mylittlejamjar | [Voice] Private to Donna Noble

[Donna's only just gotten back with her tea and set it down. That was quick.] Hey, Yukiko! Come in. [She offers the young mare her best pasted-on smile.] Tea's just on the table there.

[She gives Yukiko a moment to come in and settle.] So, you wanted to talk about Celestia's message?

Ah, thank you! It smells wonderful.

[She takes a seat and nods when Donna cuts right to the point.]

That's right. I wanted to tell you that I think you might be onto something. Didn't Calice also speak when she showed up recently and sounded like there were two voices instead of one?

[Donna thinks back to the Equestrian Games, closing her eyes for a moment in the memory. That was the first and last time she'd seen or heard Calice up close and personal. The latest clash with the Sisters and Zetta had happened far afield from her presence.]

It sounded like more than just two voices at the Games. [The mare opens her eyes again and can't help a frown creasing her brow. So soon returned! This time it's for confusion more than regret.] Like she could speak with the voices of everyone she'd absorbed.

Were you at the fight with her? What happened?

...I was one of the ones who went inside her.

[While Dandy told everyone about the trip, Yukiko didn't share it as much. But it was needed here.]

When we heard her, it was different than the Games because I think we were in her world and that kind of changed how we heard her. While there were many voices at the Games, there was only two: kind of the same and yet...different. So when you mentioned your thoughts to Celestia on it, it made me think of that. And quite possibly on to something.

If it is something to be onto, it's not anything good. [Donna shakes her head and takes another sip of tea. She mostly avoids look at or listening to anything from Dandy, so she hadn't been fully aware of that adventure.] I don't even know what we'd do for Celestia and the others if whatever that voice is really is linked to the Corruption. Therapy? Taking away their alicornhood? Would that even be possible?

That depends on if someone is born an alicorn or if they had to earn it somehow. But I'm not sure if taking away the power would help because it has to go somewhere, right? Or someone?

...what about Stalliongrad? They might have some information on the Corruption there buried under all that snow.

Maybe? [Donna feels odd poking around up there after she begged off the first trip - and battle - to go get shot at while she did nothing to help save Andrew and Yukiko.]

Wait. Say that again. [Donna's eyes widen.] Their powers - everyone's powers - have got to come from somewhere. Where is that? Friendship? [That seems to power a lot of things here.] Princess Twilight became an alicorn here. That's why the other Twilight - the one who lives here at the commune - is still a unicorn. She hasn't become an alicorn yet, but where do their powers come from in the first place? Take out the alicorns. Have you talked to any of the local ponies about that?

No, I haven't even thought about that until now.

[She's not sure about the ponies in town but maybe a few outside of Ponyville will have an idea.]

What about Zecora-san? She may have an idea about it.

[And maybe...going back inside Calice and tracking that group could give them more information.]

Zecora's a good idea. [Donna nods, warming to the plan.] She seems to know plenty about the history of Equestria - this Equestria. Princess Twilight's another person we could ask, as well. Finding out how she actually became an alicorn might be important, too... and if she's been hearing that voice without realizing it.

Hmm... you've got a whole group that you work with, right? Your agency. I wonder if they should get in on this. Is Chie a part of it? I... I told her we'd talk about Calice after everything happened with the Equestrian Games, but I haven't been keeping up with her.

Sounds like we got a good start.

[Upon hearing the Agency, she got a little red in the cheeks.]

We should all look into it; when I went inside Calice no one knew except for the group I went with. It was a good idea at the time because there wasn't so many others wanting to get in.

[And when she heard Chie's name, she nods.]

Chie's my best friend. If you still want to talk with her, I can let her know.

I do. [Donna nods.] Maybe we could set up a meeting, invite everyone from the Agency - Chie, too - and Zecora and Princess Twilight. I'd like to invite Andrew, the Doctor, and Harvey, too. They're the others I've been trying to do a little investigating with, and Andrew's got that pony, Echo. She's from down in the Library Basement and actually saw the real Pale Pony when she was a kid.

It might just be easier pulling everybody together at once. Sort out as much as we can in one go.

[With all those people in there, Yukiko realized one thing: there needs to be an extension of the Agency. Because all those ponies and changeling will be a tight fit.]

Why not the library? The Agency might be a little too small for everyone and it's due for an expansion with more living there.

[Like seriously, Chie needs to get off the couch and into a bed.]

Yeah! That's perfect. [Donna's brows are furrowed thoughtfully as she finishes off her cup of tea.] Easy enough to get Twilight there, and it's central for everybody else. [The mare's mood has improved with a purpose and direction to head in.]

And if you need any help expanding the Agency, the ponies at the commune are always happy to help out, I'm sure. Just give us a song to work with.

[She was glad to help. They needed a clue or something to try and get the ball rolling. But even if it ends up at a dead end, they did something at least.]

Plus there could be something in the books there. A long shot but it'll be there.

[Her cheeks went pink at the offer of more hooves with the expansion. Not used to running something let alone asking for help.]

Are you sure it'll be okay? I don't want to impose or anything.

That's a good idea, too! [Books from Twilight's library might hold some sort of clue, even if it's only something that leads them off to Canterlot.]

[Donna waves a hoof dismissively at Yukiko's blushing about the help with building.]

And don't worry about imposing. We haven't burned the commune down in a bit. I reckon everyone's getting bored waiting for that so we'll have something to rebuild.

[Everything seems fine until that little mention of the Commune burning down.]

Uh...why does the Commune keep burning down?

[That question gets an honest snort of laughter.]

Because we don't have nearly enough excitement here, clearly. [She flashes a small smile at Yukiko.] And whatever the papers say, it's really only happened a few times for people being careless and there being a lot of wood around here.

...maybe we should look into a flameproof spell or something. It can help maybe?

[It has to exist okay?]

[Voice] Private to Donna Noble

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[action] Shall we wrap this up and start this larger group thread?

[action] ok sure! will this be a log?

[action] Yeah! Gonna put up a plotting thing for it shortly on Plurk.

[action] excellent

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