The Influence

by GMBlackjack

IX

Author's Note:

[IMPORTING…][...What?! That voice the wanted me to say Starswirl and oranges and crystals and butt the cloud was another me?! What the hay?! Ah thought you were just spouting a bunch o' hooey bout that communication thingy Twilight. Spike found it the other day when we were looking in the library of the castle of the two sisters while you and the others were scaring yourselves silly. Hey, other me the way I'm talking to you right now is this weird eye thing spike found. Strangely though when he handed it to me, he looked like somepony told him something wrong… …I am very sorry for dumping that explanation on you, Twilight. I realize now it wasn't the best idea I've ever had, and likely wasn't even a good one. I hope you can forgive me. ...anyway, we don't know everything about what happens beyond our method of viewing you. I would like to think these stories are just windows to other universes, but that's about as provable as the existence of God.And I do recall Akuma wanting to warn you about the machine, but our comments were already being compiled at that time. He might be willing to repeat himself since his advice could be useful for more than just that machine.And as for the map? There isn't enough information for me to determine anything. Although, now that Fluttershy is with you, you might be able to find that mysterious lake that apparently you can only find once in your whole life. Maybe it'll have something useful. I feel that Infinity was very much like you when you weren't as educated in friendship. You could get along very well if you want. However, it might not be a good idea to stay very long in any town, for fear of inspiring the shadow creatures to do unpleasant things to them. And speaking of the shadow creatures, watch out for them. I don't know much about them, but I must assume the very worst, being that they want to see all life extinguished and can use your power to escape from this piece of land. Also, I have some advice for Fluttershy. DON'T BE AS TIMID! This island is potentially very dangerous, and if you see something suspicious, communicate it immediately. That is all… …Josh here - good to know that I'm leaving so little impact on you, I'd sigh if I could. anyway if I had known that thing was going send the pony to you I would have warned you. as for where to go next, Chalak may have whatever Peran has for a leader, so talk to him or her might be a good idea. edit - I just had a thought if pictures don't work who's to say if videos do or don't; if you see this just know I picked it at random •´ª§¥˙ƒ∑˜¨¥ˆßø¥®´… …Because you seem to be a bit...slower than the other Props, let me just spoil the surprise now, Not all of us are from the same universe, in fact I'd wager that each of us are from separate universes, which would explain why 'Ponygood' has been spouting nonsense about you being a television character, you're as real as any of us are. And for your reference, I happen to view you as a live feed. Much like any of the previous Props I've been assigned. So let that answer you're unfortunately unasked questions related to what you've so affectionately dubbed the 'Influence'. As for your friend, it seems to be an extension of the Sweeper's power, note the clever use of conveniently placed words 'out of range'? Seeing as you're in the center of what is essentially a simulation created by the Sweeper's whims, which, really, I thought you would have noticed by now, she can pull anyone from anywhere. Because they'd be about as real as the dirt underneath your hooves. But because you don't actually know one way or another, no, your 'friend' isn't real, it's another thing the Sweeper created to enhance her story and make you stable. That said, you might be able to pull yourself together before you make another scene and probe it for information. It's likely it could be created without the regular failsafes found in these things. Oh, and because you for some reason can't really tell the difference, this is Recursive employee 125, Shutter to you… …If Twilight is as real as any of us, then why do you refer to her as simply a prop? Twilight, don't listen to anything this person says; this so-called "Shutter" is in the same universe we are all in, and isn't in a company that assigned you to him; just as none of us are frogs, helicopters, or stormbirds. We are all humans, reading a story. Whether it's a window to your universe or not is indeterminable, as long as you think you exist. He has a point, though: this might not actually be Fluttershy. It's improbable, though, and you definitely shouldn't treat her as something. -Ponygood… …Funny how you call me out of all people, 'ponygood' for being fake when you yourself don't seem to be using a real name based on your explanation. But because you're a real waste of my time, I won't be indulging you. Enjoy your delusions now. buh-bye!… …Akumakami is back! sorry for my absence, I waited too long before offering my reply. Okay....I saw that little breakdown coming, but I'm sorry about it all the same. If I could, I'd give you a hug. And don't worry, I personally believe stories are just snapshots of some other place and time in the multiverse.....this is just more interactive than normal. Also, do NOT listen to Key. As much as we'd like to say otherwise at times, we are all from the same universe. They're obsessed with depicting that entity from your mind as the sweeper for some reason. We're all just a bunch of people who either just read these universes or, like Blackjack, create/manage our owns as well. The "other you" you're hearing is Afizah.....I'm not sure if they're faking that or if they are legitimately opening a link to another universe where another Twilight is hearing you. The answer to why, in either case, is because they can. As for being long winded, I apologize about that. I'm like Blackjack, a primary- or author, to be blunt. I'm a bit too use to writing hundreds of words without stopping. It's part of why I was busy, I managing another one of my own universes. I have about twenty-four depicting your setting or someone from it- ponies, Equestria, Discord, the elements, etc. One has you become the Alicorn of Harmony on your own during the Nightmare Moon thing- don't worry, Friendship is still your main thing. Though, I adopted that world from someone else. Yes, we do that sometimes. Rambling, moving on. Oi, I knew techno-magic meant trouble. Still, Fluttershy might be the best one to pick. Both because she's the calmest and most diplomatic(wait, is she going to be scared of Diorite?) but also because.....well, again, I'm not sure what your Discord is like exactly, but you and Fluttershy are two of his three "most likely to be a love interest" characters, Celestia being the third. Point being that this might light a fire under Discord to find a way help you two. Still, I'm curious.....why did you think this was a communication thing, exactly? Because either it was misleading you on purpose, you misinterpreted the magic, or something over charged it. .....Infinity? Sounds like some hybrid of you and Pinkie Pie. Still, I'm actually getting a bit suspicious here. Even if they haven't seen Alicorns and foreign relations/awareness is so bad that they never heard of a ponyland ruled by immortals.....they should at least have some myths or legends about such things. That map does help some though. With the south being frozen, you're probably on the other side of the equator, meaning that Equestria is most likely north of you, in terms of latitudes. If you hear/read about a tropical jungle in any direction north, that's probably Equestria's Mysterious South- and seriously, you ponies need to explore more. Back on the topics of names, the only thing I found on Chalak is it means either someone clever or a driver. Though, Lost Desert? I'm getting weird vibes there. That usually means either people get lost in there or there's a country that was once there and fell, thus being Lost. Still, most immediate question is thing- where is this town on the map? Oh, and since Fluttershy is the animal expert, ask her opinion Discord might be related to Lungs, ascended version or not. If nothing else, it's something for you and her to prod Discord about one day. Akuma out! PS Is that Flutterskii as in skiing or that just a weird way of spelling sky? PPS Huh, seems Blackjack is looking into my stories/universes… …Says the person saying his name is "Shutter," while the name he is known as is "Keywii_Cookies55." Also, it's the Internet! Who uses their real name on the Internet?… …Oh, how naive you are. Not only are you under the impression that we're from the same world, but you also think I'm Key, that's adorable, you get a gold star! But before you go ahead and write me off for being 'obsessed' let me ask you a question, are you aware that the 'entity' you call Blackjack has been tormenting different ponies for several years now? I won't confuse your simple mind with the details, but this is hardly the first 'Twilight' I've encountered.You and Key are of the same idealistic ilk, you hope that everything will get better without really doing anything to fix the problem. It's children like the two of you that keep the worlds from spinning.As for you, 'Ponygood' didn't I tell you I wouldn't be indulging in your delusions?… …nickel again.  on the topic of you being fictional, I have to ask.  does it matter?  does it matter where your world came from if its real to you?  we've already admitted that we don't know what happens when the story ends, how could we?  but i would think that it continues to go on its own broken free of the constraints of the narrative following its own path afterward, creating different branches of worlds as it moves forward based on your choices, there are certainly enough future variants of supposedly finished stories here to support the idea.  isn't everything a story if you look at it from an outside perspective?  my last point for this entry, is it even possible to tell if we are influencing you or you are influencing us?  that our perspective might only exist as viewers of yours?  everything is relative, even states of existence, that is my take on this… …This is Zen. Ponygood, "Shutter," shut up.  Both of you.  We contest her mind enough without you two bickering.  Twilight, you're thinking about it from our perspective, but think about it from your own.  What is more likely, that you, with your thoughts and feelings, are fictional, or that We are fictional.  It would make for elaborate illusion, and I will deny that it is the case, but suspecting us of being fiction is far more reasonable than doubting what you actively perceive. Also, I find the idea that Fluttershy is some sort of arcane fabrication suspect at best.  If you were already translocated, why not another?  Key and his "replacement" have failed to produce anything to support their elaborate claims.  I would disregard them until such a time that they do so… …Zen, you're telling me that the fact that "Blackjack" created the entire world, and the ponies inside it, that it isn't unreasonable to conclude that Fluttershy was created just as easily using knowledge drawn from Twilight's memories? That it's easier to trick the senses than to actually steal away a second Prop? Do you even know what you're talking about? Have you been following the Sweeper's progress for almost a decade now? Yeah, I didn't think so… …I have delusions? You're the delusional one here, Mr. delusionface… …Strom crow. I have to be brief as you face no new danger my time is limited. 1right I am human not a bird that is a title I was given. 2 twilight be calm they want to help 3 I can't help act or advise until… …Light here, I managed to fix what Dark did. Okay, first you should wait for a day and see if the machine is working again because it might need time to power up if not keep an eye out for others or other ways to bring your friends here. When you do bring Discord. Dark here, it's unfortunate that I won't be able to corrupt you now that one of your so-called friends is here. Oh well, guess I'll just put some mental strain on you to get you to do what I want.KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL… …Soundproof bubble surrounds Dark, preventing all forms of communication for the time being. Whew, That was annoying. Sorry, you had to hear that Twilight. Oh, by the way, my name is Eternus. Your Father. Or, well, another version's father. You see I have been searching for some time trying to find 'my' Twilight that when I heard of the many different dimensional beings finding you that I assumed they found mine. I'm just glad that I came when I did or that being named Dark may have made you snap and lash out at the one pony that could protect your mind and your sanity. And this is a message for Fluttershy. Protect her from the dangers of that world to the best of your abilities. Both physical...and mental. I have already lost one daughter; I don't want to lose another, even if they're from another dimension… …Twilight, I have traced through your previous travels, and I am here now. My name is Giginss. Fiction, reality, all of these are labels. Names. If you are a story, written by an author, what is to say we are not a story, written by another author? Each of us considers ourselves real, yet somewhere in the wide multiverse, there is a combination of symbols that holds meaning to the one reading it, telling the story about us? The point is: Don't worry. Continue with your adventure, see where it takes you. We are spectators, watching, unable to do anything normally, but something changed. We can communicate with you, share our ideas and perspectives, but our thoughts do not shape your reality. You are the one capable of shaping your own reality. You will find a way. You always do…]

Twilight took a deep breath, shoved what the Influence had said away into the recesses of her mind for later, and opened her eyes.

Infinity was staring right at her. "Where did you go?"

"It's not important-" Wound began.

"It is very important. Very very very. Never seen something like that before. What does that eye thing do? Where'd you find it? What-"

Fluttershy coughed. "I think Twilight needs some space right now. I'm sure she'll come talk to you in a minute, answer all the questions she wants."

Infinity frowned. "I don't think so, all you mysterious types have the chance of just vanishing the moment I turn my back! The two-headed dragon? Gone! The speaking spirit? Gone! The Oracle? High tailed it out of here! I am not letting something else go-"

Prancey threw some of the sleep powder on Infinity. Her eyes rolled back into her skull and she fell to the ground, snoring louder than a pig.

Twilight blinked. "...Well, thanks."

"Dooooon't mention it!" Prancey said. "So, you wanna go back to your rooooooom?"

"Yeah... Fluttershy and I need to talk. We just got out of the forest, after all." She gulped, glancing at Fluttershy. Not real? No... no that's absurd, they were right, it was absurd.

Prancey dragged them to the inn and threw them inside. "Have fun you two!" She winked and left.

Page looked up at the two of them a second later. "...Prancey still paying your rent?"

"I assume so," Twilight said.

"Fair enough. No food or drink though. Just the room. Not taking any chances with her."

Fluttershy nodded. "It's okay, we just need a place to talk in private for a moment. Thank you for your hospitality."

Page shrugged. "I rarely get complimented for that."

Fluttershy frowned. She got the feeling that wasn't a 'thank you.' "Er... Okay."

They returned to Twilight's room, and Twilight promptly rammed her face into a pillow and yelled out her bent up frustration.

"Oh dear, what is it this time?"

"About seventeen different things!" Twilight said, grabbing her head. We've got some new voices, some voices that may or may not be from another universe, and Shutter, Ponygood, Zen, and Akumakami have all gotten into some kind of fight about what's going on..." She sighed. "And all of them seem very concerned and serious - and they disagree..." She sat down on the bed.

"...Walk through it with me, okay?"

"...Okay. Some of them wanted to talk to you, guess I could get that out of the way... They want you to protect me, and not to be so timid, I think. And they want to know if you know anything about Discord being related to dragons...?"

"Oh no, he's not. Well, not really. He's..." Fluttershy bit her lip. "He doesn't want to talk about it, or have it known, but I think he'd understand if I told you he's a combination of all races of Equis." She frowned. "...He's probably trying to find me right now. ...He should have shown up unless something was blocking him..."

"I tried to contact him earlier, something was stopping him. Some of them thought it was us being in the past, but your being here removes that option..."

"...Does it?" Fluttershy asked.

"I mean... ...Oh... ...Space-time... That hub could reach across space and time! That's why I messed up when I tried to call you - I was misunderstanding what it was fundamentally! It tried to tell me..." She opened the window to her room. "Hey Diorite!"

The dragon lifted his head, looking into the room. "...Yes?"

"How long ago was Discord's reign?"

"Several centuries. Why?"

Twilight gulped. He might be suspicious of us. "Just... checking to make sure everything's fine." She shut the window. "...We ARE in the past..."

Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth. "That's dangerous right? Didn't you and Starlight..."

"Nearly ruin everything? Yes. Yes, we did..." Twilight bit her lip. This is bad. Over a thousand years in the past, and we're not even in Equestria, and there are others talking to me, they won't stop arguing, and some being claiming to be my father who clearly isn't..."

"Twilight, calm! Try breathing in and out, slowly. Deep breaths." Fluttershy was trying to calm Twilight - but in truth, she was starting to hyperventilate herself.

Twilight took in a deep breath, and let it out. "Okay... Okay... I don't know what to do, but that's okay. We have all the time in the world, literally. We can figure it out. Right now... I need to deal with something. Shutter is claiming that you don't exist and that nothing besides me exist. The others are claiming that he's just lying, and pretending to be someone else, like Afizah. And they are claiming that Afizah is the one pretending to be other me - but, there was something else... Afizah might just be opening a portal to another universe so they can talk to me. Shutter may not be in the same place as most the others, who seem to be talking to me directly from some site where I'm a story somewhere. Shutter sees me as through a screen. Maybe he's beeing flooded through to me by the name that Ponygood is seeing, that... "Keywii Cookies." Just like Akumakami and Blackjack are primaries, maybe he's another primary, choosing not to interact directly, but pipe something he has control of vision over to me?"

Fluttershy blinked. "...I... I'm sorry I'm having a hard time taking this in. Are you saying all this time you thought they were lying, they weren't, they were just showing... other people?"

"I don't know, maybe? The thing is, even if that is true, I don't trust Shutter, and neither do any of the others..." Twilight blinked. "You know what, it's rude to talk about Shutter behind his back. Shutter? I know you'll hear this. I'm finding it hard to trust you - or Key. You both claim to be on my side, you both claim to be employees who have a job, who have seen many 'Props' like myself taken by primaries and 'toyed' with. You seem to suggest that it's part of your job to help us through this and get us through the story to a... well you've never spelled it out, but it could be a 'good ending' or 'no ending' or whatever. Neither of you are doing that job well. Part of that job would be getting me to trust you - even by being deceptive and manipulative. You haven't been that. Key's been a total freak out temper-tantrum bomb, and you're holding an arrogant superior attitude. Even if that is how you really feel about me, for the sake of your job, you should hide it! I mean..." she sighed. "I don't think you're really the people you say you are. And if you are, I feel really, really sorry for the other 'props' you've been 'helping.' You aren't helping. All you do is make more chaos and get me to distrust you. Even if you do want to just treat me like a thing - which you may have the right to, I don't know - you don't want me to know that. I..." She looked at Fluttershy. "...Am I being harsh?"

"A little. Hey, Shutter, let me try. He can hear me right?"

"Pretty sure."

Fluttershy cleared her throat and directed her gaze at the Witch's eye. "So... I'm not going to pretend to be as smart as Twilight or have known this as long. But... You know, it sounds like you aren't being nice. I think... I think if you want her to trust her and work with you, you need to respect her. I think that's what Twilight's asking for, some respect. And not just from you Shutter, from all of you, primaries, writers, other worlds... She wants some respect. I know that some of you have been doing great at that, but others... You're hurting her. You're making her alienate you. I don't think you want that, and neither does she."

Twilight blinked. "That's... I didn't realize that..."

"Sometimes you need another pair of eyes," Fluttershy smiled. "You taught me that."

"...Yeah..." Twilight looked out the window again. "...So much is happening. I keep getting told everything about reality, the fate of the universe, and other big things. Yet all I've done is get teleported to the past, go to a town, go to a forest, and then go back to town. Nothing... nothing much has happened."

"Maybe that's good. Maybe you need time to adjust, figure out how to handle this."

"...Maybe." She sat down on the floor. "Fluttershy, I'm going to go through the rest of the stuff now. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll be here."

Twilight closed her eyes, thinking. She thanked Nickel, Zen, and Akumakami for being the voices of reason, the ones who kept her sane. They were right. It didn't really matter, did it? They all perceived her differently - as a story, as a feed, as another Witch's Eye - it didn't matter in the end. There was some kind of connection between them and her, and that's all that mattered. They were as real to her as she was to them. There was no evidence in either direction.

There was no proof of Key's and Shutter's claims either, but she decided she needed to let Shutter speak before making any more harsh accusations. She didn't trust him, at all, but she at least wanted to see what he'd say. Even if the others were telling her not to listen... Shutting someone out was not her way. He needed a chance.

She was on the southern side of the globe. Which meant Equestria - or past Equestria - was north. Wait- how did she even know she was on Equis? The sun.... The sun felt right. And she remembered that the stars looked correct last night as well, all the constellations were still there. So, she could head north, brave the dragons or the desert - perhaps find more of this 'ancient magitech' in the desert, and find past Equestria - or head south to the center of Peran civilization and talk to the leaders there to ask for help. But why would the dragons and ponies at Chalak help her? Would they even know how? And what about Equestria - what if she ruined the timeline?

...No, I didn't see the video... And welcome Giginss, thank you for your kind words.

"Fluttershy?"

"Hrm?"

"If... if this Blackjack, this primary, created the world around us, and you, well then..."

"...Twilight?"

"What if they created me as well?"

Fluttershy frowned. "...Does it really matter?"

"Not... As much as you might think, but it's important to consider it as a possibility..." She began to pace - what now, what was she supposed to do now... She almost wanted to wait for the Influence to call again, but she couldn't let her life be more defined by the voices...

"...Fluttershy, there is this... Lake, in the middle of a field of grass, that you can supposedly only find once in your life. I started there. But you haven't been there yet. Do you think...?"

Fluttershy smiled. "I'm willing to try!"

Twilight nodded, folding up her cloak. She opened the window and spread her wings, flying out into the air, Fluttershy close behind her. They soared over the grass to the spot Twilight remembered she had started.

Twilight took a big, long breath of the fresh air. "This... This is nice."

"Oh yes, the animals are enjoying it as well. See those birds? They're playing."

Twilight blinked, glancing at the dozen red birds in the air. "...Looks like fighting."

"It's the same thing to them, a lot of the time. Don't worry about it. Now, where is-"

And then Fluttershy was gone. Twilight stopped flying instantly - the buttery yellow pegasus had just vanished. "Fluttershy?!" Twilight yelled. "Fluttershy!?"

She saw some sparks fly out of the corner of her eye. She lit her horn, grabbing ahold of everything to her left with as much force as she could muster. She pulled the thing forth.

It was a being made of stars, different from the one she had encountered in the forest. Bigger, larger, and without a defined shape. It was blue and shivered as if it was made of lightning.

"What are you!? What have you done with Fluttershy!?"

The thing didn't speak - it just shrieked at her, sparkling stars at her from every side - and running away. She shot at it with a laser, but it shifted around it - and vanished into the ground.

Twilight tore up the ground with her telekinesis, dragging a square meter of earth upwards, the star creature revealed once again. Twilight summoned a magic bubble around it and brought it back to her. "What. Are. You!?"

The creature struggled, threatening to burst the bubble. Twilight knew she couldn't contain it - so she dug into its mind. She demanded it answer the question.

"Alderan." It spoke. It shattered the bubble with one final push and fled once more.

She would have attacked again - but the Eye decided it was time for another Import.

"No! No Fluttershy needs me-!"

Comments

[AkumaKami64]

Akumakami here!

Oh boy. Well, on the positive side, I think Fluttershy is alright. I think she just went into the glass lake place you started at. Still, Alderan? I got nothing on that. The only name of that, Alderaan, is from....basically an entire different set of universes commonly called Star Wars. Weird that this thing is named after a destroyed planet- don't worry too much, civilization was on a galactic level at that point there.

Back on point, if you can't see where our starry friend flew off too, circle around over the tree tops to see if you can find Fluttershy. Again,I'm fairly sure she just went into that space and you just can't get back to it.....The only question now is if Fluttershy comes out with a Witch's Eye or something similar. I wouldn't put it past Blackjack......which is to say that I would be tempted to in his shoes.

Sorry I'm little help right now. Though, look to the Moon next time you can to figure out if this is before or after Luna became Nightmare Moon- it varies a LOT how close it was between Discord's sealing and Nightmare Moon's. Either way, this explains why they haven't heard of Equestria much and why you only vaguely recall this name- you probably read it in a history book or something.

And your welcome for being a voice of reason, I tr- Okay, I'll be honest, I'm use to being one of the crazier ones. I'll admit, you probably wouldn't like some of my universes dealing with your settings. Oi, if Blackjack ever lets you peek into other worlds somehow, stay away from Herds of Chaos. And if you do, I will explain what happened in that world.

....Let it be known that thanks to Afizah, I am resisting the urge to let some counterparts from my universes talk to you. I do not promise I will hold out on doing that forever, so, fair warning.

Akuma out!

PS I'd say changing the past isn't always a bad thing, but I doubt you'd believe that.

PPS Speaking of which......oh fuck. I fucked up. WE fucked up. Maybe. Or...maybe we're the reason Celestia thinks to reform Discord? Twilight, could this be one of those closed loop timetravels? Cause you told Diorite that Discord is living as an ally of sorts in Equestria. He will probably tell his higher ups about that eventually. Not sure how big of a ripple effect that would cause, but it might get to Celestia.....who might just recall that startling rumor that was being spread by an purple alicorn mare. Lot of mights but, timetravel.....and Celestia's one-eighty on Discord always had a lot of curious, since he was one of the only beings to truly get under her skin just by being there and than she suddenly thinks he could turn good- sorry, sorry! My creative side went into overdrive. Still, it is a valid issue to think on and discuss when Fluttershy gets back- when, not if.

[Ponygood11]

Ponygood speaking.
...I want to believe your perception of time is slowed when the Import occurs, but I can't be sure.

I kept thinking that you would have a difficult time fighting these creatures due to them being extremely powerful beings, magically speaking. But If this one was attempting to run away, you might have more power over them then I thought. Then again, apparently the name Alderan is another name for Canis Minoris, or the constellation of the lesser dog. This might mean this entity was made purely to run errands for its superiors.

And there's the matter of Fluttershy. I suggest you cast some sort of dispel illusion spell if you can, since it's possible Fluttershy was hidden behind one. If there is no illusion, then she's either been hidden more physically or is already gone.

And the implications of her being in Their possession are not pleasant. Seriously, I must warn you of how unpleasant it could get. Best case scenario: she gets angry and is able to use her Stare on Them, and get out somehow. If that doesn't happen, then They will either just kill her, torture her, brainwash her, and/or use her as a bargaining chip. They might want you to trade your life for hers, have very despicable forms of fun, or absolutely mess with your mind.

This is where things get tricky. If They use her as a bargaining chip, They would likely threaten to harm her if you refuse the deal, and would say They would be willing to let her go if you surrender. However, I don't know just how trustworthy these beings are, which means They might not keep Their promises.

But this is potentially about more than Fluttershy. You are a very powerful pony, and They might seek that power to wreak havoc on the world. So, even if They did keep their promise, is it worth letting your friend live if it kills everybeing else?

Also, if They attempt to use a magically binding contact, try to study it for any loopholes either of you could use. Of course, They may not give you the time needed.

Now, let's say you do agree to Their terms. If it isn't magically binding, you don't necessarily have to uphold your end of the deal, and could try to save both you and Fluttershy. Of course, there could be any number of Them, and having great power could be insufficient for winning against so many. If They do manage to capture you and you're unable to defend yourself, you might be able to kill yourself to power some super-powerful spell that can at least do serious damage to Them. But you being in that type of situation in the first place is not very preferable at all.

And you may ask why I believe so firmly these creatures are evil. Simply put, your experiences with Them do not point towards some sort of misunderstanding. If it were a misunderstanding, the forest creature would have likely made some sort of sound as a warning that you're trespassing, or to get your attention.

Of course, I may just be blowing this entirely out of proportion, and the process of finding that mysterious lake involves suddenly disappearing. Or maybe it's something else entirely. In the end, it's your choice how you want to play this out, and we can only give you guidance. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, whatever they may be.

On a side note, it might be a good idea to aquire some sort of journal so that you can record the information we give you to digest at your own pace.

Also, I'm sorry if I cause you discomfort in any way. I am not a very emotionally sensitive person, and one of my beliefs is that, if no-one else is willing to, I must make sure the whole, ugly, unbiased truth is communicated, despite how comfortable lies and half-truths might be. Make of it what you will, I still care about you and your friends, and I don't want to see the worst come to pass.

[Ponygood11]

8161628 It's been proven that Twilight can't see videos or pictures. A shame, too; that's some nice music.

[Ponygood11]

8161640 She needs to be able to interact with the video to listen to the music in it, and she sees just a website address.

[Keywii_Cookies55]

Princess Twilight Sparkle 2X4 of Equestria

I'm speaking to you on behalf of the Recursive Organization. My name is Kasey Seiko, though most know me as Mrs. K, you may refer to me as either. I'd like to take responsibility for the general temperament of my employees. Key for his volatile nature, and Shutter for his arrogance. One of the biggest freedoms we allow in this organization is the freedom to uphold one's personal values. It's, unfortunately, lead to an indirect dissonance of opinions and philosophies, on what any of us should really do.

But the employee structure aside, you've been very curious, and I hope to oblige you with as little emotional involvement as possible. So you're aware of Blackjack, aka "The Sweeper" is, as you've correctly guessed, on the same level as other 'primaries'. As a side note I quite like that term as it's much more appealing than 'Forerunner'. and in fact our organization was created by Keywii Cookies over a decade ago to keep track of Blackjack.

Now, all primaries are world creators. Some are capable of creating whole worlds filled with living people, everything from the biggest celestial bodies to the tiniest of microorganisms. Others Are merely fitted for more simple ventures such as a small town with a few quite believeable people. Now for one reason or another, Blackjack is incapable of creating ponies. He's able to think of vast landscapes filled to the brim with environments and setting as real as can be, but cannot fully create a real pony. It's driven him to something of an obsession with your kind, always creating worlds with you in mind, but never creating you himself.

This is where you come in. To put a theory of yours at reast, you weren't 'created' you were in fact taken from your home and placed into this landscape. What's in store for you is anyone's guess, but I want you to take solace in the fact that you are the one and only Twilight Aprkle from Equestria.

As for what happens at the end of Blackjack's 'story' our best researchers aren't fully convinced yet, but the going theory is that due to new no content being added to the world, it enters a 'stgnant' state where everything is compeltely frozen and ever unmoving. A counter theory is that the world and everyone in it simply ceases to exist, though I doubt that myself.

Now I hope I answered any questions you had as to the nature of the world's existence and about the Primary. However, I must be off, unfortunately I'm a busy woman and can't stay here to answer any future question you have. In my stead I'm reinstating Key, though not to worry, he'll be supervised so as to be perhaps a bit more helpful and a bit less angry.

Thank you for listening Twilight, and as always, I've been Mrs. K. Good luck.

[Sonic Rainboom Dash]

*groan* Why did she hit me with a pipe? Ow. Twilight, Afizha here, what's been going on? Last I remember was telling you more about what I found out about the artifact you have stuck to you.

[Sonic Rainboom Dash]

Alright, which one of you bozos flat-out told Spike he wasn't real? He's been having nightmares ever since. It took Princess Luna And me three days just to calm him down.
Yea, I had to pass up a chance to be with the Wonderbolts because of what you said about Spike.
Yeah, I won't throw you any parties until you apologize, even if I don't know how to jump through the screen to turn whatever room you're using to read this into a party.
*sigh* Anyway! other Twilight, (that's going to get annoying fast.) I have heard of a creature with that name before. I don't remember what book I read it in, nor do I know how log ago it was, but that name had a strange meaning. It meant 'the two front paws.' It's said that the creature was part of a larger monster. I just don't know what.

[Ponygood11]

8161850 Well, to be fair, your reality is being delivered to us by the same guy that's pretending to be an alternate version of this Twilight's dad AND a pair of good and evil twins. It was still Akuma that said it, though, he's the one that deserves to be educated in the ways of not terrorizing Spike. Speaking of whom, have a mustache.

[Sonic Rainboom Dash]

8161888 Um... Thanks? But truth be told it wasn't the not-being-real thing, though, that's something I never want to experience again. It was what I saw when I handed Twilight the eye thing. It was strange and scary at the same time. I saw T-Twilight injured severely. And the scary thing was I couldn't tell if it was the other Twilight or this one. All I know was that all I could see was a fire and a giant astral lion, At least two times bigger than an Ursa Major.

[Sirnmn]

Storm crow here
You had combat so I can act at least some what. The things might not have any intentions at all the simplest explanation to me is that they are constucts acting on specific guidelines. Their might also be more than on kind green evil / or agressive, blue simply carry out a turn on off the phase of the lake like it is vibrating so two rooms that are in the same space just different frequencies. A third alternative is that you call just ended. It was communication device maybe you moved out of range or it timed out. Keep trying to use minimal force, because the more comfortable you get with violence​ the easier it getting to make a mistake. I was there when a friend went beserk when my eyes were extracted hundreds suffered for just being in the wrong place. It nearly killed him with regret. I have recovered one eye there other I have replaced

[wizard0209]

josh here - I agree with Akumakami about Fluttershy being at the lake. I mean i'm pretty sure the ponies around here would have tried everything to get back to it before declaring it a lake you can only visit once.
also on the transcript of the things we say shows some weird symbols in place of where the video was suppose to be; I don't know if they mean anything or if it's whatever letting us talk to you incorrectly processing the video

[nickle241]

nickel here. honestly i can't be sure of anything about what the others are saying, but i do prefer to take reasonable routes, probably why i cant bring myself to use a villain character for very long when playing games. it is likely that the lake really can only be visited once and the loophole you tried didn't work. i stopped trying to make sense of the creative part of the multiverse ages ago so while i wish i could help more directly i doubt i can do much when another origin is dominant, my understanding of this uses the term origin instead of primary and i have yet to nail down if it is a physical or metaphysical entity, but it definitely includes a split in the mind state to account for all the worlds overseen. just do what you think is right, the possibilities are open and as I've said before, this world lacks any of the interface marks to indicate this will end poorly.
since it looks like there is time travel involved, you probably wont have to worry too much, this is probably far enough away to limit butterfly effect assuming you are still in your own timeline at all instead of in another world entirely, as a last resort blackjack could probably just steer the timeline to make it match up if thats the desired result, I've done it before with my own worlds and the end result isn't distinguishable from if it had happened normally and sometimes making an alternate timeline is the goal, but its too early to tell. before i forget, when you find fluttershy you can tell her that we do hear her as long as she is near you and possibly if the focus shifts away from you for intervals, but most likely such intervals will be short and rare. last note, you can probably see why i am hesitant to open up the worlds under my care to this kind of interface even if its the only way some of them would ever be restored to a full world

[Light and Dark]

It's Light and this message is for the other voices. Stop overloading her mind with so much information and stop telling her things that are useless we need to influence her decisions and actions and nothing more. I don't Dark even needs to drive her mane because your doing it for her. We need to only focus on her and the world around her. Anything else is meaningless. Twilight be careful, things are starting to heat up. I want you to be ready when the time comes.
Dark here, I want to thank you all for helping me drive Twilight Mad, do keep up the good work. *Ahem*...
KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL...

[Light and Dark]

Oh and Eternus a word of advice, don't get in my way or you will live to regret it for the rest of your miserable life.

[Ponygood11]

I just realized that it would be really tragically funny if your Eye activated immediately after a previous activation.