Chapter Forty Seven
Chapter Forty Seven
"Hey girls, wait a minute! I just thought of something really super duper important!"
Apparently the answer to his question was, yes, being left undisturbed to carry out his assigned duties was indeed too much to ask for. The excited chatter of Pinkie Pie from behind him was enough to distract almost anyone. He had to focus harder on tuning her out, and not allow her to serve as a distraction.
"Ulqy said he got exposed to poison joke when he just boomed right through it on the way back from Zecora's didn't he? Doesn't that mean that, at most, it only took fifteen minutes for him to have a full blown case of it? That's really, really fast to go from exposure to affliction. That's like anaphylactic shock speeds isn't it?"
And just like that, he stopped focusing on trying to ignore the pink earth pony in favor of what was going on outside the library. He could speculate on how this world knew about concepts such as anaphylaxis, but he was more curious as to just where Pinkie Pie was going with this.
"I know that nopony's immune to poison joke, but when we get exposed we at least have a few hours delay before the onset of any symptoms starts. But if poor Ulqy gets exposed he's affected immediately. And what if it's not even the plants responsible? What if he's vulnerable to the pollen!? If that's the case then it's not safe for him to go into the Everfree Forest at all."
Curiouser, and curiouser. This was not a development he could have foreseen taking shape. Was this in response to his earlier remark suggesting that they might stoop to poisoning him for their own benefit? It seemed unlikely at best, but nothing could be ruled out just yet.
"I honestly don't think things are quite that serious, Pinkie. At least not quiet yet. It's true that the exposure to affliction time frame was incredibly short under these circumstances. But it's incredibly unlikely at best, that Ulquiorra is so hypersensitive to poison joke, that he's vulnerable to the pollen itself. There's never been a reported case of such a serious allergic reaction before; either here, or anywhere else in Equestria that we have contact with. It's... unprecedented," Twilight explained calmly.
"No offense, Twilight, but ah kinda think this whole darn situation is unprecedented. Ain' never been another Hollow in Equestria before. We don' know sick 'um 'bout wha's normal and wha' ain't," Applejack pointed out. This whole conversation was starting to remind her of the first time they'd seen what Ulquiorra could do, and how effortlessly he could do it if he pleased. Twilight had objected to how badly Ulquiorra had violated the known laws of physics in his fight with the dragon, and it'd been her that pointed out how him not being native to their world meant he probably wasn't bound by the same rules that they were.
Granted this was a different situation entirely. In the first case it'd been a way of explaining just how Ulquiorra could easily kick so much flank, on top of walking on air the same way Rainbow Dash walked on clouds. It'd been a way of justifying how he could demonstrate a degree of strength that exceeded what the size of his muscles would suggest being possible. But this time around it was a matter of explaining just why the Espada might be vulnerable to poison joke, in a manner that made him far more sensitive to it than any of them were. Right now it was the only thing that really made any sense to her.
"Hmm..." Twilight mumbled as she rubbed her chin. Applejack did raise a good point with that. There was still so very much about Ulquiorra that they simply didn't know. Everything so far had been nothing but assumption, with occasional peeks at what was just below the surface. And sometimes that lack of information could just be so frustrating to contend with, as it made it very difficult to know the safe limitations of his abilities, and how he could be properly utilized.
No wait, that sounded far too cold. That train of thought made it seem like Ulquiorra was nothing more than a tool, no different from a hammer or a hacksaw. But he wasn't that, he was an intelligence, sentient, living -somewhat- being. He was their friend... or at the very least he was her friend, he'd said so himself. They weren't trying to use him like he was just a throwaway commodity, but rather they were trying to figure out how to best utilize his strengths, in situations where their own was inadequate. And in return they would do the same for him... once they determined what he was inadequate in dealing with. That's what friends did for one another.
"You raise a very good point, Applejack, we really don't know how Ulquiorra might be affected by poison joke. We have no idea what his level of resistance is, nor do we know if environmental conditions play any part in it," she admitted.
"... So what exactly are we waiting for? Let's do it! Tomorrow morning I'll fly out to Zecora's and get her to whip up some more antidote, and then we can go from there," Rainbow Dash stated.
"Rainbow Dash, are you actually suggesting we experiment on Ulquiorra like he's a lab animal?" Twilight asked incredulously. Was her friend seriously suggesting that they have a repeat of earlier today? Had she forgotten how much trouble they'd gotten into for what they'd done? "Didn't you learn anything from earlier today?"
Rainbow Dash frowned momentarily in response to Twilight's question, as well as her attitude. Here she was making a serious suggestion, and she was getting nothing but hostility in response. But undeterred, she continued onward. "You don't think I learned anything from what went down today? Trust me, I learned plenty. That's why I suggested getting the antidote first. We've got a flank-load of questions with no answers, and I suggest that we do something productive about that, instead of just sitting around and twiddling our hooves," she stated as she stood up from where she sat, resting her front hooves on the table to get more altitude as she addressed Twilight. "We're not experimenting on him. Or at least not for stupid, selfish reasons this time. He's putting himself on the line to keep us safe from whatever might be trying to kill us. Don't you think we owe him, in trying to figure out just how much of a risk he's at?"
"I'm inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash on this one. It's something that we need to know, and it's also something that Ulquiorra deserves to know. It needs to be determined how much of a threat he's facing just by being here, in such close proximity to the Everfree Forest, and who knows how much poison joke currently in bloom. If he's vulnerable to a northbound wind then I'd say that's quite important," Rarity explained.
Ulquiorra listened as the group discussed matters that related to him. They were actually displaying concern for his own wellbeing. He could easily write it off as an exercise of what was in their own best interest, with them realizing that should he become incapacitated, their lives -and Equestria itself by extension- would be put at risk. It would be a logical conclusion to reach under any circumstances, seeing as he was quite possibly the only thing keeping them alive right now. They couldn't be faulted for considering what was in their best interest; not when there was so much at stake. With the wellbeing of the world tied to their own wellbeing, it was all the more logical that they would be concerned.
And yet the manner in which they were carrying on, didn't specifically sound like such a train of thought was what they were engaging in. There were too many references to his wellbeing and such. Were they genuinely concerned more about him than his abilities, and what they stood to get out of them?
Was this what it was like to actually have friends? To have others concern themselves with your condition rather than their own, even if they were the ones that faced the most danger?
"-and that's why I don't buy discount mayonnaise anymore!"
Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he became too absorbed in his own thoughts. This was at least the second time he'd missed whatever Pinkie Pie had been saying. But if she was merely talking about her foodstuffs buying habits, he truly couldn't see the importance of it all. However paying attention from here on out would probably be a very good idea.
At the table where she sat, Twilight was currently pinching the bridge of her muzzle with her hooves. With the exception of Pinkie's little contribution, each of her friends had made very good points as to why they should go through with this idea of theirs. They had all provided a coherent, well thought out justification for why they should experiment on Ulquiorra. This was a lot like earlier today, regardless of the reasoning and motivation behind their respective positions.
"So what do you think we should do, Twilight?" she heard Rarity ask. She looked up at her friends with a tired expression as she considered everything.
"I think it's Ulquiorra's decision, seeing as he can actually give or withhold informed consent under these circumstances," Twilight replied as she turned her attention to the Espada by the front door. These proceedings involved him directly, so it was only fair that he be involved as well. "What do you want to do, Ulquiorra? What's your opinion on the matter?"
And now it was back to him. It seemed like he was going to be directly involved in this discussion no matter what approach was attempted.
"A number of good points have been made so far," he spoke as he walked toward the table where the others sat. "We have very little information to go on. We know that I'm vulnerable to poison joke just as everyone else is. However we don't yet know just how vulnerable. It's a valid point that the only way to determine the level of vulnerability is controlled exposure, to ever-increasing amounts in order to determine the precise threshold. To choose not to proceed would pose as a breach of security, and gross negligence on my part," he explained as he stood before them, looking over at each of them as he spoke. "And as you have pointed out, unlike last time, I am fully able to give my consent to these proceedings, and make an informed decision about how to proceed. Furthermore I would be lax in my duties if I were to refuse. And as Rainbow Dash has said, we'll have the antidote on hand for when it's needed. Everything will be a controlled situation this time around."
Twilight didn't know how precisely to take Ulquiorra's consent to the proceedings. On the one hoof it was a perfectly logical decision to make, and she knew that if Ulquiorra had any personal opinions on the matter, he wouldn't allow them to get in the way of his duties to Celestia, because that would be an emotional reaction fueled by spite. And both spite and emotion were two things Ulquiorra wasn't about.
But on the other hoof, Ulquiorra appeared to more or less be consenting to letting them drug him, and trusting them to not have their way with him... Alright that sounded incredibly dirty. She needed to rephrase that. Perhaps she should say that Ulquiorra was actually willing to trust them to be responsible with this newfound position of control that they might be gaining over him and... no that didn't sound any better. This was all Rainbow Dash's fault, she had to go and use that double entendre that got this whole mess kicked off in the first place.
Alright, time to try this one more time. Ulquiorra was willing to trust them, to not become corrupted by this newfound power that his potentially impaired condition might grant them. He was actually trusting them to be responsible. Yeah, that sounded much better in her mind. Then again while it didn't sound as dirty, it sounded quite preposterous in nature. Ulquiorra actually willing to exercise friendship lesson number two with them? Seriously? There was a great bit that could be drawn from that. Either he really was understanding what friendship was about, and he was demonstrating that fact right now... or he was recognizing the dire nature of the situation, and simply responding accordingly. Whatever the exact reasoning, it was going to be interesting.
"Well then, I guess tomorrow we're going to be busy," she stated.
"Perhaps even more so than we assume," Rarity replied, "in the event that we discover Ulquiorra is sensitive to the pollen of poison joke, perhaps we should have another set of clothes on hoof. Zecora's antidote might take care of whatever symptoms come about, but it won't do anything to get the pollen out of his uniform. Under the worst case scenario, he may need to have it washed after every visit. And for the sake of modesty for those that value it, a change of clothing would definitely be a good idea."
"Isn't that just a bit excessive, Rarity? I get that whites are hard to keep clean and all, but seriously? Washing his clothes after every visit? What in Tartarus for?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"To remove whatever pollen he might pick up during his time here, Rainbow Dash. The antidote might cure him, but it can't render someone immune against continuous exposure. Any pollen stuck to his clothing is bound to come into contact with his skin, and merely reinfect him," Rarity explained.
"So how come he's not covered in spots again already?"
Everyone looked to where Spike was currently standing. He did raise a very good point with his question; good enough that Ulquiorra was already rolling up his sleeve to inspect his skin for any new spots. If he were truly hypersensitive to poison joke pollen, why was his skin currently clear? Perhaps the affliction only generated spots some of the time? It was possibly, but there was no definite answer to be had currently.
"Metabolism perhaps? He drank the antidote rather than bathing in it, maybe it's still coursing through his system and hasn't broken down yet, meaning it could be preventing reoccurrence at the moment if his clothes are currently saturated," Twilight suggested. It seemed to make the most amount of sense right about now.
"Then perhaps it would be best if I go back to the Carousel Boutique now, and start work on a new set of clothes for Ulquiorra. He may be in need of a shower sooner than we thought," Rarity replied as she stood up from where she sat, ready to head back out and get to cracking right away. She was in a situation where her special talent was quite necessary, and she simply couldn't ignore that fact.
"I'd recommend against that. As late as it is, it's going to be pouring out there by the time you get done making the dude a new set of clothes. You're gonna be soaked, and then we'd never hear the end of how your mane's styling has been ruined by the deluge," Rainbow Dash objected, more so out of wanting to avoid hearing Rarity's incessant complaining about the matter than anything else.
"There are some things more important than my coiffure, darling, and this is most certainly one of them. I would be undeserving of the Element of Generosity if I allowed something like my mane to stand in the way of ensuring the wellbeing of another," Rarity explained.
Applejack just shook her head and silently stood up. She and Rarity might not get along the best out of everyone, but she still had an understanding of how her friend's mind worked. And as a result she knew that trying to talk her out of a generosity kick would take more time than it would to simply let her do what she was setting out to do.
"Ah might not be a fancy seamstress, but ah'll go with ya anyway, jus' in case somethin' happens," she explained. If something did occur and Rarity was targeted while she was away, at least she wouldn't be on her own.
"Separating isn't advised under the present circumstances," Ulquiorra spoke up. Division meant greater security risks to contend with. That was why all eight of them would be spending the night together. Had they already forgotten as much?
"Well... we could all go with Rarity over to the Carousel Boutique while she works. Then we wouldn't be separated and at risk. And it's really not much different from being here at the library," Fluttershy suggested.
"I can't," Twilight stated in response. There was nothing wrong with Fluttershy's logic as far as she could see. But there was more involved than simply remaining together. To emphasize that fact the levitated the ancient tome into view again. "I have to stay here and study this. And considering its importance I don't want it to leave the library, not even for a little while. Anything could happen."
"The matter goes deeper than simply being in the company of each other. Even if everyone is present and accounted for at Rarity's place of business, the Elements of Harmony would still be present here, and once again left vulnerable. It would be necessary for myself to remain here and safeguard them," Ulquiorra pointed out. That was about the only shortcoming in the logic of Fluttershy's suggestion. And if Twilight Sparkle was going to be present, then he would need to remain behind even more so. However it was looked at, splitting up presented a security risk.
"Oh I don't think you'll need to worry about that anytime soon, Ulquiorra, the Elements of Harmony are well secured where they are. In truth I don't think even you could gain access to them currently," Twilight stated in an effort to assuage his concerns. However all she got for her efforts were seven sets of eyes upon her, and looking at her in disbelief. Perhaps she should've phrased that a little differently. "There's a number of spells in place to prevent them from being stolen. If you don't believe me, just try and lift the case and see what happens," she explained.
Ulquiorra remained silent as he listened to the explanation, and the resulting challenge to disprove what was being said. He looked over at the glass case that proudly displayed the Elements of Harmony, standing openly by the stairs that led up to the second story of the library. He'd been in this world long enough to know that not everything that existed could be seen. But he still doubted the legitimacy of Twilight Sparkle's words. Wordlessly he stepped over to the case and stood before it, before reaching out with one hand in an effort to lift the case off its pedestal.
Much to his surprise the case refused to budge from its resting place. This was rather curious in nature. He flexed his muscles a little more in an effort to overcome whatever resistance it was the held the case in place. There was still no response to be had. Now he was becoming very intrigued by this development. He could easily overpower a dragon with one hand, and yet this case couldn't be moved?
"I'd suggest using both hands if you still have doubts. But if you did, the wood of the floor might give way first," Twilight spoke up. She could tell that Ulquiorra was actually struggling in an effort to lift the case from its pedestal, and getting nowhere in the process. It was actually odd to observe, someone being so strong, and yet being incapable of doing anything with all of that strength he had under his control. She could've let him continue struggling, but she didn't want to actually see him get frustrated, and by extension, see what he might do as a result. "The glass itself is also heavily shielded by magic. It's protected by a constantly active, passive forcefield, that draws mana from the surrounding territory to maintain itself. When any kinetic force is detected on the surface area, the forcefield switches to active use, and goes about converting kinetic energy into is fuel source to sustain itself," she explained, her words carrying a sense of pride with them.
"Meaning... what exactly?" Rainbow Dash asked, utterly lost by her words.
"In simple terms, Rainbow Dash, the harder you try and hit it, the stronger the shield becomes as a result of the force applied to it," Twilight elaborated.
"Fascinating," Ulquiorra replied and gave the glass an experimental flick, the simple gesture failing to display the sheer degree of strength that was transmitted through his fingers. Immediately the surface was distorted by a flickering magenta energy field coming into full view. Quite fascinating. "A creative safeguard. However what safeguards are in place should someone not attempt force to gain entry? What if someone were to use a glass cutting tool in an effort to steal the Elements of Harmony?" he asked her.
"A forcefield on the inside of the glass, working in tandem with the forcefield on the outside," Twilight replied simply. "Some of it is Celestia's work, the rest is mine. Unless all the spells are deactivated, I honestly don't believe that anything could get through. I don't even think you could get through."
"I don't know, Twilight, Ulqy's pretty darn strong. I've got twenty bits that says he could do it if he really, really wanted to," Pinkie replied.
"Yeah, sorry Twi', but I'm with Pinkie on this one. Anyone that can punch out a dragon isn't going to be stopped by a simple forcefield. You saw what he did the last time he was up against one, even if it was stretched kinda thin," Rainbow Dash added.
"That was a forcefield I was actively maintaining by myself, Rainbow Dash. It was limited by what I could do on my own. This one is self-supporting in nature, and would draw their strength from whatever Ulquiorra could do in an effort to gain entry. It's not that I doubt his strength, I really don't. It's just that the nature of the spells negate that strength. You're talking about matters that are more or less of an impossibility in this case," Twilight explained, doing her best to remain calm about the notion of her friends actually gambling on the matter of whether or not Ulquiorra could actually bypass the forcefields.
"Then perhaps it is a hypothesis that deserves testing," Ulquiorra replied as he stepped away from the pedestal and looked back at them. "You're quite certain the Elements of Harmony are in no risk of being pilfered?" he asked as he turned his attention to where Twilight Sparkle stood.
"... Certain enough that I'd rather not see you possibly break your hand while trying to prove otherwise," Twilight replied slowly, uncertain on whether or not Ulquiorra might actually try something like that in the name of being thorough. She certainly couldn't put it past him to try something like that.
That... that was a new one, Ulquiorra noted. He was fully prepared to do just that if it was necessary to test the stability of her security measures. What was a hand to him, when he could easily make the damaged tissue and structure repair itself? He knew that they couldn't tell of his high-speed regeneration abilities, as they hadn't been informed of such an ability before. But regardless of that fact, these ponies were starting to show more concern for his wellbeing, even if that concern would put their own wellbeing at risk in the process.
"Is this what it's like to have friends?" he asked himself curiously as he looked over each of them, trying to make sense of these strange developments. There was a great amount to take in and try to analyze. "Does having friends mean that they will willingly disregard concern for their own wellbeing, in order to focus on your own?" he asked himself further. The descriptions of friendship that they had given him over the course of the day would certainly suggest that such was the case. However actually seeing them being employed before him was something new to experience. It was a practice that struck him as odd. These organic, living, frail beings were showing more concern for him than they should. He was more or less dead already, so what difference did it make it he was harmed in some manner? His ultimate purpose in this world was to protect these ponies and their corresponding Elements of Harmony from harm. His level of comfort and wellbeing was ultimately inconsequential.
So why couldn't they see that for themselves? Was it a matter of guilt over what had happened earlier today? If it was, then it was ultimately a futile gesture on their part. Why was it so hard for them to understand that he didn't hold a grudge against them? If he held any negative position on the matter, it was simply with how they had taken a course of action that put them at such risk; a course of action that had been corrected by the Cutie Mark Crusaders taking it upon themselves to do what the adults of their world had not done.
"To think it would be five children who demonstrate the first truly selfless act of friendship," he thought to himself. Perhaps it was irony, or perhaps it was something else. Whatever it was, it was worth noticing. The others, Twilight Sparkle and the rest, it could be argued that they all had something to gain from their interactions with him, and were either consciously or subconsciously working towards goals of their own. Apple Bloom and the others, however, didn't appear to harbor such from what he could see, and had set out to acquire the antidote simply because it had been the right thing to do. Perhaps they were simply too young to understand the finer points of quid pro quo. Whatever the reasoning, there was nothing to do about it right now. There were bigger issues at hand.
"Assuming you're correct about the safeguards in place to protect the Elements of Harmony, what of yourself? Can you adequately split your concentration, to not only deploy and maintain a forcefield, but also focus on learning what the tome in question has to offer?" he asked the lavender unicorn.
"Easily," Twilight replied without even stopping to think, "Rarity's not the only one skilled with multitasking abilities."
He was well aware of that fact. However there was still a lack of certainty over just how much concentration was needed to maintain a forcefield, and if that concentration was dependent upon both the size and the supplied power. Could the library be shielded if her concentration on one area wavered in favor of another? Would she become distracted by a complicated spell and opt to drop the forcefield to free up her thought process? There were too many variables present to account for currently. Too many things that could go wrong.
"A change of clothes and a shower can wait until later. The hour is too late to justify such an endeavor," he stated simply.
"But Ulqy," Pinkie Pie began as she gave him a look of concern. It was almost strange to observe such. "What if you're covered in pollen and break out in the middle of the night when we can't get out and get you an antidote? Twilight might be able to whip one up, but some of the ingredients can only be found in the Everfree Forest. It'd be too dangerous to go out in the middle of a storm to get what we'd need," she explained.
"Should I once again become afflicted with poison joke during the course of the night, then the theory presented by Rarity and the others will be confirmed as a matter of fact rather than mere speculation. We will be able to determine that whatever level of saturation my clothing has suffered, is either enough to trigger a response, or it is not," he explained, mainly to try and keep everyone from rushing off in a manner that would leave them vulnerable and exposed. The hour was growing later and later, and even with his pesquisa, the dark shrouded many things that weren't always there in the light. Simply because he could see them and sense them, didn't mean that he was willing to take the chance if it could actually be avoided.
"Are you really sure you want to do that?" Fluttershy asked him. When he turned his attention to her she flinched under his gaze. As to be expected. "What I mean is... it's really not any trouble for us to go ahead and go over to Rarity's to get you some new clothes made," she explained.
"My assigned duty is to provide protection to your group, as well as Ponyville in general for the time being. Looking out for your wellbeing is not something I can adequately do, if you're all running around in an effort to try and look out for mine," he stated simply.
"But that's what friends do for each other, silly, they look out for each other when they're in need," Pinkie replied.
"Friends," Ulquiorra mentally repeated to himself. Pinkie Pie had simply hurled it out with such disregard and optimism, as if it meant absolutely nothing to present the title to one or another. Even after everything it still struck him as foreign. He had an understanding of the basics that went into structuring the concept that amounted to friendship. But it was nothing more than a basic understanding at best. He could see how it might apply under these circumstances. He could even understand how these ponies might believe that they all were friends with one another. But none of that meant he could truly grasp the depths of the understanding that could be had.
When he'd started off this endeavor in the morning, it had been for a simple overall purpose. He'd set out to make these ponies believe that their efforts in helping him gather an understanding of friendship had been successful, which would then be used to motivate them to let the issue drop, in order to make them resume their responsibilities of keeping him informed about the day-to-day occurrences happening around Ponyville. It had been nothing more than an effort to make them straighten up, fly right, and stop focusing on irrelevant matters that had no bearing on more important issues that simply couldn't wait.
However things were no longer that simple. What had started out as an attempt to make these ponies focus, had quickly become muddled by unexpected discoveries, an unforeseen poisoning, a brazen daylight attack practically in his presence, and a significant number of deaths occurring as a result. And now they all found themselves here, trying to make sense of everything that'd happened over the course of the day, and addressing a number of varying topics that seemed to bear no relation to one another.
To say that he wasn't entirely certain what to think right now, would be an understatement.
"And you do pretty much need us right now. You said that yourself back in Canterlot," Pinkie pointed out.
She was correct that he had made such a statement in the immediate aftermath of Chrysalis' defeat, when he'd realized there was far more going on than originally suspected. He had needed these ponies to keep him updated on what took place when he wasn't present. However he hadn't meant to suggest that he needed them for other matters unrelated to reconnaissance gathering. They could prove very useful as sources of information, but that didn't translate into being necessary for everyday things. At least not in his mind anyway. Perhaps he hadn't properly phrased that to them, and the misunderstanding was his fault rather than theirs.
"It's true that I did make such a statement. However that was with regard to gathering information that could be used to ensure not only your continued safety, but the safety of Equestria itself. I possess no need for creature comforts, which is what a new suit of clothes would qualify as. And even though you believe they are warranted, I can't allow them to take precedent and create a breach of security," he explained in an effort to diffuse their argument. However it wasn't his intention to simply stop there. These ponies had given him a significant bit of information over the course of the day; information that he could use in this situation. "And if you truly believe that we are friends, you won't continue to press this issue, knowing that I'm uncomfortable with what you're suggesting."
Twilight frowned at hearing Ulquiorra's words. To her it didn't really sound like an appeal to friends, born from discomfort with what they wanted to do; it certainly wasn't like what Fluttershy's explanation had been. To her it sounded more like an attempt by the Espada to weaponize the concept of friendship, in order to control their actions in a manner he deemed fit. It was really hard to tell for certain, but that's what it basically sounded like to her. But she really couldn't blame him for taking such a course of action, when his previous attempts at dissuading them from their intended course of action weren't yielding the desired results.
"Note to self: have a conversation with Ulquiorra on that later," she mentally told herself, putting that particular note above the note about talking with Vinyl Scratch later on, in response to what she'd done at the party for her.
"... If tha's wha' ya want, Mr. Cifer, ah guess it's best ta respect yer wishes," Applejack slowly replied in defeat. How exactly was she or anypony else supposed to argue with that line of reasoning? They could try and make any number of varying arguments about how it was in his best interest -and by extension, theirs as well- to get him into some clean, non-pollen contaminated clothing for the night. But ultimately it was his prerogative if he wanted to stay in that condition. Unless... there was another way of getting motivation. A certain, sneaky, underhoofed way of getting the point across.
She considered it. Considered using the whole interspecies thing to suggest Rainbow Dash might not be able to keep her hooves to herself in case he suffered a relapse in the middle of the night. But almost as soon as the thought entered her mind, she discounted it entirely. It was far too cruel, and too tasteless, for her tastes. She couldn't be that mean to one of her friends. Much as they didn't like it, it seemed that they'd have to let Ulquiorra do as he pleased in this case.
"Can I say something about this?" Spike asked as he spoke up. He was fine with letting the others talk and all, but every now and then he felt the need to contribute something to the discussion. At seeing no immediate objection, he turned his attention to the Espada. "Ulquiorra, when you were under the affects of poison joke, what was it like exactly? Maybe if we knew, we'd know what to look out for overnight," he suggested.
"That's... actually a good idea, Spike," Twilight commented. Sometimes it could be surprising how many good ideas Spike had going on. "What was it like while you were afflicted, Ulquiorra? Can you describe it? Any noticeable differences that you can recall?" she asked.
Cooler heads were starting to prevail once again, he noted. No discussion of running about under cover of darkness, left exposed to who knew what in a blind panic. Now they were instead attempting to focus on how to address the situation at hand, with the limited resources they had directly under their control. And thanks to Spike, they were now attempting to gain answers to a question that had yet to be addressed. And now that the ball was in his court, so to speak, he proceeded to think on the question in an effort to provide the desired answer.
"It's difficult to codify what was experienced into simple words and terms. Not even being aware of my own impaired condition at the time adds greater complication to the issue at hand. Terms like foggy, and hazy, seem most appropriate to serve as a basic description. Disorientation would be an appropriate term to use under these circumstances, or even a sense of disconnection from reality. My focus on my surroundings was hampered, as were the full extent of my mental facilities. I lost focus on what was genuinely important, and allowed myself to become distracted by irrelevancies unfolding around me. As said, it's difficult to describe in simple terms. In hindsight it could almost be described as having my senses numbed or dulled," he explained.
As said it was very difficult to properly explain. It wasn't even due to trying to simplify what he'd experienced so they could understand it properly. Rather it was due to his own lack of understanding on the intricacies of what had taken place. He'd been drugged, used, and utterly confused. That was the simplest way he could think of putting it.
"Is that why you took part in the party games?" Pinkie Pie asked him in a curious tone. However she didn't stop there, but rather continued with further questions. "What about the cake? And all the conversations? And the dancing with Lyra? Was any of that your inclination? Any at all?"
He'd heard that tone before, not just here, but back in his own world. It was one that combined desperation with the hopefulness of the supplied answer being what they wanted to hear. Even he could see the desperate look that her eyes held, as she tried to salvage something about this day.
"No," he stated simply. There was no reason to go into excessive detail about how the only reason he'd participated was due to his impaired state. They understood it, they didn't need to be obsessively beat over the head with that fact. Had he been able to focus properly, he wouldn't have engaged in any of today's foolishness. But on the other side of that coin was another matter. Had he been able to focus properly, he wouldn't have discovered that not everything was quite as foolish as it had appeared on the surface. But that was another tale for another time. And possibly reason for further interaction once this crisis wasn't hanging over their heads.
"Oh..." Pinkie replied slowly, not happy about this change of development.
Twilight decided to hold her tongue on this one. She had some measure of suspicion about Ulquiorra's recent statement, but she didn't think engaging him in a debate right now was the best of ideas. A battle of wits certainly made for lively discussion, but now simply wasn't the time. Right now she could be utilizing her time in researching the spell book that Celestia had sent her.
"Okay girls, if there's no new business to discuss, I'm going to be down in the basement doing some research," she announced as she stood up from the table, once again picking up the tome in the process. As far as she could see there was nothing to justify her being up here. And unless something developed in the next ten seconds, which was an occurrence even she doubted occurring, there was simply no sense in hanging around while the others lamented how Ulquiorra hadn't enjoyed himself at the party.
Then again considering everything that'd happened at the party, it really wasn't that much of a surprise. Even if he didn't hold a grudge against them for leaving him impaired for their own amusement, that didn't mean he appreciated their efforts. And that was on top of his stoic, logical nature, which would naturally preclude him from emotional reactions of any sort.
Whatever. All this thinking on the issue was giving her a headache. And right now she could think of better uses of her time than just sitting here, and constantly running over what had already happened, while at the same time getting absolutely nowhere. She'd try and decode the Espada later on. For now she had new spells to learn.
"Actually Twi', there's something I'd like to bring up for discussion, and we're probably gonna need you for it, being the brains and all," Rainbow Dash spoke up.
Twilight tried to keep her cool. She was starting to have an understanding of how Ulquiorra felt on his first trip to Ponyville, when he'd asked her how many more pointless conversations he'd have to engage in. And right now that's what it felt like she was being engaged in by the others. Didn't they understand how important it was that she learned these spells before Ulquiorra had to leave? They only had a few days time in which they could count on him immediately responding to danger.
Slowly she turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, the silent command of "get on with it already" practically dripping from her features like water right after a shower.
Seeing that she had Twilight's attention, Rainbow Dash turned to address Ulquiorra. "So just how strong are you anyway? I mean, I get that you can take on a fully grown dragon by yourself and beat the crud out of it like it's foal's play, but that doesn't tell us much. And then there's the fact that you can transform, and get even stronger than before. When you did that back in Canterlot, the shock wave that came from it literally knocked the wind out of me, and I wasn't standing anywhere near you. But that still doesn't tell us anything. So just how much stronger do you get when you transform? Are there any round numbers here so we have at least some idea of what we're dealing with?" she asked.
This is what Rainbow Dash wanted her around for? There had better be something significant planned for this line of discussion. That's all Twilight could think about the matter right now.
Ulquiorra remained silent in thought, considering what to say in response. Simply because an answer was desired didn't mean that excessive honesty was warranted. There was only so much he was comfortable with sharing openly. Depending on what entity -or worse, entities- was working towards their deaths, and to what extent of observation it was capable of, simply having a conversation about his abilities could tip the balance further out of their favor than it already was. He had no doubt that his resurrección was already common knowledge to the enemy. Depending on the level of integration and saturation, the same could be said for his high-speed regeneration; a fact that made him all the more glad he hadn't discussed its limitations with Princess Celestia.
There were many, many ways that things could unfold, positively or negatively. But a lack of information, and a resulting uncertainty that nearly bordered on paranoia, wasn't exactly the best justification to shutting down relevant communication entirely. These ponies were his allies, and this was information that they needed to know; especially if Rainbow Dash truly did have something up her sleeve, and she first needed information of her own in order to proceed.
"There is no exact science for determining the increase of strength an Arrancar gains when utilizing their resurrección. Their released state can be as little as two time stronger than their sealed state. However there have been rare occurrences where the resulting multiplication in power was as high as twenty. In the case of my resurrección, the increase in overall strength is approximately five times greater than my previous state," he explained, leaving the details relatively vague and without anything specific. If they were being eavesdropped on, perhaps it would be possible to frighten the entity with overwhelming levels of information, detailing just what was being faced.
"F-f-five times stronger!?" Rainbow Dash asked/croaked in surprise and disbelief. Was he being serious? There was that big of a difference between his sealed and released state of transformation? She could already feel her wings bristling and tensing up from this revelation. "Y-you mean you can go from beating up on a dragon like it's nothing, to five times that degree of awesomeness?"
"Correct," Ulquiorra replied simply. He noted how the cyan pegasus gulped and readjusted the position of her forelegs at her sides, as if she was attempting to pin down her wings to prevent another embarrassing display from occurring in front of everyone; a situation likely made all the more embarrassing by Twilight Sparkle's revelation that he was aware of the significance of such. Not that it meant anything to him. And especially not after Rainbow Dash herself had said that the situation was not as it appeared to be.
"Huh," Applejack replied simply and adjusted her stetson. Maybe it was true what other ponies said about the strong, silent types. And she couldn't think of anyone that was as silent as Ulquiorra was; not even Fluttershy could hold a candle to him. In fact, now that she thought about it, if one were to compare the two side by side, Fluttershy would be a veritable chatterbox like Pinkie. That was definitely a weird mental image to conjure up.
"Okay now I'm confused," Spike spoke up, "five times stronger, I understand that, even if it does kind of boggle the mind to think about. But what Twilight and the others told me about the whole changeling mess in Canterlot... are you as strong as Celestia when you're in your released state?"
At one point in time, Twilight would've considered such a question to be utterly ridiculous in nature. She might've even considered it borderline blasphemous. The idea that anyone could possibly rival Celestia in strength was unthinkable. She was their ruler, and the one who, for a thousand years, juggled the celestial bodies of the sun and moon all by herself. How could anypony rival her in terms of strength?
And then that state of worship had come crashing down against the hard truths of reality, when she learned that their perfect ruler truly wasn't so perfect after all. And now, hearing that question from Spike, she too was curious about the truth. She'd seen a good portion of the fight for herself, witnessed how easily Ulquiorra had batted Celestia about like it was nothing. And even though she now knew it wasn't real, she couldn't help but wonder just how much was an act, and how much was truth.
"Is something like that even possible?" Rarity asked. However as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt the need for an immediate followup. "No offense to you, Ulquiorra, I don't mean to come off as being rude. But... you just don't strike me as the type who could raise and lower the sun as she does. It's... you have to understand what's being suggested here. For over a thousand years, Princess Celestia has been the one to bring forth the sun and usher in the new day. The idea of anyone, even yourself, being able to rival her is just... a difficult concept to accept," she explained.
"No offense is taken. It's understood why the concept as difficult to accept, as formulating an answer is equally difficult," Ulquiorra replied. They had no idea how difficult of a question it was. But they were about to... perhaps. "There is a great deal of difficulty in determining overall strength. It must be stated that what you ponies possess is not reiryoku or reiatsu. I simply use those terms to make sense, as what you do possess is similar in nature. However that similarity doesn't allow for proper determination of overall strength, as I have no way of telling whether or not what you possess is of a greater or lesser concentration to the matter of my world. Every observation made up to this point, has been based on the assumption of mana and reishi possessing a one-to-one ratio with each other. Without any ability to confirm or deny this assumption, everything amounts to guesswork," he explained.
Twilight nodded in understanding. What Ulquiorra was saying was perfectly reasonable and logical. Attempting to formulate definite answers while lacking definite information was indeed a difficult endeavor to engage in. And unless Ulquiorra or one of them suddenly found themselves possessing the ability to gain specimens of each material, and conduct a molecular breakdown of the two in a side-by-side fashion, all they really had to rely on was guesswork.
"Assuming the two materials to possess a one-to-one ratio in all the relevant areas, what's your observation on the comparison between your strength and Celestia's strength? Which one of you would you consider to be the stronger of the two?" she asked, finding herself more and more curious as to what the answer could be.
"Again, attempting to formulate an answer is quite difficult due to numerous factors. To perceive someone's reiatsu level, it needs to be within a range that can be comprehended by the one attempting to sense it. If a target's reiatsu level is too intense to be detected, the seeker won't be able to register anything, and receive a negative reading. It's like trying to take in a wall-sized painting while looking at an area no bigger than one square inch. That-"
"So you can't sense Celestia's power?" Pinkie asked as she interrupted the explanation.
"To the contrary, I'm quite able to sense it. The difficulty lays in determining just what I'm sensing at any given time. Princess Celestia has displayed varying levels of reiatsu intensity, depending on her mood, and the situation in which she is in. And lacking clarification on exactly what levels she's been displaying, I can only speculate as to how deep her true level of strength runs. For all I know Princess Celestia could have been flexing only thirty percent of her total strength during our staged combat over Canterlot; possibly in nervous response to discovering that my resurrección was still accessible. Whatever percentage she utilized, it was nearly the highest I have experienced yet," Ulquiorra explained.
"Wait, wait, I'm confused now," Rainbow Dash spoke up, "I kinda get that you need to do your whole resurrection thing to get stronger after a point, but Celestia only has the one form, and can call on extra strength at will. So how exactly did you go about, battering her about the sky like you did, if she was only using thirty percent of her strength? Was any of that fight real?" she asked.
He could feel himself beginning to grow frustrated with this line of questioning. How many times did he have to explain that the situation was difficult? What they were asking were question that couldn't be answered in simple black and white terms.
"As explained, I'm uncertain of how much of her strength Princess Celestia was actually using. And seeing as our combat above Canterlot was not real, the matter is further complicated. There are a number of unexplained and undefined variables. All I can say for certain is that having vast reserves of strength, is not the same as having access to that strength. For example, one quirk of human biology is that their musculature can generate far more physical strength than their own body can withstand. If it weren't for biological restrictions keeping their overall strength to a manageable ten percent, the resulting strain would snap tendons and tear muscle from bone. I suspect the matter is similar in the case of Princess Celestia; simply because her reserves run deep, she may not be able to freely call upon them just because she wants to," he explained.
"Now hol' on there," Applejack spoke up, "somethin' here jus' don' make any sense. Back at the royal weddin' when the changelings invaded the first time, Celestia fought with Chrysalis an' lost. Then las' week when Chrysalis shows up again we beat the crud outta her ourselves. Now if Celestia's as strong as yer suggestin', how's somethin' like that even occur? Shouldn' she've been able ta crush Chrysalis like a bug the first time around?"
"Yeah that's a good point. I mean, Celestia's strong enough to move the sun, but Chrysalis is too much for her? I get it that she gorged herself on love and stuff, but still, it's Celestia of all ponies!" Rainbow Dash stated.
And now they were beginning to get into the questions that he himself had been asking. There were far too many inconsistencies going on around here. There were many things that didn't seem to make any sense. And while further investigation was warranted, he had no idea just where to begin.
"When you encountered Chrysalis last week, she was already dying from starvation, and in a weakened condition. According to the medical examiner in Canterlot, she would have died within a week; this is likely why you were able to overpower her in the way you did," he explained, reminding them of what he had assumed Twilight Sparkle had informed them of earlier in the week. "Not being present for the first changeling invasion, and limited only to what details have been shared with me, I can't properly comment on events that unfolded. If others were in attendance, yourselves included, one possible theory is that Princess Celestia was restraining herself in order to avoid collateral damage and potential casualties. Eliminating an enemy is not cost effective if the resulting loss of resources is significant. The scorched earth approach is rarely ever warranted, due to the devastation it causes. Another possible theory is that while alicorn magic is of greater concentration in terms of strength, it's also slower to respond, and by the point Princess Celestia realized she couldn't keep pace with Chrysalis with the amount of magic she was using, she simply didn't have enough time to respond and adjust accordingly."
"Slower?" Fluttershy asked, confused by what he was saying.
"Like molasses in January slow?" Pinkie asked.
"This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this," Twilight added in confusion, before turning her attention to Ulquiorra. "Can you explain this theory in better detail?" she asked.
"Without further information that would be difficult. How much information is available relating to alicorn magic? How much study has been devoted to the subject?" he asked.
"Um... not much, I'm afraid. A-almost none, actually," Twilight replied slowly, almost ashamed to be admitting such. "There really haven't been that many alicorns around for scholars to study. For a long time throughout our history, only Celestia and Luna were known to exist. And in recent history my sister-in-law, Cadence," she explained.
"Perhaps a confirmation of theory then," Ulquiorra noted. There was no way it could be mere coincidence. "Three alicorns throughout your world's recorded history, each of them filling what is essentially an administrative role. Maintaining a position of authority in which their considerable but sluggish strength wouldn't pose an undue burden to those around them."
"Wait, wait, I'm getting confused all over again," Rainbow Dash stated as she flapped her wings to set herself into a hover just off the ground. "Are you saying that Celestia's too strong to be a good fighter? Or is she too slow?" she asked, trying to get a bead on just what was being said.
"RD, jus' how in the hay can anypony be too strong ta be a good fighter? Ah know ah'm not a dedicated scrapper er nothin', but that jus' doesn' make much sense ta me," Applejack pointed out. The whole notion sounded ridiculous. Being too strong to fight sounded like being too strong to do your chores, and that just couldn't be a physical possibility.
"By not being able to adequately control that strength. Strength, without the necessary finesse to properly utilize it, amounts to nothing more than blind destruction, and presents far more harm than good to that which is in need of protection in the first place. If someone is unable to control their own abilities they're nothing more than a bomb," Ulquiorra explained calmly in response to Applejack's question. He then turned to face Rainbow Dash in order to address her. "In response to your question, the answer is potentially a combination of both categories. Seeing what I have seen, experiencing what I have experienced, it's possible that Princess Celestia's strength is so sluggish in nature because even she cannot adequately control it."
"WHAT!?"
Ulquiorra looked around him. All seven present speaking with such unity in their surprise was hard to believe. Sheer coincidence? Or perhaps their insanity ran much deeper than he thought.
"Um... h-how is something like that even possible?" Fluttershy squeaked out.
"Yeah Ulqy. I've heard of some pretty outrageous stuff before, but that's really out there even by my standards, and that's saying something," Pinkie added.
A rather strange statement for the pink earth pony to make. That was almost precisely what Discord had said in response to Princess Celestia's plan during the changeling invasion. She was not currently helping his speculation that she and Discord were actually divided beings.
"For our world's recorded history, Celestia has been faithfully and dutifully raising and lowering the sun every single day for more than a thousand years. That's more than three hundred and sixty five thousand controlled exercises of her magical abilities. How exactly could she not have adequate control over it?" Twilight asked. Something was wrong here, but she didn't know what it was. She could feel herself starting to grow agitated by what the Espada was saying, but she didn't have a clue as to why. After everything that had happened up to this point, why was this upsetting her?
"We are merely discussing unconfirmed theory, nothing more," Ulquiorra replied calmly, before continuing further with such. "Simply because Princess Celestia has adequately learned how to perform her duties, does not mean she has learned how to adequately and safely use the full extent of her total strength. Currently there is no way for us to accurately determine just how much raw magical energy Princess Celestia has access to. What we have seen up to this point could simply be whatever portion she has learned to safely utilize up to this point," he explained.
"Do I sense another simile to your world coming?" Pinkie Pie asked him. He remained silent for several moments in contemplation, before speaking up again.
"You remember the details of the human turned Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki, correct?" he asked. Most of them nodded, the only exception being Fluttershy. That didn't surprise him, as she had requested returning to Ponyville, rather than spending the night at the palace after the defeat of the dragon, due to her disgust with his tactics and outlook, and his ghostly nature. "Aizen kept extensive, detailed records on his growth and development. As a human, he possessed a considerable level of reiryoku; far more than any low-level Shinigami would possess. So much so that often what was felt by the others around him, was merely the excess that bled off from him, that his body could not contain. He was literally overflowing with reiryoku, like a water spigot in need of a new rubber gasket. His reserves ran so deep that he simply didn't have the skills necessary to exercise proper control over it. This was a fact that was exemplified by his first encounter with a Gillian-class Hollow. According to the available records, Ichigo Kurosaki was able to repel the resulting Cero of the Gillian with only minor difficulty, and drive it back to Hueco Mundo. However the resulting exertion triggered a massive release of reiatsu that neither his body, nor his zanpakutō, were prepared to encounter. If it weren't for Quincy intervention bleeding off the excess reiryoku, the resulting explosion from the both of them would have been quite... significant," he explained, emphasis on the last word in the sentence.
Silence all around the room, most likely due to surprise at his tale. That was perfectly alright as far as he was concerned. Some concepts needed to be thought on silently in order to be properly understood.
"And... you think that Celestia might be in a predicament of a similar nature to this Shinigami you mentioned? Unable to control her own strength, because there's so much of it?" Rarity asked curiously, wanting to have an exact understanding of just what he was saying.
"Is that what he was saying? If anything I thought it'd be like that top Espada, Starrk was it? You know, the one so strong he could kill other, lesser Hollows just by being in the same area as them. That would make more sense, right? Celestia's got all that magical strength to her, but she can't open up with it because she might hurt others just by being around them," Rainbow Dash suggested. "The dude said it himself, Celestia could crush him if she wanted. And if he could be crushed by her, the same one who punched a dragon and made it bleed, then wouldn't us ponies be like dust in the wind?"
He wouldn't admit it to anyone if he were queried, but he was mildly surprised by how Rainbow Dash had remembered that piece of conversation from back then. He had figured that if any of these ponies would remember, it would be Twilight Sparkle. However, since she had been unconscious at the time, it made sense that someone else would remember it. And Rainbow Dash had displayed surprising degrees of intelligence at points in the past, including how she'd managed to lure the lavender unicorn into an intellectual trap. He truly couldn't continue to underestimate the cyan pegasus.
That fact aside, the ponies engaging in an intellectual discussion about the nature of their rulers could be considered a good sign. It indicated a willingness to look past what had simply been accepted at face value by default. It indicated a willingness to learn and grow.
"Actually..." Twilight Sparkle spoke up slowly, suggesting she was thinking even while she was in the process of speaking, "between those two theories on possibility, that might make the most sense. Celestia has been alive for over a thousand years. And maybe it's just me, but I find it difficult to believe that in that time she's been unable to master her own strength, regardless of how much she might command as an alicorn. Possessing such intense magic, that the full magnitude is harmful to others, just strikes me as being more believable than the notion that she's magical incontinent."
"It's certainly a possibility that must be considered. However it's a possibility that relies on the supposition that Princess Celestia has actually had ample opportunity and practice to master her alicorn strength. Your own history details how she was forced to take over the responsibilities of Princess Luna, royal and otherwise, in addition to her own for a thousand years. An increase in responsibilities of that magnitude would likely leave little opportunity for honing skills unrelated to diplomatic rule," Ulquiorra explained. That was one thing he had considered right off the bat during all this discussion of hypothesis. Simply because one possessed significant amounts of time, didn't mean that they truly utilized it in a responsible manner. Coyote Starrk was a fine example of such; sufficient amounts of time, and he chose to utilize it by lazily sleeping away every moment he could.
Princess Celestia on the other hand was a different matter. He truly didn't want to consider how many bills, laws, motions, and other technical aspects of rule she'd been required to commit to memory. All of the petitions she had to hear day in and day out. Even his own patience wouldn't have sufficed for such a long stretching obligation.
"Noted," Twilight Sparkle replied as she rubbed the bridge of her muzzle. "And what's your theory on this enigma? You've always got some sort of interesting thought process going on. Which category do you believe is most likely?" she asked him.
"Truthfully I don't know what to assume at this point. The ability to detect reiatsu, or similar properties, can complicate matters. When the amount of reiatsu being exerted increases, so does its texture, becoming harder and more violent. When Princess Celestia raised her levels during our skirmish over Canterlot the density and texture increased greatly... up to a point. After she went beyond a certain point, the texture changed and became more... I'm not entirely certain how to adequately describe it. It was almost ragged in nature, like fabric that had been torn and started to fray at the edge. It was wild and unrefined, almost like a raging bonfire. That in itself would support the possibility that Princess Celestia has only learned how to properly utilize a portion of her strength. However, what I encountered prior to that engagement would suggest the intensity of her strength is enough to cause harm to others," he replied.
"And that was... wha' precisely?" Applejack asked him.
He remained silent momentarily as he contemplated exactly what to say on the matter. What he had to say would likely yield many more questions. But sometimes that was simply impossible to avoid.
"When I arrived to brief Princess Celestia, a changeling was present in the guise of one of her guards. The explanation I gave before knocking out the intruder proved to anger her, and the resulting flare of reiatsu was enough to cause significant bodily harm to myself; bruised internal organs and third degree burns to a significant portion of my skin. The pain experienced was... quite intense," he explained.
"Now that's a load of manure!" Rainbow Dash spoke up, and quite loudly in the process. "We saw you later that day. You didn't look the least bit burnt. How could you do everything you did if you got hurt in such a manner?" she asked.
"I'm inclined to agree with Rainbow Dash," Rarity commented, "if Celestia's presence did cause you such serious injury, how were you still able to be up and walking around?" she asked.
As to be expected. At least this time around the answers would be simpler to give. "High-speed regeneration. Most Arrancar choose to trade this ability in exchange for greater offensive strength. I did not. That fact provides a significant tactical advantage in combat. The loss of a limb is of no consequence when it can completely regrow in a matter of minutes."
"... Regrow a limb?" Rarity asked, uncertain as to whether she should be horrified by the prospect, or simply stunned by the notion of what he was saying.
"As in complete replacement of all joints and bones in addition to tissues, regardless of size of complexity? And without the need to retrain and recondition the new muscle tissue, to bring it back up to the quality of what it replaced?" Twilight asked, her interest piquing by the second. Immediately the concept of salamanders was coming to mind, attempting to draw parallels between the two.
"Correct," Ulquiorra replied, "however there will be no demonstrations of such. Regrowing lost mass requires significant resources that could be better utilized elsewhere."
Twilight tried not to look disappointed at Ulquiorra's announcement. Did he really think that she would ask him to cut off his own arm just so she could observe his regeneration in action? She was a lot of things, but even she wasn't that callous and thoughtless towards others and their wellbeing. Granted, watching such a feat would be incredibly educational in nature. But she really couldn't see herself asking Ulquiorra to go so far just for her.
"And I'm not about to clean up the mess," Spike added bluntly, "I do a lot of things around here. I do that without a lot of complaining. But I absolutely, positively draw the line at disposing of severed body parts," he stated and folded his arms across his chest. He didn't get paid nearly enough for such nonsense.
"Now don' worry, Spike, ah'm sure Twilight wouldn' ask ya ta do somethin' like that," Applejack said in an effort to reassure him. Although she truly had no idea for certain just what Twilight might do in such a case when nopony was looking.
"Um... I don't mean to interrupt or anything. But something just occurred to me," Fluttershy spoke up as she turned her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "You said Celestia hurt you when she got mad, that you got burnt in her presence. I'm just wondering what happened to the changeling? And what about the other guard? Usually there's a minimum of two guards in the throne room at any given time. Assuming you were in the throne room at the time, that is. Were they hurt too?" she asked.
The number of intelligent questions coming from ponies other than Twilight Sparkle was beginning to become surprising. Yet again these ponies were proving to be quite interesting to interact with.
"That is where things become strange. Neither the other guard, nor the changeling, were bothered by the flare of Princess Celestia's reiatsu. There is a significance to that fact, but I am uncertain of just what that significance is. At present time I can only speculate and theorize," he explained.
"The more I hear going on, the more my brain hurts from things getting complicated. Every single time I think we understand something, something else comes along and turns it on its head," Rainbow Dash grumbled.
"I can sort of relate to that," Twilight added and sighed as she stood up from where she sat. "All of this discussion has been very interesting, as well as very educational. But it needs to stop. Or at the very least, I need to stop participating. If I allow myself to get distracted, I'm not going to get anywhere in studying the tome Celestia sent me, and I simply can't have that," she explained as she held up the book to emphasize her point. It wasn't an easy decision to make either. Either learning new and advanced spells, or sitting and talking with Ulquiorra more and exploring his theories in greater detail. It was a tough choice to make. But if she didn't fulfill her responsibilities, then they might not be around to have any other discussions. Much as it pained her, she had to tear herself away from her friends, and get cracking on what was seriously important. "Now in case anypony needs me for something far more pressing, I'll be down in the basement studying."
She waited momentarily to see if anybody truly did speak up and try to distract her. None of them did, and for that she was thankful. She turned to leave and head to the library's basement where she could study in peace, but then stopped and turned to face Ulquiorra again. Slowly she walked over to him, as she had business to tend to first. Business that she wouldn't feel right leaving unresolved just yet.
"I know that you don't have much need for gratitude, and I can respect that. But there are still times that I think gratitude is warranted. Like right now for example. After everything that's happened, something specific has to be said. You don't have to say anything in response, but I still have to say it," she explained. At seeing him not offering up anything in objection she continued, holding out her right hoof. "Thank you for being my friend, Ulquiorra. Even after everything that happened today."
Ulquiorra considered what to do in response to this gesture. He was under no obligation to say anything in response, and she had acknowledged that fact. Even if he was under some sort of obligation, he wouldn't know where to begin in even voicing a response. After much consideration -all occurring at incredible speeds- he simply withdrew his right hand and grasped her hoof, just as he had done when he'd accepted her request, strange as it had been. If it would allow her to better focus on what was actually important, it was of no consequence on his part.
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So we're ignoring poor Lapiz the poison joke pony?
media.tumblr.com/9094a24fc598a360c2019325074ae954/tumblr_inline_mophq7M6wV1qz4rgp.jpg
So allergic he BECAME a walking poison joke
Lol... Twilight is knocking on Ulquiorra for weaponizing friendship...
Wait, he gets paid?
You know... this far into the story a lesser mind would have just say "fuck it" and submit to the whims of plot development... but I refuse to wait for information to be revealed naturally! Though I gotta say, the amount of exposition is getting pretty intense... and the amount of answers I've been able to piece together are far and... non existent. This is one hell of a trip my friend.
This is a very intellectual story. Cudos.
Well written
My personal theory is that Alicorns are channelers. Avatars of specific primal forces.
Their personal power is great but their true power is not for their own use.
so hes 5 times stronger in his release form than he is in his regular form HA thats only the first release wait till they see the second if it gets showed which i really hope it does
A chapter rife with queries, theories, and plenty of interest from Ulquiorra. Very nice to elaborate on certain issues now and then
While the last bit seem nihilistic, per the main protagonist (Or so we should think
), it was somewhat heartwarming. 
I believe that the creatures in Equestria have several layers of resistance, so they don't feel the pressure of the power of Celestia like Ulquiorra
you could say that Ulquiorra 1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhV7NOWHdtc/TxUgumI7rjI/AAAAAAAAALg/Kep84uSPsWo/s45/71458_-_rainbow_dash_sunglasses.png
has a sensitive skin
Is it bad that i can understand every word of this, and am also starting that pinkie is actually some sort of mega genius?
4225834
well that fits what he said.good head canon.
4225630 in gems.
WMG incoming: High enough concentrations of pony mana is poisonous to Hollows in a similar vain to how Hollow energy is poisonous to the Quincies.
4225556 is there a story about this lapiz the poison joke pony
It is interesting how the conversation keeps changing from one topic to another by simply mentioning something else. So Celestia might not have full control over her own powers, that actually is not that hard to believe. That would mean that Luna is significantly weaker and less in control then Celestia. So at least it can be said that if he has dot then he could defeat Luna easier then Celestia.
Poison joke is a magical plant. Celestia was unleashing waves of pure magical force. A material body would dampen magic, just like other types of energy. Ulquiorra does not have a true material body. He is a spirit, EG his body is made of Pure Magic. Thus, his passive magical resistance is almost nil unless he actively increases it.
Am I the only one who this idea makes sense to? Anyone agree?
4226688
tumblr
http://ask-poison-joke.tumblr.com/
Now I'm curious to see how Ulquiorra and Celestia match up in strength with no holding back.
Great
Okay, I managed to read this in a reasonable timeframe. I blame this RP group I'm apart of for being so entertaining.
Seems like we get a lot of these theoretical discussions concerning events that happened earlier in the story, or just drawing similarities to the Bleach world. Though I enjoy that whenever I see it. Thank god we're almost off the subject of poison joke. While I realize it may be relevant, it always bugs me when Ulquiorra's effectiveness is reduced. You should have seen me when Grimmjow sealed Ulquiorra away in the anime. Tables were flipped.
I'm still curious as to what this unknown enemy actually is. The suspense is killing me here! I can't wait until next week's chapter!
Not much to say regarding this chapter other than that was a lot of supposition. Fun though.
Below are the edits for this chapter:
*be pouring out by the - be pouring out there by the
*frustrated and what - frustrated and see what
*that they all hard something - that they all had something
*friendship, it order - friendship, in order
* but not simply wasn't - but now simply wasn't
*of observation is was - of observation it was
*it. The difficult lays - it. The difficulty lays
So, he was drunk? ! Quick someone get me a picture of a drunk Ulquiorra!
No that would be Discord.
I am glad Ulquiorra's still keeping his Secunda Etapa a secret. No one else knows about it besides him and probably Discord.
Twilight is being too over-confident about the box the Elements are in. For one, there has to be a way in, for she herself can get it. What safe-guards are there to prevent someone who isn't her from doing whatever she does to open the box? Second, magically creative individuals (Discord) can probably manipulate and deactivate the charms protecting the box. Third, she said herself that the floor would break before the box would open, nothing is keeping them from just stealing the box. Forth, there has to be a limit of that force-absorbtion spell, it can only absorb it so fast, so if it is suddenly hit, with a sharp object to focus all that energy into one spot (Ulquiorra's sword is rather sharp), the spell should give. I was actually expecting him to do that, take out his sword, and stab it as hard as he could.
4226151 She IS a mega-genius. Remember that pony-powered helicopter she made? On top of that, she has a nearly encyclopedic memory (she remembered what page the Wings spell was on, after the book fell on her face), especially for the things he considers important (her friends).
4225556
I've never heard of that one before.
4225608
Beautiful isn't it?
4225630
I assume he does. You don't stay Twilight's assistant purely out of love.I imagine there's some degree of monetary compensation involved; perhaps from Celestia herself.
4225704
Some discussions simply have to be had before further action can be taken. Especially if the fans have been asking the same questions and want to see them addressed.
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Thank you. I try. I guess what's said about lead exposure isn't true after all.
4225817
Thanks to Xbox working spell checking.
4225834
Interesting theory. Certainly coincides with how Celestia can burn Ulquiorra, but Luna can squeeze him.
4225926
Patience friend.
4226061
Yep. Something for everyone, and plenty of material for later exploration.
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Well it's certainly a good theory. One that makes a great deal of sense. And since his body is constructed of dense, highly concentrated particles, he's bound to experience more than anyone else.
4226151
Nope, not a bad thing at all.
4226607
Wouldn't he be dead by now then? There's pretty much nothing but pony mana all over the place.
4226795
Yep. Conversations change easily, just like in real life. My attempts of approach is to go with something that would be believable and probable, rather than something highly polished and refined. And few things ever remain on topic in real life unless somebody's very dedicated.
And the matter pertaining to Celestia, it's a lot like trying to shave when all you have is a straight razor. Sure you might have great physical prowess like speed or strength, but that doesn't mean you can apply them in such a situation. All your physical abilities mean nothing when what you need is fine control and a steady hand.
Luna's an interesting case. Being weaker than Celestia, she might have better control due to having less that actually needs to be controlled. Sort of like using a sword of an overall shorter length because it's more manageable. Then again she's also been robbed of a thousand years of opportunity to practice her skills. Could go either way.
4226889
Seems like Barbecue Sauce's theory. Seems quite reasonable in nature.
4227265
Quite ugly. Whoever would win, there would be many losers in the process.
4227742
Glad to see you back again, you've been missed.
As to next week, prepare yourself for either warm fuzzies, side-splitting laughter, or cringe-inducing moments of discomfort that will simultaneously make you want to look away, while still wanting to know how the situation gets resolved.
4228136
Well of course there are weaknesses in the box and the shields covering it. Twilight's only basing her position on what information she has to reference.
In the original draft of the story, Ulquiorra was going to test the viability of the forcefield by slamming his fist into it, which would result in his hand being broken, and the others being horrified by the display, and even more horrified as they watched the damage mend itself right before their eyes. But that bit of storyline was going to wind up being too complex and distracting.
4228495 Agreed, a dragon can't live on gemstones alone.
4228495 It actually broke his hand? Wow, considering the fact that a dragon's skull couldn't do that. But my point still stands, she's too assured in the protection of the Elements. Any amount of protection can be circumvented given time, and that's why they keep a eye on the Elements, and not leave them alone for unknown beings to come and try their hands at.
You silly.
That's what I've found so far. Might find another missed mistake.
More stuff.
I think you just love flooding our heads with all the theories that can possibly spring up just from the idea of an Arrancar being in Equestria. I think that nobody in the comments should be allowed to ask a question anymore, as there are already enough questions asked in the story itself.
Was Pinkie the one who suggested they have a party? And in this chapter, she's the one to suggest they do something that would require them to split up.
Has Ulquiorra even considered the possibility that the element bearers themselves have been/are being influenced?
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Not quite yet. He's currently too busy thinking they're all stupid.
4228495 Oh don't get me wrong, I'm loving all this exposition. This is the kind of stuff I live for when stories get to points like this.
… This hurts my head… comparing one world's standards to another… But I wonder… how would a Quincy survive in this world? While Quincies are little more than spiritually aware humans, which means they can (hopefully) eat regular food, would their powers work as well? Would Letz Stil and Vollstandig work while using mana particles? Would it be enhanced, perhaps? Or would the whole thing blow up in the Quincy's face? Moreover… what if a Fullbringer were here? How would their powers work? Since that involves manipulating reiryoku in the air, too… I need a minute…
is it because uliquiorra is made of spirit particles/mana instead of actual chemicals?
Interesting to say in the least.
Though this may be one sided, Ulquiorra from what you pointed out is five times stronger in his first release but it could be far greater or less depending on how he left that open sided. For the fact of your story, Ulquiorra could (most likely) be down powered for the sake of him being controlled. I know this has been spoken of before but its still hard to believe in my eyes.
That or discord somehow down powered him when pulling Ulquiorra towards his world ( this being supported with Ulquiorra feeling pain while fighting the dragon.)
4228495 I've been following this fic for a while now, and i find myself enjoying it. I like the way the story's unfolding so far, the colorful contrast the ponies bring to ulqy's stoic personality makes for an interesting idea.
4229813 I would love a crossover with some members of the Vandenreich winding up in Equestria.
Personally, I am simply in love with the Quincies. Uryuu usually came off as comparatively unimpressive compared to Ichigo, but these guys? There's just something about them... 
That might have to do with a lot of them fodderizing a lot of the shinigami.
But yeah, perhaps some of their fallen members, like As Nodt, the Lloyd twins, Mask de Masculine and James, and Quilge Opie ending up in Equestria. That'd be a riot.
She wants the Espa(D)a!
4228495
Wait, but if Celestia and Ulquiorra were to fight, wouldn't Ulquiorra win? I mean, yes Celestia has a lot of power, but I doubt Celestia is as good with a sword as Ulquiorra is, or as fast or strong... but then again, I dunno -
Something tells me Celestia might come out on top if she really wanted to win...
But really, her performance during the changeling invasion was kind of... lack luster.
Yes. I'm looking at you Celestia, and your underpowered ray beam that you shot out of your horn.
Didn't Discord mention Ulquiorra being 'In charge of all that' when he mentioned no Shinigami being around? You know, the afterlife and stuff? Wonder if he was serious about that... I dunno exactly what he said though, I'm to lazy to look at the first chapter...
4233321
Maybe if I get writer's block and can't think of how to advance the story, that week's update will be a behind the scene's type of peel back showing the details of the fight between Ulquiorra and Celestia, and just why the events unfolded in the manner that they did.
Sapient, not sentient
And so the incredibly lengthy quasi-scientific debate drew to a close.
Meanwhile, the Big Bad was frustratedly checking his watch, having expected a climactic battle, "Oh for Satan's sake! What the hell are they doing in there?! That's it, I'm going home!"
And so he went home and the ponies had no more troubles, thanks to an impatient villain.
The End!
4250678 Hey, we're just at the half!
4226151 Pinkie Pie is obviously the ponified female counterpart of Sheldon Cooper
clickypix.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Dr-Sheldon-Cooper-Quotes-and-more-31.jpg
>>ayne sentient; the term used to discribe a creature that is self aware
So, I'm confused by the whole wingboner bit, or maybe it's more sexuality in general.
Are they all saying they are turned on by Aspects of Ulquiorra without being aroused by him? Is that a thing?
7148386
The basic idea behind it was that Rainbow Dash fangirls over displays of awesomeness, like being able to curbstomp a dragon, or obliterate a mountain with ease, and sometimes that fangirling leads to physical displays that could be misconstrued as something else. It just took a dirty turn when Ulquiorra read about pegasus biology and made an assumption based on limited information.