private A Cultural Exchange 1x1 with Randimaxis

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

The circlet Illiad had built was larger and brighter because it contained the core of Illiad's diamond, and thus Selena. If Havoc was till in Silver's mind, he would have to deal with Selena directly. If not, then Silver would have someone to comfort her after her ordeal. Either way Illiad was out a companion for the night.

 

He laid his head back down, struggling to keep his eyes open until Dax returned with tales of success. He was willing to suffer for Silver's benefit if necessary.

 

He looked over at Mr. Blackwater, "You're welcome, and I appreciate the company. I couldn't exactly let my new friends come to harm now could I?"

 

He yawned again, Just a few more minutes... I need to know that Silver is cared for. 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Luther looked at Illiad for a long moment.

 

"Friends."

 

It almost sounded like he was tasting the word for the first time in a long time... and it wasn't as distasteful as he remembered it to be.

 

"Yes.  That will be fine."

 

Luther sat up a little straighter, and the Empathic could feel the awkwardness in the stallion; he wasn't at all used to this kind of situation, but he did have a loyalty there that felt so much like Dax's that Illiad could tell they were certainly father and son.  He cleared his throat quietly, then spoke again.

 

"Vylia tells me you are a political force in Troy, or you soon will be.  If you need anything we can give you, ask; it will be yours.  Gem Refinery will need work, but you saved our lives."

 

He looked away then, toward the front foyer doors, his mind lost in thought.

 

"You are always welcome in our home.  Illiad."

 

He nodded once, then settled into watching Ziggy finish up the bandaging process.

 

 

=========================================================================

 

 

She could feel Silver's mind - and it was deathly afraid... but not of ancient draconequui, oh no.

 

Silver Studs was afraid of her OWN mind.

 

She lie sleeping on the floor of her usually tidy shed... except now, there were reams of paper everywhere, each and every one covered with diagrams and charts and blueprints and sketches and concepts and fabrications... and every last one of them shared one thing in common:

 

They were ALL machines of war.  Every last one.

 

When she'd been touched, Havoc/Redd had gotten her after she had left Dax's company upstairs, almost immediately after the meeting with Luther.  She had instantly been overpowered by an aspect of her constructive genius that she had never, ever dared to explore... and it wanted to express itself AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE.

 

She had frantically drawn and written and moved like she was possessed, the drawings nearly vomiting from her mind onto page after page after page... until the spell finally broke, and she passed out from extreme exertion.

 

Selena could read all of this in the mind and aura of the restlessly sleeping Silver Studs... but it was what was outside that was the worry.

 

Silver Studs, a sweet and peace-loving gearhead, was surrounded on all sides by plans for some of the most brutal war machines ever designed.  Most of them injured others quite badly, and more than a few actually killed opponents.  They weren't torturous devices - they were just deadly effective ones.  And each and every one had come from Silver's own mind.

 

Selena had a bad feeling that Silver might not take this very well...

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Illiad felt the ping that Selena was in position and he gave a sigh of relief. He could sleep peacefully now that he knew someone would be watching over her.

 

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind Mr. Bl.... Luther, thank you again for the hospitality."

 

With that he settled in to another dreamless sleep to let his body and mind recover from their ordeals.

 

Meanwhile...

 

Selena was now close enough that she could initiate another dreamshare, so she did so, pulling Silver from the dream she was in and taking her to the same white room she had been in when they first met, only this time the chairs were replaced with the typical psychiatrist's long couch. There would certainly be some talking here to help Silver get through what had happened.

 

Selena only hoped she would be up to the task.

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

What came through the door was NOT what Selena had expected.

 

The door to the small office SLAMMED open, and what strolled through was horrific to look at: four large, spiderlike, clockwork-driven legs extended out from a harness that was fastened around the waist of a gray mare.  The legs suspended the mare in the air, which added to the creepy vibe.  

 

Each hoof wore a horseshoe that was riddled with different fine tools, as if she had an entire toolkit on standby at any moment.  There was some sort of contraption on her back that looked like it was a fancy lightbulb with straps, only the light inside the bulb was a dark crimson, running jagged arcs across the inner surface.

 

Topping this off was the gas mask that covered her muzzle, long tubes reaching from the mask itself to the back behind her.  The eyes of the mask were a solid, glowing red and a loose, scraggly orange mane hung down around her, putting the finishing touch on this macabre steampunk nightmare.

 

Her cutie mark was a pony's skull, with tubes coming from it's sockets and winding behind it.

 

The spidery legs left small holes where they struck the floor, and she drifted her way over to the couch.  She lowered down onto it, then the mask tilted up to face Selena directly.  However, no matter the horrific sight before her, Selena could NOT mistake the voice from within - though it sounded somewhat warped and metallic, there was no doubt of who was in control of this terrible thing.

 

"I'm... I'm a m-m-monster..."

 

She simply sat there.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Well... THIS is certainly not what I was expecting.

 

Selena pondered for a moment what possible route she could take, she could try To get Silver to defend herself by confirming her feelings, she could try to one-up Silver and come up with something more despicable, or she could try to turn what Silver had done around.

 

The last option was the most difficult, but would yield the best results if done correctly. "Are you though? designing weapons hardly makes you a monster, after all the guard aren't murderers for defending their towns from attackers now are they? Besides, what you've designed, with a bit of alteration, could easily bring quite a bit of good to the world. What really matters is why they were designed, not their purpose."

 

Selena settled in to a more comfortable position. "I after all plot catastrophes and how one would go about causing them. Do you know how easy it would be to topple a large portion of Canterlot off the mountain? Too easy. But does that make me a monster for knowing exactly where to place the bombs? No. Because I plot both to respond against these sorts of threats, and to keep the world in balance. So you've designed a rather disturbing quantity of weapons, the way I see it you're only a monster if you designed them because you wanted to use them to hurt, to kill. But I don't think that's why, is it?"

 

She materialized a notepad like any psychiatrist would have, this session would no doubt reveal some interesting things about her that Illiad would like to know. "Tell me Silver, do you remember why you designed what you did?"

Edited June 11, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

The red glowing eyes turned to look up at Selena, filled with fear - fear of herself.

 

"I... I recall thinking of what I might invent - what we spoke of?"

 

She recalled Selena; one thing to note.

 

"And when Redd brushed by me, I... I was thinking about what was said about... about war..."

 

She looked down at her self, then gave a watery sigh.

 

"... and it was THERE... all right THERE THERE in my face THERE in my view THERE it was, I couldn't see a thing because it was THERE THERE THERE..."

 

With each utterance of the word 'THERE', one of the long, spidery legs stomped on the floor enough to leave more divots.  She was visibly shaking, and seemed simultaneously scary and sad.

 

"... this stuff was in my MIND, Selena!  I've never gone looking for it, but THERE t was the entire time... and now, everypony can see it!"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena made a placating gesture, though with a slightly stern expression, "Silver, Relax. You were affected by the Jinx curse, though in a different way than the others were. It was quite the epidemic before Illiad saved the day. The Jinx curse made it so the very smallest part of your personality was amplified many hundred times greater than the biggest portion. Revealing that, in truth, you are hardly a monster, but the furthest thing from it. What happened then was the manifestation, basically, of something the very opposite of yourself. You are not a monster."

 

She sighed as she noted down something on her pad, "So, we can conclude that you were in fact Not designing what you did for any particular reason, but rather because it was all you could possibly think about. What you did, putting it down to get it out of your head, was really the best solution. The fact that you consider what you've designed to be horrific is proof in itself that you are not a monster. A monster doesn't feel remorse."

 

She sat and pondered a bit, "But I suppose we still have the problem of what you see yourself as, I'll let what I've said sink in first before we move into that." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver took a moment of silence, wondering aloud in a soft, muffled voice.

 

"... I'm fairly certain Redd did something, at the time... but... but those things didn't just appear in my head out of nothing, did they?  They had to have come from my own head... and that... that..."

 

She looked up at Selena.

 

"You didn't SEE the worst of them... you don't KNOW what they were... w-w-were capable of.  Horrible things.  Gruesome things.  Things that would turn even Sombra's face pale.  I... I designed those things, whether I was under a spell or not makes little difference; they now exist, and they never would have if I hadn't imagined them."

 

Her head drooped... but Selena saw some of the tools on her shoes began to fade and vanish, little by little.

 

"... but I don't have to build them, do I?  Maybe I can find some solace in that - I do NOT have to put any energy toward such a terrifying concept.  I would never... WILL never do anything of the sort!"

 

The harness around her waist loosened its' tight grip, and the tubes leading into the gas mask began to retract back into the mask itself.

 

"And I can BURN what I have created... before anypony ever lays eyes on it.  Destroy it before it taints another pony's mind."

 

Before the harness completely fell apart, however... the entire process froze, as if someone had cast a time-stopping spell on Silver.

 

"Oh... oh Selena, Illiad can never, NEVER see what I've done here!  NOPONY can!  Please, help me to destroy my terrible blueprints - and don't tell him about this!  If he knew what I'd done here..."

 

The harness tightened, ever so slightly.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena gave a slight smile at the progress she had made, noting down that Illiad should likely never mention the designs. She nodded, "You can destroy what you've done, but I cannot help you. Not because it's the sort of thing you should do yourself for it to be a therapeutic purging of yourself, but because I have a very limited influence on the real world without Illiad's assistance. And since you don't want Illiad to know... I won't tell him about the designs, you can be sure of that."

 

She thought for a moment, "Though the thought comes to mind, some of the designs you made could be easily re-purposed for good. That water cannon for example could make firefighting efforts much more effective, and many of the others could be used to help explorers and caravans protect themselves in dangerous environments like the Everfree and the San Palomino desert."

 

She shrugged, "It's up to you, Change them, Destroy them, whatever you need to find peace with yourself, though my advice would be that changing evil into good might be the most therapeutic. You're a smart and kind mare, Illiad knows that for a fact which is why he loves you as much as he does, even if he knew of the designs he wouldn't love you any less. He sent me here to help you because he was worried about you after all." 

Edited June 11, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

"Change them..?"

 

The thought rolled around in Silver's head for a moment, then she sat up.

 

"Some of them... yes, I COULD change them... well, certain ones, I'm sure... I could..."

 

As she spoke, the spider-like mechanical arms simply fell to the floor, vanishing as soon as they struck it, without even so much as a >clang< to accompany their departure.  The harness she wore seemed to simply melt into nothing, and when she wore nothing else but the now harmless-looking gas mask, she reached up and pulled it down, revealing her slightly teary-eyed but pretty face smiling.

 

"Yes, that would be wonderful!  Oh Selena, THANK you!  I don't know if I would hav-"

 

She vanished.  Simply vanished from the dream sequence.

 

Of course, there was a good reason for it...

 

======================================================================

 

"Silver!  Silver, wake up!"

 

Dax shook at the mare who was sleeping in a pile of paperwork.  Silver gave a start, hen sat bolt upright.

 

"... have done so without-... uhm..."

 

Silver looked around as if she had no clue where she was... then she turned to Dax.

 

"Dax..?  Where am-"

 

She remembered.

 

"OH SWEET CELESTIA!  DAX, GET OUT!  GET OUT!"

 

"Hunh?"

 

Silver got to her hooves, gave a frantic glance around at all the horrific machine-plans on the floor, then back at Dax.

 

"NO NO NO - OUTSIDE!  NOW!"

 

Silver shoved a bewildered Dax out the door, then slammed it shut and stood against it, as if she expected the Blackwater to kick it down.  But Dax only stood there staring at the door that had been so rapidly shut in his face.

 

"Uhm... okay... are you all right in there?"

 

From behind the door came the sounds of paper being hastily shoved around.

 

"YeahnothingtoworryabouteverythingisfinehereI'llbeoutinaminutejusthangon!!!!!"

 

Dax scratched his head.  "Huh... what'd I say?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena gave a wide smile as the changes occurred and Silver left the dreamscape, it really had gone much better than she had anticipated, given she was planning on getting Illiad to find a professional psychiatrist once she assessed the situation; but it seemed like that would not be necessary.

 

The room began to fade after Silver left, leaving Selena alone in the torus shaped edifice resting comfortably on Silver's head.

 

(There's not much I can do now if you just want to jump to the next day, given Illiad's out cold and Selena can only do things to sleeping individuals without Illiad's intervention. Unless you plan on one of those situations changing that is.) 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

 

 

(There's not much I can do now if you just want to jump to the next day, given Illiad's out cold and Selena can only do things to sleeping individuals without Illiad's intervention. Unless you plan on one of those situations changing that is.) 

 

(Watch this...)

 

 

The influx of energy from the massive spectacle earlier had changed Illiad somewhat... he had suffered, yes - but from that suffering had not only come a larger reserve, but it had also netted him an entire family of friends... not to mention the gratitude of an entire quarry.

 

Of course, with Illiad's link to Selena... and with as much power as he had been manifesting... it was inevitable that lovely Selena would also receive a bit of a boost, so to speak.  Her own channels had been opened a bit wider, her reach just a bit farther, and her reception was clearer.

 

... hello?...

 

It was an echo, a distant ripple against the wind - but she heard it.  It was so faint, it wouldn't have ever been possible to have even caught the smallest call... and this call was indeed small - yet the desperation in the emotional signal was at a fevered pitch.

 

... is anypony there?...

 

She recognized the voice; it wasn't quite as she remembered it, however.  It felt soft.  Alone.  Afraid.  Yet hopeful.

 

... hello?...

 

It sounded a LOT like Redd Handid... but there was no snark, no anger, no vinegar in it; it was scared and meek.

 

... please, I need help...

 

And apparently, Selena could hear that voice.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Well, isn't that different.

 

Silver felt something shift atop her head as something ran down her head by her ear like water, before it shifted its course and wrapped around her ear, yet it didn't restrict its ability to move. Something seemed to enter her ear, dampening the sound she could hear in that ear, until she heard a familiar voice from that ear. "Silver, it's Selena again. So you've missed out on a bit wince you were here in your shop, but Redd went missing soon after the battle. Anyway, I think I've found him, at least I heard him calling out. Since Illiad's asleep to recover from the fight and I just so happen to be perched on your head I'm going to need your help to find Redd okay? I'll just need you to walk around the quarry a bit so I can get a fix on his location okay? I know that means you'll have to leave the designs but I hope you can recognize how much more important this is at the moment."

 

She heard a sigh. "If you can't bring yourself to leave then just pass me off to another who can help me find him, Dax for example is nearby if you want." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver gasped.  "No no... of COURSE Redd is more important!  Hang on..."

 

She finished shoving the pile she'd been working on underneath her cot, then turned and went for the door.  Stepping outside, she saw Dax looking over the Gem Refinery... and Silver saw the damage.

 

"Oh NO!  Number six!  It blew, didn't it?"  She sighed sadly, then shook her head.  "No no, REDD now, repairs later!"

 

She went over to the Blackwater and spoke to him directly.

 

"Dax, I'm hunting for Redd - and I have help.  Go let the others know that I'm on the case!"

 

Dax gave her a look... then his sharp eyes saw the slight twinkle of Cloud Diamond in her ear, and put two and two together quickly.

 

"Right!  Good luck, you two!"

 

With that, Dax headed off to the manor, while Silver started looking around.

 

"Alright, which way do I go?"

 

... oh Celestia, how did I get so far UP?...

 

That came from farther up, towards the manor itself.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Selena smiled, a map of where the signal was coming from forming over the map of the quarry from Illiad's memories.

 

Silver heard the voice speak again, "Thanks, I knew I could count on you. The signal seems to be coming from the manor itself, up high though, either atop the manor or up on the manor itself." 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Nodding, Silver made her way up the path, casting a sad look at the ruined Refinery in passing, and made her way uphill towards the manor.  Reaching the front lawn, she glanced around a bit.

 

"Where now?"

 

... please, I'm scared of heights!  Help me...

 

The feelings were coming from further along the mountain; in fact, it felt as if those vibes were based out of Blackwater Ridge.  Directed by Selena, Silver made her way through the overgrown pathway to the somber cemetery.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

"Further up it seems, perhaps all the way up on the peak. That would explain at least why no one else has found him yet. Is there a oath that leads up there?"

 

Selena silently hoped there was, this would be much more difficult if there wasn't. With the amount of material she had, she could only carry one safely if it came to that. 

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver looked around the graveyard and shivered a bit.

 

"I... don't know; I've never been up here before - cemeteries worry me."

 

She looked around for a bit, stumbling across the path leading back down which Illiad, Dax and Taps had taken earlier, but eventually finding a scant trace of rusted and fallen iron fence that seemed to lead around the side of the mountain peak.

 

Silver took that path, hoping beyond hope that this was the right direction to go.

 

... wait, is somepony there?...

 

One thing was certain - it was closer.  This WAS the right direction after all!

 

The trek took about a good fifteen minutes, having to take her time along the thicker brush, and she eventually came to a small clearing where there was a blackened stump jutting out of the dirt, and nothing grew around that stump for roughly fifty feet in a radius.  It was HERE that Selena was feeling the biggest draw... and something else, as well...

 

"... please, who's there?  Somepony?  ANYpony?"

 

It took a moment before Selena realized that those last words weren't thoughts, but actual spoken words.  What's more, she was also getting a residual sensation of some Cloud Diamond nearby.  Directing Silver, they eventually came to the edge of the clearing - and almost fell right off the side of the mountain!

 

The cliff was sheer, and it was a loooooooooooooong way down... but amongst the crags and chunks sticking out of the wall, there was what appeared to be some sort of cage down below, made of diamond and containing none other than Redd Handid himself.

 

At least, he LOOKED like Redd... how he acted, however...

 

"Oh, sweet Celestia, PLEASE get me out of here!  I am HORRIFIED of heights!  Oh please oh please oh please..."

 

His emotional state was absolutely panicked, fear coming off him in waves... yet dulled to a very dim register by the Cloud Diamond's presence.  Apparently, Havoc had taken a bit of the Cloud Diamond for himself, and had fashioned a holding pen for Redd that utilized his biggest fear to keep him held.

 

Now, this acrophobic Earth Pony had been stuck here for at least an hour or two, staring down into the yawning chasm below him and FREAKING THE BUCK OUT.

 

Silver looked down the cliffside at Redd's position and gasped.

 

"WOW that's a long way down!  HANG ON, REDD; WE'RE COMING!!!"

 

She then stepped back, and addressed Selena directly.

 

"Uhm, I could possibly come up with a machine to retrieve him... but it would take DAYS to complete it; any ideas on how to get him back up here?"

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

Selena thought for a moment, "well, you could simply grab the cage with your magic, cloud diamond is magically malleable after all, and without an active supply of magic to resist you it should respond and mold like clay. Or, you could throw me to it and I could try to manipulate it myself. If there is an active source then that would have to be what we do. Other than that? We could get some pegasi up here."

Edited June 14, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver looked down at the small cage on the cliffside.

 

"Well... I've never really done ANYTHING with Cloud Diamond before.  I'm not sure I want to risk Redd's life trying... though we might be able to fetch Taps; she might be able to get down there and bring him to safety... but I don't think Redd would care to wait much longer."

 

Silver began to pace as she spoke, speaking to both Selena and herself simultaneously.

 

"So I don't find trying to mess with the cage itself feasible for me... and getting a pegasi or two would take far longer than I'd like..."

 

She stopped.

 

"I don't exactly feel safe throwing you down there... but I could levitate you down, for certain!  Maybe we could try that?"

 

Beneath them, Redd began gibbering and weeping, screaming for his would-be rescuers to hurry, hurry, PLEASE hurry.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

Selena thought for a moment, humming slightly in Silver's ear. "That could work, the question is more whether I have enough magic to lift him on my own... Oh! I could tap your own magic, provided you have enough to say, lift Redd. You wouldn't even need enough telekinetic strength, just energy due to the nature of cloud diamond. Once you levitate me down, just keep me in your magical grasp, you'll feel a drain on your energy, but it shouldn't be too bad. Do let me know if you think you're running low though."

Edited June 14, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Silver grinned widely.

 

"That is a can-do from me, sister!  You take what you need - just get him up; the poor fellow sounds as if he's about to start crying... and I don't know if I could stand to hear that sound coming out of THAT stallion."

 

Ever-so-gently, an orange aura appeared around the portion of Cloud Diamond in her ear, and lightly began to lower it down the cliff.  She was careful, and never once bumped the side.  When she was low enough, it became obvious what had happened here.

 

The cage was really nothing more than bars crossed at intervals; there wasn't really even a floor... and it was set sideways into the mountainside.  It was exceedingly crude, but it was solid enough.  Redd, however...

 

"What's that?  What are you doing?  Will it help me?  PLEASE HELP ME!"

 

... wasn't exactly being a pillar of strength right now.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis

Once Selena was close enough she latched on to the cage, attaching it to her own network of mass. She evaluated how it was laid out before she started to draw on Silver's magic before she started the cage moving. One bar at a time would dislodge itself from the side of the cliff and grab back on higher up the mountain. Step by step raising the cage up to the edge of the cliff.

Edited June 14, 2016 by Illiad Easle

[Randimaxis 8,652]

@Illiad Easle

 

 

Redd gave a squeak as the cage began to climb itself up the cliffside, then went wide-eyed and silent as he saw he was being rescued.  There was no incident, and the cage-thing made its' way to the top, pulling itself onto the ledge.  Silver clapped her hooves, then made her way over to Redd.

 

"Redd!  Are you all right?"

 

The unicorn stallion looked as though he'd just been released from a seven year sentence at a haunted prison.  He slowly turned to look at her, and his voice was tiny and high-pitched.

 

"... no..."

 

He slowly laid himself on the ground, and began to kiss the dirt beneath him.

 

"Oh Silver, thank you thank you SO much!  Oh, I never want to go through that again, no way no how nuh-uh!  Oh, sweet SWEET ground!  Terra Firma!  Earth!  Dirt!  Solid walking substance!"

 

Silver blushed a bit at the spectacle Redd was making, but luckily there was only the two (three) of them - so there was no harm done.  Now there was a gathering of Cloud Diamond bars here, as well as a very grateful stallion and an embarrassed mare; what Selena did next would be her own call... but Silver didn't seem to be in any hurry to explain what she (or more accurately, Selena) had done to Redd Handid.

[Illiad Easle 3,135]

@@Randimaxis,

 

Given Selena was no longer in Silver's ear she couldn't make much noise, and she didn't want to use up more energy to move herself into position, so she simply allowed her diamond to form back into its glowing diamond shape and wait to be picked up, silently hoping that Silver would remember to bring her back down the mountain with her.