98 - It's my Choice
The leader of the library extended a hoof, "Do we have a deal?"
Twilight reached back with a hoof of her own, just shy of touching, "Yes."
Spike slapped a claw on an adjacent shelf, "Hey. She can't agree to that."
The old mare raised a wrinkled brow, "And whyever not?"
Spike shrugged with a bit of a smirk, "It's not obvious? She's not the one paying, I am."
While Spike spoke, Applejack advanced warily and nudged Twilight's body into a less compromised and uncared-for position. Spike continued as he advanced on the desk, "The way I see it, if you do make this spell, it's going to be really valuable." He paused and looked to Twilight, "How much do spells go for?"
Twilight had tilted her head at Spike when he first spoke up, but when the question came she looked thoughtful a moment, "Assuming it was at least rated at the fifth level, which I can't see it not, it would cost one hundred and twenty-five gold bits to copy it."
The library matron settled back to her haunches, "There is another side you fail to consider. The higher the level of magic, the fewer there are to tempt with its knowledge. There are not that many arcane scholars that reach such a level of understanding. There is a significant chance it is sixth or seventh level, considering it supasses the utility of the basic 'sending' spell so thoroughly." She leaned forward and directed a gnarled hoof at Spike, "Still, I do see where you are coming from. Your demonstrations clearly cause you physical discomfort, a facet we will endeavor to remove if possible. We are not heartless, and we do hunger for knowledge, even when not practical." She turned the hoof towards Twilight, "What if I allow her three days' study time in addition. Unlimited time, even after hours, with her scribing tools."
Twilight was beside Spike in an instant, "Oh yes, please please please! Say yes Spike! Say yes!" Her voice grew more and more desperate as she begged, but Spike was unmoved.
Spike nodded softly, "Make it an even week, with a guide during normal hours to help her find what she wants."
Twilight emitted a soft squee of rapture as the mare nodded and hoof bumped against claw.
"Now then," spoke the mare, "Let's get directly to work."
She rose and guided Spike away, presumably to start studying, and leaving the others behind without so much as a goodbye. Applejack glanced after them, then moved to fetch the scroll still perched on Twilight's body. She held it up to Soft, who accepted it and began to unfurl it.
Good Tidings, Spike and Soft Mane,
This is Luna. My sister received your letter, but it was in the midst of day court and she set it aside. I looked it over and decided to act quickly. She can be angry at me later if she so chooses. I hope this serves Twilight Sparkle well, please send her my fondest wishes for her well-being. I have other tidings since I am already writing this letter. Cadance claims that her prayers have been answered. She has bowed her head to this 'Lashtada' figure and their magics are proving complementary. She's still learning the intricacies of this magic, but I've never seen her happier. She is returning to the Crystal Empire tomorrow, but she is bringing a gift with her to her people.
If Soft Mane is any indication, Lashtada is a gentle and good being, and I do not object to Cadance's reaching to her. Speaking of which, one of my clerics has learned to cast his first healing magic! I was never so proud! It was like being a mother watching their foal take their first sure step that turned into an ungainly gallop across the field. They will serve Equestria well, guarding its nights in my name, but not my direct will. Despite my sister's worries, I am careful. They have their own will. They are wielders of my might, but their minds are their own. I may not always agree with what they do, but it will be our ponies that do it. I trust them. I have my own faith. That is how this works, is it not? They have faith in me, and I in them, and the power flows freely.
May your Return to Life be Swift and Painless,
Princess Luna, Goddess of the Pleasant Evening
Soft Mane rolled up the scroll and tucked it away as Rainbow snorted softly from her perch, "It sounds like Equestria's getting interesting again, but what about the eleme-whatsits? She didn't write anything about it?"
Soft Mane shook her head quickly, "Not a thing."
Applejack didn't look concerned, "The way ah reckon, if she didn't say nothing, there's nothing t'say. Celestia and Zecora were putting their noggins togetha. They probably fixed it up right quick."
Twilight frowned slightly, "Very likely, but I'm not sure how I feel about Cadance."
Soft Mane wobbled a hand, "What's the big deal? I follow her and you're OK with that."
Twilight raised a spectral hoof, "You didn't have a choice, and you're not my sister-in-law nor my former foalsitter." She deflated a little, "That sounded mean... I didn't mean it like that!"
"It's OK," assured Soft Mane, "You care about her, a lot. All I can say is Lashtada's adorable, not scary. I can't figure out why anyone would not like her. Even if her power kind of... half-blinded me." She frowned a little at that, but it eased quickly, "I'm still not sure how I feel about that."
Applejack approached Soft and nuzzled her cheek, "Yer a good foal."
"I'm not a foal," argued Soft with a stomp of a hoof, "I'm old enough to marry!"
Applejack snorted softly, "Yer a foal to me, like it or not. Ah see Spike tha same way, bigger and spikier as he is or not. You two being an item just makes that all the more adorable." She set her haunches down, looking at Soft Mane, "Not that this is a bad thing, y'see. I treasure my foals, even if they aren't mine."
Rainbow sniggered from above before asking, "So have you two... You know? You went there?" She made kissy-face motions and fluttered her lashes in a severe exaggeration of motion, hooves held under her chin.
Soft Mane went red in her face and turned away, which only made Rainbow's sniggering turn into a full laughter, at least until she gracelessly flopped off the bookcase. Her wings caught her before she hit the ground and she landed gently enough.
"Shhh," urged a passing pony before they closed the door to the office, granting the rest of the library some quiet.
A day passed. The group was invited to stay in the bunks of the library while work continued. Spike sent letters back and forth from Equestria several times a day while scribes, wizards, and divine casters alike all watched him. A day turned into two, which turned into a week. The room the tests were performed in became a wild mess of notes on the wall that Spike had no clue how to even start reading. A week turned into two. At that point, they were practicing their own spells with varying levels of success. At first only flat sheets of paper could make the trip, which was still a huge success.
Another week, another set of spells. They had begun testing it across dimensional barriers, with the researchers vanishing off to exotic planes before writing would appear. After several tests, they were finally satisfied, and a new book was quickly scribed with the spell. The matron clapped Spike on the shoulder, "We've done it. Perhaps, with this, when our brothers and sisters become lost in the planes, they can send a clear message home, free of uncertainty, or small word limits."
SENDING SPIKE
School conjuration(teleportation); Level cleric 5, sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M/DF (fine copper wire)
Range see text
Target one creature
Duration 1 round; see text
Saving Throw Fort Negates(See Text); Spell Resistance no
You contact a particular creature with which you are familiar and send an object the size of a scroll or less to the subject. The subject recognizes you if it knows you. It can answer in like manner immediately. Even if the sending is received, the subject is not obligated to act upon it in any manner. An object larger than a scroll may be sent, but requires a fortitude save, DC 20, or the object fails to arrive and returns to the sender, wasting the spell. The target also suffers 1d6 bludgeoning damage per size above diminutive(diminutive, tiny, small, medium, large, huge, etc.) against which DR is halved when large objects are attempted, whether or not the save is successful. The maximum size that can be sent is the size of the target. If the target does not wish to receive a large object, the save negates the spell entirely, preventing damage.
With the spell secured, the librarians made good on their promise. They had preserved Twilight's form while they worked, and now they brought it and laid it out on a simple stone slab. The matron turned towards Twilight's ghost, "We are ready to begin. You should go."
Twilight tilted her head, "Go? Shouldn't I hop into my body when you bring it back to life?"
The matron shook her head, "The spell calls your spirit from beyond. If it is not beyond, it fails. You must let go for us to finish."
Twilight would have paled, if she was not already transparent, "I... I don't want to..."
Applejack approached, "Sugarcube, Ah know it's scary, but we're all right here. Ah can't say ah understand all of it, but we're not letting you go for long, just a minute. Believe in us?"
Twilight began to cry, looking torn and miserable. Spike approached her next, "It's ok, Twilight. We're fixing it, right now. You just have to go for a second! You'll hardly even know you're gone before you're back."
Rainbow stuck out her tongue, "Don't be a crybaby, Twi. Take your medicine like the big mare you are."
Twilight frowned at Rainbow, but it did shake her out of her funk, "You're right, I suppose." She took a slow breath, as useless as the action was. "I'll let go." She closed her eyes and wished for the end, if only for a moment, and she suddenly vanished.
Twilight appeared before Soft Whisper, who looked at her with a kindly smile, "Had our fun? Good. I will take you to your proper place now." Twilight's wings shot out and she turned to flee, but Soft Whisper moved with a frightful speed, scooping her up, "None of that, little mare. You escaped me once, not twice. Now still yourself. We're going."
Everything went dark a moment, and Twilight could smell something familiar. Books! She looked up to see bookshelves as far as her eye could discern. There were ponies as well. They were busily indexing, reading, and otherwise living with content expression among the books. They sometimes called to one another in friendly tones, but mostly it was them and their books, and all was well. Twilight felt her worries fade away. This was a good place, a place of books, and friends. Her only faint twinge of regret was that her friends were not there with her.
"Soft Whisper says you gave her quite the chase," came a familiar voice before Luminace appeared from around the stacks, "I've been waiting to see you all this time, and you ran away. Naughty mare, have you no faith at all?"
Twilight's ears flipped back and she paused. That felt physical. Was she physically here? "I'm sorry. I didn't know she was taking me here. I thought... I thought she was destroying me."
Luminace softly snorted, "Destruction? Such a waste. You may not be my follower, but I would have to be blind to not know your place is here, with me." She leaned forward and nuzzled Twilight. She licked away Twilight's falling tears, "I'm sorry, your friends are already calling you back. I wanted to talk with you more. I can't reach to you, but you can reach me. Have a little faith... and invest it in me, if you wish. I would take you close to my chest and protect you."
Twilight didn't have time to respond. She could feel the tugging, and knew her friends were waiting for her. She had to decide right then. Nothing told her that she must, but she knew. She accepted the tug, drawn away from the heavenly library and its kindly goddess. It all became hazy as she slipped between worlds.
She jerked awake with a rough gasp. Her body felt heavy and sore, but it was her body. She was alive! But she had been somewhere else, somewhere fantastic. She tried to reach for the memory, but it was too faded, like a dream. She was suddenly bowled back as Spike tackled her. She wrapped a fetlock around him, but her other friends soon joined the pile. She was smothered beneath Applejack, Soft, and Rainbow, and she couldn't complain. Literally. Hopefully her friends would let her up before they smothered her right back to death.
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For some reason, I get this image of Twilight riding a lumbering thesaurus around a hypergeometricallly folded Library Of All, while Spike, Owowlicious and an orangutan play poker while waiting for her. With bananas.
5680935 I.... don't know how I inspired this very specific image.
this chapter brought a tear to my eye...
not entirely sure why though.
5680968 I choose to accept that gracefully. Thank you. It's always good to know I've touched something in a reader, even if it's boiling fury.
5680938
Twilights Everglow Afterlife is the Library of All, which includes Unseen University library on Discworld.
I know what she's saying, but I had to read it twice.
Okay, let's try to consolidate these instead of making a post for each one.
"Uncared-for" should be hyphenated (at this point that's sort of become my schtick).
"Twenty-five" should also be hyphenated. Also, her use of "coin" here feels a little awkward. She seems to be using that as the name of the currency, even though it's still just a description. Would she call them "bits" even if that wasn't correct for Everglow? (For that matter, what is the proper name for currency on Everglow?)
There should be an apostrophe after the "s" when she says "three days'."
Either dump the "-ly" from "instantly," or remove the "in an."
Unless their magics are flattering and praising each other, I think she means that they're "complementary."
No need to capitalize the "if" there.
It's not a mistake, per se, but I don't think that you need the comma between "her" and "a lot."
"Half-blinded" there.
Again, this just sounds slightly awkward, in terms of phrasing. I'd end it with "...all the more so."
I'd put a "have" in there, just to make it clear, as well as an ellipsis after the "two," rather than a period (e.g. "So, have you two... you know? You went there?").
Put a trusty hyphen in there for "kissy-face."
Pay more attention in school, Rainbow: "crybaby" is one word.
Since I doubt Twilight is colorizing her regret, this should probably be "twinge."
That should probably be in the past tense. She "had been" somewhere else.
Whew, that's the last of them! I'll post more with regards to my thoughts on the chapter shortly.
5681062 All fixed!
Okay, onto the discussion of magic in this chapter.
This is more of a comment on me than it is about the chapter, but it always feels weird to me when characters start discussing spell levels.
The reason for that is that the classification of spell levels feels like a meta-game construct. Now, on further examination, that's not the case - the classification of "levels" has nothing intrinsically out-of-character about it. Moreover, it makes sense that there'd be some in-game recognition of the fact that spells have different gradations of power/complexity; if they didn't, then why are some spells easier to cast than others, after all?
The problem is that, while spell levels can be said to be in-character terminology, there's no in-character definitions for that terminology. We, the audience, define spell levels as purely meta-game constructs - why is a fourth-level spell a higher level than a third-level spell? Because you don't get them until you reach 7th or 8th level, of course! Given that we can't define those terms without talking about the game rules, it feels awkward when the characters try to do just that.
Of course, I've talked about all of this before. It's not something that I can hold against this fic - there's really no better alternative, short of having devoted a lot of time to developing your own in-character measurement system, which I suspect is more trouble than it's worth.
Insofar as the sending spike spell goes, I'm quite tickled that you've developed a spell format for Spike's special way of sending messages! I do have some tweaks to suggest, however. I know you based it off of the existing sending spell, but I'd change the saving throw line to "Fort negates (see text)" - that's because this spell is not a harmless one. You can conceivably damage an enemy by sending through large objects, and they can't do anything to stop it as written.
Further, I'd rewrite the part about the saving throw to say something along the lines of, "objects of diminutive size can be sent through with no harm to the target creature. When sending larger objects, the target creature takes 1d6 damage per additional size category (e.g. 1d6 damage for Tiny objects, 2d6 damage for Small objects, etc.), in which case the target creature may make a Fortitude save. On a successful save, the spell fails and the object is not sent. A sent object cannot be larger than the target creature."
5681343 Made some tweaks to the spell to make it less awkward I hope. As for spell levels, since everything about them, including their very real market value for scrolls, scribing, and everything else, is based on that level, it's hard to imagine they wouldn't know them. Could they be called something other than level? Sure, but level works as well as anything else. I use the word 'grade' in the other fic, but that's just another word that means the same thing in the end.
fewer, surpasses
extra space
All the more what? ("Cute" seems like it would fit there)
I can't reach you, but you can reach me.
It would have been funny if Spike's sending turned out to always go to Celestia. She could become the "Dear Abbey" of Everglow. "Dear Princess Celestia...........signed, Killing Time in Kadiston"
5681376 That would be hilarious on many levels, but we'll spare Celestia, just this once.
5681367 Fixed.
Alrighty, Twilight's back! Now they can get down to business...ooh, you need a new quest. If I remember correctly, Lashie's book is still in play.
5681389 This is a fact. A fact I have not forgotten, even as Lashtada finds a willing convert on a whole new world. She may only have two followers, but, by gosh, she has influence on just as many worlds! The other gods must be so jealous of her cute pink self.
5681343 Character level used to be an in-character concept in 1st edition, at least. You had to go train to the next level, then go earn more experience, then come back for more formal training, and so on. They had different names for each level for each class. "Now I'm a footpad!"
5681466 I remember that; those titles were the in-character lingo for your level, which was amusing, even if it didn't always make sense ("Something tells me he wasn't really a footpad at all").
Freaking finally. With that chapter title, I spent this whole darn chapter worrying that Twilight might choose not to come back somehow. Still, in the end, I was with Dash. Suck it up, Twilight.
Still, even if the memory is foggy, hopefully Twilight will remember that there's something waiting for her after oblivion. I think Celestia would like to have that knowledge as well, along with news of Twilight's resurrection. Preferably before she does something she regrets...
I did like the discussion of the economics of new spells. The demand curve isn't just cost vs. those willing to pay it, but also level vs. those able to use it. I'm a sucker for novel ways of looking at things.
And Cadance takes her first level in cleric. An alicorn cleric. Boy, that's going to seem weird to some people.
This was a very dense chapter. I haven't even mentioned the character bits, with Applejack nominating herself Team Mom. Suffice to say, a lot to like.
I made my saving throw against power word typo:
You skipped Small. You've made a lot of gnomes and halflings very sad. On a side note, I'm surprised that sending spike isn't a conjuration [teleportation] spell.
5681802 Good calls on the spell, tweaked! Glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Presumably the next stop is to get that pesky negative level removed? It's what they did for Spike and co. when they fell in battle.
So, Luna's doing the God thing which means I have to ask: What Mystery and Curse would an Oracle of Discord receive?
Also, I find it hilarious that they made this bargain and all along Spike could've vomited up large chunks of Equestria's treasury.
Yay Twilight!! And random I wanna see a picture of Lashie!! She sounds sooooo cute! Just saying lol.
5682727 i.imgur.com/Tecgzg8.jpg
Excuse me while I explode! Gahhhhh too cute! All power to the teeeeeny tiny pony!
... I just realized that Celestia can visit the afterlife whenever she wants.
... Now I'm itching to see Celestia meet the Sun Queen. I think I'd pay to be a fly on the wall for that conversation.
5683445 Celestia can visit the realm that borders Equestria, not other realms beyond that starry place. She thought that was all there was to see outside mirror realms. She was wrong.
So, Sending Spike can be used to send living objects?
A Gnome sorcerer, with Reduce Person, and familiar with people in a lot of far-flung locations, can travel quite rapidly with this spell, for the cost of a little bit of healing magic on arrival...
5681394
Especially since one is a princess bringing her lore back to her entire kingdom.
ok twilight your fiend's pulled your flank out of the fire agene now it is time to be vary carful this is the second time you have died.
5683954 That's... actually a rather hilarious thought. People getting 'thrown up' as part of a rapid travel network...
Hey, I think I found one! It says, "I prepared explosive runes this morni—" *BOOM*
5870230 It works every time.
Beware Cadance: Once you embrace the heart side, it will forever dominate your destiny!
Also, Applejack brings up a good point about Soft and Spike being foals in love. I hope Soft is prepared to wait, the draconic age of consent has got to be at least 50, if not 100.
HUUGE Typo. Dunno how you missed it, but I fixed it.
When RD said that, and Twilight was about to be cured of her death, I was totally expecting something like this to happen. Just a liiiiiittle bit of fun before going back to being a normal old young extremely powerful unicorn-pegasus genius favored-of-two-gods pony princess. Little sad Twi isn't going to go eldritch undead horror on anyone else, but I guess I'll live.
Also, I believe this is the first time commenting on your story here, and I gotta say, I love it. You're awesome. Bit late to the party (ha) but still. Currently trying to convince my GM to let me start our new lvl 5 campaign as a very young sky dragon, and I got you to thank for that.
5681343
When talking about spell levels in character, I usually call them circles instead, after the way another rpg series I like did it. For example, Magic Missile would be a first circle spell, while Fly would be third circle, etc.
"Ok, which of you jokers left Explosive Runes buried in the notes in the break room?"
Actually, I wonder if Pinkie could develop her own version of Explosive Runes that shoots out cupcakes instead of explosions.....mmmm cupcakes.*dreamy eyes*
And Twi pulls a Hotblack Desatio. Spending a week dead for tax purposes.
Luminace is incorrect about Twilight's place because Twilight's place is among her friends.
I don't get how Soft suddenly likes Lashtada. They interacted twice. The first time Lashtada took her free will and sight, and the second time she completely dismissed her for a promotional stunt. I could understand it if during her appearance she had turned to Soft and talked to her but she just didn't acknowledge her at all, nor apologised for possessing her. Afterwards Soft still felt spite to her.
Then without any further interaction somehow Soft starts to talk about how kind and cute Lashtada is and how she can't understand anyone not liking her. And somehow everyone around her agrees to that because Soft is nice so Lashtada must be nice too. It can't have been her being cute that convinced them because they weren't there to see her.
It also can't have been looking her up in books that convinced them. She was a pacifist in a predator world and that killed off her entire species. She made Soft go from a daring CMC to going passive and healing others. And that is partially because she can literally not see the enemy if they aren't within 30 feet.