/mlp/ - Pony » Thread #30611863

[489 / 210 / ?]

Pony Horror #9: Skeletons Edition

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 17:19:19 No.30611863 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>30611917 >>30612070 >>30614588 >>30622484 >>30687866 >>30765880

Thread theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAlNEY5qFbs [Embed]

Pastebin [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]: https://pastebin.com/8Rh6vzpC

Previous threads:
Pony Horror Thread #01: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/29607617
Pony Horror Thread #02: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/29698360
Pony Horror Thread #03: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/29805086
Pony Horror Thread #04: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/29957285
Pony Horror Thread #05: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/30094546
Pony Horror Thread #06: http://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/30268291
Pony Horror Thread #07: https://desuarchive.org/mlp/thread/30324584/#30324584
Pony Horror Thread #08: >>30461468

Previous thread stories:
"A Sound at the Window" by Waxworks: https://pastebin.com/Xi8WUpQY
"The Faces We Share" by Waxworks: https://pastebin.com/eyGSjZBm
Untitled story by Mshakezilla: https://pastebin.com/V7thmwe6 [temporary pastebin]

WIP:
"The Hayseed's Craft" by Waxworks: https://pastebin.com/HFgs0GJM

Artfag:
U2: http://imgur.com/a/gVAa5
DS Stoner (Which I think stands for Dapper Skeleton): I don't know if he has an archive, but he drops by a lot.

Soundtrack by Radiarc:
Forgotten [EP]: https://radiarc.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-ep
Mistaken (Album): https://radiarc.bandcamp.com/album/mistaken-album

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 28 Jul 2017 17:32:56 No.30611917 Report

Quoted By: >>30611927

>>30611863
And thus, the first pony/timberwolf hybrid was born.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Edelwood tree.jpg, 52KiB, 1280x720

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 17:35:17 No.30611927 Report

Quoted By:

>>30611917
I saw it more as an edelwood tree, like from Over the Garden Wall. I feel bad for naming the thread skeleton instead of edelwood edition. But I just woke up.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1497286003821.jpg, 1MiB, 2308x2892

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 18:01:48 No.30612070 Report

Quoted By: >>30612078

>>30611863
>>30609409
Despite my skills lying elsewhere, I lit up my horn and attempted a spell that was supposed to shield the user’s face from sand and dust. I didn’t know if it would work underwater, but I thought I should give it a shot. After all, the worst that would happen would be that it didn’t work, and I’d have to attempt to modify it. The spell was a struggle to cast, but I got it. I felt a cool breeze moving in circles around my head when it was done, and sat rather pleased with myself.
However, I couldn’t rest on my laurels quite yet. I needed to see if this spell would shield my head from water as well as sand and other flying grit. I positioned myself above the hole in the floor and once more stuck my head into the waters below. To my eternal delight, it seemed to work! I kept my head underwater for several more seconds, taking in a few quick breaths while immersed, then pulled my head back out.
I smiled wide as I shook the water off my neck, and pondered my swim some more. I still had no idea how many hours had passed, but I knew it couldn’t yet have been a full day. I’d rest a bit, letting my magic recuperate, then try to… actually dive in.
I gulped at the thought of putting my whole body in that all-encompassing darkness, but I didn’t have a choice. The cultists up above me held all the cards, and they didn’t seem the forgiving type. The village was proof enough of that. They were dying by their own hooves and their own habits. I had little sympathy for them, but I didn’t want to die. So here I stood, prepared to swim for my life.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 18:03:00 No.30612078 Report

Quoted By: >>30612087

>>30612070
After a brief rest, I found myself walking in circles, breathing deep and slow as I calmed myself before my dive. I tested my two spells to make sure I could keep them both going at the same time, and drew in a few deep breaths.
My heart was pounding in my chest, and I tried not to think about the coming dive. It was just a thing that needed doing, like cleaning the house, or fetching the groceries. It was an errand. It was a chore. It was nothing. An annoyance. A minor setback. A stepping stone. With these thoughts firmly in mind, I cast the air spell first, turned on my horn-light, and jumped in.
The darkness closed over my body, followed by the cold water. Panic rose swiftly around me, and I struggled with my imagination to calm myself down. Slow and steady breaths, I told myself. Slow and steady breaths. Air would be the first killer, with anything else coming afterward.
I oriented myself in the direction of the coast, and turned my horn light forward, sweeping it around me. The rocks went down some few meters at a slope, then turned, opening into a wider area with pillars of stone throughout the underwater cave. I kept myself next to the ceiling of rock, pushing myself along it as I made my way deeper. The thin beam of light provided very little actual light, with there only being a small shaft of it piercing the black of the abyss that surrounded me.
The darkness proved to be my fiercest opponent, and I struggled to keep my mind focused. The thought of whatever might be out there, possibly swimming right next to me, kept forcing itself to the forefront of my thoughts. I would occasionally sweep the light in a full sphere around me just to make sure I wasn’t being accompanied by some hidden denizen of the deep. Thus far, I was alone.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 18:04:09 No.30612087 Report

Quoted By: >>30612099

>>30612078
I swam onward, keeping myself next to the wall with my bubble of air around my head. The spell was supposed to be functional for hours if prepared properly, but that assumed an environment of sand and dust. Without actual air to refresh itself, I suspected it would only last a quarter of one at most. I didn’t like my chances, but I had to take the risk.
As I moved on, I realized I had neglected another problem: I could hear nothing. My ears were only exposed to the cool breeze flowing around my head, and were not immersed in the water itself. The sounds of the water, like motion nearby, or the call of an underwater mammal, or the crashing of waves against rocks, were gone. I could hear nothing except swirling air.
The quiet and the darkness took their toll on me, and as I swept the light about the rocky pillars which I had yet to reach, I thought I saw motion. A black shape disappearing into the maze. I stopped for a moment and flashed my light back and forth among the rocks, but nothing appeared.
I found myself hyperventilating from swiftly rising panic, and realized that it didn’t matter if I had seen something or not, I couldn’t stop. I had to keep moving. It would eat me, or it wouldn’t, and there was nothing I could do about it. I was not a fighter, and underwater, I stood even less of a chance than on land.
It was with this in mind that when I finally reached the pillars of stone, that I had clearly seen something moving indeed. I kept my light following it here and there as it darted about the pillars. I was so intent on it, that I barely noticed that the pillars I was swimming through were not naturally occurring formations of stone. They weren’t outcroppings carved by the beating of the tide on the rocks. These were carved.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 18:06:03 No.30612099 Report

Quoted By: >>30612346 >>30616393

>>30612087
>Waxworks takes a large drink of water while she pauses for effect.
"Ahhh! Dusty is a pure academic at heart. Even while swimming for his life he can't help but be enraptured with ancient architecture. Even while creatures may be planning his demise."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/HFgs0GJM

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 18:45:42 No.30612346 Report

Quoted By:

>>30612099
Oh yeah, horror Discord if anyone is interested: https://discord.gg/XNg9ENc

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170728_154555.jpg, 698KiB, 1724x1514

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:49:10 No.30613139 Report

Quoted By: >>30613157 >>30613721

>(Which I think stands for Dapper Skeleton)
Fuck that's a name that's never going to be let down ain't it?
Might as well.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:54:46 No.30613157 Report

Quoted By: >>30613253

>>30613139
Is that you and me? D'awwww. I like your wee hat.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170728_160731.jpg, 475KiB, 1195x1536

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:11:08 No.30613253 Report

Quoted By: >>30613312

>>30613157
I've got a better one

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:20:05 No.30613312 Report

Quoted By: >>30613350

>>30613253
It's all crooked. That's adorable. And you look so... bored? Cynical? Contemptuous? Apathetic? Maybe all four at once?

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:25:04 No.30613350 Report

Quoted By:

>>30613312
When being a skeleton for so long, you don't know yourself what you're expressing anymore

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 28 Jul 2017 22:23:17 No.30613721 Report

Quoted By: >>30613883 >>30614089 >>30614153

>>30613139
DS is going to have to make an appearance in your narrative somewhere.

is this the thread ship now?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 28 Jul 2017 22:43:56 No.30613883 Report

Quoted By: >>30614089

>>30613721
I'd be ok with WaxStoner.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170728_180959.jpg, 361KiB, 1485x1219

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:16:43 No.30614089 Report

Quoted By: >>30614153 >>30614212

>>30613721
>>30613883
oh no
shipping content makers? well this ain't the first time this has happened to me so I'm ready to ride it again

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:26:00 No.30614153 Report

Quoted By: >>30614194 >>30614212

>>30614089
Well, this is the first time it's happened to me.
I probably haven't been creating content as long as you, though.

I can put you in some of the narrative >>30613721
if you want, though. It would be amusing but easy enough, if you want.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:34:15 No.30614194 Report

Quoted By:

>>30614153
I did check
been drawing for a thread on /co/ for about 8 months, 9 in August since I'm still going
And sure that's fine

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO the_flim_flam_thing_by_aisu_isme (...).jpg, 138KiB, 824x969

Anonymous Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:37:15 No.30614212 Report

Quoted By: >>30614241 >>30614298 >>30614516

>>30614089
>>30614153
I was thinking of shipping the OC's, not the creators, but whatever floats your boat.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:41:39 No.30614241 Report

Quoted By:

>>30614212
Well I never assumed otherwise. Ship the OC's as much as you want.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:47:53 No.30614298 Report

Quoted By: >>30614516

>>30614212
I'm fine with whichever, whatever floats people's boats

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:21:54 No.30614516 Report

Quoted By: >>30614545

>>30614212
>>30614298
How does skeletons smooch if they have no lips?

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:26:41 No.30614545 Report

Quoted By: >>30614585

>>30614516
the secret is that she isn't a skeleton

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:32:22 No.30614585 Report

Quoted By: >>30614627

>>30614545
*GASP!* Secrets! How could I have not known?
I admit, I assumed Dapper Skeleton was male.

E2 !2Swfe804KQ

E2 !2Swfe804KQ Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:32:35 No.30614588 Report

Quoted By: >>30614594

>>30611863
You got my name 10 characters off

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:34:13 No.30614594 Report

Quoted By:

>>30614588
Aw damn, dude. Sorry. I copied from the last thread's OP and didn't double-check much. It was early morning!

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:42:03 No.30614627 Report

Quoted By: >>30614655

>>30614585
She's just really a pony thief with face paint and a weird sense of fashion, and she was at first originally but I thought no for that idea

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 00:49:11 No.30614655 Report

Quoted By: >>30614717

>>30614627
Oh you've got more about her? Do tell.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170728_200245.jpg, 1MiB, 1425x2258

DS Stoner Sat 29 Jul 2017 01:08:41 No.30614717 Report

Quoted By: >>30614813

>>30614655
she's a grave robber and possible body snatcher, she paints her face and neck as a skeleton to scare away visitors at night, she wears her "dandy" outfit just for the joke of 'respect for the dead' even when she's a grave robber.
That's what I have for her so far.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 01:26:46 No.30614813 Report

Quoted By: >>30615013

>>30614717
Good stuff. A reason for appearing so dapper, and for having such a deadpan look on her face.
The question now is: Why steal the bodies?

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170728_204934.jpg, 765KiB, 1536x1799

DS Stoner Sat 29 Jul 2017 01:51:12 No.30615013 Report

Quoted By: >>30615257

>>30614813
She can't answer that

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 02:31:14 No.30615257 Report

Quoted By: >>30615541

>>30615013
>Doggie bag.
That makes it sound like she eats them.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Sat 29 Jul 2017 03:12:51 No.30615541 Report

Quoted By:

>>30615257
not really but you're on the right track

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO yawn.gif, 316KiB, 300x300

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 03:57:19 No.30615827 Report

Quoted By:

Goodnight Thread

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1488665339703.jpg, 802KiB, 2111x1798

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 05:38:48 No.30616393 Report

Quoted By: >>30616398

>>30612099
I stopped next to one of the pillars and ran a hoof over the mollusk-encrusted stone of one of the pillars. The evidence of it being hoof-made was in the uniform size and shape of the pillar from the roof of this stone cave down to the floor. There were faded and nearly-illegible carvings in the stone of it, barely visible through the sea-life that made its home on it.
I wanted to understand it.
This cave must be connected to the giant statue Updraft had taken me to see. The proximity between the two and their geological position lent credence to that fact, but I was still no closer to understand why they were both underwater.
The features of the Piscean pony statue led me to believe that the race that had created them were a sea-going race, possibly even living underwater entirely. If they lived here centuries ago, making their home in the underwater passages, why did they leave? What happened to them, and what were they like? If these carvings were writing, that meant the ponies here had language! They had a level of technology necessary to create monstrous carvings that rivaled those made today! This was the find of the century! Maybe the millennium!
I needed to know more about them.
I felt the water around me move and realized I was still in a desperate situation, and I had become distracted. Cursing myself for a fool, I swung my light around in a panicked circle, looking for possible sources of motion. I remembered that before I had begun staring at the pillar I had seen something moving. Whether it was dangerous or not was another matter, but I didn’t want to take chances. Especially with the weird cultists up above. They meant this to be a test, so it couldn’t be easy. Whether they meant the distance to swim or getting past a creature was still in doubt.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 05:39:55 No.30616398 Report

Quoted By: >>30616405

>>30616393
Nothing appeared in front of me with flashing teeth as long as my forehoof, so I was safe for now, but I had wasted time. I had wasted a lot of time.
I pushed off from the pillar and began swimming again. I still knew the direction I needed to go, but I had sunk away from the cave walls, and was now pushing myself from pillar to pillar. I made it past several of them, but I still saw no light of any kind. I was trapped in this pitch-dark cave. I didn’t even know if there was an exit from here at all!
I felt myself begin to breath heavier, and realized I was beginning to panic. I tried to quell the rising fear that I had begun swimming to my death, but it wouldn’t go away. I could have stayed in the cell and fought them off. I could have tried to reason with them. I could have tried to escape the cell from the door instead of swimming down here!
I was beginning to hyperventilate, and I was kicking my hooves through the water faster than I needed to. I knew deep inside that I was pushing myself closer to death much faster, but the panicked part of me was much stronger. My horn light began flickering and I realized I was losing control.
Just as the light went out I saw something moving in the darkness coming directly for me. I flailed in the water, trying to swim upward toward whatever surface there might be above me. Maybe find a pocket of air hidden in these caves for years. I felt something slimy touch my hind hoof, and my air spell went out as I yelped in fear. The water closed over my head, and my shouting disappeared in a series of bubbles. I kicked and tried to scream as the grip it had on my tightened, but it was no use. I was at its mercy.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 05:41:12 No.30616405 Report

Quoted By: >>30616426

>>30616398
The thing slithered up the length of my body, its touch almost sensual in its motion. Its smooth surface pressed up my legs, across my belly, and up around my neck. It wrapped tight around my throat and I feared it would choke me, but instead it slid around, then up to my face. I felt something cold press against my lips, then the grip around my body tightened and I was pulled away from the cave wall and into the darkness.
In the pitch-black I saw nothing, but my vision began to be covered with stars as my air ran out. My lungs burned and I knew this was it. The thing was carrying me to its lair, where it would feed on my bloated corpse for days. I tried to convince myself I should just be resigned to my fate, but my stubborn grip on life had me hold my breath for as long as I could.
I opened my mouth, desperate for breath, and took in a lungful of water just as I felt myself breach the surface. I flopped onto solid ground, coughing and hacking up saltwater. My vision swam, peppered with flashing spots as my lungs ached for air. I scraped at my throat, wheezing and choking on brine.
I felt something press against my chest, and some horrid monstrosity appeared in my spotty vision above me. I tried to push it away, but it began to smother me. I felt pressure against my chest and my ribs were pressed roughly downward. The pressure continued in a steady rhythm until I coughed up more seawater. I was rolled onto my side, and liquid poured out my mouth and nose, and after what felt like a burning eternity, I was able to inhale proper air.
I breathed. Shaky at first, interspersed with the occasional cough, but air was flowing through my lungs, and I reveled in it. I thought only about how much I enjoyed breathing, and payed little attention to the thing that had helped me do so.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 05:45:25 No.30616426 Report

Quoted By: >>30617021 >>30619788

>>30616405
"Despite his academic curiosity getting the better of him, it did not lead to his death. At least, not yet."
>Waxworks taps at the nearly-empty glass of water on the counter in front of her.
"He has been rescued from a watery death, but by whom, or what, and for what purpose? His test is still ongoing, so he certainly hasn't been 'saved' quite yet."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/HFgs0GJM

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO face your fears.jpg, 172KiB, 1024x1415

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 07:55:30 No.30617021 Report

Quoted By: >>30618624

>>30616426

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Such a beautiful gaze.gif, 577KiB, 600x600

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 13:31:23 No.30618007 Report

Quoted By: >>30620006

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO thornybird.png, 2MiB, 638x816

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 16:10:06 No.30618624 Report

Quoted By:

>>30617021

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 126845.jpg, 525KiB, 1920x1080

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:07:29 No.30619696 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1499385055936.png, 3MiB, 2480x1589

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:21:48 No.30619788 Report

Quoted By: >>30619792

>>30616426
Once my breath returned to me and stars no longer cascaded across my vision, I could pay attention to what had happened. From my position on the floor I could see I had been returned to my cell. Though on second glance, it wasn’t the original one I had been placed in. This one was flush with the wall, where my previous one had been closer to the middle. The cell doors were all locked, so it was moot, but my position was curious: Who had brought me here?
That was when I remembered something grabbing me. In the panicked haze of my memory, I recalled something slimy grabbing hold of me and dragging me through the water. It was this creature that had dragged me to safety.
It was also this creature that was still here with me! A chill went through me and I heard something that sounded akin to a wet rag being slapped against a countertop. I slowly turned to face the source, pulling myself to a sitting position.
It could have killed me several times already, but instead had chosen to rescue me from my watery peril. I felt safe enough, but seeing it sent further panic through me.
It almost looked like the statue that Updraft had taken me to see. It had a vague pony shape, but it was a mess of tentacles and fins beyond that. The eyes were oversized and a solid milky colour. At first I thought it was blind, but it seemed to know where I was despite not having its eyes focused on me. Its muzzle was more pony-shaped than that of the statue, but it was half-open and I could see several rows of shark-like teeth meant for tearing flesh. Its mane was plastered to its body, and was exceedingly long, draping in tendrils around its body to the floor.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:22:50 No.30619792 Report

Quoted By: >>30619803

>>30619788
As I stared at it, it tilted its head in a bird-like manner, flicking its wet, drooping ears and spattering me with seawater. Its eyes weren’t pointed in my direction, so I didn’t believe it was looking at me, but it spoke in the same gurgling voice as the rest of the villagers who had thrown me down here.
“Mine?” it said.
“I-well-I’m not sure what you mean,” I said.
“Mine gift?” It pointed at me with a hoof or tentacle, I wasn’t sure which.
“I don’t have much on me, but you can have my—“ I searched my clothes and found my pocketwatch, which I held out to the thing “—my pocketwatch?”
With a squeal, the thing spit up bubbles, grabbed the pocketwatch from me, and dove back into the hole. I was left alone, back at the starting point of my trek, having made no progress and almost drowning myself. The only benefit of the attempt at swimming away, was now knowing that there were indeed creatures down there, and I had no idea if they were benevolent or not.
I had, however, learned something of value: The villagers spoke the same way as this thing, though the villagers themselves were much more articulate. This gave me room to assume they were descended, or at least related to, this sea-creature I had encountered.
Were these pony ancestors? Had ponies descended from sea-creatures long, long ago? Was our history filled with the depths of the ocean instead of green pastures and wide fields? If this was the case, why was there so little known about these? There was an entire town filled with these ponies that bore some relation to the sea-creatures, so why would they keep it such a secret? It didn’t add up, and I was certain there was something I was still missing. Some piece of the puzzle unbeknownst to me.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:23:53 No.30619803 Report

Quoted By: >>30619814

>>30619792
There was also the matter of escape. I was still stuck waiting for the end of the 48-hour time limit I had been given, and I didn’t want to wait for the villagers to be rid of me. Not only was I worried their “rid” involved having me killed, but there was the matter of all the unknown history this village had inside it. It would be a travesty for the information to be lost simply because the villagers hated outsiders. I had to get into their good graces just as Updraft had in order to be allowed to stay here. The lost history of Equestria depended on it!
I stood up and attempted to cast my air spell once again, but a wave of dizziness washed over me. I was exhausted, both physically and magically, from the previous attempt. Being so near-death would do that to anypony, and magic was currently out of my reach.
I did not know how many hours I had left, but I imagined I would hear the villagers coming before they tried to take me away, and I was certain 48 hours had not yet passed, so I lay down in the damp bedding to rest. It was cold and uncomfortable, but I needed it. Upon closing my eyes, I fell asleep almost immediately.

When I awoke, I saw a pile of seafood in front of me. Much of it was raw, and I was not a fan of eating raw fish. Salted was one thing, but raw was a little bit beyond me yet. There was seaweed and what appeared to be other deep-sea plants, so I ate those instead.
Once I was done I lit my horn and cast my air spell. There was still some dizziness, but it was minor, and I went to dive into the hole. When I stood over it, before I could dive in, a tentacle, followed by a face filled with sharp teeth broke the surface, and I jumped back in surprise, losing both spells.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:26:32 No.30619814 Report

Quoted By: >>30623251

>>30619803
>Waxworks looks at you. Her green eyes sparkled in the candlelight and she looks almost amused, though no smile touches her lips.
"Being an academic meant that Dusty did not get much experience in social settings. His focus on this test has blinded him to the obvious results, though his other assumptions are mostly correct. When he finally learns the truth, what will he decide to do then?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/HFgs0GJM

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:54:45 No.30620006 Report

Quoted By: >>30620118

>>30618007
This is to much. No sleep for me tonight, fuck.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 21:10:37 No.30620118 Report

Quoted By: >>30620150 >>30620162

>>30620006
What bothers me the most is that those are two right eyes.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1494798964676.png, 2MiB, 2976x2088

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 21:16:12 No.30620150 Report

Quoted By:

>>30620118
I'll take your word for it...
need cute to counter

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 29 Jul 2017 21:17:53 No.30620162 Report

Quoted By:

>>30620118
They are. I think they used the same eye for both sides. That's horrifying.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1488659887092.png, 1MiB, 1024x1024

Anonymous Sat 29 Jul 2017 23:53:06 No.30621232 Report

Quoted By: >>30725036

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1363781.png, 705KiB, 1044x1158

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 02:51:13 No.30622250 Report

Quoted By:

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170729_215010.jpg, 723KiB, 1481x1739

DS Stoner Sun 30 Jul 2017 02:52:36 No.30622258 Report

Quoted By: >>30622296

small one
I've been thinking DS more I don't know about it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 02:59:03 No.30622296 Report

Quoted By: >>30622472

>>30622258
I just thought the name was amusing. You don't gotta make an OC out of it man.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170729_223110.jpg, 790KiB, 1149x2355

DS Stoner Sun 30 Jul 2017 03:34:44 No.30622472 Report

Quoted By: >>30622511

>>30622296
I mean her, who did you think I meant?
also I'm sorry if I sound confusing or tired, I just woke up

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 03:36:36 No.30622484 Report

Quoted By: >>30622511

>>30611863
is that AJ mom?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 03:43:12 No.30622511 Report

Quoted By: >>30622605

>>30622472
I'm not sure what you mean at all. The sentences are awfully confusing.

>>30622484
I'm not sure who it's intended to be. In Over the Garden Wall the Beast usually takes children, so I assumed it was some random foal.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170729_230438.jpg, 781KiB, 1354x2202

DS Stoner Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:07:26 No.30622605 Report

Quoted By: >>30622639

>>30622511
Yeah imma sound a bit broken for a while til my tiredness surpasses

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:15:12 No.30622639 Report

Quoted By: >>30622715

>>30622605
Well good morning, either way.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170729_231840.jpg, 702KiB, 1120x2071

DS Stoner Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:30:32 No.30622715 Report

Quoted By: >>30622727 >>30622755

>>30622639
Good 11 pm to you too, the night is lovely isn't it? Mind if I move my bone chair in here?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:33:55 No.30622727 Report

Quoted By: >>30622755 >>30622785

>>30622715
I suppose not. A simple wooden stool isn't enough for you? Gotta have a fancy old throne of bone?

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:38:05 No.30622755 Report

Quoted By:

>>30622715
>>30622727
Bone throne... hehe

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Sun 30 Jul 2017 04:42:48 No.30622785 Report

Quoted By: >>30623298

>>30622727
Gotta make a use out of bones somehow, right? Why not making a throne out of them?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Eldritch horror.jpg, 345KiB, 1280x905

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 05:57:21 No.30623251 Report

Quoted By: >>30623256

>>30619814
“Gift yes!” The creature yelled as it splashed up into my cell.
My heart was pounding, but I began to relax as I realized it was just the creature from before. I don’t know why it came back. It probably desired more gifts. Its appearance was less horrifying to me now that I knew it only wanted to get presents. Its behavior reminded somewhat of a dolphin; if a dolphin had shark-teeth and soulless eyes.
It held out a tentacle toward me, and I checked my pockets for anything else I might have that I could give it. I didn’t have much else except my cuff-links, so I pulled one of those off and floated it over to the creature.
To my surprise, it didn’t want it. Instead, the creature reached out and grabbed my hoof. Its slimy appendage tugged at me, and I had the distinct feeling it wanted me to swim with it. It slid itself back into the hole in the floor, but I shook my head.
“I actually have to breathe air. I can’t breathe underwater like you,” I said.
The thing looked at me in what I assumed was confusion, and gripped my limb harder, pulling on me as it started to sink. I pulled back, trying to get the message across to this thing I couldn’t follow it so easily.
“No, really, I can’t breathe down there! I need air!” I said.
“Gift come!” It said, wrapping a second tentacle around my other forehoof and pulling on me.
I felt my heart lurch in my chest as I understood what it was talking about. It wasn’t asking me for a gift; I WAS the gift! Was this the test? Was I supposed to get along with this creature or defeat it in battle? Was I supposed to talk to it? Get along with it? Whatever I was supposed to do with it, I needed to do it fast, because I was going back into the water!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 05:58:32 No.30623256 Report

Quoted By: >>30623263

>>30623251
I frantically cast my air spell as I reached the hole leading into the ocean, but my light spell was not within my grasp at the moment. I plunged into the cold water and the oppressive darkness. My forehooves were held tightly in the grip of the creature, and I was pulled along to a place I did not know. I was disoriented, and had no idea which direction I was going, or if it was toward the coast or further into the maze of caverns beneath the town.
Not long after we went into the water, I felt the motion cease, and I was released. It was so sudden that I didn’t know if I should try to escape or not, but I had no further time to make a decision as a frigid and powerful thing wrapped itself around my neck.
Upon contact with my flesh, whatever had wrapped itself around me burned fiercely. It started out as a minor annoyance, but it quickly built up into an agonizing bite. I screamed in pain and tore at it with my hooves, but the pain didn’t go away, and it was as ineffectual as trying to defeat an ursa major by punching it. I got the impression this thing didn’t care about me at all, whatever it was.
As suddenly as it had begun, the pain ceased. The thing let go of me, and I was left floating in the pitch-black water. I felt smaller tentacles around me, and surmised my erstwhile friend had returned. Probably after defending me from the larger one. I don’t know what was more terrifying: That the owner of that larger tentacle was so close, and probably watching me as I swam, or that it had what must be children.
At that thought I realized something: The villagers. They were PROTECTING these things.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 05:59:34 No.30623263 Report

Quoted By: >>30623270

>>30623256
I lit my horn and prepared to start up my light, when I realized that I hadn’t been casting anything. The pain from the larger thing must have knocked out my spell! But then, how was I breathing?
I brought a hoof up to my neck, and felt ridges. They opened and closed rhythmically without me doing a thing, and I realized I had been given gills. Through magic, but what kind of sea-creature was that powerful?
I felt myself shiver, halfway because of the tender touches from the sea creature who thought of me as a gift, and half because I realized that somewhere in the water before me was something so ancient and powerful it could just pass out gills to whomever it pleased. Could I look at this thing? Did I want to look at this thing?
The creature crawling all over me was making shrill noises at me that sounded like it was excited, but I was barely paying attention to it. I was conflicted between my curiosity and my own sense of self preservation.
Updraft had discovered something ancient and powerful, and he wanted to share it with me, so I came. The caveat he had not told me was that along with the ancient civilization, he had discovered the god, or the descendent of the god, that this civilization worshipped. An underwater deity of such immense power and unknowable wisdom that it dwarfed our own, and cared little for our comings and goings. It was secure in its power. Secure in such a way that only a being so ancient can be, and I was going to look at it.
I had known from the beginning that I would look. I was trying to convince myself not to, with little success. I powered up my horn, and turned on my light, ready to see whatever I would see.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 06:00:37 No.30623270 Report

Quoted By: >>30623291

>>30623263
The next thing I knew, I was back in my cell, and the villagers had come to get me. I don’t know what had happened, but I had apparently passed the test. The villagers examined my neck, and though I heard nothing of what they said, I was passed back to Updraft with a pleased gurgle, and dragged back to his house. He laid me down on the filthy bed and prepared some tea, which I didn’t touch.
I felt… lost.
I had forgotten something. Something important, but I could not gather enough energy to care. I needed… I needed… to see the ocean.
I stood up, and went to the door. Updraft didn’t try to stop me. He just followed along behind me, as though he understood exactly what was going on. I went out to the docks, where the villagers were no longer looking at me with suspicion. Instead, I saw on their faces the same kind of expression I knew was now on my face. There was a distinct understanding between us and the thing beneath hidden in the cove. We were to remain and keep it undisturbed, and it would leave Equestria undisturbed. It was a fair trade.
“What’s her name?”
“What’s… oh.” Images flashed in my head of milky-white eyes and shark-teeth. “Her name in our tongue is Cave Eel.”
Updraft nodded. “Mine is White Cap.”
“How many of the villagers are…?”
“Only about a quarter. They’re in charge of choosing who gets tested, as you saw. They wanted fresh blood, and being allowed to stay and research was important to me,” Updraft said.
“Do you really want to know? Have you seen it?”
Updraft shook his head. “If I have I don’t remember it. Nopony does except the children, and they don’t tell.”
“I get the feeling we’re better off that way.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said.
We stared at the horizon as the sun went down. I would have to have my things delivered to me. I knew just the pony to deliver them, too. He was curious. Curious to a fault...

The End.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 06:04:38 No.30623291 Report

Quoted By: >>30623559

>>30623270
>Waxworks taps the countertop with a hoof, her other hoof holding up her head as she looks over at you.
"He sated his curiosity didn't he? What greater achievement or fate for an academic than that? He shall have no regrets, and shall live and die in that town by the sea."
>Waxworks sits up straight.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have tea that has been getting cold since you arrived. I'm sure you can show yourself out at this point. And remember..."
>She pulls aside the curtains near the back of her shop, revealing the barest hint of some strange, flickering lights in the back.
"...curiosity can kill cats. But you aren't a cat, and I doubt satisfaction can bring you back."
>Then she pulled the curtain shut behind her.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/HFgs0GJM

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 06:05:53 No.30623298 Report

Quoted By:

>>30622785
Could make glue instead.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nurse Redheart giant syringe.png, 389KiB, 788x495

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 07:04:22 No.30623559 Report

Quoted By: >>30625245

>>30623291
>2

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO run_n_seek_by_pipomanager_mimmi- (...).jpg, 94KiB, 512x512

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 10:39:11 No.30624522 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1497225337213.png, 260KiB, 800x590

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 15:44:10 No.30625245 Report

Quoted By: >>30625684

>>30623559

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Jason Vorhooves.jpg, 177KiB, 900x660

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 17:31:27 No.30625684 Report

Quoted By: >>30625842

>>30625245

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 18:01:51 No.30625842 Report

Quoted By: >>30625887

>>30625684
I kinda want to know the story of how pny Jason got his cutie mark. I mean, he drowned when he was a teenager, he probably already had his cutiemark by then. So, what. Did he prance around with a bloody machete for a cutie mark? What did he tell everyone it stood for? "I'm just good at chopping down things with unconventional weapons. The blood is because I'm not careful enough sometimes."

With a backstory like that, I'm not surprised the counselors let him drown.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 18:10:36 No.30625887 Report

Quoted By: >>30626980

>>30625842
Nah, man. Slicing watermelons. You gotta get them cut open somehow. He played that anime summer game where they crack them open, but used a machete, and everypony was like: Wow! That's so much easier!

It's just coincidence watermelons slash open like skulls...

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1488981.png, 2MiB, 2395x3500

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:04:46 No.30626978 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:05:00 No.30626980 Report

Quoted By:

>>30625887
Guess that makes sense.
And good practice, as well.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1489457556587.jpg, 49KiB, 600x800

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:36:55 No.30627170 Report

Quoted By: >>30627178 >>30628579

It’s the middle of the day in Canterlot, and the busy crowds are going about their lives unmindful of how often they bump and jostle you. You’re just trying to cross the street and more than a few ponies manage to crash into you without a thought toward your well-being. To be fair, you didn’t care a whit about theirs, but you felt like you cared more than most. You surely didn’t bump into ponies that often and have it be your fault.
When you finally reach the other side of the street, you brush yourself, checking to make sure everything was still in its rightful place in your pockets and saddlebags, then continue on your way.
You’re passing an alley when you see something familiar out of the corner of your eye. You double back and look down it, but see nothing. You do hear something, however, so you slip further down the narrow backstreet, wondering if you’d seen what you thought you had.
Sure enough, you delve deeper into the alleyway and you find Waxworks, carrying her familiar lantern pole. It was currently unlit, but that green shawl confirmed it was her. She was wandering about, looking back and forth at the walls of the buildings as though searching for something. She spies you watching and frowns.
“Well, I suppose I should bid you hello, but I was hoping not to be followed,” she said. “I was looking for something, but I won’t be telling you directly what. It was somewhere around here, but I think it might have moved, which is a shame.
She walks away from you, looking down two other side streets. She returns and brushes past you, then looks down the other directions. Her frown deepens, and she returns to lean on the wall next to you. “I won’t tell you directly what I was searching for, but I hope you’re ready to hear another story.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:38:03 No.30627178 Report

Quoted By: >>30627191

>>30627170
The glitz and glam of Las Pegasus had enraptured her from afar, but Cheerilee had arrived and entertained herself only be let down by the self-same glitz and glam. There was no substance to it. It was all just flash, without any underlying meaning. She wasn’t really looking for meaning, but the fact that it was all just a show caused it to lose its luster with abnormal haste.
Cheerilee lay on her bed in her hotel room, staring at the ceiling. There was a painting made to look like a ship’s sails and crow’s nest on her roof, which was fun. Her whole hotel room was themed after sailing across the ocean on an old ship. Her bed was the helm, with a functional wheel at the foot of it. She idly kicked the wheel and it spun easily. She sighed.
Only three days and she was bored of it all! She rolled onto her stomach and kicked her hooves. She’d gone to see the circus, she’d gone to a magic show, she’d even gone gambling and won back more bits than she’d spent! She’d saved up for this for a whole year, and here she was, bored out of her mind!
Was it because she came alone? She thought back to all the stallions that had been paying attention to her since she arrived, as well as some mares. She’d had a brief tumble with one of them, but that was the extent of it. She didn’t think being alone was the problem. She could remedy that easily enough. No, the problem was something else.
“Am I a horrible pony?” She groaned into her satin pillows. “Am I so jaded and cynical that not even mindless entertainment is enough for me? I came here to get away from my thoughts, not have even more of them! Ugh!”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:39:18 No.30627191 Report

Quoted By: >>30627209

>>30627178
Cheerilee lay there for a while longer, then kicked off the bed and marched into the bathroom. She turned on the sink and splashed water into her face, spilling it all over the floor.
“No! I can’t let a little thing like this get me down! I came here to get away from it all and experience life outside of Ponyville, and by Celestia, I’m going to do it!” Cheerilee dried her face and grabbed her bags, then stepped out of her room.
She trotted outside of her hotel and into the streets of Las Pegasus. The streets floating on top of the clouds were curious to look at, and knowing that a fall to her death was just a railing away was terrifying, but it was that kind of terrifying that was exciting at the same time. Cheerilee thought it added a distinct spice to the place. Pegasus ponies were relaxing on the clouds that made up the median of most streets, and a few of them waved. One of them even whistled at her. At least, she liked to believe it was her. It could have been any one of the ponies walking along the streets.
Cheerilee went inside a few of the stores to browse just for a little bit. She hadn’t yet bought any gifts or souvenirs. She was looking for something that was unique. Something that just screamed: “I visited Las Pegasus!” She didn’t want to get a shirt. That was a little bit too obvious. It needed to be subtle while still shouting about how Las Pegasus it was.
Disappointed in the selection of the current shop, Cheerilee stepped back outside and wandered aimlessly through the streets, stopping at shop after shop. She got distracted at one point by a few street performers. They were all pegasi except for one earth pony, and they were performing on the clouds, pretending to drop the earth pony. It was exciting, fun, and free, and was a welcome distraction.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 30 Jul 2017 21:41:54 No.30627209 Report

Quoted By: >>30631563

>>30627191
"You think a faraway place will be better than where you live, but once you arrive you find that your problems have all followed you."
>Waxworks spares a glance down the alley behind you, then looks down the other two paths.
>She must not have seen what she was looking for because she shakes her head.
"So when you haven't escaped from your problems in this new place, what can you do but fill your time with whatever unique entertainment it has to offer?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Sweetie_in_the_shell.jpg, 154KiB, 1825x630

Anonymous Sun 30 Jul 2017 22:30:19 No.30627566 Report

Quoted By:

Whoever posted the link to Carousel by thornquill, thanks! I'm enjoying this story

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 01:37:52 No.30628579 Report

Quoted By: >>30628727

>>30627170
>She spies you watching and frowns.
Am I not welcome?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 02:00:59 No.30628727 Report

Quoted By: >>30629365 >>30630286

>>30628579
Simply not expecting to be followed.
Nopony follows the lamplighter or pays her any mind, so attention is unexpected.
She's always willing to share a story, though.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Mystery Skulls.png, 776KiB, 1280x563

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 03:34:28 No.30629365 Report

Quoted By: >>30629701

>>30628727

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO expand the mind.jpg, 160KiB, 500x449

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 04:36:23 No.30629701 Report

Quoted By:

>>30629365
I got a migraine. No update tonight. Tomorrow, once it is gone.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 06:52:32 No.30630286 Report

Quoted By:

>>30628727
I would love to journey with the Lamplighter

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Ponyville_General.jpg, 291KiB, 1024x735

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 11:24:01 No.30630961 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1494543366654.jpg, 993KiB, 3840x2160

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 15:56:42 No.30631563 Report

Quoted By: >>30631570 >>30631784

>>30627209
When the sun began going down, Cheerilee was more than ready to head back to her hotel room. She had distracted herself, but that’s all it was. It was a distraction from the fact that she was going to be heading back to an empty hotel room, which by itself was a distraction from the loneliness waiting for her back in Ponyville. It’s true that she hadn’t really been looking very hard, so it was somewhat her own fault, but the fact that Big Macintosh had found a special somepony was a bit of a blow. Applebloom had tried so hard to get Cheerilee to be his special somepony, and she appreciated the effort, but it was too forced. It probably wouldn’t have worked out.
Probably.
She sighed again, which she was getting rather tired of, and plodded along the gilded streets back to her hotel. Her eyes were pointed at the ground, which was why she almost didn’t notice it, but something down the alleyway caught her eye. She stopped to look down it, but didn’t see anything too out of the ordinary. There were a few pieces of trash, some lights strung along one of the walls, and a pony who was too partied out sleeping on the ground in front of a doorway. Nothing really out of the ordinary.
Cheerilee continued walking, and was walking by a restaurant when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look, but saw nothing except a food cart in front of a door. It was selling dumplings of some kind, but the owner hadn’t moved much. He waved to her when he saw her looking, but she was sure that wasn’t it. She shook her head and moved on, passing along the shining streets.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 15:57:47 No.30631570 Report

Quoted By: >>30631576

>>30631563
She was coming up on her hotel when movement caught her eye again. She was beginning to worry she was seeing things, or at least imagining things. Was it caused by the stress of her vacation not living up to her expectations? She turned to look again, curious if she had still imagined it, but this time, there was something out of place that actually appeared to be out of place: There was a door in a fence.
It appeared out of place because the fence was surrounding a construction site, and there was a second door right next to it. The one on the left was cheap, and looked jimmy-rigged into the fence, since the construction workers were probably mostly pegasi, and had a sign on it that said: CONSTRUCTION. KEEP OUT. The one on the right looked expensive. It was pure white, with a red frame and a glass handle. No words adorned it at all.
Curious, Cheerilee approached the doors and looked them over. It was late at night, so there weren’t too many ponies about, and the few that were out were either drunk or intent on getting drunk, so nopony paid her any mind. She looked at the one on the left and determined it was likely supposed to be here. She reached out to open it and it opened easily, showing her the cloud ground beneath that she definitely couldn’t walk on. She closed it and approached the door on the right.
By all accounts, the door should also open onto the construction site, but somehow she thought that wouldn’t be the case. It was probably magical, but then, Las Pegasus was a magical place. If it was some sort of show, shouldn’t there be advertisements or something to draw attention to it? Mind you, it was out of place. Maybe getting ponies to open it was the advertisement? Cheerilee shrugged and reached out to the handle and turned it, and the door swung open.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 15:58:50 No.30631576 Report

Quoted By: >>30631585

>>30631570
Inside was a hallway. The construction site was nowhere to be seen within the door, and in its place was a long sinuous hallway that swung left and right, and also had a gentle flow up and down as it went. Some distance away down this path it curve off to the left, and she could see no more of it. The hallway was poorly lit, and gave Cheerilee a bad feeling. There was no lettering or signs anywhere inside, not even on the back side of the door.
Disappointed and not a little confused, Cheerilee swung the door shut. It was magical, sure, but it seemed more sinister than anything else. Without any signs, and knowing it was traveling from place to place didn’t make her very comfortable. The door latched shut behind her and Cheerilee went back to her hotel.
She entered, waved to the concierge and rode the lift up to her room. She bathed in the luxurious bath shaped like a crow’s nest and flopped into her helmsman’s bed. “Yarrrr, matey. It be time for sleep.” Cheerilee chuckled to herself and closed her eyes.

In the morning, she awoke staring at the ceiling, and a door attached to the roof of her room. She blinked in confusion, then realized what she was looking at.
“What in the world?” Cheerilee said.
It was the door from last night and it was attached to her ceiling. It was the same white wood, the same red frame, and the same glass handle. It had replaced the part of the painting that contained a good portion of seagulls and the cloud shaped like a skull-and-crossbones. It wasn’t open, thankfully, but it was occupying her roof. She picked up the phone on the bedside table and called the concierge to send somepony up immediately. It was making her uncomfortable.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 16:01:17 No.30631585 Report

Quoted By: >>30636365

>>30631576
>Waxworks turned her head again, looking down each passageway. She still didn't see whatever she was looking for, and focused back on you.
"Portals to new and interesting places, as well as portals to old and boring places. Doors open up to a lot of things, some good, and some bad. But maybe some doors should remain closed."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 16:53:43 No.30631784 Report

Quoted By: >>30632704

>>30631563
>Big Mac x NOT Cheerilee
Broke my heart, thanks for reminding me.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 19:39:59 No.30632704 Report

Quoted By: >>30633830 >>30634322

>>30631784
Join the club. That is why I am writing this story. Because I was thinking about Cheerilee.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO ghouls.jpg, 73KiB, 617x819

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 21:50:31 No.30633830 Report

Quoted By:

>>30632704

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO fcc9786e56ce51508dc1168d5def4951 (...).png, 112KiB, 900x769

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 22:51:50 No.30634322 Report

Quoted By: >>30634380

>>30632704
>I was thinking about Cheerilee.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 23:02:07 No.30634380 Report

Quoted By: >>30634462

>>30634322
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji4IQR9Zbwo

/r/

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 120712464965.png, 653KiB, 1280x1280

/r/ Mon 31 Jul 2017 23:15:06 No.30634462 Report

Quoted By: >>30634547

>>30634380
>not posting the superior version
hey wax i'm am going to mess u the HECKf UP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqDQFssAk0M

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 31 Jul 2017 23:28:33 No.30634547 Report

Quoted By: >>30634622

>>30634462
Well, it certainly sounds like they're having fun.
Sadly I do not speak nor read vodka, so I only understand when they yell "Cheerilee, Cheerilee!"

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 31 Jul 2017 23:37:57 No.30634622 Report

Quoted By: >>30635914

>>30634547
I'm particularly fond of this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt792QKK_Vo

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO born_ready.gif, 1MiB, 320x180

Anonymous Tue 01 Aug 2017 01:02:10 No.30635074 Report

Quoted By:

>mfw we a Cheerilee thead now

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO yukimemories_by_oblivionheart13d (...).png, 945KiB, 1280x1719

Anonymous Tue 01 Aug 2017 03:29:17 No.30635873 Report

Quoted By: >>30730305

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 03:38:57 No.30635914 Report

Quoted By:

>>30634622
This is pretty good. I'm still quite partial to the original, but I like what they did with this, including the MLP sounds added in.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1495967546738.jpg, 536KiB, 1200x930

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 04:56:01 No.30636365 Report

Quoted By: >>30636369 >>30636389

>>30631585
Cheerilee kept her eyes on the door until a knock came at the door and she had to go answer it. The pony was dressed in pirate-themed clothes and carried a box of tools on her back.
“Quick Fix here to help, ma’am! What seems to be the problem?” The pony said.
Cheerilee rolled her eyes. They never tell them what the problem is, they just send them up to keep the guests quiet. “Well, as I explained on the phone, there is a door in the roof above my bed that wasn’t there before. Nothing’s broken, I just want the spell making the door appear there gone. It’s making me uncomfortable.” Cheerilee pointed to the bedroom.
“I’m not sure what you mean, ma’am, but I can take a look if that’s okay?” Quick Fix said.
“Yes, please. By all means, come take a look.” Cheerilee led the way to the bedroom and pointed at the ceiling, which was empty. “Of course it’s gone! Why would it still be there. Now I just look crazy.”
“Now ma’am, that’s quite all right. We do have a plethora of spells active at the hotel to improve the customer experience. If one of them was the cause, we’ll get it figure out and change it so it skips your room, okay?” Quick Fix pulled out a notepad and pencil. “Now do you mind describing it to me?”
Cheerilee smiled at the repair pony. Even though it had sounded crazy she was taking the complaint seriously. “Of course. I woke up this morning and a door had appeared in the ceiling above my bed. It was white, with a red frame and glass handle.”
“Did it open at all?” Quick Fix asked.
Cheerilee shook her head. “Not at all.” Cheerilee put a hoof to her mouth in thought. “Wait, that’s not correct. Last night, as I was coming back to the hotel, I passed by the exact same door on a fence not far from the hotel. It had the same appearance, at least. I couldn’t say it was the same.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 04:57:04 No.30636369 Report

Quoted By: >>30636381

>>30636365
Quick Fix clucked her tongue. “If you saw it outside it might be bleeding in from elsewhere and we might not be able to control it. If you see it anywhere else in the hotel, let us know right away, okay?
“Yes of course, thank you very much,” Cheerilee said.
“A pleasure ma’am. Hope you enjoy your stay at Buccaneer Bay!” Quick Fix winked at Cheerilee and stepped out the door. “What do you do with a drunken sailor, what do you do with a drunken sailor…”
Cheerilee sighed and pressed a hoof to her nose. It was still kind of amusing that they held to the theme so well, but it was starting to feel a little silly at the same time. She needed a change of pace from the revelry inherent in a pirate theme and maybe see a bit of class. She had prepared for such an event, and had brought her nicest evening gown. She had few opportunities to wear it in Ponyville, so she thought this would be a good opportunity. Maybe she would even meet somepony nice.
The gown had been purchased a few years back when she had still been actively seeking a special somepony. It was soft yellow, almost the same colour as the flowers in her cutie mark. It draped over her flank in a quite flattering manner, showing off her curves. Which, she had to admit, had gotten a little bit too big.
Cheerilee looked at herself in the full-length mirror in the bathroom, turning in a slow circle. She wiggled her butt a bit, flexed a bit, then sighed. She wasn’t getting any younger. She didn’t even know if she wanted foals. Teaching them was almost too much. She didn’t know if she could manage a foal of her own.
She climbed into the shower and washed up. She did her hair up in a nice tight bun, leaving some parts loose. She didn’t want to look too severe, but she needed to let ponies know she was there for business. Even if that business might be… entertaining.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 04:58:34 No.30636381 Report

Quoted By: >>30636389

>>30636369
Cheerilee finished preparing herself and checked the clock: 1:00pm. It was still a bit too early to go out drinking, so she needed to do something fun until the night life would begin. Many ponies would be out of work and looking for some fun around six or seven, so she’d have to entertain herself until then.
There was an entertainment area on the first floor for guests in the hotel. It was pirate-themed, of course, but there were games, snacks, and occasionally small shows. Her hotel wasn’t the most expensive, so they didn’t get magicians or circuses. They just got bands or comedians. It would be something, at least.
Cheerilee laid out her gown on the bed before she stepped outside and rode the lift down to the first floor. She went and found a table in the center and sat down to watch. It looked like there was a band playing. Some band called “Tangled Fetlocks.” If they were performing this early in the afternoon, they were pretty low on the rungs. As she listened, she understood why. They were generic in the extreme, and she distracted herself by reading the menu and getting some food.
She had lunch and looked around the room, looking for anypony by themselves she might be able to strike up a conversation with. There didn’t appear to be anypony like herself at the moment, so she finished her meal, paid, and left.
She stepped out into the streets and just walked. She might need to shower again when she got back, but she needed to do something to keep herself busy. Maybe she could catch a magic show. She’d heard from Starlight Glimmer that Trixie had managed to get herself into a venue here, which must have been quite the impressive feat. It was nice to see her succeeding so well, but Cheerilee had the sneaking suspicion she’d used her secondary connection to the princess to get it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 05:00:32 No.30636389 Report

Quoted By: >>30637165 >>30640213

>>30636381
"Her complaint is taken seriously, but both her and the workers think it's just a magic spell gone awry."
>Waxworks winks at you.
"We know better, don't we?"
>She pulls out a block of wax and starts carving it while she talks.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

>>30636365
Awkward wording at the start: "Kept her eyes on the door until a knock came at the door." Fixed in the pastebin.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1495370018597.jpg, 135KiB, 752x1063

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 08:04:25 No.30637165 Report

Quoted By:

>>30636389

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO wink.gif, 4MiB, 434x318

Anonymous Tue 01 Aug 2017 11:30:31 No.30637700 Report

Quoted By: >>30638617

Hmph. The GREAT and POWERFUL Trrrrixie needs no 'connection' to the princess. If she wanted to perform in one of those dingy holes in las Pegasus she would. Trrrixie prefers the road, where more ponies can witness her MAGNIFICENCE.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 16:30:09 No.30638617 Report

Quoted By: >>30639235 >>30639610

>>30637700
Honestly? I think so too, that Trixie would stay on the road. But I don't think she's above using a secondhand connection to get better accommodations for a brief period of time. She'd never name-drop Twilight, of course, but she'd hint. In the end, I just needed a nod to Ponyville.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO buggyshy2.png, 289KiB, 947x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 18:37:32 No.30639235 Report

Quoted By:

>>30638617

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 01 Aug 2017 19:37:03 No.30639610 Report

Quoted By:

>>30638617
no worries, just being creative with my bump

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1500678430242.jpg, 442KiB, 3389x3155

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 21:08:06 No.30640213 Report

Quoted By: >>30640225

>>30636389
It would be nice to see somepony from Ponyville while she was here, so Cheerilee thought she’d go check out the venue at least. She didn’t expect to actually get in to see Trixie if she was there, but it would be fun to find out when she was performing and who she was opening for.
The place was some distance away from the hotel, but it was a lovely day for a walk, so Cheerilee wandered along, looking at what was around and just ponywatching. She passed by several interesting restaurants and shops she made a mental note to come back to look at. Some had interesting names that were probably named that way just to draw attention, but it worked. “Bridle”rides was one. Why was the bridle in quotation marks? What were you supposed to ride? It sounded like a euphemism, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it meant, and there were no images to go by, so she could only let her mind wander about what it might mean. It certainly piqued her curiosity.
While she was walking, she saw something red and white out of the corner of her eye, and she felt a spike of alarm. She turned to look where she thought it had come from, but saw nothing. She had feared the door was appearing around her again, but there wasn’t even anything red and white nearby. She dismissed it as her imagination after the events of the morning and continued on her way.
She arrived at the place Starlight Glimmer had mentioned, a place called “Midway Starship.” It was a massive yacht-shaped building that had a see-through hull that dangled below the clouds, so earth ponies and unicorns could look down at the landscape from high above. It drew a lot of attention, so Cheerilee knew of it. Maybe she’d come drink here tonight if it was appealing enough.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 21:09:13 No.30640225 Report

Quoted By: >>30640238

>>30640213
She entered the ship from the door in the prow and looked for the day’s show listings. She found the showtimes and discovered that Trixie was indeed performing, but not until the start of the evening at five o’clock. Cheerilee didn’t recognize any of the other names, but it might not be so bad to come visit, just to see. She’d need to see what the place had to offer, first. Food and drink was obviously available, and there looked to be a small orchestra playing right now. Cheerilee decided she’d hang about, and maybe go look at the see-through hull. First, she needed to use the restroom.
Cheerilee found the little filly’s room and went inside. The building was still pretty busy, but the restroom had no line, which was nice. She found a stall and stepped inside to take care of business. She closed her eyes for a moment to relax, then opened them and let out an awkward cry of alarm. The door to her stall had changed into the red and white door from before!
“What in the world?” Cheerilee said.
“Well that’s never something you want to hear in a bathroom,” a voice from the stall to her left said.
The stall to her right snorted in amusement. “Sounds like something you might want to get looked at honey.”
“No, it’s… nevermind.” Cheerilee couldn’t tell them her door had changed. They wouldn’t believe her if they couldn’t see it, and she didn’t know if it was visible from the outside.
Cheerilee finished her business and cleaned up, hoping the door would disappear by the time she was done. It didn’t, much to her annoyance. Her neighbours were gone, thankfully, but she still couldn’t get out. The door was blocking her path. She didn’t want to open it because that first time had creeped her out. She didn’t know why or how that hallway appeared, or what was at the end. Or if she could even get back out.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 21:10:27 No.30640238 Report

Quoted By: >>30640261

>>30640225
She looked at the bathroom stall she was in. She could try to climb over the top of the stall walls, but those were far above her, and she couldn’t go underneath because those openings were too skinny. She looked at the toilet and debated whether it would be enough of a boost. Well, there was no other way to find out!
Cheerilee closed the lid and stepped onto the toilet lid, then stretched up above to the top of the stall wall. Her hooves were just shy of reaching, but a little jump should be almost enough. She was about to do it when the door to the restroom opened and somepony came in. She lowered her hooves and waited while they picked the stall to her right. She prepared again, but this time, a whole crowd of ponies came in. The stall she was going to climb into filled up, and she had no recourse beyond that.
She sat down on the toilet, frustrated. The crowd of mares waiting outside were chattering away, waiting their turn. After a minute of Cheerilee waiting for somepony to finish so they would leave, a knock came at her door.
“Heyyyyy, are you done in there? Other ponies are waiting you know,” somepony said.
Cheerilee was angry, but then she realized that they weren’t commenting on the door itself. Could they not see it? Did they think it was normal? It looked nothing like the other doors in the bathroom!
Cheerilee was beginning to wonder if it was all in her head. She reached out and touched the glass handle. It felt like glass, and looked like it. She stuck her nose against it and sniffed. It smelled like glass? She’d never really noticed what glass smelled like, but it didn’t smell out of the ordinary. She experimentally pulled on it and it turned, the latch clicking open.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 01 Aug 2017 21:13:04 No.30640261 Report

Quoted By: >>30640877 >>30643425

>>30640238
>Waxworks whittles away at the small lump of wax, a shape beginning to emerge from it.
"She treated it like it was merely an illusion, but now it has her trapped in a rather ignoble position. Her choices are limited, but she's trying."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO patchwork.jpg, 416KiB, 872x1100

Anonymous Tue 01 Aug 2017 22:23:29 No.30640877 Report

Quoted By:

>>30640261

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1.png, 644KiB, 1024x576

Anonymous Wed 02 Aug 2017 00:50:36 No.30641927 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO scary_mark_crusaders.png, 399KiB, 1100x758

Anonymous Wed 02 Aug 2017 03:14:13 No.30642862 Report

Quoted By:

G'night spoopy thread

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1495014739176.jpg, 99KiB, 1271x1500

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 04:53:40 No.30643425 Report

Quoted By: >>30643427

>>30640261
Cheerilee froze. Did she really want to find out if this was the bathroom door or the ‘other’ door she was opening? She could just wait in here for all these other mares to leave. She had a right to be in the restroom as long as she wanted. She owed no explanations to anypony.
But the likelihood of the restroom being empty before the evening hit was slim, and the evening would just bring more of a crowd. Could she really wait in here all day? All she really needed to do was look inside the door, then she could make further decisions from there, right? She just needed to look inside. That was all. Her hoof trembled, but Cheerilee pulled on the door and leaned her head to look inside as it swung open.
A brightly lit hallway appeared before her. Magical lights hung from the ceiling while the hallway itself traveled off into the distance. It went a dozen or so meters before it turned sharply to the right. On the wall at the end of the perfectly straight and boxed-off hall, a colorful poster of some kind was plastered against the far end, but she couldn’t make out the words. The picture itself had a stallion and a big heart above his head, but that was all she could see.
Cheerilee squinted as she tried to make it out, but suddenly a hoof appeared in front of her, coming out of thin air! She screamed and jumped back, climbing up onto the toilet seat to try to escape. The hoof came in and turned then… rapped on the door.
“Yo! You getting’ out? Some of the rest of us gotta go, y’know?” The image of the hallway disappeared, along with the red and white door, revealing a crowd of mares, all staring at Cheerilee.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 04:54:43 No.30643427 Report

Quoted By: >>30643431

>>30643425
“I think she’s on drugs,” one mare said.
“Everfree powder?”
“Nah her eyes aren’t dilated enough.”
“Griffon snuff?”
“Maybe. I think she’s seeing things, though.”
Cheerilee coughed and collected herself, then pushed out of the stall, hurrying out of the bathroom with her eyes cast down. She didn’t even wash her hooves.
“Excuse you!”
Cheerilee didn’t look back.
Cheerilee stumbled out of the bathroom, more than a little confused. She wandered down into the see-through hull and found herself an empty table. She plopped down and just breathed, trying to make sense of what had happened.
Okay, she told herself, categorize and break it down into manageable chunks: She had seen the door. She had opened it. She had seen the hallway. There were lights this time, and a poster. But! It had taken the place of the bathroom door, so she had opened the bathroom door as well, and nopony else had seen it. At least, not from the back. That mare had stuck her hoof through it like it wasn’t even there. Did that mean it didn’t exist? It felt like it did. She could touch it, and it felt like glass and wood. Was it only there for her? Why? There were so many unanswered questions, and nopony to give her any answers but herself, and she had none. It was all so confusing.
A mare wearing form-fitting clothing came by to take her order. Cheerilee checked the clock and decided that four o’clock was late enough to begin drinking. She was mentally exhausted and a little stressed. She needed to take the edge off.
The mare came back with her drink in short order, and Cheerilee stopped thinking about the door and just looked around her at the building itself. She looked down at Equestria beneath her. The view mostly showed off Applewood, which was the neighboring city to Las Pegasus, but the exhilaration was still there.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 04:55:45 No.30643431 Report

Quoted By: >>30643444

>>30643427
She admired all the Pegasus ponies as they flitted about underneath. She focused in on a few of the stallions, then realized that there was an aerobatic show going on! They were doing formation flying, leaving behind trails of smoke and that signature trail some of the faster pegasi had. She’d seen Rainbow Dash leave behind her rainbow trail and wondered what a lot of these meant. There was one, leaving behind a trail of what appeared to be flowers, and she wondered what his special talent was that he could do that.
At some point, the stallion caught her watching as he flew lazily along underneath, showing off his back-flight. He’d tap on the hull in certain places and blow kisses at some of the mares. He passed underneath Cheerilee’s table, blew her a kiss, then winked at her. After all the stress she’d been dealing with considering this awful door, possibly combined with the drink, Cheerilee felt a bit daring and blew a kiss back. She winked at him, too, and he laughed. She couldn’t hear it, but she imagined it was deep and rich. He had a nice smile. For the rest of the performance, the stallion seemed to pass underneath her table a lot more often. She was sad to see them stop.
But them stopping meant it was five o’clock, and that was Trixie’s moment to shine! Cheerilee turned to the stage, which had been lit up with various cool blue lights and what she recognized to be some of Trixie’s signature devices. Most of them were just for special effects, but that was Trixie’s talent after all.
“And now, for your viewing pleasure, The Grrrrreat, and Powerful, Trrrixie!” the announcer boomed.
Cheerilee snickered at the poor attempt by the announcer to roll his r’s. Trixie did it much better. She watched as Trixie went through her special effects routine, clapping her hooves in appreciation, when somepony joined her at her table.
“Mind if I join you?” a deep and rich voice said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 04:57:06 No.30643444 Report

Quoted By: >>30644199 >>30647124

>>30643431
"Maybe a little company is all Cheerilee needs to loosen up and enjoy herself a little bit more."
>Waxworks' carving is starting to take on the appearance of a pony. A stallion, judging by the stock body-shape.
"But then, she's not taking into account every possibility, is she? If you don't see what I mean, it will become apparent very soon."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO melting.jpg, 177KiB, 724x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 07:49:36 No.30644199 Report

Quoted By: >>30644824 >>30645512

>>30643444

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 758817_twilightsparkle_shipping_ (...).png, 2MiB, 6000x4790

Anonymous Wed 02 Aug 2017 11:58:06 No.30644824 Report

Quoted By:

>>30644199
the Goddess thanks you for her inclusion in this threadpic not related

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 15:27:30 No.30645512 Report

Quoted By: >>30646656

>>30644199
Got a doctor's appointment today. Update might be late, depending.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO house_of_horrors_by_skyflys-dani (...).gif, 1MiB, 432x324

Anonymous Wed 02 Aug 2017 17:35:18 No.30645983 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO acrobatics.png, 404KiB, 946x1578

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 19:40:58 No.30646656 Report

Quoted By:

>>30645512

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Mutalee.png, 815KiB, 900x1250

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 20:57:54 No.30647124 Report

Quoted By: >>30647134

>>30643444
Still smiling, Cheerilee turned to look at the pony who had spoken. Her smile gave way to a gasp as she realized it was the aerobatic stunt pony from earlier. His mane looked a little damp, and he smelled of soap. She guessed he’d just gotten out of the shower.
“Oh… not at all! Please do!” Cheerilee said, perhaps with just a little too much excitement.
He nodded and sat down in the seat next to her, then turned to watch Trixie’s show. “That a friend of yours on stage?”
“Not exactly a friend. An acquaintance, perhaps. It’s still nice to see her get recognition.” Cheerilee paused to cheer and clap her hooves after a particularly impressive magic trick.
“It feels nice, too. When you finally get the recognition you’ve been working so hard for,” the stallion said. “My name is Dandelion, by the way. What’s yours?”
“Cheerilee,” Cheerilee said. “Miss Cheerilee. Can I get you a drink, Dandelion?”
He looked taken-aback for a moment, but he laughed. “I would enjoy that, Miss Cheerilee.”
They talked while Trixie finished her act, enjoying the show and each other’s company. Trixie left the stage and some other ponies came on and started performing, and Cheerilee stayed and talked with Dandelion when there were lulls in the action. He told her about who was who, and what history they had. Some he didn’t recognize and they were one-shots stopping on their way through town, but he knew enough about the place that he had their names at the very least. Cheerilee told Dandelion about Ponyville, and about her students and friends. He’d heard about the Princess of Friendship, of course, and asked what Cheerilee knew about her. By the time the night was ending, they were both happily drunk and clinging to each other.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 20:59:25 No.30647134 Report

Quoted By: >>30647138

>>30647124
“Dandelion, you should… you should come back to my hotel. I’ve always wanted to do it on a boat.” Cheerilee slurred.
“Miss Cheerilee, I think… I think… wait, hang on.” Dandelion squinted for a moment, deep in thought. “Oh yeah! I think we’re both far too drunk to be making good decisions like that.”
Cheerilee rubbed her face on his neck. “Then maybe, you know, in the morning?”
“That’ll be better, yeah. You come back here and ask for Dandelion, or I’ll come to your place,” Dandelion said. “Who… whoever… whoever gets up first. Where are you staying?”
“At the pirate-ship hotel,” Cheerilee was leaning on Dandelion, her eyes half-closed.
“Alright, lemme getcha home.” Dandelion stood up and propped up Cheerilee. He held her up as they left the building, and walked her down the streets back to her hotel.

Cheerilee woke up the next morning with a mild hangover. The pounding in her head was minor, but the bright light spilling in the window was doing nothing for it at all. She rolled out of bed, briefly noticing her evening gown hung up on the ship’s wheel, and stumbled toward the bathroom. She did her business then sipped at the bathroom sink’s water, swishing and spitting to rid herself of the taste of leftover alcohol, then washed her face clean of last night’s revelry.
While she was drying her face off, she fumbled with the bathroom handle. Her hangover was giving her difficulty with the most mundane of things. She grumbled and stepped through the door when it finally swung open and pulled the towel from her face. In place of her room, a long hallway was in front of her, stretching out some distance to a point where it turned sharply to the right. It was sinuous and curved, with minimal lighting and dingy walls. Cheerilee screeched and leaped backward, rolling out of the doorway and back into her bathroom.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 21:00:30 No.30647138 Report

Quoted By: >>30647156

>>30647134
Her bathroom only had the one door, so Cheerilee was now effectively trapped. There weren’t even any windows she could think about climbing out or even shouting for help. It was her and the door, and it had outsmarted her because she was out partying.
No, that wasn’t fair. It was magic and could replace any door, so this was inevitable. If it wanted her to go through it, it had only to wait. The problem now was figuring out how to deal with it. The obvious option was to go through it, but she had no idea what was waiting for her on the other side. It could be dangerous. But then, some magical door replacing things she needed to use was already dangerous.
Well, waiting was going to get her nowhere, so Cheerilee stepped into the door one hoof at a time. She’d been fully inside it not a minute ago, and if it had wanted to shut behind her it could have then, but she was still scared. She wasn’t a unicorn, and her defenses against magic included ‘hoping it doesn’t kill me’, and ‘find a unicorn to deal with it.’
When she was fully inside, Cheerilee looked behind her. Her bathroom was sitting there with the door open, her discarded towel on the floor. It didn’t appear to be swinging shut, but she wasn’t very far inside. With much trepidation, she began walking slowly down the snake-like hall, wishing she had some company. She hoped this magical mess wouldn’t make her miss her ‘date’ with Dandelion. The contours of the hall gave the impression of motion even though she knew full well it was sitting still, and eventually she came to the corner. She looked back at her door, and it was still open, which was quite reassuring. Satisfied it hadn’t shut her in, she poked her head around the corner, and saw another door, roughly the same distance away from the corner as hers.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 02 Aug 2017 21:03:08 No.30647156 Report

Quoted By: >>30648015 >>30650633

>>30647138
>Waxworks has finished a rough outline of a stallion, and places it on the ground in front of her.
"So she meets somepony, but finds herself trapped by this teleporting door that's been following her. It sounds like nonsense, but it doesn't appear to be entirely malicious. Just mysterious. At the very least, Cheerilee understands some of the things she had overlooked about a magical door."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 02 Aug 2017 22:58:29 No.30648015 Report

Quoted By:

>>30647156
Nice.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Coloring1.jpg, 695KiB, 1536x1408

DS Stoner Wed 02 Aug 2017 23:57:58 No.30648414 Report

Quoted By: >>30648428 >>30648966 >>30664341

I had remembered I wrote a song a while back and I thought it would fit for this thread so I drew something with the song.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Coloring2end.jpg, 1014KiB, 2190x1536

DS Stoner Thu 03 Aug 2017 00:01:18 No.30648428 Report

Quoted By: >>30648966 >>30664341

>>30648414
It was a short melody but it was enough for me to draw for.
I had thought about singing the song myself to complete it but I just kept it this way

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 01:34:25 No.30648966 Report

Quoted By: >>30649182

>>30648428
>>30648414
This is really cool. Do you at least have the melody it goes to? As it is, it's just a creepy poem. I would really love to know the melody.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Thu 03 Aug 2017 02:02:32 No.30649182 Report

Quoted By: >>30649279

>>30648966
Yeah I do have one for it.
but it's one of those songs where just had a sudden idea for it and wrote down the lyrics only but didn't write notes for it. So the melody is one I came up with while singing it so if I sang it it's the only way to get the melody

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 02:14:52 No.30649279 Report

Quoted By: >>30649298

>>30649182
Aw. I really want to hear it. Will you record it? You can hum it if you don't want to sing. That should be easy and possibly creepier

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Thu 03 Aug 2017 02:17:03 No.30649298 Report

Quoted By: >>30649319

>>30649279
I will go ahead and record it if I can try but I'll post it around midnight or later. If I can't post it or unable to do it then yeah.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 02:21:23 No.30649319 Report

Quoted By:

>>30649298
Yeeeah! I look forward to it!

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 02:37:31 No.30649407 Report

Quoted By:

Don't we have a music fag? Where's Radiarc?
Sounds like it's collaborating time.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO nervous.jpg, 625KiB, 1536x1520

DS Stoner Thu 03 Aug 2017 05:17:20 No.30650212 Report

Quoted By: >>30650239 >>30650273 >>30651446 >>30664341

With enough courage I did it so anyways here's the song Coloring Books for the short comic.
http://vocaroo.com/i/s1pHGOLJTaZ7
if my voice sounded shaky I apologize

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1443088727207.gif, 983KiB, 500x364

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 05:22:12 No.30650239 Report

Quoted By: >>30650359

>>30650212
Well, I liked it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 05:29:18 No.30650273 Report

Quoted By: >>30650359

>>30650212
Very nice. Thank you for singing it for us.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Thu 03 Aug 2017 05:43:41 No.30650359 Report

Quoted By:

>>30650239
>>30650273
Thanks! Glad you liked it

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1501241930906.png, 2MiB, 1670x1567

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 06:35:52 No.30650633 Report

Quoted By: >>30650639

>>30647156
Well, there were only two exits. One exit she had come from, and the other was at the other end of the hall. She couldn’t exit her restroom any other directions except into this… thing, so there was only one option. She marched down the hall toward the other door, climbing the slight hills and keeping her ears perked for any strange noises. She reached the door without incident, and examined it.
It was the same style as the other side, which wasn’t particularly surprising, but still, it at least seemed to indicate it would stay connected to itself. She wasn’t positive, because nothing to do with magic could ever be trusted as far as she was concerned. It was useful, sure, but Cheerilee would never live in a house made of it. Like Twilight’s crystal castle. That was a bit disconcerting to see.
Cheerilee put her hoof on the handle of the door and slowly pulled it down. She heard the click, and held her breath, then swung it open the rest of the way.
Inside was a small room, with just a dresser and a bed. On the walls were posters and shelves holding what looked like somepony’s life history. It was dark, but she could make out some of the posters with the minimal light coming through the crack in the curtains. It looked like whomever this room belonged to liked the wonderbolts, not unlike Rainbow Dash. This pony didn’t look to have quite made it. There were a few trophies to do with flying, but she couldn’t tell what the rest of the items were as they were too far away. Her door had opened in place of the door of this pony’s room. She didn’t know if that meant she had opened the door to the room, but she had to assume it was the case, so since she had no other choice, she stepped in and shut the door behind her.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 06:36:59 No.30650639 Report

Quoted By: >>30650643

>>30650633
“Now why did you bring me here?” Cheerilee asked, her voice low.
She tip-hoofed closer to the bed, and looked for something that might explain why she had ended up in this pony’s room. She felt out of place, like she was trespassing. Probably because she was, but this wasn’t really her fault! She didn’t have a choice! She examined some of the items on the shelves, and saw a familiar name written on the trophies!
“Dandelion?” Cheerilee turned to look at the sleeping figure, who snorted at the mention of his name.
“Huh? Whuzzat?” He turned over and looked at the clock, then reflexively smacked the top with a hoof. “It ain’t even noon, Speedy. Show’s not till four. Go fuck yourself.” He turned back over and waved a dismissive hoof.
Cheerilee approached the bed. “Pardon me Mr. Dandelion, but you told me I could come by and see you today.”
Dandelion’s silhouette rolled over again and squinted up at her. “You’re not Speedy. Who the...” Awareness seemed to dawn on him and his eyes opened wide. “The mare from last night! Cherrylee was it?”
“Hah! Cheerilee. But you were close,” Cheerilee said.
“Yeah, sorry. I had a lot to drink last night,” Dandelion said.
Cheerilee was feeling a bit bolder now that she knew who it was, so she crouched down and leaned onto the edge of the bed. “We both did. My head still hurts a little bit, but I wasn’t going to let a stallion like you get away from me. What would you say to a little breakfast, then we can go from there, hmm?”
“I think I would like that very much Miss Cheerilee.”
Cheerilee waited while Dandelion pulled himself out of bed and squeezed past her in his tiny room to the tiny bathroom. She was a little taken aback by how small his quarters were, but if he lived in the same building he worked in, it made more sense. In all honesty, she had no idea where she was.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 06:38:17 No.30650643 Report

Quoted By: >>30650652

>>30650639
“So may I ask why your room is so very small?”
“Ah. Yeah. The business allows us to live on the premises, but because the place was built so long ago, the rooms weren’t built to be quite so spacious as you might expect nowadays,” Dandelion said. “They haven’t expanded them, and offered them to us free of charge, so long as we perform when they ask. We’re a small group, and not very well-known, so we didn’t want to pass it up.”
“Contracted?"
“Yeah. Four years. Two more to go.”
“Not a bad deal.”
“Nah, not at all. By the way, how did you get up here? Was it Speedy? He’s always getting on my case.”
Cheerilee bit her lip and looked at the door. It had transformed back into a normal door, so she’d have to go home the regular way if it didn’t show up, but she had no good explanation for him. She didn’t even know the path! She couldn’t tell him it was magic, that would be a little creepy. She hesitated, but decided to try to fudge it.
“I just… told the front desk I was here to see you, and they… let me come to the back!” Cheerilee mentally berated herself. That was such a lame explanation. Nopony would believe that!
Dandelion laughed a hearty laugh. She loved the sound of it, but she knew she hadn’t gotten past him with her lies. “I appreciate the humor, and I won’t press as to which one of the team flew you up, but come on. Was that really the best you could come up with? I’m sure you can be more creative than that.”
He finished cleaning himself up and opened the door for her. Cheerilee stepped outside onto a short landing with a single chair and a small gate. She stepped closer and realized why he hadn’t believed her. There was nothing but a long drop all the way down to the floor.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 06:40:08 No.30650652 Report

Quoted By: >>30653105

>>30650643
>Waxworks pulls out another lump of wax and starts carving it.
"Magic is a fickle thing. I'm not privy to much of it myself beyond that used in lighting. I don't meet many unicorns, and fewer still actually use magic around me beyond telekinesis. magic is untrustworthy, in my opinion. It does what it wants, and it doesn't care who gets hurt."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO d5612f5fa9db1295a0a25830970c9dac.jpg, 82KiB, 600x600

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 11:13:25 No.30651422 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1f43100be878e2daf68064a38c440b7a.jpg, 239KiB, 1003x1625

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 11:14:30 No.30651425 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 11:26:08 No.30651446 Report

Quoted By:

>>30650212
Verry nice

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1501813.jpg, 72KiB, 500x699

Anonymous Thu 03 Aug 2017 16:17:00 No.30652529 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1499427035967.png, 328KiB, 1024x696

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 18:21:08 No.30653105 Report

Quoted By: >>30653111

>>30650652
“Sweet Celestia!” Cheerilee backed away from the edge and pressed up against the wall.
“Preparing to go down is a lot worse than coming up, isn’t it? I hear that a lot from earth ponies and unicorns,” Dandelion said.
She was trying not to have to explain how she had arrived up here, but she was swiftly running out of ideas. The only name of his crew that she knew was Speedy, but they would talk, and her lies would come out. She was trapped. He didn’t seem to be pressing the issue, so she decided to leave it for now, but it was going to come up sooner or later. She could feel it.
“Yeah, because it was built in Las Pegasus, it was all built with pegasi in mind. The rooms up here are pegasi only. Mostly used for employees, but for a nominal fee you can rent ones at the end,” Dandelion said. “They’ve even let a few earth ponies or unicorns rent them. Extra charge for the need for a Pegasus escort, of course.”
“It’s… quite something,” Cheerilee said.
Dandelion chuckled. “Alright, I can see you’re uncomfortable. Let’s get you down.” He held out his forehooves.
Cheerilee moved into his hooves and wrapped hers around his neck. He lifted her up with some slight difficulty, but didn’t say anything, and swooped down to the lobby. He placed her on the floor and she breathed a sigh of relief. She knew she was still hundreds of feet in the air, but at least she couldn’t see any edges.
“So let’s find something to eat. I know this great restaurant. Serves the best breakfast burritos,” Dandelion said.
Cheerilee followed him outside and they made their way along the streets as Dandelion showed her the restaurants he frequently ate at. It was a relaxed morning, and she enjoyed his company. He treated her very well and didn’t even bring up either the fact that she had thrown herself at him last night, or the way she’d gotten into his room.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 18:22:18 No.30653111 Report

Quoted By: >>30653121

>>30653105
As it got into the afternoon, Dandelion kept checking the time. “I have a performance at four, as I’m sure you remember. I’ll have to head back at three to join in the warm-up. Speedy’s working on a new routine, but until he has it planned out practice only happens sporadically.”
“How long have you all been together?” Cheerilee asked.
“Speedy and I started the whole thing. The other members come and go. We didn’t quite make it into the Wonderbolts academy, so we started our own.”
“That’s very clever.”
“We thought so. Speedy came up with the name: Trickselion! Cause we do tricks like loops n’ stuff. Eh?”
He looked so proud of the name, Cheerilee couldn’t help but laugh though. “You obviously but a lot of thought and care into it. I’m glad it worked out for you two.”
“Yeah. He’s a great guy. Always bugs me about my love life, though. That’s why I thought he was the one who brought you up to my room,” Dandelion said. “By the way, if it wasn’t him, how did you get up there? I’m genuinely curious. You even seemed surprised to see we were so high up.”
Cheerilee sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you, and it’s going to sound crazy, but I swear it’s the truth.”
“Go on.”
“A magic door.”
He waited, but Cheerilee said nothing else. She just looked at him and tried to gauge his reaction.
“That’s all?”
Cheerilee nodded. “It started appearing two days ago. It appears on walls and replaces doors in buildings for me. I don’t know why or how or for what reason.”
“That actually sounds really creepy.”
“I know! But it replaced my bathroom door this morning and I couldn’t get out, so I had to go in! Then the door at the other end of the hall was your room. It then disappeared, leaving me there. I’m just glad you were home,” Cheerilee said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 18:23:20 No.30653121 Report

Quoted By: >>30653140

>>30653111
Dandelion closed his eyes and folded his hooves. He seemed to be measuring her story up in his mind and trying to decide to believe it or not. “Well, I can’t rightly say that magic can’t do that, because I’m clearly not a unicorn. But somepony has to be behind the spell. It’s too neat and tidy to be wild magic.”
Cheerilee saw something red and white out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look. Sure enough, there was the door, down an alleyway across the street from her and Dandelion. Cheerilee poked Dandelion and tilted her head.
“Okay, so please be patient Dandelion, but the door has appeared,” she said.
“Really? Right now?”
“Mm-hmm. It’s right down that alley across the street. Do you see it? Red frame, white door, glass handle.” She pointed.
Dandelion looked, and he even squinted, but he shook his head. “I don’t see anything. Certainly not a door coloured like that.”
Cheerilee leaned back in her chair and groaned. “See, that’s what I mean. Nopony but me appears to be able to see it. I was caught in a restroom when it replaced the door, and the ponies outside thought I was on drugs!”
“Well, it was probably weird seeing somepony interacting with an invisible object. I mean, maybe some thought you were just a mime?”
“They tried to guess what drug I was on. Some said Everfree powder. Everfree powder! I’m never even seen Everfree powder!”
“Don’t worry so much, Cheerilee. Let’s get closer. Is it still there?”
“Yeah. I don’t know what makes it come and go.”
“Then let’s go have a closer look at this wall.”
They paid for their meal and approached the short alleyway. Boards had been placed down on the clouds so other ponies could walk through it. Cheerilee didn’t know how that worked, but it was pegasi magic, so she just trusted it. She got up to the door and motioned with a hoof.
“Right here,” she said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 18:25:21 No.30653140 Report

Quoted By: >>30653959 >>30657033

>>30653121
>Waxworks started shaving bits off the next wax lump and it looked like it was going to be a mare this time.
"Cheerilee is taking a brave risk, sharing such a strange story with somepony who can't even see what she sees, but he hasn't been turned away by it. Maybe he truly does believe her. It is magic, after all."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO maggot eyes.jpg, 423KiB, 955x1300

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 20:50:39 No.30653959 Report

Quoted By: >>30654870

>>30653140

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO I DIDN'T LISTEN.jpg, 336KiB, 612x900

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 03 Aug 2017 23:35:56 No.30654870 Report

Quoted By: >>30655890

>>30653959

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO eyes and rarity.jpg, 554KiB, 1078x900

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 02:23:45 No.30655890 Report

Quoted By: >>30656616

>>30654870

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Jason Ponhees.jpg, 265KiB, 794x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 04:26:44 No.30656616 Report

Quoted By: >>30657198

>>30655890

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1489434685247.jpg, 294KiB, 843x1191

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 05:42:05 No.30657033 Report

Quoted By: >>30657039

>>30653140
Dandelion looked at the wall, then back at her, and Cheerilee knew he couldn’t see it. “You can’t see it, can you. To you, this is just a blank wall.”
“Yeah, I’ll be honest. I think you’re just messing with me,” Dandelion said.
Cheerilee looked down the long dark hallway. This time the floor didn’t wobble up and down, but only side to side. It was still lit with only a few lights, and it still had that ninety degree turn some distance away.
“Okay, then let me just” – Cheerilee stepped inside the door, and Dandelion jumped in shock. – “step inside.”
Dandelion stared at the wall. His eyes flashed up and down as he tried to make sense of what he’d just seen. It was magic, but he didn’t like it very much. “So why can’t I see it then? Why just you?”
Cheerilee stuck her head out, and Dandelion yelped in surprise. “I don’t know, but it got me to your room this morning, so it can’t be all bad.”
“No, but that’s really strange. I don’t like it,” Dandelion said.
“I didn’t either, but it’s kind of growing on me. Let me see where this door goes. Be right back.” Cheerilee pulled her head back into the wall, as it appeared to Dandelion, and trotted down the crooked passage. The path felt about the same length as earlier, although she knew it was far shorter than the actual length of time it would take to get from her hotel to the Midway Starship. That made her curious how far it could go. Could it transport her all the way to Ponyville from here?
She rounded the corner, and saw the door at the far end. Her path was straight ahead, and the open door behind her still showed the alleyway where Dandelion was sitting. He was scratching his neck in confusion and Cheerilee couldn’t help but chuckle. She didn’t want to keep him waiting, so she cantered down the hall to the closed door.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 05:43:08 No.30657039 Report

Quoted By: >>30657045

>>30657033
Upon opening the door, Cheerilee was delighted to see a familiar house. The bedroom of her home in Ponyville was before her. The bed was made, the floor was tidy, and everything was just as she had left it. Excited, she left the door open and dashed back around the corner. She hopped out of the doorway, beaming, and grabbed Dandelion’s hoof.
“It’s my house!” Cheerilee said.
“What? What is?” Dandelion’s confusion had not abated, but he was happy to see her.
“The door leads to my house in Ponyville!”
“Seriously? That’s hundreds of miles away! How?”
Cheerilee shrugged. “Do you want to see?”
“Your house?” Dandelion looked at the blank–to him–wall. “Can I even go in it?”
“Maybe. I can, so if you hold my hoof, that might work. If not, I guess I’ll just close it and we can go back to the Midway Starship,” Cheerilee said.
“Yeah, I have to go to work in less than an hour, so I might not have time.”
“Well at least help me find out if you can enter with me holding your hoof.”
“Okay, okay.” Dandelion grabbed Cheerilee’s hoof and gave her a weak smile.
Cheerilee grinned and gripped his hoof tight, then stepped into the doorway. The hoof holding Dandelion’s approached the wall and he flinched, but to both pony’s surprise, and Cheerilee’s delight, it passed through the wall and into the ethereal passage. He watched as his forehoof disappeared into what looked like a solid surface. His snout approached and he cringed, but it too passed through without impact, until he was entirely inside the hallway.
Dandelion looked around in bewilderment at the sinuous passage, still a bit unbelieving of the whole thing. “You weren’t kidding. It’s just a hallway.”
“It’s strange, and a bit spooky, but yes. It’s just a hallway,” Cheerilee said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 05:44:10 No.30657045 Report

Quoted By: >>30657055

>>30657039
She started to let go of his hoof, but he gripped it tight. “Please don’t let go. I can’t see the door, which means this was meant for you. If you let go while I’m in here, what might happen?”
Cheerilee hadn’t considered that. She bit her lip, but nodded. “You’re right. This could be dangerous. Let’s get back out and go to your practice. It will come back I’m sure.”
Dandelion looked more than a little relieved. “Thank you, Cheerilee.”
Dandelion stepped back out first, followed by Cheerilee still holding his hoof. Once both were certain they were out of the doorway, they released each other’s hooves and Cheerilee shut the door. It was still invisible to Dandelion, so it looked like she was shutting nothing, but he didn’t say anything. He had seen it, after all. It was real, but he was not privy to it.
They chatted about other things, with Dandelion curious about her life in Ponyville. Cheerilee told him how she was a school teacher, and more about what life was like for her in Ponyville. They walked back to the Midway Starship, and Dandelion had to go to practice, but Cheerilee waited. She was there to observe the performance all the way through. Dandelion flew underneath her more often than not whenever there was a spare chance, and she waved every time.
When it was over, he came back out to her table after his shower and they talked some more. Cheerilee noticed some other mares nearby saw him come straight to her and they frowned. She felt important. Like she had something other mares didn’t. The fact that it was something that made her feel attractive was nice. It was a good feeling. She didn’t even mind the fact that she was not seeing much of Las Pegasus. Dandelion’s company was more than enough.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 05:45:26 No.30657055 Report

Quoted By: >>30658776 >>30660098

>>30657045
>Waxworks finishes the mare figurine and places it on the ground next to the stallion.
"Cheerilee seems comfortable with the door now, but her stallion friend does not. He raises good points, but how far will they take things?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 04 Aug 2017 06:18:03 No.30657198 Report

Quoted By: >>30657207

>>30656616
I understand AJ, but who is Rares supposed to be?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 06:21:00 No.30657207 Report

Quoted By:

>>30657198
I'm not quite sure. Maybe Lydia from Beetlejuice?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1501819.jpg, 88KiB, 1920x1080

Anonymous Fri 04 Aug 2017 12:08:34 No.30658196 Report

Quoted By: >>30659224

Bumping with some music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-UkS3ecC9k

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO scarab no evil.jpg, 44KiB, 853x936

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 15:23:37 No.30658776 Report

Quoted By:

>>30657055

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO moc.jpg, 51KiB, 1024x576

Anonymous Fri 04 Aug 2017 17:16:58 No.30659224 Report

Quoted By:

>>30658196
>CryoChamber

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 20:13:59 No.30660098 Report

Quoted By: >>30660102

>>30657055
The two talked as the evening passed, and they had a single drink each, but eventually, talk came down to where they might get a little more intimate. Since they were already in the Midway Starship, Dandelion suggested they go back to his room, since all he would have to do was fly her up there.
“Well, I did say I always wanted to do it on a boat, and this is shaped like one. Okay,” Cheerilee said.
They settle their tab and Dandelion lifted her up, then took off into the upper sections of the building. Cheerilee held tight to his neck as he flew and avoided looking down. Heights were okay, but with only a single pony between herself and a long fall, she couldn’t get comfortable. It was a short flight, and he set her down behind the railing while he unlocked the door. As soon as the door was open, she threw herself on him, kissing him deep as they struggled toward the bed.
The fight was long, yet passionate, and it ended with them both breathing hard.

When they decided to stop, it was late. Or perhaps early. It depended on your point of view. They were holding each other in their hooves, manes disheveled and fur ruffled. Cheerilee sighed and smiled. It had been a long time since she was so comfortable with somepony like this, and could get this intimate. She wasn’t sure if it was the vacation or maybe alcohol, but she was happy.
“Some of that was not quite what I’d expect from a schoolteacher,” Dandelion said.
“What, you think because I teach foals that I’m not allowed to have deep dark secret desires?” Cheerilee said.
“Hey, not at all. It’s just you have this image of teachers, you know? Probably from your school days, and you just threw the ones I had all off kilter,” Dandelion said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 20:15:01 No.30660102 Report

Quoted By: >>30660106

>>30660098
“Well, guess you’ll have to get used to that, because I plan on throwing them all off again soon,” Cheerilee said.
“Nice.” Dandelion wrapped his hooves around her and pulled her close.
“Oh no you don’t,” Cheerilee pulled away, but gave him a quick kiss. “I’m still too tired and sore, and I need to clean up.” She smiled and stood up, heading to the bathroom.
“Well, I can wait. I don’t have anything scheduled,” Dandelion said.
“Perfect. We can choose something to do after we’re all cleaned up,” Cheerilee said.
She shut the door behind her and hopped into the cramped shower space. It was small, and the water pressure was poor, but she got herself cleaned up and crawled out of the tiny tub. When she turned to look at the door, she was dismayed to see it was the red and white door that had been hounding her. She grunted in frustration.
“Sweet Celestia, what do you even want, door?” Cheerilee said.
“Cheerilee? What’s going on?”
“It’s that stupid door again. It replaced the bathroom door.”
“Seriously? Why?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Well how do you get rid of it?”
“I don’t know any surefire way to get rid of it. Those mares in the bathroom stuck their hooves through it and it disappeared. Can you come do that?”
“Okay. Hang on.”
Cheerilee opened the door to see a straight, brightly-lit passage with that ninety-degree turn. She heard Dandelion’s hoofsteps tapping toward her and stop somewhere in front of her. A hoof appeared, sticking out of the vision in front of her, cut off where her view of the hallway began.
“Is it still there?” Dandelion asked.
“Yeah, I just see your hoof floating in mid-air,” Cheerilee said. “I don’t know what else to do.”
Dandelion walked through the vision and joined her in the small bathroom. “I guess we can both go through. That way I won’t lose you somewhere on the far end, wherever it is.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 20:16:03 No.30660106 Report

Quoted By: >>30660113

>>30660102
Cheerilee smiled at him. “Thank you. I know it’s unsettling, and I wish I could fix it. I’ll try to contact some unicorn services soon.”
Cheerilee grabbed Dandelion’s hoof, steeled herself, then stepped into the hall. Dandelion stayed beside her, his grip tightening as they entered the hallway. They walked side by side down the path, up toward the corner. Cheerilee was getting quite fed up with this door appearing and disappearing at a whim of its own. She didn’t know any unicorns except Twilight or Starlight back in that crystal castle that might be powerful enough to figure out what magic this was and get rid of it.
They rounded the corner and Cheerilee balked at the sight of the door. It wasn’t the red and white she was used to. This time, the frame was green, and the door itself was black, with a metal handle.
“Something’s wrong.” Cheerilee said. “The door is different.”
“Different how?”
“It’s an entirely different colour.”
“And that’s bad?”
“I… honestly don’t know.”
“Well we won’t know unless we try. How else are you going to get out of the bathroom?”
“Okay, okay. But don’t let go of me no matter what.”
“Same goes for you.”
Cheerilee gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile, and they proceeded down the bright and welcoming hallway to the strangely-coloured door. The walls were clean and free from scuff marks, and the floor was smooth and polished. When they got to the door, Cheerilee could see that it was of the same quality. A stark difference to the weathered, worn, and dark hallway she had seen before. The only other time it was this clean was when she was in the restroom before. What was the difference between the two types of hallway, she wondered? What significance did this hold?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 04 Aug 2017 20:17:24 No.30660113 Report

Quoted By: >>30660970 >>30661895 >>30663451 >>30666638 >>30717010

>>30660106
>Waxworks picks up the two figurines and gently taps their noses together.
>She gives you a little smile and scoots closer to a wall.
"They like each other, and are willing to do frightening things. What awaits them?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 04 Aug 2017 22:28:39 No.30660970 Report

Quoted By:

>>30660113
lewd spoopy time

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1498272986464.png, 84KiB, 428x442

DS Stoner Sat 05 Aug 2017 00:49:46 No.30661895 Report

Quoted By:

>>30660113

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 576649_safe_artistcolonassasinmo (...).png, 3MiB, 1920x1080

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 03:34:35 No.30663038 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1498559114545.jpg, 560KiB, 1271x1766

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 04:48:52 No.30663451 Report

Quoted By: >>30664242 >>30666638

>>30660113
I'm having difficulty deciding where to take this story, so have this instead.

>The changeling had been found and killed by Applejack when it was discovered in the barn, drinking milk from the cows.
>Applebloom had seen Applejack burying it, and asked about it, but Applejack had driven her off.
>She remembered that distinctly.
>The smell of the body, the appearance of the green blood. The cattle tag in its ear and broken bell around its neck.
>She’d ignored it for several months.
>But she also never forgot what Applejack had said that day…
“Good ponies don’t ask questions. You’re my sweet little Applebloom, right?”
>Late last night, she’d heard Applejack sneaking out to the barn, and this morning they had the same number of cows again.
>Applejack had caught her counting the cows, and had placed a heavy hoof on her head, then ruffled her mane and tugged her bow.
“Good ponies don’t ask questions. You ARE my sweet little Applebloom, right?”

End.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO fluttershy wants to be a tree.jpg, 371KiB, 1228x780

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 07:49:01 No.30664242 Report

Quoted By: >>30664363

>>30663451

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO fanart___mlp__sanguine_kindness_ (...).png, 2MiB, 1528x2182

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 08:30:54 No.30664341 Report

Quoted By:

>>30648414
>>30648428
>>30650212
Pretty good. Thanks Anon.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 660086.gif, 1MiB, 1176x614

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 08:35:31 No.30664363 Report

Quoted By:

>>30664242
Good ol' crookedtrees. I miss her art.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 13:23:55 No.30665177 Report

Quoted By:

Bump.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO medium.png, 416KiB, 600x600

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 15:15:46 No.30665643 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 17:55:31 No.30666638 Report

Quoted By: >>30666646 >>30666810 >>30724964

>>30663451
>>30660113
I'm not happy with the way this story is going. I'm putting it on hold until I figure it out. Here's a new one.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1491875645737.png, 274KiB, 900x723

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 17:56:35 No.30666646 Report

Quoted By: >>30666653

>>30666638
Tonight was especially dark in this portion of town. Lights from the richer section glowed in the distance, but here it was almost oppressive with how dark it was. None of the lamps had been lit, and you didn’t know why. The chandler’s shop had no lights on, and it stated it was closed, but you tried the door anyway. It swung open and you slipped inside.
It was even darker in here, but you heard movement besides yourself. You stepped forward, and banged your hoof on something. You jumped to the side and banged your head on something else. Some things clattered to the floor, and you heard a hiss of annoyance.
“You’d stop hitting things if you stop moving, you know,” Waxworks said. You recognized her voice. “It’s dark because I want it to be dark. I have a lot of power, you know. The bureaucracy of the city has to decide who else they’re going to get to light the lamps if I don’t do it, and since everypony thinks lamplighting is a job that is beneath them, nothing gets done.”
She snickered and you heard hoofsteps, though you couldn’t see a thing. There was the sound of a drawer being opened, then the scratch and hiss of a match, and blinding light sparked into being. A single candle was lit and she put out the match, then placed it on the countertop.
“Darkness isn’t so bad, either. Have you ever been stargazing?” She asked. You shook your head. “You can’t do it as easily inside the city. You need to get a short distance out before you can properly appreciate the night sky. Not enough ponies actually realize how impressive the sky really is. Nopony really wants darkness all the time, though. It would get boring, and we also know what kind of creatures come out in the dark, don’t we...”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 17:57:37 No.30666653 Report

Quoted By: >>30666658

>>30666646
When Nightmare Moon returned, ponies had panicked at first. She had easily defeated Celestia despite the valiant efforts of Celestia’s prize pupil, Twilight Sparkle. The poor mare had made a good effort, but it was ultimately futile, as centuries of rankling hatred had empowered Nightmare Moon with far greater strength than the aging and complacent Celestia and her unicorn protégé could muster. Celestia had been taken during the summer sun celebration in Ponyville, and Twilight Sparkle had been ‘dealt with’ somewhere in the Everfree forest in a mad quest to find some elements of harmony or something. Nopony knows what her plan was, but it was a moot point now.
The everlasting night sounded horrible at first. We had all imagined pitch black everywhere we went. No lights except those of our torches and no heat whatsoever. That turned out not to be the case. Somehow–probably magic–there were still changes in temperature and weather. The moon provided different amounts of light at different times of day. Crops grew, winter happened, but all of them under the dim light of the moon. Life continued, but changes had been made.
One such change was crime. With much less light at all times of, well, night. It was a lot easier to commit crime. The bat pony guards tried, but they were still far fewer in number than Celestia’s previous royal guard, many of which had been killed or exiled following Nightmare Moon’s return. The other problem was that now, with perpetual darkness, creatures long thought lost or merely myth were beginning to make their return. A vampire kingdom had supposedly been founded in the west, stories of a necromancer were surfacing, and warnings of boogeyponies were being told. Ponies fear of the dark had not yet disappeared, and tension was reaching new heights. Nightmare Moon was fighting it, but only several years had passed.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 17:58:40 No.30666658 Report

Quoted By: >>30666680 >>30666746

>>30666653
My job under the new regime was simple delivery. I had been a member of staff at Canterlot Castle, but Nightmare Moon had replaced everypony there with bat ponies. She was trying to make a statement or something. Well, her statement had been made, and everypony was too scared of associating with anypony that had touched the castle out of fear of retribution, so my options were now limited. Delivery meant I could be swept under the rug, and I was never around for very long. I was easy to overlook, at least.
“Hey Chatelaine, I’ll see you next week or so, eh?”
I turned to look at the voice. It was Throw Rug, waving from the train. He was another pony ousted from the castle. He helped me find my job.
“Yes, I’ll see you then I’m sure,” I replied.
He waved, and I waved back, and we went on our separate ways. We’d arrived on the edge of the Whitetail Woods, and he was heading down to Applewood, while I got to go through the woods to some Podunk little village crammed deep inside it. It was probably one of those that kept trying to fight back against Nightmare Moon. Nightmare Moon loved trains, so she had bat ponies traveling them in squads, quelling fears and quashing uprisings. Which, admittedly, did little to quell fears.
Nevertheless, they had a shipment of reagents, spices, and strange fluids on order, and I wasn’t getting paid to not deliver them. I lifted the harness with my magic and hitched myself up, then began pulling. I pulled the map out of my saddlebags and checked my route. It should be just a short distance to the north, within the woods. Hopefully there would be a path. I didn’t want to have to start cutting down bushes and pulling a wagon through them.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 18:00:34 No.30666680 Report

Quoted By: >>30670683

>>30666658
I apologize for stopping, but if I'm not happy with it, it's going to suffer in quality. I hope this new one goes a bit better.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1450430135564.gif, 1MiB, 260x195

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 18:11:17 No.30666746 Report

Quoted By:

>>30666658
>Throw Rug
heh...

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 18:23:59 No.30666810 Report

Quoted By: >>30666903

>>30666638
yay...a cliffhanger

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 18:38:34 No.30666903 Report

Quoted By: >>30667469

>>30666810
Sorry. I am trying to figure out where it is going, and having difficulty. When I do have it figured out, I will go back to it. I promise.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 20:06:06 No.30667469 Report

Quoted By: >>30667483

>>30666903
Don't worry about it, you do you Wax. I'm here to read, whatever you write.
I like the change in scenery for this new one. A NMM dominated Equestria. I'm imagining it's a lot like Dragons Dogma post end-game, when the Everfall opens and plunges the world into perpetual darkness, unleashing all the big nansties that only came out at night before. This could be a fun world to explore.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 20:08:26 No.30667483 Report

Quoted By: >>30667840

>>30667469
I think so too. What would happen if night were permanent? What would nocturnal creatures do? Diurnal creatures? To make the world survive some magical shit has to be going on, but in day-to-day life, I imagine the permanent darkness is a chore to deal with for creatures that are used to having some daylight. The things that happen and live in the dark are rather frightening, I would think.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 05 Aug 2017 21:07:44 No.30667840 Report

Quoted By: >>30668826

>>30667483
I think most creatures would adapt, those that don't would die off. Assuming the seasons stay the same and plants can still thrive on moonlight, it would just be a matter of diurnal animal's evolving better night vision. The major problems would be psychological in the more sentient species like ponies. Most of those problems would disappear after a few generations as ponies that remembered the sun die off. Most problems with dangerous nocturnal creatures would fade as they are hunted down or ponies learn to avoid them.
Getting civilization through the first, say 200 years, would be the hard part. I'm sure there would be a war or two. NMM would eventually take control and bring the nation to heel.
If there was no magical something keeping the temp regulated and crops growing and seasons changing, then you're looking at NMM's kingdom beeing a wasteland after 10 or 20 years like this fic: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/169016/if-you-came-to-conquer
The first chapter describes Princess Nightmare Moon's Equestria pretty well.
Anyway, it all depends on what magical effects would be applied, and in a land of magic, anything is possible.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 05 Aug 2017 23:51:11 No.30668826 Report

Quoted By: >>30669861 >>30670182

>>30667840
Haha yeah. That kind of outcome is precisely why I mentioned magic was keeping things going the way you would expect. That way I wouldn't have to worry about a night-time frozen wasteland. Magic is an easy hand-wave. Now I can just focus on creatures instead.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Chrysalis maw.png, 549KiB, 953x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 02:37:16 No.30669861 Report

Quoted By:

>>30668826

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 03:32:41 No.30670182 Report

Quoted By: >>30670342

>>30668826
DISCLAIMER: this is an autistic speculation and in no way relevant to the thread*****
I've been at a pool party all afternoon, contemplating this. The massive amount of raw power that would be needed to cast a spell of that magnitude is incomprehensible. Even raising and lowering the sun/moon is nothing compared to this.
Thinking about my own fic that I've been writing, and the rules i borrowed for magic use (Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini). I've come up with a theory about why there are no stars. [you mentioned the moon but not stars, so just assume they are gone]
Casting with these rules requires the user to fuel the spell with energy from their own life force. Some spell casters can learn to draw from the life force around them, casting spells at no cost to themselves but drawing off their sorroundings. This usually results in the death of whatever they draw from and spells have to be constructed very carefully to prevent accedents.
Maybe NMM realised that she couldn't fuel the spell with her life force and the life force of Equestria, so she uses the life force of Celestias sun, assuming it is a macical construct that can be drawn from. Instead of using the term for Equs' sun, she uses the general term for 'star'. So when the spell exhausts the closest star, it reaches out for another, then another, causing the stars to wink out one by one as the inhabitants of her kingdom watch in horror over the first years if her reign.
Assuming the universe is infinate it could last forever, but it sure would make for a boreing, black sky.
I'm not suggesting this is the case, just what i thought up. Just ignore me if it makes no sense.

And thanks for your great stories Wax. Always entertaining!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 04:01:14 No.30670342 Report

Quoted By:

>>30670182
Well, if we assume from the comics and other such information about Nightmare Moon, she's an ANCIENT creature. She took over Luna and Rarity if you include comics, and existed for a long time before the mooninites or whatever they're called found her. So she's old, but needs a host. I could see her draining the power from Celestia and the sun to keep Equestria functional without a day-night cycle. I don't know that she'd need to take the stars. She likes her stars, I'd say.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1494638857230.jpg, 120KiB, 1073x744

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 05:02:58 No.30670683 Report

Quoted By: >>30670692

>>30666680
I skirted around the edge of the woods, searching for a path, and I eventually found one. It was a narrow thing that looked more like an animal trail than a path, but I could see some hoofprints, so I started down it.
As I entered the forest proper the dim light from the night sky was obscured by the canopy, so I lit up my horn for light. It was a rudimentary spell, light, but all unicorns had been forced to learn it upon Nightmare Moon’s coup. I didn’t know how well earth ponies were dealing with it, but pegasi had taken to carrying bottled lightning with them. I suspected earth ponies were just using lanterns and candles like they always had, but they were going to burn through their supplies very quickly. Calls for magical lighting had already been made for all major cities. Cities on the outskirts were going to suffer greatly.
My light worked fine, however. Being one of a few clavigers at Canterlot Castle, I had to patrol the grounds at night on occasion. My light spell worked just fine, and was more powerful than most. The darkness held no sway on me.
I heard an animal call in the darkness and I flinched. It was just a bird, but the call reminded me that there were creatures out there who were much bigger, and they thrived in darkness. There had been reports of magical creature sightings. The sort of creature that hadn’t been heard from in recent centuries except in books. Personally, I had seen none of these supposed creatures, but the prevalence with which they were coming to the kingdom’s attention was worrying. Nightmare Moon was ruling with an iron fist, but her focus was the major cities. The ones truly suffering if these stories were true were–yet again–towns on the outskirts.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 05:04:02 No.30670692 Report

Quoted By: >>30670696

>>30670683
Towns like the one I was headed toward.
The path was difficult, but I plodded onward. My map showed a small town called Stone’s Throw just north of the train stop of the same name. It had been written in with a quill after the map had been transcribed, so I was wary of its accuracy, but I had been assured it was here. Why would the stop be named after it, you know?
I had the sneaking suspicion the town had been named after the stop. It was, after all, a mere stone’s throw away from the farms and the like just south of the stop. All those farms fed Applewood and Las Pegasus. I didn’t know what this town was supposed to do.
My thoughts were interrupted by the snap of a twig, and I whirled to face the source of the noise. My horn light focused in on the spot to illuminate whatever was hiding, but all I found was a badger. It looked at the light and made weird snuffling noises, then continued what it was doing, unconcerned by my presence.
I sighed and let my light go back to its default spherical shape, and continued on my way. The further I went, the more tracks I saw. In fact, the sheer amount of tracks were alarming with how many there were, and how fresh they seemed. There were tracks crisscrossing the path I was following, and they weren’t heeding any of the foliage, nor were they trying to stay on the path.
I focused my light and looked over the mess of tracks, surveying my immediate area. The path had widened, and was now more what I would expect from a town’s main road. There was a fork, where it split and meandered off somewhere. That path was well-used, so it must be a well or hunting ground.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 05:05:06 No.30670696 Report

Quoted By: >>30670704

>>30670692
The hoofprints themselves, however, were mad and messy. Bushes were trampled, saplings snapped, and the ground pounded into a boggy mess. The fact that this had happened wasn’t concerning, it was that it had happened recently. This was panic. This was ponies running from something and trying to escape. Some part of me wanted to go find them and help, but the other part of me, the part that was still afraid of what was hiding in the darkness… that part of me hoped it had done what it had come to do, and already left.
Wary, I continued down the path. It widened, and I could see ruts for wheels hidden among the hoofprints. My wagon dropped into them and I proceeded further, until I could see something that looked like a building up ahead. Maybe several buildings! I had found the town!
Pleased, I rolled up the map and stowed it in my saddlebags and picked up my pace. I broke out of the woods and into the clearing where the town was situated, but I stopped as soon as I entered.
There were no lights, whatsoever.
Not a single house had a light on, and now that I noticed, I could not see the perpetual moon, either. Nightmare Moon allowed it to phase, but tonight was not a new moon. The stars weren’t even visible!
I heard it before I saw it, but a hoof whipped out of the darkness beside and struck my horn. The light fizzled out and I was plunged into absolute darkness. I panicked and flailed in the direction the hoof had come from, but I hit nothing. I screamed and flailed, but there was nothing there.
“Hush fool! I will not harm thee, but thou must maketh hast. ‘tis a miracle you made it this far with thine foolish headlamp. I requested no lights. Thou didst not read the instructions, I see,” a voice said.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 05:07:01 No.30670704 Report

Quoted By: >>30673875

>>30670696
"Some ponies like the dark."
"The reasons for liking it vary, of course. Some ponies like it because it's quiet, and isolating. Others enjoy it because they can get away with things they normally could not."
>She disappears into the darkness outside the candle's meager light.
"I like it for the former reason."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 09:06:04 No.30671873 Report

Quoted By: >>30672848

Backup

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 14:05:08 No.30672848 Report

Quoted By:

>>30671873
Again

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO edgy_teenage_luna.gif, 931KiB, 500x281

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 16:11:55 No.30673309 Report

Quoted By:

Hehe

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1501041435864.png, 1MiB, 5721x4185

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 18:04:16 No.30673875 Report

Quoted By: >>30673883

>>30670704
I was still scared, but whoever it was could speak, and they hadn’t hurt me beyond the horn flick. “Okay, okay. I didn’t fully read them, but I can’t see otherwise. How would I have found you?” I said.
“Hmph! If thou had read the instructions, thou would have seen allowance for red lights.” At this, a small amount red light appeared. It looked to be coming from a small box the pony had opened, and the source looked to be a fungus or stone of some kind.
“Okay, okay. I get it. My horn’s still tingling from you flicking it, but I can do that in a few moments,” I said.
“Excellent. Come, quickly. Many things hide in the darkness. From which there is no longer any escape,” the pony said.
The pony, or rather, the red light, moved away, and I had to yank my wagon out of the ruts to follow. The contents rattled behind me, and the pony turned back to hiss at me once again. “Carefully!”
I was led to a small hut on what looked to be the edge of town. I could not see much of it, but there was a small path of stones leading to the door which had a small garden on either side of it. The plants were still growing, thanks to the magic keeping everything alive in the darkness, but there were hoofprints in them, and some of the plants had been trampled.
The pony opened the front door, and came to look at the wagon. “Hast thee brought what I requested?”
My talent was memorizing things. Seemingly useless at first glance, but as a servant in a castle it was invaluable. It also served me well in my current job. One of the reasons I had been hired.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 18:05:19 No.30673883 Report

Quoted By: >>30673888

>>30673875
“Yes sir. All 40 bottles of various reagents, fluids, and spices,” I said.
“We shall see.” The pony, who I could now see was wearing clothes that had seen better days, picked up a crate and carried it into the hovel.
I lifted two crates out of the wagon and followed him. I didn’t want to be left in the dark, and his red light was all that was available to see by. As I got close, a smell filled my nostrils, strong and cloying. It was even stronger inside the building, and the building, what little I could see, indicated a pony that lived a very natural life. Herbs, spices, stones, and even–I gagged at the sight–some dead animals, were piled on shelves and hung from the walls and ceiling. Not a single inch of space was wasted, and the smell was nearly overpowering.
The pony cleared some space on and under a table and placed his crate beneath it, then motioned for me to do the same. He waited until I had placed the crates before we both went back out to get more. I was curious about the village and opened my mouth to speak, but was cut off by an angry yelling.
“He’s outside! He’s outsiiiiiiiide!”
Other voices joined in soon after. “Outsiiiiiiiide!”
“There’s a stranger with him!”
“Strangerrrrrrrr!”
“Outsiderrrrr!”
“Stranger outsiiiiiide!”
It was ponies, clearly, but something about their voices was strange. “What is that?” I asked.
“The villagers.” He was hurrying to grab the crates, and had picked up two, though he was having difficulty balancing them. He urged me to grab the remainder, but I could only pick up three of the weighty crates with my magic. He waved a hoof at it in dismissal. “Leave it. We hast no more chances, if thou would complete thy delivery, thou must take the rest of the crates now. I pray what I have will suffice.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 18:06:23 No.30673888 Report

Quoted By: >>30673911

>>30673883
He hobbled back to the hut as fast as he could, and I followed his dim red light. I could hear hoofsteps pounding up behind us, and my inability to see how close they were send chills up my spine. He held the door for me until I was inside and slammed it shut as soon as I entered. He latched and barred the door with a heavy wooden slab, and left his crates on the floor as he hurried about his home. He looked to be checking all his windows, and some strange clay containers situated about the building. I couldn’t see anything other than him and his light, so I waited.
I heard the pounding hoofsteps approach, and I soon heard the sound of breaking pottery, splintering wood, and snapping timber. They had destroyed my wagon and all its contents, and I didn’t know why.
“What–“ I began.
“Shh!” The pony held his hoof to his lips.
The sounds of destruction outside had stopped, but I could still hear the murmured sounds of “Strangerrrrrr, come outsiiiiiide.”
Despite myself, and the knowledge that this wasn’t natural, I did feel an overwhelming desire to go outside. My vision wavered, and I realized I didn’t need to see everything so clearly. The night would be beautiful, and it would smell crisp, clean, and cool. I would hear the sounds of night creatures seeking a mate. The call of crickets, toads, and the occasional hooting of an owl. I could feel the night wind on my fur, and it would tickle my ears as I hunt by sound alone.
My reverie was interrupted by the smell of morning dew, and my vision cleared. I could see the pony in his rags before me, holding a bottle of something under my nose. I inhaled again, and the smell of morning dew became stronger. I recognized it, but it had been years since I had last smelled it. Without mornings, how could there be any dew in them?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 06 Aug 2017 18:08:40 No.30673911 Report

Quoted By: >>30674934 >>30677797

>>30673888
>From the darkness, Waxworks kept speaking while the sounds of movement continued.
"The darkness isn't dangerous by itself. Most ponies fall prey to their inability to follow their other senses in the darkness."
>You hear a thump and the sound of something heavy shifting slightly, accompanied by a grunt of pain.
"Case in point: The darkness didn't do that, my lack of feeling things out properly did that."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 21:15:54 No.30674934 Report

Quoted By: >>30676783

>>30673911
>hits herself trying to stay dark and edgy
Silly candle pony

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 113534.png, 668KiB, 1111x1400

Anonymous Sun 06 Aug 2017 23:21:15 No.30675757 Report

Quoted By:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP0xa_SDVVE

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1488663693786.png, 263KiB, 788x620

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 02:32:19 No.30676783 Report

Quoted By:

>>30674934
She tried.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO darkness_staring.png, 47KiB, 1024x768

Anonymous Mon 07 Aug 2017 04:37:44 No.30677375 Report

Quoted By:

Bed bump

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1491418407593.png, 381KiB, 872x1008

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 06:28:59 No.30677797 Report

Quoted By: >>30677801

>>30673911
“Wh–“ I started to speak, but he put a hoof against my mouth.
“Strangerrrrrrr.” The voices outside continued their chant, calling me to come out into the darkness with them. The pony in front of me kept the bottle under my nose, and eventually the chanting died down. Their calls continued, but grew faint as the distance increased between them and the hut. Finally, when he was satisfied they were far enough away, the pony removed the bottle and stoppered it, then put it back in his ragged clothes.
“The other villagers, in case you were wondering,” he said, his voice still low.
“I rather imagined that was them, since nopony else came to greet me,” I said, copying his volume. “…hey, wait, what happened to your speech? Shouldn’t there have been a ‘thou’ in that sentence?”
He fumbled about in the darkness and picked up one of the crates. He turned to me and gave me a smile that did not look reassuring in the red glow of the red light he carried. “With Nightmare Moon ruling, and the old ways taking hold once more, what better way to sound like you agree than to speakest as the old ways wouldst have us do?”
I looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “Does that work with the other villagers?”
“They are desperate to please the queen of the night, and speech like hers calms them. Help me take the crates down below.” He opened a trapdoor in the floor, and descended. Not wanting to be left in the dark, I picked up two of the crates myself and followed.
I kept an eye on his light and felt my way down after him. The stairs were steep, and I had to struggle to find the next one by feel since his light was not quite enough for both of us to see by. I had always been shorter than most, and this was making me feel tinier than usual.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 06:30:02 No.30677801 Report

Quoted By: >>30677805

>>30677797
“Quickly now, grab the last two, and shut the door behind you,” he said.
I grunted in annoyance as I placed the two crates I had next to him. “I can’t see at all, how would you have me do that?”
“Is your horn not yet recovered enough to make red light?”
I rolled my eyes, but he was right. I had been distracted by the threat upon my life. I thought about the light spell, and with a little alteration I lit up my horn with a small aura of red light. I struggled back up the stairs to grab the last two crates, and hobbled down the steps to the basement, shutting the hatch behind me.
“Lovely, let me just make a few checks here, and we’ll be ready.” He checked the edges of the trap door, locked it from below, and then went to a table where I could see a lamp was set up. He pulled out a match and struck it, then lit the lamp. The smell of burning kerosene wafted to me, and my eyes stung as they adjusted to the light.
“Is that safe? You told me no light,” I said.
“I have securely prepared this basement to allow no light to escape. The floor, hatch, and everything else, is sealed,” he said. “Now I believe I can properly introduce myself. My name is Crow’s Flight. I am Stone’s Throw’s pellar.”
“A pellar?” I wracked my brain trying to recall exactly what that was. “As in, the wise pony? Like a soothsayer?”
“Yes, though I provide medicine, banishments, and blessings as well. You’re very well-read, mrs…”
“Chatelaine. Miss Chatelaine,” I said.
“Yes, of course. From Canterlot Castle.”
I looked at him askance. He was dirty, and his clothes were not just ragged but made of rags. He had a necklace and headdress made of bones, feathers, and twigs. He was old as well. Well past his prime if I didn’t miss my guess.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 06:31:04 No.30677805 Report

Quoted By: >>30677815

>>30677801
“How did you know I used to work at Canterlot Castle?” I asked.
“The bones, miss. They tell me many things. The bones are how I knew you would be arriving today.” He pulled a hooffull of small animal bones carved with shapes and symbols out of a pocket of his rags. I grimaced at the sight. I was not unfamiliar with death or the short lives of small animals, but carrying bones was creepy.
“Now, you are probably wondering exactly why a pellar from a backwater town such as this would be doing with such strange supplies, and especially why I sent for them by carrier-pigeon,” he said.
“I heard it was a strange request, but I didn’t see the arrival of the pigeon itself. I took the job because it was going to pay extra. But go ahead and explain. It’s not like I can leave,” I said.
“Ours was a happy village, once upon a time. We would enjoy the blessings of the sun and work our days in the light as ponies are wont to do. Needless to say, come the Summer Sun Celebration and the loss of Princess Celestia, the nights started taking their toll.
“As with all ponies, we strove to continue life as it had been, but without the sun to alert the roosters to tell us when to awaken, ponies began to lose their regular hours. Some would awake at one time, others at another, and soon the village was a 24-hour bustle of constantly fluctuating activity.
“I do not know who began the rumour, but after a couple of years, somepony decided that Nightmare Moon needed more of our worship, and demanded that we begin living without lights in the village, as our beloved Queen would want. It was decided that we must become creatures of the dark, and live in utter darkness, as was clearly intended.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 06:33:28 No.30677815 Report

Quoted By: >>30678700 >>30683157

>>30677805
"Spend too much time in the darkness, without seeing any light for a long enough time, and things start to change for you. You rely on other senses, yes, but you also start to believe this might be the natural course of things."
>Waxworks comes back into the light just far enough for her muzzle to be doused in shadow.
"Not all the time, but you can surely see how the leap of logic could be made?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 07 Aug 2017 11:27:32 No.30678700 Report

Quoted By: >>30679313 >>30679498

>>30677815
how long must Waxworks have lived to know of these events?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO scoothulhu.jpg, 865KiB, 2400x2400

Anonymous Mon 07 Aug 2017 15:33:22 No.30679313 Report

Quoted By:

>>30678700
Wavworks is really scoothulhu

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 16:32:50 No.30679498 Report

Quoted By: >>30680398

>>30678700
Nah, man. She isn't old, she just hears of these stories from "a friend of a friend".

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1499632067597.png, 550KiB, 864x720

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 07 Aug 2017 20:01:17 No.30680398 Report

Quoted By: >>30682089

>>30679498
Update gonna be late today. Touching up my final paper.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO twibug_by_mantathemisukitty-db9p (...).png, 309KiB, 600x731

Anonymous Mon 07 Aug 2017 21:48:49 No.30681013 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO paper trai.jpg, 50KiB, 500x741

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 01:04:57 No.30682089 Report

Quoted By: >>30682332

>>30680398

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 01:49:04 No.30682332 Report

Quoted By:

>>30682089
For a second, I thought that was semen.

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170807_224146.jpg, 951KiB, 1536x2353

DS Stoner Tue 08 Aug 2017 03:44:21 No.30682927 Report

Quoted By: >>30683049

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO String pattern.jpg, 753KiB, 1420x1847

DS Stoner Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:07:16 No.30683034 Report

Quoted By: >>30683049

Has this been done yet? I called it string pattern, it's where you tie a very thin piece of sting into a patten around your face, or any other part of your body, and you pull hard enough to break skin for it to bleed. this was an idea I had while designing clothes for a character of mine and they had a checkerboard pattern

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:11:44 No.30683049 Report

Quoted By: >>30683122

>>30683034
That looks awfully painful, but I've never heard of it before now. It's a pretty cool idea if you wanted to be creepy. Reminds me of the net alien from one of the Alien vs. Predator films.

>>30682927
Is this a pony holding their own head?

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170807_232252.jpg, 1024KiB, 1536x2560

DS Stoner Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:26:02 No.30683122 Report

Quoted By:

>>30683049
It's as painful as it looks and sounds and thanks I was going for the creepy idea.
And yes, he is holding his own head

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO grinning heads.png, 1MiB, 862x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:33:17 No.30683157 Report

Quoted By: >>30683161

>>30677815
“I should understand that you were the only pony that thought otherwise?” I said.
“You would be correct.”
“But they’re not behaving like normal ponies. They were acting strange and… creepy.”
“That came later. Maybe you noticed, but you cannot see the stars or the moon from the village.”
“I did notice, yes. What happened to them?”
“Nothing happened to them, but the village has been permeated by a darkness that is more than just the absence of light. This darkness is alive!” He gestured in a wide circle with a hoof. “It covers the village in a somber blanket, affecting the mind and changing a pony to serve some purpose I cannot yet fathom.”
I scratched my head with a hoof. “When the villagers were calling me, I started feeling like I should join them despite myself. That was the influence you are referring to?”
He nodded. “It subliminally encourages you to favour senses other than sight, and live immersed in darkness.”
“So, the scent you wafted under my nose, why did that fix it? Because it smelled like something you can only smell in the sunlight?”
“You are remarkably astute. That is correct.” He began pulling bottles out of the crates and organizing them. “That is why I believe this darkness is related to Nightmare Moon, and is also why speaking like she does fools the villagers. They have an image in their minds of how Nightmare Moon should act, and any pony that acts like that subconscious image must already be part of the group.”
“It seems like they want you either to join them, or die. Why are you still here? Trying to save them?”
“Of course. I have lived here all my life, and was here before much of the village even existed. It would be remiss of me not to give my all to help those I watched grow into the stallions and mares they are today.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:34:20 No.30683161 Report

Quoted By: >>30683166

>>30683157
“That’s very commendable. I don’t know if I could do the same if somepony tried to kill me or make me lose my mind,” I said.
“I hold no grudges to them for their current behavior. They were frightened, and before this darkness took hold of them they were merely experimenting with new ways to please their current ruler. They are not behaving by their own wills anymore.” He opened one of the bottles and took a whiff. “Ahhh. Delightfully fresh.”
“What are you doing to help them?” I looked over the bottles he had on the table. I recognized none of them save a few oils that usually went to the kitchens in the castle. “Are they affected by the scents you used on me?”
“Some might be, but I have not had an opportunity to try it on many of them. The two I caught seemed unaffected, but I did not manage to expose them to the smell for very long,” he said.
I nodded and watched him separate the bottles into groups that I’m sure made sense to him, but I could not make heads or tails of. He began moving about the basement, placing them on different shelves and racks and started a fire in a furnace set into one wall. I asked for no further information and he volunteered none, but there was something unspoken I thought he was waiting for, but I was not willing to give.
“So, when will it be safe for me to leave?” I asked.
His movements didn’t falter, but I could tell he was disappointed, if not surprised. “It is as safe now as it will ever be. Merely speak no words as thou taketh thy leave, and use no lights, as they cause offense to thy Queen.”
“How am I supposed to find my way if there is no light to guide me?”
He turned and looked at me. His gaze was intense, and did not waver. “The villagers are asking that same question.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:35:54 No.30683166 Report

Quoted By: >>30683172

>>30683161
I averted my eyes first, but said nothing in response. He was right, and I knew it, but I had my own problems. His village was not the first to suffer under the yoke of the new Queen, and it would not be the last. I was merely trying to make my own living as an ostracized member of the royal household. It was hard enough without crazy magic getting into the mix.
I heard a sigh from the old stallion, and he picked up a carrying yoke from one side of the basement from which two buckets dangled on each end. “Come then. I require water for my mixtures, so we shall go down to the stream. I can point you in the correct direction from there, if your intent is to leave.”
“Oh, well thank you,” I said.
“I need not thine thanks. Thanks shall not bring back neighbors who even know struggle to regain their identity. Come if thou would quit this place, but warned once again: No light. No magic. Speak not unless thine speech carries with it the timbre and power of the Queen of the Night herself!”
I nodded and said nothing.
“Hold my robes while we walk. I shall not be using the red light for guidance. Even in darkness I will not lose my path,” he said.
He put out the lights and shuttered the furnace, then swished robes in my direction with a hoof. Without being able to use my magic per his insistence, I grabbed part of his filthy robes in my teeth and followed him up out of the trap door. He walked slowly but steadily, giving me some leeway to keep up as he opened the front door and stepped outside. The permanent night air had the faint scent of smoke in it from his chimney, and there was the sound of night creatures surrounding us, but nothing else.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:37:22 No.30683172 Report

Quoted By: >>30685340 >>30688409

>>30683166
"Fending for oneself isn't a terrible way to live. I cannot blame Chatelaine for choosing what she did. Try to help everypony, and you'll end up getting dragged down with them more often than not."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO IMG_20170807_234037.jpg, 719KiB, 1343x2284

DS Stoner Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:49:55 No.30683232 Report

Quoted By: >>30683258

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 04:58:51 No.30683258 Report

Quoted By: >>30683280

>>30683232
Seems like a sort of alternative form of cutting.

DS Stoner

DS Stoner Tue 08 Aug 2017 05:06:05 No.30683280 Report

Quoted By: >>30683474

>>30683258
Eh when you think about it yeah it does, but it's less of a cutting thing, what I thought of it was it's kinda like a more painful tattoo.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 06:08:52 No.30683474 Report

Quoted By:

>>30683280
If nothing else, it'd make somebody look pretty cool. Interesting scarring, that's for sure.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO where__s_derpy_by_falloutfire-d5 (...).png, 3MiB, 3000x3000

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 15:03:53 No.30684721 Report

Quoted By:

B̴̗̜͖̦̳̘͓̩̀̿̍̋̓̂͗͗͞U̶̡̹̙̬̰̣̠̾͐́̃̈̄͠M̷̡͉̯̻͎͈̀͂͆̊̈́P̶̨̢̛̳̟̹̦̻̀̋̀̈̋̉͢͠

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Discord set in stone.jpg, 313KiB, 768x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 18:23:28 No.30685340 Report

Quoted By: >>30686132

>>30683172
>>30683172
Late update today again. After Friday the schedule will probably be more cemented.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO barely held together.png, 2MiB, 1741x1539

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 08 Aug 2017 20:54:29 No.30686132 Report

Quoted By: >>30687753

>>30685340

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 711072.png, 973KiB, 1750x2600

Anonymous Tue 08 Aug 2017 22:48:00 No.30686820 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO wretched.jpg, 203KiB, 500x661

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 01:56:33 No.30687753 Report

Quoted By:

>>30686132

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 02:10:33 No.30687866 Report

Quoted By:

>>30611863
When the fog of life surrounds you
When you feel you've lost your way
Come with me and join the forest
Come with me and join the fray

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Luna's nightmares.png, 2MiB, 1857x1393

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:17:32 No.30688409 Report

Quoted By: >>30688419

>>30683172
True to his request, I said nothing, and he led me through the darkness. I didn’t know what direction we were going or what the landscape was like around me. Sometimes the sounds coming to my ears were muted for a moment, and I felt the cool breeze surrounding me coming from only one direction for a moment. I took that to indicate we were going between two buildings or in a narrow passage of some kind. I assumed it was buildings because I could feel wagon ruts underneath my hooves. Despite it all, as I followed Crow’s Flight he did not bump his head, stumble, or even slow down as he continued trudging along some path he knew.
I thought it was smooth going, and I would be out of there and on my way back to the train station within the hour. However, that was not to be the case. I heard hoofsteps within the darkness that matched neither my nor Crow’s cadence. There were multiple sets, and at one point Crow stopped and I heard the hoofsteps pass within hoof’s reach of us. I could hear the pony’s breath rasping in the air. The pony muttered to himself, a stallion’s voice talking to himself about something to do with beer. Beer being the only word I caught in the quick chatter.
I tried to remain calm, but my breathing sped up at the prospect of being caught. I didn’t want to lose my mind to them and their praise of the night. No matter the circumstances surrounding the Queen I wanted to by my own pony and live my own life how I saw fit. Worshipping the night would not accomplish that, no matter how much Nightmare Moon might want to hear it. She and others like her could worship her own damn moon, just let me be.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:19:06 No.30688419 Report

Quoted By: >>30688428

>>30688409
I waited with Crow’s cloak clenched between my teeth until the hoofsteps had put some distance between us, then felt a tug as Crow started walking again. I followed, but I felt like there was somepony out there I couldn’t see. If I was honest, there probably was. Probably several or more. I didn’t know how many ponies lived in Stone’s Throw, but if it was an average village there were at least dozens. If every single one of them with the exception of Crow’s Flight had given themselves up to the night, then that was a lot of ponies out for his and my blood. Or sanity, as the case may be.
As we traveled further, I could hear the sound of running water. We were getting close to the destination then. That was excellent. I didn’t want to be here any longer than I had to. These mindless ponies were driving me mad. What did they eat? How could they live like this? I didn’t know how a group who seemed mindless could live any sort of a fulfilling life.
The sound of running water got louder, but with it I began to hear a murmur that didn’t match up. As we got closer, I could make out words, and it began to take on the tone of a sort of musical chant or prayer.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nightmare Moon Darkness.png, 128KiB, 800x600

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:21:15 No.30688428 Report

Quoted By: >>30688439 >>30693706 >>30693806 >>30727938

>>30688419
Queen, our Queen, our savior. Lost deep in the light.
We know she will always, be found in the night.
Dark and deep and distant, night seems far away.
Wisdoms, truths, and virtues. What the night will say.

Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! Take away your eyes.
Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! They only tell lies.

Live in deepest darkness, stay away from light.
Nightmare Moon’s direction, shows up in the night.
Live for her my ponies, though she’s far away.
Darkness is a virtue, that’s what night can say.

Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! Take away your eyes.
Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! They only tell lies.

Take my sight away from me, let there be no light.
What I want the most from life can only be the night.
Lose your eyes in darkness, take your sight away.
That’s the only path to hear, what the night shall say.

Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! Take away your eyes.
Fullest Moon! Newest Moon! They only tell lies.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 04:22:39 No.30688439 Report

Quoted By: >>30689118 >>30690534

>>30688428
>Waxworks looks at you for a moment, then blows out the candle, plunging you both into darkness.

Updated my journal; https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nightmare Moon takeover.jpg, 39KiB, 439x642

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 07:08:36 No.30689118 Report

Quoted By:

>>30688439

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO a2761839208_10.jpg, 76KiB, 1200x639

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 10:00:53 No.30689568 Report

Quoted By: >>30691334

New Radiarc album.
https://radiarc.bandcamp.com/album/resilience-album

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 16:11:04 No.30690534 Report

Quoted By:

>>30688439
Surprise boop

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO emptied then filled.png, 307KiB, 642x1030

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 09 Aug 2017 18:49:53 No.30691334 Report

Quoted By: >>30693093

>>30689568
Nice. It sounds pretty good.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO all_you_will_see_is_grey_by_shar (...).png, 417KiB, 1706x1348

Anonymous Wed 09 Aug 2017 21:38:00 No.30692105 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO slimenbones.png, 832KiB, 670x1000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 00:25:38 No.30693093 Report

Quoted By:

>>30691334

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1500582124266.jpg, 293KiB, 1241x1378

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:23:33 No.30693706 Report

Quoted By: >>30693714

>>30688428
The chanting continued, and I could hear deep male voices, higher female voices, and even young foal’s voices all chanting along with each other. This must be where the ponies all spent much of their time now that they were influenced by whatever caused this darkness. Why choose a body of water, though? At least they weren’t going to die of thirst, but that chanting! It wormed its way into my ears and set my head to swimming. Why were they doing this? Was this darkness trying to accomplish something by making them do this, or was it a byproduct of its influence?
I clutched my head with a hoof and rubbed my ears in an attempt to alleviate the sound, but all it did was allow the sonorous chant’s cadence to worm its way deeper into my head. I heard the splash of Crow’s buckets touching the water, and waited impatiently as he filled them from whatever dark waters lay within this part of the night-blanketed trees.
The second splash came and I waited for the tug to indicate we were leaving, but as I heard hoofsteps passing away I felt no tug on my teeth. It was then I realized that in my confusion, I had released Crow’s rags. I was no longer tethered to him by anything!
I opened my mouth, but quashed any speech before I released it. I remembered his admonition that if I was going to speak, I needed to make sure it sounded like somepony from the court of Nightmare Moon; archaic, and imperious. Trouble was, I didn’t think I could. I was frightened almost to the point of no words, and trying to think about what an archaic and imperious voice sounded like was futile. I squeaked slightly, but that was it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:24:40 No.30693714 Report

Quoted By: >>30693727

>>30693706
I fumbled about with a hoof, trying to find any sign of Crow. It had only been half a minute at most since I heard the buckets splashing in the water, so he couldn’t have gone far. But despite my scraping the ground around me, I found nothing. I felt no ragged clothing, nor a hoof, nor a bucket. I didn’t want to move because I knew I was surrounded by ponies who believed the darkness was some sort of lord and savior here to usher in some magical night-soaked golden age.
I tried to steady my breathing, but my fear prevented me from steadying myself. I couldn’t inhale as hard as I needed or it might make too much noise, so my struggled just managed to make me hyperventilate. Despite the darkness I began to see spots in front of my vision, and I knew I couldn’t stay any longer. If Crow had abandoned me out of some malicious hatred of me not wanting to help him or his village, I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of getting captured by these cultists his village had become.
I pricked my ears up, despite the chanting causing me almost physical pain at this point, and oriented myself so that the loudest chants were situated behind me. I put a hoof out a short distance in front of me and when it didn’t hit anything, I placed it down and leaned forward with care, making sure it was on solid ground before leaning onto it. I took one step, then slowly took another. It was slow going, but before I knew it I had taken a dozen steps. The chanting hadn’t gotten any quieter, which meant I had not made much progress, but it was progress nonetheless. There was still the little issue of being lost here in the forest in the dark, but all I had to do was get far enough away from the village and I could use my light.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:25:42 No.30693727 Report

Quoted By: >>30693745

>>30693714
I was calming down as I got further away, and my breathing, while still a bit too quick, wasn’t causing my vision to show spots anymore. The chanting was still in my head, and my ears were plastered back on my head, but it was just a matter of time. Just a matter of time…
It was with this thought that I cracked my skull on something. “Ow! Celestia’s shiny ass!”
The area went deathly silent.
I smacked a hoof to my mouth, but the damage had been done.
“The defiler! She invoked the defiler!”
“Defiler of darkness! Traitor to umbra!”
“Strangerrrrrr!”
“Strangerrrrrrrrrrr!”
“Come to us strangerrrrr!”
Their voices pierced my skull, and I felt that tugging at my mind once again, only this time Crow wasn’t here to waft the scent of morning under my nose. I could hear them moving about searching for me. The fact that they couldn’t see and relied on smell and hearing was of small comfort. There were many of them and only one of me. It was only a matter of time before one of them stumbled into me or I gave myself away again.
“Strangerrrrrr.”
“Fullest Moon. Newest Moon. Take away your eyes.”
Their voices became a cacophony of the chant, and calls for the stranger. I wanted to give myself up, to let them find me and get it over with, but instead I whimpered inside my head and wept in terror. Hooves passed next to me, and somepony even bumped into me. I stuffed a hoof into my mouth, placed the other over my head and covered my ears and tried to think of anything other than how dark it was. I remembered my memories of sun-filled days playing in the park with some of the other schoolponies at Celestia’s school for gifted unicorns. I tried to remember what the sun looked like, but all I could come up with was a yellow circle that I knew didn’t properly do it justice.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:27:23 No.30693745 Report

Quoted By: >>30698870

>>30693727
"They're not pleased to hear about the deposed ruler of the sun, and they're out to get her after her supposed abandonment by Crow."
>You hear hoofsteps in the darkness.
"But ponies are blind in the dark. Especially magical darkness."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:35:11 No.30693806 Report

Quoted By: >>30693886

>>30688428
This needs music

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 02:42:55 No.30693886 Report

Quoted By:

>>30693806
I am no musician, so I don't know I could do it justice, but I had a rudimentary tune in my head for it. I don't know that I'm happy with it, but I will consider making something for it.
It may have to wait until after this paper is done and everything, though. Along with reading that other poem I wrote.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1502306670537.png, 477KiB, 800x905

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 04:00:37 No.30694628 Report

Quoted By:

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Blue Tears eye ref.jpg, 726KiB, 1906x1416

DS Stoner Thu 10 Aug 2017 04:49:38 No.30694922 Report

Quoted By: >>30694978

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 04:59:53 No.30694978 Report

Quoted By: >>30695591

>>30694922
I don't know how you would get the string on your eye to do that, but ow. That looks exceedingly painful.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1495379935516.png, 926KiB, 1205x1255

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 07:14:20 No.30695591 Report

Quoted By: >>30696904

>>30694978

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1502303339452.png, 698KiB, 800x1000

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 12:09:02 No.30696202 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Eating butterflies..jpg, 846KiB, 2560x1440

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 16:13:13 No.30696904 Report

Quoted By:

>>30695591

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 18:04:00 No.30697405 Report

Quoted By:

before bed bump

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO i_m_horrible_by_sharpieboss-d8l9 (...).jpg, 120KiB, 894x894

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 20:19:21 No.30697982 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 10 Aug 2017 22:50:33 No.30698850 Report

Quoted By:

morning bump

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO lantern at night.png, 618KiB, 797x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 22:54:46 No.30698870 Report

Quoted By: >>30698873

>>30693745
My thoughts drifted from the sun to the moon, to how the cool night air felt on my fur. It would be so easy to just allow my mind to go. To speak out and let them find me. Surely they wouldn’t hurt me too much. They wanted to recruit new ponies to the night’s cause, and killing me wouldn’t accomplish that.
My tears stopped. The chanting no longer grated. Now it all seemed to calm and peaceful. I was surrounded by friends, after all. Friends who wanted me to join them in praising the night. I would no longer have to fear the dark, it could be my friend and keep me safe. If only I’d allow it.
A voice boomed out in the darkness. “Dost thou fear uncertainty? Doth thine efforts to live in darkness bring thee only fear? Taketh mine hoof and we shalt face it as one. As long as thee holds strong, so shalt I.”
It was Crow’s Flight, giving away his position in darkness so that I could crawl to him! Around me in the dark I could hear the other ponies speaking in confused tones. A voice not unlike their Queen was speaking, but there shouldn’t be one here. They didn’t know if they should find it and question it, or if they should let it pass.
I took advantage of their indecision and stumbled to my hooves. I felt light-headed, but I plowed through brush and pony alike to try to find the source of the voice. “There be no cause for alarm, though thine eyes deceive thee hourly, and nightmares do plague thine sleep, hope shalt ever be thine shield.”
I was close! I felt bushes and brambles tug at my fur as I plowed blindly toward the voice, but it was much louder. He wasn’t far! The voice was right on top of me, and I finally felt myself bump into somepony. Hooves grabbed me and I flinched, but I waited to see what would happen.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 22:56:03 No.30698873 Report

Quoted By: >>30698880

>>30698870
The pony the hooves belonged to grabbed my head and held tight. They moved across my features, tracing out my muzzle, ears, and brow, then disappeared. I felt something flick at my face and I grabbed it with my teeth. This was a tail and not a cloak, but I wasn’t going to let go. I held tight, tears flowing fresh, and as the tug came I followed.
The crowd around us was still muttering quietly as we left. I was amazed that his speech worked so well. I didn’t want to believe it because it had sounded so ridiculous, but it worked, and it worked beautifully.
We left the crowd behind us and I felt the ruts beneath my hooves once more. We had made it back to the road and possibly back to town. Safety—as much as it could be called that—was within reach!
When we reached his house and he opened the door I stumbled past him into the dark interior. I yanked open the trap door and disappeared down below without a word. I reached a corner and curled up, then proceeded to sob into my hooves.
Crow took his time getting inside. I could hear him thumping about and there was the occasional splash of water. His hoofsteps came downstairs into the cellar and he busied himself preparing some sort of work. He left me to my crying, not saying anything or offering any sort of comfort.
I heard him open the furnace and light from the fire brightened the cellar. Above the roar of the fire, Crow finally spoke. “It isn’t about what you worship, you know. It’s about why.”
I wiped my eyes and pulled my head out of my hooves. “What?”
“They can worship the night and the darkness all they want, if I thought they were doing it freely.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 22:57:09 No.30698880 Report

Quoted By: >>30698886

>>30698873
“I don’t—” I sniffled and wiped my nose on my hoof. “—I don’t think they are.”
“No. I was worried I had lost you to the darkness when you dropped my cloak. I was not going to stay and wait for you to turn on me, but when they began their search for you I knew it hadn’t quite taken you.”
“Thank you, for coming back. I thought you were trying to get rid of me.”
He sighed. “I wanted you to see the worst of it before you left. I have been working to help them for so long all by myself that I was frustrated at your unwillingness to do so. It was foolish, and dangerous. I hope you can forgive me.” He bowed his head.
“Well…” I choked out a half-sob, half-laugh. “…it didn’t quite get me, so no harm done?”
He offered me a kerchief, which I gratefully took. I blew my nose and returned it. “I still don’t know that I want to help, but I will stay for a short while longer. It is much better in here than it is out there, and I’d rather enjoy the warmth of your fire than brave the cold night air.
“I would welcome the company.”
I stayed sitting in my corner and watch Crow work. He collected several vials and other liquids into one area and began mixing stirring them. From my place in the corner I could smell traces of different plant oils and various extracts. One of which may have been vanilla, but it was quickly overpowered by something else I didn’t recognize.
Once he had a lot of them mixed into a vial, he went to one of the buckets and with a small scoop, pulled out a scoop of water. I thought it might have been a trick of the light, but from where I was sitting, the water looked black as night. I squinted, but the water was gone into the beaker before I could see much more of it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 10 Aug 2017 22:58:12 No.30698886 Report

Quoted By: >>30700624 >>30701321

>>30698880
"It's not the end of the world if the light goes out. Some ponies cannot come to terms with it, however, and need a little bit of guidance."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1502293583679.png, 786KiB, 1280x1279

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 01:49:42 No.30699749 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO blind and chained.jpg, 258KiB, 1000x1000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 04:01:33 No.30700624 Report

Quoted By:

>>30698886

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Organ of Shadows.png, 1MiB, 1318x1882

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 06:40:24 No.30701321 Report

Quoted By: >>30701327

>>30698886
I watched and waited as Crow set the beaker of fluids into a holder and moved it closer to the furnace. I knew nothing about alchemy, so couldn’t venture a guess as to what he was doing, but it was interesting to observe. He returned to the counter and began grinding up some seeds in a mortar and pestle. The smell of lavender hit me a few seconds later and I felt myself relax.
“That smells lovely,” I said.
“I’m glad you like it. I used to make a calming pomander for some of the villagers before everything changed. I thought you might be able to use it right now.”
“I think I’m calm enough, Crow.”
“Hmmm, but is it thanks to you, or thanks to my scents?”
I had no response, so I just shrugged.
“It is not difficult to create, and I am waiting for my potion to percolate anyway.” He crushed the lavender, added it to a small vial of fluid, then shook the bottle and brought it over to me. “There you are. Just sniff that if you feel anxious. It should calm you right down.
“Thank you.” I took the bottle and popped off the cork just for a second to smell the concoction. True to his word, it smelled soft and comforting. “What are you cooking, if I may ask?”
“That, is an attempt to purify the spring-water.”
“Purify it? What’s in it?”
“Darkness.”
“Darkness? Like, the thing influencing the village?”
He shrugged. “The truth is, I know not what it is, but it is dark, and it is in the water.” He pointed at the buckets next to the furnace. “The pool where I fetched water from is where it is most concentrated, and is also where the villagers congregate. They sing to it, or for it, I’m not sure which.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 06:41:50 No.30701327 Report

Quoted By: >>30701330

>>30701321
“What effect does the chanting have?”
“Again, something I do not fully understand,” Crow said. “I do know that it increases the influence of the darkness, but that is the extent of my knowledge.”
I shuddered remembering how it had wormed its way into my mind, making me feel like it only wanted what was best. “I felt it, and I liked it at the time, which is even scarier now that I’m free of it.”
“Indeed. That’s what makes it so sinister.”
I thought for a moment. “Have you felt it? You seem nearly immune.”
He shook his head. “I assure you I am not. It whispers to me just as it does to you. I am sure it whispers to the villagers as well.”
“It almost sounds like a good idea, but then where does life go from there? You worship darkness for the rest of it? That sounds like a terrible life.”
“It does. No choices to make. It is why I do what I do.”
“How do you think you can fix it then?”
“When I have succeeded in treating small portions of the water, I will then treat the source of the water itself.”
“Will you be able to make enough?”
“We can only wait and see.”
I nodded, and when no more conversation was forthcoming, Crow turned back to his work. He waited while the water boiled, and took it off the fire. He swirled it, added some more ingredients to it, and scrutinized it under a magnifying glass. He took a larger portion of water and dropped a tiny bit of his mixture into it, but he shook his head, and I assumed it did not work.
He turned to the other bottles, vials, and containers on his table and got to work mixing up another batch of something. His actions seemed random as well as his choices, but I was no alchemist, and could offer no advice.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 06:42:56 No.30701330 Report

Quoted By: >>30701333

>>30701327
I don’t know how long he was at it, but I eventually woke up to find myself alone in darkness. It was pitch-black, and at first I panicked, I squeaked out in terror and gasped, but a hoof quickly reached out stroked my neck.
“Shhh, calm down. You are safe here, my girl.”
“Ah, thank you, Crow’s Flight.”
“You’re welcome, Chatelaine. I promise I will see you out of the village. It was wrong of me to try to keep you here to help.”
“It’s… alright. It was callous of me to dismiss your concerns so lightly. You’ve been trying to help your village for a long time, and it’s only been you. I can’t imagine how that must feel.”
“I am old. There is no greater goal for my life than this,” he said. “I will either die alone in the dark, or I will die with friends and family in the dark. Given a choice, I will work towards the latter.”
“I am rested, if you want to get back to work. Have you slept much?”
“Very little, but that is all I need. Sleep matters little to me these days.”
I pulled myself to my hooves. “Then I will help where I can. What do you need?”
“Well…” He grunted and I heard his knees popping as he pulled himself up. “I have a mixture that may work, but the only way to tell is to throw it into the pond. Do you think you will be okay with another trip down to the water’s edge?”
I gulped, but nodded. Then I realized he couldn’t see me nod. “Yes, I will come. Cowering in fear will do no good.”
“I appreciate the help. Let me prepare the bucket and we can go.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 06:43:59 No.30701333 Report

Quoted By: >>30704568

>>30701330
"Preparations are complete, and they seek to venture out into the darkness once again. The outcome is in doubt, but that will not stop them from trying."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO there_in_the_headlights_by_sharp (...).jpg, 3MiB, 3508x2480

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 14:26:59 No.30702507 Report

Quoted By: >>30704325

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO _unique_pony_kitten_by_the_butch (...).gif, 454KiB, 543x467

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 17:37:15 No.30703103 Report

Quoted By:

Cute disaster

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO on_dark_hillsides__in_the_hidden (...).jpg, 252KiB, 4014x2392

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 20:37:11 No.30704034 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 11 Aug 2017 21:31:24 No.30704325 Report

Quoted By:

>>30702507
That's a fuzzy Pinkie.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Ghosticorn.png, 700KiB, 1100x700

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 22:11:12 No.30704568 Report

Quoted By: >>30704579

>>30701333
Crow picked up one of the two buckets he had. He had covered it with a lid, so I couldn’t see the contents, but I heard it sloshing about inside. “Do you think it’ll work?” I asked.
“I hope that it will. It was a struggle to get a carrier pigeon that would fly to Canterlot in the first place. I hope the ingredients you brought will make the difference.”
No other words were spoken and the two of you crawled up out of the basement and you followed Crow out of his home and into the darkness. Your teeth were firmly clenched on his cloak again, and his tugging led you along through the night. His decades of living here had given him a preternatural sense of where everything was and his sure-hoofed pace took you through the buildings back to the pool.
There was no chanting this time when they arrived at the pool. There was only an intense and overwhelming silence, broken only by the trickling of the water as it arrived at its destination. I wondered if we were at the same place, but I heard Crow place the bucket on the ground and I knew it was here he wanted to work.
Crow tugged at his cloak and I let go, albeit reluctantly. I didn’t move and waited. I heard splashing, but I wasn’t sure what his plans were. If he was walking out into the pond, he was probably going to dump it into the center, or as close as he could get to it. The splashing eventually changed into the *swoosh-swoosh* of somepony wading through deeper water, and I continued waiting with bated breath. If he needed rescuing from the deep water, I could do that, but I was concerned about the darkness that was ‘living’ in the pond. What would it do to him? What could it do?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 22:12:17 No.30704579 Report

Quoted By: >>30704607

>>30704568
I heard the squeak of wood rubbing against wood, and a quiet *pop*. In the next instant my eyes stung as a glow appeared near the middle of the pond. I gasped in surprise and wonder at the same time other voices gasped in fear and anger.
Crow lifted the bucket filled with glowing liquid above his head. “Long hath mine efforts dragged me forward toward a day when thine spirits should be freed from this heinous grasp of darkness.” The ponies around the pond muttered in confusion and indignation as his speech began. “Pray, forgive this old fool his indulgences and realize your own worth. It is not the light from above that gives life meaning, it is the light from within.”
He tilted the bucket, but before the glowing liquid could begin to pour into the pond, the water below him surged and swamped over him. His words were lost, and the bucket was held carefully in the water’s embrace, firmly sitting upright as Crow thrashed and choked in the deeper portion.
I gave a cry of despair and stepped forward, but I saw dozens of pairs of eyes lock onto me the instant I moved. They didn’t move, but in the glow emanating from the bucket I could see them staring daggers at me, as though daring me to move forward to help.
Crow was drowning. I watched another pony step forward into the pond and press his head into the mud beneath the water, and I stood watching. As Crow’s struggles weakened, everypony around me watched me with imperious eyes. I couldn’t bring myself to help, and I cursed myself for my weakness. Another pony waded into the pond and picked up the bucket’s lid. They moved to where darkness held the bucket rigid, and placed the lid on top. As darkness filled the area once again, the last thing I saw was Crow’s body, unmoving, his cloak billowed around him in the water.
I ran.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 22:15:22 No.30704607 Report

Quoted By: >>30704707

>>30704579
It was dark, but this time they did not pursue me. They didn’t even call out to me. They had one prize and they were intent on taking advantage of that. I was ‘free’ to leave. As free as I could be, anyway. I could run as far as I wanted and I could probably get away.
I slammed into a tree and crumpled into a heap on the ground, head ringing. I felt tears welling up and started crying. I couldn’t tell if I was crying from fear or sadness, but I knew I was both afraid and heartbroken. That sweet old pony that just wanted to see his village freed had died trying to help them, and they had been the ones to kill him.
I pulled closer to the bole of the tree and allowed myself to cry. The saddest part of Crow’s death was that I knew he wouldn’t blame them for doing what they did. That ‘thing’ in the water was affecting their judgment, and had been the one pulling the strings.
I sobered upon that realization. I had seen the thing in the water.
There was something there! It wasn’t just the rantings and ravings of an old pony who had gone strange in his old age. He was right! He had been right about everything! The darkness in the water, the darkness controlling the ponies, and the darkness about town; all of it was true!
And Crow had found something that would hurt it, so it had been forced to lash out directly. The bucket was still intact, and had been sealed. It was unlikely it would destroy it or empty it, because the very sight of it made it angry. It was still being kept somewhere, and I could finish what Crow started!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 11 Aug 2017 22:30:53 No.30704707 Report

Quoted By: >>30705884 >>30711929

>>30704607
>You feel a hoof on your withers and jump slightly.
"His only thought was for ponies around him, and the darkness within them has brought him low."
>The hoof disappears.
"But there is yet hope."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO plasmids. Not even once..png, 867KiB, 1920x1080

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 02:07:51 No.30705884 Report

Quoted By: >>30706841

>>30704707

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Pinkie skullface.png, 312KiB, 481x748

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 04:55:08 No.30706841 Report

Quoted By: >>30707398

>>30705884

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO flutterflies.png, 2MiB, 1902x1373

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 07:01:05 No.30707398 Report

Quoted By: >>30707913 >>30710703

>>30706841
Alright, I have spent the evening researching writing instead of actually writing. Nothing tonight, but hopefully something of improved quality tomorrow.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO you_don_t_have_to_let_that_man_i (...).gif, 590KiB, 1200x702

Anonymous Sat 12 Aug 2017 10:20:29 No.30707913 Report

Quoted By: >>30709119

>>30707398
np. Quality takes time.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 12 Aug 2017 15:47:10 No.30709119 Report

Quoted By:

>>30707913
Calm down Pinkamena, I will not hurt you, you will be hurting me.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 12 Aug 2017 17:32:16 No.30710703 Report

Quoted By:

>>30707398
Will wait

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Pinkygas.png, 1MiB, 2000x2000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 19:32:54 No.30711929 Report

Quoted By: >>30711942

>>30704707
I calmed myself down and waited. Then I listened. The sounds of the forest around me overtook those of my own unsteady heart. I perked my ears, and could hear no calls for a stranger, nor any songs of darkness, and I determined that I was alone. The darkness still enveloped me like a suffocating quilt, but I was in no immediate physical danger.
I lifted myself on shaking hooves. My orientation was askew, and I didn’t know from which direction I had come. I thought about if it would be more beneficial to return back to Crow’s home and try to put together more of that fluid. I dismissed the idea. I had no knowledge of alchemy. My hopes of creating a new batch of whatever it was Crow had mixed together were slim. It would take years, and by then the influence of the darkness over them would be far too great. No, if I was to save them, it would have to be now.
I thought back to the path Crow had taken to the pond, and I remembered that beyond the wheel ruts from wagons, it went downhill. I tested the ground around me in a small circle. There was a minor slope to it, so I walked carefully downward.
It turned out that I had not deviated far from the road in my panicked flight. I encountered the wheel ruts, now covered in hoofprints, and not too long after that, I began hearing voices.
Some voices were chanting. Those not engaged in praising the dark were muttering. I slowed in my approach, but none of the voices stopped to pay attention to me. I was unmolested. I imagined it hinged upon my silence, as it had before, so I kept my mouth closed tight. As I entered the group, I heard a strange sound. It sounded like… crying.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 19:33:57 No.30711942 Report

Quoted By: >>30711959

>>30711929
Not knowing where to begin my search for the bucket, I followed the curious sound until I reached the pony it was issuing from. They were saying nothing, but their grief was plain. They were also alone. I walked in a circle around them, and nopony else was nearby. All others were busy with whatever dark business they attended to when not mindlessly chanting.
I reached out a careful hoof and touched them. They flinched at the contact, but did not withdraw. Emboldened, I pulled them into a wordless hug. At first, they did not hug me back, but after a moment of confused sniffling, trembling hooves wrapped around my back. A low voice spoke: “I killed him,” it said. “I didn’t want to but it made me do it.”
“I know,” I said back. The heard the water in the pond splash. Our voices were quiet, but it was safe to say it knew something was wrong. I didn’t have much time. “Where is the bucket?”
The pony froze. Their shaking stopped entirely as they understood my intent. All other sound had stopped. The jig was up. I heard splashing next to me, frantic and active. On a hunch, I released the hug and reached out where the splashing was coming from. I felt wood and seized it with my magic, just as the splashing increased in volume.
The glow from my horn was faint, but in its light I could see a liquid form take shape. A pony, made of the dark water existing in the pond had grabbed the bucket across from me. It was strong. Stronger than my magic alone, and I had to wrap my hooves around the bucket to prevent it from pulling away. The frigid water it was made of bit into my fur and skin as we wrestled, but neither one of us was willing to let go.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 19:35:05 No.30711959 Report

Quoted By: >>30711973

>>30711942
The ponies around us were silent and still at first, but those I saw in the glow of my horn were staring with those awful, blank-eyed stared. After a few moments of wrestling, I heard them begin to chant, and I felt those awful suggestions enter my mind once again.
“Strangerrrrrrrr,” the crowd intoned. “Strangerrrrrrrrr.”
This time, however, I felt no desire to obey. My goal in coming back to this pond was not to help myself. This time I was trying to see the lives of others improve from my actions. This was not for me. This was for Crow and his village, and I’d be damned if I gave up just for my own benefit.
I shifted my grip and my hooves broke through the watery skin of the thing fighting me. One of its limbs was separated from the rest of its body and fell to the ground with a splash. It began to lose its grip, and I grinned in triumph. Just as I felt that small glimmer of hope, I saw the ponies around me begin to move. They converged on us and I felt hooves grab hold of me. They lifted us both up, the liquid pony maintaining its grip on me and the bucket, and we were tossed into the pond.
The icy waters closed over my head just as I took in a breath. The cold tried to force the air from my lungs, and the now invisible form of the watery pony enveloped me. It closed in all around me and I felt myself descend into darkness. The glow from my horn showed nothing except for me, the bucket, and interminable darkness.
My ears popped, and I realized it was taking me deeper into the pond. It was going to suffocate me, and be done with it. I tried to kick, to swim upward to the surface, but I could barely move. I was in its element, and it held the upper hoof here.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 19:36:18 No.30711973 Report

Quoted By: >>30711999

>>30711959
I was running out of air, and I could not escape. I had failed. I would be gone, and the ponies up above who had given themselves up to darkness would remain trapped the rest of their lives. Slaves to whatever this creature was. They would live out their lives praising it, and never again live for themselves. Never see what their own desires, thoughts, and goals would accomplish. Crow died for nothing.
My lungs burned, and I was getting weaker. I tried to wrench the lid off the top of the bucket, but the force of the dark water pushing in around me was too strong. I couldn’t budge it. It was cradled in my hooves, and I held it tight, the darkness couldn’t take it away from me, but neither could I release the contents… not the traditional way anyway.
The pressure of the water on my ears was increasing and beginning to hurt. I didn’t know how deep this pond was, but I was still going down. I didn’t believe it was natural, but that mattered little. I released my grip on the bucket with my magic. I would need every bit of my magical force to do this. I felt the water tug at the bucket, and I let it pull away from me a small amount.
With the last bit of strength I could muster, as air bubbled out of my lungs, I fired a blast of magic at the bucket. It splintered, a golden explosion pouring out of the remains and coalescing into a beautiful yellow orb. The water around me roiled as though in pain, and the darkness receded, disappearing to someplace I did not know.
I inhaled, but all that came in was water. I finally felt myself hit the bottom of the pond, and I flopped onto my back. I looked upward and saw, floating next to each other, a beautiful golden sun alongside a pure white moon. The pain in my chest receded, along with my vision, and the two orbs were the last thing I saw.

The End.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 19:38:29 No.30711999 Report

Quoted By: >>30713034 >>30718072

>>30711973
>Waxworks lights the candle on the counter and smiles at you. It's softer than the sinister grin earlier.
"Living for oneself can be useful, but when everypony around you has lost their way, sometimes it takes one pony to stand up and help them see what they have given up to live in what they deem is 'safe'."
>Waxworks picks up her saddlebags and lamplighting poles.
"I should get back to work, though. I'm sure they won't be happy. As for how I know that story? That's a secret."
>Waxworks winks, and steps out the door, leaving you alone.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/zY209P4X

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO glasgow smile smile smile.png, 1MiB, 1639x1231

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 21:27:26 No.30713034 Report

Quoted By: >>30713762

>>30711999

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Discord of Christmas future.png, 731KiB, 907x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 12 Aug 2017 23:03:53 No.30713762 Report

Quoted By: >>30714893

>>30713034

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO is Rarity stalking me.jpg, 935KiB, 1000x1000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 01:13:39 No.30714893 Report

Quoted By: >>30715912

>>30713762

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO All around me are familiar riches.jpg, 57KiB, 919x720

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 03:40:25 No.30715912 Report

Quoted By:

>>30714893
> is Rarity stalking me.jpg
I wish...

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1477372908404.jpg, 225KiB, 638x825

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:35:07 No.30716987 Report

Quoted By: >>30717087 >>30737647

Hello.

I got around starting that story I mentioned about Luna and dream eldritch monsters.

I'll do some editing and post the prologue sometime tomorrow.

Cheers, lads.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO intestines.png, 2MiB, 1590x1172

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:38:57 No.30717010 Report

Quoted By: >>30717015 >>30724985

>>30660113
The two approached the door with caution. This magic hallway had suddenly changed the rules she thought she understood without warning her, and now she had to deal with the changes. The problem Cheerilee had with this was that it seemed random, and it was magic.
Cheerilee didn’t understand magic on her best days. She was forced to just accept it as something that unicorns could do and was a fact of life. This magic was unsettling. It was following her, she was sure of that, and it wanted her to pass through it. The fact that it wasn’t utterly random was the scariest part. That meant there was some purpose to its appearances, and she had no way of knowing what that purpose was.
When they reached the door, Cheerilee reached out and gripped the handle with her free hoof. She looked at Dandelion, who smiled down at her. She took a deep breath, turned the handle, and pushed.
The door swung open to reveal Dandelion’s room. Or at least, it appeared to be Dandelion’s room. It had all his posters, trophies, and other knick-knacks on the shelves. The only difference was the bed was currently occupied.
“It’s… my room?” Dandelion said.
“Shhh, almost.” Cheerilee pointed at the bed.
“Who’s that in the bed?” Dandelion stepped out of the hall, bristling at their privacy being invaded. “Hey, you! What are you doing in here!”
“Dandelion, no! This isn’t right!”
It was too late. Dandelion stepped out of the hall and let go of Cheerilee’s hoof. The figure in the bed sat up and rubbed his eyes. Cheerilee gasped, and Dandelion’s eyes widened in shock.
It was Dandelion.
“What in Tartarus? Am I dreaming?” The second Dandelion said. He looked from Dandelion, to Cheerilee peering out of his bathroom door. “What are you two doing in my room?”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:39:59 No.30717015 Report

Quoted By: >>30717021

>>30717010
The first Dandelion looked back to Cheerilee. “Cheerilee, what is this? Did that hallway do something?”
“Yes! It’s not good magic! Come back here, quickly! Let’s leave!” She motioned to him frantically to come back.
The second Dandelion’s ears whipped forward, and he suddenly looked very awake. “Hallway? Hallway! It came back!” Second Dandelion leaped across the room, pushing the first Dandelion aside in his haste. “I can finally leave!”
The Dandelion that had been pushed aside stumbled, but turned to grab the other one before he could make it to Cheerilee. “Hold it! What the hell are you talking about? Why do you know about these things?”
The other Dandelion fought back, squirming and thrashing as he tried to get past Dandelion and into the hallway. The two wrestled and fought, until Cheerilee had no idea which one was which anymore.
“Stop this! Fighting will get us nowhere!” Cheerilee shouted. The two Dandelions didn’t listen.
Their wrestling became a hoof-fight, and they traded blows back and forth. It was light hits at first, meant only to stun, but after the first few they grew stronger and harder. Blood began to fly and eyes to blacken. Cheerilee thought she recognized her Dandelion, as one of the two had a crazed look in his eyes as his hooves flew with desperation born of desire to leave this place.
Cheerilee moved toward the scuffle, intent on helping. As soon as she stepped outside of the hall, the door began swinging shut.
“No!” Both Dandelions yelled at once. They leaped toward the door in unison, bowling over Cheerilee. All three of them landed just inside the hall. They blocked the door, but the Dandelions were still fighting, Cheerilee now caught up in the brawl.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:41:04 No.30717021 Report

Quoted By: >>30717026

>>30717015
Cheerilee felt a few stray hooves strike her head, and she struggled to try to free herself. “Stop it! Stop it both of you! Just stop!”
“I won’t stay here any longer! Home is waiting for me! You’ve taken my place long enough you imposter!”
“Imposter? I don’t even know what these hallways are! Why do you? You’re keeping something from us and I won’t let you through until I know *oof* what!”
Cheerilee covered her head while they fought, accidental blows striking her back and hooves like angry hail. She finally found an opportunity, when one Dandelion had lifted the other over his head, and Cheerilee rolled away, deeper into the hall.
The moment she separated from them, the Dandelion that had the other one gripped in his hooves screamed in pain and dropped his victim. Cheerilee turned around to look, and saw Dandelion’s fur tearing off his body. It happened fast, faster than he could escape from the hall. His fur ripped off, then his skin was flayed off his muscle. Underneath that, Cheerilee was expecting a skeleton, but instead there was a mass of rigid, colourful bars, and beyond that, nothing but eyes. Eyes that stared out in pain and fear as they, too, were torn away into the air, leaving half of Dandelion’s body twitching inside the room.
“What… what is... ‘was’ that?” Cheerilee was in shock, staring wide-eyed at the mess.
“That—“ Dandelion kicked the body into the room “—was something. I don’t know what, but it wanted to traverse the hallway. I’ve seen them before.” He shut the door and moved toward Cheerilee. “They’re not allowed, but you brought one in. Why?”
Cheerilee shuffled away from him. “But, nopony but me was able to even see or do anything with the hallway unless I helped them. What made him different?”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:42:10 No.30717026 Report

Quoted By: >>30717035

>>30717021
“Ah, shit. You went native, didn’t you?” He held out a hoof, which Cheerilee avoided and pulled herself to her hooves. “They’re not different. You are. You’ve just forgotten.”
“What?” Cheerilee was confused.
Dandelion trotted down the hall, back to the room Cheerilee had entered from. It was the same as it was when the two of them had left, only now Cheerilee was returning to it with a stranger. “Listen, I don’t want to explain. I’ve been stuck there for years. You’re not my problem. I have things I need to do.” He began searching the room, looking for something. Cheerilee didn’t know what for, but he wasn’t the Dandelion she had just slept with.
Cheerilee remembered what she had seen when Dandelion had died in the hallway, and what had been inside him. Her mind was a muddle, but that one visual stuck out. “What… was Dandelion?”
“I said I don’t know.”
“Is everypony here like that?”
“I don’t know.”
“But then… why?”
“I’m a traveler. It’s what I do. So are, or were, you. You seem to have forgotten.” Dandelion had found whatever he was looking for, and placed it in a set of saddlebags. He returned to the hallway and pushed past Cheerilee to get inside.
“Where are you going?” She asked.
“I don’t know.”
“But I love… you,” Cheerilee said, the final word losing its force as she remembered this wasn’t the same Dandelion.
Dandelion sighed. “No. You loved that thing, and it only loved you for the hallway, I assure you. Whatever you do from here on out, good luck, Miss.” He pushed Cheerilee out of the way and shut the door. It vanished, leaving her alone.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:43:17 No.30717035 Report

Quoted By: >>30717079

>>30717026
Cheerilee sat alone with her thoughts for some time, until she realized Dandelion was gone, and she was trapped in his room far above the floor. She wasn’t going to be able to get down. She wanted to cry, but couldn’t, so she just stared at the door. She missed Dandelion. Or at least, the idea of Dandelion. That… thing she had seen wasn’t a pony, but it had treated her nicely. She wanted him back. She didn’t want to stay here where the memory of Dandelion was without Dandelion. He was the closest thing to a special somepony she’d had in years.
She curled up and fell asleep on the floor, not willing to go to the bed they had just shared. She awoke sometime later, darkness filling the room. Cheerilee looked around, then remembered everything that had happened. It all finally hit her and she began crying, remembering all the strange things that had happened and the good times she had spent with Dandelion.
Once she finally got out of here, she was going to have to go home to her job in Ponyville, where she was just a teacher, and she was going to live out her life teaching foals how to do numbers and recite the alphabet. She didn’t want to do that alone.
She pulled herself to her hooves, and turned to the front door. She wasn’t going to be able to fly down, but maybe she could just jump. End her own damn misery.
Cheerilee turned the handle and looked ahead. Instead of the railing and edge leading to the bottom floor, Cheerilee was staring at a long hallway. It was lit brightly, with a poster pointing to the right.
She had found a second Dandelion in another world beyond the hallway once. That meant there might be more. She stepped into the hall and shut the door behind her. No matter what was out there, it was better than loneliness.

The End.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:53:55 No.30717079 Report

Quoted By: >>30718728

>>30717035
>Waxworks takes the two figures and holds them up, separate from each other.
"The mystery reveals itself, and her somepony is not who or what he seemed. Questions remain unanswered, but Cheerilee will find out some answers, I'm sure. As for us...?"
>Waxworks smiles and tosses the two figurines toward a wall, where they disappear.
"We get more questions."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/6B43ZL5G

Told you I would finish it. Lots of unanswered questions, but I needed to end it somehow at least. Not the best quality, and I'm still not happy with it, but at least I can focus on something else now.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 06:55:00 No.30717087 Report

Quoted By:

>>30716987
Nice! I look forward to it, mate.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 11:38:40 No.30718072 Report

Quoted By:

>>30711999
Checked!
Wax and her trade secrets

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO memories_i_by_ventious-d7rly6q.png, 1MiB, 2000x1340

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 11:40:00 No.30718077 Report

Quoted By:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp9wrtswUd8

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 14:55:30 No.30718728 Report

Quoted By: >>30719258

>>30717079
Dang it i want to see a part two to this

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 16:53:04 No.30719258 Report

Quoted By: >>30720158 >>30721159

>>30718728
I know, I know. I'm terribly sorry I left such a cliffhanger. If I can think of a good way to follow it up I will do so.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO sweetie dummy.png, 1MiB, 769x1000

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 19:25:09 No.30720158 Report

Quoted By: >>30721152

>>30719258

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO mscurlystyles_by_oblivionheart13 (...).png, 500KiB, 900x537

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 19:25:27 No.30720161 Report

Quoted By:

Eldritch Cosmic Monster Twilight

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO parasite.png, 802KiB, 1024x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 21:09:34 No.30721152 Report

Quoted By:

>>30720158

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 21:10:21 No.30721159 Report

Quoted By:

>>30719258
Yes please!

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO twilight_sparkle_by_oblivionhear (...).jpg, 83KiB, 772x1034

Anonymous Sun 13 Aug 2017 23:18:39 No.30722323 Report

Quoted By: >>30722386

I wonder where DS has gotten off to...

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 13 Aug 2017 23:25:31 No.30722386 Report

Quoted By:

>>30722323
Probably digging up bodies that were REAL deep. Either that or she eaten by something or disappeared into some scary door or portal or what-have-you. Any number of things could have happened! All bad!

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO tumblr_lvrqsfpXM71r505tjo1_500.gif, 281KiB, 500x509

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 00:49:29 No.30723167 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO obsidian_by_oblivionheart13-d94v (...).png, 2MiB, 1341x2087

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 03:18:50 No.30724183 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Pie Family solemn celebration.jpg, 52KiB, 1000x659

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 04:27:14 No.30724520 Report

Quoted By: >>30724524

The wind whistled across the rock-strewn farmland. It carried with it the smell of dust, ash, and the sterile scent of sun-baked stone. Marble felt the warm wind blow through her mane and stared across the farm at the rising plume of smoke.
The fire wasn’t large, but Pa and Limestone had been fighting it alongside the neighbors since early morning, and it was taking an unexpectedly long time to stop it. To help in the efforts, Marble had been left with her Ma, Cloudy Quartz, at the farmhouse to prepare supplies and deliver them as needed. Things like food, water, and sandbags to assist in stopping the spreading blaze.
The brushland around the rock farm wasn’t used for anything, but the fire spread smoke and ash, and it drove wild animals into their living space. After one fire a few years ago, a wild cat made its home in the quarry and they had to drive it out. Since then they decided it would be best to smother fires as quickly as possible.
Today’s fire was of middling ferocity. They had caught it early and already had it cut off from further sources of fuel. All that was left was to watch it burn itself out and snuff the embers. Marble was waiting for Ma to finish making some sandwiches, then she would deliver the food to everypony stuck out watching the fire. It wasn’t glamorous, but she wasn’t as brave in the face of danger as Limestone.
“Marble! Come here, please,” Ma called from the house.
Marble turned away from the rising smoke and went inside. Ma had finished the sandwiches and had them all packed up in saddlebags for the trip. Marble turned and let her mother cinch them on her back. Ma patted her on the withers and gave a smile.
“Do not keep them waiting, dear child. It’s been a very busy day for everypony,” Ma said. Marble nodded and stepped outside, then broke into a trot toward the smoke.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 04:28:17 No.30724524 Report

Quoted By: >>30724530

>>30724520
The fire was quite a distance away from the farmhouse. Their house wasn’t in any real danger, but the fear of floating sparks or other flaming material had Ma staying at the house just in case. While she walked, Marble looked at the floating detritus coming down around her, and if she hadn’t known it was ash from a fire, it would have been strangely beautiful. A few small glowing bits fluttered down. They settled in the dirt and faded to grey as the rocky earth sapped their heat.
Marble could see the edge of the fire just ahead, and more of the glowing bits fell around her as she approached. Her Pa–Igneous Rock–was waiting and waved a hoof when he saw her. He was covered in ash and soot, but he was still as solemn as he always looked. As though putting out a fire were no different from quarrying.
“Good noon to ye, child. I trust it is our repast which you bring with ye?” He’d always talked like that, though no one else in the family did.
Marble didn’t say anything, but she nodded and smiled. She might not be the best at fighting fires, but she could cook and clean to help around the house. She was good at carving rocks as well, but that was no use here.
She opened her saddlebags and pulled out sandwiches and a canteen for her Pa. He took them graciously and motioned for her to continue down the line to the rest of the group.
To prevent the fire from spreading, they had set out a perimeter of dirt and stone, and trimmed any flammable plants or other objects that might catch fire. There were quite a few ponies out to help, but most of them had families of their own providing food. Ma had prepared extras just in case, though.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 04:29:21 No.30724530 Report

Quoted By: >>30724656

>>30724524
Marble continued along the edge of the fire, meeting her sister, Limestone, who accepted the food with grudging politeness. Then she went further to ensure everypony had something to eat and drink. Once she was sure everypony was taken care of, she returned back along the line to her Pa.
“Thank ye for thy efforts today, Marble. All appears well. We shalt see thee and thy mother upon the setting of the sun.”
Marble nodded, her head low so her mane drooped in front of an eye, and headed for home. The fire, which was now far less threatening than it had been this morning, became a muted glow behind her as she walked. Now that she wasn’t facing the fire, she stopped and looked up at the smoke and ash falling around her. Without the flames ahead of her, it truly was like a softly glowing snowfall. She smiled slightly and then lowered her head and continued home.
The rest of the evening was spent helping her Ma clean and cook. If the fire didn’t die out as quickly as they hoped, they would have to stay out all night tending to it. As it was, somepony would have to stay out to survey the remains and make sure they didn’t blaze up again. Knowing her Pa, he would volunteer, which meant Marble and Limestone would have to take turns going out to check on him.
With the setting sun, Marble and her Ma sat on the front porch, waiting for Limestone and Pa to come back. The glow of the distant fire had dimmed significantly, but as Marble had expected, it was a lone Limestone who came stumbling back without their Pa.
“Pa is going to stay and keep an eye on the remains,” Limestone said.
Ma nodded solemnly, as if she knew it would end up like this. They all did. She ushered Limestone into the house and to a warm bath, getting her comfortable after such a long day.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 04:50:32 No.30724656 Report

Quoted By: >>30728644

>>30724530
>Waxworks sat at her countertop and idly waved her hoof over a lit candle sitting on it. She sometimes let it linger in the flame for longer periods of time, her face not betraying if she felt any pain.
"Fire is a curious thing, isn't it? It's beautiful, but deadly. And very dangerous."
>She flipped her mane, and you could see the burn scar covering the left side of her face.
"Most ponies try not to use fire for anything other than cooking or heating, but sometimes... sometimes it's just too beautiful to destroy so quickly."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO the_ugly_mare___speed_paint_by_s (...).jpg, 113KiB, 1168x1477

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 05:56:32 No.30724964 Report

Quoted By: >>30724985

>>30666638
Cliffhanger then? No problem, just take your time until you figure it out. I really like this story so far btw.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 06:02:36 No.30724985 Report

Quoted By:

>>30724964
Oh, I finished it. Mostly. Take a look here: >>30717010
It's still leaving you with unanswered questions, but it's an ending of sorts.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 06:20:37 No.30725036 Report

Quoted By: >>30725166

>>30621232
I love the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark vibe from this

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 06:56:55 No.30725166 Report

Quoted By:

>>30725036
It's nice, isn't it? I've tried to think up a good story for the image, but I have not yet imagined one that I feel would compliment it.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1473069422689.gif, 2MiB, 1050x800

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 15:34:46 No.30726536 Report

Quoted By: >>30727065

spook bump

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Rainskull.png, 524KiB, 647x719

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 17:49:32 No.30727065 Report

Quoted By: >>30727938

>>30726536
Dude. Censor that shit next time. Too much spook.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 20:05:02 No.30727938 Report

Quoted By: >>30728392 >>30728794

>>30727065
Okay, so I have nothing but free time as I work on moving. I think I can brave it and do some recordings. Who would be interested in hearing me read and/or sing this poem, and the previous one about the grandfather clock?
>>30688428

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1458160429805.jpg, 31KiB, 364x381

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 20:52:34 No.30728392 Report

Quoted By:

>>30727938
Sure, go ahead.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO smile smile s m i l e.jpg, 538KiB, 750x971

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 21:20:47 No.30728644 Report

Quoted By: >>30728655

>>30724656
Once Limestone was cleaned up and in bed, Ma prepared another batch of food, along with some strong coffee for Pa. She packed it all into Marble’s saddlebags and sent her off into the night. Marble grabbed a lantern, lit it, and held it in her teeth as she trotted out into the smoky darkness.
The darkness wasn’t a hindrance to her. For her, the rock farm was an old friend, one that she knew from all sides. Every boulder and ditch was a place she’d played and worked in her younger years. In addition, finding her destination wasn’t going to be difficult, as warm embers still glowed.
This trip, because she knew it wouldn’t take her much longer, she took a hike through a short ditch. It had rocks in it that formed a natural lip she could hike over, or walk under if she wanted. It was like crawling through a small tunnel without the danger of it collapsing. When she was inside her miniature canyon, she could look up and see the stars, and it felt like she was much further below them than she was. It was a nice feeling.
As she walked, she saw a glowing ember flittering down toward her. It was tossed this way and that by the evening breeze, but it passed through the rocks above and settled on the rocky soil in front of her. This one, unlike the ones that had instantly cooled upon landing, didn’t lose its warm glow. It pulsed faintly as it sat, innocent and unassuming.
Marble approached and looked down at the glowing ember. When she got closer, she noticed it was shaped oddly. It looked like a kidney bean, smooth on all sides, with a crack on one end that was glowing hotter than the rest. Curious, she watched as it pulsed with a regular rhythm, as though a tiny heart beat inside it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 21:22:45 No.30728655 Report

Quoted By: >>30728658

>>30728644
Marble set down her lantern and leaned in closer. Her breath passed over the tiny ember-like thing, and it shuddered. She pulled back in surprise, but it didn’t do anything else. She leaned in again and breathed on it, and it shook slightly. She inhaled and blew on it, and it shivered harder. She blew on it again, and the crack on one end grew wider, and a tiny glowing appendage sprung out of the hole.
“A seed?” Marble looked closer, squinting to get a better look, and sure enough, the thing that had come out the end of it looked like a tiny sprout. Marble didn’t know what to think about it. It looked like it was on fire. Was that just a trick of the light? She stuck out her hoof and gently prodded the glowing bean. It was hot, so she was right about that, but a growing seed shouldn’t be made of fire or embers.
Marble shook her head, and remembered that her father would be waiting for her. She shouldn’t be dawdling like she was. She blew on the bean once more, and the shoot growing out of it stretched out again. She smiled at it, then picked up her lantern and stepped over it. There was nothing flammable around it, so she didn’t have to worry. She’d come check on it tomorrow after all this fire nonsense was done with and if it was still here she could ask Pa about it.
Marble made her way through her little crevasse to the edge of the fire, where Pa was awaiting her delivery. “Good evn’ to ye, daughter. I thank you for the food and drink. Be sure to deliver mine regards to thy mother upon your return.” He took a long swig of the coffee and motioned to the dying flames. “It was a long and tiring day, but we hath triumphed over the flames. A good community works well together, with everypony playing their part.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 21:23:47 No.30728658 Report

Quoted By: >>30728676

>>30728655
Marble just nodded without a word. He knew he was trying to send her a message. She was quiet, and shy, and didn’t talk to many other ponies. Limestone was loud, and outgoing. She was very business-oriented, and was going to be the one to take over the rock farm after Pa was done. Pinkie had already moved out and starting baking and organizing parties, so the only pony left in the family without a direction was herself.
He hadn’t yet told her, but she knew he was looking to marry her off. She’d overheard Ma and him talking about it, and this off-hoof comment of his about everypony playing their part in the community was him getting her to agree that she needed to find her place. Then he’d bring up a marriage, and she’d be forced to agree.
Marble fidgeted, waiting for him to say something else. When he didn’t immediately speak, she started to turn back toward home. He cleared his throat and she stopped with a flinch.
“Rest well, daughter. We shall speak on the morrow when I have had time to rest,” he said.
Marble lowered her head as she walked back home. Her mane and tail drooped as she dreaded the inevitable chat about what she was going to do to help out the ‘community’ as Pa kept saying.
“Marriage. I don’t want to get married,” Marble muttered to herself. “Just because I can cook and clean and other household things doesn’t mean I want to be some stay-at-home mare. What about my art?”
Marble grumbled all the way home, and silently helped Ma prepare the next package of food for Pa. They waited up, keeping each other quiet company by playing chess to pass the time. Marble had actually carved all the pieces herself out of stones found around the farm. It was one of her first big projects, and she was very proud of it. Ma said she should make more to sell.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 21:26:16 No.30728676 Report

Quoted By: >>30731576

>>30728658
"The smallest seed of the smallest flame can grow to immense sizes if enough fuel is provided."
>Waxworks holds another candle up to the first one's flame and it catches.
"It can also be stifled quite easily if the environment isn't good for it to grow."
>She puts a candle snuffer on top of it and the flame slowly withers and dies.
"Which one is preferable depends entirely on the situation."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1132222.png, 245KiB, 606x496

Anonymous Mon 14 Aug 2017 21:40:49 No.30728794 Report

Quoted By: >>30728957 >>30729025

>>30727938
Please do.

You know what would make this thread even better than it already is? Wayne June's reading of Wax's stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0eDis-w-90

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 22:12:13 No.30728957 Report

Quoted By: >>30730208 >>30730769 >>30730786 >>30733733 >>30739317

>>30728794
I have done it.
Here is the poem for Witching Which Time: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0YemZVrNvdx

You can read along at this pastebin: https://pastebin.com/wRB0AfBf

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 14 Aug 2017 22:21:26 No.30729025 Report

Quoted By: >>30730095

>>30728794
I am always very sad that I do not have a voice like that or George Orwell's. I have to make do with what I got.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1492253578912.png, 909KiB, 979x1094

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:04:44 No.30730095 Report

Quoted By:

>>30729025

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:17:17 No.30730208 Report

Quoted By: >>30730769

>>30728957
I like it

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:31:08 No.30730305 Report

Quoted By: >>30730367

>>30635873
I'm pretty sure the necklace and the cutie mark are just red Time Gears from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Still cool though.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Time_Gear_anime.png, 46KiB, 200x150

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 01:43:48 No.30730367 Report

Quoted By:

>>30730305
Hah! They are! That's cute.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 03:14:57 No.30730769 Report

Quoted By: >>30733733

>>30728957
Some friends told me it was too quiet. I think this is a louder version: http://vocaroo.com/i/s0bNc2TZhmvN

>>30730208
I'm glad you like it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 03:18:33 No.30730786 Report

Quoted By: >>30730934

>>30728957
A comfronting voice for such a dark reading
Truly scary

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 03:54:22 No.30730934 Report

Quoted By:

>>30730786
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I wanted to be scary, but my voice is just so soft.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO biblical angel Celestia.png, 791KiB, 1280x720

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 06:26:57 No.30731576 Report

Quoted By: >>30731583

>>30728676
Ma won the chess game, as usual. Marble was good at making the pieces, but not so good at knowing where to move them. She packed it all up after the game and went to wake up Limestone. Marble crept into her sister’s room and patted her on the shoulder. She didn’t wake up at the first touch, so she gripped her and shook her gently.
Limestone growled and shifted to look up at the offending hoof. “Grng. What’s… ‘zit time already?”
Marble nodded. “Mmhmm.”
“Ugh. You ‘n Ma got the saddlebags ready?”
“Mmhmm.”
Limestone rolled out of bed and flopped onto the hardwood floor. She staggered slightly and blinked furiously. She slapped herself in the face with her hoof, then shook her head. “Okay. Load me up and I’ll get this done. Pa’s gonna need his coffee if I’m feeling this tired.”
Marble led the way downstairs and helped Limestone put on the saddlebags. She double-checked the contents to make sure everything was in there; water, coffee, and food. Then, with a small smile and a hug, Limestone went galloping out into the darkness.
Ma had already gone to bed, which left Marble all alone. She was tired after a day of running back and forth, so she retired to bed herself. She lay awake until she heard Limestone return from her delivery. She heard the slam of the door downstairs, then the rattle of the saddlebags being dropped, then the rough hoofsteps of her sister stomping to her room. Once she was satisfied her sister had returned safely, then and only then did Marble allow herself to fall asleep.

Her dreams came quickly, though she would sooner call them nightmares. Arranged marriages to stallions who didn’t care about art and Pa being disappointed when she tried to run away. In her dreams she would try to run and hide, but Pa would always come find her to have a ‘talk’, and she would have to keep running.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 06:28:00 No.30731583 Report

Quoted By: >>30731595

>>30731576
She awoke with a start, jolting up to a sitting position. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and looked around her room. Pa wasn’t here. The sun was streaming in, which meant morning. She shuffled on careful hooves to the window and looked outside. The sky was clear and blue, with only a few clouds. There didn’t appear to be much in the way of smoke floating by, so the fire had been snuffed out. That meant Pa was probably back home.
Marble grimaced and crept to the door to her room. She pressed her ear against the wood and listened for Pa’s voice. She didn’t hear him, so she cracked open the door. She could hear somepony cooking, which was probably Ma, and nothing else.
With a sigh of relief, Marble stepped out of her room, walked over to the bathroom and freshened up for the day. When she was done, she walked downstairs to greet Ma and help with breakfast preparations.
“Pa went to have a short nap since he’s been up all night, but I’ll wake him up soon. He said he wanted to speak with you this morning,” Ma said.
Marble fumbled the cutlery she was holding and dropped them on the floor with a clatter. She looked at her Ma with panic in her eyes and shook her head back and forth.
Ma chuckled and gave a small sigh. “I know, I know. You can’t put it off forever, you know.”
Marble nodded but gave her mother a pleading look.
“Alright, fine. Not today. Pa shan’t argue much since he is exhausted, but you can’t be here when he’s awake. Take your breakfast and see to some business outside until late afternoon.”
Marble smiled wide and gave her mother a hug. She stole some cheese and fruit from the pile Ma had cut, grabbed her saddlebags, and disappeared out the front door.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 06:29:14 No.30731595 Report

Quoted By: >>30731604

>>30731583
Safe from the intense scrutiny of Pa, Marble walked casually away from the farmhouse. She had responsibilities, so she thought she would get some of them started in the time before Pa came back out. With him so exhausted, he might not even wake up until nine!
Marble went to the quarry they were currently working in. Her job was to check tools for wear and note quality and functionality, as well as helping Limestone check the mine itself for structural problems before excavation. The tools were a quick and easy chore, so she chose to do that before she would skip off elsewhere to avoid encounters with pa. She
She finished quickly, and trotted out of the quarry. She saw there was still a thin plume of smoke coming from the remains of the fire, but Pa might go there to help with clean-up, so she turned away. She couldn’t go to her sculpting portion of the yard, as Pa would check there for sure. That left several hiding places on the farm Pa and the rest of the family never went to.
That reminded her of the strange little seed she had seen last night. If it actually was a seed. Marble broke into a trot and went to her miniature canyon. Nopony else in the family liked it, so Marble felt safe there. It was unlikely Pa would discover her, and she could check on the little thing. No matter what, she could just hide and work on some smaller carvings while she waited for afternoon to come.
Marble entered the little tunnel and was immediately struck by the faint glow inside. She could see that the thing from last night was still ‘alive’, as it were. There on the ground, or rather, sprouting from the ground, was a tiny little seedling poking up out of the hard soil. It was orange, and glowed softly, pulsing in time like a flaming heartbeat.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 06:31:01 No.30731604 Report

Quoted By: >>30733582 >>30738568

>>30731595
>Waxworks waggles the unlit candle at you.
"So you have a mysterious little 'flame' surrounded by nonflammable objects. It even appears to be growing. Curious, but also dangerous. What would you do with it, hmmm?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 12:59:04 No.30732812 Report

Quoted By:

bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 15:30:37 No.30733582 Report

Quoted By:

>>30731604
Praise and embrace

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO applebeans.gif, 217KiB, 378x400

Anonymous Tue 15 Aug 2017 16:11:13 No.30733733 Report

Quoted By: >>30734603

>>30728957
>>30730769
Not half bad.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Flutterbeast.png, 745KiB, 1000x1000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 18:52:37 No.30734603 Report

Quoted By: >>30735594

>>30733733
Thanks. Was there anything you can think of that might have improved it?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1497013630403.png, 1MiB, 1280x1610

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 15 Aug 2017 21:44:48 No.30735594 Report

Quoted By:

>>30734603

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO lupinkurt_by_oblivionheart13-d9f (...).jpg, 93KiB, 706x1132

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 00:29:51 No.30736533 Report

Quoted By:

I think CyberCelly is a cutie

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 453829.png, 770KiB, 2500x1000

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 02:37:52 No.30737199 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1441083607316.png, 2MiB, 2880x1800

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 03:52:52 No.30737647 Report

Quoted By:

>>30716987
Better late than never, I suppose. I felt like rewriting the end, so apologies for the lateness. I hope this will be to your liking.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 03:53:54 No.30737649 Report

Quoted By:

Tell me, what did you see?

The fog grew thicker as Princess Luna waded through it, growing denser one moment —as if to stubbornly deny her crossing—only to relent and fade away an instant later. She peered through the swirling mist until a scene started to take form before her.

Oblivious to the encroaching fog and the alicorn watching from the edge of her reality, stood a lone earth mare.

She was no taller than average. A light gray coat. Long and dark mane. A musical note for a cutie mark. Of attractive features, but ultimately a pony you wouldn’t look twice if you passed by her. However, in this mare Luna recognised something. Something odd, something wrong, something that made her stand out.

From the shadows, she looked into the mare’s vacant gaze as a spark of fear ignited in those quivering eyes.

I can’t… I mean, I’m not…

What can you remember?

The mare blinked once, twice, and shook her head as if being pulled from a trance. On cue, the fog receded to show a small, dilapidated room where the only source of light came from the moon outside leaving the rest of the room bathed in darkness.

She looked around, regarding the room with cautious curiosity. When she moved, so did the fog, clearing any spot towards which she directed her attention, and rushing to fill every void that left her sight. No matter where she looked, the moonlight coming through a dirty and broken window always followed her.

I’m somewhere… home, I believe.

After trailing the aged wooden walls, the mare’s eyes finally settled on the other end of the room, the moonlight coming from the window had shifted enough to illuminate the adjacent wall.

Anything else?

There was a door.

She stood in front of it. Looking at it as though she had finally found something for which she had been restlessly searching and yet made no effort to move towards it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 03:54:56 No.30737653 Report

Quoted By:

After seconds, or minutes, or hours of waiting, she opened her mouth, though no sound came. Her hooves shifted as if restless from her stillness, yet she gave no step. Her ears swiveled around, as though searching for an unheard sound, but she forced them to stop.

Did you open it?

I tried.

The mare trembled as she took her first step towards the door, only to slip on something. She was taken aback for a second, and tore her gaze away from the door for the first time since finding it.

Luna had to squint, but she believed it to be a photograph. The mare looked at it, past it, as if trying to recognise those depicted in it. After a silent moment, she looked back at the door and threw the picture away. As the fog advanced to engulf it, Luna pulled it towards her, making sure not to be seen.

She was met by the sight of a group of smiling ponies amongst whom was the earth mare.

The doorknob rattled.

I wanted to.

The mare’s breath became heavier as she walked forward and her eyes widened as though spellbound by the sight of the door. This time, her steps were decisive. So much, in fact, that she trampled over a stack of magazines, which tumbled upon the floor without regard to the oblivious mare.

The Princess saw that very same mare in an elegant dress staring back from one of the covers.

No… I had to.

She was walking faster now, every step full of force. Her eyes were so wide her eyelashes disappeared into her eyebrows, her mouth was hanging open in a way reminiscent of a fish gasping for water. She didn’t think about it twice as she threw aside a large case which blocked her path to the door.

Princess Luna had to suppress a grimace at the sound of torn strings and cracked wood.

The mare was now running to the door, frenzy evident in her eyes as she leaped into the air for the final stretch as the door itself started to shake.

But then…

Princess Luna lit up her horn.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 03:56:30 No.30737659 Report

Quoted By:

“Then you usually wake up. Am I right, Miss Melody?” The doctor’s tone was inquisitive, but calm, and she greatly appreciated it.

With a sigh, Octavia pressed the back of her head against the couch, staring at the white ceiling of the consulting room. The light of the sun as it approached the horizon bathed the room, imbuing the mare with a soothing sense of tranquility which had eluded her during her restless nights.

“It varies, but yes. It is around that point when I wake up,” she said, letting out a sigh.

Both ponies fell into silence. The doctor was deep in thought as he went over his notes, trying to identify a pattern or clue which would lead to understand the underlying ailments of the mare’s subconscious.

“What do you think it means, doctor?” Octavia asked, her pleading tone betraying her serene expression.

He remained silent for a while as he thought. “Tell me, Miss Melody, how is your work these days?”

Octavia blinked a couple of times before looking at the doctor in confusion. “Why, better than ever before… Although I must admit this concert season has been rather hectic.”

“In that case, I believe the answer may be staring at our faces,” the doctor said, venturing a smile.

“How so?”

“As you said, this season has been busy for you. As a result of being under a heavy workload, you are feeling more stressed and wish for a mean to escape it, a way out.”

Octavia’s lips wavered, as though afraid of forming a smile. “It’s true that I have had very little time for myself outside of practice and concerts.”

“There you go. Just make sure to not let your work eat too much of your time, rest properly and be sure to have time to relax.” The doctor paused as he gave her his best smile. “Perhaps a vacation is in order once your scheduled concerts are over. Doctor’s orders.”

A short laugh managed to break through Octavia’s vexation, “Thank you doctor, I’ll keep it in mind.”

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 03:57:33 No.30737664 Report

Quoted By:

Princess Luna floated amidst the darkness, the hammering silence beating into her eardrums as she stared at the remains of the dream she had forcefully dispelled. The battered walls, the rattling door, the haphazardly strewn objects which littered the dirty floor, all frozen in time as though transported within the confines of a painting which depicted the last moments of the mare’s dream.

Her magic scoured the dreamscape, hoping to find the source of the harrowing sense of dread which had permeated the nightmare. She adamantly searched for anything out of place: a lingering trail of a spell, leftover traces of ambience magic, the vestiges left behind by a fleeting spellcaster, all to no avail. She felt the last throes of the dream pushing against her own magic as her surroundings dissolved back into the void of the dreamscape, and begrudgingly let it go.

Sparing no more than a sigh, she called forth her magic and moved on to the next dream.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Can't wake up.png, 75KiB, 325x244

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 04:00:43 No.30737678 Report

Quoted By: >>30737786

And that's it... for the prologue.

I have some other stories I need to write, but I'll be focusing on this story as well. I hope you'll like it, and any and all criticisms are appreciated.

Cheers!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 04:21:43 No.30737786 Report

Quoted By: >>30737857

>>30737678
That was good! A good sense of character set up right at the start, including Luna and Octavia both. I felt like the interaction between the doctor and Octavia was a bit rushed, but overall, a good start. Mysterious, and we know something is wrong, but that's all we get.
Excellent work.
I like it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 04:38:10 No.30737857 Report

Quoted By:

>>30737786
>I felt like the interaction between the doctor and Octavia was a bit rushed
True. I just didn't want the therapy session to outshine the dream.

The rest of the story will focus on Luna figuring out the cause behind the recurring dreams with the therapist serving as the deuteragonist. Octavia--and one or two other background ponies--are a sample of the victims and will have a smaller role as the dreams get worse.

Anyway, enough chit-chat, I've got stories to write.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1492396871092.jpg, 893KiB, 5000x5000

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:23:34 No.30738568 Report

Quoted By: >>30738569

>>30731604
Marble lowered herself to the ground and moved closer to it. It was a tiny stem with a little bud on the end. Its little leaves struggled upward, just like any other plant would. Marble reached out to touch it again, and it was still hot. Colours swirled on its surface of various shades of red, yellow, and orange, giving it the appearance of solid flame. Which, as far as Marble could tell, it very well could be.
“Magic?” Marble mused. She had lived on the rock farm her whole life, and had only encountered unicorns in passing. Most of the neighbors were earth ponies, with a pegasus living some distance away from them. Unicorns were tough to find working the land out where they lived, so they were a rare sight.
This little plant had to be some form of natural magic, though. It was growing out of the soil like a plant, but she couldn’t touch it because it was too hot. Fire usually tried to burn plants, and her family used rock and soil to smother flames, so how could a plant made of fire be growing out of the soil? She hadn’t done anything other than blow on it the night before, but if that was enough to get it growing, how could she abandon it now? Then again, it might be dangerous to allow it to grow.
That gave Marble an idea. She opened her bag and pulled a piece of paper from her sketchbook she kept for concept sketches, and tore off a tiny piece. She held it out to the little bud and gingerly tapped it to the closed leaves. She jumped as it caught on fire, even though she was expecting it. The flame that sprouted on the paper burned like normal fire would, but the flame bent toward the bud and was sucked into it as it burned. That was not normal.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:24:37 No.30738569 Report

Quoted By: >>30738573

>>30738568
Marble released the slip of paper, and it burned to ash. The last of the fire disappeared into the bud, which grew bulbous and round. The stem stretched upward a few centimeters and the bud split open, revealing four leaves growing out of a small, golden-yellow flame in the center. The flame swayed gently back and forth in its position, performing a mesmerizing and adorable little dance in the shaded tunnel.
“You are so cute!” Marble gushed. She meant it, too. Before seeing this, Fire had always been a tool or a danger. It was used to heat the home and cook food, but it was always kept inside the stove or the fireplace. At the quarry it was used to heat rocks and smelt metals, and like yesterday, it was considered a danger to the safety of the community. This time, though, the fire was beautiful.
Marble watched, enraptured, as the little flame spun slowly in place. The flame pulsed softly and the tip waved gently, as if it were greeting her. Marble waved back, though it made no response. She took another small piece of paper and held it out to the flame-flower. The sprout in the center bent into the fuel and consumed it, sucking in more fire as her paper was devoured. It grew the barest bit from the pitiful meal, but the golden-yellow flame was bigger and more beautiful than before. She could see whorls of deeper red hidden within its center, swirling about within it.
“I think I’m going to keep you,” Marble said. The flame didn’t respond. It just kept slowly spinning in place. “Well I’m glad you approve.”
Marble pulled out her carving tools and some small stones and began carving next to the little flame flower. It was slow work, carving stone, and you could not afford to mess up when doing it, but it was rewarding, and very tactile. She appreciated the feeling of control she had over the rock and its appearance. It was cathartic for her.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:25:42 No.30738573 Report

Quoted By: >>30738577

>>30738569
Marble kept an eye on the flame as she worked, and as the hours passed, the flame flower stayed as steady as ever. She, however, heard her stomach grumbling at her and realized it was probably late into the afternoon by now. Pa would be awake and done his work by now, and he would want to have the talk. She couldn’t avoid it forever, like Ma said. She had to come home to eat eventually, and that time was swift approaching.
Marble sighed and began packing up her things. Her carving was becoming a coarse facsimile of the little flame flower. Stone could not truly do its smooth shape justice, but she had to try. Something as beautiful as that needed to be properly appreciated, and that was why she did art to begin with: So that somepony could appreciate her visions for what they were. Her Pa certainly didn’t. He and Limestone were all business and no pleasure. Or that was how it seemed, anyway.
Marble stood up and prepared to go, but spared one last look at the little flame. She smiled down at it and pulled the rest of the sheet of paper from her bag. She looked at the flower, then at the paper, but crumpled it back into her bag.
“I want to see you grow and have the time to appreciate it,” she said to it. “Besides, I haven’t finished my carving of your shape, yet. I will come see you tomorrow, okay?” The flame did not respond, of course, but she smiled anyway, and trotted out of the tunnel toward home.
By the time she reached the farmhouse, her smile had disappeared, and her head was hanging low. Her Pa was standing on the front porch, his face seemingly expressionless, but Marble had grown up seeing that face, and she knew this one expressed sincere disapproval. Dinner would be quiet, but afterward would be ‘the talk’. She was not looking forward to it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1492892608420.png, 391KiB, 683x1122

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:26:51 No.30738577 Report

Quoted By: >>30738581

>>30738573
Marble disappeared up to her room with only a furtive glance at Pa. He looked at her as she approached the farmhouse, chewing silently on a stalk of hay. His disapproval was not voiced, but for Marble his eyes spoke volumes. She didn’t want to hear any of it until after supper, so she rushed past, and stumbled up to her room. Ma caught her eye with an; “I told you so” look, and she turned away from that look as well. She could hear Limestone in the shower, but she knew she’d get no sympathy there, either.
Marble shut the door to her room and dropped her saddlebags to the floor. She kicked her bed, which barely shifted, and made a strangled, frustrated noise. She crawled onto her mattress and lay there, sprawled out, stewing in her frustration.
When she was called down to dinner, Marble waited until she heard Limestone come out of her room to come out herself. She followed behind Limestone down to the dinner table, and sat at her chair, avoiding Pa’s gaze. Everypony was quiet, which wasn’t unusual without Pinkie Pie, but this time, the silence was focused intently on Marble. Although everypony knew it, Limestone was the only pony who seemed willing to speak up about it.
“So, Marble, when are you going to visit the Pairing Stone?” Limestone said.
Marble spat out some of her food and whined in protest.
“Oh, come on, we all know that’s the plan. Pinkie works in Ponyville, Maud has her rocktorate, and I’m taking over the farm. Since you’re not going to school or getting a job, the best thing is for you to get married and help increase the Pie family farmland.”
Ma said nothing, but Pa spoke up. “Limestone’s right, Marble. You can’t continue living like this. You need some way to take care of yourself when Ma and I are gone. Limestone’s hooves are full with the farm, and you haven’t yet been to the Pairing Stone or gone to University.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:28:01 No.30738581 Report

Quoted By: >>30738584

>>30738577
Marble mumbled a response.
“Art isn’t a job, Marble,” Pa said. “Carving is all well and good for a hobby, I used to engage in carving myself when I was younger, but it doesn’t pay enough to live on.”
Marble clenched her teeth but said nothing.
“Now I was going to have this conversation in private after dinner, but since Limestone brought it up, I want you to pick a day this week to go to the Pairing Stone,” Pa said. “You too, Limestone.”
Limestone’s smug grin disappeared. “What? Why do I have to go?”
“Because you can’t manage a rock farm all alone, no matter how tough you think you are. Sometimes you’ll get sick, and you’ll need somepony to help you.”
“Well…” Limestone was looking for an excuse, and suddenly decided to take Marble’s side. “Then why not leave Marble here?”
“Because you can’t both stay single your entire lives. You need foals or how will anypony inherit the rock farm?”
“I’ll just sell it when I get old!”
“Why would you sell something our family has worked so hard to build up?” Pa yelled.
It quickly became a shouting match between Pa and Limestone, like it had many times before. Ma sat and quietly ate, but Marble wasn’t going to stay down there and listen to everypony sell her future without her consent. She left the remainder of her food on her plate and walked away upstairs. Pa and Limestone didn’t seem to notice her leave, but Ma caught her eye and nodded sternly. She hadn’t forgotten the purpose of the conversation and she wasn’t going to let Marble forget it either.
Marble shut her down to muffle the voices from downstairs and crawled into bed. She pulled the blankets up to her chin and squinched her eyes shut. Despite the attempt at refraining from seeing anything, her mind’s eye brought up Pa’s stern glare, and Ma’s unwavering look. Sleep was hard to reach, but she made it there eventually.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:29:05 No.30738584 Report

Quoted By: >>30738591

>>30738581
In the morning, she was up early and crept to the bathroom to wash up. She didn’t turn on the shower to avoid waking anypony else, and snuck downstairs. She had been beaten to the punch, and saw Ma sitting at the table in silence. Ma motioned to the chair next to her and waited for Marble to sit down. She wasn’t going to allow Marble to decline, so Marble took the seat, but she didn’t look Ma in the eye.
There was silence for some time, but Ma broke it soon enough. “You’re scared?”
Marble’s mane drooped in front of her eyes, but she nodded.
“I know that I, too, was afraid of the Pairing Stone when it was my time to go,” Ma said. “I know what it feels like, but I promise that we will find a suitable stallion for you, and you won’t have to worry about him being cruel. Pa and I will not let that happen.”
Marble didn’t say anything. That wasn’t the main concern that she had about having a suitor chosen for her. He could be as nice as could be, but if he didn’t let her work on her art, what would she have? She’d be nothing but an object, living out her life and raising foals, then dying, all without sending her message to Equestria. She wanted to say something, even if it wasn’t with words. A marriage would put all of that on hold. Her parents didn’t think of her art as worthwhile, and she knew that, but it was important to her.
Instead of voicing any of her concerns, or talking to Ma about how her art could pay for itself if she could just leave the farm and find a suitable audience for it, Marble just slowly nodded. She cursed herself for a coward, but she couldn’t bring herself to talk back to her parents. They only wanted what was best for her.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 07:31:54 No.30738591 Report

Quoted By: >>30740173 >>30741931

>>30738584
"Marble's life seems out of her control. Her parents, her sister, and most of the ponies in her immediate community all believe she should be married by now."
>Waxworks holds the unlit candle above the other candle's flame, watching it eat into the wax.
"It's a frustrating feeling, being out of control of your life. Marble's hitting a very crucial turning point, and she'll need to decide which direction she wants to go."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO StringPattern.jpg, 824KiB, 1507x1786

DS Stoner Wed 16 Aug 2017 13:24:28 No.30739317 Report

Quoted By: >>30740336

I decided to write another little song for you guys, this one was about my string pattern concept. So I hope you like it!
http://vocaroo.com/i/s0g7GK3VdfPn
also it looks like I'm gaining more confidence to do these more often
>>30728957
It's really good! Reminds me of this:
http://youtu.be/x-jl0WyOkaA

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 16 Aug 2017 17:20:34 No.30740173 Report

Quoted By: >>30740217

>>30738591
Oh Waxworks you are just giving me the talk now

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 17:30:12 No.30740217 Report

Quoted By:

>>30740173
Hopefully your decisions won't have as many terrifying results as are about to unfold.

I also hope you don't own flowers that are on fire.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 17:50:37 No.30740336 Report

Quoted By: >>30740989

>>30739317
It was neat, thanks, DS. I hope you'll keep making more.

I don't think I'm yet at Bela Lugosi levels, but I'm working on it.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1499547882198.png, 1MiB, 1000x1244

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 20:16:04 No.30740989 Report

Quoted By:

>>30740336

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1489710454468.jpg, 10KiB, 360x270

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 22:55:05 No.30741931 Report

Quoted By: >>30741936

>>30738591
“Good. Now I need you to pick a day within the next week to go see the Pairing Stone. I won’t accept a no, you must pick a day,” Ma said.
Marble just drooped in defeat. She wasn’t going to get out of this. She could delay it, though. It was Monday, so the latest possible day would be on the weekend, Sunday. “Sunday.”
Ma just gave a small smile. “Delaying it only makes it that much worse, but that is acceptable. This is a big step, and I nor your father will bring it up again until then, okay?”
Marble nodded.
“Now go on. Get something to eat, and you can have the day to yourself. Nopony will bother you until lunch if you want to work on your carvings.”
Marble gave Ma a relieved smile and grabbed some vegetables from the fridge, then disappeared into the room Pa had built for her carving. Despite his insistence that it wasn’t a viable job, he had encouraged her to do it. ‘Good for the soul,’ he had said. He had built an addition on the house where Marble could keep stones of various shapes and sizes along with all her specialized tools, all so she could carve.
Marble stared at the blocks sitting on the shelves, then at her tools. She picked up a chisel and hefted it in her hoof. The farm itself had an abundance of granite, so her tools were top quality to sculpt the hard stone. Still, she had worked hard to help Pa to coax him into ordering stone they didn’t have. Alabaster, soapstone, limestone, and yes, even marble. All this stone he’d gotten her, encouraged her, and now he was just treating it like it was some toy she had to throw away! She liked sculpting and carving very much, and she refused to give it up so easily!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 22:56:07 No.30741936 Report

Quoted By: >>30741942

>>30741931
Marble chose a sizable block of granite, picked her mallet up in her teeth and began furiously chipping away at the stone. Her mallet struck the chisel with hard, practiced swings, and flakes of granite fell to the floor. The block slowly lost its previous shape, and it began to take on a new life, the imagined form it would become being pulled out of it by Marble’s skill.
Hours passed, and Ma came to her door and called her to lunch. Marble didn’t respond, but struck her chisel harder, hoping the sound would drown out her mother. It didn’t, but Ma took the hint eventually and left her alone. She heard the door open then close, and spared a look to see a plate of food had been placed on the floor for her. She ignored it for a while, but her stomach convinced her that eating would allow her to work unhindered.
She stopped to eat, and had a little bit of time to then look at what she had been making. It looked like a pony with two heads, though the heads were the only part that looked somewhat complete. One head was looking to the left, and the other to the right, and they both had different expressions. Neither head looked happy. Marble frowned at the sculpture, and ate her food in silence.
After she was done eating, Marble picked up her hammer and chisel and walked back to the sculpture. She looked at it long and hard, then whined in frustration. She threw her chisel across the room and stamped her hooves in anger. She screamed through clenched teeth and pulled out another block of stone. She picked up a new chisel and began carving something else. She continued until it was suppertime, and she yet again ignored the calls to come to dinner. Ma slipped that plate in as well, leaving Marble to work through her emotions.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 22:57:10 No.30741942 Report

Quoted By: >>30741946

>>30741936
It was late when Marble finally left her workshop. The floor was covered in bits of stone and dust filled the air. She left the windows open to air out the room overnight, and slipped into the house proper. She crept upstairs and into the bathroom to clean herself up. Dust caked her mane and tail, and her hooves were scraped all over from her careless hammering. She’d never cared about her appearance much, but Ma would chastise her for being so rough with her work. She’d get an earful Sunday when it came time to visit the Pairing Stone for certain.
She showered and slipped into her room as silently as she could, careful not to wake anypony else. She tip-hoofed across her bedroom floor, but kicked something as she worked her way through the darkness. She bent down to pick it up, to find the small carving of the flower she had made yesterday. She felt it with her hooves, touching it in its unfinished state to feel the smooth stone she had only begun to polish. It made her smile, and she realized she had forgotten to go see if it was okay today. It was such a fragile and contradictory thing, she wondered if it had survived.
Marble held the sculpture for a little bit longer, then lit a candle in her room to get a better look. She looked at the rough flower for a while, then looked down at the floor and her saddlebags, with their contents strewn about on the floor. She packed them back up, and put the flower inside the bags with them, then hung the bags on her door handle. Ma said she could do what she wanted this week, so she was going to go see that little flower tomorrow. It gave her a warm sense of peace that she desperately needed right now.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 16 Aug 2017 22:58:13 No.30741946 Report

Quoted By: >>30742824 >>30744429

>>30741942
"Marble has her method of catharsis, as do we all, but right now it isn't doing enough for her. That flower though... she thinks that will help. What do you think?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Discord glowing eye.jpg, 122KiB, 900x709

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 01:44:23 No.30742824 Report

Quoted By: >>30743907

>>30741946

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Hydra.png, 2MiB, 1920x1080

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 04:32:52 No.30743907 Report

Quoted By:

>>30742824

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO a shitload of us in here.jpg, 1MiB, 1600x970

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 06:41:38 No.30744429 Report

Quoted By: >>30744434

>>30741946
The next morning was quiet. Neither Pa nor Ma said anything to her about her marriage. Pa didn’t even accept the date of Sunday for going to the Pairing Stone. Marble figured she had Ma to thank for that.
She finished her breakfast quickly and quietly while Limestone and Pa discussed business on the rock farm, then Marble disappeared with her saddlebags out onto the farm. Nopony said anything to her, and nopony asked where she was going. It was a relief.
The tunnel was aglow with soft light when she arrived, and the sight that greeted her was beyond what she had expected: The little flower from two days ago had blossomed, and the small candle-like flame had bloomed into a full orb of light. The plant was still no taller than her shins, but this single flower was unique.
There were now eight petals cradling the little ball of light, and one half-formed one tucked underneath the others. The ball of flame itself looked to be a full sphere, but she couldn’t tell if it was still floating just above the leaves or if it was attached to them, the curling petals obscured half of the sphere, and she couldn’t get as close to it as before, due to the uncomfortable heat. Despite the heat, though, it didn’t give off a lot of light. The orb was filled with reds and oranges, with some darker spots swirling across its surface.
Marble looked away and blinked rapidly to clear her eyes. It was beautiful, but it was still fire, and looking at it for too long gave her afterimages in her vision. She wondered if this was as much as it was going to grow, or if it might get bigger? Would it have seeds? Seeds like the one that landed in front of her a few days ago? That might get dangerous if so, she didn’t want more seeds floating away.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 06:42:41 No.30744434 Report

Quoted By: >>30744446

>>30744429
No matter how the seeds appeared, if they even would, her sculpture of the flower was now sorely inaccurate. She could remember what it looked like, but without the life-accurate appearance to work with, her sculpture was going to suffer for it. She needed to be sure not to miss a single day of the life-cycle of the flower past the one she already had.
Marble set down her saddlebags and opened them up. She drew out her smaller set of tools and the older model of the flower. She held her sculpture up next to the real one for comparison. There was logical progression in the life cycle, but she wondered where the extra petals came from. The stunted one underneath might grow into a full one, that could be it.
No matter what, Marble was intent on capturing the unique beauty of the flower before it wilted or changed again. She had all day to do it, and she brought snacks. She could stay out here as long as necessary.
She got to work completing the one she had started two days ago. There was the intermediate period she had missed, so she had to finish that quickly. It didn’t take her much more than an hour or so to get that done, though she wasn’t pleased with it. It was rough, and didn’t capture the look of the flower she remembered. Still, it was better than nothing.
For the flower’s current appearance, she chose a small block of sandstone to try to match the colour. It wasn’t close at all, but she didn’t have anything better. It was at least a warmer colour. She started shaping the edges, seeing in her mind’s eye where it was going to take shape. It would never stand under its own weight, she’d need a display mount for it, but she knew how to make it look correct.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 06:43:47 No.30744446 Report

Quoted By: >>30744461

>>30744434
Marble worked through the day, and with all the time she took she finished drawing the shape of the flower from the stone. It still needed to be smoothed and polished, but the outline was done. She’d taken a lot of time to make sure it was accurate, and it showed. She hoped her family would feel the same way when she showed it to them.
There was a spring in her step as she made her way home, her smile widened every time she thought about the carefully packed sculpture in her bag as she approached the farmhouse. The closer she got, however, the less bouncy she felt, and the more she dreaded entering.
Her fears were confirmed when she stepped inside and Pa looked up at her from his seat at the dinner table. “Was thee off sculpting all day?”
She nodded.
“Well, render it from your system while you have this opportunity. Once we locate for you a good stallion, you shalt be busy for the foreseeable future.”
Marble’s enthusiasm for sharing her work was immediately gone. Pa’s dismissal of her work as something just to be done for fun killed any hope she had of him appreciating her work. Marble said nothing else and retired to her room, taking a small portion of food with her.
She could hear Ma talking to Pa about what he had said, but that wouldn’t change much. He was just happy to have her off to get married. Limestone might be interested, but finding time to talk to her was hard with Pa working her to the bone like he worked himself. She never had time for anything “fun” anymore. Mind you, she thought work was fun, so maybe that was fine with her.
Marble pulled out her sculpture and looked at it, turning it over in her hooves. It was beautiful, and it seemed to glow with a life all its own. She wanted to make more. Tomorrow, she would do just that. Tomorrow.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 06:47:55 No.30744461 Report

Quoted By: >>30747108 >>30748679

>>30744446
>Waxworks takes the warped and melted candle she's holding in her hoof and lights the wick on fire again. It sputters and burns erratically.
"She's having a good time with her little flower, isn't she? It's nice that she has some beauty in an otherwise frustrating life."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 568777.png, 587KiB, 911x1019

Anonymous Thu 17 Aug 2017 10:36:30 No.30745207 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 17 Aug 2017 15:18:09 No.30746244 Report

Quoted By:

Spoops.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1497454421830.png, 2MiB, 1054x1231

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 18:08:50 No.30747108 Report

Quoted By:

>>30744461

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO _pastel_gore___rainbow_dash__by_ (...).png, 1021KiB, 1620x1430

Anonymous Thu 17 Aug 2017 20:16:22 No.30747889 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO reaching and grasping.png, 1MiB, 1639x1231

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 22:35:16 No.30748679 Report

Quoted By: >>30748683

>>30744461
The next day saw Marble back at her little tunnel with the flower. She had brought more stone for sculpting, but the flower hadn’t changed at all since yesterday. The half-formed petal underneath the others was still half-formed, and the orb was still the same colour as before. Though Marble looked it over, it didn’t even appear to have grown taller.
“Did you run out of plant food… uh… fuel?” Marble said. She opened her saddlebags and pulled a slip of paper out of her sketchbook. She tore off a little piece and held it close to the flower. It caught fire easily, and the flames were pulled toward the flower again. Their arcing paths danced and swirled around the outside of the ball for a few seconds before they disappeared into the colourful orb. Marble waited for something to change but nothing did.
Was it preparing seeds? The sphere looked like something that would be filled with seeds if that were the case. She might just have to be patient.
Marble decided to wait and watch for any differences to become apparent. She pulled out the sculpture from yesterday and began performing the finishing touches on it. She smoothed out the rough edges and began polishing it. This was the time-consuming part of sculpting stone. Breaking off chips of it required a careful touch and applications of just the right amount of force, but smoothing and polishing was what made it look pleasing, and that took nothing but time.
The day ended much the same as yesterday, but tonight’s dinner was silent. Marble couldn’t bring herself to show off her work to her family, but she resolved to do so by the end of the week. Once the flower was done. She went to bed with the sculpture on her mind, wondering what would happen with the flower itself.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 22:36:19 No.30748683 Report

Quoted By: >>30748688

>>30748679
When Marble went back out to check on the flower, she was dismayed and alarmed to see it listing heavily to one side. Its colour was a deeper red than before, and the petals appeared to be wilting. She circled around it in a low crouch, trying to see what might be the problem. The ground was dry and cracked where it sprouted out of the soil, but that wasn’t uncommon for the rock farm. It wasn’t known for its lush greenery, that was for certain.
Uncertain what was wrong, Marble decided that there was only one thing she could do: Feed it. It didn’t feel as warm as before, so it might be dying. It might also be getting heavy with seeds, but she didn’t want to take that chance. More fuel or food wouldn’t kill it immediately, and could only do more good than harm.
Marble pulled a full page from her sketchbook, and lowered it center-first only the orb of the flower. It caught, burned, and disappeared into ash within seconds, but the colour of the flower stayed the same. Thinking one wasn’t enough, she pulled out a second page and dropped it on top. That one disappeared within seconds, but the flower didn’t change colour or perk up. It needed something bigger!
Marble emerged from her tunnel and galloped back home. She nicked a piece of firewood from the stack and brought it back to the little flower, then placed it close by and waited.
The side of the orb that was facing the firewood began to glow a lighter colour than the rest. It turned orange, then yellow, then almost became white. Marble had to squint to watch, but soon enough, the firewood burst into flame. The fire that burned on it glowed white-hot, and Marble could see it spread across the log, consuming the dry wood with haste.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 22:37:21 No.30748688 Report

Quoted By: >>30748696

>>30748683
As the flames from the log were pulled into the flower, Marble could see it stand taller. The arcing flames swirled around the orb and disappeared inside in a steady stream of glowing heat. She could feel it against her face.
The burning sphere ate more flame and changed colour from deep red until the whole orb, which before was only as big as her hoof, had swelled to half the size of her head. The petals had grown as well, including the stunted one. The stunted one also looked like it had a different purpose from the others. It had rolled itself up, and had begun to grow thick and tube-like. It appeared to be filling with bean-shapes, which meant this was where the seeds came from! It was going to give off seeds! And all it needed was fuel!
Marble hurried and pulled out her sketchbook. She needed to capture this look before it changed too much. She had the seed period sketched out, which was when it had been a kidney-bean shape, and the bud, then the blossom, and now it was flowering, using the fire it took into the orb to prepare the next generation of seeds.
Marble wondered, if this was a mere stunted level of growth from being in such dry and non-flammable soil, what kind of growth would be seen if it was allowed to consume bigger things? It was a beautiful and unique creation, and it was a shame it was so stunted by its environment.
…kind of like herself.
Something like this should be free. Free to go where it wanted, and burn itself out or share its flame as it saw fit. Ponies could take its flame into themselves or burn out with her, fiery and uninhibited. They both needed to be free.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Thu 17 Aug 2017 22:39:29 No.30748696 Report

Quoted By: >>30749771 >>30751435

>>30748688
"When everypony around you seems intent on ignoring what you want, you turn to whatever source you can do find help or inspiration. In Marble's case, that inspiration has come from a flame."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO crazy_eyee_by_vannamelon-d4vmx89.jpg, 185KiB, 900x1200

Anonymous Thu 17 Aug 2017 23:53:10 No.30749104 Report

Quoted By:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FkpQfLuZhA

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1497021903617.jpg, 3MiB, 1652x2674

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 01:43:56 No.30749771 Report

Quoted By: >>30750450

>>30748696

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO mare of straw.png, 456KiB, 620x800

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 03:44:50 No.30750450 Report

Quoted By: >>30751030

>>30749771

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO House Everfree Fluttershy.png, 1MiB, 860x807

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 05:39:21 No.30751030 Report

Quoted By:

>>30750450

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Aug 2017 05:45:57 No.30751063 Report

Quoted By: >>30751082

I'm thinking about writing a story about eldritch abomination's having lewd sex with ponies, because they just think their cute and are tired of fucking other eldritch abominations. Then, discord comes in and is like, "Fuck off, this is my turf." and the eldritch abominations are like, "Nah bro, we wanna fuck these horses, plus you haven't even touched the goooooodness yet." and discord's like, "I'm workin my way with this bitch named Celestia, tho she playin hard to get, so I'mma try this yellow banana instead." he says, unveiling Fluttershy.

Something like that.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 05:49:16 No.30751082 Report

Quoted By: >>30751091

>>30751063
Well, so long as they're horrible eldritch abominations, that sounds fine. It would be amusing and lewd, which the thread has none of so far.

I encourage it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 18 Aug 2017 05:50:44 No.30751091 Report

Quoted By:

>>30751082
sounds good, I'll work on it. It'll take a while to get right, but whatever.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nightmare moon teeth.png, 453KiB, 751x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 07:17:18 No.30751435 Report

Quoted By: >>30751437

>>30748696
Marble went home that night wondering how she could take the plant and grow new ones. She was silent all through dinner as she pondered ways of harvesting and carrying the seeds herself. Nopony commented on it. She was usually quiet, so it didn’t seem out of the ordinary. By the time it was bedtime, Marble had her plan. It was Wednesday night, so she still three days left to herself. So long as nopony bothered her, she could test her plans and fix them as needed.

In the morning, Marble was quick to finish her breakfast and head out to her workshop. She searched through the mess of stone and other tools until she found what she was looking for. A tin, emptied of its contents, but big enough to hold a moderate amount of dirt, and a flower…
The tin had been used to transport small stones before. Special stones that she had taken and sculpted into various interesting shapes. She’d given them away as presents to ponies she knew and to family. Now, if this tin proved resilient enough to the heat of the flower, she could use it for something else.
She grabbed some protective rubber gloves and a spade and trotted out to the rocky tunnel where the flower waited. The log was nothing more than ash this morning, but the flower was looking much livelier than before. It was standing straight up instead of listing to one side, and the seed pod beneath it was plump and had visible bumps. From a cursory glance, it looked to have five seeds hidden away inside it.
Marble smiled at the flower and cooed gently. “You’re certainly a big one, aren’t you? I’m glad you’re doing better you beautiful little thing, you. Pretty soon, you and I will be together.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 07:18:23 No.30751437 Report

Quoted By: >>30751443

>>30751435
Marble took her tin and placed it near the flower, waiting and watching to see how it held up to the heat. It didn’t melt, and the flower didn’t flare up, so it appeared to be safe. The tin wasn’t going to burn. Next, Marble took her rubber gloves and held them out close to the flower. They too, got hot, but didn’t melt, and didn’t catch fire.
Marble nodded in satisfaction. She needed to get close to the flower, but she didn’t want to touch it directly. It was burning hot. Literally.
She looked at the flower and tried to gauge where the roots were, if it even had any. She hefted her spade, touched it to the packed earth beneath the flower, and pressed down with care. She had a good amount of space between the stem and her spade, but she was worried about damaging the plant. She wouldn’t be doing this if she wasn’t sure it had seeds to grow more of itself with.
The earth was packed hard, and was very brittle. The shovel took some work to dig in, but she managed to work it into the ground with effort. To her surprise and dismay, the dry and baked ground crumbled and fell apart beneath the flower, and it flopped onto its side amid the crumbly mess of dirt.
As soon as she saw the flower drop, Marble gasped and let go of the shovel. Bits of dirt flew up and scattered as the shovel fell to the ground. As for the flower, the moment the sphere touched the dirt a horrible hissing arose from it. It sizzled and the dirt underneath it cracked from the heat. In desperation, Marble reached out with her gloved hooves and picked it up. She could feel the heat even through the gloves, and she squealed in pain.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 07:19:48 No.30751443 Report

Quoted By: >>30751454

>>30751437
“No! No, no, no! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Marble tossed the flower into her tin as she grimaced in pain. As soon as it was in she ripped the gloves off and buried her hooves in the dirt, trying to soothe her burns. Tears started rolling down her cheeks, both at the thought that she had destroyed the flower, and from the pain.
The dry dirt provided little comfort, and she eventually pulled her hooves out and poured out her water canteen over them. The water poured over her hooves, and down into the overturned dirt. It sizzled as it hit the roots of the flower, snuffing what remained of it out.
Once the pain was manageable, Marble sobbed and turned to her tin, where the flower was lying on its side at the bottom. It looked pitiful, lying there. The sphere was squashed and oblong in shape, and it was no longer a healthy yellow, but was taking on a deeper red. She knew it was dying. In trying to take its beauty for itself, she had killed that self-same thing she loved. Her careless hooves had murdered it.
Her heart sank, and she sat back on her haunches, sobbing. “I didn’t mean to hurt you! I just wanted to keep you close to me!” Marble watched as the plants colour faded even further, and she noticed the pod. “The seeds!” She grabbed at the pod, pulling the swollen case from the body of the flower with her bare hooves. She hissed in pain, but it separated, and the cooling pod itself split apart, spilling five glowing orange seeds onto the bottom of the tin. They looked healthy. The plant itself was beyond rescue, but the seeds were fine.
Marble sighed and fell backward into the dust. The weight of knowing she had killed the flower was gone, now that she knew she could grow more. But where?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 07:22:34 No.30751454 Report

Quoted By: >>30753367 >>30754267

>>30751443
>Waxworks holds up the burning candle and points at the holds melted in the side.
"I can share fire with this other candle all I want, and in all different places. But if I share it at a point other than the wick, it drastically shortens the usefulness."
>The candle was bent over, and she snaps it in two easily.
"Marble wanted to keep the flower for herself. Keep it close for as long as it lived. But in pulling it away from where it's meant to be, she drastically shortened its lifespan. She has the seeds, so she can make up for it, however. How, though, is the question."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

DS Stoner

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Dusty pink butterflies.jpg, 517KiB, 1479x1811

DS Stoner Fri 18 Aug 2017 14:20:25 No.30752436 Report

Quoted By: >>30753367

https://youtu.be/yZRRAhs3Zlw

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO crystal pony.png, 536KiB, 476x909

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 18:52:59 No.30753367 Report

Quoted By:

>>30751454

>>30752436
Pretty good song.
Good pic.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Fluttershy in a well.png, 637KiB, 896x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 21:31:43 No.30754267 Report

Quoted By: >>30754272

>>30751454
Marble picked herself up, wincing at the pain in her hooves. She needed to get home and clean those soon to prevent infection, and she needed to figure out if she needed to do something to preserve the seeds. They looked fine, but if they died without something to grow in, she’d never forgive herself.
Marble picked up her slightly melted gloves and her shovel, then picked up the tin with the dying flower and seeds in it and limped back home. She went straight into her workshop, placed the tin on a workbench with a quick glance to make sure the seeds were okay, then washed her hooves.
It stung sharply. She hissed as the cold water struck her burns, but when the dirt and dust was gone she was happy to see the wounds were clean and not too severe. The keratin portion of her hooves was black and cracked in places, but that would fall off and be replaced soon. Her frogs had minor burns and were sensitive, which would make walking difficult, but she didn’t need to walk very far now that she had the flower in her workshop.
Marble was no stranger to injury, having learned the hard way just what a hammer and chisel can do to a hoof. That combined with work on the rock farm led to her keeping first aid kits in her workshop. She covered the frogs of her hooves in cooling ointment and gingerly lowered her hooves to the floor. She was taken care of, now it was time to make sure the seeds were okay.
Upon looking in the tin, she was saddened to see the flower was barely more than a pile of embers. It would be interesting to see what was left of it, but her focus right now was the seeds. They were still glowing a healthy orange-yellow, and pulsing with that inner light she remembered. She was glad they appeared okay, but she needed someplace to plant them and share their beauty.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 21:32:45 No.30754272 Report

Quoted By: >>30754281

>>30754267
Marble thought back to what had happened with the flower’s initial growth. It had landed in dirt, and had taken root, but it’s environment–one lacking fuel–had prevented proper growth. If she hadn’t fed it, it wouldn’t have become the beautiful creation it had become. It needed fuel, and space. She didn’t want to start another wildfire, so it needed to be someplace isolated where it couldn’t cause too much trouble. Marble pondered where might be a good place to plant some of them, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“Marble sweetie, are you okay? You rushed inside really quickly, and I came as soon as I could.” Marble heard the door to the workshop open, and looked frantically for something to cover the tin. She saw the rubber gloves and just laid those overtop, hoping it would be enough.
“I’m… I’m okay, Ma,” Marble said as the door opened.
Ma walked into the room and took in her daughter in one quick glance. “You most certainly are not!” She swooped in and lifted one of Marble’s hooves to look at it. “You’ve clearly been crying, and what in Equestria has happened to your hooves!”
Marble frantically tried to come up with some excuse as to why her hooves were burnt. Other than the truth, which she didn’t want to share, she couldn’t come up with anything. Instead, in place of words, she just made a quiet; “Mmmhhh?”
“Where did you go to get burned? Were you trying to fetch charcoal from the remains of the fire?”
Marble leaped on the excuse. “Mmhmm.”
“Well it’s dangerous out there. Some coals can remain hot for days, and there’s no way we can find all of them. Just stay away, we’ll order you some charcoal, okay?”
Marble nodded, relieved at not having to explain herself.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 21:34:26 No.30754281 Report

Quoted By: >>30754290

>>30754272
“You’ve taken care of them. I taught you well, and I’m glad you remembered. Your poor hooves, though. Just before going to see the Pairing Stone.” Ma lowered Marble’s hooves and pulled Marble inside the house. “Come on, let’s get you comfortable.”
Marble allowed herself to be dragged inside, limping along behind her mother. Ma brought her in to the couch, sat her down, and brought her food, water, and some more ointment for her hooves.
“I’m glad you’ve been having a good time with your art, Marble, dear. But you really must be more careful,” Ma said. “Pa and I has picked out three suitors for you, and they’ll all be at the Pairing Stone this Sunday. We want you to look your best, you know.”
Marble looked away and frowned.
“Oh, of course. I wasn’t going to talk about it this week. I do apologize. Just forget about it and let your hooves heal, dear. I’ll bring you a book.” Ma brought Marble a book to read and left here there on the couch.
Marble didn’t read it. She sat there thinking about how she could get out of marrying any of these three suitors that had been chosen for her. She’d never seen the Pairing Stone, but she knew how the ceremony was supposed to go: Two ponies approached the stone, and depending on the ‘reaction’ it had, they were deemed compatible or not. Then, from the suitable choices, the parents picked the one they wanted. To Marble’s modern sensibilities, it all seemed very hokey.
If she was going to get out of marrying them, she needed to prove to her parents that she would be better by herself, allowed to grow how she wanted, in an environment that would benefit her instead of smothering her. She needed an out of some kind. Any kind.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Fri 18 Aug 2017 21:35:29 No.30754290 Report

Quoted By: >>30755890 >>30756719

>>30754281
"She has the seeds, and the burns to show for it. Her marriage date is fast approaching. What can she do?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1504783.png, 346KiB, 819x446

Anonymous Fri 18 Aug 2017 23:07:11 No.30754742 Report

Quoted By: >>30755890

Poor Marble. I want to love her

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Lesson zero.png, 428KiB, 743x826

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 02:13:52 No.30755890 Report

Quoted By:

>>30754290
>>30754742

I'm sure we all do. She deserves the best.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nightmare stare.png, 290KiB, 1280x720

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 05:07:53 No.30756719 Report

Quoted By: >>30756748

>>30754290
Despite the passing of days, Marble was unable to come up with any plan to get out of marrying them. Arguments that art could be a useful and lucrative job were destined to fall on deaf ears. Her father wanted her or her husband to have a steady job, and her mother wanted her to be taken care of. They were both far too traditional in their beliefs for Marble to prove that ponies wanted and appreciated art, and would be willing to pay her a living wage for it.
The days passed. Marble checked on the seeds every day, and they kept glowing softly, waiting for something to take root in, such as they did. Her hooves healed, and although they were still blackened by the time Sunday came, she could walk with only a little bit of pain. Her mother was pleased. Her father even had an upturn to his lips as they prepared for the walk to the Pairing Stone.
Marble’s face, however, was not so happy. Despite the pretty dress Ma had put on her, and the descriptions of the three stallions Pa was giving her, she desired anything but what was happening. She was being uprooted from what she loved, and forced into an environment that she didn’t want to be in. Unless her husband-to-be was, by some miracle, tolerant of her art, she didn’t see herself being able to continue. And what if he wanted foals? Was she just going to be made pregnant constantly? The moment she had one, she’d have no time to herself. She remembered being a foal. Limestone, Pinkie, herself, and Maud, were all a challenge in their own way. That kind of challenge would preclude art. She would have no time for anything but family!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 05:13:42 No.30756748 Report

Quoted By: >>30756756

>>30756719
Marble had worked herself up to a nervous wreck, and she was shaking by the time they reached the Pairing Stone. There were nine other ponies already there and waiting when Marble limped up to the stone with her parents. She could tell immediately who the suitors were. They–or their parents–had dressed up nicely for the occasion, while the other ponies were old. One only had a father figure with him, while the ninth pony was dressed in some strange ceremonial garb.
The ceremonial pony started talking, but Marble didn’t register any of the words that were being said. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and she was shaking so much that she had to be prodded along by her mother. The suitors were all standing as tall as possible, trying to show off their strength or something. Marble didn’t care. The only pony who cared was Ma, who gushed about something in Marble’s ear.
The ponies all introduced themselves. Marble didn’t remember any of their names. The ceremonial pony started talking, and they eventually entered the cave where the Pairing Stone was. This was something Marble remembered.
The Pairing Stone was an impressive and monumental block of stone that occupied one end of the massive natural cave. It was solid onyx, if Marble didn’t miss her guess, and it shone with a black sheen. On its face was a carving of two things Marble assumed must be ponies, but it was stylized to the point where they were barely recognizable as such. Still, it was huge, almost symmetrical, and beautiful. The irony that her own beauty was about to be sold to the highest bidder by this awesome sculpted piece of stone was not lost on Marble. She could not be mad at it, however. Its beauty was its own, and this was its use.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 05:15:02 No.30756756 Report

Quoted By: >>30756761

>>30756748
The ceremonial pony started speaking, and eventually marble was pushed forward with one of the suitors. She stood in front of the pairing stone blankly while the stallion put his hoof on a pedestal in front of it. The ceremonial pony cleared his throat, but Marble didn’t move until Ma came forward and lifted her hoof and placed it next to the stallion’s.
The Pairing Stone’s onyx surface shimmered for a moment, and the ceremonial pony shouted something happy. The first stallion’s parents stamped their hooves in applause, and then he was replaced by the next stallion. It, too, had the same effect, as well as the third. Marble wasn’t sure what happened, but there was confused and angry muttering. Pa and the other fathers went to talk to the ceremonial pony while Ma ushered Marble from the room. They eventually returned home where Pa sat pensively in a chair while Marble relaxed on the couch with a gormless look on her face.
“I’m going to take you to meet them at their homes, Marble,” Pa said.
She looked at him and blinked. “What?”
“We’re going to meet them, and we’ll see how they behave at home and around you. That’s how I’ll decide.”
How HE will decide. He’ll choose. He’ll pick. He’ll make the decision to whom she’ll be sold! Marble was confused, agitated, and frustrated. She didn’t know how the Pairing Stone made decisions, but each one was equally worth to marry her. That either meant they were all worthwhile husbands… or they were all equally as worthless to marry.
Marble smiled a slow smile. Her Pa took it as a good sign and nodded, pleased. Marble knew better. They were all equally as worthless to marry as all the rest. The Pairing Stone knew, but they had misinterpreted. She couldn’t convince Pa of that, but she knew how to avoid marrying any of them. If there was no worthless stallion to marry, she couldn’t marry him now could she?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 05:16:05 No.30756761 Report

Quoted By: >>30757450 >>30760283 >>30762350

>>30756756
"The ceremony wasn't much, but Marble came out of it with a new appreciation, or lack thereof, for her suitors. All are equal in her eyes, and all are worthless."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO red eyes nightmare.jpg, 972KiB, 1254x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 07:54:19 No.30757450 Report

Quoted By:

>>30756761

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO princess_molestia_by_angeldust_n (...).jpg, 459KiB, 1619x1142

Anonymous Sat 19 Aug 2017 12:52:33 No.30758098 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Aug 2017 15:10:38 No.30758620 Report

Quoted By:

boo

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Twilight's gonna teach you.jpg, 169KiB, 1024x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 17:35:32 No.30760283 Report

Quoted By: >>30761561

>>30756761

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO fluttercard.png, 603KiB, 1151x1080

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 19:51:08 No.30761561 Report

Quoted By:

>>30760283

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO the_witch__foe__the_fossil__by_c (...).png, 1MiB, 750x1065

Anonymous Sat 19 Aug 2017 20:56:52 No.30762205 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Flutter Chaney Jr..jpg, 746KiB, 1536x1833

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:13:44 No.30762350 Report

Quoted By: >>30762362

>>30756761
As soon as Pa was done scheduling her life for the next week for her, Marble removed her fancy clothes and went out to her workshop. First, she checked on her seeds. They were glowing and waiting. Waiting to be planted somewhere they could grow into the beautiful flowers Marble knew they could become. She knew where they could be planted, and all it would take is some careful planning and transportation.
Marble found an old rock tumbler she had. She hadn’t tumbled many rocks in recent years, but when she was just starting out, it had been useful in helping to make rounded rocks. It was made entirely of metal, so it wouldn’t melt or burn when in contact with the seeds, and she could excuse her having it as searching for rocks. Pa would believe her, and would back up her reasons for having such a thing to the other families.
Marble used the rubber gloves to transfer the seeds to her tumbler and closed the lid. She put it inside her saddlebags, along with her sketchbook and pencils. She was as prepared as she could be to go visit the three worthless suitors and see just how they lived. She would give them at least somewhat of a chance. She didn’t know them at all other than from the meeting at the Pairing Stone, so maybe one of them would prove to be a nice pony. Marble wheezed a laugh. She wasn’t expecting it. Anypony who was willing to just silently let their parents arrange a marriage for them was worthless. She had been, but she was going to fix that.
The meetings with the other families were scheduled to happen throughout the next week. Pa was insistent on it happening as soon as possible. Marble thought he just wanted to unload her as soon as he could.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:15:04 No.30762362 Report

Quoted By: >>30762377

>>30762350
The first meeting was to happen on Tuesday. Marble helped out where and when she could, as per her usual routine, until Tuesday came. Pa woke her up early, and Ma helped her choose some clothing for the trip. When she grabbed her saddlebags, Pa got curious.
“Why are you bringing those?” Pa asked.
Marble hung her head and rubbed one foreleg against the other. “To collect stones.”
“You think they’ll have better rocks than us?”
“No… just different.”
Pa just shrugged and led the way out of the farmhouse and down the road. Marble still didn’t know who they were going to visit, but due to the distance they lived from other ponies, the trip was going to take up most of the day.
They arrived within a couple of hours, and were greeted cordially. Pa began talks with the stallion’s parents, while Marble and he were forced to sit together. Marble said nothing, but the stallion kept leaning in and trying to start a conversation.
“How are you today?” he asked.
Marble glanced at him, and had to admit he was a good-looking stallion. Too bad she wasn’t interested in looks. Rocks looked beautiful on the outside, but inside they could be ugly, and vice versa. The ugliest of stones could have a beautiful core, and Marble wouldn’t be satisfied with any husband unless she could choose them after discovering what lay at their core. She would discover the inner workings of a stallion at a time of her own choosing, and in a manner she decided upon.
“Are you doing well?” the stallion asked again.
Marble still didn’t know his name. She didn’t care. Pa was used to her being so quiet, so he wouldn’t mind her not talking. This stallion would just have to learn that as well.
Marble nodded.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:16:35 No.30762377 Report

Quoted By: >>30762395

>>30762362
“So, uh… what do you do for fun?”
“I collect rocks.”
She was certain he sighed quietly, but he put on a smile and politely continued the conversation. “Oh? What kinds?”
“All kinds.”
When she didn’t volunteer any further information, he put on a forced smile. “That’s… very interesting,” he said. He looked away from her when he said it, so she knew he didn’t think it was interesting at all. If he didn’t like her rocks, then they weren’t going to get along. Worthless indeed.
Marble saw the stallions mother motion to him. He gave her a confused look, so she rolled her eyes and walked over to the two of them.
“Why don’t you to go look around outside. If Marble is going to be part of the family, she’d want to see the farm she’ll be living on, right?” She said.
Marble nodded. “Mmhmm.”
The stallion perked up. “Okay! Follow me.” The stallion led the way out the door while Pa talked to his parents.
He showed her their barn, their tools, some of the animals they kept. Unlike her own family, these ponies had a farm that produced food. Mostly animal products by the looks of it.
During the walk, Marble picked up random rocks here and there. He was confused at first, but he just shook his head and ignored it after the first few times. He waited impatiently for her to finish.
“Collecting rocks is kind of foalish,” he said.
Marble narrowed her eyes at him. He didn’t seem to notice. He was yet another pony who thought her hobby was useless. Very worthless.
As they came back to the farmhouse, Marble pretended to see a stone she wanted near the back of the farmhouse. She glanced back to make sure he wasn’t looking, and he wasn’t. She opened her tumbler, pulled out one of the seeds, and planted it right next to the back of the house.
Worthless stallion. He would snuff her out and not even question why. Worthless.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:17:52 No.30762395 Report

Quoted By: >>30765872

>>30762377
"Marble has met the first stallion and is less than impressed with him. He doesn't care for her hobby, and seems only interested in her as far as his parents tell him to be. To protect herself, she's taking her own steps."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:22:45 No.30762433 Report

Quoted By: >>30762518 >>30763593

Is there some art of pony hiding from the killers of dead by daylight ?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:30:44 No.30762518 Report

Quoted By: >>30762541

>>30762433
That is a good question. I play the games a lot myself, but I've never seen any of it. Time to hunt.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:33:25 No.30762541 Report

Quoted By: >>30762579

>>30762518
Can you imagine how hard it would be for them to hide in this world, from their natural colors and all.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 21:37:02 No.30762579 Report

Quoted By:

>>30762541
Like wearing Meg's neon-spattered jacket in-game. Super easy to see. At least they're little ponies.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Meg Dead by Daylight.jpg, 159KiB, 1280x960

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sat 19 Aug 2017 23:48:51 No.30763593 Report

Quoted By: >>30764160

>>30762433
I found one or two pics. They're all sadly of very mediocre quality. Pic related.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO royal flush.png, 713KiB, 922x589

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 01:10:24 No.30764160 Report

Quoted By: >>30764170

>>30763593
>That is a good question. I play the games a lot myself, but I've never seen any of it. Time to hunt.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 01:11:30 No.30764170 Report

Quoted By: >>30765360

>>30764160
Don't know why it quoted text that wasn't even in the post. That was weird.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 26398__safe_solo_applejack_portr (...).png, 315KiB, 643x700

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 04:22:59 No.30765360 Report

Quoted By:

>>30764170

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Trixie crying in a mirror.png, 222KiB, 1200x800

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 05:58:27 No.30765872 Report

Quoted By: >>30765878

>>30762395
The two of them went back inside to greet Pa and the stallion’s parents. All three were all smiles and good humor, and were interested in knowing how the two of them had gotten along during their little walk. Marble kept her face at a carefully neutral position while the stallion gushed about how they’d chatted about this and that and nothing at all.
Marble didn’t correct him. He glanced at her while he talked as if gauging her reaction on whether or not she’d say something. She didn’t. She let him have his moment, talking about how well they’d get along. He thought she was a pushover, and once they were married he’d be able to do whatever he wanted. He was the type of stallion who’d sleep around because she was just going to be the quiet, meek type.
Well, she had news for him. They weren’t going to get married because he would be conspicuously absent if all went well. Even if he survived, Pa wouldn’t want her to marry into a family suffering such hardships as they were about to experience. Marble had a small smile on her face as they returned home. Pa noticed, and asked her about it.
“You seem cheerful,” he said.
“Mmhmm.”
“Well, I’m glad you liked him so much. They have a solid farming setup going, and they can provide for you,” Pa said. “I’m sure it will take some getting used to if you move in with them, but we still have two other families to meet. We won’t make the decision until we’ve met all three.”
‘We’ won’t make the decision he said. As if he had given her a say in the matter. Oh well. He didn’t have to. She was going to be taking care of things her own way. There would be no marriage, and she would force Pa to accept her living her life her way.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 05:59:34 No.30765878 Report

Quoted By: >>30765884

>>30765872
They arrived back home and had dinner. Pa talked with Ma about the meeting and Pa explained how well the two of them had gotten along. It was still too early to make a decision, but this first one had turned out well.
Marble kept silent, saying nothing, and letting Pa have his moment. He felt like he was in control, and that’s what made him happy. Marble ate her food in silence.
Limestone wasn’t going to let her have peace and quiet, though. She kept prodding Marble for more information. “So, Pa said you two went off alone together. Did you… see anything?” Limestone winked.
Marble didn’t dignify it with a response, but frowned.
“Aw come on, you didn’t even try?” Ma cleared her throat and gave Limestone a look. Limestone shut up after that.
When dinner was over Marble retired to her room. The next meeting was on Thursday, when Marble suspected the flower she had originally planted would have grown into the bud form. She had planted it behind some other plant, but with room to spread its petals. It should be able to reach more than enough fuel for growth. It would either burn tomorrow, or the day after. Either way, Marble had an iron excuse. There were multiple ponies that knew where she was at all times. Pa was going to keep poor little Marble busy, after all. She went to sleep with a smile on her face.
Wednesday was busy. Pa got her up at the crack of dawn and had her helping out fetching tools and cleaning things all day. She didn’t get a moment’s respite. He said it was because he had catching up to do due to yesterday’s missed work, but Limestone was taking care of most everything these days. Pa just liked to feel useful. She went to sleep tired, but heard nothing about a fire all day.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Aug 2017 05:59:46 No.30765880 Report

Quoted By: >>30765894

>>30611863
Any greens where you were the monster all along?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 06:00:41 No.30765884 Report

Quoted By: >>30765894 >>30767246

>>30765878
Thursday morning was up early as well, and Marble was cleaned, dressed, fed, and out the door by the time the sun had crossed the horizon. Pa led the way as they walked down the road to meet the next potential suitor, with Marble trailing behind carrying her saddlebags with her tumbler.
She was worried the flower she had planted had been smothered by something or had even been discovered. It was fragile, but its fire was potent, and even when small it had burned quite hot. When she had fed it the log, even the wood started on fire easily, and had spread with haste. She trusted it. It wouldn’t let her down.
They arrived at the next stallion’s house and Pa got to talking while Marble was once again sat next to some stallion she didn’t remember the name of. He wasn’t as good-looking as the last, but he was much stockier. This stallion had muscle to spare. He also really enjoyed talking about himself.
“So, how well can you cook? I work out a lot, and I need to get the right kind of food, or I start losing mass,” he said. “I also work out twice a day, so breakfast and supper need to be on time.”
Marble listened with utmost patience and said nothing, and he seemed content with that.
Eventually, Pa suggested they take a walk together around the yard. This stallion’s family didn’t own a farm. Instead, they owned a factory of sorts, where they processed ingredients into feed for animals, and even made fertilizer.
Marble nodded, and the stallion took her about the place, and she feigned interest, but she collected rocks the whole way, making a big show of it the whole time, cooing over particular rocks and frowning at others. Upon their return, she started rummaging through the dirt next to their house, and surreptitiously planted another one of her seeds, hidden behind a wheelbarrow.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 06:02:30 No.30765894 Report

Quoted By: >>30766438 >>30768933 >>30769838

>>30765884
>Waxworks burns the warped candle in the middle, and it snaps in half.
"The first has yet to take root, but the second is now prepared. At the very least, Marble has found out the stallions do not think much of her at all."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

>>30765880
I'm not sure there are any specifically like that. Can you elaborate on what you mean? Like, accidental killings? Pyro from TF2 craziness?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Luna constellation.png, 895KiB, 712x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 08:14:00 No.30766438 Report

Quoted By:

>>30765894

Anonymous

Anonymous Sun 20 Aug 2017 12:45:41 No.30767246 Report

Quoted By:

>>30765884
Nice

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 13d.gif, 485KiB, 500x333

Anonymous Sun 20 Aug 2017 15:18:25 No.30767843 Report

Quoted By:

I'm starting to fall for this little sociopath

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO They're delicious.png, 1MiB, 1280x903

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 18:16:57 No.30768933 Report

Quoted By:

>>30765894

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO candy zombies.png, 504KiB, 800x660

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 20:09:20 No.30769838 Report

Quoted By: >>30769848

>>30765894
“Yo, sweetcheeks. You gotta cut your rock-collecting short. It’s almost time for me to do my reps. I mean, you can watch, but you’re already cutting into my schedule,” the stallion said.
Marble rolled her eyes and covered the seed gently in soil, then picked up a random stone she found in the dirt and made a big show of putting it into her saddlebags. The two of them walked back inside where the stallion disappeared into an adjoining room without even so much as a goodbye. Marble could hear grunting and counting coming from the room as they were shown out by his parents.
Upon stepping outside, they were greeted by a plume of smoke rising into the sky in the distance. Pa adjusted his hat to get a better look, while Marble put a hoof to her mouth to cover her smile.
Pa turned back to the family in the doorway. “Who was the last pony to check on the site of the wildfire?”
“Um… the Turnovers?” The older stallion said.
“Contact them as quickly as you can! Send your son! If it’s flared up again, we need to know possible other sites that might flare up as well!” Pa ordered. “I’ll head to the smoke and do what I can! Marble, stay close to me!” Marble said nothing, but galloped after Pa as he took off down the road toward the smoke.
The closer they got, the more certain Marble became that her trap had done its job. They were headed directly to the farmhouse of her first suitor. She was upset that it had started during the day, because that meant it would be more likely that the stallion would have survived, but there was still a chance, and Pa likely wouldn’t marry her off to somepony without a house or farm to his name. He wanted her to be taken care of, after all.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 20:11:07 No.30769848 Report

Quoted By: >>30769858

>>30769838
When they arrived, they found a crowd of ponies from other farms all collected around the land, setting up barriers, dirt walls, and removing anything that might help the fire jump from their land to anything nearby. Marble was delighted to see that the fire had engulfed the house, some of their crops, and their barn. Farm animals were loose everywhere, running for their lives. In it all, Marble hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her suitor. She found his mother, weeping into a neighbor’s embrace.
“Ma’am, where’s your son?” Marble asked.
“He… he’s somewhere in there still! He and his father went to go let the animals loose when the barn caught, and they haven’t come back out!”
Marble fought to keep a look of concern on her face. Like the worthless fool he was, he dove directly into the fire. With her flower working on the fire, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
A collective gasp arose from the gathered crowd, and Marble turned to look at the fire. All the flames were curling inward toward a specific point. Nopony could get close to see, but Marble knew it was her flower. The flames, having consumed everything with more haste than was natural, were being sucked into the flower. The house, barn, and fields all burned out, leaving only charred husks. There was silence for a moment, then a crackling sound, followed by a *BOOM* that knocked everypony to the ground. From the ashes flew glowing specks of light, disappearing into the air, carried on hot winds to places distant.
There was silence for a moment, then Marble heard Pa yell. “Embers! Find out where they’re going to land! We’ll need everypony on high alert and prepared for more fires! Whatever that was, it’s dangerous and likely to spread!” Pa ordered. “I need two ponies to come with me to find any survivors, has anypony seen…”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 20:13:11 No.30769858 Report

Quoted By: >>30769870

>>30769848
Marble tuned out his yelling. She was ‘helping’ the distraught mother who had possibly just lost her husband and son. It was the sort of thing a weak and useless mare was expected to do, after all. Marble held out a hoof for the mare to hold, and made generic calming noises. She didn’t care, but she had to pretend, and this was the best way to do it.
Sometime later, Pa came back with two other stallions. They were covered in soot and ash, and upon approach, Pa removed his hat and held it to his chest. Everypony knew what it meant, and it sent the mare into an even harder fit of sobbing.
“I’m sorry, Ma’am. They were both found near the barn. We suspect your husband was inside and your son was outside. They died trying to free the animals,” Pa said.
The mare sobbed harder, clutching Marble’s hoof and shaking. Marble feigned comfort, but sighed inwardly in relief. She wouldn’t have to marry this one, at least, and nopony would suspect her. She was safe from one worthless stallion. She just had to wait on one more, and fix the last one. It was just a matter of time.

They returned home very late. Pa had allowed Marble to continue to comfort the mare while he organized a fire-watch with other ponies around the area. Only one of the embers had a reported landing site, and it had been quickly stamped out. The others were, as of yet, unaccounted for.
Marble was sad to hear that one of the seeds had been destroyed, but she still had three seeds of her own, and seeing the discharge of the seeds at the end of the plants life cycle had been a treat. She was just sad she couldn’t see the flower itself when it finally gave out. That would have been a sight to behold.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 20:14:28 No.30769870 Report

Quoted By: >>30771653 >>30774068

>>30769858
>Waxworks dumps the ruined candle into a bin filled with other candles to be recycled.
"Her work has finally borne fruit. Quite destructive fruit, too. But it had the desired result, and there is one less suitor."

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO rare_flaw_by_assasinmonkey-dbkk70i.png, 807KiB, 1200x850

Anonymous Sun 20 Aug 2017 21:55:43 No.30770751 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO f87ef8f6d963126872e4be9639b022c1.png, 568KiB, 1280x606

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Sun 20 Aug 2017 23:52:56 No.30771653 Report

Quoted By: >>30772816

>>30769870

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Ghost Octavia.png, 4MiB, 2400x1350

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 03:06:20 No.30772816 Report

Quoted By:

>>30771653

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO I see everything.jpg, 182KiB, 793x562

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 06:06:44 No.30774068 Report

Quoted By: >>30774077

>>30769870
The next day was a flurry of Pa trying to manage the threat of fires, and Limestone trying to get work done at the quarry. No new fires had sprung up, which made Marble sad, but depending on where they landed they’d need time to grow. She knew one was going to germinate soon, and she was looking forward to the news tomorrow when it did.
When the day was done, Marble jumped into bed and slept soundly, waking up with the dawn. She was barely able to contain her excitement, and her parents noticed. They thought she was excited for some other reasons, and tried to get her to take the situation more seriously.
“Now Marble, you must maintain proper decorum. We’re going through with this because work doesn’t stop when there is a tragedy,” Ma said. “Animals need fed, crops need watered, and ponies need to be taken care of, despite the tragic news.” She fussed with the buttons on Marble’s shirt. “Be eager, but not too eager. Don’t bring up the accident first, but if they do, offer condolences, okay?”
Marble nodded. “Mmhmm.”
“See you later today, Cloudy. Come fetch me if anypony needs me.” Pa touched his hat, kissed Ma, and he and Marble were on their way.
This house wasn’t far. It was closer to their farmhouse than the other two, but it was the opposite direction from the others. Marble hoped they could make it to the fire in time when it finally happened.
This stallion’s house was quite modest. Marble could see that it wasn’t as big as the others, and the land, while still a good size, had a lot of wild growth on it. It was as if the ponies living here were having difficulties managing what little land they had. Marble recalled the meeting at the Pairing Stone, and remembered it was just the two ponies that had been there. Were two stallions really having that hard a time of it?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 06:07:47 No.30774077 Report

Quoted By: >>30774082

>>30774068
Pa turned to her. “Now I know it doesn’t look like much, but Jagged Bluff is a good stallion. His father has been getting weaker lately from the same sickness that took his wife.” Pa held up a hoof at her opening her mouth. “It’s not contagious. The doctor says it’s a sickness of spirit more than anything else. Jagged Bluff hasn’t caught it, and his father has had it for half a year now.”
Marble nodded in understanding.
“Good. He’s a good stallion, and with his mother gone and father sick, he may seem melancholy, but I think he’d be a good match for you.”
Pa knocked on the door and a young stallion, who Marble assumed must be Jagged Bluff, answered it. “Oh, welcome to you both. My father’s in his study, so we’ll be meeting in there,” he said. “Please, come in.”
Pa and Marble entered, then followed him into the study where the older stallion was waiting. Now that she looked at him, she could see he was thin, and his eyes were rheumy and clouded. Pa and he got to talking, and Jagged Bluff took the initiative to talk to Marble without prompting.
“Would you care to see the farm?” He asked.
Marble took the proffered hoof and stood up from the couch to follow him. “Mmhmm.”
He took her around to see the meager crops they were able to grow, and the old silo they kept their grain in that was in desperate need of repair. He laughed about how hard it was to work with the rusty tools they had, and even took the time to ask her about herself.
“What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?” He asked.
“I sculpt.”
“Sculpt? Is that what those rocks are for?”
Marble nodded. “I collect rocks, and carve them.”
“Well that’s quite interesting. Do you have any on you right now that I could see?”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 06:08:51 No.30774082 Report

Quoted By: >>30774088

>>30774077
Marble had to shake her head no. She had been collecting rocks here just like the other farms, but this time the stallion was genuinely interested in what she was doing. He kept asking about the type of stones she was picking up, and she could answer, but he was going to make it very difficult to plant a seed at his house if he kept watching.
He asked about her family, her farm, and how he had heard so much about the Pie family and their long history in the area, and before they knew it, it was late afternoon. Jagged Bluff was leading her back to the farmhouse when she saw a plume of smoke in the distance.
“Oh no!” Marble said with genuine alarm. She was going to miss the flower!
Jagged saw what she was talking about and galloped back to the farmhouse. She followed after a bit slower, and took the time to plant one of her seeds next to the house. She could hear Pa and Jagged Bluff shouting about the fire. Marble entered afterward as soon as she could.
“Marble, stop at home and bring me the blue sack. If Cloudy has already seen the smoke, she’ll know I need it. Jagged, you come with me. We need to nip this in the bud if it hasn’t raged out of control yet,” Pa ordered.
Pa and Jagged ran directly across the fields toward the smoke, while Marble took the road back home. Ma had seen the smoke and she was standing outside with the saddlebag. She traded Ma her saddlebags and dashed off toward the smoke. She arrived just in time to see the flames disappear and the seeds burst into the sky, scattering to the winds once more. Marble stamped a hoof in frustration.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 06:09:55 No.30774088 Report

Quoted By: >>30776511 >>30777385 >>30780502

>>30774082
>Waxworks pulls out a small knife and trims the wick and a bit of the candle that is still lit. It burns brighter and hotter.
"She's getting too excited to see what comes from her work. I think it's getting a bit out of hoof, don't you?"

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 462818.png, 315KiB, 800x1000

Anonymous Mon 21 Aug 2017 11:58:47 No.30775190 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO kelpie_chrysalis_by_begasuslu-db (...).jpg, 99KiB, 752x1063

Anonymous Mon 21 Aug 2017 16:30:49 No.30776242 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 21 Aug 2017 17:09:28 No.30776511 Report

Quoted By:

>>30774088
My Little Flouro-arsonist

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 19:27:56 No.30777385 Report

Quoted By: >>30777500 >>30778946

>>30774088
Update later today. Went out to try and see the eclipse. Only partial for me here in Montreal. Not a good view, either. Ah well.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 21 Aug 2017 19:47:34 No.30777500 Report

Quoted By: >>30777998

>>30777385
Relevant today
https://ia600302.us.archive.org/15/items/XMinusOne55120728Nightfall/X1_551207_e028_Nightfall.mp3

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 20:53:44 No.30777998 Report

Quoted By: >>30779700

>>30777500
Damn. I'd never read or hear this before. I liked it a lot, as usual with Asimov.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Mon 21 Aug 2017 23:37:10 No.30778946 Report

Quoted By: >>30779700

>>30777385
Okay, update tonight with the finale for the current story. I rather like this one, so I hope you all enjoy it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 01:42:14 No.30779700 Report

Quoted By:

>>30777998
Neither had I, pretty good. I hear that it was the inspiration for 'Pitch Black'. At least the planet was anyway.
>>30778946
Can't wait, and look...we almost made bump limit!

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO I_heard_it_too_Rarity.png, 845KiB, 1000x1000

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 03:39:41 No.30780335 Report

Quoted By:

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO Nightmare aftermath.png, 2MiB, 1920x1214

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:26:26 No.30780502 Report

Quoted By: >>30780503

>>30774088
The fire was out. The flower consumed everything it needed to spread its seeds, and ponies were bustling about the aftermath searching for the family. Marble found only the son this time. He was alive, but his right foreleg was blackened and shriveled, and he had massive burns on the right side of his body.
He was crying.
Marble held no sympathy for him. She didn’t even try to hide her emotionless glare as she watched him twitch in pain from a distance. His first concern was about himself, and though he’d lost everything now, until he had he was concerned about what she would give him instead of what he could give her. He was worthless then, and he was worthless now. She was protecting herself from irreparable damage. Pa would never make her marry that.
A gasp went up from the crowd as a smaller plume of smoke started in the distance. Pa and the other stallions chased after it, with Marble following behind. They arrived to find a smaller brush fire with one of her flowers in the center. This one was quickly stamped out and killed. The stallions put out the nearby flames, and Pa piled dirt on the flower then stamped it out.
Once he was sure the fire was under control, he swept the dirt to the side to look for any embers. When he was satisfied there were none, he nodded and turned to the assembled group.
“It would appear the source of the fires is magical in nature. The behavior of the flames and subsequent discharge of embers, or ‘seeds’ is what’s causing these accidents.” He pointed at the cold ashes of the flower he had killed. “They take form as small flowers, and grow by feeding on flammable substances. We don’t know how long they take to grow, but this one is likely from the first housefire. Everypony is to check the perimeter of their homes at regular intervals during the day and night. We don’t want them growing unchecked and causing any more accidents.”

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:27:38 No.30780503 Report

Quoted By: >>30780508

>>30780502
The gathered ponies muttered their agreement. Pa nodded and came back to her, his head shaking.
“I’ve never seen anything like it. Plants made of flame. They’re dangerous, and too destructive to be allowed to run rampant. Can you imagine if one made it to a denser forest?” He took his bag from her to carry. “That would be a disaster. If it gets much worse, we may have to call in some pegasi for rain.”
That was how Marble knew things were getting serious. He normally let things go as they were, without asking for different weather from the pegasi, but if he was considering calling in some rain to help with the fires, he was worried. She didn’t understand why, though.
Sure, the fires were bad, but the one she hadn’t planted was minor, and easily snuffed out. Why he wanted to do that, she didn’t quite get. It was beautiful, and it was natural. Why stop it? Because it was doing what it was supposed to do? What it was meant to do? Should everything that doesn’t do what you want be destroyed?
Pa liked control. He liked knowing how things were going to go, where the quarry was headed, where his family was headed. He wanted her and Limestone taken care of. Well, Marble had news for him. She wasn’t going to be controlled. She may be quiet, but she wouldn’t put up with ponies telling her she couldn’t do what she wanted with her life. If snuffing out things was what it took to control her own life, by Celestia, she could play that game, too.
Dinner was somber and silent. Pa got up frequently to check the perimeter of the house for any fires. He didn’t know that the seeds could remain buried up until it was time for them to start on fire, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. Giving him any more ammunition to use against her flowers would be terrible.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:28:44 No.30780508 Report

Quoted By: >>30780515

>>30780503
Marble went to sleep and rested easily. Not so her Pa, who woke up every few hours to patrol the house. By the time morning came, he had dark circles under his eyes from a sleep that had left him wanting.
The day’s events passed slowly. Pa admonished Marble and Ma to keep an eye out around the property for any of the glowing flowers. Limestone and he both took bags filled with fire prevention gear in case anything happened at the quarry. Also in case they spotted anything from the quarry and they had to rush to help. The day was frantic for everyone but Marble.
Marble took it in stride, and recognized that this was just the way things had to be. She had come to the realization that beauty was created by destroying something else. In her carving, she stripped away the outer layers of the rock to expose the beauty she saw underneath. In painting it was the oils, dyes, and watercolours that were extracted from other things, be it plants, minerals, or animals. Every bit of beauty in Equestria, even herself, were destroying things to survive and be beautiful. Fire was no different.
The next day, there was a fire at a house again. Everypony, Marble included, arrived to see Jagged Bluff’s house go up in flames. Jagged Bluff was fine, but his sickly father succumbed to the smoke, and in his weakened state, died despite being pulled to safety.
This time, Marble had a front-row seat to the beauty of her flower as it grew to maturity. It towered beside the smaller shack, pulling flame and heat from it, the orb atop it glowing white-hot before the seed-pod finally burst, destroying the flower as it released hot winds to blow the seeds to parts unknown. The sight was better than Marble had imagined, and her breath was taken away by both its searing heat, and destructive beauty.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:29:47 No.30780515 Report

Quoted By: >>30780521

>>30780508
Several members of the community came prepared for the explosion, and the swiftest ponies were sent to catch the seeds wherever they might land. Marble didn’t expect many of the seeds to survive their flight, but she was happy all the same. It had grown, it had bloomed, and it had shown the world what it truly was, unapologetically. What ponies did with the results of that mattered little to it now.
Marble worked with ponies to help salvage whatever they could from the remains of the house. Much of it was beyond rescue, as the heat had melted tools, destroyed wood, and consumed crops. Jagged Bluff would be in as sorry a state as the others, and Pa would never consent to marriage while he was homeless and destitute. Marble was completely safe from marriage for now.
For now…
Marble hadn’t even considered what would happen after she got rid of all potential suitors. Pa certainly wouldn’t stop. He was intent on marrying her off. Until he was certain she was going to be ‘taken care of’, as he was so fond of saying, he wouldn’t stop searching for suitors. Maybe he’d even go so far as finding a suitor from a nearby city. Appleoosa wasn’t too far, and he could send letters. The pony of ceremonies in charge of the Pairing Stone would know of suitors from all over. Anypony who knew about the Pairing Stone and was still interested in this sort of archaic matchmaking would know about it, and she was eligible as they came!
Marble’s joy over her successes were all brought crashing down around her at this realization. She only had so much time until Pa went on a crusade to find her a new husband. Ma might even help, and Limestone too! They all wanted her to be ‘taken care of”, as though she couldn’t do it herself.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:30:53 No.30780521 Report

Quoted By: >>30780528

>>30780515
They returned home after Pa once again admonished everypony to keep an eye out for any of these flowers hidden anywhere. They ate dinner, talked about the fires and the cause, and slept.
The next morning was business as usual, but with Pa looking exceedingly tired. He had woken himself up again during the night to check for fires. Nothing had happened near the house, but there were reports of smaller fires starting elsewhere. All had been snuffed out quickly, but it was still running Pa and many others ragged.
To her surprise, Jagged Bluff came by to check up on them, and offered to run the rounds of their area in Pa’s place, giving him time to rest. He just needed the supplies, but he could handle it.
“I know you’re usually in charge, sir, but I lost everything in that fire, and if it will help keep other ponies from suffering the same fate, I’ll gladly dedicate my time to it,” Jagged Bluff said. “All I ask for is food, water, and shelter until we’re certain this is done with.”
“Very well. It won’t do for me to work myself until I pass out.” Pa motioned to Marble. “It’s the blue bag, Marble. If you could fetch it here for your fiancé, he can head out to work. If that’s alright with you, of course, Jagged. You could use a new family after losing yours.”
Jagged Bluff looked surprised, and looked downward, looking contrite. “Thank you, sir, but we’ll have to wait until this mess is dealt with. More pleasant things can wait. Once we’re safe, then I will gladly marry your daughter.”
Marble gaped at the exchange. Right in front of her, and Pa was still going to force her to marry! His audacity knew no bounds! Jagged had come expressing nothing more than a desire to help, and Pa saw a golden opportunity to promise her to this stallion!

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:31:57 No.30780528 Report

Quoted By: >>30780539

>>30780521
Marble knew, right then, that she would never be truly free of this with Pa breathing down her neck. Her brand new “fiancé” was off to murder the beautiful flowers she loved so much, just like he would murder her beauty with his demands for foals, and food, and care, and so much else! No, she had to nip this problem at its source.
Jagged Bluff took off across the fields, looking to help anypony in need and protect everypony from fires. His valiant efforts and desires had earned him Marble’s hoof in marriage, but by the time everything was done, Marble would be free of him and his wants.
She stayed at home with Pa, helping Ma where she needed it, and running back and forth between home and the quarry as a messenger for Limestone and Pa so Pa could keep abreast of the business. When she finally found some time to herself, Marble disappeared into her workshop with her little tumbler. When she was safe inside, she opened it and peered at the contents.
Two little seeds were left. Three had been given new life near plenty of fuel, and all that was left were these last two. Marble knew what to do with one of them, at the very least. Pa needed to be dealt with so she could be free.
Marble needed freedom.
She got a hammer and ripped up one of the floorboards in her workshop. She scraped up a small amount of dirt, and planted it directly under the house. That way nopony would find it until it was far too late. She covered it up, replaced the board, though without nails, and hoped nopony would notice. She was usually the only one who came into her workshop, so she didn’t think it would happen. She was safe.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:33:22 No.30780539 Report

Quoted By: >>30780547

>>30780528
She stayed in her workshop a while, working at some carvings and essentially just killing time. She went to have dinner with her folks when they called, and Limestone talked about how work was going while Pa encouraged her to do better.
Jagged Bluff came by at the end of the day, and Pa invited him in. They talked about what fires had been found and how they had been dealt with, and Pa nodded and smiled more and more. He was pleased with how Jagged Bluff had managed the daily affairs and invited him to stay in the guest room for the night.
Ma nudged Marble toward him and Marble frowned. She didn’t want anything to do with this goody-goody stallion who thought he could just come in and take everything she had. He was getting smiles from Pa! He was getting conversation about something other than marriage and how art wasn’t enough! He was getting acceptance from Pa, whereas all she got was disappointed sighs! All that he was getting because he didn’t do art! She’d show them beauty! She’d show them art! She’d show them the results of all her efforts in making things beautiful!
Marble waited in her room until deep into the night. She waited until she heard either Pa or Jagged Bluff to make the latest round of the house, and gave him ten minutes to fall asleep again. She crawled out of bed and put on her slippers, then padded downstairs as quietly as she could. She passed by the guest room and slipped into her workshop, then pulled up the board to look for her seed.
She found it, lying there in the dirt, with just the barest hint of a sprout coming out of one end. It was so small, and weak, but capable of such beautiful destruction given half a chance. She was going to give it that chance.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:34:46 No.30780547 Report

Quoted By: >>30780553

>>30780539
Marble fetched a brush from her workbench and held out the bristles to the seed. They glowed for a moment, then lit on fire, and the seed pulled the flames into itself. It shivered and glowed, then the sprout grew.
She held it there until the bristles had all been burned off, and it was starting to catch the wood of the handle. She put it down next to the seed and went to get another one. She fed that brush to the flower as well, and set that down next to the flame. The flower was growing larger by the second, its roots had dug into the soil, and it had reached the bud stage and was almost to the point where it was going to bloom.
Marble heard hoofsteps.
“Hello? What’s that sound?” Jagged Bluff said. His hoofsteps approached the workshop.
Marble panicked. She couldn’t let him ruin her flower before she’d even had a chance to see what it was capable of! She grabbed a chisel from a nearby bench and hid behind the door. She waited until he opened it and stepped inside, then struck!
“What th-ghk!”
He only had a second of surprise before she jammed the chisel into his throat. He fell to his side, gurgling. Marble grabbed him and pulled him into the workshop and shut the door, then locked it. She laid him out next to the flower, close enough that when everything caught on fire, he would burn as well.
Marble was shivering, though from excitement, horror, or fear, she did not know. Her flower had bloomed into a beautiful small bloom, the orb seeming to look deep within her as it crackled.
She grabbed the tumbler from its place on a workbench and dumped the last seed into her hoof to cradle it close to herself. It sizzled and burned her, but she ignored the pain.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:35:48 No.30780553 Report

Quoted By: >>30780557

>>30780547
“You can be that beautiful one day, little one,” she said to it. “As long as you let nopony tell you what to do and order your life around for you, you can be that beautiful. Even more beautiful, even. You can grow to amazing heights and blazing glory, and when you finally let go, you can spread seeds that will ignite the hearts and minds of ponies around you, making them into your true children. Children who will burn just as brightly as you did.”
The flames had caught on the wooden floor, and Jagged Bluff’s corpse was beginning to smolder. The smell of burning hair was terrible, and Marble could feel intense heat on her fur. She stayed seated, waiting and watching as the flames grew. They burned to the door, and were starting to climb a nearby workbench. When they reached the top, and hit some of her chemicals, they blazed up. One of the bottles burst, dousing Marble in drops of liquid. The liquid caught fire as it flew, burning her skin.
Marble didn’t scream, nor did she panic. Screaming would wake the other ponies up, and she couldn’t have that. Panicking might cause her to drop her last seed, and she needed to protect it. Instead, she walked calmly to a window, opened it carefully, then crawled outside, seed in her blistered hoof.
Marble stepped away from her house, watching through the window as the flower grew in size. The burning spread quickly, feeding into the flower as it crackled through the ceiling and raced through the rest of the house. She heard screaming as Limestone noticed, and shouting as Pa called for Jagged’s help. Their voices were quickly overtaken by the crackling and burning, and Marble had no idea if they made it out.
She didn’t care.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:37:15 No.30780557 Report

Quoted By: >>30780581

>>30780553
Marble’s mane burned off, and small flames continued licking at her fur, but they eventually stopped. Her head stung, and patches where she had been burned hurt intensely, not to mention her severely burned hoof. Marble made not a sound, though, and walked away from her burning house.
She limped out to her little tunnel, where she had first discovered something truly beautiful, and sat down. Her lungs ached, and she hurt all over, but there was one last thing she needed to do, now that she was free.
Marble needed to be beautiful.
Her carvings would never be enough again. She could never hope to truly capture the beauty of these flames, and could only make weak copies. She’d shared their beauty with other ponies, and despite their reactions, she was happy to have shown them how truly destructive beauty could be.
Marble looked down at the seed in her hoof. Her hoof’s flesh was peeling, and the keratin was cracked and black. It hurt to move it, but Marble lifted it up to her face to look closer. It roiled and glowed, radiating heat, and she sighed in contentment.
Marble lifted it to her lips, opened her mouth, and swallowed it.
It burned as it crossed her tongue, and she choked and gagged as she tried to swallow it. It hurt–Celestia did it hurt!–but she swallowed it. It burned her throat, and as it entered her stomach, she could feel its negative reaction with the contents of her gut. She curled over, clutching her stomach. It hurt so much! She squeaked in pain as heat radiated from her midsection. She felt it climb up her throat and fill her skull, heat burned behind her eyes and every breath she took felt like fire! Light filled her vision, and for the first time, Marble felt truly free and beautiful.

The End.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 04:42:01 No.30780581 Report

Quoted By: >>30781214 >>30782060

>>30780557
>Waxworks sits and watches as the brightly burning flame from the candle eats away at the wax and the wick, until it becomes nothing more than a small, softly-burning flame.
"Those that burn brightest, die out fastest. A candle that burns brightly will last that much less time than a darker candle. The same happens with ponies."
>Waxworks looks at you.
"You say the Pie family is fine and so is the farm? Well of course they are."
>Waxworks chuckles and pushes you out the door.
"I wasn't talking about the Pie family you know of. There are others, of course."
>She winks, and the door shuts in your face, leaving you alone on the dark street.

Updated my journal: https://pastebin.com/yRTn2e4k

I am quite proud of this one. I think some of the grammar could still be improved, but the story managed to execute perfectly. A slow start, good build-up, and a fast and explosive ending, just like she desired. What do you all think? Please do let me know how you liked it, and what you didn't like.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO needed for parts.png, 507KiB, 574x763

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 07:11:15 No.30781214 Report

Quoted By:

>>30780581

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 1113440.gif, 1MiB, 452x452

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 13:50:04 No.30782060 Report

Quoted By: >>30782703

>>30780581
I'll finish reading this later today.
Good job on finishing another story, Wax.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO the pony centipede.jpg, 491KiB, 787x1024

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 16:54:54 No.30782703 Report

Quoted By:

>>30782060

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 19:17:17 No.30783355 Report

Quoted By:

Bump

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 22:22:42 No.30784378 Report

Quoted By: >>30784481

We letting this make the long, lonely trip to the archive and making a new thread or what?

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 22:42:05 No.30784481 Report

Quoted By: >>30784556 >>30784633

>>30784378
I'm still preparing a new story, but I think it might be best to let this one go and create a new thread.
Anything I post here would disappear right quick with the thread.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 137007.png, 151KiB, 460x1000

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 22:52:28 No.30784556 Report

Quoted By:

>>30784481
That'll work. don't forget the discord link!
See ya next thread

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 10_05_15_mlpgd03_scene_by_astaro (...).png, 414KiB, 1100x700

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 23:02:20 No.30784633 Report

Quoted By: >>30784672

>>30784481
Time to bury this thread then? And I still haven't updated the main pastebin yet fuck me I'll do it for the next OP.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 23:07:15 No.30784672 Report

Quoted By: >>30784778

>>30784633
Aye. I'll keep it up until I have something more to post and start a new one then.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO 3f9d4a8f1c04798ab0b8baa3d3dd9966.gif, 774KiB, 500x500

Anonymous Tue 22 Aug 2017 23:25:14 No.30784778 Report

Quoted By: >>30784803

>>30784672
Alright then. I still have a lot of your stories to catch up anyway. (IIRC I stopped reading after "The Faces We Share") I'll be sure to give you the feedback you deserve later.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Tue 22 Aug 2017 23:29:40 No.30784803 Report

Quoted By: >>30786679

>>30784778
That would be awesome. Complaints are as welcome as compliments, no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 23 Aug 2017 04:47:12 No.30786679 Report

Quoted By: >>30786731

>>30784803
Hang on. Making new thread now.

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI

Waxworks !qZJwlprasI Wed 23 Aug 2017 04:59:53 No.30786731 Report

Quoted By:

>>30786679
New Thread: >>30786728

Subject

Name

E-mail

Password

Capcode	All Only User Posts Only Verified Posts Only Moderator Posts Only Manager Posts Only Admin Posts Only Developer Posts Only Founder Posts
Show Posts	All Only With Images Only Without Images Only Spoiler Images Only Non-Spoiler Images
Deleted Posts	All Only Deleted Posts Only Non-Deleted Posts
Ghost Posts	All Only Ghost Posts Only Non-Ghost Posts
Post Type	All Only Sticky Threads Only Opening Posts Only Reply Posts
Results	All Grouped By Threads
Order	Latest Posts First Oldest Posts First

On these archives

On these boards

Your latest searches

Pony Horror #9: Skeletons Edition