NST: Dancing All Ry’Leh(DEAD)

>Day Squiggly
>Be Twilight-liscious Sparkle-trocious.
>Be reading what is probably one of the most mystifying books in all of CHS’ library.
>About the size of a phonebook, grey, written in a language that took a couple minutes to decipher, and filled to the brim with spells and rites that make your head spin.
>You stow the book in your backpack and head off to…
>Oh yeah, you don’t have a next class.
>Lunch bell is going to ring soon!
>Must. Be. First. In. Line. For. Burgers!
>You run as (spoiler)calmly and safely(spoiler) as you can out the library to cafeteria.
>Out the corner of your eye you spot something out of place in the empty halls.
>Grey coat, black pants and boots, green bald head, and eyes that say ’someone has dipped their hoof in my ice-cream and I need a hug.’
>You’ve heard of this student.
>Some say he’s an enigma wrapped in a mystery and slathered in secret-sauce.
>Others say he’s like a rare-monster spawn in a RPG and only appears when the prerequisites are met for an encounter.
>Pinkie says he has never been to, nor invited anyone to party for as long as she’s been attending.
>His name is Anonymous, and he’s staring right at you.

>Be Anonymous
>Be righteously pissed.
>Be righteously pissed that 5 years of work have been undone and you’ve been chewed out by your Boss.
>Now be staring at the sole-reason everything you’ve been commanded to do has gone up in smoke.
>Every instinct is telling you to kill this girl.
>Every fiber of your contract however, tells you to snag this girl and bring her into the loop.
>Contract wins.
>Show time.

>Be Twilight again.
>Be totally confused as to where you are and how you got there.
>This bag smells like cinnamon and pecans.
>As pleasant as it is, you’re kinda freaked out right now.
>”You are the BIGGEST pain I have ever dealt with. Like, seriously, you’re the worst.”
>Well that came from nowhere.
“Not gonna lie, I’m rather uncomfortable, and I would very much like to not hear that kinda thing as of this moment.”
>The bag is lifted and you are met with Anonymous’ upset visage.
>You can only wonder why he’s so angry and what it has to do with you.
>”I spent YEARS working this place to where it was! I had finally got the students to begin to act like normal people and then YOU show up and that all goes out the window. Now I gotta find a new way to save everyone.”
>Wait, what?
>”Do you know how hard it is to remain undetected from a psionic network, especially when you’re actively severing it’s connections? Well let me tell you, it ain’t a stroll in the park.”
>What is this guy talking about?
>You saved the school from villains!
>You’re Twilight Sparkle!
>Princess of Friendship!
>You stopped Sunset Shimmer from zombifying everyone and invading Equestria.
>You saved the school from the Sirens and their plan to… wait what was their plan again?
>And most recently, you saved the school and it’s inhabitants from the terror of… you?
>This world’s version of you.
>Sounds less bad.

>Be Anonymous, The Shaking and Piss-scared
>Sweet lord above are you terrified of this chick.
>Instinct screams for you to run as far as you can.
>It’s taking the full strength of your Contract to keep you where you are.
>You should’ve brought Her with you.
>She could be doing the interrogation instead.
>Fucking hell, you do not want to be in this room.
>Why, though?
>Why does this girl scare you so much?
>You’ve seen what she can do with magic, and it’s nothing compared to your Boss.
>You’ve slain sorcerers and champions who called upon powers far more twisted and cruel than anything you’ve seen this girl command.
>What does the Boss see in her?
>”Okay, start from the beginning, I’m not following.”
“That would take longer than I’d like, and I’m short on time.”
>”Very well, why’d you kidnap me?”
>Crap.
“The bell was about to ring. Didn’t want others to know what was up.”
>”You do know my friends are gonna wonder where I am. I told them I was gonna be there at lunch.”
>Double crap!
>Wait.
>This is good.
>You can pass this task off to Her.
“Alright, fine. But you gotta promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Can’t call attention to myself.”

>Be Twilight
>You’re pretty sure no one in this world can do magic.
>It takes a catalyst like the Elements or magical artifacts from Equestria.
>But somehow Anon was teleporting the two of you about.
>You’re peeved that you missed being first in line, but it’s okay.
>Looks like the girls had you covered and snagged you a tray of goodies.
>Which lets you concentrate on the more pressing subject of Anon.
>Can you call him ‘Anon’?
>You aren’t friends.
>And this first impression is far from being a good one.
>But, lets be patient.
>History has taught you not every shady individual needs to be blasted with Friendship Magic to adjust their attitude.
>Sometimes they just don’t know how to ask for help or a friend.
>Unless they’re Tirek.
>Fuck that guy.
>Fuck that guy with lasers and fire.
>Anyways…
>Anonymous said he didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but someone must’ve noticed the two of you suddenly stepping through the doorway into cafeteria.
>Then again, there was no flash or noise signaling your appearance.
>Heck, if you hadn’t been paying attention, you would’ve never noticed the room dissolving away into the school.
>You wave to the girls and they wave back.
>They look confused, but that’s more because Anonymous is not-so-subtly holding your hand.
>Why is he trembling?
>His face is stoic, almost like a slightly more angry Maude.
>But his eyes look ready to bug out his skull.

>Be Anon
>ABORT! ABORT! ABORT! ABORT!
>This is a terrible idea!
>Too many wandering eyes!
>Wait, what is she doing!?
>Why is she waving?
>Who is she waving to?
>Oh god why are there five others at the table!?
>OH GOD! THEY’RE LOOKING AT YOU!
>ACT NORMAL! Act normal.
>You are a normal human being.
>What do normal males do in this situation?
>Hand holding.
>You’ve seen that in other schools.
>Guys hold the hands of girls who are important to them.
>This girl’s important to you in a really, really, really extreme way.
>Now just move one foot after the other.
>Thats it.
>Nice and easy.
>You can do this.
>OHJESUSFUCK-!

>Be Twixie Stix
>Wow.
>Just…
>Wow.
>That was probably the most impressive display of over-the-top nonchalance you’ve ever seen.
>And you’ve seen Pinkie try to be sneaky when stealing from the cookie jar.
>Anon goose-stepped across the lunch hall, his eyes going ballistic like he was having a seizure, all while holding your hand as you casually walked over to the table your with friends.
>Then, once you arrived, he tripped(?) and smashed the end of the table.
>Good thing Rarity has cat-like reflexes and saved her tray.
>Unfortunately Applejack wasn’t and her lunch cushioned Anonymous’ fall.
>Wasn’t this place filled with the sounds of eating and friends talking?
>A cursory glance around tells that all eyes are on you two.
>”So, Twilight! Who’s your new friend?” Sunset pipes in.
>And then, as if someone unfroze time, everything continued as normal.

>Be Anonymous
>You fucking failure.
>All you had to do was walk like a normal person.
>Walk.
>Walk was all you had to do.
>You had one job.
>Praise be that Sunset was here to cover your ass.
>And now she can cover talking to Purple-Girl while you make like a Thousand Young and get the fuck out.
>[And where do you think you’re going?]
>Dammit woman, you know I hate being out in public!
>[Boss said you were supposed to convince Twilight to join our cause.]
>Hey I outrank you! That means you got to do what I say, when I say it!
>[Oh this is rich~ You’re scared!]
> FUCK YOU I’M SCARED!
>I SAW THE FALL OF SARNATH!
>I FOUGHT AGAINST CJOPAZE, THE WEAVER OF WORLDS!
>I AIN’T SCARED OF NOTHIN’!
>[Is that why you were sperging out on the way here?]
>S-shutup, Sunset. Stop reading my mind.
>[Pick yourself up, hun. I’m gonna run damage control before They notice.]
>…Thank you.

>Be Twiggity Spaghetti
“Everyone, meet Anonymous.”
>Everyone but Sunset and Pinkie are looking to each other confused.
>”We s’posed t’know who he is?” Applejack inquires while trying to determine if her lunch is salvageable .
>”He’s that weird kid I told you all about! The one who sometimes appears in my bedroom at 3 in the morning and just stares at me!” Pinkie exclaims. “He’s real! Take that God! Tulpas can exist!”
>At that, Anon shoots to his feet, both he and the food tray are devoid of any edible substances.
>As to how this is possible, you aren’t sure.
>However you are sure AJ has no chance of getting her food back.
>Guess you’ll have give her one of your food stuffs.
>But that bitch better not touch one your burgers.
>You’re friends, but not even the real AJ has a chance at depriving you of a burger.
>Blood will be spilt before that happens.
>”THAT’SNOTME!THAT’SNEVERME!YOUSPEAKLIES!WE’REESTRANGEDFAMILY!I’MYOURCOUSIN’S-SISTER’S-BOYFRIEND’S-NEPHEW!I’VENEVERSEENYOUINMYLIFE!”
>Oh, well that explains it.
>Now Sunset has stood up, eyes wide, a stressed smile on her face…
>Now she’s cupped Anon’s mouth.
>”Hey Twilight, mind coming with me for a minute?”
>This must be important.
>But at the same time…
>”You can bring your food.”
>Best.
>Friend.
>Ever.

>Be Shimmy-Sham
>Ho-ly shit that couldn’t have gone better.
>Good thing you’re the Mistress of Subtlety.
>Twi’s busy chowing down, so she’s gonna be distracted for a while.
>Now onto Anonymous…
“You want to explain what happened back there, Anon?”
>”Look, it was a moment of weakness, it won’t happen again.”
”Should hope so, that nearly made Them aware of you.”
>”No fucking way.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, maybe I should have played off your leg disconnecting as a horrific accident and let Them know you aren’t human.”
>”Y-you wouldn’t! The Boss would kill you!”
“No, he’d leave me for dead. He’d kill you, though.”
>Damn that girl can eat. There was a foot and a half of food on that tray, and she’s eaten a third!
>”Hey… Do you trust her?”
“Twilight? She’s the Princess of Friendship and an Element of Harmony, no one’s more trust worthy.”
>”See that’s what has me worried.”
“What?”
>”She’s aligned with Harmony. This operation is about causing Chaos.”
“Have you seen how she works? Girl causes more damage and destruction than some of the villains she fights.”
>Anon looks at you dejectedly.
>”If you say so.”
“So how you want to do this? How much have you told her?”
>”Well… um…”
“Oh my god, you’ve told her nothing have you?”
>”I was panicking! I had just woken up, took one step out of my locker, and there she was!”
“And?”
“…And I blacked her out and took her into The Room… and I choked.”
>This guy…
>This guy is un-FUCKING-believable.
>You’re pulling on your hair you’re so frustrated!
“Okay, well!… You go in first.”
>”WHAT!?”
“Can’t do anything until you explain the situation.”
>”B-but thats why I brought her to you!”
“Boss says I can’t do anything until you at least try.”
>Anon groans, rubbing where temples would be on a normal head.
>”What if I show her?”
“What do you have in mind?”
>“We take her to a study lab in the library, lure one the students in and… I don’t know, clock them with a text book?”

>Still be Bacon Mane
>This plan.
>This plan is by far one of the worst plans you have heard.
>And yet.
>You really want to see it succeed.
>If only so you can see Twilight’s face when Anon possibly kills a student in a bizarre attempt to explain how the whole school is connected via some sort of psychic demon.
>Shit, you’ve been a part of this outfit for three years and it’s still the craziest thing you’ve ever heard.
>And you come from a world of magical-talking-horses with wyrd-butt tattoos.
>Also, you suddenly understand why Princess Celestia said you had a dangerous mind and banished you to the Planet of the Hairless Apes.
>”Alright, I think one of them’s taking the bait…” Anon whispers as he gets into position.
>”Do we really have to trick someone? Couldn’t you just tell me what’s so important?” Sparkle inquires, causing Anon to have miniature panic attack.
>”Uh, well… *cough* what, uh… What we’ve got to explain is really… uh…”
“If we were to just say it, without evidence, then it’s just hearsay from a semi-reliable source.”
>Holy shit, you deserve to be stuck in this place.
>”But I trust your word, Sunset. You’re a good friend.”
>’Oh Twi, you have no idea how terrible a person I am.’
“So then trust me on this. It’s easier to show than explain.”
>”Well, okay…”
>Almost breaks your heart.
>Almost.
*WHAM!*
>”THE GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE HAS ARRIVED FOR TUTORING! She requires MIGHTY ASSISTANCE in the damnable arithmetic known as 4th-DIMENSIONAL ALGERBRA!”

>Be Purple Scared
>Sweet Celestia…
>Anonymous just…
>He just…
>And Sunset’s just…
>What the hell is going on here?

>Be Flash ‘Your Waifu or your Laifu’ Sentry
>Something has just happened.
>Something that has ruined a pair of panties.
>And not in the traditional way.
>Somewhere in this school, a girl just pissed herself, and it wasn’t out of fetish-play.
>This indiscretion shall not go unpunished.

>Be Sunset Shimmer
>Be cackling as Trixie continues to monologue about…
>Something… having to do with math… and God blighting Ms. Cheerilee’s house.
>As Anon is glaring daggers of eldritch flame at Trixie for splattering him all over the door and wall.
>And Twilight is speechless in how horrified she is at it all.
>Today’s just the best.
>You’ve learned something about yourself, you got to chew out your superior officer for incompetence, and now you get to see what is probably going to be the most traumatic experience in Trixie’s young life.
>Life is good.
>God, you are a fucking monster!
>It’s great!

>You are Shog’Anon
>Shambling Horror from beyond the Cosmos
>…and as of now…
>Boiling with the wrath of a thousand suns.
>This Blue Thing just destroyed your disguise.
>The form given to you by The Boss.
>The form you spent so long fine-tuning.
>Sure, you can just shift back into it…
>But, then The Blue Thing wouldn’t learn.
>And this place is an Academic Temple.
>A Learning must HAPPEN.
>The Adept is taken by the humor of the situation.
>But the Aspirant is recoiling before your Unearthly Visage.
>This is fine.
>You lurch towards the Blue Thing, tendrils and teeth shifting over her form.
>There is screaming, but it is muted.
>Wait…
>One of the Archons is near.
>The Learning will happen differently.

>Be Ketchup/Mustard
>VP Luna just entered the lab.
>You’re helping ‘Trixie’ with her math homework.
>”Greetings Disciples! How do things proceed within this alcove?”
>This sperg.
“Things are going quite well, Vice Principal. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
>Man, her chin is just… You could dig a ditch with it.
>Pretty certain Celestia here has the same thing going on.
>Just goddamn.
>”Well, I’ve received word that there was an unsanctioned tutoring service being offered and I was investigating to ensure that nothing… felonious was happening.”
>Wait.. when did THAT become a thing?
“Of course, sorry. It was a spur of the moment thing.”
>”Nonetheless, I am pleased to see that you are taking an active role in helping other students! Perhaps one day we’ll all be able to put the Fall Formal incident behind us.”
>’You bitch, that was a YEAR ago! How are you still sore about that? I’ve saved the school TWICE now!’
“One day, Ms. Luna, one day. ‘Till then, I shall do my to help others!”
>Big shit-eating grin just be safe…
>…
>Good she bought it.
>Now back to-
>”TrIxIe CoUlDn’T hElP bUt NoTiCe LuNa’S bUrGeOnInG gUt! PeRhApS tHe ExTrA CuPcAkE iS a BaD iDeA!”
>Anon you son of a bitch.
>[The blue girl must learn!]
>Fucking shit, we do not need Luna staying any longer! Didn’t you learn anything from the first time!?
>[Ah, but this time I’m wearing someone else’s face! She’ll hound Trixie instead one of us! Besides, I’m already rewriting the memory. If they read her, she’ll remember it our way.]
>”Repeat what you just said…”
>’Oh shit son, now you gone and made her mad.’
>”tRiXiE wAs OnLy CoMmEnTiNg On LuNa’S tRuCk SiZeD ASS!”
>Luna’s eye twitches.
>She grabs Trixie’s wrist and pulls her violently out the lab, just as Anon peels himself off of her.
>”You’ll wish yourself Prometheus when I’ve finished with you…”
>”W-WAIT! TRIXIE WAS FRAMED! SHE DOESN’T THINK YOU’RE FAT! Maybe a little around the edges, but- NO! TRIXIE DIDN’T MEAN THAT! NOOOO!”
>It’s not a skull fracture and a concussion, but it’ll do.
>Twilight is still in… shock?
>Either she’s stress eating or she’s…
>You have no clue with this girl.
>Everything is about food with Twilight. Coming to Monkey World has definitely affected her brain.
>Or being a princess.
>Maybe this is a coping mechanism.
>She has seen more action and, by Equestrian standards, unfathomable horrors than even the veteran guard in Canterlot.
>Then again, human food ridiculously delicious.
>Going back to being herbivore now would just be the worst.
>Oh yeah, you’re never going back to Equestria.
>Celestia would explode if she caught you eating meat in her nation.
>Would probably make you sick there too.
>Being an omnivore rocks.
>Complex digestive enzymes FTW!
“Alright, so plan B. Anon you tried… I think.”
>”Good enough for me! I’m outta here.”
“Hold up hot stuff, I need you for one last thing.”
>”And that is?”
>You slug Anon in the ‘face’ and it crumples around your fist.
>”Hmmm… I see your point. Next time I’ll plan ahead more than not all.”
“And?”
>”Huh? Oh, uh… The pain! Oof! Never before have I known such anguish. Uhhh… I’m going to cry or some such shit.”
“You’re no fun.”
>”You’re a sadist. Now tell Twilight the situation, I’m gonna go see if I find something to eat.”
>Twilight’s ear perk at the mention of more things to cram down her gullet.
>Fortunately, Anon already pulled a disappearing act.
“Alright, lets get down to business. I’m gonna to explain this as best I can, so please pay attention. Twi?”
>Apparently she has forgotten how doors work, because now she’s pawing at it as if searching for something.
>”How does he do that? It wasn’t even open!”
“Magic, Twilight. He does it with magic.”
>”Does he have a catalyst? Did something else come through from Equestria that he’s using?”
“I don’t think so. From what he’s told me, I’m the fourth thing to come from the portal.”
>”He knows about the portal? Wait, at this point doesn’t everyone?”
“Amazingly, no. Not everyone knows about it. But Anon’s known about it longer than either of us have.”
>”Really?”
“Yeah, he also somehow knew when I was going to arrive. It was almost as if he was expecting me.”
>Twilight walks back to the table and sits across from you.
“When I first came through I… Well I don’t how, but he was standing there in front of me an the portal with bag of clothes. Just waiting in the rain with an umbrella.”
>Twilight’s fully engaged it seems.
>She did say she had a thing for romance novels, but you’re not sure if this qualifies as such.
“So there I am, naked…”

>3 years ago…
>How could she do this to you?
>You are her star pupil!
>…
>Were her star pupil.
>’Your obsession with the darkness in others’ hearts is hurting you, Sunset. It’s twisting you inside! You can’t make the world better by taking others’ evil within yourself! Look at the damage you have done…!’
>You were on to something.
>It was the perfect plan!
>True benevolence could be achieved if you stripped others of their darker impulses.
>Rid them of things like greed, anger, or hate.
>No more cruelty, no more evil, no more darkness.
>A golden era of unity and love would be born!
>And once you had collected it all, you could store it in a phylactery and seal it away!
>Utopia unrivaled.
>But Celestia condemned your idea.
>Said it would do more harm than good.
>But what did she know?
>No one had ever attempted such a thing before!
>You would’ve been a hero!
>A fiefdom all your own wouldn’t have been reward enough for it!
>…
>You don’t deserve this.
>Being stuck out in the cold rain.
>Damn it all.
>”Hey.”
>You look up to the voice’s source.
>A…
>What is it?
>Tall, bipedal, green, a pair of the coldest eyes you’ve ever seen, and wearing dark clothes, and holding an umbrella.
>Something in it’s other claw(?)… A bag?
>”Come with me, it’s not safe out here.”
>The voice sounds male, but can’t be sure.
>This thing is as alien as it gets.
>You start to get up, but something’s wrong.
>You limbs feel less sturdy.
>Less stable.
>It-he-raises an eyebrow at your sudden confusion.
>He shifts around his gear, places the bag into a weird looking saddle bag, and attaches his umbrella to his pack.
>He offers a claw(?).
>Move what was once a fore-hoof but is now one of those claws(?).
>Needless to say, you begin to freak out.
>With a huff, he pulls out a coat from his pack, and in one motion wraps it around you and picks you up.
>”Don’t have time for this right now.”
>He’s warm.
>Soft, yet with right amount of firmness like a good mattress.
>And surprisingly strong considering the amount of ease he’s carrying you with.
>Suddenly, you’re in a room.
>Looks like a loft.
>You must’ve passed out while he was carrying you.
>The bag is across from you on a coffee table.
>You look inside.
>Clothing.
>Warm looking clothing, perfect for winter even.
>”You’re gonna need that. All of it. ‘This world everyone wears clothing. All the time.”
>Opposite end of the room, he sits on the ground.
>”I’m gonna make this quick; you are currently in a world similar to your with some changes. Some are minor, some more drastic… Presumably. Now judging from your reaction, I’m guessing you’re like the others in the sense you weren’t always bipedal or human. Right now, your body resembles that of human being, they are the dominant species of this world. Humans walk upright and use those multi-digited extremities to manipulate objects. They are called hands. Get familiar with them, you’re going to be using them a lot.”
>Well…
>That was concise.
>Wait, what was that about others?
“There are others like me?”
>”I think so. 3 of them. Came from the same portal in statue.”
>There’s a soft click from behind the couch you’re on.
>He gets up moves over to the kitchenette, then walks back a few seconds later with a mug.
>Smells like cocoa.
>”Here, this should keep you stable.”
“Stable?”
>”Inter-dimensional travel can have some averse effects to your physiology. Last thing I need is you converting into a miniature sun because someone bumped into you.”
>Terrified, you grab the cup and are about to put it to your lips.
>It looks like liquid black licorice with bright green gum balls floating in it.
“Wh-what is this?”
>”Miniature sun. Every single particle in your body exploding with the force to sunder a mountain.”
>Bottom’s up.
>Huh. Weird.
>Tastes like…
>You aren’t certain, it’s kinda salty, but it’s smooth and sweet, and there’s a tang of spice.
>Like sweet cream and pepper sauce.
>Not the greatest combination, but not foul.
>Just weird.
>”Name’s Anonymous.”
“Huh?”
>”My name is Anonymous. What’s yours?”
“Sunset, Sunset Shimmer.”
>”Well Sunset, I’m going to offer you two options. The first is to disappear. I can set you up with a place to live, and if you want a job.”
>Sounds nice.
>Not as magnificent as being the protege of a living god, but nice none the less.
>”The other option is that you work for me.”
“Doing… what?”
>He grins, “Saving the world.”

>CHS Library: Study Lab B, Present

“…So I took the job.”
>Twilight cocks her head.
>”How does stealing my crown and becoming a demon equal saving the world?”
>Okay, fair question.
“Well, you see-“
>”Heck, how does zombifying the whole student population and invading Equestria equal saving the world?”
“If you’d let me explain-“
>”Also, if you got some sort of potion to prevent you from exploding, how come I didn’t get one?”
“Again, let me just-“
>”Also why were you naked and I wasn’t? That makes no sense. I mean, thats a pretty big deal here… Apparently. Plus, doesn’t it strike weird now that he seemed too calm to seeing a young woman like yourself in the buff? In Equestria it’d understandable, but here, like he stated, rules are different.”
“MOTHERFUCKER! TAKE. A. BREATH! Fucking shit, just let explain! Goddamn!”
>Deep breath.
>In and out.
“Okay, so, from the top…”
>Twi leans back in her chair.
>Maybe if you were talking about food or restaurants she’d be more enthused.
“The crown theft was a plan we came up after we determined what was affecting the school.”
>”And that was?”
>’One more Sparkle. Interrupt me ONE MORE TIME.’
“Twilight, have you noticed how the people here behave disturbingly similarly to the ponies of Equestria?”
>”I’d need an example.”
“Okay, you know how in Equestria when one pony starts singing, everyone joins in?”
>”Yeah, cause everypony is in-tune with each through the power of Harmony.”
“Right, well, according to Anon, that isn’t supposed to be the case here.”
>”What do you mean?”
“This world, according to him, is supposed to be in constant flux. Never fully attuned to Harmony or Chaos. And Canterlot High is an anomaly that’s spreading.”
>Twilight’s face scrunches as she tries to wrap her mind around the concept.
>Maybe this is why Anonymous wanted you to handle this. You’ve been where Twilight is now… Kind of.
>”That makes even LESS sense!”
“Well, to beings like us, yeah it seems weird, but it clicks when you-“
>”If a world is discordant, than it tears itself apart! The inhabitants are driven mad because there’s no sense of solidarity! I mean, there’s not knowing what tomorrow will bring and there’s not knowing if tomorrow will ever come!”
>You slam your hands on the table, startling Twilight.
“But that just it! This world and it’s inhabitants are normally fucking nuts! That’s their natural state! And at the same time, they move with every ebb and flow of their cosmos. When this world becomes too harmonic or chaotic, disasters beyond your worst nightmares happen! This place is a land of extremes! When Harmony dominates, it becomes tyrannical order! People are oppressed, cities and nations are either conquered or exterminated because they don’t abide by the Tyrannical Order! When Chaos dominates, it’s war unending! Millions die in pointless conflict because they’ve losses all reason and turn to their darker natures! If this place is even a little off balance, it’s catastrophic and takes decades, centuries even to recuperate.”
>You collapse into your chair, winded.
>Twilight however has lost all color.
>She’s just staring at you like a child that’s realized she doesn’t know where her home is.
“…This town is a bubble. And everyone in it is highly receptive of controlling influences. You get someone with a strong enough personality or desire, and bam, everyone is attuned to that person. But it’s not mind-control. It’s closer to a subconscious push. Like everyone under the empathic influence is compelled follow the routines laid out by whoever is causing a splash in the pond. However, there’s a catch… Say you do something that results negatively, like I dunno, manipulating people to fear you; everyone under the influence will cower before your very presence. They’ll quake under every word you speak. In return, you as the epicenter of influence, are rewarded with something akin to an ego-high. You feel powerful. Godlike even. You feel euphoria every time you make someone under your influence experience absolute terror or despair…”
>You shudder in twisted nostalgia at the time you first made someone beg for forgiveness and mercy for bumping into you.
>What a rush.
“… But, like I said, there’s a catch. The backlash of having your control interrupted or broken is nightmarish. Do you know what it’s like to feel like your life is slipping away? Not that you’re dying, but that everything you ever had, everything you ever did was all starting to become meaningless. The world becomes obscured. Suddenly, you’re aware of your impact on people. Your conscience returns and you realize how much of terrible person you were. You feel your sins constricting around your neck like a noose. But the worst part is, everyone around you, all the people you hurt, are aware that you no longer ‘control’ them. And because they all share a mindset, it’s a self-sufficient engine of vitriol and malice aimed at you.”
>And it’s not gonna stop anytime soon.
>No matter how many times you save these kids.
“We call it, ‘The Gestalt.’ And we believe there’s an entity causing it. Something affecting everyone in the school, the town, from the Astral Plane.”