Angles. A Friend Returned.
Shakespeare once wrote, “Heat not a furnace for your foe so hot it do singe yourself.”
With that in mind, Athena and I have made very simple plans for our...friend..in the forest. In and out, done and well done. Less chance for Murphy to get his greedy hands upon us.
Twilight has asked us to remain at the castle, she would like to greet her brother and Princess Cadence at the station first. It is an unusual request, but one that is accepted, due to her being a bit...eccentric. Family reunions should take care of family first, business and friends second I believe.
I look forward to seeing Princess Cadence again, she was a visitor to my bedside during the foalnapping incident and I never got to properly thank her. I am also eagerly awaiting meeting Twilight’s brother, I am dearly wanting to talk to him about magical shields and their uses. Any data on them would be very useful in the future I would think.
We are sitting in a nicely comfortable room off of the throne area. It would be even nicer if Athena and Rainbow Dash weren’t deciding that rubber balls make good fun by bouncing them off the walls. Athena is very good at angles and trajectories, so is performing shots even Rainbow couldn’t do.
Of course bouncing them off of Rarity and Applejack is not a good thing to do. Pinkie, as always, is enjoying herself immensely. Fluttershy has continued to hide behind the couch out of range, good for her.
“Okay! You can’t do this one!” Rainbow Dash taps her chin, “Four walls, ceiling, double hit on the chair, off Rarity’s butt and into the trash can!” She uses her hoof to point out the various items to rebound the ball off of.
Athena scans the area and projects her throw, she bounces it once and slaps it into action.
The ball is moving at an impressive speed, I flinch when I see it heading for Rarity before she realizes what Rainbow said.
“Wait a second, NOT off my..YIPE!” Rarity gets whacked by the ball which completes its circuit back to Athena and into the trash can beside her.
“You owe me two bits.” She grins, retrieving the ball.
“Rainbow Dash! That was not very nice at all!” Rarity is rubbing her backside with a glare at the cyan mare.
I can see Spike standing to the side, snickering behind his clawed hand, but the desire to go over and offer to help Rarity is fighting with the laughter. He really ought to tell her how he feels.
Rainbow grumbles as she pushes two shiny bits over to my sister. Ignoring the glare she is receiving from Rarity...if bits could be smelted in place.
“All right, you can’t do..”
Applejack points a steady hoof at her, “Doncha dare! Poor Fluttershy won’t come out from behind the couch, so you stop that,” She gets a stern look, “You bounce that thing offa mah head again we’re gonna have problems ya dolt.”
“How come Athena can do it but everypony blames me?” Rainbow looks stubborn.
“Cause you keep askin’ her to do it and she’s so polite she won’t say no!” Applejack looks at my sister, “So I’m sayin’ it for her, no. Got it Athena?”
“Y..y..yes App..Applejack.” She puts the ball away.
“But she won all my bits!”
“Teach ya to bet Athena won’t it?” Applejack grins, snickering at Rainbow.
“Oh like you could do better!”
“I’m smarter, I don’t bet.”
“I..hey!” Rainbow is glaring at Applejack.
I chuckle, there has always been friendly rivalry, but I could have told Rainbow never to bet Athena on anything. Especially something as simple as bouncing a ball. But we live and learn do we not? Or, looking at Rainbow’s mischievous smirk, maybe not.
“Athena?”
“Yep?”
“Please no more?”
“I won’t, but I won all her bits!”
“You know better, it was a given.”
She looks at me a bit shyly, but I see that smile, “I know, but still...”
“But still nothing, we do trajectories like we think, instinctive, there was no contest. That was not very fair.”
“Oh alright, I’ll give them back later!”
“Good and wise my sister.”
We are interrupted by a cheerful voice telling us she is back.
“Where is everypony?”
Applejack yells down the hall, “We’re in here!”
Maybe Athena and I can rig up a map system for the castle, this is patently ridiculous.
Twilight bounces into the room, followed by Princess Cadence. Cadence is as I remember her, graceful and smiling.
Her brother is beside the Princess waving to the group and exchanging hellos.
Athena and I get to our hooves politely, being introduced to her brother.
“Crusader, Athena, this is my brother Shining Armor!”
We both bow, always polite as is our wont, “Pleasure meeting you.”
“Please don’t, no need to bow.” He is smiling, he has a kind look.
Athena looks at me and I shrug, “Ponies tell us that a lot, not to bow, but it’s only polite.”
He grins at Twilight, “Just like you said Twily.”
Athena and I look at her, she blushes a bit, “Well I told him you’re both really polite and good friends.”
“True enough, we try to be the best friends we can.”
He laughs, I notice he has a good way about him.
“From her letters I think it’s more than just being friends, you two have done so much for Equestria.” He is joined by Princess Cadence.
She smiles at me, we both bow again, “Are you being the best pony you can Crusader?” Her face is kind, reminding me of that tragic day.
“I am trying Your Highness, though some days I need some rescuing.”
Twilight laughs, “Oh boy, does he ever.” She waves a hoof around, motioning Applejack over. “But I’m afraid Athena seems to get in just as much trouble. Did I tell you about the stoves?”
Athena tries to hide behind me with a blush, but I push her back to stand at my side.
“She was true to her duty Your Highnesses. Though the stoves suffered much.”
Applejack laughs, hugging Athena tight, “Oh they didn’t jes’ suffer, they were torn right up!”
The Princess and Shining Armor are looking at each other with confused faces, Shining speaks first, “This another of Ponyville’s weirdness again?”
Rarity actually laughs, “Oh no dears. The Crusaders seem to have gotten it in their heads the stoves were possessed!”
Cadence shakes her head, her husband laughing as well, “Oh their reputation has reached us in the Crystal Empire through Twilight’s letters. Maybe over dinner we could hear the story?”
“Ohmygosh! You haven’t eaten?” Twilight looks frantic, “Pinkie! We need to..”
She is stopped by Shining’s hoof on her mouth, “Stop sis, it’s fine, we’ll find something and join you at dinner later as well.”
She shakes free of the restraint, “But..but I have to take care of things, I mean it’s my castle I should have thought of that! Spike!”
“Twilight, stop. We have plenty of time.” Cadence is gentle in her ways.
Rainbow hovers over to where we are, “Might want to let her continue, she hasn’t had a good freak out in days, she’s due.”
“Rainbow I do not freak out!”
“...And then there was the parasprites... Oh and let’s not forget if you haven’t studied for a test..., that’s always good for a freak out. Then..”
“Alright alright! I just tend to get a bit..a bit..”
“Freaked out?”
Twilight gives up in good cheer. She smiles, throwing her hooves up and shaking her head. She knows when to retreat, especially from her beloved friends.
“Anyways! Let’s get you settled in BBBFF! She herds them out of the room quickly, not giving them time to say goodbyes as they exit to chuckles. “We’ve got an extra bedroom down here and stuff...” Her happy voice fades away as they disappear down the hall.
I turn to Applejack, “BBBFF?”
“Big Brother Best Friend Forever.”
“Oh.”
“That’s you!” Athena calls me on the combat link.
“What?”
“Big Brother Best Friend Forever! That’s you!”
“Athena, I am not....”
“You’re my BBBFF!”
Everypony looks at me curiously as I plant a hoof on my face. Not hearing the conversation themselves.
“What’s goin’ on sugar?”
I can’t reply before Athena grabs me in a hug, telling Applejack, “He’s MY BBBFF!”
“Athena I am not your big brother.”
“Oh yes you are! Getting me out of trouble and taking care of me? Yep! BBBFF!”
The other mares doing a sugary sigh of “Awwwww...” as Athena hugs me tight.
Can I just go back to being a Bolo?
------------
Dinner is held quietly in the castle that afternoon. I am listening to the talk before I can politely interrupt and ask Shining Armor about magical shields. Of course this is after the story of Ponyville’s Possessed Stoves, the laughter rings throughout the castle.
“Please forgive me for interrupting, but these shields you can do, can they block magic?”
The white Unicorn thinks for a moment, “I believe so, it held off the Changelings from Canterlot. Being boosted by Celestia and Luna helped as well.”
“The foals we have in the hospital, if I or Athena get near them, the intelligence controlling them will get suspicious.” I set down my fork, “I need two things. I have to know if magic is being used to control them, and if it can be blocked.”
Princess Cadence asks, “Could it be anything but magic?”
“Nowadays Princess, I cannot discount anything.”
“That’s quite a suspicious mind you have.” She smiles warmly.
“Your Highness, you have no idea to what depths of paranoia Bolos can delve into when solving a problem.”
“But why?” She is honestly curious.
I point to Athena and myself, “We plan Your Highness. We plan for each and every eventuality on a single problem. Though I find myself...changing.. I still do so. If there is a problem, Athena and I can look at it from a hundred different ways and make plans covering each one.”
Athena adds softly, “That is why Bolos were feared. If you did something, we had already thought of it and were moving to stop you,” She smiles, “If we had not thought of it, I guarantee you we could move to block once we figured out what was going on, mere seconds.”
I raise a hoof, “Though we have been outfoxed in the past, we are not infallible. But we try and cover everything.”
Shining lets a chuckle, “Wow, that’s something to think of. That fast?”
I nod to Athena. She picks up a rubber ball, “Hold your hoof out Shining. Do not move it.”
He looks puzzled and holds it up by his head, Athena scans the area and bounces it once, slapping it hard. The ball ricochets off all four walls, between the diners and whacks into Shining’s hoof.
The Unicorn looks at the ball in his hoof as if it had magically appeared there, “How..”
“Athena took a look at the room, calculated every angle, trajectory and power needed. She chose the best one to put that ball directly into your hoof.”
Applejack pokes me and smiles, “Show off.”
I nod, accepting the rebuke, however jokingly it was done, “It is what we do. However that was showing off a bit, our apologies.”
Shining gets a look on his face, “Hey could you do...”
Every voice at the table yells, “NO!”
“What?”
Pinkie laughs, “She already won every bit off Rainbow, don’t do it.” She giggles with a wink.
Princess Cadence laughs, laying a hoof on her husband’s, “Don’t lose the Empire on a bet dear.”
The pretty co-ruler of the Crystal Empire looks at both of us, “So we just need to block the magic while you take care of whatever it is out in the forest?”
“Yes Your Highness. Whatever it is wants myself and Athena to come see it. We don’t know why, but I have created a weapon that should put paid to it. We have plans in place for more if needed or required.”
She frowns, “Why would somepony want to use innocent foals?”
Athena shakes her head, answering before anyone else, “If it were a Bolo or a human, I would say it is mad. Not as in angry, but insane. Everything Crusader has told me, plus what I’ve seen can only lead me to that. Why it has gone that way, I truly cannot surmise.”
I lean on the table, crossing my legs, “It says it does things to ponies because it hurts. Hurts us, hurts you. That’s not sane.”
Fluttershy asks, “Maybe it’s just hurt? Could it be asking for help in it’s own way?”
Before I can answer, Athena does, “Fluttershy, I have looked at everything over and over in my mind. It doesn’t want help, it wants to kill. It looks at all of you as nothing but things to play with.” She leans over to the golden pegasus, giving her a hug. “Crusader has told me of your love for wild things. I ask you to please believe me when we say whatever this is it cannot be saved.”
Fluttershy leans against Athena for a moment, then nods her head, “I know all my friends would be happier if that thing wasn’t trying to get them.”
“We’re going to try and do just that Fluttershy, get rid of it.” Athena smiles warmly.
I wave a hoof at the ponies sitting around us, “It called the foals its toys. A sane mind does not do this.” I think for a picosecond, “It is not lashing out in pain or anger, these are calculated strikes to do maximum damage.”
I tap on the table, “We would call these tactical strikes, meant to discourage and demoralize an enemy. The larger battles were purely meant to kill as many ponies as possible, but were stopped.”
Twilight picked it up, “But what about the Forest Foals, those things were reported hundreds of years ago.”
Athena shrugs, “The best we can figure is it has been here that long, but has never taken a large enough interest in you before now.”
“But why now?” Applejack asks.
“I don’t know love, could it have sensed me awakening? Athena and I can come up with no answer.”
Rainbow Dash looks up at the ceiling for a moment, thinking, “Whatever it is, it sure dislikes everypony enough to do bad things. Hay Crusader, maybe it just hates you and Athena for being alive?”
“Right now Rainbow Dash, I’d believe that.”
Twilight’s brother looked determined, “Well whatever the reason, we’ve got little ones to save, that’s priority.”
Everypony around the table couldn’t agree more.
------------
We receive permission to visit the hospital after hours. Twilight, Athena and myself, Shining Armor and Princess Cadence are allowed outside the room where the foals are sleeping.
“Twilight, can you or the Princess somehow scan this room without being detected for any traces of magic?”
Twilight nods, “That shouldn’t be too hard, Cadence? Together?”
The slim royal nods, leaning forward to lay her horn against Twilights, a soft glow covering all of us outside the room. After a few moments they open their eyes, shaking their heads and nodding.
“It is definitely magic being used, we can see it streaming outward towards the forest.” Twilight nods with Cadence’s words.
“I am confused though, how does it know when Athena or myself are in the room?”
Twilight chimes in, “I think I know. You’re different from regular ponies, you don’t..well...register like we do to each other when scanned with magic.”
“You never said anything before.”
She blushes, looking at the ground, “Well..you never asked.”
I blink a few times, “You’re absolutely right, I never did. Thank you Twilight.”
She brightens, “I’ll bet it’s got the room contained, if a pony steps in there, it ignores it. But I think if either of you step in there, it sets off a magical alarm.”
Athena looks at me, “It’s a perimeter alarm, set for our signatures.”
I nod, “I should have known that immediately, I am just no good at dealing with magic Athena. I stopped researching it when I realized I did not have the deep instinct for it like Twilight or anypony else.” But she,” I point at Twilight, “Is very good at it and I should have asked once again. My apologies once more Twilight.”
“Oh! Well none needed, just helping.”
“You are far smarter than ponies give you credit for, be proud.” Athena looks warmly at her.
Princess Cadence chuckles, “Stop complimenting her or she’s going to go hide somewhere and squeal in pure glee.”
Twilight perks her ears, “I will no...well..maybe..” She twirls a hoof on the floor.
Shining hugs her, “That’s my sis.”
We decide to experiment, something simple that will prove Twilight’s theory. Princess Cadence goes into the room, wandering around a bit, looking at each little one on their beds.
Cadence looked at the nurse that dropped in while she was in the room, “Any change?”
“None Your Highness, but they are sleeping peacefully.”
“Thank you Nurse Redheart, don’t let me disturb your rounds.” She smiled gratefully for the information.
“Yes Your Highness,” She paused for a moment, “They’re so innocent, why would anypony do this?”
“We’re trying to find out exactly that.”
“Good, one shouldn’t hurt foals.”
“I couldn't agree more Nurse.” She watched the efficient pony check the charts and bustle out of the room. Following her out she looked at the assembled group.
“You heard?”
I nod, “Yes, nothing? No movement?”
“Not a thing.” Cadence looked back worriedly into the room.
“My turn I would guess, please do not do anything at all. Whatever it says, do not react. We do not want to tip it off.”
I get nods in return.
As soon as I step across the threshold I hear it. Six sets of eyes open to focus on me.
“Ssssssooooo... commmmeee ttoooo ppplllaaaayyyy aaagggaaiiinnn?”
“I come to do nothing of the sort. I am here to make sure the young ones are doing all right.”
“Ttthhheeeyyy aaarrreee fffiiinnnneee....sssssooooo fffaaarrrr....”
My fury rises once more.
“Stop Crusader, do not get angry. It’s what it wants.” Athena’s voice comes to me softly over the combat channels.
“I know Athena, but I want my vengeance, you do not use children!”
“I know Crusader, be calm. Please.”
“I shall.”
“Just let them go, they have not harmed you. You have my word we will come to visit.”
“Ooohhh nnnooo....jjjuuussssttt tttttooooo mmmaaakkkeeee ssssuuuuurrrreeee.. Wwwweeee wwwiillll kkeeeepppp tttthhheeeemmmm...”
“I do not break my word! We will see you!”
“Nnnooooo...yyyooouuu wwwooonnn’ttttt... Wwwweeee kkeeeppp ttthhheeemm...”
“Let....them....go.”
“Ooohhhh sssuuuccchhh aaannngggeeerrr.... iiissss gggooooddd...”
Maybe I hoped for another answer, or something to give me a clue as to why, but I asked again.
“Why are you doing this? These ponies have never hurt you!”
“Bbeeeccaaauuusssee wwweee cccaaannnn... dddoooeesss iiittt hhhuuuurrrttt lllittttlleeee pppooonnnyyyy? Ggggoooooooooodddddd....”
“They are peaceful, just leave them be. Let them live their lives...” I am cut off by shouting, the sibilant hissing is gone.
“THEY DO NOT DESERVE IT! NONE OF IT!.... THEY WILL ALL DIE SCREAMING FOR THEIR LIVES!” The once whispering voice rings out in thunderous tones around the room, echoing into the hallway.
Shock reigned for a few seconds as I am taken aback by the ferocity of that statement.
The horrible whispers return, “Ggggooooo aaawwwaaayyyy pppooonnyyyy...ccccooommmeee sssseeeee uuuusssss....” The voice fades into silence.
I back out of the room, seeing the foals go back to sleep, the voice gone once more.
Standing in the hallway I am surprised by the utter hatred in that voice, the pure malice. It shakes me to my cores. I look around, seeing pale faces on everypony who had heard the voice. Even Athena is looking a bit unsteady as we leave the hospital for the castle.
------------
Twilight’s brother looked bothered by what he had heard. My sister and I sat quietly in the castle’s setting room as we all processed what we had heard. Twilight was very troubled, she was leaning against me as we all thought to ourselves. Princess Cadence spoke first.
“I have never felt such hatred in all my life.”
“Well it was pretty loud, kinda obvious,” Twilight added.
She shook her head, “No, oh no.” Cadence’s normally lovely face took a worried look. “More than that, whatever it is wants us all to die. It hates us all, not just Crusader and Athena, it hates every one of us.” She leans against Shining Armor, “I could feel it cold and deep in my bones.”
Shining Armor spoke up, “But why? What could we have possibly done to deserve this?”
“Nothing.” Everypony looked at me. “That was a voice of something that cannot be reasoned with nor pacified. That was insanity.”
Twilight looks disturbed, she peers into my face, “So what can we do?”
“We kill it.”
--------------
Into the night we talk, taking great pains to make sure they understand what Athena and I are going to do. There must be no mistakes. I do not tell them the conclusion Athena and I have come to, no matter what, it will kill the children. Not out of spite or hate, but because it can.
Insanity needs no reason, no push, it just is sometimes. It can be because of a simple thing or something so complicated only it’s twisted mind can grasp it. Understanding the mind behind this, the pathways it has gone down to arrive to such a state is no longer my concern. I want it gone.
We bid the others good night and resume our vigil. Our sensors are pushed to their limits along with drones as we prepare for the dawn.
Athena and I will leave in the early morning. Since we cannot take a vehicle, we will be walking. We do not fear facing this thing, whatever it is.
We wait patiently while the hours pass, Athena and I talking in the combat channels. I do not look forward to this duty, there has been enough hurt. But with Athena by my side the burden is shared and she is more than willing to accept it.
What is out there that hates so much it would want to commit genocide?
We will find out in the morning.
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Twilight's BBBFF = Big Brother Best Friend Forever
Athena's BBBFF = Big Bolo Best Friend Forever
Looks like things are coming to a head. Good chapter. Eagerly awaiting the next.
Oh shit! It has begun!
5767883 BBBBFF = Big Brother Bolo Best Friend Forever
this thing. it strikes without reason or cause, insanity like this is bewildering, i truly hope it melts in the acid of Crusaders wrath, and may the fire burn upon its remains for many a eon.
Now why would you wanna do that, Crusader?
Insanity is actually doing the same thing over and over and expecting something different everytime.
Technically, the forest is Mad. It has madness infused into its soul.
I really liked the way you used Shining Armor here.
The pieces seem to be falling together, if a bit slowly. I was thinking that the forest was essentially some sort of Berserker (or !*!*!), but this seems to be a bit more intense/irrational than I remember Berserkers being (sure they have the goal of destroying all life, but they're rational about it: toss asteroids at the planet, use radiation-beams, subvert one being in order to open a security-hole in order to take the civilization by surprise and kill more than it could in a direct assault, etc)... though I suppose it could still be, just that it's gone insane over time like Athena (and w/o restartus to halt the decent to madness), but this doesn't have the feel of that.
In short, I'm interested to see what "the forest" is, and how it came to be.
Should be: , "Ponies tell us that a lot," -- you want the plural, not the possessive.
Should be: “Nowadays Princess, I cannot discount anything.” -- 'can not' is the ability to refrain from doing, 'cannot' is the inability to do.
Should be: “It called the foals its toys. A sane mind does not do this.” -- It and who have irregular possessive forms: its and whose, respectively.
("it's" is a contraction for "it is", and "who's" is a contraction for "who is".)
Should be: “I couldn’t agree more Nurse.”
5768584
While that is one definition of insanity, you must understand the implications. It means that you are unable to predict what most people would, not on a conscious level per say, but at least on a subconscious level.
People who are so insane they hallucinate, for example are unable to determine the falsehood of their own hallucinations, a gals prediction in their brain telling then something is there when a 'normal' person sees nothing.
So, yes, the forest is insane.
*Grabs gear* alright, let's go torch the nest!
I'm worried that the spell attached to the foals has a deadman's switch, such that if Shining were to simply cut off the flow of magic from the forest, it would destroy the foals' minds and kill them.
It seems more and more likely that the forest is powered by a Bolo, driven mad by being awake far longer than Crusader or Athena.
Hmm maybe flutter shy and crusader are both right. Maybe it is something from the old age that got mad
... Hera, she was Athena's twin, science minded, tech based war hull, a few thosand years of solitude no restartus, genocide, Masada, destruction that only a BOLO would be capable of. Shit.
Hmmm
5773688
except then Resartus would have activated.
One word:Nope
8941609
The vid was removed from YouTube. Plz fix?
9347575
Fixed.
8694656
*Voice of insanity 1*: Unless magic happened keeping Resartus from activating.
*Logical mind*: Fair point fair point
*Voice of Insanity 2*: Or maybe magic happened and Resartus went insane as well.
Fair? Who said
Boloslife is fair?You're her brother, and definitely bigger than she is.
Because non-innocent foals are harder to come by?
Thanks for that flashback to the hospital in Project Horizons.
Yanno, I did wonder if it was some kind of rogue/corrupted Bolo, but now I'm wondering if it's Melconian ...