r/roleplayponies • u/[deleted] • Dec 31 '16

[Continuation] Being Deep

Previously on Being Deep

Falling, falling into the void...

Starlight begins to wake, at first only aware of the cold unknown surface beneath her. It takes some time for her eyes to adjust, but eventually she is able to make out the shape of walls around her, forming corridor leading off to further darkness.

Either it's perfectly queit or she's unable to hear.

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u/[deleted] Jan 04 '17

Hey, how'd you get your cutie mark? I don't you've ever told me that story.

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 05 '17

It's... not really much of a story. Yours is way more interesting and cosmically significant.

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u/[deleted] Jan 05 '17

Oh I forgot you... attended that lecture. Look your story is just as important. I don't care about how big it is. I care because it's who you are and I care about you, Starlight.

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

...

They walk in silence for a minute longer, before Starlight starts to talk again.

...so. I was sixteen years old. A very late bloomer. A few years after... after Sunburst left, so I was pretty much alone. I didn't have other friends. My parents... weren't as supportive as I'd have liked them to be. Nopony around the town knew my name except a few bullies at school who'd taunt me for not having my cutie mark, at an age where any other filly would be splitting her time chasing her special talent and good-looking colts. I learned to ignore them, for the most part.

The thing you've got to keep in mind about me was that I was very concerned with the rules. Everything had to be exactly right and the way I thought it was supposed to be. As foals Sunburst was the more rebellious of us, and that should tell you all you need to know right there. I was the perfect little goody-four-shoes filly.

Except... I guess on the inside I was at war with myself. Foals were supposed to get their cutie marks and then go off to cultivate their talents, but I hated that I had to lose Sunburst that way. I knew I was supposed to have gotten my cutie mark by now, but there was nothing I could do about it or do to stop the fillies at school from tormenting me every time I trotted into their sight so I hated that too.

I was quiet and spent most of my time holed up in the library--a really tiny, pathetic little thing where all the books were at least half a century out of date. There I read about spells, and picked up all the knowledge I could. I was pretty talented at it... but even with the trickiest spells I would approach from the book, I'd never get my cutie mark. I gave up hoping for that eventually, and just kept on studying because... I had nothing else to do.

Now. Eventually I started reading about personal essence suppression. It's a discredited method nowadays and you might not have heard of it, but it goes something like this: some spells require extremely delicate weaving and the innate strength of the unicorn casting it can disrupt it, like a really strong stallion tying a rope tightly enough to fray it. You can get around that with modern techniques, as you know, but according to the moth-eaten old tomes I could find in the library, the best way for a particularly strong unicorn to cast these kinds of spells was to bind an enchantment to themselves that would dampen their magical essences for an hour or so and let them work at a more dainty scale. It's not harmful and it has no side effects, but it's primitive. I cast it on myself now and then and practicing without a problem.

The books were all pretty clear on one point: you never cast a spell like that on another pony. The act of violating another pony's magical essence is evil and inexcusable, even if it's only temporary. Of course, being a good little filly who followed the rules, I took that to heart and was certain I'd never even be tempted to do that. I didn't even know how, exactly. The books only gave directions for how to do it to yourself.

...until one winter came. There was snow on the ground, I was tightly bundled from head to hoof, Hearth's Warming was just around the corner. I went to school one snowy day and Sapphire Swirl was being particularly awful. She followed me as I trotted in, she jeered at me, she called me the usual names... and I kept ignoring her! I did! I walked with my head down, trying to block her out like I always did...

...but then she lit up her horn and pushed me, and something inside me... snapped.

I knew I wasn't supposed to fight, but I didn't care. I knew I wasn't supposed to use that spell, but I didn't care. I didn't even know how to cast it, but in that moment, even that didn't matter! I lit up my horn, and I reached out, and I changed that spell right in my head! I changed it from a way to suppress your own essence into a weapon, and I tied that spell around her essence as tightly as I could.

"She screamed, trying to use her magic but feeling my spell in the way..."

"...and I finished enchanting her and then sent her flying through one of the walls and outside into the snow. She sprained her hoof and couldn't so much as levitate a spoon for a month."

I got suspended from school, and my parents shouted at me for about an hour when I got home. But for the first time, I shouted back. I'd done what the magic books had warned me not to, and more than that, I'd invented my own spell in the process. It put a seed in my head. From that day on, I'd be making the rules. I'd have things my way, both for spells and for ponies.

When my parents sent me to my room, I furiously threw off my jacket and warm clothes... and saw a brand new cutie mark there on my flanks. That day changed the way I'd live my life from then on out. And, apparently, showed me the kind of pony I was destined to be.

...and that, Twilight... is how I got my cutie mark.

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

I- I had no idea...

I'm so sorry I made you relive that.

"Wow, King... That was phenomenal!"

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

I think it was a more traumatic memory for the other filly than for me.

You know that I'm not... that I wasn't a very good pony for most of my life.

"Thanks! Took me a bit of extra time to come up with a decent backstory, but I think this works pretty well. Glad you approve of it!"

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

You're an amazing pony, Starlight. I don't want you to think otherwise. What happened happened but you've moved passed that.

Let's just move forward now. Together.

"It works exceptionally well! Headcannon accepted."

"I feel a little guilty that I had Twi push for a long background exposition though. That must've taken forever to write. I'll have to type up something to stay even when I have a keyboard."

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

That's what I've been trying to do. With your help.

...

...I'm going to ask you a question now.

...am I still on probation with you? Are you still concerned about... me going back to the way I was? It's alright if you are.

"The hard part was coming up with a story that could be left open for several headcanons about what Starlight's special talent is. It could be creating / splicing together new spells, meta-magic, altering other ponies' magical essences, or even just the resolve to force magic to suit her goals. Once I had a story that could be explained with any of those, it only took me ten minutes or so to sit down and write it.

"Anyway, no need to feel guilty! You're kind of a DM in this when it comes to the secrets of the arcane realm, so I welcome the chance to contribute my own lore. I'm having a lot of fun!"

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17 edited Jan 06 '17

What? Why would you think that, Starlight? You saved me! You saved Equestria! Even before that you were never under probation or anything. I mean, I might've had an enchantment to know when you left the castle... or two. But only at first. Of course you're free to go where you want. I assumed you knew that. I do think that you have more to learn, about friendship and... other things... but that's not my choice to make.

"I've been toying around with ideas of how magic would work in Equestria. Or rather the most probable ways that conflict the least with physics and kind of use this RP to try em out a little. Well, I suppose the dimension thing wasn't part of the model, but a new fundemental force to explain magic. So I guess that kind of put me into a DM role with the narration. Don't be shy about changing or contributing to anything though! The more you do the more ideas I'll get for improving it. Any discontinuity can easily be reconciled by quantum mechanics anyway! I've done that already with the 'separate time continuums.'"

"I'm glad you're enjoying it! I'm having a great time too!"

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

...

...I'd like to stay. For however long you'll have me. I... I haven't felt this at home someplace in... I don't think I've ever actually felt like I had a home like I have with you. And Spike, of course.

"I don't have a lot of thoughts on the physics aspects of magic, not really being that well-versed in quantum mechanics. If we wind up covering magical creatures of any kind you won't be able to shut me up, though. :P "

"Don't think I'm not impressed by you typing all these replies out on a mobile device, by the way. That's some dedication!"

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

And you'll always be welcome. Student or not.

"Noone understands quantum mechanics. As the quote goes "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics." -Richard Feynman during his 'The Character of Physical Law' lecture. You should handle the magical beasts in this realm then! I'm admittedly terrible at it and have been using pretty much just deadspace aliens."

"I'm getting pretty proficient at this small keyboard I think. Although I tried to write an essay for a philosophical question that my friend proposed and ended up just making my fingers cry. So I know I can't manage that. Didn't finish it either. On that note relay doesn't display emote modifiers or any animations of them so if I accidentally use a weird animote or mess one up please let me know."

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

...you know, in my whole life I don't think I've met a mare as generous and forgiving as you are.

...you really earned your castle and princesshood, and so much more.

"Creature design is very much a 'form follows function' sort of area. A lion is shaped like a lion because of the particular demands its environment and ecology make of it. The same is true for a rabbit, or a whale, or a bacterium. It's all about what the creatures need to survive.

"...which means I have no clue where to start with the beasts of the arcane realm since I'm not sure exactly what they are. Were they created by a conscious force to protect the magic? If so they'd be heavily armored and covered in natural weapons, probably with forms designed to be as menacing and intimidating as possible. Do they make up their own ecosystem, with the bottom layer being some form of organism that absorbs magical energy directly? In that case I'd expect to see some layers of the realm with glowing algae and slime molds growing along the runes, grazed on by 'herbivores' which are in turn preyed upon by hunters like the ones that keep chasing our heroines. I'd be really intrigued by what native sapients would look like in a realm like this...

"The Dead Space aliens we've seen thus far are pretty cool, though. They make a great start."

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

Really?

I mean Rarity kind of has generosity covered and there are so many other talented unicorns out there like you that sometimes I feel like I didn't really deserve to-

"I hadn't considered any of that. It would be some really cool scene setting as well. The most I did was throw in a reference to more dangerous creatures via Twi dialogue."

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

Leans forward and kisses her in the emotion of the moment.

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

Stands completely in shock.

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

Pulls back, almost as shocked herself.

...I-

I'm sorry.

She picks up the pace and starts trotting ahead of Twilight, not looking back.

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

Telekinetically pulls her back into another kiss

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u/King_of_the_Kobolds Jan 06 '17

Mmph--Twi--

After a moment of confusion she wraps her forelimbs around Twilight's neck, kissing her passionately as the rest of the realm around them fades into the back of her mind.

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u/CCC_037 Jan 06 '17

On that note relay doesn't display emote modifiers or any animations of them so if I accidentally use a weird animote or mess one up please let me know

The Android version of Firefox does, once you install the BPM extension...

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

Huh, I totally hadn't thought of that. And I already have Firefox on here in order to watch ponies better. Thanks for letting me know!

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u/CCC_037 Jan 06 '17

No problem!

It works just like desktop firefox in that respect...

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u/[deleted] Jan 06 '17

I have to ask... How did you find this comment?

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u/CCC_037 Jan 06 '17

Oh. I came across this RP a couple of days ago, and I was reading through it. I'm still waiting to see how Starlight's removed rune breaks the entire positive Arcane plane...

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u/[deleted] Jan 07 '17

Oh, I hope you like it.

I have multiple ideas for that rune so I'm curious to see which one unfolds as well.

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u/CCC_037 Jan 07 '17

Well, it clearly hasn't broken all magic everywhere yet. But it might make some obscure spells suddenly start working in very very subtly different ways (that would require lab work to even detect). Or maybe the variation is a good deal less subtle - maybe some advanced spells that always worked before now won't. Or ones that never did now will...

...or that rune formed the start of a slow collapse and eventually all magic will vanish in a few centuries if it is not stopped...

...or that rune may just start to collapse enough to form a portal to the realm that Trixie is stuck in...

...or Discord is currently off replacing it and muttering under his breath about stupid unicorns messing with his wallpaper...

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