Crystal Symphony [CYOA]

Once Blackward makes a profusely long pause in his authoritarian, martial instruction, you approach him. He noticed you with a sharp and an as evil as it can be glare. Though your reflexes make you mentally shudder, your crystallized face shows no emotions. With a gasp of a black and foul smolder, your burning gemstone eyes settle on him in a retort. With a metallic and mechanical shrug of his half-robotic leg, he orders his army to take an alert yet relaxed stance.

“Blackward,” you recall his name with a bit of a struggle, stopping on your step a few feet away from him, “Hey?”

“Golem,” his eyes narrow even nearer, “I can see you have been repaired, the material used looks to be damaged and the work itself is not great; the colors do not match either.” He looks at the covering sun, “You’ve been sleeping for around four hours, which is an hour longer than average. Ponies, average, sleep by three hours a day and night you know.”

“Um… right,” you are taken aback with uncertainty, “Means I’m healthier then?”

“Not for certain,” he allows his mechanical wings to breath as he repeats their folding, “It brings higher risks of obesity, heart problems, strokes, mortality, impaired fertility and brain disability.” The smoke from his nostrils whitens before you.

I’m a golem, though – you think to yourself wordlessly.
“I see, Blackward. Say, what is the army behind you? They look very… orderly.”

Blackward, the clockwork stallion, raises his chin in honor, “This the Manehattan Vanguard, the force created after the successful takeover of Manehattan City; it took 180 days and 7 hours in total for Golden Shield to achieve victory. I’ve have been ordered to create a new force of weaponry for the King, and then the Vizier, hence my Royal Title. We’ve taken the developing technology of Manehattan and began using it for our own exploit, as you can see, Golem.”

“Sounds great,” you prolong with a bit of fakeness, “Think I can borrow one of them for my voyage towards the Hollow Shades? Golden Shield asked me to check on the bat ponies, don’t know if you know or not.”

“He did, yes,” he stops for a moment to think, “It was me who he gave the message to deliver to you and Enchanter Apprentice. As for borrowing a soldier, Golem, the unit as a whole will suffer if it was to lose even once of them so the answer is, probably, not.”

>What do you do now?

>>29027318
Poor ponies. Can't you get a new slave and train him? I know it's not as easy as it sounds, but for the time being we're not in immediate danger, you'd have some time. Besides, being under your command would be better for him than slaving away in the mines.

Bullshit Blackward with all the bullshitting magic you can muster.

“Can’t you pick another slave from the mines to train him?” you question Blackward with an edge.

“That would be an insufficient use of my time,” he says with a grunt, “I will also have to deal with the Overseer.”

“What if I borrow one of your soldiers for a while, and by the time we return, you’d have had already trained another one? This way you’ll get two soldiers in a couple of days. Your vanguard will be much stronger this way. And, besides, being under your command would be better for him than slaving away in the mines!”

He pauses, his ever-angry gaze set on you, pondering, “That won’t work. I won’t be able to train a new recruit to be a perfect unit in the span of couple of days; it took me a month of harsh, daily training for this Vanguard to form. As for the slaves, it might come do me having to form a second battalion if things come down to it. The work in the mining actually strengthens the muscles they would require for successfully augmentation and strength proficiency in battle.”

“…I don’t like the sound of that,” you say grumblingly, “Do you know something… I don’t?”

“I’m not a liar, Golem,” Blackward stretches his back, “But the orange sky that represents Sombra’s power over the Crystal Empire will reach Manehattan territories in a few days, while trivial, the winds howl. Legate spoke of the King’s return; without his presence I’m the Commander here. It’ll be up to me to check on the fate of Manehattan, the city that have existed in Equestria for eight hundred years, you knew? Either the King or the Princess will approach us, soon.”

>What do you do now?

>>29027318
Probably? So you mean to say there is a chance? Please Blackward, I only wish to follow through with Shield's orders. Surely you can spare a single soldier.

>>29027573
FUCK.

Use this for this. Damnit... >>29027562

>>29027562
If the princess will be first, you saved a life by borrowing me a guide and getting one slave out of the mines. If the King, you officially helped one of his servants plus got an awesome vanguard up and running. Either way, you win.

“Probably,” you incline your head with a grind towards him, “Are you saying you might consider if only…?”

The Hastiliarius shakes and then slowly raises his head, looks behind his shoulder towards the forefront of his troops, and adds, “If you could give me something of equal value, a new soldier perhaps. But you do not have that, Golem.”

“Listen,” you mentally sigh and compose yourself, “If Princess Celestia arrives here first, you saved a life by borrowing me supervision, and getting one slave out of the mines; surely she’ll appreciate that. If it’s King Sombra who’ll arrive here before anyone else, then you’ve officially helped one of his servants plus got an awesome vanguard up and running.”

“I know that you are not a part of his Royalty no more, Golem,” he says briefly.

“He never denounced me,” you say with a growing irritation, “What’s holding you back here, really?”

“As I said before, even a single soldier is a disastrous loss for a tick-tock Vanguard such as mine, they have been trained as to act as a collective unit. It is in my best idea to have them be in perfect condition to what is to come.”

“I only wish to follow through with Shield's orders. Is he not your Legate?”

“Legate Golden Shield is certainly a war hero and... I think,” he whispers the last part, “He’s a rank equal to mine. There was nothing in his letter or orders to me about giving you a soldier, I would have had followed if there was.”

>What do you do now?

>>29027663
Do you think you can use an enchanter?

>>29027584
>>29027663
Did you just try to play Aurora as trying to play herself off as still loyal to Sombra? The fuck? I don't think she's even willing to pretend to be loyal. I don't want Aurora to be a complete lying dirtbag willing to say anything to get what she wants.

>>29027682
Yeah, offer Red in TEMPORARY exchange. Know that he's doing important research.

>>29027707
I did. If it works, why not? Blackward may end up dead, and our goal is achieved. And you're right. It's temporal exchange, I just forgot to write that.

>>29027716
>Blackward may end up dead, and our goal is achieved.
What do you mean?

>>29027786
If Celestia will be first, he's dead anyway for making ponies robots without consent I believe. Plus he holds a royal title.

“Do you think you can use an enchanter?”

“An enchanter? The Royal Enchanter is deceased,” Blackward replies back at you, “Whatever do you mean, Golem?”

You shake your head back at him, overlooking the dozen of soldiers standing, and even breathing, in perfect harmony in his Vanguard. “There’s a reason Ginger Spice made him an apprentice, Blackward. He has it in him - Red Sulfur.”

“Are you talking about the lazy stallion with his very thick and clumsy robes? The one who repaired you?” his angry glare shifts to one of an unfazed disinterest now. The amethyst sky crimsons as the Princess lowers the sundown on the horizon, her ever-present sunlight caressing the massive, marble “Statue of Friendship” in the outlying distance.

You nod in return, “He’s currently working on important research as well. I know the golems suddenly revolted and started attacking everypony in Manehattan; not even only in Manehattan. His research might help the golems; make them something more than just… mindless monsters, stronger too. Crystal enchantment is augmentation science.”

“Barely,” Blackward comments as he throws a glance at his wing, as if to ponder, “Let me consider this. Alright, if he concentrates his research, immediately, on the plans and technological revolutions of my command, then, I will give you a soldier of mine, a fully trained and obedient soldier,” he makes sure to note, “In his exchange. Temporary, too.”

>What do you do now?

>>29027888
Just DO IT. But we should also let Red know.

Nice trips

>>29027818
I think they'll be busy with their gigantic monster problems for now and make that double after the losses at Cloudsdale. I'm sure we'll be back before there's a major offensive.

>>29027888
I agree.

You fall in silence for a brief instance, forcing a noise distinctly compared to that of a groan afterwards, “I must talk to Red Sulfur first but, I’m sure he’ll agree to this. Listen, the bat ponies are in bad position right now, don’t you think it’ll be useful to get them on our side, not just the Royal Agent alone? I’m sure you know about our bat pony, correct?”

He takes that as he would any flattering remark, with pride, “I do know of the Agent, she dislikes me and Manehattan City, and we never saw each other eye to eye. Did you know that some of them actually do drink the blood of regular ponies, Golem? She didn’t like the fact of me mentioning the trivia. I must confess that she’s a master of her profession.”

“She’s not the nicest,” you say with irk, “Still, you can probably admit that the bat ponies would be useful to us?”

“I do admit it,” he finally confesses as he snaps his wings and adjusts a screw under his chin, his glare that of one about to butcher the living hell of everypony around him; just his glare, you remind yourself, he’s just looking scary.

“I’ll be waiting for you here, Golem.”

*** *** ***

Red Sulfur was less than happy with the hearsay you gave him yet, he did not argue; not much. He told you that, in the end, the condition of his make-shift laboratory is too dreadful for him to begin working on the Futurium Ash and his familiar project of a mirror that is able to divine the death of those who look into it. When you returned back he was, of course, sleeping but said that he was in the middle of investigating the abilities of the other three crystals, unsuccessfully. He agreed to do what he could under the command of Blackward, although, he did not promise a success; that was enough for you as you were sure this mission of yours will not be taking much, a day or three, max.

In the end, he reluctantly followed you back to the training formation of the Royal Hastiliarius and his Manehattan Vanguard. He and Blackward exchanged condescending glances for they are probably strangers who previously only traded a few, if any, words. They might end up being friends, or this might be an origin of yet another enmity; hopefully not. You and Red Sulfur give each other a reassuring send-off, quite a surprise from what you’ve expected of him, and with a heavily modified and mechanized stallion arranged to you by the Royal Hastiliarius, you ventured on your journey towards “Hollow Shades”.

You end up traversing the planes in the middle of the night, not the best idea…

The journey appears to be a calm one, if not a bit lonely and uneasy with the stallion being nothing more than puppet ordered to follow your every command. The way between Manehattan and the forest of “Hollow Shades” is a short one, too, in the middle of the night you have probably covered half of your way already. The night is hushed.

>Anything you would like to do?

>>29028165
Tell me more about our companion. Does he wear the helmet?

You throw a look at your companion who is unquestioningly and obediently carrying your intensely glowing lamp, only barely giving you the chance to see and recognize his features. Alike every other pony of the Manehattan Vanguard, he’s wearing the dreaded helmet of submission: a mark of Sombra’s will. The eldritch green glow of his eyes represents utter and total obedience he’s under; for how long now – two or three years? Alike his commander-in-chief Blackward the salem hued body of this stallion is heavily modified with all sorts of mechanical contraptions and visible augmentations, the engine of clockwork and steam roaring inside his of body and black smog escaping from his turbines. Aside from that, his black-sapphire mane is cut ignorantly short, courtesy of Blackward’s collectivism. There’s nothing else of interest about this pony, his Cutie Mark is hidden beneath a thick metal plate with a numeral – #25.

>What do you do now?

>>29028520
The helmet has been the physical manifestation of some of Aurora's greatest fears. Naturally she must be curious. Activate the verbal thoughts spell, then order him to halt. I want to know what's going on inside his head.

That helmet of this stallion… it is the chain of damnation and blind loyalty, the helm of unconditional and unquestionable slavery; it is the helmet of everything you have attempted to avoid and run away from. To be a loyal apprentice, a serfdom of King Sombra, is to avoid the imprisonment of body in the “Crystal Mines” and the captivity of mind in the battlefields under his authoritative, dark magic.

Only the selected few were given the chance to take on the role of jesters and traitors, the role of Sombra’s elite. You gave up everything you had, every single thing in your life, just to avoid the prospects of such pitiful and pathetic future; everything, just to avoid the suffocating of eternal wretchedness and misery. Now, before you is a pony that did not have the spark, or maybe did not have your treachery, to do just that; maybe he was not given the chance, missing that glimmer of fortune - much luck coming from a crystal statue - that you had back then, standing before him. The fate that you have, just barely, avoided, only to be swallowed in a coma of darkness as his plaything golem…

“Stop,” you order the stallion to do just that, “Stop,” you repeat with uncertainty, “Just stand there, please.”

The soldier listens, just as Blackward instructed him before the two of your left. Just as he was ordered to every word of the Sombra’s Lieutenants, he was now listening to every word of yours. It is a powerful magic inside those helmets.

You concentrate and repeat the runes of your new spell, forcefully engraving the symbols of the long forsaken knowledge into the black, crystal walls of your mind. The three runes illuminate with an outlandish, powerful sensation. The part, a blob of your inner energy escapes from your body to form a bluish-purple encircle around the two of you.

>Body Changes:
05% [-1] Alicorn ‘Dark’ Magic [Magic]
03% [+1] Volatile Arcane [Magic]

Immediately, there’s an echo of a voice. It is not, however, your voice, or the voice of the stallion. No, it is his voice; it is an uproarious barrage of evil, whispering malediction. It is a tormenting and never stopping ocean of his orders.

{Do not question me.} {All who oppose me will fail.} {A thrall’s purpose is to obey.} {Your friends will betray you.} {Serve me.} {I am your King.} {Your family and their lives are in my hooves.} {I am your guiding light.} {You are weak, do not resist.} {Give in to your fear.} {They don’t care about you.} {There is no escape.} {This is how they are when they fear you.} {Follow the purple flame.} {To wake up is to see the horrors you have committed.} {All who oppose me will die.} {Your will is mine.} {Eternal suffering is all that awaits you.} {You will pay the price.} {Embrace the rule of the crown.} {Princess Amore is weak. No pony will save you.} {Make them bow before you.} {You must kill them all.} {Make them serve the true king.} {Caress my hatred.} {There is no hope in fighting me.} {All who oppose me…}

>What do you do now?

>>29029151
I say she would be abhorred by this. Aurora should know, but is it possible it take the helmet off without reprocussion? Ask the stallion his name and see what happens.

I'll be making a pause here, resuming tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6J4WDewlYM
I'll leave you guys with a fitting music.

Don't die bump.

>>29029151
That's not too unexpected, I suspected these helmets are a mind-control device. Anyway, we should do as >>29029272 he said. We would be pretty fucking scared by the thought of hearing never-ending stream of Sombra's bullshit while following his orders. And if we could take off his helmet, we should think about what he will do then. Will he die? Will he attack us in pure panic? Or will he be grateful? We just don't know.

The whole situation is abhorrent; you jolt your legs back at the sheer onslaught of the King’s presence. Your body stands frozen still as you try to collect yourself in this dissonance and cacophony of whispers. The helmet of King Sombra is of a disgusting design, to control and bind the will of ponies it chains and, at the same time, to shower them with never-ending stream of Sombra’s deceits and deceptions; lies. You are, being nothing more than honest, contented with the fact that you’ve managed to avoid this. This stallion, a simple citizen of Manehattan, has been living inside this tourturing iron maiden for several years now.

Every day, every hour, every minute of his life; nothing aside the praise and fear mongering of King Sombra, even when he was presumed to be dead… he did not know that. Nopony deserves this fate; it’s just not right. But, you do not know what will happen if you even try to remove the helmet of this stallion’s head. It has never happened, and even if those of the United Equestria tried – you haven’t heard about it. You take a deep, mental breath and hollow the presence of Sombra to nothing more than the buzzing, and simply annoying, rain. It is more than likely that Sombra prepared a safety mechanism to those who will try it…

>Do you want to remove the Fidelity Helmet?

>>29033792
Is there anyone we know who is better equipped to remove such a disgusting artifact?

>>29033832
I'd say that you can't remember of anypony aside from Red Sulfur or other Enchanter apprentieces. You do not know of the Equestrian side, though there are rumors of the brightest unicorns working on an anti-spell.

>>29033978
Try to find someone else to remove the helmet?

Sorry I can't say much more than that. I'm new too this cyoa.

>>29034024
That's fine, don't worry. I'll wait a few then! Hope you don't mind it being a bit slow 'cause of that.

>>29033792
As much as I want to help him it's too great a risk. Let's not try to remove it, for now at least. Besides, we would be in trouble if we simply freed Blackie's soldier.

It is impossible to say what will happen once you slid off the helmet off his head, what misfortune will occure. You are unsure of what demons, what safety mechanisms of the tyrant, you will let loose. You do not want to take the risks, as much for your own safety as for his, too. You do not want to take the blame for what will happen to his body and mind, despite the obvious and ever-present torment he’s suffering through with every second of the helmet present on his head.

You take him by his hoof, a gesture that you do not give any personal attention to, as you lead him outside the cursed circle; the perturbing whispers silence as soon as you are outside the enchanted encircle. Blackward will be unhappy if you try anything funny too, and it’s more than obvious that this pony here won’t fight for him if freed, even more likely than he will simply run away. You shrug your shoulder at “Twenty-Five” as you adjust yourself to the sudden, sharp silence of the nighttime.

The two of you carry on with your journey in a hush; the dry echo of your stomping hooves and the howl of the winds – your only music. It’s a slow creep of time, an hour or two you cannot say for sure. You arrive at the glooming and elevated forest of the midnight, the domain of nightmares. At this time of day, at this time of your arrival, the entrance and the forest as whole look even more dreadful and dangerous. You remember what has happened last time… You order Twenty-Five to dim the candlelight as you then, silently, enter the “Hollow Shades” woodlands.

What to expect now? - You wonder as you stop. You venture for a minute or two until a strange uncertainty hits you. Weird, nopony came out to greet you, and you have not heard a shimmer in the canopy despite listening to intently.

>What do you do now?

>>29034956
Perhaps they have vacated? Continue onwards but also keep an eye out for traps.

Since Meridian’s rupture of Lunar Guard’s neutrality, and the fact that both Spitfire and Soarin threaten to deal with them, it just might be that they vacated away from troubles. The atmosphere is uncanny, to say the less, as if the forest whole is being pushed by the forests of the night, the soft and fading light settles off the cover of the trees with a blue dazzle. You walk the dark, covering moonlight undercover for a long, petrified moment, keeping an eye for any potential traps.

In the end, you and your companion stop in the heart of a flourish mushroom field, the chanterelles glowing with an ever-free and exhausting natural magic are gently eliminating the previously dusk environment. A peculiar discover grab yours interest: a glowing crescent of the moon engraved upon one of the more thick-barked night trees.

“What are heck you doing here?” a sharp voice breaks your concentration as an invisible presence lands with a quick and gentle dart behind you. The enchanted scarf softly reveals the figure of the bald bat pony out of thin air transparency – Lunar Meridian. Her raw amber eyes slide off you in a quick gesticulation as she spots your companions, “With a fucking stallion, none the less – eh!?”

>What do you do now?

Will continue tomorrow.

>>29035216
Charming as always, Meridian. I was sent here to find out about what situation your kind find themselves in. Surely you know that Sombra has returned. On which side of the line will you stand? You cannot keep your supposed neutrality for long.