Text Adventure Chapter 53 Log

>Used Medium Healing Potion
>+66% MP<
>+7 MP<
Anon: [HP: 130/130][MP: 15/20]

[LOOT]
[BATTLEGROUND] - There is nothing here!
>...

>You really don’t want this changeling running off for some reason.
>One of the biggest reasons you suppose is that there’s an entire civilization being destroyed by this shadow.
>Looking back at your party, you do no less than speak your mind.
“‘The enemy of the enemy is my friend,’ right? If Bane's invading their hive, it probably has a purpose for doing so. We should give some thought to helping them, if for no other reason than to weaken the shadow.”
>They all stare at you in silence.
“Plus, y'know… right thing to do? Help those in need?
>AJ finally speaks up.
>”Ya’ll know what a hivemind is, Anon? Every changeling in existence has their mind connected with Queen Chrysalis, and she commands every single one of ‘em.”
“Yeah, but-”
>Pinkie interrupts you.
>”And Chrysalis is just a big fat evil monster who doesn’t have any feelings or parties! All she tried to do when she was at Canterlot was try to marry Twilight’s brother and take over Equestria!”
“W-”
>Redheart now takes the lead and finishes you off.
>”Anon, If you didn’t know, Chrysalis locked Princess Cadance in a dungeon, and left her there for dead. She overpowered Celestia when she was imbued with love’s magic and sicked her little children on the entire populus. For all we know, this one’s just been lying to get on our good side!”
“She said she lost contact with Chrysalis though, right?”
>”-It- could be lying, and very well is.”
>You sigh heavily, glancing back at the changeling who is silently observing the conversation.
“But... for right now, let's deal with the problem at hand. I fear that your Queen, your home and your people might have been painfully corrupted like you have been. IF you say that this black peril invaded your hive, then that’s what most likely happened.
>The changeling’s face finally begins to show emotion, an overbearing sorrow coming over it.
“No creature in this world deserves such a thing... but I'm willing to help. In fact, I might just be one of the very few that can help save them. I know that you and my party distrust each other, but I hold no ill will against you and your people. I’m not from this world at all, so I don’t know either side of the story very well, but I do know that the best thing to do right now is to help each other, so…”
>You can feel the stares boring into the back of your head, but you’ll explain it to them afterwards.
“How about this... we've got a really pressing problem to go deal with right now. This castle's a deathtrap, but it looks like it’s relatively safe in this room. You hold up here, we go take care of this stuff, and we'll come back and discuss this when our friend's not in the same danger you were just in. That’s you helping us. If you stay here and wait, we’ll come back and help you figure out what’s going on. Can you trust us, so we can trust you?”
>The changeling’s eyes dart across each member of your group, before finally setting back on yours.
>”So long as they do not attack, neither will I. I’ll stay.”
>You couldn’t help but smile at her/its cooperation.
“Awesome. Now, this thing can control ponies' minds, so don't open the door for -anyone- unless it's us. Tell anyone who comes knocking that the human and his friends told you to, for your own safety.”
>It nods robotically, and you nod back as a sign of good will.
>You turn back around and see that they haven’t stopped looking at you.
>”What’s gotten into ya, Anon? We just told ya that it’s dangerous, so you go off makin’ friends!? You’re worse than my sister, ah swear! At least give us a good reason for doin’ this!”
>What do you say?



“Well, besides helping her like any good pony would do, she can help us find that hive and lead us right to Bane.”
>Gable finally speaks out with a very strong tone.
>”It is not a she, Anon. It’s a freak of nature that’s no better than this shadow we’ve been chasing, and you’re too blind to see it because you haven’t been here.”
>Iron agrees with him.
>”I was in Canterlot when the attack happened, brother. Let me tell ya right now that there was a whole lot more injury and casualty that day than you saw in Ponyville, so don’t be getting the wrong idea here.”
“OKAY! Look… whether or not s- it’s actually evil or not, it’s our only lead to get to that hive right now, which we now know we have to do. Maybe not to save those in danger, but at least to eradicate whatever’s left of the shadow. We can’t do it though unless we have someone who’s been there before, and it can lead us through the hive. We’ll talk about it some more later, okay? We have a princess to save.”
>You give a smile and wave to the changeling before ushering your party out of the door and back into the veined hallway.
>The heat of the discussion dies down instantly as you return to the abyss, and AJ and Pinkie start leading the way once again.
>There is still the door propped open by the black root, and the other turn that could hold other things.
>What would you like to do?



>Your eyes dart over to the black root that’s keeping the other door propped open.
>Then your eyes look over at one of the pods.
>You forgot about those weird pulsing things.
>You redraw your spear and approach it yet again, but you then have a thought.
>Might as well try, just to be safe…
>Used Window of Reality

>The mirror once reflecting the light around it begins to bend physics to its will, changing the image of the window and showing you fog.
>This fog eventually clears, as a single path splits out from the corners, revealing the future.
>This picture shows what will happen if you open one of the shadowy pods. The fog clears much more quickly than it usually does, and there is a red light.

>This is all it shows you, and it leaves you even more confused than before.
>There’s only one real way to find out, then.
>Do you want to attack the purple pod? Y/N



>You suddenly step back.
>From all the thoughts going through your mind, a few of them scare you, so you walk back over to the group and wave down their attention.
“Hey, Pinkie!”
>”Hi Nonny!”
>She waves at you like you hadn’t seen each other in days.
“Er, could you help me out real quick?”
>She walks normally up to you with the rest of the party wondering what’s going on.
“Can you take that bow of yours and shoot that pod? I’m pretty sure there’s something inside, but it’s best to pop it at a distance. It’s just like a balloon, right?”
>Pinkie starts to reach for her new hunting bow, but she suddenly looks back at you with a sad expression.
>”I’m sorry, I don’t have any arrow thingies…”
>Oh right, you never went to the store to get any.
>Oh well.
>Is there another way you would like to attack the pod?

REDUX

>”Wait a minute, Nonny!”
>You look back as you see the pink party pony problematically probing her pack, probably looking for something.
>After a long moment of reviewing, she suddenly pulls out a quiver with three yew arrows inside it.
>”I stowed it reaaaaall tight inside my bag for safe keeping! Should I still shoot the purple thingy?”
>Do you want Pinkie to shoot the pod? Y/N



“Yeah, go ahead, just be ready for whatever comes out.”
>Pinkie notches an arrow in the string and slowly sets the pike on the ground, pulling the string back with her teeth as she aims at the pod with one eye open.
>”Erryne rthy?”
>Applejack, Redheart, Gable, Iron and Berry all brace themselves for the upcoming event.
>With the go ahead from your thumbs up, she pulls back a little farther, and fires.
>You watch as the arrowhead pierces the pod, and suddenly expands outward in a very rapid fashion as the gas underneath begins to begin a chemical process you see on a daily basis.
>In short, it fucking explodes.
>The power of the explosion knocks you and your entire party back into the wall, and in yours and Iron’s heavier cases, through it.
[-40% HP to the party, -60% to you and Iron Will.]
Anon: [HP: 52/130]
Red: [HP: 78/130]
Pinkie: [HP: 63/105]
Berry: [HP: 132/220]
AJ: [HP: 144/240]
Gable: [HP: 120/200]
Iron: [HP: 110/275]
>In fact, you’re blasted straight through the wall back where the changeling resides.
>Your glazed eyes stare at it upside down, with a surprised expression.
>”Are you alright, human?”
“...Gghhhhhhhh.”
>You slowly pick yourself off the ground and sit up, rubble and debris falling off of your armor as you look out at the hallway.
>The crystal underneath the blown away shadow was cracked, but still holds strong.
>You don’t see any of the mares or Gable because they’re outside of the room, but you do see Iron got knocked in with you, and he was still stirring with some major cuts all over him.
“You okay…?”
>”Oooh… Did I chip my horn..? I think I chipped it, is it chipped?”
“No..”
>”Alright… Iron Will is fine, brother…”
>You take a moment before you stand yourself up, and you go over and help up Iron.
>His heavy weight ends up pulling you to the ground with him, and it takes another few minutes to get back up properly.
>The ringing in your ears subsides by the time you’re finally standing upright, and you move outside to the hallway where you see the rest of them recovering.
“Everyone… okay?”
>Berry is the first to answer, holding a bloody wound on her face.
>”Ffffffffffffffffuck! What was in that thing?!”
>The rest of them pop up in tandem, having moderate injuries but nobody being unconscious or majorly hurt.
>Everyone gets readjusted from the aftermath, and you all look at where the pod was.
>There’s nothing inside except the violet liquid that was inside it, now bubbling apparently from the oxygen.
>Yet, you now feel a powerful magical signal from this liquid.
>What would you like to do?



>You pop open a healing potion and motion for everyone to gather round.
“Here, this’ll help a bit…”
>Party used Medium Healing Potion
>66% heal / 7 = >9.4%<
Anon: [HP: 64/130]
Red: [HP: 90/130]
Pinkie: [HP: 73/105]
Berry: [HP: 154/220]
AJ: [HP: 166/240]
Gable: [HP: 140/200]
Iron: [HP: 133/275]
>After everyone gets a taste, you realize with all the people you gave the potion to, it didn’t do all that much good.
>You look at Redheart and she nods, and the two of you get to work.
[Redheart uses Medkit on party.]
>25% (+75% skill) = 100% / 7 = >14.3%<
>Collective bonus +50%<
[Party fully healed!]
>You and Redheart finish fixing everyone up while working as a team, and you get yourselves back up.
>That’s when you really feel it.
>The liquid has some sort of magical presence, no doubt.
“Do you guys feel that magic?”
>They all look at you, and trace your sight to the liquid pouring out of the pod.
>Redheart is the first to point out the obvious.
>”We don’t use magic, babe.”
>Then a neutral voice returns to your eardrums, the changeling speaking through the hole in the wall.
>”I feel it as well. There is a magical potency inside.”
>You thank the changeling and it returns to the uncorrupted room.
>You sneak up to the liquid to examine it properly.

>Inspect Pod Liquid
[A violet, bubbling substance. It has a powerful magical presence once it reacts to oxygen in the air, being manufactured in the pods. Perhaps it is a power source, or some sort of collection. Whatever it may be, if you had a vial or bottle, you could salvage it.]

>It’s at this point you realize just how long it’s been since you first came in here with Twilight.
“We should go.”
>The rest of the party nods, and AJ and Pinkie take the lead once more, actually getting closer to the corner this time.
>The door that was opened by the black root has been destroyed as well as the room inside.
>However, you see the glint of something with a shine on the ground underneath the rubble.
>If you have some sort of container, you can grab some of that liquid as well.
>And there is also the right turn that is still available.
>What would you like to do?