This story is a sequel to The Diamond Dog's Guide to Engineering
Part of the Observations Universe!
Everyone knows her as Daring Do, the Adventuring Mare of Mystery, but when the revolving doors of her various nemesis' ambitions seems to stop, she suddenly finds herself with far too much time on her hooves.
Through an anonymous source curiously identifying themselves as Daring Do's Number One Fan, she receives a set of coordinates that seem to point to nowhere. Taking her chances on what could either be a trap, a dead-end, or one of the greatest discoveries in her field, Daring must come to terms with the fact that even she, an expert in the field of ancient history, might not know where to draw the lines between myth and legend on this adventure.
Silly Daring, why would anyone trap their own house?
That being said, she's up for quite the surprise... I'm anxiously waiting for more, I'd say!
What is that weird thing in the cover art?
7273336 It's the amulet mentioned in chapter 9.
Sunny is currently wearing it.
Do what you will.
Aaron is best DD Troll
The plot thickens. Oh, I'm just eating this story up.
Is it just me or is there a Terraria/Minecraft vibe to this chapter?
7329701 You hit the nail on the head, actually.
img00.deviantart.net/aa06/i/2012/351/5/f/cistern_chapel_by_iconoklasm-d5odok4.png It's one of the functional dungeons I built a few years ago.
So... Magic IS real.
*whimper*
7535699 is it? He said exactly the contraire.
Oh, btw, have you started publishing the next one yet, Tolerance? Because I wants moar
7587891
The corruption on his human body is happening inside of a stasis pod.
It's not equestrian magic, but the Harm entity is clearly defying the physical laws of our reality.
Magic is fundamentally defined as "the addition or subtraction of total physical information or total energy of a closed thermodynamic system, such as the physical universe."
7587891 Sorry, I haven't had the chance to do more than hash out some ideas. It'll be quite a while before I'm able to return to the Observations Series.
That sounds like a stargate almost.
Don't know if it's been stated, no one likes combing through comments when you come to something late. But if the humans are so advanced, can bring the ponies out of simulation and give them a real body. Why then can't he just make himself a new one? It doesn't even have to be human, just use the same process he plans to use on them while he's still a dog. Problem solved.
7599182 Were it so simple >.< I plan on approaching this subject eventually, but let's just say that the body isn't the only thing affected.
Well, I read the first one, and mostly enjoyed it. Let's see where this road leads.
Im getting the feeling that aaron is the human reincarnated (or re-uploaded, i think) or perhaps just a copy. IDK, i like him though.
The city or valley is epically amazing
8101320 Thanks!
So is this the universe with the first Starswirl, that was in indirect contact with the second Starswirl and the other universe's Twilight?
8378691
Yes. Aaron's Starswirl was the first one to break into the Sandbox. The one from Observations is a different Starswirl.
SPOILER WARNING:
DO NOT READ if you have not yet read all stories in this series.
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If I count off the universes of any significance:
"Real" universe where Aaron is originally from. May or may not be a simulation itself (was that ever answered?).
Diamond Dog universe, where Aaron interacts with the dogs and where the first Starswirl (1) escaped from.
Observations universe, where Twilight the escapee is from, and where a different Starswirl (2) also escaped from.
And then less important universes:
Trixie's universe, where she is the bearer of Magic. Trixie is rescued by Starswirl 2.
Discord's universe, where he held Magic. Discord is rescued by Starswirl 2.
Barren universe, which little miss escapee did a copy-paste of her universe to, to buy time.
Did I miss anything?
8378856 Those are just the ones mentioned, the Sandbox allows for countless simulated realms. Though there is one you might have missed. There's the other 'Real' Universe that Harm originated from.
8379351
I also missed Dusk's universe. And I'm aware that there are stupidly many other universes, it is just that I don't think you ever mentioned what was in them.
On the other hand, I don't think I spotted where Harm was supposed to be from. I'd assumed it native to Aaron's universe.
8379677
I don't think I explained it expressly, but when Aaron destroyed the gate control console, Harm disappeared much like Aaron did when his version of Starswirl broke the simulation. So while it already wasn't being held to Sandbox's rules, it also implied that it came from somewhere else.
Interestingly enough, Harm also existed in Twilight's world during the Crystal Empire arc of Motivations, but it's known as the Stranger there for reasons I've never mentioned.
Possible future spoilers ahead:
If I ever get around to another story in this universe, you should keep a lookout for a specific conversation between Aaron and Admin-privilege Twilight, should the two ever meet.
8379677
I should also mention that those were just the universes that fulfilled the requirements that Starswirl needed to contact those there.
There needed to be a form of magic. That magic had to have a powerful artifact equivalent to the Element of Harmony and someone capable of using it.
Some form of Starswirl was needed to have come across the Null data to some extent, but whom also left enough markers behind for the first escaped Starswirl to use.
Of course, there was also the limitation that the worlds weren't already destroyed by the time the second Starswirl was able to pull them out.
A.K.
8446562
Oh, thanks for that!
unrolling the tent
There's a lone quotation mark there.
one
8454408 8454380 8454315
Aha! Thanks again! I never was able to secure the assistance of an editor, so I really appreciate when people like you bring these to my attention.
I liked the previous story.
And hope this one is as good... especially if it is less sad/ more hopeful.
9094400
Let me know if this one was better or worse than the previous story.
7247546
Me to
OK Aaron is such a sly deceitful bugger
And if this is a spoiler to anyone that reads this go and read the story before this one and you will find this isn't actually a spoiler
Something I just thought is since what is happening is in a simulation(again if you had read the story before this one you would know this) it might have videogame time or the time might work like how it does in the digital world in digimon where millenniums can pass in the simulation but in the real world only a year has gone by.
Why do I hear a sly grin in Daring's voice?
Minecraft reference
7278854
Well that comment isn't ominous nope not at all