The Influence

by GMSeskii

XXVI

Author's Note:

[IMPORTING…][…Hi Twilence, it's Creek. I-I wanted to say that I might not want to ask my Primary why I w-was chosen, but it's okay if you do. O-okay, so, so my questions are...ah, if, I mean, who is t-the 'key that was needed, needed by fate'? Is...is it Key? Is he the...was I s-supposed to be your operative? C-could you ask Lore Thirst to not, n-not be so rude to Vriska? Living that far in the past d-does nothing but starts fights. A-also, can you ask this before any, I mean, any other qu-question any of us have? H-how far away is Orchid? And...ah, is she going to g-get to the alter while you're here in this question a-and answer session? Oh, um,...ah, my, my v-vote for the next alter i-is, um, I mean, Aradia. O-or at least it was, ah, we, we saw her a-appear before you set off from the last a-alter. So, I guess, guess that I vote for Evermore P-Pinkie… …Akumakami- quick comment, I think you go my name mixed up with Ponygood at the beginning, Twi. XP Or Blackjack got it wrong, hard to tell which… …Ponygood speaking. Lots of information to give you, so try to remember as much as you can! Good thing we already determined the votes beforehand! I, Nickel, and Leftmoss all vote for Mite, Keywii votes for Evermore Pinkie, and everyone else didn't vote. We are also still discussing whom to summon through the final altar, and are primarily stuck between some sentient ship or a Starlight. Also, as a reminder, the phrase Orchid used to 'collect' Ine was "I, (NAME), wish to meet with the spirit of this Altar!" I think, if you have Alderaan with you, you could find a way back into the Vanishing Lake. Ah, now we have to figure out what questions to ask. What even are the "right" questions? And can we trust this pony to give us truthful answers, if at all? I think we can, but there is always the possibility he'll be hostile. Now, be warned, I have a LOT of questions... First, and arguably most important at the moment, where is Orchid, and will she appear at the Mountain of Knowledge at an inconvenient time for you? Second, who is Orchid, how did she come across her Eye, and what is her goal? Third, what is the red eye in your dreams, and are there other entities like it? Fourth, are there any other eye-shaped artifacts, entities, etc. that you should know about? Fifth, who or what is Heildor? Sixth, are there any groups or entities that would want to hinder your journey to find the altars and defeat the Dark Lord? Seventh, who or what is the Dark Lord, where will he appear, and what is its goal? Eighth, what is the full disected meaning of the prophecy, and how can you fulfill its predictions? Ninth, have there been any sightings of a time-traveling person like Vriska, and if not, why? Tenth, how can you find and access Frau to find the Time tunnels? And now we hope Lore Thirst will premit you to ask all these questions, even if he runs out of questions himself. He might not, I dunno. Thank you for describing the areas of important locations and settlements, but I still don't know the general shape of the landmasses. For all I know, it's a giant square-shaped eye with perfectly sectioned and even areas of different biomes. I won't need you to mention where all the locations are in relation to the map, though; I'll be able to draw it out from there. There are a few reasons I want you to choose Mite: it can easily re-unhack Fosis, and potentially keep it unhacked as long as it can interface with Four's connection to Fosis. I think Mite can also interface with your Eye, and figure out how it works so to alter it or broadcast us for all your friends to hear. And if there are any remotely mechanical or electronic obstacles, Mite can easily remove them or turn them into an advantage. However, if you end up choosing Evermore Pinkie, she has some abilities of her own. All Pinkies, even canon Pinkie, are known as an Aware, though Evermore Pinkie actually says so. As an Aware, Pinkie is naturally aware of her existence as a fictional character, and also operates under an entirely seperate set of rules and laws from physics, known collectively as "cartoon logic." This means that all Awares can do LITERALLY ANYTHING, but only if it either is entertaining or builds character. So they can't do things like give you all the information you ever need for any situation, provide unbeatable benefits to her allies, or solve every problem with an ultimate disintegration beam, because it is neither funny nor builds character. However, she can summon instruments, objects, or outfits to emphasize points or events, humorously not be injured by certain things, occasionally ignore the laws of physics, or appear mysteriously in impossible locations. Evermore Pinkie also has the added ability to travel between a set amount of dimensions, and occasionally create new ones, complete with people, story, etc. If Orchid ever does become a threat, or Lore Thirst tells you she'll be here shortly, I'd recommend going alone to ambush her and Ruby using your sleep spells, preferably before she realizes you got to the mountain before her. Maybe you could also find a way to mimic and/or break her Eye, or retrieve the spirits she got from the altars while she's knocked out. The reason I wanted to create the group was twofold: to limit the uneccesary crap we give you and to discuss what we say to you before we say it, including gathering votes for altars. I... think that's all for now. EDIT: Of course I wasn't done! I always remember some other important thing after already committing to this message. First off, got one more question for Lore Thirst: Does he have any knowledge he would like to share for gaining more control of your dreams and/or protecting them from invaders? Second, I wanted to recommend getting some sort of head protection, since you are getting into a lot of unhealthy situations. Third, I will now remember to share with you my experiment! Okay, so imagine one of us is called Bob, and you want to summon a character known as David. First, try to summon David directly. If it doesn't work, then have Bob change his avatar to David, then try to summon the Avatar of Bob. Alright, I'm actually done now… …Josh here - i didn't vote on who we should we bring next because i still think bringing someone from another universe will have consequences; my only question is if this fear is justified, and if so i recommend bringing Starlight here… …K-Keywii_Cookies55 i-is involved..? That, t-that doesn't make any sense... A-AH! So-sorry, ah, I, uh, I mean, I just wanted to let, let you know that you h-have a misguided interp-terpretation of what...I mean, you, well, not every character that knows they're a character c-can do anything about it. Not all Awares can, can act l-like Evermore Pinkie… …Hi, Twilight. This is Afizha? I think anyway. Still having trouble figuring out why I'm having trouble, but regardless I have two simple questions. First. See if Lore Thirst knows of a way to fix the eye so that it can regain it’s supposed full capabilities. I don’t know about you or the others, but being able to both see and hear an explanation makes it easier to figure out what to do next. Second. See if he can either shed some more detail of the prophecy you’re part of or if he can tell you where to go next after to finish up with the altar. As for who you should bring. While I still would like you to bring in one of my creations, I think Pinkie would be the safest bet. Not only would you have her infamous ‘Pinkie Sense,’ But you would have somepony that could bring a good morale boost to the party if you don’t make it to the next destination in time before Orchid does… …Creek, I would absolutely love to reveal to you some super-cool information that would blow your mind, but Keywii doesn't want me to. I'm probably ruining his desire to be hidden be telling you that he desires to hidden, though... meh… …A-actually, Twilence, this is Creek again...ah, I, I just thought of another question. Would you be able, able, um, I mean, would it be possible to, to make it so everyone c-can hear us too? Af-Afizha reminded me… …nickel here, the others have pretty much said anything worth saying, but i have to recommend caution on any selection of pinkie variants given that we are already dealing with a potentially fragile dimension, reality benders and 4th wall breakers are always potentially problematic in these settings, and if you think the living ship idea has any merit it would help if you had any features or specifications in mind to narrow the options... if pinkie weren't hardwired to be benevolent and friendly she would easily be an unstoppable force of destruction and i have run into records of variants quite literally descended from chaos itself, i have my reasons to not easily trust her… …This is Zen. What Ponygood refers to hardly counts as an official vote. Having analyzed that GM Blackjack's statements, I believe that bringing the one called Mite on would be safe. Given its abilities, and the distinct possibility of encountering more technology like Four, I maintain my prior vote for Mite. As to questions: First, should it turn out that the Dark Lord is not connected to Heilidor and/or the Red Eye, I suggest asking about them. Second, if it doesn't come up organically as a consequence to your other questions, I would suggest asking about any metaphysical or symbolic significance relating to eyes—solitary eyes, in particular, such as your night-time visitor, or the objects that adorn both you and Orchid… …Wolfe here, I had just gotten home from a trip to Nebraska to see an eclipse, then went to the mall of america, yesterday. Now to more important stuff, I vote Mite… …You already voted Mite, LeftMoss/Wolfe. We're currently at four votes for Mite, two votes for Pinkie and one for Starlight… …I noticed after I had commented, but I am just too lazy to change it… …ponygood let people vote on their own; i don't think they like it when you talk for them… …Okay. I won't just lump in everyone's comments on the forum into one comment. A person's sense of self should never be attacked, and I didn't realize this was one such attack…]

Twilence opened her eyes. "Okay, quick, we got two for Pinkie, three for Mite, one for Starlight. Everybody vote."

Lore Thirst raised an eyebrow. "You want to do this now?"

"Fast guys, please. I know Four wants Pinkie."

Fluttershy smiled warmly. "I think I would like to see Starlight again..."

Vriska shrugged. "The Mite. Thing sounds useful, from what you'd told me. And that's not much by the way."

Twilence shrugged. "I was going to go for Mite as well, seeing as he tied last time anyway. That's the choice. Anyway, Lore Thirst, I'd appreciate it if you weren't so savage to my companions, thank you."

Lore Thirst nodded. "As you wish. You ask the first question. I will ask mine until I have no more. Then you will be led to the altar. Don't lie. I'll know."

"Before we start I want to know if Orchid is close by and is going to be able to interfere."

Lore Thirst shrugged. "I have no idea. I'd have to send Alderan out to go check. I don't keep tabs on her as much as you. She won't be able to get to the altar before you though - she doesn't know how to get to it. So you don't need to worry. I won't count that as a question."

"Good. Because it wasn't," Vriska muttered.

Twilence nodded. "What is the full meaning of the prophecy?"

"Most of it is self-evident," Lore Thirst said. "The Dark Lord will come from the south, specifically the Troishan Archipelago, heralding some great evil or other. An Oracle will rise to defeat him - the identity of which is in question, but evidence currently points to Orchid. The Oracle will have a third eye of some kind that allows or will allow them to see what is to come and what cannot be known. Forced to know the truth so the rest of the world may live. The Oracle will quest to the six altars, consulting their spirits - another reason I believe it to be Orchid and not you since you didn't encounter a spirit at your first altar - and she'll gather their wisdom an aid. She's collecting them, installing their impressive knowledge and powers into her. She's purifying herself - becoming 'spiritual.' The ancients wrote the prophecy, they thought they were the best. The remnants refer to the ancient technology that Orchid will command, including Fosis and any other things. The specifics of the power overwhelming are unknown - it could just be Fosis or some secret superweapon. The Dark Lord will be banished through her efforts, and the prophecy ends with encouraging all who hear it to lend themselves to the Oracle."

Twilence nodded. Not all that much new information, but Lore Thirst certainly thought Twilence wasn't the Oracle.

"Now. Twilence. What does the Influence feel and sound like to you? Anything odd?"

Twilence blinked - not exactly what she'd been expecting. "Everything is a monotone drone - constant, emotionless. I have to insert emotions myself with my thoughts and context clues. Sounds are spoken aloud - literally hear 'roar' instead of a roaring noise. Occasionally the Influence will be overcome by static - and that just means something was off earlier. The static itself is... scratchy, warped, and sometimes I swear I can hear faint whispering in it."

Lore Thirst simply nodded slowly at this revelation.

"My turn," Twilence asserted. "Is it possible to fix the Eye? Or edit its capabilities?"

"Most definitely. I could probably do it myself given enough time. At the moment we are pressed for time, but I could certainly try to form a more direct link with my expertise. Though to get a full reactivation I'd need lab equipment from the Ancients. Lots of it."

Well that was good to know. Twilence wondered what exactly an improved Eye would do...

"How did you become an alicorn?"

Twilence told him the story of her ascension. Even though it was quick, it still took a while. "...And then I had wings."

"Interesting."

"Who exactly is Orchid? Her eye, her goals?"

Vriska shook herself awake. "Oh, back to the actually interesting questions? Thank the Horrorterrors!"

Lore Thirst ignored her. "Orchid is a unicorn mare from Troisha who learned the Futuresight spell by complete accident in a hidden underwater cave - she liked diving. She saw herself going to the Bluemish Forest and the altar there, so she did. Knowing the prophecy, she decided she was the destined Oracle and set out to save the world from the Dark Lord by doing exactly what it said. She's taken the spirits of the altars to further that goal, expanding how far her Third Eye can see and what it can see. She is very self-confident and convinced she is the hero, and believes all who stand in the way of holy prophecy need to be dealt with by any means necessary. Why exactly do you want to stop her?"

Twilence blinked. "...Is that the question?"

"Yes."

"She took Infinity and I... Ine was a... Well, I wouldn't call her a friend, really, but she helped us. She obviously didn't want to be sealed into a little sphere. And Alderan tried to warn her, and Alderan seems terrified..."

"Am not!" Alderan spat.

Twilence shook her head. "It just seems wrong to enslave these ancient spirits. It doesn't seem to be the way to stop the Dark Lord-"

"It is. You have my guarantee," Lore Thirst said. "That piece of information is free, by the way."

"You're going to let her kill me..." Alderan muttered in a way that suggested he wasn't all that surprised.

Twilence took a step back, reeling - this... This was important. She wasn't sure what to think. She shook her head to clear it - needed to ask more questions. "What is Heildor?"

"Heildor is an ancient sapient crystal mined out of the deepest Moissan mine several centuries ago. They worship the golden being that has dedicated itself to their strength and protection. Heildor is not an evil creature. The dogs worship it for a reason, after all. Under its rule the dogs have prospered. Heildor is just extremely favorable to its chosen race and wants to see them conquer the world."

"Ah. ...Not really what I was expecting, but okay."

"How far back in the past do you think you are, Twilence?"

Twilence pondered this. "A little over a thousand years, I think. Hard to tell really. What is the red Eye I keep seeing in my dream - actually, what's the deal with eyes in general?"

Vriska pointed at her own. "They're awesome, that's what!" Fluttershy nudged her.

Lore Thirst frowned. "The thematic importance of Eyes is very vague. They represent ways of seeing, sight, and information. Your Eye is a way to see beyond. Orchid's Eye sees the future. The red eye... It is one thing that baffles me. The Overseer is the one with the red eye, but he should have no idea you even exist."

"Well explain what the Overseer is then," Vriska muttered.

"The Overseer is an ancient being who, according to legend, came from the stars. Older than even the ancients, he was worshipped as a god for the longest time - this place is devoted to his memory. He was known as a giver of wisdom and counsel. He was a distant being until after the Reign of Chaos - after which he took a more active role. He was offered a role on the newly formed Council of Peran, and accepted. He is the only member of the Council to have been alive during the Reign of Chaos, and shows no sign of dying anytime soon. He still has a reputation for great wisdom and the ability to see everywhere he should desire - though usually this is rumored to involve mostly Heildor, and other areas of prime interest. Those who are watched by him report feeling like an eye was right behind them - and they always describe it as red even though they never saw it. He should have no reason to use dreams though."

"...Odd," Twilence admitted.

"Tell me of your land's history. Specifically, what will happen in the future?"

Twilence gulped. "I..."

"Answer the question or we are done here."

Twilence nodded, deciding to be as vague as possible. She told him about the foundation of Equestria quickly, the age of Discord, and Starswirl. "Soon - or even now, I have no idea - Equestria will enter a war with the Crystal Empire. It will end in victory. Afterwards, one of the two sisters that rule the kingdom will rebel and be banished for a thousand years - coming back in my time. A thousand years of not much happens and then me and my friends show up to become the bearers of the Elements of Harmony."

"...Good enough," Lore Thirst muttered, looking annoyed for the first time.

Twilence took a breath. "Who is the Dark Lord? What does he want?"

"What he wants is easy - evil, destruction, power. Who he is is more confusing, and something I've spent a long time researching in these tomes. There are two options, and both of them will be involved in some way. The first is a Dark Star that a cult on Troisha worships that is known by many names - Akaka, Negus, Corot, Central, Holy Dark, Midnight Sun - who's power will be brought to wreak havoc. But there is also another - Siron, king of demons, the first being ever sealed in Tartarus, the one Tartarus was designed to hold. Other writings suggest he will find a way to escape soon. Both will be involved, though which one is the actual Dark Lord is unknown."

Twilence frowned - why did that Star sound familiar to her?

"Twilence, how did you convince Ine to speak to you?"

"I - well me and the Influence - convinced her I was the protagonist of this story. I think."

"Interesting. That's all it took? Huh. Sometimes the answer is so simple..."

"How do I access the Time Tunnels?"

"Find Frau," Lore Thirst said. "After that, it's unclear. The Time Tunnels are rarely mentioned in any works I find, but what I do find and what I get out of Alderan tells me that it will only work for an Ancient with clearance, but there have to be ways around that. Or, perhaps, more blocks, since they themselves never used it to restore their race." Lore Thirst leaned in. "How are you coping with the revelations about the nature of reality?"

Twilence cocked her head. "Er... I'm doing fine? Talking it through with my friends, letting out my exasperation at the Influence-"

"What are you going to do once you finish your quest, I mean, what will this revelation have on your life?"

Twilence blinked. "I... I... I don't think I can go home."

Fluttershy gasped. "What?"

"Oh, you can Fluttershy, I just... I just don't think I could stand to be there anymore. I'm no longer Twilight - I'm outside. I'm beyond. I think I'll just go wherever Vriska goes and try to make a difference out there where it might actually matter. It seems like the multiverse is just there to squash you into nothing. That shouldn't be."

"O...Okay." Fluttershy said.

Vriska smirked. "Idealistic Twi, but good on you for that. Some people will really look up to you for it."

"Yeah... Lore Thirst! Have you seen another of Vriska's race around?"

"I have encountered the Handmaid a few times, yes. She's infuriatingly not forthcoming with information," Lore Thirst's annoyed look came back. "I've deduced she's not from this world originally, and was brought here through your altars. But besides that I know nothing."

"Aw...." Everyone suddenly looked up. There was a troll in red robes and wings, fluttering above them. "And here I was going to ask if you knew anything about me to see if you could tell me when to find me!"

Vriska blinked. "...Hey Aradia."

"Hi Vriska! Oh, I wish we could catch up now but I don't think now is the time nor do I think I'm the version you're supposed to catch up with! I think you'll end up in another world like this one, eventually, and that'll be where it's supposed to happen!"

Vriska smirked. "Well screw that, I've been wandering alone for too long!"

"Well you'll run into me a few more times in this world, obviously, but then we'll have to go our own ways. I think. Hard to tell, the interweavings of the Tower and time are a bit hard to deal with at times, even for me!"

"Destiny's a bitch," Vriska summarized.

"Yes! Exactly!"

Twilence looked up at Aradia. "You're certainly cheerful."

"I know! Isn't life just great and amazing!? By the way, you are amazing, and so is the other you as well. And probably a lot of other yous! Never let the world get you down, you come from a great purple alicorn stock!"

"...Thanks! Not sure I understand, but thanks!"

"Anyway, gotta jet!" Aradia gave them some finger guns and a wink, then vanished in a flash of red gears.

Lore Thirst smiled. "Well, I just learned more about her in those twelve seconds than I ever have in my studies. I should thank you. But regardless, last question. Are you capable of killing?"

Twilence's good mood at talking to the very cheery Aradia vanished abruptly. "...What?"

"You heard me."

"Yeah, I... I did. But I... I mean I can obviously-"

"I mean another pony - not a monster, not some crystal golem, a pony. Will you be able to do it if you see the whites in their eyes pleading to you if you needed to?"

Twilence fell silent.

"Your silence is all I need," Lore Thirst said. "Questions are done now. Aldera-"

A tremendous explosion lit the sky to the east - towards the desert. They turned to look - giant yellow crystals were flying from Heildor at an ancient ship - but the bullets were bouncing off some kind of mirrory sheen that resembled a soap bubble.

Vriska facepalmed. "Guess she finally got a lucky roll then. She'll be here soon."

Twilence turned to Lore Thirst. "Altar. Now."

Lore Thirst nodded. "Alderan, the rule I have against teleporting may be rescinded just this once. Take them to the Altar. The moment you arrive Orchid will know where it is. So do what you will do with that information."

Alderan teleported them to a spherical room composed entirely of glass deep within the mountain. They stood on a flat glass railing that led to the center, in which the altar stood. Twilence gulped. She hadn't even talked to the Influence yet - she didn't have time. She ran to the Altar, took in a breath, and spoke loudly. "MITE! GIVE ME THE MITE THEY KEEP TALKING ABOUT!"

The Altar lit up∑´¶ˆø¢ø¨∆¬∑˜´¨®ø∑¬√˜ß¬...

~~~

What, you thought you weren't going to get this? I said the same thing would happen last one.

Is this dangerous though, you wonder?

Maybe. Maybe not. It's not for me to say.

Now here's the fun thing: Aradia definitely exists. Are you destined to choose her? Can you force Twilight to not choose her now simply because you know she exists?

What do you think would happen?

~~~

•œ£¶∑ˆ˜…˚ߘˆ´∑˙®ß˙iscord looked at the microscopic form of Mite on his finger - a strange orange-ish sphere with six adaptable legs and two cat ears, no face. The two of them were drifting in space, looking at a certain white star in the distance they remembered all too well, unfortunately.

"There it is..." Discord said.

"Yes."

"You want to go in there?"

"No."

"I thought not. Well, in that case, party in zero gravity?"

"Indubitably."

Discord grabbed a loose asteroid and threw it at a dead moon. "Billiards time!"

"ALERT!"

"What?"

"DIMENSION!"

"Dimension what, Mite?" Discord said, suddenly worried. "What is going on?"

"GOODBY-"

~~~

"-E!" Mite shouted.

Vriska blinked. "...I heard him. Where the flip is he?"

"Here," Twilence said, lifting up something nopony else could see. "Mite, I'm sorry for dragging you out... That looked like fun."

"Explain."

"Well... We're on a quest and some people suggested I bring you here to help. As a 'recruit.'

"Understandable."

Twilence raised an eyebrow. "...Really?"

"No."

"I... What?"

"That."

Vriska chuckled. "I like him already. Little mite buddy, I'll explain things to you shortly, but now I think we're about to have company."

Fluttershy nodded. "Yeah... Twi, what should we do when-"

Orchid appeared with a teleport right next to Twilence. Ruby was with her. Infinity was not.

Orchid blinked. She was impossible to read.

Twilence's Eye started glowing.

Looks like I won't be responding to the earlier import...

Comments

[Sonic Rainboom Dash]

Twilight (still better than calling you Twilience) I’m just going to say it. You are afraid. The fact that you don’t want to go back to you proper time because you feel you are ‘outside’ of reality is a stupid reason. Do you think your friends aren’t going to look for you if only Fluttershy returns? Do you actually believe that they would care that out of the more than possibly thousands of universes out there that there is a chance they might not be real?

That is just it Twilight; You are part of a vast network of worlds where reality is just a concept. Yes, there may be universes out there where you are nothing but a fictional character in a story, but that is not to say that to them they are no more real than the last. To them, we may be just fiction; A myth. Just think of the mirror-verse with Sunset Shimmer. Do you think they believe that their universe is fake just because it's part of a mirror?

I am not saying that you can't travel the multiverse, but don't just do it as an act of running away. Go back to your time first and let your friends know that you are ok. Then, If you still wish to travel make sure you have a way to return home because believe me Twilight, there will be times that you'll wish you had your friends with you and not just their multi-verse selfs.

[DeadLyokoBrony]

DLB here, things are going to be interesting. Nothing bad is going to happen (sarcasm) right?

[wizard0209]

Josh here - jeez the timings on these are getting worse and worse, anyway GM said now that we know that Aradia is here for sure, he asked if we were going to try change it like he was challenging us, but you know what? I don't think that's a good idea; let's just go along with it and get Aradia at the next Altar
edit - also Afizah took the words out of my mouth about you running away from home

[Ponygood11]

Ponygood speaking.

Mite, if you found a way onto Twilence's eye during this import and have the opportunity to broadcast what we say, I will warn you that Twilight completely freezes up during imports, including something as necessary as breathing. So try to change that if you can. And also, Orchid, please listen to what we have to say and don't go running off or attacking Twilight's party, because we're also concerned about the arrival of the Dark Lord.

Twilence, don't attack Orchid! Defend yourself if necessary, but try to get her to listen to your story and Lore Thirst's information. Also, obviously see if you can get Infinity and the die back. But I'm a bit conflicted about her believing herself to be the Oracle. Apparently, she kills the spirits she turns into spheres, will not take kindly to anything getting in her way, and is fine with enslaving the entirety of Fosis. It may, in the future, be necessary just to kill her if she ends up being more evil than good, but she can be a good ally in the meantime. And good idea, keeping the future deliberately vague; people who know the future would likely try to change it, and then there'd be a mess of paradoxes for Aradia to sort through, being the Maid of Time.

There is a reason Corot sounds familiar, because Key mentioned him, and I elaborated a bit. He is a dark star of similar power to the Tree of Harmony, but he wants to see the universe burn, and enjoys torturing mortals in the process. Since he's imprisoned in a star, he managed to subvert an entire alien race to worshipping "Central" and also collecting keys scattered throughout the universe to free him. Mite guarded one of those keys, but it and the key hitched a ride on your colony ship. You should definitely completely eradicate the cult, in case your doing so helps with the Corot matter. In Wanderlost, the story Corot was antagonist of, he sent a ship to destroy the Tree of Harmony at some point after you became an alicorn, Celestia destroyed it with her sun, but got that destroyed in the process, and a colony ship containing a bit of every race and all of the immortals set off to find a new home. Eventually, Corot was released, and then re-imprisoned soon after.

And now, a really fun topic: killing. It, and violence in general, should always be kept as a last resort, in case the person you're trying to reason with absolutely refuses, and has a goal like "exterminate all the Jews!" But there is also the difficult situation of killing innocents for the greater good. Let's say that a train is barreling down a track, and it will kill ten people. However, there is a track splitter before the people, and you have the opportunity to switch it so that the train goes down the other path, which has one person on it. Would you do it? There's also such a thing as a mercy kill: like where the person in front of you is in torturous pain constantly, and nothing can save them from it except death. Would you kill them to save them from the torture? Killing is a complicated, disturbing matter, but if you find that you need to do it, always try non-lethal options first, and don't EVER get to the point where killing is just some inconvenience to get through.

So the Overseer was a being that wanted to help? Huh. Well, if he actually turns out to be evil, his history as a benevolent entity is pretty much moot. If he turns out to have been corrupted, maybe he can be uncorrupted. Or maybe he just gives off evil vibes for one reason or another.

I think it's practically garunteed we choose Aradia at this point. I want to see what happens if we don't, but I want more than that to make sure no paradoxes come into being.

I'm sorry if I keep alternating between Twilight and Twilence, but I haven't fully gotten used to your new name.

Minor thing: whenever you see static, it's because one of us made a message, and then decided to remove it.

Afizah has a point. I've often wondered if my reality is fictional to some other reality somewhere. But in the end, it doesn't matter. If you can contemplate your own existence, then for all intents and purposes, you DO exist, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Zen, you might want to share your beliefs on the matter of summoning people from altars.

That's all for now, but might think of more in the future.

[Keywii_Cookies55]

Twilence, it's Creek, I...I j-just wanted to let you know that it's okay to feel uncomfortable when you have to do something aw-awkward. Go, going home will hurt, but you have to, a-a-at least at first. I mean, you, ah, think of your friends back home. E-even if you do want to travel the multiverse you need to k-keep in touch with them. It's going to be the hardest thing y-you do, but if you've really made up your mind, have...having annual visits will do you good. E-even I go back to Eliptis-C to see my ex-husband for Cartridge's sake.

I-if it's about what everyone else says, th-th-that you don't think you're real enough, w-well, I'm, ah, I m-mean, I, I'm like you, a-and, um, I, I just want you t-to know that I hope th-that GMBlackj-jack continues writing for you so...so that I can be with you every step of the way. To...t-to help you, as hopef-fully a friend can.

As for M-mite, ah, if possible, ask Four if he has any spare h-harddrive slots, And then ask if Mite and Four can interface, so that no one a-accidentally step on Mite while he's out and about. A-and after you...ter you stop Orchid fr-from stealing Alderan and en-enslaving him, please take, take the time to explain t-to Mite what's going on. He'll want an ex-explanation for how he got there. L-like any machine, Mite is logic driven. Following internally wr-written code that lets them know what they want to do and how to do it. Different rules they have to follow, and a set of v-variables that they can adjust to. Mite might, m-might still be altered because of Discord, but his internal hardware i-isn't changed.

...A-as for killing. It...it's easier i...l..look away when it comes time to do it. it won't weigh on your conscience as much...

[GamermanZendrelax]

This is Zen.

As to what Ponygood's comments, I concluded from GM's previous comments that summoning individuals relating to GM are probably safe to bring from out-of-world, since Vriska could be brought in without the universe immediately collapsing.

On the Oracle: Lore may be full of shit. It occurs to me that it could be possible that the mantle and/or the powers of the Oracle could have been split between you and Orchid; she can see what is to come, but you—as Lore himself said—can perceive knowledge from beyond, "seeing" what cannot be known. As to technology, you now command some aspect of lost technology as well—Four. This muddled somewhat by the fact that the one passage refers to the Oracle by using both "they" and "herself"—which are plural, and singular, respectively—the latter of which refers to purification and becoming "one." I'm still sifting through possible interpretations of that in my head.

Lore left it to fate to do what needed to be done, and fate summoned you. If nothing else, that should give Orchid sufficient pause for you to at least attempt a peaceful resolution.

[Ponygood11]

8390433
A reminder of the second and third verses of the prophecy, for Twilence's and Orchid's sakes:

An Oracle will rise, given power,
The third eye, to see what is to come,
And what cannot be known,
For the truth is a horrid thing.

They will quest to the six altars,
Consulting the spirits within,
Gaining their wisdom and aid,
Purifying herself to be one.

[nickle241]

nickel here. we got another one when you summoned mite.

What, you thought you weren't going to get this? I said the same thing would happen last one.

Is this dangerous though, you wonder?

Maybe. Maybe not. It's not for me to say.

Now here's the fun thing: Aradia definitely exists. Are you destined to choose her? Can you force Twilight to not choose her now simply because you know she exists?

What do you think would happen?

its pretty clear that aradia gets summoned later and if you can find her she should know a lot about the lost prehistory of equestria, depending on the version of her you get she may have even encountered the young luna and celestia. as for the prophecy in only one point does it specifically refers to a single individual so most of it remains terribly unclear who it actually means, i myself have used a similar structure to denote chosen ones in the past and it was only clear that it was multiple because i used specific numbers so it remains to be seen just how many or who is actually involved.
on the note of not going back, at least visit. in my writings there is a race known for dimensional manipulations and they tend to wander the multiverse a lot when young, but most eventually settle or go back home. they are a lonely race much of the time because of this so at least spend some time with the ones you have come to know in your own world before deciding to leave it behind, those who were torn away without that chance usually never got fully past it, even S7 had regrets about it and he left willingly after centuries of being used a weapon and anyone he ever cared about being hunted down, home has a strong call and being "outside" or "beyond" doesn't change that, its an impossibly large multiverse whether you believe it to be infinite or not and trouble is always present, those who seek to help other worlds have to keep in mind the effects that such intervention may have and the task will never be done and this isn't even getting into how the ones you leave will feel.
oh and before i forget, i spotted a line that in the prophecy that seems to hint at the dark lord being someone from another world, but naturally it doesn't give anything more specific.