Twilight Sparkle wakes up in a strange, mysterious room, with no idea how she got there. Alone, afraid, and confused, she is left to make sense of this position she finds herself in.
That's the basic premise, but that's only part of the story. You see, fair reader, your comments can change the course of events. Go ahead, leave one. See what happens next update.
Due to the interactive nature of this fic, I cannot promise regular updates, unlike in my other stories. Nor will I say anything else about it at all - for you are in a position of power. If I tell you anything, it'll ruin the experience. It's a comment-driven story, after all.
The story is now complete. It's still a readable story, but it's no longer active.
Serves as an optional prelude to Songs of the Spheres.
There is a forum related to this story: Influencing the Influence. It contains supplemental material, but is definitely wrought with spoilers.
-GM, master of influential decisions and the interactive story.
Twilight immediately becomes aware of an internal compass in her mind now, pointing towards a mountain range far off in the distance to her left. as well as a brief warning against the use of teleportation, for that could cause serious harm.
The sea of grass seems inviting, yet dangerous, and the eye seems to be looking in that direction.
A tugging sensation pulls twilight toward the lake in the distance. As she looks at the lake a sudden feeling of longing fills her mind.
She can see strange things lingering on the edge of her sight. They were definitely not there a moment ago, but they seem to be beckoning her.
As her eyes pass over the town-like thing in the distance, her thoughts are filled with a faint, incoherent muttering, that gradually fades away as she looks elsewhere.
I have a sudden craving for pumpkin pie now.
A voice whispers to her "The Woods can set you free, Twilight."
"Find the heart of the forest, Twilight. It has the answers you seek."
Are you seriously lumping me in with the others? I'm offended at the very notion. How about instead of all this time you're wasting almost getting eaten by sharks you actually begin your adventure. There's more riding on you than you could actually know.
I, at least, apologize for your discomfort. It is clear that our cacophony is to blame, but I promise you that many of us, myself included, want this to end well for you. I, again, suggest the town.
the heart looks beautiful you may see yourself in it one day
Look into the witches eye and you will see how you will die!
8087974 Indeed. I also wish for you to at least survive, which is why I must warn you of the lights. They are incredibly dangerous.
Beware................The greymarch is coming and your going to stop it
"Trust not your sight, but your heart. Let it guide you down the right path."
8089395 Though we feel we must warn you, those in the town are not to be trusted. The darkness shall protect you.
8089177 Find the scholars tree, there you will find something to help set you free.
Fish fingers and custard. That's what I need right now...
hello? uh, yes sorry about this Twilight we're kind of testing what we can and can not do, but don't worry we are here to help... most of are anyway, i don't even know what that one guy talking about food is doing
also i suggest going to the town, at least then you can find an inn if nothing else
"look around. there is a flickering white square."
the square teleports her elsewhere if she touches it
Well now I feel like I shouldn't comment...Whoops too late. Ok Twilight, we don't want to hurt you, all right? Nibble a bit of that grass, it'll probably be ok to eat.
Fine, you want an introduction? You'll get a name. I'm known as Key, and I'm involved to see to it that those watching you continue to watch. The second they lose interest, you cease to exist, understood? Now follow Prancey and begin your flaking adventure already!
Don't be frightened by Key. You came to exist independently of us, and I for one seriously doubt that our absence would mean your destruction.
I'm Zen, by the way.
Now, I advise that you tell this nice pony the truth: some unknown entity has places you in an unknown location, and fixed an artifact to your chest that channels communications from a multitude of unknown creatures into your mind, and that it has this far only caused you difficulty.
Now Zen? Of all times to oppose me you choose now?! Twilight needs to get a move on, I'm just making sure she reeding knows that!
Me? I'm a frog. Kind of. And I apologise for encouraging you to eat the grass. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I don't know why either. I imagine we're all confusing the hell out of you. One of us is waxing poetic, one is waxing hungry, and the rest are waxing confusion. We actually know nothing.
ignore the ones that claim to know about what's around you more than you do, they are just trying to confuse you, i'm Josh by the way, weird name i know but that's only because we're from another world from yours, and as for our race? we are humans, you know, the things from the other side of that mirror that lead you to a world similar to ours. also time works in strange ways between worlds that is why we seem to talk at the same time and why we seem to start talk at random times
I apologize for the confusion we have been causicausing you. My name is Afizah. It means (One who guards the knowledge and modesty). My sister on the other hand is named Eris. A name meaning discord. She 'clames' to be a goddess. If you hear a voice telling you to go to the forest, don't follow it's advice for that is her and the forest has dangers you are not yet ready for. Look for the scholar's tree and find the tome of travel, it will keep you safe in your journey to the lost mountain.
8098688 Ha! As if little miss knowledge knows what's going on anyway. I have no desire to tell you my name. I will tell you, however, that those who say they have the answers, don't. my advice is to forget ever getting out of here for the only way out is to DIE!!! Survive if you can. HAHAHAHA!!!
You may call me the Wolf. Trust me when I say I have your best interests at heart. I would not recommend giving the pony your name, names have power, and you are in enough trouble. As for being able to speak, we have no control over when we can or cannot, just that we can take advantage of when we can.
Now i see i am slightly late to the party, oh dear.
I am the one they call Duke, its a pleasure.
What appears to be happening here is a sort of reverse fourth wall break.
periodically throughout this... "Adventure", a snapshot of sorts of your progress from the last interaction is sent to us.
at which point we think over the situation, send feedback, and await the next snapshot.
i am really sorry princess for the verbal abuse you are receiving from us. We haven't been able to talk to anybody in well actually I don't know how long it's been but......................................no I will not give you pumkin pie stop talking about food dam It this is important! Anyway my name is crystal.
Hi, I'm Darkus~! Does she have cake?
Well, as long as we are doing introductions, I'm Nizzy, and I do believe Duke's assessment of the situation is accurate.
Twilight Glimmer? You couldn't lie and make a better alias, like Violet Star, or Midnight Glow? Well that's fine in the end, alias' don't change the progression of adventure. But please, Twilight, Can you stop making chit-chat and start doing things! I swear, it's like babysitting none of your reeding audience is going to continue staying tuned for WITTY BATTER, GET A R%&*$@#% MOVE ON! Action, fighting, heroism! You need these things. Think of things like a Daring Do book for *%#$# sakes!
Well, this is Water Slash here, and maybe telling people you don't know about a gem stabbed into your chest isn't such a good idea. Oh, and I almost forgot. *sounds of a pill dropping through liquid* That should help with the overload. Good luck!
ONLY ONE ITEM PER TRANSFER.
8107099 Jesus Christ Key calm down, adventures are always slow to start, we get to what you want to see soon enough
Josh here, sorry about Key. now i have to say these ponys are fascinating, i mean alcoholic drinks? it's clear to me that we are dealing with a culture vastly different than Equestrias, as such you should tread lightly until you learn the norms and taboos. also sorry for being vague there are things i'm just not sure how to explain; the fourth wall being one of them
Greetings, little Alicorn! Akumakami here to explain this in simple terms. We are NOT from the same human world that you. We've messed with that world too sometimes. Think of us as incorporeal Discords to some extent. The one responsible for your Eye thing and change in location is named Blackjack, the one of us with the most power over your specific world, the "primary" if you prefer.
Usually we don't or can't directly communicate with your planes- and if we could, its usually only the "primary" of each version of your world(multiverse). This is a new experience for us too.
Now, there IS a reason why everyone acts like they know more they do- two actually. One is that they are giving advise based on other worlds they've "seen" and the second is that we're all hoping your "primary" will take what we say and manipulate things to make them true/correct in your current world. Yes, he can do that, but is being very minimal about it- I think. So we're trying to see how much we can actually influence things.
As for why we're giving you random advice? Because we can.....and a lot of us rather not leave you alone to the meaner ones. Also, no, most of us do not know each other.
Hope this helped explain my compatriots a bit. If you have a question, I'll try to answer it, but so will everyone else, probably.
PS I'm guess Diorite is a serpentine dragon called a ryu or a long. I'd appreciate you asking that if you get a chance. He also might be some species related to Discord since there a thing called Ryuma/Longma, meaning Dragon-Horse AKA Draconequus. Again, guessing. Discord's backstory varies across the multiverse.
PPS Just as a bit of common sense, be cautious about the alicorn thing. If that's not a thing where you are, that is just as likely to get you proclaimed a goddess as it is to get you burned at the stake, depending on what type of place it is and the type of ruler.
Well... I wouldn't have suggested telling everyone about a magical glowing eye on your chest that makes you hear voices, but they didn't think you where nuts so that's good. As for us, your guess is scarily accurate. We do, in fact, see through snapshots of reality and only at certain times can we act. It gets annoying, trust me. Tell Prancey I said hello by the way.
This is the Frog. Maybe it is a bad idea to trust the pony who wants you to get her sleep powder and who idly mentioned drugging people. Oh, and for the record, I have no idea who anyone else is. I don't think I've ever talked to any of them before. I'm quite sure it's the same for everyone else. So maybe ignore anyone who claims to know anyone else.
8107230 (i figured that much, that was my persona reacting to yours)
Afizah here, I'm a girl. I'm going to let that slight insult slide as I know you can't tell if the voices talking to you is a guy or girl, but before you make an assumption of what gender a voice belongs to, maybe try to figure out if the name fits better on a guy or girl.
As for where you are, I may just be speculating but the name Peran literally means 'on the other side'. Whether that means on the other side of where you're from or on the other side of reality I do not know, but what I do know is that most of us will try to get you home. Some will just try to torment you, others will just confuse you, one of us seems to want to feed you but I think he may just have a few screws loose. From what I believe the Scholars tree lies within the heart of the forest, but to get there, find Jack Sparrow's compass. Jack Sparrow's compass was an unusual navigational instrument most notably used by Captain Jack Sparrow, which he bartered from the voodoo mystic Tia Dalma. The compass was the key to everything, for those who knew how to use it. Unlike an ordinary compass, Jack's compass proved most valuable, as it pointed to what the owner wanted most, rather than mere magnetic north.
are you~ are you~ coming to the tree?~ They strung up a man they say who murdered three?~ Stange things did happen here, no stranger would it be if we met at midnight in the hanging tree~ HAHAHAHAH! I'll see you soon Little mare.
*Twilight suddenly feels like she is being watched. The feeling passes quickly though, but the malice emanating from it was enough for Twilight to fear for her safety.*
8107184 Why am I always put into situations like this? Josh, dammit, and everyone else too for talking down to me. Twilight needs to keep the interest above a certain level or terrible universe ending things are going to happen! WHY DOES NOBODY REEDING GET THAT?!
This is Zen. You're right, I should have suggested a more nuanced approach, or at least been more specific about context. My apologies.
As to what I know, what I told you last time was essentially it. I have a handful of suspicions, but nothing concrete.
Though you could probably figure this much on your own, intelligent mare that you are, it seems to me that the more you can find out about this island, the more you can find out about whatever brought you to this predicament in the first place. My gut says that serpentine dragon, this Diorite, is the most liekly to know more, but some of the other villagers might as well, especially if you could—respectfully, of course—track down a village elder who was willing to tell you more. If those efforts significant fruit, the seemingly magical nature of this "Bluemish Forest" is probably your next best lead.
And I apologize for Key. Though I sympathize with his impatience, his conduct is unbecoming, especially when addressing royalty.
Speaking of which, it may be worthwhile to subtly probe some of the locals, including the dragon and the mayor, about the local situation vis-a-vis royalty. It's always good to know where you stand.
Apologies for all the clutter. It would seem that our numbers increase the longer we remain attached to you.
Twilight you forgot my name! My name is crystal got it! Crystal! You remembered all of these other idiots names so why not my name!