Policy of Truth
"So," Elvis started, "What's all this for, caballo?"
Twilight, followed by an exuberant Pinkie and her large, disgruntled friend, answered him flatly. "Applejack needs our help. Apple Bloom said that they saw something strange sitting in their shack. We need to see how sound the situation is."
"You can quit with the alliteration now." Elvis said, nonplussed.
"Sorry." She considered her words carefully. "Apple Bloom also said that she wanted you to come along just in case our mystery guest ends up being dangerous later down the line. From what I was told, it seemed rather weak currently, being barely able to stand, so I doubt there isn't any danger. However, there's absolutely nothing wrong with a little extra security."
"And there is nothing wrong with some extra company either!" Pinkie added with a bright smile.
"No, there isn't."
The trio made their way towards Sweet Apple Acres, talking about the current events between the three of them. Twilight talked about her research in trying to find a way to send Bael and Elvis where they belong. When Pinkie asked about Rarity's new friend, Dumah, Twilight replied he did not wish to go back to a place that has nothing left for him. She also went on to talk about how Fluttershy had left Ponyville for the week to continue trying to reform Discord while also helping Bael adjust. Pinkie merely talked about what's been going on at the bakery, and her disappointment that Dumah refused her offer of giving him a party. Elvis cheered the pink party planner up by offering to help construct an impromptu party for herself.
Upon reaching the farm's entrance, they noticed Applejack standing at the front of a closed barn, looking like she was rubbing her forehead in frustration. The trio approached her, and upon getting closer, they could hear the sound of laughter coming from inside.
"Ooh! Did someone tell a doozy of a joke?" Pinkie asked harmlessly, "I'm down for a good gut buster, hee hee!"
"Applejack may have a sharp wit, but she's no stage comedian," Twilight responded, "Besides, that laughter sounds a little... unhinged."
"You ain't whistling dixies on that one, caballo."
"Ain't nopony gonna say howdy 'fore they start talkin' like ah'm not there?" Applejack deadpanned, looking toward them.
"Sorry, Applejack, I guess we were-"
"Howdy, Applejack!" Pinkie interrupted in exclamation, punctuating it with a hug.
Applejack returned the hug to her friend. "Heh, howdy to ya too, Pinkie. Whachya doin' here?"
"Well, Twilight said you needed Elvis, so I thought I'd come along in case you needed me too."
"That's mighty kind o' you, sugarcube, but ah don't think he'd take too kindly to yer special brand of hospitality."
"He?" Pinkie asked.
"The varmint in the barn," the farm pony growled lightly.
"Anyway," Twilight cut in, "Sorry we were just talking behind your back there, I guess-"
"Think nothin' of it. Sorry ah was a bit short with you guys. Ah've just been havin' a bit of a time dealin' with our new guest."
"And what does our new guest look like exactly? Apple Bloom didn't supply any real details aside from that it looked red and grey, and really weird."
"To tell the truth, ah ain't seen anythin' like him before, 'cept with some vague similarities with Elvis,"
"He looks like a human?" Elvis asked.
"Ah don't have the foggiest of what a 'hew-mahn' is, but, sure, ah guess he does, if that's whachyer supposed to look like."
"Mind if we go inside the barn to see him for ourselves?" Twilight asked.
"Sure, if that's what ya want. Ah'll warn ya'll now. He has a bit of a sharp tongue. Mocked me fer the ten minutes it took you to git here."
"Well, THAT'S mean," Pinkie noted with a slight frown.
"Ya'll have no idea," she said flatly, "Oh, pardon mah question, but where's Apple Bloom?"
"Oh, I sent her off to find her friends. She isn't still grounded, is she?"
"Nah. She served her punishment. It'd be best she weren't here anyway at the moment. Not with that thing in the barn, at least."
Applejack opened the barn door, and the group stepped inside to see Monsoon leaning against a support beam. The reactions were quite varied: from Twilight's intrigued shock, Elvis' indifference, and Pinkie's elation. Applejack tapped on the bouncing pink pony's shoulder and shook her head at her friend, silently telling her whatever she was planning would be best put on hold. Pinkie quickly got the point, and bounced a lot slower while minimizing her smile to show that she understood the mute request.
Twilight glanced back and forth from Monsoon and Elvis, and took note of a few things. While there were similarities, such as facial structure, limb and muscle structure, and stature, the differences were all the more apparent. First thing to note was height differences. Elvis was easily a head and a half taller than Equestria's latest strange visitor. The fact, however, didn't make the maroon and darkly colored being any less intimidating. Which brought her to the other major difference that piqued her interest. Elvis looked relatively "normal", as far as she could tell without knowing what a human even was. Perhaps a little too rolly-polly if the belly button peeking out of his shirt was any indication, but not necessarily off. Monsoon however looked almost completely artificial. Even the skin of his face, however much she could actually see, seemed more like an imitation than real flesh. She knew that he had to be a living being rather than some construct, cause she can almost feel a natural stance and reaction of exhaustion coming from him. None the less, looking at this almost entirely synthetic being evoked a sense of caution as well as curiosity. No doubt the scientific secrets he held would mystify her for weeks, if not months or years.
"Would someone kindly tell that purple mutant horse to stop staring? It's not exactly polite," Monsoon sneered, kicking Twilight out of her revere. Applejack rubbed her face in a sigh, trying not to retaliate blindly on her friend's behalf.
"You're as mouthy as the average human, that's for sure," Elvis quipped as if he were confirming his suspicions.
"And what do we have here?" Monsoon asked, directing his attention to Elvis, "Something other than talking livestock. Seems like you've been working hard climbing to the top of the food chain, haven't you? Or were you just snacking on pastries all day?"
"Hey!" Pinkie interjected, "I worked hard making those pastries!"
Applejack couldn't help but chuckle a little as Elvis brought his hand to his forehead in annoyance. "Rosa, you're not helping."
"This is rather pathetic," Monsoon started with a dark laugh, "Honestly, if it weren't for my sensors indicating this was in fact reality, I'd have to believe I was hallucinating."
"You know," Twilight interjected, musing more to herself, "You're taking this a lot easier than one would think."
"It's only nature, running it's course," he said grimly, "If the universe means me to to be here, then who am I to question it? We have no choices to make. Nothing to answer for. This is a prime example." He looked Twilight dead in the eyes with a sickly grin. "Besides, what difference does it make if I'm here or back in Colorado. No matter where I'll be, I'll still be in a world of illusion and pestilence. Sapience merely brings disease and the grandest delusion of all: the idea of free will. Such fantasies are enough to irritate those truly aware of the natural order."
"You're starting to get on my nerves, pendejo." Elvis interjected.
"And what exactly do you plan to do about it?" Monsoon asked, "Talk is cheap, after all. If you really are a predator instead of a couch potato, then show me!"
Elvis balled his fists hard, and took one step forward. Monsoon grinned at the movement, but noticed the pink pony nudging the rotund man. Elvis looked down to Pinkie, whom had a look of concern in her eyes. Upon meeting her gaze, mutely pleading to him, Elvis let his hands unfurl and his anger slip away.
Monsoon let out a roar of laughter. "How exquisite! Subdued by a beast of burden, like a mouse to a lion. A true fairytale before my eyes!"
"Now, you just hold it right there, mister," Applejack started, "What the hay are you tryin' to say? That somethin' like Elvis can't get along with somethin' like us? That we can't have a peaceful friendship, as unlikely as it may be?"
"Peace. Friendship." He shrugged lightly, shaking his head. "What tired memes."
"Memes?" Twilight asked.
Monsoon ignored her and continued. "It's just a prettier, idealized version of a mutual alliance. As temporary as it is ultimately pointless. The world is about the self. The survival of the fittest. One day, you will need to turn your back on your allies to achieve your goals, and that's only if you don't die before it happens."
Twilight gritted her teeth in frustration, listening to him mock the very thing she held dear to her and studied for the longest time. However, it was Applejack that stepped forward.
"Now wait just a darn minute! Friendship ain't anything to laugh at. It helps us grow as individuals, makin' us stronger and better. Ah know ah wouldn't be the mare ah am t'day if it weren't fer mah friends. Ah'd likely still be trying to harvest an entire crop by mahself."
Monsoon clicked his artificial tongue in annoyance. "You know, I almost forgot what you are with that display of self awareness. But honestly, you're just replacing such a glorified word for what it really is. A herd mentality. I commend you for at least not lying to yourself, but stop romanticizing it."
"Ah ain't romanticizin' nothin'," Applejack spat with a snarl, "Ah value mah friends as much as ah value mah family, mah home, and even mah own life."
"How long would that last, Jack?" Monsoon retorted, "Even under the rules of the herd, dissent can still happen. You may still come to blows to each other, for one reason or another. We are all savages, even you oh-so-peaceful herbivores."
"That's easy," Applejack said with a smug grin, "Compromise. We can't always have exactly what we want, but we CAN hit the middle ground and git what we need."
"And what if your ideals are challenged? What if something comes forth opting for change in a much larger way than just some small disagreement? A shift in your so carefully established order. How would you compromise for that, or are you willing to fight tooth and nail to keep it the same?"
Applejack didn't entirely know how to answer that. It's true that most minor conflicts could be settled with compromise, but she also recalled on more than a few occasions that she and her friends fought to save Equestria. They fought to save their lives, their homes, and their peace. Their established order.
"No answer?" Monsoon asked with a mocking grin, "That's expected, Jack. You think you fight for what you believe is right, when in reality you're merely fighting for your own selfish desires of how the world should be. It's a hard pill to swallow, but maybe now you know you have all been living a lie. True, mutual peace can never be accomplished, just as the weather can't be changed by our will."
Applejack smiled to Monsoon's last remark. "Really? That's funny, cause, we CAN change the weather."
Monsoon's smile faltered. "That's a good joke, but it doesn't really help your case. Impossible is impossible for a reason."
"Don't believe me? See for yourself."
With that, Applejack, Pinkie, Twilight, and Elvis stepped aside, clearing a path for Monsoon to exit the barn. Curious, he stepped forth, hobbling a little as he was still adjusting to his returning strength, and walked outside. The landscape, though rather damp from the showers of last night, was vibrant and full of life. Even the town in the distance looked pastel and bright to him. And there, high in the sky, were winged horses, pushing around and kicking clouds into nothing, literally shaping the weather.
"The way ah see it," Applejack stated, "by yer logic, if we can shape the weather, we can find a way to accomplish true peace for everyone. Herbivore or otherwise. We CAN change a life of takin' to be a life of givin'. And we have, fer many many years."
"No," Monsoon uttered in dawning despair.
"What's wrong, 'Soony?" Pinkie asked, "Never seen a pegasus before?"
"This is impossible. This is an affront to NATURE!" He spat, spinning around, glaring at the four of them.
"This IS nature fer us, or don't you get that yet?" Applejack retorted.
Monsoon clutched his head, everything in his mind spinning and shattering as his perception of reality was challenged in the heaviest ways. He let a harrowing howl of anguish, everything in his body and soul telling him he needed to get away. As he activated two more electrolyte packs, giving him an extra boost of energy, he suddenly got up, and ran blindly into the forest from whence he came.
The four onlookers stood flabbergasted at the display in abject silence. They all looked to each other, unsure of whether or not they went too far, or if his sudden departure could end up becoming dangerous later down the line. In the end, the decided to go their separate ways, where Elvis and Pinkie returned to the bakery and Twilight returned to her library. Applejack wandered back to the house, and found Granny Smith sitting in a rocking chair, apparently having seen the whole thing.
"That whipper snapper has more than a few screws loose, eh?" she said, "Just because ya don't agree with somethin' don't mean ya should run away like like a school yard bully that got 'is comeuppance."
"Ah don't think this were some little disagreement he had, Granny," Applejack responded. She looked to the forest that Monsoon disappeared to. Ah hope you'll be alright. she thought honestly, before heading back inside to finally get ready for her day.
-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-v-o-
Monsoon bounded through the forest, vaulting over fallen trees and crashing through bushes in his way, trying to go as deep and as far from the source of his discontent as he could. As soon as he felt he was as deep enough inside, he slowed down, gradually sauntered up the the biggest tree nearby, and sat beneath it. Rubbing the top of his head out of habit, he tried to process what he saw.
Denial was the first thing to cross his mind. Despite what he saw, he kept telling himself there was no way that a horse could fly, let alone shape the sky as they saw fit. Then he remembered how his ocular sensors picked up their proper body heat signatures, utterly dashing his hopes of out and out denial. He then figured it must have just been some clever parlor trick, but that still didn't explain the airborne equines that were now scarred at the back of his mind.
The whole thing was enough to keep him from appreciating the irony of it all. A cybernetic man that can detach pieces of him at will and manipulate metal objects in the style of psychokinesis couldn't believe the idea of weather manipulating, flying, talking ponies. To be fair, he could buy the talking ponies bit. He was an avid subscriber to the idea of evolution, and figured it wasn't impossible for herbivores to reach sapience, no matter how unlikely it would be. However, the idea of magic was just simply inconceivable, if not entirely absurd.
He violently scratched at his helm, clenching his teeth together in frustration, slowly coming to terms with the reality. Despite his slow attempt at coping, he couldn't entirely accept it.
"Those things," he uttered bitterly, "how much do they bastardize the rules of nature for their own whims? How long have they fought against the way things should be? How is it possible?"
As if being answered, clicks within the trees all around him seemed to rhythmically play out in agreement. Monsoon stopped and listened closely. It almost sounded like Morse code, if only so heavily encrypted that it seemed scattered and broken. It was then that he had the feeling that he was being watched intently. Slowly, the cyborg got up from his seat, getting into a defensive stance as he pawed at his red phosphorous grenades at his sides.
"I'm in no mood to be spied on. If you don't have a death wish, then it would be wise if you'd kindly leave. I have more than enough on my mind as it is without eavesdroppers."
Then, there was a voice. A female voice. Commanding, dark, sultry, and reverberating from within itself. It made the atmosphere of the forest feel much heavier and much more dangerous.
"Oh, don't be so harsh on a kindred spirit, stranger," the voice said. The leaves all around him shook and swayed as if to emphasize the comment positively. "I want nothing more than to share in your burden, and help you any way I can."
Monsoon tightened up a bit more, weary of the unknown that not even his sensors could track. "Show yourself, before I pull a disappearing act of my own. And considering the lack of cyborgs that I've seen, I highly doubt you'd be able to handle it." Then, he pulled one of the grenades from one of his pouches, and held it aloft. "You have three seconds."
There was a light chuckle, as the leaves shook and began blowing from a wind that mysteriously started up. The leaves began to increase in number as they swirled in the air, and focused in front of him. Not a moment later, a pitch black being with a long, dark cerulean mane and translucent insect wings stepped out from the torrent of loose foliage. Monsoon slowly put the grenade back into its rightful pouch, and clicked it shut before relaxing. It stood eye level to the cyborg, and stared confidently at him with moderate harlequin green eyes, with slits of greyish opal pupils.
"And what are you supposed to be?"
The new being gave him a dark, sharp toothed smile, complete with fangs, before saying, "Why I, my dear stranger, am Queen Chrysalis. And this, is my hive." With that declaration, the forest around him warped, as hundreds of smaller creatures like her, minus the lengthy manes, appeared all around him, as if they were all under a natural version of optic-camo. Monsoon was both impressed and disturbed that they were able to hide so well, even from his advanced optical sensors. "And I mean exactly what I've offered earlier. I want to help you."
She slowly cantered forward confidently, keeping her eyes on him as he kept his on her. "I want to correct this obvious abhorrent affront to nature those ponies have been causing for so long. I want a world that obeys the course of the world. The true, natural course. And most of all, my little guest," she said, stepping up face to face, inches away from Monsoon, "I want to send you home, to where you belong. Do you accept my offer?"
Monsoon stared into her fatal eyes. Their dark reflection mirrored his blood colored helm as he smiled wickedly within them. "Tell me, your Majesty, what do you require of me?"
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Oh no. Monsoon no.
5921006 What did you expect? Mwa hah hah hah hah haaaaah.
5921378
I expected his internal screaming to be something like this.
Missed this.
You can remove the period between Majesty and what and replace it with a comma.
Flows more fluidly.
YOUR EDITOR HAS SPOKEN
5921443 See people? We miss shit all the god damn time. It's highly appreciated if you point out any errors or mistakes that we may have missed.
Thank you very much for catching this now, Joey.
Here's who I think 1 of the last 2 characters will appear: Kratos(God of War), Nemesis(Resident Evil), an Ork(Warhammer 40k), Baraka(Mortal Kombat), or Hecarim(League of Legends).
5923062 You'll have to wait and see... though, I'll tell you this right now. Kratos will not be in this fic. He's not classified as a villian/enemy/antagonist in his game series.
5923071 True but he's not exactly a "hero" ether.
5923074 That would be an Anti-hero, my friend. Still not a villain.
5923094 Fair enough
5923071
Maybe then Vergil from Devil May Cry? Even if we already did Dmc.
5923641 Already kinda being done by a friend of mine, and I make a point in trying to avoid copying ideas from others when I can. If you wanna know about that story, look for "Pony May Cry: Brotherhood is Magic"
5921378
Still, I am glad this is getting up to speed. I am eager to see the other two who you revealed on that post a few years ago on here. Heh heh, I have a strange feeling that Twilight Sparkle is the last one of the six to meet her monster.
fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2014/103/b/d/griffith_by_alempe-d7ebjsi.jpg
Griffith, get out of here
that said, i really like how you're showing a Monsoon, who's sane...by being insane
i just hop he really isn't going to do something incredibly stupid with Chryssy...it can't end well
5924251 I'm just as excited as you are, my friend. Also, on a very recent blog post of mine, I have stated I'm taking a break from writing to work on some other stuff and just generally relax for a bit before I come back swinging. So, it might be a little while before we see more of this mayhem.
5924444 Oh my god, you are NOT wrong. But let's be perfectly honest here. First, Monsoon is insane. Always has been ever since he was a traumatized, orphaned street urchin in Phnom Penh, and only got worse when he participated in gangs, and ultimately hired as a psycho for hire by World Marshal (well, after he almost died in a shoot out, that is). The second thing is Monsoon is probably a little more sane than Griffith is. Mostly because he's more aware of things. Well, up until his views are challenged and is offered a path or least resistance, then he's going to have a tough time being aware of circumstances.
Thanks for the comments, guys! Really appreciate it.
5924974 you're welcome
Must be what makes him a creepy one, he's aware of things, and he's taking it pretty well, he's even aware that he died
5925219 It was a pretty traumatizing and painful experience. Considering that he's a cyborg, and might have some heavily improved memory, I doubt that thought and feeling of dying would ever really go away.
5895739 Also, just to be fair, I didn't give you that downvote. I don't know who did, as your concern was valid (since, again, the first EQG movie kinda sucked), if a little misguided, but I guess that'll remain a mystery.
5924444
GRIFFITH DID NOTHING WRONG!
oi61.tinypic.com/25tfax4.jpg
5926075 Are you sure ?
this sword seems to think otherwise.
data3.whicdn.com/images/22550225/large.jpg
5936594 well, if you don't like it, you don't like it. Glad you finally gave it a chance.
5936594 Also, and this is just out of curiosity, but did you just only read the first chapter?
5936737 I didn't say I didn't like it. I said it didn't attract my attention yet. And yes, I only read the first chapter beause I need to go to bed seeing how late it was and how tired I was.
5938630 Fair enough
5940439 Glad you like it. I await to hear from you once again when you've seen the other arcs.
5983803 Well, you aren't wrong to feel a little conflicted, however, I should point out that Fluttershy has seen what Sombra is like; has seen how the crystal ponies reacted to his invasion on the Empire at the beginning of season 3, and knows (to a small degree) how much of a monster he is. While Sombra is still a sapient creature, akin to a pony, she knows that he's something far worse, and being an individual that understands certain natural needs when it comes to carnivorous or omnivorous creatures (in the case of Bael being carnivorous), saw an opportunity to fight back against an approaching threat that could harm her friends. Besides, she could see what they were as the blizzard had died down, and noticed that they were all copies of each other, which could hint that they were at the very least not entirely what they were appeared to be. She guessed they were mere replicas, likely not really fully understanding how right she was, and not knowing that Bael had an indirect involvement in creating them.
I will also be perfectly honest and say that Bael's arc is likely the weakest of this story, which is why it's likely bothering you a little. It's a tad rushed, the first half has some direction issues, and I probably didn't write out the whole arc in the best way. Unfortunately, the arc in question is a bit too set in stone, in a way that I can't change anything plot relevant without entirely scrapping the arc as a whole and working from the ground up. Which would unfortunately take far too long. Still, it's not BAD, but most definitely the weakest of the set thus far.
5983803 But thanks for the comment. I'll try to keep up a better quality for the future chapters.
5984886 I will be fair with you. You're right about some things that you've said. The first thing is that Bael is indeed a simple creature: seeing himself as the big fish in a small pond. Even going so far as to still retain his mindset when he winds up in Equestria, a land very unfamilliar to him. Being arrogant, cruel, and all around beastly is his character, but there is something that I've kinda brought forth that was proven in previous DMC games that I wanted to establish. He's not a creature completely without honor (despite hiding with is special gas in battle), which is something that he, or many other demons more or less fearsome than he is, tend to stick to in various degrees.
However, his honor is not the main draw. As the theme was Kindness in the first arc, I was more going for something where he was only beginning to get a grasp of such a concept. It was only after that these ponies entered a contract with him, and even saved his life (thus sustaining his contract), that he'd start to see that there maybe is something to it. His story isn't about a bad guy being completely (or almost completely) reformed within a days time by a kindly pony, but a start of a journey after being taken in and shown the virtue he so sorely lacks. When Bael eventually does make his return in future side stories (and the true sequel to this story), he'll be given plenty of opportunities to grow a bit more.
To the Sombra bit, I can understand your concerns. I still see him as a scared kid consumed by that black heart when he was put to an end, but that's just my own headcanon of Sombra really. However, i have to point out that he's demonstrated nothing but villainy and cruelty since he entered the arc. Full out conquest, the desire of enslavement and destruction, even attempting to use Bael himself as a puppet to either weaken or destroy his opposition. The idea of Kindness, let alone any virtue, had left him long ago, leaving nothing more than a monster that can replicate himself if supplied. Perhaps Bael could have taken a higher road and just left the heart behind, but honestly, there's no telling what could have happened if they just turned their back on him. There's also no telling what could have gone down if some individual would have returned there. Plus, Bael is hungry, knows only that Sombra tried to use him the first time around, and tried to kill him the second and third time, so the high road only really yielded consequences that could have ended up biting everyone in the ass later (and, considering that Sombra tried his damnedest to take over the Crystal Empire BEFORE Bael arrived in the present timeframe of the canon of the show, it's pretty much a given he'd try again if left alone, or worse)
I'm sorry Bael's arc of the story is not to you're liking. It is most certainly the weakest, as I've mentioned. But, perhaps you should read on and maybe try Elvis or Dumah's arcs (Laughter Cools the Tempered Heart and Generosity Graces the Vain Heart respectively). Elvis's time doesn't take just a day, so there's a bit more character development with him, and I kind of do a bit of a character study on Dumah on what he was and how he failed as a king in his past. Maybe you'll like them better.
Thank you once again for you comment, and I'm really sorry the first arc just didn't sit well with you. I will most definitely keep it in mind when I come back to Bael himself in future stories.
5984978 Shannon was another character from the same game that Elvis came from. I show her off a little in the early part of the story, and talk about her a little more later. The just that you need to know, if you don't get it from reading the arc, is that she's a demon like him, and has succubus like and tsundere tendencies.
5984886 Also, just wanna add this. I know you were just trying to make a point, but I honestly think it's a bit of a hyperbole that Fluttershy would need that kind of help for stepping on an ant by accident... ... then again, as a pegasus, she can kind of just fly everywhere she goes, so... it guess it's a moot point against me?
5985094 I know that the story was most likely improved from this point on. I just wanted to point out that the most important part of a story is, still, its beginning. When you're trying to hook the reader.
You've explained already that you want to remake the beginning when you would have the time. Just consider this a reminder to put a pin on.
I'm not sure how you could more efficiently hook the reader, however. What can you do? Maybe you could cause the frog to be more ridiculous with his high and mighty attitude somehow? Either way, it really does need a little something which the reader might find interesting by the time Bael suddenly stops his rampage through the city. Make the story develop a little bit more chaotically, no pun intended.
Regarding Sombra's death, maybe you should somehow have Twilight join and make sure he doesn't die?
5986989 I wish I could have Bael go a little crazier early on in the arc after he arrived, but the truth of the matter is if he went as far as he could while in Equestria just like he did during his boss encounter in DMC4, he'd be destroying the Crystal Empire. Fun and exciting? Yes. Counter productive and ultimately pointless? Unfortunately so. Like I said, I would have to REALLY restructure the arc, but that would not just take alot of time, but also be exceedingly difficult. Bael isn't the easiest kind of character to work with. Not just his personality, but his physical stature as well.
With that said, he's also going to pose a few problems later in the story, but I've figured out a way to get around that. Gonna need a magic macguffin, but it's not too in your face.
You're probably wondering "Why don't you just scrap Bael if he's going to prove to be that difficult?". It's mostly because the fic's premise, and the fic itself as a whole, wouldn't have existed if I hadn't come up with the idea in the first place once upon a winter. But nevermind that, eh?
I will keep the idea of restructuring the first arc in mind, but I doubt it will be soon, if at all.
As for Twilight showing up, couple things wrong with that: 1. This isn't Twilight's story. It's Fluttershy's. Twilight got far too involved with it as it were, and even more so when she pulled a Deus Ex Machina by saving the dumb toad from doom in the end. 2. Twilight wouldn't have been able to catch up with him anyway. She was wanting to make up with Fluttershy, and the only reason she ended up going the tower (which was collapsing after Bael finished his job) was to follow said friend. Twilight, to a degree, really didn't care too much as to what would have happened to the demon if they all left well enough alone and not see any of the events transpire. Mostly because she knows he's a monster of a creature and would likely be able to take care of himself, but it's Fluttershy's own worry that dragged her along and kinda showed her that even giant toadies need a little help.
Regardless of the reason, though, she couldn't really do anything to prevent the end of Sombra... And, while I feel like a jerk for saying this, I doubt she'd be too steadfast in saving one of the villains that just tried to take over the Crystal Empire TWICE before here eyes, and was very willing to pretty much kill her brother... AGAIN, TWICE.
So, yeah, I have to defend the fact that Twilight wasn't there to stop Bael. Not just for plot reasons, but for moral and situational reasons too.
5987031 Okay, I suppose you're right. Maybe Twilight wouldn't be able to muster the mercy, or catch up in time. And having Bael somehow muster the mercy is completely unfeasible as well...
Maybe you could change the theme? Instead of "anyone can change for the better", maybe it can be "not everyone has the chance to become better people"? Create a contrast between the toad and Sombra?
5987060 Well, a couple things. The first is that I kinda did set up the contrast. Sombra is a LOT less willing for a comprimise just due to his aggressive, arrogent, violent nature, while Bael at least humors it to small degrees through his "agreements". The contrast between the creatures that show up and the villains that they face is a theme, but only a secondary theme, if anything.
The other thing is that Bael did change. Or, at least, he's starting to. He never figured his personal agreement set up as a deterrent would actually benefit him outside of keeping him from being scammed and bullshitted, and is beginning to realize a little that there isn't anything wrong in accepting advice, assistance, or even just a few kind words from something that you believe is beneath you. He's not 100% changed. Not even 30% changed. Maybe not even 15%, but he's at least putting a foot forward.
As I've said, the arc is more starting his journey for change, rather than his complete metamorphosis.
5988141 I know it's not a real mirror. I've seen the episode.
Also, are you sure the real one was stuck in an alternate dimension? Cause, I'm pretty sure, with how the "Too Many Pinkie Pies" worked, that that wasn't the case. Also with how the other pinkies were very 1 dimensional in their personality, it kinda helps the idea that it makes copies, rather than does cross dimensional traveling.
5988276 It helps that Elvis himself is EXTREMELY entertaining as a character in his game from the get go, you get lots of time to see and fight him, and he has some hinted moments of being more than just a loud, smoke heavy mexican that knows kung fu.
5988464 When she found the Mirror Pool, she was pulled INTO the water, not the other way around. Also, afterwards, they were calling Applejack differently.
I noticed it from the get go. No one else seems to have done it.
5990447 They, save for just one, were all acting oblivious. Honestly, I think the magic of the mirror pool only makes you think that you go through it when you recite the correct enchantment for it when in reality the user is just standing there under a slight illusion, before creating the duplicate for the user to pull out of. Remember, Pinkie (the real one) had to literally TEACH them all the names and faces of her friends. IE, the original pinkie knows EVERYTHING about the world, while the copies are only interested in a basic desire. In Pinkie's case, it was fun at the time.
5990568 You seem to be forgetting who you're dealing with. The alternate Pinkies had no obligation to be reasonable. Ours just happened to be, probably because she was the one who initiated the spell and was the only one who wasn't caught up in the moment.
Not like it matters, though. Must I re-watch the episode and link you to the moment when they called Applejack whatever they did? Cause I consider that fact a lot more important.
5990596 I've watched the episode several times, and honestly your point only really supports my claim. None, save for the original Pinkie, really knew Applejack, or any of the ponies. They were driven by the desire of "fun" for no other reason than it's own, while the Real Pinkie was actually fretting over how the fakes were causing such problems and how she may not even be the real one in all the confusion, expressing a genuine depression. An expression and reason never even reached by any of the other Pinkies. It's not an argument on whether or not they should act reasonable, rather than that they have absolutely no clue on BASIC INFO ABOUT THE PONIES THEY SHOULD KNOW REGARDLESS. Even names were lost on the fakes until the real one sat them down and litterally taught them all, and they STILL were flubbing that information. If there is one thing Pinkie is, it's knowing EVERYONE, right down to a T, no matter who it is.
If they were all alternate universe versions, they STILL would have at least identified who everyone is on a basic level, and LEAST would have behaved in a relatively normal Pinkie way. But they weren't. Rather, the other pinkies were all acting as exaggerations of what Pinkie is like. All of them. Identically.
They are copies. There wasn't any trans-dimensional travel involved in that episode.
5990656 yeah, yeah, whatever. They changed it. Had Pinkie say Applejohn and everyone else say Applejack normally. It was the other way around when I saw the episode. That's how it is. Stop arguing with me!
5990691 I argue because it's worth it. Also, I was agreeing that they flubbed the name. I was just saying that it's really more of that they were imperfect copies that didn't know, well, anyone.
Pinkie is silly, strange, and sometimes a little backwards, but an airhead that forgets names she is not. That's all I'm getting at.
5990691 Re-reading it, I'm realizing that I've kinda flubbed what you were saying... sorry man. Though, i guess my points still kinda stand.
5990691 Kinda rewatching the episode now myself. The fake says AppleJohn, right around the time it was passing by Fluttershy. Even Fluttershy says "Who's Applejohn?". The real one, with Dash, not only said the right names, but also was aware and courteous of Dash's desire to relax quietly. Then the fake, when telling the real one what she did, mentioned Fluttershutter, where the real one corrected with Fluttershy. THEN the fake called Applejack Applesause in the same scene...
Back to the identification of the real Pinkie, when she had an army of Pinkie clones, that all took off without her, they pestered and bugged Dash, ruining her relaxation, while the real one was planning to set up a little raft that she could push Dash around on, believing it to be, and I quote "Fun AND relaxing". Then immediately running away when she realized Dash was extremely annoyed and upset that the pinkie clones were pestering her that badly, not wanting to add to the confusion or be blamed for the ruckus.
Yeah, see what I'm saying?
5990768 Done yet?
5990967
No, it's you're. You are honestly refreshing. "Your" is a possessive.I'm an idiot.
Also, never played Warcraft 3... I've seen it, watched some people play it before. RTS's aren't exactly my cup of tea (except Brutal Legend. That game's just awesome, but it helps that the game is much more than an RTS)
5990859 Yeah... *pant* *pant*... I think i'm done...
5991526 SHIT! Typos are going to be the end of me.
Also, she didn't really realize the water would have been that bad... until she actually tasted it.
And, let's be fair, when is Rarity ever going to need a water purifying spell aside from now? She's a posh unicorn living in a small town that had clean drinking water. She also works really hard, and might like the idea of instantly appearing in a location she needs to get to very quickly, especially if she's working on something in another room.
Though, trust me, when she got back to Ponyville, she asked Twilight about that spell.
5991815 His constrict ability. When Dumah hits the ground with his fist, causing the area to shake as if an earthquake happened, and successfully stuns the player, he runs a circle around you to form a band of energy which suddenly and violently constricts, doing an absolute shit tonne of damage. Then he starts draining what ever's left of your soul.
Honestly, its only use in Soul Reaver is to turn certain ground dials. Otherwise, it's pretty much useless.
When Dumah gets his soul devoured by Raziel, Raziel gains that power, but looses it by the time Soul Reaver 2 happens.
5991826 You're asking because you saw the title of the part, didn't you?
I actually currently have no plans to bring him back, BUT... I'll keep it in mind. You never know with that clever shadow crystal pony monster...