A Tea Party For The Post Apocalypse II (IC): Truth and Beauty

[Deadly]

"Oh, hey Gilda!" said Pinkie Pie. The weird... mindscape-void-whatever-they-were-in thing was suddenly graced with the smell of tea and a plethora of biscuits. Blue even got a present, which turned out to be a rubix cube with a built-in AI voice that gave hints, intellectual conversations, and optional 'hard mode' where the cube would fight back against being solved. It was pretty sweet. "Long time no see! I'll tell Dashie I saw you when I see her next."

Blue sipped her tea and considered the cube. "Thanks, Pinkie. I'm sure I'll make good use of this." Somehow, she thought and twisted it a few times to try it out.

Gilda took a biscuit. "You do that, Pinkie. Tell her I still need that rematch."

[Tiki Snakes]

Sudden panic flashed through Trees mind. Defencelessly floating in an uncertain void was bad enough, but now even the stillness of the void was stripped away.

Can't trust AI. Don't trust AI.

The concept of a flower retracts, a stem bristling with thorns loops around itself over and over till the idea of a flower nestles in the center of an increasingly dense briar-patch. Trees stifled a squeak of discomfort and doubled up her focus on the thought exercise. She retreated further inwards, shying away from the pink invasion.

Never trust them again.

Trees wasn't entirely sure she'd ever felt so exposed, so vulnerable as she did right now.

[Balmas]

"Why is it always tea? Has nobody heard of coffee?" The grumbling griffon helped himself to a biscuit anyway. "Thanks, though. And welcome to... wherever this is. Memory, I guess."

[Thanqol]

"Tea. It certainly is becoming a theme is it not?" said Rosemary, attempting to mentally help herself to some of the proffered beverage. "And you can see us, Miss Pie ... I hope you don't mind me asking how?"

"I can't see you!" said Pinkie Pie. "That's crazy talk, Rosemary, you're a disembodied thought, how could I possibly see you?"

Considering that explanation sufficient, she moved on without a blink.

Blue sipped her tea and considered the cube. "Thanks, Pinkie. I'm sure I'll make good use of this." Somehow, she thought and twisted it a few times to try it out.

Gilda took a biscuit. "You do that, Pinkie. Tell her I still need that rematch."

"Will do!" said Pinkie, saluting.

"Hey, uh, Pinkie?" said Black Box. "Do you mind if we just talk for a minute?"

"Sure! This is your party after all," said Pinkie Pie.

"Guys, can you give me a minute? I don't know, mingle or something?" said Black Box to the voices in his head.

"Ooh! I can get the ghost of Applejack in here to talk to you if you want!" said Pinkie Pie. "Or the ghost of Hearth's Warming Past, he's always a hoot!"

[BlasTech]

"I can't see you!" said Pinkie Pie. "That's crazy talk, Rosemary, you're a disembodied thought, how could I possibly see you?"

Considering that explanation sufficient, she moved on without a blink.

"But ... that doesn't ... what even ..." Rosemary replied, her mental eye twitching.

"Guys, can you give me a minute? I don't know, mingle or something?" said Black Box to the voices in his head.

"Ooh! I can get the ghost of Applejack in here to talk to you if you want!" said Pinkie Pie. "Or the ghost of Hearth's Warming Past, he's always a hoot!"

"Take your time Black Box." said Rose, shelving the idea of pursuing that line of questioning further. "But, if you can, please ask her what she means about ghosts."

[Tiki Snakes]

"Okay." Trees assented in a small, choking voice. "That's fine by me."

"... It can still hear you, Rose. Why are you..."

[BlasTech]

"Right ... yes, that." Facehooved Rose. "Sorry, was getting to be a habit."

[Balmas]

"So. Small talk, I guess." Gabe shifted uneasily as he drank in the scent of the tea. "...Not a princess, then."

[Thanqol]

"Take your time Black Box." said Rose, shelving the idea of pursuing that line of questioning further. "But, if you can, please ask her what she means about ghosts."

"You don't know what ghosts are?" said Pinkie Pie incredulously. "Well maybe you should ask ghost Applejack! She has a great story about the evil fussy pony that annoyed everypony to death with her fussiness!"

There was a brief pause as Pinkie Pie stepped just out of sight. Then, the headscape got just a little more crowded all of a sudden. "Uh, howdy?" came a polite Southern voice. "Pinkie called in a favour an' I'm apparent'ly supposed to tell ya'll what ghosts are?"

[the_druid_droid]

"Oh, hey Gilda!" said Pinkie Pie. The weird... mindscape-void-whatever-they-were-in thing was suddenly graced with the smell of tea and a plethora of biscuits. Blue even got a present, which turned out to be a rubix cube with a built-in AI voice that gave hints, intellectual conversations, and optional 'hard mode' where the cube would fight back against being solved. It was pretty sweet. "Long time no see! I'll tell Dashie I saw you when I see her next."

"Um, I wouldn't mind some tea. If that's even, uh, possible." So much for wondering if this little interaction had been pre-recorded.

Not that it clarified what was going on.

"Guys, can you give me a minute? I don't know, mingle or something?" said Black Box to the voices in his head.

"Sure. We'll be, well, around. Like before."

"So. Small talk, I guess." Gabe shifted uneasily as he drank in the scent of the tea. "...Not a princess, then."

Lavender sighed, and when she spoke her voice was a small, hesitant thing. "No. Just a freak."

[Balmas]

Gabe snorted. "We're having tea in the memory of a dead pony, while talking to a statue. In the grand scheme of things, being given wings and a horn is comparatively sane." He sobered quickly, blowing on an imaginary cup of tea. "With that said, what HREC did was wrong, and I'm sorry it had to be you. You seem like a nice enough mare when you're not in full-on Princess mode."

[BlasTech]

Lavender sighed, and when she spoke her voice was a small, hesitant thing. "No. Just a freak."

"Still, a pony." said Rosemary her voice barely loud enough to be heard.

"And Gabriel is right, it was wrong." she continued, her voice gaining in volume again until it was back to a reasonably polite speaking voice. "I would like to say that I am shocked and appalled by the revelation ... but ... I admit I was already beginning to suspect ..."

She took a deep breath.

"I have no sense of what is appropriate to say here; 'I'm sorry too?', 'I would like to help?'. I do not know if you would even want anything to do with such an offer from me."

"But an offer is there, if you want it."

There was a brief pause as Pinkie Pie stepped just out of sight. Then, the headscape got just a little more crowded all of a sudden. "Uh, howdy?" came a polite Southern voice. "Pinkie called in a favour an' I'm apparent'ly supposed to tell ya'll what ghosts are?"

"Apologies ... Minister Applejack?" Rosemary said. "We will come to the matter of what you are in due course, but you will have to bear with us for a moment."

[Thanqol]

"Apologies ... Minister Applejack?" Rosemary said. "We will come to the matter of what you are in due course, but you will have to bear with us for a moment."

"That's fine, I can hold," said the voice of Applejack, followed by the sound of paperwork being diligently filled out.

[the_druid_droid]

Gabe snorted. "We're having tea in the memory of a dead pony, while talking to a statue. In the grand scheme of things, being given wings and a horn is comparatively sane." He sobered quickly, blowing on an imaginary cup of tea. "With that said, what HREC did was wrong, and I'm sorry it had to be you. You seem like a nice enough mare when you're not in full-on Princess mode."

"I wouldn't really know. I don't remember anything from the times I go under. I just sort of wake up suddenly; that's part of why I freaked out back in the cave..."

"But an offer is there, if you want it."

Lavender wasn't really sure what to say. It was a nice offer, but it wasn't that easy to trust HREC employees. Especially the medical staff.

"As long as you don't drag me back there, don't worry about apologizing."

[BlasTech]

"Understood." replied Rosemary, after the barest hint of a delay.

"Minister Applejack." she continued, turning her mind to the pony in question. "My name is Rosemary Unicorn. My colleagues and I hail from a point in time that would be, without embellishment, your distant future. Thus, you are, from our perspective, a ghost."

Back to business, Rosemary's voice was brisk as she mentally checklisted her way down the things she wanted to say.

"While I personally believe a more scientific explanation exists for why we are all currently conversing as disembodied voices, it behooves the question as to what, exactly, you are, and what, if anything, you can tell us about what is going on here and now."

"I infer from Minister Pie's name for this party that you are at least partially aware of what has happened to Equestria in the last two hundred years, and suspect that the current interaction is linked to a statuette of Minister Pie, much like a previous encounter we have had with one of Minister Rarity."

"We are, though, ignorant of the methods as to how you can be 'alive' in this sense, or how we can escape from whatever effects seem to be keeping us from our bodies. Any assistance you can provide in this matter would also be appreciated."

[Thanqol]

"Understood." replied Rosemary, after the barest hint of a delay.

"Minister Applejack." she continued, turning her mind to the pony in question. "My name is Rosemary Unicorn. My colleagues and I hail from a point in time that would be, without embellishment, your distant future. Thus, you are, from our perspective, a ghost."

Back to business, Rosemary's voice was brisk as she mentally checklisted her way down the things she wanted to say.

"While I personally believe a more scientific explanation exists for why we are all currently conversing as disembodied voices, it behooves the question as to what, exactly, you are, and what, if anything, you can tell us about what is going on here and now."

"I infer from Minister Pie's name for this party that you are at least partially aware of what has happened to Equestria in the last two hundred years, and suspect that the current interaction is linked to a statuette of Minister Pie, much like a previous encounter we have had with one of Minister Rarity."

"We are, though, ignorant of the methods as to how you can be 'alive' in this sense, or how we can escape from whatever effects seem to be keeping us from our bodies. Any assistance you can provide in this matter would also be appreciated."

"Uh, this is one of the weirder conversations I've been randomly invited to, but let me lay out the facts from my perspective. I am alive, well an' healthy an' sitting in my office an' currently conducting a phone conversation with a bunch of weir - friends of Pinkie," said Minister Applejack. "Current thinkin' is that it's one of them surreal pranks which is in fashion these days."

[Deadly]

While the others talk to Lavender and the Minister, Blue decides to move across the empty blankness of their shared space to where Trees is being a flower, offering the pony an imaginary cup of tea. "You alright?" she asks, sounding genuinely like she cares.

[BlasTech]

"Uh, this is one of the weirder conversations I've been randomly invited to, but let me lay out the facts from my perspective. I am alive, well an' healthy an' sitting in my office an' currently conducting a phone conversation with a bunch of weir - friends of Pinkie," said Minister Applejack. "Current thinkin' is that it's one of them surreal pranks which is in fashion these days."

"I see." mused Rosemary, disappointed. "I doubt we could prove the veracity of our tale in the time we have left, but as the element of Honesty I hope you could make a judgement call as to whether or not our intent is genuine."

"Regardless, I would ask, do you have any knowledge as to why Minister Pie has named this particular party as one for the Post Apocalypse?"

[Tiki Snakes]

While the others talk to Lavender and the Minister, Blue decides to move across the empty blankness of their shared space to where Trees is being a flower, offering the pony an imaginary cup of tea. "You alright?" she asks, sounding genuinely like she cares.

"I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!" Trees clarifies rather strenuously. "Because everything is JUST FINE."

There is a moment of silence as the Earth Pony tries to find her serenity.

"I mean, it's not like any of this is real. It's not an Artificial Intelligence, crawling across the skin of my mind looking for weaknesses to exploit. It's not a murderous magical simulant driven by nothing more than jealousy and cold loathing for the living forced to restrain its dark, inequine urges by a flimsy chunk of wiring that can be entirely circumvented by it's indomitable machine-will. And none of that would be true even if it was an AI, you'd have to be crazy to think so! But it's still okay even if that was true because it's really just Box's memory of a machine-mind!"

"And it's not even listening right now! I mean, this other one might be. But that's not even really a memory, is it? It's a memory's memory of a long dead pony, so it's even more harmless, right? Right!"

There was another pause as Trees focused on imagining the flower some more.

"I'm just anxious to be out of here, that's all." She added weakly. "Back in my own body. I'm not freaking out at all. I just don't have anything to say to it."

[the_druid_droid]

"Uh, this is one of the weirder conversations I've been randomly invited to, but let me lay out the facts from my perspective. I am alive, well an' healthy an' sitting in my office an' currently conducting a phone conversation with a bunch of weir - friends of Pinkie," said Minister Applejack. "Current thinkin' is that it's one of them surreal pranks which is in fashion these days."

"If it's a prank, we're being pranked right along with you. I don't think you'd actually believe us if we told you our perspective on all this." Lavender quietly wondered just how crazy this day was going to get before anything got cleared up.

If anything was going to get cleared up.

"I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!" Trees clarifies rather strenuously. "Because everything is JUST FINE."

There is a moment of silence as the Earth Pony tries to find her serenity.

"I mean, it's not like any of this is real. It's not an Artificial Intelligence, crawling across the skin of my mind looking for weaknesses to exploit. It's not a murderous magical simulant driven by nothing more than jealousy and cold loathing for the living forced to restrain its dark, inequine urges by a flimsy chunk of wiring that can be entirely circumvented by it's indomitable machine-will. And none of that would be true even if it was an AI, you'd have to be crazy to think so! But it's still okay even if that was true because it's really just Box's memory of a machine-mind!"

"And it's not even listening right now! I mean, this other one might be. But that's not even really a memory, is it? It's a memory's memory of a long dead pony, so it's even more harmless, right? Right!"

There was another pause as Trees focused on imagining the flower some more.

"I'm just anxious to be out of here, that's all." She added weakly. "Back in my own body. I'm not freaking out at all. I just don't have anything to say to it."

Lavender's chest tied itself in knots as she suddenly remembered a too-lanky filly screaming her throat raw at blank, white walls because of the doctors she knew were milling just behind them.

It finally clicked that Trees was hurting after what had happened outside. She probably owed someone an apology. And a hug.

[Thanqol]

"I see." mused Rosemary, disappointed. "I doubt we could prove the veracity of our tale in the time we have left, but as the element of Honesty I hope you could make a judgement call as to whether or not our intent is genuine."

"Regardless, I would ask, do you have any knowledge as to why Minister Pie has named this particular party as one for the Post Apocalypse?"

"Being the Element of Honesty don't give you magic truth-detectin' powers," said Applejack disapprovingly. "That's a carnival trick, not a virtue. Anyhoof, I don't rightly know anything about your particular shade of Armageddon, world seems fine to me."

"If it's a prank, we're being pranked right along with you. I don't think you'd actually believe us if we told you our perspective on all this." Lavender quietly wondered just how crazy this day was going to get before anything got cleared up.

"Probably not," confirmed Applejack. "So, uh, how about a different topic than how insane this conversation is: got any plans for Hearth's Warming?"

[Deadly]

"I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!" Trees clarifies rather strenuously. "Because everything is JUST FINE."

There is a moment of silence as the Earth Pony tries to find her serenity.

"I mean, it's not like any of this is real. It's not an Artificial Intelligence, crawling across the skin of my mind looking for weaknesses to exploit. It's not a murderous magical simulant driven by nothing more than jealousy and cold loathing for the living forced to restrain its dark, inequine urges by a flimsy chunk of wiring that can be entirely circumvented by it's indomitable machine-will. And none of that would be true even if it was an AI, you'd have to be crazy to think so! But it's still okay even if that was true because it's really just Box's memory of a machine-mind!"

"And it's not even listening right now! I mean, this other one might be. But that's not even really a memory, is it? It's a memory's memory of a long dead pony, so it's even more harmless, right? Right!"

There was another pause as Trees focused on imagining the flower some more.

"I'm just anxious to be out of here, that's all." She added weakly. "Back in my own body. I'm not freaking out at all. I just don't have anything to say to it."

Blue settled down next to Trees. "Me too," she said. "But there really isn't anything we can do here except talk, even if it's with a memory's memory or ghosts of ponies long dead. Maybe we can even learn something from these memories, or whatever they are."

She fell silent, after which she said, "I think it's only fair to listen to the dead, or their memories if that's all you've got. They may have things to say that should be heard. Only right that somepony should be there to hear them out."

"Anyway," she waved off the heavy thoughts, too many of those of late, "Sorry. Once we get out of here, I'll offer to give you a hug as well. I'll probably just give everyone a hug, come to think of it."

[BlasTech]

"Being the Element of Honesty don't give you magic truth-detectin' powers," said Applejack disapprovingly. "That's a carnival trick, not a virtue. Anyhoof, I don't rightly know anything about your particular shade of Armageddon, world seems fine to me."

"Be that as it ma-..."

"If it's a prank, we're being pranked right along with you. I don't think you'd actually believe us if we told you our perspective on all this." Lavender quietly wondered just how crazy this day was going to get before anything got cleared up.

"Probably not," confirmed Applejack. "So, uh, how about a different topic than how insane this conversation is: got any plans for Hearth's Warming?"

"I'd really much rather w-..."

"I'M NOT FREAKING OUT!" Trees clarifies rather strenuously. "Because everything is JUST FINE."

-wereeek!"

"I'm just anxious to be out of here, that's all." She added weakly. "Back in my own body. I'm not freaking out at all. I just don't have anything to say to it."

"Um, yes ... quite." replied Rose, who needed a moment to mentally rebalance herself.

"Well, given that I suspect you wouldn't be able to help us along those lines, Minister, I'll just generally ask if there's anything you might wish to say to a group of ponies living in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future. It would likely be too much to hope that you might have hidden some magical 'fix everything' button away just in case you lost the war, but any insights would be ... appreciated, I suppose."

"After that, would probably be best to talk to Minister Pie again. I don't think any of us want to stay this way for much longer if we can help it."

[Thanqol]

"Um, yes ... quite." replied Rose, who needed a moment to mentally rebalance herself.

"Well, given that I suspect you wouldn't be able to help us along those lines, Minister, I'll just generally ask if there's anything you might wish to say to a group of ponies living in a dystopian post-apocalyptic future. It would likely be too much to hope that you might have hidden some magical 'fix everything' button away just in case you lost the war, but any insights would be ... appreciated, I suppose."

"After that, would probably be best to talk to Minister Pie again. I don't think any of us want to stay this way for much longer if we can help it."

"Oh yeah, we built one of those. Gave it to Spike for safe keeping," said Applejack. "And, uh, general advice is be good to your family and it's better to be reliable than showy. Is that helpful?"

[BlasTech]

"Oh yeah, we built one of those. Gave it to Spike for safe keeping," said Applejack. "And, uh, general advice is be good to your family and it's better to be reliable than showy. Is that helpful?"

"Marginall -- Wait, WHAT?!"

[Thanqol]

"Marginall -- Wait, WHAT?!"

"It was called the Gardens of Equestria, I think. Powered by the Elements of Harmony, wipes out megaspell detritus," said Applejack. "Really not my project but I pitched in a little."

[Tiki Snakes]

"What is there to learn from the Ponies who destroyed the world?" Trees replied rhetorically, but her voice was quiet and lacked any kind certainty.

"...And I'm fine. I don't need anything from anypony." She muttered, clearly speaking to herself more than anything.

[Balmas]

"Probably not," confirmed Applejack. "So, uh, how about a different topic than how insane this conversation is: got any plans for Hearth's Warming?"

"What's Hearth's Warming?" Gabe wondered.

"Marginall -- Wait, WHAT?!"

"I'd like to second that exclamation."

"What is there to learn from the Ponies who destroyed the world?" Trees replied rhetorically, but her voice was quiet and lacked any kind certainty.

"...And I'm fine. I don't need anything from anypony." She muttered, clearly speaking to herself more than anything.

"Apparently what's there to learn is that there's a magic reset button sitting around somewhere, waiting to be used!" The griffon was caught between jubilance and anger. "So, what do we need to do to fix it?"

[Thanqol]

"What is there to learn from the Ponies who destroyed the world?" Trees replied rhetorically, but her voice was quiet and lacked any kind certainty.

"...And I'm fine. I don't need anything from anypony." She muttered, clearly speaking to herself more than anything.

"Ya'll aren't too social there, are you?"

"Apparently what's there to learn is that there's a magic reset button sitting around somewhere, waiting to be used!" The griffon was caught between jubilance and anger. "So, what do we need to do to fix it?"

"Just find six ponies who embody the Elements of Harmony and gad up to it," said Applejack. "It's pretty no-brainer as far as operations go."

[the_druid_droid]

"Probably not," confirmed Applejack. "So, uh, how about a different topic than how insane this conversation is: got any plans for Hearth's Warming?"

"Um, Hearth's Warming?" Lavender chewed on the words, apparently trying to discern their meaning from the sound alone.

"It was called the Gardens of Equestria, I think. Powered by the Elements of Harmony, wipes out megaspell detritus," said Applejack. "Really not my project but I pitched in a little."

"Did you ever actually test it? I'm kind of... suspicious of huge science projects." Just what the world needed - another panacea.

"Just find six ponies who embody the Elements of Harmony and gad up to it," said Applejack. "It's pretty no-brainer as far as operations go."

"I don't guess you have any ideas on who they might be or how to find them?" Lavender's voice was dull. Untested and in need of ponies who might not even exist. This was sounding far too familiar.