is this stupid · 8:58am May 7th
so I've been writing the next chapter for Source Code, and had an idea. I think if I wrote it right, it could be pretty good. right now, however, I wanna know if this is shit or not.
So sometime before we got on the train for Canterlot, it started snowing. For reference, January is roughly winter for anyone on Earth… living in the northern hemisphere. In Equestria, it’s the start of spring, and ponies control the weather. So as you can imagine, once it started snowing, nopony was excited, in fact, most of them were terrified. The train was even delayed by this odd occurrence. I just sat at the train station, watching Celly panic while Luna was simply confused. Tale was knocked out and used Luna as a pillow while she did her best to keep her coltfriend warm.
Button, being the colt that he was, was more happy about the snow than confused.
Cadance and Shining Armor were staying in Ponyville for the night to have a sleepover with Twilight, so I didn’t know what they were doing.
Knowing Twilight, she was Twilighting, and was thinking the world was going to end. She was probably right.
“Celly,” I said.
“What’s wrong?”
“I…”
“Is this another world ending threat that you forgot about?” I asked. “Or did Discord get out and decide to take a fat dump on the fabric of reality?”
“This… is something different. Far, far different from Discord.” She started walking forward. “Come, I believe it would be best for us to get out of the snow while we are at it.” I picked Button up, before tucking him under my wing, before deciding my wing was too weak to hold him. So I just teleported his coat to him, and started moving. Luna casted a shield over herself and Tale and started walking through the snow. That is a way better idea; I just went without a coat and figured dealing with it through sheer force of will was the way to go.
“So,” I said, after catching up to Celly. Despite her being concerned about whatever the fuck is going on, she did drape a wing over me without hesitation. “Mind catching me up, at least?”
“It would be best to get to Twilight’s library; she’s already got her friends over for the sleepover with her, Cadance, and Shining, and it would save me the hassle of repeating myself. But we must hurry, if not because this poses a dangerous threat to the nation, and quite possibly the entirety of Equus as we know it.” That was fair reasoning. “Let’s just say… an old friend of Luna has awakened from her slumber.” Oh. That doesn’t sound fun.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll fully fill us in on what is going on.”
“Sister, which ‘old friend’ are you referring to… Oh dear.” Luna seemed to realized something whereas me and Button were in the dark, and Tale was still knocked the fuck out, so wasn’t even reacting to the shitshow that was going to happen.
When we reached the library, we were quickly ushered in by a rattled looking Twilight, and almost looked… She looked scared. Everypony present did. Rainbow had her planner out, didn’t know she had that, checking if she had accidentally scheduled a snow storm, if you could call the light, serene snowing a storm, for any time during January.
“Auntie!” Cadance waved. “Do you know what is going on?” Celestia nodded.
“Does anypony know the tale of how the snowflake was created?” She asked. Luna’s ears shot up, whatever she was thinking was probably just confirmed then and there.
“Wasn’t that a little filly’s tale?” Rainbow asked. “I remember my dam telling me that story when I was a foal.”
“It was not just a story,” Luna said. “I believe you all have heard the tale?”
“I never did,” I raised my hoof. “Back home, snow just happens, same with snowflakes. There was nothing magical or anything.”
“I see… Well…” She proceeded to tell me the story of Snowdrop, a blind little filly that invented the snowflake. Her upbringing wasn’t the greatest, with her being a blind pegasus, and was severely bullied throughout her foal hood until she presented a snowflake to the Princesses during a holiday that has long since fallen out of practice, the Spring Sunrise event. It was to celebrate the ending of Winter, which fell out of practice because of Snowdrop making snowflakes.
“And… I thought she had passed away sometime after my banishment,” Luna whispered. Tale had woken up and was hugging Lulu’s neck while she cried a little. Most of the ponies present were tearing up; I wasn’t. I felt awful for Lulu, to not be able to say goodbye to what sounded like her best friend, but… Clearly something was up with Snowdrop, something not very good.
“Shortly after Luna’s banishment, Snowdrop became cold and distant. She blamed me for Luna’s fall, and blamed Luna for abandoning her in her time of need. Bear in mind that while Snowdrop was growing up, her relationship between herself and Luna was almost like Twilight’s and Cadance’s relationship. They even had their own little friendship chant…” Celestia sighed. “They were borderline inseparable until the kingdom started hating Luna and her night more and more…
“By the time Luna had turned into Nightmare Moon, Snowdrop had grown into a beautiful mare, but was still shunned and harassed for being blind. When she heard of what happened to my sister, Snowdrop… broke into our old castle and found a talisman, something almost similar to an Alicorn Amulet.”
“What in the hay is an Alicorn Amulet?” Apple Jack asked.
Me and Twilight immediately lit up at that. “It’s something that blisters a unicorn’s magical output, but is powered with dark magic. In other words, big no no, and kinda illegal to have.” I explained it to keep Twilight from Twilighting and nerding out about magic for a good thirty minutes. “Is this talisman sorta like… a unicorn’s horn for anypony without a horn?” I asked.
“In a sense, yes. I would say it is even more dangerous; it works off of feeding on a pony’s special talent. Snowdrop showed an attitude for making Snowflakes, and by extension… was heavily attuned to winter. The amulet, the Unicorn Talisman, essentially takes her talent and turns it all the way up… resulting in the snowstorm outside. On top of it also granting her the ability to cast and use spells like a very, very gifted unicorn.”
“...Fucking hell,” I sighed. “I just wanted a week of calm,” I facehoofed. “So what are we gonna do? Sit here until we get buried in snow and die?”
“I shall go find her,” Luna said. “I… I may be able to convince Snowdrop to take the Unicorn Talisman off.”
“Luna…” I said. “She thought you abandoned her.”
“I know. I know. But I must go, if I cannot persuade her, I shall put her down. It will at least allow me to say goodbye to somepony I considered to be a good friend.”
“As will I,” Celestia, not Celly, Celly went into hibernation the moment Equestria was put into danger. “Snowdrop was more than a match for myself, even if Luna has always been the better fighter out of the two of us. With two alicorns present, we’ll be able to bring her down if we need to.” I stood up and started pacing. “Source, is everything alright?”
“How the fuck do we even find her?” I asked.
“She… Her last location, before I froze her in ice, was in the most northern part of the Everfree Forest.” Celestia said. “Why?”
“If anypony here has a solid chance at taking her down…” I sighed. “It’s me. So far, my track record is solid, my Light Shield is going to keep me safe, for the most part and…”
“It would actually be best if all of us went,” Shining Armor said. “Having the Element Bearers on standby, four alicorns, and two highly capable unicorns. Snowdrop wouldn’t know what’d hit her.”
“I am leaving Tale here. He is an author, not a warrior,” Luna said.
“Spike’s staying home too,” I said. “He’s a baby dragon.” Twilight didn’t hesitate in agreeing.
“So what else can we expect?” I asked.
“Snowdrop can control a giant, skeletal, ice dragon,” Celestia pointed out. “Myself and Luna should be able to take care of that should the need arise.”
…
What the fuck.
I teleported Button back to Canterlot; I am not risking him in any way, shape or form. While Button may not be excited about being sent away from the action, he knew what was going on was not good. Everypony that wasn’t an alicorn put winter gear on, while I had teleported my trench coat and fedora. I quickly made cuts in the sides for my wings, and was ready to go. Cadance and Shining Armor were side by side, and I could tell that he had a shield on standby.
“So,” I said. “If I die to death, it would have been an honor knowing all of you.” I said as I walked to the door.”
“Source, that doesn’t make sense,” Celly said.
“I know. I’m trying to make light of the situation.”
“I know.” As we stepped out into the storm, I nuzzled Luna. “you alright, Lulu?”
She nodded. “I will be fine, Source.”
“Not ‘will you be fine’ I’m asking if you’re doing alright. You haven’t said much since you’ve realized that Snowdrop is still alive.”
“I’m just scared. What if we must put her down? What if I have to look her in the eyes before she is slain? What if Snowdrop hates me? She was practically my daughter, Source. I loved her. And for all I know, Snowdrop hates me with every fiber of her being.” I draped a wing over her. “Source…”
“I get it, Lulu. We won’t find out unless we go confront her, right? For all we know, Snowdrop missed you just as much as you missed her. And if all goes well, you two get a second chance. I bet you two were adorable together.” I handed her an illusion crystal. “Replay a memory you’ve had with her, Lulu.” Luna nodded as we marched through Ponyville. Twilight had a crown, which was the Element of Magic, while her friends had necklaces representing Generosity, Honesty, Laughter, Kindness and Loyalty.
“Moonlight, Moonlight-” The memory played from Luna’s point of view, an adorable, snow white filly, with pupiless eyes, doing something almost like Twilight and Cadance’s friendship chant, except it was clearly more based around the night than the day. As I watched, I couldn’t help but notice a red tint. Huh, that is not something I’ve noticed before. Luna was also watching her memory, as it played, perfectly from the crystal. I quickly engraved that memory into the crystal and gave it to her.
“Now, you’ll always have that memory, Luna. so even if all goes poorly, you still have that.”
“Thank you, Source.” As we approached the Everfree, I noted just how much whiter it was. Everything was covered in snow. We slowed down as soon as Celestia came to an instant halt.
“Why are we stopping?” Rainbow asked.
“Guys,” I said, pointing up at the sky. “That’s why.” Flying towards Ponyville was a giant, skeletal dragon that looked like it was entirely made up of ice. It had two, dark blue ‘eyes’ deep within its eye sockets. It had no sclera, it had no irises, just two, blue dots. A mighty flap of its wings and it started soaring towards us. A light blue spec could be made out on its forehead, right between the eye sockets as it drew closer and closer. Shining Armor brought up a shield, while I personally prepared for a fight.
The dragon slammed down into the ground. We were in a large field that kept Ponyville from being immediately next to the Everfree Forest, somewhere south of Sweet Apple Acres, though a little north of Fluttershy’s little shack.
I teleported out of the shield, but kept Light Shield active just in case. The blue spec that was sitting on the skeleton’s forehead was actually a mare. She was light blue, almost snow white, had pupiless eyes, and sitting upon her head… was an amulet, the Talisman I believe. Though jutting out of where the gem should be, was a crystal horn, one that definitely wasn’t natural. I watched as the mare glided down from her perch, her ears pointed forward and flicked at the slightest movement as she landed in front of me.
Now that the mare was much closer… I could tell she was stunning. She had a very similar build to Fleur Dis Lis, Luna, or even Celly. Nice, long, slender legs which were clearly pretty muscular. I almost stopped for a moment.
“God damn,” I whispered.
“What is it, you foal?” Her voice… There was a gentleness to it, yet it was cold and empty. “Do you realize that you are an idiot for escaping the safety of that shield behind you?”
“No. You’re gorgeous. Holy fuck, if I weren’t already taken…” It doesn’t hurt that this lady is probably evil… Okay it does, she’s probably batshit insane.
“...What?” she asked. “Are you trying to flatter your way out of death?”
“No, I’m trying to… be the negotiator. You wanna kill a bunch of people, I don’t want you to kill a bunch of people. However…” I cleared my throat and tried to do my best Obi Wan impression:
“Hello there, I am Source Code.”
“I am Snowdrop. Why are you out here instead of those Princesses?”
“Well, I’m dating one of them,” I could hear Celestia shouting at me to get back in the shield from inside of it. “And the other said you were a close friend of hers. I’m sure we can be civil, not have you genocide most of ponykind, and hopefully end off tonight without anypony dying, and you stopping this snowstorm.”
“And why should I not just kill you?” Her ‘horn’ lit up and lifted an ice spike. As soon as it shot at me, I realized Light Shield wasn’t gonna do anything. A quick, swift use of Levitation stopped it mid-air, and threw it to the side. Damn, despite being blind, Snowdrop’s eyes were really expressive. They widened. “I see. You are a cut above the average pony when it comes to strength as it appears, so I will humor you. What do you wish to talk about?”
“Why’d you turn to using the Talisman?”
“Lulu,” Snowdrop said calmly. “Lulu turned into Nightmare Moon, and I needed a way to subdue her. The best way was with this,” she tapped the fake horn on her head. “But by the time I found it, it was already too late. I attacked Princess Celestia for recklessly sending Lulu to the moon and was swiftly defeated.”
“...You keep calling her Lulu. Any reason for that?”
“This,” she tapped the Unicorn Talisman. “Is said to corrupt ponies absolutely, but it has not touched my mind. I am merely here to strike down Princess Celestia; stand aside and allow me to do so, and I will leave Equestria, I will stop this,” she gestured to the snowstorm going on around her. “And nopony else will be harmed. She must pay for what she did to Luna.”
“As much as I would want to,” I hissed. “Uh, that’s my marefriend.”
“So you must die as well.”
“Ah,” the Light Shield activated and deflected her Laser into the ground. “Luna’s alive and well, y’know. She’s behind me, in the shield behind me.”
“I do not believe you. There is no way anypony, not even an alicorn can survive on the moon.”
“Would you rather hear it for yourself, or not?” I hummed. “Say, if I used a ‘Night Vision’ on you, would you get working pupils?”
“...What is a Night Vision? Is that like a dream?”
so that's what I've got so far. is it shite, is it not? should i just delete myself for thinking of this idea? lemme know.
Eh, hard for me to give valid advice on this cuz as long as you give me horse words I'll read. Well, as long as they are not making my eyes bleed. I kinda like and need them.
So... all in all it gets my stamp of approval for what it's worth.
Snowdrop as Mr Freeze is a heck of a strain, but not exactly the worst sort of things that have occured in canon, and far less rediculous that over the Generations?
The first example Ive heard of for computer assisted human vision was back in the 1950s. The guy recently had a second system implanted, 64 pixels.
The dragon, as ice, is a spell form filled with ice, unless you disrupt the spell, you cannot disrupt the form more than for a moment, and when you do, you have that mass of ice falling on you, and Neighton has things to say.
If Source Code can run Diagnose on the Dragon, the icebourne spell form, when compared to Cloud Walk spell and Pegasus flight has a chance of being able to copy Light Shield to hailstones, wich with further research could lead to all sorts of Robotnik levels of crazy.
As for the moment, even a single instance of a rough Smart Flake might interfere, dusrupt the Talismen,spells enough to level the playing field slightly less destructivly than the dragon?
And dont apply extreme pressure and heat to water ice. The current lab record is pressure high enough to liquify diamond even before the temperature reaches the same as the surface of the sun. And dont try freezing it more, threes something daft like Ice 23 now? Its has Zero Point Energy, can move at Absolute Zero, which is reality breaking in its own right.
Seems good. Hope source is able to save her
I got WoW Wrath of the Lich King vibes from this piece, and no it's not stupid.
I thought it was pretty good.👍
Never cared much for memory sharing and recording- always felt cheap and lazy to me. Seems good aside from that preference.
It reads nice.
But why would you basically resurrect a dead character and bring it in this story? I don't see the point apart from maybe WoW crossover with Lich King dragon.
And yes, while it reads nice - it feels lame, but not stupid.