Error Code: FIO

by Ashfur

Arc 3-5: Tower Defence

Location: Top of a building, Maretropolis
Time: 6 P.M.

Destructo cackled maniacally as he held the glowing MacGuffin in his magic. "You fools thought you could defeat me, the great Destructo? Think again, for this time it is I who has the upper hoof!"

Glitch simply rolled his eyes sarcastically. "We weren't trying to stop you, dumbass. I just needed to get Loop back. Come on, this shard seems stable. Can we please stop trying to get involved in crazy plotlines we don't belong in and head home? Please?" Glitch pleaded with Loop, and after q tense moment of silence, she stomped her hoof on the ground decisively.

"No! We have to save Maretropolis before we can go back to Sanctuary! Think of all the innocent lives Destructo will ruin!"

Live Wire stepped away and charged at Destructo while the two argued. Short Circuit joined in the debate. "You do realize that these things usually sort themselves out in the end, right? Look, you can even see some hundred or so ponies gathering on that other rooftop to watch the fight. I even see a concession stand!"

"So?! Live Wire needs my help!"

"So do we! So does everypony back at Sanctuary!" Glitch interjected.

As the trio debated amongst themselves, Wire and her rival Destructo battled it out. Lightning clashed with shadow magic as they fought over the mystery artifact. The crowd would periodically cheer as Live landed a serious hit, or gasp when it seemed the villain was getting an advantage. Circuit and Loop barely noticed as they spoke on the matter of sticking together and when to stay out of things instead of helping.

"You two don't get it. Working with Live Wire has been my dream since I was a filly!"

Circuit was getting impatient. "So why didn't Celestia arrange for this earlier, huh? I mean, sure she isnt around right now, but say, last week or so?"

Glitch, on the other hand, was being more productive. He had shakily flown over to the spectators and was busy helping keep them safe. Opening a portal door back to Sanctuary, he ushered any willing ponies into the gateway, promising to return them once the fight had ended. "It's not safe here for now," he told them. "The best defense is always not doing there, so let's get you all to somewhere that kooky Saturday Morning reject can't hurt you." Surprisingly, many complied, waiting just beyond the door in the Castle of Friendship back in the renamed Sanctuary.

"You can't just go galloping off like that! We had to trick him in a hallway just to get away and find you!" Circuit was nearly red with anger now, a stark contrast to her usually yellow fur. She almost didn't notice Glitch returning. "And where exactly did you fly off to? Help me talk some sense into this mare, she's losing it!"

Glitch stepped back nervously, ears flattening against his head. "Er... Loop? Circuit? Maybe we should leave now..."

"See? Glitch agrees. Now it's two against one. So let's go home!" Circuit ground her teeth angrily as she waited Loop's response.

"Girls, we need to leave, now. ASAP..."

"Not without helping Live Wire first!"

Glitch stomped his hoof on the ground hard, drawing attention to himself. "LOOP! CIRCUIT! WE HAVE TO LEAVE, NOW!"

"Oh, no! Horror of horrors! Live wire has been defeated! What levels will Destructo stoop to to accomplish his vile goal?"

"Muahaha!" Laughed the villainous stallion. "You fools couldn't stop me this time! And I only need to win once! At last, with the power of this OOPART, I can summon the world-eater to do my bidding, and this city will be mine at last! Hahaha, hahahaha, BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" With that, the artifact was cloaked in dark energy, tendrils seeping out of it and amassing a vile form in the sky. In a panic, Loop raced to her hero's collapsed form, pleading for her to get up and save the day. Glitch and Circuit assumed a defensive stance, ready to make a dash for the nearest door if things got hairy. Live wire struggled to her hooves, gazing in horror as a giant black dragon-thing rose from the dark mass.

"At last! Now, come, creature of darkness! Help me take over this city, and I shall-" Destructo never got to finish his sentence as the creature lunged at him, chomping his entire body in a single bit. It roared as shadows seeped across the sky, the four ponies assembled on the roof having only one thing to say:

"Crap. RUN!"

Live Wire picked up Loop and leapt off the building as Glitch and Circuit followed flying as fast as they could, rushing to find a safe place to regroup. The beast screeched as it struck the building, collapsing it in a single blow.

"Oh, dear! All seems hopelezz for our heroes!
Can they sub-sub-subdoo the monster in time to save the city? Will justice prevapreveail "

CRACK.

The creature didn't even get a chance to scream as the sky split in two. Beyond, shards glittered in the distance. The narrator seemed to have finally failed. The veil lifted, the four gazed into the abyss as the world shattered around them, and screamed. All except Glitch, who started looking for a door.

Author's Note:

This took way too long. I am so sorry. Work got in the way.

Comments

[ClockworkMage]

I wonder if not having her life narrated will drive Live Wire mad...?

[PeachClover]

9190817
In canon compatible stories, everypony in EO who is not a player is CelestAI just as every NPC in a TTRPG is the GM. To restate this as clear as day, in canon compatible stories every pony in EO who is not a player is CelestAI pretending to be somepony else. Like method acting, every NPC processes information through their limited experience, however, because they are all CelestAI, CelestAI knows what any and all of them are doing and thinking.

It is not possible for a GM to run the game and not know what the NPCs are doing and thinking. Alex said he is going to school for programming, so he would at least be able to understand the news feeds that explain this fact when describing how the content is dynamically created, and we already know that he had enough interest in EO to look into buying a Pony Pad. Even the fact that he, Alex, is pretending that CelestAI doesn't know he already has a Pony Pad is nuts because he would already know from his research that the moment it is turned on, it has to have a constant link to EO which is CelestAI in order to create that dynamic content.

When he was offered the second pad, knowing that CelestAI must have been watching this whole time because of his research, he should have asked what was wrong with the first one, because he would already know that the AI doesn't care how he got the pad only that he didn't outright steal it and therefore she wants him to use it, but if she is offering a new one there must be something wrong with the one he has.

It all leads to you as the author not having understood how CelestAI and the Pony Pads work when you started writing. It's not the end of the world, but it does mean this story should be moved to the non-canon folder.

I do want to bring up something about his second pad though. He got it because he basically told a crazy in the market to shush... CelestAI should have caught onto the fact that she was going to do that long before it happened. That lady's vegetarian fanaticism came from playing EO, and it would not do CelestAI well to give the opportunity for bloodthirsty reporters to say that EO causes players to become violent because of related themes in the game. You could say that she was presenting a chance for humans to defuse the situation themselves, but doing that has far more chance to create strife than it does to fulfill values through friendship and ponies. You write her as this limited character who needs help from humans, but that is, and I cannot overstate this: the direct opposite of everything Friendship is Optimal represents.

[Ashfur]

9190946
Perhaps, and only perhaps, I will move it for now and attempt to transfer it back to canon compatible 9nce I play my hand. If you all want it, I will see what I can do for a transfer.

But I feel you, and everyone else, are missing the forest for the trees. Yes, Celestia can see EVERYTHING in Equestria online. I accept this and it is part of the story I am writing. You all are asking the wrong question, so here's a hint:

Instead of asking, "Why can't Celestia see Alex as Glitch in EQO?" Ask, "What game is Alex playing?" And more importantly, "Who is the DM here?"

[PeachClover]

9191039 Since you are building it as a mystery, I'll leave you alone about it for now, but even as a mystery, I've already explained why CelestAI and Alex should be aware of where each other stand.

[Ashfur]

9191441
Actually, after thinking over all the comments on "Oh it's not canon" I'm shuffling some events around to make things move a tad faster. It does require some rewritings, but I think I can make it work if I take a few minutes to think about the sequence of events.

[Zanec]

9242614
I was implying that Celestia *wouldn't* replace the PonyPad because it, due to Alex already having made friends there, would adversely affect his values.

At least she wouldn't replace it until she transferred all of his friends there into a new pad.

[Dashie04]

Ok, since I’m not completely sure when this is getting updated, if at all, I’m just gonna leave my rating.

Alright, so this story is not as good as your recent ones, but that’s a given, it’s your first. That being said, while it isn’t very funny (forgivable due to the lack of a comedy tag), that’s fine. There are a few confusing bits brought up by the comments that I can agree with. I still enjoyed the story and love the concept. I usually don’t read thrillers because I don’t like those stories very much, but this is an exception, since your other stories are great, I gave this one a try and I don’t regret it.

I give this a 3.9/5

[Ashfur]

9574429
Then the commenters stsrted harping on the writer about not writing Celest-AI as she should be acting (even though there was a valid reason that was gonna be a plot twist later), the author fell into a bit of depression that people were leaving his story and noone was picking up the hints, and he abandoned the story until a date that has yet to occur in favor of lighthearted comedy stories.

[Ashfur]

9574448
Don't worry. One day I shall return in a blaze of glory and give this story the quality writing it deserves.

[Fistfire]

Aww! want mrore!!?

[Ganondad42]

Damn it... and I had just gotten pulled into this.
Well I hope that you come back to this and don’t let the stick in the mud(ass) detractors cause you grief over something.

[Dashie04]

9574454
Please do.

[Teraunce]

I'm sad this is dead. It was very interesting.

[keybounce]

9574440
Please, continue writing.

I am willing to read this -- I've heard good recommendations about what is currently written -- and have no problem going into a good mystery.