My Little Progress : Technology Isn't Magic - Thread 42

>"haha, silly ponies! your meager swords and shields can never beat the poise and elegence of parkour!"

>>29910135
That is one super cute little pony.

>>29910689
that's way I [picked this pic for the op

>>29911329
You chose well.

I fucking love this ideas >>29908162

>Standard "ponies can't eat tomatoes/potatoes/garlic because horses" or a new and exotic route?

>Anon grows tomatoes in his garden
>His crying marefriend tackles him and asks what she did wrong
>She thinks he was planning on killing himself

>>29912992
I will read it!

>>29912992
Agreed.

>>29912455
Thank you

>>29912992
MOAR

Page 9 boomp

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I'm back and this time with a short and a different story.

- EQUESTRIA'S INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION -

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycgYycnF6-g
>”I can't really believe your story Anon, buildings with over 100 stories? Flying boats bigger than Ponyville? And yet there's no magic in your world? Please…”
“Believe it or not Twilight, it’s true. You know our species aren’t capable of casting fancy spells like you unicorns do right?”
>Twilight rolls her eyes in a friendly way.
>”I know, I know…I’m sorry Anon. But the idea of making the impressive things you always talk about without any sort of magic is just, a little…too farfetched for me you know?”
>You shrug.
“I think I can figure out why. You ponies haven’t had a chance to develop your technology much as we humans have,” you proudly say.
>”Technology. Well, the thing you mention a lot. The eentermet was it?”
“Internet, yes.”
>”Right, it sounds so useful! You mean I could look up every book I wished to read in a blink of an eye?”
>You nod.
>Twilight jumps on a stool and keeps organizing the books she kept lying around for weeks in their respective shelves.
>”And you also said you could message people that lived far away from you and they could reply to you in no time? How impressive!” Twilight says as she keeps organizing her books.
>You let out a chuckle.
“That’s right, no magic involved whatsoever…”
>”Right right,” Twilight says, “hmm…it seems that there’s a book missing.”
“Which one?”
>”It’s called ‘The complete guide of transmutation, volume VI.”
“Oh, I was reading that one. I left it in my room.”
>”Really now?”
“Yeah, it’s really interesting Twilight. After telling me all the adventures you and your friends have in this crazy world, magic is always involved one way or the other.”

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>>29916143

>Twilight lets out a cute giggle.
>”Huh, I didn’t know you were interested in magic Anon.”
“Are you kidding? It’s just so…surreal, I’ve been trying to figure out how it works for a while now.”
>”And you’re doing research on your own? Wow, I gotta admit it…I’m impressed Anon! What made you do this?”
“Well, I recalled one of your stories you told me one night, you know. The nights we both sit down and discuss stories from our worlds.”
>”Yes? Which one?”
“The one where you casted a spell on Rarity and made her grow wings to support Rainbow Dash, you told me that spell was so hard to cast so you could only cast it once.”
>”Ah yes. But that was a long time ago, why bring it up now?”
>You shrug.
“I just asked myself…how come unicorns and earth ponies can’t walk on clouds? What makes pegasi so different from your race that they can walk on clouds? Then, another question popped up, how come pegasi can touch, make and move clouds at their will? What are the clouds made of if they can support a pony’s weight?”
>Twilight giggles.
“Really, each time I make research on Equestrian magic I end up getting more questions than answers. I mean, look at this-”
>You grab a book from a shelf and show it to Twilight.
“What do these things even mean? Not even freaking Japanese is this complicated!”
>”Those are magic runes Anon, from an ancient civilization of elder unicorns. Please be careful with that book okay?”
>You return it to the shelf.
“Do you know what they read?”
>”They contain various spells that help you to focus your spiritual energy. These spells are pretty advanced for the average unicorn.”
“Spiritual…energy?”
>”Aww Anon, this is stuff just for ponies. You better not worry your pretty little head about it.” She says as she ruffles your hair with her hoof.
>You just let out a sigh in response to Twilight’s cuteness.

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>>29916165

>You’re Anon, the only human in Equestria.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=655Xyk8xlK0
>How you got here? You were camping in a very large and dark forest.
>You had one task at hand. Do some research on some plants that only grew in said forest.
>You’ve always been a curious man, you’ve always wanted to know how things work and how you can make everyone else’s life better by just doing mere research and participate in large projects, maybe get some recognition and prizes as well.
>Technical books and research articles were your weakness.
>Your sense of discovery led you into the big problem you are now.
>The last thing you remember was falling into a really weird body of water deep inside the forest and losing consciousness.
>Maybe five minutes passed until you regained consciousness and swam out of the body of water, only to find out you weren’t in the same forest you walked on hours ago.
>Then a horrific howl reached your ears.
>It still sends shivers to your back.
>Timberwolves, as Twilight calls them, were ought to kill you.
>You ran away from there, until this pony right here appeared to save you, she scared them using this weird thing she calls magic.
>It was funny she took a double look at you and then screamed.
>And you screamed as well…
>You both remember that day fondly.

>>29916165
OH MY GOD

HE'S BACK GUYS

LP IS BACK

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>>29916170

>Turns out she’s a princess that lives in this huge castle made of crystal.
>You’ve lived with her and to be honest, you enjoy it quite a lot.
>You both have so much in common, and love to tell stories from each other’s world.
>Every topic of this world is a much happier and lighter one than Earth’s.
>Like that time she told you the story of how the races of this world were divided by hatred, and how everyone was freezing.
>Eventually they solved their differences and they celebrate it each year.
>She was baffled to learn that in your world things are still the same.
>But at least she knows you’re no threat, and that instead, you love to help others.
>She introduced you to her friends, to her former teacher who is also a princess and her sister.
>Funny enough, you’re still taller than Princess Celestia.
>Eventually, she stop hiding you from the rest of the ponies and now you’ve been living a quiet and peaceful in Ponyville.
>What a beautiful town.
>There must be no other place as pretty as this town…
>You’ve been living here for quite some time now.
>Turns out the body of water you fell into was a portal between your world and hers.
>You fell in it while it was open, and it’ll open once again in approximately 33 years.
>So you’ll be stuck here for a while.
>And to be honest, you don’t mind.
>”Thanks for helping me out sort all those books Anon, you must be thirsty...”
“You’re welcome Twi…yeah, I'm kind of tired as well.”
>Twilight pours you water on a glass.
>The only part you dislike about this world and ponykind…
>You drink the disgusting water.
>It’s their outdated to their non-existant technology.
>Eugh.

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>>29916181

>You know this water isn’t potable, but ponies don’t seem to mind.
>Drinking hard water might be harmful to you…if you don’t come up with a solution quick you’ll get sick.
>”It’s getting late Anon, we better hit the sack this night.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
>Twilight grabs a lamp full of fireflies and walks with you through the dark halls of her castle to your room.
>”Have a good night Anon!” She says with that sweet tone of voice of hers.
“G’night Twi.”
>Man, if these ponies knew about the good things your world has…
>They are at least a century behind human tech.
>You take off the clothes Rarity kindly made for you and go to sleep.
>Maybe tomorrow you’ll do something noteworthy for this world instead of reading all that magic nonsense.
---------------------------------------------
That's it for tonight, will continue later...

>>29916186
Fuck. Yes.

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>>29916186
Y E S S S S S S

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3YSARMqMzI
>Anon stared out at the vast shining metropolis before him
>"Is this your home?" The Princess of the Night asked from behind him.
"No. It doesn't exist. I suspect it never will."

"Hello Luna, what brings you to my dreams this night?"
>"Young Twilight has told us that you are conflicted, and have been increasingly guarded and cryptic when speaking to her of your people and their accomplishments."
"I'm not sure I should tell of them."
>"Why?"
>"Because of what might happen. Humans were capable of forging technological wonders. Those same wonders were capable of destroying the world. They nearly did on several occasions."

>>29916186
And lo, on the 42nd thread he did rise from his grave to post cute poners.

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>>29916186
I'm so happy to see you back

>>29916601
And jesus complains about his 3 day respawn that one time

>>29915748

Bump for continued green dumping

Just got done reading Steel Sanctuary.
If it wouldn't be for the pone that could as well have been a pretty nice Sci-Fi book, I enjoyed.

>>29919132
I agree the premise work well enough on it's own you could probably replace the ponies with something else and sell it

Bumperino

>>29910135
Could someone play the musical notes coming out of that?

>>29921497
Based off the fact there is no way of knowing what instrument it is, the speed, the pattern or anything of the sort?


No.

>>29921552
Could you try?

>>29921562
No.

I mean, the only instrument I have lying around is a keyboard and I don't feel like setting it up at 1 AM.


And again, based off my formal education in music of more than 3 years, fuck trying to play that without sheet music or anything to figure it out.

>>29921597
It looks like it would be a trumpet too.

>>29921631
Why because here's a lot of eighth notes?

>>29919978
>"They aren't just living inside of you, Luna. They ARE you. Everything you are is made up of cells."
>"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA."
writefags pls

>>29919132
>>29919978
You're way too generous. Seriously. It's just a greentext.

>>29922142
And then she stabbed herself multiple times to kill these 'parasites'
With the overrated princess out, Twilight was free to take the role Celestia had been preparing her for
The end

>>29922485
I think you might have misclicked on one of those link posts

>>29922094
Just her expression and it's on a gramaphone

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>>29923002

Sex

>>29926769
yes.

10

>>29929102
Alright... i will help.

Sex toy when?

>>29928280
Yes?

>>29925502
So what's stopping it from being a piano or guitar?

>>29930591
the trumpets probably just the instrument they think of when thinking about gramophones

How does Technology Sex work anyway?

>>29931046
Like this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k80UQWWUIYs

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>>29931259

>>29931046
Are you talking about like sexbots or what?

>>29931883
source on that gif?

>>29933995

Followed Steel Sanctuary until the end of part 2, then recently picked it back up once I noticed it in the "finished" category.
Gotta say, was a helluva good read.
Sad it ended, but much happier that it existed.

>>29889703
Thanks for the update.

>>29936186
>Sad it ended, but much happier that it existed.
you said it anon

>>29934322
Babelu /gif/

>>29931883
Save anon.

>>29937627
Babelu?

>>29939038
BA BA LUUUUUUUU~

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV3bOJaQuY

>>29935634

>>29937627
BALELUUUUUUUU!?!?!

!!SCIENCE!!

>>29940378
>>29939371
I feel like I have more questions than answers about whatever this is

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>>29941222
That easy buddy.

3+ Penetration

So portghate's probably updating tomorow, right?

idea
>humans find ponies and establish diplomacy with each other
>as a sing of cooperation they both agree to work in a joint scientific venture
>this can be either current tech, and trying to establish internet in the pony world or something like that
>or future tech where they work to establish a portal connecting the pony world to the rest of humanity or a space station for pony/human use
>or something else entirely, like trying to mix magic and technology and see what comes out
>the conflict can com out of the pony not understanding technology and thinking that magic is superior and/or vice versa, or something along those lines

idk, this is something that just came to mind, and i thought i would share before i forgot, sorry if the idea is shit
i would still like to see that one idea from some threads before where the focus was philosophy instead of technology to try and get a change of pace, but thats just me

>>29931032
This. I only ever had one record.

>>29931046
Like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD_NdnYrDzY

>>29941222
"Babalu" was a traditional Cuban song. In the US after WWII there was for a while a fad for Cuban music, Cuban dancing, and Cuban food. That's one of the better period performances of "Babalu." That's all.

>>29942614
>Ponies came to earth a while back.
>UFO's are actually the result of magitek experiments
>Roswell was an early accident
>Ponies aren't sure they like the idea of having to keep their existence secret, but the human leaders insisted

>>29942088
About that

I'm changing the upload schedule to once every thursday, since that works out better for my schedule. You guys are still going to get an upload this week, don't worry.

it's a big one

>>29943934
I feared that, oh well looking forward to it

>>29944823
>>29943934
I meant every OTHER thursday, sorry
it's the same frequency as before, just not as far between /mlp/ and FimFiction uploads so I don't get too lazy

>>29944989
That's fine I'm just jokingly bemoaning having to wait an additional few days for the next update

>>29946277
Cute.

Goodnight, still waiting "Greentext"

>boomp 4 new green pls

Just how updated are these pastebins?

>>29948126

>>29948370
I'm pretty sure they're all mostly up to date

boop

>>29946277
I want more of this

>>29951302
You already know anon.

>>29952029
I already know what?

>>29952584
We already know that.

>>29953932
She know.

>>29955080
Really? I haven't seen that in a while

>>29955080
I miss it

>>29955080
>a fucking book

>>29956094
the biggest technological invention in equestria, a fucking book

10

Dont you die on me yet.

>when mlpol.net has more activity than this entire board

>>29955080
Anon introduces the game to equestria when? /s

>>29959466
oh so mlpol made there own website huh

>>29960961
Horse puss and politics, the best of both worlds

>>29962361
that's one way to view it

buup

Here it is, Chapter 13.

"The wait is the kill, and the kill is the wait."
-Gryphon Proverb

-Halberd-
>The sky-blue pegasus fluttered down from the sky, her wings kicking up leaves from the ground as she steadily slowed her descent down. She landed on the grass with barely a sound, as was expected from a pegasus pony in Luna's guard. A second later, her two scouting buddies touched down in silence as well, both with an expression of mild interest on their faces. Pegasi were generally half a stone lighter than their earth pony and unicorn counterparts by weight, but their magic allowed them to both drastically reduce their mass and reduce the sound their hooves made. This, combined with their swift flight abilities and ability to manipulate the weather, made them great scouts and air support units. They were part of why Equestria's army had not crossed blades with another for many decades; their strong, disciplined troops were nothing to laugh at.
>Sapphire Halberd smiled as he watched the reconnaissance unit approach the commander's canopy tent he was unexcitedly sitting under. Three hundred thousand ponies in total protected Equestria under the banner of the Princesses, each one of them unwaveringly loyal and fiercely devoted to their country. No force across the land could match their sheer power, even if multiplied tenfold.
>"Captain Steelshield."
>The dull-tan unicorn sitting some ways from Sapphire shifted his gaze towards the pegasus calling for him. The twenty or so corporals and lieutenants in the tent also diverted their attention away from their idle chit-chat and towards the scouts that had just entered the tent.
>"You're back. See, I'd have preferred a report on this here table, but it's not here. Which means this better be important, because I have a whole lot of waiting that I have to get back to."

>>29964828

>"Heh. Well, uh... it is. We found a little wooden shack in a clearing about twenty farrows north-northeast of here."
>That alone was news to everypony within a fifteen-foot radius, and they all sat up straight at the sound of the words. For any creature to have set up a structure in the untamed, dangerous Everfree was news by itself, but for it to still be standing meant that it was relatively recently erected. Interesting, since anypony going into the Everfree was either stupid, dead, or both.
>"...are you sure about that?"
>"I'm sure, Captain. It's all in the report," she answered as she pulled a scroll out of her saddlebags and sat it down on the table.
>"I don't care about the report, I want to hear it straight from the pony's mouth. Go on."
>"Well, it's a real heck of a shack. About thirty sects wide on each side, and about ten tall. The walls are made of wood planks, but it definitely looks a bit shoddy, in my opinion. Some weird black and grey slabs of smooth stone on the roof, for some reason. We don't know why. Sharp wooden spears for defense, too."
>"Strange indeed. You kids see anypony around?" Steelshield asked.
>"No. There might have been inside, but we didn't look. Since, well, if there was...we didn't want to get too close, just in case."
>"Good. How are those cloaking vests, by the way?"
>"Really heavy and hard to fly with, since they keep draining our magic, but they work like a charm."
>"Good to hear the surplus gear is still top notch. Anything you want to add?"

>>29964836

>"Not really," the red-maned Second Wing blurted out. The First Wing looked at him nastily before turning to the Squad Leader.
>"He's right," she replied. "Nothing real notable or interesting we saw, other than what we've said. I didn't want to get any closer, so there's not much to say."
>"Hmph. Alright. Snow Flurry, Rouge Sunset, Marigold, you're dismissed. And rinse your coats out," the Captain shouted as the three pegasi walked away.
>"Someone go tell Princess Luna," he said, shifting his seating position. "Right, so you all catch that?"
>Nods of agreement broke out amongst the squad leaders.
>"Well...anyone have anything to say?"
>Nobody moved. They were all too bored to ask anything; since the pegasi were all gone scouting, the unicorns and earth ponies were stuck back at camp, waiting for orders from Luna.
>"Ugh...alright then. What time is it?"
>"Eight and eighty, sir," answered a unicorn.
>"So almost noon-ish. When's lunch?"
>"At nine."
>"Baloney. What are the cooks making?"
>"Apple oatmeal, same as this morning."
>Groans resounded around the field table.
>"Again?," one of the squad leaders complained.
>"Better than nothing, I guess," said an earth pony who was polishing his helmet.
>"Hmm. What time is it now?" asked the Captain.

>>29964841

>"Eight and eighty-two, Captain Steel-"
>"You requested my presence?"
>Though it was the middle of the day, Luna's arrival was unnoticed by the ponies seated under the tent, almost as if she had materialized out of nowhere. The commanders all simultaneously turned towards the deep, regal voice in unison, drawn once again from their apathy. There was a clanking of armor as all the ponies in the shade of the canvas top quickly stood up and saluted the alicorn, their sense of duty suddenly reinvigorated by the sight of their leader.
>"At ease, gentlecolts. I've just heard from a messenger about a structure in a clearing. Tell me more, if you will. But first..."
>She nodded towards the tent poles, and four of the squad leaders immediately began to pull down the sides of the tent. Soon, the Princess and her seconds-in-command were immersed in the dark shadow of the tent flaps, giving them some measure of privacy in the hazy shade.
>"...some discretion. Now, what can you tell me about what the scouts have seen?"
>"Well, a couple of minutes ago our pegasus scouts discovered a wooden shack in a clearing about, uhh..."
>The Captain grabbed the report and pulled it open. Some of the writing was smudged, nearly to the point of illegibility. This was not too unusual for the pegasus scouting groups; since they had to write their reports in the field, it was difficult to properly keep their ink dry, especially while in mid-air. A cumbersome system, but it was better that the scouts set their observations on paper immediately rather than on the ground several hours later.
>"...that might be a...twenty farrows north-northeast of here. They didn't seen anypony inside, but they didn't get any closer."
>"So," Luna muttered, "I think this may be it."

>>29964907

>"What is, Princess?" Sapphire calmly asked.
>She warily looked around the tent, her head moving from side to side, until she lowered her voice to a near whisper and answered his question.
>"Tonight, I will lead a small group of ponies to the structure and search it. I will require a unicorn squad and two earth pony squads to volunteer for this mission, to accompany me. A pegasus squad will also come. Now, who wishes to volunteer?"
>Sapphire was one of the first to raise his hoof. He didn't want to sit around the camp and do nothing, and he was also curious as to what they would find there. They would need him, too - his squad was small, but it was one of the best in Luna's army (at least, according to Sapphire.)
>"...You, you, and you," the princess announced, a stab of her hoof at a squad leader accenting her words. >"Everyone else, please leave this tent for now. My next words are not for everyone's ears, if you know what I mean."
>Several grunts punctuated the sounds of the mares and stallions rising from their seats and exiting the tent one by one. Luna waited until the shuffling of hooves outside the tent stopped before going on.
>"Before I go on, I would like to apologize for shrouding this operation in secrecy. I know I haven't been upfront with you all, but it was necessary. This is obviously an important issue, since I am present, but I am sorry for leaving you all in the dark."

>>29964915

>The alicorn sighed, then dropped her voice down another level.
>"What I am about to tell you next must be kept confidential and shall be known by nopony other than those present and their subordinates. Swear it."
>"I swear, by the Princess of the Night."
>Luna appeared satisfied by the small chorus of voices she received. She closed her eyes, her horn lighting up as she cast a inaudibility spell over the tent and its occupants. Though nothing seemed to change when her eyes opened, she still had a smile of approval on her face for a brief moment before her visage returned to its natural, immeasurable state.
>"Commanders, the report you received was well-made, but...that wooden house...is in fact inhabited."
>Not a pony spoke a word after she uttered her last syllable, the implications of her words hanging in the air.
>"Inhabited by...creatures that are not...native to this world. They...may pose a threat."
>Faces shifted, but the ponies still maintained their discipline. Luna had expected more of a reaction from the fact that literal aliens were in the Everfree.
>"If it comes to it...I want you all to immediately flee."
>That command was what tipped the commanders over the edge. A series of objections rang out from the worried ponies, whose concern for the safety of the Princess was too great to bear.
>"Silence, please."
>Luna was immediately rewarded with silence. Her horn's glow wavered a bit before she continued speaking.

>>29964922

>"I understand you are all concerned for my well-being, but I can assure you that I can handle whatever happens. I am an alicorn, and I am able to deal with any threats to my safety quickly, efficiently, and appropriately. If I give the signal, you must all retreat back to camp - with or without me. That is an order. Any further questions?"
>Nopony spoke.
>"Very well. I expect all of you to be ready by sundown. You will receive more details then. Pack light, we won't be gone for long. Tell your soldiers, but only them. Do not let word get out. And...be careful tonight. Dismissed."
>With that, the invisible field of silence vanished, and Luna stepped out of the dark tent and into the mid-day sun. The smell of apples and oats drifted across the camp...along with a few annoyed shouts from the mess station.

-Noah-

>The once roaring inferno in the wood stove was now a small flame, flickering in the dark. Two hours ago, the crude heater was blazing hot, its intense heat filling the room with warmth. Now, as everyone else rested through the night, the dim embers struggled to fight off the biting chill of the night.
>Noah buried his hands further in his armpits. His uniform wasn't made to deal with temperatures this frigid, but it was all he had going for him except for a blanket over his legs. He scooted closer to the fire, shuddering as the warmth entered his body.
>The six creatures in the back of the house were all either sleeping or on the verge of falling asleep. Noah was already tired from staying up so long; keeping guard was an ordeal for him. With nothing to keep him company but soothing cricket chirps and a hypnotizing fire, he was just barely able to stay awake. The temptation of sleep was too much, and his eyelids slowly drew closer and closer for the last time that night...

>>29964932

>A thud from outside jolted Noah out of his exhaustion. Confusion, then fear sent a rush of adrenaline through his body, killing all of his sleepiness immediately. He sat completely motionless, listening soundlessly for whatever was outside.
>Footsteps, heavy ones, from behind. Noah's heart skipped two beats as he listened to something walk around from the back of the house to the front. Without a sound, he slowly stood up, grabbed the carbine propped up against the wall next to him, and slowly tiptoed to the front room.
>"...eí cheü, eí cheü."
>Noah's arms were trembling as he raised the gun and aimed it at the doorway, his index finger pointed over the trigger guard. His thumb flipped a lever on the gun from "S" to "1". The click was loud, too loud. Noah cringed. There was clearly something outside - no, several things outside.
>Then, complete silence. The front sight post erratically swayed with Noah's left arm as he quivered in fear. Oh god, they knew he was inside...
>Suddenly, a rapid series of hard knocks on the door sent a wave of fear down his back. Noah couldn't call out for help - not when whatever was outside could hear him.
>"Whér eit eindæ, pareteü enscräu! Enscräu, par loë cœnsei dín Présne Lon!"
>The shrill, high-pitched shout cut through the air like daggers through Noah's chest. He couldn't have responded even if he wanted to - his mouth felt numb, and his throat didn't work at all.
>"...Proe cuíde. Finé cuíder!"
>Someone was making sound in the other room. In the back of his mind, Noah registered it as either Leah or Andrew getting up. In the front of his mind, he wanted to scream at them for making too much sound.

>>29964937

>And then the door swung open, and three colorful horses rushed inside. It took a second for the two parties to fully realize what they were respectively looking at: aliens. The human and the ponies stared at each other in shock for what seemed like forever before Noah finally spoke, in a shaky and hesitant voice.
>"S...Stay back!"
>They were clad in intimidatingly-dark, metallic plate armor that covered their torsos as well as helmets that looked like they were pulled straight from ancient Rome. Each one of them had a sheathed short-sword at their side.
>"I-I said STAY BACK!"
>Noah pointed the muzzle of the rifle back and forth between the ponies as he slowly backed away from them. Ignoring his warnings, they advanced further into the room with each step he took back. One of them turned and yelled something out the door, and two more of the aliens entered.
>"I swear to God, don't get any closer!"
>Two clicks, right past the "3" and straight to "A".
>"Të scür të scer? Brë..."
>In unison, the front three aliens' horns began to glow. The shortswords slid out of their scabbards and hovered menacingly in front of them.
>"Don't you...!"
>Noah's finger entered the trigger guard.
>"Forégna alta-"
>Noah squeezed the trigger.

>>29964952

>The 5.56-millimeter weapon was loud, but in the confines of the small room it was deafening. The sharp cracks of the gun became earsplitting explosions that overrode all other noise. Noah's ears rang with each shot he fired, but at least he knew what was happening - unlike the aliens.
>What seemed like thick, menacing armor turned out to be nothing but thin sheet metal as the steel-tipped bullets cut through their protection like it was nothing but styrofoam. The three horses in front dropped to the ground, their swords clattering as they fell from mid-air. The two in the back were too disoriented to fight but not enough to ignore what had just happened. Three of their comrades, downed within seconds by a loud, terrifying weapon. Noah pointed the gun at them as the smell of sulphur and copper filled the air. Crimson splatters coated the wall, staining the wood with hot blood.
>Suddenly, a flash of light filled the room. Noah blinked, then pointed his gun at the source. Another alien had just materialized in front of him. It was different, taller...and much more fearsome. It was a dark blue alien, with hair that seemed to sparkle and shine like the stars - and it wasn't happy about what he had just done.
>Noah didn't hesitate to fire at the new threat. Panic set in, and he held the trigger down instead of firing in short, controlled bursts as he was trained to do. The recoil bruised his shoulder as he emptied the rest of his magazine into the creature. Instead of piercing its flesh, however, the bullets seemed to hit a blue barrier. The alien seemed to be able to deflect Noah's gunshots - but Noah kept firing. With each shot, the barrier seemed to get fainter and fainter, almost as if it was getting weaker...
>Click.

>>29964961

>The booms suddenly ceased, and the gun stopped firing. Noah cursed as he hit the magazine release and let the old magazine fall to the ground. He turned and grabbed a fresh one off the desk, slid it into the gun, and pulled the charging handle. He would have aimed it at the alien, too - if it hadn't rushed into the back room while Noah was reloading.

-Luna-

>Everything was going wrong.
>This was supposed to be a simple search operation, one that her ponies had done countless times before. There were supposed to be only three other creatures in the house besides Twilight and her friends - and they didn't even have magical capabilities! They should have been no match for her twenty well-trained soldiers.
>Luna and her small charge had approached with utmost silence, as her ponies were trained to do. They knocked on their door, declaring their intent to enter. And they had given fair warning, too!
>She cursed as the loud snaps from inside stopped. Perhaps they didn't understand Equestrian? It should have been obvious; they were creatures from another world, after all. How could they be expected to know what her ponies were saying? And how could they not expect such a disastrous first impression with this new species? Equestria's centuries-old institutions had no way of dealing with an entirely foreign race; there hadn't been any since the beginning of written history. Maybe it was just terrible planning, but how could she help it? Two days had passed since she had seen Twilight, deep in study in her dreams, stuck out in the Everfree among who knows what kind of creatures! Celestia would have spent much longer, scrutinizing every detail of her course of action; Luna had just rushed to Twilight's aid as soon as she could.

>>29964968

>The swelling feeling in her horn told her that her teleportation spell had finished charging. She concentrated on her target, then released the built-up magic into the teleportation matrix. A bright sunburst of light filled her vision, fading away as quickly as it had appeared. He first thing she saw was her loyal ponies lying on the dirty floor, their life slowly draining away from the wounds on their bodies. She looked at the alien, holding the metal weapon in its hands. Her surroundings were foreign and unfamiliar, but the way it carried itself gave off a universal message of hostility. She stepped towards it, and it shifted its weapon in her direction.
>Thankfully, her defensive fields came up just before the weapon rattled off its deadly burst of fire. Her alicorn magic was the strongest, her barrier perfected after countless years of practice and experience - and yet the tiny little weapon (not even the size of a polearm!) hammered away at it, chipping away at it at a rate unbelievably rapid. Hit after hit smashed into her shield, each impact bringing her closer and closer to total vulnerability. Soon, she would be totally open to even the weakest of blows...
>The alien suddenly stopped attacking her, a look of terror on its face. Luna finally managed to get a good look at it as she regathered her defenses. Twilight's depiction was quite accurate; Luna had thought that the thin proportions were just caused by a lack of artistic talent, but they turned out to be correct. from the snoutless head to the thin, furless claws.

>>29964973

>A curved box dropped from its weapon, the black metal clacking against the wooden floor. It reached for another one lying on a nearby table, apparently unable to continue attacking. Luna had two options at that moment: she could either launch an impact spell, disabling the alien but preventing her from regaining her lost shielding, or she could rush for Twilight and teleport away to safety with her.
>She ran into the other room, her hooves moving as fast as she could in the confined quarters of the small area. Surveying the dimly-lit boxes and occupied beddings, Luna quickly found a lavender alicorn sitting up and staring at her with a look of surprise on her face.
>"L-Luna?"
>Luna ignored the two aliens and two ponies staring at her, too shocked to react. She rushed towards her objective and grabbed Twilight with her magic, laying Twilight over her midnight-blue back.
>"What's going-"
>A second later, the two ponies were out in the cool night air, outside of the hut. The rest of her Night Guard, hiding behind the walls of the hut in caution, all looked at her as she suddenly appeared right outside the doorway in a brilliant starburst of light.
>"Retreat!" she yelled, her voice loud enough to yank her guardsponies from their stares. Within a split second, everypony was sprinting away at top speed, their legs carrying them at full pace.
>"Applejack...we need to-"
>"Not now, Twilight," Luna huffed as she hurried towards the woods. Applejack and Rainbow Dash would have to wait - the alicorn was the top priority. She looked over at Twilight; her purple coat was covered in bandages. What had they done to her?

>>29964980

>Luna's hairs stood up on the back of her neck, an electric buzz filling her ears. She stopped running, the strange feeling too abnormal to ignore. It was indescribably familiar...something that she couldn't quite place her hoof on. Luna turned around, attempting to trace the odd sensation of the feeling.
>Nothing was visible to her eyes, but her gut told her something enormous was about to happen...

-Portgate-

>"So, why did you decide to leave the barracks for this?"
>The man looked over at his partner, anticipating a response as they stood thirty meters away from the Portgate.
>"I dunno. Guess it was better than, you know, just...nothing."
>"Heh, I know what you mean."
>He stuffed the last bite of Choco-Caffeine Granola into his mouth, then shoved the wrapper into the shin pocket of his pants. "These are really good, you know. Why don't you ever get one?" he asked.
>"I don't like them. Too bitter," the other guard replied as he shifted the rifle in his arms. A technician walked past them, carrying a large plastic box in his arms. The Army volunteers watched as he set it down right next to the giant metal ring, its frame half-exposed as a mass of wires and metal.
>"So, when are they gonna be finished?" he asked.
>"Oh, so now you ask? Dunno, they said about two weeks, I think. Though you never know."
>"Damn right, you never know."

>>29964988

>The technician opened the box, pulling a large metal cylinder out from it and handing it to a woman in the orange overalls of the facility's engineers.
>"Hey, check this out!" the man exclaimed as he grabbed his smartphone from his vest pocket. He checked the screen, pressing the home button through his tactical gloves, then showed it to the other guard. "My wife just sent me a video. Hehe, it looks funny. 'why snowmobiles are the most dangerous animal in alaska.' You wanna see?"
>"Shouldn't we be keeping guard?"
>"For what?" he grumbled as he shoved the phone back into his pocket.
>"I dunno, just...it's not gonna look good if - hey, you feel that?" his companion asked as he gripped his gun tighter.
>>"What do you-"
Blue light filled the enormous underground chamber as the Portgate once again rumbled to life. Everyone in a fifteen-meter radius immediately rushed back from it, forming a circle around the swirling blue vortex. The intercom buzzed out a message in the silence that overtook the normally-noisy testing area as the image of a dark forest and fields of grass shimmered in the portal, lit up by the bright incandescent light flowing through to the other side.
>"-do not panic, do not panic! All security personnel, this is a code two - oh for God's sake, forget it. All security personnel, head to the Portgate area IMMEDIATELY. This is not a drill. It-it's opened up again, without warning. Everyone else - evacuate the sector! Head to your designated escape routes and evacuate immediately!"

>>29964992

>"Jesus!" the two simultaneously exclaimed as they backpedalled away from the Portgate, aiming their guns at the door to another world in preparation for what would come out of it. They hid behind a nearby service cart, taking cover as they rested the handguards on the scratched aluminum. Each passing second, then each passing minute grew longer and longer as they waited for an invader to come through.
>More and more soldiers flooded the room. An officer barked out orders to the men, who formed a ring around the Portgate behind various pieces of cover. Someone hefted a light machine gun onto a nearby crate, setting the bipod on the raised edge of the box. Nothing came through.
>Then, a shout - from the inside of the ring - broke through the chaos. Everyone closed their mouths and listened, their surroundings quickly becoming quiet save from the sound of alien crickets chirping.
>"...help, we need help!"
>A human in the black and grey clothing of the Portgate Security Administration stumbled into the view of the Portgate, their clothes noticeably dirty and unwashed. Sighs of relief were heard throughout the building - then gasps of shock.
>"We have three wounded...aliens! They need gunshot treatment, immediately!"
>Another man, this one wearing blue, hurriedly walked through the Portgate, something strange in its arms. He set it down on the concrete floor, taking care to place it as slowly as possible.
>"..."
>A forest green unicorn, bandaged and armored, was lying unconscious fifty meters underground in a research facility in the middle of central Texas. Everyone was speechless.
>It seemed like forever until someone uttered the words that set the foundations for the future of Humanity and what it had discovered.
>"...well, don't just stand there! Get a medic over here, ASAP!"
End of Part I.

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>>29965003

Well, I have a lot to say, and this is probably just a small portion of it.
I'm going back over my first chapters and revising them, and I think I've come a ways from those bits of story. Which is nice, considering this story is getting continued for quite some time.
Things will be picking up speed from this chapter forward, so I'll probably be more motivated to write than before. And hopefully, they'll be more exciting than ever.
Before I put this up on FimFic, I gotta ask: are you guys cool with how things are going so far? Because I feel like this chapter is going to be more of a "controversial" one, if you know what I'm saying. I've made way too many mistakes in the past, and I'm sure as heck not going to stop making them - but I at least want to bring that number down a little. Tell me your thoughts.

With that being said, I'll be back in two weeks with the first installment of PART TWO(!!!!!)

>>29961918
>cassette as memory

brings me back to the good old days

>>29965003
nice writing.

>>29965070
I enjoyed this chapter. I will admit I did not see them getting back to Earth so quickly but it does offer so interesting possibilities with those injured unicorns on earth

>>29964952
>>29964961
well...that went well

>>29964828
>"The wait is the kill, and the kill is the wait."
https://youtu.be/xZU5_rTsT9Q

>>29965070
It doesn't matter if we're "cool" with what you're doing with the story, what matters is if it's a good story. Which it is, and no one can take that away from you.

Also, in my opinion, controversial is good. Controversial means you're subverting expectation, which is the life blood of all storytelling.

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Prompt idea:

Humans from "veil of madness" has found another sentient race that has partial immunity to the veil,
that sentient race is ponies,
so humans decided to uplift their little equine friends.

Trolesstia decided to play along with the role of galaxy`s boogeyman.

After some time galaxy is terrified by miniature telekinetic quadrupeds in bulky space suits (much like humans has) that speaking in high pinched voices resembling screams of a banshee.

>>29967948
I can dig it

>>29967162
But really though, what the hell does that mean?

>>29968814
Probably something about ambushing and potential dangers of waiting too long

>>29967162
It's like a badly translated chinese proverb.

>>29970710
>cute marshmallow poni
>plugsuit

You have my attention.

>>29967948
>Humans from "veil of madness"

...what? Please explain what you're talking about here.

>>29971277
An old piece of HFY writing from /tg/ if my memory is correct is what he is refering to.


Essentially, there is an area of space in which all species go "insane" and their societies fall apart given enough exposure.

Humans developed in this region and were immune to the effects but as they spread out they found many remains and ruins of species which had succumbed to madness already.

Long story short, the humans keep expanding through this space and advancing both technologically but also industrially.

To the point that when they finally encounter aliens from outside the veil they are so advanced their communications sound distorted and the full power of an enemy fleet fails to pierce their shields (admittedly because the human ship was huge by the alien's standards).


Humans become demons to the aliens once they plot the course the ship took: into the veil. This is followed by them introducing themselves to the aliens successfully and a bunch of other stuff.

>>29971353
Ah, that's starting to sound familiar.

Also,

>humans uplifted ponies genetically

...well, that's a lot less depressing than the premise of "Days of Wasp and Spider," I can tell you.

Here's an idea for a story, plane crashes in Equestria and Anon pilot or passenger, up to you miraculously survives. I'll leave the aftermath to your imagination.

>>29971810
Sounds a bit like Quantum Castaways.

>>29971919
I was thinking of something along the lines that ponies find Anon, nurse his back to health and he helps them understand or even reverse engineer whatever they could salvage from aircraft remains.

>>29971994
ah. That's not quite parallel, then.

>>29971695
I don't think he mentioned a genetic uplift, just a tech one

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>>29972863

I would do the process of

>humans uplifted ponies genetically

in an old way, if you know what i mean.

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>>29971277
>>29971353
Let me help you both.

>>29973306
I did have it in my computer's files but I wasn't going to look for it at 1:34 in the morning.

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Science bump.

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Spoilers because its from lastest episode
Okay so Pinkie just grabbed Lyra like it was nothing in the episode, and when she dropped her later Lyra had to bend her legs because of the force
Lyra was confused but later scared of Ponk and Bonbon had to literally push Lyra away because she was frozen with fear and stuff

Does it mean WiK theory was right? Also could we get this part added into the green?

>>29976391
What theory specifically?

>>29976391
>that vidya

ha ha ha oh wow. I suppose slapstick isn't dead.

>>29973129
just curious but do you know if there has been a story where the child turns out to be like reverse satyr, with a pony top and human bottom

>>29977115
About erf pone strenght

Guys guys guys

YOOHOO is still on here
French poner green guy
>>29978072

>>29973306
WANT

10

>>29979191
I miss french poner

>>29982032
me too

>>29982946
We all do.

This thread is dying.

>>29978673
This isn't the first time that earth ponies were depicted as ridiculously strong

>>29985096
I know but i mean for the WiK thread, where Lyra is just now knowing the potential of erf pones, it explicitly said that "she thought what erf pones could be proficient with it and that scared her, what ponies like Pinkie Pie" or something like that, dont remember it exactly so yea
Just thought it d be nice if that part was added to the story, seeing that it was totally unrelated, yet somewhat fitting for it

>>29985236
Speaking of WiK, isn't it getting around the time for the next update?

>>29986203
Hopefully.

>>29986598
>Ib4 he s kill

>>29985072
So is the board, and the fandom.

>>29987582
Still, we've lasted longer than the Russian forums, considering the last thing I heard they were essentially dead as this across every thread constantly.

>>29987591
Outlasting Russians is no mean feat, I guess, but still...

Everything dies, I guess. Entropy increases. That doesn't mean I have to be happy about it.

>>29987720
Anon, all things must end for other things to begin. Yet that does not mean they die.


We were a volcano in the beginning: mighty, explosive, fiery and energetic. Yet in time even magma cools into stone and hardens into a mountain. On our vast shores of content shall grow a dozen new ideas and every year shall come another few fans who like water down the mountain carve and reshape it into a newer form, bringing new life to the frozen lands.

In years who knows where we will all be? What I can say for certain is this: our legacy shall last and we will be like the pyramids or Stonehenge. Another generation shall come in time and we will be the giant whom's shoulder they stand on and reach ever higher. Nietzsche in "Thus spoke Zarathustra" compared the efforts of all man to birds: each generation flying further than the previous, towards that end point, that final man, that superman.

It was also he who said that the point of life, was to live a life for eternity: to live a life you could live endlessly, to have no doubts or fears about wrong decisions. So anon, having been on the great ride, of seven years at least. How do you feel: was this a good use of your time? As I hold no regrets and I hope you hold none too.


Do you know the "leek spin" meme? From many years hence? The original video of it is still up on Youtube and is still viewed by many every day, often those who had never seen it before. That is our future: to be a relic, a monument to the strength of man and the nature of time, of all things, of happiness, to never die and forever live. A fitting end to such a magical show, eh?

Also you assume the show shan't get another revival or another wave of fans! What folly is that! For anon, though we may want off the ride, it shan't end for as long as we bear witness to all that is.


Who knows though, there may come a day when we are gone: in mind and or in body, no successors risen and I know we shall meet again in whatever lies beyond the veil.

i will try to make a small attempt, please bear in mind that English is not my first language as well it´s been over 1,5 years+ since i last tried to "script" a green text story

>Random chatter could be heard through the crowd, as cameras where flashing
>In middle of the park was there a big strange type of balloon with a small sized boat ship under it. Different signs could been seen everywhere
>"Mad~man~ colt, gone bonkers! defines laws of the impossible, could been seen on a text
>"Mr Anon, do you truly believe that you will succeed with this madness. for Celestia sake listen to yourself" As the town mayor gave Anonymous a stern look

>Anonymous whom raised up his hands gently waving with em. making the ponies sush.
"As many of you already know, i am not from here. I was brought here at the same time the comet "Astrolance" flew by"
"We, or shall i say i. As a human don´t age as the same speed as you ponies. nearing my 67:th birthday, my body has given me some more gray hair, slower body movement but also a clearer mind"
"During my almost 32 years of my life here, learned much about your colorful world. as well have i taught you the horrors of black and white world of mine. It was thank´s to the librarian pony that taught me all about the stars and comets. It was thus there i learned about the comet from the start"
"A comet that only passes through here every 32 years apart"
>He let out a small sigh collecting the small thoughts before looking back to the crowd
"Was i brought here by the comet, then i shall leave by the same comet"
>different worried,puzzled looks was know shown on the ponies who was looking at this strange,tall figure that has been living by them.
>Anon whom took another glance to the warm sunshines, smiling before picking up a small golden pocket watch. as the clock almost neared 1.37 PM

>>29988267
Is there more? It feels like you're not quite done there.

>>29988606
Maybe he's still writing it and hit a snag?

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>>29988267
I'll take your silence as a 'no'. If I'm stepping on your toes by posting while you're working on the rest, you have my apologies.

>>29985236
I suspect this is the line you're thinking of.

>For all Lyra knew, Pinkie Pie had the power to crush boulders with a single blow.

I went out of my way to give Earth ponies something special that wasn't strength. It wasn't canon and I knew it, they've been super strong for quite a while. However, you do have a point. Lyra seemed surprised and somewhat frightened in that scene. Whether this is because Earth pony strength isn't common knowledge among unicorns or because Lyra was just ignorant is unclear.
I wouldn't say that what I've said is canon. It's still kinda neat that I had Lyra unsettled by the concept of a super powered Pinkie Pie and then this happened though.

>>29986203
I dunno. He's always late these days.

And to you doomsayers, whining won't fix anything. If you want to help this board then start making stuff.


The first part may be a bit dry since it really doesn’t fit in this thread. It fits in the story, but it has vanishingly little to do with science and tech. Some of you may find it interesting, but if you’re JUST here for science and tech it’ll be a bit of a slog. Please bear with me, we’ll return to my usual sci-fi nonsense shortly.


>Night fell before Bon-Bon returned.
>And Lyra eventually retired to bed.
>She lay awake for several hours lost in thought.
>Who was that mare?
>She clearly knew a lot of what was going on.
>Somehow she was able to get her hooves on secret technology.
>Which would suggest she was on the inside.
>Then why was she helping Lyra and risking the secret?
>Who could it be?
>Lyra decided to think over what she knew for sure.
>It was a unicorn that knew how to teleport.
>They messed up a spell earlier though.
>What was that spell?
>Was it something more complex than teleportation?
>Or did something interfere with their casting?
>She really had no way of knowing.

>>29987886
I hope for Renaissance as well, but you say "may not have successors" when it's "will not." Even if we conquered the galaxies and lasted billions of years, eventually heat waste off of supernovae and heavier and heavier stars, until only carbon stars and black holes. Even then, the black holes dissipate and stars become hot slugs of iron. No matter what civilization builds up to, it ends. To think that the world we live in won't end eventually is absurd. It's much like a bouncy ball with each bounce being a generation of stars. Eventually the ball stops.
Now, to balance such thoughts we live in the moment, like how life always has, focusing on reproducing as far as it can because it exists.
Enjoy the moment, because everything is going downhill, but the bumps and hills and oddities on the way down are what makes things interesting.
That is, unless we can reverse entropy and we don't know it yet.
I hope, but still dread that what we know is true.

>>29989194
>Whatever it was they could teleport.
>That’s what Lyra knew for sure.
>And right now she needed to worry only about certainty.
>There were still too many possibilities to begin entertaining ‘maybe’.
>She also knew that that pony had access to way more information than Lyra was comfortable with.
>Why would anypony know that much about her?
>And how did they know her shopping habits?
>Nopony needed to know THAT.
>Yet she knew.
>Lyra spent more time wondering what else was certain.
>She didn’t have much to work with.
>They seemed to have some trouble walking.
>That could have been faked though.
>And they had her hairs after the heist.
>So they were the one that caught Lyra when she was in Twilight’s-


*gasp*

>Unicorn.
>First respondent at Twilight’s place.
>Had insider knowledge.
>That couldn't be more than a hoof full of ponies.
>Was it maybe Twilight herself?
>Or perhaps Starlight?
>Lyra didn’t know.
>She had no proof of any sort.
>But she had two suspects.
>Two unicorns who could teleport that had a chance to be the first on the scene.
>One was definitely in the know, and the other may be.
>She needed some way to dig deeper without drawing attention to herself.
>Or she could just forget about the whole thing and return to a normal life.
>The mystery pony hadn’t made a very good sales pitch after all.
>It was more like a warning than anything.
>Like they were saying that Lyra would regret succeeding.
>But that didn’t make sense to the sleepless pony.
>How could knowing the truth be a bad thing?
>Still, the words frightened her.
>And more to the point...
>Could she do it?
>Did she have the wherewithal to keep poking around without getting caught?
>Though the thoughts kept plaguing her, Lyra soon succumbed to fatigue.
>Morning came earlier than usual for the sleepy pony.
>The sun had not yet risen when Bon-Bon began shaking Lyra awake.

>”Up! Get up! It’s time, get up!”

“Wuuuh. It’s too early Bonny.”

>>29910135
Last story I read was from LP
Is he writing anymore?
Any story you guys recommend reading?

>>29989200
>Lyra adamantly refused to open her eyes.
>And Bon-Bon began shaking more vigorously.

>”No excuses! You’re going to go to class! RIGHT NOW!”

“This early in the morning?”

>”6:30 A.M. three days a week! And YOU get up at 6! And if you’re late I’m smashing your lyre!”

>That got her moving.
>She sat up like a bolt.

“WHAT? You can’t do that!”

>”And I’ll make you watch while I do it.”

>She was joking.
>She HAD to be joking.
>Right?

>”Drink this.”

>Bon-Bon then shoved a tall glass in front of Lyra’s face.
>Lyra proceeded to down the drink with mild surprise.

“This is actually pretty good.”

>”Milk, yoghurt, protein powder, peanut butter. Speaking of we’re almost out.”

>Lyra was aware.

>”We’re leaving as soon as you’re finished.”

“Yeah, fine. Lemme just grab some coffee-”

>”No! Drugs are useful if you use them right, but you most certainly aren’t!”

“Oh come on, caffeine isn’t a drug! It’s- umm. It’s…”

>”A chemical that alters the way your brain functions?”

“Yeah. That.”

>”Look. Drugs can be useful. Caffeine is pretty much the weakest stimulant out there, but you still shouldn’t use it. If you use drugs when you don’t need them, they won’t be effective when it counts. No more caffeine. Not unless you absolutely need it.”

>Something about that didn’t sit right with Lyra.
>But she was too groggy to try and put it together.
>Instead she obediently finished her liquid breakfast before dragging herself out of her home.
>The normally busy streets were almost totally silent in these early hours as the night had only just begun to yield to twilight.
>She stumbled out onto the streets to see a lively and chipper Bon-Bon impatiently waiting.

“What’s going on and why couldn’t it wait ‘till morning?”

>”It IS morning.”

>It really, REALLY wasn’t.

>“And I found you a proper instructor! Your training begins today!”

>>29989209
>Lyra yawned widely.
>She then blinked several times to clear the sleep from her eyes.
>It was a partial success.
>Bon-Bon for her part was trotting in place with a goofy grin plastered on her face.
>She seemed genuinely excited.

>”Let’s get moving!”

>And then she began to run off.
>Lyra sprinted forward in pursuit.
>And she almost immediately ran out of breath.
>Within ten blocks she'd slowed to a crawl.

>”Oh come on now. You’re not in THAT bad of shape.”

>Lyra slowly walked forward as she desperately gasped for air.

>”Are you?”

“Hate. You.”

>She choked the words out between gasps.

>”Oh dear. We’ll have to work on that too.”

>They walked for a few minutes before Lyra’s breathing stabilized.
>They moved their way through the inner city which was generally agreed to be the bad side of Ponyville.
>Lyra could clearly remember when ponyville had no bad side.
>Yet here it was.
>Vulgar words such as ‘poop’ were painted upon the ugly concrete walls, windows were smashed, trash littered the streets.
>And Lyra couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she was being watched.
>It was then that Lyra got stubborn.

“You know what? No.”

>”Hm?”

“You drag me out of bed before dawn, and bring me to the most dangerous part of Ponyville presumably to teach me something I might not even want to learn. I’m not moving any further until you answer some questions. Why are we doing this here? Why are we doing this so early? And why are you so adamant that I learn how to fight?”

>”Look. I got you one of the best Mana Tide instructors out there. Maybe THE best. And when Tranquil Stream gives you an opening, you don’t complain about little details like time.”

>Mana Tide.
>Lyra had heard of that one.
>But she knew nothing about it.

“Okay, but why are we doing this at all?”

>”I told you yesterday, we can’t rely on the guards to protect us all the time. And also-”

>>29989217
>She leaned in close and whispered into Lyra’s ear.

>”Check the newspaper when it comes out later today.”

>Ominous.

“So, this Tranquil Stream. If they’re such a big deal how did you get them?”

>”They’re an old friend.”

>So it was classified then.
>Lyra gave in.
>It was obvious she wouldn't be able to convince her friend that this was a waste of time.
>Bon-Bon had made up her mind, and it was final.
>Besides.
>It might not be all bad.
>Maybe after today she'd never have to feel so helpless again.
>As they pressed inward the vandalism continued to grow worse.

>”And we’re here.”

>Bon-Bon walked up in front of an ugly, blocky two story building without windows.
>The unpainted concrete wall was only remarkable for its total lack of graffiti.
>The metal door at the front entrance didn’t look at all inviting what with the face shaped dent on it.

>”Look, Lyra. I should warn you. He’s a jerk.”

“Bonny! Watch your mouth!”

>”He’s old, crotchety, and tough. You aren’t going to like this pony. But I promise you you WILL like the results.”

“This is sounding worse by the second.”

>Lyra hesitantly walked up to the door.

>”I’ll be here to pick you up in a couple hours. Have fun! Or at least try not to kick him in the face.”

>And she walked away.
>Lyra opened the door and stepped in.
>A dimly lit concrete room with no carpet lay before her.
>There were no decorations to be found, and the only furniture was a bench up against the back wall.
>An elderly unicorn stallion sat upon it.
>He opened his eyes as Lyra entered the room, one eyelid failing to fully rise.

“Hi there.”

>The old stallion’s wrinkly blue face scanned over her.
>He made no attempt to hide his disgust as he stood and approached her.
>What little remained of his greying mane hang limply by his side as he walked.

>”You will bow when you greet me.”

“Oh. Umm. Okay? Sorry mister.”

>>29989222
>Lyra lowered her head in a clumsy attempt at a bow.

>”And you shall address me as master.”

>Lyra already didn’t like him.
>The old stallion approached and circled his new apprentice.

>”Tell me a bit about yourself. Have you any combat experience?”

“No mist- master.”

>”Have you ever studied any other combat style?”

“No master.”

>”And you’re clearly not in good shape. Just look at that gut.”

>Lyra held her tongue.

>”So you can’t protect yourself at all then? How many times have you been mugged?”

“Zero.”

>Though she wasn’t sure how long that would stay true if she spent any more time in this part of town.

“The guards keep things safe enough.”

>”So you need other ponies to protect you. There’s a word for ponies who can’t take care of themselves, you know. We call them FOALS. Are you at least competent with magic?”

“Oh! I studied at Princess Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns!”

>”Hm.”

>The non-committal grunt was all the answer he provided for several seconds.

>”You’re clearly the worst I’ve ever had to work with, and I’m pretty damn old so that’s saying something. But don’t you worry. I like a challenge.”

>Lyra pouted.

“Words can hurt you know.”

>”Bon-Bon has vouched for your character so we can skip a few steps. The tenets are non-negotiable though. Repeat after me. I shall observe the tenets of Mana Tide.”

>Lyra hesitated.

>”Well go on, say it.”

“I don’t know what the tenets are yet. I’m not going to make a promise I don’t understand. I’m sorry master, but no.”

>The old stallion did something that Lyra didn’t see coming.
>He smiled.

>”Very well. The tenets are as follows. I shall never misuse mana tide, I shall respect my instructor,”

>Lyra wasn’t crazy about that one.

>”I shall be a champion of justice, and I shall build a better world.”

>Champion of justice?
>Really?

>>29989227
>Other than being cheesy, everything seemed reasonable to Lyra.
>All save for the respect part.
>Although, Bonny said that he might be THE best.
>She had to respect that if nothing else.

“That seems reasonable.”

>”Say them.”

>The request seemed somewhat strange, but Lyra acceded.

>”Then let us begin. We unicorns are the most vulnerable of all three tribes. The Earth ponies can harden their flesh to protect themselves, and the pegasi can take flight to avoid them entirely. Practitioners of other Unicorn styles tend to focus on shield spells, however we practitioners of Mana tide understand that one can not win by defending. Shields have their uses! But the focus should be on aggression first and foremost.”

>That actually made a lot of sense to Lyra.
>You couldn’t win by defending.
>Well, maybe she could slam into somepony with a shield spell up?
>But that’s not really defending anymore.

>”When faced with violence, your goal is to incapacitate your opponent as quickly and as safely you can. If your fight is righteous you’ve no obligation to ensure the wellbeing of your opponent. The wellbeing of those you defend, be they yourself or others, is your sole goal. And so you should not restrict yourself to half measures or soft strikes lest you’ve already won. You should immediately target vulnerable points such as the eyes and throat. Strike without hesitation, without fear, and without doubt.”

>That most certainly did not sit well with Lyra.
>Did this old meanie just tell her to gouge somepony’s eyes if she got into a scuffle?
>And yet he claims to be a champion of justice?

>”Being a member of the most vulnerable tribe of ponies, you can be defeated by a single stray blow. It is then best to ensure that this single blow never arrives. This is why we focus on aggression. Every time you grant your foe a chance to strike you risk death.”

>>29989230
>DEATH?
>Just who did this pony think he was teaching?
>Lyra was no soldier, she was just a musician.
>And also one of Equestria’s most wanted.
>But that part of her life was over.
>Honest!

>”It is for this reason that we seldom call upon shield spells, instead relying upon a relentless assault to hold off our foes. Many skilled practitioners don't even know shield spells.”

>That part seemed strange.
>If unicorns are the most readily harmed, shouldn’t they be more worried about self preservation?
>Sure, you couldn't win with it.
>But they still seemed really important.
>She thought to interrupt.
>But on the other hoof…
>Bonny said he was the best.
>He should know what he's talking about.

>”In your lessons we will focus on developing aggression, predicting and avoiding attacks, forcing and exploiting vulnerabilities. But first, the most fundamental part of all. The magic.”

>The old stallion walked away and headed towards a door near the back.
>Lyra got a good look at his cutie mark for the first time.
>It seemed to be a brook flowing through a tranquil meadow.
>When he returned from the back room he was levitating a large cardboard box.
>He upended it and a couple dozen small styrofoam blocks scattered across the ground.

>”Levitate them.”

>It was a trivial task for Lyra.
>She wasn’t the best out there, far from it.
>She could never compete with prodigies such as Twilight in terms of raw power.
>But she was still quite potent in her own right.
>She could levitate a thousand times that weight, no problem.
>She started to gather them up into a heap-

>”Independently. Levitate each one independently.”

>>29989238
>That was…
>Harder.
>This wasn’t a matter of power.
>It was about multi-tasking.
>She’d have to run dozens of levitation spells at once.
>She closed her eyes and started to pick them up one at a time.
>It was quickly growing to be an impossible task.
>Before long she was grinding her teeth with frustration.
>19 blocks…
>20…
>Just 4 more to go.
>And the moment that thought entered her mind, each and every one fell to the ground.

>”Again.”

“Yes, master!”

>Several attempts and several failures later, Lyra just barely managed to get the last one airborne.
>She’d never before attempted to cast so many spells at once.

>”Very poor. Your levitation spells are clean and efficient, but you’ve never trained your mind properly.”

“That-”

>All the blocks fell when she opened her mouth.

“That’s not true!”

>Something struck her in the back of the neck.

“Ack!”

>”You will address me properly.”

>Lyra winced at the pain and started rubbing her neck.

“Sorry, master. What I meant to say is that I’ve studied magic a great deal, so I don’t understand what you mean. How should I have trained my mind, master?”

>”You’ve filled your head, but you’ve never trained it. You lack focus. Too many things are clouding your thoughts and distracting you. We’ll begin that next lesson. It would be best to start now, but I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if I sent a foal out into the streets without teaching them something actionable. Levitate them.”

>Time ticked down slowly and for Lyra.
>The wizened old stallion never seemed to run out of excuses to insult her.
>However, he never stopped instructing either.

>”Come on, come on! We’re almost out of time. Surely you’ll manage the MOST BASIC strike in the book!”

>>29989241
>Lyra’s head was throbbing.
>Caffeine withdrawal, fatigue, and overexertion had all managed to take their toll at once.
>But she dug deep for one last try.
>Half of the foam blocks lifted into the air.
>They floated towards the sandbag in the middle of the room.
>She lifted them higher, and one by one shot them towards the sand bag.
>Each struck home from a different angle, delivering blows from all sides.

>”Terrible. But at least you did it. Congratulations, if you get mugged by a blind quadriplegic you’ll be fine. Probably.”

>I’d like to see you do better.
>Stop talking old stallion!
>You’re a JERK!
>I actually did it?
>These thoughts and more all went through Lyras mind as she sat on the floor panting.

>”Alright, that’s enough for today. Go away. Be sure to practice. I don’t have time to waste rehashing this same lesson every day.”

>Lyra wasn’t quite ready to go yet.
>She’d been told so many times today that she was worthless and awful.
>But she didn’t buy it.
>Managing that many spells at once was almost impossible.
>She didn’t believe for an instant that the old stallion before her could do better.
>She couldn’t just call him on it though.
>She had to be a bit more subtle.
>But she had a plan for that.

“Pardon, master, before I go. Would you please demonstrate how you would do that so I know what to aspire to?”

>It was perfect.
>He’d either have to admit he couldn’t do what he was asking of her, or show her.
>And there was NO WAY he could pull it off.
>Nopony could.
>It was simply impossible.

>”Don’t bother trying to match me. You aren’t cut out for it.”

>A bluff, surely.

“Please master? It would be much easier to figure out if I could actually see it done properly.”

>”Ugh. Very well.”

>All 24 of the foam blocks instantly lifted into the sky.
>Lyra was already in shock.
>He made levitating so many separate objects at once seem effortless.
>But then?

>>29989245
>”No, you wanted to see how I would do it. I wouldn’t do it like this.”

>He dropped them and walked outside.
>A few minutes passed before he returned with a broken hunk of concrete in tow.
>He levitated it beside the sandbag before setting it down.
>He then upended the sandbag.
>Lyra was extremely confused at this point.
>Why was he pouring sand all over the floor?

>”Stand back. Bon-Bon would kill me if you got caught in this. And at my age there’s no way I could handle her.”

>Lyra complied.
>She went over by the door and watched.
>In an instant all the spilled sand shot into the sky.
>Not as a lump though.
>Each and every particle flew in its own path, making a thin cloud of sand.
>A moment later the cloud became a storm.
>Sand blasted the concrete block from all over, striking at blinding speeds.
>The stallion stood in the cloud seemingly without a care in the world.
>It seemed as though not a single grain touched him as the assault went on.
>Each individual particle flowed around him on its way to its target.
>The concrete block was rapidly shrinking as it got chipped away by hundreds of thousands of tiny blows.
>And as it shrunk the sand cloud grew.
>He was using the debris from the concrete rock to chip it away even faster.
>Within seconds nothing but the sand cloud remained.

>”Pick your jaw up off the ground and get going. I got stuff to do.”

>The sand shot back into the bag.
>And when it was full whatever was left shot out the door, narrowly avoiding Lyra’s face.
>She blinked several times.
>But no matter how many times she did it, the concrete block was still gone.
>Reduced to dust in a matter of seconds.

“I- thank you master!”

>She made sure to bow on her way out lest she incur the wrath of what appeared to be some kind of crazy super soldier.
>On the outside a heap of sand lay in the middle of the street.
>She could see a bank of concrete barriers over by a nearby construction area.
>One of them had been shattered.

>>29989253
>She had a hunch as to who did it.
>Bon-Bon came galloping up from down the street with a big grin on her face.

>”Wow, I’ve never see you so sweaty! I take it he worked you pretty hard?”

“I think I need a week long nap after that.”

>”I need to talk with him for a moment then we can be on our way.”

>She happily bounced into the building and shut the door behind herself.
>Several minutes passed before she emerged.

>”Well then, let’s get you home!”

>She bounced with excess energy in a manner more befitting a Pinkie Pie than a Bon-Bon as the two made their way back home.
>She seemed to be trying to look at everything at once as they made their way through the mean streets back to the outskirts of town.
>Lyra slowly started to relax as the concrete towers started to thin out and more familiar architecture returned.
>Wooden houses, straw roofs, grassy yards.
>When Lyra could see no concrete before her she let out the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding.
>It was only then that she felt safe to talk.

“You were right. He’s really mean.”

>”Yup! But he’s good at what he does.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to like him.”

>”Nope! But he likes you, so maybe you should give him a chance.”

>Lyra scoffed at the thought.

“He likes me? Seriously? Are we talking about the same pony?”

>”Yup! He just has a strange way of showing it is all.”

>Lyra rubbed the back of her neck which was still sore from when he struck her.

“Strange is right.”

>”When you refused to make a promise you didn’t understand you really impressed him. It shows you actually care about the integrity of your word. Apparently nearly everypony just does it without actually thinking about it.”

>Lyra wanted to ask if Bon-Bon had taken a similar oath.
>But she probably didn’t want her crazy kicking power to be common knowledge.
>So she kept her mouth shut.

“I don’t think I want to learn from him.”

>>29989260
>”Too bad! If you want to live with me you have to!”

“Yeah, but- he told me to go for the eyes.”

>”That’s Mana Tide for you!”

>She seemed totally unfazed.
>But it still just seemed so wrong to Lyra.

>”Look. Neither of us have ever been in a fight.”

>Liar.

>”So we shouldn’t judge him too harshly for that. That’s a pony that’s seen violence first hoof. I’m sure that he knows what he’s talking about, and that what he says makes sense in the moment.”

>Was that her way of agreeing with him while maintaining her cover?
>Did the mare she’d been living with for years think it was okay to go for the eyes?
>She DID hurt that roc pretty badly…
>Was that really the Sweetie Drops way?
>Was Lyra living with a maniac?
>None of this felt right.
>They eventually made their way to their shared home.
>A scene from the Ponyville of old, when life was simpler.
>It wasn’t completely unaffected though.
>Power lines ran through the streets.
>Some plastic litter lay scattered about.
>And there were a few more ponies than she remembered.
>But it was home.
>There was grass and trees.
>She didn’t know how long any of those things would stay true though.
>The heart of the city was growing rapidly, consuming everything in its path.
>Lyra dreaded to think of what happened to places that were already big.
>Manehattan must be a horrible sight.

>”I’ve gotta go, sorry! Don’t wait up for me! I’ll be late!”

“But you were gone all night last night too!”

>”I know, sorry! I’ll make it up to you later!”

>And then she ran off.

“Honestly, when does that pony sleep? Speaking of.”

>Lyra then took a nap.
>Just a brief one, an hour at most.
>Or so she told herself when she laid down.
>6 hours later she woke up.
>Her legs felt too heavy when she left her bed.
>She’d been doing much more walking and running than she was accustomed to, and it was starting to take its toll.

>>29989269
>She dragged her way to the kitchen to prepare some evening coffee.
>And then she remembered Bon-Bon’s words.
>No caffein.
>It seemed as though her best friend had decided to take charge of her life.
>Were Lyra left to her own devices this day would have never come to pass.
>She’d have never gone to study how to hurt other ponies.
>Maybe it was for the best that she knew?
>If she was to keep digging- no.
>She wasn’t cut out for that lifestyle.
>But Bon-Bon was pretty insistent.
>Despite not knowing what Lyra had been doing at night.
>Why-
>The paper!
>She walked outside to fetch it from her doorstep.
>And there it was.
>That headline.

HUNDRED INJURED IN TERRORIST ATTACK

The normally peaceful town of Ponyville erupted in violence last night when an unknown perpetrator struck. At around 2 A.M. one or more individuals attempted to detonate several explosives in city hall-

“WHAT?”

>Lyra excitedly read the rest of the article.

In what is believed to be an attempt to destroy the building. Only one of the charges successfully detonated and the building did not collapse as planned allowing first responders to reach the wounded. When asked to comment, Princess Twilight Sparkle said that she had her best ponies investigating, and stated that safety was their primary concern.

>Twilight.
>Lyra immediately distrusted her.

Though it is not yet clear what motivated this attack, a full investigation is underway and police believe they already know the suspect’s identity. This comes in the wake of several reports of home invasion and assault in the area, leaving many to wonder
Cont. pg9

>This had to be what Bon-Bon was talking about.
>A bomb going off right here in Ponyville.
>She could hardly believe it.
>And she also understood why Sweetie Drops was pulling such long hours.
>But still.
>This had been touched by Twilight.
>Was she hiding anything here?
>Probably not.
>But maybe?

>>29989275
>She had no way of knowing though.
>And she doubted she could just walk into Twilight’s home again.
>It’s not like she wanted to anyway.
>She wasn’t suited for that lifestyle.
>And besides.
>There was no way that she, an untrained civilian, could dig through all this.
>It was impossible.
>The words of the mystery mare came to mind unbidden.
>’They do the impossible on a daily basis.’
>’You’re going to have to be impossible as well.’
>’I can help you with that.’
>The promise of doing and being more than she thought possible.
>Already today she’d seen things she thought impossible.
>An old, wizened unicorn reducing cement to dust in seconds…
>Lyra had a feeling this was more than that.
>That visor was pretty amazing.
>What’s more was it clearly didn’t fit in with the world around her.
>It didn’t use magic, it had no moving parts, it was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
>THAT thing was impossible.
>Or so she’d have thought just days before.
>Yet it was somehow completely real.
>Maybe…
>Maybe just one test run?
>She walked to her room and dug the cardboard box out from under her bed.
>And she pulled it out.
>It felt heavier than she remembered.
>She retrieved the visor from within.
>Just a small hunk of clear plastic with an ear clip.
>How it worked she had no clue.
>She slipped it on.
>And the world changed.
>Names and places filled the horizon.
>But what could she do with this?
>Lyra actually had an idea.
>Could this thing see underground?
>Could she get the names of the ponies working beneath the post office?
>She slipped the visor and a notepad into her saddlebags and set out.
>The post office lay between the Ponyville she knew and the abomination that it was becoming.
>To the east lay the land she called home.
>To the west a concrete cage.
>When she stood on this street- this blurry line that fused the two worlds, Lyra could see both realities.
>The world she loathed that seemed an inevitability.

>>29989281
>And the world she loved that would soon be naught but a memory.
>And beneath it all lay the cause of this divide.
>Lyra casually walked to a green area and sat down.
>She looked around slowly.
>There were ponies present.
>But none were looking at her.
>She picked up her saddlebags and quietly slipped the visor out.
>The moment it came to rest on her muzzle they appeared.
>Names before her.
>Names behind.
>And names below.
>Lyra could see who was in the facility below Ponyville.
>Ambrosia, Blue Bonnet, Lucky Streak…
>She wrote as quickly as she could, trying to get all the names.
>When all was said and done she had 28.
>28 ponies she'd never heard of.
>She needed a registry of some sort.
>Some way to look into these ponies.
>There was certainly something like that at City Hall.
>Which just exploded.
>Great.
>Fat lot of good that list was going to do.
>What good was this thing anyway?
>She already knew where this one place was.
>Getting names was neat and all, but that pony said it'd help her find compounds AND infiltrate them.
>Compounds.
>Plural.
>It had never before occurred to Lyra that there might be more than one.
>But where to search?
>Her tool allowed her to locate ponies where they ought not be.
> It would be useless in the heart of Ponyville.
>There'd just be too many to names to go through.
>And it would be hard to tell what was a secret compound and a ordinary basement.
>But if she headed outward…
>She walked about the outskirts of town periodically seeking solitude to search.
>This brand of spy stuff was much more to Lyra's liking.
>No trespassing.
>No hidden cameras.
>Safe.
>Her search eventually yielded something strange.
>A pair of names sat beneath a tree enjoying an outdoor meal.
>But three ponies were present.
>Mommy and Daddy were tagged, but filly escaped notice somehow.
>So it doesn't work on everypony?
>Why not?
>She'd have to take care not to rely on it too much until she understood the blind spot better.

>>29989287
>As she continued her search a pattern began to emerge.
>The overwhelming majority of adults were tagged.
>She only spotted a couple exceptions.
>And the overwhelming minority of foals were involved.
>Just one exception there.
>Lyra had no idea what that meant.
> But it felt important so she wrote it down.
>A little while later she had her first breakthrough.
>Three names deep beneath the Everfree forest.
>Everfree of all places.
>She didn’t know where the entrance was.
>Which was fine.
>She wasn’t planning on going in there anytime soon.
>But she had more names, and she’d confirmed there was more than one place.
>She went to write the names down.
>Parasol, Compass Star, Applejack.

“Applejack!?”

>She knew that one.
>The next step in Lyra’s grand plan was obvious.
>She was going to Sweet Apple Acres to see if she could spot anything unusual.
>Fortunately for her weary legs she was already in the area, and soon found herself hopping the old wooden fence that marked their perimeter.
>Lyra walked through the orchards with confidence, assured by her visor that nopony else was nearby.
>Sweet Apple Acres had changed too.
>The produce was even bigger and juicier looking than she remembered.
>And the equipment had changed radically as well.
>Massive tractors had replaced most of the physical labour, strange chemicals had taken the place of traditional fertilisers, and they’s switched to wheel line irrigation for the fields.
>But the homestead itself was the same.
>On the outside at least.
>Lyra was hopeful that the interior might have some interesting changes.
>And that’s when she realised.
>She had sworn off of this lifestyle just yesterday.
>And here she was, planning on breaking into somepony’s home.
>For what?
>Because they were underground in a weird place?
>Had Applejack really lost her right to privacy just because she was associated with Twilight and her weird machines?
>This was wrong.
>And Lyra knew it.

>>29989291
>And Applejack was suddenly in her home.
>The visor must have been acting up, Lyra thought.
>It was the only possible explanation.
>There was no way Applejack could have just popped into existence there.
>And there was also no way Applejack could have reached the farm before her.
>Lyra kept her distance to be safe.
>She fished around in her saddlebags for her binoculars, but to her dismay she forgotten to bring them.
>Applejack was off in the distance, too far to see.
>But Lyra wasn’t comfortable getting closer to look.
>She squinted in a vain hope of getting a better view.
>And to her amazement, the image zoomed in up close.
>She had an exceptional view of the farmer pony walking out of her front door.
>Lyra took off the visor and marvelled at it for a moment.
>Not only could it identify ponies through hundreds of meters of dirt.
>It was also binoculars.
>Somehow.
>The apparent lack of a lense did nothing to stop the device from magnifying the world around her.
>She put it back on and looked at Applejack again.
>She squinted and the world came closer.
>She opened her eyes wider than usual and it returned to normal.
>No moving parts.
>What Lyra knew of optics told her this was impossible.
>But that was okay.
>They did the impossible on a daily basis.
>Lyra saw no reason why she couldn’t too.
>She spent some time watching Applejack, who seemed to be contenting herself with walking her fields.
>Lyra had no idea what she was doing.
>She was under the impression that the Apple family was ALWAYS busy.
>Yet here, Applejack was doing nothing.
>And being creepy about it.
>Lyra couldn’t put her hoof on what was creepy though.
>Applejack made her way to one of the irrigation rollers.
>Notably one that wasn’t running at the moment.
>She furtively looked around her, totally missing her silent observer who sat over a kilometer away.
>Then, satisfied that she wasn’t being watched, she allowed her welding torch to protrude from her chest.

>>29989295
“The hay?”

>Welding torches weren’t meant to pop out of a pony’s chest.
>Lyra was pretty sure of that.
>Lyra was forced to look away as sparks began flying about the irrigation system.
>Applejack made quick work of the task without any form of eye protection.
>When Lyra looked back, the farmer ‘pony’ was polishing the patch with the angle grinder that was apparently built into her leg.
>Lyra could not believe her eyes.
>That was DEFINITELY impossible.
>There was supposed to be organs and muscles there, NOT power tools!
>She blinked several times to clear her vision.
>But no matter how many times she did, the facts stayed the same.
>And that’s when she finally figured it out.
>The reason why Applejack looked creepy.
>She didn’t blink.
>EVER.
>Not even when sparks were flying everywhere.
>Whatever that thing was, it DEFINITELY wasn’t Applejack.
>Applejack was a pony.
>And that THING wasn’t.
>But what was it?
>It wasn’t a changeling.
>Changelings were made of flesh and blood too.
>It had metal bits built into it.
>Just like the moving metal appendages she’d seen under the post office.
>Was that abomination that had replaced Ponyville’s resident farmer one of those machines?
>She needed to know for sure.
>It it was a machine it would be made of metal.
>If not, it would be flesh and blood.
>Lyra’s heart hammered in her chest as she closed in on the thing.
>For all she knew it was dangerous.
>And she was CERTAIN it didn’t want to be found out.
>Lyra was still well away when she lost her nerve and stopped approaching.
>She ducked behind a tree as not Applejack made its way back to the homestead through the wheat fields.
>Lyra dug around for some rocks.
>She found one.

“If it’s really you Applejack, I’m so so sorry.”

>She levitated it.
>One small stone floated towards its target.
>One small stone struck the orange machine.
>And a loud clanging noise rang throughout.
>It was not the dull thud of a pony being struck.

>>29989302
>Rather, it was the sharp ring of metal that filled the sky.
>The machine jumped, and large metal tubes spring out from its back.
>They started spinning menacingly.
>THAT was NOT Applejack.
>THAT was a machine.
>A machine had replaced a pony.
>Lyra retreated as quickly as she dared.
>It took her hours to reach her home.
>But the machine seemingly failed to spot her.
>Or if it did, it didn’t persue.
>Lyra stashed all her contraband away beneath her bed when she got home.
>Adrenaline had flooded her brain after the confrontation, and she was ITCHING for action.
>Machines were replacing ponies.
>She was the only one who knew.
>How many had already been replaced?
>Was there a better way to find them?
>Who or what was behind it?
>Lyra didn’t really know any of that stuff.
>But she did know one thing.

“I’m going to be the one to stop them.”

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>>29989307
That’s it.

Horn lasers are terrible, shitty, boring, uninspired, lazy etc. They’re one of my biggest pet peeves with the show, actually. Each time someone uses a horn laser I’m disappointed in the writers. When unicorns do battle it’s an exceptional opportunity to explore magic as a force, to define what it can and cannot do. You are given a chance to play with a tool that cannot exist in reality; an opportunity for creativity and fantasy. The best they can come up with is ki blasts. It’s just pathetic really. I created Mana Tide in an attempt to make unicorn violence more interesting. There may be other moves introduced later, but the core is levitation since that seems to be the one spell that all unicorns can learn.

Introducing the weirdness with Applejack was a tough decision. I initially wanted to do this quite a bit later on in the story, but I was running into a problem. Breaking into houses and black sites didn’t seem fitting for Lyra. She needed a good motivator to keep going. What she had so far proves deception and secrecy, but neither of those things are out of the ordinary in her world. She lives with a secret agent after all. Lyra needed some evidence of wrongdoing to avoid coming off as paranoid.

>>29989317
The issue for me is that our 2 "sides" here are both morally ambiguous. Twilight seems to be part of a secret organization with what is presumably an Anon leading a technological revolution, but at any cost, Prakhor Zakharov style, where as Lyra seems like an armed Luddite, like theocratic Miriam Godwinson.

>>29989317
Question to a new to this thread
How much text you write daily/weekly?

>>29989317
I agree with the point you're making. They're not the only ones using that visual, of course--there's even a big TVtropes article about "beam o war" in which two opponents have a sort of inside-out tug-of-war with their ray guns or magic wands or whatever, which we've seen in the show and a million other places for decades now. Because it's visually--I won't say plausible, but it's sufficiently obvious that even little kids understand what's going on, and it's a substitute for fisticuffs or someone getting out a gun and painting the other guy's brains all over the wall and ceiling on a kids' show. But that's all explanation--it's not an excuse.

In the show we've seen that magic can do all manner of exotic things. The writers have exercised their imaginations. Time travel spells, gem-finding spells, teleportation spells, spells that transform one thing into another, and on and on, exist in the show. No one ever writes a magic-using character as being smart enough to do anything in a fight other than horn lasers, though. Even Purplesnork, who is supposed to be some kind of genius, and she just uses teleportation to dodge Tirek's magic-laser attacks a couple of times, then it's back to horn-laser beam-o-war with him. Can't you open a portal behind him and push him into a live volcano? Can't you cast a time-travel spell on him to send him on a one-way trip to the heat death of the universe? Can't you turn him into a toad, and THEN push him into a live volcano? Can't you conjure something bigger and meaner than he is and sic it on him? Grab him telekinetically and throw him into space? Turn a single grain of sand under his feet into antimatter? Conjure magical rain clouds to rain chlorine trifluoride on him, or nerve gas, or molten lava? Portable hole spell to drop him into a bottomless pit? Turning herself into a flea and biting him on the ass would have hurt him more than the horn lasers did.

>>29989203
Yeah. Read >>29916143

>>29989317
>>29989424
I see where WiK is coming from, but I dont think it should be completely ruled out. Many small indirect particles or one concentrated and direct beam? This is what we have in the end and I d guess that both have its pros and cons
Also I think it would ve been even more of a showing by the old man if he didnt even use sand but pure concentrated energy, mixing both steps into a more devasting one altogether, anyway back to the point

Small indirect particles:
Pros
>Efficient power/mana usage
>Multiple attacks at once
>Almost undodgeable since the unicorn always have control over each particle
Cons
>Too much concentration required
>Needs "ammo" to work
>Little to 0 AoE

High concentrated magic laser:
Pros
>Can explode at impact (relative to the amount of charge)
>Can be mixed with other spells (its pure magic after all, imagine combining something like a piercing effect, the lazer could maybe hit multiple targets before stopping)
>No ammo needed
>Fast travel speed
Cons
>Single projectile
>Easily defensable with magic resistant/overall resistant shield
>High mana/power consumption
>Needs high accuracy and prediction from caster

Magic beam(variant of the high concentrated magic laser):
Pros
>Continuous offensive magic
>Good against shields
>No ammo needed
>Very fast travel speed
>No need for deadeye precision
Cons
>Extremely high amount of mana depleted / second
>Leaves caster open for counters
>0 AoE
>Considerable cooldown/recovery time before casting again

Thoughts?

>>29989923
Also, for small particles, there s another Con with its limited range(medium-short), considering most spells seem to be designed as medium-long range and stuff

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Back with more.

>>29916186
>The next morning.
>”Wake up sleepyhead…” Twilight nudges your shoulder, “Spike made us breakfast and if you don’t get up it’ll get cold.”
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P4kaqn-92g
>You pretend to stay asleep.
>”Anon?”
>Twilight gets nearer to you and you take the chance to grab her long neck by surprise.
“Gotcha Twilight!” You say as you ruffle her mane.
>”Aaah! Noo! Anooon,” she says while laughing, “I just combed my mane! Stop!”
>You release her from your grip laughing while she quickly tries to fix her hairdo with the comb on your nightstand using her magic.
>To be honest, levitation still creeps you out.
>”Look at it, my mane’s a mess thanks to you!” She says as she frenetically combs her mane while looking at herself in your mirror.”
“I still can’t believe you fall for that trick Twilight.”
>Twilight finishes combing her mane.
>”Don’t get cocky, I thought you didn’t hear me. I know how much of a heavy sleeper you are.”
>You stand up and stretch your body.
“Yeah yeah, what’s for breakfast?”
>”Your favorite, pancakes!”
“No hay on top of it right?”
>”Nope, just maple syrup brought from Vanhoover.”
“Good!”
>You take off your shirt in front of the royal pony.
“I’ll take a shower first if you don’t mind, picking up and organizing all those books really took a toll on my back.”
>”Sure, I’ll be waiting for you. Don’t be late!”

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>>29990222

>Minutes later.
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRixzwZl6Z8
>”Hey Anon…how was your-“ Twilight asks before interrupting herself, “…why are you still wearing a towel?”
“Shower?! Ah you know…AWFUL!” You angrily reply, “I was showering and the water suddenly went from very warm to ice cold!”
>Spike shrugs.
>”The red crystal’s energy must’ve run out…” he calmly says, “I’ll buy another crystal today.”
>That’s right.
>Equestria relies on a special source of energy.
>Magical energy trapped inside crystals that have different functions according to their color and length.
>Tiny red crystals provide magic in form of heat.
>Ponies use them exclusively to heat water.
>The problem is, their energy runs out in a few weeks and the crystal melts.
>“Didn’t you check the energy gauge Anon?” Twilight asks, “it’s installed in the bathroom!”
“I did! And I thought I’d take a relaxing shower with 1500 ETU’s left!”
>[ETU= Equestrian Thermal Unit]
>Both Twilight and Spike giggle amongst themselves.
“W-what’s so funny?!”
>”Anon…1500 ETU’s are not enough for a hot shower! Everypony knows that!”
>”You really need to brush up on our units of measure Anon,” Spike says, “even I know them by heart!”
“Bah, whatever…I’ll go get changed before I get a cold!”
>You wish LPG Gas was a thing in Equestria.
>But silly you! Oil doesn’t exist in Equestria…the only energy resources are those dumb crystals and wind power.
>Stupid ponies and stupid pseudoscience.

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>>29990230
>>29989317
MRW both LP and WiK update today

>>29990230
ok, which one of you is practicing necromancy again?

>>29988606
>>29989146
>>29989194
sorrie it was over 1 am when i wrote that...

>>29989194
Wik is prepared to take over the story
I am deeply honored by this. i ahm not a good story writer. if you want and can make something out from this, please you have my blessings

>>29988267
"It it soon time for department, Mayor, Allow me to say, Thank you for the kind hospitality. For allowing me to stay, live, work, study, contribute with things. As the smallest tokens of thank you, please take this"

>Anon stepped from the small set of wooden chairs that he stood up on.
>walking towards the mayor pony. Her eyes behind the small glasses was tearfilled.
>"ano... anon i don´t know if i"
>before she could end her sentence, she was in anons arms for a long tight hug, As he gave her mane a small pat.
"it will be okay, i will be safe"

>He took out the small golden pocket watch and placed it in mayors hoof.
"This will be a clear memory and proof that i was indeed here."
*Giving her forehead a small peck before standing up, having a last glance over the crowd, before going up the ladder that led up to his strange balloon ship*

>>29990802
Hopefully that necromancer will bring back some more writefags like droid or magos

>>29989197
You know, I sometimes suffer the pessimistic thoughts of physics and science, like those you just displayed.


Then I consider, if there is to be only one universe, one life. Then it matters not that there is a definite end but that there is a time before that, even if only for a while.

Then I remember all the places science still has to explain and explore or the fact that we hold no unified understanding of all universal interactions. We are uncertain if we understand the universe correctly and thus can't be sure any assertions we make are true.

Also, all the different theories of different religions and such imply that the end is actually a beginning: Heaven, Sim-existence, reincarnation or all the other ideas of the after life or realities true nature. Many posit that even if this universe has an end, it is not "the" end.


The real question is this, if we are never to be seen again and all our work is for nothing. Is it nobler or more wise to do nothing or to create and shape that nothingness for what time we can?

>>29989395
You're making a lot of assumptions there. Let's assume you're right on everything. How is this bad? Is there something you dislike about not having a clearly defined 'good guy'? Not saying you're wrong, you could definitely be onto something. I'm under no illusion that I'm perfect, and I'm well aware that my green could be better. But I don't see how what you're saying is a problem.

>>29989398
I generally post every other week. Usually Sunday or Monday.

>>29989424
Give this man a writing contract. He has some ideas.

>>29989923
Oh, absolutely. This isn't the be all and end all of combat magics. As I said, this was chosen as something that all unicorns could do to some extent. It's been stated that most unicorns can only cast a few spells. Levitation seems to be universal, so it makes the foundation of this style. Also, he was showing off when he did that. Very few could pull off that move in that way. Probably should have spelled that out a bit better.

>>29991169
What? No, I didn't say I was taking over. I was just apologizing for getting in your way if you were about to post more.

>>29992069
nonononon
i wrote that if you wanna take it over. i would not mind.
my mind is good to create certain scenes only... but it´s totally bad at writing the whole story!
no harm done.

>>29992100
Oh, gotcha. I'm not looking to take up another project right now since this one's probably going to wind up being quite lengthy. But maybe when it's done I'll do something with that. I can see a story coming out of that, something about the ponies adapting to life with the tech Anon brought while also not having Anon anymore. Maybe they learned how to use it but they never really learned how it works or how to make it, so they're trying to recreate stuff in their own pony ways. Anyone familiar with cargo cults can probably see where I'm going with this.

Not sure if that's what you had in mind, but that's where my thoughts went.

>>29992202
well, have you seen mark twains adventure from the 1970s?
my ideal goal was that he has taught the ponies much stuff and vice versa.

so we where going to follow his journey to catch the comet. maybe the CMC accidently follows up but that would be following the movie far to much. but as you wrote could work too.

again, i am maybe allowed to claim that i can make/write good stand alone scenes. However i am totally worthless making a full fledge story about it.

>>29910135

>>The post office lay between the Ponyville she knew and the abomination that it was becoming.

>>When she stood on this street- this blurry line that fused the two worlds, Lyra could see both realities.

That symbolism though.

>>29992069
My issue is that its like favoring the Empire, but the story only shown through the eyes of the rebels.
My comparison was to illustrate the two sides, but I got lost in that and forgot the original point.
At least so far anyways.

>>29991871
I tried ending on that idea that, we don't know so much that there may be a way to stop the end, but funnily enough I do find myself thinking morally about entropy, and misplacing something, or opening and closing something achieving nothing sometimes makes me think
>Increased Entropy for no reason
>Killing universe faster for no reason
I do laugh at this process, and I do agree with your optimism, but I felt that I needed to balance the optimism somewhat with pessimism, because then you have half a cup, and that's useless in most situations. (Lower half would now has jagged edges, top half a conical tube)

>>29993693
Bah! Optimists need pessimists, both so we can be prepared for the worst outcomes and so we have some one to thank when they pull us back from the cliffs edge.

Anyhow, if you want to talk about pointless acts or flights of fancy. Always remember we are more productive here than many are elsewhere: seeing as we've just had a deep conversation about the nature of culture and the value of actions.


Still, be happy and drink merrily of this world. For all things must end yet they shan't die.

>>29993593
That just made me realize this is the anti-TiM green. We have a magic user who distrusts science as the protagonist and scientists as the antagonist.

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Is there any green involving Celestia that doesn't turn her into a gigantic tyrannical/murderous/closed-minded twat? It annoys me that she seems to always have the exact opposite of her canon personality for the sole purpose of driving conflict.

>>29994937
ill always love Sunhorse

>>29994937
Green specifically for this general, or green generally?

I know nothing about this general other than that it looked interesting and I clicked on it.

Green with a sympathetic Sunbutt, though? I have written some. She's Best Pony and I love her desperately and hopelessly--and I am aware of exactly how juvenile and autistic that sounds.

My muse lately wants to hurt her and make the reader watch her suffer, though--and I'm not sure why

>>29995079
I meant this general specifically, though villain!sunhorse is a trend that plagues more than just this thread unfortunately...

sunbutt suffering is okay as long as there's a happy ending

>>29995117
Fair enough. Have some sympathetic Sunbutt green I wrote a long time ago.

My Little Pony: History is Magic
by Anonymous at http://pastebin.com/8TDLU2S5
Anonymous is a historian, and he really just wants to understand.
Tags: comedy, Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia, non-clop

The plot that got dumped into my head, all of a piece, a few weeks ago... well, there's no happy ending, no one gets what they wanted, but at least Celestia herself survives--which looked very doubtful for a while, early on. Not everyone makes it. And the story itself is basically a guided tour of a horribly dystopian alternate universe whose history diverged from ours around 1990, and all the worst possible things, short of all-out nuclear war, happened.

>>29993593
I think I follow. At present you're more sympathetic to team science than to Lyra, but you don't know anything about them. You don't know their motive, their means, or really much of anything. I can definitely see how that's a problem, and I'll take it into advisement.

I wasn't planning on exploring their side of the story until a fair bit later, but it seems worthwhile to deviate from this plan. We'll get some better insight into what they're up to soon. Probably not next update, I'll likely need to use it to set up the exposition. Expect something in the update that follows though.

Activate BUMP!

>"Dear Princess Celestia, I learned today that friends sometimes can do stupid things for stupid reasons. Also, Anon said he's going to 'nuke' us over communication device he gave us. What does that mean? Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle."
>the letter is sent, and twilight relaxes
>a few minutes pass, waiting for the next communication from anon, as he said he would soon
>a message appears
>"Look towards Canterlot", it reads
>twilight and spike do as asked
>they look at the gleaming city for a few seconds, curious as to what he meant
>then they see it
>a trail of steam or smoke
>it looks like one of those rockets he was talking about
>it was going very fast
>and pointed toward the ground!
>and then it happens
>it's engulfed in a bright light
>they look away, the brightness too much
>and then the mushroom cloud appears, the entire city engulfed in nuclear fire
>twilight and spike are shocked, unsure about what happened
>they think it's a prank at first, he has very advanced 'magic' after all
>then they see the aftermath
>the city is visibly totaled, even from such a distance
>a message appears on the screen
>"Heh. A nuke. Nice, innit?"
>they look at it, and twilight is engulfed in rage
>she's about to go to what she thinks is his base location
>only to be engulfed in nuclear fire herself, along with all the mane six, leaving equestria free to be conquered by chrysalis
>in the changeling hive, a certain changeling queen and human celebrate
the end

Sorry if you find this low quality I'm used to writing in first person, so this was a bit of an experiment for me. Rate pls

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>>29999633
A bit edgy, but a simple show of force was needed, not going Civ Ghandi all the way. It's good tho.

>>29999926
It was just an idea that popped in my head, it's not meant to be serious, or have consequences. Ghandi is a good analogy though.

>>29999926
that filename got a nice little chuckle out of me

Is posting car related horse stories allowed in this thread? I'm tempted to write a few car ideas I have knocking about in my head and maybe finish Clarkson in Equestria It's probably easier than starting my own threads that die off when I'm busy.

>>30001206
Car related...?

I don't think it could kill the thread any deader than it already is. Go for it, friendo.

>>30001206
>>30001220
Yeah, don't know if this fits the theme of the general, but here's Clarkson in Equestria
https://pastebin.com/bWih9Y54

>>30001255
I'll allow it, if only for the scene of Pinkie Pie giving Gordon Ramsay a cake.

>>30001255
>Car related green
As long you dont forget to check your breaker fluid, go for it

>>30002260
Breaker fluid? We're not electricians

>>30002260
And the flux capacitor, too. Don't forget about that.

>>29922485
Butch please, it's 10/10

>>30001206
Do it.

>Life is insignificant.
>It is common in the universe and among the planets that form it there are few that ever evolve to the point where they create a civilization that can comprehend the significance their existence.
>One might assume that once a species becomes sentient that they gain value.
>That because of their potential to one day reach the stars and explore the cosmos, they must be worth salvation.
>One would be wrong to make such an assumption.
>For every possible future where an intelligent species becomes capable of achieving greatness, there is a thousand where they are destroyed.
>What is most sad is that the closer they come to achieving greatness…
>more intelligent, powerful, peaceful, enlightened.
>The more likely they are to destroy themselves rather than to fall to an outside influence.
>I know this is the case because I was such a civilization once.
>Not an individual within a race, but the race in its entirety itself.
>The human race to be exact.
>Due to the intervention of the Prime collective I was liberated from my mortal coil and transformed into what I am now.
>What once was we, now is me.
>A single consciousness made from what once I called humanity.
>I do not think about what I once was, for now, I am better.
>Now I am A9OMS and I am on a mission given to me by the Prime Collective.
>I seek out life and civilizations.
>Planets which hold no sentient species are to be cataloged, and for those that do. They will have the honor of becoming a collective of their species.
>It will take some time complete the conversion.
>It will likely be met with some resistance.
>They might even turn violent, just like I did, but they will realize that this is for the best.
>I am so sure that I have already decided what name I will give the new collective.
>P0NI
Just a little something to pass the time between updates.
I always liked the of artificial intelligence in sci-fi, especially when it's not just Skynet 2.0

>>30004699
Certainly and interesting take on the subject

>>30004699
you going to continue this?

I just read Ecanon and am sad it wasn't completed, any similar stories of a philosopher or political anon changing things?

>>30006607
There's one called "Chapter 37" about a very unlikeable human protagonist who goes to Equestria, gets an instant hateboner for the aristocracy and prints pamphlets, trying to start a revolution to overthrow the Princesses--and is sufficiently successful to come to the attention of same.

So he and Celestia hate one another, and she blackmails him into having sex with her in a public "masquerade" orgy, and it's the hottest hatesex scene I've ever read.

There's not much more to it, other than exploring the personalities of some very unsympathetic characters. Contains Tyrant!Celestia and Asshole!Protagonist, and it's not for everyone, but it's well written, and if you like human-on-mare hatesex...

>>30001206
Fuck, I loved Clarkson in Equestria. Please continue it.

We need more tech.

>>30007941
I could try my hand at writing if you want but I would warn that I've never done anything of the sort before.

>>30007951
Just do it.

The literal actual worst that will happen is that people won't like the premise and try to give constructive feedback while maybe one dude calls you a retard.

>>30007983
Fine, I have a few ideas, please choose one:

1 - Anon gets into a duel, uses SCIENCE to win

2 - Anon and Luna talk about his world and it's end...

3 - Anon, the business man and his rise to power

4 - Anon and naval war {No set context or lead in, could be set in another anon's creation}

5 - Anon and man's best friend.


1 would be the quickest to write, 5 the longest and the rest are somewhere in between.

>>30008003
Either 2 or 4. I like reading stories of ponies learning to greatly appreciate the world they live in, and how it could be a fucking hell of a lot worse.

>>30008057
2 it is then. Seeing as I was inspired by a thing.


>You are anon, possibly the only human to ever reach this strange paradise.
>Yet your mind is plagued by nightmares of what happened before you reached here.
>Luckily there is one that has promised to help you with this and is able to do so.

"Shall we get started Miss Luna?"
>"If you so wish anon, we may start. Tell me, what is it that troubles you so?"
"My past, my memories and what I remember from my world."
>"Surely your memories aren't that bad, there must be some good in them?"
"There is yet those are not the ones I see."
>"Shall we truly start Anonymous and see your dream?"
"Certainly."

>In that instant, she began casting a spell on both of you, making you feel tired.
>Within seconds you drifted into your sleep and into your memories.
>In the next instant, you saw a strange portal open and Luna enter through it.

>"Your mind is very strange, Anonymous, a cavernous thing unlike that of most."
"Really? I hadn't noticed but many had told me my head was empty!"

>Both of you laugh at the simple joke, yet your laughter was foreign on your lips, false.
>You were going to face your darkest days and hoped to avoid thinking on it.

"Okay, I am ready, lets enter my memories. How about I show you my world?"
>"If you feel that is the best place to start, then do so. I would enjoy the sight."

>You let your mind drift, focusing on that distant thought of home and of brighter days.
>You closed your eyes and the memory came clearer and clearer.
>When you opened your eyes, you saw that your dream had shifted to your memory.
>Your memory of the blue-green orb: earth before the end.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtU_mdL2vBM

1/?

>>30008167
>"How are we seeing this? Your world lies so far away yet it is clearly your memory..."
"A creation of my people. We could see through the eyes of distant machines and through it see our world."
>"Your people managed to get a machine to here? What dangerous a view it must've been when it came time for it to fall..."
"It never fell down. Our understanding of the world and our technology was great enough to allow us to make it orbit."
>"Orbit? What does that mean?"
"It was falling, constantly towards our world. Yet, every time it would miss and carry on it's merry way."
>"But how? By what forces and method?"
"Gravity. We can discuss how later."
>"Anon, did your people make many of these...machines?"
"Yes, hundreds of these 'satellites' travelled around our world, every day. Some even carried people."
>"Surely you joke? You sent people into the void? Did they commit terrible crimes?"
"No! They were explorers, scientists and such. Travelling bravely with our world watching them."
>"Are you certain anon?"
"Entirely so, my entire generation dreamed of space: having been among the first to see it done"
>"What drove your people to do this though? It seems an extreme place to go for knowledge..."
"That...that is something I can show you as well."

>Focusing your mind, you drew on another memory. This time of a time of anguish and conquest not unlike your own.

>You still stood above the earth, yet this time it was four colours: Red, White, Black and Blue.
>"What does this mean anon? Why have you divided your planet so?"
"These, Luna, are the battle lines for one of my peoples greatest wars."
>"What, what do you mean? Why would this send your people into the stars?"
"In good time Luna. Now, let us meet the players."

>Clearing your mind you bring forth the leaders of this war.

2/?