"And I gave you fair warning." Rhapsody states as Snowy initiates his master plan, however what he is banking on is also what he underestimates about the black mare. Rhapsody even at her worst, usually has a high degree of spacial awareness and now is no different; she could sense the quick and subtle movements as Snowy throws up his false self and crawls along the ground like the worm she currently considered him to be. She kept her eyes on the illusion, but she could hear the subtle sounds of his hooves on the tiles, as he tries to move as cautiously as possible, and will admit that she subtly surprised he didn't try to silence them like she knew he could.
And then it comes, Snowy places his hoof on her back and seems to wait for an impossibly long second, and today learns a very important lesson: Rhapsody doesn't do idle threats. "Gray is the state of the world, the sooner your accept it, the better off you'll be." she states briefly in that moment, and then with a fluidity of movement she leans forward and then lets loose with those hind legs of hers, with Snowy being so close the unicorn will have to react fast to dodge. While she's not using her full strength, she's not not pulling her attack either.
Wither it hits or not, Rhapsody turns and looks to the real Snowy. "Just so we are clear: I don't lash out 'to feel something.' I lashed out because I laid out a very clear perimeter. One that you clearly decided to test by trying to fool me with your illusions. So now that you've pushed your luck, and learned I keep to my word, are you ready to accept that acting the fool isn't going to get you anywhere with me?"
Spoiler
Spoiler
Snowy takes Rhapsody's hooves hard to his gut, reacting only in time to rear back and protect his neck. As things stand he doubles over, breathing heavily, and struggles to keep his balance as his vision swims in front of him. "What...happened...to you?" He manages to get out, forcing himself to look back up at Rhapsody as he slowly stabilizes.
Scarlet huffed in frustration as the Astrolabe refused to do anything surprising. Thankfully, his memory did not fail him, and brought to mind a book detailing the cultural and geographical hidtory of Astrolabes. Including a helpful rundown on how Armillary Astrolabes were used.
"Unfortunately Ms. Sard, from here i don't think we're going to get any reaction from the Astrolabe. Its function is all tied to where and when you are in the world." Pointing to the sphere itself and then to the movable rings, Scarlet continued. "Points on the sphere relate to real locationd around Equestria. While manipulating the tings can reveal the approximate location of thr stars above, as they relate what time of year it is. Looks like we need Destiny Spirals help to test the Astrolabe around Caballuston. Figure where the stars are in relation to us now. Or at least, when she has time to assist."
Sighing, he shook his head at Savant Sard.
"I'm sorry i can't be of more help but i'm stumped as to out r next move here. After building the stabd and placing the Astrolabe, i was hoping for...something. Some hint of what to do. The only vague connection, if you can call it yhat, i can think of between this and Moonbeams puzzle squares, is that i was beginning to find a sequence of stars detailed on yhe squares. Not a constellation, but maybe a pattern that could relate to an alignment of stars on a set date or time of year?"
Holding up his forehooves in a gesture of helplessness, Scarlet shrugged.
"And I gave you fair warning." Rhapsody states as Snowy initiates his master plan, however what he is banking on is also what he underestimates about the black mare. Rhapsody even at her worst, usually has a high degree of spacial awareness and now is no different; she could sense the quick and subtle movements as Snowy throws up his false self and crawls along the ground like the worm she currently considered him to be. She kept her eyes on the illusion, but she could hear the subtle sounds of his hooves on the tiles, as he tries to move as cautiously as possible, and will admit that she subtly surprised he didn't try to silence them like she knew he could.
And then it comes, Snowy places his hoof on her back and seems to wait for an impossibly long second, and today learns a very important lesson: Rhapsody doesn't do idle threats. "Gray is the state of the world, the sooner your accept it, the better off you'll be." she states briefly in that moment, and then with a fluidity of movement she leans forward and then lets loose with those hind legs of hers, with Snowy being so close the unicorn will have to react fast to dodge. While she's not using her full strength, she's not not pulling her attack either.
Wither it hits or not, Rhapsody turns and looks to the real Snowy. "Just so we are clear: I don't lash out 'to feel something.' I lashed out because I laid out a very clear perimeter. One that you clearly decided to test by trying to fool me with your illusions. So now that you've pushed your luck, and learned I keep to my word, are you ready to accept that acting the fool isn't going to get you anywhere with me?"
Spoiler
Spoiler
Snowy takes Rhapsody's hooves hard to his gut, reacting only in time to rear back and protect his neck. As things stand he doubles over, breathing heavily, and struggles to keep his balance as his vision swims in front of him. "What...happened...to you?" He manages to get out, forcing himself to look back up at Rhapsody as he slowly stabilizes.
"Life happened." She states simply as she looks down to him, she refuses to feel bad for Snowy's stupidity in ignoring boundaries. She does however offer him a wing to help him up.
"Can't have you wheezing on the floor when the foals arrive."
"The hell it did." It was Snowy's turn to bat away Rhapsody, though he couldn't muster a particularly forceful bat. "For...the first 15 years of my life...I was taught that a pony's worth...was exclusively judged on their...their musicianship." Though shaky he manages to bring himself back to his full height, and looks at Rhapsody with a storm of emotion in his eyes, there's just a tiny bit of fear, but it's clouded by vast quantities of worry and pity. "The next decade was spent in the care of criminals...who would knife their own grandmothers for a hooful of bits. Somewhere in there, I decided it was okay to hurt ponies just because they didn't do what I said.! I'd give them one warning...and that was it. That was all the mercy they'd get from me." Snowy shakes his head, and a variety of dark-coated ponies file into the room. For a moment Rhapsody can't place why they look so familiar, but she suddenly understands that these are what Snowy imagines her family looks like. Some details must have been gleaned directly from mentions of them (Harmony is wearing the dress Rhapsody wore to the dance, for instance, and all the coat and mane colors match), and otherwise, they look like Rhapsody, only...not quite. There's less muscle tone, and some minor adjustments to make them look properly aged, but all of them have the same storm of worry and pity in their eyes. As the almost-family encircles them, Snowy continues. "From what you've said, your family
loves you. They
suppoort you. Your troubles have had
happy ending after
happy ending." On some words his voice shake, though that could be caused by his injury. "Nobody taught you to harm. Nobody taught you objectify. And yet, here we are. What...happened...to you?"
Rhapsody huffs
"More illusions? I thought you were more then a one-trick pony." The fact that they don't actually look like her family seems to make them loose a lot of the effect Snowy was hoping to go for.
"I am the quite literal black sheep of the family." She says putting emphasis on the word black, as she was the only one that was purely one dark color.
"I told you, I'm not here for socialization, you want that? Then go to Maple." She says and turns away to head back to her tasks, of cours! e Maple is also one of the few ponies she actually revealed parts of her past too, not that anypony would know that.
"But as you're not likely too, how about this: Just because I have a loving family, doesn't mean there aren't still skeletons in the closest."
