Book 1 - The Behemoth came to Canterlot

by Equimorto

Visual Silence

/user-975694878/visual-silence

How is it so far, then?| Oh, it's been okay. Really, nothing to worry about yet.| I see. If you say so, Fluttershy. I was and still am quite worried about this, but like I've said before I won't interfere so long as you feel it is safe for you to continue. I just ask that you continue to be careful in your endeavours.| Of course, princess.| I'm not a princess anymore. This is a serious matter, Fluttershy. I trust your judgement, but do not put yourself at needless risk more so than you already are. Your ideals are admirable, but we will choose to save you over them if things come to it, and we would expect the same from you.| I am only one pony. This goes beyond me. I don't wish for any sacrifices to be made, but if things turned out so I believe I would be the preferable loss.| I would never willfully allow one of my ponies to die. I may not be your ruler any longer, but I still care for those whose dreams I watch over.| Then I hope you would care for their decisions as well. If my death was necessary, I would gladly sacrifice myself. I know you would do the same for something you held dear.| I would. And you would try to stop me from it.| I would. That does not mean I wouldn't allow you to, if no other alternative was found. Life often requires death to continue itself, I've long accepted that I am not above this cycle.| And yet you're trying to be. Choosing to sacrifice yourself, rather than to partake in it, and bring death so that your own life may continue.| It doesn't have to come to it. There can be balance. There is balance, for now.| For how long? You cannot sustain this forever. A host can only provide enough for so long to a parasite that keeps growing, and you do not wish to share your burden.| But a symbiosis can last forever.| We do not know if such a thing is even possible. Why take the risk? Do you not rid your animals of ticks, or worms?| My animals don't choose to keep them, though I might allow them to if one ever asked. But this is a far different situation, you know that much.| Maybe. Ticks and worms can't lie, after all.| Are you here to check on me or to change my mind?| Apologies. I'm merely worried about you. Please, do not make any rash decisions.| I won't. I know what I'm doing, Luna.| I believe so. And I hope you will be right in the end. This does not change the decisions I plan to make should you not be.| Then I hope you will not have to make those decisions.| This I hope as well. Now I shall leave you to your dreams. Be careful, Fluttershy.| I will be, Luna. I will call for you if I ever need your help.| And I will answer your call. Goodbye, for now.| Goodbye.

Author's Note:

Made using 15.ai.

Comments

[Venerable Ro]

Huh.

[Saix]

I couldn't recognise Luna's voice at first, but Fluttershy's was instantly recognisable. As of last year the voices still sound janky, but the words are all clear and the emotion gets across broadly, if not particuarly strongly. I'd go check if it has improved in the last year, but the website is down. It's cool to see something like this being done at all though. So it seems that some small creatures, microbes maybe, have become warped by the effects of the Behemoth and parasitised Fluttershy's dreams, in a way that's making her recurrently ill, based on this chapter and the title of the chapter where this first came up. Fluttershy, being the Element of Kindness, has decided to let them stay, against Luna's wishes, apparently because Fluttershy both doesn't want to kill them to save herself and feels the effect is bad enough that she doesn't want the parasites to affect anyone else. Luna is concerned that they're lying to Fluttershy, so they're sapient, and they're growing and taking more from her as time goes by. They're also changing her coat and mane colour for some reason. I guess Rainbow Dash will get involved as a dream walker sooner or later.