It took twenty minutes or so to clear a large enough swathe of the library that he had room to work, hanging sterile sheets and turning reading tables into operating tables. He had the help of all his “guards” except Abrams, who kept his distance and watched everything he did with passionless eyes. Oliver had never seen eyes like that before, not in the week or so the immigrants had been in Alexandria. Why had it only happened now?
Oliver felt the solution must be in whatever had happened once Adrian and Sky began their spying mission. He wondered what they might’ve learned that would have provoked such a strong reaction, transforming friendly ponies into a militaristic enemy with dead eyes overnight.
He had more important things to be thinking about just now. Two ponies with poorly treated bullet-wounds. He quickly dismissed the mare’s wounds as superficial, and determined neither of the injuries (both to her legs) had done serious damage. Indeed, neither had trapped the bullet or any shard of it. He covered her back up and focused his attention on the stallion.
The signs he saw were not good. Injuries to the abdominal cavity, still seeping dark blood despite the bandages. He considered it a miracle the pony was even still alive, and that was likely because of his earth-pony nature. There could be no tourniquet, and his pleas to move the procedure to the hospital were summarily denied.
Oliver adopted a battlefield innovation: using a sensitive handheld metal detector to find the bullets instead of an x-ray. He had no life support, and no guarantee the drugs he had would work as intended on ponies. The deeper he probed, the deeper the damage proved to be. One of the bullets, as it turned out, had probably punctured the pony’s liver and one of his kidneys. It was a miracle nothing had punctured a lung or the stomach, or else he would’ve already been dead.
Oliver did not get discouraged, did not once even consider the difficulty of what he was attempting. Perform high-pressure surgery on a species he barely knew? He was no surgeon, not yet. Yet he would have to be, improvising procedures he had seen or read about during his training. If he failed, Adrian might be killed.
Even more important than that, failure to save this patient would be another way to break his oath, and that he could not abide. Oliver was a sworn enemy of death, in all her forms. She could not be allowed to take even a dangerous enemy. Wasn’t this enemy’s life just as precious and unique as any of his friends? Even if he didn’t know the stallion’s name. He didn’t ask, didn’t want to know until after he succeeded. Yet still it weighed on him.
At one point, he asked, “Can you please go to wherever you took the pony library and get the illustrated guide to earth pony anatomy? Or… one of the tablets, that would work too.” After all, the entire “read this first” section had been scanned, so he could read the book on any of the tablets if he had to.
“I can’t,” offered his makeshift assistant. She sounded regretful. He had given her a sterile gown and mask to wear, both of which were stained with blood. “We burned all of it. Every book from Equestria is gone. All the ‘tablet’ devices are burned too. We found the deceiver's lies all through them; we had no choice.”
Oliver didn’t know what that meant, nor did he much care. He felt furious at the idea of those books being burned, though more for what it represented than any real loss of knowledge. If anything, all his mindless hours scanning books now felt validated.
But he had learned something else about their enemy. “You’re saying you burn books?” he said towards his surgical kit, very loudly. He couldn’t think of a single case of book burnings from his own world that had been done for positive reasons. Whenever an ideology suppressed knowledge, it meant it had something to hide. It meant it couldn’t stand up to honest scrutiny.
But giving that scrutiny wasn’t what Oliver cared about right now. Right now he just wanted an anatomy book, so he could make sure he wasn’t about to cut into an artery or something.
Oliver wasn’t utterly without resources, though. He had something more than his lifetime of medical experience, more than the books he didn’t have. Oliver had magic. It was hard to say exactly how he called on the magic that came with being a pony, hard to say what he did different than he would’ve done if he had been performing this procedure on two legs instead of four.
Yet just as it had when he had been working on Adrian's gangrenous wing, the magic came. It flowed into him through the floor, though his hooves and their contact with the building’s foundation and the heart of his planet below that.
Healing was magic unlike any other. Healing was to unravel the little threads of the tapestry creation had made into people, then find the frayed ends and tie them back together again. With the perfect combination of dexterity and compassion, he could prevent an entire section of the fabric from being lost forever.
He felt the life of the pony beneath him as though it were something solid. He saw the damage a bullet had done, beginning its work of ending that life. Thus began his two tasks; to remove the foreign object, then repair the damage it had done.
No part of his medical training had prepared him for the sensation of magic. Nor had he needed to be prepared. Once the procedure began, it seemed as though all the secrets of living creatures unraveled themselves to him.
Every movement was a dance, one whose steps he did not know, but carefully choreographed all the same. His body knew the steps. He sliced with dexterity no hoof should’ve possessed. He administered drugs, stitched, and cleaned. All the while he didn’t feel hungry, didn’t feel thirsty, barely seemed to breathe. He didn’t need to.
Some motions required more dexterity than he could manage; he used his unicorn assistant for that. Even without any medical knowledge, she could hold things like a sewing needle with perfect precision.
He had no concept of time, no perception of reality outside of the injured pony and his equipment, like a spotlight in the center of time.
Then the procedure was done, and he found all the energy leaving his body like the air drained from a balloon. He stripped off his protective clothing onto one of the plastic sheets (to avoid staining the floor), then collapsed onto his side, a few strides from the patient.
Against all odds, the stallion was still breathing. He had accomplished everything without life support, without a trained staff, without any drugs not contained in his trauma kit.
The world swam around him, and he bobbed atop it like a fish. An ocean rose up around him, an ocean dark with nightmares. The ocean broke on him, but it had no more impact than Alex’s anger had earlier today. One pony remained untreated, his business was unfinished.
The nightmare whispered strange things in the dark. He saw speeding vehicles and dark nights. He saw snow, he saw blood. He banished all these thoughts with a concerted effort of will, drawing in a new wave of strength from the earth beneath him and the defiance in his soul.
The nightmare faded from around him, and he rose to his hooves again. He cleaned the operating theater, then switched patients.
Rather than an intense surgery, the injuries of the cultist mare were mild enough that he was able to finally relax. He found himself breathing normally again. Relaxed enough that he was able to devote some portion of his thoughts to the deeper problem: whatever had been done to the minds of these ponies.
For instance, was the process complete? There were drugs that increased suggestibility, but these varied in effectiveness between individuals. There was also magic as a variable, which was particularly meaningful since he knew almost nothing about it.
Only what he had learned from Joseph, whenever the unicorn got drunk and rambled about it (it was far more interesting and less disgusting than his rambling about Moriah).
Still, he figured the effects, whatever they were, would be most pronounced in those who had been affected by it the longest. One of his guards, Abrams, had seemed like a strong-willed individual in all their encounters. He had been an officer if the stories he told were true, and not an unimportant one either. Nobody had ever managed to make him reveal his rank, or his previous position; it was his bearing that had spoken for him. He set the highest standard of behavior, was always well groomed, always spoke with respect and courtesy. Like the gentry out of some story.
What force could turn a creature like that into a simple guard to wave a gun around? “I take it you and your men are helping these… ponies.” He gestured vaguely at his patient, as non-threateningly as he could. “What did they say to convince you?”
In the face of death, Oliver felt only spite. Yet Abrams was more than just death. His face was dark. His movement bespoke none of the twitching resistance Oliver had seen in Adrian, however. Did that mean all the fight had gone from him?
His words were less stiff, too. Did that mean the enemy had more complete control? That he was more indoctrinated? Or just more cooperative. “We know our history, Oliver. We know an untenable situation when we see one.” His voice alone was anywhere near as deep as a human’s, rougher than gravel on his ears. “You know what happened to Agamemnon. His men fought bravely for ten long years. But, eventually, he realized there could be no victory, and he had no choice but to turn his ships around and flee. Taking Priam’s city would be far easier than standing against Odium.”
Oliver was so stunned that he very nearly dropped the needle he was holding between two of his hooves. Even so focused as he was on the health of the mare beneath him, he could not miss at least some of the implications of those words.
Abrams was still enough of himself to remember human history. Not only that, but his words were obviously meant to draw clear parallels between himself and his men and the Greek armies.
Oliver wasn’t much for history, besides the history of medicine and the songs he liked to sing. Yet this story was so well known, even he didn’t fail to know it.
Agamemnon had not taken the Greeks home in defeat. They had traveled only far enough to appear gone, while Priam’s city rolled a treacherous wooden horse within the walls.
Not only was the diamond dog still himself enough to remember history, but he was still himself enough to be subtle. No brute at all, even as he stood there with a rifle he was prepared to use.
The communication strategy appeared to be working, because the unicorn agreed with a nod. She hadn’t seemed to understand anything Abrams said, not until the very end. “Odium will forgive you too, doctor. He will take your hatred from you and give you absolution in its place. Not even the pretender princesses can stand against our master.” Oliver couldn’t remember hearing anyone say a name with more spite than the way Light Spinner said “princesses.” He had heard more understanding from speakers at hate rallies he saw on TV.
“He will free you of your hatred,” Abrams agreed. “He will free the whole world. But first, Alexandria.”
Oliver did not know what this Odium was, not yet. As he finished with the injured mare, the weight of the fact he had made himself a prisoner began to weigh on his shoulders. He could not go back and erase the choice to come here, not now. He had not saved Adrian. Instead, he might very well have subjected himself to whatever alien thing suppressed the will and strangled the soul. Maybe Alex knew something he didn’t, and the promise she had made that he wouldn’t be left to these beings would somehow come true. He knew that if anypony could make this whole thing right, it was probably her.
It didn’t matter either way, though. Without his help, there wasn’t even a chance the stallion would’ve lived; now that he had done his best, his oath was satisfied. Oliver’s part of that fight, aside from keeping him sedated and supplied with antibiotics, was largely over. His fate was in God’s hands now. Or whatever god the pony believed in. Probably
Odium.
Hmm. wonder if that library really burned?
It did have that rather impressive magical carrying case, after all, and there is clearly dissent in the ranks...
And well, burning buildings tends to serve as marvelous distractions.
Pretty funny that this Trojan horse is a Diamond Dog instead of a pony...
I'm still trying to work out why Philadelphia would have been burned down if it's as easy as the cultists seem to think for Odium to mind-control folks. It seems likely at this point based on the cultists' ideology that the reason Philadelphia might have been targeted was because they met with and were influenced by one of the Equestrians on the same mission as Sunset, but why not mind-control them?
It kind of sounds like Alex may have some resistance bestowed by the Equestrians (that she might even be able to share, since she implies she could free Oliver if necessary), so maybe a leader from Philadelphia who visited Equestria had something similar (if it's not all from whatever was done only to Alex was), or maybe the unicorn they met decided to stay behind to help them?
Since the former humans' reactions to the fear effect of the anti-magic devices seemed weaker the stronger they held to their humanity, I wonder if it'd have an even stronger than usual effect on the Equestrians? Kind of hoping to see a fear-field airship swooping in blasting Ride of the Valkyries now...
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I think the previous chapter stated that the books that the visitors had access to were just the vital ones, which had removed from the bag-library Alex still has most of the library in her saddlebags with her.
At this point, I'm starting to suspect there's another reason why the cultists so desperately want to kill Riley.
They've claimed that changelings have caused countless wars, but that doesn't sound too typical of a race specialising in stealth and subterfuge. They could be lying about that. Chrysalis' invasion of Canterlot could be more an exception than the rule.
But what's more interesting is that Riley's mind functions differently from regular ponies. In addition to being able to detect Odium's influence on ponies, she might also be resistant or even immune to mind control. Heck, based on what Chrysalis did to Shining, she might even have the capacity for some degree of mind control as well. Odium probably does not like competition in that field.
Basically, Riley's a potential hard counter to Odium's tactics. ("That pony's a spy!")
If she is capable of telepathy, I'd like to see Riley and Odium playing shoulder angel/devil with a mentally compromised cultist. ("Shoot the little green one." "No, shoot the crazy purple one!")
Here's hoping Abrams's allusion also means that the good guys have something up their sleeve.
After focusing on the rebuilding on Earth, it's admittedly a little jarring to start dealing with a typical more-powerful-than-the-Princesses eldritch abomination (evil alicorn?), especially since there's no apparent (yet) way our band of survivors can defeat it on their own. But I'm sure you know where you're going with it.
Come on! Where are the Cavalry!?
Onward! Make room for mother Earth!
Now... imagine that line, Twilight saying it, in an Indiana Jones movie.
... Now seriously, FUCK YOU UNICORN!
FUCK... ARG, Sorry but GAGH!
Can we hurry up to the end of this bastards rule already?! I want him to get fucking knocked unconscious so I have DON'T HAVE to talk about his bitch ass making me MORE angry!
Seriously, this... this place is called ALEXANDRIA, it was meant to be a HAVEN of knowledge! For those who don't understand, this was the center of knowledge, the beginning of rebuilding civilization, THE KEY for returning the world back from the ashes!
And this FUCKING DICK, came in with a zipperlighter and a empty fucking head and decided to torch the place like a brain dead kid playing with fire?! ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!?
... When a villain, is ruthless, when they are monsters, I usually cheer that one, them being COMPETENT villains in order to dodge, power through and trick the opposition, I would be alright with that.
But THIS fucked up in the head asshole, HE either doesn't give a shit about honor, or is made out of the WORST possible troupes I hate, from religious psycho background, to the double meanings,, to brain washing,, to KILLING CHILDREN BECAUSE OFYOURHYPOCRTICALALWAYSCHANGINGIDEAS to the COMPLETE lack of sympathy in destroying hundreds of books! And you know what? HE'S A MOUTH FROTHING MANIAC! What happened to villains that had class?!
Urg... I'm done, I'm waiting for next chapter.
6339317 my friend i feel the same way. i for one love and miss classy and calmingly evil villains.
but you must remeber this is a cult, they do what their master tells them. no matter what it is.
my good sir this is NOT i villain. a... monster to be exact... and monsters do monstrous things.
So all we have left is alex.
I wonder, has anyone noted that there are six representative icons here on the page icon?
But really, you so far have done everything possible to irk the few souls whom might have shown you clemency. Not even a nihilist is this stupid. His funeral, and worse to the long term goals of things, the little puppet has actually made an eternal enemy. You don't win when you have that kinda foe. Not one willing to guard and train generation after generation to ensure you are locked out of a second world.
You have me desperately waiting for the next chapter!
By the way, you misspelled Adrian as Adrain three times.
So... The code is the Trojan Horse. In other words, the only way to beat Odium's army of the mind-controlled is from inside... Quite possibly from inside the mass mind.
Will this be the test that shows Alex is worthy of the wings and horn?
Burn the cultists like they burned the library. I know that's not going to happen, but that's what should happen.
I congratulate you on the writing in this cultist arc, Starscribe. You've made me feel hatred like I've rarely known it before.
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-_- Really? I couldn't tell.
No, this isn't a monster, and this isn't a cult, this is a pubescent child playing with daddy's lighter, this is a shortsighted idiot who couldn't gather anyone else to agree to his idiot ideas so he tried MAKING a cult forcefully, he's just a sad personality that never got what he wanted and in the end decided to screw with everything and make himself into the worst pony ever who hits all the wrong notes like a broken guitar. In the end he was so out there, that when he didn't get anyone under his rule, he resorted to brainwashing them with likely borrowed magic.
This isn't a monster, otherwise they wouldn't try justifying their actions like they had their bloody hooves in a cookie jar.
Good thing the HPI also has a digital copy of the books, huh. It still stings, this l the loss of the books, but the knowledge ain't gone, at least.
Now... Will Alex prove her alicorniness and save the day? Will she saved Oliver with the kiss of true hormonal teenager lust? Banana or merengue?
All those answers will or will not be given next time!
Horse, M(agical) D(octor)
Ok, now I want to shove Night Speaker's face into the Hummingbird's reactor.
These cultists are terrifying...
Thank goodness for that scanning program.
Yeah, it says a lot that that's what this cult is up to.
Olive Garden, doctor extraordinaire.
So, our mind controlled military officer is making Trojan war references that are straight up incorrect representations of the historical myth. Makes me wonder who the wooden horse is. Abrams?
Edit: Good point in the comments about Alexandria and libraries. With a name like that, it shouldn't be a surprise that a little book burning fire showed up too.
Hmm. There may yet be backups. Knowing Joseph, the red-covered books may have already been incorporated into the Kimballnet. If nothing else, there's Alex's eidetic memory, though she definitely hasn't read all of them yet.
In any case, there's definitely a bug in the surgical kit. The question is, who's listening in?
It's fascinating to see Oliver work, especially in using his talent to overcome Odium. Given Adrian's apparent talent, that may be an out for him. Abrams, on the other hand, is trying a different stratagem. I'm not sure how well it'll work, but it'll be interesting to see him try.
6339317
You do realize that Odium is more than just a name, right? This isn't just a bunch of ponies burning books, this is a full-blown Lovecraftian cult, complete with nightmarish eldritch horror pulling the strings. This is the sort of thing that normally requires a beam of weaponized friendship to resolve.
Also, it could be said that naming the place Alexandria may have been tempting fate...
6339732
Nonono, you say cult, I see a selfish ass stupid unicorn who couldn't get anyone to really join his cause, so he decided to brainwash others to do his dirty work.
A cult is scarier because these people are actually being made to do things ON THEIR OWN WILL, with charisma! This guy is scary with his brainwashing, but I can't help but see him as an absolute pathetic asshole for having to resort to that.
6339279 I agree with your thinking. Remember Riley is a changeling queen with a brain that can consciously parallel process, perhaps this will allow her to resist Odium. Also, one fan interpretation of Changelings turns on the idea that they do not in fact become the ponies they imitate but use very powerful illusion magic. If the author went with that interpretation maybe Riley could fool Odiums psi senses too. Just a thought.
6339674 Here, Here! >:3
All this matter of eldritch horrors, mind control, and the role of the Princesses in Equestrian society really tells a lot about the dynamics of a magical world. The existence of magic permits the presence of destructive forces beyond the capability of any normal creature to defeat or defend against. Thus, the Princesses are a necessary counter-force, divine beings which exist to shield their nation from evil. That's why Equestria doesn't seem to have much of a military, because such a thing is meaningless against monsters like Discord and Tirek. The only thing that matters is having a hero (or heroes) with the power to stand against them directly.
I am reminded of a quote from Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri:
6339239
The anti-magic shield shall from this moment forth be referred to only as the Absolute Terror Field.
6339255
The last half of this chapter was a total blur for me because my mind was so distracted by the idea of all that lost knowledge. It's kinda pathetic, given it's just a story, but I still feel an almost physical disgust towards the idea of such important books having been burned.
Hopefully Alex has copies somewhere, or at least skimmed through the pages and has them stored away in that perfect photographic memory of hers. Was the HPI sent a copy yet? The idea that all of the most vital bits of Equestrian knowledge could be gone is horrifying.
Goddamn Equestrian nightmare cults.
6339972
I believe that Ryan is under the control of a Nightmare. Kinda like how Luna was. At least thats how I interpreted it.
I seem to remember that the library the public had access to wasn't the entire selection of books Alex brought back? If I remember correctly then I sure hope they had already scanned all those books.
Last night I had a dream where this last pony on earth situation happened in real life. It was frankly terrifying trying to survive. If this situation did happen in real life I'd honestly either hope I'd come back either like 2K years into the future after the pony settlements have been made or find Sunset Shimmer and ask her to live in her world, haha.
I can't wait to read the rest of the chapters. I'm at the point where I want to read everything at once so I can find out how the good guys win.
*sees Trojan War Reference*
... How the hell did I not look up that name before. Starscribe you tricky bastard. "Paris" is the guy that started the Trojan War, and is also known as "Alexander". I really need to start going back through all the names.
Also Abram's comment about needing to get used to being called "Mister" probably refers to the fact he is used to being called "Sir". Much more mundane. :P
6339317 well considering how she reacted when Tirek burned her books... yea he be one dead unicorn.
Hm... Executing groups of ponies with fire... Directing hate toward one group (changelings)... and burning books... Did the preservation spell go back in time and pick up Hitler or something?
6340103 Yeah I think Alex had some books on her. Though considering the HPI have the only copies of the scanned books left, I wonder if they will be willing to give copies back with no strings attached...
This also doesn't bode well for the rebuilding effort if they need to rediscover what was in those books.
I also ran the numbers and figured out that most of us would show up after the 6K year mark, so at least there's that.
I wonder who, exactly, is being called "The Deceiver" here? Best money is on Celestia, but still... [Rorschach] Hrrrrm. [/Rorschach]
Also, bad joke time! What does a pony doomsday cultist say at the end of a sermon?
"Haymen."
Ow! Who threw that?!
They burn books!?!?!?
Odium...hmm. I think that in this instance the reference is to Odium theologicum . This is presupposed by what the cultists have been saying. Knowing what we know from the previous story and earlier chapters of this one we could surmise that this has something to do with the fact that Luna and Sunset Shimmer are the ones that contacted Alex instead of Celestia and Twilight. Also, the cutie mark on Ryan looks an awful lot like Twilight's crown, broken in half. Perhaps Ryan and whoever is backing him, was banished from Equestria after taking down Celestia and Twilight. Also, considering the way they are twisting the minds of the ponies they capture makes me think of Sombra.
But the thing that really has me raising my eyebrows is how Alex is able to protect Oliver. That implies that Alex knows what to protect him from and how... Very interesting...
Here's what needs to happen. Moria should land the Hummingbird directly next to the library and then somepony on board that ship should immediately activate the anti magic machine (or whatever the hell it's called). I get the impression that would break the mind control curse all those ponies are suffering under. Once their free again, Celestia knows what they might do.
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A library being destroyed.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Tirek anyone???
Come on. I can't be the only one who made that comparison.
6339674 6341439
That seems a plausible outcome, even if the anti magic part fails...
If the situation becomes utterly borked baddie and his true pals are going to want to escape.
And the Humming bird is the best vector in that regard...
Alex will likely lead them in and start it up as their prisoner.
And since Alex is immortal... she will walk back out a few minutes later dragging their microwaved remains.
Also the idiots expect him to heal the injured without the needed medical books?
Oliver should pause working on them to inform the baddie that his purposeful destruction of medical texts has dramatically lowered his minions survival chances, and remind the moron that Odium may forgive his minions stupidity... but certainly won't forget his failures.
Not like the jackhole plans to let them go anyway, and this Odium force may just agree with the notion that his current minion is sabotaging the program.
THEY BURNED THE FKING BOOKS WHAT KIND OF DAMN CULT ARE THESE FKING NUTJOBS! DONT THEY FKING KNOW THAT KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
6339674
Can I help!!!!
6339317
I totally agree with of what you said... This guy is a damn moron
Hmm... about that cutiemark. Doesn't it look like a cross between Celestia's and Twilight's crown? The gem is Celestia's, the shape is more like Twilight's.
And who knows how he got that thing? QTEmarks can be changed, after all, given a spell that's powerful enough. Something that can create a freaking fire dragon seems pretty powerful. Changing a cutiemark really messes up the pony as we know... and Ryan acts and looks seriously messed up.
6342199
That may or may not have been my doing.
6339201
We know that at least some of the books were digital. We don't know if they only burned books that had been scanned, or if they'd all been removed from the case. We will find out eventually, though.
6339239
Dang, everybody had the idea to use the antimagic shield as a weapon. People totally won't think I came up with it myself if it happens. But the story's already written now, so... X.x
6339279
6339286
I do! It's also true that the evil cult and its evil master want to make themselves seem as dangerous as possible. Obviously they're going for maximum intimidation factor here.
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6339317
bali.mehthesheep.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/love-curse-3.gif?01e4a9
6339352
It's true, just one section left. Alex's part, then the epilogue.
6339372
Dang, no idea how that got past the editors. Spelling mistakes aren't supposed to make it... thanks for pointing those out! should be fixed now.
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6339404
All the hatred you feel, imagine the way Alex must feel. She's the one who was entrusted with that library, after all. Now her responsibility has been taken from her and spit on.
6339435
Teenage lust? Hah! That's exactly how you break the spell, how did you know? Have you been reading my notes? "Cloudy, you need to kiss Adrian, it's the only way!"
6339726
I'm also way glad people caught the name thing. I always get nervous that when I do something from history, nobody's going to notice. They always do, though.
6339732
Odium Forgives
6340041
Hey, someone else remembers Alpha Centauri! That game was so fantastic! Pity it looks so dated now. Was kinda hoping Beyond Earth was gonna be its spiritual successor, instead of just a reskin of Civ 5, but... it was still kinda fun!
6340103
Assuming they do. While it's usually a safe bet that most of the main characters are going to survive to the end of modern fiction (barring George R.R), whose to say what state the world will be in when they get there?
Won't have too long to wait, in any case. Story is finished. Alex's section next week, then two days of epilogue the week after.
6340171
Yay, somebody noticed! Mythology, man!
6340466
What would Hitler even be, anyway? I don't even want to think about it. It wouldn't end well.
6340566
derpicdn.net/img/2013/3/30/283131/full.gif
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The Intemperate Zeal of Divines. Got a few divines around here somewhere... *rummages*
6341449
We need the sweet justice that comes after.
6341841
6342199
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6342253
We all pay for our choices. Ryan's price looks to be higher than most.
6342500
We know it's sometime in early November now. That means Alex has been female for over five months now. Part of that she spent as a hormonal teenager. I can't imagine that wouldn't get to her after awhile. She's been resisting admirably though! Better than many side-story characters have been.
6339341 splendid hat good sir!
Boy, Odium sounds pretty... odious.
s17-us2.ixquick.com/cgi-bin/serveimage?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftse2.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DJN.juJR93trzAAtG22GHDg9OA%26pid%3D15.1%26H%3D274%26W%3D160&sp=8b7300628a8f49ba015c352c330cf27c
We burned all of it. Every book from Equestria is gone.
Hitler tried this.
there is only one cure for scum like this kill them all now.
My rage has reached an entirely different level. Well done. I officially do not care what happens to that guy, or whatever's compelling him to be such a backwards, warped, petty, hypocritical, hysterical, resentful, bibliophobic, idiotic, outright malicious, imbecilic, smugly insectoid, typically villainous almost certainly bastard child of a parasprite evolved to a point thousands of leagues above himself, the blithering, sanity censored, fool-hearted, large-target, immensely ego-tastic, insignificant-to-the-world-order, Creation's waste, grim-dark reject, tasteless scum amidst scum, filth-based gravel lye, long lived yet ignorant fade-into-obscurity bloody delusional pathetic, mentally ill-sized, insolent book-burning plot device lunatic not worthy of the word of night fucker!
Oh, my own sumptuous hatred. Such a feeling which power I wish to visit upon that vile, putrid thing. At least, proof of an emotionally compelling narrative~
6339317 It is the curse of libraries named Alexandria to attract arsonists.
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So it seems, but then it is the curse of humanity to be easily swayed to evil.
I can't help, but wonder what the hell is wrong with these ponies. I'm kind of thinking that at least one pony is actually from Equestria and might have something against the Princesses (batponies hate Celestia?_. They don't seem to realize that Princess(es) actually applied very little pressure/influence to any of the ex-humans besides the initial transformation and what the change in their natures brought about. Everything else has been their own choice.
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Their is definitely something Nightmare-like going around. Or maybe something that's crazy, like Discord. Makes you think something went screwy in the preservation spell parameters.
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Lets see in my top 10 list of things that just piss me off this guy has already grabbed six. Harming a child, invasion of the mind, murder, slavery,mind control and theft/vandalism. Now all he has to do is become a politician, cause pointless pain, be a greedy git and fail to keep his promises and he will be 10 for 10. Oh wait make that 9 for 10 he hasn't run for office yet but done all the others.
Excuse me I need to go sharpen my ax and get a croguet mallet. Those of you with some imagination should be able to figure out what they are for.
Yeah, this cult sounds like some drunk friends found some opium and when writing down their new god's name, they had a typo.
Mind control and book burning. Already on my list of folks I'd like to see dead.
However, Joseph is a major computer geek. If he is anything like me, there is off site backups.
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Remember, the HPI wanted copies right away.