open Life in Canterlot Castle

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

18 hours ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

The unicorn and the guards walked out, closing the door behind them.

"You'd think they would tell him about the treasury."

Fluffball looked annoyed. Probably because his nap was interupted.

"At this point I have learned to not think that the guards would do anything." Ruby muttered "I'm every day more surprised that the law is still standing because I see how useless most of the guards seem to be."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

53 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"At this point I have learned to not think that the guards would do anything." Ruby muttered "I'm every day more surprised that the law is still standing because I see how useless most of the guards seem to be."

"The world has gone soft. Tough times create tough ponies, tough ponies create easy times, and easy times create weak ponies."

"Making this job more difficult would toughen everyone up."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

4 hours ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"The world has gone soft. Tough times create tough ponies, tough ponies create easy times, and easy times create weak ponies."

"Making this job more difficult would toughen everyone up."

"Magic makes weak ponies." Ruby stated "You control weather, day, the night." "That's what makes you weak, you don't adapt to nature, you force nature to adapt to you." she lowered her head on the treasure "But eventually the nature will hit back." "It may not happen in millennia from now, or it may happen next week, I don't know, but it will happen eventually, it always does."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

1 hour ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Magic makes weak ponies." Ruby stated "You control weather, day, the night." "That's what makes you weak, you don't adapt to nature, you force nature to adapt to you." she lowered her head on the treasure "But eventually the nature will hit back." "It may not happen in millennia from now, or it may happen next week, I don't know, but it will happen eventually, it always does."

"We got a pretty decent track record when it comes to that, I'm not worried about it biting back. I'm more worried about some random dude showing up and trying to take over the world, which is pretty common these days."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

12 hours ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"We got a pretty decent track record when it comes to that, I'm not worried about it biting back. I'm more worried about some random dude showing up and trying to take over the world, which is pretty common these days."

"I know you're not worried." Ruby said "Nobody is until it's too late." "But in your case it's just a bit surprising, since you have a perfect example of uncontrollable nature next one of your town, The Everfree." "And I remember reading it already almost took over everything because of what will eventually lead to your destruction, failing magic."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

2 hours ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"I know you're not worried." Ruby said "Nobody is until it's too late." "But in your case it's just a bit surprising, since you have a perfect example of uncontrollable nature next one of your town, The Everfree." "And I remember reading it already almost took over everything because of what will eventually lead to your destruction, failing magic."

"We need day and night. We need weather. What else can we do?"

"The failing magic problem has already been fixed once, who is to say we can't simply fix it again?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

10 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"We need day and night. We need weather. What else can we do?"

"The failing magic problem has already been fixed once, who is to say we can't simply fix it again?"

"Day and night will go on without you, weather works without you." Ruby said "How do you think everything worked before you ponies existed?" "And how do you think weather works outside Equestria?" "What about Everfree, with its own weather"

"It has been fixed once yes, but eventually there's something you can't fix." "There has been plenty of civilizations before you, magical and non-magical, they all have been taken back by nature." "Hay, my old cave was next to a castle older than your species, and bigger than anything you have ever build"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

41 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Day and night will go on without you, weather works without you." Ruby said "How do you think everything worked before you ponies existed?" "And how do you think weather works outside Equestria?" "What about Everfree, with its own weather"

"It has been fixed once yes, but eventually there's something you can't fix." "There has been plenty of civilizations before you, magical and non-magical, they all have been taken back by nature." "Hay, my old cave was next to a castle older than your species, and bigger than anything you have ever build"

"Is this what happened to your land? If there is writing in your language, then there must've been literacy. Is it possible that castle once belonged to dragons such as yourself?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

43 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"Is this what happened to your land? If there is writing in your language, then there must've been literacy. Is it possible that castle once belonged to dragons such as yourself?"

"Sure there was writing, but what's left is rather vague." Ruby said "Time has destroyed most records and too many generations has passed for anyone to remember it." "And the castle is so badly ruined that only thing one can figure out about it is that it was a castle, but it could be possible." "Only thing I know for sure that we used to be highly magical creatures too, but something happened, most likely related to greed, and the whole system collapsed very quickly and we stopped studying magic."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

10 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Sure there was writing, but what's left is rather vague." Ruby said "Time has destroyed most records and too many generations has passed for anyone to remember it." "And the castle is so badly ruined that only thing one can figure out about it is that it was a castle, but it could be possible." "Only thing I know for sure that we used to be highly magical creatures too, but something happened, most likely related to greed, and the whole system collapsed very quickly and we stopped studying magic."

"Wouldn't that make greed extremely dangerous then? If it's greed that most likely destroyed a civilization, then why hold on to it?"

This made Somnus think.

"What if the very thing that makes you feel stronger is your biggest weakness?"

Of course, this was not Somnus trying to call Ruby out. It was more like Somnus trying to put the pieces together.

"Why is it that places that try to limit greed prosper while the ones that embrace it fall or are not properly organized."

"To make things clear, this isn't me insulting you or anything. I'm just pointing out the pattern that I am noticing."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

2 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"Wouldn't that make greed extremely dangerous then? If it's greed that most likely destroyed a civilization, then why hold on to it?"

This made Somnus think.

"What if the very thing that makes you feel stronger is your biggest weakness?"

Of course, this was not Somnus trying to call Ruby out. It was more like Somnus trying to put the pieces together.

"Why is it that places that try to limit greed prosper while the ones that embrace it fall or are not properly organized."

"To make things clear, this isn't me insulting you or anything. I'm just pointing out the pattern that I am noticing."

"Firstly, it is not a choice, I'm not greedy because I want to be greedy, it is something we are from the birth." Ruby pointed out "And I'm fully aware that greed is the part of that problem, after all, I said it's most likely related to it, which means that that is my guess, there is no sure information what exactly caused it."

"But then there's another fact you need to remember, the system worked for generations, which with our lifespan is many tens of millennia, and we have always been greedy, so there has to be something else in the play too"

 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

3 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Firstly, it is not a choice, I'm not greedy because I want to be greedy, it is something we are from the birth." Ruby pointed out "And I'm fully aware that greed is the part of that problem, after all, I said it's most likely related to it, which means that that is my guess, there is no sure information what exactly caused it."

"But then there's another fact you need to remember, the system worked for generations, which with our lifespan is many tens of millennia, and we have always been greedy, so there has to be something else in the play too"

"Have you ever attempted to not be greedy? If not, how do you know you can only be greedy?"

"Maybe it's a placebo effect. Perhaps you don't think it's true because it is true. Maybe it's true because think that it's true."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

1 hour ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"Have you ever attempted to not be greedy? If not, how do you know you can only be greedy?"

"Maybe it's a placebo effect. Perhaps you don't think it's true because it is true. Maybe it's true because think that it's true."

"Yes, in fact, there was a time where I would have given anything to not to be greedy." Ruby said "And that was back when I was stuck in that hole after getting crushed, you can't even imagine what kind of torture it was to g through when only thing worse than my hunger was my greed"

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

12 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Yes, in fact, there was a time where I would have given anything to not to be greedy." Ruby said "And that was back when I was stuck in that hole after getting crushed, you can't even imagine what kind of torture it was to g through when only thing worse than my hunger was my greed"

"What part of being in a hole made you not want to be greedy?"

"One would think that being stuck in a hole, greed would be the least of your worries."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

1 hour ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"What part of being in a hole made you not want to be greedy?"

"One would think that being stuck in a hole, greed would be the least of your worries."

"My greed made me wish to not be greedy." 
"The greed is a feeling, like hunger or thirst, but instead of killing you if you don't satisfy it, it makes you suffer other ways." "I can't describe it, but it is a feeling I don't wish to go through ever again."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

3 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"My greed made me wish to not be greedy." 
"The greed is a feeling, like hunger or thirst, but instead of killing you if you don't satisfy it, it makes you suffer other ways." "I can't describe it, but it is a feeling I don't wish to go through ever again."

"Is it like some sort of void that can only be filled by gems and other valuble items? Or could it be that gems create a feeling of self-worth and having nothing feels like being nothing?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

1 hour ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"Is it like some sort of void that can only be filled by gems and other valuble items? Or could it be that gems create a feeling of self-worth and having nothing feels like being nothing?"

"Closer to the first one, but it's more like something like hunger." Ruby said "The treasure has no effect on my self-worth or our social worth in our homelands, and the worth of the treasure doesn't mater either, I would be satisfied with pile of mirrors, the only thing that matters is the shine."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

10 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"Closer to the first one, but it's more like something like hunger." Ruby said "The treasure has no effect on my self-worth or our social worth in our homelands, and the worth of the treasure doesn't mater either, I would be satisfied with pile of mirrors, the only thing that matters is the shine."

"I'm guessing it doesn't matter if you own it as long as you can act like you do. Just like how you technically don't own a thing here. Well, you own the neckless, but that's basically it."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

30 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"I'm guessing it doesn't matter if you own it as long as you can act like you do. Just like how you technically own a thing here. Well, you own the neckless, but that's basically it."

"That's something I have yet to figure out." Ruby admitted "Because renting or borrowing something doesn't work, so there is the need of ownership, but at the same time i'm awfully aware that I don't own any of this treasure, yet it does help."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

43 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

"That's something I have yet to figure out." Ruby admitted "Because renting or borrowing something doesn't work, so there is the need of ownership, but at the same time i'm awfully aware that I don't own any of this treasure, yet it does help."

"You do own treasure, you own yourself."

He wasn't sure if Ruby would agree, but he meant what he said. He really cared about her.

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

9 hours ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"You do own treasure, you own yourself."

He wasn't sure if Ruby would agree, but he meant what he said. He really cared about her.

Ruby let out a single laugh "I may be prideful but I don't think myself as treasure." "I know what you meant by saying it, but sadly owning yourself doesn't doesn't help with the greed either, even when I'm technically shiny too."

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

4 hours ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

Ruby let out a single laugh "I may be prideful but I don't think myself as treasure." "I know what you meant by saying it, but sadly owning yourself doesn't doesn't help with the greed either, even when I'm technically shiny too."

"You're treasure to me."

"I gotta know. What is your favorite shiny object?"

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

19 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"You're treasure to me."

"I gotta know. What is your favorite shiny object?"

Ruby exhaled "That's what I assumed you meant."
"I don't really have a favorite." she replied "But from the ones I have here I like this one the most." she sank her claw into the pile and pulled out a rather sizable colorless gem, she then put it against light to show it broke the light into colors of rainbow. 

[Lucid_Nightlight 923]

8 minutes ago, Catpone Cerberus said:

Ruby exhaled "That's what I assumed you meant."
"I don't really have a favorite." she replied "But from the ones I have here I like this one the most." she sank her claw into the pile and pulled out a rather sizable colorless gem, she then put it against light to show it broke the light into colors of rainbow. 

"I'm surprised they didn't use it yet. Repairing a city is pretty expensive. And we both know how many times a city needed to be repaired."

[Catpone Cerberus 23,599]

38 minutes ago, Lucid_Nightlight said:

"I'm surprised they didn't use it yet. Repairing a city is pretty expensive. And we both know how many times a city needed to be repaired."

"It's hard to sell due how expensive it is, so it can't really be used like that." Ruby explained "They don't usually even take this type of gems in the treasury, but this is one of the ones I brought with me"