//------------------------------//
// XXII 
// Story: The Influence 
// by GMBlackjack 
//------------------------------//

Twilight became aware of the real world again. 

She twitched.

Vriska blinked. "...Woah..."

"What?" Fluttershy asked. 

"That, Fluttershy, is the expression of someone trying not to explode in anger at a bunch of fucking idiots."

"Oh... But the Influence isn't that bad Vri-"

"Ohohohohohohoh!" Twilight started laughing. "Not that bad!? NOT THAT BAD!?"

Fluttershy took a step back in surprise. "Twilight-"

"Do you know how much important stuff was actually in that import? Almost none! Do you know what was in it!?"

"Uh..."

"A bunch of unintelligible dribble about clouds, butts, rear ends, saviors, usefulness, and the constant use of the phrase 'HEY! LISTEN!' alongside 'fairy' to no discernable purpose!"

Vriska scowled. "That's absolutely terrible."

"No? Really? Really? Hey! Ponygood! Afizah! I know you two were involved in this - not sure who else, but you know who you are! What do you have to say for yourselves huh? Why for the love of Celestia, Luna, Cadenza, myself, and my neice - and oh why not Discord - would you clog my mind with that? In case you didn't notice I have a broken wing, a broken leg, a high chance of a concussion, and a freaking eyeball embedded in my chest! I'd appreciate helpful advice instead of, oh, discussions of the divine nature of cloud-like-objects named after synonyms for butts!"

"Woo! Go Twilight! You tell them!" Vriska shouted. 

"I know you guys can talk to each other out of my feed - you've mentioned messages before - why not take that there? I did not need to be privy to this it meant nothing! I'm usually fine and can ignore all the useless dribble you all insert like trying to affect reality, having fun at my expense, mocking everything that happens - but no, I couldn't ignore this, there's just too damn much of it!"

Fluttershy gasped. "Twilight!"

Twilight ignored her. "I bet you find this funny don't you? 'Oh look at little Twilight, throwing a little tantrum and screaming at us! Isn't that just cute and adorable and entertaining!?' Oh, I bet it is! I bet you're all getting a kick out of this! Cause that's all you want, isn't it, to just mess with me and try to change my world when I have friends that are captured, friends that have betrayed me, and friends that might die at any moment because there's danger around every turn!? Maybe this is all just some story to you, but, it's not to me! It's not to us!"

Fluttershy outstretched a hoof. "Twilight..."

"No," Vriska said, pulling Flutershy's hoof back. "This is good for her."

"What I wouldn't give for some silence around here - oh! Maybe that's what I'll call myself! Twilence! Twilight, Influence, and it sounds ironically like a word to describe something I can't have because of you all yammering in my brain every few hours for the sake of your own stupid amusement!"

"Fuck 'em!" Vriska shouted.

"YEAH! FUCK YOU!" Twilight screamed.

The entire desert around them fell dead silent. Fluttershy was blushing hard, hooves over her mouth. Vriska was looking at Twilight with an expression of pride. Four was... Four.

Vriska walked up to Twilight, extending a hand, saying nothing. 

Twilight grabbed the hand and pulled herself up, breathing heavily. 

Vriska turned it into a fistbump soon as she was up. "Nice."

"I... I've never done that before..."

"Feels good doesn't it?"

"I... Think so...?"

"Well, brave leader. What now?"

Twilight blinked. "Everyone, on Four's shoulders. He's taking us into the mountains. It'll be faster than walking. Four, how long until Orchid catches up with us?"

"ANY MOMENT. IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW SOON SHE LEAVES FOSIS."

Twilight nodded. "Well, let's get going then. Four, pick us up."

He did so.


~~~


As Four ran as fast as he could across the landscape (sand quickly gave way to rocks) Fluttershy turned to Twilight. "So... Calling yourself Twilence now?"

"No. Yes. Maybe... I haven't decided. I was angry when I said that..." She sighed. "Don't get me wrong, Vriska was right, I needed to get that out..."

"Damn right," Vriska said. "I sense you've been keeping it bottled up for a while."

"I've blown up at them before... But not like that," Twilight said. "And... That was a while ago, back before we knew a lot of things... Back when I was still scared about what exactly I was..." She frowned. "Creek, Akuma, Nickel, Josh... You guys didn't deserve that. At least I don't think so, not entirely sure who was in there. DLB, Owleero, hope that didn't drive you off... just use that as an example of what not to do, okay? Okay..." She took a few deep breaths. "Okay. Calm now. I think I can respond. Nickel, what exactly did you try to do there? I just got a lot of garbled nonsense. Josh, care to elaborate about Vriska breaking reality?"

Vriska laughed at this. 

"Right. Akuma, I... Thank you. Glad the random numbers are over. You weren't being bad, don't think that, never think that, you're one of the most helpful here. Just... it got a tad..."

"Boring?"

"Yeah. And I'm seriously considering the name Twilence unless you have any better ideas - speaking of, Creek, I'd love to hear your suggestions about the name I should take!"

"Should I take one too?" Fluttershy asked.

"I... If you think you need to," Twilight said. Fluttershy nodded in response. 

Twilight continued on. "Anyway, DLB, why would people hate on Flash? Legitimately curious. I feel like it should be obvious... Owleero, what is this about the Knights of Equestria? And below absolute zero doesn't even make any sense... ...Right. Alternate universes. In a story. Of course..."

Vriska sighed. "The relation between stories and the worlds we live in is a confusing bitch."

"Oh?" Twilight asked.

"I don't know much. There's apparently this Tower in the center of everything that connects authors to worlds in such a way that the writers write the worlds into existence but also are influenced by the beings within the world and... It's just a paradoxical mess. My orange fuckface had to make it worse by inserting stories within stories where the flow went both ways it was just... Peachy..."

Twilight furrowed her brow. "Your world sounds complicated."

"Easy time travel and interface exploitation. Everything was overpowered and everything was a giant piece of self-fulfilling time bullshit. Helped save the multiverse from a time-hack demon and helped create a new, apparently awesome universe. Not that I ever get to see that place."

"Oh..." Twilight frowned. "Why?"

"Orange fuckface," Vriska muttered. "I got launched out into the multiverse and... I have no idea how long I've been out here trying to get home. All I know is that I've never even seen what I presume is called 'Earth C.' I left a lot of friends behind..."

Twilight smiled sadly. "I'm trying to get home too. Though... I think I'm only separated by time, not universes."

"Yeah. I'll help you get back, least I can do. Seem to be a bit of a 'traveling hero' lately. Though, if I'm being honest, 'hero' depends on who you're talking to at any given time."

"You seem to have your heart in the right place, if that means anything."

"Didn't used to... But that was a long time ago." She pulled an 8-ball out of her pocket and fell silent.

Twilight allowed herself to smile. "So... Tell me what your friends were like."

"Bunch of stupid assholes," Vriska laughed. "But they were my stupid assholes..."

Vriska began to regale tales of trolls, humans, ghosts, demons, and Horrorterrors...


~~~


"...Oh my fucking God I've been channeling her..."

"Who?" Fluttershy asked. She had been listening to the stories attentively. 

"Aranea. That ancestor of mine. Sorta. Not getting into that. She did not know how to shut up when she started a story." Vriska laughed. 

Twilight smirked. "She sounds like me."

"You know what, she is you, far as I can tell. Talky, nerdy, nice, accepting, but has a nice little burst of anger deep in there." Vriska smirked. "How 'bout you tell me about your friends now? Besides butterwings here, I got her down."

"Oh?" Fluttershy asked.

"Used to be shy but has recently come out of her shell to taking a bit of assertiveness."

"Oh."

"It's basically in your name."

Twilight laughed. "Well, I had a lot of friends... Perhaps it's best to start with..."

And then something exploded. Hot rocks flew into their path, interrupting all conversation. Four slowed himself down to keep from toppling over. "DANGER DETECTED."

"Oh it is on!" Vriska shouted, summoning her orange cloak and wings. "Who wants the beat down? Come on, I know you want the beat down!"

Twilight raised her wing. "Hold - talk first, Vriska."

"Aw, phooey."

Twilight surveyed the area. "Hello?" There were a lot of rocks in the mountainous scenery. They were on the outskirts of a forest, so they could see sparse evergreen trees around them, more visible in the distance. One large snowcapped mountain stood out from the rest of them in the far, far distance. "I'm... Twilight Sparkle, if anyone's here, we mean you no harm! We just wish to pass through!"

No response. A tumbleweed passed them, having traveled far from the desert for just this moment. 

Twilight blinked. "Uh... Anyone seeing anything at all?"

Fluttershy and Vriska shook their heads. 

"NEGATIVE," Four responded. "THOUGH MY INFRARED SENSORS ARE CURRENTLY SPOTTY."

"Huh..." Twilight frowned. "Take a step forward..."

Four did so. Something exploded beneath his feet - this time knocking him over. Vriska grabbed Twilight with her free hand while Fluttershy floated of her own power. 

"OW."

"You okay?" Fluttershy asked.

"AFFIRMATIVE. DAMAGE WAS NEGLIGIBLE." He stood up. "WE APPEAR TO BE ON A MINEFIELD."

Vriska rolled her eyes. "Can you fly Four?"

"NEGATIVE."

"Well, now he is slowing us down..." Vriska muttered. "You know, it's times like this I wish I could give out luck, but sadly that's not how it works."

"NO MATTER. THIS MINEFIELD TELLS US THERE ARE DOGS NEARBY. THE DESERT-MOISSAN BORDER IS FAR TOO LARGE FOR US TO COME ACROSS SUCH A MINEFIELD BY CHANCE."

"...It was set for us?" Fluttershy asked.

"97% LIKELY."

"Hey!" Twilight yelled. "We know you're out there! Come on out!"

"They won't," a familiar voice said. They turned to see Alderan floating a fair ways away. 

"Why not?" Twilight asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Under oath. To break an oath is a death sentence for them."

Fluttershy gasped. "Why?"

"They hold promises in high regard. They rarely make them. But it is required to get the credentials to create mines."

"Why are you here?" Vriska muttered. "You're one of those... Altar spirits, right? The one I hear is fucking with us?"

"Yes. Though I prefer the term 'observing', Serket. I am here because... Because I've been told to be here. You're wanted at the Mountain of Knowledge."

"Why would we go there?" Twilight asked.

"...It's where my altar is located."

"Oh. Okay." Twilight raised an eyebrow. "You going to help us get there?"

"Oh goodness me, no, you can just levitate Four over this thing, it's not that wide. I'm just here to tell you to stop trying to make friends with the dogs at this minefield. They are specifically chosen to make these things because they aren't friendly. They can do the job 'right'."

"A SENSICAL ARRANGEMENT."

"Yeah..." Alderan paused. "Twilight, I sense you want answers. I cannot answer them. You will have to come to the Mountain of Knowledge for them."

Twilight nodded slowly. "I'm looking forward to that."

"You won't like the answers."

"Since when does anybody?" Vriska asked.

Alderan glared at her. "...I've been watching you. You are a concern."

"Surprise, surprise. How about you do more than just talk ominously and watch us like a creep?"

Alderan vanished at that remark. Vriska shrugged. "Well, I see he chose to continue doing business as usual. He's still watching us like a creep isn't he?"

"No doubt," Twilight said. "It's what he does."

"What questions you going to ask him anyway?"

"Why did he summon me here?"

Vriska blinked. "Wait, he did that?"

"I think so. Or his master - whoever that is. We have no idea. Maybe some dog." She lit her horn, surrounding Four with telekinesis. It took some effort, but she could lift him above the ground. "Let's go."

Fluttershy flew as lead, Vriska tailing behind with Twilight in her arm. Four floated behind her.

"NO SIGN OF DOGS BESIDES RECENT TRACKS."

"Experienced soldiers..." Vriska murmured. "Disappointed we won't actually be fighting them. Such a shame, they should have their skills tested."

"MAY NOT BE SOLDIERS. MAY JUST BE TINKERS."

"How do you know so much about dog culture? Aren't you some kind of ancient robot?"

"AFFIRMATIVE. BUT THEY WERE IN CONTACT WITH FOSIS UNTIL RECENTLY. THERE WAS LIMITED TRADE."

Twilight furrowed her brow. "Why'd they stop coming?"

"UNKNOWN. THEY JUST DID."

"Huh," Twilight said. "Well I suppose-"

Then the Eye started glowing. 

"Oh no, not now, Vriska I'm going to lose the hold I have on Four!"

"What!?" Vriska shouted, glancing down at the minefield below. 

"Just do somethi-"