open Ambition for Ascension

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum @ExplosionMare

The deposit, instead of being ground out by the drill, heated up. Starlight's strike and blasts made the whole monument shake, yet only chipped away small pebbles. Limbos horns started to glow purple, and her strikes left streaks of the same color. As the three chipped away at centuries of neglect, Limbo addressed Starlight, "Oh, but we are not on equal ground, Starlight. Not yet, at least. I'm counting on you to change that."

Starlight then returned to her conversation with Magnolia, "Have you ever meet the princesses? Ascension is the logical conclusion of a normal pony. If you wake up one day as an alicorn, then that means you've done all you can to grow as a person."

"Fate rewards you for doing what you ought to do anyway," Limbo summarized before speaking to the both of them, "That's what they believe anyway. I, for one, have no such delusions. I must apologize. You see, I lied when I said that Twilight had ascended. That's the official story, but I don't believe it for a moment. Princess Miamore Cadenza is just as much a fraud. They may have wings, but can you look at them, and then the princesses, and honestly tell me they are on the same level? Many have made the mistake of attributing that to age, but I know better."

On that ominous note, the deposit finally was cleared. The carving then opened like a great maw. Starlight could see in a sea of pink, and a faint, pale white beacon at its center. The pink walked forever onward, and the white light remembered into eternity. Magnolia saw a canvas of bright orange that shaped and changed itself and whatever came across it, with a golden yellow orb within that shined with only the cruelest truths. Limbo saw what she always saw there: Pale, sickly green, and purple within.

"I see myself and my future. Tell me. What do you see?"

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion @Califorum

Starlight held a hoof to her mouth, suppressing a gasp as the monument began to shake. She was disappointed that all she was able to chip away was a few small pebbles. Determinedly, she continued to chip away at the deposit along with the others. As she chipped away, Limbo made a very good point.

“You are correct, Limbo. Although I consider you my equal, you are not truly equal yet. Only when you sacrifice your Cutie Mark and everything else that makes you part of a heartless world will you be fully equalized,” she mentioned.

Limbo gave her hope for the future that awaited her. She was the most accepting of Starlight’s philosophy out of everypony she had met on this journey. Once Starlight was given her wings, she could use Limbo to prove that her message is true for all ponies. There is a better life waiting for everypony and they only have to seek it to experience it.

Starlight refocused her attention on Limbo as she spoke in a regretful tone regarding Princess Miamore Cadenza and Princess Twilight Sparkle. She mentioned how they were frauds and not on the same standing as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. Starlight found this appalling as she believed that everypony, no matter who they were, were on the same standing. Wanting to express her thoughts on the matter, she interjected into the conversation.

“Each of the Princesses are worth the same as each other and worth as much as you, me, Magnolia, and everypony else in Equestria. It would be unfair to say any Alicorn is a ‘fraud’ seeing as we are about to become Alicorns ourselves. I am not a fraud because I am willing to sacrifice everything for the well-being of my villagers and the rest of Equestria,” she stated.

She left Magnolia out of her last sentence intentionally. It wasn’t that she considered Magnolia unequal, she just knew that Magnolia would not be making the necessary sacrifices to lead like a true ruler. Perhaps she would someday with some guidance, but for now, that possibility seemed unlikely.

After a great deal more of hacking and chopping, the deposits finally cleared. Starlight was transfixed on the vast sea of pink she saw followed by a pale white beacon. She could only interpret this as a symbol of purity. It may mean something else entirely, but at the moment, Starlight was limited to poetic interpretation.

She turned to Limbo, who had asked what she was seeing. Starlight was confused by the question as she was not sure how no pony else saw what she was seeing. Wanting to be polite, however, she responded anyways.

“I see a white beacon surrounded by an endless amount of pink. Do you not see that as well?”

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Califorum

Before anypony else had a chance to see, Starlight swiped her tail across the flank Magnolia struck in order to hide her true Cutie Mark. She fought desperately to hide the flushed expression that showed on her face. There was also a sense of panic and fear that enshrouded her, causing her irises to shrink and her ears to flop down defeatedly. There wasn’t much she could do to hide what Magnolia had done, but she could at least distract her and Limbo for a while.

“Dear friend,” she said to Magnolia through gritted teeth. “You are the one that is blind. You focus so much of yourself on the hatred of others that you have been consumed by it completely. Just look at what it has done to you, Magnolia! These shadows that surround you have taken over you and caused you to do horrible things. This here is exactly why Equality is so important. Once you come to realize how much you need Equality, you will understand that you do not need those shadows. What you need is acceptance, harmony, and friendship,” She said the last part with a warm, affectionate smile despite her situation.

She turned so that only her opposite flank was opposite to Magnolia. Until she found the time to wander off and restore the equal sign, she would have to do this for now. She looked over to Limbo to see if she had noticed anything. It didn’t seem like it at the moment, but it was better to assume she did just in case. In order to avert any suspicion, Starlight formulated a quick apology.

@Loud Opinion

“I am so sorry for the disturbance we called. Unfortunately, this is the affect of befriending those whose Cutie Marks are not removed yet. They are prone to disagreeing because they are different,” she told the unicorn.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@ExplosionMare @Califorum

"I believe you've made your point," Limbo announced coldly, "Several times, I might add. That goes for you too, Starlight."

Limbo had had enough. Starlight undermines her message. Magnolia undermines Starlight, despite the growing calamities just outside our vision. And to top it off, Magnolia turns out to have Lantern and Starlight turns out to have Heart. Getting these two to agree on anything will be like herding cats! Limbo had expected as much for some time, but she hoped fate would surprise her with some Grail.

Well, at least she didn't have to intervene. Trying to incriminate a holder of Heart is like trying to incriminate a brick wall. If anything, she's only enforcing Starlight's position. That alone was the real reason to intervene.

However, Limbo's realization came too late as beating wings hummed like an earthquake. The wicked barber was on the hunt again. High in the sky, one- two- ten- fifteen- moths took to the moon-lit sky. That wasn't the end of it. Soon an entire swarm was amassing. More and more were endlessly streaming out of The wood to blot out the sky. It was only a matter of time until the humming ball of chaos formed a new cloud layer!

Edited January 17, 2021 by Loud Opinion

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Califorum @Loud Opinion

Starlight wrapped her tail awkwardly around her flank in order to cover up her other side. Now Magnolia had gone too far and revealed her other Cutie Mark. This mare was out of control and she needed to be tamed. It was a shame Starlight Glimmer didn’t have her Staff of Sameness. Stupidly, she thought it better to leave it in the Cutie Mark Vault in her village. She hadn’t anticipated running into any trouble.

Oh, if only I had that stupid staff, I could rip her Cutie Mark right off her annoying little flank! she thought angrily. Deciding to keep her composure once more, what she said externally was more controlled than what she had said internally.

“Darkness is just that—darkness. It is evil, manipulative, and all-consuming. You may believe that you have control over it, but I assure you, it has control over you,” she began, pointing out the shadows surrounding Magnolia.

“As for what you said about Nature, the uncontrollable forces of the world are something you should fear. A world without control can only be chaotic. In a way, Equality is about survival, but not the survival of the fittest. The only way to truly survive is through community. The only way we can survive is if we work together to provide for one another. That means that free will is not an option. Free will is not only selfish, it makes it impossible for a pony to live a full life,” she stated. Even though these monologues were rather pointless to give to Magnolia, Starlight had to stay true to what she knew. She was always hopeful that her strong beliefs would resonate within the hearts of others.

It appeared that Limbo had wanted to interrupt the conversation but was interrupted herself by a large swarm of moths clouding the sky. Starlight fixated her gaze on them, completely enamored with them. The dozens of wings coming together to form one large, dark circle in the sky was nothing short of mesmerizing. Curiously, she wondered what their purpose was. Were they a part of the Alicorn ceremony or were they here to attack? Starlight hoped for the former, but she was prepared for the latter.

Edited January 17, 2021 by ExplosionMare

[Loud Opinion 602]

 

 

@Califorum @ExplosionMare

Limbo did not see a challenge, or a hurdle to overcome in the sky. She saw the reaper. She had run out of time, and this is her final resting place: the monument to the Wheel. She had always feared that she would live and die in The wood. Now her cradle would serve as her grave. Unless...

She saw Magnolia and Starlight spring into action. They had not given up. That was never a question with Starlight, but Magnolia would defend her. "She's still with us..." Limbo said, trying to convince herself that what she was seeing was real. Seeing how ready everypony else was, she too chose to act.

"Magnolia!" Limbo shouted, probably for the first time in her life, over the thronging doom. The swarm was so great now, that a current of wind shot out in all directions from their wings. "Find the exit and warn Mr. Tongue! Tell him we're nowhere!" Limbo continued to shout, "Do not ask where the exit to the real world is! Declare where it should be and that is where you will find it!"

"Starlight! I need you to carry me into the opening we made in the rock! When we're there, I won't be able to help you! Just keep moving and Silver will find us!"

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Califorum @Loud Opinion

Limbo shouted for Starlight to carry her and she hastily galloped towards her to lift her on her back. She heaved but found that her excessively loud breathing was unnecessarily. Limbo was surprisingly light so she was no trouble to carry. That, or Starlight was stronger than she thought. Neither explanation mattered, not now. What mattered is that Limbo got through the new opening safely. She trotted with careful steps but she made sure to keep a steady pace. She didn’t want the swarm of moths to follow them in.

Despite the imminent danger they were in, Starlight’s mind was still able to drift to Equality. She supposed that was just natural for a strong believer. What she was thinking now is how willing Magnolia was to follow each of Limbo’s commands. This is the only instance Starlight could recall where Magnolia didn’t act out of selfishness.

Limbo Dreams could be a good role model for Magnolia. Once Limbo understands the full capacity of equal friendship, she could pass that knowledge to Magnolia. Maybe then she would listen she thought triumphantly.

It was as if a little lightbulb went off in her head. She had never considered before how new friends could help other new friends. If another pony outside of the village was willing to accept Equality, then that would only make loyalty to the cause stronger. The leadership tactic was brilliant, it would have to be written down later for future use.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum 

Just as Magnolia professed, the world distorted. The tress and bushes blended like smears on a painting. The moonlight got brighter and grew warmer, both in temperature and in color. The air between the tree trunks fractured like glass, and the trunks themselves became more uniform. The forest floor depressed a foot or two. The moonlight, now the color of candlelight, descended to the tree roots and became actual candles. The branches above shot up to the sky and stretched out to form a proper canopy. Before she knew it, Magnolia was back in the Temple.

Standing before her were Limbo and Starlight, slumped over the podium, unconscious. Octavia and that blue unicorn were both missing. At one of the pews, Mr. Tongue was busy with a quill and a scroll.

@ExplosionMare

Meanwhile, Starlight was in a bright blue sea of motionless creatures. Some were ponies, but many had forms completely alien to her. None were breathing. None were blinking. Yet, all of them seemed perfectly preserved. Starlight simply floated in the endless nebula of bodies. Still conscious. Still fully capable of motion. However, Limbo, true to her warning, was just as still as all the others.

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion @Califorum

Starlight was completely disconcerted as she awoke in a new place. All around her were motionless and unconscious creatures, Limbo included. Unlike everything else, however, Starlight was both capable of motion and conscious. The fact that she was the only one here who was awake made her feel very uncomfortable. Her instincts told her to start waking some creatures up.

No! These creatures could be dangerous! Why else would Limbo Dreams lie down with them? Starlight thought, stopping herself from doing something she might regret.

Not wanting to cause any trouble to herself, she pretended to fall asleep. She couldn’t lie down completely due to the fact she was floating, but she still managed to look limp. Since she was no longer allowed to rely on her vision, she tilted her ears up in order to better pick up any unordinary sounds. At the moment, she heard nothing but the silence around her. This only made her paranoid that something dangerous was going to happen at any moment.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

Mr. Tongue looked up at Magnolia with a jump. Despite Magnolia's tone and delivery, she still, somehow, managed to surprise the aging stallion.

Now that she was closer, Magnolia could see a shovel next to the stallion resting on the same pew. There was another letter opposite the shovel with very elegant lettering on it. Magnolia's own letter that lead her here was in a very straightforward font. Harsh angles and well-defined spaces, almost as if she had written it herself. This one was a flowing cursive that ran into itself. She had only a moment to see this before Mr. Tongue folded both scrolls up and placed the shovel under the pew, but the details stuck.

"Oh, you've come back!" He said with his age showing through his rasp, "And, Miss. Dreams is nowhere?!"

The stallion slowly rose from his seat as he continued, "Those two other mares were rather spooked when they saw you go under, but enough about them. Miss. Dreams seems to be in grave danger.

"By-the-way, I never got your name, young lady. Mine is Silver Tongue, Miss. Dream's caretaker."

Even as Silver raced for the center podium, he still found time to be chivalrous. Silver could tell the mare was not very used to socializing. Perhaps it was unsporting to not hold back his social skills with somepony so inexperienced socially, but time had already taken his sense of fairness long ago.

@ExplosionMare

Meanwhile, Starlight was right in her fears. The sound of scrawling broke the silence. Steps were not far behind, despite the lack of a floor.

"Time: Moth," A multilayered voice, similar to a dove's cue, said as the steps drew nearer, "Section 'M' dash 'S'. A locksmith is ready to be remembered, and another walker has invaded my records. I'll put a gold star here if the walker still has his wits about them."

The source of the voice: a skeletal pony in a fine suit and top-hat, crept into view from behind a tan pegasus. Instead of a pony's skull, a large bird skull sat upon its neck. Large, unsettling eye-sockets and a violent looking beak were the most striking features. An open scroll rests on its back and a quill in its beak. It tilts its head curiously and its scroll floats over to the quill.

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion @Califorum

Starlight was smart to pretend to go unconscious. Shortly after she closed her eyes, a voice—or multiple voices, it was hard to tell—could be heard nearby. Starlight couldn’t comprehend what the dialogue meant other than it sounded like some pony’s business was being interrupted. She knew exactly how that felt given her previous and current circumstances.

Against her better judgement, she dared her eyes to open just enough to catch a glimpse of the source of the voice. Starlight wished she had never opened them because she didn’t like what she saw. What stood before her was a skeletal figure with pony legs and a bird head. It’s unusual head combined with its skinless body caused violent shivers to course through Starlight’s veins. She silently cursed herself for making movements that could draw the skeleton bird’s attention.

Edited January 19, 2021 by ExplosionMare

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

Silver Tongue couldn't help but grin at Magnolia's attempt to regain control. 'Who says it's not fun to shoot fish in a barrel?' Silver thought to himself.

Silver then adopted a grim expression, "No, Magnolia, this was not in the plan. The Moth, or The Barber as we pony folk know him, is unpredictable. We expected him to start his hunt a half-hour form now. There would be an exciting chase, and you would get a taste of how dangerous the Mansus can be. I've never heard of him hunting at this hour, though. Did you do something to agitate him? Infighting, cutting your hair, climbing above the tree-line?" Silver then noticed Magnolia's predatory look toward Starlight and corrected himself, "Oh. The former then."

He then warmed when she mentioned the effect Limbo has had on her, "Well, it's no wonder this is all so strange to you. Equestria is a simple place full of simple things, and most of us spend our entire lives, or even our entire ancestries, living in such a conventional landscape. The world outside is convoluted and nonsensical. Yet, it is still truer than the Equestria we know. Did you know there are seven histories that all happen at the same time, in the same place, and all reference each other as equally true? That is only one facet of the wonders that exist beyond our perception."

"Give it enough time, and you'll grow comfortable with what you can't understand," Silver admitted as he pulled a second shovel from under the podium and levitated it over to Magnolia, "Take this and dig a fresh hole outside the temple. I'll meet you there."

@ExplosionMare

Back in nowhere, The bird-faced gentle-pony remained motionless. Instead of writing on the parchment with his quill, the parchment pressed and rubbed itself against the quill to write the very same words that echoed around Starlight. "Well, you play dead despite your rising heart rate. I suppose I could call that 'wit'."

"You're heart beats strongly, but you wish it were still. You see it too, don't you?" The thing asked Starlight. Its pace only became more rapid as it continued its monologue, "The beauty of silence. The comfort in stillness. No expectations, no deadlines, no under-performance. Existing is enough. Have you ever heard a greater truth?"

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion

As if the skeleton bird on its own wasn’t creepy enough, its quill and ink began writing on their own. This place was beginning to feel like some sort of strange dream. Starlight looked fearfully at what the scroll was saying, paranoid it would do harm to her somehow.

It is correct that I have wit, although I would not admit that to my friends Starlight thought. She felt a brief sensation of satisfaction upon reading the first couple of sentences. Her heart soon sank as she read everything else.

Why would I want my heart to be still? What are they saying? And what greater truth is there than the truth of Equality? she questioned.

The meaning behind the words went over Starlight’s head, or perhaps she simply decided not to acknowledge it. She sensed that this scroll knew about her in a way she didn’t know herself. It knew things about her she had worked for years to keep hidden from others. This realization stirred a mix of fury and frustration inside of her. If she were to answer the written questions, everything she ever worked for had the chance of being destroyed. Starlight was not willing to lose her village for anything.

“You don’t know anything about me!” she lied. She immediately covered her mouth upon the realization that she had just spoken aloud. Now she was really at risk of being caught.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

When Magnolia returned to the brisk, midnight air and cantered a little off the path for soft ground, she saw an obvious patch of freshly dug earth. Silver Tongue had gone out of his way not to give her the shovel at his pew. Was there something wrong with that shovel, or was there something wrong with this one? Mr. Tongue's intentions weren't crystal clear to Magnolia. He seemed to care for Limbo, but with a name like that, who knows what that stallion was thinking?

She dug a new hole as instructed without incident. However, Silver hadn't shown up yet. The patch of earth reeked of sinister intent.

Magnolia knew the shadows well. There were no ne'er-o-wells prowling tonight. Whatever Silver was planning on doing, there would be no interruptions from the forest or its residents.

@ExplosionMare

In the cobalt expanse of nowhere, Starlight had lashed out verbally at the- whatever one would call that bird faced skeleton before her.

'Don't know anything about her,' The thing mulled the thought over for a few, worrying long moments. Finally, the scroll started moving again, "Oh, you mortals overestimate your complexity. How many years would it take for someone to completely map another pony's personality? A decade? A century? How long have I existed?"

"Well then," The thing went on, "tell me. What makes you so difficult to understand? What makes you... different?"

As if the thing had lost its ability to emote, the voice was steady, robotic. Not a hint of any joy or schadenfreude. If anything, it seemed curious. How odd for something that claims to have lived for so long.

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion

Starlight pondered what the scroll had “said”. It claimed that a personality could be mapped, which Starlight had to agree was theoretically true. She had been napping personalities since the moment she went to the temple. However, there were a few nuances in each pony that Starlight had yet to decipher. Thankfully, her villagers weren’t as complex. Whatever dark secrets they used to have were diminished by the light of Equality.

The thing then mentioned the idea of Starlight being “different”. This deeply shocked her. Starlight wasn’t different, she spent her whole life trying to be the same! She looked into the bird’s “eyes” in a searching manner. Through the way he spoke and the way his voice carried, he seemed quite old. An ancient old, not just a few decades old.

Starlight immediately felt pity for this creature, momentarily overlooking his ghastly appearance. He had spent centuries, possibly even longer, in a world filled with destructive differences. Although he was physically unable to bear a Cutie Mark, the pain he may have felt over the years must have been similar to that of a marked pony.

Starlight’s realization became more apparent as the creature’s voice became dull and unenergized. The creature seemed dejected, which she could understand. What she didn’t understand was the faint curiosity it seemed to be portraying soon after. What was the creature so curious about? Did it want to learn of Starlight’s true ways, or something else? Starlight wanted to ask this aloud, but was still a bit too afraid to properly converse with the skeleton bird. For now, she just continued to stare with a mild fascination.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

Mr. Tongue was on his way out by the time Magnolia had returned. He jumped back as Magnolia had tuned the corner directly into his personal space. "You should know better than to scare your elders like that!" Mr. Tongue scolded. He would have continued if it wasn't for Magnolia's unrelenting stare. It was unsettling to see such a lack of response. It was as if he were sending letters in a bottle only for them to all sink to the trenches.

For lack of a better course of action, Mr. Tongue moved on. "Well, I'm out of my mindset, so blood will have to make up the difference. Magnolia, if you would spare me the effort, I'd like a three-inch gash along my left foreleg. Oh, and you'll be saving Limbo and Starlight alone. Rest in the grave you dug, and I'll take you to nowhere."

@abrony-mouse

'Dear Miss. Berry,
'The postcard from the barren isles was quite a treat. I would have never guessed they were so lush.
'In any case, I've taken the cursed nail-filer to my curse specialist as you asked, but the most peculiar thing happened. He invited me to dinner! I'd hardly enjoy risking my reputation with one so esoteric. Yet again, I'm proven the fool, for he is a direct relative to the Silver family! I'd never guess from his green coat. In hindsight, his gray hair was a dead giveaway, but I assumed that to be age. In any case, his profession still concerns me. So, just in case, I've included the address of our meeting. Additionally, I intend to give a follow-up letter as soon as our dinner is done.
'Your friend, Phantom Blur.'

It had been two weeks since Fuchsia Berry first got that letter. She was already on her way to Ponyville. The train ran late, but Fuchsia was restless. Phantom Blur may have felt embarrassed about his preconceived notions on this Silver. Regardless, it was high time she met with this curse expert directly, if for no other reason than to retrieve her nail-file.

The colorful train shrieked and gasped as it slowed to a halt. The doors exhaled excess pressure as they opened. The empty, dimly lit cabin finally allowed free movement as Fuchsia stepped off into the station.

Edited January 26, 2021 by Loud Opinion
removed nonsensical 'I've'

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

The Stallion snorted in frustration. Limbo's life was on the line, and Magnolia wanted answers. Of course, she did. What better time for Magnolia to make demands than when she had all the leverage?

"Alright," Mr. Tongue finally relented, "you've scared a defenseless old stallion into revealing his secrets. The truth is the Miss. Dreams has been watching you for some time. She can look into pony's dreams, and we used that to scout for ponies that had a-" Silver paused, looking for the right words, "affinity for the unseen world. We expected you to be attracted to the forge of days. I suppose you would call it a 'god'," Silver continued. He used the word 'god' clumsily like it was an outdated concept. "He remakes things. You've dedicated your life to mold and reinvent yourself. So, you can see where we drew our conclusion. As far as I'm concerned though, you are the spitting image of the Watchman. A god of revelations and pure destruction.

"As far as the ritual goes, the grave tricks the god of memories into thinking you are dead so that you can sneak into nowhere. Ritual doesn't actually start until it's time for the three of you to come home. Using you as an anchor, we will terr the three out of nowhere and back to the land of the living.

"Now, if that is to your satisfaction, I would appreciate it if you stopped holding Limbo's life for ransom. Starlight is exactly the kind of pony that the god of memory can tempt."

Silver wanted to use the memory gods true name, but for simplicity sake he would have to describe him instead. It felt wasteful, but he knew it had to be done.

Edited January 25, 2021 by Loud Opinion
clarifying Silver's opinion

[Octavian 5,421]

19 hours ago, Loud Opinion said:

'Dear Miss. Berry, I've
'The postcard from the barren isles was quite a treat. I would have never guessed they were so lush.
'In any case, I've taken the cursed nail-filer to my curse specialist as you asked, but the most peculiar thing happened. He invited me to dinner! I'd hardly enjoy risking my reputation with one so esoteric. Yet again, I'm proven the fool, for he is a direct relative to the Silver family! I'd never guess from his green coat. In hindsight, his gray hair was a dead giveaway, but I assumed that to be age. In any case, his profession still concerns me. So, just in case, I've included the address of our meeting. Additionally, I intend to give a follow-up letter as soon as our dinner is done.
'Your friend, Phantom Blur.'

It had been two weeks since Fuchsia Berry first got that letter. She was already on her way to Ponyville. The train ran late, but Fuchsia was restless. Phantom Blur may have felt embarrassed about his preconceived notions on this Silver. Regardless, it was high time she met with this curse expert directly, if for no other reason than to retrieve her nail-file.

The colorful train shrieked and gasped as it slowed to a halt. The doors exhaled excess pressure as they opened. The empty, dimly lit cabin finally allowed free movement as Fuchsia stepped off into the station.

Fuchsia trotted eagerly out of the cabin and onto the platform. The first thing she did was inhale the familiar earthy countryside scents of the pony heartland. The Equestrian plain called to her after so long away :3 After that, she stretched her legs and back and trotted lazily out from the train station, taking in the half-familiar locale of the pony village, marvelling at not feeling out of place for being pink and with silly smiling flowers blazing out of her flanks. It felt good to be back. The impulse to get away from cute pony life and thrust herself into the unknown, though, was lurking in the wings still. She called that desire her Manticore. Whenever she felt most like settling down he would pounce and she would be filled with a desire for wildness and drop whatever she was doing and follow him.

At the moment her Manticore was puzzling over the letter and the missing nail file, nagging at her to follow up on this meeting, rather than roaring at her to follow. Fuchsia didn't expect there to be anything too strange at the meeting, although the name Silver piqued her interest, and the absence of a follow up letter was strange... but she sincerely believed that nothing could be amiss in such a colourful ponyish locale. Maybe her Manticore would be pacified here she half thought, not believing it for a second. Still, the respite was welcome. As soon as she had the file she'd find somepony to pawn it to and then hit the local tavern she told herself. Hopefully the cider was still in season... she thought to herself.  

Using her half-familiarity with the area and her pony sense of direction Fuchsia will head for the address to see if the curse specialist is in. 

 

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

"Gah," Silver gasped at the sudden cut. He knew he asked for it, but it was surprising nonetheless. A more rude punctuation had never been felt by mortal kind.

However, as much as his aged instincts pleaded for it, now was not the time to scold. Instead, Silver did what he did best and listened on as Magnolia poured her heart out. The mare was bearly keeping her composure. Perhaps all of this sudden attention had awakened something inside Magnolia. Limbo had described her as a loner, but Silver now knew why. It was not through nature but necessity. Mr. Tongue knew she wasn't alone for its own sake, and he knew well how long it took someone to swallow their tears.

Mr. Tongue was reassured when Magnolia finally settled into a smirk. He wasn't confident he'd be able to console her. When she approached the grave, Silver gave his instructions, "Now, once you're there, I want you to grab Starlight and Limbo and bite your tongue until you draw blood. That will be my signal to pull you out. That's it," Silver emphasized, "Don't touch anything, don't explore, and certainly don't chat with whoever else you see there."

As soon as Magnolia rested on the dirt, she would sink down into nowhere, as if the world was just below the surface.

@abrony-mouse

Fuchsia didn't have a map of the town on hoof, but she did have the next best thing: experience. City layouts were quite intuitive if you see enough of them. Train stations would be at the edge of town to cut down on noise pollution. The town hall and library would be at the center. Most importantly, any structure that a mayor wouldn't want their tourists seeing would be close to the center, opposite the train station. A structure dedicated to hexology would make for a great example.

Fuchsia was interrupted, however, when a black mare crossed her path. She huffed and puffed through the vacant, moonlit street. Were the streets that dangerous at night? Just how much has changed since Fuchsia last visited? Or, how much has stayed the same? Ponyville never had a shortage of crazy, but her refined bow-tie and mane style were new.

[Octavian 5,421]

13 hours ago, Loud Opinion said:

 

Fuchsia didn't have a map of the town on hoof, but she did have the next best thing: experience. City layouts were quite intuitive if you see enough of them. Train stations would be at the edge of town to cut down on noise pollution. The town hall and library would be at the center. Most importantly, any structure that a mayor wouldn't want their tourists seeing would be close to the center, opposite the train station. A structure dedicated to hexology would make for a great example.

Fuchsia was interrupted, however, when a black mare crossed her path. She huffed and puffed through the vacant, moonlit street. Were the streets that dangerous at night? Just how much has changed since Fuchsia last visited? Or, how much has stayed the same? Ponyville never had a shortage of crazy, but her refined bow-tie and mane style were new.

Fuchsia had been ambling towards the center of town, following her intuition and experience when her keen ear flicked, picking up the tell tale signs of a pony who was exercised about something. Her Manticore stirred, wanting her to gallop towards the approaching hoof-steps, a feeling she hadn't had since before the Talomeno! She reigned herself in, half-hoping she was mistaken, but as the unusually finely-dressed pony approached her heart sank... and soared. Had Ponyville changed? Is it just that I'm in one of the weirder parts of town? Does she want to outfit me for some fancy clothes?  
"Good evening." Fuchsia said neutrally, coming to a stop. She eyed the pony closely, looking for signs of danger firstly and secondly for any clue as to what she might want that wouldn't necessarily be expressed (eg nefarious magical experimentation, foalnapping etc)... 

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum

Magnolia silently emerged to an open sky with bodies scattered like raindrops captured in a photo. Some looked familiar, while others seemed dangerous. Grizzly looking things that irritated their murderous intent through their looks alone were right next to foals. Yet, both seemed to be at peace. Well, peace implied some enjoyment. Unconscious was more accurate when analyzing the apathy present on each and every face.

Hark, Limbo was counted among the stiff and dim. Just below Magnolia were her tell tail horns. Her body was rigid, and her eyes were dull. Of course, Starlight was just underneath, carrying Limbo and looking at the skeletal bird-pony before her.

Whatever was keeping everyone else imprisoned proved ineffectual to Magnolia, but for how long?

@abrony-mouse

In the land of the sensical, Fuchsia made an attempt to converse with the panicking mare. She slid to a halt, paying no mind to the dust and lose rocks she kicked up. Her magenta eyes were wide, and her breathing ragged through her gray chest.

"I- There was-" the mare sputtered and pointed behind herself before looking down in grim concession, "You wouldn't believe me."

 She then dramatically dropped to the ground and covered her face, "Oh, what can I do?" she muffled through her hooves, "There's no way I can convince anyone, but how am I supposed to face this alone?!"

The mare was so engrossed in her despair that she seemed to have forgotten all about Fuchsia --and the fact that she could hear everything the mare said.

[Octavian 5,421]

1 hour ago, Loud Opinion said:

 

In the land of the sensical, Fuchsia made an attempt to converse with the panicking mare. She slid to a halt, paying no mind to the dust and lose rocks she kicked up. Her magenta eyes were wide, and her breathing ragged through her gray chest.

"I- There was-" the mare sputtered and pointed behind herself before looking down in grim concession, "You wouldn't believe me."

 She then dramatically dropped to the ground and covered her face, "Oh, what can I do?" she muffled through her hooves, "There's no way I can convince anyone, but how am I supposed to face this alone?!"

The mare was so engrossed in her despair that she seemed to have forgotten all about Fuchsia --and the fact that she could hear everything the mare said.

Fuchsia sighed internally, the pleasant feeling of her arrival dissipating as the Manticore pounces... 

She tries to calm the panicked mare down, "There there, it's ok." she coos phatically, her lilac eyes large and sympathetic, but she does not approach yet, unsure whether the mare might lash out. "You are safe now. You don't have to face anything alone."

Fuchsia examines the mare for any wounds or other signs of a fight (like damage to her clothes), or a tell-tale tag that she had escaped from an asylum :p . Her ears prick for any details in the mare's incoherent rambling that might give her a clue as to what has happened to her.

[Loud Opinion 602]

@Califorum @ExplosionMare

Mr. Tongue had finished bandaging his foreleg when a new pain interrupted him. He felt as though his heart had mingled with a shard of glass. He did not falter, though. If anything, this was good news to the stallion. Not only had Magnolia found his charge, but it was swift enough to know she hadn't meddled with nowhere.

Focusing his soul on pleasantries and other such things that tether him to the living world, Silver dragged Magnolia to his reality. Like bate on a fishing hook, Limbo and Starlight followed suit, awakening at the temple podium with a start. Not a soul was there to greet them. Limbo felt as though she had awoken in the middle of the night from a bad dream. The shadowy corners of the candle-lit temple promised further horrors. She knew she was safe here, though, and breathed a sigh of relief. She looked over at Starlight with an appreciative smile and rested a hoof on her shoulder. It was finally over.

Magnolia, meanwhile, opened her eyes to meet Mr. Tongue's curious gaze. The cold earth had surrounded her but spared her face. A carefully maintained crater allowed air to Magnolia's vulnerable respiratory system.

"Enjoy your trip to the great beyond?" Silver coyly asked as he readied his shovel to excavate Magnolia.

@abrony-mouse

On the streets of Ponyville, Fuchsia's unexpected interlocutor couldn't help but feel even more isolated. In easier times, she would appreciate Fuchsia's concern, but malevolence was at her door. In a way, it was liberating. She couldn't see it as anything more than hollow pleasantries. Fuchsia not having any context was probably the best she could hope for. If Fuchsia had understood, it would mean she couldn't help. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. Worse yet, Fuchsia could have been in on it. The mare could be comforted that the worst had not come to pass.

The mare managed to stand, though not straight enough to call herself dignified. "How much time do you have? I know a late-night dinner we can talk over," She offers before clearing her throat, "My name's Octavia, by the way."

[ExplosionMare 18,062]

@Loud Opinion

Starlight blinked, unsure where she was. One moment she was avoiding the gaze of a horrifying skeletal bird, the next she was back at Limbo’s side as if nothing had happened to her. She wanted to express her confusion, but Limbo’s comforting reassurance made her forget about anything she was previously apprehensive of. She smiled at Limbo in appreciation for her kindness.

“Thank you, Limbo Dreams,” she said to her friend. “I don’t know what happened back there, but it no longer matters now that we are together again. As long as we are all united, we will no doubt be able to face other challenges that come our way. The power of Equality is stronger than any dark force we may encounter,”

Preaching to Limbo was quite enjoyable to Starlight. Unlike everypony else she encountered, Limbo always seemed interested in the True Philosophy. Of course, the others would learn in time. Some ponies accepted their fate later than others, but that did not make them any less equal.

Speaking of the others, Starlight could not seem to locate Magnolia or Mr. Tongue. They must not have entered the strange place her and Limbo were in. Concerned, Starlight asked Limbo,

“Where are the others? Did they not come with us?”

As she waited for an answer, she remembered that her Cutie Mark was still exposed thanks to Magnolia. Swiftly, she teleported in her makeup kit and trotted off to the side somewhere where Limbo wouldn’t see. She hastily applied the purple and black power to both flanks until her equal sign returned. She let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding once she was finished. In the future, she would have to be very careful about where she stood around ponies.

[Fuchsia]

On 2/7/2021 at 4:50 PM, Loud Opinion said:

On the streets of Ponyville, Fuchsia's unexpected interlocutor couldn't help but feel even more isolated. In easier times, she would appreciate Fuchsia's concern, but malevolence was at her door. In a way, it was liberating. She couldn't see it as anything more than hollow pleasantries. Fuchsia not having any context was probably the best she could hope for. If Fuchsia had understood, it would mean she couldn't help. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened in the first place. Worse yet, Fuchsia could have been in on it. The mare could be comforted that the worst had not come to pass.

The mare managed to stand, though not straight enough to call herself dignified. "How much time do you have? I know a late-night dinner we can talk over," She offers before clearing her throat, "My name's Octavia, by the way."

Fuchsia is relieved as the pony calms down, and she reaches for the pony, patting her dignified back to reassure her and helping her up, hoping she stays better :3 She sees the other pony reading her and wonders what is on her mind - this is clearly not a crazy-pony. Something has happened to her! Fuchsia's manticore roars with glee as her path becomes clear.

"Sure Octavia." she says, still trying to be reassuring. "And don't worry - I've been all over so I've heard all sorts of tall tales. Most of 'em are true." 

 "Anyway, well met. Name's Fresh Breeze!" Fuchsia lies reflexively. A weak moniker for an earth pony perhaps, but she didn't want it to be strong. Her real name was one more thing this new 'Octavia' and her could learn together >:3 "Lead on."