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Messages - Silver Snake

121
YOOOOUUUU ARRRRREEEE ELLLLLLLL.....

((url, for those who didn't get it....))
122
((Just a reminder for the doctor pony if he ever wants him around for testing, Crimson's symptoms included breathing trouble, nausea, coughing and a fever. I guess Crimson's (and the rest of the ponies from his kingdom, for that matter) wonky physiology results in a different set of symptoms.))
123
Blue was mildly annoyed by Gathering's request. It made him sick to think that any of his Laws would cause disorder, but the thought of another pony like Crimson, perhaps even that dreadful Prince coming through sickened him further. Overbearing? If anything, I'd say my first Laws were much too vague. And if an Elemental decides to take matters into it's own hooves again, I think he'll be singing a different tune. Before he could tell Gathering so, Teal decided to up and faint on him. The unicorn leapt up with a start and let out a cry somewhere between startlement and annoyance. He couldn't do anything to help either, because Gathering had already taken care of it. Sweet Celestia. It there a matter that that pony CAN keep his nose out of?

Thoughts of a sick Teal reminded Blue of how Crimson was shivering on the ground and the few throaty coughs the mortal had had earlier. "What is it with mortals and sickness here? I'd make a Law against sickness if I felt like it would be a good idea..." he muttered. With his thoughts now on the topic of Crimson, Blue answered Alkaid's question. "Yes. Go ahead. If he is to remain here, he can't be spreading that militant malarkey around. It might give him a better attitude, too." Blue dipped his head to the god of Memory and watched Crimson evenly, wondering if he would be able to tell when the mortal's memories were augmented.


*****

With everything saw colored blurs and his unstoppable shaking, it was a wonder Crimson had decided to stay conscious at all. After hearing that his memories were about to be erased now, Crimson unwrapped his tail from around himself and staggered to his hooves. He couldn't see anything in detail, but it was obvious which god wasn't Blue Blur. The red Earth pony stalked up to the offending god and tried to look him in the eyes. In reality, Crimson was staring at Alkaid's mouth, but that didn't bother him right now. "Look, Al Cake, or whatever your name is, I need those memories if I'm going back home! And you're just... taking them from me? Hmph. This is why I turned my back on all of the Prince's theological lunacy. Gods don't care a straw about mortals." Crimson smirked with a grunt of laughter. "Thanks for justifying my decision, Mr. Cake. Well, get on with it." Crimson turned his head to the side and closed his eyes, daring the Memory god to proceed.
124
ERMAGERD! UNIRCERN!
125
Blue (who HAD been in fact standing there the whole time) was mad beyond all belief. No, he wasn't just mad, he was furious. Livid even. His anger was such that his royal blue cheeks had turned a somewhat bruised purple. His golden eyes blazed with divine power. It was pulling at it's restraints, begging to be set free and burning all that opposed him in a curtain of sapphire fire. Listening to the drivel that had been spewing out of the Elemental's mouths had finally broken his control. "How dare they? They say they protect justice, but they are spreading more Chaos than I can stomach. And Law.... stealing Law from my own realm to make an army for his own skewed attempt at justice." The unicorn's horn, unpredictable since this morning, began to radiate a cobalt-blue brilliance, too beautiful and terrible to look at. "They insult and henpeck me at every turn, doing as they please with such a limited view. One-track minded half-wits, the lot of them, and unfit for existence if they defy me in this way." The voice Blue had been using was quiet, with an undercurrent of pure fury. He never once raised it, it remained a whisper, as if he wanted nopony to know of his intentions.

Finally, the brilliance had reached it's peak and all the light focused on the exact point of Blue's sharp horn. It died out for a split second, and then returned in the form of a percussive azure shockwave, flying through every corner of Creation. This Order, for that is what the shockwave consisted of, searched for every source of Disorder in the plane and sought to eliminate it by balancing it out. But when it came across the unruly Elementals and Law himself, it attacked them, recognizing them as creatures who were spreading Chaos with no sign of stopping. When the azure wave came upon them, the weaker Elementals dissolved on contact. Law, however, took longer to deconstruct. The shimmering remnants of the Elementals traveled to the Realm of Law and were re-absorbed into the shrunken planet.

Blue stood with a look of accomplishment on his face. He neither panted, nor was a single hair out of place on his head. The thrice-accursed Elementals were finally gone. "Those things were far out of control. I will not stand for that sort of thing to happen again." In his mind, Blue drafted three more Laws to be added to the little collection he had been gathering. "There shall be Laws to prevent this from happening. The first Law I make regarding Elementals is that of their goal. They are to defend their Element, but they are not permitted to take the issue into their own hooves. The second is that they shall be completely subordinate to their respective Gods and follow their orders. Any God who cannot control their Elemental shall have their Elemental destroyed. The third is more broad and applies to all creatures. Any living being entering Creation with impure intentions are not to be given sanctuary here. If they are left uncorrected and act on these intentions, they shall be transported back to Equestria with no questions asked." Blue let the stream of words float into the sky and be absorbed into the net of Law, where they would be added to the doctrine containing the Laws he had set down before.

He turned to the knot of ponies and smiled. "That's taken care of. For now." The Law God walked to Teal's side and looked kindly at him. "Good morning, Teal. I hope you're feeling better now. I am sorry I wasn't there to help you with Crimson. This would have never happened if I had been there." Eyes swimming with remorse, Blue also looked over at the quivering Crimson. The mortal's eyes were wide, yet dull. The sarcastic spark was no longer alight in the scarlet depths. He wondered if anything he could say would help the mortal. No, probably not. It was my fault anyway. He also didn't feel like apologizing. Crimson got what he deserved. There was no reason to apologize for that.


*****

Crimson's mind had started to work through what was vision and what wasn't. The blackness seemed to pull away. It was almost as if it was chased off by the brilliant blue light that was coming from... somewhere. However, the light was too bright to look at, and his reflexes were sluggish and he didn't close his eyes in time. He was blinded and dazed for now and his cold from before showed up again. He shivered some  and he curled up into a little red ball, his fluffy tail trying to keep him warm some. At last, his thoughts were free enough that he could get a cohesive thought together. Ugh... that... was awful. I never want to be sent back there....

((I just realized that since I was extremely distracted, there were a few glaring errors in here. Noooo... My posts must all be perfect! *bursts into song singing about his wedding day*))
126
The Retirement Home / Re: true or false?
2012 Nov 27, 22:29:14
That would be a no. If it were true, you would have heard about the extinction of the Anarki.

The pony below me wears their sunglasses at night, so they can, so they can.
127
You, for one, support our new pony overlords.

And actually, it's iced coffee. XD
128
It was a time of great emotional pain for Blue as he sifted through his every memory, picking and choosing the ones he wished to put particular emphasis on for Crimson. The ones he focused on were his happy memories. The sunlit days of his family's trips to the park, he and his little sister frolicking in the daisy-ridden field and his parents looking on with pride. Him showing the newest magic he had learned, levitating a small toy, to his parents and watching their expressions as he succeeded. Winning the class presidency. Working and chatting over a greasy engine with a middle-aged yellow Earth pony, and whooping with laughter in the driver's seat of a car with the same pony. He showed his graduation from Canterlot University with his little sister wrapping her forelegs around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek, his mother crying in the background and his father giving him an approving pat on the shoulder. He showed Crimson the day he had won his first case, though it was a small one. In the background of the scene, a cream-colored unicorn mare could be seen beaming at him. There were several instances of Blue and the mare talking together, laughing, arguing and hugging. An image of him looking closely at a jewelry case and selecting an engagement ring also flashed into Crimson's mind. Here, the happy memories stopped.

In the midst of these happy memories, a few unhappy ones floated by, clearly much less emphasis was put on these. The image of him as a colt dressed in a small black suit standing just in front of a casket with a young stallion laying inside, the brutal fights he had had with his little sister, often over inconsequential things. Here, there was a slight time skip in the bad memories as it showed him looking out a car window, apparently trapped and pounding on the glass. The yellow Earth pony  from before is seen trying to free him from the outside, but for some reason, he topples over onto the ground. It skips to a hospital scene where a young Blue is in bed, screaming that whatever somepony had said wasn't true. A vaguer image is next, with Blue's parents the focus. They are both looking down on their son with cold disdain and disappointment the only emotion on their faces, and the unicorn's mother pushes him away when he tries to hug her. The bad memories too fade away along with the good ones and are replaced with something much darker.


*****

Crimson would be seeing, as well as feeling the panic that flared in his chest, as he realized that the pony in the car behind him had no intention of leaving him unharmed that night. An all-consuming dread of what would be coming next. This feeling was broken by the close roaring of an engine close behind him and the screeching of metal. Crimson felt his head snapping back, then breaking through the windshield of his vehicle as he flew forward. The impact of the pavement on his face was more painful than he could have imagined. He could feel every bone in his face break and one of his eyes suddenly went dark. The pain in his chest and shoulders was also excruciating, and every breath was painful. Every time he took a breath in, it was as if his chest was full of needles. And if had tried to move anything below his shoulders, he was out of luck. It did save him from some pain, but that was hardly a consolation. Crimson felt himself just laying there on the pavement as blood gushed out of the lacerations all over his face and the rest of his body. It felt like an eternity until he was able to see with his one remaining eye the flashing lights of ambulances, fire trucks and police cruisers. In his extremely muffled hearing, a sharp cry was heard, ending on a wail. A bright white unicorn with a red mane dressed in firefighting gear galloped over and tried to pick Crimson's head up. The unicorn was sobbing, and tears often fell onto Crimson's ruined face. The Earth pony felt something in his chest seize up, then go still. His vision went dark after this.

Crimson found himself in a place that would have been dark, except it was lit by a shining point of light, where his family and marefriend could be seen, looking through at him. He tried to run towards them, calling out their names, but even though he knew he was moving his legs, he got no closer to the light of day. His family soon became frustrated with his lack of progress and went away, the light with them. Crimson was in total blackness, and he was completely alone. A shattering feeling of loss and inequity crashed upon him and he began to sob and scream that it wasn't fair, and how he'd kill the pony that did this to him. The memories stopped after that as Blue cut them off, but not before Crimson was able to see a sliver of a pink, blue and green mane, shimmering in a soft light.

Crimson was thrust out of the vision now, back in Creation and back among the gods that hated him so. He said nothing. How could he say anything when the blackness had swallowed up his voice so callously? When nothing had even asked him if he had wanted to go, or given him another chance? He just simply ripped away from the life that had brought him so much joy, and would have provided it further. And he had gone in the arms of a distraught friend, no less. The Earth pony mortal still felt the cloying, chilling darkness and began to shiver, though he was already slick with sweat. The visions were too fresh, and he could hardly notice the pounding of his heart in his chest which was what separated him from the Blue in the visions.


((I'll address the Law elemental overpopulation soon, but not now. Blue dashing off to make some unruly hunks of Law behave would sort of ruin the mood, I think. Plus, this post is text-heavy enough and there are more memories to come from others. But Blue isn't really needed for those, I guess.))
129
I am to follow a yellow brick link.
130
Quote from: hyper drive [HD] on 2012 Nov 26, 14:43:23
Spoiler: show

Spoiler: show


our future


As a rabid follower of Transformers and robots in general, I would like to say that I am okay with this. :nod:

This too:
Spoiler: show
131
The Law god listened to Alkaid's warnings carefully, yet his mind was made up about the penalty. "I have no doubt that, if this pony has seen all he has alluded to, memories of death should not kill him. Though if you and Night Sight feel that it may be too much, you may soften the process as you see fit or halt it completely. There are other things we can do." Blue's golden gaze hardened as he looked upon the pony who had not only ruined his life, but had taken it. Nothing is too terrible for a pony like you. If you are driven mad, who is to say that it is an uneven trade? "But perhaps, Alkaid, you should not have to erase all his memories. Would it not be easier to erase the ones of his conviction to his nation, the ones of whatever physical abuse he was subject to, and the all the propaganda put in his head? Erase his reasons, yet leave him with his history. He seems rather proud of it. Leaving him with his identity and the story of how his race saved themselves can't harm much. But pride among these sorts," he nodded down at Crimson, "is everything.

The Law god's eyes shot up and looked behind him at Night Sight. "What is your interest in him anyway, Insanity God? He hasn't said three words to you, yet you wish to protect him? Or is it something else you wish to protect?" Rolling his eyes, Blue let out a large sigh. "Do what you will. Protect whatever good you see in him. It can't be that much. Why, even his heart has probably been frozen by his beloved Arctic winds." The blue unicorn took a few steps back so that he stood flank-to-flank with Alkaid. "Let it begin. Use my memories first."


*****

It should be said at this point that crouching at the feet of these ponies who were not royal killed Crimson's pride. It was as if he were being made to bow to a fellow soldier. Half of these gods didn't even seem deserving of the treatment he was giving them. One had it out for him, another denounced his entire life as nonsense, and one tried to make it look like he was defending him, but at the same time, the god wanted to erase his memories. Hmph. Let him try. The Prince will see to it that that will not be permanent. But there was one who seemed to genuinely like him. The Earth pony prisoner looked at the god with untrusting eyes. Nothing good could come of another pony being worried about his well-being, that much could be proven by wandering into the infirmary where he worked. Some of those technicians were truly frightening. Much more than what he would be forced to experience in the next few minutes, he assured himself.

((I hate being gone and doing projects! They ruin my fun.  :c Sorry for being gone a day more than I told you, everypony.))
132
Between Crimson's blathering on about history and the Law Elemental breathing down his neck, Blue wondered why he didn't just leave the little knot of gods and go take a nap. With a lazy glance to his right, he remembered. Oh yeah. Teal. I hope he's okay... The mortal hadn't stirred since Crimson had so thoughtfully "brought" him to them. Everything was just a barrage on his senses, but he found relief when one by one, the disturbances went away. Crimson was panting while laying on the ground and looked half-dead. The only sign of life from the detestable pony was the rising and falling of his flank. Blue thought about it stopping suddenly, and was chilled by the fact that he could quite easily make that happen.

The major annoyance too was being dealt with. Gathering seemed to have grown weary of Blue's image and had bound it's powers somehow. It didn't like this and dissolved, presumably going back to Night Shine. Blue released a loud sigh. "Thank you, Gathering. I'm not sure how much you can sympathize with me, but I really hate that thing. I hate it with the burning passion of one thousand Suns. The nerve of insulting me while it was still next to me." Without skipping a beat, the Law god responded to Alkaid as well, even though he just now realized his presence. "I don't feel right imprisoning him or killing him. I should like to punish him in a way that he will never forget, in addition to his probation. He will also be closely monitored by me. I shall know of his whereabouts and actions at all times." Blue thought for a bit about how Crimson would be made to atone for his crimes. A brilliant idea popped into his head immediately.

"My punishment for Crimson Crisis is that he will be made to experience what he did to those he wronged the most. First me, then Teal, then every pony he has ever harmed while in the Prince's service. He shall feel our pain, know our hurts, learn of the dark hopelessness." The unicorn, was of course, talking mostly about himself when he described what the red Earth pony would be forced to feel. "But to perform this punishment, I will need the help of our very own Memory god. Alkaid, would you be so kind as to help me?" The irony of the question was not lost on him. It would hardly be kind for Alkaid to do this. For Blue believed that Crimson, as twisted as he was, was in some way valued to the Princesses, his Prince and to the gods of his own land. But he has done wrong, and he must face justice. The Elemental (who he had henceforth decided to name Bruce) was right about that.


*****

Crimson pulled his chin off his hooves just enough to look Gathering evenly in the eyes. "Oh, we know of the so-called 'benevolence' of the current monarchy of the South. We have simply decided that, in light of the attacks that that particular monarchy is unable to prevent, the new rule of Equestria might as well be cruel. Is it worse to rule without being effective or to be cruel? I might as well not answer that, because you know what I will say already." Crimson had tried to be careful of his words to some degree. He had a feeling that the majority of these ponies were fanatical worshipers of the royal pair of Princesses and if he outright called them "incompetent", he would be disintegrated on the spot. He especially feared what Blue would do. The unicorn seemed to have an invariably shaky trigger hoof.

"Furthermore, 'deplorable' is a point of view. We see it as destiny. Reclaiming the blood of once-loyal subjects and quietly reclaiming our place in the world. One day, our presence in the mortal world will not seem like such a menace to you." Wait a minute. Why does he care so much? "And anyway, you're a god here. Aren't gods supposed to be impartial? Why do you care so much about what must seem like such a small issue to a god? Anyway, my reason for whatever my Lord thinks is the same as ever. He is mad and he has power he does not know the extent of." The mortal pony fell silent for a while when he heard Teal suck in a breath. Hm. Looks like the little featherbrain made it. That's nice to see. Of course, he'll probably break my nose or something. The sarcastic veneer softened a bit when he saw Teal's tears. Did I...? Did I really leave that much of a mark on him?

With Blue Blur's announcement, Crimson wouldn't have to wonder anymore. He'd be forced to feel what Teal felt. That's easy. Probably a bit of confusion, betrayal and some pressure on the neck. Blue? I dunno what dying in a car accident feels like. That EMT at the scene did say he was paralyzed from the neck down when he died. I don't think I have much to worry about. Crimson had no idea how very wrong he was.


((Whew! That one took forever. You can now have two Walls 'O Text for the same low price! This will be my only reply of the night. I'm behind on a project and need to hop to it. And it's doubtful I'll be online until the evening tomorrow. I'll be out on the water.))
133
Quote from: Jenzy on 2012 Nov 23, 22:22:22
Spoiler: show



That is my reaction every time I'm walking from someone's car and they hit the horn.
134
((I'll just put this in a spoiler, because it's a biggun.))

Spoiler: show
Crimson flattened his ears but maintained a poker face. "Ridiculous as it may seem to you, that's the low-down. One-hundred percent factual, if a bit lacking in detail. Our isolation was in self-defense. You have heard of the Crystal Empire, yes? That nation is the closest thing my kingdom has to a neighboring country. While they had great power dealing with friendship and love and all that, we had something far greater. The command of a great army and a mastery of technology that no pony today has ever seen. Technology that would have given any true enemy of ponykind the power to wipe out entire cities with a single battalion."

"We did not use that technology for that purpose, however. Before we cut ourselves off, we actively engaged in trade with the South of Equestria, mostly of metalwork and other things of that sort. We were not always war-mongers. We had a monarchy who delighted in spreading love and prosperity to it's subjects. Sure, we had a standing army, but that was for dire situations only. Then that happiness came to a screeching halt when ponies from the South who had been corrupted by Discord found a way to murder the royal couple. Our government collapsed, and we had tyrant after tyrant come along and rule us. The blame for the tragedy was placed on the South, and we severed all economic ties with them. This is the first major reason for our isolation."

"The second is having to do with King Sombra. Going back to the relationship between my kingdom and the Crystal Empire, Sombra was attracted to our stockpiles of technology and our military forces, in addition to the power of the Empire. Once he had conquered the Empire, he set his sights on us next. At first, he got no farther than the borders of the snow-capped mountains we lived in, for he was repelled by our soldiers. Then he got smart. He began using the power of hate and fear to turn our army against itself. Comrades were killing comrades, thousands deserted. After this, began to make great headway into the interior of our land. Out of panic and desperation, the ponies who controlled our government decided to use the last scraps of joy and hope in our land to repel Sombra's forces. They then beseeched the king to protect the land from invasion indefinitely. This king, one of the better ones in a long line of terrible ones, agreed. In a massive spell that nearly killed him, he teleported the entirety of our country deeper into the North and surrounded it in a protective shield. Our own gods are said to have aided him in this. The shield prevented anything from getting in, but it also kept anything from getting out. The subjects of my country begged for it to be lowered, but the king would not comply. With no outside contact, and surviving on the meager crops we were able to grow, the situation of my kingdom became exceedingly dire."

"But after years of our race slowly dying out, a new, promising ruler took control. Some say he was of divine blood, and had the ability to conquer any territory he set his eyes on. It was he who lowered our prison and insisted that if we are to survive, we must take and conquer. This began right away, with our now massively diminished army taking on a tribe of griffins to claim their small plot of land. After a grueling battle, we won. For the first time in two centuries, we felt hope again and we were encouraged to take more and more. The Prince supported us throughout the entire ordeal, though every war and minor battle. By the time we had become strong enough to be considered a force to be reckoned with, our Prince's madness had already set in. In addition to that, we had been gone for so long, no pony even remembered the presence of our kingdom, even those who remembered the Crystal Empire. I don't presume to know why, but my Lord liked it this way. He told us that it was amusing how in subtle political moves and key assassinations, we could begin the conquest of Southern Equestria in total secrecy. It is my thought that he wanted this because if one takes over slowly but surely, most ponies will never even realize they have been conquered and will accept their new ruler without question."


Crimson gasped and panted for a while after this long recitation of the history of his kingdom. The tiredness wore upon him more and he collapsed into a lying down position. "I hope you enjoyed your little history lesson. I conclude it with this: we have long abandoned peace for conquest, as it was our "peaceful" times that nearly wiped our race out. And re-establishing peaceful ties with a kingdom who callously stood by and allowed the Crystal Empire and my kingdom to be taken over would be an impossibility, I'm afraid. Our subtle takeover needs to be quiet. So does the elimination of the Axalons. I have thought about the propaganda I have been fed all my life, and weighed it against history and my personal beliefs. That is how I say all these things with a mild certainty."


((Here, have some more "glorious" exposition. It stays crunchy, even in milk! With this final Wall 'O Text, I go AFK for tonight. G'night.))
135
((Oh Primus. *facehoof* What have I started?

Caution: Robutts!
Spoiler: show
))
136
Blue is surprised by Crimson's gratitude, and a smile creeps across his face without being bidden. He hides his smile behind a hoof and pretends to cough. He rolls his eyes at Night Sight's enthusiasm. "It hasn't come to that yet. While I agree on the topic of revenge, I am not cruel. I would prefer to work smarter, not harder. Wasting effort on a mortal who is already spilling his guts would be a waste. Wouldn't you agree?"

*****

"Ignorant? Hardly. I am a survivalist. I am doing what it takes to survive in this situation. If, in the next minute, the Prince bursts into this realm, I'll do what it takes to survive in that situation. And if he did appear in this plane, you would do well to remember that it is ill-advised to presume you know what his actions will be. He doesn't like that."
Crimson paused and stretched out his legs a bit. He had been sitting for a while and suspected he would be forced to do so for a while longer. The mortal re-assumed his position and began again. "Furthermore, my obedience is merely caused by my conditioning at the hooves of my Master. He has no use for an insubordinate soldier. So, I'm sorry if my previous treatment disappoints you, but one does not break deca- er, years of training so easily."

Feeling the effects of being awake for 36 hours straight, Crimson's shoulders began to slump and he scrubbed at an eye. The mortal blinked sleepily at Gathering and began again. "Since you were probably wondering, the reason you have never heard of my kingdom is the fact that we have sealed ourselves away from the South for more years than Celestia has ruled Equestria and we operate subtly. We have only just begun to wander back to the South. In the years between the beginning of the isolation and now, we have fought against the griffins, the dragons and the frost giants just to keep our place in the world. My Prince was our savior in those dark days. But many years after we had established a semblance of stable government, my Lord began to behave strangely. Lashing out at his most trusted lieutenants, sometimes beating them senseless, for no apparent reason. Not surprisingly after the first signs of our master's devolution, there arose dissenters who abandoned all they had once stood for and no longer supported their ruler. Those of us who stayed remained because we could not forget our master's valor or his kindness in those early days. And we would not simply abandon him because he started to show signs of stress, for that was when he most needed support. Anyway, these traitors and their offspring became what is known today as the Axalon Resistance. This is the organization who opposes us. It is no surprise that you have never heard of them. They operate in absolute secret. Over the years, they have become so few in number that you would never find more than one known operative in a given city. Most cities have none." Crimson chuckled at the thought of the poor fools who believed that they could stop an entire army operating off of strong ideals and a drive to please their Prince. "The Axalons are just a sad joke, really. We soldiers don't take them seriously, but their opposition is a personal matter to his Highness, and that is why he orders them to be terminated."


((Sniff, sniff.... Do you smell that? It smells like.... exposition.))
137
((*shrugs* I too probed my mind for ways to get Crimson out of the deep doo-doo he was in. I came up with this. It was also to stop the Law Elemental breathing down Blue's neck.  lol


But... Crimson has been compliant and halfway-decent for half an hour... Doesn't that warrant maybe a second thought about smiting?  :s Pwease? Maybe? *makes Bambi eyes*))
138
Something had been nagging at Blue the entire time the Law Elemental rambled on about Crimson breaking the Law. It was as if the stream of Law and Order that resided in his heart was trying to tell him something. The regal unicorn racked his brain for reasons, even summoning a copy of the Mortal Laws that he knew so well. Then it hit him, right after reading the first Law. "Wait... *ahem* WAIT!" He stepped in between Gathering, the Law Elemental and Crimson, protecting the mortal who was now in a glowing red cage. "This is wrong. This mortal has broken no Laws. Maybe every code of decent conduct, but no official Laws."

With a wave of his horn, Blue freed Crimson from the cage, though he left one of the mortal's hooves bound to the ground. No escape from Gathering's questions. "The Laws expressly state that no mortal shall kill another. This villain did harm Teal, but our friend has a significant lack of death. It is unjust to prosecute a pony for breaking a Law that didn't even exist when he performed the action. I'll remedy the loophole, but I will not allow this mortal to be punished for what wasn't even a punishable offense at the time. Should he repeat this action however, you are free to punish him." Blue took a step back, but looked hard at the other ponies in attendance, daring them to argue with his decision. He also augmented the first Mortal Law to read: "No mortal shall harm another."


*****

Crimson had just opened his mouth to answer, and if need be, refute, Gathering's statements, but before he could, a red box closed around him. He could still see the God, but when he tried to answer, his own words bounced back at him. The prisoner assumed it was the glittering red image of Blue who seemed to have it out for him, and directed his verbal abuse at the Elemental. "HEY! Let me out, you fragging phantasm! Fight me like a stallion!" The mortal's hooves pounded against the transparent walls, but the strikes had no effect. A sudden case of claustrophobia over took the doctor and he pressed himself against a wall to steady himself. What in the world... Is this the end? Have I gone too far? he wondered. For the first time in this world, he felt genuinely afraid. His words to Teal hours ago had been false. He did fear death. Especially in a place where he would get no salutes, no flags draped over his casket, no callous comrades to be momentarily softened by his sacrifice. Just death in a world that detested him.

Or so he thought. He looked up one last time before resigning himself to his fate, and saw the last thing he was expecting. Blue Blur, the pony who hated him above all else, was coming to his rescue. The unicorn even dissolved the cage. The mortal only could look up at the unicorn's proud, disdainful face and mouth 'Thank you' at him.

After testing the strength of his shackle, Crimson settled back down and looked quizzically at Gathering's face. It seemed... disbelieving. I wonder what about me he doubts... If was smart, everything. I am hardly trustworthy. There was something on the god's face that suggested he was planning something. If it was a memory scan or torture, Crimson couldn't decide, though it seemed unlikely for ponies of Southern origin to have such technology as what was needed for a memory scan. In the end, the red Earth pony just decided to see how events would play out. "According to our Intelligence Department, Blue had some ties to the organization in the way of a friend, but we have no confirmation of his ever working with them on any operation to try and thwart us. I personally believe that to be the weakest of my Lord's motivations."


((We Northern ponies are tenacious. I also randomly realized the Law loophole in the shower this morning. Lol.))
139
Blue silently watched Gathering question the scarlet pony. An occasional spark would leap from his now-extinguished horn every now and then, especially when Crimson brushed off his murderous habits so nonchalantly.

*****

"No. Killing isn't my job," Crimson corrected. "I'm a doctor. That's my job. I just happen to be part of a militant nation that believes everypony should do their share of thinning the herds. And you'd be loyal too if your master was like mine. Which is to say, insane. As for reasons, it might have something to do with heredity of Blue, myself and my Master. Others too, but we're not talking about them, are we? Or..." Crimson lingered on the word. "Perhaps it is because of Blue's involvement in several trials which condemned some of his subjects. And then there's always that organization that likes to play at opposing us. Really, there are lots of reasons that are all equally valid. Which one just depends on my Lord's mood on the day he assigned the assassination to me."

((Going AFK for the night! See ya, everypony!))
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Blue's snarl softened into a frown, but the light of the vaporization spell on his horn remained. "I might. Who knows? The world is better off without psychos like this running around. You're not in any position to make judgements on whether or not my anger is justified. You couldn't understand. First of all, in my case, dying hurts like the http://forum.legendsofequestria.com/index.php?topic=2470.0">Read the forum rules.ens. Secondly, it was a mindless, soulless killing on his part, when I had done nothing to incite his, or whoever it is he's working for's ire!" The Law god's expression softened even farther. "But yes. Depending on where you're looking at me from, I'm dead." The unicorn flattened his ears and sat down grumpily. "Hmph! Mopy indeed. The nerve," he muttered.

*****

Crimson raised a burgundy eyebrow at Gathering. The doctor studied the god's face for a motive or hint, but gleaned nothing. "I will answer your questions as thoroughly as I can. I am here because I heard Teal talking about Blue Blur, a pony I supposedly eliminated a month ago at my Prince's behest. I was curious why a random pegasus from Ponyville would be asking about a lawyer who had died a month previous, so I followed to investigate. I asked Teal questions about what he knew. His details were foggy, but he did know some things. I hadn't intended to to anything to hurt him at first. Then I began to wonder if he was being cagey and intended to turn me in to some pony who would punish me. Heh, in a way, he did. I panicked after that and decided to take him to the mortal world where I could get rid of him better and where you gods might not be able to follow. Then, ah... things got complicated, and here we are. As for killing ponies, I do so when ordered. As for killing Teal, I didn't. I put him in a sleeper hold to knock him out. Honestly, know your martial arts. I wouldn't have killed him with that. I'm a professional." Crimson rubbed his hoof on his chest and moved it away to admire it at a distance. It was a bit of an awkward silence after that, filled only with the occasional clinking of gold earrings from Crimson occasionally flicking his right ear.