-
An undisclosed location
-
"Look, there's a sign. 'Shady Acres Strip Mall.' Huh."
"What's a strip mall?"
"I don't... wait, what do you mean, "what's a strip mall"? This has been here ever since we moved here."
The two figures regarded the squat, dirty gray building of concrete and glass. It stood out against the surrounding architecture of brightly painted wood and colorful stucco homes and shops which surrounded the wide, circular section of cobblestone where the town's two major roads met.
"What are you talking about? I've never seen it before in my life, and we take this street every day! It's the town square, for crying out loud."
"Sure... sure it's been! I mean... hasn't it? I remember it, I think..."
"Actually, I do remember it. Or at least, I have memories of it being here. I'm so confused. What's going on?"
"I don't know. I feel like I've been split in two. I just... I just don't know."
---
MEANWHILE...
-
Chocolate Wasted Tavern
Silmaria, Marete, Gloriana
-
"Aye, ye've heard true."
The grizzled old lizard stood behind the inn's weathered pine bartop. It looked like the last time it had been maintained, fire was the hippest new thing going.
"Strange shapes shuffling about the darkness in the swamps, lights in the tower we thought abandoned," the barkeep continued, idly wiping a glass with a rag. Neither of these things were ever going to be clean. "Many a hunter and a few of the guard have come in to my tavern with a terrible fright in their eyes, telling stories of hideous beasts in the swamps, far more terrifying than anything roaming the wilds outside the gates. In a place like this, I know enough to be suspicous of rumors, but these are no campfire stories. Their faces speak true."
"Could you show me the location of this tower?" asked the female lizard he had been speaking to. She laid a map out on one of the few dry spots and smoothed it out. Small scale, it showed mostly just the town's layout and the surrounding region.
"Aye, as anyone here could." The old lizard bent over slightly to study the parchment, flicking the gold ring set in to one of the fins sprouting from his head as he searched for a certain spot. After just a few seconds, he jabbed a finger in to it. "There. In the middle of the Death Swamps."
"I'm sorry, did you say the Death Swamps?"
"Aye. About two days from here, if ye be on foot. And I would not bother taking an animal in to that place. Ye'll need to travel light to have any chance of surviving."
"I see. So, someone actually named the place the Death Swamps. I guess no one ever returns?"
"They return. Because no one is fool enough to venture any real distance beyond the edge."
Sam turned her body, still leaning on the bar, to look over her shoulder at the crowd in the tavern. Like all inns, it possessed the typical permanent fixtures: assassins brooding in the shadows, who seemed to have an unlimited supply of gold to spend on drinks, yet never seemed to leave to kill anything to acquire it; supernatural beings like wereraptors and lichpires, who mostly spent their time practicing the art of acting permanently irritated or aloof; astral beings in mortal disguises that seemed designed to give away their secret identities; and, of course, the typical mercenary, like her. Although she preferred to call herself an "Adventurer," and theoretically was trained by a "Guild" which which supposedly made her a "professional" with nice ideas like "integrity" and "morality" who only "fought for the innocent", she still basically went to places, picked things up, and brought them to people in exchange for currency. And sometimes beat up monsters so that she could take the gold and equipment that they invariably and inexplicably carried but never used.
Like the barkeep had said, these regulars must have heard of the swamps and the recently-active tower. If none of them thought themselves powerful enough to brave that danger...
"Then perhaps I will be the first," she said aloud, putting on a courageous face. "Thank you for your time, and your assistance. Something for your trouble." From her pocket, she placed a small disk, apparently crafted from marble, in to a receptacle in a small obelisk of the same material set on the counter. With all those monsters full of gold in the wilderness whose populations never seemed to diminish, just waiting for someone to bop them on the head and take it, inflation had become so extreme that physical currency had to be stored outside the universe. These magical devices had become ubiquitous all over the planet long enough ago that they were considered as mundane as a quill and ink.
"Thank ye, that be more than adequate. Be careful out there." A glowing display on the obelisk indicated that she had transferred fifteen thousand gold coins in to his account.
Before departing, she marked the location the lizard had shown her in ink, then rolled up the map, and replaced it and her loot disk in the satchel she wore. Outside, it was difficult to tell where the fog ended and the sky began. Miserable wet cold permeated everything.
"Another day in paradise," Sam grumbled immediately as soon as she was out of the tavern. Her tail swished irritably and she put the hood of her cape up as she began making her way toward the gates.
---
MEANWHILE, AGAIN
Seven figures gathered in a circle inside a library, some of them looking worried, others irritated.
"What are you talking about? Shady Acres has always been there, look it up at the mayor's office! I can't believe I'm even here."
"I dunno, I can't seem to remember it being built."
"And what about that strange building down the road? The sign said "Payday Loans"... what happened to the store that was there before?"
"And what in tarnation is a payday loan? I never heard of such a thing!"
A half hour passed in this vein.
"Uuuuugh, this is getting us nowhere! All I can tell for sure is that all of us have conflicting memories of our town, even those of us that have lived here their whole lives. But I know that these weird-looking buildings just don't belong here. Something is wrong, and I'm going to figure out what it is!"
"And we'll help you! Right, guys?"
Only one of the figures seemed ambivalent, but at last relented. "Fine, let's just get this over with. But I'm telling you, I get all my stuff from that strip mall, and it's cheap, too."
"...What do they even sell?"
"Oh, you know... things."
Later on, as the seven of them were walking out in town, they noticed that the other inhabitants seemed rather out of sorts. They ignored each other as they passed on the street, despite this being the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else. Petty disputes broke out at every streetside vendor, lines were cut, and everyone seemed to be in a generally grumpy mood.
"Okay, maybe you were right. Something's going on."
An undisclosed location
-
"Look, there's a sign. 'Shady Acres Strip Mall.' Huh."
"What's a strip mall?"
"I don't... wait, what do you mean, "what's a strip mall"? This has been here ever since we moved here."
The two figures regarded the squat, dirty gray building of concrete and glass. It stood out against the surrounding architecture of brightly painted wood and colorful stucco homes and shops which surrounded the wide, circular section of cobblestone where the town's two major roads met.
"What are you talking about? I've never seen it before in my life, and we take this street every day! It's the town square, for crying out loud."
"Sure... sure it's been! I mean... hasn't it? I remember it, I think..."
"Actually, I do remember it. Or at least, I have memories of it being here. I'm so confused. What's going on?"
"I don't know. I feel like I've been split in two. I just... I just don't know."
---
MEANWHILE...
-
Chocolate Wasted Tavern
Silmaria, Marete, Gloriana
-
"Aye, ye've heard true."
The grizzled old lizard stood behind the inn's weathered pine bartop. It looked like the last time it had been maintained, fire was the hippest new thing going.
"Strange shapes shuffling about the darkness in the swamps, lights in the tower we thought abandoned," the barkeep continued, idly wiping a glass with a rag. Neither of these things were ever going to be clean. "Many a hunter and a few of the guard have come in to my tavern with a terrible fright in their eyes, telling stories of hideous beasts in the swamps, far more terrifying than anything roaming the wilds outside the gates. In a place like this, I know enough to be suspicous of rumors, but these are no campfire stories. Their faces speak true."
"Could you show me the location of this tower?" asked the female lizard he had been speaking to. She laid a map out on one of the few dry spots and smoothed it out. Small scale, it showed mostly just the town's layout and the surrounding region.
"Aye, as anyone here could." The old lizard bent over slightly to study the parchment, flicking the gold ring set in to one of the fins sprouting from his head as he searched for a certain spot. After just a few seconds, he jabbed a finger in to it. "There. In the middle of the Death Swamps."
"I'm sorry, did you say the Death Swamps?"
"Aye. About two days from here, if ye be on foot. And I would not bother taking an animal in to that place. Ye'll need to travel light to have any chance of surviving."
"I see. So, someone actually named the place the Death Swamps. I guess no one ever returns?"
"They return. Because no one is fool enough to venture any real distance beyond the edge."
Sam turned her body, still leaning on the bar, to look over her shoulder at the crowd in the tavern. Like all inns, it possessed the typical permanent fixtures: assassins brooding in the shadows, who seemed to have an unlimited supply of gold to spend on drinks, yet never seemed to leave to kill anything to acquire it; supernatural beings like wereraptors and lichpires, who mostly spent their time practicing the art of acting permanently irritated or aloof; astral beings in mortal disguises that seemed designed to give away their secret identities; and, of course, the typical mercenary, like her. Although she preferred to call herself an "Adventurer," and theoretically was trained by a "Guild" which which supposedly made her a "professional" with nice ideas like "integrity" and "morality" who only "fought for the innocent", she still basically went to places, picked things up, and brought them to people in exchange for currency. And sometimes beat up monsters so that she could take the gold and equipment that they invariably and inexplicably carried but never used.
Like the barkeep had said, these regulars must have heard of the swamps and the recently-active tower. If none of them thought themselves powerful enough to brave that danger...
"Then perhaps I will be the first," she said aloud, putting on a courageous face. "Thank you for your time, and your assistance. Something for your trouble." From her pocket, she placed a small disk, apparently crafted from marble, in to a receptacle in a small obelisk of the same material set on the counter. With all those monsters full of gold in the wilderness whose populations never seemed to diminish, just waiting for someone to bop them on the head and take it, inflation had become so extreme that physical currency had to be stored outside the universe. These magical devices had become ubiquitous all over the planet long enough ago that they were considered as mundane as a quill and ink.
"Thank ye, that be more than adequate. Be careful out there." A glowing display on the obelisk indicated that she had transferred fifteen thousand gold coins in to his account.
Before departing, she marked the location the lizard had shown her in ink, then rolled up the map, and replaced it and her loot disk in the satchel she wore. Outside, it was difficult to tell where the fog ended and the sky began. Miserable wet cold permeated everything.
"Another day in paradise," Sam grumbled immediately as soon as she was out of the tavern. Her tail swished irritably and she put the hood of her cape up as she began making her way toward the gates.
---
MEANWHILE, AGAIN
Seven figures gathered in a circle inside a library, some of them looking worried, others irritated.
"What are you talking about? Shady Acres has always been there, look it up at the mayor's office! I can't believe I'm even here."
"I dunno, I can't seem to remember it being built."
"And what about that strange building down the road? The sign said "Payday Loans"... what happened to the store that was there before?"
"And what in tarnation is a payday loan? I never heard of such a thing!"
A half hour passed in this vein.
"Uuuuugh, this is getting us nowhere! All I can tell for sure is that all of us have conflicting memories of our town, even those of us that have lived here their whole lives. But I know that these weird-looking buildings just don't belong here. Something is wrong, and I'm going to figure out what it is!"
"And we'll help you! Right, guys?"
Only one of the figures seemed ambivalent, but at last relented. "Fine, let's just get this over with. But I'm telling you, I get all my stuff from that strip mall, and it's cheap, too."
"...What do they even sell?"
"Oh, you know... things."
Later on, as the seven of them were walking out in town, they noticed that the other inhabitants seemed rather out of sorts. They ignored each other as they passed on the street, despite this being the kind of place where everyone knew everyone else. Petty disputes broke out at every streetside vendor, lines were cut, and everyone seemed to be in a generally grumpy mood.
"Okay, maybe you were right. Something's going on."
Her hooves clopped against the cobblestone path as she walked.
Wish Bell was travelling... where exactly? She didn't quite know.
Possibly she had taken a wrong turn back at the lake... no... maybe it was at the forest...
She... didn't quite know.
Wish Bell sighed a bit glancing around. There had to be some place around here to take a break and rest her sore hooves.
Wish Bell was travelling... where exactly? She didn't quite know.
Possibly she had taken a wrong turn back at the lake... no... maybe it was at the forest...
She... didn't quite know.
Wish Bell sighed a bit glancing around. There had to be some place around here to take a break and rest her sore hooves.
{Edit: since I'm out of character slots, all narration is now performed by Ditzy Doo.}
As Wish Bell cantered around Ponyville, some vague sense of uneasiness began to creep in to the back of her mind, easily dismissable as exhuastion from her travels. However, as she entered in to the town proper, she would be unable to ignore the buildings around her. Most of them seemed plenty ordinary enough, but here and there, a structure seen out of the corner of the eye would waver, and change in to something... wrong. Most of the time the change was brief, and if she looked directly at the building, it would revert to its normal self. However, if she came upon certain locations - such as the site of Quills and Sofas, for example - her mind would be accosted by a terrible sense of duality. In these cases, if she had ever been in Ponyville before, her memories would double in to two separate paths - in one, the building in question is still its normal self, but in the other, it is - and seems to have always been - some other structure, of a similar type, but always of flat gray concrete and glass and boring right angles instead of the colorfully painted wood and thatched roofs typical of Ponyville construction. Sometimes, there would be a barren, blank area of some strange black material (actually asphalt, but ponies have no knowledge of such a substance) surrounding the building. The buildings in question shift back and forth between either reality, yet each seems as real as the other, making it impossible to tell if it is some external illusion or one's imagination. This may cause headaches and mild nausea. Pregnant or nursing ponies may be at higher risk. Consult your doctor.
As Wish Bell cantered around Ponyville, some vague sense of uneasiness began to creep in to the back of her mind, easily dismissable as exhuastion from her travels. However, as she entered in to the town proper, she would be unable to ignore the buildings around her. Most of them seemed plenty ordinary enough, but here and there, a structure seen out of the corner of the eye would waver, and change in to something... wrong. Most of the time the change was brief, and if she looked directly at the building, it would revert to its normal self. However, if she came upon certain locations - such as the site of Quills and Sofas, for example - her mind would be accosted by a terrible sense of duality. In these cases, if she had ever been in Ponyville before, her memories would double in to two separate paths - in one, the building in question is still its normal self, but in the other, it is - and seems to have always been - some other structure, of a similar type, but always of flat gray concrete and glass and boring right angles instead of the colorfully painted wood and thatched roofs typical of Ponyville construction. Sometimes, there would be a barren, blank area of some strange black material (actually asphalt, but ponies have no knowledge of such a substance) surrounding the building. The buildings in question shift back and forth between either reality, yet each seems as real as the other, making it impossible to tell if it is some external illusion or one's imagination. This may cause headaches and mild nausea. Pregnant or nursing ponies may be at higher risk. Consult your doctor.
(OOC:// Just have to say, the last comment made me giggle.)
Wish Bell frowned as she glanced around.
She did feel tired, but however the hallucinations... if one could call them that...
Were certainly not normal.
She felt confused as the shops and areas seemed to be... different? No... they were the same. Were they? She shook her head, ruffling her cream and gold colored mane.
"That's... impossible." She muttered, stopping and putting her hoof to her chin thoughtfully.
She closed her eyes, feeling a bit nauseous. "Ugh... what's going on here...?"
Wish Bell frowned as she glanced around.
She did feel tired, but however the hallucinations... if one could call them that...
Were certainly not normal.
She felt confused as the shops and areas seemed to be... different? No... they were the same. Were they? She shook her head, ruffling her cream and gold colored mane.
"That's... impossible." She muttered, stopping and putting her hoof to her chin thoughtfully.
She closed her eyes, feeling a bit nauseous. "Ugh... what's going on here...?"
Gloriana
At long last, Samantha stood before the imposing tower of twisted purple glass, or possibly crystal. A trail of groaning goblins, trolls, and other assorted bogeymen lay groaning in her wake, sporting multiple lumps on their heads and band-aids on their arms, legs and foreheads. She reviewed her loot disk to inspect her haul.
"Your main account has changed by +2,713 Silmers since your last inquiry," read the holomagical display. Sam was not amused.
"I spend more than that on replacement capes in a month! What a waste," she whined, holding the edge of the cape she currently wore up, as if demanding justice from the universe itself. It was in bad shape from her slog through the mire and her engagements with its residents, the hem tattered and deeply stained with mud, ichor and other disgusting substances.
"This had better be worth it," she muttered as she went to knock on the heavy mahogany door set in to the tower's wall, the only discernible feature on its otherwise uniform surface. Not even a window.
As expected, the portal opened before her knuckles touched its surface.
Five hundred flights of stairs later...
"Show... yourself... foul sorceror!" Sam wheezed in to the tower's final chamber. The walls were lined with bookcases, and several tables with chairs set before them dominated the roughly ovoid room. On the far side, a series of wide steps formed a kind of stage, though it was bare at the moment.
"Gasp... cough... on behalf... of the Silmarian... Adventurer's Guild... I hereby order you... to report... for... interrogation... relating... to the occurence... of evil or evil-like activities... in and about this property."
"Oh my!" came a voice from an undiscernible location. "How delightfully vague. Shall I submit a formal appeal, then? Oh, I know. Maybe I'll just ignore you until you leave."
Sam began to recover her breath. "Show your face, coward!" she called out, looking around.
Suddenly, the room blacked. There had been no identifiable source of illumination to begin with, however. Wizards. After a moment, a single overhead spotlight switched on, revealing a hooded figure standing against the back wall of the stage, wearing an extravagant robe.
This wizard began to slowly walk forward with an exaggerated swagger, as the intro to some big-band orchestral music began to mysteriously pipe in over some hidden magical PA system. At the same time, some dim illumination came back in the general vicinity of Sam, allowing her to see that the furniture had become animated. It formed two rings around her, and began to circle her in opposite directions.
Then, as the musical intro culminated and moved in to the bridge...
The furniture started singing.
"Who's the girl next door living in the purple tower?"
The robed wizard sang next. Apparently this had been choreographed?
"You'd better learn my name 'cause it's Aa-aa-shley!"
At the moment she spoke her name, the blackness behind her lit up as hundreds of glowing yellow orbs all blazed in to life at the same time behind her, spelling out "ASHLEY" in 10-meter-tall leters. At the same time, she pulled back her hood and whipped her hair back dramatically, revealing herself to be a blue-skinned lizard with long, wavy brown hair. She continued forward, now beginning to slowly descend the steps, arms swinging in wide arcs, generally looking quite full of herself.
The furniture continued to circle, picking up speed, sometimes changing direction. The song mostly continued its pattern of alternating parts, with the furniture singing a line, then Ashley singing the next.
"She knows the darkest spells and she brews the meanest potions."
"You might be the ingredient I seek!"
"Don't let yourself be fooled by her innocent demeanor."
"You'd better be afraid of the great Aa-aa-shley!"
As she sang this line, Ashley threw her hands in to the air as fireworks exploded behind her.
"She doesn't play with dolls and she never combs her hair."
"Who has time for girly things like that?"
She sat on the arm of one of the few inanimate chairs, folded her arms, turned her head away, and put on an exaggerated pouty face.
Then she started singing the chorus.
"Eye of newt, I cast a hex on you!
Grandma's wig, this will make you big!
Kitten spit, soon, your pants won't fit!
Pantalones giganticus! Oh no, not again!"
"ENOUGH!"
Ashley stopped in the middle of spirit fingers. "Aw, there were only a few more verses... hey, what gives?"
Samantha's pupils had shrunk to pinpricks.
"Is it really you?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I thought I would surely never see you again... sister."
"Well look at that! After all these years, look who comes breaking down my door."
"It opened on its own."
"Yes, I know, it's just an expression. Sheesh. Anyway, what's up? How've you been?"
"How many years has it been since last we spoke? A decade and a half, if I reckon correctly."
"And I see the guild has you talking like a cosplayer. Seriously, what did they do to you?"
"Cosplayer? This word is not known to me."
"Never mind that. Listen, why ARE you here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but something tells me you're not scouting the place for a new summer home."
At long last, Samantha stood before the imposing tower of twisted purple glass, or possibly crystal. A trail of groaning goblins, trolls, and other assorted bogeymen lay groaning in her wake, sporting multiple lumps on their heads and band-aids on their arms, legs and foreheads. She reviewed her loot disk to inspect her haul.
"Your main account has changed by +2,713 Silmers since your last inquiry," read the holomagical display. Sam was not amused.
"I spend more than that on replacement capes in a month! What a waste," she whined, holding the edge of the cape she currently wore up, as if demanding justice from the universe itself. It was in bad shape from her slog through the mire and her engagements with its residents, the hem tattered and deeply stained with mud, ichor and other disgusting substances.
"This had better be worth it," she muttered as she went to knock on the heavy mahogany door set in to the tower's wall, the only discernible feature on its otherwise uniform surface. Not even a window.
As expected, the portal opened before her knuckles touched its surface.
Five hundred flights of stairs later...
"Show... yourself... foul sorceror!" Sam wheezed in to the tower's final chamber. The walls were lined with bookcases, and several tables with chairs set before them dominated the roughly ovoid room. On the far side, a series of wide steps formed a kind of stage, though it was bare at the moment.
"Gasp... cough... on behalf... of the Silmarian... Adventurer's Guild... I hereby order you... to report... for... interrogation... relating... to the occurence... of evil or evil-like activities... in and about this property."
"Oh my!" came a voice from an undiscernible location. "How delightfully vague. Shall I submit a formal appeal, then? Oh, I know. Maybe I'll just ignore you until you leave."
Sam began to recover her breath. "Show your face, coward!" she called out, looking around.
Suddenly, the room blacked. There had been no identifiable source of illumination to begin with, however. Wizards. After a moment, a single overhead spotlight switched on, revealing a hooded figure standing against the back wall of the stage, wearing an extravagant robe.
This wizard began to slowly walk forward with an exaggerated swagger, as the intro to some big-band orchestral music began to mysteriously pipe in over some hidden magical PA system. At the same time, some dim illumination came back in the general vicinity of Sam, allowing her to see that the furniture had become animated. It formed two rings around her, and began to circle her in opposite directions.
Then, as the musical intro culminated and moved in to the bridge...
The furniture started singing.
"Who's the girl next door living in the purple tower?"
The robed wizard sang next. Apparently this had been choreographed?
"You'd better learn my name 'cause it's Aa-aa-shley!"
At the moment she spoke her name, the blackness behind her lit up as hundreds of glowing yellow orbs all blazed in to life at the same time behind her, spelling out "ASHLEY" in 10-meter-tall leters. At the same time, she pulled back her hood and whipped her hair back dramatically, revealing herself to be a blue-skinned lizard with long, wavy brown hair. She continued forward, now beginning to slowly descend the steps, arms swinging in wide arcs, generally looking quite full of herself.
The furniture continued to circle, picking up speed, sometimes changing direction. The song mostly continued its pattern of alternating parts, with the furniture singing a line, then Ashley singing the next.
"She knows the darkest spells and she brews the meanest potions."
"You might be the ingredient I seek!"
"Don't let yourself be fooled by her innocent demeanor."
"You'd better be afraid of the great Aa-aa-shley!"
As she sang this line, Ashley threw her hands in to the air as fireworks exploded behind her.
"She doesn't play with dolls and she never combs her hair."
"Who has time for girly things like that?"
She sat on the arm of one of the few inanimate chairs, folded her arms, turned her head away, and put on an exaggerated pouty face.
Then she started singing the chorus.
"Eye of newt, I cast a hex on you!
Grandma's wig, this will make you big!
Kitten spit, soon, your pants won't fit!
Pantalones giganticus! Oh no, not again!"
"ENOUGH!"
Ashley stopped in the middle of spirit fingers. "Aw, there were only a few more verses... hey, what gives?"
Samantha's pupils had shrunk to pinpricks.
"Is it really you?"
"Hm? What do you mean?"
"I thought I would surely never see you again... sister."
"Well look at that! After all these years, look who comes breaking down my door."
"It opened on its own."
"Yes, I know, it's just an expression. Sheesh. Anyway, what's up? How've you been?"
"How many years has it been since last we spoke? A decade and a half, if I reckon correctly."
"And I see the guild has you talking like a cosplayer. Seriously, what did they do to you?"
"Cosplayer? This word is not known to me."
"Never mind that. Listen, why ARE you here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, but something tells me you're not scouting the place for a new summer home."
{Btw, we move to a regular work schedule after tomorrow, but I'll still be posting nights and weekends}
{Apologies for the delay. I got Diablo 3 a few days ago, and that game is way too fun.}
Equestria
"Okay, here's the plan. Spike and I will work on a map of these... anomalies. It seems like, now that we've begun to doubt these illusions, or whatever they are, they're more obvious. Pinkie, you and Apple... Pnkie?"
Pinkie was hopping around in a circle near a small crowd of ponies that had their backs turned to Twilight and her friends. She floated impossibly for several seconds at the apex of each jump, during which she kept her legs straight and flailed her hooves rapidly in small back-and-forth motions.
"Omigosh you guys, look! There's somepony new in town!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, we really don't have time for..."
"And she's a princess! Can you believe it?"
That got everypony's attention. Twilight and her friends pushed through the crowd to the front. The other lookers-on were keeping a respectful distance from this newcomer with the white coat and striped mane which vaguely reminded Twilight of ice cream.
She didn't seem to notice them. With a hoof to her forehead, she looked like she might be in pain. Pinkie's head poked up from behind the alicorn's side furthest from the crowd, despite no other part of her body or mane being visible. A pink hoof came up and draped over her shoulder.
"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's YOUR name?" asked Pinkie, oblivious to everything as usual.
Equestria
"Okay, here's the plan. Spike and I will work on a map of these... anomalies. It seems like, now that we've begun to doubt these illusions, or whatever they are, they're more obvious. Pinkie, you and Apple... Pnkie?"
Pinkie was hopping around in a circle near a small crowd of ponies that had their backs turned to Twilight and her friends. She floated impossibly for several seconds at the apex of each jump, during which she kept her legs straight and flailed her hooves rapidly in small back-and-forth motions.
"Omigosh you guys, look! There's somepony new in town!"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Pinkie, we really don't have time for..."
"And she's a princess! Can you believe it?"
That got everypony's attention. Twilight and her friends pushed through the crowd to the front. The other lookers-on were keeping a respectful distance from this newcomer with the white coat and striped mane which vaguely reminded Twilight of ice cream.
She didn't seem to notice them. With a hoof to her forehead, she looked like she might be in pain. Pinkie's head poked up from behind the alicorn's side furthest from the crowd, despite no other part of her body or mane being visible. A pink hoof came up and draped over her shoulder.
"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! What's YOUR name?" asked Pinkie, oblivious to everything as usual.
Gloriana
"...Indeed not. The Guild has reason to believe the cult of Avoozl is attempting to reform. And now, a wizard suddenly takes up residence in a tower in the middle of a swamp that has been abandoned for hundreds of years, a scant few hundred miles from their very headquarters. No doubt you can see why they would be wary."
"Fair enough, I suppose."
"And I have been instructed to bring you in for questioning."
"What? Seriously? They think I'm working for the cult?"
"None have said as such, but it would seem so."
Ashley put a hand to her forehead. "Look, do you know what this tower is made of?"
Sam looked around. "I've not seen anything like it before. Something magical, I am sure."
"Yes, yes it is. This purple crystal amplifies scrying magic. This whole tower is like one huge seeing stone. Rather than tromping all over the place, I'm using this to search for the cult's base of operations, so I can put a stop to them!"
"Is that possible?"
"Of course it is. Here, look." A quick flick of her hand caused three crystal spires to erupt from th floor. They curved in on each other, looking like a grasping clawed hand. In the center where the points were nearest each other, she placed a silvery orb from within her robe, where it floated in space.
"I'm pumping this arcanobattery full of magic on a constant basis, and using it in conjunction with the tower's properties to continually expand my vision. The cult's rituals have a unique signature, and I've already determined that they HAVE begun amassing power again, but not on this world. What's more, once I've found them, this same orb will let me collect the power I need to transport myself there!"
"How can I believe you? All of this is foreign to me. Regardless, it is not my call to make. Please, Ashley. Let us simply set the guild's mind at ease. They may even offer you their assistance, if what you say is true."
Ashley turned her back on Sam, clasping her hands behind her. "Or more likely, they'll confiscate my property, evict me, and probably arrest me. At minimum I'd expect to be held back for at least month by paperwork if nothing else. No, our world - all worlds - can't afford the delay. Tell your guild they're barking up the wrong tree."
Sam shifted one foot behind herself, turning her body in to a bladed stance towards Ashley. She held an empty hand out and to her side. "I have been authorized to apprehend you by force, if necessary. You are my sister, but my first duty is to my mission."
Ashley didn't turn around. "Seriously? You're going to raise a sword against me? You think that's wise?"
"Wise or not, you leave me no choice." White light extended outward from her hand, forming the hilt, guard and blade of a sword.
Now Ashley turned around, hands on her hips. "Really."
She raised a hand, taking an interest in her fingernails for no reason. After a moment, she shifted her gaze to Sam from the corner of her eye.
After a tense pause, the hand whose manicure she had been inspecting shot out at the caped intruder, palm open. A beam of dark crison sliced across the chamber at her sibling. However, Sam was faster, and parried with her sunsword. The laser deflected in to the ceiling and exploded, raining hot chunks of crystal off to her left.
"Hm? That's a neat trick," Ashley remarked. "But, I can do better." She flicked her arms like a professional stage magician preparing for a difficult card trick, and a small sphere of rock began to take shape between her curved palms. Her pose was reminiscent of a pottery worker, with her knees slightly bent. Samantha was advancing cautiously on her, sword at the ready.
"Stop this, Ashley. I do not believe you to be evil, but my word will not be enough for the guild."
"Damn your guild!" Ashley practically screamed as she flung her stone outward. With terrible speed, it covered the distance in a fraction of an instant. Enchanted with fire on top of that same dark red energy, its explosion shook the very ground. Sam disappeared once more behind the ensuing destruction.
"Can't you decide anything for yourself?" Ashley yelled at the purplish haze. A decent-sized crater marked the spot where her spell had gone off. The floor in and around it had turned shades of orange and red, looking like melted glass. "Will you be a puppet to the end of your days?"
"Where are you looking?!" cried a voiced from behind her.
"Ha! A child's strategy!" Ashley replied. As she spun to face Sam, who had sprung from the wall behind her, a blade looking like the opposite of Sam's sprung from her hand. For the third time, she had conjured up that raspberry-colored magic, but this time to make a sword.
It was a mistake: as Sam's weapon collided with her own, the opposing magics reacted and detonated, throwing the two outwards with violent force. The two lizards staggered to their feet, thoroughly dazed by the concussive force.
"This is not over... sorceress. Just... give me a second here."
Ashley broke from her daze as she remembered where she had been standing when they clashed. She rushed over to her arcanobattery.
"Do you know what you've done?! We've got to get out of here!"
"No more of your tricks! I will not be -"
Ashley dashed over and grabbed Sam by her shirt collar with both hands. "You've damaged the orb, you fool! We have to -" she cut off, as a terrible wail rose up from the battery. Rays of white light began to shine forth from cracks in its exterior, despite the fact that it appeared to be made of liquid.
"It's too late. We're done for, and so is everyone and everything else." Ashley's hands fell away and she collapsed to her knees. Sam could only stand there and stare at their impending doom.
Finally the orb burst apart, and their world disappeared in white fire.
"...Indeed not. The Guild has reason to believe the cult of Avoozl is attempting to reform. And now, a wizard suddenly takes up residence in a tower in the middle of a swamp that has been abandoned for hundreds of years, a scant few hundred miles from their very headquarters. No doubt you can see why they would be wary."
"Fair enough, I suppose."
"And I have been instructed to bring you in for questioning."
"What? Seriously? They think I'm working for the cult?"
"None have said as such, but it would seem so."
Ashley put a hand to her forehead. "Look, do you know what this tower is made of?"
Sam looked around. "I've not seen anything like it before. Something magical, I am sure."
"Yes, yes it is. This purple crystal amplifies scrying magic. This whole tower is like one huge seeing stone. Rather than tromping all over the place, I'm using this to search for the cult's base of operations, so I can put a stop to them!"
"Is that possible?"
"Of course it is. Here, look." A quick flick of her hand caused three crystal spires to erupt from th floor. They curved in on each other, looking like a grasping clawed hand. In the center where the points were nearest each other, she placed a silvery orb from within her robe, where it floated in space.
"I'm pumping this arcanobattery full of magic on a constant basis, and using it in conjunction with the tower's properties to continually expand my vision. The cult's rituals have a unique signature, and I've already determined that they HAVE begun amassing power again, but not on this world. What's more, once I've found them, this same orb will let me collect the power I need to transport myself there!"
"How can I believe you? All of this is foreign to me. Regardless, it is not my call to make. Please, Ashley. Let us simply set the guild's mind at ease. They may even offer you their assistance, if what you say is true."
Ashley turned her back on Sam, clasping her hands behind her. "Or more likely, they'll confiscate my property, evict me, and probably arrest me. At minimum I'd expect to be held back for at least month by paperwork if nothing else. No, our world - all worlds - can't afford the delay. Tell your guild they're barking up the wrong tree."
Sam shifted one foot behind herself, turning her body in to a bladed stance towards Ashley. She held an empty hand out and to her side. "I have been authorized to apprehend you by force, if necessary. You are my sister, but my first duty is to my mission."
Ashley didn't turn around. "Seriously? You're going to raise a sword against me? You think that's wise?"
"Wise or not, you leave me no choice." White light extended outward from her hand, forming the hilt, guard and blade of a sword.
Now Ashley turned around, hands on her hips. "Really."
She raised a hand, taking an interest in her fingernails for no reason. After a moment, she shifted her gaze to Sam from the corner of her eye.
After a tense pause, the hand whose manicure she had been inspecting shot out at the caped intruder, palm open. A beam of dark crison sliced across the chamber at her sibling. However, Sam was faster, and parried with her sunsword. The laser deflected in to the ceiling and exploded, raining hot chunks of crystal off to her left.
"Hm? That's a neat trick," Ashley remarked. "But, I can do better." She flicked her arms like a professional stage magician preparing for a difficult card trick, and a small sphere of rock began to take shape between her curved palms. Her pose was reminiscent of a pottery worker, with her knees slightly bent. Samantha was advancing cautiously on her, sword at the ready.
"Stop this, Ashley. I do not believe you to be evil, but my word will not be enough for the guild."
"Damn your guild!" Ashley practically screamed as she flung her stone outward. With terrible speed, it covered the distance in a fraction of an instant. Enchanted with fire on top of that same dark red energy, its explosion shook the very ground. Sam disappeared once more behind the ensuing destruction.
"Can't you decide anything for yourself?" Ashley yelled at the purplish haze. A decent-sized crater marked the spot where her spell had gone off. The floor in and around it had turned shades of orange and red, looking like melted glass. "Will you be a puppet to the end of your days?"
"Where are you looking?!" cried a voiced from behind her.
"Ha! A child's strategy!" Ashley replied. As she spun to face Sam, who had sprung from the wall behind her, a blade looking like the opposite of Sam's sprung from her hand. For the third time, she had conjured up that raspberry-colored magic, but this time to make a sword.
It was a mistake: as Sam's weapon collided with her own, the opposing magics reacted and detonated, throwing the two outwards with violent force. The two lizards staggered to their feet, thoroughly dazed by the concussive force.
"This is not over... sorceress. Just... give me a second here."
Ashley broke from her daze as she remembered where she had been standing when they clashed. She rushed over to her arcanobattery.
"Do you know what you've done?! We've got to get out of here!"
"No more of your tricks! I will not be -"
Ashley dashed over and grabbed Sam by her shirt collar with both hands. "You've damaged the orb, you fool! We have to -" she cut off, as a terrible wail rose up from the battery. Rays of white light began to shine forth from cracks in its exterior, despite the fact that it appeared to be made of liquid.
"It's too late. We're done for, and so is everyone and everything else." Ashley's hands fell away and she collapsed to her knees. Sam could only stand there and stare at their impending doom.
Finally the orb burst apart, and their world disappeared in white fire.
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