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

Prince Charon · Jun 10, 2024

Well, OL is not making himself less terrifying, but he's not making himself any less interesting to her handlers, either.

Ardy · Jun 10, 2024

It works over long range comms? Even on the planet she's from that doesn't have a magic tradition? Wtf, is he looking at her through the Honden or something?

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 10, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
11th April 2013
07:13 GMT +1

Bleez looks impressed as Kara demolishes her seventh pancake. She isn't eating it at full-on super speed, but her cuts and jabs and scoops are far faster and more precise than any a human or thanagarian could make.

Then she stops completely still.

How still? Like, just impressively still, or uncanny valley-triggering still? Because human bodies are never truly still.

Breathing, slight tremors from heartbeats and muscle twitches... It's one of the reason those ultra-detailed animatronics are so creepy.

"Do you like it?"

Bleez looks down at the small pile of 'muesli' on her plate. "Ah, the seeds are a little chewy. Maybe they'd be better toasted?"

Eating it dry? Eww. At least give her something to moisten it with. Or turn it into an oatmeal-like broth thingy?

Kara's irises unfocus for a moment and I ready a construct shield as two planes of red light burn from her eyes and hit the seeds with a quiet sizzling sound. They brown, and Kara blinks as her eyes refocus. It's actually a little tricky to use heat vision on 'wide beam', but that showed an impressive degree of control.

Heh. casual displays of superpowers for mundane utility. Got to love it.

"Toasted!"

Bleez is staring at her. Kara looks puzzled.

First time you've seen an empowered kryptonian in action?

"Do I have something on my face?"

"No-. How-? What was that?"

Heh. I suppose she might have seen video of Superman in action from the Hawks' reports. But there's nothing like seeing the real thing.

"Heat vision!" Kara smiles brilliantly. "When kryptonians get exposed to main phase stars we get all kinds of neat powers! I mostly use it instead of brushing my teeth!"

"How hot was that?"

Better than using it to shave. Clark's bathroom must stink of burnt hair...

Kara raises her right forefinger to her mouth. "Mm, I'm not sure? I've melted dolomite before, but that amount of heat is kiiiinda super dangerous to all the humans nearby."

"Dolomite?"

Dolemite, muddafudder! ...Oh, right, the stone.

Kara nods happily. "There was this TV show where the professor kept calling dolomite a 'wonder mineral'." She folds her arms across her chest. "Well it might be a wonder mineral, but it's not a super mineral!"

"And what.. else can you do?"

It's more a matter of what a kryptonian can't do once dosed up on solar radiation.

Kara starts counter on her fingers. "Ah, move super-fast, hit things real hard, I'm completely-." She stops still and then points her finger at me. "Almost completely invulnerable, I-" I nod approvingly. "-can fly, freeze things by breathing on them-. Oh, and hold my breath for a real long time! And then there's heat vision, and x-ray vision, which doesn't fire x-rays but does let me see through stuff. And super hearing, and super smell, and telescopic vision and microscopic vision…" She trails off, frowning. "And there might be some more I've forgotten. I've got a lot of powers."

Good to see OL's been able to get people to break that 'I am invincible' way of thinking. Mostly. At this point, though, I suspect Bleez is jsut going 'Really? Really?"

"Don't forget ventriloquism."

Kara smiles and rolls her eyes, flapping her right hand dismissively. "Oh, that doesn't count. Oh! I can't put on weight! That's pretty useful."

Just don't get near Red kryptonite. Things get a lot weirder.

"What do you mean by 'ventriloquism'?"

"I can make my voice sound different-" Kara's mouth is moving, but the sound is coming from Bleez's lips in Bleez's voice, much to Bleez's surprise. "-and make it come from different places. But that's not really a superpower, is it? That's just silly."

Goes nicely with stuff like super-disguise, super-forgery and super hypnotism.

I'm just glad that she can't make a smaller, more powerful version of herself.

"Say, would you be interested in a job as my bodyguard? Even my mother couldn't complain about that."

Let's not get too crazy here, OL. Then again, if she is Earth-1 Kara... It's entirely possible she could manage that with the right stimuli or training.

"No, not really." Kara shakes her head. "Earth just had its whole everything stop working, and while you seem really nice, I don't think you're as important as a whole species."

"How about if I stayed here? I've done concerts on Thanagarian protectorates before. I could do some on Earth."

Eh... As nice as your singing might be, I don't think that's what Earth needs right now.

"I don't mind, but… I move pretty quick? I usually fix up a whole area before there's time for a concert. Buuuuut, maybe you could join in?"

"I don't know.. much about civil disaster management."

Pity. Earth could use experts in that. Nothing any local has ever envisioned could match up to this.

"It's not complicated! You just find something that needs to get done, do it, and then move on!" Kara nods confidently. "I let Batman and Mister Atom do 'managing'."

"Actually, if your ship can carry any sort of weight, you could be a big help with transportation. Otherwise, just being visible in places where there was violent conflict can really help to calm things down and give everyone the confidence they need to go about their days."

Though I doubt a single ship would have much impact overall.

"My ship isn't really designed to move cargo containers."

"But it's got standard parasite attachment points, right?"

The spaceship equivalent of tow hooks, huh? I assume it can carry things slung across its belly.

"Ah, I think so? I haven't taken them off."

"I can build a cargo pod that can mate with those. Earth can build weapons as good as anything the Thanagarian Empire has, but it mostly operates at a far lower level of technology. Certainly, we don't use anything like Nth metal. If you're willing to do that you'd mostly be moving people volunteering for agricultural work from cities to rural areas, and maybe farming tools and equipment."

And to be fair, a lot of those near-Thanagarian weapons are the products of malign hypercognitives.

She frowns. "That doesn't sound anything like what I'd expected. Doesn't this sort of thing usually involve transporting food, and… Fundraising?"

"Usually, a natural disaster affects a limited area, so bringing in resources from places that aren't affected is the most sensible thing to do. The problem that we have is that the whole Earth was affected, and we don't have an interstellar empire to draw resources from."

"What about your Lantern Corps?"

Off-world aid would draw unwanted attention to Earth. Bad enough places like Thanagar are looking its way.

"Can't take the risk of Anti-Life exposure. Or risk picking a fight with Apokolips." I nod my head to the side. "Yet, anyway. We'll have to fight them eventually." I shrug. "I could probably convince them to send me a few ships that they don't urgently need, but there are only a handful of people on Earth who would have the slightest idea how to operate them. The nearest inhabited world to Earth is Mars, and they don't produce a food surplus, and they're going through a political upheaval of their own. Then there's Ungara, and they have to use solar reflectors to have any farmland at all. And then there's Earth's own farming policy-. It's something that we need to correct for ourselves. We've got all the stuff we need in order to do it, people just need… Jollying along. Guidance. Organisation. Once the first year's harvest is done we can probably just leave it, but until then…"

Cultural inertia is a bitch to overcome. Especially in places that do it so badly they're practically ruining the land in the name of immediate short-term profit... Not a problem on Earth Sixteen, at least.

"Okay." She nods. "I have wanted to see more of Earth."

"I'll try and point out the interesting bits. So, the space suit?"

I have to wonder if she has any change of clothes. It's probably really obvious as to whether she's wearing any underwear in that thing, too.

"Oh, it's a costume, you know? I had it on during the last song. I was just too freaked out to get changed."

"It's just, ah… I've noticed you… How can I put this..? Displaying yourself.. when we speak? My ring says that you want me to admire your physique, but that can be taken in a couple of different ways and I know that Thanagarian intelligence wants you to keep tabs on me, so..?"

Oh, she's definitely thirsty for something Orange-flavoured.

She looks surprised. "I thought you didn't notice?"

"No, I just didn't want to get you in trouble with your handlers. Or me in trouble with Jade."

He's certainly looking. He's not dead, after all. But that doesn't mean he has to pay attention.

"Well…" She fluffs and straightens her wings awkwardly. "To begin with? I was trying to make you interested. I know enough about human culture to know that it was more… Overtly sexual for a human than it would have been for a thanagarian, I just… It was kind of a game? After a while? To see if I could actually get you to notice? And yeah, I could point to it when my handlers asked, but once Lantern Dul reported in that wasn't such a big deal for them."

So it's more a bit of casual teasing for her than anything? Now, anyway.

I nod as I return my attention to my actually pretty good pancake. "Perhaps it would be worth suggesting to your intelligence contacts that using that sort of technique on an empath isn't likely to work."

Her pupils narrow, the thanagarian equivalent of eyes widening. "That works over long range comms?"

"It can do. It does for me." I turn to Kara. "Perhaps we could work in India today?"

Joy of being high-level Avarice Shaman.

An interesting offer. Going from popstar-slash-intelligence agent to superhero-adjacent disaster relief. I suppose it'll make a nice vacation for her, at least. And if she can return to Thanagar with an apology in the form of a bunch of useful data on Earth, then maybe her bosses will forgive her for running off.

NightmareWarden · Jun 10, 2024

Well Paul helpfully reminded us that in the comics, Sinestro/his corp attacked a Thanagarian world. I wonder if the yellow lantern we met, the Citadelian (clone, like the rest of his race), will knock over the first domino.

Alternatively, the alliance we saw hints of when the Parallax/Yellow Ring hunt arc ended is going to enact a plan. Earth is only going to get stronger now, and it is something of a treasure trove compared to the rest of the universe.

inglorius · Jun 10, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Because human bodies are never truly still. Breathing, slight tremors from heartbeats and muscle tremors... It's one of the reason those ultra-detailed animatronics are so creepy.

Now you went and made me wonder if sex dolls come with heartbeat simulation and breathing.

Vaermina · Jun 10, 2024

Ardy said:
It works over long range comms? Even on the planet she's from that doesn't have a magic tradition? Wtf, is he looking at her through the Honden or something?

A thing does whatever Paul says it does, even when it doesn't.

RoninSword · Jun 10, 2024

Didn't Bleeze already explain that her displaying herself was in built habit that she did without thinking about?

Edit: Also, are they still worried about Anti-Life infection for other Orange Lanterns? On one hand that seems a bit paranoid, especially after all the effort they had for the White Light to purge the planet.

Mr Zoat · Jun 10, 2024

RoninSword said:
Didn't Bleeze already explain that her displaying herself was in built habit that she did without thinking about?

A person doesn't 'habitually' comm someone just after they get out of the shower.

Edit: Also, are they still worried about Anti-Life infection for other Orange Lanterns? On one hand that seems a bit paranoid, especially after all the effort they had for the White Light to purge the planet.

Yes, but it hasn't been confirmed that it actually worked. No where has ever gotten rid of the anti-life like that before, and Dox wants to be very sure.

Ardy · Jun 10, 2024

Vaermina said:
A thing does whatever Paul says it does, even when it doesn't.

I would agree with you if you hadn't wimped out on your last point instead of defending it. Now I'm inclined to believe Paul was screwing with her specifically so the Thanagarians would believe he could do that.

SilentObserver · Jun 11, 2024

"That works over long range comms?"

"It can do. It does for me."

Two possible alternatives for this:

"~~It can do.~~ It does for me."
"It does, at least for me."

Jirachi · Jun 11, 2024

- Dumb question: Is there any reason why the method Kalmin used to realign Alan's ring wouldn't work on an orange ring, at least one designed for that purpose (after perhaps a bit of firmware tweaking)? In theory, I guess it might be possible to have a blue lantern realign some orange personal lanterns, and spread the ring-conversion program, and bypass the need for Kalmin to personally create more of either.

Prince Charon · Jun 11, 2024

SilentObserver said:
Two possible alternatives for this:

"~~It can do.~~ It does for me."

"It does, at least for me."

Possibly British slang. I think I've heard British people say things like 'it can do' before.

Mr Zoat · Jun 11, 2024

10th April 2013
23:31 GMT -7

"Just a minute!"

I lower my hoof from where I knocked at the door of the Castle of Friendship, my gaze remaining fixedly forwards. Because that way I don't have to look upwards at the abomination unto civic planning, architecture and military fortifications that is the main habitation area of the so-called 'castle'.

So Twilight's old home was a library built into a tree. Fine. Bark is a vital organ but it's perfectly possible to hollow out part of a trunk without killing the whole tree, especially if you've got magic assistance. Put a window in the side of the trunk? Fine. It would normally stop the flow of water and nutrients upwards and downwards, but a capable enough bio-engineer could get around that. A balcony? Sure, if you've got a branch big enough.

The current… Thing is a crystal… Tree-like object, with a thick 'trunk' at the base and 'branches' spreading outwards about half way up. These for a platform upon which sits a miniature castle and a colossal balcony. The crystal isn't all that thick so it must be incredibly strong to support that weight, but I can't help but think that any decent attack would just collapse the whole edifice. And the right sonic attack-.

Sunset's horn winks out. "I don't believe it."

"Yes, you'd think that a magical energy field with access to every currently extant special talent could do a bit better than this when it comes to-."

"What?" She glances at me with a frown. "No. There aren't any protective spells."

"None?"

"There's a harmony field-effect which probably does something, but there's nothing stopping someone teleporting up to the balcony and then walking inside."

I mean…

"It's a red herring, then. Civil administration is handled by the town hall, and there's no guard unit. They'd rather this building was attacked, rather-" The door opens, Spike staring at our ankles. "-than anywhere that's actually important."

Spike looks up, and gulps.

"Hey Sunset Shimmer, Grayven. What brings you..? Here?"

"Present for you."

I drop the taaffeite crystal on him, and he catches it with both hands. "Uh, thanks." He sniffs it curiously, then shrugs. "What is it?"

"Taaffeite. It occurred to me that you might not have ever encountered it, and I'm curious to see what it tastes like to you."

He looks a little wary. "Is it bad?"

"As bad as a crystal lattice of magnesium, beryllium, aluminium and oxygen can be, I suppose. I don't know of any other dragon ever eating it, so I can't really give you more information. Should be harmless, compared to things you've already eaten."

"I… Think I'll save that for later."

Sunset takes a half-step closer. "Is Twilight in? I'd like to speak to her."

"Ah…" He glances back into the alleged castle. "Probably? I'll-." He sighs.

I nod sympathetically. "Not like the old days where you could just shout up to her, is it?"

"Yeah. And these stairs aren't easy when your legs are as short as mine."

That prompts a frown from me. "Can't you send scrolls to people with your fire?"

"That…" He rubs his chin with his right hand. "Huh. That could work." He looks left and right. "Except I don't keep a quill or scroll down here."

Subspace to the rescue.

"Here you go. That's a ballpoint pen and a notepad."

"Huh." He puts down the crystal as he takes hold of the pen and pad, looking at the tip of the pen. "Is that like a fountain pen?"

"Yes, but it uses a ball wedged in the tip rather than a lever. Much easier to control."

"Okay. Grayven plus Sunset at front door to see you." He then tears off the first page of the pad and exhales green flame over it. It disintegrates into ash and then flies off up the stairs.

Sunset frowns at it. "What happens if there's a door in the way?"

Spike shrugs. "It flies around. And the doors aren't air tight; it doesn't need a lot of space."

"Huh. Would you mind if I did some tests on you later? I'd-" Spike's eyes widen and he cringes back. "-love to-."

I bat her with my wing, prompting her to look at me.

"What?"

I nod at Spike, my eyes fixing hers.

"Oh. Right." Her head jerks back to Spike. "Non-invasive tests mostly involving passive monitoring when you send messages. Not… Whatever you were imagining."

"Oh." He exhales in relief. "I was worried because I've seen Twilight's Science Dungeon-"

Sunset blinks. "What?"

"-and that didn't look like it would be much fun."

"Ah-. I don't have a science dungeon? I do most of my work in a first floor laboratory with lots of natural sunlight, and an ethics guidance committee."

Spike considers that for a moment. "That sounds like an improvement. Maybe-."

Poof!

Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria appears in the foyer just behind Spike, smiling at us as she spots us. "Hey guys! Come in! What's up?"

Spike moves back inside, putting the notepad and pen on a side table and scooping up the crystal. I courteously let Sunset take the lead, then follow on behind her.

Sunset addresses her successor first. "We came to warn you that Princess Celestia's planning something stupid." Twilight's face takes on a mulish cast at the slight against her idol. "So we tried talking her out of it, but… You know how that goes."

"No I don't." She sounds slightly panicked as she says it, as if Sunset just said 'oh, come on: everyone pisses in the baptismal font once'. "I've never tried talking Princess Celestia out of anything."

I nod. "Yes, that's… Part of the problem." Ah, where to start. "Okay, so you remember that when the Plunder Vines kidnapped Celestia and Luna, you ended up in charge of the country?"

"Oh, yes." Twilight grins, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure they've updated the contingency protocols to make sure that never happens again." She giggles. "Can you imagine me running the country?"

"Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah…" I wince. "It's... More like the opposite."

She looks puzzled, though not yet worried. "Ah… The opposite?"

"You've been made Crown Princess. Which means that if anything happens to Celestia or Luna it's your official job, rather than just the result of idiots panicking and looking for someone else to fix things."

Twilight grins, unnaturally. "Okay, but what's the chance of that happening, right?"

"Celestia's… Kind of planning on stepping down. Luna's not sure how she feels, but she's not really integrated into peoples' minds in the way that Celestia is, and there's a good chance that she'll step down too when Celestia does."

Twilight blinks. "I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're saying that I'm about to become the ruler of Equestria."

"That's.. because-" I nod. "-that's what I just said."

"Oh."

Twilight's eyes roll back in their sockets as she collapses to the floor.

DoomLordSteve · Jun 11, 2024

Fair enough. Would probably react somewhat similarly myself.

Enochi · Jun 11, 2024

Perfectly reasonable reaction

Bigking321 · Jun 11, 2024

Perfectly reasonable response.

Edit: just a bit too late...

Doccer · Jun 11, 2024

Bigking321 said:
Perfectly reasonable response.

Edit: just a bit too late...

But not wrong.

Chojin Patriarch · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
10th April 2013
23:31 GMT -7

"Just a minute!"

I lower my hoof from where I knocked at the door of the Castle of Friendship, my gaze remaining fixedly forwards. Because that way I don't have to look upwards at the abomination unto civic planning, architecture and military fortifications that is the main habitation area of the so-called 'castle'.

Really, it looks more like a prettified version of a child's playset.

Which, to be fair, it is, what with the series being a merchandise-driven show. Even in a 'real' sense, it's not anywhere most people would like to live.

So Twilight's old home was a library built into a tree. Fine. Bark is a vital organ but it's perfectly possible to hollow out part of a trunk without killing the whole tree, especially if you've got magic assistance. Put a window in the side of the trunk? Fine. It would normally stop the flow of water and nutrients upwards and downwards, but a capable enough bio-engineer could get around that. A balcony? Sure, if you've got a branch big enough.

And as he notes, most of those issues can be addressed by magic. I imagine it was an extended project by a very determined Earth Pony. Determined and possibly a little unhinged.

The current… Thing is a crystal… Tree-like object, with a thick 'trunk' at the base and 'branches' spreading outwards about half way up. These for a platform upon which sits a miniature castle and a colossal balcony. The crystal isn't all that thick so it must be incredibly strong to support that weight, but I can't help but think that any decent attack would just collapse the whole edifice. And the right sonic attack-.

Naturally, a wizard did it. Or rather, a magical entity formed by the collective emotions of the population. I mean, just the centre of balance alone must be way off-centre...

Sunset's horn winks out. "I don't believe it."

"Yes, you'd think that a magical energy field with access to every currently extant special talent go do a bit better than this when it comes to-."

...Maybe it couldn't create a coherent form because it's affected by every talent at once? Too many different concepts, conflicting ideas, all roiling around together at the same time.

"What?" She glances at me with a frown. "No. There aren't any protective spells."

"None?"

...Hey, magical crystal. Maybe the structure is rendered indestructible by Harmony?

"There's a harmony field-effect which probably does something, but there's nothing stopping someone teleporting up to the balcony and then walking inside."

I mean…

Could well be what's holding it in place, after all. Or the map of friendship...

"It's a red herring, then. Civil administration is handled by the town hall, and there's no guard unit. They'd rather this building was attacked, rather-" The door opens, Spike staring at our ankles. "-anywhere that's actually important."

Spike looks up, and gulps.

I get a definite 'oh no, not again...' vibe from that. He's probably wondering what mainstay you're here to upset this time.

"Hey Sunset Shimmer, Grayven. What brings you..? Here?"

"Present for you."

After all, in some cultures, visitors bring gifts for the homeowners...

I drop the taaffeite crystal on him, and he catches it with both hands. "Uh, thanks." He sniffs it curiously, then shrugs. "What is it?"

"Taaffeite. It occurred to me that you might not have ever encountered it, and I'm curious to see what it tastes like to you."

Ooh, looks like it'll be grape-flavoured.

Hopefully it doesn't give him gas or something worse.

He looks a little wary. "Is it bad?"

"As bad as a crystal lattice of magnesium, beryllium, aluminium and oxygen can be, I suppose. I don't know of any other dragon ever eating it, so I can't really give you more information. Should be harmless, compared to things you've already eaten."

Wilsonian Dragons: The Ultimate Omnivore.

"I… Think I'll save that for later."

Sunset takes a half-step closer. "Is Twilight in? I'd like to speak to her."

Now, does she want to risk talking to you? Given the number of taken-for-granted theories of magic she's already seen you flip the table on...

"Ah…" He glances back into the alleged castle. "Probably? I'll-." He sighs.

I nod sympathetically. "Not like the old days where you could just shout up to her, is it?"

Joy of moving house. Or in this case, the house moving on you.

"Yeah. And these stairs aren't easy when your legs are as short as mine."

That prompts a frown from me. "Can't you send scrolls to people with your fire?"

Bet he'll be real glad when he develops enough to be able to fly.

"That…" He rubs his chin with his right hand. "Huh. That could work." He looks left and right. "Except I don't keep a quill or scroll down here."

Subspace to the rescue.

"Here you go. That's a ballpoint pen and a notepad."

Which is great, for as long as the ink lasts. Perhaps you can get him a box of them later.

"Huh." He puts down the crystal as he takes hold of the pen and pad, looking at the tip of the pen. "Is that like a fountain pen?"

"Yes, but it uses a ball wedged in the tip rather than a lever. Much easier to control."

For which a world was very glad, as the old method had its drawbacks. Like leaking if the release was triggered in a pocket...

"Okay. Grayven plus Sunset at front door to see you." He then tears off the first page of the pad and exhales green flame over it. It disintegrates into ash and then flies off up the stairs.

Sunset frowns at it. "What happens if there's a door in the way?"

...Good question. I assume when Celestia would send messages to him, and vice-versa, there were usually open windows handy...

Spike shrugs. "It flies around. And the doors aren't air tight; it doesn't need a lot of space."

"Huh. Would you mind if I did some tests on you later? I'd-" Spike's eyes widen and he cringes back. "-love to-."

Sounds like the place is a bit draughty. Can't be entirely pleasant when winter rolls around, unless Harmony handles that with magical air-conditioning.

I bat her with my wing, prompting her to look at me.

"What?"

Phrasing!

You sound like a supervillain when you put it so bluntly.

I nod at Spike, my eyes fixing hers.

"Oh. Right." Her head jerks back to Spike. "Non-invasive tests mostly involving passive monitoring when you send messages. Not… Whatever you were imagining."

I doubt it's anything pleasant.

"Oh." He exhales in relief. "I was worried because I've seen Twilight's Science Dungeon-"

Sunset blinks. "What?"

An amusing fan-nickname for the basement lab in which she tried to do things like analyse Pinkie Pie's Pinkieness.

"-and that didn't look like it would be much fun."

"Ah-. I don't have a science dungeon? I do most of my work in a first floor laboratory with lots of natural sunlight, and an ethics guidance committee."

...Should we be worried that you need an ethics guidance committee? Or does it mostly consist of asking Grayven 'if this is too mad-sciency?'

Spike considers that for a moment. "That sounds like an improvement. Maybe-."

Poof!

...To be fair, don't know if Twilight would be quite so... Gentle? In her analyses.

Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle of Equestria appears in the foyer just behind Spike, smiling at us as she spots us. "Hey guys! Come in! What's up?"

Spike moves back inside, putting the notepad and pen on a side table and scooping up the crystal. I courteously let Sunset take the lead, then follow on behind her.

Admittedly, Grayven, that's not as reassuring as you make that position sound. You are a large fellow, and tend to loom a little.

Sunset addresses her successor first. "We came to warn you that Princess Celestia's planning something stupid." Twilight's face takes on a mulish cast at the slight against her idol. "So we tried talking her out of it, but… You know how that goes."

"No I don't." She sounds slightly panicked as she says it, as if Sunset just said 'oh, come on: everyone pisses in the baptismal font once'. "I've never tried talking Princess Celestia out of anything."

Not directly, or even consciously, anyway. Mostly dissembling self-deprecation about whether she's up to whatever Celestia wants her to do...

I nod. "Yes, that's… Part of the problem." Ah, where to start. "Okay, so you remember that when the Plunder Vines kidnapped Celestia and Luna, you ended up in charge of the country?"

"Oh, yes." Twilight grins, rolling her eyes. "I'm sure they've updated the contingency protocols to make sure that never happens again." She giggles. "Can you imagine me running the country?"

...Better call rarity, have her get her fainting couch ready. I think Twilight's gonna need it in a second.

"Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah…" I wince. "It's... More like the opposite."

She looks puzzled, though not yet worried. "Ah… The opposite?"

And the nervous worry begins to creep in...

"You've been made Crown Princess. Which means that if anything happens to Celestia or Luna it's your official job, rather than just the result of idiots panicking and looking for someone else to fix things."

Twilight grins, unnaturally. "Okay, but what's the chance of that happening, right?"

Not mentioned, the slight twang of individual hairs flicking out of her mane at random angles...

"Celestia's… Kind of planning on stepping down. Luna's not sure how she feels, but she's not really integrated into peoples' minds in the way that Celestia is, and there's a good chance that she'd step down too when Celestia does."

Twilight blinks. "I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're saying that I'm about to become the ruler of Equestria."

Congratulations for saying that without hesitating or any tremble in your voice.

"That's.. because-" I nod. "-that's what I just said."

"Oh."

Twilight's eyes roll back in their sockets as she collapses to the floor.

Never mind. Honestly, Grayven, you could have had a fainting couch ready for her...

Well, she's been told the 'happy' news. At least now she has time to prepare. And then prepare to get prepared. Somehow, I get the feeling that even with this advanced warning, Twilight is still going to be panicky for the first... Decade or so of her rule. Skittish, even. At least she'll have people around who can provide her with support and advice. And also Grayven to provide some professional advice.

Darko · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
talent go do a bit

"can do a"

Darko · Jun 11, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
An amusing fan-nickname for the basement lab in which she tried to do things like analyse Pinkie Pie's Pinkieness.

There are some things man, or pony, was not meant to know.

Rebu · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Oh." He exhales in relief. "I was worried because I've seen Twilight's Science Dungeon-"

Sunset blinks. "What?"

"-and that didn't look like it would be much fun."

I thought this was QQ's SFW section, not FimFic.

Jirachi · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"I've met four enlightened Green Lanterns. Two were human, but the other two weren't. If you managed that mental transformation yourself you would be substantially more powerful. I suspect that Lantern Priest of Sector One Six Three Four would be happy to advise you. He should certainly be able to spare the time."

I wonder if this is true - he's met "Main yellow", guy, chaselon and priest, which accounts for the total, but Malvolio is enlightened too, isn't he? He certainly seems to have the emotion disruption interaction of an enlightened lantern. He's probably also done some bonus work on top of that, but not sure about the details there. I guess theoretically there was probably an enlightened gold lantern he could have met in the wind down around the multiversal crossover krona plot line - It would hardly shock me if 'human guardian' John Stewart was enlightened, or something in the general shape of that.
Speaking of enlightenment, I wonder if Sinestro is enlightened - green or yellow or both. It's certainly plausible that part of him moving his way up through the corps was by attaining the illustres rank the traditional way.
Also the Renegade pony romps are always adorable ^^

Mr Zoat · Jun 11, 2024

Chojin Patriarch said:
Ooh, looks like it'll be grape-flavoured. Hopefully it doesn't give him gas or something worse.

Blackcurrant, actually.

...Should we be worried that you need an ethics guidance committee? Or does it mostly consist of asking Grayven 'if this is too mad-sciency?'

No, ethics guidance committees are pretty common.

Or maybe that means that you should worry more...

Darko said:
"can do a"

Thank you, corrected.

moralrelativity · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
a good chance that she'd step down too when Celestia does

she'd -> she'll (to match the tense)

WereDragon · Jun 11, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
"Yes, you'd think that a magical energy field with access to every currently extant special talent could do a bit better than this when it comes to-."

Grayven demanding architectural expertise from a tree. And old and magical tree, but still a tree.

Mr Zoat · Jun 11, 2024

moralrelativity said:
she'd -> she'll (to match the tense)

Thnak you, corrected.

WereDragon said:
Grayven demanding architectural expertise from a tree. And old and magical tree, but still a tree.

A tree which has been sitting under a perfectly good castle for a thousand years.

Impartial Panic · Jun 11, 2024

I think Twilight took the news rather well.

Mr Zoat · Jun 12, 2024

10th April 2013
23:36 GMT -7

"Twilight!"

Spike hurries over to his primary caregiver's side, putting his hands on her side and trying to shake her awake. Sunset's horn glows for a moment and I recognise a basic diagnostic spell being fired off, and given that she rolls her eyes afterwards I assume that Twilight doesn't have anything seriously wrong with her.

This is inconvenient.

I trot closer and take a small vial of smelling salts out of subspace while Spike frantically checks her breathing and pulse. Lid off and lower it to her muzzle-.

Spike jerks his head around as the vial passes him. "What are you-?" His muzzle wrinkles. "Ew!"

"Yep." I watch Twilight's nostrils twitch twice, then her eyes snap open and her hooves try and drag her out of range without clearing things with her not-entirely-up-to-speed brain. I put the stopper back on as she tries to finish her reboot while simultaneously getting that smell out of her nose. "Wake up juice. Marvellous stuff. Back with us, Princess?"

"Ah… Yes, yes, but-." Her eyes widen as she gets to the 'Celestia is abdicating' part. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm remembering things right. Because I thought you said-."

"I did. Not immediately, but that's the direction she's heading in."

Twilight goes still. "Oh."

Spike frowns. "Did Princess Celestia say why she's quitting?"

I shrug. "She's been doing a job not actually related to her special talent for over a thousand years. I think she just wants a change."

Sunset snorts, muttering something under her breath.

Twilight looks at her for a moment. "I'm sorry? I didn't catch that."

Sunset looks her full on. "She's gotten old."

Twilight looks like she's still a little behind events. "Ah… A thousand years is fairly old…"

"Equestria is finally industrialising. With the railways and the printing press, Equestrian society will change faster now than it has in the last thousand years. And since Celestia has spent time studying what happened to human society when that happened, she knows it. I think that she thinks that she can't handle it."

Twilight frowns, though by now she's at least a little used to Sunset's attitude to her former teacher. "Equestria hasn't just stayed the same for the last thousand years." She walks-. She's pacing. She's pacing in a circle. "It can't just be that she doesn't think she can handle it." She stops, looking at me. "What about Princess Luna?"

I wing-shrug. "She can't produce a new Princess Regnant for about seventeen years, and I think that Celestia wants to quit before that."

Twilight stops circling, tilting her head slightly to the right as she looks at me in puzzlement. "Why would it take seventeen years?"

"A year to bear the foal, sixteen years to-" Twilight's cheeks colour. "-reach its majority."

Sunset tosses her mane. "And I don't have time to run a country."

"Yes." I nod. "That's the only reason."

Sunset limits her response to raising her left eyebrow at me before returning her attention to Twilight. "Celestia was just going to drop this on you and then fly off-" Twilight's eyes widen again. "-but we talked her into giving you some warning."

Twilight raises her right hoof to her chest, inhaling deeply as she does so. Then she exhales, thrusting her right hoof forward. Breathes in, hoof in, breathes out, hoof out.

Spike watches her trying to calm down, then turns to me. "Was that everything?"

"I'm afraid not. We talked Celestia into decelerating her retirement plans."

"Oh." He thinks for a moment, then nods. "That sounds like a good idea."

"But unless Twilight wants to turn her down-"

Twilight starts hyperventilating, her hoof blurring as she tries to keep up with her breathing.

"-we need to teach her how to exercise regnant authority. And that starts with Ponyville."

Spike tries waving his hands to get Twilight's attention, but it doesn't work. I-.

Sunset nudges me aside. "No, I've got this one." Her horn glows as she conjures a paper bag from somewhere, then levitates it over Twilight's muzzle and holds it there.

Twilight… Gradually slows down, her foreleg flailing slightly less before eventually flopping back to the floor.

"Oh-kay." Twilight looks at Sunset, who hesitates for a moment before floating the paper bag off Twilight's muzzle. "Okay. What do you mean, 'starts with Ponyville'?"

I smile in what I hope is a calming and reassuring manner. "If you're doing this, and I emphasise if-" Twilight twitches and Sunset raises the paper bag threateningly. "-then we think it would be best if you started off ruling something smaller and simpler than an entire country."

"Yeah. That.. sounds like a good idea."

Sunset nods. "And because the whole point is to dump Equestria on someone who knows how industrialisation works, we need to industrialise Ponyville. Or rather, you do."

Sunset's horn glows, and a pile of papers appears next to Twilight.

"Congratulations, Duchess Twilight Sparkle of the Duchy of Ponyville."

She looks at Sunset, then at the paperwork, then at Sunset, but her horn's already glowing as she picks up the pages. "But I'm already a princess."

"Yes, but you can't be Princess of Ponyville unless Celestia makes it an independent country, and we thought that would be too much work when you don't even know how to run a duchy. Legally, someone who rules a city is a duke or duchess, so now you're a duchess and a princess." Sunset emits a low growl. "Whereas I haven't even been awarded my doctorate yet."

I nod. "That's the problem with being more intelligent than the review committee."

"I turned myself into an alicorn. That should be all the proof I need to show that I know what I'm talking about."

I decide to move on. "Now, that 'duchess' thing doesn't go into effect until you actually agree to any of this, and you'll need to discuss this with the Ponyville mayor. If you keep going you'll get to the part which defines the proposed area of the duchy, the extent of your authority and the suggestions Sunset and I came up with to improve the local economy and the provisional contracts that the company which we intend to set up has been offered by the Crown and by governments on Earth. Celestia has already approved moving Starswirl's Mirror to Ponyville to simplify matters."

Twilight is now at the centre of a cylindrical wall of paperwork. "Uh-huh."

"And your tail is on fire."

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, she's good. Spike, probably a good idea to keep an eye-."

The looks he gives me says 'no shit' and 'I've been doing this literally since I hatched'.

"You've got this. Good lad. We'll be in Ponyville for the rest of the day if anyone need us. Do you need anything right now?"

He considers for a moment. "Could you let the girls know that Twilight's going to need them in about… Half an hour? I think that's when she'll start coming out of this."

I nod. "Will do. I-."

"Spike!" Twilight starts moving, paperwork still forming a shield wall around her. "I need census data for every major city in Equestria for the last fifty years, a topographical map of the Ponyville area, and…"

Spike grabs the notepad and pen and starts frantically scribing as Sunset and I walk out of the palace.

moralrelativity · Jun 12, 2024

Mr Zoat said:
the extend of your authority

extend -> extent

Mr Zoat · Jun 12, 2024

moralrelativity said:
extend -> extent

Thank you, corrected.

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

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