes, if you look too closely.



But you are still sane. You are still aware and in control. And as such, you realize that you cannot permit yourself to be like this for too long. Even this much has already been too much, and you know you must do something about it right now rather than soon.



There might be a deeper relationship between day and night than the one you know, or there might be a secret understanding between the sun and the moon that you are not aware of. You don't know. However, you thankfully can't see any signs of the light, as you leave your home after the sun sets and make your way towards the Wildhoof Club.

Although you still trot as quickly as possible. Not in a desperate running gallop, but not at a leisure pace either.

Because you know that for all that the light might not see you right now, you are still capable of seeing it.

You don't recognize the stallion working as a bouncer. But that fact, coupled with how he seems smaller than a regular farmhand but somehow more confident, makes you think that he must be one of the ponies who recently came from Manehattan.

"Not really worried about that right now," you say to yourself, keeping your eyes centered on the door as much as you possibly can. Forcing yourself into a tunnel vision of sorts, so you won't even notice the glare of the streetlamps you are being forced to walk by.

And the bouncer recognizes you. Or at least he doesn't see any harm in letting a well-dressed mare walk into a night club. Either works for you, and moments later you step into the Club proper.

You are greeted by the dimly lit sight of the Red Bar. More than that, your senses are almost assaulted as you enter the place.

It occurs to you that you have never been here at night, while this place was fully functional. You have already been here before, during the day, but that means that so far you have only seen the Club on its "tame" configuration. You have only seen the large hall that comprises the Red Bar set up as a restaurant-like place, a lounge-like refectory connected to several other leisure areas available for Club members.

But right now, in a display of contrast that is almost glaring, this place is the very definition of a night club.

A wave of sound hits you, the steady beats of a body-shuddering music coming from the open doors of the Heartbeat House, the loud music only barely being able to suppress the sound of activity coming from the dance floor. The place also smells different, and you can't feel any of the floral scents more common here during daylight hours. Instead, you can feel perfumes, the spicy hints of foods that are better described as snacks, and the unavoidable smell of accidentally spilt alcohol that is present whenever music and drinks are added to a place where there are no foals in sight.

You are sure that you would have been able to navigate this place adequately, under more normal circumstances. Granted, you might not have been able to mingle perfectly, with how rowdy everything and everypony seems to be, but you also know you would not be just an awkward mare sitting on a corner idly sipping from a cheap drink.

However, these are not normal circumstances, and you have not come here at this hour to establish a good rapport with ponies who are almost half your age.

So, you make a beeline for the door that leads to the back. Not the one that would take you to the administrative part of the club, but the one that will lead you to an out-of-the-way corridor, and eventually to the room that is still "under construction", inside which you will find the cleverly hidden trapdoor that leads to the underground.

It's a bit of a long way, and due to the size of the Club's building you can actually describe the path as "winding". But it is discreet enough, so you won't criticize it.

Of course, the first door you have to cross, the one that is in the Red Bar proper, is locked. And you can see a mare standing next to it, holding a glass and trying her best to look as uninteresting as possible, while she secretly watches for anypony who might grow too curious about that door.

Naturally, she notices you a few seconds before you reach her. You are not exactly hard to miss, with how focused you seem on reaching your objective.

"Hey, excuse me? Are you looking for anyth-?" she starts walking towards you as soon as you are within her hearing range. But you don't even break your stride,-

CLICK

-tapping the door with a hoof and opening it right after. You think the mare jumps up in surprise, as the three padlocks jump out of their sockets and the two bolts slide into their open positions without even a flicker of your horn.

But you don't really care, closing the door behind you almost at the same time as the padlocks hit the floor.

You navigate the corridor, enter the correct room, push aside the large and unassuming furniture and finally descend to the place properly dedicated to the Cult.

Hard to believe that everything aboveground is just a front to hide this, you think, with how large the Club has been growing.

Still, you push aside those musings, and focus on what you came here for. Specifically, you focus on finding out where your Master is.

…

Only to find frustration.

"Where in the heavens…?" you ask out loud, after you finish checking everywhere except for the White Room.

Where in the heavens is she?!

You checked every last place, every last room, but you couldn't find hide nor hair of her. You looked for her in the place where you meet, the curious veil-cloaked passage that you know somehow leads somewhere close to the Woods. You looked for her in the ritual rooms, both the smaller ones and the larger one into which the Third Circle had been transcribed after the Master was summoned. You even found the room that Windy mentioned that had been prepared for her. But still, you find no trace of the mare herself.

And that suddenly reminds you of the tone you heard in Windy's voice, when you last spoke with him. Yes, your Master might be very powerful, and she certainly has a lot to teach. But where the hay is her? You trust her, even if you are not sure of how deeply, but still… what kind of leader simply ups and disappears without talking to her closest subordinates?!

And yes, you are aware that right now you might be a little stressed. And you understand that you have a personal problem rather than a more Cult-related problem. But what if a real, Cult-important emergency happened? You don't know where she is, Windy and Jade both certainly don't either, so what are you supposed to do if something big happens?

"Velvet? Is everything alright?" a familiar voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and you turn around to see Starry Dancer approaching you, the teal streak on her orange mane swaying in a rhythm you can almost hear.

You are not sure what exactly Starry sees in your expression as you look at her, but she still purses her lips slightly.

"I'm fine," you say, far too late for her to ever believe you, "was just looking for the Master. There's something I'd like to talk to her about, but apparently she doesn't mind it if nopony can find her."

You slam a hoof on the ground as you say those last words, and that gives Starry pause, even if only for a moment.

You know that you are slightly unhinged, you realize that you are not exactly well. You can tell that to anypony else you might seem stressed, or that you are overreacting over something that is not that big of a deal.

But you know better. You know you don't have time to waste. Because as soon as the sun rises again tomorrow, the light will be back. And you know that each day it will be slightly brighter.

And you are not an idiot. You can see that you are standing on a railway, and just because the train is far away it doesn't mean that you shouldn't start moving away from the coming danger right now.

A few moments pass as you two stare at each other, but soon enough you see Starry Dancer's expression turns from a doubtful frown to a determined smile, although you have no idea why.

"Velvet, I know how you feel," she says, with a tone that brooks no disagreement.

"You do?" you ask her, failing to hide most of your doubtful tone. You hope at least that you didn't sound sarcastic.

"Yes! I also miss daddy very much sometimes. But I'll tell you a secret! Something he taught me, but that we should only do when it's very important. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if I told you this, just make sure you only tell this to other ponies you also trust!"

You tilt you head at… several things the mare just said, confusion gleaming from your eyes with a light that you have to blink several times in order to suppress.

But before you can say anything else, Starry Dancer begins to tell you a secret she heard from your Master.



- - -



Starry assured you this isn't a ritual. She said that it is more like playing a game, of sorts. She mentioned it is similar to when foals come together to try and prove or debunk an urban legend or something.

Well, it certainly feels like a ritual in your opinion.

You did everything Starry told you to. You went back home, you covered your right hoof in a bundle of cloth tied to the middle of your foreleg, then you went straight to bed.

Sleep eluded you, of course, and you must have rolled on your bed for more than an hour, your heart racing as you wondered for the tenth time if you had closed the curtains properly, before the darkness finally came. And when unconsciousness reached you, you immediately embraced the offered choice of going to the Mansus. You knew you would be less safe from the light in there, with how closer you would be to GLORY, but you had to try Starry's suggestion nonetheless.

And here you are right now.

"Deep in the Woods," you say to yourself, repeating the instructions the pink pegasus gave you, "in a place far enough that you can't see the Crossroads, but not so deep that you can't see the light of from the top of the Mansus."

This… certainly feels like a ritual, no matter what Starry said.

Still, you follow through with it. Your right hoof in not covered by cloth in here, since that was something you did back in the Wake. But now that you think about it, you think what you are about to do will somehow reflect back in your waking body. Most likely, she told you to cover your foreleg just so you don't wake up to a mess.

Well, you are about to find out. You take a deep breath, and you bring up your right foreleg to your mouth, as close to the hoof as you can.



Then you bite down.



There is something especially hard about doing this, about biting yourself until you draw blood, that you can't really describe. It is a feeling that perhaps stems from a primal part of your brain, some deep part of your survival instinct that reels over the possibility that you are trying to harm yourself.

But this difficulty you are feeling is not only psychological, it is also very physical. Painfully physical, you must add.

You have already been cut. You have already accidentally tripped and had a small cut that drew blood. And because of that, you can say with absolute certainty that said experience was much less painful than what you are going through right now. It might be the adrenaline that you are feeling, or it might just be the sheer wrongness of the situation, but you can tell that your body is making this experience more painful than it really is just to try and dissuade you from doing it. Again, perhaps some final layer of defense, wired into your physiology from birth. Something that you really shouldn't force yourself to go against.

But right now, you don't have a choice. You need to draw your own blood, and there are no sharp objects to speak of here.

That is, none save your teeth.

So, you bite down. Until you get used to the pain and realize you can bite down harder. Until tears begin to form in the corner of your eyes against your will, and you realize you can bite down harder.

Rationally, you know ponies have a strong bite. You know that, physically speaking, you are perfectly capable of doing this. But still… it's so damn hard.

You keep biting, harder and harder, until you feel a coppery taste in your mouth.

And you let go almost as if you have just been shocked, breathing hard as you look at your foreleg to see a small bleeding wound there.

You blink the tears away, knowing you don't have much time. Because despite all the pain and effort you have just been through, you can see that this isn't much of a wound at all, and that it will soon scab and close. So, you edge your foreleg towards the tree in front of you.

And you gently… smear your blood over its roots.



The change in the atmosphere is instantaneous.



She is here.

Of course she is here. She has always been here. She never even left to begin with. And despite the great effort you did in the ritual, you did not "summon" her any more than you opened a hole through which she could pull at the strings of a puppet.

But now, it's different… now, she is here.

And chill runs down your spine, as you realize that…


That. Is not exactly. Something. Good.


And that is because...

The eyes that are looking at you, they are not the teaching eyes that have gazed upon you, several times in the past. They are not the doting eyes that recognize effort, or the sharp eyes that guide and order.

They are not the eyes your Master has gone through great pains to always use, when looking at you and your fellow cultists.

No.

These eyes that are looking at you right now, they are the festive eyes.

They are the unblinking eyes. The gleeful eyes.

You open your mouth to speak, realizing too late that there is a tinge of fear in your voice.

And she answers.



"Master...?"
"Little, little Velvet… have you come to reenact the Play?"



These are the eyes that are merry with hunger.

Eyes that are hunting.

Hunting for you.

You are running. You began to run before you could truly understand if the noise you heard was the sound of falling leaves, or if it was a stampede of claws from a creature with too many legs.

You are running, and you will run, and you ran, tripping over the reaching roots of trees and ducking under the sharp edge of scissors.

And the eyes run after you. With its claws and its wings and its glee and its whims and its pulsing lust to burrow under your skin.



- - -



This was a mistake.

As the roots press in around you like constricting snakes, as the black dirt slowly cover more and more of your body, that is the only thought that comes to your mind.

This was a mistake.

The Master caught you, because of course she would inevitably catch you.

You pleaded her to stop. You begged her to let you go. You tried every last thing you knew in order to wake up. None of that worked.

Your pleads were answered with roars of hunger, your cries were nothing but another track for he to follow. The beating of wings surrounded you as you tried to escape, coming from all directions at the same time, until at last she caught you.

And when she had you in her wood-like grip and under the drooling gaze of her many jaws, she placed a seed inside your mouth.

It felt like a seed, a rough oval-like shape with a pointy end. Perhaps it even tasted like a seed, as it pressed against your tongue for a split second.

But you wouldn't know. Because on the next moment, the seed sprouted.

And suddenly, your mouth was full of splinters.

It was agony. It was the fright of surprise followed by very real pain. It was the sudden burst of a thousand tiny needles growing inside your mouth, nailing your lips shut from the inside and penetrating the space between your teeth as they drilled into the flesh of your jaws and the bones of your skull. You tried to scream, in pain and in horror, but that only gave more space for the splinters to grow, and they spread into your throat and sealed it shut before you could utter a word of despair. You tried to cry, as your lungs ached and burned from your panicked efforts and lack of air, but the thing that was growing inside of you had sucked you dry of water before the tears could form in your eyes.

But the worst part came right after that. Despite the pain you were feeling, as your body was impaled from within by a thousand knifes. Despite the very real terror you were feeling that you were about to die. It all paled compared to what happened to you next. Compared to what you realized, moments later.

Because you realized that the sensation you felt on your tongue was not a seed. It was a lump.

And that meant you didn't have something growing inside of you, you did not have a horrifyingly alien plant growing in your entrails and feeding on your blood. It was much, much worse than that.



Because you realized that you were turning into it.



The horror you felt intensified tenfold once you understood that.

And you could feel it as it happened. Every step of the way.

You felt it, as your tongue turned into something hardened and barbed, painfully scraping and gashing against the insides of your throat and blocking off your breathing.

You felt it, as the change reached your heart, and a cold chill spread through your body as it stopped beating. Not because it had failed, but instead because you were being morphed into something that no longer required a heartbeat.

You felt it, as something stole your skin and gestated on your thigh, and the roots of the Woods burst joyously from the black dirt beneath your hoofs and from under your own skin to entomb you, dragging you to the underside and the inside of its shadows as you were stolen from yourself.

You felt it, as the stabbing change went deeper into your brain, all the way into your thoughts. Until it found that hunting light, nestled on the depths of your mind, and drunk deeply from it, just like it drank from your tears and your blood and the marrow of your bones.

It drank from you, it drank you, until there was no longer anything to drink, and your body was just a dry and black bark of wood, irreversibly transfigured into a trunk and indistinguishable from every other tree in the Woods. The twisted form of your thrashing legs turned into gnarled branches, the ragged shape of your mane turned into dry leaves.

You wonder if this is the origin of all the trees in the Woods. You wonder if this dark place is no more than a graveyard of transformed bodies, left behind by the spirits of the dead who were making their final trek towards the Blank Plains.

...



"Wake up, little Velvet."



...

It takes you a few moments to realize that you are lying on the ground, your face covered by a thin layer of black soil.

You get up in a starting fit, choking as you accidentally breathe in some of the dirt, and trembling on your hoofs to the point where you almost can't stand straight. Your thoughts race for a few moments, as you look around and try not to… remember what just happens.

But everywhere you look, you see nothing but the black bark of trees, and the expansive shadows of the Woods. You don't feel any danger, you don't feel any presences, and you slowly realize that there is no reason for you to be so tense.

Although that last part really does happen very slowly. With each deep, nervous breath lasting only a bit less than the last, your agitation draining from you only one drop at a time.

And only when your breathing is as calm as you will manage to get it anytime soon, do you realize there is a presence behind you.

You don't turn to look. You know there will be nothing there if you turn to look.



"She often mentions you, when she talks. But I am surprised she decided to teach you that, even if she probably forgot how it… feels."



You hear that voice. Your Master's voice. And you think she is talking through an amused smile.

But you stay silent. You have nothing to say, and you are not sure you would have been able to say anything even if you did.



"Or maybe she did? Perhaps she thought you would enjoy it like her? After all, horror and thrill are close sisters, and… well, it does not matter."



You turn around, and as expected you see nothing. Still, you start walking, away from the Woods and from these memories you hope you will soon forget. And the voice follows you, with its matronizing tone and bemused expressions.

You know your Master is not truly here. Not consciously, at least. But much like she could not help but answer your "call" when your blood hit the roots of that tree, she also cannot help but share her thoughts with you, in her mentor-like tone, as you make your way towards the Crossroads.



"Some things cannot be helped. Some things cannot be avoided. And one of them is that thing you just did. The first time the Woods tasted blood, it was on the eve of the merriest of Hunts. And much like the echo of a daydream, it cannot help but remember it every time blood is offered unto it."



She speaks, and you listen. But still, you hope you will forget this. All of this.

The terrors of the hunt, the horrors of changing and becoming, the sensation of splinters filling your insides and blocking your mouth and your throat and your lungs.

You remember why you were searching for your Master in the first place, but that seems like a distant concern now. A petty concern, which was drunk away from inside of you like so much else was.

Although you think there is something else in its place, now. A lesson that you Master left in your mind like a parting gift, so the empty space left by the light would not serve as a nest for anything else.

You wonder if this lesson of hers was worth it.

You wonder if you should not have trusted her, and left her alone if she did not wish to be found.





You are now free of Fascination.

As a dubious sign of favor, you think your Master also took this as a learning experience for you. Regardless of what you think, she has left a tidbit of knowledge inside your head. An echo of experience you will remember, when you wake up to a bleeding foreleg, even as you forget everything else. You have gained one scrap of MOTH Lore.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Language of Light
-[X] (Work) A measured commitment. +6 Actions
-[X] (Fascination) You will police yourself. -2 Actions
-[X] (Purchases) Buy Grail 3, Edge 1
-[X] (Winter 3 Boon) Use a changeling corpse to summon a Flourishing Risen
-[X] (Forge 3 Boon) Craft a Lantern 3 Reagent for the Baldomare Summoning
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Lantern towards deciphering the Lantern 6 text
-[X] (Uncle Steppes) Ask if he has any advice about getting along with Velvet Hill
-[X] (Selene) Learn Knock 2
--[X] Unless we get Edge 3; then learn Edge 2.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Shadow the Twilight imposter
-[X] (Cult Minions) Petition the cult for a book/ritual budget.
-[X] (Servants) Search for possible expedition locations near Ponyville.
-[X] (Rarity) Learn what she can about the Detective
-[X] (Jade) Perform Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] If Baldomare is unavailable: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
--[X] Else: Details on "Beneath the Royal Castle" expedition site
-[X] (Baldomare, if available) Reflection of the Tapestry: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
-[X] Ask the Master for a Boon: rid us of this Fascination
-[X] Try Summoning Baldomare
-[X] (Priority 1; repeat until completed) Work on Deciphering the Lantern 6
-[X] (Priority 2) Read Books: Lantern 6, Heart 2, Heart 3
-[X] (Priority 3; repeat until completed): Retry summoning Baldomare if necessary
-[X] (Priority 4): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] A Place of Sharpness x2
-[X] (Priority 5): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[X] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.

- - -

You have bought two books. 37 bits have been deduced from your personal coffers.

You have asked for one of the bodies that was at the Cult's disposal, and used it to summon a Flourishing Risen. It will shadow the Twilight Imposter, and report its results later.

- - -



You wake up feeling… normal.

And that sensation by itself is more refreshing than you ever thought it would be.

You don't feel unhinged. You don't feel nervous. You don't feel as if you will simply lose yourself in your thoughts, staring blankly at nothing, if you don't keep yourself constantly in check.

And most importantly, you know that you can get out of bed and open the curtains wide open without feeling afraid.

That is what strikes you the most, the fact that fear and paranoia were affecting you as much as that light was. After all, you knew that there was something very wrong with you, but the ever-present terror that you might slip into it if you weren't constantly vigilant was just as draining to your mind.

Although you are… not exactly sure of what happened. You still remember it clearly, the memories you had about a curious afternoon in Canterlot, when you talked to somepony who might have been you and was followed back by something. You remember all of that. But you are not exactly sure of what happened last night for you to feel so refreshed.

A tingling sensation on the back of your mind tells you that it might have something to do with the Woods. You almost feel that familiar numbness in the mind, the after-effect you always have when you get lost and forget about something, but there is something more about it that you can't quite exactly place a hoof on.

As if you could hear the buzzing inside your skull, but it also had a thumping rhythm to it.

A mystery for later, you suppose. Besides, you have already accepted, as strange as it might sound, that part of the things you will learn from your Master also involves forgetting. So, you know it is better if you simply don't dwell too much on it, and trust that whatever you did was for the best when you decided to do it.

Also, you're not about to look a gifted dog in the mouth. So, as long as you aren't doing anything dangerous you suppose everything will be alright.

With that, you get up from bed. A flick of your horn opening the curtains an-

"Ouch! What in the Tartarus?" you exclaim, feeling a slight jolt of pain as soon as your hoofs hit the ground. Your eyes immediately go to your hoofs, and moments later you realize your right foreleg is covered in a bloody piece of cloth.

A half-remembered chill runs down your spine, followed by the unbidden thought that the Woods are not exactly a safe place to begin with. You carefully pull back the piece of cloth, seeing the strange markings of… something, near the end of your foreleg.

Definitely not a cutting mark, you think, although you can't really identify what it is. It looks like something bit you, perhaps?

But whatever it was that bit you, it definitely was not a pony.

Which makes you think that… whatever you did last night, it was a bit more on the dangerous side than you are comfortable thinking about.

You suppress a shudder. You should go clean this dry blood. And you hope that this mark, whatever it is, won't scar, or at least that your fur will cover it up if it does.





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are inside one of the annex buildings of your estate, a small mixture of a toolshed and a workshop that you rarely remember even exists. This place is mostly used by the servants, both to storage and to employ whatever tools they need to perform the myriad odd jobs required for the maintenance of such a large mansion.

There is a little bit of everything here: gardening tools, carpentry utensils, a rather respectable storage of cleaning aid and other tame chemicals, as well as several other things beside. But right now, you are not interested in any of that.

Instead, you are standing in front of a long workbench, looking at the large amount of ingredients that you have bought over the last few days. But contrary to what you first expected, none of them are immediately suspicious or strange, and none of them are expensive either.

When you first started planning on what to do, you thought you would have to buy a few of the more magically charged reagents, or perhaps even something that you would have to import from Canterlot or another larger city.

But to your own surprise, when you finished penning your idea down, you realized that everything you would have to procure was, in fact, fairly cheap.

The worrying part is that you had to buy a lot of it.

And you mean a lot.

That is why you spread your shopping over the last few days. Because the alternative would be to ask one of your larger employees to accompany you to Ponyville with a small cart, and the two crate's worth of odd ingredients you bought would certainly raise a few eyebrows. Maybe not in Ponyville, seeing how this is still a rural town, but that would still be a bit of gossip fuel among your own servants as soon as word inevitably spread.

And you will avoid cultivating an eccentric image as much as possible, especially given everything that happened not long ago.

Regardless, despite the time it took you, you are now ready to begin.

You open wide the windows of the workshop, letting the morning sun shine on the workbench, and you float out the first batch of ingredients that you will be using, putting them on the wooden bowl where the resulting slush will be stored for later use.

Then you shut your eyes hard, and put on the protective goggles you found nearby as an extra measure.

Taking a deep breath, you pull out the magnifying glass, and begin the first step.



You have produced a LANTERN Level 3 reagent. 45 bits have been deduced from your personal coffers.



- - -



You made it so that it would be shaped like a candle. And much to your surprise, it became transparent once you were done.

Crude work, you know, but you are not exactly good with your hoofs. And using your horn was not an option. The resulting substance somehow gives off more light than it absorbs, lighting up like a bonfire and illuminating everything around it if you place but a single lit match next to it. However, you soon realized that it also slowly dissipates into white smoke as it shines.

So, you covered it in several layers of cloth, and made your way to the Cult as soon as you were ready.

Yes, you are in a hurry. You spoke to Jade beforehand, during the days it took you to gather the ingredients, and you hope she and her cadre will be ready when you arrive. But you are seriously considering getting on with it even if they aren't. You really, really want to get this done as soon as possible.



And that is because, during these last few weeks… you realized that you need more help.



Everything happened too quickly. Your Master's arrival, the things you discovered about the Mansus, the appearance of the changelings, your travel to Canterlot with Twilight, everything. To the point where you really did not have any time to think about it.

But as the days went by, and you slowly came to terms with everything that happened, you realized it.

The more you thought about it, the more it dawned on you just how quickly everything seems to be escalating. And quite possibly, what happened to Twilight was the straw that broke the earth pony's back.

It dawned on you that you might not be enough. That your "side", if you can call it that, might not have what it takes as things currently stand.

Of course, you know you have plenty of ponies you can count on already. There is the Master, and there is the Cult, and there is Jade Whistle, and there is Rarity. But that still doesn't change the fact that… that you are no longer working towards a distant and elusive goal, you are no longer doing groundwork for a long-term project, or just looking for a solution on how to combat the Worms.

No, things have changed.

You have enemies now, and everypony you just mentioned is now in danger. Everypony you just mentioned, and several others you have not (your own family included), is now at risk of… of having the same thing that happened to Twilight Sparkle happen to them.

So, you need more hoofs on the case. You need more information, and you need more power, and you need all of that yesterday if you are going to help Twilight as soon as possible.

And thank the heavens, you know where you can find all of that. Thank the heavens, there is at least something you can do that might make things better.

You know a pony who you could tell at a glance had all of those things you need. You know a pony, or a creature, or whatever else she might be, that you somehow could feel was on an entirely different level. Even though you were in a state where it should have been impossible to feel anything.

You know Baldomare. And although you have not seen her since that one time, and despite the fact that you have no idea how she would even feel about what you are planning to do, you know that you can't put off trying to call her any longer.

With those thoughts, you march into the Wildhoof Club, your saddle bag tightly secured against your side and your expression serious as you make your way towards the back doors.



- - -



The summoning room is quite large.

Of course, it is only as large as it needs to be, and although the room is shaped like a square, its floor is entirely dominated by the Three Aspect Ritual Circle. The only parts of the floor that are free of carving are the ones closest to the four corners, by sheer virtue of the Ritual Circle being a circle.

You also realize that this being an underground room must also have added several complications to its construction. The markings on the floor cannot be obstructed by support beams, so you wonder how hard it was to reinforce the ceiling of such a wide room, in order to prevent cave-ins or some other disaster.

Still, the construction of this room was necessary, and even insisted on by Windy Flakes, given how impractical it would be to conduct further summonings on the Woods-close place where you meet with the Master.

But what is more, even though there is not much free room in here, since only the ponies involved in the ritual itself may step into the circle, there are still a lot of onlookers present. Even Windy is here, you realize as you spot him on one of the corners of the room, surrounded by other Cult members.

Well, you don't really mind a crowd. And more importantly, neither you nor Jade can see any changelings, and everypony seems to be vouching for each other. So let them watch if they want, you think to yourself. It might even be a learning experience for them.

You have more important things to take care of.



[Summoning Ritual]



You asked Jade Whistle to procure several mirrors for the ritual, while you were working on the fine details of the outermost circle. And when she returned with her cadre, each of them carrying a hoof-mirror with them, you told them to go find more.

Yes, you will be needing a lot of light, and for that you will be using a lot of mirrors. In fact, ideally you would have wanted true sunlight, with a long trail of mirrors reflecting the midday sun all the way down to this underground room. But that would have been impractical, so you need even more mirrors to make up for it.

However, you don't just need more light, you also need more reflections.

And that is because you will be pulling off a little trick with them.



[Secret Histories Roll: 17 + 13 (Magic) + 40 (SECRET HISTORIES Level 4) + 16 (Cadre) = 86]

[Success]



The room is almost completely dark, and this being an underground room means that there is no natural light to speak of. You have allowed a few candles to be lit, for the convenience of the Cadre and the small crowd of onlookers, but on the strict condition that they are not allowed within the Ritual Circle itself.

As such, there are currently only four sources of light within the summoning room. One on each of the four corners. Four lit candles being held by one of the several ponies who are looking at you with curious eyes.

There are several other candles around you, of course. A full row of candles on the inner edge of the outermost Circle, surrounding you, and another row on the outer edge of the outermost Circle, surrounding the mirror-bearing forms of Jade and her Cadre. But they are all unlit.

For now, at least.

You tap a hoof on the ground, and in a fluid movement Jade and her Cadre turn their mirrors towards you. You turn your gaze towards the ground for a few moments, as you focus, honing your senses as you look for… as you look for it.

And a few seconds later, you find it.

You turn towards one of the mirror-bearers in particular, a stallion whose name you don't really know. But you don't focus on him, not exactly. Instead, your eyes immediately narrow on the mirror he is holding.

You focus on your own reflection. At that vague silhouette that, just like you, is surrounded by unlit candles and equally indiscernible ponies, in a poorly illuminated room.

And you realize there is something very wrong about that reflection.

You nod at him, at the mirror-bearing stallion, and he obeys without question.

He gives the mirror a full swing, turning its reflective surface towards himself until you can no longer see it, then turning it back to you.

A soft gasp comes from the watching crowd, and you allow yourself a smile when the mirror is once again facing.



Because this time, the summoning room that is being reflected back at you is bright and well-lit. The Velvet Covers that is looking at you, with the same smile you have on your face, being surrounded by rows upon rows of burning candles.



The mirror-bearing stallion flinches for a few moments, as he realizes the mirror he is holds is now somehow giving off light. But a glare from you keeps him in place.

And then you turn towards the rest of the cadre, looking for the next mirror whose reflection feels just slightly off.

By the time you are done with the third mirror, the onlookers have already doused the four candles, their pitiful light no longer being necessary to see anything. When you finish with the last mirror, there is no longer a single shadow left within the Ritual Circle.

Even though there is not a single lit candle inside the summoning room.



[Knock Roll: 29 + 13 (Magic) + 30 (KNOCK Level 3) + 18 (Cadre) = 90]

[Success]



Next comes the universal part. That being the invitation itself. The innermost circle has been altered to attract the attention of the Histories, and the outer circle has been modified by you personally so as to reflect the nature of the one you wish to summon. But the middle circle remains the same.

The middle way, the bridge, the path. They are always providence of Knock.

So, you can do nothing but speak the words. You speak the words, and you pray that you do not mispronounce anything. You speak them, and you pray that the Cadre keeps up with your rising tempo. You speak them, and you try to ignore the fact that your tongue feels slightly different in your mouth as you utter the words, feeling less like the tongue of a pony and more like that of a snake.

But in the end, things go as well as they possibly can, and you feel the slight pressure in the air that indicates that the skin of the world is thin now, and may be wounded if this continues any further.



[Lantern Roll: 49 + 13 (Magic) + 30 (LANTERN Level 3) + 16 (Cadre) + 30 (Sacrifice) = 138]

[Success]

[You have consumed a LANTERN Level 3 reagent]



And then…

"Close your eyes," you say with a commanding tone.

Nopony dares disobey.

You then turn your attention to the center of the circle, where you had placed your cloth-covered sacrifice beforehand.

The summoning circle is now perfectly illuminated, even though none of the candles that surround you are lit. But that is because every last one of the mirrors is now contributing their light to the room, as if they were each open doors that lead to a brighter version of this place.

So, you have no idea how intense this will be.

All that you know is that you need light. More than that, you need the correct form of light. And the substance you produced will act both as a filter, to transform the light of the mirrors into something usable, as well as a magnifier of its intensity.

Still, you have no idea just how intense this will be. When you were done shaping the candle you made a small test, by placing a lit match close to the substance, and that was enough to make it shine like a bonfire.

But here? In this room that is brightly lit with the light of nearby Histories? In this place where the skin of the world is thin? You have no idea what will happen once you remover the covers you placed around it.

You take a deep breath and close your eyes. Reaching for the cloth with your hoofs and hoping that, however it is that you can see through your closed eyelids, it will be enough to protect you from whatever happens next.

You pull the cloth from around the transparent candle.



And then there is light.



[All three rolls successful]

[Ritual successful]



- - -



You… don't know how you feel about this.



The one thing that you hoped would happen, that being Baldomare accepting your invitation, did not happen.



The Lantern-candle did not shine so much as it exploded, as soon as you exposed it to the well-lit room. And for a singular, blinding moment there was so much light that everything went white. More than that, there was so much light that everything went to a color beyond white. You didn't just see the light, you also heard it. You even felt its taste.

And when you came back to your senses the whole room was covered in that white smoke, the sacrifice you made having consumed itself and disappeared in an instant.

However, you saw no signs of Baldomare.

You helped Jade get up, and you helped the other Cult members get back on their hoofs. After that, you helped collect the shards of the two mirrors that fell on the floor, their holders probably losing their grips due to sheer surprise, while the confused and dazed onlookers filed out of the summoning room.

Still, for all that the ritual seemed to have failed… somehow, you still know that something happened.

You realized it as soon as you helped Jade get back on her hoofs, after the Lantern-candle knocked everypony to the ground.

You saw it in her eyes, that subtle… something shining off from them in a way you don't really understand.

And you think Jade noticed it as well, with how she held your hoof for a few moments longer than necessary after you pulled her up.

The ritual failed, and yet…



Something happened.



You leave the Club shortly after, and you can see it all around as you walk back home. Even though you are not sure how to describe it.

It's not that the sun seems to be a bit brighter, as you make your way through the streets. But the light somehow feels different.

It's not that the windows of the houses seem clearer, as you walk by them. But you feel as if they are somehow refracting light in an odd way.

You don't know the words for it. You don't even know if there are words to describe it. But it is as if everything around you, as if Ponyville itself, was now somehow surrounded by a…

By a presence.

And that presence interacts with the light… that presence changes the way that light acts, in a way that is so subtle that you are almost not sure if it is really happening.

What is more, whatever this change might be doing, it seems to be consistent. Natural, almost. Not as if something was forcing the world around you to act differently, but instead as if this presence had changed the rules somehow.

It almost feels like the effect you have felt about your Master, sometimes. And you wonder for a few moments if your Master's presence also does something like this, and maybe you did not notice it because she encroached upon Ponyville over the spam of several years. Regardless, you are sure of two things.

One, that something happened.

And two… that as much as it might leave a rather sour taste in your mouth, it seems that Baldomare was not interested in accepting your invitation.

"Maybe I should visit her?" you think out loud, as you cross the gardens of your estate, "maybe there is some sort of etiquette about this that I don't know of?"

You say that, although you still have no idea how to communicate with her if you were to give her a visit. At best, you would have to hope that somehow she brings up the subject, while you stare at her mutely.

Well, at least you are back home now, so you will be able to think what to do next more calmly. Maybe you should call Jade over tomorrow, and-



"Oh, the world is flat; but it is flat I say!"



Your thoughts come to a grinding halt as you open the doors to your estate, as you immediately hear a voice that is terribly familiar.

"Flat as a board! No matter what you try to say about experiments and globes. We use maps for a reason, after all!"

That voice is rather high-pitched, and sounds slightly old even though you can sense a lot of vigor behind it. It almost reminds you of a voice you might have made, if you were reading a bedtime story to your daughters and had to read the lines of a character that was a witch.

"Now, as I was saying," the voice continues, "Onyx Hilt was no fool. Well, he was a fool actually, but he wasn't enough of a fool to think he was not in danger. So he flew against the tornado, knowing that he would never reach his enemies before the winds swept him away!"

Your pace quickens, and you immediately realize that the voice is coming from the dining hall, and it seems to be telling a story to somepony.

To several ponies, in fact.


"Auntie Baldy, tell us what happens next!"
"Yes, then what?"
"Tell us, tell us!"


You only have half a second to realize you just heard Silky Stream, as well as various other servants, say something, before you have a hoof on the door.

"Calm down, calm down. Story's not over yet, and we won't reach the end of it if you keep interrupting me!"

You enter the dining hall.



"In fact…"



And you are shocked by what you see.

Because…

Well. For starters, because there is food on the table, a feast-like and half-eaten breakfast of sorts, which was clearly put together with the idea of "a little of everything" in mind.

But you don't really mind that. Or rather, that is not exactly what shocked you.

Then there is the… the veritable crowd of ponies inside the dining hall. You can't say for sure, not at a glance at least. But if you had to guess, you would say every last servant of the estate is here, all of them sitting on chairs or on the floor as they raptly listen to a story.

Right. That is indeed weird. But not the most shocking thing.

And then there is the fact that Baldomare is sitting by the table, with Silky Stream, Soft Sweeps and Selene sitting next to her, their expressions wide with excitement or shy attention as they hang on to every word the mare says, like the trio of fillies they are.

THAT is what shocks you.

"Why, hello there Velvet dear! It's been so long!"

And as Baldomare direct those words at you, everypony immediately realizes you are there.

The mare is exactly as you remember her. Apparently as old as you, her mane tied behind her back in a bun, and wearing glasses. You definitely don't remember her being a pegasus, but that is not exactly something you put too much thought into.

Her cutie mark, as well, immediately becomes apparent to you, even though it is hidden underneath the table. It is a lantern, you know. Or rather, The Lantern. The very first to tame light into a dome of glass, the concept of which every other lantern that came after sought to imitate, for the remainder of both history and the Histories.

And several other things happen at the same time, while you are staring dumbfounded at Baldomare, as soon as everypony sees you.

First and more obviously, Silky immediately makes a zipping beeline towards you, hitting hard against your chest with the strength of a tiny cannonball and surrounding your neck with a hug as she welcomes you back home.

Ponpon begins to look extremely flustered, tapping her hoof against the ground in a commanding way. That causes the other servants to snap out of their own caught-red-hoofed shock, and the dining halls turns into a localized maelstrom as the servants immediately make a run for the nearest doors.

Soft Sweeps puts down the ice cream she was eating, her face turning red, and does her very best to act like somepony her age.

But Baldomare, on the other hoof, merely gets up and starts walking towards you.

"I am so sorry we missed each other. There was an earlier train on its way here, so I figured I'd take it! Besides, that train station where you were waiting for me was all sorts of gloomy. Not the sort of place I enjoy being, you see."

You merely nod at her, still feeling a bit dazed as she walks up to you and gives you a hearty hug, somehow making it work despite the fact Silky is still practically glued to you.

"Now, why don't you settle in? We'll have plenty of time to catch up. But not before I'm done with what's on the table. It has been too long since I had a good meal!"

And then she lets go of you, as if the two of you were old friend who had just finished greeting each other, making her way back to the table and sitting next to Selene, who shily looks up at her while she waits for the mare to continue the story.

"As I was saying dear…" the mare picks up from where she left.

And you… you take a few more seconds before you can move once again.





You have summoned Baldomare!

Baldomare, the Name of Lantern and master of Secret Histories, has claimed a room at the topmost floor of your estate, "To better look at the rising sun" as she said. The two of you had a very long conversation after that, and once you two were alone she explained in an almost professional manner about the relationship between a summoned creature and its summoner. But more importantly, she explained that it is also better to keep a civil relationship with your summons, if they are sapient and intelligent like herself, seeing how they may actually refuse an invitation if you anger them. Although you needn't worry too much about that when it comes to more savage and wild creatures.

You now have a greater insight of Baldomare! Her information sheet has been updated to reflect that.

Due to the fact that Baldomare's summon has added new information you could not predict, a VOTING will be opened for her action, in case you would like to change what she is supposed to do this turn.



Possible actions for Baldomare:

-[] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN, and Baldomare will accompany you while you perform them, giving narrative advantages or mechanical buffs as needed)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool. Baldomare will perform it to the best of her abilities, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] Ask for a Lesson. (Grants you one scrap of Lore of either Lantern or Secret Histories. Write in which.]
-[] Channel an Influence. (During this turn, instead of the usual two months, she will gift you the highest order of Influence for either Lantern or Secret Histories. Write in which.]
-[] "Go have fun". (Give an amount of bits to Baldomare, and she will return with something interesting. She won't bother to do it unless you give her at least 100 bits. You may suggest her what you want, but she will most likely not listen to you.)
-[] Prolong her stay. (Write in an unread book you would like to give her, level 5 or higher, and she will reset her summoning period counting from the end of this turn) (FREE ACTION)
-[] Other (WRITE IN, in case you have a viable idea that I have not thought about. Certain ideas might even enter this list if they make sense)



This may or may not end up being a small alteration to the turn plan, but this is being offered only due to the fact that the information you had on Baldomare was incomplete beforehand. You may not suggest any other alterations to the current turn plan.

Kindly observe a four hours moratorium. Voting will be closed forty-four hours after the moratorium ends.

Spoiler: Baldomare

"Pleasant to talk to, and with a face that is surprisingly young for the voice she speaks with. There is a light in her eyes, although the ignorant will simply think that to be a piercing and observant gaze, and she doesn't seem to have a shadow. It is also curious how nopony can ever remember if she is a pegasus, unicorn or an earth pony. You think she can choose."

Baldomare

Summoning requirements: LANTERN 100, KNOCK 80, SECRET HISTORIES 60.

Summoning cost: 100 bits.

Summoning details:
-Baldomare is willing to extend (reset) her summoning period if you gift her an UNREAD book of Level 5 or higher. "Of course it has to be unread, dear. What use do I have to a book that has already been read?"
-Baldomare is capable of CHANNELING the highest intensity of Influence in her Lores, and gifting it to you for a full month.
-Baldomare is considered to be a Minion, and does not mind being sacrificed for Rituals.

Health: 2/2
General bonus: +30
"Search actions" bonus: +50
Aspects: LANTERN 6, SECRET HISTORIES 6
[NAME]: There is, or was, a hierarchy within the Mansus. She has reached high within its ranks.
[RITUALIST]: Unlike most Names, she is willing to perform any Ritual, even if they do not involve one of her preferred Lores.
[ONE WHO IS VERY GREAT]: Baldomare is willing to offer you Sacrament in the Lores of Lantern and Secret Histories, should you fulfill her requirements.
[WEIGHT OF PRESENCE]: Baldomare grants a full level up to the Wildhoof Club for her preferred Lores.

[NONCOMBATANT]: Baldomare refuses to engage in any sort of fighting, and has adjusted her health to reflect that. "I barely ever wear a body! So why would I want to feel pain on the rare occasions I do?"
[UNIQUE]: Baldomare is a unique creature. She may refuse summons at will, and will not return to the Wake for three full months should she be unsummoned for any reason (including if she is killed).

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Apparently, Baldomare has claimed one of the rooms of your estate for herself. "This feels like the sort of place that can fill up with guests very quickly, so I'd better get one of the better rooms before anypony else!"

She also doesn't seem to have any problems asking your servants for whatever she needs. By no means she is a bossy guest, but she is not shy about it either. If you had to describe the current situation in few words, then you would say that she has already made herself at home.

Well, you do hope she stays for a while, so you'll take that as a good sign.

Her "official story" is that she is a friend of yours from college, who will be spending some time at your estate as a guest while she works on a book she is writing. And it seems that nopony doubts her in the slightest.

Although the fact that she produced from her saddle bag a picture of your wedding, in which she was standing next to you and your family, helped her case a lot.

"Trick? What trick? There is no trick, Velvet. You can clearly see in the picture that I was there, no?"

You later checked the other photos you have, the ones from your own personal collection, and sure enough she was there... somehow.

You decided not to dwell too much on it.

There are still a lot of more important questions to be asked, before the day is done.


-General information, on summons and Mansus-creatures.

"Basically, the Knock-part of the Ritual Circle also has a few binding features to it. That's one of the reasons why we don't fiddle with that part of the Circle, apart from the fact that you will always need Knock to do any summons to begin with. But anyways, it basically establishes a relationship of service between summoner and summon. A summoned creature may resist and thrash against the bindings during the ritual, but if you 'win' then it will be bound to obey you until its time runs out. Oh, but just so you know, beings like myself are different. I'm a bit too much to be called with a simple summoning, so what I do is send a part of me here to the Wake. A reflection of myself, so to speak. So, you can order me around here in the Wake, but you don't exactly have a binding over my real-self."


-On your Master and whatnot.

"Of course I know it. Who doesn't know it and... Wait... Ohhhh, that makes sense. Well, it would be very rude of me to end this charade that it's doing, so I'll keep my silence."


-On the Mansus and whatnot.

"There is nothing I can really tell you that will be of any help. You either go there by yourself and eventually find out, or you don't, in which case telling anything beforehoof would not matter."


-But why an "unread" book?

"What would I ever do with a book that is already read?"


-What about Selene?

"You have half an Outsider posing as a filly in your house, and you're asking me the questions? For goodness sake Velvet, next thing I know you're gonna pretend to not even know what an Outsider is!"


-Erm... what is an Outsider?

"..."


-Show her Selene's Blankets.

Baldomare's expression changes as soon as you show her the blankets, and she takes them on her hoofs with a very serious expression for a few moments.
Until she sighs, and gives them back to you.
"Not my place... not my time. Well, I got a better deal than most. Put that away Velvet, it'd be a crime if we spilled our drinks on it."


-Also, what did you mean by catching an earlier train... how did you do that?

"Don't worry about it, Velvet."


-What about Brands? What's their deal? How do they work?

"A Brand is just that: a marking. It used to be more useful, when there were more Branded and you had to know if you were dealing with somepony whose interests might align, or conflict with your own. And of course it's also an instrument, but only in the same way that the knowledge inside your brain is an instrument or a tool at your disposal."


-I have a rather old book here that...

"Oh wow, that is old. It takes me back, even! Always hated reading this kind of glyph though, but..." her horn lights up as she flips a few pages, "well I don't see anything immediately wrong in here. Enjoy your reading!"


-On the Worms...

"Ah, yes. The Worms. Worrying about them is a tale as old as time, Velvet, trust me. I'll have to look around the Wake for a little bit, but I can tell at a glance that things are... different, than they were back then. I won't say that they were simpler, quite on the contrary, but at least it was a system that I was used to. But now? Well, the fact that the Wake still exists shows us that something must have put a ward in place, or taken some action about it. But I admit I know as little about it as you do, right now. Still... if what you told me about Selene is true, then... well, a Worm nearly making its way in is the very definition of an apocalyptic close call. It is good, then, that there is finally somepony doing something about it. They don't really care about the passage of time, you see, so if we are in a situation that it's only a matter of 'when' they will make it in here, then we have already lost. Well, not lost lost, but we really should work something out to make sure that 'when' turns into a 'never'!"


-And what of... what of the Lores...?

"Now, Lore affinity is something that we can spend the whole night talking about, and still only scrape the surface of the subject. I won't say you are marked for greatness, but I won't say that what you do is normal or unnatural either. The Lores don't care, Velvet, they just are. And if you can grasp them more easily than other ponies then you should worry about what you will do with that, instead of the hows or the whys. And in the end of the day, you are still mortal. It doesn't matter how many secrets you know if you just keep them in your head. Cheating death takes a lot of effort, you know?!"


-Why don't you pursue Glory?

She looks deep into your eyes for several seconds, until she lets out a sigh. A sigh that you don't know if it is because of tiredness, disappointment, or simple impatience.
"Why don't you pursue Glory? Only a hooffull of ponies even know the Mansus exists. For some reason you are not murdering each other. And still you...! Well, I suppose I'll see how things work out."


-A Sacrament for Jade?

"Of course, but that will be something between me and her. Though I do look forward to meeting another Lantern adept!"


-Asking anything else about the world as it is. Harmony, changelings and whatnot.

"I have no idea! It has literally been ages since I stepped hoof on the wake, so you tell me!"


-Asking anything else about the world as it was, or how it compares to nowadays Equestria.

"It doesn't really matter, Velvet. Things were different back then. Too different. To the point where there really is not much to be compared to begin with. It's better that you try to understand your own world than to dwell on how things were like so long ago."


-Personal questions, about her life and motives and experiences as a mortal occultist, have been either deflected or ignored. And you stopped asking once you realized you might end up being indelicate with her.

11) IF we were to reach lvl 5 in something, would Our manuscripts count for the lvl 5 book she want to extend her stay?

Click to shrink...

The meta of this question is offensive, and I'll pretend you never asked it
Of course it doesn't.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Language of Light
-[X] (Work) A measured commitment. +6 Actions
-[X] (Fascination) You will police yourself. -2 Actions
-[X] (Purchases) Buy Grail 3, Edge 1
-[X] (Winter 3 Boon) Use a changeling corpse to summon a Flourishing Risen
-[X] (Forge 3 Boon) Craft a Lantern 3 Reagent for the Baldomare Summoning
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Lantern towards deciphering the Lantern 6 text
-[X] (Uncle Steppes) Ask if he has any advice about getting along with Velvet Hill
-[X] (Selene) Learn Knock 2
--[X] Unless we get Edge 3; then learn Edge 2.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Shadow the Twilight imposter
-[X] (Cult Minions) Petition the cult for a book/ritual budget.
-[X] (Servants) Search for possible expedition locations near Ponyville.
-[X] (Rarity) Learn what she can about the Detective
-[X] (Jade) Perform Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] If Baldomare is unavailable: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
--[X] Else: Details on "Beneath the Royal Castle" expedition site
-[X] (Baldomare, if available) Reflection of the Tapestry: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
-[X] Ask the Master for a Boon: rid us of this Fascination
-[X] Try Summoning Baldomare
-[X] (Priority 1; repeat until completed) Work on Deciphering the Lantern 6
-[X] (Priority 2) Read Books: Lantern 6, Heart 2, Heart 3
-[X] (Priority 3; repeat until completed): Retry summoning Baldomare if necessary
-[X] (Priority 4): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] A Place of Sharpness x2
-[X] (Priority 5): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[X] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.

- - -

Jade Whistle and Baldomare have set out to perform rituals at your behest. 70 bits have been deduced from your personal coffers.

- - -

"Ponpon, could you please let everypony know I'll be busy for a while? You can put all the incoming reports in my 'incoming' box at the office, but I'll be taking some time off to work on something else."

"No problem, ma'am. Will you be working on this project of yours at your balcony or in the study room?"

"The study. It's that book I got from uncle Steppes. Baldomare said a few interesting things about it, so I want to try my hoof at studying it."

"Understood. I'll keep the tea kettle filled then."

"Thank you Ponpon."



Right then.



You feel confident about this. You just summoned Baldomare, you just summoned a creature from the Mansus, and that by itself feels like a milestone of sorts. It also feels like a blessing of sorts, that the first pony you brought over is one as personable and understandable as Baldomare. And no, your summoning your Master doesn't count, and neither do your Risen.

Although… you do have to remind yourself that… she is not exactly a "pony", as much as you might think of her as one.

She is probably hiding it, or perhaps she is not bothering to let it show to begin with. But the effect her arrival had on… on everything, and the few "tricks" and "cantrips" she already pulled so far… Well, you ought to remember that maybe she is as be as great and alien as your Master, even if her alien-ness is of another nature.

Still, she is here now. She is here, she is a very pleasant mare, and despite the fact that she talks about everything as if she was just visiting you for a holiday, she still made it very clear that she will help you. Besides, you honestly hope that she will take a more personal stake of things, eventually. Due to the Worms, if nothing else.

But anyways, back to the matter at hoof. You came to the conclusion that you needed more help, and from the long conversation you had with her yesterday you can tell that you just got a vastly competent extra pair of hoofs on your side now.

So now, you really should start working on yourself as well. You realize that you still know too little about a lot of things, and that both you and the Cult need to learn more about Lantern as soon as possible if you are to do anything against the current changeling threat.

You already asked Baldomare to look into Twilight Sparkle's case, and you know she will do a better job at it than you or Jade could ever hope to. So for now the only thing you can do is wait for an answer from her about that.

Or rather, the only thing you can do is busy yourself, while you wait.

That said, a bit of research into the mysteries of Lantern is in order.



- - -



Everything is in place, or as ready as they can be.

This reminds you a little bit of when you were studying at the university, and a period of exams was on the horizon. You have gathered all the books you could about the subject, you have a pile of notebooks and scrolls, as well as pens and several vials of ink. And everypony outside this room knows not to disturb you, even Ponpon saying that she will only check on you every so often just to see if you need anything.

Still, despite the similarities, you have never quite done something like this before.

You are used to studying something you know a lot (or very little) about. But never before have you tried to read a book that is written in a language you don't know.

The large hardcover grimoire sits on the middle of your study desk, the faded letters written on its cover taunting you with their unknowable meaning.

However, the symbol that is carved right beneath them, the curious marking of a divided sun, tells you that this will not be a wasted effort. Heavens, Baldomare herself said that this book "didn't have anything wrong" in it.

"Don't think about it as research, Velvet," you say to yourself, sitting down on your chair and pulling yourself towards the table, "think of it as a puzzle. Studying the book will come later, for now you have to learn how to read it."

You light up your horn, and open the book on its first page.



[Decoding a book, current progress 0/???]

[Roll: 98 + 15 (Learning, Lantern doubled) + 5 (Well Read) + 30 (LANTERN bonus, doubled) + 15 (Artifact) – 40 (Two Eras Old) = 123]

[Over half progress achieved. 123 progress added, total progress discovered as 150]



You immediately understand that this will not be easy or quick.

But you also realize that it might not be as complicated as you thought it might be.

You flickered over the pages of the book with your horn for a few moments, trying to get a hold of the book before you dared touch it with your hoofs, but you didn't get much out of it. The book is written as a single constant text, not divided in chapters, and there are some geometrical illustrations every now and then. Although said illustrations don't immediately look like something you recognize, be it regarding mathematics or Lore knowledge.

However, the moment you put your hoof on the book, you realize something that feels like your ticket out of an otherwise impossible task.

You realize that you can… how can you even explain it?

You are not even sure how to describe it, but you feel that you can grasp the intention of what is written. You still have no idea of what the words mean, and you already feel like some concepts are honestly beyond you unless you spend a long time trying to understand it. But still, you feel like you can sense what the author wanted to convey as he wrote each page.

With that, you set to work. You have already heard about codebreaking and archeology, and you know that there are ponies who are far better than you at this, and still spend most of their lives trying to decrypt a mural's worth of ancient text. But that is because they don't know the original language, and because they have no idea of what said texts are even talking about.

You, however, have the distinct advantage of… of at least partially understanding the end-product of the text. So instead of starting from scratch, you think you can better describe what you are doing as reverse-engineering.

It takes you several days. But page by page, you slowly transcribe the meaning of each part of the book, and make a rough "parallel book" of your own. You burn through a whole textbook and a lot of ink, but once you are done you have "sister" book of sorts, with each corresponding page having the "meaning" of its untranslated twin written on it.

Somepony might point out that now you have two equally perplexing books to study.

But at least one of them is on a language you can read.



- - -



[Decoding a book, current progress 123/150]

[Roll: 3 + 14 (Learning) + 5 (Well Read) + 15 (LANTERN bonus) + 9 (Artifact) – 40 (Two Eras Old) = 6]

[6 progress added]



And then you hit a roadblock.

"What… in… the… TARTARUS is this supposed to mean?" you groan to yourself for the umpteenth time.

And not for the first time in your life, you regret you have a horn on your head. Because you heard that, in times like these, banging your forehead against a table is an extremely satisfying experience, and you can't exactly do that thanks to the pointy piece of nerves-filled bone you have sticking out of your damned head.

"It just doesn't make sense!" you say out loud, going over your parallel book once again.

To be honest, you were hoping you would have another flash of inspiration. You have a full notebook's worth of scribbles, each numbered page containing whatever you could gleam from the equivalent page of the tome. Some of those pages area actually helpful, and in two of them you were even able to grasp a full cohesive paragraph with your hoof-reading. You have two entire paragraph's worth of the history of some long-lost sun-worshipping tradition.

But the other pages? Well, you might have twenty to thirty pages with things you can partially understand, or that make sense. But all the other pages are just… just scribbles, random combination of words that make no sense together.

Seriously, you have a full page has nothing but words like "Sun", "Love", "Downwards", "Unburned" and "Pain", written in random combinations.

You let out a loud, exasperated sigh, and lean back on your chair, looking towards the ceiling.

Maybe you have been doing this for too long. It's been a few days now, and whatever time you are not with your daughters after they return from school has been spent here in your study. Perhaps a bit of time off is in order, to help you gather your thoughts if nothing else.



You think about that when you hear a knock coming from your door.



"I take it from that sigh that your reading is doing well, Velvet?"

The knocking, it seems, was only a formality. Before you can even straighten yourself back on your chair you see Baldomare entering your study.

It feels only slightly strange, to have somepony barge in like this. Even your daughters don't do that, and Ponpon knows how to be exceptionally professional about her job, especially when it comes to reading your mood.

Still, it's rather refreshing to be treated so casually by somepony inside your house.

And also, Baldomare is exactly the pony you would like to talk to right now.

"Baldomare! Thank the heavens you are here," you say, trying to shake the study-induced confusion out of your head as you get off your chair and walk towards her. "This damned book… I thought I would be able to read it but it makes no sense. Could you please-"

"Nuh, uh, uh. I already told you Velvet," she interrupts you, putting a hoof over your mouth as she shakes her head like a patient teacher, "it's not reading if somepony else does it for you! Besides, crying over books is an important part of the life of every adept. Why, I would even say that is beats crying over the things you lose along the way!"

She takes her hoof off your lips, and you stay still for a few moments, your perplexed brain trying to understand exactly what she meant with that.

"Now, more importantly," she says, "I did that thing you asked me. I went to the cute tree-library, and took a good look at the disguise the bug-thing-unicorn was wearing. And don't worry, I made sure not to be suspicious about it. Anyways, I did a bit of scrying for her and… well, are you sure this friend of yours exists?"

"I-… excuse me, what?" you ask, your previous confusion violently shifting towards another, much more important subject. "Pardon Baldomare, but what did you say?"

"Well, I went over the ritual circle before I tried my hoof on it. It's good stuff, by the way, even if it's a brute-force application of the simpler attributes. But I tried it, to look for the real purple unicorn, and it failed. So are you sure that this friend of yours exists? I mean, that she exists on this History? You have a Brand for Secret Histories, so I was thinking that maybe you met her on another History, and that she doesn't exist on this one."

"You mean that…" you say, slowly piecing together what she just told you. "Wait, you couldn't find her? More importantly, did the ritual fizzle?"

She looks at you for a few moments, her expression concentrating as if trying to remember something.

"I suppose you could call it that… Yes, that's a good word. The ritual fizzled, because the thing I was looking for doesn't exist…" she thinks for a few more moments, before nodding to herself. "Yes, it would have had a different result if it was a barrier, or a ward I couldn't pierce. So yes, it simply didn't work. Why do you ask that?"

You can feel your heartrate increasing, as you realize the meaning of what Baldomare just told you.

Because your Master also tried looking for Luna, even after the fake Princess Luna "returned" to Canterlot. And the ritual also fizzled for her, but she said that it could only mean that…

"Then I think…" you say, both to her and to yourself, "that I might know where Twilight Sparkle is."



- - -



[Decoding a book, current progress 129/150]

[Roll: 51 + 14 (Learning) + 5 (Well Read) + 15 (LANTERN bonus) + 11 (Artifact) – 40 (Two Eras Old) = 56]

[Book decoded]



In the end, Baldomare did help you.

It took… it took begging, and you're glad that none of the servants saw how you grabbed on to her hindleg as she tried to leave your study. But still, no matter what anypony says, it still felt like a victory! Because no matter how she sighed, and rolled her eyes, and thought about it for a long while, in the end she still gave you a tip.

In the end you could still see it in her eyes. It was only there for a second, and you would have missed it… if you had not done that same thing to your daughter several times before. But in the end you could see it, that she really didn't want to help you because she thought that going through that book on your own would be for your own good. For your own growth.

But in the end, she eventually caved in. Just like how you caved in several times in the past, when Silky did the exact same thing with you that you did to Baldomare.

And privately, it makes you somewhat glad to learn that Baldomare has that… well, that she has a glimpse of kindness inside of her.

More importantly, you finally managed to crack that damn book!





You have deciphered a Level 6 LANTERN book.

The task itself was already a learning process, and although you have not yet studied the book itself the bits and pieces you went through was already enlightening. It spoke of light and mirrors, and of the complex relationship that both of them have with fire and smoke. You have gained two scraps of LANTERN Lore, from what you have glimpsed already.

You feel like you may learn more about the book if you study the finished work itself, and take the time to actually connect and interpret the disparate bits of knowledge you have pieced together. Although you feel there is a chance you will let something else in you, if you dive too deeply into it.

[Mechanically, you have completed a translation process. You have gained TWO scraps of Lore because the "source" of the knowledge was two scraps above your own. You have not yet produced a scripture for the Cult based on this book, as you have not studied the book yet.]

[Furthermore, you may now study the book itself. This ENCRYPTED book has now turned into a DECIPHERED book. A decyphered book requires no roll to read, will grant you -in this particular case- ONE extra scrap of Lore, will produce this book's level 6 MANIFEST for the Cult, and has a SMALL chance of giving you FASCINATION.]



You have spent three actions deciphering this book. As per turn plan, the final action of this turn will be to read three books. Due to the unexpected danger that this might cause you a Malus, VOTE for what your FINAL ACTION will be.



[] As you were. (Read the Lantern book for a single extra Lantern scrap, as well as the two other Heart books you had planned. Risks FASCINATION.)

[] Change your reading plans. (WRITE IN another book, that is not the deciphered Lantern book, to read with the two Heart books)

[] Something else entirely (WRITE IN a completely new action, and change this part of the turn plan)

[] Focus on your work (CANCEL the reading action, and decrease the turn to a 5-action turn)

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Language of Light
-[X] (Work) A measured commitment. +6 Actions
-[X] (Fascination) You will police yourself. -2 Actions
-[X] (Purchases) Buy Grail 3, Edge 1
-[X] (Winter 3 Boon) Use a changeling corpse to summon a Flourishing Risen
-[X] (Forge 3 Boon) Craft a Lantern 3 Reagent for the Baldomare Summoning
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Lantern towards deciphering the Lantern 6 text
-[X] (Uncle Steppes) Ask if he has any advice about getting along with Velvet Hill
-[X] (Selene) Learn Knock 2
--[X] Unless we get Edge 3; then learn Edge 2.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Shadow the Twilight imposter
-[X] (Cult Minions) Petition the cult for a book/ritual budget.
-[X] (Servants) Search for possible expedition locations near Ponyville.
-[X] (Rarity) Learn what she can about the Detective
-[X] (Jade) Perform Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] If Baldomare is unavailable: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
--[X] Else: Details on "Beneath the Royal Castle" expedition site
-[X] (Baldomare, if available) Reflection of the Tapestry: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
-[X] Ask the Master for a Boon: rid us of this Fascination
-[X] Try Summoning Baldomare
-[X] (Priority 1; repeat until completed) Work on Deciphering the Lantern 6
-[X] (Priority 2) Read Books: Lantern 6, Heart 2, Heart 3 (Jumped due to dangers involved)
-[X] (Priority 3; repeat until completed): Retry summoning Baldomare if necessary
-[X] (Priority 4): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] A Place of Sharpness x2
-[X] (Priority 5): Explore the Mansus: (To be skipped, due to insufficient actions)
--[X] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[X] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.

- - -

"Will you be staying long, Vellum? I can have one of the room's ready for you if that's the case."

"Not at all Ponpon, but thank you. I'm just here to deliver this at Lord Steppes' behest."

"In that case I'll leave you to it. Excuse me, ma'am."

With those words, Ponpon gives you a slight bow and makes her way out of your office, closing the door as she leaves.

Leaving you alone with Vellum, the polite unicorn stallion that you met on Canterlot who works for your uncle.

You eye the young unicorn curiously for a few moments. Vellum arrived at your estate perhaps a little more than an hour ago, but you had him wait so you could finish tidying up the work you wanted to do in the morning. Of course, you had asked Ponpon if he wanted to see you over an emergency or something, but she simply said he was here to deliver you a gift from your uncle to your daughters, so there wouldn't be any problems if he waited until you were available.

So here you are right now, inside your office, curiously staring at Vellum's rather bulky saddle-bag.

"Well Vellum, it is always a delight to see you. But what is this all about?" you ask.

To which the unicorn nods, taking your words as his leave to begin unveiling his charge.

"As you heard, my Lady, a package from Lord Steppes," he says with a polite smile, his horn lighting up and floating a pink gift-wrapped box from his saddle-bag. "For his grandnieces, but he told me to deliver it directly to you."

You take the box with your own telekinesis, laying it on your table with a curious smile.

"Well, I understand my uncle is too busy to deliver it himself, but I'm sure the fillies will be delighted nonetheless," you say, although you add a raised eyebrow to your expression as you sense something more about the unicorn's posture.

Specifically, the fact that he has not moved an inch from where he is standing, and that he has not volunteered to say anything more than what you asked him about.

By no means is Vellum being impolite, but you can see there is something off about all of this.

"Still," you continue, "it feels just a bit strange that he would send you to do a courier's job."

And the unicorn nods at that.

"I am proud to say Lord Steppes trusts me with important tasks, my Lady," he says, nodding towards the box. "And delivering something to you is always important in his books. No servants, no mailponies, no maids. Straight to your hoofs."

You let out a soft "huh…" at that, your eyes going down to the gift-wrapped box once again.

And you realize that, although there is indeed a bright-colored ribbon over the cute pink cover, this box is one of those that has an ornamental top. Specifically, the kind that can be opened without needing to be unwrapped or having the ribbon cut.

You light up your horn and open the gift.

Sure enough, you see a pair of filly-sized saddle-purses. High quality, and certainly the kind of thing your uncle would like to see your daughters wearing, but still not flashy to the point of being unusable in a small town like Ponyville. Although they are still polished to a shine, clearly brand new, and their colors are very close to that of your daughters' coats.

But more importantly, over the two saddles there is a sealed letter.

You float it towards you and open it, and you see Vellum make a point of looking in another direction as you do that.

Dear Velvet.

Always great to hear from you kiddo, and I'm especially glad that you wrote me about that.

Really, I know you and Hills haven't been seeing eye to eye for a long time now. So I'm really glad you reached out about this. So, I'll give you my take on this, and then I'll suggest you something that I already know you might not like.

But before that, I think I also have to give you a bit more perspective in what is going on.

We are nobles, Velvet. And that means that we have certain privileges and obligations entrusted to us, that does not apply to common ponies. Not because we are special, of course, but specifically because however-many centuries ago one of our ancestors received a Letter from Princess Celestia, declaring him to be officially favored by her due to whatever reason was pertinent back then. That is what happened to us, the reason we have our power and status, and that is also what happened to every last noble family to ever exist in the Pony Kingdom. Everything we can do, and everything we have, is due to the fact we have an official concession, charge or authority given by Celestia herself.

And at the end of the day, that is the only thing that matters. No matter what a noble family makes of itself, no matter what their successors do or what direction a noble family goes. Prestige, bits and land can all come and go, but the one thing nopony can take from a noble family is their Letter and their Title.

Because that is something the Princess gave to us, and as such she is the only one who can take it away.

So, there is only one currency that truly matters to a noble family: Royal Favor.

Now, the Velvet family is not actually beloved, and although you have been disconnected from a lot of things, I'll have you know that we are not exactly a family of goody-four-horseshoes either.

But that's the thing about it, Covers, it's not just us. No noble family has a perfect record. Not a single family has passed all this time while keeping their noses perfectly clean. Scandals happen, both the small dime-a-dozen type and the larger ones with heavier ramifications.

However, most of the times these scandals involve something regarding business, or a conflict between two noble families, or something that happened behind closed doors but was too messed up to be covered up. On the grand majority of times, what happens is that somepony of a noble family messes up, and that "Royal Favor" coin I told you about is spent to make up for it.
And it gets even more complicated because… well, because of Princess Celestia. A noble family's standing literally depends on her opinion of it, and the fact that she is an immortal with possibly-perfect (or so they say) memory only makes things more delicate.

She is fair, she is just, and thank Equestria she is in charge. But still, there is a reason we differentiate between "low" and "high" nobility, and it is no coincidence that the latter are the ones whose members are invited to the Royal Castle for brunch on a regular basis.

That being said. You're a smart cookie, Covers, so I'll keep it short: This whole thing is being tough to handle specifically because the "offended party" is nopony less than Princess Luna herself.



Well, I think I said enough about that.



Now, my take on things, and a bit of inside information for you. Me and Hills are on the wringer right now. Credibility and respect plays a big part in a lot of the business that happens between noble families, and it is not unheard of that contracts can be voided if one of the parties proves to be disreputable. After all, the highest and last level a pony can go to dispute a claim is the Royal Throne itself, so having a business partner that is on bad standing with the Princess is having a partner you can either rip off easily, or that you might not want even be seen talking to for starters.
It also happens that gossip of what you did also spread like wildfire, although the fact that nopony in the High Nobility heard anything from Princess Luna herself is a bit of a blessing. Maybe she didn't much care for what happened, but the fact remains that nopony has a "reliable" (as in, noble) source to fall back to, so the stories are already growing embellished enough that a few ponies are not sure what to believe.

Still, the fact remained that something happened, and that our family was involved in a negative way. And that reflects badly on all of us, one way or another.

We are doing our best to deflect, dismiss or otherwise convince our business partners that it wasn't anything important. But that there is blood in the water at all, our blood, never helps. Some ponies are thinking that it's a good idea to mess with us now, and others are backing away from us without even giving us a chance to... Well, I won't bore you with details.

Anyways, about what you asked me to begin with. I hope you trust me when I say that I really am looking out for you. But you wouldn't have asked me for advice if you didn't already know your father is furious, to put things lightly.



That said, here is my advice. The thing that I said I'll suggest you and that I know you won't like.



Give him what he wants, Covers.

I've been your father's right hoof my whole life, and I know what makes him tick. He is irate, and he is going over his available "tools" to see exactly what he can do if he really wants to. But he is also the kind of pony that doesn't deal with things unless he absolutely has to. So, I think you will have a lot to gain if you show him you understand what you did, and that you accept his decision.

Give him what he wants. Write him a letter, be subservient and apologize, tell him you are sorry for what you did and that you promise you will do what he told you to do. He will probably forget about you if you stay in your corner and don't make any noise, but if you do something to please him on top of that you might end up gaining a lot more. Or losing a lot less, I've known him my whole life, but even I can't tell yet.

Plus, I'm still here. Your letter asking me for advice passed through the main house, so I'm sure he knows about it (or that he eventually will) and perhaps we might twist that into something good.

Especially if we make it look like it was your idea.

The decision is yours, niece, although I hope you make the right one. I'm sending this letter through Vellum so it doesn't go through you father. And I'll also send you a shorter, noncommitting letter through regular mail, just so it looks like I don't have anything to say and am too busy. But still, if you decide to send that letter to Hills, I'll be ready for it.

I'm sure he will tell me about it, and that will give me more of an opening to address the subject. He will think you sent it out of your own volition, and that will be my window to press in on him further to try and clear your bar a bit more.

Yes, I know you will hate writing something like that, if you decide to do it, but I also believe you've got a lot more spirit into you than you had a few years ago.

You're a strong mare, and it's just words on a paper. Write your father, be an obedient daughter, ride it out for a few months and I think we will be able to turn this into water under the bridge.



And for scratched Celestia's sake Covers, keep your own nose clean while this is going on.



Love, Uncle Steppes.​

You put down the letter, your eyes slightly unfocused as you take in all of it.

You… did not think to do this. For extremely obvious reasons, of course, but still you…

You will have to think about it.

"Thank you Vellum…" you say, your tone still slightly distracted as you pass your hoof over the letter one final time. "Let my uncle know that… that the fillies loved his gift. And that I'll think about it."

Vellum nods.

"Lord Steppes just asked me to also say that," he says, taking out a piece of paper from his saddle and reading his next words from it, "that it's really better if it looks like you thought about it. And one last thing, my Lady, may I have the letter?"

"Of course," you say, floating the letter towards the unicorn without thinking much about it.

Vellum gives you this thanks, and grabs the letter with his own magic.

Moments later, to your sudden surprise, the letter bursts into flame in midair, and Vellum carefully floats the ashes into one of the pouches of his saddle.

"I apologize for startling you, Lady Velvet. And again, Lord Steppes says he will also be sending you a letter in a few days. But you should expect it by regular mail," he says, giving you a short bow and excusing himself.

You absent-mindedly wave a hoof to dismiss him.

But your thoughts are… elsewhere.





Your uncle has given you his advice on the situation, and has offered to help you should you decide to heed him.

You have gained a Fleeting Opportunity for next month, to write your father a submissive letter in which you will, among other things, make a commitment not to leave Ponyville as he ordered you.



- - -



You sit next to Baldomare on the balcony connected to your room, the two of you looking at the beautiful view of hills and farmlands, crossed by a river that heads down to Ponyville.

You give an approving nod at the tea set that is laid down on the table, seeing that as usual Ponpon had prepared everything beforehand. Baldomare herself also looks to be comfortably set in, a glass of wine floating next to her gleaming the same color of her horn.

"So, how have these last few weeks been?" you ask, pouring some tea into a cup for yourself with your own magic.

"They have been pleasant enough," she says. "I've been able to look around a bit, and things are a lot weirder than I thought in the Wake. And that's just with the land and ponies in general, I'm not even getting into this whole 'alicorn' thing you have going on now."

You nod at that, although you make a point of not asking her anything else. Baldomare has made it very clear that she will not tell you certain things, and you honestly don't take offense in that because… well, because it's her. And if anypony knows that sometimes not knowing certain things is for the best, it is Baldomare.

Besides, if she was willing to tell you everything you wanted to know, she would not have a moment of peace with how much you pester her. So this is for the best, you surmise.

"Really, an earth pony with wings and a horn? That's a butchering of all things natural. At least there is only one of them. Or was, until very recently… Anyways," she says, dismissing her thoughts and turning towards you, "this friend of yours that is coming over. Tell me more about her?"

"Oh, Rarity? Well, I've already told you most of the important things. She knows that the cult exists, but she's not a part of it, so I'll appreciate if you don't get into details either," you say, and she nods in agreement. "But apart from that, she's a very likeable mare. Although maybe her interest in current fashion might go a bit over your head."

You see her open her mouth to say something, but she blinks for a few moments and turns her eyes towards the estate.

"Cute eyes," she says to herself in a low tone, looking at somewhere near the ground almost as if she could see through it, "nostalgic, really."

You raise an eyebrow at that, but moments later a knock comes to the glass door of the balcony.

"Excuse me, ma'am?" Ponpon shows her head through the half-open door, "Jade Whistle is here. Normally I'd bring her up right away, but with Mrs. Baldomare here as well…"

"Oh, it's quite alright Ponpon. Please let Jade in, we're waiting for her and Rarity."

"Right away ma'am," she says, disappearing back into the mansion right after.

And less than a minute later, the glass door opens once again, revealing the familiar sight of your friend.

You see her eyes go over you for a split second, and for a moment you almost expect her to greet you in her usual manner.

But eventually, she looks at Baldomare, her expression cold and neutral as usual.

Baldomare for her part simply looks back at her, a patient smile on her face.

The two of them stay like that for a while, and you are not quite sure if you should interrupt them or not.

That is, until Jade Whistle closes the glass door to the balcony, and then the curtains inside your room, completely disappearing from your sight. You hear the sound of hoofs running shortly after.

"Jade, wait!" you immediately start galloping after her, vaguely aware of the sound of Baldomare's laugher coming from behind you.



- - -



"I'm really sorry," Jade says, clutching a teacup between her hooves as she meekly curls up in the cushioned seat.

Her voice doesn't make her sound like she is sorry at all, but you know better. And you can tell Baldomare can see it as well.


"Oh don't worry dear. I've had worse in the past, trust me!"
"Yes Jade. She said it herself, it's alright."


And you and Baldomare are trying to console the poor mare as she embarrassedly repeats the same responses to what you two say.

"It really isn't. I panicked, and that was rude of me."

But for all that you feared Jade had left a bad first impression with Baldomare, you somehow think she looks more amused than anything else.

And eventually, after perhaps one and a half cups of tea, and much to your surprise a small gulp of what Baldomare is drinking, you two manage to get Jade back to speaking normally.

"There had been talk that the ritual didn't really fail, despite nothing…" she stops, sending a cautious glance towards Baldomare, "I mean, despite nopony appearing. And only my ritual helpers saw you so far, or at least that's what they have been saying, on that one afternoon you went to the Club to do that ritual. So I wasn't really sure…"

"Yes, yes, that's on me, I apologize," Baldomare says, taking a sip of her wine and lounging back on her seat, "but still, I will help as I said I would. Although I hope nopony minds if I only go there myself when it's absolutely necessary."

You nod at that, and you think Jade also caught the subtext of what exactly she means.

Baldomare has not exactly explained what she thinks of your Master. But by Lore affinity, if nothing else, you can understand why she seems to be avoiding her.

"By the by, Velvet here tells me you designed that little scrying circle? That was good work, and I can tell you did it from scratch because it had none of the older, more stupid vices that ponies insisted on adhering to back in my day. So that makes it even more impressive!" she says, floating her glass towards Jade's teacup and clinking them in a small toast.

And you think you see Jade… try to hide herself a bit more, using her teacup as a cover between her and Baldomare.

"I, well… thanks…?"

Is that embarrassment in her that you just saw…? Subtle and Jade-like as it may have been?

"You're welcome," the mare says with a wink, then turning towards you as if telling you to take it from there.

"And Jade, I was also telling Baldomare you were going to scry that weird entrance I found, beneath the Royal Castle. Did you have any luck with that? It's not something I want to hide from Rarity, but it's not something we can't talk about without her here either," you say encouragingly.

The mare takes a few more moments to answer, looking at her tea for some long seconds. Until she takes a deep breath and shakes her head slightly.

And just like that, she goes back to her usual self.

"Yes, about that. The ritual worked, and I managed to see a few things…" she begins to say, nonchalantly as usual.

Although you think you can sense a hint of satisfaction in her voice, as she goes about it.



- - -



Reports on Confidants and Minions:

-Jade Whistle has successfully used a ritual to scout the underside of the Royal Castle. Although she did say that the place is massive, so she only saw as far and deep as she could starting from the entrance and going downwards.
However, she thinks she has found something that might be a good "first milestone" for the expedition into that place, an exit that leads out of the mountain, that seems to be locked from the inside. Reaching there will surely enable you to explore the rest of the place more easily, without having to sneak into the Royal Castle every time.

-Rarity appeared shortly after, your friend being able to warm up to Baldomare as quickly as you hoped she would. Although Baldomare kept up quite the ruse about herself, and only revealed to Rarity that she is a creature from the Mansus at the very end of your little reunion. Rarity was shocked, but interested, and will keep Baldomare's secret as you asked of her.
Rarity also reported about her findings on inspector Dull Glass. She asked around, and apparently the stallion has been going around town talking to ponies every now and then. He has obviously already talked to the Mayor and the local Guard, but for some reason she could not dig up he doesn't seem to have recruited the local Guard into his investigation yet. Rarity thought it better that she didn't try to approach him yet.

-Your Risen has come to you, stalking through the rooftops of your estate at the dead of night. His memories tell you that he is unsure if Spike has been swapped or not, lacking the Lantern to confirm that. But otherwise, his observation of Twilight reveals that she has been "settling in" on her life. She has talked to all of her close friends at least once, but not once has your Risen seen her "slip" out of her form, or swap for another.

-Your cultist minions have also contacted you. They say they will be able to fund some of their own actions, done at your behest, although the sources of their bits remains dubious. You think they will take them out of their own pockets.
Your cultist minion actions now pay for part of the costs of their own actions, and you may cover the difference if you wish to. Cultist minion actions now receive a total budget of 20-40 bits, non-accumulable per month if unspent. If the rolled budget is lower than the transport fees, they will still at least cover the transport fees.

-Your servants have rolled too low been unable to locate anywhere interesting that might be suitable to your "sudden touristing urges", as you said it.





This is a small reminder that your spies' reports are only as good and accurate as they are proficient at their jobs. Rarity is good at digging up gossip and approaching her targets innocently, your Risen is better at nocturnal or discreet observation, and you should keep in mind your reports may be incomplete or lacking in something.

And this is another small reminder that your servants, minions and confidants roll their own tests.

Expedition information will be updated shortly.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Language of Light
-[X] (Work) A measured commitment. +6 Actions
-[X] (Fascination) You will police yourself. -2 Actions
-[X] (Purchases) Buy Grail 3, Edge 1
-[X] (Winter 3 Boon) Use a changeling corpse to summon a Flourishing Risen
-[X] (Forge 3 Boon) Craft a Lantern 3 Reagent for the Baldomare Summoning
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Lantern towards deciphering the Lantern 6 text
-[X] (Uncle Steppes) Ask if he has any advice about getting along with Velvet Hill
-[X] (Selene) Learn Knock 2
--[X] Unless we get Edge 3; then learn Edge 2.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Shadow the Twilight imposter
-[X] (Cult Minions) Petition the cult for a book/ritual budget.
-[X] (Servants) Search for possible expedition locations near Ponyville.
-[X] (Rarity) Learn what she can about the Detective
-[X] (Jade) Perform Reflection of the Tapestry
--[X] If Baldomare is unavailable: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
--[X] Else: Details on "Beneath the Royal Castle" expedition site
-[X] (Baldomare, if available) Reflection of the Tapestry: Find (the non-changeling) Twilight
-[X] Ask the Master for a Boon: rid us of this Fascination
-[X] Try Summoning Baldomare
-[X] (Priority 1; repeat until completed) Work on Deciphering the Lantern 6
-[X] (Priority 2) Read Books: Lantern 6, Heart 2, Heart 3 (Jumped due to dangers involved)
-[X] (Priority 3; repeat until completed): Retry summoning Baldomare if necessary
-[X] (Priority 4): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] A Place of Sharpness x2
-[X] (Priority 5): Explore the Mansus:
--[X] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind. (Insufficient actions)
--[X] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.

- - -



It is night.

Your husband is not home, your daughters are asleep, and as far as you know not a single servant has stayed the night. The estate is as empty as it will ever be.

Which is something you are not particularly fond of, most of the time. This was still your decision, after all if was you who slowly toned down on the number of servants you would have "on hoof", since you never really called on any of them. But still, the mansion feels too large for a single mare and one (now two) fillies, when Stormchaser is not home.

However, as of late, even silent nights such as these have their use.

You take one last look down the corridor, eyeing the distant shapes of the doors to your daughters' rooms. More out of habit than anything else, since you tucked them in yourself and they were asleep before you turned your back to them.

Everything is at its proper place. You have placed the curious book, that changes content every time you turn its page, by your bedstand, and you will cover yourself with your fur-rug before you go to sleep.

And you have put this off for long enough. In a few days it will almost be two months since you last did something like this.

You lie down on your own bed, and you allow sleep to take you away.



- - -



Your cutie mark, and everything else, returns to you like breath returns to a pony who had nearly drowned.

You don't think you will ever get used to that. You don't think it is even possible to.

The Branding Door stands behind you, its glyph-marked surface closed shut. The Shattered Stairways lies before you, its dream-like vista stretching in all directions possibly forever.

And you sit on the ground, breathing deeply as your mind once again comes to terms with the fact that you are Velvet Covers, and that you are alive, while your other senses slowly re-accustom to having moving body as a vessel.

The Blank Plains, as ever, are only terrifying on hindsight. You think it is a blessing that you cannot feel any fear while you are in there. But as always, you once again try to ignore the fact of how easy it would have been to stay there forever.

As you calm yourself down, you begin to turn more and more of your attention towards your surroundings, and the memory of why you have decided to come here returns to you.

Right, there are several reasons to why you are here. You have to learn more, if you are to subtly guide Selene as she grows back into her former self. You have to find certain things, if you are to help the Cult, even if it is just for the sake of them being able to help you back, since you know you will not be able to save Twilight alone.

"And also…" you whisper to yourself as your eyes roam through the Shattered Stairways, the idea coming to you unbidden.

And also, you have to… to discover more. To remember more, for your own sake.

For your own sake, and perhaps for the sake of Ponykind itself.

Maybe this is just a whisper, that you are hearing in the air. A mournful echo from long ago, that is causing you to think and feel things that you would not have otherwise. But still, the fact remains that you are here, and that you can't help but think that...

This place… the Mansus… what happened to it was not right, it can't be right.

This whole place. This whole world. It is something that belongs to Ponykind. Or at least, something that should belong to your people. This is where your Gods used to dwell… your Gods, the thing that modern ponies don't even bother to think that ever existed. This is the place that accompanied your world like a shadow accompanies its owner. This is the place where certain laws of reality itself, where the Lores, where written and pressed into existence.

And seeing this place like this… seeing this endless maze of stairways shattered and broken, from something that seems to have happened so long ago, makes you feel…

You can't bring yourself to say that it feels wrong. But that, you know, is because you have been born and raised in an Equestria that never knew any of this. Because the only sun you ever knew was one moved by magic, and the only rulership you ever thought to be possible was one that was headed by an alicorn… by an outsider, a creature not from your world.

You can't truly tell yourself that the Equestria you were born and raised in is wrong, because that is the only Equestria you ever knew, until very recently.

However, seeing the state that the Mansus is, and now that you know how closely knit to Ponykind it truly was… you can't bring yourself to say that what you see is right either.



Maybe this is why your Master insists on saying that your world is wrong. It might be that she feels like this, this curious mixture of nostalgia and bitterness, all the time.



"Well, enough of that," you say to yourself, "heaven knows how time really works in here. But this will end once I wake up, and I will wake up when the night ends."

Time's a wasting, you think as you shake your head. And now that your body feels like a body once again, and not like a wet and heavy coat that is hanging around you, you can continue with the task you have in mind.

You set off to she Shattered Stairways, walking through the single bridge-like path that starts at the Branding Door, and heading off to the first walkway that splits into two directions, then four, then eight, then countless.

You ignore the cracks, since they are too numerous to lead you upwards, and begin to look for the markings that you know.



- - -



[A Place of Sharpness 1/2, cd 90]

[Roll: 92 + 14 (Learning) + 40 (SECRET HISTORIES Level 4) + 20 (SECRET HISTORIES bonus) = 166]

[Success]



You wonder if this would have been easier, if the Shattered Stairways were not, well, shattered.

Perhaps not. Perhaps it is exactly because so many paths eventually lead to broken dead ends, with falls that seem to go on forever, that you are able to navigate it so precisely.

You will not dare say that you went about it swiftly or easily, this place is too oppressively alien for you to risk such a thought, and the Mansus feels too large for you to dare entertain hubris.

Still, you are somewhat relieved when you finally see something that breaks the scenery.

The markings brought you here. Every now and then you would chance upon the vandalized set of symbols, cut into the Mansus-stone of floors and stairs, and you carefully followed them as they became less and less frequent.

You still have no idea what any of them meant, and you will not dwell upon it. Maybe some of them were messages, left to recipients and fellow adepts long gone. Maybe some of them were warning signs, or perhaps directions towards places whose paths have been cut off by whatever tragedy damaged the Mansus.

You do not know, but you have seen quite a few of those signs leading to places that were clearly too broken to navigate. So, you stuck with the one symbol that was both immediately familiar and apparently most relevant.

It is an Edge symbol, the universal shape of a knife, clearly identifiable even when it is nothing more than an acute triangle with one of its sides longer than necessary.

More importantly, the knife symbol is always repeated in sequence. Sometimes in trios or larger groups, but never one by itself. And what is more, you have seen the knives arrayed like a house or a castle too many times for it to be a coincidence.

And now, you have arrived in the place where you believe the symbols were meant to take you.

You are standing at the top of a staircase, a sidewalk-like path stretching in front of you for a short distance. The knife-symbols are carved, deeply and in great detail, at the center of the path ahead of you, an indication as sure as any that you are on the right path.

But what is more, at the end of the sidewalk path you see…



"By the heavens," you whisper to yourself.



It doesn't make any sense. Not logically, at least.

The walkway leads to the edge of a cliff, a snow-covered cliff that would not have felt out of place if you were climbing a mountain.

The change in the scenery, or rather the difference between the two atmospheres, is almost jarring. Looking behind you, you see the Shattered Stairways as they have always been, with countless partially connected stairs stretching on as far as your eye can see.

But ahead of you, you see… a mountain. The ancient looking Mansus-stone bridge connecting the stairs that you are standing on to a literal snow-covered mountain.

Or at least to a cliff. It is hard to tell, really. You take a few steps back and go down the stairs, and the cliff disappears from view as soon as you are low enough that you can't see its snowy surface. It almost feels like a magic trick of sorts, a cheap illusion or a simple optical illusion that only allows you to see your destination if you are on the top of the stairs or on the correct place.

"Except that the thing this optical illusion is hiding is a damned mountaintop cliff!" you say to yourself, slightly exasperated. This is the sort of thing you should have been able to see from far away, perhaps even from the Branding Door itself!

You take a few deep breaths, slowly reminding yourself that you are not supposed to try to understand this place. Not with Wake logic, at least.

No, you tell yourself. This makes sense. This is logical. You followed the right path, and your destination revealed itself to you.

Understand everything or understand nothing at all. Whichever you pick, you just can't allow yourself to deny what lies before your very eyes.

You take a final calming breath, and you make your way back up to the top of the stairs.

The cliff presents itself to you, its tip touching the very end of the Mansus-stone path.

You make your way down the path, approaching the cliff and feeling as the temperature sharply drops around you.

Beyond the cliff, you can see, the snow-covered ground stretches to a flat plain, the sky-less vista of the Shattered Stairways giving way to the sunset-dark heavens that covers this small pocket within this level of the Mansus.

And what is more, you see something beyond the plains. At a distance so far enough that it might be on the horizon of this miniature world-within-a-world, you see a great snowstorm. A huge dome of grey clouds and violent winds, that surrounds what must be the only thing that truly exists within this pocket reality.

That, you know, is the place you are looking for. Beyond that storm, or perhaps behind it, you will find the Place of Sharpness.

And you…



You are scared.



But still, you step one hoof on the snow, and then another, and then another. The cold and the chill feel too real for you to even think this place is a dream. The Mansus is real, you know. As real as the frost that is beginning to settle on your limbs and as frightening as the winds that are slowly picking up speed and blowing at your mane. They are real, and they become stronger with every step you take, the nearly collapsed stone path growing farther and farther away from you as you forge your way into the snowy plains.

But still, this is the path you must take. You know it. The markings brought you here, and this strong a change in the scenery within this level of the Mansus can only be possible if… if something is here to enforce it, otherwise this place would be just an extension of the Stairways that stretch on forever.

And you must find out what is here if you are to understand this place enough to reach higher and higher still.

So, you make your way towards the distant storm.



- - -



This was a mistake.

You are cold.

And you are tired.

And you are scared.

You thought it would have taken you a long time to reach the snowstorm. You thought you would have been able to go about this cautiously, testing the cold and measuring how much of the cutting winds you could take before it became too much.

You were wrong.

Because the snowstorm came for you.

As soon as you were far away from the cliff, as soon as you were too far to be able to make it back in time, the snowstorm came for you. You saw it, as you tried to run away. You saw it coming closer, the grey clouds rushing from the faraway horizon and towards you faster than your hoofs could gallop.

It reached you, with its howling and violence, before the Shattered Stairways even came back into your view.

And now you are here, alone and cold and lost, fallen face-first into the snow as the glacial winds cut deep into your bones.

This was a mistake.

You might die if you don't start moving. If you don't try to do something.

You get on your hoofs, resisting the urge to curl up and hug yourself so as to conserve as much heat as you are capable of. You get on your hoofs, and you tell yourself again and again that whatever you do, you cannot stop.



[A Place of Sharpness 2/2]

[Roll: 74 + 9 (Martial) + 30 (HEART Artifact) = 113]



Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.

Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.



This is a mistake.



Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.

Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.



The cold has already claimed your limbs, and you can't feel anything on your legs except for pain.



Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.

Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.



Your lungs ache, and the icy air you are breathing seems to seep a little deeper into you with every breath you take. You can feel your heart beating nonstop, in time with your hoofsteps, fighting a frantic battle to not let the cold come any closer to it.



Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.

Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.



Your only saving grace, or rather the only sensation you can register that is not cold and fear, is the vague feeling of something caressing your body. It reminds you a little of how fur is supposed to feel like. But your mind is too busy keeping your body moving to properly understand if this is the sensation of the fur-rug you covered yourself in before going to sleep, or if you are hallucinating.



Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.

Breathe in, four steps, breathe out, don't stop.



But despite all of that, you also feel something far worse than any of that.

Worse than the cold you are feeling. Worse than the pain, and the fatigue that is working its way into your body. Worse than the terror that you feel, that you might be lost here, or that you might not never wake from this, or that you might die if this goes on for any longer.

You can feel it, slowly growing stronger, as you get closer and closer to wherever this cursed storm is taking you.

There is something in this snowstorm.

There is something in here with you.

You can feel it.

Or at least… you think you can feel it.

Like a horrible and violating presence that is growing ever closer.

Like a dirty feeling that seems to hang in the air itself.

Like a… like a savage malice, that weights you down with every step you take.

But you are not sure if it's really there. You can't be sure. You are too cold to be sure, your mind is too desperate to properly think about this, your body is too exhausted to care about anything but taking the next step.

Still, you can't help but have this… this horrible feeling, that not even the numbness of your body can sweep aside. There is absolutely nothing you can do about this nagging sensation that…



That this thing… is also trying to get into your mind.



But you still know it. You arWe sure of it, now.

There is something in this snowstorm. Something Hthat lies at its very center.

Something that tooEk over this part of the Mansus, that dominated tNhis fractured corner of the Shattered StairwTays. That covered it in deep and bitter snow, anHd fed on its sharpness.

Something made of hate, anEd malice, and agony.

And whatever it is, it wilFl not let you go. It will not let you leave. OnOly two possible fates await you now, those beinRg that you will either be brought to its presenGce, or you will be devoured by the cold.

AlthougEh… for some reason you cannot rightly explain, yIou also realize two things.

One, that this thinSg at the center of the snowstorm does not care whCich outcome comes to pass.

And two… that being dOevoured by the cold, that lying down and allow tLhe snowstorm to strip you of life… you somehow kDnow that to be the less horrible of the two fates.

The problem is that you are terrified of d-ying.

So, you willingly pick the worst of the two options, and force your way through the snowstorm.



[Success]

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You collapse on the ground, spasming and shivering in cold and pain and dread.

Your vision is growing dimmer, but you will not be blinded to it, no matter how much you cleave your eyes.

Your awareness grows faint, but you will not pass out.

Your pulse slows down to a pitiful whisper, but you will not die.

You do not wake. As much as you plead and beg and cry, you do not wake. For waking up, or dying, would be a mercy right now.

And there is no mercy to be found here.

Only agony.



WHEN THE FORGE IS COLD

AND THE GLORY IS DARK

AND THE WOOD IS DUST



You can see it. Even though it happened ages ago, you still understand exactly what event transpired here. Everything fits together in an obvious manner. Like pieces of evidence that clearly points to a specific crime, the scene before you does not allow for any interpretation other than the one you have.

You can see what happened in perfect clarity, even though it happened so long ago.

Because the thing you are witnessing, the act that was perpetrated so long ago… it is still happening. It has not ended yet.

It never will.



AND THE GRAIL IS DRAINED

AND THE HEART IS STILLED

AND THE WELL IS DRY



There is a scar in the sky. A deep wound that connects this level of the Mansus with the one above it. It is a giant hole in the heavens of this snowy pocket-world, a gash in reality that does not lead back to the Shattered Stairways, but instead to a place that is higher than this one.

And one of the Gods of ancient Ponykind, one made out of hate and nothing else, was cast down through that hole.

It was cast down, and to this day it continues to fall.



AND THE RIVER IS BLANK

AND THE EDGE IS DULLED

AND THE KEYS ARE LOST



It has no shape, it has no true form, but still you know it to be a bottomless well of malice and destruction. It has no appearance, but still it is akin to an impossibly large pair of wolves, who share the same body from the hip down.

And its existence, you know, is constant agony. It is the very incarnation of it.

The thing you see, the God you see, is like a great and festering wound. A maddeningly painful cut on the world itself. One whose agony may only be sated, dubiously, by being scratched. But in doing that, the pain is only replaced for another lesser variety of itself, and the wound invariably grows larger and more agonizing.

Its twin half-bodies, also, seem to want nothing more than to separate from each other, as bloody and gruesome a result as that might have. They wish for that more than anything else, so that they may turn their hatred towards each other and perhaps end their cursed existence.

But they can never do that. The ripping wound in the middle of the body of this Wound-God will never stop growing. This Wolf-Divided will never become two, and its twin efforts shall only ever result in more pain and misery.

However, what really matters right now is that this thing… this titanic mass of hateful wrongness was cast down to this place, to this level of the Mansus.

And to this day, it continues to fall.



ONLY THEN

ONLY THEN

ONLY THEN



You regret ever coming here.

You do not want to see.

You do not want to know.

But you no longer have a choice.

There was no storm. There was never a storm, and the snow that now covers your body is as imaginary as the winds that lash against your sprawled back. This thing, this atmosphere that surrounds you, is made of nothing but pain. Pain, and agony, and contempt, and spite. It is the hateful father of Windigos, and the dread storm in which the equine monstrosities are born and killed like raindrops form and disperse during a raging thunderstorm. You would be able to see them, if your eyes were not covered in tears and blood and panic. You would have been able to see them, if you still had eyes at all.

But even though you cannot see them, you can still feel their presence.

It's in the very air, you realize. You have been breathing in this pain the moment you set hoof on the snow. You have been sharing in a fraction of this fate, of the cursed existence of the God before you, ever since you left the Shattered Stairways and entered this closed-off world. This is a place in which agony is freely given, for there is nothing else here but that.

Perhaps this place had another name, long ago. Perhaps it had a more fitting name, one that could better describe a staircase made of great and gigantic glass-like knives. Perhaps it was a shortcut to the higher levels, when the Mansus was right and unbroken, that was used by adepts and creatures willing to pay the price of blood and pain.

But nowadays, it is something else. And not a single one of those steps, not a single one of those knives, can be seen.

Still, how do you know the knives are there, you ask?



Well, you can feel them piercing through your body.



The Wolf-Divided was cast down, thrown into this place on the closing of a titanic conflict between three eternal foes. Thrown into a sea of knives so that he might be skewered alive and taken out of a larger equation, even if only for a moment. But for the God-creature, such a fate made no difference. After all, it had sought out said fight precisely so it could try to end itself.

So, when it saw that it was being cast down to the river of knives, it gleefully faced downwards and fell onto it mouth-first.

It did not work, of course.

But to this day, the Wolf-Divided is still trying. It is still falling, impaling itself deeper and deeper onto the knives that go on down forever. It is still ramming itself towards them with the full force of its fall, cutting deeper and deeper into its scarred flesh, bleeding more and more of its charred blood down to the places below it. Its endlessly large body hoping to find death through impalement on endlessly tall stakes.

And perhaps, that is the only respite you will ever have.

Because, thanks to this timeless and endless effort, the Wolf cares for nothing else now.



ONLY THEN WILL AGONY EVER MEET EXTINCTION

BUT ONLY UNTIL IT CAN DEVOUR ITSELF



You can feel it. Even if it is only a fraction of the pain, even if it is only a moment's worth of the pain, you can still feel the knives cutting into you.

This thing you had been feeling, it was never cold. It was never cold, or tiredness, or fear. It was agony, freely given and forcefully accepted.

You will not be allowed to wake, you will not be allowed to rest. You will not be allowed to leave and you will most certainly not be allowed to die.



Not until it is done changing you.



You have no choice. There is no choice. The only way you may ever leave this place is by dragging yourself out of here. To retrace your steps back through the snowstorm, paying back three times the effort for every step you gave to come here.

But if you were to try it right now, if you were to try and escape on this exact moment, you know you will fail. And that is because you are still an alien to this environment, you are still a being who has not yet truly felt what needs to be felt, you have not yet allowed the comprehension of it to enter your body and your mind and your soul.

No. Only the marked may leave, and you lost the right to die the moment you forged on through the not-storm.

…

The process is not quick, and neither is it painless.



[The Gift of Agony: Body]

[Roll: 58 + 9 (Martial) + 10 (HEART bonus) = 77]



[The Gift of Agony: Mind]

[Roll: 85 + 9 (Martial) + 15 (WINTER bonus) = 109]



The Wolf-Divided does not care about you. It does not think any more of you than it does of a speck of dust, or of the raging storm that surrounds it. And that might be because, maybe, it is not even capable of thought to begin with.

But still, he hates you all the same. Like he hates every last speck of dust in existence. Like he hates every flake of snow and every ray of light. Like he hates everything that exists, as well as himself, he also hates you.

His attention has not been shifted towards you. He has not even acknowledged your existence, let alone your presence. Although you know, as all mortals come to know when facing a creature such as this, that the attention of Gods is nothing but a swift obliteration.

Still, his mere presence is enough to gift you something.

And only when you are thoroughly enlightened to it do you begin to drag your miserable self back from where you came from.

…

But still.

You know it.

As much as you might not want to even think about it, you still know it.

You can feel it, as you force your way back to the Shattered Stairways.

You can feel… that there is something following you.

It might be a shard or a will or a drop of blood from the thing you saw. But whatever it is, it has your scent now, and it will follow you perhaps for the rest of your life. You know that it will follow you to the Wake, and that you are about to do something absolutely heinous against Equestria by bringing it back with you.

There is absolutely nothing good about any of this.

But despite all this, you are still terrified of dying. So, you pick the only option you really have.

Even if it means bringing something back with you.



- - -



Your entire body hurts.

Worse than if you had splinters growing inside of you, stabbing against the inner parts of your mouth and throat and lungs.

Worse than if you had just suffered a terrible accident, and had irrevocably scarred and disfigured a part of your body.

Worse than if you had thrown yourself at a sea of knives, in the hopes that the agony you feel would finally end.

Your entire body hurts.



But that is the only sign you have that you have woken up.



You wake up slowly. Everything about you is happening slowly. It even takes you a few moments to realize that your mouth is half-open, your neck taut as your body strains to let out a muted scream. It hurts so much that you don't even realize that your vision is blacked out, and it takes you even longer to realize why it is weird that you have to open your eyes just to see.

But you open them, eventually, and that is when you realize you are not laying on your bed. You are laying down, back turned downwards, but you are not where you were when you fell asleep.

In fact, you are not even inside your house.

It hurts that you can't even feel afraid about it. You can't even think properly, so you don't. You merely roll on your back until your belly is turned to the ground, and give out your best effort to stand up.

Your muscles ache, and something inside of you twists the wrong way, causing you to let out a wet, drooling gasp.

Still, you get on your hoofs, and slowly try to get your bearings back.

It is night. The moonlight is shining down all around you, but you can't make out much of the scenery around you. You vaguely recall you should be able to see better in the dark, but you are not sure how or why.

You are surrounded by tall plants, and long seconds pass you by until you realize you are in the middle of a farm crop. That causes other memories to return to you, these new ideas thankfully taking up more and more space in your head and pushing away all the pollution that hangs inside your mind like a cancer. You realize, then, that you are within one of the several farmlands around your estate.

Heavens… you have no idea how you got here, but at least you are still home.

But the vague thoughts of relief that were forming inside your head evaporate as soon as you look at the ground. And that is because you see…

You see tracks. There are tracks on the soil, beneath your hoofs and all around you, and you can clearly see that they come from the direction that your home is.

And a chill runs down your spine as you realize something. These are not pony tracks, these are not marks and traces made by hoofs, or anything that ever wore a horseshoe.

No. They are canine footprints, and they are larger than your hoofs could ever hope to be.

You freeze, as you slowly start piecing together what this means. Whatever made this tracks, then, came from your house. It came from your house and left you here on the ground. Your eyes follow the traces left all around you, and a few moments later you realize the tracks continue for a few more steps, going into the hiding cover provided by the tall crops that are but a few paces away from you.

Your eyes go wide open with terror, because once you finish following the tracks with your eyes you realize you are not alone.

There is a wolf here, hiding in the farmlands. It is right there, hiding by the crops where the moonlight can't touch it. It is right there, and it is looking back at you with shining eyes and palpable malice.

There is a wolf here, and you are alone with it.



[The Gift of Agony: Body; Failure]

[The Gift of Agony: Mind; Success]



It looks at you, and it passes its judgement.

You have been found wanting, you immediately understand. You have not properly internalized one of the gifts its master deigned to give you with its presence.

So, the wolf will correct that.

You close your eyes, your body shuddering in fear as you understand what is about to happen to you.

It is better this way, you know. All the other options are much, much worse. If you run, it will chase after you, and you risk having bloodlust added to its desire to fulfill its duty. If you resist… well, you understand that it is better if you don't.

You keep your eyes tightly shut, as it stalks out of its hiding place and comes towards you. You keep your eyes shut, and you thank the heavens that at least, and for some reason, you cannot see through your closed eyelids.

You would not want to see it, even if you could. Even if it was not impossible to see it, if you were to open your eyes, you would still not want to see it.

It is already bad enough that you can hear it, as it stalks towards you.

It is already bad enough that you can hear its long claws soundlessly tapping against the soil.

It is already bad enough that you can smell its fur, that nauseating stench that is neither tar nor blood nor ozone. And that you can feel the even worse smell of its putrid breath as it opens its all-too-large mouth around your torso.

You would not want to see it, even if you could.



You would not want to see it, as it… slowly digs its teeth into both of your sides.



It takes all your willpower not to scream, and only because you know it will be far worse if you do. It takes all of your willpower not to thrash as the electric pain and agony courses through your body. For they are very real, the teeth that are digging into you. They are as real as the blood that is coming out of your body, and the flesh that is being split, and the bones of your torso that are being strained to their limits.

It keeps you firmly held in its terrifyingly large mouth, until you understand its lesson.

And when the wolf is done with you, it leaves.

But you know it will never truly be far away. It will never truly be far away from anypony from now on.

After all, it followed you back into the Wake.

It exists here, now. And even though it will never be seen by eyes, it will still stalk, and harm, and share its gifts with whatever it finds, and they will be as real as the wounds you now have upon your body.



- - -



Giving birth was less painful than this. The last time you felt this much pain you ended up with a limp leg and an enormous scar.

You just laid down on the ground, after it was gone. And then you cried, and then you screamed, and then you howled in pain completely uncaring if you might be heard by your daughters back in your estate.

And when you had enough of your sanity back, the very minimum required, you remembered what you knew, and you surrendered yourself to the calmer parts of your brain.

So now, you can look at things more calmly.

You will keep a constant pressure of telekinesis on your wounds, so at least you will stop bleeding as badly as you were. You are exhausted, famished and possibly dehydrated, and the night is cold enough that you might fall ill if you don't return home soon.

But all of those things are problems you can solve by returning home and locking yourself in your room. You know a minimum of first aid, and although you will certainly want to see a medical professional sooner rather than later, so far you think none of your wounds are truly deep or immediately life-threatening. Although it remains to be seen if the several stab-cuts on both sides of your thorax will leave scars or not.

Still, you have a far more pressing concern right now.



The wolf, it left you a gift before stalking away. And as it goes with all the Wolf's gifts, there is absolutely nothing good about this.





You have received "A Bundle of Fur", an EDGE 4 WINTER 4 reagent. This reagent may be "separated" into smaller and equally balanced fractions of itself (transformed into one 3/3 and one 1/1 reagents, into two 2/2, so on) without loss or cost. This reagent is [DANGEROUS] and you must decide immediately where you will keep it.

[] Bury it in the farmlands. The crops around it will die in less than a month, and you will have to dig it up and bury it somewhere else. But at least only you will know where it is. (Small risk of being found by farmworkers, will be near your estate. "Relocation" is narrative, automatic and costless.)

[] Keep it with yourself. You have several safes in your office, and one of them is empty. Lock it there, until you have need of it. (No risk of being found by anypony. The reagent's malice will be inside your home.)

[] Give it to the Cult. They will have more adequate places to store it. (Will be within reach of the Cult, and may be used by it.)

[] Destroy it. The absolute sum of evil in the world will not decrease, but at least it will be pulverized. Smoke to fly away in the air. Ashes to flow downstream on the river. And most importantly, remains that will spread far away from your home. (You will lose the reagent.)

[] Something else. (Write in.)

Baldomare is not available to comment, and will simply nod at your decision by the time you tell her about it. You must decide this by yourself.



You have received one WOUND.

You have rolled high enough to avoid the temporary physical Malus "Fading scars".

You have rolled high enough to completely avoid DREAD.

You have seen it. You have seen it, and you wonder if some day you will ever stop seeing it. You have gained one WINTER and one EDGE scraps of Lores.

You have seen the birth Windigos, those hateful creatures of spite and agony, and you believe you know how to reproduce what you saw. You may now summon Windigos to the Wake.

You have gained the trait "A Stain upon the Soul". You may now perform Regrettable Actions, which will never fail.

Kindly observe a two hours of moratorium.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are doing your utmost best to think as little as possible. You are using up every last scrap of concentration you can muster in order to douse your thoughts as soon as they occur to you.

And that is because, right now, you are deeply aware that you will only think about bad things. Allowing your mind to wander aimlessly will only have it visit dark places.

It is night. It's night, and now that you have walked out of the cover provided by the crop fields the freezing winds are having their way with you.

You are in pain. There are several bleeding gashes on both your sides, and the only thing stopping you from losing even more blood is the crude, makeshift bandages you made with corn leaves, that you are constantly pressing against your body with your telekinesis magic.

You are limping, even though you are completely ignoring your pain. It is an ugly sensation, the one you have right now. Ignoring the protests of your body feels as if you were ignoring your own daughter as she cried for help, but still you do it nonetheless. But the fact remains that, if you are limping even while you have complete control over your emotions, then it means that your body can't help but to limp. It means that there is some part of you that is so damaged that you have lost some of your movements.

And that is just on the physical side of things. Mentally speaking, you are…

You are…



You don't even want to remember.



So, again, you are doing your best not to think. You focus on nothing but going with the motions. You keep your eyes aimed straight ahead, you keep walking forward, you keep your makeshift bandages pressed against your wounds, and you keep following the canine tracks back towards your home while you do your best to erase them with magic.

Or at least that is what you are trying to do.

That is what you are trying to do, but something still feels off nonetheless.

Rather, you can feel something that is off.

It's… it's not something about your body. Not exactly. It's not something inside your head. Or at least it's not an emotion or a stray thought.

This strange sensation you have. This… this thing that you somehow recognize, even if you don't know how…

It's a… it's a damned smell, one that you can't block out or ignore, no matter how hard you try.

There is a smell in the air, an acrid scent that somehow burns your nose every time you breathe in. A sensation that is not painful in a way you can ignore, but that still stings at you nonetheless.

Because it's not really a smell in the normal sense of the word. Not exactly.

Instead it's a… a thing. A feeling. A sensation. A kind of understanding that you never had before. It smells like blood, but it also smells like a strain of sorts, and of long days spent on your bed, alone, with an open wound on your hindleg that would throb with pain in time with your heartbeat.

It's the wolf, you know. You can somehow still smell him. Even though he is the sort of creature that does not have a scent about it. Even though he is the sort of creature that does not even have a body. For some reason you can't explain, you understand that this thing you are feeling is its stench.

You try to ignore it, the acidic sensation on your nose, as much as possible. You do your best to ignore it as you slowly make your way closer and closer to the estate. You try not to think too much about how the scent makes you think about a rotting carcass of some dead animal, one that is somewhere nearby but that you can't exactly find out where. As if it was hidden in a nearby hill or under the floor or right behind you.



You try not to ask yourself if this smell will ever go away, with how it seems to come from all around you or the air itself. Even more so because, as much as you don't understand this, you still know that it means something.



You keep walking until you reach the estate's gate, the flowery path that leads to the locked front door stretching on before your eyes. You reach that spot, and you freeze before you step a hoof on the garden itself.

And that is because you suddenly begin to feel, with a certainty that shocks you for a moment, a new pair of scents.

It is as if somepony just opened a door to a kitchen or sprayed the air with perfume. There was no gradual increase in subtlety or intensity. A few seconds ago you could only smell the wolf-rot, and now, suddenly, you can feel two new scents that all but drown the previous one.

You can also immediately tell that there is a clear and sharp contrast, between these two smells and the wolf's smell. These two new ones feel… they feel familiar. As if the wolf's scent is a subtle constant that is all around you, a pollution that is saturated on the air itself, while these two new smells are…

You cannot describe it in any other way. These two new scents have a source. They are real. And even though you are distant from wherever they are coming from, and there are winds, and doors, and walls between you and them, you can still tell exactly how far away they are from you. Heavens, you can even tell what direction they are coming from.

You can tell that… that they are your daughter's… they are the trails that lead to Silky Stream and Selene, and-



"Agh-!" and for all that your mind is still firmly within the grip of Winter, you can't help but let out a sickened gasp as it finally dawns upon you what this means.



A wave of abject revulsion runs through you, tightening your stomach and paralyzing your thoughts for long moments. This strange sense that is coming to you, these unexplainable scents of your daughters that you are feeling, they are somehow… they are telling you how to stalk your daughters. You suddenly realize that somehow there is something inside of you, that you can't avoid or stop, that knows the proper path to take, if you wanted to hunt and chase and… and kill them while they sleep.

The vertigo inside your head only grows as the seconds drag by. And you can feel the barely restrained sickness, and the instinctive contempt you have for the thoughts that occurred to you just now, screaming at you to back away from the estate. After all, there is something inside your brain that knows how to hurt your daughters. So, you cannot step a hoof inside your home, even if it means that you might bleed or freeze to death in the cold of the night.



It takes the pragmatism and logic of Winter a long, long time to convince you that, despite this new sense of yours, you are not actually going to follow through with it. It shakes a deep part of you, one that even your Winter-calmness cannot reach, to realize that, even if only for a moment, you thought that you might have been able to harm your daughters.



- - -



You think the moon is about to set when you finally gather the will to step back into the garden.

The scent-trails present themselves to you, once again almost instantly. And you can feel the ethereal track indicating the direction that would lead you to your daughters.

You ignore it, of course. They are asleep, they are safe, so that is all that matters. If anything, you try to mentalize that you can feel their smell because you are giving them a long hug, your nose burrowed in their manes as you hold them on your forelegs.

It is reassuring, even, to realize how close they are to you. And that their scent-trail is almost completely drowning out the ethereal, constant smell of the wolf you were feeling a few moments ago.

You tap a hoof on the front door to unlock it and close it behind you as you make your way into the entrance hall, your mind focusing on what you ought to do next. Raid the kitchen for nourishment, head to your room, lock the door, clean the wounds and do whatever you can in first aid. You quickly make a list of sorts, shoving away whatever other plans you had for the day so as to hide your wounds for as long as you can.

"STOP".​

Until a voice comes to you. A cutting, merciless, commanding voice has uttered a single word, and still that is more than enough to cut through both the silence and darkness of the night, and freeze you on the spot.

This thing you just heard was… actually, you are not even sure if you really heard it? You understood what it meant, of course, but it might have been light shaped into sound, or maybe even an idea that was forced into your head. You swear you heard something, but you are also sure that for a moment the darkness of the entrance hall was replaced with light, even though there is not a single lit candle in sight.

But most importantly, you realize from the tone of that voice, or perhaps from the glaring intensity of its tone, that…



That you are in danger.



Your eyes go wide in panic, and your heart starts to beat faster inside of you despite the best efforts of your Winter-born calmness. You realize that you are in danger, and that there is something looking down at you from the top of the stairs.

It is something old, you somehow understand, almost as if that knowledge is being forced into your head by the sheer weight of its presence. Something old, and large, and bright, and alien, and uncompromising, that is glaring down at you the same way a sage might look down at a piece of written parchment, or an engineer might look at a disassembled machine. That thing, whatever it is, does not hate you. But only because it is beyond hate. It does not consider you its foe either, but only because you immediately understand there is nothing you can do that could possibly harm it.

But still, you also know that the light… that the thing that is glaring down upon you, is holding you down with its presence. The sharp edges of its intellect pressing against you like scalpels, forbidding you from moving. The harshness of its light ready to strip you away of color and shape at a moment's notice.

You think about fleeing, but you instantly realize you cannot. That thing, you realize, is made of light, and it will reach into the depths of your mind and wrench your soul out of your body before you manage to take a single step.

You think about fighting, but you immediately realize that is impossible. That thing… you can't even look at it. You slowly try to raise your wide-open, panic-filled eyes, but your eyes don't even reach the middle of the stairways before the glare becomes too intense. You look away, towards the ground, afraid that you might blind yourself if you try to look anywhere near it.

You consider… heavens, you consider even trying to talk to it, but you know that will not get you anywhere. That thing, that awe-striking point of light, is beyond reasoning. It knows, and by its very nature it understands, and it is currently looking into you more deeply than any of your words would be able to convey.

You can only wait, as its knife-like gaze glares down at you. Judging, analyzing, weighting you by means and criteria that are utterly beyond your comprehension.

Until that glaring light, that you somehow don't see with your eyes, slowly recedes back to somewhere else. Until that blazing point of brilliance folds back into itself, like a blooming flower in reverse, and your eyes can finally look at the top of the stairs without you thinking you will become blind or wise or insane.

Your body slowly thaws from the unexplainable fear that was gripping you until a few moments ago, as you come to terms with the fact that there is no longer an intellect larger than your estate glaring down at you.

And you see Baldomare walking down the stairs, forcefully blinking her eyes with an expression that makes her look like she is slightly dizzy.

It takes you several moments to understand what just happened. And Baldomare is already in front of you, her horn lighting up as she floats your crude bandages back towards your wound, before you can bring yourself to say anything.

"Goodness graci-…" she says, stopping herself moments later and coughing out a few flashes of light. "I mean, goodness gracious I do not miss having a physical body. Sorry about that dear, couldn't let you go anywhere near the fillies before I took a good look at you. Couldn't take that risk. Now let's get you to your room so we can do something about those wounds," she says, ushering the two of you upstairs.

"What did you…?" you try to say, realizing that your wounds are becoming more and more painful and your grasp on your Winter-calmness, and your own consciousness, is beginning to slip from you. "What... what was that thing? What did you do…?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad nothing too bad happened. Well, at least nothing bad happened to you, that is. We'll have to wait and see about the thing that followed you, but that's a worry for another day."

You try to answer her, to ask her what she meant by all of that, but for some reason climbing the stairs is already taking up all of your concentration.

You are vaguely aware that, for some reason, you can still see Baldomare even when everything goes black. But even stray thoughts like those fade away into nothingness as you fall down towards the floor, Baldomare's panicked hoofs rushing to try to catch you.

"She has a point," is the last thing that crosses your mind. You will worry about all of this when you wake up.

But not right now.





You have reached a realization in the Lore of EDGE.

You are now immune to ambushes, and can sense the presence of nearby ponies, and perhaps other creatures, regardless of physical obstacles between you and them.

You can feel their "scent", it's the only way you can really describe it. And furthermore, when there is nopony nearby you the "default" scent of the world seems to be polluted by something rotten. You believe that to be the wolf-thing that followed you back from the Mansus.

You do not know how reliable your detection is, however. Or at least, you realize that you can't sense Baldomare no matter how hard you try. She idly mentioned that "light has no smell" when you asked her about it.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Velvet Covers, and you are dreaming.

Yes, dreaming. You are currently asleep, unconscious from exhaustion, and thus you are aware that the very idea of you being awake is utterly ridiculous.

And yet, here you are. Conscious and aware… for the most part, that is.

Because although you can think, or at least you think that you are thinking right now, you also know that there is something missing. You can't remember how you got here, for starters. In fact, you don't really seem to remember much of anything.

Heavens, you are not even sure where "here" is. It's all a dream, for sure, but still you can't describe your surroundings no matter how hard you try. And not because you are in a "white room" or "floating in darkness". No. There simply isn't anything here to begin with. Your mind doesn't even remember what "somewhere" means, to realize that you should be somewhere.

However, you also know that this is not something you should be worried about. Or rather, you realize that under normal circumstances you should be worried, but that the dream you are having right now is a rare exception to that rule.

Huh… well, since that is the case, perhaps it makes more sense to say you are not even dreaming to begin with?

Yes, that sounds better in your head. You decide to go with that.



You are Velvet Covers, and you are not dreaming. Instead, you are currently inside your head.

Baldomare is being kind enough to do this for you.



"Wait, how do I know that?" you mumble to yourself, despite not being sure of where your mouth is.

"Oh, good. You're coming about," you hear Baldomare's voice coming from… somewhere.

Actually, did you even hear it? You have the impression that her voice came from inside your head, somehow.

"Just keep thinking, dear. This thing works like filling a cup, so to speak. Or rather, transferring the contents of one cup to another. Still, things will come back to you eventually," you hear Baldomare's ethereal voice saying.

"Transferring…?" you say out loud, and it takes you a full second to remember what that word means, your thoughts flashing up in alarm as soon as you do, "wait a minute, what exactly are you transferring?!"

"Goodness gracious… Your mind, of course, what else would I be doing? You were going to bleed to death if I didn't do this!" she says, her tone a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "And I mean, really? My first summoner in Glory knows how long, and she tries to crawl out of her bed as soon as I get her to her room, just so she can ask me more questions? You're too curious for your own good, Velvet."

"Hang on… I did what?" you ask, feeling a strange sensation that is somehow utterly familiar.

It is disbelief, you realize. And curiously, you feel like you are feeling disbelief for the first time in your life, even though this "new" sensation is lodging itself inside your brain as if it is an old friend of yours.

"You heard me, you crazy mare! I go through the trouble of dragging you to your room, the bleeding mess you are, and as soon as I put you on your bed and turn around to go get some water you try to crawl after me! Babbling questions all the way, even. Had to bring you here, dear. Although you should try to fix that curiosity of yours, it's probably starting to reach your subconscious or something."

You are about to answer her, saying that you don't believe her or that she is making that up, when suddenly you realize…

"What… the…?"

You try to mumble something, anything, but for some reason even that much effort feels draining, now.

"Ah, here we are," Baldomare says.

And you suddenly realize you have a body. Or at least that you have eyes and a mouth.

You blink, opening your eyes even though they were never closed to begin with.

You have no idea what you are looking at, at first. For a few seconds, your mind is in a state of confusion as you remember the meaning of colors, and sound, and light, and each of them seem to parade and flash in front of you as you recall that they should exist.

But that only lasts for a few seconds. And as if you were your own anchor in this strange experience, you slowly start to remember that all your senses are supposed to be centralized somewhere.

You feel your mouth, and how dry your tongue is as it scrapes against your teeth. The taste of blood in your breath.

Then you feel your hoofs.

Then your body-

-lying on your bed-

-surrounded by your room.

You feel slightly sick at how quickly everything is simply materializing around you, everything in your view seeming to look more real and solid as you remember more and more of the little details that are supposed to be there.

"Ah, good to have a visible image again," a voice… Baldomare's voice, snaps you from your confusion.

But this time her voice is coming from somewhere, and it sounds like a pony's voice ought to sound. Not like some echo-y noise coming from the depths of your head. You turn to face her, and you see her sitting on a chair next to your bed.

"Really, Baldomare, I…" you try to say, but with every word you speak you seem to remember something else, the sensation of everything around you gaining more focus being equally distractive and invasive. "I appreciate you… actually, I know I should appreciate whatever you are doing, but…"

"Nuh-uh dear, don't thank me yet," she says, shaking her head, "you are not even nearly close to done."

Your expression turns into a doubtful one at her words, and you open your mouth to ask what exactly she means by th-



"Ack!" but you are interrupted by a stabbing pain. By several stabbing pains, in several parts of your body, a dry and choked cough escaping your lips without any prompt. You try to take a deep breath to fight the sensation, but even breathing is painful now.



You look down at your body, panic surging inside of you as you realize there is a swathe of bandages around your chest and sides. Bleeding bandages, with spots of red spreading in time with your breath, and the pulsing aches you feel are underneath them.

"W-wha-t th-... AHH!" you try to say something, anything, but as you try to move your hoofs so you can take a better look at yourself you realize too late that your shoulders aren't exactly in good shape to be used by now.

You helplessly turn your face to look at Baldomare, fear and the hint of tears forming in your eyes as you wordlessly plead her to tell you what the hell is going on.

But the mare isn't even looking at you. Her attention seems to be focused on an open book she is holding between her hoofs. The book, you see, vaguely reminds you of a diary you used to keep when you were much, much younger.

"Huh," she remarks idly, still reading from the book, "this explains a lot."

And before you can say anything, before you can even articulate that you are scared, or in pain, or that you want her help.

Everything comes back to you-

- - -

Spoiler: Everything comes back to you

-and the lands around the estate come into being, as you remember all the places where your daughters can go play away from your sight. Dangerous places where you will never be able to protect them.

-and Ponyville appears, at the end of the long dirt road. A small and idyllic town, that is now slowly being infiltrated by shapeshifting killers.

-and the cult comes into being. And Jade Whistle's house comes into being. And the letter Twilight Sparkle received, disavowing her of her dear mentor's love, comes into being. And the thoughts you had, of how to track and hunt and kill your daughters through their scent, come into being. And your husband, walking around the house at night, comes into being.

You eventually understand what Baldomare meant. Or rather, you eventually remember what she told you.

"Velvet, can you hear me…? Watchpony's light, this mare… Listen, I'll take your mind out of you so your body can rest more easily."
"Will… it… willithurt?"
"Oh good, so you are still a bit awake. Well dear, about hurting… Let's just say it won't hurt physically. But I'll take your spirit out, and then your memories will follow at their own pace, so you might have a bit of Remembrancer's Discomfort as your memories pass through your cognition on their way back into your mind and-"
"W… what…?"
"Oh you'll see. Just stand still and let me work!"

You think you saw something brilliant and cutting, after that. Or perhaps something cutting and brilliant.

-AND A TIDE OF UNCLEAN FLAMES COMES INTO BEING, FALLING ETERNALLY. AN EVER-WIDENING SET OF JAWS WHOSE TEETH ARE TURNED AGAINST ITS OWN FLESH COMES INTO BEING. A MINDLESS DESIRE BORN FROM A DESIRELESS MIND COMES INTO BEING. THE CRYSTALIZATION OF AN ACT, AND THE CONFIRMATION OF AN OATH-

You think you have just re-lived your entire life, in a dream you just forgot.

- - -

You wake up.

Actually, no you don't. This is still inside your head. Baldomare is still holding your mind, or perhaps your very soul, over your body. A transparent crystal-ball like gem that she is keeping between her hoofs, on the Wake, as she calmly looks down at your body.

At your empty body, mind you. All your memories, everything you ever thought or did, has come back to you. Which means that your consciousness, and everything that is Velvet Covers, has departed your body and is now being held on Baldomare's gentle grip.

But still, right now the only thing you can see is… well, your room. You wouldn't have known any better if you didn't remember what just happened, because everywhere you look you see your room as if you were awake. You are lying on your bed, your body clean and your chest covered in bandages, and everything feels as real as you remember they should.

"It's still night, just so you know," Baldomare says, and you turn to see her still sitting on a chair next to your bed. "Whole process took just a few minutes, so now your body will be able to rest as calmly as it is physically possible. Free of stress, and adrenaline, and nightmares, and all the other indispositions that ponies are subjected while they have bodies."

She says that, but she is still not looking at you. Instead, you can see that she is about to finish reading an album photo you have of your family. Next to her, by the floor, you see a neatly piled collection of what look like diaries, albums and other assorted scrolls. It is curious how you recognize all of them, even though you somehow know that you never necessarily wrote even half of those.

You feel like you should be disturbed by that, but… you are not really sure. After all, you are inside your mind. Or rather, Baldomare just took your mind on her hoofs. And as much as she is a friendly mare who you honestly like, you also can't help but remember the thing you saw on the entrance hall, looking down at you, when you returned to the estate earlier tonight.

And maybe this might even be her being polite. She probably couldn't help but see everything she took out from you, and is just letting you know in her own way.

"Now," she says, closing the photo album and placing it on the floor next to the others, "none of this would have been needed if you had just fallen unconscious like a level-headed pony. But since you were so intent on asking me questions that you wouldn't even let me dress your wounds, and Glory knows how little practice I have with that to begin with… well, here we are now."

She says all of that with a disapproving tone, maybe even slightly annoyed. But still, you can tell from the way she put her words that…

"And I think you still want to ask me some questions," she finishes saying with a sigh.

Your eyes go slightly wide at that, and you are honestly surprised.

You wish you could smile right now. You wish you could joke about this or say in a humorous way that you were finally winning her over. After all, over the last month, whenever Baldomare was at the estate, you almost made it a personal mission to ask her, about the Mansus and the Lores and everything else, as much as possible. You tried your best to go about it politely, but you still very much hoped to basically make her cave in through sheer insistence.

So, you wish you could say… something, about that. After all, she is all but offering you what you had wanted this whole time. She is all but offering you answers, from a non-cryptic source like your Master, about things that might actually help you make a difference.

And yet…

The things you just saw…

"I think…" you say, both to her and yourself, "I think I understand now, even if just in part, why you refused to answer my questions at first."

You say that with a frown. And to your surprise, gone is the usual expression Baldomare has whenever you try to talk to her about this. You see no traces of the usual bored, or annoyed, or exasperated face she always makes whenever she hears the slightest mention of the Mansus coming from you.

Instead, she is looking at you with a pained expression of her own.

"I still won't tell you much, dear. In fact, I'm almost not going to tell you anything," she says, although she is talking slowly, almost in a sympathetic manner, "but only because you don't even know the questions yet."

She then stops for a few moments, and almost as an afterthought she reaches for one of the books she has next to her, tapping a hoof on the diary you are sure you actually wrote, when you were very young, on the months that followed... your accident.

"There are some things, Velvet, certain understandings and secrets that… that one must prove to be worthy of learning, before they are allowed to learn it. Yet paradoxically, the only way to prove yourself worthy is by figuring out what the secret is. Just like your scar, dear," she says, giving the diary another tap. "To this day, the only pony to whom you willingly told your story… was the one who managed to go so deep into your heart that he already knew everything else about you. So, you told him the story behind your secret not as a reward, but merely because he already had all the dots, and you wanted to be there when he connected them."

You purse your lips as she says that, remembering the one time you sat your husband down to tell him the one thing about yourself you never had the courage to tell anypony before.

And you can't help but nod at Baldomare's words.

"So, again, I'm not really going to tell you anything. I'm just going to supply you with a few words and terms. Old words, mind you, and perhaps tell you some things that your Master might not have told you not because he was being cryptic… but simply because they don't matter anymore in this day and age. Just to guide you through connecting the dots you already have."

She lets out a sigh, and reaches for the small cabinet by your bed, grabbing a glass of wine that wasn't there before.

"But only if you ask the right questions, of course," she finishes.

You know what the questions are, but you really don't want to ask them.

It's funny, almost, how this is turning out. The first day you met Baldomare in the Wake you had so many questions, and she refused to answer almost all of them. But now, you realize you don't want to learn what she is about to tell you, but that you have to.

Or rather, you have already learned, you already have the answers to everything she is willing to talk about, tonight.

And just like with you and Stormchaser, when you told him the story behind your limp, she is just going to help you make sense out of what you already know. To reaffirm a certainty you already have, but have not yet put into words.

Still, you know it will not be pleasant.

"What…" you say, feeling the words choke slightly on your throat for a few moments, "what was that thing that I saw, in the Mansus? And what… what exactly was that thing, that followed me back? What did I do?"

Baldomare takes one last sip of her wine, and puts the glass down.

"Your Master never mentioned this word," she begins to say, slowly. "Because, again, it's not a word that matters anymore in this world. Not in this Age, at least. Not anymore. But still, that thing you saw... They were called Hours, Velvet, and they were our gods…"



- - -



She didn't tell you any names, she didn't cite you who or what they were. The only name she told you, was of the one you saw earlier. The Wolf-Divided.

She didn't tell you any names, but she did tell you of Names. Of Names, and Longs, and the powers they commanded and served. She told you there was a hierarchy, long ago. One that was as literal as the shapeless shape of the Mansus. That dictated that the higher one was, the greater one became. A hierarchy based on their actions, and their proximity to Glory.

Still, it was a cursory explanation at best. One that might be surmised to "Hours existed, and they were in constant conflict with each other. And their conflicts interacted with the Wake, and vise-versa, like two sides of a coin."

She did not tell you what happened, or why. You know that to be a question, one closely tied to the broken state of the Mansus, but that is a question to which you do not yet know the answer. So, it is a question you are not yet ready to ask.

Still, she told you several things you already knew. But that maybe you had just not realized yet, or maybe you were refusing to realize for some reason.

"But what about… that thing, Baldomare, that… that wolf. What was that? Why did it follow me? Why do I know I will never stop feeling its smell?!"

"You weren't 'followed back', Velvet, and you know that. That wolf wasn't any more a wolf than it was a cold chill at night, or the malice that creeps into the heart of ponies whenever they plan evil things. The thing you are missing, or refusing to see, is that nothing followed you back to the Wake because the Mansus and the Wake are not separate things. They are different things, but they are not each 'here' and 'there' any more than your own shadow is 'there' whenever your body is 'here'. Certain actions carry weight, Velvet. And just like you learned to touch a door and open it, you also did something in the Mansus that marked you, and coming back to the Wake carrying that mark... coming back to the Wake and letting the world see your mark... you did nothing but remind the world, Velvet, about certain things it used to do, long ago."

"So you… you are saying that… that whatever that thing is… whatever it does next… that I caused it?"

Baldomare looked at you, seeing the horror in your face as you asked that question. And when you looked back at her, you swear that you almost saw an old Lantern-adage running through her mind as she pondered how to answer her, one that spoke about mercy and shadows.

But still, that was an old saying. And the conflict you saw in her eyes made you think that, perhaps, it might not be a saying that is as strong as it once was.

"No, Velvet, you can't say that you caused it, or that you are going to cause whatever it does next. Not exactly. But still, you had an audience with an Hour, Velvet, and it is impossible to leave such an experience unmarked. And the Wake, innocent and untouched as it is nowadays, saw that mark when you woke, and remembered things that would be better forgotten. If you insist on calling it a wolf, Velvet, then you are that wolf's mother, and the world will remember that it exists as long as you keep reminding the world of what you saw."

You didn't ask her anything else, after that. For several hours, the ticking clock telling you that morning was fast approaching, you stayed alone with your thoughts.

Although, with how Baldomare was cradling your whole mind in her hoofs back in the Wake, it would be silly of you to think she didn't know what you were thinking the whole time.

"So what do I do, then…?" you finally asked, just as the sun was about to rise on the horizon, "if going to the Mansus means that more things like that will happen, then are you telling me I shouldn't go back there anymore? That the only way to win is not to play?"

And at that, Baldomare actually chuckled.

"You're starting to get it, Velvet, about how you're only supposed to ask me questions you already know the answer for… And about the thing you just asked, we both know that's not it. Because first of all, the Mansus has already been rediscovered. You have a head start right now, but if you don't do it somepony will. And second… actually there was an old saying long ago, about this very subject."

She said those words, as she got up and moved to leave the room. And you could tell from how the walls were growing brighter and brighter that this meant she was going to wake you up soon.

"The saying was something like... There is a village next to a snowy mountain, and you wish to destroy it. One way to do so is to gather a great army and trample it. Destroy it, through both might and the effort you will spend gathering soldiers and weapons. But the other way to go about it… is to scale the mountain next to the village, and throw down a single pebble towards it, to start an avalanche. And while a village might fight back against an army, there is nothing it can do to stop the avalanche. And since pebbles only travel downwards, the only ones who may harm you if you choose to climb the mountain are the ones who have managed to climb even higher than you."

You purse your lips at that. Because, just like Baldomare said, you already knew the answer to your question.

"And there is no higher mountain to climb than the Mansus," you say watching her nod in agreement just as she leaves the room of your mind.



And with a sinking feeling of being surrounded by your real, physical body-

-you finally wake up.





The House of the Sun is broken and empty. But it is still the highest mountain in the world, and Glory still lies at its top. If you don't do it, somepony will. And if they do it before you do, you will be powerless to go against their wishes. It has to be you.

Velvet Covers will no longer deny entering the Mansus, gifted by her Knock Realization, every time she goes to sleep. You have gained an additional (free) single Mansus Action per turn. Said action counts as a single (not Knock-double) action, and must be used to explore an unexplored area of the Mansus. Failing to do so (or running out of unexplored areas) will cause Velvet to be afflicted by a mental malus.

Velvet Covers has learned the old terms, of Hours and Names and Longs and Doors. This knowledge might not have any practical use in the Age you live in, but it is still a tool, and perhaps a key to understanding how things worked in the past. Her knowledge, however, is still as fractured and incomplete as Baldomare deigns that it must be right now.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Selene, and you…

-you are conflicted-
-you are worried-
-you are scared-
-you don't know what to do-
-you just wish everything would go back to the way it was-

… you have a lot on your mind right now.

But what really matters is that you are making your way down the stairs, towards the dining hall. And you are trying your best to be quiet as you go about it.

The floors are carpeted, and you know where not to step on the staircases, so they don't squeak, even though you aren't heavy enough for the sound to be that loud. Still, you are walking as slowly as possible to make sure nopony wakes up or notices you.

It is late in the night, and the moonlight shining in through the windows is so faint that you almost can't see where you are going.

However, the oppressive darkness around you still manages to be helpful, even if just a little bit. Because thanks to it, you can more easily notice the faint glow of the fireplace, coming from the dining hall.

You sneak towards the half-opened door, standing on the shadows and away from the warm light of the fire. It takes your eyes a few seconds to adjust, but soon enough you find the ponies you are looking for.

Right there, on the couch closest to the fireplace, you see the silhouette of Mr. Stormchaser, his back turned to you.

And despite the soft snapping that comes from the fire every now and then, you slowly begin to make out the words he is saying. You slowly begin to make out the… the soft consolations he is whispering, every now and then.

You can also hear Silky Stream, who is cradled between his forelegs, quietly sobbing against his chest.



"B-but… but what if… what if mommy turns sad again? W-what if s-she… stops, l-like she did back t-then…?"
"Shh, shh, don't worry about it dear… she won't. Mommy will be just fine, I promise."
"She is… mommy is n-not going to… to d-die, right?"
"Of course not, Silky. Mommy will be just fine. She just needs to rest."



You feel something clench your heart, as you hear Silky's trembling voice.

But as much as you might hate yourself for it, you can't bring yourself to walk out of the shadows and towards them, by the fireplace. You can't bring yourself to come any closer than you are right now.

Because you know that there is nothing you can do that will make them feel any better.

You might be able to make them feel less worse, but you can't do anything about the reason why everypony, including yourself, is feeling like this.



- - -



Four days ago, something hurt Mrs. Velvet. Something hurt her, and you are the only one who knows it.

She told everypony something else, and auntie Baldie also said she was there and saw it happen. She told everypony that it was an accident, that they were going upstairs after talking late into the night, and that she tripped and fell, landing on top of a glass of water she had with her.

You know she is lying. You don't know how or why, but you know she is lying. You haven't told anypony, not even Silky, but you still know she is lying.

It wasn't an accident. Something hurt her, and you know it.



But still, that doesn't change the fact that… that she got hurt. Really, really badly.



It was bad enough that when you and Silky woke up, auntie Baldie, and then the maids, didn't let either of you see her until it was afternoon. Bad enough that Mrs. Velvet asked somepony to write Mr. Stormchaser, and he was back home from work before the night fell.

Bad enough that when you and Silky were finally allowed to see her… well, you've already seen Silky cry. It's rare for her to cry, of course, but it has already happened.

However, when you two were allowed into Mrs. Velvet's room, and you saw her bandaged, a-and pale, and… and tired…

You got scared, of course. It scared you to see Mrs. Velvet hurting like that.

But the things that passed through your mind, and the fear you felt, paled in comparison to what you saw on Silky's expression. She was shocked, by seeing her mother like that. Silky Stream was shocked in a way you never even thought was possible.

Everything has been worse, ever since that day.

It is as if a heavy blanket of sorts, something dark and cold, has fallen over your home. Over your whole family, and everypony who works in your home.

It took you a few days to figure out why. But eventually, you heard enough murmurs from the maids and from Mr. Stormchaser, as they took care of Mrs. Velvet, to understand the reason behind all this.

From what you gathered, it seems that Mrs. Velvet had a very frail health for most of her life.

That didn't make any sense to you at first. After all, ever since you've met Mrs. Velvet she has always been so spritely and full of energy that you almost discarded your idea at first. But it didn't take long for you to also remember that you are adopted. You have only known your family for less than a year, so of course there are lots of things about them that you don't know.

And this… seems to be one of them.

Silky hasn't talked much, these last few days. She hasn't done much of anything other than stay near Mrs. Velvet whenever her mother is awake, and cry whenever she isn't. And to be honest this is turning out to be, so to speak, a side of your sister that you didn't know. Because of course she is shaken by what is happening, after all nopony can see somepony they love hurting like that and feel alright. But still, the intensity of what she is going through makes you think that Silky must have some sort of trauma about this. Some deep-seated fear she picked up while growing up. A profound dread that Mrs. Velvet might just… that she might just die, if something really bad happens to her by chance.

That's what you think, at least. And the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. Especially if the period of Mrs. Velvet's frail health coincided with when Silky was still growing up, before your family took you in.

Mr. Stormchaser also has also been affected by all of this. Because of course he has. He has known and loved Mrs. Velvet for longer than you and Silky have been alive. But he is much better at hiding it, so you are not sure just how badly this is hitting him.

And as for yourself…

You want to say that you are angry, but it's more than just that. For some reason you can't explain, it really feels like you have somehow failed to protect your family. You have no idea what you could have done, or why you are feeling like this, but you still feel like you should have done something. Or rather, like you should have been able to do something, and it's unfair that you weren't.

But above all else, you feel that since you didn't do anything, this is all your fault.



"Selene, is that you?" Mr. Stormchaser's voice snaps you out of your thoughts, and as you look around you realize that you are in the middle of the dining hall.

At some point, you must have unconsciously started walking towards him and Silky.



"Oh, I, uhm…" you say, awkwardly looking towards the faint silhouette of Mr. Stormchaser's head, not really sure of what you should do.

"It's alright dear," he says, almost in a whisper, "don't worry about it."

You can also feel, from his tone of voice, that he is inviting you to come closer.

And you do want to get closer, you really do. You want to get a better look at Mr. Stormchaser to see how he is doing, and you want to make sure Silky is alright, a-and… and you… you really just want to be with them and-

"Selene, are you crying?" you hear Mr. Stormchaser say, together with the sound of him moving just a little bit, trying to get a better look at you without disturbing his hold on Silky too much.

"No! I-I mean," you immediately lower your voice, "sorry, I'm… is just… is Silky asleep?"

You try your best to change the subject, rubbing your burning eyes with a hoof and hoping Mr. Stormchaser won't notice with how dark it is.

"Yeah, she finally fell asleep…" he says, looking away from you and towards her for a few moments. "I should take her to her room."

"Wait-! I-I mean… no, don't. I, uhm… well, I think she would have preferred to stay like this, with you… Or at least that she would prefer to wake up like this, Mr. Stormchaser," you say, trying your best not to trip on your own words too much.

But perhaps you didn't hide it well enough, the heaviness in your voice, or the tear-wetness in your words, because you can feel him looking back at you once you are done. You are not in view of the fireplace's light, but you can still feel him looking at you with a worried expression.

"I guess you're right…" he eventually says, "and are you sure you are doing alright Selene?"

But the way he says it…

You know how well he is hiding it, with his grownup maturity. But somehow you can still feel it.

The concern in his voice.

How scared he is, that everything around him, everypony he loves is…

"Mhm" you say, not daring to put it into words. Instead, you just nod towards him, hoping he can at least see the movement of your mane and understand what you meant by that.

And before he can say anything else you turn around and leave, honestly hoping that he just thinks you are going back to your room.



- - -



You are sitting on the floor of the main hall, just outside the door that leads to the dining hall.

You are sitting on the floor, and you are alone, hugging yourself with your forelegs.

You have given up on keeping your eyes dry, but you are still trying your best not to make any sound while you cry. You really, really don't want Mr. Stormchaser to hear that you are still here, and that you didn't go to back to your room.

You hope that… you honestly hope that you didn't hurt Mr. Stormchaser too much, when you decided to leave instead of going to stay with him and Silky. Because in truth, you actually wanted to go to him. You really, really wanted to. You want to be there, and you want to hug them and just stay like that, hoping that things will be a bit better when the sun rises tomorrow.

You want to be with them because they are all scared, just like you, and because you love them. But you can't.

You know you can't.

Because something hurt Mrs. Velvet Covers.

Something hurt her, and that thing… whatever it is, it is still somewhere nearby.

And you are the only one who knows it.



"Selene? Is that you dear?"



Your ears perk up in surprise, and you look up towards the stairways, for a second not believing what you just heard.

"Mrs… Mrs. Velvet?"

You look up and you see her, awkwardly standing on top of the stairways, clearly not favoring one of her legs. She looks a lot better than she did a few days ago, but still she… well, she shouldn't be up at all. Especially this late at night, she should be sleeping!

"Mrs. Velvet, you shouldn't be… did something happen?" you say towards her, whispering as loudly as you can, as she slowly makes her way down the stairs. "Do you want me to call one of the maids or, uhm… can I get you something?"

You see her smile at something while you say that, but you are more worried over the fact that her smile breaks for a moment every time she goes down a step of the stairs.

"Nothing at all, love," she says, reaching the ground level and slowly making her way towards you, clearly putting as little weight as she can on her right hindleg. "I just woke up and couldn't find your daddy, and I saw that your sister's room was also empty so…"

She says that, and she nods towards the partly open door behind you.

But as she takes another step towards you, you get a-


-HORRIBLE FEELING-


-and you freeze on the spot.

Actually no, you don't freeze. Your mind freezes. Your thoughts grind to a halt as you try to understand what is going on, and why you are suddenly feeling a smell of… of rot and… and of something more.

But even though your mind froze, you realize a few seconds later that your body didn't.

Without realizing it, you got up from where you were sitting, and you are now standing between Mrs. Velvet and the half-open door that leads to the dining hall.

Your eyes are wide open in surprise, and you look up to see that Mrs. Velvet's head is tilted, also clearly puzzled at what you are doing.

But still, you somehow know that you… that you can't… You don't know what it is that you can't, but you somehow know that you simply can't let... something.

"Selene, is everything alright?" she asks, the moonlight shining down on her face showing you that she is clearly worried.

"I, uh… yes, Mrs. Velvet. I'm fine, everything is fine."

You say that, but for some reason your heart is beginning to pound inside your chest.

The smell also is… it's getting stronger. As if there is something rotten nearby, but somehow much worse.

And for some reason, watching Mrs. Velvet take another step towards you is… s-she is...

She is scaring you.

"Oh dear, don't worry, it's alright," she says, taking another step towards you. "Mommy is here, everything is fine… and say, why don't the two of us go stay with daddy and Silk-?"

"No!"

You take a half-step back, your legs trembling under you for some reason you can't explain. And despite your best efforts at being quiet, you actually shout at Mrs. Velvet.

But you don't know why. You don't know why you just did that. It's just that the closer she gets to you, the more you…

There is something her that is terrifying you. Every hoofstep she takes towards you feels like she is stalking towards you. It also feels like the walls are closing in around you, and this stench in the air is getting worse, and… and…!

"Selene," she says, her face suddenly serious, lips pursed as she speaks, "I know things have been tense, but this is no reason to raise your voice at your mother." She finishes saying that, and her expression very clearly turns into one of disappointment.

She then shakes her head, as if giving up on something, and starts circling around you, making her way to the dining hall.

And you watch as she gets closer to you, your heart pounding more frantically inside your chest as you feel terrified for reasons you can't understand.

You watch, terrified, as the smell in the air starts to remind you more and more of blood, as Mrs. Velvet walks towards the warm light of the fireplace. Tears beginning to run down your face, completely out of your control.

You watch, as she is almost upon you. She doesn't care for you at all anymore, she will just walk around you and make her way towards the warm light of the dining room. Towards Mr. Stormchaser and your dear sister.



You watch. As she gets so close to you that you can now clearly see the bandages on her sides and around her chest.

Underneath the bandages, and jumping out of them from the gaps between the dressings, you see thick strands of fur. Of a strange color that hurts to look at.



"I won't let you!" you shout, stopping Mrs. Velvet on her tracks, her eyes shooting wide open in surprise.

This time, she is the one who freezes. But for some reason, that only makes you feel more scared.

Because she didn't freeze because of you, and she wasn't surprised by because you shouted. Instead, her wide-open eyes are squarely aimed at the door behind you.

The two of you realizing at the same time that somehow, your outburst caused the door to slam shut. Completely hiding away the warm light of your loved ones.

They are not here anymore. And without that light, you can feel the temperature dropping around you.

Mrs. Velvet's expression, also, is clearly unamused at this.

"Selene, dear…" she says, her eyes finally leaving the closed door and aiming down at you, "what do you think you are doing…?"

You stare back into her eyes, and although most of your vision is obscured by tears, and your legs are shaking, you stand your ground.

And you say the only thing that is truly going on inside your mind.

"I… I-I won't… I won't let you hurt them!" you shout back at her, doing your best even though your voice comes out shaking and meek.

Mrs. Velvet simply smiles at that.

"But Selene dear…" she says, stepping into the shadow between two windows as she closes what little distance remains between the two of you.

However, instead of a hoof, it is a large and clawed paw that touches the ground.

And although you can't see it, now that Mrs. Velvet is no longer being illuminated by the moonlight, you still… you still know, that her grin has turned too wide, and that her snout has grown longer, and that her mouth now has too many teeth as she smiles down at you.

"But Selene dear… somepony has to get hurt tonight."

She is smiling at you, but this is not the loving, motherly smile she always has.

But you stand your ground.

Even as that thing opens its all-too-wide mouth and pounces towards you.



- - -



You have learned, throughout the months, how not to scream when you wake up. So that nopony realizes you just had a nightmare.

But not screaming is one thing. Not crying, and not trembling, are two entirely different things.

You haven't moved an inch, ever since you woke up. You are still in the exact same position you have been the whole night. Your forelegs are still around Mr. Stormchaser's chest, and Silky's head is still laying on your side, the three of you spread around the large couch. The two of them are still sleeping, and the fireplace is doused, with nothing but ashes inside of it.

You dearly hope neither of them wake up before you manage to stop crying and shaking.

...

You have no idea whose dream that was. You have no idea if it is even possible that they were both "sharing" a dream.

But you do know two things.

One, that Mrs. Velvet… no, that the thing that looked like Mrs. Velvet, wasn't natural to the dream. It came from somewhere else. From the outside of the dreamer's mind. You also have an inkling sensation that, whatever that... that monster was, it was also the thing that hurt Mrs. Velvet.

And two, that no matter whose dream it was, you stopped it from becoming a nightmare.

And you will continue doing this every night, no matter how much it scares you.

Because you can't solve the problem your family is currently facing. But by doing this, you can protect them from something that would make them cry even more.





Selene has stood between her loved ones and that which would harm them. She did not allow its passage.

Selene's EDGE is now Level 2.

And a reminder about proportionalities. When you have two health points, and you lose one, you didn't just take a wound. You became "one bad thing away" from dying, and that is terrifying to those around you.

The Wolf Fur reagent, and all its horrors, have not yet been disposed of. You simply did not yet have the time. Its fate will be decided next update, as you head out to meet the Cult.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Velvet Covers, and you are…


You are in danger.


You were asleep but a moment ago, but not anymore. You wake up, without making noise and without even moving, but in the spam of a single heartbeat your mind has been flooded with alertness. Your brain, or some deeper and subconscious part of it, calmly briefing your still-waking consciousness as you slowly become aware of your surroundings, and of what exactly just happened.

And what just happened, you realize, is that there is something making its way towards your room. Or rather, there is something stalking towards your room. You can smell its intention, its desire to get as close as possible without getting noticed, as clearly as you can sense how close it is to the door of your room.

A spike of adrenaline reaches your mind, and your heart begins to hammer inside your chest as you hear the faintest click of the doorknob being opened. The entirety of your attention is on your assailant, to the point where you are only vaguely aware that you are on your bed, and that your husband's forelegs are still around you. But only because those things are unimportant details right now. Much more importantly, your mind frantically begins to weight your options.

The well-oiled door produce only the faintest of noises as it is slowly pushed open, and you can't even hear the thing's steps against the carpeted floor as it walks into the room on an achingly slow pace. This thing, whatever it is, is clearly going to great lengths not to be heard. And heavens, you have to admit you wouldn't even have noticed it if it wasn't for the Edge-sense you acquired less than a week ago.

Your mind goes into a gallop as you realize you are running out of time. At least if you want there to be some distance between you and your assailant, if you are going to surprise it by going to the offensive.

You could just roll out of bed and strike it with a blast of magic. Pure physical blow, just to catch it off-guard and hopefully off balance.

It leaves the door half-open, closing it as much as possible to block out any light of the corridor, but without actually risking the clicking noise that would come from fully closing it.

Better yet. Fling your blankets towards it, with magic of course, and use it as an impromptu net to ram it against a wall. That should buy you at least a few seconds.

It's attention has left the door now, you can smell it stalking towards you. It's already halfway towards your bed. You can almost hear its muffled steps.

You don't have any cutting objects nearby. Blast the glass door that leads to the balcony, select the seven largest shards by weight. Fling four towards the creature. Storm might have woken up by then so be careful with him.

It reaches a mere four hoofsteps away from you. Close enough for a deadly pounce.

You are out of time.

You are out of time!

You stiffen the legs of your muscles, faking one last deep breath as you prepare to roll out of Stormchaser's embrace an-

!!!

Oh… wait…

"You do realize you nearly gave mommy a heart attack, right?" you say in a whisper, although you have to force yourself to keep the tension out of your voice.

To which Selene answers by freezing on the spot.

And as you gently roll out of your husband's forelegs, finally turning to face the door, you see just that. Selene is just a few hoofsteps away from your bed, standing utterly still in the complete darkness of your room. And the filly, a smile creeps into your face as you notice it, is literally holding her breath hoping that, maybe, you were talking in your sleep.

However, her expression turns from tension to horrified surprise as your horn begins to glow.

And moments later you are silently walking out of your room with a levitating filly in tow.



- - -



You finish assembling a small sandwich. Two sandwiches, actually, and moments later you float both plates towards the table, placing one of them in front of Selene.

She has been quiet this whole time. Quite and fidgety, mind you, clearly uncomfortable at something. So, you did your best to keep your movements slow and your expression sleepy as you went about your business of sandwich-crafting. Hoping, if nothing else, that this would at least make her think you didn't notice all of that about her.

"So?" you ask, placing the second plat next to hers, and slowly climbing the chair by Selene's side. "Is anything on your mind?"

And Selene answers by… munching down on her sandwich. To which you raise an eyebrow.

You can see it, clearly, that she doesn't want to talk. Not exactly, at least. You are not sure if starting to eat was a subconscious prompt or not, but it is still a good way as any to keep your mouth busy so she doesn't have to answer your question.

Under normal circumstances, or if you were perhaps talking to somepony you really wanted to get answers from, this would be the part you would start to ask some probing questions. Maybe something to talk them into a corner, or to bring up something that they wouldn't be able to not respond to.

But… well, you're not about to do this to your own daughter.

It worries you, of course, to see her worked up like this. Heavens, everypony has been worked up these last few days, and it would be stupid of you not to admit that you were the cause. The fact that you can smell that two maids are sleeping on the Servant's Room, your husband having instantly abolished your policy of not requiring any servants to stay overnight, is the least of your reminders about that.

But still, again, you are not about to pressure Selene about this. Even if her behavior just now is worrying you.

So, the two of you stay like this. Silently munching on your late night snacks as the minutes slowly pass by.

It is only when you light up your horn, floating the two plates towards the sink for somepony to clean up later, that you finally hear your daughter mumble something under her breath.

"Beg your pardon, dear?" you say, turning to face her, "did you just say something?"

You can see her expression grow a little more complicated at that, as she sees you looking at her. And it takes her several seconds to un-purse her lips and, looking down towards the floor, finally make an effort to repeat what she just said.

"I… wanted to see… if you were sleeping well," she says.

And you realize that, on top of feeling nervous about something, she is clearly also feeling embarrassed about what she just said.

It takes you a few moments to figure out why, but eventually it clicks inside your head.

Which makes you feel a bit foolish, in hindsight. After all, you know what Selene is. Selene, on the other hoof, doesn't know what she is, and she most surely' doesn't know that you know what she is.

But she is beginning to realize, as the months go by. You can see it. And by now, she must be in a stage where she is going through things that are at the same time confusing and maddeningly familiar. Feeling things that she has never felt before but whose names are, somehow, right at the tip of her tongue.

It must have been hard, then, for her to even confide you this little. After all, from her point of view, she must be feeling like the "creepy" filly who for some reason wanted to check if her mother was sleeping well, for reasons that, although unbelievable, are very real to her.

"Oh, so you came to check if mommy was having a nightmare? Thank you dear," you say, already knowing how she will react to those words.

And just like you expected, Selene all but curls up to that, her expression cringing at what you just said. Which confirms your suspicion. She must think that you think she is being silly, that this is just some foal's play or make believe from her part, or that you think she is just worrying over something cute, but ultimately immature.

"But I think we both know you should be taking care of Silky and your daddy, not me," you say, bringing up a glass of water and taking a sip from it.

To which Selene's expression immediately changes, her eyes going wide in doubt, and perhaps surprise, as she looks back up towards you.

"Now love, just between you and me, let me just say that you don't have to worry about this happening to them," you say, making a point of not looking at Selene, while you pass a hoof over the bandages around your chest. "Because just like you are doing your part, I'm also doing mine."

You take another sip from your glass, and only then you turn to look back at Selene once again.

And this time, the embarrassed, worried and self-conscious filly is nowhere to be seen. Instead, you see Selene looking up to you, her expression serious and attentive. There is still the slightest glint of disbelief in her eyes, of course.

But above all else, you can see in her expression a… something. Determination, perhaps? Some sort of hope? A deep understanding of what you are saying?

Regardless of what it is, you can see in Selene that she understands. That she is aware that, right now, you are talking about the exact thing that she thinks you are. That she knows that this is a secret between the two of you, but that all the things that she thinks she is going through are… all those stray thoughts, and confusing feelings, and strange sensations, they all are…!

"So, I'll trust you to keep taking care of them in your own way, and that tonight will be the last night."

"What…? Last night…?" she speaks up.

And for a moment, you can see a moment of doubt flash through her mind.

Because maybe, and just maybe, she still doesn't believe it herself. Maybe she still thinks that she is just a filly living some sort of fantasy. And if that is the case, then she should ask you what you meant by last night.

But she knows. You can see that she knows. Deep down, she knows there is something happening. That she isn't being crazy or silly or infantile.

So, instead, she asks you…

"Why?" she says, her expression still determined, but growing a bit tense as if wondering if she should trust you by even asking them to begin with, "why will this be the last night?"

She stops for a few moments, taking a deep breath as she continues looking at you.

"And why… why can't I help… you?"

You give her a warm smile at that, wondering how exactly you should answer.

She isn't ready for the whole truth, of course. But just like how Baldomare taught you that certain questions can be answered, when asked correctly, you also know you ought to be sincere with you daughter right now. Or at least, as sincere as you can be without hurting her.

"This will be the last night because… something is causing the nightmares," you say, and the way her eyes go wide at that tells you that you have confirmed something she has been suspecting for a while now. "Something is causing them, and I promise you that I will take care of it before tomorrow night."

You keep looking at Selene as she slowly calms down from her shock. Her expression alone telling you several things at the same time.

That she knew it, that something was going on.

That she also somehow knew that you were onto her.

And that she is still… tense, because having you confirm all of this to her means that she… that there is more to come and…

She takes a deep breath. And a few moments later, she nods at you, telling you to go on.

Although you still give her a few more seconds before you continue.

"And you can help me, dear. You have been helping me this whole time, by taking care of your sister," you say, and just as Selene opens her mouth to respond you raise a hoof, telling you that you are not done yet. "But you can't help me the way you are talking about, because mommy doesn't dream anymore. Not like other ponies do."

Selene's mouth stays open for a few more moments. Her expression is a lot less shocked this time, as she slowly closes it. Perhaps because she had suspected this for a longer time.

Still, she stays like that for a few more moments, submerged in her own thoughts, before she finally nods at you again.

"Mrs. Velvet, you say that… you say that you don't dream like other ponies do. But you still dream, right?" she eventually asks, and you nod at her in response.

"Yes dear, I do," you answer, getting up from your chair and closing what little distance is between you two, lightly patting her mane as soon as you reach her. "And I promise I'll teach you how to reach my dreams when you are older. If you want to, of course."

You are about to continue talking. You are about to say that this is enough for tonight, and that she and Silky promised you that they would go to school tomorrow so she should get some sleep.

But to your surprise, and before you can do anything, Selene slowly inches closer to you, your hoof still on her mane.

And she puts her forelegs around you. Gently, so she disturbs your bandages as little as possible. But still, before you realize it she is giving you a…

Not just a hug. You somehow know, although you are not sure, that this is much more than a simple hug.

"Mrs. Velvet, I…" she says that, but then she stops, as if unsure of how to put what she is thinking into words. "Uhm… you already told me I don't have to thank you, for… for taking me in. But I still am, and… and not just for that. Thank you for being there and… and for being here," she finally says.

And you immediately understand what she means, taking your hoof out of her mane and putting it on her back.

"I… I'm glad that you believ-… that you trust me. And I trust you too, Mrs. Velvet. I'm glad that you're the one who foun-… I'm glad you're here with me."

It takes Selene a long while to finally inch away from her hug. And you think your bandages are slightly, and only slightly, damp, after that. But you don't mind.

The two of you go back upstairs together, and you give her a soft goodnight kiss before she sneaks back into Silky's room.

And strangely, when you fall asleep once again in your husband's embrace, you somehow don't dream about the Mansus.



- - -



What happened to the cause of agony?

[] You lied. The nightmares will not end. (The Reagent will be within a safe in your office. It will be safe from theft, and nopony else will know about it or have access to it.)

[] You have kept it away from your home, but within your reach. (The Reagent will be buried somewhere in the farmlands. There is a small chance it might be found, but otherwise nopony else will know it exists. Retrieving it will not cost an action.)

[] You will give it to the cult, come tomorrow's meeting. (It will be stored in the cult's safe room. The cult will learn about it, and will be able to use it.)

[] You will destroy it, and its pulverized malice will joyfully spread to the world. (You will lose the reagent)

[] Something else (WRITE IN)

Write-ins can include hiding it "far away" (hiding it and retrieving it will cost turn actions due to distance) or gifting it to somepony in particular for safekeeping (such as Rarity, Jade, or other non-confidants like Windy Flakes or Comet Feet. Gifting it to somepony does not cost actions, and will be done in time to keep your promise to Selene.






- - -

- - -

- - -





"This is as far as I'm going, dear," Baldomare says, as you reach the stairs that will take you to the underground part of the Wildhoof Club. "I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate my presence. And by the powers that be, I don't want to get into an argument with him or break anything."

She says that with a soft giggle, the sound somewhat weird thanks to her usually old-sounding tone of voice. But still, you can't help but nod at her.

"I think I understand. And again, thank you. Stormy's eyes almost popped out from his head when I said I wanted to go out, even when I said it was with you. But I'm glad he was willing to compromise with us just coming in the carriage."

"Don't worry dear, you're welcome. It would have been disastrous if he insisted on coming with, and I'd hate to see you two fall apart. Still, I also agreed that the carriage was the very least you should have done, even if it adds the cart-puller to this whole thing."

"Oh, I totally agree. But that's the nature of negotiating, isn't it? Of course I didn't want to walk here, but once I told him I didn't want the carriage, he made it his mission to convince me of the contrary, without thinking much about the other details around it."

"Huh… Moths, I suppose. Well, I'll be at the bar if you need anything. One of the waiters had a glint of light on his eyes, so by now I think everypony at the restaurant knows better than to think they should charge me for anything I ask."

This time you laugh a little bit, although the deepest parts of your wounds still snag slightly at that. But you tell Baldomare you will be back soon, and you two go your separate ways.

After all, you have a cult meeting to attend.



- - -



You finish crossing the several layers of cloth that serves as doors to the Woods-close place.

You sometimes wonder how real this place even is. You sometimes wonder what would happen if somepony without any knowledge of the Lores tried entering here. Maybe they would just reach an empty and dull-looking room. Maybe they would really reach this place that is, somehow, less far from the Woods than the Wake is.

But regardless, as you force your way through the obstructive barriers, you slowly feel the air around you change. Not becoming any hotter or colder, but still reaching you like an evening breeze as if you were walking around a wide plain.

And before you know it, you cross the final layer, and your hoof steps down on dirt, the pale darkness of a moon-lit night stretching around you before being suffocated by tall and old trees.

It is afternoon in the Wake. But you have known for a long while now that this sort of thing doesn't much matter in the Woods.

You are in a clearing, as always, and you know that if you look behind you there will be no corridor leading back, just more darkness and more trees. You don't even bother to check, instead looking around towards the three other ponies that are already here.

Windy Flakes, Starry Dancer and Jade Whistle are at the center of the clearing, forming a small triangle of sorts as the three of them talk among thems-… oh, who are you kidding? They form a small triangle as Windy and Starry talk to each other, and Jade impassively watches them.

You make a point of not being silent, and their ears perk up as soon as you start walking towards them.

"It's been a while," you say, "how have you all been?"

They all turn to look at you as you approach them, however…



"Oh, hi Velvet! How did it g-?… wait, why are you looking so slow?"
"Ah, good to see you again Velvet. Care to tell us why you look so dead?"
"Hello Velvet Cov-… what happened?!"



Despite your best attempts at looking normal, and the fact that your dress completely covers your bandages, their expressions immediately change as soon as they look at you. Starry looks slightly worried, and Windy has a curious expression, one of his eyebrows raised.

And Jade…

Well, you will take some time to talk to them before the meeting starts.



- - -



The meeting took a while to begin. And for a very unusual reason.

You were done explaining what happened to you… or rather, you were done explaining them that you got hurt in the Mansus, without giving any details about it whatsoever. You might tell Jade a bit more about it later, or perhaps not, but you still deflected their questions as politely as you could.

It is better this way, you know. And if you are going to talk about this at all, then you'll definitely only want to tell it once, and to the whole Inner Circle if possible.

Still, as you were about to turn the conversation somewhere else, a pair of mares came out from the shadows between the trees.

They were not real, you could tell at a glance. Or, they were as real as your Master used to be, before she was summoned.

Which meant that they were not really there, those two mares.

Still, much to your surprise, those two ponies were Copper Secateur and your Master.

But despite the fact that Copper voiced her concern about it, saying that his train was scheduled to arrive in Ponyville more than an hour ago, Comet Feet was still very late. It was several more minutes until he arrived, and the meeting began properly.

…

The Master was clearly thoughtful, and at times you thought she was not really there with you, while at others you thought she was suppressing something, hiding it from you all. Whatever it was, everypony picked up on it. Consequently, everypony's report was detailed, but not exactly longer than necessary.

You thought she was displeased at Comet's lateness, but soon enough it became obvious that that was not the case.

"Just so you all know, I am still in Manehattan," Copper Secateur began, after little more than a wave from the Master's hoof. "Me and Comet did some great progress, and will be able to establish a branch of the cult here…"

She then looked rather worriedly at the Master. The lack of reaction from her, or from even the Woods around you, being… strangely uncharacteristic.

"If she wishes for it, that is."

Comet simply agreed with her, not saying anything else.

Next was Windy and Starry, the stallion also taking over their part of their report and being very quick with his wording.

"Local Guard is ours. A few of them even accepted payment to look the other way one night, after we a bit of an issue some weeks ago, so we also got an in when it comes to bribing. But we… have a bit of a problem, Master, regarding another figure. An investigator from the capital arrived this month, but not nearly enough information has trickled down for us to know anything else so far."

Starry agreed with him, mumbling something about not being of any use regarding the thing with the local Guard, but a helpful stare from Windy quickly made her quiet down.

Jade, as well, did not have anything to report.

But throughout all of that, the Master had yet to say a word, or even move.

She didn't even look towards you, when your five other companions looked up to hear your report.



[A lot has happened. How will you present your report?]

[You must pick one of each category]



-First and foremost, regarding your own orders.
(Baldomare's presence is undeniable, you will report her summoning)

-[] (ORDERS) You have summoned Baldomare, for the benefit of the cult, but could not do anything else.
-[] (ORDERS) You have summoned Baldomare, and you have found creatures of the Mansus that may be summoned. You will teach the cult how to summon dread Windigos.
-[] (ORDERS) You have summoned Baldomare, and bring the gift of Windigos. You also come with a warning… (This will teach the Inner Circle about the Ascent of Knives, and what lies there. You cannot predict what they will do with this knowledge.)



-Regarding your trip to Canterlot.
(Your "meeting" with Luna turned into gossip at some places, so you can't not talk about it. You will also say that Princess Luna is definitely not a changeling, because that is the truth.)
(You will also mention that nopony has seen the two Princesses together as of yet. Not at the same time.)

-[] (LUNA) You went to Canterlot, and you tried to sneak into the Princesses' presence. It ended badly, and you saw Princess Luna, but nothing else.
-[] (LUNA) You went to Canterlot, and you tried to sneak into the Princesses' presence. It ended badly, and you learned that there are changelings about the Royal Castle.
-[] (LUNA) You went to Canterlot, and you tried to sneak into the Princesses' presence. It ended badly, and you learned that there are changelings working directly with Princess Luna. They obeyed her orders, so you are unsure if they are manipulating her, or if she somehow gained control over them.



-Regarding your meeting with Princess Cadance.

-[] (CADANCE) You will not mention that ever happened.
-[] (CADANCE) You have met Princess Cadance by chance, and neither her guards nor herself seem to be changelings.
-[] (CADANCE) You have met Princess Cadance in a stroke of luck. You do not believe her to be a changeling, and she seems vulnerable. This might be an opportunity.
-[] (CADANCE) You have met Princess Cadance in a stroke of luck. You do not believe her to be a changeling, and she seems vulnerable. There is also this secret about her and a certain member of the Royal Guard that…



-Regarding you-know-what.

-[] (GARDEN) You have not found anything worth noting in the Royal Castle.
-[] (GARDEN) There was something in the Royal Castle that… existed. In all Histories. At the same time. You… have no idea what to make of it, but you know the Cult should know. (You will reveal them that you discovered something unusual).



-Regarding other details of Canterlot.

-[] (DETAILS) You have NOT found anything else worth noting.
-[] (DETAILS) You have found a location that might be of interest to the Cult. (You will reveal the expedition site you have learned to the Cult).



-Regarding Twilight Sparkle [you must also pick one of the sub-categories, regarding her brother].
(You will mention you had a Risen following her, unless you choose not to say anything at all about her)

-[] (TWILIGHT) You will not mention anything about her.
-[] (TWILIGHT) Twilight Sparkle, premier apprentice of Princess Celestia, has been swapped by changelings. You have also failed to scry for her. Finding her will surely be beneficial to the cult.
-[] (TWILIGHT) Twilight Sparkle, premier apprentice of Princess Celestia, has been swapped by changelings. You have also failed to scry for her. Finding her will surely be beneficial to the cult. And although she has been disavowed by the Princess, maybe that could be an even further opportunity?
--[] Mention that she IS the sister of one of the captains of the Royal Guard.
--[] DO NOT mention who her brother is.



-Regarding inspector Dull Glass.

-[] (DULL GLASS) You did not know about this new interloper.
-[] (DULL GLASS) You also knew about him, but so far only interacted with him once when he went to your home to officially introduce himself.
-[] (DULL GLASS) You also knew about him and had him followed. He has been asking questions around, but so far you don't believe he has been doing anything worrying.



-[] Anything else? (WRITE IN)



All votes, including what you will do with the Reagent, must be in a single Voting Plan, because they will all reflect how you are dealing with the Cult (since gifting it, and teaching Windigos, is a very relevant combination, for example).

Kindly observe a four hours moratorium. I'll try to be here for the most of it, and to answer as much as I can before the moratorium finishes. Voting will be opened for at least three days, but can't set a schedule for its closing.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning plan

[X] Plan Almost Everything
-[X] You will give it to the cult, come tomorrow's meeting. (It will be stored in the cult's safe room. The cult will learn about it, and will be able to use it.)
-[X] (ORDERS) You have summoned Baldomare, and bring the gift of Windigos. You also come with a warning… (This will teach the Inner Circle about the Ascent of Knives, and what lies there. You cannot predict what they will do with this knowledge.)
-[X] (LUNA) You went to Canterlot, and you tried to sneak into the Princesses' presence. It ended badly, and you learned that there are changelings working directly with Princess Luna. They obeyed her orders, so you are unsure if they are manipulating her, or if she somehow gained control over them.
-[X] (CADANCE) You have met Princess Cadance by chance, and neither her guards nor herself seem to be changelings.
-[X] (GARDEN) There was something in the Royal Castle that… existed. In all Histories. At the same time. You… have no idea what to make of it, but you know the Cult should know. (You will reveal them that you discovered something unusual).
-[X] (DETAILS) You have found a location that might be of interest to the Cult. (You will reveal the expedition site you have learned to the Cult).
-[X] (TWILIGHT) Twilight Sparkle, premier apprentice of Princess Celestia, has been swapped by changelings. You have also failed to scry for her. Finding her will surely be beneficial to the cult.
--[X] Mention that she IS the sister of one of the captains of the Royal Guard.
-[X] (DULL GLASS) You also knew about him and had him followed. He has been asking questions around, but so far you don't believe he has been doing anything worrying.
-[X] (EXTRA) You are now capable of producing reagents for use in rituals as sacrifices. However, the materials for higher-level reagents are, while not expensive on their own, very pricey when purchased in the amounts you need. Furthermore, due to the incident at Canterlot with Luna, you are out of favor with your family and are not currently in the financial position to produce multiple reagents a month.
-[X] (EXTRA) You have managed to successfully decipher an extremely old book associated with the sixth intensity of Lantern, emblazoned with the image of the Sun, Divided. You have not yet had time to read it, however.

- - -

You always feel exhausted, after these cult meetings. And this time, it was no different.

You wonder if you are the only one who is like this, but everything about it is just so... overwhelming to you. That dream-like and dark place, that reminds you too much of the Woods. The Master's presence, who seems to at the same time delight and judge everything you all say. The fact that you have to report all your doings to begin with, and you are able to realize just how short a time two months are.

That is why every time there you have to go to one such meeting, you always free up your whole day after that. So you can properly rest and ease yourself. You don't think anypony else notices it, but you always leave those reunions tense and on edge.

Although this last meeting was… different.

It has been a full day, almost. The Master's orders are already given, and you are sure everypony is already hard at work, or at least planning, how they will do their end of things.

But not you. You are still trying to pick yourself back up. Or rather, you are still trying to calm down.

Because you are still mad.

You are still fucking mad.

You are still furious, at that fucking show off that is Velvet Covers.

…

The Master was impassive, as Velvet began to say her piece. And for a moment, you felt vindicated.

After all, the Master had not said anything to anypony else either, so far. You weren't sure if that meant the Master was unimpressed, or simply not paying attention. But still, nopony else on the inner circle had received any sign of approval so far, not even a nod from the head. So, you have to admit it felt good to see Velvet receive the same treatment as the rest of you.

Even as the damned blabbermouth went on and on and on about how she was a noble, and how that made her better than everypony else. And how she managed to get into Canterlot and see two Princesses, and that she confirmed there were shapeshifters in the castle…

It was harrowing at first, to realize how much she had done more than you, in so little time. But still, you felt vindicated that the Master had yet to say anything.

That is… until the Master did say something.

It felt as if a fire had been lit, somewhere nearby, or as if the sun had started to rise all of a sudden, as impossible as that might have been. You are still not sure how to describe it. But still, you are sure that there was nothing there before, while Velvet spoke, and on the next moment there was this... this presence nearby, and-



"You say the alicorn of the night was there?"
"I… well… yes, Master. I saw her myself. She has returned, somehow, and the changelings are serving her."
"…"
"… may I continue…?"
"That… was one who is closer, perhaps…? It matters not… The alicorn you saw was false. A changeling, although one who could better fool you. Still, that does present an opportunity… continue."



And...

And it's so unfair! Why didn't the Master do anything… or even say anything to anypony else, except for her? Why didn't the Master say anything to you?! You are also trying your best, and… and…!


And if it wasn't for that fucking noblemare you'd be able to…!


But still, she was not even close to done. Far from it. And with every little thing she said, the Master's attention seemed to grow a bit more. Word after word.

She said something about a cave, underneath the Royal Castle, and the Master nodded.

She said something about a… was it a statue? You couldn't even understand it properly. But the Master could, of course, and once again the Master exchanged a few more words with her.

And then she talked about this scroll she got, and you could clearly see she was trying to put herself in a good light even though she didn't even read the damn thing.

And she kept going. She just went on, and on, and on, and fucking on and-…!

But the worst part came at the very end. Because of course she would keep the best for last.



"… Baldomare will aid us in our Lantern needs. And there is one last thing I would like to talk about."



She said that, and then she moved to the middle of the clearing. Then she took a… a small cloth-covered package, from one of her dress pockets, and put it on the ground for everypony to see.

You didn't know what was inside that package. You couldn't have known. But you immediately felt revulsion towards it. As if she had just placed the body of a dead critter there, or as if she had just told you a tale that would give you nightmares unless you forgot about it.



"There are things, higher up in the Mansus. And I have to warn all of you th-"
"Velvet," the Master almost immediately interrupted her, with a chuckle that had so far absent been on this meeting. "Did anypony warn you about what was waiting for you there…?"
"No Master. But… But that place is dangerous Master, they have to know what is up there and-!"
"The only thing that is higher in the Mansus, Velvet, is power. You have risen higher, so you have seen one of its faces. They have not."



And only after that did the mare finally shut up.

Although, for all that the Master had said that in an admonishing tone, you could still see a smile on the Master's face.

But what is more… those last words of the Master, they finally made you understand what happened. They finally made you understand what has been happening, this whole time. To the point that you almost think that those last words were directed at you, instead of Velvet.

It's the Mansus, isn't it? That is how she has been doing it, this whole time. That is how she has been gaining all the favor she has. That is why she is clearly the Master's favorite while the rest of you get scraps and leftovers.

You thought you were all in this together. You thought that exploring the Mansus was just her job, like everypony else in the Inner Circle has their individual tasks. You thought you could trust her.

But now that you think about it in hindsight…?

You feel stupid.

You feel like an idiot.

You feel that it should have been obvious. After all, Master asked Velvet to perform the summoning. Master has given Velvet all of the praises, and all the most critical assignments.

You feel like…

You… you…!

You hate her.

Lucky you, then, that you are very good at hiding it.





- - -

- - -

- - -





You are Velvet Covers, and you have just finished giving your report to your Master.

And you are now expectantly looking at her. The entirety of the Inner Circle is, actually.

Because so far, the Master has been uncharacteristically quiet, and you dearly hope that just means she is deep in thought.

Still, the seconds slowly pass by, turning into long and silent minutes as the six of you wait. The cloth covered bundle of furs still lying in the middle of the clearing, making you all deeply uncomfortable despite its apparent stillness.

Until the Master finally begins to speak.

"I have been rather absent, ever since I was brought to the Wake," she says, her voice still low and distant, almost as if only part of her attention is here. "And for good reason. Too much to see, too much to check… But more importantly, I have been looking for something, and I have found it."

She then begins to walk, slowly making her way towards the middle of the clearing. But still, you feel like there is something wrong.

You are accompanying the Master with your eyes as she walks, but for some reason you still feel like she is behind you… like she is all around you. Like she is something much larger than the thing you are seeing, and the body you are looking at is a mere puppet that is being absent-mindedly paraded in front of you.

You almost think you can see glimpses of them… of the strings that are attached to her limbs. You think you see the pale glimpses of the Mansus-moonlight reflecting off from them, every now and then.

"However, the recent events you have brought to my attention do change things a little bit. Your findings especially, Velvet."

She then picks up the cloth package in her hoof, and slowly undoes its wrapping with her mouth. Moments later, the cloth falls down to the floor, the bundle of furs revealed.

You see revulsion, in the face of some, and puzzlement in the face of others. Although Windy Flake's expression is the most surprising, as it somehow manages to turn into interest.

The Master, on the other hoof, merely gazes into the furs for a few more moments, as if thinking about something.

"You said you couldn't scry the unicorn, the one who has many connections. Which can only mean one of two things… that she is either dead, or that she is close to the sequestered alicorn. And in that, there is an opportunity… for I do not believe the stolen alicorn will be killed so easily, but this unicorn might, if too much time passes."

She then looks at Windy Flakes, and nods at him to come closer. The unicorn does so, and the Master gently presses the bundle of furs towards his waiting hooves.

It honestly disturbs you, that you see a glimmer in his eyes as he holds the fur and walks back to his place around the clearing.

"The opportunity lies in the fact that I have found the changeling hive, and it was in my plans to assault it and steal the alicorn from them. However…" she says, her body looking around towards all of you, "I had planned to consolidate further. Our base, as it stands, is still vulnerable, and we are already under scrutiny and suspicion from having so recently cleaned the infiltrators that were in our midst. The town, also, is still infested with their shapeshifters and spies. I would have wished to allow us more time to grow, before striking out…"

The Master's gaze passes over you in particular, and you swear that it lingered there for just a while longer.

"But this other unicorn… This second, if lesser, prize… changes things…"

And for perhaps the first time ever, the Master asks something she has never asked before.

"What... do you all think we should do?"



[] The prize is worth it. Strike while the iron is hot.

-The cult will have ONE month to prepare, and will attack the changeling hive at the end of turn 13.
-At the end of turn 13, before the attack, the Master will order Ponyville to be "cleansed" of changelings, to minimize the damage a possible counterattack might do.
-Your and Windy's orders for this month will be to prepare for the attack. You will be given options (Action Point costing "Fleeting Opportunities") to help the cult better prepare itself for the coming attack. Your aid will be mostly geared towards esoteric preparations.
-The Master will make herself absent, and order that "The Cult in Ponyville defers to Windy Flakes, for matters of the Wake, and to Velvet Covers, for matters of the Mansus" while she is absent. You will have to dedicate some of your time to help Windy run the cult.


[] The risk is too great. We are not prepared. Not yet.

-The cult will have AT LEAST two months to prepare. The Master will decide on the next meeting if the cult will strike immediately (at the end of the NEXT meeting) or wait even more time.
-Your orders will be to continue as you were. Raise Lantern for the cult, looks for summons, and raise Edge if at all possible.
-Come the attack, the Master will not order the cleanse, as the cult will have had more time to prepare and maneuver around the changelings infiltrated in Ponyville.
-The Master will not make herself absent.
-But more time will pass before the attack. How long can a regular pony survive as a changeling's prisoner?



"Regardless, we must not engage ourselves in a single path. I have ordered Comet Feet to return to Ponyville to prepare for our assault, and to see to the matters of hate and violence. Copper Secateur, establish a cult branch in Manehattan, I give you complete control over our interests there. Jade Whistle, move to Manehattan to aid her in the matters of the Mansus and establish proper Cult grounds there. Starry, see to the troubles of this investigator, for the laws of the Wake, even if pony-made, are still dangerous."

A gust of wind rises around the clearing without warning. And suddenly, the Master's physical body feels very small in front of you, while the Woods around you feel oh so very large…

"See to it," is all she says.

The six of you bow and take your leave shortly after.



- - -



Despite that, you will still tell about the Ascent of Knives, in private, to...
[] Comet Feet
[]Windy Flakes
[] Starry Dancer
[] Copper Secateur (you will write her a letter)
[] Jade Whistle

(Vote only for the ones you wish to talk to. Don't vote for any if you wish to tell no one.)



- - -



It feels slightly strange, to be back into the Cult's underground room and for there to be only five of you.

But it makes sense. Copper Secateur is still in Manehattan, and she must have arrived with the Master because she needed the Master to show her the way to the meeting.

Still, it is somewhat off-putting to not have her familiar presence as the five of you get together to discuss what you will do.

Or rather, as the three of you get together. Jade doesn't really participate in the conversation, and Comet Feet… well, to your surprise he has not left yet, but he is still standing a bit far away from you all, only hearing as you, Windy and Starry exchange a few quick words.

"Right, I have somepony I trust who can deliver you letters, even if it's at a moment's notice," Windy finishes saying, "and Starry is here in the club all the time, so I won't have any trouble reaching her."

You and Starry nod back at him, although you can tell you are all still a bit unnerved by the meeting you had just now.

"We'll keep in touch then," you say, excusing yourself and saying your goodbyes a few moments later.

You head towards the door that will take you to the underground corridor, and then to the stairs back up to the Wildhoof Club.

But before you can reach the exit, Comet Feet steps in front of you, blocking your way.

The movement is sudden, yet calculated. Calm but deliberate. To the point that you can't help but feel a slight hint of aggressivity from it. As if, although he merely walked two steps and stood in front of your way, he had actually somehow intercepted you. As if already the two of you were in some sort of conflict.

And that makes you feel slightly intimidated. Especially with how you have to look up to face him, even though you are already on the tall side of things as far as ponies go. And the fact that you look up to see his serious expression, somehow even more serious than usual, doesn't help your nerves at all.

You can feel the others looking towards you, you can feel Windy's and Starry's and Jade's gaze on your back, although you have no idea what their expressions look like. But you have a vague idea of what they must be thinking as well.

After all, although you know you are not in danger…

Comet Feet is still extremely dangerous. His very presence exudes it, almost like an aura or a mantle that he wears.

"I need your help," is all he says.

The fact that he is blocking your door makes you wonder how much he is asking for it, and how much of a choice you have, exactly.



[] "Now?" "Now." "Now-now?" "Now." "I, uh… have a chariot waiting for me and-" "I'll fly us there. And I'll bring you back." "I'm really not in shape for that, I… I got hurt, Comet. And cold winds and clouds will really only make things worse and-" "Velvet Covers… I… please…"

-You will go with him… whatever this is about. (This does not count as an Action Point expense for the coming turn.)
-You will receive a debuff to the "Do you heal your wounds?" roll at the end of this turn. This debuff is smaller than the +30 buff your Heart Artifact gives you.
-Comet Feet's expression cracked, near the end. And that made you remember that, indeed, he can't help but make others around him think he is dangerous.


[] "I'm sorry Comet, but I really can't."

-You will not go with him.



- - -



On the following day you received a letter, a small envelope mixed into the pile of correspondence that Ponpon gives you almost every day.

This one, however, stood out because you didn't know the address where it came from.

Although you recognized the calligraphy the moment you started to read it.

Hello, Velvet Covers.
I'm sorry to interru-
I wante d to talk to you yes

What do I do?

I know I should have found a place to stay by now. I know Tavvy is being nicer than she should but I know I'm being stupid. It's just a few months. It's really the only thing I can do to contribute. And even if it's more than a few months, I won't be disturbing anypony over there like I do here.

But I don't want to go?

I could write you. I could write Tavvy. It's just a few hours of train to visit. I'm being stupid.

But I wanna stay here with everypony?

What do I do Velvet? I'm


PS: Sorry for the scratches. But this was the third paper I took from my friend, and I didn't want to ask any more from her.​

The words were shakier and less readable the further down you went through the letter. And also even the… even the parchment itself felt strange… Maybe a bit strained?

For some reason, you couldn't shake off from your head the mental image that Jade stayed up the whole night, lying over the page as she thought, while she wrote that short letter.

You were out of your office, yelling Stormchaser that you would be leaving with the chariot, moments later.



Jade didn't look well. She's not in a bad shape, and you have seen her a lot worse, but she is not well either. Her neutral expression is certainly downcast, and she looks up to you hopefully, almost pleadingly, as you sit down next to her.

What should she do?

[] Go to Manehattan. It will be worth it in the long run, I promise. (You are worried about how this might affect her. You will LOSE Jade Whistle's actions for the following two months.)

[] You will send Baldomare in her place. This might be seen as you "countermanding" the Master, though. But Baldomare will certainly outperform what would be expected of Jade anyways. (You will LOSE Baldomare's actions for the following two turns. With the exception of the free "give Level 5 book" option, in case you find one.)

[] Suggest something else (WRITE IN)





A lot of votes, but they are all essential to set up the Turn Vote update for Turn 13.

Kindly observe a six hour moratorium. Vote in plans.

And I apologize for having less time to interact with the thread. But I'm still reading everything, and will reply if tagged. And I hope you have all been well!

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning Vote

[X] Plan: Tie-eye-eye-I'm, is on my siiiide. Yes it is, yes it is!
-[X] The prize is worth it. Strike while the iron is hot.
-[X] Tell the Ascent of Knives to,
--[X] No one.
-[X] "Now?" "Now." "Now-now?" "Now." "I, uh… have a chariot waiting for me and-" "I'll fly us there. And I'll bring you back." "I'm really not in shape for that, I… I got hurt, Comet. And cold winds and clouds will really only make things worse and-" "Velvet Covers… I… please…"
-[X]You will send Baldomare in her place. This might be seen as you "countermanding" the Master, though. But Baldomare will certainly outperform what would be expected of Jade anyways. (You will LOSE Baldomare's actions for the following two turns. With the exception of the free "give Level 5 book" option, in case you find one.)

- - -

You look at the stallion. That is, you look up at the taller stallion, as he stands between you and the only exit of this underground part of the cult.

And you can't help but to feel a little afraid.

You can tell that this is something subconscious of you. You can tell that this is more of an instinctual answer. But still, you can't help but feel it.

Just like you can smell the tasteless aroma of ice, coming from Windy Flakes somewhere behind you. Or like you can feel the burnt-candle scent of Jade, and the curious flowery perfume of Starry's presence, you can also feel that Comet Feet exudes danger.

The very first answer that comes to your mind, the obvious and level-headed answer that nearly jumps out of your mouth, is to deny him. Of course you should deny him. Of course anypony who has the slightest bit of common sense should do everything to stay away from him.

However…



"Velvet… I… please…"



However, the way he says that last word…

Everything else about him tells you otherwise. His posture, his glare, even the way he walked to stand between you and the exit. Everything else about him tells you that this is a threat, or at the very least a demand.

But that one word from him…

"Alright Comet, I'll… what can I help you with?"

That one word from him is a contradiction. A weak and lonely contradiction, when compared to everything else about him, but still a contradiction nonetheless.

One that reminds you that, perhaps, the things he does and the things he knows affects him in ways that he can't exactly control.

Just like they do to you.

"Hmm," the stallion doesn't answer you so much as he lets out a gruff neigh, turning around and going up the stairs before you can even answer.



- - -



Everypony knows that a pegasus' flight is how they express their magic. Their species can move clouds, cause wind gales, and even summon up hurricanes by simply flapping their wings. And anypony who thinks that they are any less magical than unicorns, just because their wings do not glow, is a fool.

But of course, like unicorns and earth ponies, every pegasus has a different amount of innate talent when it comes to their species' magic. And just like how a unicorn might be good with magic if they are born with a good horn, or have an easier time learning spells, pegasus also have several characteristics that when added up determines if they are good or bad fliers.

And it turns out that Comet Feet is an extremely strong flier.

You are a grown mare, and you are married to a pegasus. You know that carrying another pony on your back is not exactly hard, even if it is inconvenient for the flier, but you also know that any form of extra weight is not exactly a welcome addition.

However, you certainly did not expect for it to go how it went.


"Are you sure I'm not pressing against your wings?"
"You're fine."
"Alright… I hope this robe Windy gave me doesn't fall off… It does cover up my dress, so at least nopony will recognize me if they look up, but still…"
"Are you ready or not?"
"Just one more… okay, I'm rea-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"


You could feel every last closed wound inside of you strain painfully, after the stallion's wings gave but a single flap. And you weren't even done screaming, grabbing onto his neck for dear life, before you realized that you two were already way above the clouds.

It was the diametric opposite experience that you have from when your husband takes you for a stroll on the clouds. Comet Feet's flying was fast, almost brutal, and you almost felt like he was still accelerating even when he angled downwards to land.

But still, true to his word, it didn't take much time at all to reach the place he wanted to take you.



[You have received the malus "Not really helping it". You will receive a -15 penalty to this turn's Wound Healing dice rolls.]



- - -



You didn't look where he was going. For all that you could see the clouds zipping by you through your closed eyes, you weren't really paying attention. The entirety of your concentration was focused on keeping your forelegs locked around the stallion's neck, as you felt the rock-like muscles of his wings work under your chest.

In fact, the only indication you had that he was going down was when he gave out one last, gut-wrenching flap of his wings that all but compressed you against his back. For a nerve-wracking moment, you even thought one of your cuts had reopened or something.

But still, after that final arrest of momentum, everything around you finally quiets down.

"Down," you hear him say, and you slide out from his back almost as if you were made of liquid, and not of pony.

It takes you a few, several, seconds to finally get over the numbness that's all over your body. The sensation on your members slowly coming back to you almost one at a time. Your chest feels sore, and your wounds hurt, but as your hoofs touch the ground and you take a few moments to breathe, you can see that you aren't actually harmed. You are extremely uncomfortable, of course, but you are not any more harmed than you were before.

"Where," you say, taking a few moments to see if talking actually hurts you, "where are we again?"

You say that, and you slowly start taking off the suspiciously cult-y robe Windy gave you, that you used to cover your dress. After you are finally done, you take a proper look around yourself and realize that you… are…

Where in the heavens are you?

"Wait. I see Ponyville way over there, but…"

The two of you are on top of a small hill, of sorts. A grassy hill in what appears to be a clearing in the forest, with a few flowers here and there around where you are standing. It takes you a few seconds to reorient yourself, but soon enough you can see, from Ponyville's direction and the sun's position in the sky, that you are…

"We are close to the Everfree Forest?" you ask, turning to the stallion. "This is close to the place you were staying. But I don't remember seeing a hill like this when I came this way."

As you turn to the pegasus, you see that he is already making his way down the grassy hill. For a moment you think he is simply ignoring you, but before you can say anything else he waves a hoof for you to follow him. Right after that, he goes down the hill a few more steps, a small bush partially hiding him from you.

"Not a hill," is all he says, and you see him tapping down with a hoof towards the ground.

And you almost can't believe your ears. Because although you can't see his hoofs due to the bush that's between you two, you are absolutely sure you just heard his hoofs tapping against glass.

Your eyes go wide at the sheer strangeness of all this, and as you walk a few steps towards the stallion you nearly trip. The grassy soil of the hill, you realize moments later, apparently angles in a sudden and unexpected way that you didn't notice before.

That's when you realize the two of you are not on top of a small hill.

This is a house. You are on the roof of a small cottage, covered in plants.

And you have already been here before.

You look around you, and towards the ground level around the house, while everything slowly comes back to you. Yes, this is the place. You see the small bridge that goes over the river, the wooden rooftop of dozens of birdhouses, and even a vegetable garden behind the house that you had not noticed the last time you were here.

And it finally dawns you, at least in part, why exactly Comet Feet asked for your help. Well, you still don't know the reason but at least you know who this might involve.

As you finish your inspection of your surroundings you finally look back up at Comet Feet, and you realize he has a grimace of sorts on his face, once again tapping his hoofs against the sky-facing window of the cottage.

But much more strangely, or perhaps interestingly, you can see how his entire posture grows more tense, his wings opening up minutely on his side and his hindlegs tensing with each passing second. Heavens, you can almost smell how his impatience is slowly turning into the intent to smash the window.

However, one moment later all of that is gone, and Comet Feet once again turns into just a grimacing pegasus. That change of behavior coincides with you picking up a scent, weak to the point that you almost missed it, moving inside the house. A few seconds later, you see a yellow and pink blur moving behind the glass, and the window opens up.

"Oh, Comet Feet?", and you hear a voice, although it is not one you recognize. "You're back a lot earlier than I expected. When you said that, I thought you meant you'd be back some other day."

You tilt your head at that, coming a bit closer to see who is talking to him, exactly.

You are not exactly surprised to see that it's that mare to whom you delivered Comet's letter, months ago… her name was something-Shy? Well, you are not surprised it's her, since you doubt she would ever have any visits over.

But it does surprise you at how normally she is speaking. You realize, then, that you didn't recognize her voice because the last time you saw her she simply never spoke this normally.

"Hmm. Said I'd return," Comet Feet answers, although his grunt was the strongest part of his response. "Brought somepony with me, as I said I would. Can we come in?"

Fluttershy then finally realizes you are there, and you can see several different things running behind her eyes on the split second she looks at you.

You see a bit of surprise, that there is somepony else on her roof. Then you see a hint of hesitation, since there is now a third pony within a hundred meters of her secluded home. But finally, you see that she recognizes you.

You can still tell that she takes a few seconds to consider it, but something seems to convince her.

"Alright…" is all she says, although you notice her tone is slightly lower now that she knows you are here. Slightly less comfortable, which contrasts with just how strange it was that she sounded like a normal pony when she thought only Comet was here.

You do your best to school your expression, confused as you are by so many things, and simply follow Comet Feet in through the window.

The interior of the cottage is quiet, as you expected it to be. And everywhere you look you see the signs that the mare who lives here really avoids other ponies as much as possible. Down to little details like how the baskets she has hanging from one of the walls seems to have been hoof-made.

However, it is also more spacious than you thought it would be, to the point where you wonder if she doesn't feel a bit alone, sometimes and… Actually, the place also smells, and it's quite a strong smell at that. And when you factor that with how many birdhouses and everything else you saw outside, you give yourself a small nod as you conclude that the mare must quite literally prefer the company of animals over that of other ponies.

And the more you look, the more you see signs that a lot of those animals might even live here, with her. The question of why this place is so empty right now being quickly answered by the stallion walking in front of you.

"Well, um, here she is," Fluttershy says, and you snap out of your impromptu inspection of her house to look back towards her.

The cottage is two-storied, and the three of you are now on the ground level. You can see that Fluttershy just talked to the two of you, but most of her attention is aimed at a small crib-like bed that is in the middle of the room.

"Good," Comet says to her, moments later turning towards you and giving you a meaningful nod. "Velvet, do you mind?"

You honestly have no idea what is going on. Comet Feet didn't exactly say what he wanted your help with, and despite Fluttershy's slight hesitation at your presence, you can still tell that Comet Feet told her something about you. Or at least that Comet Feet told her something, and that she is has some sort of expectation or impression about you.

But whatever it is, naturally, the mare who literally has the word "shy" on her name doesn't seem at all interested in telling you what exactly she thinks you are doing here.

So, you do the best thing you can think of.

"Alright, give me a second," you say, making it clear that everything is happening exactly as you expected it would.

You say that, and you make your way to Fluttershy's side, immediately confirming that the thing in front of her is indeed a crib. A modified crib, made to fit wild animals about half a pony's size, but still a crib nonetheless.

And when you look into it, you see-

"Is this a…? What is it called again?"

You see a platypus.

"They're called platypus," Fluttershy says, her tone a bit clearer and less demure as her attention remains focused on the animal within the crib. "She got here a few days ago, almost too hurt to move, but I think that in less than a week she will be all better. I even took off her bandages just yesterday."

The mare says that, and you see a small smile on her face as she looks down on the sleeping critter.

And you…

Wait, hold on. How in the heavens did the situation come to this?

Why did Comet Feet bring you all the way here? Why is this mare, who you thought was mute for quite a while, acting so normally? And why in the heavens are the two of you looking down at a sleeping platypus?!

You back towards Comet Feet, hoping that Fluttershy won't notice, and you give him your best exasperated headshake in the hopes that he tells you what is… in the hopes that he tells you something!

But in response to your confused stare, Comet Feet simply rolls his eyes in frustration. A few moments later, he slightly raises one of his wings, and you see the conspicuous glint of one of the hidden blades he keeps under his feathers.

And then he glares at the sleeping platypus.

But why would he do th-…

Ohhhhhhh…



[Rolling Lantern]



"Well, I'm not exactly sure what Comet told you, but I know this and that… do you mind if I touch her?"

"Oh, not at all. I always appreciate a specialized opinion," she says with a nod, inching a few steps away to give you more room. "Her bruise was near her neck, so just be careful around there."

"Right," you say.

Although internally, your mind is spinning as you try to figure out what exactly she meant by "specialized opinion".

Did Comet Feet tell her you're a damned veterinarian or something?!

Still, you do your best to appear to be giving the critter an educated tapping-down. Of course, you don't know the first thing about animal medicine, and you dearly hope Fluttershy doesn't notice it, but you do check something far more important than that.

More specifically, you confirm that the platypus is, indeed, a platypus. And not something else.

"I don't see anything wrong with our friend here," you say, after your sorry excuse of a veterinarian inspection. But still, the two ponies next to you nod at that. And for entirely different reasons, you are sure.

"That is a relief," the mare says.

"Good-" Comet Feet also speaks up.

But before you can say anything else-

"-we are leaving," he continues without skipping a beat.

Fluttershy nods at that, as if it was only natural.

And before you even have the chance to ask the mare anything else, or even to voice a complaint, the stallion is already swooping you onto his back with his wings, marching upstairs towards the roof-window exit before the "Wait!" on your throat ever reaches your mouth.

You think you hear a low, but still honest, "have a nice day, Comet!" coming from somewhere downstairs.

But less than five minutes after you arrived at Fluttershy's house, Comet Feet is already taking the two of you to the skies with a violent clasp of his wings.





You have no idea what just happened.

Fluttershy is now…! Wait… no, she's still an acquaintance. But at least the platypus wasn't a changeling and… What in the heavens was all that about?!

Comet Feet is thankful to you, although he has not done anything to voice it to you.





- - -

- - -

- - -





"The Lies We Tell"

This not an exhaustive list. More of a helpful reminder.

Spoiler: The Lies We Tell: Stormchaser

Stormchaser has explicitly told you not to involve him or Silky Stream in anything occult related.

You HAVE told Stormchaser about the following:
-That Selene is Princess Luna, and that due to a great tragedy that befell her she cannot currently bear the weight of her memories
-That you have been part of a… "group" for several years now, and hid that from him
-That said group is led by a learned and powerful master, whom you can't exactly fully trust
-That you have been studying about certain "unusual" magics, to which your recent breakdowns or changes in behavior can be traced back to
-That the Worms, or some great threat to Equestria, exists

You have NOT told Stormchaser about the following:
-The more unsettling details about your Master's nature, or at least what little you have interacted with them (your husband does not know that your Master is... well, he thinks they are a regular pony)
-The murders you believe your cult has committed
-The cult's actions about Princess Luna's ritual and eventual disappearance
-Details about the cult itself, and details about the Lores.

Spoiler: The Lies We Tell: Rarity

You HAVE told Rarity about the following:
-That Selene is Princess Luna, and that you remain certain of that even though "Princess Luna" has returned to Canterlot
-That you are part of a Cult
-About the Lores, the Mansus and the Worms. Her depth and understanding of said pieces of information being her current level on the occult

You have NOT told Rarity about the following:
-The more unsettling details about your Master's nature, or at least what little you have interacted with them (your husband does not know that your Master is... well, he thinks they are a regular pony);
-The murders you believe your cult has committed
-The cult's actions about Princess Luna's ritual and eventual disappearance

- - -

Last turn's shopping list

(These are the items that you had the option to purchase last turn. They must be bought with the resources you had available then, but if bought will be immediately available for use or study at this turn.)

Last turn's available bits: 76

-[-] There is nothing available to buy, currently.

(Books not bought will be lost, other items will be available through the following turns, but have a chance of being sold to somepony else every turn)

- - -

The changeling invasion has been in Canterlot for "2" full month now.​

This turn's available bits: 113 (minus items you decided to buy)

Monthly revenue: 120 bits/month currently cut
Rarity's dividends for this turn: 37 bits



[] How much will you dedicate yourself to your family's affairs this month? (You must pick one)

Spoiler: Number of Actions

-[X] A sense of urgency: There has never been any need for this, not for this much at least. No more double-checking, no more zeal. There are far more important things to be done. (5 personal actions. Does not cause suspicion. DEFAULT PICK)

-[] A measured commitment: Give everything a once-over, sign everything in stacks. The farmlands won't just crumble and burn if you miss a few numbers this month. (6 personal actions. Might be noticed by those closest to you. Will not be noticed by the family head if you do not do this often.)

-[] A furious dedication: You will not be able to do what really matters if you dedicate so much of your time to such mortal affairs. Do as little as it is acceptable, then move on. (7 personal actions. Will worry those closest to you. Will be noticed by the family head, although you cannot say to what extent.)

-[] A desperate obsession: Everything is falling down, everything depends on this. You will not even enter your office this month. (8 personal actions. It is guaranteed that you will be called out for this.)


Regardless of your choice, you also dispose of ONE servant action and ONE cultist minions action (cultist minions do not mind performing suspicious actions, and will cover their expenses up to 40 bits).

[] You are wounded! (You currently have 1 wound. You must pick one of each option.)

Spoiler: Wounds

-For every single dice you roll, a success will only heal a single wound.
-All rolls are against a DC 70.
-You are currently afflicted by a "Not really helping it" malus, your rolls will suffer a -15 malus this turn.
-You currently have an Artifact in your possession. It shall grant you a +30 bonus for your roll.
-Your current Heart application bonus is +10 (since this is a long-term process, you cannot apply Attention of the Laws to it).

Rest, and time, are the only true remedies for a sick body. (You must pick one)
-[] You don't have time for this. (Costs 0 actions. You will only roll ONE healing dice.)
-[] Take a few breaks, every now and then. (Costs 1 action. Rolls TWO dice. 0/-15)
-[] You only have one body. Better take the time to care for it… (Costs 2 actions. Rolls THREE dice. 0/-15/-30)
-[] Your wounds are deep and numerous. You can't play around while you are like this. (Costs 3 actions. Rolls FOUR dice. 0/-15/-30/-45)
-[] You are almost broken. So, you will act accordingly. You need only your mind to plan vengeance. (Costs 4 actions. Rolls FIVE dice. 0/-15/-30/-45/-60)

The body will do its part. But science, and magic, may also provide. As long as you provide the proper "encouragement", of course. (The dices that auto-succeed will always be the ones that have the greatest penalty, and NOT the dices who roll the lowest results.) (You must pick one)
-[] You either don't care, or you don't have enough bits to care. Either way, your body will have to mend itself on its own terms. (Costs nothing.)
-[] The medicine taste is worse than its appearance. But it is exactly what you need, if they are to be believed… (Costs 30 bits. One dice will auto-succeed)
-[] There is no holy grail for healing magic, no miraculous wound-closing spell. But vigor-enhancing spells, and other small boosts, are a thing. The crystals where they are stored for sale are expensive, though… (Costs 60 bits. Two dice will auto-succeed)
-[] It costs extra to have a nurse follow you back from the hospital. But everything is a service, and everything is for sale, if you have the bits for it. (Costs 90 bits. Three dice will auto-succeed)
-[] These are not illegal, they are just extremely hard to find. The fact that they are so hard to find that no regulation agency cared to declare them illegal, on the other hoof, is just a small detail. (Costs 120 bits. Four dice will auto-succeed)
-[] Most of the bits are to pay for his silence. His skills, however, are not to be disregarded. The doctor is so quiet that you sometimes forget he is even there, but he is never more than ten hoofsteps away from you. (Costs 150 bits. Five dice will auto-succeed)

[] Do something about your foes

Spoiler: Foes

Inspector Dull Glass
-The inspector has been around and asking a few questions. But despite his Crown-given authority, he has yet to exert his power in any noticeable way. Or at least, he has not yet reached to the local guard to employ them.
-Rarity has been keeping an eye on him throughout the last month.

-[] (DULL GLASS) Have somepony tail him, see what he has been doing. (This action requires dedicated time, and is best done by a servant or a minion than by a single action from yourself)

-[] (DULL GLASS) Do something about him. Talk to him, trick him, hurt him. (Write in what)



An infiltrated changeling (Twilight Sparkle)
-She has not been doing anything suspicious. But seeing how she is an infiltrator, just going about a regular day is information-gathering, right?
-A Flourishing Risen has been stalking her throughout the last month.

-[] (NOT!TWILIGHT) Have somepony tail her, see what she has been doing. (This action requires dedicated time, and is best done by a servant or a minion than by a single action from yourself)

-[] (NOT!TWILIGHT) Do something about her. Talk to her, trick her, hurt her. (Write in what)

[] Confidants and Summons
(Baldomare is UNAVAILABLE for orders)

Spoiler: Options of Focus

-The ponies and creatures listed below can be given a "focus" for this turn. Not mentioning them will incur in their "default picks" being selected. Be wary, also, to the "expiration date" of summons.
-The ponies and creatures listed below may be safely taken for a single one-turn (five days) Expedition without hampering their "focus". Taking them for a two-turn (6+ days) or greater Expedition will cause them to not execute their selected "focus".

Spoiler: Rarity

Rarity (currently an Initiate, GRAIL Level 1, FORGE Level 0):

Current Health: 3

-[X] Focus on her work. She has a contract with high-end merchants and a noble family, after all. (DEFAULT PICK) (She will still work on her designs if this is not picked, but there will be a chance for this month to be a "failure" by her reckoning)
-[] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN, and Rarity will accompany you while you perform them, giving narrative advantages or mechanical buffs as needed)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool, Rarity will perform it to the best of her abilities, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] The Bright Library has enough knowledge for her to learn on her own. Tell her to focus on her studies, so she may turn into a Disciple. BRIGHT LIBRARY INSUFFICIENTLY LEVELED
-[] Call her, you have a lot of things to tell her… and then a few introductions to make. (Induct her into the cult)
-[] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] Other (WRITE IN, in case you have a viable idea that I have not thought about. Certain ideas might even enter this list if they make sense)

Spoiler: Jade Whistle

Jade Whistle (currently a Disciple, LANTERN Level 3, HEART Level 1):

Current Health: 3

(You are personally worried that Jade might react badly if she fails on an action she attempts)

-[X] As per orders. She will go with the motions, as she usually does, and focus on her assignment given by the Master. (DEFAULT PICK)
-[] "You do you." Let her do whatever she wants for once. It might do her some good, both mentally and personally.
-[] Accompany you, and lend her hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN, and Jade Whistle will accompany you while you perform them, giving narrative advantages or mechanical buffs as needed)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool, Jade Whistle will perform it to the best of her abilities, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] The Bright Library has enough knowledge for her to learn on her own. Tell her to focus on her studies, so she may turn into an Seeker. (This will level her up, at the expense of her own focus action instead of an action of your own) BRIGHT LIBRARY INSUFFICIENTLY LEVELED
-[] Lead an Expedition. (Select her as the leader of an Expedition in which you will not take part, plan the other details of the expedition accordingly. You will still have to fund the Expedition yourself)
-[] Jade mentioned she has a... feeling, about Selene. She'd like to investigate it, if that's alright. (Require Selene's Knock level 2)
-[] Other (WRITE IN, in case you have a viable idea that I have not thought about. Certain ideas might even enter this list if they make sense)

(Flourishing Risen will expire at the end of the current turn)

Spoiler: Flourishing Risen

Flourishing Risen (MOTH Level 2, WINTER Level 2):

Current Health: 1

-[X] Stick to the shadows. (DEFAULT PICK) (The Flourishing Risen will stalk you, but otherwise will not act. By doing so it will be close by to jump to your defense if you suddenly find yourself in danger.)
-[] Stalk. (WRITE IN WHOM) (The Flourishing Risen will stalk a target of your choice, but otherwise will not act. It will jump to your target's defense should they suddenly find themselves in danger.)
-[] Accompany you, and lend a hoof. (Pick HALF of your own personal actions, rounded DOWN. The Flourishing Risen will help you in those actions to the best of its abilities)
-[] Act as your emissary. (Pick an EXTRA action from your own pool. The Flourishing Risen will perform it, ALONE, and report to you later)
-[] Lead an Expedition. UNINTELLIGENT summons cannot be trusted with leading an expedition.
-[] Other (WRITE IN)

Spoiler: Selene

Selene (MOTH 2; WINTER 2; EDGE 2; KNOCK 1):

As an alicorn, Selene has TWO actions.

-[X] Go play. (Selene will live a normal and happy life. This option costs one of her actions, it will always be picked, and there is nothing you can do to stop it.)
-[] Perhaps it is time to confirm it, that curious inkling she always had. (Teach Selene the final lesson of MOTH)
-[] There is something that she must learn now… for everypony's sake. (Teach Selene the final lesson of WINTER)
-[] She cannot shy away anymore. Not from this. (Teach Selene the final lesson of EDGE)
-[] There is always something more to be learned from our dreams. (Subtly teach Selene a lesson of KNOCK)

[] Before this month starts, you will perform a ritual to draw the attention of [SPECIFY LORE] (This is a free action to summon "The Attention of the Laws")



[] Before this month starts, you will write uncle Steppes! [SPECIFY ACTION]
(Pick an action and ask if he can help. He may not be able to help, depending on the context, but there is no way of knowing beforehand. Do not pick this option if you don't want to ask his help this month.)



[] No more running, no more hesitation. If you don't do this, somepony else will, and that thought sometimes terrifies you.

Spoiler: The Dreams come, whether you like it or not

This is your monthly free Mansus exploration. You must pick a single action. You will suffer a malus if there are no new locations to explore (but reaching a Door will give you a "grace" period of a few turns)
-[] The Woods
--[] (FREE ACTION)There has to be somewhere in or around the Woods you have not yet seem. Looking for them will help you understand this place better.

-[] The Blank Plains
--[] (FREE ACTION) You see other things, other places, in the more distant hills. Almost as if a light came from them. Head that way and see what you might find.

-[] The Shattered Stairways
--[] (FREE ACTION) A labyrinth of stairs. A monument of a gone age. A sprawling ruin. See where the many paths might lead you.
--[] Seek audience with the Wolf-Divided (you will be given a useful gift. Gifts will always be increasingly more precious and useful. There is no risk of receiving any maluses or wounds) [This is a Regrettable Action]

[] A fleeting opportunity (rumor mills spin, opportunities come and go. These actions will never be available again)

Spoiler: Another moment, and they will be gone

-[] Your uncle is right, you should write your father a letter… although it will not be easy. (You will write your father an apology, and you will promise you will not leave Ponyville, as well as general promises to be "faithful" to the family)

-[] What was that exactly, with Comet Feet…? He cut your "visit" short, but you feel like you might learn something more if you give Fluttershy a visit.

-[] In one month's time, your Master shall summon the cult to strike against the changelings. There are certain things you can do, to help in preparations. (If you do not help the cult in any way, the cult will summon TWO Windigos, and will produce a LANTERN Level 2 list to give Comet Feet, when the Master order him to hunt down the changelings in Ponyville)
--[] Guide the rituals. Summon the horrors. Their evils shall serve a greater good. (The cult will summon TWO additional Windigos) (May be picked repeatedly)
--[] Write the list. Mark the targets. Shine light upon the shadows. (You will upgrade the list of changelings in Ponyville, based on a roll AND your Lantern level)
--[] Some call them blessings. Others call them tools. Whatever they may be, they are essential. (Help cast Influences and AotL for the ponies who the Master picks to strike against the hive)
--[] Not a permanent solution. But there are a thousand small things that can make a difference on a critical moment. Teach them to the best and brightest. (Write in THREE Lores. The Cult will receive a one level-up bonus for this turn, for UNNAMED cultists picked to go to the strike against the hive)

[] On what must be done
-[] Help Windy Flakes run the cult.



[] On the treasures that bits may buy (actions where you search for things to purchase)

Spoiler: Bits and Buyings

-[] There are books that could be of use. You should start looking for them.
--[] In Ponyville, and its… great assortments of libraries? (no extra cost) (HEART, FORGE)
--[] In the great libraries of Canterlot… the ones that are open to public access, that is (20 bits in transportation) (applies "Royal Favor") (LANTERN, GRAIL, SECRET HISTORIES)
--[] In the many small bookshops that dot the side streets of Manehattan (35 bits in transportation) (MOTH, EDGE, KNOCK)
(Due to SECRET HISTORIES 3, now you have a better idea of what you are more likely to find in each city)

-[] The cult now has an appropriate place to meet, but you could still use a discrete location that is all your own. Scout for a suitable place, or other buildings that might be for sale.

-[] Although you are personally judicious about such habits, you are still a noble. Searching for "peculiar items" to "add to your collection" is certainly not out of place… right?

-[] You haven't forgotten about it, you just put it on hold until a more convenient time. (Purchases done here will arrive/be completed at the end of this turn.) (Does NOT cost an action)

--[] NO ARTIFACTS AVAILABLE

[] On furthering your influence

Spoiler: In Ponyville

-[] In Ponyville

--[] You now have a better grasp of the merchants in Ponyville, having had several letters of introduction sent around in your name. But what would you like to do next?
---[] Meet a few of them, and ingrain them to your cause. (WRITE IN if you will try to win them as personally loyal to you, or if you will point them in the direction of the cult)
---[] They are bit handlers, and that means they are a source of income. "Borrow" a few bits from your family and do a few quick investments. Everything will be back to its place by the end of the month, and you will be a little richer for that. (Attempt to gain a few more bits on the side, using your family's fortune as a lever)
---[] They know somepony who knows somepony who knows somepony. Use that to your advantage. (Ask them to search for an artifact. Specift LORE and LEVEL, up to Level 3. It will be added to your available list, but will be more expensive than normal)
---[] Something else. WRITE IN.

--[] Ponyville's local guard is, according to Windy Flakes, slowly slipping into the Cult's pockets. Get a hoof in on that process. It wouldn't hurt anypony there to know they should also listen to you as well.

--[] A pony needs not to be a faithful of your cult in order to be useful, said pony needs only know what to report to whom, and when to keep one's mouth shut. Ponyville has an underworld, small as it might be, and their eyes and ears could be useful. Attempt to contact them.

--[] There is a house near the outskirts of town. One which very nearly got burned to the ground. You know its sole owner will not step hoof in it for a long while, but you surely can put it to use, right? Highly suspicious (Your first turn there will be spent "cleaning up" the most alarming things of the house. Further cleaning will surely be needed, but after this first once-over its suspicion level will lower)

Spoiler: In Manehattan

-[] In Manehattan (all options cost 35 bits in transportation)

--[] Copper Secateur has been ordered to expand the cult into Manehattan. This will not be easy, and you could certainly help her. The fact that you will gain more influence in that branch of the cult as you help her is merely coincidental.

--[] Manehattan has a guard. Local guard, a constabulatory, police center, whatever they call it. Get to know them, that is always the first step.

--[] Manehattan most certainly has an underworld. Crime is much easier to commit in a place like that, you see. Go there and see what you make of it.

Spoiler: In Canterlot

-[] In Canterlot

--[] Reach out to your family, at least the ones you go along well with.
---[] Reach out to your mother, as much as it might be… complicated. (costs 20 bits in transportation)
---[] Attempt to locate your older brother, Velvet Wings, as much as it might be difficult. (attempt to locate him, at first, via correspondence)
---[] Go there yourself and try to talk to your younger brother, Velvet Pride, although getting caught will probably be bad. (costs 20 bits in transportation, involves invading your family's own mansion)

--[] Reach out to other minor nobles of Canterlot.

--[] Reach out to other higher nobles of Canterlot, although that might be more complicated.

[] On aiding the cult

Spoiler: The Wildhoof Club

-[] You are the Loremaster! You are supposed to help your Master teach the faithful in the cult all manners of eldritch knowledge. Get to writing a Manifest on a Lore! [SPECIFY LORE] (Will produce a "book" to be added to the Bright Library, said book will be of the same level as your current level on the chosen Lore)

-[] Help Comet Feet
--[] Try to spend some time with it, plain and simply. No other way to get to know him.
--[] Now more than ever, he is probably preparing for what is to come. Lend him a hoof.

-[] Help Starry Dancer
--[] Now that you know her a bit better, you can always just spend time with her.
--[] Her current assignment is to "take care" of the investigator in Ponyville. And that is a very broad and open term. And that worries you, considering who we are talking about. Go help Starry.

-[] Help Copper Secateur
--[] She is gone from Ponyville, and is currently working to further the cult's interests in Manehattan. Reach out to her. (Costs 35 bits in transportation. WRITE IN what you would like to do involving her.)

-[] Help Windy Flakes
--[] You realize you don't know very much about him at all. Time to remedy that.
--[] His business is all set up, and now he has to run it. And do you know who is good at running businesses? That's right, you are.

-[] Actually, you just want to chat with somepony. (Write in who, if it's an Inner Circle member or if you want to get to know more about the Cult in general. Write in if there is a specific subject to talk about. Talking to ponies outside of Ponyville costs transportation.)

[] On planning an Expedition.

Spoiler: Out into the World

-[] "Beneath the Royal Castle"
--[] Scout out the place so you can have a better grasp of what lies ahead of you. (costs 20 bits in transportation) Scouted via ritual
--[] You know enough, and there is not much time. Gather your followers and head out. (Write in how many actions you will invest on this. An expedition will start at the end of this turn.)

[] On furthering your knowledge.

Spoiler: The allures of Power

-[] The matters of [SPECIFY LORE] intrigues you, petition your cult's Master for a lesson (currently willing to teach all Lores up until level 5, gives a single scrap of Lore WITHOUT triggering a test) Your Master is unavailable this turn

-[] A boon? A gift? A trade? Petition your Master for something. (WRITE IN WHAT. She walks the Wake, so talking to her is now less complicated. She may, however, ask for something in return for a boon. She may also react in an entirely unexpected way). Your Master is unavailable this turn

-[] There is something about this… thing, and you must learn what it is (pick two artifacts to learn from their Lore, and check it for hidden abilities).
--[] No artifacts available. (Unless if recently bought)

-[] It doesn't have to be just during a leisure weekend evening, you can fit a few minutes of reading even when walking between rooms if you really get into it! (Pick up to three books to attempt to learn a scrap of Lore. Consumes books).
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 1. "A small book that covers a particular kind of elegant dancing".
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 2. "A novel about a mare who fell in love with a drummer, the romantic parts all written in rhyming poetry".
--[] BOOK, HEART Level 3. "A study about yak culture. The part about their history and folklore is of little use. The chapters about their songs, however…".
--[] BOOK, FORGE Level 1. "A small handbook on camping, explaining the basics of how to build a tent and start a small fire".
--[] BOOK FORGE Level 3. "A real guide to beginner's level blacksmithing. The bookstore owner almost seemed excited in having this reach your hoofs via your servants."
--[] BOOK, KNOCK Level 2. "A fairly recent, and short, book about dream interpretation. You know it is recent because it was dedicated to Princess Luna's return".
--[] BOOK GRAIL Level 3."A novel telling the forbidden romance between a foreign spy and a soldier. The writing is not as spicy as the theme would suggest, but the details is goes into to describe the conflict they feel is intriguing."
--[] BOOK EDGE Level 1. "The title is self-explanatory: 'Four self-defense spells every unicorn should know'. You doubt they are anything more than different variations of concentrated telekinesis."
--[] BOOK LANTERN Level 6. "An ancient, and enormous, hardcover tome written in an unknown language. You are not even sure what its title is, if it even has one, but the symbol laid on its front was enough for you to understand what it is about. On its cover you can clearly see the icon of a Sun, Divided." (DECIPHERED, will grant +one Lantern Lore if studied, small risk of FASCINATION.)

--[] Some other book (select a book you have bought this turn)

-[] This thing is ancient, and its secrets were nearly lost. You will have to first understand it before you can begin to learn from it. (Decoding a book requires dedicated research, your progress being based on a study roll. Reaching at least 50% of the total progress will "reveal" the total amount needed.") No untranslated tomes available

[] On scaling the Mansus (Pick TWO options for every action spent)

Spoiler: The House without walls

-[] The Woods
--[] Wander around the Woods, and hear its many whispers.
--[] There are other places connected to the Woods, but that are not in the Mansus proper. Look for them.

-[] The Blank Door
--[] Explore the Blank Plains, the first afterlife of ponykind.
--[] Visit the Lodge of the Sage Pony. You may not be able to talk to Baldomare, but you surely can listen very well.
--[] There are other parts connected to the Blank Plains. Look for them.

-[] The Shattered Stairways
--[] There are other markings to be followed within this maddening labyrinth of stairs. Follow them.
--[] Seek audience with the Wolf-Divided (you will be given a useful gift. Gifts will always be increasingly more precious and useful. There is no risk of receiving any maluses or wounds) [This is a Regrettable Action]
--[] This… this is the way upwards. (You still need to completely explore ONE more within the Shattered Stairways)

[] On more personal matters

Spoiler: Home and heart

-[] Of course you love your family very much, but you could always spend a bit more time with them.
--[] Just another pleasant day that you will spend with them. Perfect for cooling your head off.
--[] Alright, this might be a BIT on the cult-y side, but… why not start giving your family subtle hints of Lore here and there? You might catch their attention, or perhaps even their interest. (Stormchaser will surely see this as a major breach of trust)
--[] WRITE IN (other ways to spend time with your family, or anything else)

-[] Bits are the engine of Equestria! You have been working your hooves off for years now, so it won't be seen as scandalous if you write a letter to your father requesting an increase in your share of the family's grants… right?

-[] You do know "your place" in the family, but bits are still important. A letter asking for a one-time gift will surely be better received than one asking for a permanent "raise", right?

-[] You really shouldn't, but needs must. Every single ledger from the farms east of Ponyville pass through you, it would be a simple matter to have some "administrative mistakes" make some bits disappear from the coffers and appear in your pockets.
--[] Have a servant do it, having an actual scapegoat is ideal if things go wrong.
--[] Do it yourself, it's better this way.
--[] Wait, right, the Wildhoof Club. Get in touch with Windy Flakes, and see how serious he was when he mentioned the whole "laundering bits" thing.

-[] Go into town and try to meet somepony interesting.

-[] Sit down and work on a letter. Reach out to nobles who do not live in Canterlot. They, much like yourself, might not be deeply entangled on the webs of politics that surround the capital, but that just means they can also act with more freedom, right?

-[] Much to your own satisfaction, you now have a personal life outside of your maids, immediate family and business related meetings. You could choose to spend some time with… (SPECIFY if it will be "a social call" or "a step forward to converting said pony". SPECIFY if "you are willing to spend bits on this", for that little extra leverage)
--[] Teach Rarity yourself, and have her turn into an Disciple Insufficient personal levels
--[] Induct Rarity into the cult
--[] Teach Jade Whistle yourself, and have her turn into a Seeker Insufficient personal levels
--[] Twilight Sparkle, who leads the bearers of the Elements of Harmony
--[] Cheerilee, your daughter's schoolteacher
--[] Mayor Mare, the de-facto ruler of Ponyville
--[] Filthy Rich, a well-to-do and wealthy bussinespony
--[] Fluttershy, the recluse mare who lives on the outskirts of Ponyville
--[] WRITE IN (arrange to take your daughter to meet some of your younger acquaintances, or plan something else entirely)

[] On invoking the Lores (see RITUALS for more information, as well as CD and cost. SPECIFY if you will offer SACRIFICE)

Spoiler: The old ways

The White Room, and the cult's cupboards:
-3 live changelings stored in the White Room
-A Bundle of Fur (currently 4/4)

Your own reagents, and other possible sacrifices:
-All of your Artifacts
-HEART, level 1 reagent

-[] It's actually a lot simpler than it sounds, now that you know what you are doing (produce a reagent, write in which Lore/combination of Lores. Cannot produce a reagent with a Lore level superior to your own.) (Producing a single reagent is a FREE ACTION, producing 3 costs 1 action, 5 costs 2 actions, so on.)
--[] Level 1 reagent (5 bits)
--[] Level 2 reagent (20 bits)
--[] Level 3 reagent (45 bits)

-[] It's grim work, but needs must.
--[] Acquire a dead body from the local cemetery.
--[] Acquire a live pony for the White Room.

-[] "The proper things, in the proper manner, in the proper order. God help us all." (Perform a Ritual)
--[] "The Attention of the Laws" (specify Aspect)
--[] "The Rite of Childhood's End"
--[] "The Forge's Redemption"
--[] "The Incision of the Heart"
--[] "The Path Through Nightmares" (specify target)
--[] "The End is Beautiful" (specify target)
--[] "The calling of Influence" (specify Aspect)
--[] "The Reflection of the Tapestry" (specify subject)
--[] Invoke a Risen (SPECIFY dead body used as source. ONE Risen is a FREE ACTION)

--[] Invoke Baldomare

--[ ] To be performed at your cult's gathering place, where it is discreet. But the cult will know of your actions.
--[ ] To be performed at your own home, where the cult will not know of your actions, but you probably will be discovered or leave traces of it. (Disallows the use of the cult's Cadre and possessions)
--[ ] To be performed on another location (you do not yet know or own any such location)

[ ] Others WRITE IN (anything, but I will have to consider it, and it might make the voting period a bit longer)





Remember that write-ins for anything may be suggested. I'll do my best to answer if they are reasonable in a timely manner.

There will be at least 48 hours of voting.

Velvet Covers is devoted to taking care of Selene. Actions that may ultimately lead to said duty being threatened will be extremely difficult to pull off. QM will comment if anything like that is being voted on.

Kindly observe a SIX HOUR MORATORIUM before voting.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Winning plan

[X] Plan Staying at Home and Writing Letters
-[X] A sense of urgency: There has never been any need for this, not for this much at least. No more double-checking, no more zeal. There are far more important things to be done. (5 personal actions. Does not cause suspicion. DEFAULT PICK)
-[X] You don't have time for this. (Costs 0 actions. You will only roll ONE healing dice.)
-[X] The medicine taste is worse than its appearance. But it is exactly what you need, if they are to be believed… (Costs 30 bits. One dice will auto-succeed)
-[X] (Servants) Look for books in Ponyville.
-[X] (Cult Minions) Assist with summoning Windigos.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Tail not!Twilight
-[X] (Rarity) Call her, you have a lot of things to tell her… and then a few introductions to make. (Induct her into the cult)
-[X] (Jade) Search for changeling infiltrators in Ponyville
-[X] (Selene) Knock.
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Grail: Talk with Rarity.
-[X] (Knock) Find a new location in the Woods.
-[X] Read books: Grail 3, Heart 2, Heart 3.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Assist with casting Influences and AotL.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Write Letter to Father
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Visit Fluttershy
-[X] Help Windy Flakes run the cult.

- - -



You gulp down the medicine, grimacing at the bitter taste as the viscous fluid makes it way down your throat.

You hate it. You hate having to take this thing four times a day. You hate how it smells, you hate how it looks like oil, and you hate the fact that you know it tastes worse than oil, even though you obviously have no idea what oil tastes like.

But still, for all that this might be uncomfortable to the extreme, and for all that no amount of tea manages to completely wash down the horrible taste, you still know this to be necessary. After all, you are feeling better as the days go by. You also have not come down with a fever ever since you started taking the remedy, and most importantly you didn't have any further or nastier complication like one of the wounds becoming infected or the likes.

So, you have to admit that this distasteful and uncomfortable decision of taking the remedy… is actually the best thing you could be doing right now.

At least when it comes to taking care of your wounds.

And as you close the lid of the oily medicine with a flick of magic, reaching for your cup of tea with a slight sense of urgency, you can't help but see the irony in all of this. This whole tirade about a bitter medicine being the best decision on the long run.



After all, you are about to swallow several other, equally bitter medicines.

You just hope that these other remedies are also for the best. Because you know that you won't enjoy them in the slightest.



"Darling are you alright?" Rarity says, for what must be the third time ever since she arrived. And you try your best to put a smile on your face as you wave her concerns away.

But you can tell from her expression that, just like the other times, your smile isn't really doing much to reassure her.

"Just the medicine, Rarity. I wish I could say the tea helps, but…" you say, letting out a tired sigh. "But more importantly, now that we're all settle down, I think we should get to it."

Rarity nods at that, her expression turning from worry to concentration as she pays you her full attention.

You look back at her blue eyes as she looks at you expectantly, and you can't help but feel a last shred of hesitation at what you are about to do. After all, this will not be pleasant. It will not be pleasant for anypony. And for all that you will try your damnest to pick the best possible words, and to go about it as calmly as possible, there just isn't a way to sugarcoat or soften everything you are about to tell her.

But you can't avoid doing this anymore. You no longer have time. The current situation is forcing your hoof, and you need Rarity's help. In everything. You need another set of hoofs you can trust. And besides, seeing how the situation currently is… seeing how it involves Twilight now…

Well, you don't have a right to withhold this from her. Not anymore. You don't have the right to keep her out of this.

Although you'll still do your best to be gentle in your wording.

"Rarity, before I begin, I need you to promise me two things," you say, and the mare is already nodding before you even say what those things are. Still, you go on anyways. "The first thing is that you will hear everything I have to say, all of it, before you ask anything."

"Of course, Velvet, I promise," she says, still nodding, her expression growing more serious as she hears your tone of voice.

"The second thing…" you trail off, hoping the little plan you have in mind, regarding this conversation, pays off.

You look at Baldomare, sitting to your left, and she gives you a small nod of encouragement. Then you look towards Jade, and you can somehow tell that, even though her expression is as neutral as ever, she is also feeling tense about this.

"The second thing I need you to promise me is that… I invited Twilight over, and she should be here in one or two hours. She won't be long, and I'll talk to her on the main hall. But while she is here, I want you to take a peek at us from upstairs, while we talk, as subtly as possible. Baldomare will show you… something, while you do that, and I need you to promise me that you will try your best to keep your calm."

You see Rarity purse her lips at that. She still gives you a nod, that she will do what you asked, but you can see clearly in her eyes that she is confused about what you just said.

And you cherish it, that spark of innocence and ignorance you see in her expression. You try your best to commit it to memory, because you know that once that ignorance is gone… this whole experience will leave you all with a bitter taste on your mouths.

"It will make sense when it happens. I promise… Now, let me tell you how I got hurt… a short version of it, at least. And then I'll work my way through the preceding months, until the day that… until the day that Princess Luna disappeared from the Royal Castle."

The oily and bitter taste of the medicine hangs on to your tongue as you speak.

But that is soon overpowered by an even worse sensation, as you watch Rarity's expression turn into one of disbelief, then surprise, then horror. But still, you explain to her almost everything that has happened this last year.

You leave very few details behind.

And all those omissions, without exception, are for her own good.



- - -



Everything went well.

Or rather, everything went as well as it possibly could.

"That… that thing… it wasn't Twilight…" Rarity whispers to herself, the cup of tea she is floating in front of her shaking as if she was holding it with a trembling hoof.

She says that, and even though she is not looking at anywhere in particular, you still nod you head. Your lips pursed as you watch her shocked expression.

"But darling we… we have to tell somepony and-" she says, but the words get stuck in her mouth, and you can practically see the thoughts running through her head as she recalls everything you told her.

That Twilight was taken, apparently, after she went alone to the Royal Castle.

That you have already tried looking for her with magic. With Baldomare having performed the ritual nonetheless.

That less than a week ago your Master confirmed that Princess Luna is one of them, and that Princess Celestia has quietly disappeared.

You gently take her teacup away with a flick of your own horn, seeing how Rarity might simply forget she is floating it at any moment judging by how shocked she is.

"I, I mean… we have to do something!" she says, finally looking towards you, her expression exasperated and frightened. "They got Twilight and… and there's more of them in Ponyville? In Canterlot? These… these monsters are also everywhere el-?!"

"Shh, shh, calm down Rarity," you say, raising a hoof as you get off from your seat, and sitting on the ground in front of her. You take one of her hoofs as you try to calm her down.

Rarity's hoof is shaking.

And you are not quite sure if it's because she is angry or scared. You feel like she could tip towards either of them at a moment's notice.

"Calm down?" she asks with an anguished voice, but at least she's gone back to whispering at you, "Velvet these things you told me, I… we have to do something!"

"I know, and… Rarity," you put your hoofs on her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, "Rarity, I know, and I agree with you. And I need you to believe me that everything I've been doing, this whole time, I did towards this 'something'. To make things better. And I'm telling you all of this because I trust you, and because I need help."

The mare keeps staring into your eyes as you say that, and she continues to do so when the two of you fall silent.

Her expression is a mixture of many emotions. Of too many emotions. You can see that she is on the verge of panic. You can see that she might just snap at any moment and begin shouting angrily. You even think you see a flicker of hurt in her eyes, perhaps because you have been keeping all of this from her, or maybe because she is simply scared for what happened to Twilight.

But you can also see that she is slowly piecing together everything you told her so far. And you dearly hope that the fact she has not said anything yet means that she agrees with you, or at least that she doesn't know what you could have done differently.

Until finally, in a painfully slow movement, she gives you a single, hesitant nod.

"Darling I…" she tries to say something, but the words die in her mouth. "We have to help… those things got to Twilight and…"

She tries to say something, anything, but her thoughts keep grinding to a halt. She looks at you as if asking for help, then at Jade, and then at Baldomare. Until finally she faces you once again and puts her own hoofs on your shoulders.

"Velvet, what do we do?" she asks, her expression settling into one that is completely lost.

You purse your lips at that, and you take a deep breath as you prepare to swallow another bitter remedy.

You really wish you didn't have to do this. Not like this. Not under these circumstances.

But you have to. You need Rarity's help. Rarity wants to help, both you and Twilight.

So, you don't really feel you have a choice anymore.

"One thing at a time, Rarity. First of all, I need you to help me from within the cult. They're our best shot at too many things, and we need more ponies in there that we can trust, if we are going to steer it into the right direction. After we are done here, I need you to go with Jade and…"

You then begin to talk. You then begin to explain her several things. About how you only barely were able to convince the Master to do something that would save Twilight. About how you have no idea how things might turn out if Princess Celestia isn't there, since you know that Luna certainly isn't. About how Baldomare will be leaving in a train tomorrow, so you won't have her reliable presence close at hoof during these next few months. And most importantly, about how you need her help in all of this.

Because you know going against your Master is not something you can do. To tell the truth, you don't even want to go against the Master. She might be confusing and misleading, and at times hard to understand, but she is still trying to do something about the Worms, and you sorely need the knowledge she already has.

But still, you also really need to gain more influence over the cult and its resources. You really need to know that, at the end of the day, the ponies who make up the cult are ponies with a good head over their shoulders, and with kind hearts beating inside their chests.

You really need the cult to have ponies like Rarity in it.

Otherwise it will be too easy, even if it happens only several years down the line, for the knowledge of the Lores to be abused.

…

You walk Rarity down to the entrance hall after you are done talking, hours later. But just as she is about to leave, she freezes for a few moments.

And the expression she has on her face, as she turns back and looks at you, makes it very clear that…

"I trust you, Velvet. And I promise I'll do my best. We're in this together," she says.

And despite the bitter taste inside your mouth, you can't help but smile back at her.





Rarity has been induced into the cult. She will now have access to the information available to a regular cultist, as well as access to its infrastructure, and (being your confidant) will exert influence in your favor.

"The Lies We Tell" to Rarity has been updated. The only thing she doesn't know about is the murders you believe the cult has committed. Everything else (including the first ritual against Princess Luna) is information you either told her, or that she could learn from Outer Circle members.

You can tell that Rarity's confidence is not yet entirely set in stone. She is heavily leaning on the trust she feels towards you, and on the fact that the cult is actively moving against the changelings and towards saving Twilight (this is important).

And in other news, Stormchaser has ordered the medicine you are taking from his own pocket. 30 bits have NOT been deduced from your personal coffers.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Staying at Home and Writing Letters
-[X] A sense of urgency: There has never been any need for this, not for this much at least. No more double-checking, no more zeal. There are far more important things to be done. (5 personal actions. Does not cause suspicion. DEFAULT PICK)
-[X] You don't have time for this. (Costs 0 actions. You will only roll ONE healing dice.)
-[X] The medicine taste is worse than its appearance. But it is exactly what you need, if they are to be believed… (Costs 30 bits. One dice will auto-succeed)
-[X] (Servants) Look for books in Ponyville.
-[X] (Cult Minions) Assist with summoning Windigos.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Tail not!Twilight
-[X] (Rarity) Call her, you have a lot of things to tell her… and then a few introductions to make. (Induct her into the cult)
-[X] (Jade) Search for changeling infiltrators in Ponyville
-[X] (Selene) Knock.
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Grail: Talk with Rarity.
-[X] (Knock) Find a new location in the Woods.
-[X] Read books: Grail 3, Heart 2, Heart 3.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Assist with casting Influences and AotL.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Write Letter to Father
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Visit Fluttershy
-[X] Help Windy Flakes run the cult.

- - -



"I love you! Have fun in school today!" you say, waving a hoof at the retreating forms of your daughters as they fly away towards Ponyville. Silky Stream flying next to Soft Sweeps, who is carrying Selene on her back.

It does not escape you that Silky looks back towards you several times as she flies. And even though she is now only a distant and faraway dot, you can still tell that her expression is nervous, every time she looks at you.

You can still see, clear as day, that she is still worried about you.

So, you keep waving at them, even though you can barely see them, and they can barely see you. You keep doing your best to give her the impression that you are fine. That everything is fine. And that she can go to school without having to worry about you.

Until finally, you let out a tired gasp when they disappear behind a cloud. Your shoulder hurts.

Actually, everything hurts.

"Are you alright sweetheart?" Stormchaser asks, eyeing you worriedly.

But you suck up the pain you are feeling, and you turn to give him your answer in the form of a smile that looks only slightly tired. The perfect expression of a mare who is pushing herself just a little bit, and just enough to pretend that she is fine in front of her daughter, but who can confide in her husband that she is not doing that well.



Although it hurts you a little bit, the fact that… that even this response you are giving Stormchaser is also a lie.



You are lying. of course you are lying. You don't feel well, you are not doing alright, and you definitely are pushing yourself way harder than you should be. But still, you are lying to everypony around you because you have to, otherwise they would be worried sick, and everypony would be miserable.

You are lying to Silky. You are putting up a front that you are already feeling well, and that your wounds were just a fright. But you have to do this, because this entire last week your daughter wasn't even able to go to school with how distressed she was at you being hurt.

But on top of that, you are also telling a different lie to Stormchaser. Because he thinks he knows just how bad your wounds are, but he really doesn't. You are letting him know just enough for him to support you, and for him to understand that the two of you have to work together to calm down Silky. But you certainly are not going to tell him how bad your wounds really are. He doesn't know that you can recover a lot more quickly than a regular pony, so he really thinks you didn't get hurt nearly as deeply as you actually were.

And all of this lying, all of these... these masks, layers of masks, that you are keeping on top of each other, this whole situation makes you feel wrong in a deep and personal level. It weights you down in a way that you weren't really prepared for. But still, you know you have to.

Because even if you told them the whole truth, the only difference in your situation would have been that things would be worse. Even if you told them everything, your wounds would still have the same severity, and would still heal at the same speed. The only difference would be that everypony around you would be suffering with you.

At least, by telling these lies, you are the only one who is being hurt.

So, again, you give Stormchaser a tired smile. You tell him without words that you just feel tired, but that you are glad that the two of you managed to make Silky go back to school.

And in return, he gives you a worried smile of his own. Telling you without words that he is worried about you pushing yourself too much.

But ultimately, his smile also tells you that he believes you.

So, the two of you slowly walk back into your home. And you do your best not to let any of your pains show.

You do your best not to let it show how ragged your breathing is,-
-or how much your legs ache,-
-or how much effort it takes not to wince every time you take a step,-
-and you will yourself to keep walking instead of just collapsing on the ground, like your body is constantly begging you to do.

Because Stormchaser believes you. And if he knew just how bad things were, he would just be more hurt.



- - -



You gulp down the medicine, feeling the sticky fluid worm its way down your throat, a thin coat of the substance gluing itself to your tongue in a way that no amount of water will be able to wash down. Not until a few hours pass and you will have to take another dose of the thing, at least.

But this time, you don't grimace. You don't shudder at the bitterness of the thing. You don't internally curse your frail health. You don't do any of the little things you always do whenever you take the medicine, almost like a personal ritual of yours.

You don't do any of that, because right now…

Right now you are very calm.



Very, very calm.



Your daughters have just left for school, you have promised Stormchaser you won't go to your office to work today, and you just sat down in your study room with a scroll of parchment in front of you.

And now, you are going to write a letter.

That is all you are going to do. You are going to write your father a letter, like your uncle suggested, and you will have one less thing to worry about.

…

You feel your thoughts slowly grind into a halt, like a locomotive that is being frozen in a snowstorm, as you gently ease into the mind space required for what you are about to do.

…

…

…

And you slide into the cool and still lake you have inside your mind.

"How… to… begin…" you tell yourself as you pick up the writing pen.

With your mouth, not with your magic. The shimmering sound of the floating spell would have been too loud for this.​

Well, you know how letters are supposed to begin. Just like how every letter is supposed to end with a period, or a full stop, or even a signature, there is a particular word that almost every letter is supposed to begin with.

And that word is "dear". "Dear father," is how you know you are supposed to start this whole thing.

But, you think as you stare blankly at the empty parchment, you don't want to write your words.

Because that stallion is not "dear" to you.
And you don't even want to call him "father".​

…

But you have to.​

You have to.

Otherwise, you will never write this letter.

…

Your thoughts grow slower and slower, as you try to make this as painless as possible.

[The depths of Winter, breakpoints 1/20/40/60/80/100]

[Roll: 48 + 9 (Martial) + 15 (Winter bonus) = 72]​

But ultimately…

Finally…

In the end…​

You decide that these are indeed just words on paper.

…

However, you will only do this once.

"Dear… father…" the pen softly whispers as it scratches against the paper.

You write that, and then you take a deep breath.

"What… next…" you ask yourself, staring at the now not-so-empty scroll.

As your mind submerges deeper and deeper into the calm lake of frost that you have inside of you.

Well, there are so many things you could write next.

Oh so many things…
Should you continue by saying "I'm sorry"? That is the first thought that occurs to you.
But what exactly would you be sorry about?
You are sorry that you didn't turn out to be the daughter he wanted?​

Slower.

You are sorry that, no matter how hard you try, you just end up failing?​

Calmer.

You are sorry that you weren't even good enough to give him a unicorn grandson, or granddaughter, like he told you to?​

Gentler.

Those are all things he would like to read.
But those are definitely not things you want to write.
But why?
Why wouldn't you want to write that?

Maybe it's because…​

So deep that not even this will hurt.

Maybe because those things are true?
Because deep down, you do believe in all that? And you do feel sorry for all that?​

Wait. Stop.

Yes, that must be it...
And why wouldn't you be? After all, what daughter wouldn't want her father's love?
What filly wouldn't feel sad, if things eventually turned out wrong in her life?​

This is too deep. You are wrong.

Why would it be wrong for you to regret the way things turned out?
After all, the life you have right now had a painful beginning, didn't it?​

Too deep. TOO DEEP! THIS IS WRONG! STOP!

In fact, why would it be wrong for you to want to end this life you currently have?
After all, aren't all endings beaut-​

"Mooooom! Daaaaad! We're hooooome!"

The frozen surface of the lake cracks like a thin sheet of ice, bursting into a million different fragments as a familiar voice cuts through the silence of your soul.​

You jump out of your seat almost reflexively, panic surging through your body as if you had just woken up. Your wounds flare up in protest at the sudden movement, several deep stabbing pains running through your chest as you struggle to stay on your hoofs.

But you welcome that. You welcome the pain you are feeling, because that means you are feeling something. You hold on to that pain like a drowning pony might hold on to a floating piece of wood.

Because that is exactly how you feel. You feel like you just drowned.

You feel like you just drowned in the dark depths of the frozen lake you have inside your mind.

And that terrifies you.

You realize several things at the same time. Worse than that, you realize several things around you, that have been there the whole time, but that your mind is only caring to acknowledge now.

You take a deep breath, and that tells you how the air around you is cold. So cold, in fact, that your lungs hurt as you breathe in.

You then try to move a little bit more, to gain distance from the letter you were writing, only to hear the soft creak of ice breaking. And that is when you see that there is, or was, a thin layer of frost covering your coat.

You try to look around, but you feel there is something wrong with your sight. A pinprick jab hits your face when you try to rub your eyes, and you realize that they are glued shut. Your own frozen tears must have locked your eyelids shut at some point, and you didn't even notice that as you sat on your chair for...

... as you sat on your chair for...

"Hold... hold on..." you whisper in a shaky voice, as even more pieces begin to fall into place inside your head.

You just... you just heard Silky's voice, coming from the entrance hall. So that must mean that she just arrived home from school...

But you just sat down to start writing the letter. You sat down just a few moments ago. You just had your morning dose of your remedy, and you started writing the letter right after Silky left with Soft Sweeps and Selene to…

"How long…" you say as you look around at the cold walls of your study room, "how long have I been…?"

The words try to escape your lips, but you close your mouth and force them back.

"No," you tell yourself. "That doesn't matter. None of that matters."

You shake your head, telling yourself that you can't get shaken over something like this. You're back. You're fine. Everything is fine.

And that is all that matters.

Your daughters just returned from school, so that means you're done for today. You can continue this some other day, no matter how much good it might do for the letter to reach your father earlier rather than later.

Yes. That is right. You are DONE. And you will not allow yourself to think otherwise until tomorrow comes.

A glow of magic comes from your horn as you swing the windows of the room open, letting the warm air rush in and the cold air bleed out. And you make sure there isn't a crisp of ice in your body, or on the walls, before you leave the study room.

Although you do lock the door behind you as you leave, so none of the maids accidentally enter it before the place properly warms up. Just in case.

But still... you still know that, despite all this, the letter will still be waiting for you when you return to continue writing. It will be waiting with the patience of a winter's evening, and with the certainty of a sunset.

After all, you will return to continue writing it. You have to return to continue writing it.

Otherwise, that letter will always only have two words written upon it. Two words that you very much disagree with.

You have to finish that letter, otherwise those two words will continue to torment you forever.

"Dear father…"​

…

But for now…

For now, you will go be with your family for a bit.​

Spoiler

100+: Everything will be fine. You will be fine, and the letter will do fine.

80: It will be fine. (Letter is sent at the beginning of the turn.)

60: You are… fine. (Minimum threshold for letter to be sent. Letter will reach your father late in the turn.)

40: Stormchaser carefully took the writing pen from your hoofs. You think he had a tense expression on his face, but you are not sure. You weren't really paying attention. (Letter not sent.)

20: You don't feel so well. Maybe you never felt well to begin with. Maybe all this time, you were just… (Letter not sent. Roll for Dread.)

Below 20: "Why are you even doing this?" That is the question you have on your mind right now. You began asking that towards the letter. Then you asked that towards your life. Then you asked that towards everything else. (Letter not sent. Dread resistance roll auto-fails.)

Nat 1: You wrote a letter. It took you days, but you wrote it. The letter contained only a single word, but you wrote it. However, you did not read what you wrote. You only sent it. (Dread. Further consequences occur.)

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

You are Flower Serenade, and you are…

You are nervous.

You are nervous, and even though you are trying your best not to let it show, you realize you are failing at that. And quite badly.

After all, every now and then you realize that one of your legs is shaking, or that your jaw is close too tightly, or that you have shifted your sitting posture way too many times for no good reason.

But you can't help it… you simply can't help any of that.

Because you are nervous. Your heart is still racing from what just happened. Your coat is still drenched in sweat from all the panicked running. And to be honest, you can tell that a good chunk of your thoughts are still half-expecting that... that he will just come in through the door or fly in through the window any second now.

And as soon as that happens, as soon as he finds out where you are, he is going to take you back.

And then you will be back there with him. Alone.

And then he will… and then he's going to…!



"Serenade, breathe. I promise you everything will be alright."



Miss Copper's words cut through your thoughts almost as if she had physically shaken you. You very nearly jump up in surprise, just from the suddenness of her words, but you calm yourself down soon after.

You then look up at the light-pink maned earth mare, and you respond to her encouraging smile with an embarrassed one of your own.

"I, well… right. You're right. Thanks, Miss Copper. I really don't know where I'd be without you right now."

The mare shakes her head at that, her curly mane waving slightly with her movement.

"Like I said, don't give me that 'Miss' nonsense. Just relax. And like I said, I know we haven't met that long ago, but that doesn't mean we can't treat each other as friends," she says, with an honestly warm smile. "But again, try to calm down. Also, I would ask you if you want more water, but you haven't even touched your glass yet. Maybe you should try a bit of that?"

You nod at her, reaching out with a hoof to drink a bit of water as she suggested.

And just like she said, you slowly…

Slowly…

Try to calm down.

Even though the second-floor room you are in feels unfamiliar.

Even though the sounds that comes through the window, of ponies walking and working normally even though it's night, still feels wrong to you.

Even though this entire city, this Manehattan that is so far away from the place you were born, still makes you feel so scared and out of your depths.

You still try to calm down.

Because you trust Miss Copper. And not just because she's an earth pony like you are, but also because she is being kind to you. Because she might as well be the very first pony who has been kind to you ever since you came to this city.

You pick up the glass of water between your hoofs, and drink from it. And that's when you realize just how thirsty you are.

"Now, Serenade, my friend will be here in a few minutes. And like I said, he is a pegasus, and he might look a bit scary, but I promise he is my friend and that he will also help you. Is that alright?" Miss Copper asks, and you try to suppress the shiver you feel when she reminds you that another pegasus is about to come and join you two.

"Al… alright. I trust you Mis-… uh, I trust you, Copper," you answer, trying to sound as brave as possible.

And once again she smiles to you. And although you are not sure why, you somehow feel slightly calmer just because of that.



- - -



"Like I said, Serenade, he is my friend. And I promise you he is here to help us."


Miss Copper was not joking. She was not joking at all.
She was not joking when she said her friend is a… a pegasus.


"Serenade. Serenade, calm down. Look into my eyes. That's right, deep breaths, you're doing fine."


And she was not joking when she said he was scary.
But much more than being just the largest pegasus you have ever seen in your life. He is also terrifying.


"Shh, shh, no need to cry. I promise you he won't do anything… Here, I'll sit right next to you and… would it make you feel better if he just listened to us talk from behind the door? That way you won't have to look at him and…"


You start nodding to Miss Copper's suggestion before she even finishes saying it, your tears soaking the fur of her chest as you try your best not to whimper.
It takes you a few more minutes, and many more glasses of water, before you can talk again.
And you only manage to do that after Miss Copper's frie-... after the pegasus walks out of the room, and closes the door.



- - -



"I, I'm sorry Miss Copper, it's just that…"

"No, no, don't apologize Serenade. Everything is fine. And I did say my friend is the scary sort of pony," she says, giving you a well-intending wink. "But like I said, I need you to tell me what happened again. With more details this time, if you can remember any. So me and my friend will know how we can help you."

You nod to her, still feeling your hoofs shake under you, but you try your best nonetheless.

"O-okay…"

Then you take a deep breath.



"M-my… my name is Flower Serenade. And I've always been good at opening things…"



And then you tell her everything.

Miss Copper already knows what you are about to tell you. Or at least, she knows parts of it. But now that you think about it, you weren't exactly... well, you probably didn't make much sense when you told her your story for the first time.

The truth is, you and Miss Copper just met. The two of you met a few hours ago. Or rather, she met you when you ran headfirst into her on the streets. You were desperate, you were in panic, and as soon as Miss Copper held you by the shoulders and asked, honestly asked, if you needed help, you simply burst into tears and started telling her everything.

Because you needed help. You still need help. And you can't thank Miss Copper enough for what she has done to you so far, seeing how she basically stopped what she was doing to help a complete stranger like you. Even going as far as hiding you in her place, and giving you something to eat, and… and just being there and…

Well, you try your best to explain to her how things turned out like this, and just how thankful you are that she found you.

"From the beginning, Serenade. You tried to tell me a bit, but I couldn't really understand it. You mentioned you're not from around here?" she asks helpfully, gently prodding you with the warmth of her words.

"I-I'm from a village called Farglade and… well, I'm not really sure if it's even a village. We were just a few families of earth ponies, Miss Copper, near the Galloping Gorge. Half a day's travel from the train tracks that ran to the west."

You tell her that, and she gives you a patient nod, telling you to continue.

So you do just that. You tell her about how peaceful things were in Farglade. How each family planted something different and everypony got together when trouble came up. About how a caravan would come by once a month, at most, to buy any excess produce you had and sell any metal tools you needed. You tell her how fine your life was, and how you started helping in the fields before you even earned your cutie mark.

And then you tell her how everything changed, when one day…

"Until Autumn Cloud came by. He came with one of the merchant caravans, on the turn of the season. But unlike most of the traders, he… he stayed for a while."

The ponies of Farglade didn't have anything against pegasi or unicorns. Of course, the families that had them didn't plant as much as the others, but it's not like you turned back merchants just because they had wings or a horn.

So you and your family didn't have anything against Autumn Cloud at first. Quite on the contrary, in fact. Everypony in your family, yourself included, warmed up to Autumn Cloud almost instantly. The pegasus stallion had a charm about him that you can't really explain, and he always seemed to know what to say to make a stallion laugh, or to make a mare swoon.

And that is probably the reason why you… fell in love with him, back in Farglade.

"He even stayed for a few weeks with us, Miss Copper, even though the rest of the merchants went away after a few days," you say, not even realizing that your hoofs started to tap slightly against the table as you remember how this whole thing began. "He stayed with my family, Pa and Ma loved it how he could help with the clouds and all that… but the thing we really liked the most about him was all the stories he told us, about the big cities he traveled through and the things he saw and…"

You continue telling her all that. But now that you think about all this, now that you are telling this whole thing to another pony and can think about it from another perspective... you feel stupid. You have no idea how things could have turned out any different, but you still feel stupid. Your parents liked him, your siblings adored his stories, and you… you fell in love with him. But now? Now you just feel like the stupid mare you are.

But you didn't feel stupid back then. And you remember that when he started courting you, you felt like the luckiest pony in the world.

And when he asked you, then your parents, if you could leave with him to go to the big city? To start a new life in a place where everything was possible and everything happened? To go with him live in a city where you didn't have to toil in a field or cut wood for a fire?

"Everypony was happy for me, Miss Copper… I was happy for me. Like I just earned my cutie mark all over again. We only had three books in our house, Miss Copper, but one of them was about a farm mare who met a travelling stallion, and the two of them fall in love in the story, and have a happy ending and all that. And that was exactly how I felt…"

That was exactly how you felt. You were so enraptured by what was happening that you didn't even realize a lot of things.

You didn't notice that was being the first time you had ever left Farglade.

You didn't even realize that was the first time you ever entered a train.

Now that you think about it, you didn't even know where you were going, when you followed after him. In your mind, everything would be fine as long as you were with Autumn.

And you kept thinking like that, even when the train finally stopped in Manehattan and you realized how loud and intimidating everything around you was.

"It w-was like… it was like a dream had come true? It was scary, of course. Being so far from home was scary. Being in a place where I didn't know anypony was even more scary. But I… I told myself that the scary parts only made it more real, Miss Copper. I know life isn't a fairy tale. But that just made me think that the bad things were like… like some sort of price, like something I had to put up with, to deserve the good things."

That's how you honestly felt. That's how you honestly thought about all that.

So, every time something bad happened to you, you would just tell yourself that was the price for living the dream. Every time you missed your family, or every time you felt scared about how large the city was, you would just cope with it and say that was the way of things.

After all, you knew who you were. You knew what you were. You realized that you were just a farm mare from a nowhere-village. So, you couldn't just expect that meeting the love of your life and moving to the big city would be easy.

No, you had to earn your happy ending. You had to be a strong mare, and deal with the bad in order to deserve the good.

But the problem was that…

"Problem is, Miss Copper, that…" your look down, realizing the glass of water you are holding is shaking.

You realize the water is shaking, and no matter how hard you focus, you can't make the shaking stop.

You feel something touch your back, and you flinch. Until you realize it's just Miss Copper gently patting your back.

"Problem is, Miss Copper, that the bad things just kept piling up…"

It began with the little things.

You wanted to learn how to write. You know how to read, of course. You know all the letters, and you can work through the longer words if you take your time. But still, you told Autumn that you wanted to learn how to write, so you could do more things and be more useful.

He laughed. The first time you said that to Autumn, he just laughed.

And every time you repeated to him that you wanted to learn how to write, he would laugh a little less.

"He said there was no need. And I believed him, of course. I still didn't know much about the big city, so I eventually just gave up on the idea. I thought, like he said, that I wouldn't really need to know how to write and all..."

But that wasn't the only thing that happened.

Because after that, he started taking you out less and less.

Of course, you completely understood when he stopped taking you out on dates. After all, you had no idea how expensive those things were, and you realized that apart from taking care of your home you weren't really doing much to help.

But then, he began to insist that you didn't accompany him when he went out. No matter the reason. And not much time after that, he just prohibited you from leaving home at all.

"I… I thought he was just ashamed of me," you say, not even noticing that you're biting your lower lip, "I mean, I thought it made sense. Maybe he didn't want everypony to know he was with a farm mare, or maybe I am just ugly or something… But he would always tell me that wasn't it. Autumn would always say I was the prettiest mare he ever met, and that he was just worried the way other stallions were looking at me or something. But still, he told me not to leave the house and… and after that, he would get angry if I even brought up the idea at all. And seeing him angry made me scared, so... so I just stopped asking and…"

And then, Autumn started to get angry about things. He started to get angry at you more and more often.

The first time he shouted at you was when you asked if you could go out with him to help with the shopping, so you could at least do something useful.

After that, he would shout at you over smaller things. Like if your cooking wasn't how he liked, or if your mane wasn't groomed when he got home, or other things like…

"B-but the thing is that he also… after all of that, he would always tell me he loved me, and that he cared. And I would… I would always think that he was right, and that him being angry was my fault. Honest, Miss Copper. Back then I never thought Autumn had done anything wrong…"

Your cheeks flare up as you say that, as you realize how you must look like to Miss Copper. You probably sound like a gullible hillbilly to her, like some stupid mare who fell for the first stallion who ever came into her life and got exactly what she deserved out of it.

That's what you think. But almost as if she can read your mind, Miss Copper once again puts her hoof on your back. And the expression she has on her face, when you look up at her, tells you that she honestly understands what you are saying.

You have no idea why, but you somehow know deep inside of you that Copper is… well, that she doesn't think you're just some naïve, dumb, gullible, idiot, STUPID HILLBILLY PONY WHO-

"Flower, it's okay" she says, calmly bringing a hoof towards your face, and gently brushing your mane aside. And you only realize you started crying again when her hoof clears a few tears on your face. "It's alright Flower, you didn't do anything wrong."

You nod at her, your movements jerky, and you nearly crumble in tears again when you realize that… when you realize just how long it has been, ever since a pony has been this nice to you.

But you take a deep breath, and you continue what you were saying.



"Then he… then he started to…" you look down, not really wanting to admit what you are about to say. "Autumn started to get aggressive, sometimes, when I did something wrong…"



You… you feel ashamed to admit this. For some reason, you don't feel as angry at Autumn as you feel ashamed of yourself, for letting yourself get into a situation like this.

And you feel so ashamed about what started to happen next, that… that you don't really tell Miss Copper how bad things really got.

You don't tell her about the first time he hit you, the first time anypony ever hit you in your life.

You don't tell her how frequent that sort of thing became, or how bad things slowly got.

You don't tell her any of that. You just… tell her the little things that happened during all that. Like how Autumn changed the locks of the front door and threw the keys away, since he could enter and leave the house through the window. Things like that.


"Until finally… something happened this morning. And that's when I knew that I couldn't... I just couldn't..."


Your voice sounds strangely emotionless as you tell her that. As you tell Miss Copper the events that transpired earlier today.


"The thing is, Miss Copper, that me and Autumn, we lived together all these months, but we never really… uhm… Well, my Ma taught me how we're only supposed to do some things after you marry somepony and… Well, me and Autumn haven't married yet. But still... a few days ago Autumn started talking that we had been living together for long enough, and that... that he thought it was time for the two of us to start a family…"


A shiver runs down your spine as you recall how, after he said that, you started piecing together several little things that had happened before.

Like how Autumn always insisted you were the most beautiful mare he ever met.

And how he would every now and then joke that he "picked right" when he decided to go to your village.

And how he would get mad at you whenever you stopped taking care of your mane. Or how he stopped letting you leave the house because he insisted that other stallions were "looking at you".

All of that coupled with the fact that… that Autumn always said you looked ugly when you were bruised. But that you realized that he hadn't really hit you at all these last few days. And in fact, the very last bruised spot you had on your face had disappeared when you woke up this morning.

He even called you perfect when he left home to work, earlier today.

And that was when you realized that...



"I just knew, Miss Copper. I don't know how, or why, but I simply knew it."

You actually chuckle as you say that, the unfamiliar and dry sound of dark humor leaving your mouth without any conscious prompt.

"I somehow knew… form the way he looked at me before he left to work. I knew that if I stayed home today… that if I was there when he got back home, after all that talk about starting a family… I knew from the way he kissed me before flying away through the window… that if I was there when he got back, he would…"

Your eyes are not really focusing on anywhere, as you remember how earlier today you spent hours picking open the… the several locks that Autumn had placed on the door, to keep you locked in.

"Well," you say, almost to yourself, "lucky me I've always been good at opening things."



You say that, and then you stop talking. You think Copper might have a complicated expression on her face right now, but you are not really sure.

You aren't really… thinking about anything, right now.

Although your thoughts return to you, together with a shiver that runs down your spine, as you hear the door to the room slowly open up.

And you look up to see Copper's friend, the frighteningly large pegasus, walk into the room and towards you. Your body freezing up as the large stallion comes closer and closer, taking up more and more of your vision.

You hear Copper say something, but the stallion doesn't seem to care. He simply walks up to you and raise his hoof.

And your whole body comes to life in fear and adrenaline, as you instinctively know what will happen next.

"I-I'm sorry!" you scream, reflexively raising your forelegs in front of your face. Closing your eyes as you try your best to protect yourself from the blow that is about to hit you.

…

But for some reason, his hoof never connects to your face.

And you slowly, dreadfully slowly, open your eyes to see…

"W-what…?" you say, your body still shaking.

As you see the pegasus' hoof right in front of your face, inches away from touching your raised forelegs. His hoof is right there, just about to touch you, but he hasn't moved any further.

The stallion looks annoyed. Actually, he doesn't just look, you can tell the stallion is annoyed. But he is annoyed at… something, maybe at himself, but not at you.

And much to your surprise, there is something about his raised hoof that even feels gentle, somehow.

So, you wordlessly lower your forelegs. To which the pegasus responds by bringing his hoof so close to you that he almost touches you, and then gently pushing aside the mane that is covering most of your face.

"Was it here?" he asks, as he looks intently at your left cheek.

And you immediately understand what he means by that question.

He knows it. You have no idea how, but you know that he knows it.

You are absolutely sure that the place he is looking at doesn't have a bruise, or a scar, or anything that would suggest you had been hurt there. But somehow, you know that the pegasus is looking at the exact place where Autumn struck you for the first time. At the exact place where you have been hit for the very first time in your life.

You know that this doesn't make any sense, this strange certainty you have as the pegasus stares intently at your cheek.

"Y-yes... it was t-there..." but still, you nod at him, answering the question he just asked you.

And as you nod, you can see his expression slowly turn from annoyance to disgust, and then into something even fiercer than that.

But once again, you somehow know that he is not... that the emotions you can see on his expression are not directed at you.

To tell the truth, despite how scary the pegasus is or how fierce his expression is, you actually even feel a bit... safe?

"Cutie mark?" he asks. And you can see Copper tilt her head next to you, not really sure of what the pegasus means by that question.

But once again, you understand what the stallion means. So, you answer him.

"A bunch of… no, four leaves, brown as if during Fall season. Blown by three gusts of blue wind."

The stallion nods.

"Address?"

"I… I don't know? I never picked up on the names of the streets, and…?" you try to say, but as you realize just how little you know your eyes start tearing up once again. But then you look up at the pegasus, and for some reason you don't really understand he actually looks... his presence, and the way he is not being cruel to you despite how scary he is, actually feels encouraging. And you don't want to cry as much as you know you normally would.

So, you stifle your tears, and you try again.

"We… we lived by… close to the train station. The window of my room faced a tall red building and… we lived on the sixth floor, that's all I…"

The pegasus lets out a short neigh, and although he interrupts you with that you are actually glad he gave you a reason to stop talking.

Then he gives you a short nod, and you swear that you hear a low growl coming from somewhere.

"Copper, take care of her. I'll be back later," is all the stallion says, as he gently lets go of your mane, before he turns around and starts walking towards the door.

"What? What do you mean you'll be back later…? Oh… oh no," she says, as if just realizing something, jumping out of her seat and following after the stallion as she continues to talk. "Comet Feet, wait. I know what you're thinking, but we can't do anything that would call attention or-"

"I won't kill him, Copper," the stallion says, interrupting the mare, and making the fur on your coat stand on its end at how easily the pegasus just mentioned that.

But as the stallion says that, he once again looks back at you, his expression so fierce that you think for a few moments his glare alone might cut through you.

Or, to be more precise, he looks at your left cheek. And you know he can see it clearly, even though it is hidden behind your long mane.

"Won't kill him, Copper," he says, exhaling sharply through his nose as he moves towards the door, "just gonna break his jaw."

He says that and, despite Miss Copper's short protests, he is out of the room a few moments later. Leaving you and the mare alone.

Copper Secateur lets out a short sigh, shaking her head for a few moments, before she turns around and faces you once again.

"Alright Flower Serenade, let me tell you what we are going to do next."

She says that, and once again with her disarmingly warm smile she begins to calm you down, as she takes one of your hoofs with her own and begins to talk.

And then, the kindest mare you have met ever since you left your village begins to tell you exactly how she is going to help you.



- - -



She gave you a letter. You realized much later, to your embarrassment, that the letter had really short words, and had hoof-drawn cutie marks to help you recognize who you should talk to.

But still, Miss Copper gave you a letter, and on the next day she took you to the train station.

You didn't see her pegasus friend anymore, and you felt bad about how scared you felt of him. But you told that to Miss Copper, and she assured you he didn't mind. And also that she would make sure to tell him that you felt sorry for how you reacted to him.

But anyhow. She took you to the train station, gave you tickets to a specific train, and then she told you to leave the train only when you reached the station of a place called Ponyville. An earth pony who was friends with her, Miss Copper said, would be waiting for you there.

And once you got there, Miss Copper's letter helped you with several things. Perhaps too many things, you think, but only in the sense that you have no idea how you will ever repay her for her kindness.

You were introduced to a very nice unicorn, who owned a big and fancy restaurant. And as soon as he read the letter Miss Copper had given you, he immediately said he would take care of you for as long as you needed.

You were also offered a job. Several jobs, in fact, since Miss Copper was also (you have no idea how) close friends to a local noble who owned several farms. But again, you were given a job, and you were glad that you were finally being able to feel useful once again.

Finally, you also… Miss Copper's letter also helped you make friends. Because after you were settled in, the nice unicorn invited you to a meeting of sorts. To several meetings, where you began to learn about many interesting things, and talk to many interesting ponies. To the point that a few weeks later you even left the job you had working for Mr. Windy, thanking him profusely for his help of course, and went to work with a local locksmith you became very close friends with.

And one morning, you simply looked around you after you woke up and you realized you were happy. You weren't scared of pegasi anymore, you didn't flinch when anypony near you talked loudly or raised their hoofs, and you were slowly getting better and better at opening things, thanks to what you had been learnings on the meetings.

You have already heard somepony refer to those meetings as a "cult". But to be honest, you don't really agree with that.

To you, the ponies you meet with are your friends. To you, they are like the neighbors that lived close to you in Farglade, who would band together and help each other whenever a problem rose up. To you, they are the kind ponies who, through Miss Copper, managed to help you when you were on the lowest point of your life.

To you, they are like a family, of sorts. You are too ashamed to go back to Farglade, after everything that happened. You are not yet ready to go back to your real family. But the way your life is right now… you honestly don't really mind.

You honestly don't mind. Things are fine the way they are.

And besides, you really want to find a way to pay back to your friends, or cult, or whatever else anypony might call it. And you especially want to pay back what you owe to Miss Copper, for everything she and everypony else has done for you.

So, staying here in Ponyville until you figure out how to do that is the least you can do.

 

[OurLadyOfWires]

Spoiler: Current plan

[X] Plan Staying at Home and Writing Letters
-[X] A sense of urgency: There has never been any need for this, not for this much at least. No more double-checking, no more zeal. There are far more important things to be done. (5 personal actions. Does not cause suspicion. DEFAULT PICK)
-[X] You don't have time for this. (Costs 0 actions. You will only roll ONE healing dice.)
-[X] The medicine taste is worse than its appearance. But it is exactly what you need, if they are to be believed… (Costs 30 bits. One dice will auto-succeed)
-[X] (Servants) Look for books in Ponyville.
-[X] (Cult Minions) Assist with summoning Windigos.
-[X] (Flourishing Risen) Tail not!Twilight
-[X] (Rarity) Call her, you have a lot of things to tell her… and then a few introductions to make. (Induct her into the cult)
-[X] (Jade) Search for changeling infiltrators in Ponyville
-[X] (Selene) Knock.
-[X] (Attention of the Laws) Grail: Talk with Rarity.
-[X] (Knock) Find a new location in the Woods.
-[X] Read books: Grail 3, Heart 2, Heart 3.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Assist with casting Influences and AotL.
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Write Letter to Father
-[X] Fleeting opportunity: Visit Fluttershy
-[X] Help Windy Flakes run the cult.

- - -

You are-

You are…

Who are you again?

You can't remember.

And you don't really care.



You are in the Woods. And you are lost.



You wonder if this is how it felt like. You wonder if feeling like this was the normal state of being, long, long ago. And who knows, maybe some creatures still feel like this even nowadays? Maybe the baser, more simple creatures, who still live and die by instinct, still feel like… like this?

You wonder that because you feel lost, and you are aware of that, but you honestly don't really mind how you feel right now.

And it is a very curious thing. Very curious indeed…

Because you can still think. You still order your body to put hoof after hoof, you still know to avoid places where the unknown sounds become too loud, or too low. You still think, and feel, and act. But despite knowing that you are lost, you do not feel the urge to think "I am lost". Not in the slightest.

But only because you… do not remember the word "I". You cannot think "I am lost" because in here… because in this place there is no true need for a "self". Not in the modern meaning of the word, at least. Not in the complex and overbearing sense that "being yourself" has become.

No, there is no need for that. Here, in the Woods, you are just a pony. Here, in the Woods, you are just lost.

Nothing else is needed, because nothing else exists.

Yes…

Yes.

That's it.

This is what it truly felt like.

In the first forest.

In the first continent.

When the Sun was different, and before ponykind cursed itself with its own God.

This is how the world felt.

There was nothing but the Woods. Consequently, there was no need for anything else.

There was no need for maps, because there was nothing to be mapped. There was no need for tools, because there was nothing to be built. There was no need for a "self", because there was nothing to do but live, and die. Before ponies learned the secrets of words and fire, when older laws were upheld by older creatures.

This is what being in the Woods feels like. This is how it has always felt like. Since ponies walked between its trees, at least.

This is the closes you will ever be, to-



"-…"



Your thoughts, whatever they were, slip away from your mind like water running through coat.

And you… you just stand there. You have no idea what just happened. Were you thinking about something? Why does it feel like it was important? Why… why do you feel as if you have just lost something?

Why are you awake? Why are you asleep?

What was that smell you just felt, of roses and something else?

"Wha… what in Equestria just…?"

You shake your head, feeling the leaves and branches that had stuck to your mane scrape against your side, your whole body feeling somewhat unfamiliar -or maybe turning back into what you think it should feel like- as you try to reorient yourself.

Until you finally remember.



You are Velvet Covers, and you are deep in the Woods.



Although, you do feel somewhat… regretful?

You are not sure how to explain it, but you feel… a bit sad? As if you had just parted ways with an old friend, or as if you had just half-remembered a long-lost period of… well, not of your life, or at least not of your life. But still, you feel nostalgic over something, even if this thing doesn't have a name anymore.

Or never had a name to begin with.

But more importantly, something just jostled you out of your thoughts. Some kind of smell that, you now realize, could only be described by very specific words.

A smell that doesn't belong in the Woods.

"Or rather, a smell that I have never felt before in the Woods," you say to yourself, remembering exactly what you are doing here to begin with.

You are here because you have come to realize, through a rather painful experience, that you don't really know much about the Mansus. You are here because of the ugly, scabbed marks you have on the sides of your dream-body, that are serving you as a constant reminder that there are still too many things about the Mansus that you don't know.

Things that you have to know, things that you must learn, for when you try to reach for the upper levels of the Mansus again.

When, not if.

And as you once again catch a whiff of that smell, as that strange scent once again caresses your nose as if inviting you, and you begin to walk towards its source, you can't help but think that…

"I might have found something new," you say to yourself, as you replace your previously aimless hoofsteps with a more purposeful stride.

Even though it feels that you are now walking against a current, of sorts. As if the Woods, through which you had been peacefully gliding before, are somehow resisting you now.



- - -



You feel bad.

There is something wrong, but you can't exactly tell what.

The air, it feels heavy around you. Not enough for you to feel like you are walking through a mist, but enough for you to feel… strange.

You feel sick… but it is not you that is sick. The air feels sick, as it enters your lung. The moonlight feels sick, as it faintly distorts as it refracts through the invisible miasma about you.

But perhaps the worst part is that this all feels so good. Even though you still feel bad.

And you think that… maybe… maybe you know why.

It's the Woods. They are not as they once were.

You recognize it, because you have already felt this sensation before. When you were in the Shattered Stairways, and you realized just how damaged and ruined the Mansus is. The sensation you are feeling right now is exactly the same, but weaker… more subtle.

The thing you saw on the Shattered Stairways was a wound, a deep chasm of broken paths at the very base of the Mansus.

And the thing you are looking at right now is akin to a… a sore, or perhaps a tumor.

But regardless of the words you use to describe it, you still feel bad. You still feel a deep-seated discomfort that speaks to a primal part of your mind.

Although, curiously, you do not feel that you are in danger.

You are standing behind a tall and dark tree, peeking from behind it like a foal who is playing hide-and-seek. You are at the very edge of the tree line, and just ahead of you there is a clearing of sorts.

And everywhere around you, the air is thick with the perfumed smell of… of something.

Cautiously, you step out from behind the tree, and walk into the sickeningly sweet-scented clearing.

You are not sure of what to do next. There is a small hill, up ahead, and you can clearly tell that the smell is coming from there. You could easily walk up the hill and see for yourself what this is all about.

But still, the painful markings you still carry on your sides remind you that you ought to be cautious.

You look around for a few more moments, trying to see if there is something you didn't notice. Looking perhaps for an old and faded marking of danger, or some sign that you should be more than just careful about what might be on top of that hill.

But you don't see anything. Everything around you is still, and the only things that feel wrong is the fact that the tree line behind you is actually quiet, and the deep discomfort that you have inside of you.

Although…

"Although…" you whisper to yourself, as you once again breathe in the… the flowery scent that now surrounds you.

Although for some reason, you simply know that… whatever is on top of that hill.

Whatever it is that smell like flowers.

You know that…

"That it won't harm me… that it cannot harm me…"

And armed with that certainty, you slowly make your way up the hill, the air around you becoming heavier and heavier as you leave the Woods behind you.



- - -



At the very top of the hill, you find an old and broken well.

You can tell that it was a well, long ago. You can tell that it was once a well for the same reason you can tell it is not a well anymore.

The circular structure remains, about as tall as your legs and made out of Mansus-stone. And you can also see a half-rotten piece of wood jutting out from one of its sides, which was probably the small fixture from which a rope and a pulley was attached, like a normal well of the Wake would have, for the use of a bucket.

But again, you can tell that this thing was a well, but that it isn't a well anymore.

And that is because… there is nothing inside this well anymore.

The well, you can tell at a glance, is dry.

And the soft, flowery scent is coming out of it as if the well was the tip of a chimney, its sweet perfume sticking close to the ground and falling downhill towards the Woods like a transparent waterfall of sorts.

You feel like you are missing something. You feel good, but only because you don't have a choice. And you feel bad, because you can tell there is something deeply wrong about all of this.

But above all else, you don't feel like you are in danger. Because you somehow know that, whatever dried the well…

You know that it cannot harm you. It cannot even find you.

But the wound-like anchors you are carrying on your side tell you that, still, you should not trust these sorts of instincts. The Mansus, you remind yourself, has the habit of putting things inside the head of a pony, in such a subtle way that they forget they shouldn't know those things to begin with.

So, you will not question why it is that the Dry Well, and its flowery scent, cannot harm you.

But you will not rely on that knowledge either.

You do not get any closer to the well than you already have. You do not get closer to it, and you absolutely do not look into it. You simply turn around, knowing that you will remember how to return to this place, if you so wish.

You turn around, and you go back into the Woods, towards the Wake.



Although the flowery scent, that sickly sweet smell of roses and something else, accompanies you the whole way. Even as your mind drifts into the lost-pace of the Woods, and you forget where you have come from and where you are going.

To the point that, when you finally wake up within your husband's embrace, you feel something on the tip of your tongue. A sweet and perfumed rosy petal, that somehow appeared inside your mouth as you slept.

The petal, you know, is as real as your dreams, and it will accompany you for a few weeks before it fades away. So, you place it inside the locket you wear around your neck, pressed against the small picture you have of your family.

To remind yourself that you love them, if nothing else.





You have found the Dry Well. And although you have no idea why, part of you can't help but take this as yet more evidence that something very wrong has happened to the Mansus. Even if this is just a small sign, proportional to how low (or outside?) you are in the House Without Walls.

There is a faint power about the Dry Well, one that you do not know the name of, but that is sweet and pleasant, although you are wary of it. You have gained one scrap of Grail Lore.

Something came back with you. Something small, and perhaps controllable, that you will allow to accompany you for the time being. You are now under the Influence "An Awareness of Appetite" (+10 GRAIL, to disappear at the end of turn 14).

You have also read the books you had decided to read, during the week-long "downtime" your family all but imposed upon you.

Your HEART Lore is now Level 3 (two books successfully read).

Your GRAIL Lore is now Level 3 (one book successfully read).