My Little Progress : Technology Isn't Magic - Thread 45

Let's start things off with some new greentext
--------------------------------
>Before you came to Equestria you were staying at grandparent's place out in the country
>They passed away a few years ago and left the house to your dad.
>He planned on retiring there when he was done working.
>But for now, it was like a vacation home for the whole family

>Your stay was only supposed to be a few days.
>Just a quick break from the city life to recharge your mental batteries.
>In the middle of the night, while you slept you, the house, and the surrounding area were transported to another world.

>You remember waking up that morning and just knowing something was off.
>From inside everything appeared normal.
>However, when you looked out the window you immediately noticed something wrong.
>What was once a flat field of just grass the night before was now rolling hills and littered with trees.
>But even stranger were the giant mountains that dominated the horizon
>Going outside would reveal more strange sights

>The driveway that once connected to the main road into town now just ended almost 20 yards away from the house
>The old fence was cut off at the same distance.
>In fact, everything from before just cut off after a certain point.
>Luckily the generator and fuel tank were fine and still working

>After checking out the surrounding nearby area you noticed off in the distance what to appear to be a small village.
>You were going to have to some off-roading for a bit before you could drive on what looked like a dirt path leading into the village.
>It's a good thing you had a truck.
>The place was called Ponyville.
>Home to many you would now call friends.

>They were a kind and helpful bunch
>They did everything they could to help you adjust
>One of their princesses was especially interested in learning all about you and your house.
>Her name was Twilight Sparkle
>For everything you showed her, she seemed to have a million questions.
>In exchange, she showed my the wonders of magic.

>Magic was fascinating to learn about and see performed.
>It seemed like it could do almost anything.
>Twilight was even able to recreate the fuel your generator and truck used.
>And for a fairly cheap price too.

>It was summer when you first came to Equestria.
>Now it was the middle of fall.
>Barring the occasional crisis, life in Ponyville was peaceful.
>Now they were preparing for some Halloween-like holiday called "Nightmare Night".
>You had asked Twilight about it.
>It surprised you to learn about what had happened with Luna.
>To hear about her feeling like her beautiful night sky was unappreciated.
>You wanted to do something for her to show how much you appreciated her work.

>There were two things that Twilight told you about that got you thinking.
>The first was that it is tradition to give up some sweets as an offering to Luna.
>Secondly, Luna intends to once again visit Ponyville again in person this year.
>You figured during the offering you could give her gift of some kind.
>You wondered what you could give her.
>That's when you remembered something.
>Whenever you visited your grandparents your dad would take you to his old room.
>There was a poster in there that always caught your eye when you entered.
>Even after all these years, that poster was still there.
>It was something that you were sure would make her happy.

File: tenor.gif (380KB, 250x174px) Image search: [Google]

380KB, 250x174px

>>30436923
>No stories about Anon liquefy or crystalising magic at high purity got various uses

>When Nightmare Night arrived you were ready.
>You had gotten dressed in your mad scientist costume
>As you were heading out you grabbed the gift.

>By the time you rolled into Ponyville the festival was in full swing.
>Stalls were up and running for a wide variety of games to play.
>Decorations were littered across the streets.
>And Luna seemed to be having the time of her life.
>You decided to mill about the stalls and hang out with some friends until it was time.

>An hour later the offerings began.
>It started when Luna stood on stage and loudly declared, "Attention All! Your princess grows hungry!".
>The fillies and colt trembled before her.
>A small smile graced Luna's previously faux-stern face.
>She certainly seemed to embrace her role on this night.
>"Perhaps we should feast on one of the many fillies or colts before us?"
>The children screamed in fright but did not flee.
>"Mayhaps an alternative can be arranged?"
>The screaming quieted down so they may better hear Luna.
>"We shall allow those who do not wish to be eaten to make for us an offering of sweets"
>She pointed at a spot in front of the stage.
>"The line shall start here for those who wish to make an offering"
>The herd of children gathered at the spot and formed a line.

File: 629797__safe_artist-colon-silfoe_princess+luna_blushing_cute_lunabetes_lunadoodle_solo.jpg (283KB, 1280x1134px) Image search: [Google]

283KB, 1280x1134px

>You waited until the last child left when you approached Luna.
>"Ah, Anonymous hast thou come to us to make an offering too?"
"In a manner of speaking yes, I do"
>You say before handing over the rolled up poster
>"Anonymous we are unsure of how things are like back where you came from, but here we generally do not eat scrolls."
>She teases before unraveling the paper to reveal a picture.
>You can tell from her confusion she is unsure of what to make of it.
>"Pray tell Anon what is this?"
"It's a photo of a historic event from back home. It's a photo from the first time humans walked on our moon".
>That sentence seemed to visibly shake her.
>"Why would your kind send people to the moon?"
>She looks at you with genuine curiosity in her eyes.
"We looked out to the stars, and the moon: and we wanted to learn all that we could about them "
>Her face lit up with a gentle smile and faint blush marks.
>"I must thank thee, Anon. It pleases me to hear what your kind would do such a thing. I only wish that I could have witnessed it with my own eyes "
"If you want we could go back to my place. I have a couple of documentaries about it with footage from the missions."
>"That sounds lovely, but perhaps another time. We still have duties to perform this night"
"I understand, and if that is all I shall see you some other time. Good Night Luna."
>"Good Night Anonymous."

File: 1433996__safe_artist-colon-elzafox_princess+luna_cliff_glowing+eyes_glowing+horn_moon_night_solo_spread+wings_stars_wings.png (4MB, 2640x1730px) Image search: [Google]

4MB, 2640x1730px

>With that done you turn around and head back home.
>Unaware the full consequences of that conversation.
>That chat would be the spark that would drive Luna in the years to come.
>Drive her to answer a burning question inside her.
>What is out there?

>>30436979
It's not much but I felt like this thread could use some greentext to start it off. I was inspired to write this after watching "For All Mankind" and I would recommend watching it. You can find it here on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJiHAoAru54.

Also here's a pastebin copy in case anybody wants it: https://pastebin.com/LJznF4Z3

File: Nixon_hates_you.jpg (96KB, 400x400px) Image search: [Google]

96KB, 400x400px

>>30436973
>"Why would your kind send people to the moon?"
"They were called 'hippies' and they displeased President Nixon."
>"Well, that's reasonable."

>>30437976
You'd think sending hippies into space would just be giving them what they want?

>>30438891
Not being on earth cuts off their drugs

>>30439150
I was making a joke about drugs and going to "space" I don't think I nailed the landing

>>30439694
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeKMS62GrTI

>>30439725
I feel that orb got way too overused

>>30440417
That's why it had to go to space.

Permanently.

>>30440486
It's like Valve knew they had another cake situation

>>30436979
This is a good start to something interesting, please keep going.

>>30442249
Thanks for the compliment, although I don't know If I have it in me to do an actual full story. I might, however use it as a basis for one shots

So does anybody have any ideas for stories that they want to share?

>>30444082
>Twilight sends Anon away
>Anon sends back a example of a tech item he built(light bulb)
>Twilight documents the item and how it functions
>Then she gets the idea to reverse-engineer it to create something similar but as a spell
>Magical lightbulb created
>Sends one to Anon to prove magic its still better than his imaginary inventions
>Anon sends something new
>Rinse and repeat
Totally not something i was planed for my green before i dropped it, nope

>>30444142
>Twilight can't figure out the lightbulb
>thinks and thinks about it
>until the lightbulb comes on above her head
>then she's able to take THAT lightbulb and see how it works

I regret nothing.

>>30444185
Thats more of a Pinkie thing, but goddamn if it doesnt fit it Pinkie was helping Twily for some reason

File: 1f3.jpg (74KB, 1199x463px) Image search: [Google]

74KB, 1199x463px

>>30444142

>>30444142
>Sends one to Anon to prove magic it's still better than his imaginary inventions
If he's actual inventing them don't they cease being imaginary?

Anyway I think this idea has some potential. Maybe you can add something to it so that Anon's inventions are more easily mass producible because they can be made by anybody. While Twilight's might be of higher quality, but they require magic specialists to make so there's less of them

File: sensible-chuckle.gif (3MB, 500x500px) Image search: [Google]

3MB, 500x500px

>>30444185

File: Life in a nutshell.jpg (2MB, 2000x2000px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 2000x2000px

>Wake up expecting some dank WiK green
>He s kill
>Again

>>30444972
Those imaginary inventions were meant to imply the big things he said before, like airplanes and the 'impossible' stuff

>>30446623
It's only like halfway thtough WiK's update cyclce relax

b

>>30447212
Everyday away from his green is suffering, without him, Iceman or LP I just dont know what to do.

The new greens just dont have that same feeling from the prompt you know...
Sure this new one from WiK doesnt either, but it got me captivated for more anyway

File: 3.jpg (30KB, 320x256px) Image search: [Google]

30KB, 320x256px

>>30447967
Lp will suely return

>>30447967
I miss my idea of a good time :-(

File: sad_lyra.png (145KB, 900x805px) Image search: [Google]

145KB, 900x805px

>>30449559
Me too Anon, me too

>>30447212
Oddly enough, I'm early this time. Funny how that happens.

>>30447967
Yeah. I went pretty far from the prompt with this one. Probably should have made it for Fimfiction rather than this thread. But I'd rather be here than there.

>”Grip! Pull! Drag!”

>Lyra grappled the dummy at Tranquil Stream’s command.
>She’d done her homework on this one, and it seemed as though the crotchety old stallion was pleased.
>Not satisfied, PLEASED.

>”They’re gliding. Stop them.”

>Lyra gripped the wingtip by the digit and pulled it downward.
>Were they a real pegasus trying to fly, they would have plummeted.

>”They’re flying. Break!”

>She gripped the metacarpus and alula and forced them in opposite direction.
>The plastic dowling that held the dummy’s structure together shattered.

>”Alright, Lyra. It’s time to come clean. What happened?”

>Lyra wasn’t entirely sure what he meant.
>She gave him a confused look.

>”That was vicious. When you first came here you didn’t want to learn from me, and you were repulsed by my teachings. Today you showed up early, wide awake, and ready to learn. You’ve clearly studied in your own time, and you’re not hesitating to attack. Now, why are you so eager?”

>Lyra honestly hadn’t noticed.
>But he was right.
>When he first told her to attack weak points- to go for the eyes even, she was horrified.
>But she had no problem with breaking wings now.
>Even though that wasn’t a real pony, it should have felt wrong.
>She was a pony; she was supposed to be a peaceful and virtuous being!
>Violence was supposed to be disgusting.
>And yet she’d hurt Twilight with barely a thought.
>Her master was growing irritated with her lack of answer.
>She had to say something.
>And she doubted a lie would suffice.

”A friend was in danger.”

>He raised a single brow, but said nothing.

“She’s okay now. I worry about the pony I hurt sometimes, but in the moment…”

>>30450535
>”They weren’t important. What mattered was that you protected your friend, and you wouldn’t be able to forgive yourself if you failed.”

>Lyra really didn’t like thinking about it.
>The whole situation was terrible.

>”Remember that feeling. Hold onto it.”

>He walked into the back room and produced the foam blocks she’d been given on day one.
>He dropped them in front of her.

>”Attack.”

>Lyra took a deep breath.
>She started lying to herself.
>This wasn’t practice.
>This was real.
>That dummy was Twilight.
>The pony who was locking fillies and colts up in a grey box.
>The pony who was intent on spying on each and every thing that everypony did.
>The pony who was trying to lie, cheat, and steal to get her way.
>And if Lyra didn’t do anything, Derpy would wind up in a secret dungeon.
>Lyra wasn’t angry.
>She was furious.
>Twilight’s health didn’t matter.
>She didn’t need to worry about failure.
>Not because failing had no consequences.
>Rather it was because failing simply wasn’t an option.
>Lyra wasn’t thinking about morality or consequences or risk.
>She only had one thought in her head.

>”ATTACK!”

>She did.
>Foam blocks slammed into the dummy’s head.
>Wave after wave of blows crashes over the dummy.
>Vicious attacks rained down upon it in a steady torrent
>Each drop of her wrath flowed into each other to form a destructive steam.

>”Good.”

>She stopped.

“Good?”

>”Good. Not great, but good.”

>Lyra stared at the old stallion mouth agape.
>He wasn’t even being mean!

>”What, am I not allowed to give credit where it’s due? That was a vast improvement. Count them.”

>Lyre started counting the foam blocks.
>23, 24, 25, 26…
>They just kept going.

>”On day one you struggled to wield 12.”

>48, 49, 50.
>50 projectiles.

>>30450551
>”Every stray thought sends ripples through your mind. You’ve found a way to push most of the noise out, and now you have much more space to work with. Remember that feeling.”

>Y-yes, master!”

>”It’s far from perfect. Whether you realise it or not there is still something distracting you. You’ll never best a manticore like that, but a couple timberwolves should be no problem.”

>Again, he immediately starts talking about monsters.

>”Keep practicing that on your own time. For now, we’re going to look into specialised forms of the Undertow.”

>He gathered the blocks up and returned them to storage.
>When he came back out he had two boxes in tow.

>”There are many different ways to execute Undertow, each with their own niche. If the monster you’re battling has thick scales, hide, or fat, blunt strikes will have little effect. You must then adapt. Giants will shrug off any blunt trauma you can deliver-”

>Giants are REAL?

>”So when doing battle with them you must wound them in another way, such as with a blade.”

>From the box he levitated a plastic ring.
>It didn’t look much like a blade.
>Until he started spinning it at a blinding rate.

>”By adding spin you can increase the relative velocity of the blade’s surface to the target’s flesh. Of course, this is much more difficult. One must orient the blades properly unlike blunt weapons, and they must add spin. This power is far more difficult to wield properly.”

>Dozens of rings shot out and slid across the dummy’s surface.
>They each let out a loud whining sound as they tore through the air.

>”Diamond tipped chakram are best for this of course. It’s doubtful a civilian such as yourself would be able to find those. You could get circular saw blades from a hardware store, though.”

>Lyra definitely had no need for that.
>He returned the rings to the box and produced from the other one a bundle of long, thin needles.

>>30450562
>”Creatures with thick scales such as dragons or cetae are more vulnerable to puncture wounds than lacerations.”

>The needles slammed into the dummy at high speeds, sinking deep into it.
>In an instant it looked more like a porcupine than a pony.

>”Such wounds are usually insufficient to slow an enemy unless delivered in extremely large quantity. Poison is an effective solution. Again, equipping yourself would be challenging as a civilian. I suggest nails.”

>He pulled them all out and quickly bundled them up again.

>”And next we explore options for when we’re ill prepared. The best solution is to never be caught off guard and always be armed. However, this isn’t always possible. We must be able to improvise a weapon. Worst case scenario-”

>He spat.
>The saliva shot out with a bang, and to Lyra’s surprise, it left a deep gash upon the dummy.

>”Water delivered at high enough pressure can tear through steel. You’d be hard pressed to handle any serious monsters with this method, however. It doesn’t matter how talented you are, if you’re not prepared you’re at a disadvantage.”

”Master, please forgive me for asking. Why are you so obsessed with monsters?”

>”That’s what Mana Tide is for. Fighting monsters. It can be used on ponies, but there are easier ways to hurt a pony. This kind of power is for fighting things stronger than yourself.”

“A fighting style specifically for handling monsters? You’re… oh.”

>”You’re just now figuring out I’m from S.M.I.L.E.? I thought that was obvious.”

>In retrospect it was.
>Sweetie Drops had a connection with this stallion, and stated he was the best.
>Lyra had seen what Sweetie Drops could do.
>For her to call somepony the best, they couldn’t be a mere hobbyist.

>>30450569
>”Don’t see the field these days of course. They’ve got no use for a broken down old fool like myself. I just teach the recruits. And you apparently. This goes without saying, but none of what I just said is true and S.M.I.L.E. doesn’t exist. And yes, that was a threat. Sweetie Drops placed a lot of trust in you. Don’t you dare ever cross her.”

“Of course!”

>Lyra would NEVER hurt her Bonny.

>”Good. Now go away. I have better things to do than look at you.”

>And he was being a jerk again.

>”Decide which of those three techniques you want to learn before your next lesson.”

“Yes, of course. Thank you master.”

>Lyra gave a deep bow on her way out.
>Being able to fight while unarmed seemed the best option.
>Why would she need the destructive force of the other methods?
>Although, she had no idea what she’d face in the future.
>Lyra was still hopeful she could continue to dig into whatever was going on without more violence.
>But she knew there was always a chance it would happen.
>What if she was attacked by a metal pony like “Applejack”?
>Would rocks be good enough?
>Without actually knowing what she’d be up against she really couldn’t say.
>Maybe more destructive power was needed.
>Lyra really didn’t know.
>She eventually put the decision off for later.
>At the moment, Lyra had other things to worry about.
>She marched her way to Twilight’s palace.
>As upset as she was, Lyra was still quite certain she’d be able to talk some sense into the princess.
>Twilight might be a terrible pony, but nopony was THAT bad.
>Lyra just had to talk some sense into her is all.
>As she drew close to the palace she could start to make out a few guards.
>Two pegasi carrying spears and bronze armor stood before the door.
>Somehow they weren’t as intimidating as she remembered.

>”HALT! The princess isn’t accepting any visitors today!”

>They immediately produced their spears
>Lyra took a couple steps back.

>>30450576
“I just wanted to tell her about-”

>”You just wanted to leave. Nopony gets in here, no exceptions.”

“But-”

>”Unless the palace is about to explode we don’t want to hear it.”

“When will she be available for an audience again?”

>”One more word and you’re under arrest.”

>Lyra couldn’t believe it.
>She was expecting to have to wait in line or to take a number or SOMETHING.
>But to just be sent away like that?
>And THREATENED?
>This was NOT the Equestria she knew.
>The place where the concerns of the citizens mattered, where the crown cared.
>What kind of nightmare was she living in where the government didn’t care what the citizens thought?
>Where those in power could just ignore the public?
>Lyra wasn’t ready to throw in the towel though.
>She was still going to do something about this school situation.
>And she knew just where to go.
>Sugarcube corner lay on the edge of the urban rot.
>On its exterior it still resembled the confectionary of old, though these days the chimney lay dormant.
>Gas ovens had replaced the wood fired stoves of yesteryear, allowing for easier and cheaper baking.
>Something the whole town was glad for it seemed.
>A long line of ponies stretched out of the door.
>Every minute or so somepony would leave the bakery with a package in tow, and the line would inch forward.
>Lyra got in line.
>It took longer than usual to reach the front, but Lyra was determined.
>The lobby on the inside had been removed, and replaced with more display shelves and counter space.
>Business was good for the Cake family as they struggled to keep up with the growing city’s insatiable hunger for pastries.
>Lyra approached the counter when it was finally her turn.

“Hey there, Cup!”

>Cup Cake looked weary.
>Her movements were sluggish and her eyes unfocused.
>She was clearly overworked.

“Is Pinkie not here today?”

>”No. What do you want?”

“Oh. Do you know where she’s living these days?"

>>30450585
>Cup grumbled loudly, but provided an address.
>Lyra, feeling guilty for wasting the busy mare’s time, purchased some cupcakes.
>With the pastries in tow she headed to Pinkie’s new home.
>It too lay on the periphery of town.
>Lyra knew it was hers the moment she spied it.
>The bubblegum pink cottage was a rather humble abode for one as celebrated as Pinkie Pie.
>An Element of Harmony and personal friend of a princess would be expected to live in a luxurious or ostentatious abode.
>But this was far from it.
>Pink walls, pink picket fence, pink door, and streamers hanging from a single tree upon her dead lawn.
>She approached and knocked confident that Pinkie would be glad to see her.
>Pinkie Pie was everypony’s friend.
>She knocked three times.
>And waited.
>And waited some more.
>Just when Lyra had decided Pinkie was out, the door creaked open.

>”Oh. Hi, Lyra.”

>The door opened fully.
>There was clearly something wrong with Pinkie.
>She was all hunched up, trying to avoid Lyra’s gaze.
>And it looked like she’d not slept in a couple days.

“Pinkie! Are you okay?”

>”Yeah. Yeah.”

>She blinked.
>Her eyes were real at least.
>Lyra moved in for a hug, mostly to check for metal.
>Partially to console the pony, but mostly for metal.
>A soft warm pony accepted the embrace.

“What’s wrong?”

>”I’m just worried about some things.”

“Such as?”

>”Oh. You know. This and that.”

>Lyra knew then she’d have to tread carefully.
>It looked like Pinkie was trying to keep the secret
>Was she on their side?
>Was what Twilight showed her really so terrible that Pinkie was okay with their constant lies?
>Looking at a depressed Pinkie Pie was nearly too much for Lyra to handle.
>The chipper and cheerful pony was always a ray of sunshine even in the darkest times.
>Seeing her so down was just wrong.

“I, uhh, I brought you some cupcakes?”

>>30450592
>Lyra offered the purchase she’d made from Sugarcube Corner.
>She hadn’t planned this when she’d bought them, but it seemed the right thing to do.
>Pinkie accepted the package with a small smile.

>”Thank you. I don’t get to eat these as often as I’d like. We’re usually too busy at work these days. There are never any leftovers.”

“Please don’t think of that as payment. But, umm, I have a favor to ask. Have you been to the school lately?”

>”No. Miss Cheerilee said I’m not allowed there anymore. I’m too much of a distraction.”

>Lyra could easily see that.
>If Pinkie stopped by class would quickly devolve into frivolity and laughter.
>Which was exactly what Lyra was hoping to bring to them.

“Please come with me. I really need to show you something.”

>”Why me?”

“I wanted to talk to Twilight about it, but she’s not accepting any visitors. I’m hoping you’ll bring a few things to her attention.”

>Pinkie went to the kitchen to drop off her pastries.
>She came back and locked up her home before the two of them set out.
>It still seemed strange to Lyra that one would have to lock their doors.
>She knew it was needed though.
>In a small town like Ponyville used to be it was possible to know nearly everypony.
>You could figure out who you could and couldn’t trust.
>But what Ponyville had become was a totally different beast.
>No matter how sociable you were, most ponies would be strangers.
>There was no avoiding this fact. One had to deal with the change instead.
>Just one more way that Ponyville had changed for the worse.

>”So Twilight isn’t accepting visitors? If it was important why didn’t you just walk in?”

“Her guards threatened to arrest me.”

>”She has guards now? Oh. Of course she does.”

“Did something happen?”

>>30450606
>Pinkie mulled the question over for a while.
>It seemed she wasn’t sure whether or not she was allowed to answer that question.
>Lyra knew the answer, of course.
>Twilight’s home had been broken into by what was described as a violent unicorn.
>That was of course not how Lyra saw herself.
>But after her last encounter with Twilight, she had to ask herself.
>Were they wrong?

>”There’s a lot of crime in Ponyville these days.”

“Yeah. It ain’t what it used to be. I miss the old Ponyville.”

>”Me too.”

>It struck Lyra as odd that they were doing so little to stem the tide of crime.
>Were they so short on resources that they really could do nothing to clean up the city?
>Was there no way to keep the streets safe?
>Tranquil Streams had mocked Lyra for many things when they’d first met.
>But the thing that brought the heaviest mockery was Lyra’s faith in the guard.
>Perhaps he was right.
>Because it didn’t seem like they were getting the job done.
>Sometimes it didn’t even seem like they were trying.
>The two of them drew close to the school.
>Lyra was nearly at the door when Pinkie spoke up.

>”I thought we were going to the school.”

“This is it.”

>”No it isn’t.”

“Yeah. This is it. They knocked over the old one a while ago because it wasn’t big enough.”

>”Where’s the playground? Why are there no windows? Where are the decorations?”

“That’s part of why we’re here.”

>”It’s better on the inside, right?”

>Lyra pushed the door open and stepped inside.
>A burly stallion eyed them carefully.
>The brown Earth pony was clearly unhappy to see them.
>Lyra didn’t recall there being any security guards last time.
>Perhaps they left after class was dismissed?

>”Parents, students, and faculty only. State your business.”

>She was clearly not a student.
>And Lyra suspected this pony knew the faculty.
>Parent it was then.

>>30450614
“I’m thinking of moving to Ponyville. I wanted to take a look at the schools before deciding! My little sunshine deserves only the best.”

>”And why is an element of harmony here?”

“She offered to by my guide.”

>”Stay out of the classrooms until class is dismissed.”

>He stepped aside to let them in.
>Lyra was surprised with herself.
>She wasn’t sure when she’d become so used to lying.
>It just sort of happened.
>She’d been living a double life ever since that fateful night at the post office, and now it was second nature for her to outright lie.
>She’d gotten her way without any fuss.
>It was expedient and easy.
>And she wasn’t going to cause any trouble here.
>As far as she could tell, there was no good to be had from being honest with that guard.
>He would have almost certainly turned them away, and Pinkie needed to see what was going on.
>And yet it still felt wrong.
>Surely the truth had some inherent value, and she’d done the wrong thing.
>Surely.
>But still, everything turned out better this way.
>She’d reached the best outcome, something her principles likely wouldn’t have allowed.
>Was that good enough reason to abandon them?

>”The school didn’t used to need security guards.”

“It gets worse.”

>They started walking through the hallways.
>The walls almost seemed to close in on Lyra as the navigated the cramped concrete interior.
>And the cheap artificial lighting did little to improve the atmosphere.
>Cacophonous noises filled the hallways growing louder every time they passed a classroom.
>They weren’t cries of joy or excitement.
>These were the sounds of anarchy.

>”There doesn’t seem to be much learning happening.”

“No. There isn’t.”

>>30450625
>They made their way to the top floor.
>The narrow stairwells were littered with paper and other detritus.
>It seemed as though the janitors were overworked too.
>Or perhaps even absent.
>Lyra didn’t know, nor did she really care.
>At this point clutter was the least of her concerns.
>Lyra brought them to Cheerilee’s classroom.
>And despite the guard’s orders, she opened the door.
>Pinkie stared in.
>And she quickly stepped out.

>”This is the detention hall, right? This is where they put the bad ponies as punishment?”

“This is grade 3. Today’s subject is-”

>Lyra poked her muzzle in and looked at the whiteboard up front.
>Cheerilee was giving her lecture despite the uncontrolled masses behind her.
>It was a waste of breath, but still she tried.

“Complex numbers.”

>She pulled out and closed the door.

“Personally, I think they should be worried about multiplication right now, but that’s just me.”

>Again with the math.
>It seemed like they didn’t study anything else these days.
>What was it that the crown was after?
>Why was math and math alone so important?
>Pinkie sat down in the middle of the hallway and rested her chin upon her hoof.
>It seemed as though she was deep in thought.
>What was there to think about?
>This was terrible and needed to stop!
>What was it that she knew that made this complicated?
>Lyra decided not to press the issue.
>Pinkie was intent on keeping the secret, and she doubted there was anything she could say or do to change that.
>All she’d accomplish by asking questions would be drawing attention to herself.
>It wasn’t long before class let out and all the foals started heading home.
>The hallways were packed as they flooded out of the building.
>Lyra and Pinkie managed to fight against the stream and make it into Cheerilee’s classroom.
>There was no such thing as order within these walls; paper airplanes and spitballs littered the floor.

>>30450629
>There was even a smashed desk pushed off to the corner.

>”Lyra! And Pinkie?”

>She was smiling like a madmare at the sight of them.

>”I’m sorry, Cheerilee. I know I’m not supposed to be here.”

>”Oh, no! You’re PERFECT! We need to cheer those foals up and you’re just the pony to do it!”

>”But you said I’m distracting.”

>”Pinkie, this is not a house of learning. This is a madhouse! Your presence would only make things better.”

>True.
>It might well be that Pinkie could improve the situation here and now.
>But Lyra was aiming a bit higher than that.
>Pinkie could only be in one place at one time, and Lyra suspected all the schools were like this.
>Besides, that wouldn’t fix the education problem.
>Lyra needed to work a different angle.

“If you were to describe what it’s like to be a student here with one word, which word would that be?”

>”Torture. I’m thinking of telling everypony to start skipping class. They aren’t going to pass anyway.”

“Wouldn’t you lose your job?”

>”Who cares? I’m probably going to quit anyway.”

>Lyra couldn’t imagine Cheerilee as anything other than a teacher.
>This was wrong on so many levels.

“Maybe hold off on that for a bit. I’m trying to see if there’s anything we can do about this mess.”

>”I’ll go talk to Twilight.”

“You think you can fix this, Pinkie?”

>”No. But I have to try, right?”

>No?
>She doesn’t think this is going to stop?
>Again, what’s going on that’s so terrible?

>”I’m going to go right away. Sorry, Lyra, I don’t think they’ll let you in.”

>She walked away without another word, grim determination plastered upon her face.

“Sorry, Cheerilee! I need to run too!”

>>30450639
>Lyra bolted from the school.
>She had little time if she was to do this.
>Twilight and Pinkie were about to discuss the school situation, and perhaps even the cause of all this madness.
>Lyra couldn’t get into the palace to eavesdrop, but she didn’t need to.
>She had a friend with a shiney new toy that could see sound.


>Derpy hovered just above Lyra as the two of them approached the palace
>She carried her contraband in her bags to avoid detection as they tried to blend into the crowd.

>”So, what are we doing here?”

“Looking for a good view. We need to hear what’s going on in there.”

>”There’s nothing high enough to get a good angle.”

>She was right.
>The tallest building in the vicinity was the palace itself.
>If it was in the heart of the city there’d be no shortage of ugly towers they could prop themselves in.
>But as it was they were short on options.
>There were only a few back alleys to be found where they’d have any privacy at all.

>”We need a mirror.”

“Good idea.”

>Lyra produced a single, shiney bit.
>After quickly polishing it against her coat she levitated it up and placed it in the branches of the crystal tree.
>The two of them ducked into a back alley and Derpy produced her laser microphone.

>”But Twilight, it’s cruel!”

>The sound was distorted and muddy.
>But they could tell what was being said.
>Barely.

>”I know. And truth be told, I didn’t realise just how out of hoof-”

>The sound cut out.

>”Sorry! It’s hard to hold it still like that.”

>It didn’t take long for Derpy to get it trained back on the bit and soon they had their muddy sound back.

>”Look, it happened one step at a time. Each time we made it worse, it didn’t seem so bad. Taking a step back and looking, it’s pretty terrible. You’re right.”

>”Well? Change it!”

>”No.”

>She knows it’s sick and she’s still not changing it?

>>30450644
>”Pinkie, we’re looking for a miracle here, because honestly? We’re not going to make it without one. The final exam contains a problem we NEED to solve, but we can’t. If a SINGLE one of those foals manages to get their grade 12 we might just make it.”

>”And how likely do you think that is?”

>”Slim to none. We’d devote more resources to them if we thought they had a chance. But like I said, we’re looking for a miracle.”

>Derpy looked over to Lyra.
>She looked torn between confusion and fear.

>”Twilight, we’re probably going to fail, aren’t we?”

>”Yes. It… it looks bad. We’re running out of time, resources, leads- another source went dark last night. Most of them are gone now. And time just keeps slipping through our hooves no matter what we try.”

>The machine let out a gurgling sound.
>Lyra was pretty certain that was originally a sigh.

>”I know what we’re doing to Equestria, and I don’t like it. But if we’re to have a chance of surviving this we can’t stop now. I’m sorry, Pinkie. The new curriculum stays. And things are going to get worse before they get better.”

>”But it’s sick!”

>”DON’T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?” I’m a MONSTER, Pinkie. I can’t stand to be in the same building as myself! I don’t for the life of my know WHY you can still stand to look at me. But it has to be done. And like I said, it’s going to get worse. Forget I was ever your friend, because I’m not worthy of that anymore.”

>”Twilight, you’re just trying to protect them. I can’t be mad at you for that.”

>”That’s because you don’t know what I’m doing next.”

>Derpy’s face had finally decided on fear.

>>30450656
>”Twilight? You’re probably going to fail. Ponykind is probably going to be wiped out. Is this really how you want it to end? Do you want the last generation of foals to spend their lives locked up in a concrete box? Do you want them to go from cradle to early grave knowing nothing but the pain you’re putting them through? If we’re going to go out, shouldn’t we let them enjoy the time they have left?”

>”I can’t stop trying. Not until the bitter end.”

>”I’m not asking you to give up. Just ease up.”

>”I’ll… I’ll think about it. Talk it over with the other princesses. Maybe we can make it a little less terrible. Actually, would you mind coming with me to the next meeting? We might have a job for you. You’re good at making ponies happy. Maybe you can help us make them less sad? We don’t really have any resources to give you, but maybe you’ll be able to figure something out.”

>”I’ll try. Is it this bad all over? Or is…”

>The two of them had walked away, and the signal was lost.
>Lyra and Derpy sat in the alleyway for several minutes in silence.
>What they’d just heard was horrifying.
>There was indeed some terrible danger coming to Equestria.
>Something apocalyptic.
>And they were expecting to fail.
>Seconds slipped away.


That's it.

As many of you have probably figured out by now, the nature of the problem itself isn't the point of this green, at least not at this stage. What matters here and now is how they handle it. What they're willing to do to avoid it. Last time I got exactly the response I was looking for. Targeting the children was the right choice it would seem. Now that we've established that the price of success is high we can start asking the core question I'm trying to explore.

>>30450686
I'm pleased by the writing and disturbed by the scenario you describe.

I'm trying to figure out why they need to find a child prodigy (or local equivalent) that can do calculus and beyond. Surely there are adult math professors aplenty in Equestria.

Is it something magical? "stopping the alien invasion requires a spell that can only be cast if a prepubescent child devises a rigorous proof of Goldblatt's Conjecture, and then you have to sacrifice him to the Dark Gods and use his blood to make a Cthulhu Repellent Potion," something like that?

>>30450738
Unlikely, were it something like that they'd not be doing it to non-unicorns too but seemingly they haven't separated the schooling.

But that raises the question, why children? They have computers so it can't be a raw brain power problem or else they could use their network of computers to process the problem...unless it was something that computers can't conceive of. Something that can't be represented in 1's and 0's but then what mathematical problems are like that?

>>30450863
It could be something along the lines of Foldit, which solved something in 10 days that had previously been unsolved for 15 years. It's possible for some things like our three-dimensional pattern matching and spatial reasoning abilities that can outperform a raw brute force calculation

>>30451436
True but that is because scientists can't get access to enough computing power. I mean they can afford super computers but as seen with cloud computing these days you can quickly out compete them though sheer numbers. Which most likely the Ponies can since they have a literal nation's processing power to throw at the problem, assuming they haven't been exporting them too at which point we can't tell how much they have.

And if it were something like Foldit, why math? Why not something more spatially awareness developing? Like art or something?

>>30450863
Computers haven't made the field of mathematics obsolete. There are a number of problems that could theoretically be solved by brute force, but are too complex for a computer to manage in a timely manner. Even with an entire nation's worth of processing power you will inevitable run into a wall, though it would take a vastly more complex problem. Mathematicians can solve the problem with creative solutions or simplify it by eliminating ranges that the solution might otherwise lie within. Furthermore, there ARE mathematical problems that computers cannot ever solve, such as the Wang tile problem. Any task that has an infinite number of steps is unsolvable, and other methods must be invented.

>>30450738
Hopefully the explanation will prove satisfactory. The real reason is because I needed to make life in this version of Equestria unpleasant. But I think I've found a reason that will make for good storytelling.

>>30450863
>what mathematical problems are like that
Lots, actually. You cannot have a computer solve a problem if you cannot articulate the question in a way that the computer can understand.

A computer can crack an enigma machine, if only you know how it works in the first place.

>>30452550
Oh I am aware but it seems excessive. But you raise an interesting point: it's a problem they need to resolve that can't be brute forced reasonably, is mathematical in nature and is more advanced than complex numbers and all the other stuff they have seemingly covered in lower grades. That means that it is something truly amazing and hard to conceive of.

Hell-fire, they might be trying to work out how to make a functioning Alcubierre drive or something.


>>30452807
True but these days we are making computers word the problems themselves and seeing as they have invisibility suits I am willing to believe they can do reliable self-programming computers.

>>30452948
It's almost a given that those invisibility suits are stolen and/or reverse engineered. They may not have the experience necessary to implement a self-programming computer which still needs some fairly rigid rules.

>>30450686
Propaganda machine when?

>>30453067
True but if they have such things to reverse engineer they could almost certainly get functioning self-programming software.

>>30450863
Or just hook them all up into an organic magic super computer. Then something.

Woops. Forgot to say I'm looking for input. Of the three methods of attack mentioned at >>30450562 and >>30450569 which should minthoers look into?

>>30453866
All three. Or none.
So if Lyra decides to use it they wont suspect her.

File: 1428964090991.png (337KB, 826x283px) Image search: [Google]

337KB, 826x283px

>>30450569
I vote for the last one. Anything that can reliably damage steel if you're good enough should come in handy with them robots about.

Great work as always WiK!

>>30453866
Spits, unarmed seems the best for a civ. Dont want to be caught carrying saws around, we could still make an excuse for nails but as a musician saws are out of the question.
So yea, i d go for unarmed, nails as our armed combat, but voting for unarmed

>>30453866
Liquids.
https://youtu.be/_FN5xzeVluc?t=3m7s

>>30452948
>Hell-fire, they might be trying to work out how to make a functioning Alcubierre drive or something.

There's still no reason to subject every child--or foal, if we prefer that word--in the country to what they're doing in order to do that. There is surely no shortage of adult professors of mathematics.

I still think this is going to be something much more horrible than that, which is going to require them to find and identify a dozen or so mathematical child prodigies, and tell them they're winning a prize--then do something hideous like surgically remove their brains and wire them together into some sort of ghastly organic Beowulf cluster, or use them as living sacrifices in some horrifying magical ritual to defeat whatever is coming.

It's obvious that computing power alone isn't going to solve the problem. It's obvious that mathematical expertise isn't either--and surely they already have college professors who have been doing theoretical mathematics for a living since the main cast's parents were in diapers.

They appear to need to identify certain very, very special young children. And given the tone of what we've already seen, they appear to be planning to subject them to something absolutely monstrous.

>>30454096
Yeah I suppose you are right. However my point stands: they are doing it to non-unicorns so it can't be a spell.


Still, odd to be interesting to find out what they are trying to do.

>>30454147
Think a little darker.

Maybe it's a spell--but it's not the kid who has to cast it. The kids are just going to be rendered down for spell components, and Purplesmart or maybe Sunbutt herself will cast the actual spell, standing in the center of a vast circle drawn on the floor in the blood of child geniuses, after first personally cutting all their hearts out with a flint knife on an altar to the Dark Gods.

File: citation needed.png (443KB, 2222x1888px) Image search: [Google]

443KB, 2222x1888px

>>30454147
>They are doing it to non-unicorns
[citation needed]

No race is free from that new school program, and if you even try to bring up Celestia's School then sorry to say but it wasnt ever brought up, besides Lyra's having studied there in the past, we dont know about how its doing in the present

>Ib4 but Celestia's School focuses on learning spells
And you never had even one(1) off-topic course during college/university? I doubt it teaches only spells, and even if it does who s to say they dont need some kind of starswirl ready to make a spell with the math problem after it gets solved?

Therefore I dont think even unicorns are safe from the program familia

>>30454205
That is my point. All the races, even the ones which can't do spells and shit, are being put through this system. If it was a spell that they needed to cast it would just be unicorns they were testing.


You just hugely misunderstood what I meant is all.

>>30454229
Oh, "they ARE doing it to non-unicorns", for some reason i read that as 'arent'.
I should lay off mlpol for a while, goddamn unicorn supremacists...

>>30454246
I find it's generally a good idea to re-read someone comments before arguing with them. You may realize they're joking or that you misread something

>>30454627
>Not overreacting immediately
But Anon, that s no fun ^:)

>>30454797
True I won't deny that, but a quick re-read can save you from feeling like a fool for a moment

>>30453866
>clouds of buzz saws
>Raining poison needles.
> Spit that can cut steel.
Just how hardcore is SMILE anyway?
And I'm loving this. It's a morality play but a really weird one. Most are about upholding a virtue or how tempting evil is but this one is so utilitarian. Twilight knows what she's doing is wrong but thinks not doing it would be worse. I wonder how far they'll go to make it through this.

>>30457066
>Just how hardcore is SMILE anyway?
Hey if they're going to be facing down monsters you want them to be a pretty hardcore crew

bump?

File: 1493990006149.jpg (4KB, 125x125px) Image search: [Google]

4KB, 125x125px

>>30457066

>9

>>30457066
When the alternative is the apocalypse it becomes easy to justify the most heinous of acts if there is even the slimmest possibility of working

>>30436923

File: 805230__safe_artist-colon-lumineko_derpy+hooves_30+minute+art+challenge_astronaut_circuit+board_earth_eating_female_helmet_international+spac.png (740KB, 960x720px) Image search: [Google]

740KB, 960x720px

https://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/fermi/gbm/rsp/20110308/glg_cspec_n7_bn110308_2331_980_v00.rsp2

>>30461786
how do i open rsp2 files?

>>30461923
All I could find were what appeared to be something that requires an external radio device, but I'm not sure if that's correct.

File: 215081__safe_artist-colon-zicygomar_derpy+hooves_smooze_carrot_chalkboard_donut_flask_g1_goggles_hammer_hoof+hold_i+have+no+idea+what+i'm+doi.jpg (115KB, 640x360px) Image search: [Google]

115KB, 640x360px

>>30461786
Is this science? https://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/rhessidatacenter/complementary_data/goes.html

>9 - 1

>>30461898
>>30461923
>>30462217
>>30462412
Looks like a special filetype for Software defined radios. Will check it out further.

>>30463475
Yup. Looks like it is a recording from an SDR. Specifically, one onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (Hence the picture), Looking at... Something that I can't be assed to find.

Anyway, it seems to contain binary data, probably a recording of whatever signal the telescope picked up, and the date is 2011-03-08T23:31:58, with a location of... This:
>EQUINOX = 2000.0 / Equinox for RA and Dec RA_OBJ = 349.0 / J2000 RA of source, degrees DEC_OBJ = -4.7 / J2000 DEC of source, degrees SRC_AZ = 0.1 / Azimuth of source in spacecraft coordinates SRC_EL = 17.5 / Elevation of source in spacecraft coordinates GEO_AZ = 204.0 / Azimuth of geocenter in spacecraft coordinates GEO_EL = -40.0 / Elevation of geocenter in spacecraft coordinateDET_ANG = 106.4 / Angle between source and detector normal GEO_ANG = 85.9 / Angle between geocenter and detector normal

http://pastebin.com/PYUyfYwj
>”Come on Ash, you’ve gotta at least try and take some of my advice.”
“Shut up. I’m tryink.”
>”Doesn’t look like it from here.”
>If you weren’t way up here, you’d give him a good smack
>Just enough to remove some teeth
>You hate heights
>You’re a Unicorn
>You weren’t meant to be up this high
>Save it for the Pegasi
>”I told you already, don’t act like it’s a suit. Ignore it and act like it’s apart of you. Now jump down from there and test out the shock absorbers or we can’t get going.”
>You mutter some expletives in your native tongue under your breath as you step towards the lip of the platform
“Oh just jump off zey say. You’ll be fine zey say.”
>You take deep breaths
>In and out
>You leap from the platform
>You can feel the wind rushing past the suit
>It’s cold
>The ground comes up quicker than expected
>You slam into the concrete hooves first
>At the moment of impact a field of magic appears around your hooves
>It dissipates and wicks away up your legs
>”Looking good, Ash.”
>You turn and immediately backhoof him
>Or you would have if he hadn’t ducked under it
“Striker you ass. You know I ‘ate heights.”
>”Hey look on the bright side. At least now if you fall there’s no way for it to kill you.”
“If I’m already technically a zombie, does it really matter?”
>You watch as Striker rolls his eyes
>”You had a pulse the whole time, you can’t just keep saying you were dead.”
>Frankly, you should have been dead
>That impact should’ve turned you into red paste
>Your magic wasn’t even enough to stop you from getting this mangled
>You’ll be sure to return it in full to Princess Twilight

>>30464151
>”Now look Ash, I know you don’t ENJOY going through training, but if you don’t, then you’ll never figure out how to use that suit well enough.”
>You call Striker a few names in Prench, even though you know he can’t understand you
>”Yeah yeah I know, my mother was a whorse. Now hold still. We’re going to hit you with a bunch of stuff.”
>That didn’t sound good
“What KIND of stuff.”
>You watch Striker in the control room speak with some of the lab coats
>Damned eggheads
>”Apparently they’ll be throwing strong magical energy at you, along with some other stuff.”
>You grumble under your breath
“I JUST asked you WHAT kind of stu-“
>Before you can finish your sentence, the wall in front of you slides away to reveal a strange looking contraption, and somepony standing behind it
>You knew who that somepony was
>It was Nightwatch
>A very powerful Unicorn
>Not as strong as somepony like Starswirl, or Twilight
>But he was up there
>”Nightwatch here is gonna toss a couple spells into the magic amplifier and we’re going to see if the suit holds up.”
>Going to see
>Going
>To see
>What, were you just a test subject now?
>Nightwatch’s horn glows and he fires a concentrated laser of magic into the amplifier

>>30464154
>Now you’d seen this thing before
>It’s real simple
>And very practical
>Most of the time it’s used for lifting extremely heavy objects when cranes are out of the question, as the heavier an object is, the harder it is for a Unicorn to lift it with their magic
>Sometimes, it’s been used like a mining laser to carve out space for this site through the rock
>Other times -like now- it’s used in experimentation
>So when Nightwatch’s magical laser gets focused through the crystal lenses, you can HEAR it before it even gets close to you
>You brace for impact as you hear the crackling of the emitter at the front fire off
>The magical energy hits the suit and… You can’t even feel it
>The force of it has been completely dispersed
>Actually, it hasn’t
>It’s being absorbed
>As the suit absorbs the magical energy, you see a bar filling on your heads up display
>This suit really was fancy
>It continues to fill the longer the magic is fired at you
>You hear a loud sound and look down, only to find that near the bottom of your forehooves, 8 holes have started to emit heat and magical energy
“Ahhh, iz zis normal?”
>”Perfectly normal, Ash. The suit uses those 4 holes on each hoof to make account for overheating.”
>A target dummy appears to your left, just a few meters away
>”The boys up here say you can discharge the excess magical energy through them as well. Go ahead and try it on that target dummy.”
>You look up at the glass they’re watching from, then back to the dummy
>The bar on your HUD has filled completely, and another seems to be overtaking it, filled about 40% of the way and slowly draining

>>30464159
>You turn and aim your hoof, firing off a conical shockwave of excess magic and heat
>Magical particles expand outwards from your hoof before dissipating into the air
>The dummy is blown back and set ablaze from the superheated air
>And this was no piddly little bonfire either
>If this suit wasn’t insulating you, you’re pretty sure you would have to be much further away than you are now
>You hold up your hoof
“I like zis.”
>You look at the burning training dummy
“I like zis a lot.”
>”Yeah, I’m sure you do, Ash. Just be careful. I’m sure you’ve seen the little meter, right? The suit can only safely hold 200% and even then, it’s dangerous. Any more and you risk overloading it.”
>You stretch the wings of the suit and you look back over it
“What ‘appens if it gets overloaded, zen?”
>He speaks with the eggheads up in the observation booth
>”Simply put? We don’t know. Assume something terrible. At best? It shuts down from overheating. At worst? It’ll probably explode or something. You don’t have to worry about that if you don’t absorb too much, and you manage venting the excess.”
>Looking at the little venting holes, you rotate your hoof a bit
“Does it ‘AVE to be vented like zis? Can I use it some ozer way?”
>”As of now, yes. They’re looking into being able to route the energy to different functions in the future.”
>You chuckle
“Works for me.”
>You can’t wait to give Princess Twilight a taste of this

>>30464167
>SPRING
>Sunset Airlines stands at the fore of the ship, wind slowly tousling her mane
>She looks out over the horizon as the sun rises over the Forgotten Sea
>The Prench mare had since changed into the outfit you’d first met her in
>And you have to admit, she looks really cute in that green flight jacket
>But she looks… Different somehow
>You suppose it could just be the scars and the eyepatch
>But it’s not just that
>She looks… More confident
>Hell, she looks like you’d see her on some propaganda poster
>”This mare is your friend. She fights for your freedom.”
>Though, Sunset doesn’t really fight for any cause
>It made you wonder why she actually does this
>Even after she’d been given PLENTY of reasons to stop
>She still wants to keep going
“Hey, Sunset.”
>She looks up at you with her one, functioning eye
>”Hm? What iz it, mon cher?”
“Why do you keep doing this? What keeps you going?”
>She looks up at the sky and closes her eye
>”Why does anypony do anyzing?”
>You’re about to let out a groan at such a hippie answer when she cuts you off by continuing

>>30464170
>”Aha, no I do it because I enjoy it. Even after everyzing zat has happened. Ever since I was a little filly, I wanted to adventure like zis. To explore ze wide open skies. I expected zis. Well… Not ZIS exactly, but I expected ze danger. I knew it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and rainbows. I knew I was going to get hurt… Maybe even die out here. But ze allure of charting ze unknown lands, discovering treasure, ancient pony civilizations, perhaps even going down in history as a great explorer… I can’t keep myself away.”
>She turns to you
>”Surely, you have aspirations too, yez Anon?”
“Maybe back when I was on Earth, sure.”
>If aspirations of living another day counted, yeah
“It’s kinda weird to live among beings that nearly have their lives planned out for them by the time they get their butt stamp.”
>”Cutie mark.”
“Yeah that.”
>Such a dumb name
>”But zat’s somezing I find so interesting about you Anon. Your species isn’t limited by a cutie mark. You can do anyzing!”
>She sounds like your mom now
“Guess that’s true.”
>”So? What was it zat you wanted to do, Anon?”
>She flaps her wings a little in anticipation
“Me? Coming here to horseland. Wanted to find a nice pony, settle down, buy a house. Y’know, all that American dream, apple pie, white picket fences type shit.”
>Sunset blushes, gently rubbing at her eyepatch
>”Heh, eheh, I suppose zis isn’t quite what you imagined, iz it?”

>>30464172
“I mean, it’s not what I had in mind but I still think it’s nice; in an explore-y adventure-y kind of way. The only way I would’ve ever come close to this sorta thing back on Earth was books or video games.”
>Sunset grins and flutters up, wrapping her hooves around your neck
“Constant threat of death aside, this has been a great experience so far.”
>You can feel her grip tighten, and your airflow diminish
>”We don’t talk about zat, Anon. Zat’s bad speak aboard Le Rossignol and will bring bad luck.”
>You can communicate only through choked gurgling and patting upon her back
>Sunset lets go and pats your head
>”Now, if you’re done speaking of such zings zat won’t be named, we’ve got a lead on zat oracle zing ze Prench ponies were speaking of.”
>Rubbing your neck, you take a seat on the deck
“And what would that be?”
>”I couldn’t sleep last night, so I started going zrough ze books I keep aboard mine ship. I remembered reading once zat Zebrican shamans, in order to get zeir abilities to divine ze future, had to make a pilgrimage.”
>You raise an eyebrow and she takes your silence as a cue to keep going

>>30464175
>”So I found my book on Zebrican legends again and gave it anozer read. Apparently, zere are two places in Zebrica called “Ze Bleach” and “Ze Shade.” It’z supposed to represent zeir stripes. Ze book said zat zey speak wiz somezing zeir, in zose lands.”
“So you think that these places have the oracle you’re looking for?”
>She frowns slightly
>”Zat’s ze problem. I can’t be sure if it’z just a legend or not”
“And why are you even going after this oracle anyway? What are you going to use it for?”
>”I… Mmh…. Whatever it iz, ze Prench CAN’T get zeir hooves on it. Zere’s no telling what zey would do wiz it… But I get ze feeling it won’t turn out well for ze rest of ze world. So maybe if we could… Protect it? Or somezing. I’m not sure. I-I’ll figure it out, okay?”
>It’s odd
>The way she can sound so unsure, yet sound so confident at the same time
>She truly believed in her ability to be able to stop whatever it is the Prench had planned
>And…
>For the most part, so did you
“If they were talking about it, they must think -or know- that it exists. So, I think you might be on the right track. Should I tell the crew that we’re plotting a course to Zebrica?”
>The sun had completely risen at this point, casting long shadows all along the deck
>The dance, and you can swear that the sun almost reflects off the feathers of Sunset’s outstretched wings
>”Let zem rest. I’d like you to join me at ze helm, Anon. Keep me company, hm?”
>Sunset smiles warmly at you before she begins to trot away


Not a huge update, still a fucking footnote compared to WiK's but I think it'd be a bit silly if I didn't save a little bit for an update in the future, wouldn't it?
I'll just use that as an excuse to hide the fact that I haven't been working on fotn as much as I'd like.

As always, the pastebin is updated.

Oh, and I'm back too, that's neat.

>>30464186
I guess most anon's are t awake yet, but welcome back, I know quite a few anons are gonna be happy after they wake up/ when they check the thread.

File: yes yes yes.gif (968KB, 380x262px) Image search: [Google]

968KB, 380x262px

>>30464186
I'm so happy to see you back Yoohoo

>>30464167
I got to say that seems like quite the suit, also welcome back

>>30464186
Fuck. Yes.

>>30464151
YOOHOO'S BACK WITH MORE COMFY FRENCH PONER WOO

eight bump

File: 1491148098826.jpg (14KB, 263x255px) Image search: [Google]

14KB, 263x255px

>>30464186
We missed you, you faggot.

File: 1470425485339.jpg (85KB, 800x800px) Image search: [Google]

85KB, 800x800px

>>30466498
All hail to french poner

Got a question, there and good fairly light hearted stories that don't cliffhanger at the worst possible moment that anyone would recommend I read?

>>30468791
From the pastebin in the OP both entries under ThatCelestAIguy

http://pastebin.com/AdCtbkKv (Friendship is Inevitable)
http://pastebin.com/WnydjvyC (CelestAI shorts)

>>30468791
The one that just updated is fairly lighthearted
Most of the time

>>30450535
Hey are you planning on continuing Steel Sancuary?

>>30469410
No. Where the fuck have you been?

>>30469443
Not here apparently

File: bob ross.jpg (54KB, 500x666px) Image search: [Google]

54KB, 500x666px

>>30469054

>>30469410
Well bright side the story's complete so it's not that big a deal that he'sd not working on it

>>30468791
>PeteQ
http://pastebin.com/9H8f7A0s <--"On Magic and Science" (Science Rainbow Dash)

>>30468791
Flight of the Nightingale
https://pastebin.com/PYUyfYwj
Comfy french poner

>>30471336
I miss PeteQ's story

>>30472394
where did he go?

>>30474220
If I remember his priority order from a while back Janitor Anon was above this.

>>30474795
Well as long as he's still writing stories that's fine.

>>30475170
Although it does look like his pastebin has not been publicly updated in a while.

File: 1469804423304.png (120KB, 769x743px) Image search: [Google]

120KB, 769x743px

>>30468492

File: 619470__safe_solo_princess+celestia_animated_artist-colon-david+mcguire.gif (40KB, 500x400px) Image search: [Google]

40KB, 500x400px

>>30469023
>http://pastebin.com/WnydjvyC (CelestAI shorts)

I hate to be That Guy, I really do. But, from the link:

>Based on the idea of "Friendship is Optimal" (http://www.fimfiction.net/story/62074/friendship-is-optimal)
>Note: I haven't actually read FiO. From what people have said about it, it seems too
>"mind-rapey" for my tastes. I just like the idea of Celestia being this big, motherly AI
>that is completely devoted to every human's well-being. Even if they don't want it.
>This is a series of incidents between Anon and the completely benevolent artificial intelligence
>Celestia who has taken up residence in his home.

Apparently he hasn't. CelestAI is neither motherly nor benevolent. "She" is the wrong pronoun, don't anthropomorphize it, you're attributing to it human mental and emotional traits it does not have. Anything else gets spoilery, so I will just say FiO is an absolutely terrifying horror story about the dangers of creating a strong artificial intelligence without building in constraints on its behavior, not a comfy story about your virtual AI pony waifu.

And she doesn't wear shorts.

>>30478956
Like he says he's aware of what FiO is like, but he wants a story were in it the core element of Celestia as an AI was done differently to be a more light-hearted story

File: 1495898171842.gif (2MB, 288x288px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 288x288px

>>30481308
Yes, quite.

>>30454046
Would a musician have a pouch full of thin metal picks?

>>30478956
>not wanting an AI to satisfy your values for all eternity

>>30482257
Funnily enough, i am a musician and for my violin which has nothing of metal we have the tuning fork(A - 440) and other wood/rock accessories, so for a lyre, which is a metal instrument, surely there must be like 5 different parts, not even counting the strings themselves which are usually also made of metal as far i know

Still, what I actually meant in that first post was that she could get nails and say that she was going to use them for her house or something like that, sure she wouldnt be able to get away with a dozen, but she would still be able to have some at least

>>30483329
I always pictured Lyra as using catgut strings.

>>30484041
maybe she could use wanting to try metal strings as an excuse to carry them?

>>30482841
>implying that suicide would satisfy my values
>implying it greatly matters to me what an AI would do afterwards with my earthly remains
>implying that a digital simulation of uncertain fidelity, programmed to think it was me, would really be me, or even could be, in principle
>implying that I, myself, wouldn't be deader than fried chicken before the simulation began
>implying I wouldn't remain so, however much processing power was devoted to the simulation
>implying it would matter to me whether the simulation saw pretty sunsets that were recorded as opposed to procedurally generated

Nah man. Nah.

>>30484347
High e guitar strings have cut me before when they would occasionally break. Maybe that's an option?
Have her whip the wires like spikes?

Oddly enough, I switched to bass guitar. And guess who used metal pics, because I got tired of breaking plastic picks?

>>30485571
>Have her whip the wires like spikes?
That sounds incredibly painful.

>>30486626
You you you you.

>>30486700
???

>>30488474
>"If I whip the wires like spikes," she asked, "Would that work as a weapon?"
"That sounds incredibly painful."
>"I'm a big mare."
"Four 'you's."

>>30488536
Ahhh I guess I should have counted the number of yous

>>30481308

>>30481308
bampu

>>30490803

>>30492364
Poor Appleborg. She doesn't look like she's very happy with Progress.

>>30492441
to be fair she did lose her hind legs and doesn't know how to control the strength of her new robolegs

>>30492852
she's also missing some fun bits

File: do not fist androids.png (32KB, 802x618px) Image search: [Google]

32KB, 802x618px

>>30493812
If she can't control the strength of her legs would you really want to risk it sticking your dick in there

File: AJ_is_implying_implications.gif (1MB, 700x540px) Image search: [Google]

1MB, 700x540px

>>30494880
>If she can't control the strength of her legs would you really want to risk it sticking your dick in there

>implying that isn't part of the appeal

Borp

>>30492364
Oh look, it's Bunnie Rabbot!

>>30497374
well if you want to stick your dick in a vice grip don't let me stop you

>>30498944
If it became habit-forming, it might even become a vice, which would have a tremendous grip on me.

>>30499279
Something feels off about how that sentence is worded

>>30500310
It's probably because I was going for some wordplay, vise/vice.

>>30499279
Solid effort, Carlos.

File: AJ_is_unbalanced.gif (646KB, 368x208px) Image search: [Google]

646KB, 368x208px

But if I and Tiny Pony made a very small human babby with hairy feet, would sex with her be Hobbit-forming?

HUE HUE HUE HUE HUA

>>30501711
I believe this an question for the satyr thread over here: >>30414874

early morning bump

>>30504273
Now that looks like a much happier AJ then the other pic

>>30505365
>>30503500

>>30505365
well she does have booze

File: 1499335256595.jpg (52KB, 700x515px) Image search: [Google]

52KB, 700x515px

It's too late for this bump.

>>30510391
I've woken up fucking tired beyond comprehension, but fully awake, with nerves frayed.
Consciousness is hell bump.

b

>>30511352

>>30510658
That feeling of being simultaneously extremely tired and fully awake is fucking torture

>>30512988

A lot of people said that last chapter was really disappointing. I can see why they said that, to be honest, and I hope this update will be better than last.


>"Biology in Eden was...awfully odd, to say the least. Actually, it was a sort of mixed bag. On the one hand, we found many instances of organisms from Earth like squirrels, grasses, trees, et cetera. Upon closer examination, of course, they were slightly different from Earth species, but that shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the concept of evolution. However...there were a few instances of very, very unusual flora and fauna. I won't go into detail about them - that comes later - but let's just say that this stuff is dangerous on a whole new level. That blue flower...I'm never touching anything again without at least a full hazmat suit.”
>-Cassel Donaldson, Biologist

-Luna-

>"Heave, gentlecolts!" the lieutenant yelled as his subordinates pulled on the rope. "We have to get three more tents up by sundown, and I'm not impressed!"
>Luna watched the spectacle as she walked through the encampment's wide, open pathways. Her inspection was almost complete, and from the looks of it nothing was out of place. Everything, from the positioning of the tents to the drilling of the troops, was perfect, just as expected of the Royal Guard.
>With the enormous influx of reinforcements, a lot of expansion was necessary to shelter and feed her small army. At the moment, the shelter part was being taken care of. And with the new pathway that had been hacked out of the underbrush, a steady stream of supplies would be coming in every day.
>"Now, Princess," the unicorn to her side remarked, "there's been some hiccups with the supply pathway. For one, there's been reports of timberwolves in the brush along the sides of the path, but that's to be expected in the Everfree. No attacks yet, but the convoys are guarded should they occur. Speaking of which, we've just received the grain carts..."

>>30515024

>"Yes, yes, very good, Feather Quill. Great," Luna mumbled.
>She halfheartedly nodded as her assistant rattled off statistics and predictions, the tons and gallons of provisions and supplies becoming mixed up with the morale evaluations. There were other, more important issues for her to consider. Her scouts had reported some very unsettling observations from the foreign encampment - in just a week, they had expanded to over a hundred times their previous size. They had a secure supply line, too; that portal in the middle of their camp couldn't be anything else. And they weren't just taking up space, either. Their tents were clustered tightly together with barely any room to breathe, and the widest pathway through their encampment was constantly clogged with strange carts and wagons that moved without a puller. Or maybe "trackless train" was the proper term?
>"...and so, our stocks are topped off and your troops are feeling great, even though they'll be stuck in the Everfree Forest for quite a while. We're in good shape," said Feather Quill with a sense of pride.
>"Of course, they're...trained soldiers, yes. What was next in the itinerary?"
>"Well, right now your second in command is assessing the strength of our forces with the Mage and Engineer division captains. I would recommend you speak with them."
>"Of course, of course. Where are they?" she muttered, her eyes pointed down at the dirt and grass.
>"In front of you, Princess."
>Luna suddenly froze, then looked up from the ground. They really were in front of her, sitting around a thin, spindly portable table underneath the small pavilion that had been set up for them. The three ponies hardly noticed the alicorn princess standing before them, each one carrying on with their business as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
>"Oh."

>>30515034

>She walked up to the congregation and pulled a chair out, then sat down as she assessed the others. Commander Saber Parry, a butter-coated unicorn with countless commendations from Canterlot Military Academy, stared at the map in front of her as she conversed with Catapult. Catapult was a strong yet knowledgable stallion whose brown fur was the same shade as the wood of the siege equipment he commanded. And Spellbound, the Second Tier Mage, was happily dozing off in her chair and robes as her old, grey mane flowed over her closed eyes and wrinkled face.
>The princess waited for the perfect moment to interject between Saber's and Catapult's conversation before speaking. "Hello," greeted Luna in a calm yet demanding voice as the two finished discussing the battle formations they were planning.
>"Princess Luna! Ma'am!"
>"Oh, hi Princess," Catapult yawned out.
>"At ease, Saber. So," she said as she leaned back in her seat, "you've been discussing our ability to counter the invaders?"
>"Well, I wouldn't call them invaders, Princess. They haven't really done much besides set up camp. And trust me, if the need arises, I can assure you that our cannons and trebuchets will rain havoc upon them," said Catapult with a smile.
>Luna raised an eyebrow, dubious of the siegemaster's claims. "That is good, Catapult, but how fast are your engineers?"
>"The fastest and the most accurate in all of Equestria, I assure you. Our payloads always hit their mark," he bragged boldly.
>"A boastful claim, for sure, but I don't doubt that you'll do well. And Saber, I've seen your troops train. They are quite formidable, yes?"
>"They're not the average conscript, Princess Luna. They're professionals," Saber stated in a firm, resolute growl.

>>30515040

>"But do they have experience?" Luna asked, her lips tightening as she stared at Saber. The pony could beat her chest all she wanted, but it was still up to chance how the Royal Guard would perform in an actual battle. The last time Equestria's forces faced a real threat was four hundred years ago, when a militant Gryphon monarch tried to expand his kingdom by sword. The crushing of his army at Three Claw Plateau marked the beginnings of the Long Peace, a period of stability and prosperity where wars became naught but fanciful tales of valiant battles and brave heroes. Sure, Celestia's ponies had done well in that final battle, but that was in a darker age. War and death were just as commonplace as peace and harmony.
>But after centuries of peace, her ponies had become soft. She recalled the night of her return, when her subjects cowered at the hooves of Nightmare Moon; how had nopony thought to fight back? A millennium ago, ponies actually stood up for themselves, taking arms against all that would threaten their families. Luna glanced at Catapult, who was absentmindedly carving his name into the table with a switchblade. Training was important, but it could never predict whether a fresh recruit would hold his ground or tuck tail and run. That was a constant in warfare, no matter when or where.
>The problem was that everypony, from the officers to the grunts, was a fresh recruit.
>"Hah! Let me tell you, the Royal Guard is trained to stand firm against all that may harm Equestria! Nothing can stop the unstoppable, and that's us!"
>Luna chuckled, both in appreciation of the pony's bravado and uneasily at the thought of alien weaponry. "Is that so?"
>"I do say so!" Saber exclaimed.
>"Well," the Princess sighed, "I suppose you won't mind if I let you in on some facts. Have you not read the intelligence reports?"

>>30515050

>"Oh please, who would need to? We're unstoppable! I did skim over it though, and our opponent should be easy to tackle. Why wouldn't they?" she asked.
>Of course she hadn't, Luna thought to herself. If she had, she wouldn't be so gung ho about combat with...them. This is definitely her first battle, too; she's raring for a fight. Maybe when she sees the bloody bodies of both friend and for, she'll reconsider.
>"Very well. First off, you might as well throw away your armor. It'll be useless against their foe."
>"...What do you mean?"
>"I was there when we first encountered them. Three ponies in enchanted blacksteel plate armor dropped like stones within a second. That was against one of them, by the way."
>"Well...that's no issue! Armor will just weigh-"
>"There's at least five hundred of them in their camp. That renders your ground forces dead meat."
>"Then our pegasi-"
>"Dead as well," Luna bluntly asserted. "Their weapons have no respect for the airborne nor the grounded, I can guarantee that."
>"But..."
>"We have to consider defense, too. If we were hit by them, our ponies wouldn't fly or run fast enough to escape. Those who would try to stand with their swords and spears will get a hole punched through their torsos, large enough to stick a hoof through."
>"I...no, hold on, give me a minute..."
>"Catapult, how destructive are your trebuchets?"
>"What? Oh," he quickly replied, "we've developed some mighty fine payloads that I'm willing to try out. There's an especially nasty mixture in there that combines thermal crystals with flash powder, and it'll be effective." He snatched a pile of nearby papers with his teeth and slid it over to Luna.

>>30515053

>"Great. But you're going to be attacking them, right?" Luna asked. She grabbed the wood-pulp paper and scratched her head, the modern thaumic notation flying just an inch above her head.
>"Well...that was Saber's idea, to have both offensive and defensive plans. I think the former won't be necessary, but we can't be underprepared. Right, Princess?"
>"That is true. However..."
>"Yes?" Catapult straightened up in his chair.
>"Can you take down a hydra?"
>"Excuse me, Luna?" he asked, flabbergasted at the odd question.
>"Are you able to kill or incapacitate a full-grown hydra?"
>"U-Um," he stuttered, "well, that is...the trebuchets aren't going to be effective against a moving target, and neither is our siege equipment. That leaves our cannons. We have a total of twelve medium general-purpose cannons as well as four heavy siege cannons, and our cannoneer teams are quite skilled. I'd say that we'd be able to take it down, but just barely."
>"Is that so? Impressive, I have to say." Luna smiled as the words left her lips.
>"Thank you, Luna. But really, it-"
>Her smile disappeared in an instant, the warm smirk suddenly replaced by a stern poker face. "Not good enough, unfortunately. You know how many of those beings were present during our first encounter?" she asked.
>"I...yes, of course," said Catapult, in a much less enthusiastic tone.
>"Three. And I would like to remind you, siegemaster, that an adult hydra corpse is rotting away just outside of their encampment. Put the puzzle pieces together. Three of them managed to do what you can only do with an entire platoon," she chastised, "and there's four thousand of us against...who knows how many? Five hundred? Perhaps a thousand, more likely. This goes for you too, Saber, what I'm about to say."

>>30515062

>The mare and stallion both looked at her with equal amounts of shock, uncertainty, and remorse.
>"We know that we are outmatched. But I do not know to what extent. Perhaps we can defeat them on the offensive, perhaps we will reach a bloody stalemate, perhaps they can slaughter us all without losses. This is not the time for blind assaults; we have to hold our cards in reserve."
>"What do you mean, Princess Luna?" Catapult asked.
>"Wait until we can assess their intentions, their powers and abilities, and their strengths and weaknesses. Then, and only then, can we properly formulate a plan."
>"I don't know if that'll help...they seem so impossible to fight now," Saber Parry sighed.
>"Oh, please," a high, croaky voice called put from the other side of the table.
>"But Spellbound," Saber exasperatedly yelled, "didn't you hear Princess Luna? One of theirs is worth ten of ours."
>"And I read the stupid report," the unicorn mage sighed. She barely moved as she spoke, as if she was a statue raveled in the rags and cloth of a Royal Magician. "I've been reading for my entire life, and my eyes still work as well as the day I was born. And I say that we have nothing to be concerned about."
>"Oh, we don't?" Luna asked. Something about the words the mage spoke seemed different, like they were more definite.
>Spellbound's eyes widened. "Of course not!" she suddenly cackled, her open maw revealing two sets of bare gums. "Who do you think won all those wars? Us! We ponies have the power of magic on our side, and we've used it in every battle since the beginning of time!"
>"So that's our solution, then?" Catapult asked.

>>30515082

>"They can't use magic. We can. And I've yet to see magic fail us on the open fields of battle," said Spellbound.
>"Very well," Luna smiled. "I suppose that's another rule of war I forgot about; playing to our strengths. But..."
>"What is it, Princess?" Saber asked.
>"...we still haven't seen the full extent of their powers." Luna frowned, then rested her head on the table. "I suppose we will find out soon enough."

-Andrew-

>"Andrew? Andrew Martinez? Are you present?"
>Andrew looked up, searching out the voice from among the eternal bustle of the Portgate operations floor. He let go of the cart handle as he looked around amongst the mass of personnel, the shout just barely detectable through the din and noise.
>"Martinez! We need you!"
>The technician pulled another blue-clothed worker away from his work and asked him to take care of his cart, then jogged over towards the call.
>"I'm here! Andrew, over here!"
>Someone in a dress shirt and khakis turned towards Andrew, then raised his hand and began to walk towards him.
>"Martinez," he greeted Andrew as the two shook hands, "we have an assignment for you. And it's much more interesting than manual labor."
>"Oh really?" he asked.
>"Yes sir. Right through the portal, follow me."

>>30515095

>The man led the way as he and Andrew walked towards the Portgate. "So," Andrew asked, what am I going to be doing?"
>"Well, a few hours ago we just received some...very interesting packages from, um...what was it? That one company...oh well. Anyways," he said as the pure white of fluorescent lighting was replaced by the warm glow of sunlight, "we found quite a cache of weaponry inside the boxes."
>"Woah, isn't that security's job to be handling things like that?"
>"Yes, but..." he sighed, "it's a bit different. These weapons are brand new models, much different from our standard gear. There's a huge variety, too. And frankly, security is having a hard time making heads or tails of their new equipment."
>"Still," Andrew asked as the two made way for a cargo truck, "they really couldn't figure it out?"
>"Well...you'll just have to see. Right this way, to the right. I'm serious, this is stuff I don't think anyone but a skilled technician could handle."
>"Alright, I guess." Andrew shrugged. "Better than lifting boxes, I guess."
>"Great. In here, please," the man gestured as he waved towards the tent to the left. It was twice as large as the ones, and if Andrew recalled correctly it was security's territory. He stared at the pile of boxes in front of the tent, then walked through the entrance...and almost tripped over another box.
>All of the tables in the room were occupied by cardboard boxes of all shapes and sizes, with security personnel fiddling away at the contents of each one. Their confused faces spoke volumes as they squinted at what Andrew assumed to be instruction manuals, although each one was almost as big as a phone book. Alongside the boxes and manuals lay a smorgasbord of tools and parts, strewn across the tabletop in a cluttered mess.
>"...s-so, what do I do now?" Andrew meekly asked.
>"Help figure out what exactly's going on."

>>30515104

>Andrew slowly walked over to the nearest table slack-jawed as he picked up a manual. "Lockheed-Martin Experimental CR-22.18 Caseless Modular Rifle, this manual not for use by any persons other than authorized..."
>"Oh, that's not what we're having serious trouble with. Over here," said the man from the other side of the room.
>"What exactly is all this?"
>"That's for you to find out, Mr. Martinez. I think this is the one that's been the most perplexing."
>Andrew sighed as he looked at the strange assortment of unassembled parts on the table. "What is this?"
>"Here's the manual," he replied as he handed Andrew what seemed to be an encyclopedia at first glance.
>"Can't they put this on a tablet?" he asked as he read the title of the hefty manual. "Lockheed-Martin BX-LR Prototype #2983-03, wait...automated railgun sentry?! Are you serious?!"
>Andrew lifted his head to ask the man just what was going on, but he was nowhere to be found. He set the manual on the table with a solid thud and quickly tiptoed through the mess of boxes on the plywood floor towards the entrance, poking his head through the flaps when he reached it. The man had vanished into thin air, right when Andrew had needed him the most.
>"Well," he sighed, "I wouldn't expect him to be anything but intimidated. God, are we for real?"
>The technician shuffled through the tent back to his table, staring at the cardboard boxes piled up to the ceiling on it. He grabbed one out of the stack and cut the top open with his multi-tool, hooking it back onto his belt loop as he opened the top flaps.

>>30515112

>Inside was a jumble of parts and fasteners set in packing foam, the collection so massive that Andrew's head almost swam as he stared at it. Rows upon rows of metal tubes, plastic plates, and copper coils lay tightly packed next to an enormous array of circuit boards and wires and plastic baggies of bolts and fasteners. The largest item that Andrew saw as he pulled out piece after piece was a white plastic frame for what he assumed would be the body of the turret, which he set down next to the tripod legs and the camera. Some of the parts, he noticed, had warning labels on them - warning labels that made Andrew more than a little nervous.
>As the last extra screw was dumped out of the empty cardboard box, Andrew threw the packaging on the ground and stared at the assortment of parts before him. With a sigh, he grabbed the manual and flipped through the pages, setting it back down when he had found the assembly instructions. Assembling the turret would be fun, he told himself as he scanned the table for the first part he needed. Just like Legos.
>A minute later, he frowned as he looked over the table a second, then a third and fourth time. It didn't take long for him to remember the reason he had never liked Lego sets as a child.

>>30515119

-Cavern-

>Warmth.
>She had not left for so long, content in lying in her resting place and feeling the blissful warmth in her body. Perhaps the occasional foray outside the cave for food, but nothing too flashy. Just enough to live by.
>Hundreds of years had passed since the last time she had expanded her hoard, millennia since her birth. That day of carnage, that brief yet unimaginably intense moment of red fire and golden bounty, was long passed, forgotten to those who had suffered her wrath and their descendants. Distant memories, to reminisce about in her early retirement.
>She couldn't have done it again anyways, at least not now. It was becoming harder and harder to find wealth without being struck down by the ponies or the gryphons, their attacks fiercer then ever before. Her wings and scales bore testament to that fact, the scars and punctures still sore after centuries.
>Adult dragons in the middle of their lives will find a point at which their hoard becomes substantial, when the fruits they reap are to be consumed in comfort. They will then search the land for a suitable mate, combining their hoards and raising up to three children in a new, larger cavern that they "feel out" with their magic.
>"But what dragon would want to birth young into such a cruel and unforgiving world?" she asked herself. "There is no wealth for them to seek out, no jewels or precious metals to find. The ponies have taken it all," she lamented as she stroked her red, scaly wings. They had taken it all, and there would be none for her children.
>Flames shot out of her nostrils as she snorted, the orange trickles of heat making the air shimmer and wave. This was a troubling idea, but it could wait. She would think about it later, perhaps in a few months. There was no need to concern herself...at least, not for the moment...

>>30515124

>Something suddenly stirred within her, a sort of yearning that she had almost forgotten dozing off in her cave. She rolled over on her bed of gold and silver, suddenly unable to relax in her domain. Not since her younger years had she felt this strange sensation, as if there was something out there to add to her collection.
>And that smell...that faint yet unmistakable smell that was in the air...
>Perhaps she would find her answer sooner rather than later.
>For the first time in almost a decade, the dragon rose from her fiery nest and surveyed her surroundings. The cave had seemed fine just a day ago, but now it seemed too empty and barren to her scrupulous eyes. Her wings stretched out from her sides, the enormous leathery flaps nearly touching the stone ceiling.
>It was time to fly again.

These interim chapters between big events are necessary, but I always feel like they're less exciting and generally worse than the bigger ones. Hopefully, I didn't screw up as bad this time.

But seriously, I am glad that I'm getting legit criticism over my writing. Every little bit of advice helps, positive or negative, and I'm always ready to accept each comment that I get. Again, thank you all so much for reading my story and helping me improve.

>>30515155
Okay. Comment part 1/2 here.

These bits feel like filler, just a bit. Both sides--we hope it won't come down to a war, but both sides are making ready for battle.

Fortunately, Luna, in your story, is not an idiot, for which I am thankful (and I think she'd call the group of cannon units to which she refers as a "battalion," if we're using our military terms terms, it sounds like three four-gun general purpose batteries with a four-gun heavy battery). She is able to see what is plain before her, and has been able to guess, shrewdly, that she has not seen all or even most of the humans' capabilities.

It would be logical, I suppose, and this is just a guess, for her to try to find someone really skilled at learning foreign languages, or maybe a unicorn with a language spell that won't seem threatening to the humans when it is used in their presence (a "learn language" spell that results in a randomly selected human bystander being surrounded by an obvious magical aura is going to get the full and sincere attention of several hundred twitchy guys armed with the latest thing in automatic weapons, and if that person falls down, or has a seizure, or blood starts shooting out of his ears and eye sockets, Luna's going to need to put up a "help wanted" ad in the Canterlot Times to try to find someone willing to try again), and try to talk this out before it escalates any further.

>>30515281
Comment 2/2 here.

I am wondering how large the human position has grown to. I am going to assume that the humans have created field fortifications--that it is, if not a "real" firebase, then a damn good approximation of one, complete with forest cut clear for hundreds of meters in all directions from its perimeter in order to prevent unobserved infiltration and force hostiles to cross half a klick of open ground in the teeth of heavy machinegun and mortar fire. Maybe a central firebase area at least half a kilometer across, with sandbag bunkers, pillboxes, trenches that have overhead cover for at least a couple companies of infantry, armed with everything from mortars to heavy belt-fed stuff to antitank missiles to portable SAMs. I assume that the 500 personnel whom Luna mentioned are researchers, the rest are enough soldiers to constitute, at the moment, a badly understrength infantry battalion--one which is being reinforced further with every truck coming through the portal.

I'm guessing, also, that whoever set up the firebase read the book and wasn't a fool. I'm imagining land mines and concertina wire, and fields of razorwire tanglefoot created specifically to funnel attackers into positions already pre-targeted for mortar fire and direct-fire from crew-served belt-fed direct-fire heavy weapons. I'm imagining there are a dozen or more little well-camouflaged observation posts and listening posts around the periphery, accessed via tunnels, with well-trained people staring continuously into the forest and into the sky with thermal vision gear and ground surveillance radar, with other crews watching the seismic detectors for signs of hostiles digging tunnels or other cleverness. I'm imagining an infantry battalion's scout platoon is creeping through the underbrush for kilometers in all directions, their faces painted green, and they probably know almost as much about the pony forces as the ponies know about them.

>>30515155
While the interim chapters may not be as bombastic as the big event ones, They do have a crucial role in getting and keeping us invested in the story. If we are not invested than the payoff doesn't matter.

>>30515330
This is now my headcanon for this story.

>>30515885
I wonder how long it would take four or six bulldozers with skilled crews (assuming sufficient fuel for them is coming through the portal to keep them running) to clear an area of thick forest maybe a mile across. I'm imagining a full-on Iraq (or Vietnam) style firebase for a battalion, with lots of rubble-filled Hesco barriers, razorwire and Czech hedgehogs and felled trees converted into spiked barriers. I'm also assuming .50 cals and automatic grenade launchers set up with pre-planned interlaced and interlocking fields of fire already set up, mortars dug in, pre-aimed Claymores set up with tripwires to cover all the more plausible-looking lines of approach, and all the rest.

The humans can't win against an entire planet--but Luna has already figured that she hasn't brought enough cannon fodder to evict them by force, nor enough body bags. The ponies would win in the end, if only because Luna and Celestia would have to pick up an honest-to-God actual mountain--imagine them pulling a blob of rock a mile or two across out of the ground some distance away, and just dropping it on the humans' position, after the body count passes some point where the Princesses can no longer justify throwing more lives away.

Then they get to spend the next century wondering when and where the next portal is going to open (assuming it isn't someone else--there may be nastier high-tech civilizations out there), and what human tricks they haven't seen yet. Things could pretty clearly get a lot nastier, quickly.

I am hoping we're seeing the light bulb coming on over Luna's head, and her realizing that at this point they really need to talk, and that she needs to figure out how to make this happen before anyone else dies.

I like smart Luna, and want to see the Princesses do the right thing the first time, without starting a war.

File: 2jbpmhd.png (373KB, 600x300px) Image search: [Google]

373KB, 600x300px

>>30515330
Reminds me of GATE

>>30515979
mmkay, I'm seeing estimates online that it's five acres per hour per bulldozer, this assuming daylight in which to work, good weather, no mechanical breakdowns or monsters carrying off the operators.

Assuming six dozers and fuel, and good weather? A square mile is two days work for them, with plenty of time left over on day 2 to do things like dig out hull-down positions for armored vehicles, smooth out a helipad, assemble piles of earth and rubble to fill Hesco barriers, construct a clear and navigable dirt road across the mile-wide clearing they've made, and so on.

I wonder if Luna has noticed THAT too, how quickly the humans cleared out a mile-wide patch in the middle of the monster-filled Everfree Forest... and did it without using any magic whatsoever. The troops in her encampment may be gung-ho, but she is already adding up the numbers in her head, I think, and not liking what this tells her about the humans' capabilities.

>>30516005
One hopes it doesn't get to that point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBzZycw9APw

>>30516056
Doctor-anon in equestria when?

File: 057.jpg (37KB, 680x585px) Image search: [Google]

37KB, 680x585px

>>30515281
>>30515330
>>30515514
>>30515979
>>30516010

Dang, this is in depth!

But anyways, in my head things aren't quite to that scale yet. You have to remember that access to the Portgate is through a tunnel 8 stories deep into the ground, through only two lanes at a time. Adding in the occasional complication, there's not going to be a lot of traffic, and not a lot of expansion.

For now, they're making do with sandbags and light machine guns hastily borrowed from the nearby surplus warehouse, though they now have some very special new weaponry to use. And I'd say that forest clearing hadn't quite started yet, although the meadow is actually rather sizeable and has some free space around the edges. Right now it's just a (somewhat) small collection of tents, since there's literally an enormous underground bunker a minute's walk away. Plus, the only threats recently observed were a few mini-horses with swords - not enough for anti-air defenses. There was the hydra corpse, but I would put off shoving heavy artillery through a narrow supply tunnel deep underground until later. The Portgate project was primarily a research/exploration project, so the "security" (not military quite yet) forces are still relatively light. Relative to human standards, of course.

Any good
"Ha HA, TAKE THAT TWILIGHT YOU MAGIC SUPREMACIST PIECE OF CRAP"
Story that is done comically, not so much dark or murdery?

>>30516089
There's already a Doctor Who pony though....

>>30516399
>though they now have some very special new weaponry to use.
Like tf2's lvl 1 sentry gun? (Or Overwatch's, same turret design)

>>30476220
>>30475170
The story'll be updated in this thread or the next

>>30516483
PeteQ's science rainbow dash story is cute and light hearted story, that might interest you

http://pastebin.com/9H8f7A0s

>>30516483
Try https://pastebin.com/dBEPLt7C

>>30516399
Luna saying this line when?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-JA1ffd5Ms

File: awesome story.png (196KB, 636x587px) Image search: [Google]

196KB, 636x587px

>>30518484

>>30518484
Based

File: wasp_58mm.jpg (312KB, 1200x1600px) Image search: [Google]

312KB, 1200x1600px

>>30516399
>Plus, the only threats recently observed were a few mini-horses with swords - not enough for anti-air defenses.

Plus magic. I would have figured that descriptions of Luna's personal shield, when they debriefed the troops, would have had them shitting their pants and at the very least busting out crates of old LAAW rocket launchers. If they are a European organization and prefer to buy European products, they have a lot of choices. Pic related.

Princess Luna's personal magic shield barely stopped a mag of rifle ammo. The 58mm WASP is supposedly capable of penetrating 40+ cm of hardened steel plating, plus generating a considerable amount of fragmentation from its casing.

>>30516399
Isn't the portgate like 5 stories tall? Wouldn't they design the facility it so that they could get heavy machinery down there easily for building and maintaining it? Feels odd they just have tents and sandbags

>>30520534
The alternative is moving prefabricated steel buildings through but those would be far more expensive for minimal benefits.

As to the sandbags, they are one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods of stopping any (known to them) projectile which seeing as they know there are locals with metal swords. Seems like a good precaution.


Anyhow, these guys were primarily an economic and scientific expedition. The fact they had enough of this shit at the ready to establish a large base-camp is impressive.

>pg 9
>>30521298
Hesco barriers are very inexpensive, though it's labor-intensive to set them up and fill them if you don't have earthmoving equipment beyond shovels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesco_bastion

They're collapsible wire enclosures lined with layers of tough fiberglass cloth. The troops unpack them and fill them with sand, rocks, or whatever rubble are available, and set them up in lines to make walls. It goes much faster if you have bucketloaders, power excavators, or similar equipment available.

Oddly, they weren't even invented for military purposes. They were created as a method faster and more efficient than filling sandbags by hand for emergency flood control, and erosion control. Then during the Iraq war someone in the Pentagon said, "Hmm, we need a faster way to build walls around firebases."

File: firebase.png (24KB, 1121x814px) Image search: [Google]

24KB, 1121x814px

Because I'm autistic, this is what I had imagined, but I'm not the author.

The cleared area of forest would be a bit over a mile across. Brown lines are rows of Heco barriers--the outer walls. Black triangles are the gates and associated bunkers. Curving lighter brown lines are the road. Black diamonds are heavy weapons bunkers which depending on time and place are likely to contain everything from .50 cals to heavy recoilless rifles.

Red triangles are OPs, observation posts--bunkers with a full infantry squad in them, watching all possible avenues of approach out of the jungle, I mean, forest. Blue triangles are LPs, carefully camouflaged two-man positions with technical specialists staring into the jungle with thermal night vision gear, ground surveillance radar, watching the output of seismic detection gear, and so on, in constant communication with the interior of the firebase, and usually eventually with the ability to unass their positions and get back inside the firebase through tunnels or at least covered trenches if things get hot--they're there to give advance warning, and maybe call for artillery, not to fight directly.

Within the firebase itself would be everything from barracks for all the soldiers and scientists, to lab space, to prefab buildings for the clerk-typists to fill out and submit forms, to a very small field hospital, to a mess hall, to a helipad. Plus, of course, if it's a real firebase, mortars dug in, plus (putting the "fire" in "firebase") up to a full battery (six ot eight guns) of 105mm or 155mm artillery, though stuff that heavy isn't going to be there yet.

Stuff outside the walls, in between the firebase walls and the edge of the forest, is going to be what would look to the uninitiated like random patches of concertina wire and tanglefoot and, less obviously, minefields, intended to channel an attacker into a preplanned, pre-aimed artillery barrage. The scouts going in and out would know where the minefields are, to avoid them.

>>30522240
>tfw I made the "map" and I mixed up the shapes I used in the description

I hope it's still understandable

Newfag here,got any good Human vs Pony war story?I just finished Conversion and thirsty for more

File: 1499493253740.gif (2MB, 400x224px) Image search: [Google]

2MB, 400x224px

>>30522721
>just finished Conversion
Conversion Bureau?

>>30522826
Ye

File: 1492109716631.jpg (10KB, 224x225px) Image search: [Google]

10KB, 224x225px

>>30523059
Why
A human-pony war would be a no contest victory for the humans, as the technological edge is simply too great
Potions don't quite do much to drones and supersonic missiles
Then you account for the fact that humans probably have more soldiers than the ponies have population, and the horsies are in a bit of a pickle when they start converting by force

>>30523225
Because autists will always argue in favor of Magic when it comes to magic vs. tech.

The worst are the ones that take a universe with well established magic rules (Which, MLP admittedly, is not), and completely disregard them in favor of their own headcanon which boils down to "Lel, it's magic, nothing can top it"

Like It-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named and it's TCB story in which Celestia somehow crystallizes(?) an explosion from an absurdly large nuclear weapon (I think it was like 6 gigatons or something), from like a couple feet away. How does that ever pass a sanity check?

>>30523252
Honestly, all modern humanity would have to do to win is introduce them to their fandom, and then threaten to unleash said fandom like a wave of cancer.
They'd be scared shitless.

File: 1499830644508.jpg (75KB, 604x453px) Image search: [Google]

75KB, 604x453px

>>30523272

b

>pg 8

>>30523272
That's probably true, though I have read an absolutely adorable story of portals to technicolor tiny hoers land appearing in our world, and ponies introducing themselves to the public at petting zoos.

It was cute. No >rape, attempted or otherwise, took place, and they mostly found themselves swarmed with adoring children who wanted to brush them, plus a few neckbeards who didn't get grabby.

>>30523225
S'why i'm looking for stories with humans as victorious.

File: implied_dumbass.jpg (34KB, 737x501px) Image search: [Google]

34KB, 737x501px

>>30523252
>Ch*toyance
>"How does that even pass a sanity check?"

>>30523736
that does sound kind of cute

>>30524024
If you're looking for modernish humans than Portgate's story looks like it might be going down that path. Still too early to tell.

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/357566/the-portgate

>>30524065
How bad was the story that everyone here self censors the author's name? Holy fuckballs.

File: 1463068098320.jpg (75KB, 500x619px) Image search: [Google]

75KB, 500x619px

>>30526297
That creature is the very definition of misanthrope
The assignment ass bandit is one of those hardcore "humanity is a virus and should die" niglets, and took to TCB like a fly to shit
They're the type of person that can stand as a strong argument in favour of reopening auschwitz

>>30527284
>assignment
Fucking autocorrupt
Just want to shitpost about shitters while on the shitter

File: dare_you_enter.jpg (66KB, 1280x720px) Image search: [Google]

66KB, 1280x720px

>>30526297
However bad you're imagining it, it's worse.

And we don't speak his name, lest he appear here and shit up the thread with furrydrama/trannydrama. And however bad you're imagining THAT, it's worse.

>>30527284
The Chatty One has drawn a webcomic or two--which are, surprisingly, mostly not terribly bad, with a lot of the things we say we enjoy in fiction--detailed worldbuilding (to the point of inventing detailed new cosmologies for the universes in which they are set), strong characterizations, decent dialogue.

But it also becomes painfully obvious as you're reading that The Chatty One has a morbid fascination, well-nigh a full-blown obsession, with, shall we say, "alternate sexualities." He's one of those gay men who has a fetish for straight guys and likes to pretend to be a girl, and even had surgery to help him in this regard, apparently.

Anyway. In addition to giving us a guided tour of his fucked-up, repugnant sexual fetishes, he's one of those people who really, really wants everyone to know three things:

1. he's an atheist
2. corollary to 1, he's much, much smarter than me and you
3. he really, really, really hates organized religion in general and Catholics/the Catholic Church in particular

Oh, and if you think Chatty is batshit? Look in his comic forums and you will see people who make Chr*s-ch*n look like the epitome of human sanity and function. Half the posts there are "I hate myself and I want to die because of fursecution/religious people don't approve of me/I have daddy issues/Mommy doesn't believe me when I say I was an anime character in a former life/I caught teh ghey, but I rilly rilly wuv oo, Chatty." You know how Chr*s-ch*n is a train wreck? The forum is, or was the last time I dared look, some kind of meta-train-wreck composed of thousands of individual mutually interacting train wrecks, such that it would really probably take more than three dimensions to describe or depict it accurately.

You ain't seen nothing yet, broseph.

>>30524840
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/357758/the-platonic-pony-petting-caf

Manes get brushed. Snooters get booped. "And just for once, everybody lives!"

You're welcome.

>>30527465
Thanks I'll read through it when I have some spare time

>>30529497

>>30527376
sounds like a real piece of work

>>30530524

>>30531954
That's putting it mildly to say the least

>>30534795
>Cyberpunk Marshmallow
>making some kinda cyberhelmet

And you know it will be fabulous.

p9

>>30534833
>white slut being intelligent enough to make one
>implying she would ever get her hooves dirty around any kind of hard work/tech

>>30535787
You don't know Rarity all that well do you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0tApN3SpPg

>>30534833
I can just picture her meticulously placing and soldering each component with the same care and precision as gems on a dress

>>30535771
7

Internet porn when?

>>30436923
What is the name of the coloring program that been used in OP's picture?

>>30538833
looks like it's PaintsChainer

>>30539295
Thanks Anon. I been searching for this program for almost half an hour.

>>30539295
I'm curious as to how you found out.

Was there metadata in the file, or did you do some kind of reverse image lookup and ask the original artist, or...? I gots to know.

>>30539475
I just remember seeing the program before when I was looking for programs that could color black and white pictures

>>30539534
Okay. And the results are distinctive, and it wasn't done with GIMP or Photoshop?

>>30539543
It might have been touched up in gimp or photoshop but paintschainer has a distinctive enough style.

https://twitter.com/hashtag/PaintsChainer?src=hash

>>30539810
Oh, okay. That seems like a fair enough analysis.

File: 857531-colored.jpg (110KB, 704x512px) Image search: [Google]

110KB, 704x512px

>>30539861
I find with a little touching up it's a really nice program

>>30540852
It looks like it colors with a sort of watercolor look. I'm sorry, I'm not an artist. If these are examples of what you can do with it, it looks like it makes the pictures you color with it look like someone painted them with watercolors, if that makes more sense. I know there may be more technical terms for it, but I'm not an artist and am not sure where I'd even look it up.

File: paintschainer.png (526KB, 1147x900px) Image search: [Google]

526KB, 1147x900px

>>30540931
It's a neural network and it does most of the actual coloring by itself. You just upload the base image and then scribble in color lines to guide the network on what you want. If you don't it'll still color it in sepia tones. So my example here shows the results of just the base image and the base image+color hints

>>30541201
A neural network that does pseudo-watercolors?

That's amazing. At the same time I wonder who had the idea and how it got pitched at the meetings. "Let's build a neural net AI and teach it to paint with watercolors" isn't the sort of thing I would expect to bring in the venture capital bux.

>>30541244
It seems like it was created by pixiv as part of an art app called pixiv sketch. And since the app is free there's little reason not to just offer this part of it for free as well. I'm guess the reason they made was to get more people to use their website or something

>>30541201
I get the picture just how I want it, but ONE line change later, the entire color pallete has changed. Why? ;_;

>>30529497

Well, I said I would get Chapter 7 out in early July, and unfortunately I have to break that promise because the chapter is not done yet and I now have a terrible case of writer's block. Even if I did get it done this week, that would put posting firmly in late July after I send it to my editor, which usually takes a week or two. So, I'm going to at least keep everyone happy and post what I have so far (which is fairly significant), then come back whenever I have more. Once again, I'm terribly sorry.

>The copper tea kettle whistles cheerily as its liquid contents come to rolling boil.
>Carefully lifting it with your magic, you pour two tea-filled mugs with clear fluid, watching the hot steam rise in translucent clouds, then drop a spoonful of tea leaves in each.
>Having returned from the bookshop, Anonymous quietly sits in an armchair thumbing the pages of the leather-bound tome as you levitate a cup over to him.
>“Thank you,” he mutters, flicking over to the next page.
>You sit yourself in a chair 90 degrees from his, and pull down your own reading for the day.
>For a few moments, the two of you sip your tea and tear into the pages vigorously, until, abruptly, Anonymous slams his book shut.
>“I hate this,” he says. “This is all just a distraction.”
>He gets up and marches over to the basement stairway.
>Following suit, you trot over to block his path.
“Wait! Come on, that had to at least be nice, getting your mind off of everything for -”
>“No, that was exactly the problem! I couldn’t - I can’t stop thinking about... problems.”
“Alright, then sit,” you say, gently leading him back to the chairs. “And let’s just talk about it.”
>Grudgingly, he sits back down.
>“Fine. You want to talk? Let’s start with the newest revelation. The philosophical consequences - and paradoxes - of reverse causality are enormous in and of themselves, obviously enough, and to translate those consequences into a coherent physical theory is virtually impossible,” he says.

>>30542863

>You can’t help but sort of internally sigh.
>You’d hoped that he’d be opening up about his friendship issues but….
>“Every conceivable equation would need to be rewritten to account for the fact that actions in the future could affect the past, unless this power were somehow limited to specific forces. Every theory I know of, even my own, concludes that time travel is impossible, unless one travels from the present to the future.”
“Well, the conditions for time travel are extremely limited,” you reply, attempting to console him. “Pinkie’s gift is one example. I’ve experimented with one short-term time travel spell, but it seems to require a stable temporal loop. For it to be possible, whatever you do in the past must ultimately lead to you activating the spell and traveling back in time.”
“I see.”
“However, and this is just a theory that I’ve thought up, a more powerful version of that spell could be created that eliminated that requirement, but the amount of energy required would be phenomenal.”
>“Unfortunately that puts us back in the problem still. Reverse time travel can’t be allowed under any circumstances.”
“And yet, that’s what happens.”
>He nods, solemn.
>“Indeed. But, let’s go back even before that. You told me that magical systems can create more energy than what is put into them. Doing this is also forbidden, and I have yet to find a way to circumvent this issue, especially because you also mentioned that the amount of extra energy varies, and I’ve verified this with some of the other sources in your library.”
“Well, no one’s been able to fully explain the Grand Law of Magic. We just sort of taken it for granted.”
>“And that can sometimes be what you need. Barring a full, deeper explanation for some law, it may be simple enough to take at as almost like a logical prior of the universe. An observable factoid that gives the universe structure, which we can perhaps probe at a later date.”

>>30542868

>You nod.
>“But, supposing I could explain reverse causality and the Grand Law, there would still be even deeper problems than those. I could write down some law that explained all of magic’s effects, but for it to be scientific it would also need to make testable predictions. It would need to propose something new.”
>He looks into the swirling tea leaves.
>“That’s where the real problem lies.”
>What Anonymous has said stews in your mind for a few moments.
>“You’ve run yourself ragged for the past week,” you finally say. “You need to take a break. You can’t do this to yourself.”
“I need to. Problems need to be solved.”
>“And there’s plenty of time to solve them. This one and others. Because you’re still leaving out one part of your theory.”
“What?”
>“Friendship.”
“That’s…. I’ve agreed to try to fix myself, but there is no conceivable way that connections to others somehow affect some sort of physical force. It’s irrelevant.”
>“It’s not. Maybe… okay, this might sound crazy, but -”
“But what?”
>“Maybe if we solve your friendship problem, then you’ll figure out the magic problem!”
>Anonymous returns your smile with a sullen frown.
>“I’m going for a walk,” he says.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
>He thinks for a moment, but shakes his head no as he leaves through the door.
>“I can’t have any distractions,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
>You can’t help but sigh.
>Some work still needs to be done.
>You pace for a few moments, rueing your indecisiveness in that you hadn’t obligated him to let you come.
>It wasn’t too late to fix that, you suppose, as you head out the door only a few moments behind him.

>The low sun of the late afternoon was your only companion as you strolled along with your hands in your pockets and your brain still tossing thoughts back and forth in a never-ending game of ping pong.
>There wasn’t much else to explain; you’d laid your thoughts bare for Twilight.
>Perhaps she could make something of this mess.

>>30542871

>At least the air was fresh and the sky was blue as a robin’s egg, minus a small, very quickly moving speck, shooting overhead like a fighter jet in pursuit of some enemy target.
>As if it were a hawk spotting a shrew, the object pirouettes around and heads in your general direction.
>Your curiosity over who or what this thing is overtakes your instinct to take cover as a blue pegasus shoots down in front of you, landing with a strong draft of air that kicks up a low cloud of dust.
>“Hey! You!” a scratchy, high-pitched voice says.
>Rainbow Dash - that’s her name - you recall, noticing her Technicolor mane.
“Is there something you require?” you state flatly. “I’ll have you know I’m a bit preoccupied right now with other things - even if it might not seem that way - so I’d appreciate if you’d move aside.”
>The mare snorts and stamps her front right hoof.
>Frowning, you move to get around her, though she dashes, much as her namesake would imply, and blocks you again.
>“You hurt my friends,” she says.
“Excuse me?”
>“Don’t you play dumb! Twilight says you’re smart. Why did you betray her?”
>You blink.
“Betray? Well, you’re certainly proving your commitment to your Element to use such a strong term. Loyalty, was it not?”
>“Uh, yeah?” Dash says, her voice wavering ever so slightly. “What do you care about loyalty?”
“I don’t particularly. I’m more trying to understand why your faith in your friends is so strong that you’d act so violently.”
>“I’m not acting violently.”
>You try to get around her again, failing a second time.
“You’re blocking me quite aggressively.”
>“Well - uh - I need to talk to you. I need to -”
“You want to hurt me for what I did, or, rather, what you think I did. You think you’re the noble knight in shining armor coming to the rescue. In any other situation it would be quite poetic.”
>“And it’s not here because?”

>>30542877

“Because, first of all, you’re not just doing this out of loyalty. You’re doing this because you’re impulsive. Otherwise, you would have taken the time to find out that I have apologized for my actions, and we - Twilight and I - are in the process of working things out.”
>Rainbow Dash takes a step back at that, but then says, “Oh, so you said some words to her then? That just means you’re scheming some new way to hurt her.”
“That’s a strong accusation,” you reply. “Pray tell, do you plan to provide evidence to back that up?”
>A small crowd of ponies gathers around you to watch the shouting match.
>“I don’t need to prove it. I just need to prevent it.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
>“I’m going to make you pay for what you’ve done,” Rainbow Dash says, narrowing her eyes.
“I’m afraid I don’t believe I owe anything that I would need to pay for,” you say, but then Dash tackles you and knocks you into the dirt.
>She stands above you, almost snarling.
“That was unwise,” you say, planting an arm down to stand.
>“Then this is even less!”
>Dash goes for your arm, hitting it like a bicycle kickstand as you pull it aside and sending you again sprawling into the dirt.
>She slams her hips against your chest, knocking the wind out of you.
>You reflexively shield your face with your arms and hands, your mind racing to come up with a plan to escape as blows hammer down upon your only line of defense.
>She’s light enough that you can easily throw her off you, but you can’t get her that far.
>You need a good point of leverage.
>Shifting your defense, you notice the pair of wings before you provide the perfect spot to grab.
>Shooting out your hands, you latch onto the downy feathers.
>“Let me go!” Dash growls.
“I think not.”
>She lifts herself up and punches you hard in the face, a trickle of warm, crimson blood running down your forehead into your right eye where her hard hoof dug into your skull.

>>30542883

>It’s the last thing you feel before a second hit lands on your temple, sending you into sudden blackness.

>You arrive just in time to see Rainbow Dash for some reason knocking Anonymous unconscious.
“What in Celestia’s name are you doing?” you shout, galloping through the small throng of ponies surrounding the two combatants.
>Dash snorts.
>“I was just dealing with that squirt,” she says. “I can’t believe he was still in town.”
“Of course he was still in town! Why would he leave town? Why would you beat someone to a pulp just for being in town?”
>“He betrayed your trust, Twilight. You let him into your home and he took advantage of you.”
“Yeah, but he apologized for that!”
>Dash steps back.
>“He what?”
“He said he was sorry and that he was going to try to change. I mean, it was a bit more complicated than that, but still.”
>“Then… oh Celestia....”
>Her eyes go very wide.
>Suddenly everything fits together, like reassembling the pieces of a vase that was rudely kicked off a coffee table.
“Rainbow Dash, if you -”
>“I didn’t know, Twilight - I - I thought he might be lying when he said he apologized! And then he was egging me on about my Element and -”
>You take a deep breath and sharply exhale.
“No. There’s no sense in agonizing over a misunderstanding,” you say, collecting yourself.
“It is only fortunate that his injuries do not look to serious. Do you think you can carry him back to the library?”
>Dash only nods and scoops Anonymous onto her back.
>His body surrounded by a purple aura as a you tend to his wounds, you take him back to the library, cursing that you hadn’t forced him to take you with him.

>>30542889

>You write at your desk when the walls begin to melt and shift like rainbow candle wax exposed to a heat lamp, and then you realize that you aren’t at your desk at all.
>From the mirage of twisting colors emerges the long slender figure of Discord, sitting cross-legged and filing at his nails.
>“You know, I thought you’d have this all figured out by now,” he says. “I mean, you were so quick to reject my little deal back - eight hours, 16 minutes, 32 point nine nine eight two -”
“Go away.”
>“And it doesn’t seem that you’re taking much of Ms. Sparkle’s lessons to heart, now are you? Aren’t you supposed to be learning to be nicer to people?”
“That isn’t your concern. What do you want?”
>“Just some idle conversation.”
“I really don’t have time for this.”
>You try to get up to leave, but you run into an invisible wall.
>Behind you, Discord is making a square with his mismatched index fingers and thumbs, a fanged smirk slinking across his face.
>“Having trouble?” he asks.
>Your eyes narrow.
“Are you just here to bother me, or do you actually plan on making use of our limited time? Presumably I will wake up eventually, and then you have to deal with Twilight -”
>“Oooh, so you’re on a first-name basis now, are you?”
>You don’t reply, and Discord sighs.
>“Fine, fine,” he says. “I have a question to ask you. What is the one constant of the universe?”
“There isn’t one,” you answer immediate. “There are many fundamental constants that seem to be -”
>Discord wags his finger.
>“No, not that type of constant, you silly. I’ll ask you again. What’s the one constant of the universe?”
“I’m not playing the game of unanswerable questions.”
>Discord summons a steel pendulum, split in two by a pivot point.
>“What is the one constant of the multiverse?” he asks. “Let me show you.”
>He taps the double pendulum with a decent amount of force.