Hans’s Pov
Hans watched as Gilda lead them to the city. He was expecting to see the run-down place, but seeing it, in reality, was far different than the cartoon. What hit him first was the smell the stench of garbage mixed with sewage filled the air. He even spotted a griffon dumping a chamber pot out of a window.
The smell was indescribable. A memory of traveling past a chicken farm and the sicking sweet smell of chicken poop filled the air entered his thoughts. Somehow this was far worst.
Then noticed cheers and it seems so did Doom, for he soon saw two sickly looking cubs at a building poking the boards with a stick. Then licking that very stick, with a thought the telescopic vision kicked in and termites were seen on the stick before they were eaten by the cubs.
“That perhaps the first protein they had in a week,” Gilda spoke noticing the urchin cubs.
Hans felt it, that building anger. ‘Dude, relax they are just children’
‘Do not insult me, Hans. I’m angry not at them, I’m angry they have to live in this pathetic condition.’
‘That we can agree on. This is horrible, I was expecting it to be bad, but seeing it in real life with all the misery of such a place on full display. This smell enough to make me sick how can you stand it?’
The smell suddenly stopped ‘Hey how you do that?’
‘Fool do you think I wouldn’t have air filters and air recycling in my armor? If I didn’t all the fantastic four had to do was encase me in a forcefield and suffocate me.’
‘As for this city, it’s the typical Capitalistic conditions. Most of Europe was like this during the 1800s and early 1900s London was one of the worst cities before environmental and fair work laws came into effect. In the poorest district during that time mortality rate of East End was 20% with the life expectancy of only 19.’
‘Oh? What is Latveria then a socialistic nation?’
‘It’s...’ Doom staggered as his mind drew a blank. ‘With my technology, the needs of the population are taken care of. So in that regard, you can indeed consider it socialist. Without the need for heavy workloads on the population they can focus on the Arts, Science, and technology to benefit us all.’
“Um... sir? You alright?” Gilda had noticed him staggered.
Then Doom motions to an alleyway. “I was caught off guard seeing the body of the old one over there.”
Gilda saw the body as well and gasped. There in the alleyway was the old raven blood griffon. This time she was quiet, she wasn’t moving at all her body slumped over and a fly was crawling on the lifeless eyeball.
“They... they pick her up tonight.” Gilda looked down heading for her home.
“Gilda, did you know that old one?” Doom asked with a touch of sympathy in his voice.
“No, just a crazy old bird, at least that what I thought this morning.”
Hans didn’t let Doom change the subject there was something about the Latveria economy that caused Doom to stumble. ‘Nice cover there. But something made you stagger and it wasn’t the old body.’
‘Silence you overrated migraine.’
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Doom’s POV
His mind was running wild. There was a problem and it was in his knowledge. The annoying voice had stumbled something Doom couldn’t just dismiss.
How did the economy of Latveria work? More than that what was the population, primary crops’ popular music? It wasn’t long before other memories seem to have similar errors. He couldn’t recall details of his life. Going over his knowledge he still knew advanced robotics, thaumaturgy, martial arts, biology, chemistry. He recalls the information and skills but who taught him was missing.
Remembering school he recalls Reed Richard very well. His robotics teacher, not so much. He couldn’t even remember a single name of a fellow student. It was as if all those minor details were generalized.
“We are leaving what’s known as the outer fringes of the city. It’s not even considered a district just where the poorest live. We now entering the lower roots district mostly warehouses, crafting, and manufacturing buildings, abandoned mostly. I live in The Higher Root District.” Gilda spoke out as she motions to the tree. “Then you have the shopping district set up on the trunk road to the lower branches. The higher you go the more expensive the shops. Lower and higher branches are the wealthy districts. The High branches also have the old castle where the council rules.”
Shoving the issue of his messed up memories aside he looked at the buildings around him. All seem to be in a state of disrepair. He stops walking as he notices a large knot-like structure in the tree roots. He looked farther up the tree noting more and more of those knots. By this time Gilda noticed he stopped walking. “Um... sir?”
“Tell me about this tree. Why is it here? How old is it?”
“How the hell should I know that?” Gilda visibly swallowed. “I...i... I don’t know.”
Doom looked at her “Learn to think before you talk.”
‘Kettle calling the Pot Black, there Doom.’
‘Shut up you second rate brain freeze.’
“Just tell me how old is it? Where did it come from?”
“Um... it’s over a thousand years old. Maybe a thousand one hundred years, I don’t know. The city was built by King Grover I think... History kind of not my thing.”
Doom nods and walks to one of the knots and scoops up dirt that was in the center of the knot. So much dirt it was as if the knot was hollow. The soil was well fertilized compacted black earth, unlike the brown ground he saw before. Then with a quick wave of his hands glowing markings appeared on the root. “It’s heavily enchanted. It makes sense a tree this large would not be able to survive on a hill. The water demand for a plant this large would be hundreds of thousands of gallons. It would take more nutrients then these hills could provide as well. This was grown by magic.”
“But griffons don’t do magic...”
He looked to Gilda “You do magic without thinking about it when you fly. I noticed it when the others fled. It’s magic that helps you fly in fact. Without magic, your bodies would be too heavy for your wings.”
Gilda blinks and looked to her wings. “Well... sure but you talking about major enchantment. Only ponies do magic like that, and they would never do this much magic. Even for themselves there only a few who have magic enough to do something like the city tree. They were, even more, self-centered a thousand years ago.”
“Look at the magical lines my spelled reveled. This is your first lesson in magic. Magic is everywhere even more in this universe than my own. Willpower and focus can manipulate the strands of magic to produce an effect, this is called Thaumaturgy. The problem most mortals have is the lack of willpower and mental focus, to control magical energy mental focus control is paramount. Weaker minds lose focus and lose control. Think about it like a language, all creatures can produce sound, but only consciously aware beings can manipulate the sound from our throats into meaning. Then you have those who can speak multiple languages and dialects, the same happens with magic. Every self-aware being can speak, but how many can give a moving speech in multiple languages? Each culture creates is own language it would take me some time to figure out the language of these enchantments.”
Of course, that annoying voice in his head didn’t stay quiet. ‘Interesting I never thought of magic that way before.’
“Now Gilda show me one of these crafting workshops. I prefer a Smiting workshop.”
‘What are you thinking Doom?’
‘I need to know the level of technology here, we can’t go by what you have seen in the cartoon. Judging by the clothing we are dealing with a technology progression of about the late 1800s, but I want to be sure. This tree throws off my calculations.’
‘like how you stated they were about the same culture-wise. Work the poor to death and don’t care about the health conditions? In the show, they had steam trains and blimps like airships.’
‘We can’t trust the information you have in the show. Their biology already diverges from quadruped to bipeds. Even those ponies were stood on two feet and wore clothing.’
“THERE it is there the monster!” Doom turns to see a female Griffon leading two males. The two male Griffons were dressed in some form of leather armor. “That the one you were talking about Glados?”
“I just said It was, Gerry! Kill that thing before it does any more damage! Now that Penny Pincher dead I’m in charge of the fields I want to display its head for Prince Blueblood.” Glados yelled out. Doom watched as Gilda moved back clearly expecting to witness another slaughter.
Doom on the other hand stepped forward. “Greetings, I am Victor von Doom. I do believe this young female is mistaken.”
“Mistaken? You murdered Penny Pincher and his assistance. Listen, you... thing, those Ponies were here to monitor the Equestrian’s property. Now, come along peacefully we need to take you to the Chamberlain.” The griffon guard Gerry spoke up.
“You forgot the Tatzlwurm as well. Nor will I be going anywhere. I shall see this Chamberlain when I wish.”
“Wait, you killed a Tatzlwurm, and three ponies?” the other guard looked around showing the signs of fear.
“I can demonstrate my power if you wish.” With that, he lifts in the air and for a moment it seemed he had multiple arms. Then four copies of himself appeared surrounding the guards and Glados. “How long will it take for you to get back up?”
“Fuck that... I don’t get paid enough.” Gerry spoke out “Me neither!” The two guards turn and flew away. “WAIT for me!” cried out Glados.
Doom just shook his head “Cowards.” The illusionary copies vanished and the real Doom looks over to Gilda “come, Gilda, it time for you to lead me to that workshop, I prefer one that’s abandoned.”
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Gilda’s POV
She didn’t know what was more shocking. The very magic she saw radiating from the old city tree, or the idea she could learn magic. Sure he said something about teaching her earlier, but being seen real magic in her own home. The magic that wouldn’t be cast by a Unicorn. How would the City Tree be grown if not by Unicorn magic? The only logical reason was King Grover used magic to grow the city tree, but how?
She was so lost in her thoughts she only noticed the Guards when they confronted Doom. Fighting the fear she was about to see Glados and the guards die she backs away getting out of the line of fire. Instead Doom dose some sort of magic, producing multiple copies of himself.
Then her mind hit a wall. He said there was more magic here than his universe?
“Tell me, Gilda. What is the most advanced form of travel you have seen?”
“Travel?” She had to think about what he meant about the other universe later. “Um... There are airships, and Equestria has Trains. They are the only nation that has trains, just another example of elitism.”
“What kind of trains? Are they widespread?”
“I don’t know... I was only visiting Ponyville for a short time. It produced a lot of steam.”
They come to a building and she looks around “This is the nearest metal shop I know of, been empty for three years.”
She watched as doom easily broke the lock and entered. Not wanting to stand out in the street during a break in she hurried inside as well.
“Gilda close the door. I have to change plans, the griffon Glados saw you with me. It would be easy to assume she be leading guards to your residence. Due to that possibility, I would be using this building as my staging point.” She watched as he walked among the old metalworking tools. “The equipment here is suitable. Go and fetch something to eat for both of us. You might have enough time to get to your home before they arrive. If you see any guards ignore the home.”
Her heart races as he looks at her the dark building was darker to her eyes. The majority of griffons have poor night vision. The contrast between the dark interior and bright beams of light shining through cracks gave a seral look to the armored figure of Doom.
“Do you have any funds for food if they are at your home?”
“No... what money I have is hidden in my house.”
Doom then nodded and moved to some of the rusting iron left in the building. Gilda watched as his hands move in the complicated way the creature does magic. Small drops of silvery metal appeared oozing from the iron. Soon a ball of... Moon silver! “That’s Moon Silver!”
“Moon Silver? Interesting name, where I’m from we call it Aluminium or Aluminum. Tell me Gilda is this valuable?”
“Yes, it’s nearly as valuable as Silver.”
“Hmm... 1800‘s as well. I see well take this Gilda, get us something to eat.”
“What would you be doing sir?”
“I will be fixing that cart in the back. We would be needing it when I claim the throne of Griffonstone.”
Gilda blinks and tries to see the cart, sure enough, a cart with a broken wheel was in the shadows. “Why would we need a cart?”
She couldn’t see it but she heard the humor in his voice. “I am going to retrieve the Idol of Boreas.”
“You know where the Idol is?”
“No more talking Gilda. I gave you a task now go. The longer we take the more time this Chamberlin has to prepare.” Doom turned and headed into the darkness the shadows consuming his form. Gilda looks down at the ball of pure Moon Silver, it was more worth more than the money she used to visit Rainbow Dash. Enough money for her to live on for months, and he just tossed it to her as if it was trash. Turning she headed out of the building, she has a job to do.