Synch

by sunnypack

83 - Kindness Cuts Deeper than Cruelty

Ever since I was born I always wondered about the purpose of things. I don’t really know how to convey this in an eloquent way but I pondered about what makes something, something. For example, what is the purpose of a tree? Was it to be pleasing to look upon? Of course not! A tree will still be a tree even if there were others not there to see it. Was it to survive? Maybe. But what was the point to survival? You live, you breed, you die and then what? Nothing.

It was these kinds of dark thoughts that swirled in my mind that gave me the heebie-jeebies. This kind of existentialist crisis that stops functioning and turns people mad. Insects don’t get depressed. Bacteria don’t get depressed. Intelligence dictates how much you think about your own existence. If you think about it, how much worse will it be if you had a limitless amount of intelligence?

How much worse would it be to become a god?

Perhaps, I would soon find the answer.

-----

Sharp gnashed her teeth scouring the mountains habitually for any signs of disturbance.

This far north, there was precious little but tundra and stony peaks but that didn’t deter Sharp from pursuing her ultimate goal. The icy cold wind barely registered through the burning heat that radiated through her draconian body.

A glimmer beckoned her from the peripherals of her sight and she felt a shiver of anticipation flick through her tail.

She landed with a thump next to the startled pony.

“Thank Celestia you saw my signal!” he babbled shrilly. Sharp felt his voice grating against her ears unpleasantly.

Sharp regarded the curious pony with an expression of dissatisfaction. This was not what she was looking for.

“What are thou doing so far from civilised boundaries, pony?” she demanded, fixing the nervous stallion with a glare.

“Well, to be honest I wasn’t expecting one of your kind to be here”, he replied, his voice taking on a malicious quality.

Sharp felt a tinge of unease flicker down her spine, the situation was feeling all-to-familiar.

No, she though frantically, as black flames engulfed the wickedly grinning pony.

“Ah yes, Sharp. Remember me?” he cackled inanely as the fire bore a terrible heat, greater than even a dragon could withstand.

Sharp felt her scales start to sizzle against the unprotected flesh beneath. Her mouth opened in agony but no sound would come out. Her world was filled with unbearable pain.

I can’t hold on, I can’t hold on, the pain… it’s ah-Ah-AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Sharp woke up with a roar that shattered the silence of the forest. Birds exploded from nearby trees in a frantic bid to escape. Sharp’s ragged breathing was the only sound in the gathering silence left behind from the lingering after-echoes of her ferocious bellow.

Her heart slowed from a maddening rush to the easy beat of a normal sinus rhythm as her fears slowly subsided.

I had not had that dream for a long time… she thought to herself, disturbed.

The touch of an End Flame cannot be ignored for long.

Sharp shook her head with a whiplashing motion.

No! she angrily slammed a clawed limb down. There is too much to do without reflecting on the past.

She gathered herself up and launched herself into the skies.

-----

Pseudo and I headed back towards the throne room. I got lost a few times before Pseudo threw up her hooves and asked a guard pony for directions that guard glared suspiciously at the changeling until I came along. Apparently, I’m now well known around here so they just assumed I was on princess business since I was practically accompanied by royalty all the time.

I winked at Pseudo, as the guard cheerfully gave me directions.

The mare rolled her eyes at me before leading me back to the throne room. I considered turning on my Synch and letting it map out the place but I got the feeling I wouldn’t have much time to do that anyway. Besides, there were no satellites to sync up a global map so I would only get vague local map designations.

When we came back I found that Day Court had already been in session so it was either wait for Celestia to finish Day Court or become one of the petitioners. I growled under my breath.

Stupid princess running a stupid country, I thought to myself darkly. I thought about waiting but I suddenly had an idea.

Maybe Luna was around? She would probably have a good idea on what to do and I was curious as to what exactly she was up to, running off like that. Besides, Luna would let Celestia know of any recent developments, right?

“Pseudo, you don’t happen to know where Luna is?” I scratched my head, wondering where the princess would be.

Pseudo gave a pony-like shrug.

I sighed, waving over a guard by the door politely.

“Hi there, you wouldn’t happen to know where Princess Luna would be?” I asked the guard. The stallion considered the request with a wingtip to the face. I waited patiently as he finally shook his head. I sighed and thanked him, leading Pseudo away. Yeah it wouldn’t be that easy.

We wondered throughout the halls until I met Prince Blueblood.

“Oh hello there”, he greeted us. “I see you make excellent friends.”

I smiled, gesturing towards Pseudo.

“This is Pseudo, a changeling princess from the Blue Hive”, I introduced, flicking my hand forward to encourage Pseudo to introduce herself.

“H-hi!” she squeaked. I rolled my eyes.

“She’s a bit shy”, I apologised on her behalf, giving Pseudo a nudge with my leg. She stayed behind me.

Blueblood laughed at that.

“Ah, no problems, dear fellow. That explains why the palace isn’t in an uproar. It wouldn’t do well to have Chrysalis returning.” He consulted a pocket watch. “It is good to see you, but unfortunately I haven’t the time to catch up with you, please excuse me.”

He sauntered down the hall as Pseudo and I mumbled a goodbye.

Hmm I would have thought he would stick around longer to talk with Pseudo, there may be pressing matters, I thought to myself, moving along the hallway. I spotted a familiar midnight-blue ephemeral mane.

“Luna!” I called down the hall.

Luna looked at me sparingly before barking a few orders to the assembled group of guards. I couldn’t hear what she had said but I caught words like ‘statue’ and ‘move’. She shrugged at me apologetically from the distance before disappearing with the contingent of guards down a side passage. I just stood there gaping. Did she just ignore me?

What makes moving a statue so important?

Pseudo beckoned me with a hoof, gesturing to her muzzle. I knelt down as she whispered into my ear.

“Uhm, I heard her talking about moving a statue in the Royal Canterlot Gardens”, she murmured in a low voice. It was so soft I almost couldn’t make it out.

“Heh, Pseudo you’re going to have to speak a little louder next time, you’re quieter than a mosquito at night”, I told her.

Pseudo cheeks flamed a blue hue again as she nodded silently in acquiescence. She shuffled her hooves.

“Uhm, so what now?” she asked me. Oh right, the plan to consult Luna just fell through.

“We have time to burn, why don’t we visit the city of Canterlot?” I offered, giving a grandiose bow.

Pseudo giggled and followed me as we went out to explore to wonders of modern Canterlot.

-----

I was perhaps five steps from the main gate when I suddenly smacked my forehead.

“Ah! Snap!”

Pseudo looked at me in inquiry, her tattered wings flared in shock at my sudden outburst.

“Sorry”, I meekly apologised. “I just realised I have no money. Uhh, bits they call them.”

I held up a hand to Pseudo, stopping the obvious offer with a dismissive wave.

“No, Pseudo we’ll earn these bits through the ancient art of busking”, I told her, with a twinkle in my eye.

This’ll be good.

-----

Pseudo nervously peeked out from between my legs. She had disguised herself as a generic pony filly. I would have scooped her up and hugged her but I resisted, I needed money.

“Come one, come all! See what this amazing technological marvel can do!” I called out to the passers-by as they bustled around the busy marketplace. I saw a few curious ponies approach.

“No magic, no trick, just science! See what this seemingly innocuous circlet can do, be entertained!”

A stallion called out from the small ring.

“What can it do?!” he shouted out to me.

I grinned, fanning my arms wide, getting my showmanship on. Ah, it’s been a while since I did an impromptu presentation. I took a breath.

Just remember what Emilia showed you, I thought to myself.

“It can read minds, it can predict the weat- wait no that’s not very impressive -it can tell if you have health problems, it can translate any text, it can record and show you videos and images of astounding real-life quality and… it can predict the future!”

I held up a warning finger.

“This device is for entertainment uses only, so I’ll demonstrate on entertaining goods”, I flung an arm out towards the crowd.

“So you know there’s no cheating, does anyone have a deck of cards?” I called out to the crowd. The crowd stayed silent for a while before a familiar pink mare waved a hoof.

“I do! I do! Pick me! Pick me!”

My eyes widened in shock. What the heck was Pinkie doing here? I covered my surprise with a snap of my fingers and a dramatic gesture.

“Will the pink mare step forward then”, I called, silently thinking my way through to the appropriate app.

As Pinkie wove her way to the front, I waved an arm out to the crowd.

“I need another volunteer, someone who can shuffle cards, just to be absolutely sure I’m not cheating.”

A young colt bounded forward.

“Oh, can I do it?” he asked sweetly, I nodded giving him a wide grin.

“While this fine young colt- “ I whispered for his name “ -White Cord, is shuffling the cards, I need another volunteer, preferably a unicorn to make sure I’m absolutely not using magic at all”, I said, sweeping my gaze across the assembled equines.

A young yellow-coated unicorn mare, stepped forward.

“I will!” she grinned, stepping up. I nodded towards her appreciatively.

“What is your name, Miss?”

“Sky Light”, she replied, giving me a wide smile.

“Round of applause to Sky Light, everyone”, the crowd stomped their hooves with enthusiasm.

“Okay, for my first act, it will be a simple game of card prediction. I will need, this mare here- “ I gestured to Pinkie “ -sorry what’s your name? Pinkie, alright I need you to select a card while my back is turned, show the card to the crowd and then, holding the card between your hooves, channel as much of your energy into it, thinking positive thoughts. Got it? Okay, let’s begin.”

I turned around and stared at the ceiling, calling back to the crowd.

“Tell me when you’re done Pinkie, when you think you’ve put as much positive energy into the card as possible.”

There was a comfortable silence as Pinkie did as I instructed and called back to me.

“I’m done!” she yelled cheerfully.

“Okay, now put the card back into the deck and shuffle it thoroughly”, I instructed, shifting my feet. After a short while, I heard White Cord call to me.

“Done!” he shouted as I spun around.

“Hmm”, I said as I inspected the deck, I flicked through the cards and quickly selected two cards. The reveal was important.

“Ah, this is difficult, Pinkie you have a lot of positive energy, but it’s mixing in with the other cards” I explained, waving the two cards around. The crowd was enraptured noticing I held the card that pinkie had selected.

I raised the card that Pinkie had not selected high and flicked it to Pinkie, who caught it in her hoof, spectacularly.

“That”, I said. “Is not your card.”

The crowd applauded appreciatively.

“But what’s this? I hear a disappointment from the crowd?”

“Sky Light, did I not use magic?” I asked of her and she shook her head.

The crowd nodded along.

“Then perhaps you would like a show of something vaguely more impressive?”

The crowd gave a few hoots of acknowledgement.

“All right, White Cord, would you mind coming closer?”

I waved my hands mystically above his head.

“You’ve had grains and oats for breakfast this morning, you had milk and it was at around eight thirty. You went to school today, but you came back early because you were feeling sick, your mother is that pony over there- “ I pointed to a mare in the crowd “ -your father is…”

I stopped myself, surprised at what I saw.

“I’m sorry”, I apologised, seeing the tears well in his eyes.

I quickly addressed the rest of the crowd.

“That’s all folks! If you want to get your mind mysteriously read, just come visit me. Sky, any magic there? Alright. Throw some bits if you were entertained, we’ll be right back.”

I turned to Pseudo and gestured for her to come out. She held out a hat as some the ponies watching placed some bits into it.

Where did she get a hat? I looked at Pinkie giving me a wink.

Ah, I see.

Pseudo came back to me the hat filled a halfway full of bits. I was surprised they thought so much of the act. The mentalist act must have been pretty powerful. It was a shame I went too far…

I exited the forensics knot and went back to the main menu, sighing.

I looked at the pink party mare next to me.

“Hey Pinkie, want to do some entertaining?” I asked of her.

Her smile was so wide I thought her head would split in two and explode into rainbows.

“Yes, yes! PARTY STAGE ACT TIME!”

Pseudo gave me a look that said: Really?

I gave her a good-natured shrug.

“It’ll go better, trust me.”

The next couple of hours went a lot more smoothly, apart from the small blip in the first busk, the show went amazingly well and when we were done, the hat(s) were brimming with bits. Pinkie made the show spectacular with fireworks, streamers and even sold some confectionary goods, although I hadn’t seen her with a truck or cart.

At the end of it, we were tired and exhausted but happy, Pseudo looked drained but glad to be here. I shared around the bits we made. Giving Pinkie an appreciative pile for the party goods she contributed. She grinned at me, bouncing on the spot.

“Aww you didn’t have to do that, I was just here for the fun!” she laughed, whilst patting Pseudo on the head. Pseudo scuffed a hoof in embarrassment.

“Hey Pinkie, why are you here anyway, I never got to ask.”

Pinkie put a hoof to her head knocking it a few times. I winced. Wasn’t that painful?

“Oh yuppers! I forgot about that, gottagobye!” the crazy pink mare dashed off, leaving me alone with Pseudo. I shook my head.

“That’s Pinkie for you”, I commented drily. I turned to Pseudo and found her swaying.

She fell on her side.

“Pseudo? Pseudo!”

Author's Note:

GASP what happened to Pseudo?

Next Chapter: Journey to the centre of Equus. The ponies develop a mining device to drill all the way to the centre of Equus to restart its heart with nuclear explosions! Will our heroes make it and save the planet?

As always, my wholesome wholesale, uhm readers, thanks for reading!

Comments

[PiMan]

I'm going to go with, "being so close to a null being is not good for the health of a creature whose nourishment is a form of magic."

[Chicago Ted]

Stupid princess running a stupid country, thought darkly.

Who thought darkly?

[sunnypack]

4966958 Oops! Fixed. Thanks for the pick up!

[Chicago Ted]

4966968
Not a problem, comrade. Keep up the fine work!