Dear reader! Whether you are new here, archive-reading and whatnot, or you are already someone who has been with us for quite a while, I would like to say a few words that I believe are best kept close to mind.
-This is an MLP quest. And more importantly, none of us are gratuitously cruel. So good things will happen on this quest, and I hope that enough good things have already happened to prove that.
-This is also a horror quest, so bad things will happen. Bad things might happen to good characters if you are not able to protect them, and you most certainly will not be able to intervene if you lack the tools to do so.
-And finally, this is a quest in which you jostle with powers greater than yourself, with all that it entails.
Please, do keep those things in mind as you go forward. But ultimately, this is also a quest in which it is hoped we all have fun! So if any of the above points is not exactly your cup of tea, or somehow make the experience as a whole "not worth it", then this quest might not be for you. Which is fine! Individual tastes are a thing, so don't think any more about it if you don't want to read anymore. And regardless, I hope you have a lovely day!
Readers should take their own mental health into consideration when voting and not subject themselves to triggering narrative elements like rape or constant mental torture of a friend just for the Greatest Good of a world that doesn't exist.
If those are fine for you or Regrettable is even more triggering, then GREAT! More power to you. But you aren't a bad or selfish person for picking the option that keeps the characters you've emotionally connected with safe. [REDACTED for spoiler warning]
This is a high intensity quest that doesn't hold back when it comes to horror and negative consequences. Take care of yourself.
Also, where do we place Twilight if/when we will steal her back? Scry for some empty hut in the middle of nowhere? Try to find a suitable apartment (just straight up hotel?) in Manehattan? Or do we bring her back to Ponyville? Personally, I am against the letter, because at best she would be confined to the bound of the house where we'll be hiding her, but other options require either more AP or bits.
We might be able to get a safehouse from Steppes, or just straight up send her to his house, but that'll require contacting him.
My preference was for her to work at Rarity boutique as mysterious assistant, while hiding her identity, assuming of course that she is in mental state to do so.
Other suggestions were our house or Jade house. I am against Jade house its last lone habitant almost killed herself there. Our house is valid option although mare that hides her identity would raise more suspicions there.
My preference was for her to work at Rarity boutique as mysterious assistant, while hiding her identity, assuming of course that she is in mental state to do so.
Other suggestions were our house or Jade house. I am against Jade house its last lone habitant almost killed herself there. Our house is valid option although mare that hides her identity would raise more suspicions there.
Given how much of Ponyville participate in the cult, and general problem that ponies don't really wear clothes, certainly not full-coverage clothes, and have unique cutie marks, well, I have suspicions that she wouldn't be recognized if and only if she would be on house arrest.
Might work while she is still recovering from the imprisonment and is bed-ridden anyway, but really detrimental to her mental well-being in any other circumstances.
Given that she would learn that at very least Spike wasn't rescued by us, well. I think we'll have enough problems on that front.
Edit: ...end this was marked insightful. Welp. I hoped that I was just being paranoid.
1. Comet social
2. Getting Winter 3 for Selene lesson
3. Boosts on Comet social, in particular, Grail Influence
4. Twilight extraction, and corresponding, and all required actions, including summoning Doa
5. Moth artifact as a boon from the Master, assuming we don't get a boon on that turn already
6. Contacting Steppes
7. Summoning us a bright Maid
Comet because we must subvert him, because otherwise we are dead; Selene needs not explanation; Twilight might get irrevocably insane, and apparently Master needs her for something - I don't want to give him an opportunity; Moth artifact is just a thing we can compensate lacking in Moth 5 if we are to slow down on that track, so useful, but not critical.
Uncle Steppes and Mare-in-the-Light are both useful, but can wait, assuming we don't blow our cover, and maybe even then, if we are to get Comet and Doa on our side.
Given how much of Ponyville participate in the cult, and general problem that ponies don't really wear clothes, certainly not full-coverage clothes, and have unique cutie marks, well, I have suspicions that she wouldn't be recognized if and only if she would be on house arrest.
Might work while she is still recovering from the imprisonment and is bed-ridden anyway, but really detrimental to her mental well-being in any other circumstances.
Given that she would learn that at very least Spike wasn't rescued by us, well. I think we'll have enough problems on that front.
Edit: ...end this was marked insightful. Welp. I hoped that I was just being paranoid.
This is why only at the shop that makes designer clothes (or near it) mare in full-coverage clothes would not be suspicions and simply would be assumed as working on product advertising.
Spike will be issue regardless of chosen location, plus in character we are not aware about his destiny even if we suspect it. This may delay dealing with it and after it, well, at some point maybe we can ask Baldomare where dragon ghosts go.
Given how much of Ponyville participate in the cult, and general problem that ponies don't really wear clothes, certainly not full-coverage clothes, and have unique cutie marks, well, I have suspicions that she wouldn't be recognized if and only if she would be on house arrest.
Might work while she is still recovering from the imprisonment and is bed-ridden anyway, but really detrimental to her mental well-being in any other circumstances.
Given that she would learn that at very least Spike wasn't rescued by us, well. I think we'll have enough problems on that front.
I still think leaving Ponyville would be our best bet atm. The cult having a considerable influence where we live just... seems like it's asking for trouble, on top of the issues with trying to hide Twilight in Ponyville without the cult finding out. And it's not like that's going to get better over time.
We're not likely to be able to meaningfully cripple the cult and/or steal their powerbase with the size of our to-do list; hell, we probably won't even be able to take the Hintchasers with us. So we're pretty much going to be entirely relying on the assumption that the Master will view us as 'not worth dealing with', which I find rather iffy.
Edit: Also, if we want to set up our own cult, we're either going to have to doing it in Ponyville, which contains an already extant and well-established cult that probably won't look kindly on a full-blown rival organization, or we're going to try to start and run a cult in a completely different town/city from the one we live in. Neither sounds particularly appealing to me.
Ah spike, it is somewhat of a shame that despite all our methods to accelerate the changling raid to rescue Twilight and Spike ended in almost complete failure, with spike being eaten by changelings, twlight sparkle being traumatized and basically everything going up in flames. To think all of this could have being avoided ironically if we had done the more self serving action of breaking Twilight's faith in Celestia and traumatize her further into becoming our minion as at least spike would be still alive, the assault would have being delayed due to no urgency, soft sweeps family would be alive and so many others in Canterlot. To think that the singular action became like the Luna 100 roll, as it led to consequences that changed the entire course of the quest.
Considering we're turning ourselves into a ghost as far as everyone-but-the-Inner-Circle is concerned, as long as we don't get caught in the crossfire of Solar Death, Twilight can snitch on the cult all she likes as long as she doesn't mention us being part of it and we can find a way to make sure the Inner Circle won't snitch on us in turn.
But going as Velvet Covers to talk to Celestia about the cult is a Bad Idea.
Edit: And really, by Inner Circle I mean Windy, Copper, and Starry. Though if Starry stays in prison, there shouldn't be an issue with her since she probably wouldn't find out about our betrayal.
Ah spike, it is somewhat of a shame that despite all our methods to accelerate the changling raid to rescue Twilight and Spike ended in almost complete failure, with spike being eaten by changelings, twlight sparkle being traumatized and basically everything going up in flames. To think all of this could have being avoided ironically if we had done the more self serving action of broking Twilight's faith in Celestia and traumatize her further into becoming our minion as at least spike would be still alive, the assault would have being delayed due to no urgency, self sweeps family would be alive and so many others in Canterlot. To think that the singular action became like the Luna 100 roll, as it led to consequences that changed the entire course of the quest.
Considering we're turning ourselves into a ghost as far as everyone-but-the-Inner-Circle is concerned, as long as we don't get caught in the crossfire of Solar Death, Twilight can snitch on the cult all she likes as long as she doesn't mention us being part of it and we can find a way to make sure the Inner Circle won't snitch on us in turn.
But going as Velvet Covers to talk to Celestia about the cult is a Bad Idea.
Also go team up with Dull Glass. Assuming he still even exists? I kinda wonder if Bird forgot about him.
We could also distribute the rather... horrifying information about the cults recent activities to everyone in it. That's likely to upset a lot of people.
The issue is that all of these actions have potential risks. Though literally everything we have done since deciding to betray has had risks. And some things even before.
I'm kind of assuming that in the next couple of turns we're going to be having Rarity double down on the Velvet-Covers-is-not-part-of-the-cult thing. Unless you're referring to something else?
Considering we're turning ourselves into a ghost as far as everyone-but-the-Inner-Circle is concerned, as long as we don't get caught in the crossfire of Solar Death, Twilight can snitch on the cult all she likes as long as she doesn't mention us being part of it and we can find a way to make sure the Inner Circle won't snitch on us in turn.
Considering Celestia is in answers no matter what mode with extra torture she can make the cult members talk. She does have a massive library full of forbidden spell that involve things like mind rape and corruption and she's not holding back anymore. Windy could avoid giving up information on us due to his Winter lore but the rest, well that's going to end badly for us. Especially when she finds out the cult performed the ritual on Luna.
Considering Celestia is in answers no matter what mode with extra torture she can make the cult members talk. She does have a massive library full of forbidden spell that involve things like mind rape and corruption and she's not holding back anymore. Windy could avoid giving up information on us due to his Winter lore but the rest, well that's going to end badly for us. Especially when she finds out the cult performed the ritual on Luna.
..... Remember Twilight as part of plan to deal with discord in terms of friendship was to use a mind control spell on him from a book in her house? Which was stopped by him eating the pages before she could try to do it? Spells like that and more likely exist in forbidden sections which Celestia has access too.
..... Remember Twilight as part of plan to deal with discord in terms of friendship was to use a mind control spell on him from a book in her house? Which was stopped by him eating the pages before she could try to do it? Spells like that and more likely exist in forbidden sections which Celestia has access too.
[X] plan DENY BALDOMARE TO CULT, SHE'S OURS! (conditional version) (and Windy instead of Rarity) -[X] (Book) Forge 3 (30 bits)
-[X] (Moth Fruit) Give it to Baldomare If we reach Moth or Winter or Edge 4, eat it otherwise
-[X] (Rarity) Emissary: (Fleeting Opportunity) Dissociate from Loremaster's fame
-[X] (Jade Whistle) Research Selene (Knock 2)
-[X] (Baldomare) Secret Histories Influence
-[X] (Selene) In order: Winter > Moth > Edge if levels are the same, if one of these reaches lvl 4 go with that one. -[X] Attention of the Laws: Grail, use on the first valid target of the following: Stormchaser, Fluttershy, Soft Sweeps
-[X] Hintseekers: Track down other members of the Expedition
-[X] (Fleeting Opportunity) Stormchaser
-[X] (Fleeting Opportunity) Fluttershy
-[X] (Fleeting Opportunity) Soft Sweeps
-[X] (Fleeting Opportunity) Windy Flakes (WRITE IN OBJECTIVE)
--[X] Subtly check Windy's opinions and loyalty to the cult in view of the current events.
-[X] Mansus exploration x3 (7 exploration actions) (3 actions remaining)
--[X] Take actions in order, repeating failed actions until we succeed or run out of actions
--[X] If we acquire a Wound or a Malus, skip to the Blank Plains step
--[X] Search out a new location in the Shattered Stairs
--[X] Fully explore the new location
--[X] Seek out the next Door and study it
--[X] Cross the Door, but don't spend an action on the other side
--[X] Search for new locations in the Blank Plains until locations are exhausted
--[X] Search for new locations in the Woods until locations are exhausted
- - -
You are Velvet Covers. And you think you understand it, now, what Baldomare meant when she explained you something long ago.
She had told you that climbing the Mansus is like climbing a mountain, and that the higher you reached the less effort you would need to do certain things. Much like how, if you are high enough in a mountain, you need only to throw down a pebble in order to create an avalanche.
There are quirks to this comparison, of course, and you understand it to be only a thought experiment. After all, you honestly hope that the whole avalanche analogy is just a myth to begin with. Or at least you hope that mountain climbing isn't so dangerous that any small rock might be able to cause such a destructive effect.
But still, again, there are quirks to it. That analogy is good enough for a foal to understand, but it also has a certain depth to it. After all, in order to reach high in a mountain you must learn the skill of climbing. You must learn something, become intimate with a set of skills, that sometimes requires a pony to have a cutie mark in order to master it. You must learn what to pack, where to step, how strong your body is, and even how to survive, in order to reach the hypothetical mountain top of the analogy.
However, here is a subtle detail that you just realized: it is that knowledge, that hard-won skill of how to climb a mountain, that allows you to cause the avalanche itself.
Merely climbing the mountain is not enough. Heavens, it might be even possible to climb a mountain without knowing anything about mountaineering to begin with, although you realize that is very foolish. However, for all that reaching high on the mountain is important, that pre-requisite knowledge is also crucially important. Because it is your understanding of the mountain itself, that intimate and deep understanding of how the mountain works, that allows you to… simply throw a rock, in that one spot, that one place where you noticed the path was more loose and dangerous, and cause the deadly avalanche.
Likewise, once you apply that thought experiment for its true purpose, seeing the mountain as the Mansus, and the climbing skills as knowledge of the Lores…
Well, you think you finally get it.
Because that is what you are about to do.
That is why you needed so much knowledge, so much depth of knowledge, in order to teach Selene.
You cannot teach her what you do not know to begin with, of course.
However, in order to teach her properly, in order to teach her what she needs, you require a very… subtle, and polished, understanding of what you are doing.
And that is a level you believe you have reached. A level you hope to have reached.
Because tonight, you are going to do it. After a whole month's worth of subtle preparations, silent hints and imperceptible nudges… after nearly an entire year preparing her for this, tonight you will finally begin. Tonight, you will tell Selene something that she was always meant to know, something that you have been preparing to tell her all along. Something you have been preparing her to hear all along.
And you will do it with a single word.
Tonight, you will cause an avalanche with nothing but a pebble.
It will hurt you. It will pain you. You love Selene, and you dearly hope that she survives the falling rocks.
But you also trust her.
The foundation of her knowledge was laid out by Silky, who gently pried her out of her shell, and you trust that bedrock to be strong. The pillars that she has built within herself were motivated by her love for your husband, and you know that they will endure as long as she cares for him.
But it is you, and nopony else, who must help her take these final steps.
Nopony ever said being a mother is easy.
- - -
- - -
- - -
You are Selene.
You are Selene.
You. Are. Selene.
That is what you have been telling yourself. That is what you have been telling yourself this whole night. That is what you have been telling yourself all along.
So why…
Why does that feel like a lie?
You don't know what woke you up, whether if it was a shiver or a nightmare or the dreams of a pony you have never met but feels so familiar. You are not sure what it was, you can't really remember, but you have been awake ever since.
But even though you woke up just now, you feel exhausted. It's not usually like this. In fact, you have never felt like this before. For as long as you can remember, you have never really felt tired when you woke up in the middle of the night. Of course, sometimes tiredness would reach you as soon as the sun rose up, but you have never really felt tired during these… these night sorties of yours, when you are awake or can't sleep for one reason or the other.
Still, you feel exhausted. Your body feels heavy. You feel strange. As if your limbs were far too small, or far too weak-
-or made of the wrong substance, as if mere flesh was not enough.
You feel exhausted, but despite that you couldn't really stay in bed. Lying still was agony. Being there… being you was too much.
So, you snuck out of bed, tip-hoofing your way around Scootaloo, and made your way to the house at large.
You have been wandering ever since.
…
When did this happen?
When did you get so… tired?
When did you become so… weak?
Why is it that you feel so… so small?
Restlessness grows inside of you, as if there was somepony else inside your skin, trying to burst out through your coat. You don't like pain, you don't like falling down or getting hurt, but for the first time in your life you feel like you would actually be glad if… if something…
-if somepony-
-were to burst out from inside of you.
But you don't know what to do.
You. Don't. Know. What. To. Do.
So, you wander around the house. Running with tired limbs, yelling with a muted voice-
-panicking as you realize your lungs are too small, and that you are about to suffocate from how little air you are taking in.
Your body, it feels wrong-
-it doesn't feel, it IS wrong-
-and the more you realize that, the worst it gets.
You stay away from the light. You avoid the faint moonlight, as you wander through the house, running away even from the faintest gleams of moonlight as if they were the plague.
You don't want to see yourself anymore.
You don't want to be yourself anymore.
You don't even want to see the shape that your shadow casts against the walls.
You feel desperate, but you can't even cry about this. The tears won't even flow out of your eyes, because your mind is too twisted and turned around to understand what you want to cry about.
You want to run away. Go somewhere else, anywhereelse, that is not here.
You want to leave this all behind. These memories, this body, this lifethat you have.
Because none of it really feels like it is yours. You feel like an impostor in your own skin.
You want to run away.
You haveto run away.
And thankfully, even though you are exhausted and you can barely think straight, your hoofs begin to do just that.
With slow, cumbersome, heavyhoofsteps, you slowly begin to make your way downstairs. You begin to make your way towards the entrance door, and towards your only escape from all of this.
You pass by the several windows that line the second floor corridor.
Do not look at your own reflection.
You nearly trip, as you make your way down through the stairs.
Do not look at your own body.
You close your eyes, as you walk down the final stretch of the entrance hall. Horrified tears filling your eyes as you realize just how bright it is, because of the moonlight shining in from the higher windows, and just how careful you have to be so you won't look at yourself.
Do not even thing about that shadow you can see, in the middle of your forehead.
But you have to do this.
You have to do this.
You have to get away from… from…
-from this body- -from this mind-
-from this self-
-from this damnable thingyou don't know the name of.
From this claustrophobic life that you call Selene.
...
But as reach halfway across the entrance hall, you notice something.
You can somehow see it, even through your closed eyes. Or maybe you can see it only because your eyes are closed. Still, there is something… there is something right there.
A whisper, or a presence, or a gust of wind that somehow is blowing despite all the windows being closed for the night.
There is somepony in the adjacent hall, in the enormous living room that is next to the entrance hall.
There is somepony… sitting on one of the couches, looking at the roaring flames of the lit fireplace.
…
You feel drawn to it. To the presence, or to the pony, or to the fire, or to whatever it is that is distracting you from all of this.
So, you make your way towards her. Anything to distance you from yourself. You make your way towards her like a drowning pony might make his way towards dry land.
And as you approach the entrance to the living hall, you can see that it is… her.
She is sitting right there, with her back towards you, looking at the fire with an expression you can't see.
But still, you recognize her. You somehow recognize her even though you can't remember if you have ever even spoken to her.
It is the nice lady who found you, the nice lady who you met while you were asleep.
You can't remember her name.
But you can't even remember your own name either, so it's all the same.
…
You must get closer.
You try to sneak towards her-
-but your crystal horseshoes are too loud-
-and she hears you.
You freeze, holding your breath as you wait to see how she will react.
But she doesn't do anything at all.
She just waits.
And that is so… frustrating!
Does she not have the answer to your plights?
Isn't she the one who can help you?
So why isn't she doing anything, why is she just… sitting there doing nothing?
This frustrates you, in a deep way that you can't describe with words.
So, maybe out of a whim or out of panic or because you have no idea of what you should do, you wait as well. You stand utterly still, holding your breath to see what she will do next.
But she just waits-
-and your agony grows-
-and she waits-
-and your body feels heavier-
-and she waits-
-AND YOU FEEL LIKE SOMETHING IS ABOUT TO BURST FROM INSIDE OF YOU-
-and when you can't take it any longer, you open your mouth. You want to scream at her, to beg for help or to denounce her cruelty.
But instead, even to your own surprise, something else comes out of your mouth.
Something that you had not expected.
And that for some reason terrifies you.
"Mrs. Velvet, I…"
It is a voice, that comes out from you. A tiny, all-too-young voice.
"I am not really…"
A voice that doesn't belong to you. A voice that cannot belong to you.
"… I am just… just a filly, right?"
A voice that feels as wrong as your body, and your memories, and your life, and everything else that has been happening to you ever since you went to sleep.
"I am just a filly that was abandoned and that you took in… right?"
A voice that asks a question that doesn't make any sense, even though it does. A voice that makes you terrified, for reasons you don't remember. A voice that you can't stop, even thought it is your own consciousness that is controlling it.
The voice asks that.
And the mare takes in a deep breath to answer. But she does not turn around to face you.
Even though she heard that your voice came from a higher spot than it should. Even though she realized that your voice came from a height that was not that of a filly, but instead of a grown mare, perhaps even a pony that was slightly taller than herself, she does not turn to face you.
She does not turn around to face you, because that would ruin everything. Because nothing, not yourself or the lady or even the world, knows how you look like right now. And if she were to turn and face you, if she were to look upon you, then your shape would have to be decided, and everything would be ruined.
No. She, keeps her back turned to you, and she only says a single word for her answer.
"No."
It takes you a long, long time before you find your way back to your bed.
- - -
- - -
- - -
The next day, you wake up before sunrise, and you go to Selene's room before anypony else awakes.
You did not want to go to sleep. It took you a long time to fall asleep, even, after you doused out the fireplace and went back to your own room.
But you had to. It was part of the requirements.
Still, you wake up before sunrise, impatient and worried and with urgency on your hoofs as you rush down the corridor and into Selene's room.
And you find her terribly sick, as you knew she would be. You find her burning up with a fever, breathing heavily and in short gasps, shivering as if she was about to freeze. Her body drained of energy as if her filly body had tried to sustain something much larger, and much greater, than any grown pony would ever hope to be.
And when you see that, you do what you would have done even if you did not know anything about the Lores, your motherly side taking over as it kicks you into a mixture of panic and focus. The servants who stayed the night are awake moments later, and you only permit the house to settle down once you are satisfied that Selene is being properly nursed, by yourself in your room, and that there is nothing to do but wait, and give her time to heal.
Although nopony, nopony but you and Stormchaser, learn about one final detail.
Because when you reached Selene, when you carried out of her bed with that unique mixture of urgency and care, you saw that something fell down to the floor.
It was a single feather, long and elegant with a midnight-blue color, that was somehow wrapped under her blankets. That was somehow close to her body, or maybe even came from it, as she slept.
You showed it to Stormchaser, and the two of you burned it a few hours later. You couldn't take the risk of keeping it.
It pains you, to know that you did this… all of this… Or that you helped her do this to herself.
It pains you, to see Selene so fragile and small, suffering so much because all of this.
You know, with our betrayal accelerating, and potentially with Celestia accelerating (looking forward for that Canterlot interlude, yes), we might be forced to contact Celestia in the nearest future, for no matter how bad going to talk to her is, being brought to her is worse.
For how long can we stall both trigger events and Twilight going to Celestia? I don't think we have 4 more turns.
Because yes, we, Velvet Covers, should be able to go hiding. Stormchaser might. Our daughters? I very much doubt it.
So, I think we should think with that possibility in mind, and in that case we must rely on Twilight and Cadence. The latter probably would be merciful. The former... We must be careful. I think if we can't get her good enough conditions next turn, we either stall one more turn, or find ways to move to Canterlot/Uncle Steppes, or contact the Princesses - at very least Cadence, but probably both.
This looks awfully close to "pass this roll or die" either way, but I think we are in the corner.
Regardless, they all are social checks, so that Grail Influence looks even better now to me.
The closest option is to hope to either Grailbomb Twilight or that she would be a Confidante by the time we extract her, after which, again, Grailbomb her and/or Leash her, but I have no idea what to do between Master learning what we are doing and Luna awakening.
Edit: ok, Moth'd by the update. I guess it happens?
First, I am really glad we could not have failed this. If that means that we simply could not prepare in time that would be ok, but if that would represent us failing during the realization (and I am sure that if we had rolled nat 1 it would be exactly that) - that would be disastrous.
Second, I am not voting for a plan that does not guarantees us Winter 4, because while earlier I did expect that these lessons would be lessons, not avalanches, now I know better.
Third, Moth (kind of expectedly) is body aspect. Good to know, I guess.
Also, I am terribly curious what kind of reagent would be that feather, even if we really should not keep it, let alone use it.
You know, with our betrayal accelerating, and potentially with Celestia accelerating (looking forward for that Canterlot interlude, yes), we might be forced to contact Celestia in the nearest future, for no matter how bad going to talk to her is, being brought to her is worse.
For how long can we stall both trigger events and Twilight going to Celestia? I don't think we have 4 more turns.
Because yes, we, Velvet Covers, should be able to go hiding. Stormchaser might. Our daughters? I very much doubt it.
So, I think we should think with that possibility in mind, and in that case we must rely on Twilight and Cadence. The latter probably would be merciful. The former... We must be careful. I think if we can't get her good enough conditions next turn, we either stall one more turn, or find ways to move to Canterlot/Uncle Steppes, or contact the Princesses - at very least Cadence, but probably both.
This looks awfully close to "pass this roll or die" either way, but I think we are in the corner.
Regardless, they all are social checks, so that Grail Influence looks even better now to me.
The closest option is to hope to either Grailbomb Twilight or that she would be a Confidante by the time we extract her, after which, again, Grailbomb her and/or Leash her, but I have no idea what to do between Master learning what we are doing and Luna awakening.
Edit: ok, Moth'd by the update. I guess it happens?
Our situation isn't so untenable that we would want to go with Celestia. Again she has no reason to be merciful to us, and she certainly has the power to vaporize us. Hell we currently have a ritual to resurrect Luna right now, that's a much better oh shit button than deliberately going to Celestia.
Again betraying the cult doesn't automatically mean the Master will smite us. With DoA we are now much more slippery, and the Master is a creature of patience and is unlikely to ever truly hate us, unlike Celestia. So long as we make it not worth the trouble we may be able to survive a betrayal AND stay in Ponyville. We could easily enter into a mutually assured destruction scenario with the cult which can limit their ability to act against us.
Twilight also may be inclined to run to Celestia but for now she's not going anywhere. Sure she might go running to Celestia after a potential rescue and she might hate us after we revealed ourselves... but chances are after rescue she'll be way too mentally deranged to immediately act against our interests. Our chances of convincing her with Rarity especially with
healing offers will probably be very high. And say she does go to Celestia, would she even give Twilight the time of day? And this isn't canon Twilight here, Spike's dead so no easy letter writing. Twilght knowing about our for involvement is a surmountable problem vs the comparably insurmountable problem of rescuing her.
It was a single feather, long and elegant with a midnight-blue color, that was somehow wrapped under her blankets. That was somehow close to her body, or maybe even came from it, as she slept.
If we completely dissociate ourselves from the cult and er, eviscerate (whether you mean literally or nonliterally) the rest of the Inner Circle that aren't defecting (or in jail), that would probably let us (and by us I mean Twilight) point Celestia at them without risking Solar Fire ourselves. Cause like. At that point there wouldn't be anyone in the cult who could snitch on us. Just saying.
