//------------------------------// // XVI // Story: The Influence // by GMBlackjack //------------------------------// Twilight sighed. "Key... Afizah... You don't need to be ashamed or upset... I'm fine. Key, I hope you'll return and... You don't have to put yourself in harms way because of what you see here, okay? Afizah... You may not be the most helpful voice, but you aren't a dimwit. You're fine." Twilight turned to Ine. "Well?" Ine floated upwards. "The information is most helpful. The truth has become evident to me - the differences from Key, Zen, and Ponygood... You come from a race that knows much but experiences little. You fret, overthink, and panic - I believe you expect me to get existential or bothered? I am not. All you've shown me is that this Blackjack is my creator, and that I may cease to exist once the story is done. How is that any different from my inevitable death? Nothing lasts forever - there is always an end. The fact that you view this as a story - or as a window to another world by which you may alter events - is no more concerning than the infinitesimal specks we are against the backdrop of the universe. Maybe you have a God, maybe you are a story as well. The truth of the matter appears that the final point of information that was sought is actually impossible to reach, the feedback loop may not end. I see that by inserting you into this 'story' Blackjack has created another layer of personal differing from you, and yet similar. Perhaps even one for himself. This has been most enlightening - the structure of that Above is more complex and arbitrary than previously believed." "Does that mean you will answer their questions?" "I will now answer those questions of yours, information must be passed along. The device you communicate through was created centuries ago by my people - which you presumably know as the Ancients." The image of the desert shifted to that of a lush green land with hundreds upon dozens of sky islands floating above, all of them laced with powerful technologies similar to the altars and the ship. "We were Elementals, beings attuned to the various elements of existence, becoming abstracts of whatever our focus was. I was one of the most powerful - one of the six of us who had one goal in life, to find the answers to everything. We created altars that could reach across time and space, great machines that could calculate the movements of the entire cosmos, and we noticed patterns. Patterns we eventually deemed to be story-like, what we called the Narrative. Something was controlling the world, guiding it in a way that didn't make probabilistic sense. So we sought God - creating the device affixed to Twilight's chest. It is not the Witch's Eye, it is not the Influence - it is the Hole. It was designed to be a two way street - we would find God, and be able to see through the device, to communicate, to fully reveal what lay above our world. It didn't work - the Hole would only affix to a being of appropriate Narrative Importance in the end. And none existed in that time." Twilight blinked. "...Why didn't you use those time-altars of yours to find one?" Ine paused for a moment - as if looking directly at Twilight for the first time, surprised by the thoughtful nature of the question. But she turned away. "Further development of the Hole was halted when our society fell apart. We hid the Hole in a hidden niche of this world, believing that the Narrative would eventually find it. And it did - though Aldrean took a more involved approach than expected. But it did not do what it was supposed to do. It was supposed to affix to something of sufficient Narrative Importance, that God would deem the best suitor, the central entity of everything. I was once baffled why Blackjack chose Twilight instead of some cosmic entity from beyond... But I understand now. This is a story - a book. Twilight is the protagonist. The hero of a bizarre tale that is experimental, designed to bring this world to... an end of some kind or other, good or bad. The Hole still didn't do what it was intended to do - it was supposed to be a CLEAR connection that found Blackjack directly, and allowed us to see everything through it with no hindrances, no updates - it was to be a continuous conversation. As of now, it is broken, imperfect. Twilight and I cannot use it to SEE you, or Blackjack..." Ine floated downwards. "...As for my civilization, we still exist, as ghosts, wraiths, shadows of our former selves. You can find lesser individuals of ours wandering the deserts and the wildernesses. Me and my compatriots have maintained our higher functions, and are somewhat unusual. If you wish to contact the civilization proper you would have to return to the past. Only way to do that would be to use the Time Tunnels, and I don't know where those were hidden." Twilight gawked. "Time Tunnels? TIME TUNNELS? Tell me more! Can I use them to get home?" Ine looked at Twilight, sparkling slightly. "...I suppose as the protagonist, I should talk to you..." "Finally..." "Yes, you can, if I remember correctly. I was not part of their construction unfortunatly, so don't take my word on it." Twilight frowned. "...Now only if I knew where they were..." Ine became distant once more, floating back. "I also know nothing of her destiny, this prophecy, or anything. I just built the Hole, and am connected to it to learn. I do thank you all for this eye opening experience." And then Twilight woke up. "What the..." Twilight rubbed her head, blinking. She walked out of her room into the main living room. Fluttershy and Ruby were already awake. Ruby looked up. "Oracle! You choose your acolytes well!" Fluttershy facehooved. "I'm not an acolyte..." Twilight smirked. "Who knows? You might acutaly be one Fluttershy." "...Riiiight." Twilight shook her head. "Anyway, I talked with Ine. She acutally... Talked with me. Told me there are Time Tunnels we could use to get home somewhere... And... She's the one who created the Eye - or, as she calls it, the Hole." She looked down at it. "Apparnety it's broken." Ruby shook her head. "Only the Ancients could have built such a thing-" "She is an Ancient," Twilight said. "...Or she claims to be, anyway. She called her race the Elementals." Ruby blinked. "...Truly, you are the Oracle, to be visited by the Ancestors in your dreams..." "She didn't know... All she knew about was the Hole, for sure." She tapped it. "I wonder if it could be fixed... And if I could really see everything..." "Do you want to?" Fluttershy asked. "...I'm not sure," Twilight admitted. "It sounds like it'd be helpful. I'd be able to see Blackjack..." She shook her head. "Give me a minute, got to talk to everyone.... Akumakami, please don't shut up, I like you, even if you do have some... interesting views. Your apology is accepted - you didn't even really have to ask. I understand. Though I would appreciate it if you and Zen got on friendly terms again. I still... sense hostility. Come on, you're both in this together." "Communing with the voices above..." Ruby stared in awe. Fluttershy put a wing over her face and sighed. Twilight continued on, ignoring them. "Ponygood... I did notice that some people vanished. And I think you should give Key a bit more credit, angry though he is, he is trying and does what he can. I... I think I'm numb to the constant existential crises that always seem to pop up at this point. Maybe it'll hit me in a few weeks when I'm sitting in a chair with a book, but that's not now. Right now I'm fine. And as for that Note on the Moon idea... That could work, but how would I get a note ON the moon? And then Nightmare Moon would find it first..." She shook her head. "...I don't know. Shepard... You know, they seem to know how your story is going to play out. Maybe you should ask them - if you want. I... I don't know what choice I'd make in your situation. And Cychis... Uh... What? I - I don't think I got what you mean. And that voice who didn't know who they were... Welcome. Hopefully we don't scar you even more..." Twilight put a hoof to her chin. "I... Fluttershy, did Discord throw you a tea party?" "...A few times actually, why?" Fluttershy said. "Yeah, and I remember Starlight mentioning something about Daybreaker a while ago..." "Huh?" "...I think we're 'ahead' of the timeline the Influence is aware of, Fluttershy. Because I'm also aware Sombra was an umbrum, but I don't think he's come back..." Fluttershy frowned. "What were you doing right before showing up here?" "I was... Well, I'd just helped Spike with a changeling problem..." "...I wonder if that means anything." Ruby blinked. "What are changelings?" Twilight smiled sheepishly. "I... Don't think you want to know." "...Okay..." Twilight took in a breath. "So... Time to focus on those golems again." "HA - HA!" Sand Blaster called from below. "We're at an oasis! Come on out!" Twilight, Ruby, and Fluttershy all walked to the exit of the Sandshell. Infinity was already outside in full desert attire, grinning in the soft breeze. The sandy dunes spread out for miles, a few cacti in the distance - and right in front of them was a chunk of rock poking out of the sand, the top of it flat, but at an angle. Water was flowing off of it into the desert sands, creating a small pool. Twilight blinked - that looked like a buried version of one of the sky islands she had seen with Ine. She was also certain the oasis was shifting around slightly. Sand Blaster dumped a few crates on the ground. "Golems are over that way, few hours' trek. You're on your own now. You want back across the band, just wait at the edge - I take this baby around the edge every few days just to check for anyone who wants back. Ride's free to civilization." He chuckled. "Have fun!" They were soon left behind in the dust. "...Well," Twilight said. "That was abrupt." Ruby lifted the back of her robes, revealing two small wings. She flew up to the waters of the oasis and filled up various jugs and canteens with the water. Fluttershy joined her, looking around at the lush green island. "This... Wow. How does it produce the water...?" "No idea," Ruby said. "Alchemizes the elements within the air and sand," Infinity said. "...Probably." Twilight rolled her eyes. "Well then... I suppose we should head out. Got some golems to deal with..." Infinity grinned. "I can't wait!" ~~~ Hours later, Infinity groaned. "I... Can't... Move..." Ruby handed her another canteen, and she guzzled it. "MAN, deserts, HOT as-" Twilight held up a wing. "Hold up. I sense something..." She looked into the distance. "...I think I can see the Golem city. Fosis. And there's some magic here-" The sand erupted in front of them. Twilight raised a shield, Infinity and Fluttershy cowering behind her. Ruby stood tall at her side, breathing fire onto her claws, raising their temperature to red hot. The sand cleared, revealing a giant metal fist - that punched Twilight's shield so fast she was unable to react. The shield broke, and the fist came right at her, making direct contact with the Eye - or, rather, the Hole. The Hole took enough force to crack a skull and absorbed it - keeping Twilight safe but sending her flying. Fluttershy screamed - the giant Ancient machine-fist coming for her next. Infinity shot a magic laser that did absolutely nothing to the tremendous fist. "Well crud." Ruby leaped in front of the fist, pushing back with an impressive gust of fire. The fist was effectively stopped - and subsequently blown up by one of Twilight's spells. "I think we found the security system," Infinity observed. "P-PART of it..." Fluttershy said, pointing into the distance. A tremendous humanoid creature was charging at them - notably missing a single fist. It's cylindrical body parts glowed with magical circuitry, and its head vaguely resembled a wind-key. It blurted out words in a loud, virtual voice. "DANGEROUS INTRUSION TO BE NULLIFIED." Its other fist transformed into a canon of some kind and fired off a volley of blue plasma, melting the sand before them into glass. Ruby was knocked back, unable to withstand the force, while Twilight was forced to defend for Fluttershy and Infinity. "This... Is not good." The cannon shot forward, aiming right for Twilight, ready to burn her to an absolute crisp... And then the cannon returned to the tall guardian golem. It stood up, and walked back to Fosis without another word. "...Is that IT!?" Infinity yeled. "You're just... Walking away!?" Fluttershy grabbed Infinity. "SHHHHH." The golem didn't turn back - but it did speak. "PROTOCOLS HAVE BEEN ALTERED. NO LONGER DEEMED A THREAT." Twilight bilnked. "...Well then that was extremely lucky. I... I wonder what-" The Hole started glowing. Twilight frowned. "...Man you sure has heck don't look like a Hole. I really wonder if I should just keep calling you the Eye or something..."