The Nightmare Parade

by Wanderer D

Chapter 4: Beyond Emotion

Chapter 4: Beyond Emotion
by Wanderer D

Practice had gone well. Sweetie's mind had been on the conversations she'd had with Neon Clove and Stern Label. She'd known Shades longer. She should trust her but… there was so much happening!

Thankfully, the system Clove had implemented worked in a much gentler way than the original. Rather than flipping a switch, the emotional emulator slowly increased in the countdown to start, and by the time she needed to dance, perform and sing, she felt energized and happy… but not out of control. She could manage her feelings this time around.

"Okay, Clove, turn on your app."

"Alright… checking security measures and limiters… and on."

Suddenly Sweetie could feel… more. Not just her own feelings, but those of the dancers around her, and she could sense her own emotions push and brush against them, sharing the energizing and slightly euphoric feelings from the emulator onto them, then onto the techs, then onto Shades, even.

Everycreature around her stood taller, felt happier. The dancers' movements had an extra spring to them, as if each jump and twirl, bow and stretch was a cause for joy and celebration. And because it wasn't that crazy, overwhelming, addicting flash of emulated endorphins, Sweetie still had control over her actions, voice, and thoughts.

Beyond her team, like a gentle breeze in her memory, she could feel others. Shades… felt worried. Scared. Anxious. And yet hungry for something. The technicians were confident, uncaring. Neon Clove… adoring. Confident. Mischievous with a hint of sympathy.

What a difference from the almost-violent overload she had been experiencing so far. And yet, despite its more gentle approach, she felt somehow that its reach could be… bigger. Her senses were now connected to more than just the system, they went beyond the warehouse, beyond the city… she brushed the beyond with her consciousness.

Beyond.

Beyond.

And that was when she realized that she would be able to see so much more. Including the things others were hiding from her.

And she could reach it now…

Sweetie extended a hoof to the ephemeral concept of the infinite that was, for a moment… within her grasp.

She was flesh and bone and blood and beating heart once more. Or at least a digital version of all of those. No metal. No cybernetics that she could feel. She was… Sweetie Belle. Whole. She had fur and a mane and squishy parts again.

…us…

It was surreal to feel fully organic again while actually digitalized. Sweetie took a moment to enjoy the feelings coursing through her at that point before turning around and gaping at the Moonflow.

"Oh, no." Eyes wide, she stared at the infinite made digital.

Twilight Sparkle's Moonflow blocked magi-digital sprites and rogue magic from interfering with the real world, but it was created by the magical resonance and AI of that very same 'real world'. She knew this. It was common knowledge; you didn't need to be a runner to understand just how dangerous this thing was.

Some said it had been spelled into existence in an act of desperation by the Princess of Friendship. A last effort to prevent the inevitable destruction of Equestria through its own creations. Celestia and Luna never dealt with the consequences of creating life, artificial or otherwise. They hadn't needed to… but ponies had moved on. Twilight had moved on. Magic and technology intermingled into a completely new, unforeseen concept and possibility… and it had backfired.

Traditional magic could not act on its own against it, not without the digital aspect of it. It had to be dealt with in the same 'language' that had created it. And so Twilight Sparkle had created 'The Moonflow'.

The aurora-like effect in the technomagical spectrum was a thing of beauty. A digital and magical weave that defied imagination even though the only way she could see it like this was through imagination.

She understood that the wall of multi-colored flow of light was as much a construct of her mind trying to make sense of it, as the fact that those ghost-like creatures brushing against its surface like fish in a pond, were Magical AIs that would consume a pony's mind in a second. The magical and digital weave whispered almost-recognizable sounds… noises that almost sounded like words, conveyed concepts that the mind could almost grasp… and yet not.

…ussss….

They were not real words, she told herself. But she also felt—somehow—that she had been here before, standing before the majestic wall that separated her reality from that of the vast unknown. And though this took place essentially in her mind's eye, it was as real as any surface she could touch or walk on in Equestria.

It had to be Twilight's presence.

Twilight had made this. And somehow Twilight was still there. Sweetie Belle could feel it. A strange familiarity with the magic. She felt memories trying to surface, somehow trapped under something… like a heavy wet blanket, pulling them down as they tried to disentangle from the mess that was her mind… drowning them away from her consciousness.

"N-no!" Sweetie gasped, staring at the wall as it domed above her, as if a massive dragon was skimming its surface and would get through with just a bit of a push. "N-no! I want to remember! Don't take that away from me!"

Her body danced. Her body sang. Her body transmitted feelings of confidence and happiness. Her body—high on endorphins and a slight attraction to the mare that she had just met and quickly broken all rules with—was on display for other dancers and her manager and Neon Clove to adore… her mind, her true mind, stood here.

And she needed to fight to keep her true mind. She could already see—below, above around her—the technomagical locks that suppressed so much of her thoughts and memories. Could this be why she couldn't remember when she'd last seen Scootaloo or Apple Bloom? The last time she had been with her sister?

"Twilight!" she called out. "Twilight, help me! If you can hear me, it's Sweetie Belle!"

…ussss….

"Shut up!" she shouted at the ephemeral figures beyond the light of the Moonflow.

The Moonflow rippled like gelatin at the sound of her voice. The strange whispers of rogue magical AIs elongated, almost turned into moans of anger, desperation… eagerness. As if her presence there foretold a promise of deliverance.

Giant claws formed as an invisible magi-digital creature, massive and unimaginable, pressed against the Moonflow, trying to break through before it was either pushed back or deleted.

"Twilight!" Sweetie cried again, unable to pass the opportunity to reach out. "Please!"

One chance to get some answers, to speak to a familiar face not connected to her job.

And suddenly the noises were gone. There were no whispers from intelligences that defied organic comprehension. No swishing or rustling behind the wall of light that kept everycreature safe.

Quiet.

Sweetie gulped, looking at the infinite length of the Moonflow. A shiver ran down her back as her senses screamed at her. Something stood behind her. She needed to turn and face it but… she was afraid.

But she needed to. So she did.

This was not Twilight Sparkle.

And yet, she was. Standing taller and slimmer than before, regal in all her power, gazing down at Sweetie Belle… her coat glitching in different hues of purple, her eyes a chromatic dance of colors, her mane billowing in the currents of magic the opposite colors and shades of the Moonflow.

"Sweetie Belle."

"T-Twilight?"

"You must not touch… the Moonflow."

"But I need to know what's happening to my friends! Where is everyone? What happened to Yumi? Can I find that there?"

"The Moonflow will only bring you… despair."

"But—"

Twilight's eyes flashed.

…One…

Sweetie was back in her body. The whole thing seemed to have taken hours in her mind, but her GUI said barely a few seconds had passed. A message popped up:

EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM EMULATOR CYCLE COMPLETE. NETWORK CONNECTION LOST.

Sweetie bit off swearing out loud. She had been so close to figuring things out! She knew the answer lay there, hiding in the Moonflow! It had to be! She could sense it there. She had to get back! But…

She tried her usual connection methods. She didn't even know where to begin! She checked her logs, pinged out, probing the ICE and firewalls around her. Nothing worked. How had she managed to do that? How had she gotten to the Moonflow?

Neon Clove's Emulator… somehow it had managed to get her past the firewalls. But how?

"So," the mare in question asked, shit-eating grin in place as she approached alongside Shades and several dancers. "What do you think?"

Sweetie blinked. Up until the moment she had found herself in the Moonflow, she had been… happy, but not in a weird way. Happy in the way she'd feel when doing her job right, in the way she'd feel like her songs mattered.

She felt no withdrawal, no slumping down as if she was an appliance and the electricity had been suddenly cut off.

"It was… great!" she said honestly, allowing a genuine smile to grace her face as she looked at Neon Clove. She pushed thoughts of the Moonflow away for now. Next to her, Shades' shoulders lost some tenseness and she seemed to lose years in a second. Sweetie hadn't realized how stressed the mare had been. She almost felt bad for her.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Clove said, walking over to her. "I knew the system would work, of course, but it's just so amazing you get to use it!"

"We're all glad it worked as intended." Shades took a deep breath. "Anyone experience any discomfort?"

"It was amazing!" Berylgyre, a cute Hippogriff with yellow and black feathers and fur said excitedly. "Like, I could even feel how happy Sweetie Belle was to be singing!" She looked up at Sweetie Belle with adoring eyes and clasped her claws together. "It was incredible!"

Sweetie Belle giggled. "You remind me of Silverstream."

The Hippogriff blinked, then tilted her head in confusion. "Silverstream… do you mean th—"

"Alright!" Shades interrupted. "Thank you, everycreature!"

They all spread out, giving the mare more space to talk. "Definitely a great practice run for the new emulation software. Please perform a scan on your systems to make sure it cleaned up after itself, just in case, and get ready for another practice run in ten."

The others called out their agreement then left the three of them alone.

"Neon?" Shade asked.

"Metrics were good, drew a bit more power and stronger connection than I had anticipated, but it's to be expected with the kind of equipment we have here. Some fine-tuning will do the trick."

"Good, good," Shades sighed and glanced at Sweetie, then at Neon Clove. "Why don't you two rest for a bit? I'm just… going to get some tea."

The pair watched the manager walk away, then looked at each other and giggled.

It was a testament of sorts that Shades trusted Neon Clove as much as she did. Sure, they were still followed by bodyguards, but the burly, serious ponies and griffons stayed far enough for them to have some semblance of privacy.

It seemed like Neon could now officially be considered not only an employee, but part of Sweetie's personal entourage.

"So what did you think? Really?" Neon Clove asked, leaning in a little. "I could feel you riding the emotional link."

Sweetie smiled. "It was very nice. But let's not talk about that for now. How about we eat something?"

SB: I think I got further than you intended.

NC: What do you mean?

SB: I think… I saw the Moonflow.

Neon Clove almost visibly spit her drink, earning herself a curious look from the bodyguards. "D-damn, this went down the wrong way…"

Sweetie giggled, giving her a warning glance. "Maybe you should drink slower?"

"Y-yeah, sorry. I'm just excited to be here."

NC: What do you mean 'the Moonflow'?! You have that kind of hardware in you?

SB: I don't… but it was incredible. And I think… I think I can get my answers there.

NC: Sweetie… the Moonflow is very dangerous. I'm sure you know it keeps horrifying things from coming to this side of it.

SB: I know… but I saw Twilight Sparkle there. I'm sure she can help me… help us figure out what happened to Yumi. And to Rarity and my friends.

NC: Wait, Twilight? As in Princess Twilight Sparkle?

SB: Yes. She looked weird, but it was definitely her. I haven't seen her in years. Ever since I left Ponyville.

NC: Ponyville? But that's… what's the name of your friends? Maybe I can look them up for you? You know, instead of getting our consciousness close to a thing that eats minds and magic stuff for breakfast?

SB: Fine… also… could you look into Silverstream, Gallus, Smolder—

NC: Whoa, whoa there, girl, I got you, but I can't go after too many people. Let me look into your sister and the friends you mentioned before… Scootaloo and Apple Bloom, right?

And my sister, Rarity… but please look into Silverstream too… I don't… that look Berylgyre gave me… it's strange.

NC: Got it. And… I got you, Sweetie Belle.

SB: You're too nice. You barely know me, Neon Clove… I get that you're a fan but—

NC: Yeah, it's weird I guess. It's just… I used my emotional emulator one time with one of your songs… you were doing an online concert and I was able to patch through the ICE they had in order to use my app to feel what you were feeling.

SB: Oh?

NC: I've been yours ever since.

"Alright! Let's get back to practice!" Shades called, walking into the room and looking properly caffeinated.

"Holy crap," Neon Clove muttered, losing herself in Corpo Heights. She watched where she was going. Walked around creatures, stopped at the right times, and didn't get run over by vehicles flying or otherwise.

She knew she was being followed, so she couldn't go see Gentle Cut. Not that she needed to, but who could she even talk to? Her friends from CSFA? Her old running mates? Old flames? The shadow of LightnSound hovered over her just like the weight of Shade's eyes, Sweetie Belle's desperation, and Yumi's weird transformation.

She had nocreature to talk to about all of this. Twilight Sparkle? Sweetie's past?

She slowed down, blinking slowly. "Twilight Sparkle…" Could it be? Could Sweetie really know her? That princess was completely out of her reach. But… what about her teacher?

She nodded firmly. She had a plan, and now she could act on it. But she needed to be inconspicuous about sending communications. Her apartment right now was going to be monitored, so she'd have to use the public network on the go.

And what better way of doing it than in the company of her watcher?

She turned in place and crossed eyes with the suit that was following her. Smirking, she motioned with her head when the griffon's eyes went wide.

Visibly cursing under his breath, the burly creature flew across the street to land next to her. "You've got a good eye, miss."

"Pays off when you live where I live… well, or used to live, in any case, since Sha-Stern Label sent me an email saying I've got an apartment now in Midtown. Care to walk with me to my old place to get my stuff? You were already going to end up following me."

"Hm." The Griffon walked with her, barely even grunting an acknowledgement.

She could tell he was amused, but his concentration rested now on other matters, and that's what she needed. Right now, he'd be paying attention to their surroundings, and she could carry two conversations at once. She ran the process to split her attention and quickly wrote a message.

Getting caught sending it over the public network, it wouldn't matter. It didn't say anything that would get her in trouble, after all. At least, not yet.

Dear Teacher,

I've hit the big leagues! I've been hired by LightnSound, and I'll be working with a friend of a friend of yours. Not to mention famous stars like Sweetie Belle and Yumi. I have some questions about how to improve my quality of work with them. I might not have to impress Twilight Sparkle in the flesh, but Stern Label is a demanding (and hot!) manager and it can't hurt to be careful about my performance.

Maybe we can talk soon?

Love,
Neon Clove

Short and sweet. And better yet, even if it was caught by anyone monitoring her transmissions, it was innocent enough that they would expect further communications to be on the same channel.

"Oh, come, let's go this way, there's a lift that goes all the way down to the Cloaca."

The Griffon winced. "I don't like that name."

"Eh, you'll be fine. Every creature becomes familiar with it after a while."

As expected, the return message came back, masterfully encrypted and hidden alongside an inquiry for her health and a heartfelt congratulations on her new job.

NC: I need information about a few creatures you probably knew.: Silverstream, Rarity, Scootaloo & Apple Bloom.

SS: Those are names I haven't heard in a while… did Sweetie bring them up?

NC: Yeah… who are they?

SS: It's going to be a long conversation. I'll contact you tonight.

Neon Clove frowned as she led the bodyguard to her apartment so they could grab her meager possessions. When her old teacher put things in those terms, it was never for good news.

Comments

[Reese]

"She knew the answer lied there"
"She knew the answer lay there"?

"NC: Wait, Twilight? As in Princess Twilight Sparkle?"
...Interesting, given that in the previous chapter, Neon Clove already knew that... and specifically said that Twilight "crossed into the Moonflow". Shortly before Sweetie believes she saw Twilight in the Moonflow -- and yet now Neon Clove shows surprise at this, and Sweetie finds nothing odd about that.
What are you up to, Neon Clove?

"And my sister, Rarity… but please look into Silverstream too… I don't… that look Berylgyre gave me… it's strange."
This line lacks the leading "SB:" and the color.

"NC: I've been yours ever since."
I'm sure that line has only the surface meaning and definitely no alternate possible ones. :D

"SS: It's going be a long conversation."
"SS: It's going to be a long conversation."?