“There have been times in the past where I’ve felt a dizzying sense that events that are occurring before me have happened before… or that they should have happened differently. I have no hard evidence but I’ve a hypothesis that these feelings are the last remnants of another timeline before something truly alien altered the flow of things.”
-Starswirl the Bearded, writing on the subject of ‘déjà vu’, time travel and creatures not native to our dimension
------
08:50, 12/16/2015, MEDICAL WINGS
It was with no small amount of déjà vu that Firecracker found herself in front of non-descript door at the end of the private accommodations corridor in the medical wings. As with her previous visit, two identical guards with green patches stood watch on either side of the doorframe. She pointedly didn’t look at either of them as she fought for an excuse she could live with for just walking away like she had the two days earlier.
Try as she might, that excuse wouldn’t come.
I never thought that Will Jenkin’s words of wisdom would have applied to me, Firecracker thought as she shifted her weight and tried not to wince at the tightness in her back. One hoof rose to the door before hesitating and falling back down to the marble floor. A second later and that monster would have cut me in half, regardless of changeling biology. If Matt hadn’t been there to poke with a pointed comment to leech some affection, I’d still be in bed, she thought as she suppressed a growl. Twilight and Sweetie were in danger, plus everything else going on in Canterlot… so why was my last lament about her? That thought was enough to force Firecracker to shove the door open roughly, hesitation and back pain be damned, and stomp into the room. I swear, Chrysalis, if you’re in here being fed grapes from some air-headed stallion that you have wrapped around your hoof, I’ll--
The first thing that struck Firecracker was the complete and total silence within the room. She froze, the only sounds reaching her being her own deliberately loud hoof strikes on the marble a moment before. The second thing that put the changeling on edge was the near complete stillness and lack of activity. The last thing that caught her attention was the figure on the bed.
Chrysalis, Queen of the Changelings, Ruler of the Hives, orchestrator of a coup that nearly dethroned the princesses and one of the most ambitious creatures in the world… lay still as death on the bed in the center of the room. Without her domineering and attention-demanding voice rattling the walls, she seemed… diminished somehow. She was mostly covered in blankets but there were at least two bullet wounds on her neck carapace that had been patched with a combination of magic and changeling remedies.
Queen Chrysalis, in all her terrible glory, grimaced and gave a small whimper in her fitful sleep.
This can’t be. This has to be some kind of trick… a body double or illusion! She would never allow herself to get hurt like this, Firecracker told herself. She knew she should be inspecting the room for signs of deception, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the bed. Chrysalis can’t be hurt. She’s too powerful, and conniving, and she would never allow herself to look so… so…
“All of your worrying is giving me a stomach ache,” Chrysalis said, her voice more than a whisper but less than that of a normal conversation. One eye slowly opened and a smile forced itself onto her face, though she didn’t try to rise from her repose. “Ah, there is the familiar anger I always feel whenever you stalk by the door. I was hoping you would visit at least once. There is something that I need from you.”
The unfamiliar flood of emotions in Firecracker were pushed aside by righteous indignation. “Need from me? What makes you think that I would help you after what you’ve done? You--”
“I’ve made mistakes, I know,” Chrysalis said, and her grin led to a strained laugh. “Don’t act so surprised, dear. The time since the attack has given me a great deal of time to think and reconsider.” The one open eye blinked slowly before wandering to the far wall. “I’ll be going back to the hives as soon as I am healthy enough to move, and I intend to leave my heir to manage things in Canterlot.”
“I won’t rejoin the swarm, mother,” Firecracker spat, and her anger doubled when another thought occurred to her. “I will also not play subordinate or damage control for whatever parasite you’ve chosen to succeed you.”
Chrysalis’s gaze fell back on the other changeling and watched her as she ranted. “You were right to challenge me before the Cadance infiltration. I realise that now,” she said, and she managed another laugh when Firecracker nearly fell over from shock. “My heir at the time attempted to usurp me when our coup in Canterlot failed, and that gave me some time to think about what went wrong. The hives have always thrived most when the other races have been happy, and my greed would have caused that happiness to wither and die. It’s why I took the risk of aligning with the Princesses and the other races over the invaders.”
“I had assumed as much,” Firecracker mumbled, still in shock over the direction that the conversation was taking. “I also assume you have some sort of point you’re working towards.”
“As I said, the previous heir I had been grooming attempted a coup. I could not allow that to stand, so she was removed and a new heir was prepared.” The smallest amount of hesitation entered Chrysalis’s voice as she chose her next words. “I’ve done everything I can to prepare her for the future without creating someling who will just repeat my mistakes.”
The words Chrysalis was speaking smacked against every expectation that Firecracker held of the queen. There’s no way this is real. She’s hiding behind a curtain somewhere and laughing at me, right?
“‘There’s no way this is real’ is what you’re thinking, right? The disbelief is radiating off of you like steam off of boiling water, dear,” Chrysalis commented with her knowing smirk. “I’ve prepared her as best I can, but now I need someling who can teach her about the other races. I need you to teach her to see them as more than just food or a resource to be exploited. She also needs… practical experience that she will never get in the hive. Can I ask you to do this last thing for me?”
She’s doing more than asking me to babysit. She’s asking me to shape her legacy, and the future of the hive. “I’ll do it,” Firecracker said, barely managing a whisper as she reeled from the implications.
“Thank you, Syf.”
That snapped Firecracker back into the moment like the crack of a whip. “Don’t ever speak that name again,” she growled before turning and stomping out of the room… and nearly tripping over a filly that apparently had her ear to the door. One look at the ‘filly’ was all that Firecracker needed to realise just what ‘practical experience’ implied regarding what she had just volunteered for.
The filly’s appearance put her around the same age as the group of troublemakers from Ponyville, and her mannerisms seemed to reflect as much. Wide eyes and a wider grin bespoke of excitement and eagerness… but everything else about her just screamed ‘just left the hive.’ She had thankfully chosen the form a unicorn, but her coat and mane were dark gray and teal. Her eyes were the same green irises and vertical slits that Chrysalis bore, and her wide grin was filled with sharp teeth.
Aside from dropping the form of a unicorn, there was no possible way that this filly could look any more like a changeling.
“Hi, Syf! I’m so excited to finally meet you!” the filly blurted out in a rush. “After Mom dealt with all of my older sisters, the first thing she said to me was that I had to be more like Syf! Then she started telling me all the things that I couldn’t do because Syf wouldn’t--” The rest of the filly’s explanation was interrupted as Firecracker snaked one foreleg around her head and quickly drug her down the hall to an empty room.
Once the room was confirmed empty, a swift kick slammed the door shut. “Stay silent and follow my instructions, hatchling,” Firecracker hissed before hesitating. Sun above, I’m starting to sound just like Chrysalis, she thought as she gave another look to the younger changeling. The harshness of the command had seemingly done little to dampen the youngling’s enthusiasm for the moment. If this is some sort of elaborate revenge plot… then I tip my hat to you, Mother. “Before anything else is discussed, you will not speak the name ‘Syf’ again. My name is ‘Firecracker’, and you will address me as such. Am I clear?”
“Perfectly clear!” The response was delivered with the same amount of enthusiasm as her earlier speech, the chastisement apparently not making so much as a dent in it.
An arched eyebrow from Firecracker was her immediate response as she gave the filly a critical eye. “The purpose of our abilities is to disguise our true nature. Tell me why you chose to look exactly like a changeling, then?”
The filly’s excitement was dampened just a bit as the criticism sunk in. “W-well, Mom said that we can’t use the appearance of the ponies we meet, and these are the only colors that feel right to me…” her voice slowly trailed away and she couldn’t maintain eye contact for long.
“You hadn’t realised the problem, had you?” Firecracker asked, her tone far softer than her last question in response to the filly that was all but cowering before her now. A small pang of guilt jabbed at her as she crouched down to the filly’s level. “Now that you know there’s a problem, we can fix it. Okay? Why don’t you change into something else for me? I’ll leave the race and coloration to you, though it should be an Equestrian.”
The filly seemed to swell with the encouragement, and her face lit up as an idea apparently struck her. A small gout of green flame erupted and consumed her appearance, leaving something new in its wake. “How about this! Do you like it? You… you don’t like it. What’s wrong?” Her renewed enthusiasm immediately reversed when she spotted the reaction to her choices.
Firecracker’s reaction had been to cover her face with her hoof. “The disguise is… unique, but there’s several problems. First, the combination of black coat and red mane is a little harsh on the eyes, and it is a bit of an inversion of the usual color schemes that the Equestrians have. There are exceptions, but the majority I’ve encountered typically have a darker mane than their coat.” Firecracker lowered her hoof to look back at the filly, and was almost taken aback by the expression of rapt attention to her every word. “I’m… also afraid disguising yourself as an alicorn isn’t a good option, either. Considering how rare they are, pretending to be one will only attract attention.”
“Oh, I guess that makes sense--”
CRASH.
The door to the room nearly flew off it’s hinges and something small and fast burst into the room. It ricocheted off the far wall, the floor, and the ceiling fan before being stopped dead by Firecracker’s outstretched hoof. The projectile in question was, inexplicably, a small white ball that had no realistic way of doing the damage it had done without... significant assistance.
“I think it went in here!” shouted a young voice from the hallway, and immediately following it was the pegasus filly that Firecracker vaguely recalled as ‘Scootaloo.’ “Wow, Sweetie! You almost knocked the door out of the wall with that ball! Did you get a cannonball cutie mark out of it?” Scootaloo shouted back down the hallway but she froze once she realised that the room wasn’t empty.
Sweetie Belle (the younger, Firecracker noted) galloped around the corner to inspect the damage. “Rarity said that the ball would help me get my mark, but it isn’t helping at all!” she huffed, and her grumpy expression rapidly switched to panic she realised that an adult now held her ball. “Uh, that door was like that when we got here!” she declared, and Scootaloo immediately nodded in agreement.
The sounds of talons on the marble floors in addition to hooffalls preceded the arrival of Alvar and Applebloom. “Girls, I don’t think that story is going to get off the ground,” the young griffon stated, and he bowed his head slightly to Firecracker. “Apologies for the damages incurred. I hope you and your… sister are unharmed, Miss Firecracker?”
“Yes, we’re both alright,” Firecracker said, and she lofted the ball back to the fillies. Wait, he said sisters, didn’t he? Why would he-- The answer to her question was immediately answered when she cast a quick glance toward the other changeling in the room before covering her face with her hoof again. Well, at least she thinks fast, though her choices leave a little to be desired.
In the scant hoofful of seconds from when Firecracker’s attention was pulled to the door to the apparent arrival of the perpetrators, the changeling filly had again assumed a new form that technically adhered to all of the rules that had been set. She was once again a unicorn filly, but this time she sported a fiery orange mane and tail that accented her light grayish coat. She also now sported a cutie mark of three burning question marks.
I can’t even really fault her for choosing that disguise, since she’s following the royal decree of not copying any pony’s appearance, Firecracker said as she again covered her face with her hoof to hide the miniature version of herself from view. Chrysalis is laughing at me right now. I can feel it.
The gesture was also apparently not missed by Alvar as he gave Firecracker a wary look. “Well then, apologies for the interruption. Girls, we should…” This time it was the young griffon’s turn to try and stifle his surprise, as all three of the Cutie Mark Crusaders had seemingly vanished from his side of the room to surround the changeling filly and bombard her with questions.
“You already have your cutie mark! That’s so cool!”
“I guess so?” came the timid response.
“What does it mean? It must be something super awesome I bet!”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? How can you not know-- wait, your cutie mark is question marks. Is your special talent not knowing about your cutie mark?”
“I… maybe?”
“That’s just silly, I’ve never heard of a cutie mark for not knowing about cutie marks.” A horrified gasp punctuated the machine gun speech. “Girls, what if we missed our chance for a cutie mark like that one because we started researching too early!?”
“Maybe your sister Firecracker can tell us, she’s got the same mark. What’s your name anyway?”
“Firecracker!” the changeling filly declared loudly with a winning (and thankfully, fang-free) smile. That confidence wilted when she saw the confused looks on the Crusaders faces, and the increasingly common facehoof gesture that the elder changeling was adopting.
“Mother was terribly unimaginative with her children’s names,” Firecracker explained, drawing attention away from the changeling filly. It’s not exactly a lie, the vast majority of the hive never warrants a name… “We’re both named Firecracker, but we all call this little one Firefly.” A subtle look towards the filly in question was answered with a wide grin and a series of nods so vigorous that it threatened to give Firecracker whiplash by proxy.
The three Equestrian fillies seemed to take the explanation at face value before resuming their multi-pronged interrogation of the newly christened ‘Firefly.’ Alvar seemed less than convinced as he moved to stand beside Firecracker. “‘Mother was terribly unimaginative with names’?” he paraphrased back, and his suspicious stare held the changeling before looking back to the fillies. “Well, it seems like your ‘sister’ is about to be drafted into helping the Crusade, other responsibilities notwithstanding.”
Alvar is a quick study… though he might have been made aware of what I am because of his position. Firecracker gave the young griffon an evaluating eye before replying. “As much as I would like to see mother dearest’s reaction to her chosen heir learning from these three, I am afraid Firefly will be staying with me for the foreseeable future. Once I’m certain she’s not going to put her family or those around her at risk by doing something stupid, I might consider letting her out of my sight.” A stray thought began to coalesce into a plan as she once again looked over the High Talon. “Of course, I think all of the fillies could do with a moderating influence. I could be wrong but you seem to be doing a good job of keeping those three from burning down the castle.”
Alvar, ever the quick one, caught on to Firecracker’s leading tone and he shrugged after a moment. “None of the plans that the Crusaders have ever proposed to me have had the capacity for much property damage, but I have heard the stories from their older sisters. Some of the tales seem to defy all logical explanation.” He cast a sideways look towards Firecracker and gave a small nod. “Should your sister ever have the opportunity to join the Crusaders, I will do my best to ensure that she isn’t hurt.”
“Thank you,” Firecracker replied, though her reply trailed off as some nebulous feeling of wrongness began to creep on the outer edges of her perception. It’s not an emotional attack, or the presence of an alien that’s doing this. It’s really a lack of feeling in the room. Why would it feel like that when there’s Alvar and the Crusaders here?
The answer became apparent when both Alvar and Firecracker broke eye contact only to discover that the Cutie Mark Crusaders and Firefly had vanished.
------
10:00, 12/16/2015, QUARTERS OF TWILIGHT SPARKLE
To the untrained or uninitiated, the personal apartments of Twilight Sparkle seemed to be distinctly at odds with what one might expect from the princess. Stacks of papers were strewn about, along with a hoofful of completely depleted ballpoint pens. Books were also found amidst the chaos, some opened to specific places while others were closed and sprouting a forest of colored tabs.
Twilight Sparkle was at the center of the hurricane, a fresh pen in the crook of her left ear and a second pen scratching away at the parchment before her. The pen in use eventually succumbed to the inevitable and ran dry, and it was immediately discarded with a telekinetic toss in the air as she pulled the one from her ear.
The depleted pen was caught by a passing Spike before being set aside with the rest of the dry writing utensils. The dragonling hopped up onto the bench on the opposite side of Twilight’s table and began to sort through the sheafs of papers that were stacked there. The largest stack was divided into three smaller stacks, and Spike browsed each of them before clipping and restacking them without a word.
“Spike, have you sent the messages to the captains yet?” Twilight asked, and nearly jumped in surprise when she spotted her assistant sitting at the table.
“Yep, Captain Song said that a messenger would stop by to pick up the instructions, and I left notes with the secretaries with Captain Armor and Captain Shot,” Spike reported, and he shot a look over the papers in his claws. “I also let Princess Luna know that you wanted to talk to her. She said that she’d try and stop by as soon as she could.”
Princess Luna? When did I ask Spike to send her a message? I was going to see if I could talk to her tomorrow or the day after... Twilight wracked her memories from the past two days before looking back to Spike.
The dragonling’s eyes were once again hidden behind the papers he was sorting, but his tone was immediately recognizable. “You were muttering in your sleep about an appointment with her last night, and you usually take a day after muttering to finally go through with things. I just took the initiative.”
The small whirlwind of papers around Twilight froze as she looked over at Spike. He really is my number one assistant. I don’t know if I could keep going without him. The papers in her telekinetic grasp were stacked and set to the side as she slipped off her bench to move around the table.
The sudden lack of shuffling papers was enough for Spike to glance up from his own work, and he immediately assumed a comically sour expression. “There’s still a lot to do, Twilight. Are you sure you have time for mushy hugs and girly things like that?”
“You’re probably right. Thanks for reminding me, Spike,” Twilight replied with an overly dramatic sigh, and both alicorn and dragonling shared a smile at their mutual act. “Once we’re done, I’m going to give you a proper snuggle,” she added as she hopped back onto her bench.
“I’ll add it to your itinerary,” Spike nodded seriously. A comfortable silence fell over the pair as they continued to work, but the tranquil scene was interrupted by a gentle knock at the door. Spike was quick to to answer before turning back to announce the visitor. “Twilight? Remember when I said that Princess Luna was going to stop by a soon as she could? I guess that was a lot sooner than I thought.”
“I will always come when a friend calls for me,” Princess Luna said from the doorway as she favored Twilight with a smile. “I do hope I’m not interrupting your work, Twilight. May I come in?”
Twilight rose to stand by the table but didn’t leave the center of her paper hurricane. “Please, come in! I’m working on a couple of things that I would love your feedback on!” She motioned to the piles of papers by the desk before giving her assistant a curious look. “Spike, where are you going?”
The dragonling had scooped up the three stacks of paperwork on his side of the desk and was already halfway out the door. “Gonna drop these off for the captains. I can save them some time rather than waiting for a messenger. I’ll stop by this evening with some food, okay?” Spike explained with a smile. The moment didn’t last long as the sound of galloping hooves filled the hallway. Sweetie Belle, Applebloom, Scootaloo, and a fourth filly ran past the dragonling with enough speed to spin him around on his heel. “Girls! You shouldn’t run in the hallway! You might cause--” The rest of his warning was muted as the door closed behind him.
“If I had to name one being in this castle most deserving of recognition for his hard work, your assistant would be the first I would mention,” Princess Luna said as she trotted over to the table with a chuckle. She glanced down at the organized chaos on the table before taking a seat. “I imagine you have other things you wish to discuss than the reliability of Spike. I had heard reports regarding the adventure in Ponyville. Your brother has also shared that you intend to help with the defense of Equestria… your argument must have been compelling to convince him.”
The papers in Twilight’s telekinetic grasp stopped before shuffling themselves into stacks and arranging themselves neatly around her bench. She tried to meet Luna’s eyes but couldn’t raise them higher than the table. “That’s right. Over the past week, I’ve had a lot of time to think about the things that I’ve learned over the past year. I’m an alicorn princess and the Element Bearer for Magic. I have an obligation to do everything in my power to help. I thought that meant--” The purple spark lanced out into a beam of pure magic and lashed out, cutting the chryssalid cleanly in two from the crown of its head to its groin, Twilight recalled with a wince. “--fighting like you and Shiny do, but it turns out one of my human friends told me what to do. I just had to remember it.”
Luna remained silent, inclining her head towards Twilight to urge her to continue.
“I can’t carry a gun or fly a plane but I can tear their bodies to pieces to know how they think and live,” Vahlen screamed as she clutched her tablet close to her chest. “It’s what I do. It’s all I can do!”
“She lost someone special, I think,” Twilight started, before pausing to choose her words carefully. I still consider Moira a friend and I don’t want to say bad things behind her back, but knowing what I know now puts a different light on her… “She was willing to do anything to keep that from happening to anyone else, but she knew her limits and her strengths. She helps Mr. Shen make all of the amazing things that the humans use, and she’s really good at it.”
Luna gave an approving nod as she glanced down at the stacks of paper nearest to her. “Your friend is quite wise, and I can see you’re putting that wisdom to good use. It seems that you’re recreating the base formulae of your ‘Wallflower’ spell… with a defect in it?”
“Several different versions of faulty Wallflower with varying degrees of imperfections in it. I believe that we can train guardsponies to detect when something nearby is hiding with Wallflower by exposure to the malfunctioning version of it. Once they’ve memorized the most severe version, they graduate to the improved spells until they can passively detect the artificial Wallflower that EXALT uses!” Twilight explained in a rush, though she chewed her lip nervously. “Do you think it will work? I ran the idea by the the head arcanist but he didn’t seem to think it would work.”
“It has been many years since I’ve seen acclimation used as a teaching method like this, and I believe you are on the right track, Twilight,” Luna concluded, her gaze shifted to another stack of papers. “I see that you’re also working on a means to resist the… ‘jammer grenade’ effect? There’s also some papers in the human language, too.”
The confidence boost that Luna’s praise gave was dampened by the next topic. “I’ve had a chance to study some of the devices recovered, but I’m hitting a dead end. I’m not certain I can develop a magical countermeasure for something that cancels all magic in an area.” Twilight waved a hoof at the stack of papers written in English. “The best I can come up with is creating a training regimen for the humans to try and avoid the negative effects. Every Equestrian I’ve spoken with has suffered debilitating pain and weakness when one of the jammers go off because our physiology is so dependant upon magic. The humans don’t share that trait, so if they’re able to completely halt any magical abilities their using before the jammer activates they shouldn’t have any negative effects other than having no magic for the duration.”
“I’m impressed, Twilight, and you should be proud. There are many ponies who would have just thrown up their hooves and given up, considering the problems you’re working on,” Luna said, a warm smile on her face as Twilight finally met her eyes. “I suspect that you’ve asked me to come here for more than my opinions on your work, though.”
The statement gave Twilight more than a little anxiety as closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. “I’ve had a lot of time to think over the past few days… to go over what I’ve done and what I almost did. I had that assassin pinned, and all it would have taken was the smallest bit of pressure to kill her.” Twilight took a moment to steel herself as the memories of that moment came back to her. When she spoke, the words all came out in a rush. “I’ve done enough research into the human justice system, both civil and wartime, to figure out what’s going to happen to the assassin now. Now that I know… I can’t help but think that it was a mistake. That I should have just--”
“Twilight,” Luna said gently, her tone quiet but firm. She waited for the younger alicorn to catch her breath before continuing. “Twilight, I know you’ve been forced to learn some very harsh lessons over this past year. There are times when such force is justified, necessary even. But mercy is never a mistake, regardless of the outcome.”
Twilight’s nod came with more than a little hesitation, which elicited a sigh from Luna in response. The elder alicorn’s eyes slowly closed as she said, “I still remember the first time. I was… no older than you, I think. Celestia and I were just making ourselves known to the wider world and establishing the nation that would one day become Equestria.”
It took more than a little willpower for Twilight to resist the urge to transcribe everything Luna was saying. There’s so little recorded history from the time immediately after the windigos were defeated, but this isn’t history for her. The realisation struck her like an arrow to the heart once she made the connection with their previous topic. This is something personal for her, and I don’t think it’d be right to share it...
“She and I were holding audience with some refugees that had been saved from slavery at the hooves of one of the more vicious bandit lords, and I found myself rapidly approaching the limits of my endurance for the pomp and circumstance of our positions. I found myself wishing for something, anything to happen to break up the monotony when a pegasus stallion pushed through the crowd and launched himself at Celestia with guard-issue hoof-blades extended.” Luna’s eyes opened slowly, but they were unfocused and downcast. “Knowing what I know now, I realise that there was absolutely no way that he could have harmed a hair on my sister. She even gave the attacker that look. The one she gives when she’s cross but determined not to be ruffled-”
“The number three glare that she uses when Prince Blueblood makes it into the papers?” Twilight ventured, before snapping her mouth shut. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Luna’s immediate response was a small chuckle. “No, this was more like the glare she uses when she has to discipline one of the nobles for stepping out of line.”
“The number two…” Twilight muttered, before she caught the amused look that Luna was casting towards her. “Sorry, sorry, please continue.”
“I am afraid that I must stray from the topic for a moment. Just how many ‘glares’ have you classified for my sister?”
“Four…” came the hesitant answer.
A brief titter of laughter escaped the elder alicorn then. “I do not mean to poke fun. I had just never thought to break down her expressions in such a manner. It does seem like something you would do, Twilight.” The jovial tone eventually died as Luna’s gaze again fell downward. “I can still remember that moment just as easily as if it had just happened. There was surprise and panicked action from the other ponies in the room, and the hatred on the attacker’s face was unmistakeable. In my fear and surprise, I pushed him away with my magic hard enough to break his neck when he struck the far wall. I do not recall much of what happened afterward, other than Celestia apologizing repeatedly for putting me into that situation. She tried her hardest to lock me safely away in a tower for half a century after that.
Luna finally looked up to meet Twilight’s troubled stare. “I may be able to find humor in the outcome, but please do not think for a moment that I do not consider the taking of a life as a serious matter. When that pegasus attacked, he most likely knew the price he would pay. Celestia’s Solar Guard were quite fearsome back then, and they would have likely executed the fool seconds after he struck.”
The description of events stabbed at Twilight’s heart like an arrow. “I had no idea that things were that bad when you and Princess Celestia came into power,” she whispered.
“My sister has been very careful in cultivating the history that is currently known, but that is not the point I am trying to make,” Luna replied patiently. “It is a credit to you that you still ask if your decision was the right one. There are times where a peaceful resolution is impossible, where bloodshed is inevitable, as you are no doubt aware… but it’s the mark of a monster to use this as your only recourse and to feel no regret afterward. If you take anything from my rambling, then remember this: Do not bury your enemies in your hoofsteps without a care, but do not let their ghosts paralyze you into inaction in the future. It’s a delicate balance that you will become familiar with, Twilight, and my sister and I will be there to help you if you ever require it.”
“Thanks for sharing that, Luna,” Twilight said, undisguised relief in her voice. “You know how I don’t like to make mistakes, and the fact that the results of my choices are permanent regardless of my decisions has been bothering me. Sweetie Belle-- that is, the other Sweetie helped me deal with some of what happened in the past, but it’s good to know you’ve been where I am now in the past.”
Princess Luna’s posture became ramrod straight and regal, her expression imperious and unreadable… but her eyes sparkled with mischief. “It is perfectly understandable to assume that we have been perfect for all of time… but I wasn’t always this way, and just between you and me there were a lot of mistakes that happened along the way. The same goes for my dear sister, though she is loathe to go into any detail.” The mischief gave way to curiosity. “If I am not distracting too much from your work, I must inquire as to the mare you mentioned. I had only second-hoof reports about her, but she sounds fascinating.”
Twilight smiled and stretched, and she winced at the small knot that had apparently manifested between her wings and shoulders during her hours of work. “It might be you that needs to clear her schedule, as Sweetie’s story is rather long, and that doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of my speculation…”
------
11:35, 12/16/2015, ???, CANTERLOT
The bare stone walls of the room were unadorned and the rough-cut stone threw long and dancing shadows from the wall sconces. No windows were cut, their presence would be pointless so far underground, and the only portal was a thick iron door with a small view port in the center. It was a relic of a time long past in Equestrian history, a chamber designed to instill thoughts of doom and hopelessness in any who were held inside.
The room’s intended effect was all too apparent on the unicorn stallion cowering on the bench by the far wall, and his voice was borderline hysterical once his resolve broke. “They had pictures! Pictures of Dally and my little Sparkler! They said I had to shield them from the Guard scans and never say a word or they’d kill my wife and foal!” The stallion gave a desperate look to the other unicorn in the room, then to the thestral. “They said they would know if I told anyone! Please, you have to save my family!”
Shining Armor gave the begging stallion a blank look, then glanced to Sentinel Captain Star Shot. The thestral mare caught the look and replied with the smallest of nods. Without a word, the pair turned away from the prisoner and walked towards the cell door. The door opened without any prompting, and the two guard ponies flanked the portal just long enough for two more ponies to rush in. The prisoner’s pleading transformed immediately into relief as the new arrivals shared a tearful embrace.
It was a scene that brought a dull pain to Shining’s heart, for reasons that he didn’t want to fully explore.
“This was my fault,” Star Shot growled under her breath as she followed Shining Armor out of the room. “I should have anticipated this. A lot of the ponies in the capital sent their families to the countryside after the first attack, and it makes sense that a few might have been caught by those accursed traitors. I never thought they’d be used as blackmail in this manner. Careless. Stupid.” The thestral banged one armored hoof against her helmet and bared her teeth.
“We’ll need to launch an investigation to ensure there are no others that are in such a position,” Shining added, though the words that the other captain had chosen gave him pause. “Star, I hope you aren’t being too indiscriminate with that ‘accursed traitors’ label…”
The self-recrimination vanished from Star Shot’s face and was immediately replaced with a heated glare. “As far as the Sentinels and I are concerned, these creatures calling themselves ‘EXALT’ are no different than the monsters that attacked Canterlot. They deliberately undermined the defense of their own world to attain power over the rest of their people. They are human in appearance only, no different than the ‘longma’ creatures that the aliens engineered to look like us. Nopony under my command associates them with our allies, I’ve seen to that.”
“Understood, and I did not intend to question or doubt your feelings on the humans.”
“Yes, you did. You just wanted to be polite about it.” The severe expression on Star’s face began to fade as the pair began to ascend the staircases to exit the dungeons. “Shining, do you think we’re ever going to recover from this? As a people, I mean? I remember when the most serious thing that the Sentinels had to worry about was the occasional plot to break something out of Tartarus or the occasional creature from across the sea looking to stir up trouble. We could deal with that and everypony goes about their normal lives without much fuss. Now, though...”
“I share your concerns, Star. It’s something that has been on my mind a lot lately,” Shining agreed. Equestrians are resilient up to a point… but it’s been millennia since our entire culture has been put under pressure like this. Will we go back to the way we were before all this started, or will we become suspicious and unforgiving like the humans are when they’re at their worst? That train of thought brought another stab of uncertainty to the stallion as he recalled what was soon going to happen. “I’ll leave the arrangements to the investigation to you, Star. I’m afraid I have a prior engagement I have to attend to.”
“Understood,” the thestral captain replied with a snap to attention and salute. A sympathetic expression crossed her face for just a moment before she turned and marched down one of the side corridors, leaving Shining to ponder everything that had happened over the past two days and what was going to happen when the clock struck noon.
Shining’s hooves moved of their own accord, and he mentally kicked himself as he reviewed the systemic breakdown of discipline with the former Corporal Flash Sentry. He had been hoof-picked by Shining himself to act as Twilight’s bodyguard based on his combat performance as well as his loyalty to the princesses. When Twilight had first complained to Shining, he had merely assumed that Flash’s dedication to his duty had outstripped Twilight’s tolerance of the inconvenience and left it at that. When Firecracker had brought the issue up, he had given the disguised changeling the authority to review the guardspony, but hadn’t expected anything to come from it.
After Twilight’s group had been teleported back to Canterlot, Shining had rushed down to make sure his sister was unharmed. In his rush, he had the… pleasure of overhearing Flash Sentry’s sneering dismissal of the criticism levied against him, not because the criticism was wrong but because it came from somepony who’s authority he didn’t recognize. The guardspony had ended his scathing retort with a back-hooved comment about those who weren’t worthy of Twilight’s company, including a not too subtle jab at Captain Harris.
A brief interview with the then bedridden Firecracker had done nothing to redeem the corporal, given the orders he had disobeyed. Twilight had been far less restrained once they had been given some privacy to talk, outlining more than a few incidents that reflected poorly on Flash. The pinnacle of this growing debacle had apparently been a verbal confrontation between Flash and Captain Harris regarding Twilight, which his sister had explained with equal parts offense and embarrassment.
When Shining had spoken with Captain Harris regarding this confrontation, the human had adopted a blank expression and replied, “The corporal and I may have had a difference in opinion, though I cannot recall the exact nature of our discussion,” before excusing himself.
Shining was familiar enough with soldier doublespeak to know what Captain Harris meant, and it was the final nail in the coffin for Flash Sentry’s career in the guard. The blame wasn’t exclusively his, as it had been Shining that had assigned him to Twilight, and it had been Shining who had ignored Twilight’s protests.
I need you here, Cadance. You were always so good at sorting me out, Shining thought, and the expected stab of regret struck him. The dreams he had of her over the past several days had been vivid to the point of being disturbing, but he was more than willing to chalk that up to the stress of everything that was weighing on him.
The chill of the winter winds bit against Shining’s coat as he made his way outside of the castle walls, though the doubts of his most recent decisions bit deeper still. Just one day earlier, one of Shining’s subordinates reported that Captain Harris himself had made an odd request for building materials, and for an area outside of the castle to be marked as restricted for a half hour before and after noon on the following day.
Shining Armor had gone to Captain Harris to inquire about the request, and he received an answer that he was not expecting. What the humans were planning to do railed against his Equestrian sensibilities, and his sense of right and wrong demanded that he object… but he had held his tongue. The request had been approved with one stipulation: if Shining Armor was going to permit such a thing to happen, he was going to bear witness.
“Captain Armor.”
The voice jolted Shining from his memories, and a quick glance identified the speaker. Gone were the shining white and gold colors from the human’s armor, and in its place was the matte black that they had originally worn. The soldier’s face was hidden behind a full-face helm, and all of the tools humans used for a regular deployment were in his hands and attached to his belt, including a plasma rifle in his hands. The soldier motioned to follow, and Shining fell into step behind him.
For more than a minute, the only sounds that could be heard were the hoof and footfalls in the snow, and the rustle of the wind through the trees. A small clearing slowly opened up to reveal their destination, as well as several figures that were already present. Three more black-armored humans loitered around the perimeter while Lieutenant Zhang and Captain Harris stood side by side in dress uniforms and gray trench coats. Both wore peaked caps and eyes hidden behind glasses as they stood at attention and faced the last figure in the clearing.
The last figure in the clearing was a woman in a sleeveless smock, her bare arms shackled together and attached by a chain to the shackles around her ankles. Rather than the snow-covered forest floor, she stood on a wooden platform made from the supplies that Shining had authorized. Two thick wooden beams sat on each side of the platform while another sat atop both. From that third beam, a length of rope descended and was tied into a loop, which now wrapped around the woman’s neck.
“At 800 hours local time, December the eighth, you were detained while in the act of assassinating Major Yumiko Fujikawa, Queen Chrysalis, and… others,” Captain Harris said, his monotone voice carrying through the clearing easily. “Eyewitness accounts also implicate you for the sabotage of key assets during a time of war, using the uniform and identifying marks of medical personnel and of an organization to which you are actively opposed to. These are violations of articles 37 and 39 of the Geneva Conventions, of which your organization is not a party to. Your guilt has been proven beyond doubt, and you have offered no defense. As such, you will be executed by hanging at the strike of noon. Do you have anything to offer for the record?”
The prisoner stood silent and as still as a statue, her blank eyes staring straight ahead.
“Very well then,” Captain Harris replied, and he raised his left arm to check his watch.
Time seemed to stretch on forever as Shining’s eyes went from Captain Harris to the prisoner and back. I did not know what I would see when I got here. Jeering crowds… thrown stones… a bloodthirsty mob running on high emotions was what I expected. Killing an enemy in the heat of battle is one thing… but killing a prisoner who is at your mercy... Again, the rules of law that Shining had been taught smacked against what he was seeing. The humans did not object when Princess Luna rendered judgement on the assassin who attacked Twilight directly. By my own research, they have followed their own rules for punishment of these crimes to the letter, and it’s not my place to object to the severity of the punishment.
Perhaps I just don’t want to object. That dark thought was immediately reminded of the discussion he had with Captain Star Shot. It’s just like she said. This fight is changing us as a people, and I don’t know if I like what these changes are.
Despite his doubts, Shining remained silent as Captain Harris looked up from his watch and nodded.
The platform opened up.
The rope went taut.
Evening folks!
I'd like to thank everyone for being patient while I got this done. With the gigantic infodumps for XCOM 2, it's been hard to keep writing. I do intend to finish one more chapter before XCOM 2 comes out though!
On the note of the next chapter, I had wanted this chapter to end on an entirely different note but I was worried about delaying anything further (and for dropping a 12k+ word chapter). The next chapter will immediately follow this one and will hopefully make folks happy. :)
Thanks again for reading, folks.
6848562 Really wanna get XCOM 2, but it's either that now or ARMA 3 for DayZ. Choices choices...... Probably gonna get Arma and then do what I did with Fallout, buy it 5 hours before it comes out and stick it to download. I have shit download speed.
Can't wait for that Mod though, wished you could add Twilight but yeah don't want to piss of Hasbro.
Anyway the plot thickens and the story continues to intrigue.
Great addition to the story!
Haha, "unique," yeah, right. God, that was great. This story really needed a bit of levity like this after the last few chapters. Thanks for that one.
I hope this little one will be featured a lot. I like her already. Every single thing Firecracker has ever said came back to bite her in the ass in that section and it can all only end horribly.
I really liked Luna's breakdown of the importance of tempering duty with compassion, by the way. It really said everything of importance that needs to be said about this topic. Do what's necessary... but never forget that a crime is made a crime by the action, not by who it's committed against.
When I get XCOM 2 I fully intend on adding a bunch of your characters to the pool. Only question is will I make Twilight a super psi op, or stick her in the VIP pool.
great chapter, can't wait to see more
Personally, I wish that I as the reader at least got to witness some of the interrogation. Perhaps further explore the motives of EXALT in this new world? Anyway, Arad, you're doing a great job. Keep it up!
Ah, this was a fun chapter to edit. The introduction of Firefly was priceless. The interaction between Twilight and Luna. The fate of Flash Sentry after he disobeyed orders in the previous chapter. And of course, pony introduction to how we deal with war criminals. All in all, quite enjoyable stuff.
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Gonna hold you to that Arad. I remember your comment about three or so chapters back (about a certain mortality challenged psychic), and I'm hoping you remember too. Regardless, I love this story (hell, this series), so here's to a new year of XCOM, yeah?
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Quick reply. I should say that it 'immediately follows' this chapter in that it picks up in the afternoon of this day, rather than me posting the chapter immediately. :P
After reading the last line, I said to myself "Oh snap", then had a dark giggle at myself.
This story is so large with so much going on, I feel like it could be split into 3 different stories and I would want to read them all. You got your super fun happy times with the Crusaders and Friends and all the crazy hi-jinks they are up to, the slowly blossoming love story between the Princess and the Soldier, all currently back-dropped by the alien war going on over all of Equestria. Keep doing what you do Arad.
6849129 What? Oh. I would been stoked if you had the next chapter all set up and ready to go, but I didn't really really expect it. Take your time boss; I'd rather read polished gems then have to do any mental editing, you know? Sorry if it sounded like I was getting greedy or being rude, didn't mean to channel that vibe. Maybe it's jitters I'm getting, waiting for X-COM 2 to come out? Got my pre-order and everything; reading this just made me go a little bit more stir crazy.
You know, I'm kind of surprised that they are using the Geneva Conventions since XCOM has always acted a bit 'outside' the law. Then again, they now are publicly known so it would look good on their part to follow through on international protocols; at least against fellow humans (I'm pretty sure that 'interrogations' violate more than a couple Articles)
Hang 'em high!
... also, the bit with the newly-dubbed Firefly is ADORABLE and granted this chapter some much-needed levity.
... ... also also, I have my suspicions, if Shining's dreaming about Cadance. Never found the body, after all. She might be alive, might be hurt... and I KNOW she'd be pissed. With someone of her talents, this could turn very, very, very bloody very fast, once she was assured to be okay by Shining and Twilight.
As for Flash... hmmmm... I do hope that the next chapter gets into exactly what's going to happen with him.
it came from somepony who’s authority
1. Whose.
I think you mean 'form of a'
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Already have it preordered, can't wait for the preloading to start on that.
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My editors in particular liked the changeling's first original disguise. :P Firefly was a lot of fun to write for as long as she was in scene, and I'm looking forward to writing some more for her!
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I imagine future chapters may answer the questions of EXALT's motives in Equestria...
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The next chapter will have some insight on this. I had intended to have this and the next as one chapter, but delays and chapter length made me split it.
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The scope if the story has grown large, I'll admit, with several individual plot lines for characters, settings and relationships between them.
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I just wanted to make sure there wasn't any misunderstanding about what I had said. :)
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During the first Interlude chapter, Matt did say he was doing everything by the book since they're now going to be under public scrutiny.
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I'll admit that I've become a bit attached to writing sickeningly adorable filly characters, and with the Celestia story done I need to get my fix elsewhere.
These chapters are practically begging for their own intro sequences!
At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if Time Turner / The Doctor actually took an active role in the story. That would certainly make things more complicated for XCOM and Equestria. Bad enough they're dealing with alien invaders and alternate versions of characters from different dimensions.
Then again, with the way XCOM 2's story might be tracking, it might not be such a stretch for them.
Alright, you know the drill with me. QUE ANALYSIS!
1. - Long Live the New Changeling Queen!
Dammit, I thought my heart was safe from the adorable onslaught that was Lulu in Celestia. Seems like Firefly is going to serve as the new plucky ball of weaponized cuteness. And she's teamed up with the CMC. I give it two chapters before their antics give us all diabetes.
Of course, this childlike innocence is offset by what steps Chrysalis most likely took to put her in the position of future queen. Firefly's sisters are all probably taking a dirt nap. I know changelings most often have parallels drawn to other matriarchal insects, but they become even more unsettling when they're portrayed with advanced intellectual capacities (i.e. Why am I following you? I bet I could lead this swarm better!) Its that cocktail of similar human thought patterns paired with an unsettling swarm mentality that makes changelings a step above your normal kids' cartoon villains.
Still, it was interesting to see Chrysalis and Syf show some different parental reactions other than distrust and regret, though I'm still wondering how you came about giving 'Firecracker' her official name. I know it might have a relation to the Norse goddess Sif, but that's probably a stretch.
Speaking of bonding moments:
2. - Spike the Great and Competent!
Seeing this little guy shine as the #1 assistant we know him to be instead of the butt-monkey some of the fandom views him as puts a smile on my face. This baby dragon knows enough about his friends to be more than just the errand boy. He's the rock they can always lean on for support when it feels like they're drifting astray. And that's what makes a great sidekick. You don't have to be an Iron Man or Captain America to protect the world. Sometimes all you need to be is a Phil Coulson.
Actually, scratch that last part. Given what happened to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s best man, I wouldn't wish that fate on Spike. But, since this is XCOM, he's probably not immune to the red shirt curse.
3. - Story Time with Luna
Oh, Luna! You still think your sister has a fairly clean slate and her attempts at controlling what parts of history are remembered is so adorable! Can't wait for that naive bubble to burst when Solaria drops some revelations on them all.
And on the topic of stories and history, I'm starting to think that it will be Twilight who will emerge from this ordeal having learned the most about her world's true history. I'd say she has more than earned it with all the sh- Discord and the Ethereals have been throwing at her. Maybe, with the truth of both past and present at her disposal, she can help chart a better future for both Earth and Equestria; one that hasn't been built atop lies of omission and half-truths.
Or maybe the truth's weight will snap Twilight and she'll unmake reality. I'd give it a 50 / 50 shot.
And finally...
4. - War and Social Change
So, Shining Armor and other equestrians are rightfully terrified of the changes this conflict is bringing upon them. Suspicion, prejudice, hatred. All things that were at worst a minor annoyance before the aliens arrived seeking an end to their tranquil utopia.
Although this conflict has forced them to adopt more human characteristics to survive, I'd say XCOM has started a change for humanity as well with their alliance. They've accepted and provided aid to inhabitants that are alien and still widely unknown while fighting off an invasion force who's motives are still a mystery. Just as ponies have adjusted to man's battle-hardened philosophies towards survival, humans have also shown their compassion and receptiveness to these creatures now facing similar hardships.
And all this progress will be undone once EXALT helps usher in the ADVENT coalition under the Ethereals' command. So much for that hopeful note.
One final (perhaps comedic) note; the infiltrator's execution, while appropriately grave, actually made me smile. Think about it. They're trying to hang someone from an organization that regularly pumps its members full of genetic enhancements. She might have had the augmented muscle strength to hang there harmlessly. Imagine what kind of conversation that might spark among the executioners.
6849460 Oh, must have missed/forgot that bit. Thanks for the clarification.
The noose for traitors, and because she was a terrorist she got that dishonorable death than a more worthy firing squad.
Long live the queen and good luck with the story.
6849614
Breaking it down!
All hail our new cute bug overlord!
After wrapping up Celestia I found that I missed the weaponized cuteness that Lulu brought with her. So rather than have a more typical and pragmatic heir chosen (which would have likely been the next in line or the one after her), Chrysalis probably knocked off the first six to get to little Firefly.
And Firefly mentions it only once and in passing, but she said Chrysalis 'dealt with her older sisters'. Just how they were dealt with, and how much FF knows is up for debate.
Spike the unsung hero!
Spike always strikes me as the Aric Jurgen to Twilight's Ciaphas Cain. Always there with what's needed in a pinch, as opposed to the butt monkey that he's sometimes described as.
Luna's regrets
Luna has likely done her best not to dwell too much on the past, given the painful memories that await her. That intentional avoidance means she's going to miss a lot...
Those that fight monsters...
Change is scary, no doubt about it. Just how much that will change is yet to be seen.
Also, the decision for hanging as opposed to firing squad was deliberate. From a practical, in universe standpoint, it makes more sense than a firing squad. From what I understand the majority of deaths due to hanging is actually the neck being broken by the rope going taut as opposed to the more popularized asphyxiation, and while an EXALT soldier might be able to last longer, the lack of oxygen will win in the end.
Now, a firing squad on the other hand might have wandered into the 'too cruel' territory given that EXALT soldiers are gene modded to withstand a -significant- amount of abuse. Considering that a firing squad is usually a handful of men but only one actually has a bullet, that likely would not lead to a fatal injury unless its a brainpan headshot. And, it's just my personal opinion but firing squads with lasers/plasma weapons feels kinda corny.
Well. This chapter tied up a lot of loose ends.
(Heh, heh. Just a li'l bit of gallows humor. You could say the wait for XCOM 2 has got me at the end of my rope. )
they're
Hmm. Not sure what to think of Chrysalis retiring. Firefly is adorable and all, but she's way too young to be leading anything just yet and will probably remain thus until after the war is over. And the fact that Chrysalis really is trying to make amends makes her pretty much exactly the bug they need on the throne.
Wow, they went through all the efforts to construct a gallows? I would have figured that it would have been execution by firing squad.
No, they both had the lack of respect to not waste ammo on her and the effort to build a set of gallows just to see her swing. That sir, is a level of spite and disrespect that brings a tear of pride to my eyes. I couldn't be more proud of mankind's sense of... something than I am right now.
I'm sorry, but I can't keep reading this. It's gone on too long, things are too depressing and a lot of people are dead with practically nothing to show for it.
What's more, I'm a fan of Flash, so I can't really see him in a negative light. Seeing him get fired from the Guard was the final straw. I don't mind the reasoning, I just don't like it.
Dat black and red alicorn OC disguise was just so precious! And hilarious! Strangled snorting may have echoed through my halls at that point in the chapter.
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Idunno. Not knowing for sure whether the traitor kicked the bucket, I feel like Arad kinda left me hanging.
6850056 Yeah, I had very high hopes for the story when it started, given how awesome Stardust was, but it's just been a war of attrition and previously-delayed consequences. The few victories and advances are tentative, partial, pyrrhic, or just not all that conclusive. In Stardust, Twilight came up with half a dozen or more brilliant, game-changing ideas quite rapidly under far from ideal conditions. Here, with all the resources of her native world and even more motivation, she's struggling to make even modest improvements in training. Chances are, another too-costly "victory" or two and this story drops off even Tracking.
6849834 Hopefully, for everyone's sake, Spike washes more regularly than Ciaphas Cain's erstwhile aide.
I wish I had more Likes and Favorites to give this story! Keep up the excellent work.
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.
A red and black alicorn, huh?
Hmmm.
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6850316
That's XCOM, baby.
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6850056
Welcome to XCOM LW. That may seem like the generic response, but it's the simple reality of it all. XCOM canon is VERY clear. If they Ethereals put down that Idiot Ball and treated humanity like a serious threat, then the only question would NOT how long will it take the Ethereals to win. The only question is would they leave anything left. They are effectively as far above humanity as humans are above bacteria. And that's when they are just psychic demigods with armies so technologically superior that even their weakest gear is centuries ahead of our best things. Here in Stardust the Ethereals are REALITY WARPING ARCHMAGES. Each one is a Unicorn Twilight in terms of raw power with CENTURIES, if not MILLENNIA of experience and skill. And there are at least a million of them.
Back at the start of Stardust, humanity was utterly useless against the Ethereals. The few times you hear about things outside of the base, it always says the same thing. "We are getting completely and utterly fucked at every turn." And many of the battles between XCOM and the Ethereals had HUGE costs, including the ones where they win. The battle to take out the Battleship using the beacon is a great example. How many people died in that? Entire Strike Teams never even made it to their insertion points. And when they got into the ship, a couple Strike Teams were entirely wiped out anyway. Indeed that mission was only a success BECAUSE of Twilight's intervention. That's not even counting how many members of the National Guard died trying to help as best as they could on that very mission. Those few early victories came at costs equal to, if not greater, than what has happened in in Mente Materia, at least in numbers.
Then Twilight starts making the SuperSpecialAwesome toys, and humanity FINALLY starts closing the gap in tech. Plus many humans are starting to develope their own magical gifts. For the first time it looks like humanity can defend themselves, maybe even win. However there is STILL an EXTRAORDINARILY MASSIVE gap, and as the Sectoid Commander in the Alien Base reveals, the Ethereals are still holding their Idiot Ball. They are using their 'Great Plan', and are expecting humans to follow it. With the events at the Alien Base, the Ethereals learn that someone (Discord) threw a pony-shaped wrench into their Grand Design. But it also reveals that there is ANOTHER race with the potential they are hoping humans have.
What happens next? The Ethereals drop the Idiot Ball curb stomp the ever loving crap out of XCOM. They stop screwing around, take the battle directly to the XCOM base with intent to claim Twilight themselves. They bring an entire FLEET of ships, backed by an ARMY of ground forces. Even Bradford and the rest admit, they will fight to the last defending their world, but this is where XCOM will die. Then a deus ex machina happens, Twilight stops holding back, goes AGODAMI and curbstomps the ever loving shit out of the invading forces.
But even with all that power, she FAILS to take on a SINGLE Ethereal. Their Hive Mind bats aside her defenses like nothing. Only another deus, this time from Zhang's newly developed magical talent, which saves Twilight's sorry ass. With the Ethereals' C&C gone, their remaining forces get taken out by XCOM.
Fast forward to the first attack by the Ethereals on Equestria. Expecting their superior technology will allow them a rapid victory, they try for a quick takeover of Equis. And while the ponies have a pair of demigods, and one actual god, to defend them, the other races DO NOT. The Gryphons are wiped off the map, only the dragons actually manage to beat back the invaders as well as the ponies did. The Minotaurs got ignored until later, which is why they didn't fall like the Gryphons did.
That has been the tone for the entire series. The Ethereals were ALWAYS WINNING. They've had setbacks. They've pretty much withdrawn from Earth, but ONLY because Equis was VASTLY more valuable to them. However at no point were they losing this war. They got a 'bloody nose' more than a few times, but those events have only made them fight SMARTER. The Ethereals put down the Idiot Ball, and the simple reality is that there is NOTHING anyone can do against them. There is no 'striking back'. Humans, Ponies, Dragons, Gryphons, Minotaurs, NONE of them can take the fight to the Ethereals directly (yet). That's why in the original 4 games the final mission is a SUICIDE MISSION. Humanity has ONE shot at cutting off the head of the threat, because they CAN NOT WIN otherwise. The Ethereals WILL win the attrition war, and EVERYONE KNOWS IT. The only thing that has ever given humanity, or anyone else, a CHANCE, is that the Ethereals are OBSESSED with their Idiot Ball. Had they tried a 'Let's win this in a single stroke' with humanity, there would NEVER be an XCOM. That would have won everything for them. Hell with the tech the Ethereals have, they could simply pull a 'Scorched Earth' FROM ORBIT, and be done with everyone. And there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone but perhaps Discord could do about it, and he refuses to do much of anything for some reason...
Is it depressing? Yep. Does it feel like every victory is meaningless at times? Absolutely. But it's that tenacity, that "We will not go quietly into that gentle night!", that gives humans the chance to win. Because no matter how impossible something seems, there is always SOMEBODY who plans to make it possible. Something even Discord himself says. He did NOT send Twilight to Earth to save the humans, because he KNEW that humanity would bash their skulls into the Ethereals until the humans had somehow won. He did it for two reasons. To show the humans they were not alone. They were NOT surrounded by enemies on all sides. That there were friends out there, waiting for them. And because if the Ethereals somehow managed to take out the humans, then there would be nobody to save the ponies...
And that all brings us here. This are getting darker every moment. The enemy is as all powerful as ever. But XCOM stands vigilant. No matter what may happen, no matter what horrors the enemy can unleash, the vast powers at their disposal, or even how inexhaustible their armies seem to be, XCOM Stands Vigilant. And until the very last member falls, that will never change. The enemy will have to kill every last one of us to claim victory. And XCOM will make sure the enemy pays dearly for every single thing it tries to claim, even to the very last.
XCOM
Vigilo Confido
6848763 I don't think Twi would be able to handle a lot of killing. She is NOT a soldier. So, yeah. Go with VIP. Still, good idea. Might do this myself. X)
"and quickly drug her down the hall" errrrm should that be DRAGGED rather than DRUG ?
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Going to reply to these two briefly.
As I mentioned in my first comment on this chapter, this was originally intended to end on a different (better and happier) note, but the chapter had grown too large for my taste. I suspect that the next chapter might be to your (and a lot of folks) liking, given what I have planned.
And, to be honest, I dislike FS because he's something that a lot of people HATE (and no, not just a waifu stealer). He's a new character that shows up completely out of the blue and does absolutely nothing to make the main character like him, yet she still inexplicably does.
That's one of the cardinal sins of fanfiction, so why is it forgiven for being in canon? But that's just my personal opinion and rant on the subject. Take it as you will!
6850633
An excellent summary of what's happening so far, for those that are uninitiated to the brutality of XCOM.
The ending of the comment reminds me of the fate of the proto Eldar in the ME crossover The Mission Stays the Same.
The Reapers sent a few light ships to destroy the Eldar homeworld in its infancy... only for them to be wiped out the moment they broke atmosphere. The next fleet arrived a couple of years later and encountered first generation ships and orbital defenses that struggled but still won the day. After that (and after most of the galaxy had been wiped clean of intelligent life), Harbinger sent the bulk of his forces to crush that stubborn world.
The Eldar responded with a valiant defense... but chose to end the fight on their terms. The powers of their Foresight told them that there was absolutely no way that they would be able to survive the onslaught, so every Eldar citizen tethered their psychic might into a device for one last defiant statement. The device was a psychic bomb powerful enough to render their homeworld into a lifeless rock and destabilize their star, as well as wipe out a sizeable chunk of Harbinger's forces.
In the span of a single moment, the Eldar were no more. They passage sent a message: We are beaten but unbowed.
That fic also had one of the -best- badass boasts in any story ever:
6851743 And here I had hoped you'd be understanding.
6851792
Eh? I reiterated my earlier lament about ending the chapter on this note due to the grim tone (and I was expecting at least a few folks wouldn't like it), and I explained my position and opinion regarding FS.
I'm not sure I'm understanding your comment.
6851916
The primary reason for not making FS a primary character up until now is a planning one: As someone had pointed out there's a -lot- of characters and different plot threads going on. I didn't have room for Flash Sentry's development beyond single scene and background appearances until now.
What the future holds is anyone's guess.
6849460
Will you create and share your human xcom characters as templates for xcom 2?
And will you do a commented lets play?
Oh Please, oh please, oh please say yes!
Idk why everyone hates the grim tone of this chapter, I thought it works well. Although, I want an explanation as to what has happened to Jenkins and Cadence. We never saw them die, so something must have happened to them.
6852093
The phrase primary char wasn't the best on my part. There are some really nifty minor chars that I'm struggling to get screen time for because of everyone else going on. I couldn't find a way to give FS more than he's gotten without taking from others.
6850658 They are not after the planets resources (minerals, water etc.) the resource they are after is humanity it self to either add to their multi species army or use their bodies to transfer their minds into them. Either way if they where to just nuke the earth and wipe every one out that would defeat the purpose of the invasion. They gave Humanity a chance to fight back to test them if they are worthy of being their new bodies or if they are just another failure in witch case they just add the humans to the ranks of their mindless puppet minions.
6849834
I agree with your assessment. Hanging usually snaps the nap quickly and is usually a good statement to the prisoner that you're not worth the bullet.
Still, given what gene mods EXALT has shown so far, I'd still say hanging might end up being more trouble than its worth. I'm just imagining the discussion that would spark among those present.
Shining - She's still alive?
Zhang - Yes.
Shining - And she's being hanging for two hours now?
Zhang - Three.
Shining - Captain Harris, I think we should just go with the firing squad.
Harris - No! That's just what they want. To stoop to their level; using the very weapons they use to kill!
Shining - But don't you use guns, too?
Harris - It's about principals! We have to show these traitors they're not good enough for the bullet. They won't make fools out of us!
Zhang - I think she's doing a well enough job of that already. She's starting to do pull-ups with her neck muscles.
Discord - 20 bits says she can't make it to 100!
Shining - Faust dammit, Discord! Don't you have others you should be making feel inferior?
Discord - And why would I do that, Shiny? She's already doing a great job!
6850633
Fantastic summary, good sir!
The Ethereals (both in-game and in this story) are far beyond anything Earth or Equestria could hope to realistically win against. Whatever progress we make in terms of research, weapons and powers are due to them allowing such developments to happen. They could most likely annihilate our star system without even breaking a sweat, but that would just deny them valuable test subjects for their experiments.
One minor point of disagreement, though. For their in-game counterparts, I don't think they were ever holding the idiot ball. Their evolutionary experiments for humanity succeeded according to their intended plan with the Volunteer becoming the premiere example of why humans are the perfect new hosts for them. Sure, they may have underestimated XCOM's ability to best their leaders on their own ship, but I don't think the Ethereals were foolish enough to not have a backup plan in-case their chosen species rejected their offer of ascension.
What do I mean? Well, let's look at what happens when the Ethereal Master is killed.
The Temple Ship starts behaving like a black hole, threatening to consume Earth. This could be seen as a fail-safe against experiments that have grown beyond their control, but it may have been another ingenious part of the Ethereals' grand plan. What if the black hole wasn't meant to destroy Earth, but intended as a means of sending a message to themselves?
Probably sounds too much like a sci-fi cliche, but it has some legitimate scientific merits. Just read what Stephen Hawking recently proposed on the matter. The gist of the article is that a black hole's intense gravity doesn't destroy what it captures. It just reduces it to its most basic subatomic information. Essentially, black holes could be the flash drives of the universe, storing the "data" of whatever enters them.
Of course, this data isn't useful to us due to the immense gravity preventing any means of reconstructing what might enter the black hole.
This probably isn't a problem for the Ethereals, though. Remember how the Hyperwave Beacon transmits and receives information on a spectrum that seems to transcend our dimension? Now add the Ethereals' psionic mastery into the equation and you've got a race that can send information that transcends the limitations of space and time.
So, if they were to send a message in a bottle through a black hole, chances are the Ethereals who receive it could probably interpret the message.
And that's how XCOM is initially defeated within a few months. They don't give humanity a chance to fight back because they already know what would happen. It would also explain why they'd bother keeping the Commander alive after all this time. What better tool to help bring their plans for humanity's ascension to fruition than the one who lead them to that state the first time?
Of course, this is all wild speculation on my part (and sincere hope that something from the XCOM 1's victory scenario will be used). However, with the deluge of recent coverage (especially those strange portals, more psionics and teleporting enemies) I'm guessing we'll learn that the Ethereals have been playing us this entire time. Even if we beat Ironman Impossible, we still lost because they committed the ultimate save-scum move.
How we're going to prevent a repeat of that scenario in XCOM 2's victory scenario is anyone's guess at this point.
6850658 No idea. They have this 'Grand Design', but they never really share it. It's part of what makes them both terrifying and headbanging. On the one hand they are so nightmarishly powerful that if they didn't spend their entire time sucking off the Idiot Ball, they would steam roll EVERYONE. On the other hand since they never share the truths of their 'Master Plan', they come off as complete morons. Stupidly OP morons, but morons none the less.
6852427 I won't get into the theory crafting about XCOM2, because while admit it's plausible that's an entirely different debate. However I will stand by my statement that the Ethereals are obsessed with their Idiot Ball. If every time you execute the exact same plan it fails, and the only changes are who you are testing on, then the fault is NOT with the people you're using the plan on, THE PLAN IS WRONG. When they finally find a species whom the plan seems to be working on, it Goes Horribly Right. The Ethereals can't even imagine that humanity is a threat. While this IS acceptable for a while, it becomes INEXCUSABLE once the Volunteer hits the scene. The entire point of the plan is to make a psionic superbadass. One who has both the raw physical might, AND enough psychic power to rival an Ethereal. IT WORKS. However because the Ethereals are so busy banging the Idiot Ball they completely FAIL to realize that XCOM HATES THEM. The entire point of XCOM is to destroy the Ethereal Threat. And they just gave XCOM EVERYTHING IT NEEDED, INCLUDING THE NEW SUPERBADASS. The only possible thing that could harm them, and they give it to the very people WHO WANT TO HARM THEM. It never dawns on them that the Volunteer would attack the Uber Ethereal, because they can't think about anything outside of their 'Grand Design'. It is this 'Master Plan' that serves as their personal Idiot Ball.
6848562
I'm always glad to see an update on this story, even if it takes me a while to get around to reading it.
The hanging was a good breaking-point, though, I think. (If you hadn't stopped there, it likely would result in some mood whiplash.)
6852809
I don't remember where I read this, I think it was with an interview with Jake Solomon or I'm horribly mistaken. But it talked about how these aliens that are attacking earth are something of a splinter cell of the alien collective (poor support crap tech and tactics) and are obsessed with ascending, that when the humans destroy the temple ship and advance and adapt the alien tech they are in a better position to deal with an even more competent force but that's after the humans ran out of elirium and alloys.
Sorry for my horrid punctuation.
Oh and this has nothing to do with xcom 2
6849243
Aliens are not signatories of the Geneva Convention, we're free to violate it all we god damn want when fighting them, and X-COM did, in fact, do that several times (See: Desecration of the dead, 'enhanced interrogation techniques', use of flamethrowers in combat, etc, etc, etc.) EXALT... is hazier. I think they technically fall under either traitors or terrorists, and many of the protections of the Geneva conventions don't apply to such individuals (They're technically regarded as criminals, not enemy soldiers). That said, following the conventions as best you are able is a good idea, for decorum's sake, at least.
6849834
I believe it's the other way around in Firing Squads - most soldiers have bullets, but a few have blanks, so that nobody knows if they fired a real shot or not. But it wouldn't only be a single round there because like, what if they miss and perforate the stomach? Not a good way to go. You want multiple bullet wounds to ensure nigh-instant death.