[Video]

[letteropener]

[What's showing in this feed? Well, it appears to be a sword. A sword made entirely of golden light, flat and without distinctive marks or flaws -- a Platonic ideal of a sword, hovering in midair and swathed in the same golden light it is made of.]

Well. This is new. I am not certain if I could have created such an effect before I came here, but if I had the capability, I certainly never used it.

The question is -- did I gain something new, or is having my magic so weak leading me to find new ways to use it?

Comments

video;

[universal_charm]

I wouldn't have thought that your particular anatomy would have lent towards using a sword.

_{[ Because... hooves. ]}

[Video]

[letteropener]

[Celestia reorients the view to herself, smiling into the communicator.] Well, if this were a conventional sword I could wield it by gripping it in my teeth. But in fact, this is actually just a form my magic has taken -- there is no actual reality to the weapon. It is only light. But the appearance is enough to give it a certain amount of authority, a presence that a blast or a bolt does not possess.

Re: [Video]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Ugh, magic again. He's still not sure how he is going to wrap his head around this whole magic business - it makes no sense to a man of science. ]}

Interesting that a race without hands would come up with something like a sword. Doesn't it make it hard to wield? You can only move so many directions I would think.

[Video]

[letteropener]

Well, this is merely a construction of light and magic, so that is hardly an issue. [Celestia barely gestures with her horn, but that's enough to send the weapon flicking through the air like a sunbeam.]

Re: [Video]

[universal_charm]

_{[ He arches his brows as he watches it flick around. ]}

I've never seen telekinesis that strong before.

[Video]

[letteropener]

Ah, but you see, it isn't that.

[Celestia brings the sword over to her, then casually extends a hoof to touch it. Which she fails to do, because the hoof passes cleanly through it as if it were not there.]

It is simply an appearance, not a material construction. I am only wielding light.

Re: [Video]

[universal_charm]

_{[ Sorry, Celestia. This is all a bit much for him to wrap his head around so, he's going to try and relegate it into scientific terms. Terms that make sense. ]}

A holographic projection that you're controlling with telekinesis - that's what we call the manipulation of objects with the mind.

[raisethemoon]

...I am going to make one of water.

[JUST YOU WAIT]

[letteropener]

I would like to see that! I did this completely by accident, but I could tell you how I came across the idea!

[raisethemoon]

I should like to hear how one forms a sword by complete chance.

[letteropener]

I was attempting to form a more solid construction of an attack, one with more force behind it, and I must have accidentally fixed on this image as one with the effects that I desired. And so I created this appearance within my magic.

[raisethemoon]

Ah! That sounds simple enough! I have been practicing making ice lately - I had thought to use icicles for similar purposes.

[letteropener]

That seems like an excellent idea. You could freeze ice into a shape like this and then wield it quite effectively. May I watch you try?

[raisethemoon]

Of course!

Though you may as well come physically. [She doesn't want to have to deal with the communicator and the ice at the same time, okay]

[jonesiseverywhere]

Oh man! That is so cool!

[But there's on important question:]

Can it cut stuff?

[letteropener]

No, not in the least. This is only a manifestation of magic in a more... patterned form. I was attempting to refine my attacks beyond simply blazing or casting bolts, and this imagery resulted.

[jonesiseverywhere]

Too bad...but I bet it'd give the Nox a run for their money! If you get the chance to try it out, gimme a call!

Wonder what else it could do... [His mind is already racing with thoughts of other things she could do with it.]

[letteropener]

Considering you place yourself in trouble so eagerly, more likely you will need to give ME a call. [Celestia offers an amused smile.]

[jonesiseverywhere]

[Casey starts to protest before giving it some thought and...yeah, she's probably right.] Eh, either way! Just bring a dope light sword with you!

[He strikes a pose like he's wielding a weapon, though whether it's a sword or a hockey stick he's imagining in his hand, it's hard to say.] Maybe you could duel wield 'em...Or make a copy of yourself out of light to fight with you!

[letteropener]

The problem each of those presents is the separation of attention. More weapons seems like a good idea, but it requires a serious evaluation of whether the decrease in individual efficacy is worth the increased attack vectors.

[jonesiseverywhere]

[He was with her right up until the words "good idea." Hopefully it doesn't look TOO much like he didn't understand her.]

Uh...well...yeah, that's somethin' to consider...I guess?

[unrecovered]

[Wash gives a low whistle. Okay, yeah, that is impressive.]

Probably half and half. [Necessity being the mother of invention and all that, not that he'll ever say that phrase aloud again.] Is it hard-edged?

[letteropener]

It is nothing. It is merely an image. And yet I believe the Nox and those who wield darkness would find that it is very real indeed.

[This level of complicated interaction between light and darkness challenges even her comprehension, though perhaps more so because she has no true way to safely test her work.]

[unrecovered]

[So hard light isn't an option for light magic - at least, not yet. Good to know.]

Considering the reason we were dragged here, that's probably good enough.

[letteropener]

Perhaps. It addresses a symptom, not the cause, but aggressive treatment of the symptoms seems necessary in and of itself. [Celestia would really rather focus on the underlying problem, but what exactly that IS has not yet been revealed...]