Sisters of Willowbrook

by Starscribe

Chapter 44: Sailing Inward

Life aboard the Magna Vale was as far from perfect as Lilac could imagine.

She woke every day the same way, to an early morning bell from Keen Focus. Before she could even get out of her room, they spent over an hour staring at a stupid mirror, giving her all kinds of instructions for cosmetics she would never wear. Lilac learned the difference between foundation and blush and eyeliner and a dozen other things she hadn't even suspected in her real world, let alone this strange realm of magic and horses.

Keen Focus would not let her eat until she was dressed and prepared, right down to the corset under one of the stupid dresses. And if she stumbled or did anything with less than perfect grace, it was back to the beginning of the entire stupid routine.

After a week the tutor finally let her out into the normal decks of the Magna Vale, if only under heavy supervision. She sat in polite parties with the command staff, chatting about shipboard affairs and the dangers waiting for them in the skies ahead. Occasionally bits of gossip reached them, like the expedition team that had arrived in Willowbrook and was doing some strange investigation there.

Of course Lilac could offer no support to those trapped back there. The longer she remained in Keen Focus's grasp, the more she wished to be back home. Celestia's apprentice might murder her as a danger to all Equestria, but at least she wouldn't make her put on a dress first.

She tried to write again—but no sooner had she sat down than Keen Focus appeared from nowhere, with another lesson on penmanship and proper decorum in written communication. Any attempt to write in English only ended with a lecture on "degenerate tongues" and how she should not be inspired by what "lesser creatures" used to communicate.

There was no sense arguing with Keen Focus no matter how insane her statements were. Arguing was unladylike, and would only earn her another few hours prancing around, or styling hair, or singing. Equestria had no end of proper ladylike professions that could be wielded against her like a bludgeon, and her tutor seemed to take special pleasure in inflicting them.

"I don't want to be this way!" she screamed, after her second week. "I'm sure there are perfect ladies who dress in all the right outfits and laugh in the right way and get stallions swooning after them. But I don't care! I just want to study magic in peace!"

She would only dare such an outburst in her own quarters, where there were no others around to see. Her tutor was much stricter when other ponies saw her misbehave.

Keen Focus looked like she'd been waiting for just such an occasion. She puffed herself up, making her delicate way over to Lilac. "If you wanted that, you should've been born a unicorn. Magic is forever beyond you, earth pony. In my day, being a proper lady would be too, and you would be hauling a tractor out in the field somewhere. Thanks to our enlightened princess, we no longer rule that way. So you can be a proper wife to a unicorn stallion. With a few steps to ensure your only children are unicorns as well, we can... resolve this unfortunate bump in the Vale family road. That is your purpose, nothing more."

"I don't care." She wasn't yelling anymore. Simple volume would do nothing to convince Keen Focus, anyway. But she was running out of patience putting up with her commands. If anything, that was more dangerous. "You can't keep forcing me to act this way. I won't do it."

She leered down at Lilac. "Then you will not leave. You could use a few moments—perhaps two days, or three. I will return with food, then. We will see if you're in the mood for an apology."

She spun on her heels, marching primly out the way she'd come. She didn't even slam the door, just shut it gracefully, then sealed it with a click. Locked.

Lilac retreated from the door, preparing to charge. She had powerful earth pony magic flowing through her, enough that she had nothing to fear from such an insignificant barrier. She could crush that to kindling! Maybe if she smacked that unicorn once or twice, she would understand why it was so unwise to torment her.

"Child of Desolation," whispered a tiny voice, barely audible to her. "You've already found yourself in an unenviable position of torment. Perhaps you should reflect before you fight your way out? Unless you intend to make war on all Equestria, that is."

She blinked, momentarily stunned. She spun wildly, before her eyes settled on a single point. It was the little clay pot, which she had growing near the window. One of the few “luxuries” her tutor had permitted her. Gardening could be a proper habit for someone of her station, after all.

The acorn had grown with incredible rapidity since she planted it, and now stood as a strong seedling of a foot tall, with several wide leaves turned towards the window, and the sunlight beyond.

But what she hadn't noticed was the little creature floating there, with a silvery coat and white mane. It hovered on four transparent wings, with a thin body and oversized antenna.

Many ponies mistakenly thought these creatures immensely vulnerable and delicate—it was an illusion they continued to cultivate, preying on the natural nurturing feelings of Equestrians towards small, cute things. She made no such mistake. Lilac relaxed, taking several deep breaths as she crossed the room. Then she dropped to one knee. Not a curtsey, despite the stupid floral dress she was wearing.

"Saffron, honored for you to meet me. I need you... perhaps now more than ever."

"I felt that," he said, his voice boiling with frustration. He buzzed past her, without regard for her respect. "Where were you weeks ago when something snatched your name away, child? Don't you know you've only got one of those left? Barterin' with outsiders, I tell you. Madness."

Once she'd been bowed for long enough, she finally rose. She shook out her mane, violently enough to dislodge the delicate bands, and spread a little cloud of powder around her.

She coughed and spluttered, then just lifted a towel, wiping the slime from her face. "I felt... I knew it was bad," she said. "But it wasn't supposed to happen. It was a scry. I didn't make deals with Outsiders."

He was suddenly directly in front of her, looking furious. "Don’t think I came all the way here, crossin' through that miserable little forest you grew from ancient oak, to hear you say such things. Lilac Empathy, that ain't a statement of pride in my student. At least if you told me you'd gained some terrible power over life and death, I might've thought it was worth it. But here you are, saying you got tricked, got nothin' for your trouble. Is that why you're dressing up like a clown? You certainly look the part."

She squirmed under his gaze. Then she twitched, freeing her shoulder from the dress. She yanked the whole thing off with her mouth, tossing it angrily aside. "I hate it, Saffron. I'm a prisoner here. They torture me with it every day. What do I do?"

"What did you do?" he asked. "First thing about a prison is knowing the sentence, young filly. Was it the reason I'd punish you, thinking you were apt for traffic with the Outer Gates?"

She nodded glumly. "More or less."

Something whipped against her face, a faint smack from a tiny hoof. It still hurt, far more than little hooves should be able. "You've been training with me for how many years, and you speak like that? Try again."

"My mother sent me away so the Equestrians wouldn't find me. They sensed my magic, somehow, and... sent a team into Willowbrook to look for evil. Then my adopted father got wind, and sent a tutor along to make me a useful tool while I'm out here, out of Iris's protection."

"Better," he said, approving. He landed on the dresser, beside several discarded pieces of jewelry. "Seems to me you're where you belong then. Equestria's eyes are open wide, and their axes cut sharper than they look. Whole kingdom feels like a party of love and friendship, but look around you, apprentice. World is full of dangers, and here Equestria is, surviving them all. They're meaner than they look. Iris Vale is a wise mare, for a unicorn."

Great, even my magical teacher thinks I deserve it.

She slumped to the floor, groaning. "I didn't try to summon anything, Saffron. I was just trying to scry, and somehow it got through. I asked Iris how I screwed it up so badly, and she wouldn't tell me! I checked the scry—it's exactly like the ones ponies would use for searching the safe realms. There's no reason it shouldn't have worked."

When he spoke again, it was from far closer. "There's a reason they call the Gates forbidden, Lilac. Got a sorry story to tell—there's no way to stop bits and pieces from the void crossing over when you leave the way. A little magic fades into that opening, lost forever. It bridges the gap, then across you go. Inevitable."

She made another unhappy sound. Yet every pony she had ever spoken to repeated more or less the same story—she should never cast spells beyond the Outer Gates, no matter how perfect they seemed. There were no exceptions, no advanced lessons, and no valid excuses. "You mean I didn't do anything wrong?"

"Your life is full of wrong moves, little Lilac. That's the beauty of a life. No perfect flowers grow in all the forest, yet each one smells as sweet. There's no way to stop the void from finding your magic. There are techniques, ways to decide what comes through. That's what your mother did, calling you."

"I'm nothing like... that thing," she whispered. Her stomach twisted, and she could've sworn her quarters grew darker, though the candles still burned, and the sun still shone from outside. "I know you said we come from the same place, Saffron. But we're nothing alike. That thing was... horrible. It corrupted the ground just by walking on it. It made me sick to look at. It completely scrambled my friends' memories! Only Charlie remembered anything at all..."

"The little firefly's name is Charlie, then?" Saffron floated past her. "Would be if you'd let us make it so. Leave her in the forest a time, and she'll never fly too far for you again. If it's her you wish to keep close."

She hissed under her breath. "No, Saffron. That's not what this is about. Charlie is—Firefly is fine, I hope. She doesn't have the same magic I do, and by now she got my letter. I'm sure she's keeping herself out of the Equestrian eye."

"Yet she does teach you a valuable lesson. You remembered, and she remembered—yet the ponies who were with you did not. Do you wonder why?" This time, he didn't wait for her response. "You traveled from the same forbidden shore as that abomination. Its numberless conclaves are not mapped, so it could be that your fraction has some semblance of order. It does not matter. You've seen the consequences. Now you feel them, with manacles of silk."

She grunted once, kicking the dress away from her. "What am I supposed to do not to go crazy here, Saffron? That unicorn teacher... I'm going to push her off the ship. Why don't you turn her into a bug, then maybe she won't torment me."

"Quality material is required. We cannot spin dross into daisies. Perhaps if you wish to be doing something else, you should?"

He nodded towards the wall, and a heavy metal grate set into the wood. She'd barely looked at it before, except to feel the occasional current make its way out when the ship got too cold. They were simple climate control. "Practice concealing yourself. Make yourself so valuable to the other members of this ship that your tutor's commands are ignored. Either that, or flee with me to the forest, and risk your mother's wrath. Your choice."

Lilac considered. A smile slowly formed on her lips—there was a plan here. She would not have been bold enough to dare it, a few weeks before.

"I'm not going to put on those dresses again. But... maybe I could dress up like someone else."

Comments

[Munro]

i was wondering when she finally snap's

[minibox]

At this point anything is better than spending time doing Keen Focus's lessons. Still, there will be consequences for whatever Lilac has planned.

She tried to write again—but no sooner had she sat down than Keen Focus appeared from nowhere, with another lesson on penmanship and proper decorum in written communication. Any attempt to write in English only ended with a lecture on "degenerate tongues" and how she should not be inspired by what "lesser creatures" used to communicate.

Should've expected a pony like her would also be a bigot. As long as those letters get through, it doesn't matter.

"Seems to me you're where you belong then. Equestria's eyes are open wide, and their axes cut sharper than they look. Whole kingdom feels like a party of love and friendship, but look around you, apprentice. World is full of dangers, and here Equestria is, surviving them all. They're meaner than they look. Iris Vale is a wise mare, for a unicorn."

Once again we're treated to the breezies' view on Equestria. One that may have less bias as well. Equestria isn't evil but they're quite dangerous to anyone or anything they perceive to be a threat. The sisters should be very cautious requesting aid from them. It's becoming more and more certain Equestria will treat them as monsters because of their otherworldly origins.

She doesn't have the same magic I do, and by now she got my letter. I'm sure she's keeping herself out of the Equestrian eye.

Between Twilight's power scan and the potential discovery of letters written in an alien language, I'm pretty sure Firefly can't be anywhere but in Equestria's eye for a while.

"Yet she does teach you a valuable lesson. You remembered, and she remembered—yet the ponies who were with you did not. Do you wonder why?" This time, he didn't wait for her response. "You traveled from the same forbidden shore as that abomination. Its numberless conclaves are not mapped, so it could be that your fraction has some semblance of order. It does not matter. You've seen the consequences. Now you feel them, with manacles of silk."

Still don't know if the cult only really managed to pick up some powerful "wildlife" instead of their gods. If the sisters are actually alicorns, then the cult is certainly lucky they didn't grab one that is mutilated and insane.

[Mister Morden]

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Everyone warned you it was a bad idea but you did it anyway.

Well, let's see what happens next.

[ADrunkChangeling]

Hrmmmm.... Tiwilight, rarity, and Rainbow dash are with charlie.

That means Lilac is traveling into equestria proper, where two of the best earth pony magicians in equestia and one of the few ponies who might actually know fey magic are...

I wonder if she's finally gonna find a tutor who realizes unicorns aren't the only ones who can cheat.

[minibox]

11206789
We'll have to see what Celestia would think of the two seeing as she has the most knowledge of events in the past and reality of her world. Best case scenario being they're innocent victims taken from their world. The not-so-best case being they're alicorns really are coming back and may attempt to dismantle her rule. Worst case, the two are disharmony demons that cannot be tolerated to exist at all.

11206897
Ridding the country of a religious cult will require more subtlety than just burning or sieging a disloyal town. Especially in a time of peace so government conspiracy isn't off the table. But even if the whole alicorn thing is nonsense, Firefly knows she comes from one of the worlds below. Places where a lot of dangerous and dark creatures dwell. Equestria might be canon Equestria but Firefly might legitimately be considered the opposite to harmony in this world. She might be given the same amount of consideration a demon would if it walked up to a church. At least Firefly knows the cult is no good and is entertaining the idea Equestria might not be out for her blood. But she is still guarded and won't quickly dismiss them as a potential threat. Time might make her more open, but being human, it'll be a very long time before she'll actually let her guard down.

[djthomp]

"Child of Desolation," whispered a tiny voice, barely audible to her. "You've already found yourself in an unenviable position of torment. Perhaps you should reflect before you fight your way out? Unless you intend to make war on all Equestria, that is."

Now that is concerning.

But what she hadn't noticed was the little creature floating there, with a silvery coat and white mane. It hovered on four transparent wings, with a thin body and oversized antenna.

Huh.

"Better," he said, approving. He landed on the dresser, beside several discarded pieces of jewelry. "Seems to me you're where you belong then. Equestria's eyes are open wide, and their axes cut sharper than they look. Whole kingdom feels like a party of love and friendship, but look around you, apprentice. World is full of dangers, and here Equestria is, surviving them all. They're meaner than they look. Iris Vale is a wise mare, for a unicorn."

That's an interesting observation about Equestria.

She hissed under her breath. "No, Saffron. That's not what this is about. Charlie is—Firefly is fine, I hope. She doesn't have the same magic I do, and by now she got my letter. I'm sure she's keeping herself out of the Equestrian eye."

Hah!

[Alyarin9000]

So, the breezies share some of the cult's suspicion of Equestria. Somewhat fits, with them being nature spirits. They will be at odds with any civilization, to some degree.

"You traveled from the same forbidden shore as that abomination. Its numberless conclaves are not mapped, so it could be that your fraction has some semblance of order."

Taking what the breezie said with what the abomination stated, we see a little more of what the nature of reality is in this world. Earth is 'balanced on a valence tightrope' - e.g. reality is just barely able to sustain order. Just beneath the surface, contained... The abominations lay. Watching and waiting, for a vacuum metastability event to tear through our reality and let them out... At which point, they will be able to feast on the veritable buffet of magic that humans unknowingly possess.

"The little firefly's name is Charlie, then?" Saffron floated past her.

Should we be mildly concerned at that?

Overall, Lilac continues to get poisoned against Equestria by forces outside of her understanding. The cult, for their evil purpose. The breezies, to keep her in a position of weakness where they can manipulate her as fey do. Equus is a world of danger, and Equestria is certainly more than a 'party of friendship' - but you don't have to be mean to efficient and pragmatic, especially when friendship is magic (and thus, friendship is power).

11208437

The not-so-best case being they're alicorns really are coming back and may attempt to dismantle her rule.

Eh, we're centuries after the defeat of the old alicorns. Celestia's forgiven Discord, for stars' sake. A bit of cooperation and good will should go a long way towards convincing the sisters that the two are safe. And Firefly is starting down that path...

Ridding the country of a religious cult will require more subtlety than just burning or sieging a disloyal town. Especially in a time of peace so government conspiracy isn't off the table.

- we don't know how long the cult has been around, not how widespread it is. It certainly has deep pockets, i'll say that much...

Yes, our heroes come from somewhere 'below'. And yes, once Equestria figures that out, they could be skeptical. Yet, as Lilac said - they do not corrupt the ground they walk on, and if they are indeed alicorns (which I see as likely accurate at this point), they are in fact native to Equus in the first place.

Looking at this from Equestria's perspective: We know an ultra-powerful species of Equus-natives have been banished to the below. There was a surge of magic from below, and immediately afterwards an ultra-powerful pegasus filly was spotted... There is indeed reason for caution, but if the obvious alicorn cooperates in destroying a cult loyal to the ancient alicorns (and shows no hostility towards the investigators), then surely that bumps them up from 'execute/imprison' (if that was even in the cards) to 'monitor with spies, attempt to recruit - if they turn to our side they could be BIG'. The very fact that Firefly didn't react to the magic scan probably shows Twilight that she isn't thinking like a spy, at the very least...

The nightmare-scenario Equestria will be afraid of, and which COULD freak out Twilight if it occurs to her, is the possibility that the scry was a failed attempt to make a portal to bring through an army... But the obvious question is, WHY make it fail? Either the alicorn doesn't know what to do (implying a lack of organization, and something is off), or she's trying to attract investigators for some absurd reason.

[FanOfMostEverything]

it's exactly like the ones ponies would use for searching the safe realms.

And there's your problem. Just because a windbreaker is suitable for a stroll through a park doesn't make it appropriate attire for a dive into a piranha tank. Observation inevitably affects the observed.

In any case... yeah, Keen Focus really doesn't appreciate just who she's dealing with. But she'll definitely find out in short order.

[FOXTrot2]

Well, these breezies are just full of doom and gloom, aren't they?

[Lexiebommel10]

As a tomboy Keens bullshit really riles me and I'm so glad that you've provided a bit of hope.

[Raistlin]

11209618

For a bunch of fey, they are downright nice.

[ponepony]

Keen Focus would not let her eat until she was dressed and prepared, right down to the corset under one of the stupid dresses. And if she stumbled or did anything with less than perfect grace, it was back to the beginning of the entire stupid routine.

i.redd.it/lx0ia0zrw5ux.png

Keen Focus looked like she'd been waiting for just such an occasion. She puffed herself up, making her delicate way over to Lilac. "If you wanted that, you should've been born a unicorn. Magic is forever beyond you, earth pony. In my day, being a proper lady would be too, and you would be hauling a tractor out in the field somewhere. Thanks to our enlightened princess, we no longer rule that way. So you can be a proper wife to a unicorn stallion. With a few steps to ensure your only children are unicorns as well, we can... resolve this unfortunate bump in the Vale family road. That is your purpose, nothing more."

This is actually really hot. I would love to see one of them become a good (male) wife.

[tsaukpaetra]

Malicious compliance time! Let's see how well Lilac can act a Fae...