//------------------------------// // The Tales of Canterlot Chapter I "Rise" // Story: Dishonored: Revenge is magic // by Inspector Gadget //------------------------------// Rosethorn was a young unicorn who had dedicated his life to science. He believed that the future relied on knowledge and progress, and that he could change the world with his research. He had gone to the Equestrian academy of science outside of Manehatten, where he studied engineering. He came up with the wildest theories and ideas. His machines and contraptions could change the world. Or at least that’s what he thought. His research had long been rejected and his ideas were washed away by the harsh words of professors and scientists, not just in Equestria, but all over the world. They said that his ideas were ludicrous and childish, and no one would ever back him in a project that was doomed from the beginning. Even with all his scientific research to back them up, no experiment, no data, no calculations, no matter how sound they were, could convince them that this was more than just a foal’s dream. He was enraged by their incompetence to see all this potential go to waste. Indeed he was brilliant, but he had never learned that potential and knowledge alone wasn’t enough to lead to progress. Some ponies would even face him with this fact, but he was too stubborn to accept it. This anger towards the scientific community filled him for years until he finally snapped. He let out all his rage like the air would leave a bursting balloon, except this time it ended with a pony’s teeth, laying on the ground in a side alley. He was released after four months in a prison, and by that time he was broken. He had no money, no home, and no friends to help through this tragedy. He was more alone than he could’ve ever imagined. He was no longer the brilliant scientist, filled with enthusiasm to the bristling point. All that was left was a depressing excuse of a pony you could only look down on. So he did the last thing he could think of. He gathered all the money he had left and used them on a train ticket to Canterlot. Although the City was reserved for the wealthy, known to be selfish and disgusted by the poor, it was still a nicer place to live on the streets. They were cleaner, and their was more help to gain. It was not a place for a scientist like him, but it was his last hope. Upon his arrival he was, despite his expectations, greeted well and in compassion. These were ponies who had lived through the same as he and only saw themselves in him. He was welcomed among their group and was looked to as an equal who deserved as much love and care as anypony else. And this made him cry in joy like he had never done before. After a month in his new home in the streets, he had come across an interesting custom. The poor would gather and collect the gems the rich use to decorate their clothing and furniture. They could be found anywhere. From the trashcans, the sides of the streets, or even floating up from the river. They would smash them with stones or other heavy objects until they were nothing but shards. They would throw them on a dimly lit fire and they would burst out in magnificent flames. They were more luminous than normal flames and would provide more heat and it took hours for them to burn out. It burned better than any of the best wood or coal anypony could provide. Especially the magic gems, which would burn for several days, so they were used only in the winter when it was needed. This was a normal custom among the poor in the city. But Rosethorn saw something completely different. While he had grown accustomed to the homeless life, he was still a genius who couldn’t be denied. Although he studied to be an engineer, he still knew a great deal about chemistry, and anyone with as much knowledge on the subject as he had would be standing in awe at the sight in front of him. He saw an energy source incomparable to any known fossil fuel. A normal gem could provide as much energy as any of the rare magical gems. The magical gems, if used in the same way, would produce many times the energy they would normally provide.The gems were much more energy rich than anypony thought them to be. They were common among the rich and middle class ponies, so none of them saw their potential, and the homeless ponies did not have the expertise. But he did. A moment of sudden clarity washed over him. Something that many ponies don’t get in their entire lifetime. Rosethorn looked at this discovery and realised that he did it in a side alley rather than in a high-tech lab with state-of-the-art equipment. He looked back at his old self, the enthusiastic academy student who dreamt about making the next scientific breakthrough. He looked back at the ponies, griffons, zebras, all races that were present in the scientific community. All those who laughed at him and called him a foal... and realised they were right. All his life he had been searching in vain, wasting his time with ridiculous ideas. He realised that all his life's work had been a waste. And that brought a smile to his face. Within years he became one of the most highly respected ponies in all of Equestria. His discovery brought the whole world into a new era of technology. Many ideas that were once dismissed and seen as ludicrous were now possible and many young scientist were given the chance that Rosethorn never had. As technology grew exponentially, the city of Canterlot grew with it. Every month the population doubled and Canterlot was no longer just the capital of Equestria but also the main seat of the scientific community and the centre of the world economy. He was meet by the princesses themselves as well as the bearers of the Elements of Harmony. He was appointed to lead the ministry of science and worked as one of Celestia’s personal advisors. Both the poor and the rich got wealthier in all the lands. The world was thrown into a golden age. That was at least what everyone thought. While gems were common in equestria and it’s neighbours, there were others who lacked them. In the far east, the Tartarus Union, home for the minotaures and many other races, was sparse on these resources. They lacked behind everyone else in economy and were soon outmatched, leading them into a financial crisis. Civil war plagued the east and their land was devastated. The minotaures blamed Celestia and Luna for this tragedy and demanded that they were given enough gems to rebuild their land. The princesses tried to help them, but even with their quantity of gems, they couldn’t provide them with enough to meet the minotaures’ terms. This lead to a great tension between the two lands. Equestria was backed by Grifferia, who also held a big part of gem resources. Griffon scientists developed weapons based on the new technology and provided weapons to their own military, as well as Equestria’s, who were waiting for the inevitable. After years of tension and political struggles it happened. War broke out. Although the minotaurs had a worse quality of weaponry, they gained that strength in sheer quantity. The battles were harsh. Many soldiers were killed and many cities were laid barren. The minotaurs were gaining the upper hand, Grifferia was being destroyed. The greatest cities of Equestria were conquered. But the ponies were still putting up a fight. While the minotaures were advancing, they also felt the greatest loss of soldiers. Counter attacks became more devastating. The advancement slowed down. It was a tie. Nobody knew what would happen. Both were preparing for the greatest battle in this war. The battle that would determine the fate of the world. The siege on Canterlot. ... ... ... But what did that matter? No matter who would win, there would still be death and suffering among both sides. There would still be houses that were levelled to the ground, leaving thousands homeless. Pain that would’ve never happened without his discovery. He would be known in the history books, not as the pony who brought forward a golden age, but the pony who caused a devastating world war. This is what Rosethorn was thinking at the moment. He was looking down from his balcony on Canterlot castle, looking at the canons raining fire over the city. Canons that wouldn’t be build if it wasn’t for him. He looked at the ponies who fled from the burning houses that were once their homes. A tear rolled down his cheek as he trotted inside his room. The guards were expecting to find Rosethorn in his room with packed bags, ready for the evacuation. What met them instead was the sight of a pony in a pool of blood and a bullet in his skull. It came from a newly invented pistol, shipped over from Grifferia. He had left the world with a recording device on his desk. One just needed to hit play: “Rosethorn Journal. 5th in the month of seeds, year 1007. It really is strange all of this... How life can change I mean... I’ve been everything from a homeless bum to princess Celestia's personal adviser. I’ve seen the golden age I made possible. I’ve lived in the greatest city on the planet, molded by my hooves... which is now being destroyed by those same hooves... *sigh* ...but I realised that all the way through, I was just a scientist. A pony who explored the nature of the world, in the name of progress...*chuckle*... It’s a fun thing with progress... It can take one to sublime heights... or drown one in devouring depths... and sometimes those two things are exactly the same... that’s a lesson you don’t learn at the science academy... but I learned it too well...End log”