How far will one stallion run to escape what pursues him?
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So in other words, it was a grave to the last vestiges of Bucky's...morality? Innocence? I'm not too sure of the exact word but something like that.
i was reading the chapter before this and notice you had updated again i must say bravo on the blood source i like it now just think about this a orb like it could probably contain pure energy like lets say from lay lines....muhaha
Well... shit. That's certainly one way to do it! ...where can I get an imp?
all I can say about this is wow... because I feel sick too.
4859586
I can't quite put it into words either, but Bucky always had a sort of goodness to him. I cannot help but feel that it is gone now.
And it actually bothers me. He's taken a big step down the same path that Sombra first walked.
I take a bit of comfort in knowing how it all ends, but still, this step was a painful one.
There is no light for.those who know no darkness. Nothing in this or any world is as frightening as the length a good person/pony will go to protect those they hold dear. For even demons run when a good man goes to war.
Exitus acta probat.
Bucky has not lost his goodness, only his innocence. On one level this is an evil act, he is essentually torturing something...... but it is an evil something, a monster who revels in pain [even its own it seems]. I do not find it in myself to feel sorry for it.
There have been worse things done for the common good. Much worse things. I just hope that containment magic is effective, if that critter ever gets free it is going to be BIG trouble.
Perhaps it's the Taoist in me, but I feel that Bucky's actions fit him perfectly. There is darkness in light, and light in darkness. He has only lost his light if he does this sort of thing regularly. He is, in effect, becoming balance
personifiedponified.Of course, this is all just my 2 bit armchair interpretation. YMMV.
4859777
I said early on in a blog post that Bucky would become a troubling shade of grey.
In the dream chapter, where there was the line that Bucky fell into darkness, that was more than pretty words typed for meaning, when he reached inwards for the darkness inside, and then blasted Sombra's fallen shadow, Bucky truly embraced his darkness. He hurt the fell shadow.
So that was the terrible beginning. Now, we see one big step.
In the future, there will be other steps, all of them horrible. I am going to regret writing each one.
4859791 Looking forward to them already!!!
Darkness used against darkness. Cruel, yes. Inequine, yes. Justified? Hell yes, pun intended. You may have hated this chapter, but it certainly worked. I just hope Bucky can keep his hostility pointed in the right direction...
Also, I love the revelations regarding Piña. The meaning of the palm tree is rather more clear... I think.
In any case, looking forward to more.
4859839
Meaning of the palm tree?
At one point you called the imp "impo". Intentional?
4859791
[/In the dream chapter, where there was the line that Bucky fell into darkness, that was more than pretty words typed for meaning, when he reached inwards for the darkness inside, and then blasted Sombra's fallen shadow, Bucky truly embraced his darkness. He hurt the fell shadow. color]
One can embrace the darkness, use it, without being consumed by it. Rising Star does this by using his rage to power his fire.... and Bucky is doing it by using other things, fell things. In both cases, so far, the darkness has not taken them. I have no doubt that more things of the dark are comming, and I hope that they both stay strong enough to use them as needed, but not be taken by them. It is easy to see, however, how one such as Sombra fell. Dancing on the edge of the dark, alone and without ones loved ones to help reign it in, is a recipe for disaster.
I think Lyra is going to be PISSED when she finds out what Bucky has done without her though...... or she might break his pelvis..... maybe both.
4859853
Possibly. That lifesense definitely exceeds the earth pony norm. That it's a coconut palm could just be a subconscious choice to make it line up with her name.
Or I'm reading too much into it. Either or.
4859932
I actually plan to have Pina's cutie mark never make sense. It is something that will puzzle her well into adulthood and drive her crazy.
When you first stated how deep this act would be for Bucky, i though that it was a little overreacting from you, kudzu.
The more i think ´bout it the less i fell sure ´bout that statement.
I end falling in a loop logic. He did what he did to protect those he loves. Meaning that the ends justify the meanings. Wich is exactly the way the worst villains would justify their acts. Meaning that he is evil. Meaning that he should not did that. Meaning that he would fail, left his herd and the isles to suffer and die. Meaning that he must do what he did. Meaning that the ends jus....you got the idea.
Argh, the very definition of "impossible situation". And, for some reason, i keep remembering the "you either die a young hero or live enough time to become the villain" thing...
Edit: btw, two updates too close one another...now whacha gonna do in the rest of the day...okay, i need some Eve online money....i could clean the house...again....well, maybe kudzu will spoil us even further with a third update today !? Huh, huh ? Whacha think ´bout that ?
Palm trees have many meanings, but are primarily considered to be in the solar group.... which means that Pina's cutie mark is in a sub group from Celestia's own...
Symbolic Palm Meanings
Honor
Truth
Value
Vitality
Warmth
Fertility
Expansion
Protection
Aspiration
Attainment
Unification
Resurrection
Singleness of Purpose
4859967
Migratory coconuts.
4859970
Carniverous migratory coconuts...
Hmmm.... I see the symbolism, truthfully this chapter made me realize just how jaded I have become over the years. There was a time I would have felt such evil was unnecessary and excessive. And I'm sure that it's some charecter flaw that he is willing to justify THIS for the sake of victory. The problem is the more Bucky sacrifices his equinity, the deeper he is reliant on his family bond to keep him sane. This is a double edged sword, the larger his family becomes the more stable he is. But the larger his family is the more of a liability they become.
But now, all my jadded littl heart can think is, Bucky didn't need to lie to the imp. It was far more cruel thing to give the imp false hope, than it would have been outright truthful. I'm sure on some level Bucky was giving himself an out in case he chickened out or had a change of heart.
4860141
It bothered me a great deal even as I wrote it.
Bucky lying that is. He's honest to other equines because of Bon Bon.
It highlights the duality of his nature.
I think it's high time adding that dark tag because that last chapter was dark as hell
4860153 I don't see that he lied though actually, What he said wasn't true and he didn't change what he was planing once he learned the truth but he didn't exactly lie in what he intended I think.
He said he would set the imp free and he intended to . . .well set it free of it's eternal life of causing nothing but pain and suffering even to itself the real fault is that he failed to do that, and I'm not sure that at some point he won't as a matter of fact for his character I think someday he must destroy this heart of darkness he has created or doom himself to the path of eternal war justifying worse and worse things in the name of the right.
Though I am of the belief that the world is in need of these rough men(stallions?) at times, you have to know when your time to fight is over even though it's memory may haunt you all your days.
as soon as he started drwing blood i told myself that this can only end well
4859605 well, no one's forcing you to write him like this, you can change it if you wish
4860153
4860362
A lie by omission is still a lie. Bucky knew that. In magic there is no half truths. Bucky never intended to get info out of the imp. Devils and Demons are never reliable sources of info, because they will also lie by omitting the one crucial fact you may need. So the only reason Bucky could have needed to summon the little Demon was for the express purpose of harvesting its heart. Bucky didn't need to lie because the true purpose of the summoning would have become apparent anyways.
But... I am starting to think only a true sociopath could have pulled off the raw truth. I wonder if you are considered a sociopath if you have no empathy for an intelligent member of a different species?
4860925
What Bucky needed to hear was the imp's own evil words to justify his behavior. Hence the questioning.
It made it okay.
No turning back now... He's dead. What he was is dead. It's a saddening thought, but it's strangely lucid. But I'm assuming that sometime in a future, he will feel all of the changes that he's undergone, probably with some form of magic. A personality death is not complete without one.
4859932
I'm thinking now that the palm tree is an Earth Pony analogue to a Unicorn's horn.
4860981
Yeah, as I speculated earlier he was steeling himself for what needed to be done.
A part of me will always question whether or not Darkness can truly protect against darkness. I understand that since Darkness is directly oppose to light it seeks to weaken it or resist it. Like Lyra and her necromancy detection spell, its like the dark arts purposely left themselves open to its own magic just so those who oppose it have to corrupt themselves in order to fight it. The sinister nature of dark magic makes me question if there is no other way. The easy path is one that leads to corruption, is there not an enlightened path...
But I guess if Bucky also went the high road then no pony would be there in the shadows to protect the ones on the lightened path, like Twilight.
Well... This just got even more interesting... Don't tell Piña.
Ok he did that, whatever, why did he have to impale it on his horn though, that seemed excessive. .
4861073 Another part of the evil darkness is that it's members are always seeking to bring down those of their own side that might be stronger then themselves they want suffering no matter the victim that's a good part of why they are the corrupted. Now personally I'm pretty sure there are ways to make light infused items and protections that would be as effective a defense as the dark ones are but there may be issues with that and this discussion really makes me eager for when we get to the magic School arc of the story.
Also as I said he didn't go in with intention making it not a lie just incorrect, he did need the info from what I got of it and I at the very least he thought the imp would die thereby 'freeing' it and only giving him a small amount of the blood he needs. (Now the horrible conclusion there is that he may well have been contemplating killing several of them until he could gather what he needed) How much he actually knew for a fact or suspected I'm not sure I have the feeling the demonology books were left purposefully vague.
4861760
He needed the heart to have a HOLE in it. So it would bleed. I guess?
4861760
This is a lie of omission, to phrase it in a way that is actually contradictory to his actual intent. The fact that it is meant to gain info is an excuse that is only necessary to justify his actions in his own mind. The lie is not needed as the imp should not be able to escape and therefore Bucky would not need to lower it guard. True the info he requests is whether or not the being was deserving of death, but as I have said its only a justification for the sake of Bucky's morals. Also the freedom that is offered again is pure sophistry. The fact that he has lied just the sate his own moral compass is one the flaws in character on display here and one that I find most jarring to my own sense of scued morals.
4861852
Read again. You missed something.
4861073
YAY!
I love it when people pick up on my subtle nuances. I was waiting for somebody to catch on to that.
It is true. The only way to defend against dark magic is to use dark magic. Think about why Celestia taught Twilight to cast it. It was the only way to detect Sombra's secrets in the show, hidden by dark magic.
So the corruption continues.
4861918
Yes and that why I love your stories, I love they way you think
4861944
Also, think about Bucky's use of dark magic against fallen Sombra.
It hurt him. I mean, it really hurt him.
There are powerful spells that will regenerate whole limbs, but they are necromancy, dark arts, as evidenced by Lyra having her little moment and the things she muttered while under the influence of dark magic.
Think of Bucky's very first dark magic spell. Horror. He used it in Dinky's defence. It scared away a good number of ponies in Ponyville. It was immensely powerful and useful, and even Celestia praised its use, but it was dark magic. And it was the beginning. It was sort of when Bucky's curse / destiny kicked in and said "this one is powerful enough to be a potential vessel. And his life was pretty much completely fucked from that moment onwards.
Flash forward to now, and we see why fallen Sombra wanted Bucky. He takes a little readily to doing dirty deeds in the name of supposed goodness. Some ponies like Lyra, are content to simply dabble in the dark arts out of curiousity, but Bucky went right for summoning demons, even if it was only a pathetic and easy to manage imp.
There will be other things later.
Shouldn't Bucky lose some exp for changing alignment from good to neutral?
But I guess he would get all of it back for good rp.
4861990
Yes ominous much lol. Another thing... Until this point I haven't really worried about the families reintegration into Equestrian society. While there would definitely be some PTSD related trauma and some adjustment issues, befor this chapter I felt the changes were mostly cosmetic. This has puts on display just how far Bucky has fallen. Forbidden magic, body manipulation, "Dark Arts", all justifiable evils... gateway evils if you will. But torture, mutilation, and pseudo murder of a sentient unwilling being, kind of puts him in the category of full blown Evil Hedge Wizard.
4862055
Full blown evil archmage.
But evil really isn't fair. Bucky isn't doing this for himself or his own gain. It wasn't a selfish act.
So... grey archmage.
Good, bad, he's the pony with enchanted armour and a rape bomb.
4861869 I suppose it's just my view on the matter but I don't see that as a lie at all, this imps life is Suffering both it's own and that of others and it's bound for the length of it's existence to this cause and no other. So to me killing it is freeing it and releasing it from it's bound leaving him exactly in the bounds of what he said as long as he finishes it off. the suffering he gives it in the time between now and then is what concerns me more then anything
4861918 I find this off that harmony magic has no defense against fell corruption magics it seems that light would have some way to balance the even this evil I do wonder did you ever read 'the outstretched shadow by Mercedes Lackey? Also I believe calling it dark magic loses part of the point doesn't it? As simply dark magic is a part of the world as much as light is just look at Luna and how she purified the original thestrals they still posses shadows but are of harmony as well, even chaos magic isn't the same as this evil corruption. (as a matter of fact I feel discord would be rather sickened at these isles in his own way after all true chaos requires life not death.)
4862071
Hahahahahahahaha!
Enchanted "demon" Armor, Rape bomb, a harem of willing mares who would do ANYTHING for "Safety of the Herd", Soon to be Dreadnaught of Fire, Ice, Acid, Gravity, and whatever nastiness can be squeezed into a jar, A Wizard factory they will call a "School", the Key to unlocking pony magic so that there can be Earth pony and Pegasus Wizards and worst of all!!!
A frizzy red maned unicorn foal!!!! doom. Doom! DOOOOOM!!!!
4862089
My point was the intent to deceive for a moral gain is a bit hypocritical. His intent is to harm and mutilate the creature, why be concerned on whether or not it deserved it. It is a tool for the safety of your family.(He did intend for this since he made the Artifact jar in the previous evening with Rising.) Kind of like, would you sit down and interogare your lobster to see if it was a bad lobster, before you had it boiled alive so you can eat it?
The sticking point I think I have with you and the author is whether or not Bucky is Evil at this point. I doubt Bucky considered himself Evil, and to Justify this he is willing to lie (deceive for smantics sake) to justify his evil act. This is a slippery slope to darkness. Hide behind moral justification as long as he can convince himself he is doing the right thing. I believe on the other hand that the only justification that is needed is the moral rules Bucky sets for himself. He will not harm any equine, he will hunt his prey as nature intended, do all within his power to secure his family (as near as possible),in essence I think if he takes a naturalists approach to evil he would be better off. I harm only because I have a need to. I must protect my family and the ponies I have charge over, therefore demon your heart is necessary for this end, sacrifice yourself to my machinations.
I think this far less dangerous, but Bucky must struggle with the darkness before he can come to this sort of mentality.
Bucky is dead. Long live Bucky!
Yikes. Bucky really has changed. And it is scary.
Innocence laid to rest, never to be revived.