//------------------------------//
// XXXIII 
// Story: The Influence 
// by GMSeskii 
//------------------------------//

Twilence blinked. 

She had seen Vriska for a few moments there. Talking planning to go to the capital. "Huh. Guess Mite did more than I thought... Vriska's heading towards the capital everypony."

Orchid raised an eyebrow. "Not sure how they'll feel about that."

"How so?"

Infinity shrugged. "The wall's there for a reason. Anything that doesn't look like a citizen will get destroyed. She certainly doesn't look like a citizen."

"She's faaaaaaaar too lucky though!" Pinkie said. "She'll be fine. Right now we gotta answer the Influence, right Twilence?"

"Right. ...You can hear them too, right?"

"Oh yes! I can even see a little more than that, but well, it's not my place to make all those things known. I have soooooome more freedom in what I can say here because you've all figured out the big secret, but I can't tell everything and - darnit! Ponygood! They weren't supposed to know that!"

"Huh?"

"Last message. Just... Okay so I really shouldn't say anything since that hasn't really happened yet, because of timey wimey stuff and-" She looked up. "Oh, right, Aradia isn't traveling across dimensions, so... She's not gonna be able to conveniently show up here unless she wants to skew time again. Back on track - Creek wasn't supposed to know about Jane Ponygood! The sequence of events is... Well just like this entire story, it's up in the air!"

Infinity raised a hoof. "I'm going to make an observation here. Why aren't you the Oracle?"

Pinkie giggled. "Because I have rules to follow, silly! There's a lot of things I can't tell you. There's also a lot of things I don't know. What the Influence will do, what will happen at the capital, all sorts of stuff! I just know certain things! Like what Connor said to me! Thank you!"

Twilence nodded. "I... See... How about you complete your responses before I do mine?"

"OKIE DOKIE! The frying pan has no name, I'm still held to my rules but they're loose now because of reasons I already said, and yeah I'll totally join the whatever for Butt the Cloud that sounds amazing!"

Twilence facehooved. "Oh please no."

Pinkie giggled. "Have a little fun Twilence! And Ponygood, I suppose we could go places, but we have adventures to run through first! We'd need a very specific reason to go somewhere, like we did now! Also, excuse me I need to go plow a road through this field."

"...What?" Fluttershy said.

"Don't ask."

Fluttershy shuffled awkwardly as Pinkie bounced off to 'plow a road.' 

Twilence blinked. "Yep, still Pinkie. Different... But Pinkie."

Orchid raised an eyebrow. "What else you have in there?"

"Let's see..." She started scrolling through. "Yeah, the pan does make me nervous, but apparently it's helpful. Though... Thrackerzod doesn't sound very nice. I... I plan on remembering Ruby..." Hard to remember her fondly though. "I can't really ask Mite what to call him - so I guess... "him" works. And thank you for apologizing. DLB, yeah... I guess everyone can be dangerous. One of the things I've learned here. And Afizah, thank you fo-... Er... Sonic? I guess I should say-"

She stopped talking and reading, eye twitching. 

"Uh..." Infinity said. "What did-"

"Sonic. Rainboom. Dash. How nice of you to show up and claim that I'm traumatizing one of my closest friends. Really, good first message there," Twilence bristled. "I was trying to decide if I should believe you or not, but if you're going to act like that then it doesn't really matter one way or the other." 

Fluttershy blinked. "Was... Was that about me?"

Twilence bit her lip. "Yes, but you don't need to listen to Afizah or Sonic or whatever, they're unimportant and-"

"Twilight..."

Twilence twitched. "I'm not Twilight."

Fluttershy nodded slowly. "I know. And... And... And I don't like that!"

Twilence's eyes widened. "...Fluttershy?"

"I know it's selfish of me and I know you've changed and you can't go back but... I want the Twilight I knew back. The one who liked books, who would smile and laugh all the time, who was scared. Who didn't have the weight of everything on her mind and, just, too much. I know it wasn't really your choice but... I feel like something's been stolen from me. I was hoping Pinkie would be different but... She seems the same way..." She looked down at her own hooves. "I've changed too... Who knows where my old self went..."

Twilence was taken aback. "...Fluttershy..."

"Twi..." Tears started flowing down Fluttershy's cheeks. "I... I want to go home..."

Twilence gulped. "We... We all do."

"I want to go to a home where you're there. But I know that can't happen." She looked into the distance, wind whipping through her hair. "If I've learned anything, it's that this works like a story. And that you'll have more to do once I'm done."

Twilence gulped. "It... It certainly seems that way."

"Twilence and Vriska both," Pinkie said, completing her job and appearing right next to them. "I don't think they'll do it together though. And I don't know about any of the others."

"We might not even make it," Fluttershy said. 

Pinkie nodded. "I'm not even sure if the best path is without sacrifice... I just don't know. I'm... I'm sorry."

Fluttershy nodded. "...I might not make it home at all..."

"Don't go there!" Twilence said, hugging Fluttershy close. "You... You'll always be here. I'll protect you. All of you. I won't let anything happen."

Twilence saw Pinkie bite her lip hard. Twilence did not like what that suggested.

"We're going to the Time Tunnels," Twilence said suddenly. "And we're sending Fluttershy back home."

Orchid sighed. "Won't work. Time Tunnels are going to need all six spirits to open."

Twilence twitched. "Well then we'll need to hurry. This place is bad for Fluttershy. She's not going to be here when the Dark Lord comes, I'll ensure that."

Fluttershy blinked. "Twi... I'm not sure I want to leave you all alone here-"

"This place isn't good for you. I'm in too deep to go back, but you can. There's hope for you." She turned to Pinkie. "Can you take us out yet?"

"Still a few hours."

Twilence nodded. "Well... What are we going to do until then?"

"Make a plan," Orchid said. She drew a map of southern Peran - including both the Ice Shelf and the Time Tunnels. "Troisha, the archipelago, is directly in our path from here to the capital. We'll stop at Castorson's altar and gain a fifth ally before heading to the capital, hopefully with intel from Vriska and Mite. Vester's altar is unknown - the capital is filled with millions of dragons and ponies, and yet there's no trace of it. We will perhaps need to speak to the Council."

Infinity's jaw dropped. "You mean... They'll agree to see us?"

"An alicorn and an Oracle should be enough to grab their attention," Orchid said. 

"What's the council made of?" Twilence asked. 

"There's five seats. One is permanently held by the Overseer. Two ponies, two dragons. I don't remember all of the current seats off the top of my head - they change constantly - but I know there's an ancient hydra on the dragon side by the name of Gilead. He's old enough to remember the time of Discord. There's also a pony on there I know - my great aunt, a unicorn by the name of Evanescence. She looks a lot younger than she is. She seems calm and regal all the time but actually has an adventurous spirit."

"So we have an in with her?"

"She's not a fan of me. Claims I go too far."

"Ah."

"Regardless, we can speak to them, see if they can find anything. Again, that would be pointless if Vriska finds something."

"...Is there even anything else to plan?"

Orchid laughed. "Yes. The capital city is a huge maze that is impossible to navigate unless you live there. I myself lived there for a time, but it's probably changed a lot since then. We need to make a system and know how to deal with things if we get mugged or something..."


~~~


Pinkie took them back to Lei Camp. The place was nice and warm - and they looked out across the ocean. They couldn't see Troisha or the capital. Pinkie took out a deflated raft and started blowing it up - but Twilence had already started conjuring up a small wooden raft. "...The ice demons are going to attack us," she said suddenly. 

Orchid nodded. "They are indeed. We win though."

"Reassuring. What do I do?"

"Stick some of those hot bricks on the front of the ship and launch. We'll plow right through them."

Twilence did so. The five ponies got into the boat and launched across the water. It took a few minutes of sailing but one of the icebergs did come out of the water, gnashing teeth and sawblades. Everypony held on for dear life while the boat tore a hole through the creature, skipping off to warmer waters. It tried to chase them, to no avail. 

"On your left," Orchid said. Twilence shot a laser to the left - and the ice monster that appeared there shattered. 

"Right, direcctly below, northeast."

Twilence shot each one before any damage could be done.

"Wow," Pinkie said. "Overpowered."

"I see all. Avoid the wall of ice coming above us in three seconds."

Twilence turned the ship sharply to the left, avoiding the ice wall. Infinity shot her own laser at it, collapsing it, and they continued on their way.

This continued for some time, with the ice creatures becoming more and more sparse as time went on. 

They had escaped Gamnemnon's horrid trap. 

"Hey..." Fluttershy turned to Orchid. "Why didn't you see Gamnemnon's betrayal?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it was because he was a spirit I did not have yet? I didn't see Ine's guns being used by her altar, but once they were activated I could dodge them just like anything else. I need all six to perfect my Sight."

"Great... So you can't just see us finding the last altar."

"Probably not."

Fluttershy sighed, laying down in the boat. "I think I'm going to sleep."

Twilence nodded. "If you need to..."

They sailed across the sea...


~~~


They arrived in Troisha a few hours before sunset, sailing into the harbor. The place was beyond colorful - the islands were covered in unusual greenery, brightly painted buildings, and docks that glowed with magic enchantments. Their boat was automatically taken towards a blue dock, and they were greeted by a blue earth pony. "Welcome to Troisha, the best independent nexus in the world!"

Orchid raised an eyebrow. "...We're here to see Castorson's altar."

"Oh, I'm sorry, the acolytes have sealed that off to tourists-"

"I'm not a tourist, I live here. I'm Orchid."

The pony raised an eyebrow. "Don't recognize the name."

"Nevermind. I'll deal with it myself. You continue doing your job, I'm sure you can tell some real tourists they can't see the altar. Bet they'll be glad to hear that." She marched onto the shore of the island, gesturing for the other four to follow. 

Twilence decided quickly that Troisha could be described as a place that thrived on tourists - there were tons of ponies and dragons who looked completely lost, glancing at maps and scratching their heads. There were others that were staring at the graceful, brightly colored architecture. One statue stood out - one of a pegasus with wings far too large to be normal. 

"Who's that?" Twilence asked.

Infinity frowned. "I think that's their first elected Chancellor. Don't know the name though."

"Peridot Feather," Orchid said. "An idealist who decided he didn't like the idea of listening to the Peran Council. Rebelled. Peran didn't even fight - Troisha was useless to them back then. Then we turned this place from a bunch of useless rocks to a prosperous tourist nation. It's all a bit silly."

Fluttershy blinked. "Huh. Weird..."

"Weird yes, worth our time, no. It's just history. Come, Castorson's altar's over here. I'm going to try to get the acolytes to let me in but they're going to hate me for stealing Castorson."

"...Then why are you even going to try?"

"Distraction so you can go in," Orchid said. "Just teleport yourself in, get your ally, teleport out. Who you getting this time anyway?"

Twilence opened her mouth to ask for a vote - but suddenly she stopped. She looked at the Eye in her chest. 

She knew who she had to bring in. She suddenly had the feeling that the last altar wasn't going to be what they expected, and that they might not have control over the situation. And if that were the case, she couldn't risk causing a paradox. 

"It's Aradia's." Twilence said. 

"Oh my gosh you're right!" Aradia said, appearing from nowhere. "And here I was thinking I might have to tell you that!"

Twilence smiled. "Hey Aradia. Finally going to give me some answers?"

"I'll hang around for a bit longer this time, you know, but it won't be as clear-cut nice-time as you want. But I can try! Just summon me first okay?"

"Alright. Funny, the Influence hasn't shown up yet..."

Pinkie smirked. "There's a chance they could mess this up, Twilence. Let's be thankful there's not going to be a paradox."

They arrived at a large, black, iron gate. Orchid cleared her throat. "Hello-"

"YOU!" One of the robed ponies screamed. "YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE HERE AGAIN AFTER DEFILING OUR SPIRIT!?"

"Guys, seriously, how could that have been me, what could I have possibly done..."

Twilence teleported herself and Aradia behind the gates. The acolytes were still screaming at Orchid, oblivious to her. Fluttershy, Infinity, and Pinkie shrugged and went to order some food from a tourist cart.

Twilence turned to Aradia. "Well..."

"Time to close the loop."

She walked into the middle of the courtyard. Sure enough, surrounded by tons of black etched stone, was an altar. Twilence looked at all the stones around it. "What do these mean?"

"Castorson said many things about the worlds beyond," Aradia said. "I went to the past and talked with him. He saw things no one else could see - the essence of Cosmos. He spoke of demons, of Stars, and of forces beyond understanding. He reveled to me that he had tried to wear the Eye before it was complete, trying to force it to adapt to him. It didn't work so well. He went mad. And yet, these acolytes still worship him and his knowledge. Even when he's gone."

Twilence stepped into the altar. "Huh. Altar, give me Aradia so we can close the time loop."

Aradia smiled. "Here we g•∑¶£ˆø\


~~~


This one had to be Aradia. 

Why? Because the next one... could be different, depending on how it goes. Twilence is adapting to her Eye, learning to listen to it. To know more. It's not complete, but it can be. Time will only tell how. 

It seems simple now - get the last altar, then defeat the dark lord. Possibly with the Time Tunnels themselves, who knows. Doesn't seem like there's much more than that. 

But you've forgotten some things. 


~~~


∑•¶¥ª˙ß∆´¨∑ø¥radia was watching another version of herself talk to Celestia in the Tree of Harmony's clearing. The other Aradia etched a ten-toothed gear with an Aries symbol into the base of the tree. 

Aradia smiled. And thus the cycle was complete. The paradox was done. Everything was...

She felt something tear at her from far away. 

...She hoped her other self didn't panic when she couldn't find her. 


~~~


Aradia appeared in the altar. The Aradia that Twilence had been talking to whispered something in the new Aradia's ear. She was surprised, but she nodded - vanishing in a warp of time. 

Twilence blinked. "So did you go get almost killed by the Dark Lord yet?"

"Did I - oh wow. That was a long time ago for me," Aradia laughed. "I've done a lot. But... Well now's the time I travel with you." She gave a thumbs up. "It won't be easy."

"What happens?"

"I'm not sure, it always changes. You always arrive at the Capital. Then things go wrong in one way or another - it's always different. It's as if it's in temporal flux. As if you are approaching a point where everything branches off."

"That's reassuring."

"It's why I'm here to help. I'll need to watch this unfold."

"HEY!" an acolyte shouted. "HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!?"

Twilence rolled her eyes. "Well then..." Suddenly the Eye lit up. "...Oh. Now they show up. Huh." She was not looking forward to hearing from Sonic again... Perhaps she had blown up at him, but that was still a pretty horrid accusation...


~~~


[Importing...]

Vriska could see the capital. 

Holy shithives it was big. 

The entire shoreline she could see was covered in brightly lit buildings, some truly stupidly tall. Even from this distance she could tell the place was pretty disorganized. She could see huge dragons and blimps flying between the many pointing skyscrapers, and even a few floating houses tethered to nothing. Bridges ran from building to building and the entire place just seemed too orange. 

"Orange," Mite said. 

"Yes. Orange."

"Big."

"You are captain obvious today."

"Marshall."

"Marshall obvious doesn't even make any sense."

"Exactly."

Vriska rolled her eyes. "Well, time to go in... ...do you think they're going to stop shooting at us anytime soon?"

"Negative."

"Thought not. Still don't think they'll hit." A bullet whizzed by her ear. "Yep. Still trying. Going to need a plan here."

"Underwater."

"...Eh, good enough." She dove into the ocean and began to swim towards the shore.