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.
Thou spending an action of Training Rarity so she goes to Grail 4 Forge 2 and starts really becoming famous is also something that can help fix the money problems.
two actions. she's currently grail 1 forge 0 after all. And we also have to further train Jade to Lantern 4 (once we reach it ourselves of course, but we only need one more scrap) and potentially there's also Fluttershy.
Given we have max grail it should only take a single AP to social a minor character into confident, level. And then get the sacrament. Spoiled milk, would be fine, Cherilee also fine. Filthy Rich is to valuable as a potential source of badly needed income. A lot of problems go away with an extra 100-200 bits a turn.
Thou spending an action of Training Rarity so she goes to Grail 4 Forge 2 and starts really becoming famous is also something that can help fix the money problems.
Ah we truly are our Hill's child becoming the closest friend someone just for their use to us, and sacrificing them for more power. Truly we have learned his teachings
to be fair we're not REALLY sacrificing them though. Technically the only consequence for them is that they'll know we've changed in a way that drops them down to acquaintance. Not even to enemy, to acquaintance.
I think you're vastly overestimating the effects of the Incarnadesence. There is no way that Bird would let us skip straight to Confidant. Cherilee or Filthy Rich would technically be possible in one action if you get the Leash involved, but that's only because they're already at Friend level.
I think it might be possible to skip from zero to good friend on a good roll plus bits investment. Reaching Confidant in a single action WITHOUT leash though? definitely not.
two actions. she's currently grail 1 forge 0 after all. And we also have to further train Jade to Lantern 4 (once we reach it ourselves of course, but we only need one more scrap) and potentially there's also Fluttershy.
We also have to reach Grail 4 first, but hopefully that won't be too far out of reach once the turn concludes, considering we're exploring the Ruined Church. I do wonder what kind of effect her Realization will have on her job. Or what her Realization boon will be, in general.
...imagine how good her stuff is going to be when she reaches Sacrament
Edit:
Let's stop talking about which Confidant we'd want to sacrifice to Moth for now, that's way in the future anyway. Instead, what ponies do you guys want to eventually try and reach Confidant with, assuming we stay in Ponyville?
I'd like to try and complete our Mane 6 collection, snag Mayor Mare before the cult can, and see if we can find Zecora. Mostly cause I want to see how the Lores would interact with her potions. And Dull Glass, if he stops being considered a Foe once we leave the cult.
Edit 2:
Or the update could happen. That works too
The author does not intend to (and should not be interpreted as intending to) break the site's Terms of Service or site rules at any point.
None of the above subjects are condoned, glorified or encouraged by the author, and their presence in this story is purely for narrative purposes.
If you do not wish to be exposed to any of the subjects cited above, you should STOP READING IMMEDIATELY.
- - -
- - -
- - -
There is something fundamentally wrong about a pegasus falling to her death.
You know that.
Even though you are an earth pony yourself, you know that.
"Ponpon. Ponpon, listen to me! I need you to listen to me."
You might not have wings.
You might never have flown, or stepped hoof on one of those large air balloons.
You might not… now that you think about it, you were never even carried on the back of a pegasus when you were a filly. Not even for the sake of playful experience.
Yes, you have absolutely no experience when it comes to flying.
However, you still know that notion to be absurd. You understand that it is simply impossible.
Pegasi do not fall to their death. That just doesn't happen.
"Pon-… PONPON! … I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… Please, just look at my eyes. Just try to listen to my voice."
And that is because… it's not just because they have wings. It's a lot more than that.
It's because the magic that the pegasi have is the magic of flight.
The same way you are physically stronger, and almost never get sick.
The same way that you can encourage a plant to grow just by caring for the soil.
The same way that unicorns have a horn on their head and can use magic, and you don't.
Pegasi can fly. They are made to fly, and the magic of their bodies is meant for flight.
"Everything is fine, Ponpon. Look me in the eyes. I need you to believe me that everything is alright."
They have wings. Wings. Everypony has four legs and a tail, but they have two entire extra limbs that are made exclusively for flying.
And more than just that, their wings are also magic.
They are able to push and pull a lot more air than their size should allow. They are able to shove clouds around and change the weather itself.
Even their hoofs… their hoofs can hold on to clouds as if they were solid. They can walk on clouds as if they were weightless.
And that is why… that is why you know that…
That is why you know that pegasi will never fall to their death. They can't. It's impossible. They just need to open their wings, just a tiny little bit, and their magic will have them glide down safely.
So why…
Why…
"Pon-ack! Stop… hitting m-ack! Settle down, you… Ponpon, you are raving. Listen to me! She. Is. Not. Dead! Everything is fine!!!"
Why did Soft Sweeps fall to her death?
Why did you find her in your front yard in a mess of blood and feathers and exposed bones? As if she had flown upwards and upwards and upwards and then just… given up on flapping her wings?
And why have you been hearing this… awful… screaming this whole time? That just went on and on and on and-
"Ponpon, I need you to STOP SCREAMING."
Screaming, and crying, and thrashing, and yelling-
-because of the bones and the blood and the fact that she was still breathing despite how hurt she was-
-and no matter what you did it just got worse and worse, because she was so hurt that you didn't even know where to begin and your hoofs were getting slick with all that blood and you think you were just causing her more pain and-
"This is getting nowhere. I-… I'm sorry Ponpon. This is all a bad dream. This is all just a nightmare, and you will wake up soon. I promise."
… and…
… and everything is going dark and…
…
- - -
You open your eyes.
Saying that you just woke up feels… wrong. You don't feel like you just woke up because you don't feel like you ever fell asleep.
You feel like the whole world is trying to convince you that you just had a nightmare. But you won't allow yourself to fall for that. You won't believe it.
You know what you saw.
You are not insane.
….
You are Ponpon, and the moment you open your eyes, you already know where you are.
The dimly lit interior of the second-to-last guest room of the Velvet estate presents itself to you, well-kept and impeccably presentable as always. You are laying on the large bed near the center of the room, and before long you realize Daisy Ribbon is sitting on a chair by the door.
She gets up as soon as she realizes you are moving, making her way out of the room without a word. And you immediately understand what that means.
This guest room, which is definitely a noble guest room and not a room at the servant's quarters, is usually set aside for a particular eventuality. The room itself is better ventilated than most, and has a south-facing window to ensure a pony wouldn't be bothered by the sun so they could sleep during the day.
Which means, in short, that this is a room set aside for guests who are sick-
-she fell on her left side, the larger bone of her left wing didn't twist but instead impaled itself through her back, the white of her eyes a bloodshot red as she wheezed in pitiful gasps of pain an-
"Ponpon?"
A voice comes to you, and you realize your hoofs are covering your eyes.
There is a soft, whimpering noise filling the room. You realize it's you.
Your heart is beating so quickly that you can feel it like a hammer inside your head.
Something inside your chest hurts.
"Ponpon… shh, it's alright, you are alright…"
You uncover your eyes. Lady Velvet is standing next to you, her eyes full of pity.
You have no idea when she arrived.
You are shivering.
"There, there, everything is fine…" she says, and for some reason you…
It feels strange, but you…
… you feel a little bit calmer?
There is something about the way she is holding your hoofs, something about the way she is speaking, that just…
"Ponpon, can you understand what I am saying?" she asks.
You are breathing in hiccups, your mind feels like it's both spinning and numb at the same time.
But still, you manage to nod. Or at least you think you do.
"Alright… thank you for answering me. Listen, Ponpon, there is something I need to tell you. Maybe you already know it, or maybe it will come as a shock, but I need you to listen to me all the same."
She says that, and you realize that you have been looking at her eyes for a while now. You realize that with every word she says, the spinning inside your head… it doesn't get any slower, but you feel it less and less. As if the numbness was not only winning out, but was somehow being caused by Lady Velvet's words.
"Ponpon, you had a… you had a nervous breakdown."
Until she says something that… just doesn't make sense?
You have no idea of what she is talking about, but for all that her tone of voice is so pleasant that you truly want to believe her, she just said something that… a part of you… doesn't want to believe?
"And I'm sorry for that. I really am. Everypony lost someone. Everything these last few months has just been happening too fast. It's almost frightening, really," she keeps talking. Her every word somehow making your head, and your thoughts, and your… vivid memory of what just happened, grow more and more distant.
As if you were somehow forgetting what just happened.
However, a part of you refuses to give in. The horrible image of that dead and mangled body staying wedged in your brain like a sharp piece of broken glass.
"So I should have realized that I was asking too much of you… I really am sorry," she finishes.
Giving you a look that is at the same time pitying and understanding, while also painful to look at. As if even by looking at you she was trying to pry that sharp memory from your brain, only to make it hurt more deeply.
"Wha… what do you mean?" you ask her, your voice hoarse, the words causing a dry pain to throb inside your throat.
Which only causes this to make less and less sense. Because your voice is hoarse. Your voice is rasped from all the screaming and… and everything else.
You think Lady Velvet's expression flickers at that, as if she were annoyed at something. But only for a moment. The next time she speaks, her words are honeyed and apologetic just like before.
"I mean to say that I'm sorry, Ponpon. I really am. The disappearances, and all the mess in the estate, and all the panic in town. You really did your best, but I should have realized it was too much. It was too much to ask, on top of all that, for you to take care of Soft-"
-you flinch at the mere utterance of the name, your heartrate peaking and your breath coming to you in fits-
-and you don't realize that Lady Velvet immediately stops talking. You don't realize her expression, again only for a moment, has the tense pursed lips of a pony who is trying to run a thread into a needle.
"I… but I… it didn't…" you look at her, not understanding why your thoughts are so slow. You can barely think straight, you can barely remember what words you want to use.
Your thoughts feel sluggish and strange, but the only thing that is still clear in your mind is the one thing that hurts to think about.
"… I'm not… I know what I saw ma'am," you say.
You really don't. You really don't know what you saw, or what you are talking about, or even what you are thinking about. Even that sharp-edged, dagger-pointed memory is beginning to feel twisted now. As if covered in thick honey. The attempts to completely pull it out now replaced with the effort to simply drown it until it is lost.
And you are too lethargic, too confused to realize that what you are saying, the conversation you two are having, doesn't really make any sense. Not if a pony were to listen to it from the outside, at least. The two of you exchanging words based on a context that you are already forgetting.
Although Lady Velvet's expression, even though you don't notice it, makes it clear that you are… not forgetting about it quickly enough.
"Ponpon, So-… she came to me earlier today, worried… remember? She came to the estate because she said you weren't feeling well… And when I got there you… don't you remember?"
Half-formed images come to your mind, of Lady Velvet coming to your house for her periodic visit.
You remember her holding you down. You remember yelling at her, or at yourself, or maybe at the word. You remember months of stress finally crashing down on you, triggered by… something?
"It was not weakness, Ponpon. You are not weak. In fact… you held out for far longer than anypony should have to," she continues saying. And as your eyelids grow heavier and heavier, you don't even realize that her expression is now focused, her kindness from before replaced by a strange concentration.
But you don't notice any of that. You can only hear her voice.
"Nothing wrong happened… You just need to rest… Everything is fine… You have been at it for too long…"
You don't realize when she stopped talking. You are barely aware that your eyes are almost close. In fact, you don't even respond when she haves a hoof in front of her eyes.
After all, even that movement from her feels completely… natural.
Everything she does makes sense. Everything she says is right.
"Thank goodness… now, Ponpon, there is somepony I need you to see, okay?"
She says that, and a few moments later the door opens, and a young mare walks in.
Your mind reels in horror. That hot, sharp, painful memory embedded deep into your brain twists itself in panic.
Because you know that what you are looking at makes no sense.
Because you know that she is dead.
And you know that any second now it will happen all over again. And that on her next hoofstep she is going to trip and fall, and her insides are going to spill out through her bursting skin as if she was a poorly made doll that was coming undone.
You know all of that. The deep spear of trauma you have inside your brain won't let you forget.
However.
However…
That terrifying memory is so drowned out in honey, so cushioned by soft words and softer feelings, that no matter how much it pushes or thrashes you… you just don't feel it.
You just nod in placid understanding, your eyes half-closed and calm, as the young pegasus mare makes her way towards you.
You even have a smile on her face, because everything Lady Velvet said is right.
The mare stands next to you, taking your hoof on her own, and you two stare at each other. And everything is fine. You notice neither the nervousness on the young mare's face, nor the fact that Lady Velvet is holding her breath.
You just…
"Thank you for taking care of me," the young mare says.
And you don't smell the blood on her breath, or on her fur, or coming from the open skin where her hindleg twisted in the wrong direction as she fell an-
-and you don't feel any of that. Because none of that ever happened.
You nod at Soft Sweeps, but you can barely hold your foreleg up as she holds your hoof because you are so very tired…
You fall asleep before she even lets go of your hoof, and the two mares leave the guest room without making a sound.
- - -
- - -
- - -
You are Lady Velvet Covers.
And you are… in control.
You are breathing in.
And you are breathing out.
Because nothing went wrong.
Everything is fine now.
There are no… loose ends…
And sometimes, that's all there is to it. Something sudden happens, but once the dust settles and everything falls into place you are all still fine.
Sometimes, the absence of bad news is the best news you can have.
…
You always wondered how you would react, if something horrible happened to Silky Stream.
Throughout the several years that followed her birth, when you still locked yourself in your estate and dedicated your time almost exclusively to running the farmlands, you remember asking yourself that question… every now and then.
Like a grim hypothetical, that you would bounce against the walls of your mind.
A flash of morbid curiosity, wondering how your life might go back to being utterly miserable after you had reached an unexpected place of happiness from marrying Stormchaser.
But regardless of where that question came from, you still remember asking it nonetheless. And you also remember the answers that you would come up with.
Part of you thought that you would just lose the will to live. That you would just lose yourself in tears like so many mares did, in the books you had that ended in tragedy, and that you would live out the rest of your days like a husk. Because whoever said that it is "better to love and lose, than not love at all" is surely wrong, and you were always sure that outliving your daughter would only end in misery.
Another part of you thought that you might just go insane. A madmare, cackling with twisted joy as you lashed out against the world. At least, of course, until you caused enough embarrassment, or perhaps property damage, that your father finally committed you to an asylum.
You can tell nowadays that those were not… pleasant thoughts. But you can't blame yourself for having them either. You spent most of your fillyhood being loved by your father, only to lose it, so you couldn't help but wonder if that newfound happiness you had with your husband and daughter wasn't just going to be stripped form you as well.
Those were not pleasant thoughts, but they were thoughts you had nonetheless. For several years, even.
But curiously…
Very… curiously…
None of them really came to pass.
"Mrs. Velvet?"
You are pushed out of your thoughts by your daughter's voice.
And you look down, to the eye level of a filly, only to realize that you are looking at Soft Sweep's forelegs.
You shake your head. You have too much in your mind right now. All the Grail you just had to use of Ponpon still covering your mind like a drunk fog. And even that is still not enough to clean out the aftertaste of… what you did before.
"Yes, Soft? Is anything the matter?"
You look up, back to a normal height, and you come face to face with Soft Sweeps
She might look slightly worried. Her tone might be slightly hesitant. But it is still your Soft Sweeps.
And will never let anypony say otherwise.
"That's what I was going to ask, actually… is… is everything alright?"
She asks that, and you…
You remember how…
You remember how-
-how her body was broken-
-how Ponpon had slipped into a panicked shock-
-how she was already dead when you got there-
-the things you did afterwards-
-because you didn't fall into misery, and you didn't go insane-
-you didn't react to a loved one's death in any of the ways you ever thought you would-
-ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS SOMETHING WRONG, THAT YOU HAD TO MAKE RIGHT-
-you remember how you had a hectic day. But that everything is alright now.
"Yes, Softy, everything is alright," you answer her with a tired smile. "That was just… a lot, with Ponpon. She needs to rest. We all do."
But still, you can tell from her expression that you didn't exactly convince her.
You watch as she purses her lips, hesitating for a second, before speaking up once again.
"Mrs. Velvet, did I… I-I'm sorry, but today was such a blur that I can't really… remember some things? Did I do something wrong…?"
You shake your head.
Because of course she didn't. She didn't do anything wrong.
She just-
-she just died-
-she died, as her despair crushed her mind and gnawed at her bones-
-she died in agony, as she couldn't even muster the energy to fly higher, to ensure that she would die on impact-
-she didn't even mean to do it, she just reached a point where her body stopped-
-she just got a bit hurt, and you helped her. Because you will always be there for your Soft Sweeps.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Softy. Don't worry," you say, letting out a sigh before forcing a calm smile to appear on your face. "Trust me," you add for good measure.
To which the mare nods, slowly.
And as you watch her do that, your forced smile actually turns into a genuine one.
Because you can see it. You can see that this is your Soft Sweeps. You can see that this is still her.
That same attentive, even if slightly nervous, gaze that she always had, as she listens to your words. That same faint eagerness, tempered by caution, that she always has in her posture.
Yes. This, all of this, is still her. This is still your Soft Sweeps.
Even though you can see, from her expression, that she can tell something is… slightly off.
Even though you can see, from her confusion, that she thinks there are some… inconsistencies, that she just can't point her hoof at.
Your honest smile remains on your face, even as she slowly asks another question.
"Mrs. Velvet, is… is everything alright…. with me?"
And for all that you still feel genuinely glad, for all that you are still truly content as you look at her, you can't bring yourself to answer that question. You can't bring yourself to lie to her. Not now. Not yet.
Not when the memories are still so fresh in your mind.
And that is because-
-because she killed herself, and the Wolf-Divided smiles upon that-
-for he is present when the flames spread with malice-
-and he is born at the death of Gods-
-and he looks favorably at anguished ends, for that is what he desires above all other things-
-so you knew he was nearby-
-you could taste him, as the grass of could taste her pooling blood-
-you could see him, in the twisted configuration of her broken bones-
-so you did what you had to-
-you grabbed those dispersing remains, you weaved them into your tears-
-you denied that anguish to end, and through the hate it felt from its continuing existence you harnessed its energy-
-and when you lodged that shackled hate into your daughter, it had no choice but to make her heart beat once again-
-because you would not would not would not let her go-
-because you love her.
And thankfully, Softy sees that in your expression. She sees how you are just glad that things turned out this way, and she thinks she has an answer. Or perhaps that the answer to her question doesn't matter anymore.
So, the young mare lets out a sigh of relief, and you can't help but silently thank her for not pushing that last question.
Because again, you don't have it in you to lie to her.
Not yet.
"Still, I'd like to ask the same thing," you ask her in turn, watching her ears perk up in attention. "Are you alright, Softy? Are you feeling anything wrong?"
You ask that with a normal tone. You ask her as if just making sure that everything is indeed alright.
But still, you observe her as intently as you can while the mare thinks.
Because the thing you did…
You can't feel it. You can't feel any of it. You can't feel that faint smell of rot that comes from you, from that dirtied part of your soul and the things it reminded the world about. You can't see it anywhere in her, not in her voice nor in her movements nor in the glint she has in her eyes.
And you looked for it. You really did.
But although you did place something inside of Soft Sweeps, and you know that thing breathed life back into her once again, you honestly can't see any trace of it.
It only exists in your memory, in the utter knowledge that it's still in her. Like a lump of coal keeping a stove warm or like the wind keeping a mill turning.
"I, uh, I think so, Mrs. Velvet… I mean, it actually feels weird how fine I feel? But I… like I said, I am a bit worried that I can't remember some things. D-don't worry! It's not like I feel dizzy or anything, it's just that…"
But if you can't see it… and if she can't feel it…
"Oh, it's all right Soft. I just wanted to double check."
Then you suppose it really is fine.
Soft Sweeps seems to have forgotten some things. You will have to very carefully check what those things are, but she certainly can't remember most of what happened today. And more importantly, she can't seem to realize just how much she forgot.
But did she forget about her family? Did she forget that she was mourning?
Did she forget about… when she was in Canterlot, following the changeling tragedy?
You do not know.
But those are not questions you will be able to answer today.
For now, you are only thankful that everything ended well.
…
Although you will have to make sure to talk to Silky and Selene, once they return from school. After all, before they left early in the morning they still lived in a world where Soft was absent and… going through things. But now, you will have to tell them that things have changed.
Even if you don't know yourself what those changes are.
"Still, we had plenty of excitement for the day. I think I'll go lie down," you say, feeling the exhaustion of the last few hours settling on your mind.
And everything today was about your family, so you refuse to brush it off through your other means.
"Right, I actually think I will do the same," she younger mare says, letting out a long and drawn-out breath.
"Good girl. But Softy, let me be absolutely clear about this. If you feel anything is wrong…" you begin to say, as carefully as you can, "or if you remember anything, or if you just want somepony to talk to. You come to me right away, alright? I need you to know that I am here for you no matter what-"
You cut off right before you say because I love you.
But still, you think your tone managed to get that across.
"I'm… I'm here for you, alright?" you say.
Yes Mother.
"What did you say?" you ask, your head snapping back towards her so quickly that it almost hurts.
But the only thing you see is Soft Sweeps, wide-eyed in surprise at your reaction.
"I-I… I said yes, Mrs. Velvet?" she says.
And you immediately know she is telling the truth. You can remember it clearly, even.
Yes, that is exactly what she just said. "Yes Mrs. Velvet."
She didn't just call you Mother.
She didn't just talk in a voice that burned in your ears.
You are just… imagining things.
"Right, right…" you say, shaking your head slightly. "I'll see you later, uhm… Soft Sweeps."
You say that as you head back to your room.
And you sleep so deeply that you don't even wake up when your other two daughters return from school.
You arrived too late to save her from the Wolf, but not so late that you could not catch him before he left.
You have put something inside Soft Sweeps. Feed it, and it will grow. Remove it, and she will die.
It will be fed, like all the dirty things in this world, by the performance of Regrettable Actions.
This was not a Regrettable Action. For Velvet Covers, because she will never regret saving her own daughter. And for the world, because a seed planted is not a tree grown. At least for now. All seeds brim with potential.
- - -
Velvet Covers has revisited her opinion regarding the death of her loved ones. The Quest will no longer be doomed should a member of her family die. Instead, she will be compelled to bring them back, by any means necessary.
The world has revisited its opinion regarding the death of Velvet Covers. The Quest will no longer immediately end should Velvet Covers die. There is now somepony else that will pick up the torch. Even if that is for the worse.
- - -
Soft Sweeps is now living in the Velvet estate. Ponpon is on vacation, but will soon recover, and she can't really recall what the fuss was all about.
You will keep an eye on Soft, especially as she returns to socializing with the rest of your family, as the days and weeks go by.
So Soft Sweeps is now one of our wolf children I guess, I admit I was expecting worse, like Soft sweeps would be a puppet or not quite right in the head. But like velvet for all this being a regretable action, it is one I dont mind doing.
Oh dear, that was rather disturbing, and I don't mean just the suicide. Velvet just basically gaslighted someone into thinking something that big didn't happen. Grail bombs are quite terrifying.
Good of a reason as any to avoid future Regrettable Actions. I really wouldn't want the Wolf to consume her entirely.
...I'm glad that she still seems to be herself, mostly. That Silky won't lose her sister in truth. And hopefully Selene won't be able to sense the Wolf-presence, like she did with the fur.
Velvet Covers has revisited her opinion regarding the death of her loved ones. The Quest will no longer be doomed should a member of her family die. Instead, she will be compelled to bring them back, by any means necessary.
The world has revisited its opinion regarding the death of Velvet Covers. The Quest will no longer immediately end should Velvet Covers die. There is now somepony else that will pick up the torch. Even if that is for the worse.
Oh dear, that was rather disturbing, and I don't mean just the suicide. Velvet just basically gaslighted someone into thinking something that big didn't happen. Grail bombs are quite terrifying.
The world has revisited its opinion regarding the death of Velvet Covers. The Quest will no longer immediately end should Velvet Covers die. There is now somepony else that will pick up the torch. Even if that is for the worse.
I honestly doubt we even could have. Not as one Hour, and since an entire fucking Pantheon of them didn't do it, I doubt we could even if we had one. The best we can do, possibly, is combine Harmony and Glory to heal it into a less agonized state, but even that is just me spitballing.
Oh dear, that was rather disturbing, and I don't mean just the suicide. Velvet just basically gaslighted someone into thinking something that big didn't happen. Grail bombs are quite terrifying.
Just means we have to wait out a mortal lifetime. Barely any time at all for an immortal Hour
Though, seriously speaking, killing the Wolf was never really within the scope of the quest. Not being able to undo the other Regrettables is more of a problem, but tbh we don't even know if Bird actually had a method in place to remove Stains. We'll see how things go.
Honestly though, I'm more interested how it wasn't just Grail being wielded like a hammer here. Moth showed up a fair amount, and I think I saw some hints of Winter too. Multi-lore adepts are even more terrifying than just Grail bombs.
Honestly though, I'm more interested how it wasn't just Grail being wielded like a hammer here. Moth showed up a fair amount, and I think I saw some hints of Winter too. Multi-lore adepts are even more terrifying than just Grail bombs.
It was a Moth-Grail combo. Same thing as what the changelings were using, probably (I'm not sure if their Knock actually was used for mental influences, but Moth and Grail definitely fit). You tell a lie, then make it too sweet for them to want to question it.
I think you probably could kill the Wolf-Divided, or at least dissolve it like any other Hour. It's just that if W-D dies, or if any of the component Hours that were born from the division of the Sun-in-Splendor die, then they won't be able to be reunified, which may be fated to occur when the Vagabond returns to the House?
I think you probably could kill the Wolf-Divided, or at least dissolve it like any other Hour. It's just that if W-D dies, or if any of the component Hours that were born from the division of the Sun-in-Splendor die, then they won't be able to be reunified, which may be fated to occur when the Vagabond returns to the House?
It's probably too late for that, since it's implied the Sun-in-Rags already bit it. And it's hard to say if the Wolf-Divided is even a proper Solar Hour. Also no hint on the Madrugad or Meniscate yet, though the House of the Moon is still around.
I think you probably could kill the Wolf-Divided, or at least dissolve it like any other Hour. It's just that if W-D dies, or if any of the component Hours that were born from the division of the Sun-in-Splendor die, then they won't be able to be reunified, which may be fated to occur when the Vagabond returns to the House?
Not… really. Part of the Wolf's entire mythos is that it cannot die until literally everything else dies first. It is the agony of existence that will only end when there is nothing else left to suffer. If it could die, it already would have done so because there is nothing it desires more.
Also the Sun was apparently already restored—or at least, that was the implication in the memory we got from the Master—but that basically just caused everybody in the Mansus to go bugfuck insane and break things, which led to us being where we are now. Since the Wolf is still around, they don't seem to have been removed by the process.
I think you probably could kill the Wolf-Divided, or at least dissolve it like any other Hour. It's just that if W-D dies, or if any of the component Hours that were born from the division of the Sun-in-Splendor die, then they won't be able to be reunified, which may be fated to occur when the Vagabond returns to the House?
It's probably too late for that, since it's implied the Sun-in-Rags already bit it. And it's hard to say if the Wolf-Divided is even a proper Solar Hour. Also no hint on the Madrugad or Meniscate yet, though the House of the Moon is still around.
There's also that weirdness that we saw in the Moth-memory. Where the Sun-in-Splendor seemed to have returned and made some proclamation that started the collapse of the Mansus. We still don't really know what's up with that, if the Second Dawn has already come and gone or if it got messed up in some way.
It was a Moth-Grail combo. Same thing as what the changelings were using, probably (I'm not sure if their Knock actually was used for mental influences, but Moth and Grail definitely fit). You tell a lie, then make it too sweet for them to want to question it.
