27 - Return to the Darkness
They appeared on a hill. Looking to the west they could see the rail lines slowly being extended towards them, but it'd take weeks of effort to finish the task and reach their current location.
They had no time to wait. Without words shared, they set off with a united and uniting goal. Without being prompted, Roll took the lead, trying to show the way where True or Sunset didn't contradict her.
True pat Roll's back gently. "Don't feel bad. You were unconscious for part of the journey after being a huge hero and saving us all." He hugged her neck from behind. "Thank you, by the way. It was only seeing you fight to the end like that... I knew I had to move, even if the others were too scared. So I did, and here we are."
Sunset strolled up beside Roll, facing True. "Speaking of that, why didn't anyone else go running when we did? All the gnolls nearby were defeated or cowering. It was the perfect time!"
True was quiet for a moment, looking pensive and perhaps a bit saddened. "It's not that we didn't want to... Any moment more of them could have burst through a wall. Most of them expected the gnolls to catch you and do something terrible... you know, to give an example. We didn't want to be that example." He raise a hind hoof and scratched under his chin like a dog taking care of an itch. "Then I saw Roll... She collapsed just inches away, and there was Sunset..."
He smiled a little. "Watching you all work together to escape, it reminded me. Of one of life's rules. Together we are stronger than all of us individually. Twilight begged us to come, and two halves of me warred, but I ended up going with her. We would win, together." He hugged Roll beneath himself. "We have not forgot love or sacrifice, but bravery is not always that..."
Iliana looked slowly over the horizon, impeded by the rising hills as it was, as she walked. "Tell me, Why exactly were you punished in such a specific way? Was that a common thing?"
True's ears flipped backward. "N-no. It wasn't the only time I tried to be brave. I tried to get the others to resist with me. I thought I was discreet, but that didn't stop one of my favorite dance partners from turning me in. She was a poor miner, and was not fed well, so I think she was desperate. For turning me in, they fed her well, and cut my throat."
Morning frowned. "There is a sad story. Are you angry at this so-called friend? We may run into her."
"No!" True sat up on Roll's back. "I hope she is safe, and we can go home. She is scared and alone. We all were, even when we huddled together. Being angry at her is like... like... being angry at a person for calling out in pain when they are hurt." He ran a forehoof over his throat. "Besides... I am healed."
Iliana raised a brow, but said nothing. Twilight had fewer reservations. "If you weren't healed, then what?"
True frowned a little. "To say I wouldn't be angry at all is... maybe wishful thinking. I still want her free. I would want that no matter what. She doesn't deserve this, none of us do."
The first of the cave entrances began to come into view, roughly carved and leading into darkness. Iliana gestured at them. "I imagine almost any of them lead to their warren."
Ixen snorted out a gust of hot air, ruffling Twilight's back. "So let's burn them out." She flexed her claws testily. "Even this size, I'm pretty sure I could take on, what, four at a time?"
Roll took her pick from her side and gave it a test swing. "You speak truly. Perhaps we should go on and begin making our way through until the target is spotted. The smarter of them will decline to begin the conflict. The less apt of them will die, and perhaps teach the others."
Sunset clapped her forehooves before standing. "I'll be slowing down any newcomers and playing interference, but I trust you all to handle bringing the pain."
"Would you listen to yourselves?" Twilight turned to her companions. "Are you really planning to carve a red path to victory?"
Iliana looked evenly at the purple unicorn a moment. "What do you suggest? What other way would there be in this case?"
Twilight pointed to Iliana. "This is exactly what the whole attack on you was about, carving out a path instead of anything else. They rolled out that red carpet to your hooves. Would you say they were justified?"
Iliana was about to speak, her lips parting, but Twilight would not be dissuaded. "More than two died, but they did so away from your sight. They're just statistics and reports. You saw two of them, dead to turn back that red. Here we are, about to do the s--"
Ixen closed a claw around Twilight's snout, silencing her. She looked to the others, who were peering at her. "What? She would have gone on forever.
Morning gently brushed the dragon's grip away. "Let's not turn to violence with one another. We are on the same side. Very well, Twilight, you raise a point, how can we be better than those creatures of the dark?"
Iliana pointed to the caves. "I will do as a Queen does and use words first. I was, perhaps, a touch eager, surrounded by those not restrained by the rules of the court or public opinion... I trust you to serve as my guard in this." She advanced, head held high. "I lost sight of the truth for a moment, and almost surrendered the best parts of ponykind for it."
True smiled from Roll's back. "I knew when you called for us that a good heart beat in that chest. I am proud to call you a friend." He hopped down. "It will be less intimidating for us to ride each other in."
Ixen rolled her eyes. "Great, so when this doesn't work, we get to the killing and the flames." She raised a brow. "Hello? I'm a dragon, not a pony. I'm not aiming for the 'best of ponykind'." She crossed her arms before she slid to the ground, expanding as she went to hit the ground the size of most of the others in the party. "Alright gnolls, last chance to give up."
Roll advanced to the left side and Morning to the right, flanking Iliana. Directly behind her strode Ixen, who was flanked by the less martial members of their band. They approached the cave, where a pair of gem gnolls already could be seen. They spoke to one another, and Ixen smirked. "They're confused and scared." One of them dashed inside. "And there goes surprise, not that I think we needed it."
The gnoll remaining thrust out a paw-like hand. "Halt! Only gnolls past this point."
Iliana nodded at the gnoll. "Hopefully we will need to progress no further. We have come to negotiate the freedom of a group of ponies you have custody of. They are hard to miss, being so uniquely sized." She indicated True. "About his stature."
He scowled at the lot of them, but his bravery did not extend to lowering his spear into threatening stance. "Never saw pony so small." He peered at True a moment. "Stay away until boss come. You come closer, attack."
It wouldn't be he that attacked, but considered an attack on him. Iliana remained still, watching him with her penetrating and even stare that made him shake, but he stood firm. As gnolls went, he was steadfast, and did his job.
It was an uncomfortably long time before a larger gnoll emerged from the darkness. "What is this? Ponies? Come to work the mine? Perhaps trade in gems instead, hm? You're wearing interesting ones."
Ixen's wings flared out. "Touch a single one and it'll be the las--"
"--Excuse her. She is one of my guards, and defensive. We are here to negotiate the freedom of a group of ponies." Iliana looked over the gnoll. He had large rubies weaved into his pelt in a diamond formation. "Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
"Name translate to Blood Diamond." He raised a brow. "You are more polite than most, pony or not. You bring something to barter with, yes?"
Though not asked, she provided her name, "I am Queen Iliana, ruler of all ponies and protector of the same. If we make a deal, it will be honored, and your people will be compensated for your cooperation."
He seemed surprised, grunting softly before he looked over Iliana and her escorts. "Huh, what ponies are you looking for? Any? We only have two."
Surprise was supressed. "Are they about our size?" He nodded. "I see..." Did she abandon her people in pursuit of her goal? She couldn't haggle for the price of all her subjects. It would set dangerous precedent. "I'm looking for small ones, about his size."
He looked past her to True. "The Bone Splitter clan was gloating about them. I can tell you where to look." He examined Iliana appraisingly before his eyes fell to one of her shoes. "In return for those," He pointed to the shoes.
Iliana clenched her teeth but kept her face level. "Perhaps my earring will do instead?" She turned her head faintly, showing the lustrous pearls she wore.
He watched the way the light shone off of them. They were like gems, but none he has the pleasure of seeing mined. "Mmm, deal. You give that, I tell."
Iliana surrendered her earring, asking Ixen to remove it and to pass it to the gnoll, who accepted it gladly. "There are three hills that way." He pointed. "Feeling generous, will warn, they no like visitors. Gnoll, no gnoll, they get angry easily around their caves. You visit us again, more trade." He tipped his helmet, then swatted the guard at the entrance that had run away "Stop jumping at shadows." He withdrew from the light.
Iliana nodded at the two guards. She had been so absorbed with their leader that she missed the one that had reported returning. "Walk in the sun." She turned from them and their group started towards the correct hole. "You were right, Twilight. We almost slaughtered our way through another tribe of them. It would be the same as putting one of my outlying towns to the torch to get at me. Thank you, for being the voice of wisdom."
Morning nodded. "I would have felt quite ashamed afterwards, to know I brought down such fury and song of valor, to know it was turned towards the wrong enemy."
Roll tilted her head. "It is more subtle than that. We assumed all gem gnolls are one. One family, one cave, one purpose. Though I do not think highly of them still, they are not one."
"Yeah yeah, and not all tin cans are the same either." Ixen stuck out her forked tongue at Roll as she treaded along, not bothering to become small enough to ride one of the ponies. "I get the idea, but let's not rub it in, alright? Besides, now we have a target, and they don't like diplomacy, so we get to burn in, right?"
Iliana shook her head. "Just because they have turned a dark corner does not mean we have to follow. We will attempt a peaceful approach."
Ixen looked disgusted at the idea, but the others marched alongside without complaint.
True moved on hurrying little hooves to Sunset's side. "Excuse me, um, Sunset, may I ask you something?"
"Hmm?"
"You and Twilight, you're outsiders, and I don't want to offend, so..."
"We're still people," argued Sunset. "What's up?"
He glanced to the sky before shaking his head. "I like Twilight."
"We all do. She's a good person."
"No no!" He moved in closer. "Like like. I want to court her, perhaps for an evening, perhaps longer, depending on how well we work out. I can talk now, so I don't feel as stupid trying. Any--"
"--Why are you asking me this?" She raised a brow high, brain unable to reconcile the difference having a voice made. The answer came to her though. She had been protecting Twilight the whole trip. Of course he'd approach her first... "She's a little young, I mean, alright. Back in our world, she wouldn't be even considered an adult yet."
He looked up at her, then over at Sunset and back and forth. "You look about the same age. She makes adult decisions." He seemed truly baffled at the idea. "Should I... not? She's enchanting... The first time she called out to us, I... This must seem so petty to you." He squirmed a little. "There's a reason I hunted... I did not love as easily as the others, and enjoyed the solitude of the trees and my arrows. For her though... I think I am ready to return from the wild."
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Welp, before going into this, I must note that I looked into what "Ponyfinder" was and holy CRAP that's a thing??? Like, a full-blown, complete, actual thing? Wow. How do you even O_o
True/Twilight Shipping intensifies.
7374320 Indeed it is! Also, look at the author of most of it.
I'm detecting Lashita's hand in this...
True may like Twilight, but I don't think Twilight sees True Shot as anything more than a friend
It's very interesting to finally get a sense of True through more than just gestures and squeaks. I like him, though his attempts to court Twilight are going to have a few hurdles to them. After all, he doesn't just look like a child, he looks like a child of an entirely different species. I don't see this ending well.
Also, leave it to the cryokineticist to keep a cool head. Not all gnolls are created equal. (Also, I can't help but think that "Walk in the sun" sounds insulting to a normally subterranean species, but that's neither here nor there.)
This tribe my not have the short-legs captive, but they are harboring typos:
To.
Forgotten.
Okay, I'm going to go full-cynic here, but the answer to this question:
...is pretty clearly "yes." Seriously, I can understand her having abandoned her guards to a fate worse than death; those were exigent circumstances under which there was no good choice. But here? Here she heard that there were two ponies being kept as slaves, and she decided to leave them be. Her reason being:
Okay, for those who don't know, the "dangerous precedent" in question is Iliana worrying that the gem gnolls will make the connection that captured ponies can be ransomed off, and so that will encourage further slave-raids. This seems like sound reasoning...until you consider that the gem gnolls have already institutionalized slave-taking as part of their culture, and are unafraid to practice that on ponies, hence the current situation. Given that, one has to wonder just how much the prospect of potentially incentivizing them could really make things worse.
This also ignores the idea that there's value in encouraging disincentivizing capturing ponies - whether for slave-work or for ransom - by punishing them when they do it. Even if Iliana doesn't feel that she has the political or military might to conduct any sort of large-scale raid on the gem gnolls (which strikes me as odd, since portraying a given group, especially a group that's very different from your native people, as being antagonistic to your nation/culture is one of the quickest ways to whip up national fervor and solidify a power base. Declaring that the gem gnolls are the enemy of all ponies everywhere and launching a propaganda campaign to that effect would help to settle her political situation), there's no reason why she can't urge ponies to hate them, such as by offering bounties on dead gem gnolls; it's not like doing so would be immoral, since the gem gnolls have already been demonstrated to be a blight on everyone around them.
But this is what really gets me...
This part had me banging my head on my desk. While there certainly could be exceptions, absolutely nothing in this last exchange suggested that the gem gnolls they just spoke to were examples of such exceptions. They flat-out said that they had pony slaves! The only reason they're "not all one" is because they don't happen to have the slaves that they're looking for! That's it! In all other ways, they're exactly the same, and deserve the same response. The only person making sense here is Ixen, who has the least reason to care about the issues at hoof.
The entire group seems to have gotten it in their head that attacking preemptively is evil (clearly Twilight thinks it is), and that line of thought needs to be abandoned immediately. A particular tactic is just a tactic; it's when and how you use it that determines what sort of pony you are. In this case, they've walked away from two ponies that they knew needed help, and then congratulated themselves on recognizing how their captors aren't really so bad.
Really great heroism there, guys.
Bone Spliiter clan sounds intresting. Sort of like that group of psychopaths you would like to get rid of but so far havent been absolutley linked to a cluster of recent murders because the investigators keep turning up as the statistics.
Really need to work on that bag of holding spell, as a range of creations would be useful, from just weigh reduction and double capacity, up to full seperated dimention with access, leading to a whole ecology of dimentional beings. Holding mice, worms, etc?
Now would be a good idea to check through spells and charges for daily and extended duration spells, so if they are active its better to track for them timing out during prolonged subteranean action?
If you cant have a snake familiar, Rope Trick can do a similar thing in lifting keys off hooks etc?
He raise a hind - He raised a hind
into threatening stance - into a threatening stance
Surprise was supressed. - Their surprise was suppressed. --or-- They suppressed their surprise.
set dangerous precedent - set a dangerous precedent
*****
Excellent chapter today and a good reminder that
friendshipdiplomacy is magic. Extra XP for Twilight when it's all over.They have more intelligence about the gnolls they are seeking than their location. They know that the clan is regarded poorly by other gem knoll clans and might want to give a thought to how they will approach. If they reveal that they value the short-leg ponies then the gnolls could just as easily threaten to kill them as leverage against the party. They need a way to either frighten the gnolls into submission or decapitate the top of the leadership and toss everything into chaos so that they don't have time to think of using their slaves as hostages.
Would other Gem Gnoll clans be interested in cleaning out this particularly nasty clan in exchange for getting their territory?
And True is certainly making up for lost time in expressing himself, not that I blame him.
*****
Holy dimension hopping Pinkie Pies!
7374573
You make a good point here. The only argument I can muster to counter it is one of pragmatism.
Their primary mission is to rescue the short legs. Now they have learned of another problem that is more widespread than they knew when they went in.
Do they attack these gnolls and free the slaves, knowing that the slaves this clan has may be lost in the battle? They will definitely degrade their ability to succeed in their primary mission due to injury and an alert going to all the neighboring clans that there are adventurers in the area on a gem gnoll hunting expedition.
Or do they note that there is more to this problem that will need to be assessed and dealt with later, either through more treating with the gnolls or by force of arms?
Pragmatically this is not their mission today. They have to leave this battle unfought and focus on what they came here to do first, then they can make plans to fix the larger problem that they have uncovered.
If they make a sufficient example of a gnoll clan that the other clans in the area are already at odds with, it may send a message that will make a return expedition to fix the larger issue more successful. Admittedly it may also strengthen the resistance from the other clans in the future. Diplomacy is about making choices in the time and circumstances provided, and there is an old saw that a 60 percent solution today beats a 90 percent solution tomorrow.
Alternately they can abandon their quest and try to raise a sufficient force to fix it all at once, leaving everyone to continue to suffer and for some percentage of the short legs to die before rescue can come.
Life is choices and they are commonly not simple black or white binaries.
7374323 NEVAAAH! SUNLIGHT 4EVAH!
That and scitwi is too young for modern human standards. I severely doubt she'd what a relationship right now... well, she does have a live goddess in her head, though.
That made me think, would she keep her connection going when she goes back to canterlot high? How would the divine affect a modern world? Would she become an unwilling Messiah?
but it's nice to dream.
Nah, most likely only 'voices in her head' shenanigans
7374647 Thanks for engaging with me on this topic. I do so love a good debate (at least when it's being done in good faith):
I anticipated that this would be the counterpoint to what I previously wrote, and while it's understandable, I don't find it convincing. Part of this is simply because the story hasn't properly fleshed out enough background regarding Iliana's situation - that is, the situation in the Pony Empire - to give proper context to exactly how and why she's limited in the ways that she is. The story keeps saying that she's highly constrained in terms of what she can do, but only making vague allusions about why that is. As such, we then see her making "hard choices" for reasons that are never entirely clear, and so feel unsatisfying.
I have to disagree with you here. They've learned of another problem that's extremely specific in its scope: there's another tribe of gem gnolls that have two ponies being kept as slaves. That's the issue at hoof.
Leaving aside that your first sentence mixes certitude ("knowing") with uncertainty ("may be lost"), this is predicated on the idea that they're going to go in and kill the gem gnolls to rescue these other slaves. In fact, this chapter explicitly brought up the idea of paying a ransom to secure them (and didn't even touch on the idea of any sort of covert rescue mission), and then just as quickly discarded it out of fear of "setting a dangerous precedent," without getting any deeper into that. Heck, there wasn't even any mention of coming back to retrieve them after rescuing the short legs; instead, they all gave themselves a pat on the back for recognizing that these gem gnolls weren't their enemies!
This would be more convincing if they'd said or done anything like this. But they didn't; there was no discussion of "let's come back and help these other slaves later." Instead, they seemed to be saying that these slavers weren't so bad.
It's not their mission today simply because they've decided that it's not their mission today, which would be cold comfort to the suffering ponies that they left behind for the sake of expediency. Even leaving aside issues of "saving them later" or "securing their freedom via ransom or covert action," the entire issue of how much this would compromise their primary objective is one that's questionable at best...how do they know that this tribe of gem gnolls is large enough to put up any stiff resistance, let alone send an alert to every gem gnoll tribe in the vicinity? The idea that getting into a fight here would blow things down the line is a presumption, not a guarantee.
Let's back up here; there's nothing to suggest that the Bone Splitter clan is "already at odds with" other clans in the area. Blood Diamond simply said that they don't like visitors, and get angry easily when others come around their caves regardless of whether they're gnolls or not. That's it; saying that this means that they're someone on bad terms with every other local tribe is extending this further than it was stated to be.
Insofar as "making an example" of a tribe of slavers goes, they could do that right now. The question of whether a given tribe is in good with other tribes or not is immaterial - they want to send a message that says "don't prey on ponies, or else," rather than "be good to your fellow gem gnolls, or else."
The practical application of that axiom would have been for Iliana to sell her other earring (the chapter's use of the singular seems to make it clear that she just gave away one) to buy the freedom for those two ponies that these gem gnolls had. The idea that that would have opened the floodgates for the kidnap and ransom industry struck me as overstated (particularly since the kidnapping part is already extant).
Leaving aside that it's not a foregone conclusion that more short legs will die in the interim, this seems to suggest that it's okay to let these two ponies suffer and die in the meantime. I'm suggesting that there were other ways to rescue everyone, right now, and that issues of "but what will that do in the future?" are not only insufficient justification for not doing so, but are overstated in this case as well.
Letting two innocent ponies remain in bondage because "buying them back could possibly make things worse in the future" strikes me as being pretty clearly wrong (especially when that decision is made on such a dearth of evidence).
7374396 That is a good trick considering she is a pony goddess. Do these hands come from a secret sack of hands? Don't let Lyra know she'll be the newest Leader of the cult that would spring up.
7374658
Never underestimate the power of a meddling mother. Especially when said mother is a love goddess stuck in the head of the object of her son's affections.
7375036 You know, I hadn't put that together, but that's right. True is attracted to the girl that's got his mother's voice in his head. That's so...Oedipal.
I can only imagine the sheer number of awkward (that is, hysterical) moments that that could result in.
"You like that, Twilight? That do it for you? What about my mom? Does she think my technique is good?"
~Have him do that other thing. It'll really make us, er, you melt.~
7374895 You moron...If this an pony anatomy joke...you forget all the times where hand was used instead of hoof...Thus furthering my belief that Ponykind lives on the scraps of humanities ashes.
Kinda like Cockroaches.
patted
to
raised
forgotten
Twilight seems to be upset, so it sounds off for her to use metaphors as if she was reciting a prepared speech. It would be better for her to just say what she means.
missing end quote
extra space
to not ride (Since he hopped down, he would seem to be advocating not riding. Though, come to think of it, wouldn't intimidation help their attempt to resolve this peacefully?)
into a
It was apparent he did not mean that he would attack if they moved, but rather that moving would be considered an attack on him.
name.
extra space
had
alright, back
He looked over at Twilight, then back at Sunset and back and forth. ("her" would refer to Sunset, and he was looking "up" at Sunset before)
7374363
...Oh! Hah, how 'bout that. Small world.
(note to self: get back into D&D)
I will start reading this when I have some time, but wouldn't Sci-Twi remain human in the Everglow setting? There are humans after all.
Doesn't make her less of a child. In fact, it makes it worst. There is more stress and pressure on her back and she is not really ready to take that burden properly.
And to make it worse, she is at that age where you beleive youa re invincible and can handle it. Thus making the fall steeper.
I seriously think that it would be a very bad idea for True to act on his silly litle crush.
Plus given Twilligth relation with Lashatada, it migth get very akward very fast.
7378952 She would, but they messed with (censored).
7379671 Since when does Macguffin need to be censored?
7380959 NO SAYING SWEARS!
its to not tp
the first ' is incorrect its should to be a "
8555610
Fix'd!