My Little Clony

by therealfeedback

Act V, Chapter XV

Improvisation.

It’s a cruel, cruel thing, and yet it is also a graceful savior.

Improvising is what has landed me maimed without my right foreleg, and forced me and my friends from our homeland to Stalliongrad.

However an ability to improvise and think on my feet is what has kept us all from death the past few months.

Whatever way it treats you on any given day, one thing is very plain. It can’t be taken back. There’s no set script, no recreateable point from which to reset everything to. It is innately something that cannot be duplicated, something that scatters any semblance of order and planning.

Its chaotic nature makes it something that cannot be recreated again, and something that can be altered once done. It’s something that, whatever the outcome, you must continue forwards with. There’s no way to go back to the way things were. There’s only what you can do ahead.

I suppose a certain Draconequus would delight in that explanation.

I sighed, staring off the stern of the boat as the shores of Baltimare became smaller and smaller in the distance. Leaving home is never easy, especially when you don’t know if you’ll be back.

My name is Arpeggio. Arpeggio Septimo. I am a keeper of order. A baron of peace. The only thing I strive for is a perfect world for those who are my subjects, knowingly or unknowingly. By any means necessary.

If I have to sacrifice a few thousand for the happiness of a few billion, that’s blood I’m willing to get on my hooves. Somepony has to do it, after all. As much as some ponies may defend it as free will, I’ve seen what ‘free will’ does to the world. Or at least, I was given vision of it. Having a system that programs minds also has a handy ability of allowing creatures millennia old to show those of us less immortal what their memories store.

Unfortunately, courtesy of my aforementioned predecessor’s arrogance, I now have a thorn in my side and in utopia’s side. A very large one, too. But one that won’t be any consequence soon. Being taught by the original master of your craft, and literally being created for greatness, has a way of making you very good at solving problems you face.

“You alright?” I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As it turned out, it was Derpy, her usual happy look on her face, a muffin balanced on her muzzle. “Hungry?” I smiled, reaching out to pick up the muffin. Instead, I knocked it over with a metal hoof.

“Sorry Derpy, I’m…still getting used to the new leg…” I bent down to pick it up, using the real leg to do so. “Thanks.” At that, I bit into the muffin, grateful to have something to eat. It felt like I hadn’t eaten in days. Whether Discord actually messed with time or just my perception of it while the world was distorted, I was unsure. I was sure that the muffin was tasty though. “This is really good. What kind of muffin is this?” I asked.

“Family recipe!” Derpy replied, more glee coming to her face. “No telling!” I chuckled, wrapping a metal leg around her in a friendly embrace. Even if I wasn’t used to it yet, something so basic was still natural.

“So…what are you doing out here?” She asked. “It’s really cold up here, and everypony’s down under the ship…”

“Just…thinking.” I answered, switching my eyes from her face to the twinkling lights of Baltimare, not much bigger now than grains of sand in the distance. “Thinking about what just happened. What we’re going to do now. What’s going to happen because of all of it.”

“So, what exactly is the plan then?” Noble asked, his usually bubbly demeanor settled since his outburst.

“Simple.” I answered. “First, we reestablish what surveillance systems we can. Then, we hunt them down. Third, we hunt down anyone they showed behind the curtain. Finally, we install new surveillance wherever they destroyed it.”

“No plan ever goes that smoothly.” Apple commented.

“Which is why we improvise. Everything should go according to plan, but if you can’t adapt and adjust when it doesn’t, which it won’t with an enemy this dangerous, you’re as good as dead.”

“And I’m not fond of the idea of dying.”

“You’re helping a lot of ponies, who don’t even know.” She said, stretching a wing around me in a gesture matching my leg around her. “Ponies who’d want you to do good if they knew.”

“I hope.” I said with a chuckle. “I haven’t done anything though. It’s been all of us. Trixie’s illusions, your wings, Vinyl’s instincts, The Doctor’s insight, Promontory’s strength…I wouldn’t have been able to do any of what I’ve done without you all. I’m no hero, I’m just a stallion blessed with the greatest companions in the world.”

“Funny to think, some ponies might call us heroes…plenty would probably also damn us, but I guess not everypony’s as bright as you or me, eh?” Derpy just smiled, nodding as she stared off to the fading shore with me.

“That’s the boat they’re on in all likelihood then.” Apple Polish noted.

“Yep, looks like it.” Noble added. “Should we go after it?”

“No.” I said simply. “We wait for the princess’ go-ahead. You two may have the minds of the versions of you that fought Celestia, but you’re not used to actually using your spells yet. You’ll need some practice on some live targets…good as we may be, fighting an angry moon goddess with you two fresh from the tank is not something I think we should risk.”

“So we’re just going to let them go?” Apple asked.

“We have more important things to worry about anyway.” At that, I turned to Hugow. “We may not be allowed to hunt them without her say-so, but I’d say we can still get to work repairing the surveillance systems where they weren’t completely destroyed. Hugow, you keep an unofficial state of martial law until then. Don’t want things getting too hectic. You’re now the commander of the Royal Guard, use them as you see fit.”

“Yes sir.” He nodded obediently, just as programmed.

“What about Cadenza’s fiancé? The current captain?” Apple Polish asked.

“A princess being assassinated on your watch tends to get you demoted.” I answered. “Still keep him, he’s been a valuable asset, but demote him a little, both make room for Hugow, and discipline him. This is something we can get away with without too much grief from Luna.”

I sighed happily, staring up at the sky. It was gorgeous – out on the ocean, with no lights outshining each other or ruining your night vision, the stars twinkled as bright as the sun itself, with the moon centering it all. Most ponies wouldn’t believe it, but you could even see farther off into space. The arms of the galaxy itself were visible, outstretched like arms reaching to the heavens.

“It feels like ages since I just…sat down. Sat down with somepony, and enjoyed a nice view.”

“It’s more than nice.”

“It really is. Funny, how something so simple can feel so amazing…goddess.”

“What’s wrong?” Derpy asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

“Nothing, I just…it just hit me what’s going on.” I said, my gaze jumping from the sky down to the deck of the ship stretched out past my hooves. “Celestia’s dead, someone more ruthless has taken over, we’re leaving Amareica for Russire, possibly for good, and for all we know we’re about to start a war or get another leader assassinated.”

“Nopony ever said it would be easy, I guess.” I said to myself. “I certainly didn’t.”

“Discord said he’d be watching us though.” Derpy said reassuringly.

“He said whatnow?” I asked.

“He said that he was going to help us and protect us. He said we were the best thing to happen to chaos in a long time.”

“Fancy that.” I said, my eyes returning to the simple beauty of the stars. “Celestia said almost the exact same thing…you know, if anypony else said it, I’d be inclined to call it hokum. But from one spirit that just got done completely changing the world, and another that raised and lowered the sun and, for centuries, the moon too, well, maybe there’s something to what they’re saying then.”

“What if I said it?” Derpy asked. I wasn’t entirely sure if she was having a bit of playful banter or if she was serious.

“Well, from you, I might just be inclined to believe it too.” I said with a smile.

“Derpy, I…thank you. My mind’s been racing the past few hours, I…it’s nice to talk to a friend just like we used to talk again.”

“You’re welcome Caesar.” She said, simply and happily.

“So, do you want to go join the others below deck?”

“I’m…I’m happy up here.”

“But I thought you said you were cold?” I asked.

“I was…but I’m not anymore.” I smiled, nodding, the two of us lying back and watching the beauty of the stars as the ship rolled along the sea.

Hell might lay in wait ahead of us, but at least for now, next to the friends I fought for and with, there was no place in Equestria more peaceful.