Kyle was frozen for at least a minute, staring through the window. She should probably have adjusted by now to the people around her grandfather not reacting to the strangeness of her appearance. She wasn’t, though.
“Pleased to meet you too,” Kara said, speaking before she could. “Or, see you through a wall. We haven’t got to talk to a lot of different people lately, you can guess. It’s cool to talk to somebody else.”
Is it that hard to be around me, Kara?
Akiko chuckled politely, though her own interest was clearly focused on the both of them. Mostly on Kyle, actually, or maybe the one she carried on her back. It was hard to tell for sure. “Believe me, I can sympathize,” Akiko said. “Knowing arcane secrets is dark sometimes. The weight of incredible things crushes you down, as you consider how many people your knowledge could help. But you don’t realize the pain you would cause by inflicting that on others. You aren’t in a viewpoint to comprehend the collateral damage, so all you can do is accept the wisdom of those above you.”
Edgar tapped his heavy cane to the ground once, causing Akiko to twitch with sudden urgency. “Right, right! Can’t get distracted. We have a purpose here, and exposure must be limited to avoid collateral damage. Without grasping the extent of the impact, I’m afraid I won’t be able to spend much time in the same area. At least until I get a better idea.”
“Aren’t you a wizard?” Kyle asked. Probably the wrong word, but that wasn’t an accident. I don’t know more than I should. I’m not studying magic on my own. Of course I trust you, Grandpa. “You have magic already. Why would being near us be dangerous for you?”
“Ah, a common misconception.” Akiko seemed almost eager to talk, pacing back and forth in front of the window. She fiddled with something around her neck, maybe a locket or a pocket watch? But why would she be wearing it there? “Many assume that we’re magical ourselves, but that just isn’t the case. I can’t produce magic like you do. I can tolerate far more than humans, in the same way someone who spends many years drinking regularly can tolerate high doses of alcohol.”
Does that work the other way? Will Kara and I be in trouble when we go suddenly off this and don’t have it anymore?”
“We can discuss the academics of this later,” Edgar interrupted. “I’m sure they’re eager to learn what you can share with them, Akiko. Use your time when I’m not present to exchange that information, please. I would prefer if we used this opportunity more productively.”
She stiffened, then bowed towards him. “Apologies, Mr. Harrington. Of course.” The excitement was entirely gone from her face when she turned back, expression resolved. “I have brought with me a construct I believe will be useful for a first experiment. I was hoping you would volunteer, Kara. It’s less likely this will work for Kyle without modifications, but we could test with you instead if you prefer.”
Kara stepped forward, eager. “You said it’s more likely to work for me anyway? Sign me the hell up. Kyle understands, doesn’t she?”
Kyle retreated from the window, just a little. It wasn’t just Fay squirming on her back that made her nervous. That thing Akiko was wearing wasn’t just a piece of jewelry. There was pressure there, like a storm building, about to break. She couldn’t look directly at it without feeling it push back against her forehead.
“I have to join you out there,” Akiko went on. “My employer will remain shielded behind the glass for the duration. Are you okay with me coming out there?”
Grandpa’s expression hardened. Are you mad that she asked, or preparing what to say if we refuse?
She didn’t find out, because Kara nodded eagerly. “Course, course. We’re not hurt by being around humans. Mom and Dad were close to us for a week, and nothing ever happened.” She looked around, and Kyle followed her gaze. Not far to one side were a few thin cracks in the wall, which almost managed to conceal a door. Except now that they were looking for it, it was obvious. It went right through to the other side of the lab.
A moment later and the door opened, hissing with pneumatics. Kyle caught one look of nearly a foot of hardened concrete before it shut again, fake stone face settling smoothly back over the opening.
Akiko approached without safety gear, just as Grandpa had done earlier. She carried nothing, though she’d removed the object from around her neck and now clutched it in one hand. “The idea behind this test is simple,” she went on. “I’ve built something to drain magic from someone. It should start with any active spells. Hopefully this means the transformation affecting both of you can be undone, and you’ll walk away. But you haven’t become the same creatures. Kara, you hold far less magic than your brother. I don’t think my construct will be able to hold the magic from someone as powerful as she is.”
Kara shrugged. “Kyle doesn’t mind if I go first, right Kyle? I don’t really understand anything you just said, but I want my hands back. If that’s how to get them, then I’m ready.”
“One last thing.” Akiko hesitated, holding the necklace out in one hand. Now that it was close, Kyle could get a better look. It had a sealing section on the front, which sat open. Sparks and little flashes of light shone from inside, as though the woman had somehow managed to capture a particularly bright firefly.
“You’ve been used to this spell for a long time. Whatever transformed you, if it’s an active spell at all… it’s tough, and your body is adapting. That means you should expect a little pain when I take it away.”
“I don’t care if it hurts,” Kara said, sticking her tongue out. “I’ve made it through three seasons of cheer. Just tell me what to do.”
“Hold out your leg,” Akiko instructed. “I’m going to touch the necklace to you. The longer you stay in contact with me, the greater the chances we can disassemble the spell. But if the spell survives, it will probably regenerate using the magic you naturally produce.”
“Got it.” Kara held still as Akiko finally extended the necklace towards her. She stiffened visibly as it touched her, scraping her other three hooves against the cement, though she somehow managed to keep that leg straight. The necklace began to glow, going from a few little flashes to a steady purple, pulsing with its own heartbeat.
It grew brighter, and Kara dropped to one knee, like someone tossing a coke bottle onto the stone. It wasn’t just sound, actually. Kyle watched as her leg near Akiko’s necklace seemed less alive by the second. It started reflecting again, a transparent piece of crystal that went completely still.
“I c-can’t—” Kara's eyes bulged, silent tears dripping down her face. She shook faintly in place, as though she were a piece of crystal glass placed beside a speaker. Finally she screamed, though her voice cracked into something more like stones grinding together, and had nothing even slightly human in it.
Kyle didn’t wait. She lurched, pulling Kara away and leaving Akiko to catch the necklace.
Had Kara always felt so heavy? There was no mistaking her leg, a chunk of carved quartz without a hint of fur to it. She twitched, and the leg barely responded. “It doesn’t look… like that’s curing me.”
Akiko closed the necklace with a snap, though it was glowing bright enough now that light radiated out the sides anyway. She took a single step back, lowering her head apologetically. “We weren’t able to dismantle the spell. I’m sorry, I wasn’t sure if it would be enough.”
Kyle bent down, watching as color gradually returned through the joint with the rest of Kara’s arm. It spread slowly, making the crystal gradually return to living color. The rest of her grew paler, like someone who had lost a dangerous amount of blood. “I don’t think there’s a spell keeping her like this,” Kyle said, shielding her with a protective wing. Not that she expected Akiko to attack, she looked only apologetic.
“It wasn’t the result I was hoping for,” the woman said. “You should return over time, as your magic naturally regenerates. Unfortunate that we’ve lost a useful avenue for exploration, but…
Grandpa hadn’t moved. Maybe he just didn’t know enough to recognize the pain Kara was in through the glass, or maybe shielding the magic blocked enough not to see things. The door hissed open, and Akiko passed back through the shield as quickly as she had come. “It wasn’t what we were hoping for from a first experiment,” Grandpa said, without any of the disappointment Kyle might’ve expected. “Does it hurt, Kara?”
She nodded. “Like pins and needles, all the way through my leg. Like breaking it…”
“We’ll come up with something better next time,” he said, barely seeming to hear her. “I know failure can be disappointing, but it’s all about iteration. Phenomenal success on our first attempt would have been fantastic, but it seems it wasn’t realistic.”
He took a step back, extending his cane towards a button on the wall. “Buzz if you need anything. I’m going to get away from potential exposure in the meantime.” The ceiling began to close, metal sheet rattling down until they were sealed off from the lab all over again.
Kara dropped to the ground, staring down at the leg. The joint had returned to life, but the rest of her still looked like rock. “Damn, I thought I knew what hurt was,” she said, staring in horror at the stone that had replaced her leg. “What happened to me, bro? What am I?”
“I don’t know,” she squeaked, ears flattening. “Can I do anything to help?”
Kara swore under her breath. “Some Tylenol or something, and maybe a pillow to help me get this thing propped up somewhere. It’s so damn heavy.”
With the door sealed, Fay hopped off her back, wandering around the largely empty space while Kyle helped her sister onto a dining-room table. Only when she had the mutilated leg up on the table did she finally speak again.
“I knew I was screwed up, but damn. We turn to stone when the magic is taken away?”
I’m not sure that’s a we thing. Kyle debated whether she would say it at all—maybe her sister would be better off not knowing what she thought. But she wasn’t going to keep anything from Kara, no matter how painful. That wasn’t how trust worked.
“When you first changed, you uh… looked a little like your leg does now. I thought maybe you were going to stay like that at first, but it went away after a few minutes. I don’t know what that means… maybe you’re some kind of rock-horse?”
Kara ground her teeth together, tapping at the leg with one hoof. It sounded a little like someone knocking drinking glasses together. “Your baby turned me into a rock? And taking the magic away makes it so I can’t move anymore, can’t feel. I’m like the furniture from Beauty and the Beast. Take away the spell, and I’m dead forever. Is that it?”
I wish you didn’t put it that way. “It doesn’t mean we can’t fix this,” Kyle said instead. She hesitated, then darted to one side, catching Fay with her magic before she could start playing with the touch screen on the soda dispenser. She held her in her wings, trying to calm her down. “It just means the help won’t come from outside. There won’t be any magic bullet to shoot at the problem and change you back.”
“You think Akiko will be able to help you?” Kara asked, sipping at her coke. The color was returning to her leg, so Akiko had been right about that at least. The longer they waited, the more she returned to life. “You could show her your magic practice. Maybe she could speed this up.”
Or maybe she’ll tell Grandpa everything he doesn’t already know, and he’ll try to take it away.
Kyle could still picture his face, as Kara screamed and collapsed. He’d watched like he barely even noticed it hurt. Did you know this would happen?
I have a feeling he was hoping for this reaction. A natural magic generator.
I've got to say that I'm not a fan of Kara.
Evil Grandfather, confirmed.
10320801
More a jaded grandpa who has seen everything, horrible things that innure someone to empathy.
An eager, young arcanologist with a straitlaced superior and a thaumic capacitor. Where have I heard this one before? Though Grandpa Edgar is a much more menacing figure than Abacus Cinch, not least because he understands what he's getting into. To a degree. The question becomes what his true intentions may be... and if this first test has changed them.
She talks like she isn't human herself, odd.
At least she wasn't outright lying, draining magic from an active matrix would dispell it. Of course, now they know they have a workable weapon in case any "funny ideas" are had from our little captives. MewTwo scenario, anyone?
Great, now they have equestrian magic all nicely bundled. Hands up to show who believes they won't share any findings with the "subjects"?
Keep going! ;)
10320801
Not confirmed at all, there is many ways to interpret his face hardening, one of his staff is about to put herself in harms way after all. And it could easily be that he does not feel that he should play the mother hen in situation which has massive gravity like this one. He is the one who needs to make certain things go smoothly,
In my mind him not pandering to these children is a good sign that he is on the level, but naturally he has his own end-game.
I don't think Akiko is human... That or she has absolutely no people skills. And Grandpa is evil, what a surprise!
Wow, his entire family just doesn't seem to like him. It's kinda sad at this point. His parents show blatent favoritism to Kara to the extent of outright refusing to be in his presence until Kara was affected, then it was all hands on deck. Meanwhile his sister was saying the sibling "I'm here for you" stuff, but none of it seemed genuine. Till it affected her, then it was all about her and how her life is ruined, and he needs to fix this ASA-NOW!
Meanwhile, trying to play a little devils advocate. Their grandfather seems to be the first one who actually cares about Kyle and what happened to him. Does he have ulterior motives? Yeah, probably. Though I think it would be an amazing twist to buck a few tropes and make his intentions to help legit, and his, rather obvious mind you, behavior just a byproduct of personality and demeanor flaws. You know, he can't help he comes across as a secret villian, but actually wants nothing other than to help his grandkids.
It seems though that Kyle is the only one who genuinely cares about others. He cares about an alien baby. He cared what this was doing to his parents. He was angry at the right people for what happened to kara. And is still doing his best to help his sister and himself. It sucks that he cares so much for all of them, and they do not afford him the same in return.
10320917
Sciency types are notoriously bad in people skills in general. At least those that go hard for research with multiple PHDs and whatnots.
I'm sad for her
That amulet sounds like the one SciTwi had in Friendship Games. I like that.
10320944
That's no more true than trying to say sports-loving people are generally arrogant jocks. It's just a cliché, not at all representative of real life.
kara is very short sighted. Unable to understand that things are complicated.
Seems like a good time to get the fuck out of there if warning flags are going off. Cadance and Twilight are stuck in a 'princess is another castle' scenario and have about 6 or 7 worlds to go through before they find Flurry heart.
10320993
In my experience with people in the field it's certainly present in no small amounts. It could be because the lack of such skills is less problematic than in other areas though.
Nothing surprising here for those who read enough. FF is the only case that went against the trend and its spinoff.
It was already evident it wasn't going to come undone by itself, as it had been a couple weeks. As observers of FiM we know anything magically altered is only done so temporarily, and if the magic isn't continuously applied, they always revert to normal. The same principle apply here as this kind of stuff is the exception, not the rule. They have been permanently altered, as if it were temporary it would have shown signs of wearing out, and this did not help. It would take entirely new magic to do anything from here. This is stable. It's reversible, but their resonance has been altered, as they can handle these new bodies with relative ease.
Whether the old man wants to make a buck on it or not he obviously loves his grandchildren. Given how much he evidently knows about magic running a facility like this, he no doubt knew what was liable to happen, but that lighting strike was nonetheless possible. He did not know this would happen, but he suspected. Need explore every avenue possible to get results.
I imagine what she felt was similar to what those in the Titanic disaster felt: like being immersed in freezing cold water. Being petrified but conscious would feel like filling a barrel halfway with ice, then to the rim with water, then poking your arm in there to the elbow, then leaving there as long as possible.
Beauty and the Beast? I hope you know that in the tale it's based on, the castle staff and everyone living there who weren't the prince were outright petrified and left that way till the curse was broken. Not even ambulatory objects. The one silver lining is sooner or later it was always going to become undone so long as the prince lived long enough to meet someone and earn their affection, which is actually less dark then what the adaptation did, which makes the curse irreversible past a certain point, and even make him feral and the rest of them actual inanimate items with no functional joints.
I’m still leaning towards him being a vampire... Or Monday.
10320797
10321002
What? Where did that come from?
10320993
Pigeon holing people can be problematic, but there is a reason why stereotypes exist. Sure it could be confirmation bias, but if there wasn't something to it, it would not become a stereotype in the first place.
10321086
Oh yeah, Disney played down all of their movies based on fairy tales and the like SOOOO much. La Belle et la Bete is just plain creepy if you've seen the Disney story first (which is most likely the case for ANYONE nowadays).
Personally, I think the creepiest comparison between Disney and the original is The Little Mermaid, while the most mangled (different from the original) is Frozen vs The Ice Queen. Just my take.
If it wasn't clear, I took an 'Art of the Fairy Tale' class when I was in college.
What is most obvious is not always as it seems, and nothing is as it first appears... I can't wait for more.
With how the assistant keeps reacting to their grandfather it’s obvious he’s abusive. Either he’s one of the most obvious villains ever, or Scribble Princess is just throwing a massive red-herring
Well, Edgar certainly expected this. Whether he has an ulterior motive or is genuinely trying to cure his grand children, he's certainly willing to bleed his family a little to get to whatever truth he's searching for.
10320789
That would present a problem if Edgar has his eyes on Flurry, someone who isn't blood. Though something tells me Kyle may go a little Cadance is that is the case.
10320801
Still too early to tell. He could simply be a man of focus, knowing any sort of emotional output may be detrimental to their research. And they seem know enough of magic to design an experiment that while painful, appears safe.
10320938
I can see this leading Kyle to self-loathing if it hasn't already. I wouldn't be surprised if he volunteers himself in future experiments, regardless of pain. Offering himself as a sort of sacrifice for his family at best or as a form of penance through self-harm at worse.
10322235
Of course, it is too early to tell. But then again, him just casually watching his granddaughter get partially turned to stone? Evil, I say. Eeeeevil.
10322159
Scribble Princess???
The thing is, that amulet absorbed the magic. So once again we can’t tell if he’s evil. Yes he didn’t react, but it could just be a lack of reaction out of frustration or disappointment.
If the amulet hadn’t stored the magic, we’d know, but since it did, we don’t. Well played.
10320789
Akiko seemed to imply that everyone naturally regenerates their magic. Maybe not at the same rate as Kyle and Kara do, but still. Plus, why would he need magic unless he planned to cast a really big spell?
10320797
I will agree how she acts is a bit... abrasive. But she’s not that bad.
10320801
Not necessarily, see the top of this comment. It’s hard to tell still, as some people simply lock up and don’t react when things like this happen, or don’t lock up but seem impassive while internally screaming, or frustrated, or disappointed, y’know?
10322159
Or, the assistant is getting distracted and she’s being put on the straight. Or warned not to dilly dally. Or warned not to reveal too much. There’s multiple reasons why she would act the way she did, you can’t jump straight to “he’s abusive”.
10322457
I'm just saying I don't like her. What are you saying?
Looks like this is a pre-Friendship Games Twilight, complete with the magical analysis/absorption device.
Yep.
That seems like a bad result.
Turns out the only active magic Kara had running was the magic keeping a living rock from being ordinary, non-living rock. Probably shouldn't try that again.
10322302
Just a fun little nick name for Starscribe. They unofficially approve ;)
I thought I could get by without following a Starscribe story, but no.... this one had to be yet another good one that I'm enjoying reading.
10322457
My guess is that the grandpa's end goal is to harvest their magic for his own uses. Hence why he didn't really care about Kara being hurt compared to when he sees how much magical potential they both have.
10324373
That's why I said if the amulet hadn't stored the magic we'd know if he was evil or not. We'd know he likely isn't evil.
But because it did store the magic, we don't know, because it provides an ulterior motive to the test.
10321075
Or, more likely, it could be that you haven't met that many 'sciency' people.
10324958
Quite a lot of engineering college professors, not a small number of them with abysmal people skills. Not the majority, but not an insignificant number of them either.
Their numbers tend to be bigger in physics, mathematics and programming departments than in the dedicated engineering ones though.
Should I've said "exact sciences PHDs"? They don't have the exclusivity of that, but it's a trope for a quite real reason.
10324373
10324713
Well, if Edgar is truly unscrupulous, we know it'll be Kyle that'll serve as the generator. Though there's a chance Edgar still cares about his grandchildren. It's actually the baby he's eyeing. And using her will come with very, very serious consequences when mama arrives. Though I'm quite interested if Kyle's maternal instincts kick in as well. Though if he can't find a way to resist or escape, he'll have to offer himself to keep the others safe. And that would be the less harmful choice. Kara won't survive and Flurry will end up starting a war. The Universe certainly hates Kyle, unfortunately.
All caught up. So Grandpa knows "magic" exists but we still don't know his true motives. They obviously know more than they let on. I'm certain the "scratches" on the window we're runic wards of some kind. Is Akiko this world's Sci-Twi? I think she's a bit to trusting of "those above her". Hopefully Twilight will find them soon. I pray Flurry, Kyle and Kara won't undetectable because of the bunker and the distance they've traveled from Flurry's initial appearance. Thankfully Twilight will at least be able to know when they find the right world given the test she was performing during the first expedition. Thanks for the updates. I look forward to reading more.
Their grandfather is every bit the sociopathic rich patriarch I thought he would be.
Better question. Did he care?
I'd say he's probably not very sympathetic to pain.
I thought the furniture from Beauty and the Beast were transformed manservants that transformed back to human when the spell was broken?
10928034
when the last magic rose petal fell they started becoming inanimate (i think it only happened in the live action remake, but idk)