Chapter 9: Absolution
Twilight noticed something odd. She had expected after being led to the Changeling's base that they'd find Rarity, but she was nowhere to be seen! "Excuse me, Chrysalis. Where is Rarity? Don't you even try to drop a fake one amongst us because I'll know!"
The Queen was just about to exit as she heard this. "Funny Twilight, I was going to ask you the same thing." She huffed as she exited.
"Where is she?" All of the other four asked at once.
"I just don't know girls, but it seems as if Chrysalis doesn't have her at least..."
***
Deep in the jungles beyond the Everfree Forest a pile of leaves that had been woven into dresses had slowly begun to rot. About ten yards from this pile another pile had rose up. Nearly twice as high! The dresses in this pile were more complicated and beautiful and they heaped up to form a kind of throne, or nest. Perched high above the ground was a sleeping unicorn. It was apparent from her face that she had been crying and from her coat that she had stepped in some sticky substance that refused to give way to scrubbing...
***
The wind blew past Flashburn's mane as Rogue soared high in the sky. This would be the fourth time he had almost lost his hat to the gale though he did not mind it. He had never flown, or been flown, anywhere before and he loved the feeling of exhilaration. Rogue didn't push about his past and Flash wasn't really all that sure how he felt about that. In a way it was a relief, but in other ways... Well, after letting out what he did after saying nothing for so long... He kinda wanted to talk about it! He also understood most ponies would want space after saying what he had said. Funny how being really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really... Really.... REALLY HIGH. Suddenly it wasn't as fun to be flown around. He was "tired" of looking down so he turned his gaze skyward. "Hey Anti... was I wrong to not accept Discord's help?" He asked.
"Well it was a bit more comfortable up here when I was alone but after I heard your story I can't help but agree with you. If that had happened to me I'd probably of attacked him on sight. Unless ordered by Celestia to abide him." She answered with all honesty.
"Sorry for intruding! I didn't mean to take up so much space! Maybe if I scooted over a bit more..."
"No it's fine!"
"Oh okay... Hey Rogue!"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I did the right thing by rejecting Discord?"
"You kidding? I almost asked him to remove it!"
"You... do you... still trust me? After what I said? About my village?"
"Well, it's a lot to take in... I decided not to let it affect how I feel about having you as a friend, after all, many times unicorns lose control of their magic when they get their cutie marks. Even Twilight Sparkle lost control, or so I heard."
"Really?" Flash guffawed.
"Yep, one of the most powerful unicorns in Equestria lost control in the beginning."
"Unicorn? I thought she was an Alicorn...?"
"Well, she is now... She wasn't at first... it's complicated." Rogue tried to explain.
"I've seen her wings before, once in Canterlot. They can't be fake!" Flash pressed.
"They aren't! Okay so to explain... She was a Unicorn and lost control of her magic when trying to get into the Princess Celestia magic school for talented unicorns. Celestia was impressed so much by the display that she made her, her personal student. After a while Celestia saw an opportunity to solve two problems with one blow and so sent Twilight to study friendship in Ponyville. After saving Ponyville and even all of Equestria multiple times she was given a great gift. She was coroneted Princess and made into an alicorn by an ancient spell!" Rogue went on. "Does that make sense?"
"Well kinda... just one question... How'd everyone react to this?"
"You see many ponies thought it was awesome but others got really mad and said things like, "It is the death of the kingdom's survivability. I personally was intrigued to see what would happen. But for a while it seemed nopony noticed. In fact some ignored it."
"Interesting! So... what do you do for fun, Rogue?"
"Well, I drew a lot. Often I made fan art from stories I liked. I once had a friend that I promised I draw up a cover for their story so they could post it in the newspaper, "Daily Equestria" but alas I never did, despite his desperate pleas."
"Huh, that's a shame. I bet he put something in a story he knew you'd read to try and get you to do it."
"Nah the other readers would get mad."
"I don't know he still might." Flash alluded as he glanced into the empty space in front of him knowingly. "I wonder what happened to Twilight and her friend's houses..."
***
Tank sat there in the mess caused by the break in. Well he kinda helicoptered as tortoises can't actually walk on clouds. He thought about cleaning up, but he is too cool for that because he is a tortoise. Tortoises are the most cool... At least twenty percent cooler than any other pet, toothless alligators beware. In fact Tortoises are too cool to even indent. He flew through the wall, as it is made of cloud, when he heard voices. "This is the last house to check. Let's hope those Freezers didn't have pegasi with them." The first voice went. "I have a feeling they were smart enough to bring a few, Captain." A second voice responded. "Let's just open the door and be over with it." A third, gruffer, voice went. At this time Tank stuck his head through the wall and saw about five pegasi wearing armor standing on the steps in front of the door. They weren't cool enough for him so he went to go do sports, after all he did have a rigorous flight schedule to keep. Even if Rainbowdash wasn't home. She was the only creature that could compete with his level of coolness so he did what she told him to do. Tank was ripped as he did in fact lift. The real question was do you? DO YOU EVEN LIFT? He can fight anyone IRL! He coulda taken all them Freezas single... Tortoise footed... He just was too cool to care. Man he was cool. He flew to fridge. After all he couldn't do sports without an energy drink! He grabbed a Rocking Monstar Powerdo Brawnthirst and flew straight down to Ponyville. He flew by Gummies place. "CHCKA" He shouted to his bud. "Heeeeeeeeeeesssssssttttttttt" Gummy shouted back as he jumped onto the helicopter and they flew off to the park for the weekly get together of pets. They all showed up. There was Opal the Destroyer of all and grand Duchess of Death, Wynona the Sheep wrangler, Angel the Bringer of Doom, Owlicous the knower of things, and Stanley the rock Derpy... uh... Blonde-Mane-Pony drew a face on and brings to every meeting before she leaves. Tank looked over the sad group. None of them could ever be as cool as him and this depressed him. Tortoises are so much better then everything else. Other pets have to indent but not Tank. He's just too cool for that. He flew above the gathering and Gummy leapt from his back and landed on Stanley the rock. "Hiss Hiss Meow Hiss Hiss Hiss." Opal complained. "Bark woof bark bark woof!" Wynona countered. "Who? Hoo Who Hoo!" Owlicous hooted in response. Angel pantomimed something that nobody had time to piece together. Then every pet turned and looked at Stanley. He always knew what to do. After they all stared at Stanley for a few hours they each returned home. Once again Tank was reminded about how much cooler he was then any of the others. He was like ice to their fire. He needed cooler friends but the eagle and hawk never did forgive him for stealing their spot at Rainbowdash's side. An awful shame that as they were almost as cool as he was. He flew back into the cloud mansion and looked about. The armored stallions had been thorough in their search and clean up. They remade the couch that Rainbow had made from cloud. He didn't get much exercise done at the park so he went to the weight room that had been set up for him and grabbed a couple heavy rain laden clouds and stuck them on a cloud bar. After a few sets of ten reps he decided he was done lifting for the day as he was already so cool he didn't want Gummy to feel bad. He couldn't understand how somepets could handle not being cool. Then again Tank was so used to it by now maybe he just would never understand it. He looked across Equestria and wondered how Rainbowdash was doing right about now. She was probably doing something really cool. Maybe he'd see a sonic rainboom. The idea of something that cool excited him and he looked out toward the Everfree Forest but alas... the boom never came. He was too cool to let that get him down though. He was at least eighty percent cooler than anypet else. The moon began to rise and he stared at its alabaster surface, contemplating just how cool he was. Everyone knows Tortoises are too cool to indent their paragraphs ever. ***
Celestia began to rest after a hard day of searching the skies for a sign of Twilight but to no avail. Why did she have to go missing now? She thought, all those years ago when she made Twilight her protégée, that she would always be there when she needed a helping hoof in a crisis. Now that she had lost the Elements she realized that she had no back-up plan. No fail-safe. If she failed... Auto's ragtag band of misfits would be Equestria's only hope. She needed a backup plan. "Discord!" She called her now willingish ally. She knew he had heard her and could teleport immediately in but she also knew he would never just take the logical choice. No he had to teleport to just outside the room and make an entrance. Vwoop! There, right in front of her stood Discord. She really had to stop trying to predict his actions. "Discord could you please bring the head pony from "The Horn." please? She asked as nicely as possible while still showing it was still an order.
"Why of course Celest! Why don't I just hop right on over there and bring one of them right over! It's not like you can just fly over to their tower or anything..." He grumbled.
"You know very well I'm expecting Auto and his group shortly."
"Alas, but as a monarch's work is never done so shall mine be..." He sighed as he disappeared from sight.
"Sometimes I wonder if Fluttershy actually succeeded in reforming you..." She pondered when she knew he had left.
***
Things had gone better for Absol than he had thought possible, he had the Elements, most of the squad had survived and he had even managed to dispatch that nuisance Snowchaser. It was a shame that he had to lose an element to remove him but at least he wouldn't have to deal with that up incoming General. He was too ambitious and may have threatened Absol's position. He had it coming. "You, you, and you look for a place to set up a cold camp, no fires to alert the Sun of our position." He ordered.
"You set up my tent. You gather food. You stand watch. I will scout ahead." He commanded his followers as he walked through a perfect location for a camp. He trotted over toward an outcropping of stone and observed the flight of birds over-head. If it weren't for the war he could live out here. He had always loved birds and how simply their lives were, how carefree. They didn't understand the storm that was one its way. Would they even really notice? Who knows... would he even have noticed if Evandra hadn't been born into his family? Now he knew that alicorns could be created by spells he wondered why the royalty always took those who were born with it naturally to be trained as royalty? Why did they have to try to take her? If they had left them alone none of this would have happened. His Father and Mother may have even still been alive! He still remembered that day so well.
***
"Ha, I bet I'll get my Cutiemark first Eve!" Absol shouted from his room.
"In your dreams, Abby!" She laughed back. "Besides, I'm an Alicorn! So I bet I'll get it twice as fast!"
Absol hadn't considered that. "No fair! I don't even have either... Still maybe that gives me the advantage! Maybe ground ponies get them the fastest!" He shot back.
"You're silly Abby!" This was a great insult to the young colt who was the most serious and grown up pony his age in the whole town.
"You know I told you never to call me silly!" He mock yelled as he tackled her. The wrestled for a while... until they knocked over a glass full of water. "Eve! What did you do!?"
"Me? It was you who did it!"
"Na uh!"
"Yeah huh!
"Na uh!"
"Yeah huh!"
"What was that sound I heard out there?" They heard their father say as he entered the room. "Oh! You broke another glass! I guess I'll just fix that right up then." Their Father was a dishwasher in a restaurant in town and his special talent was a spell for fixing smashed cups and plates. He wanted to someday own his own restaurant and almost had enough in savings to do so. He often said, "I want my place to be successful so I'm going to set enough money aside to pay for several months of no customers!" but they all knew that he was well liked in the town and everypony would eat there. "There we go! Right as rain! Now what do you want to do on Mommy and Daddy's day off?" He asked them rhetorically.
"I wanna go to the park!" The both yelled simultaneously. The park had everything! A bowling alley, ice cream shop, and even sometimes a troupe of performers! "Where is Mommy?" Absol asked.
"Oh she went to the post office to pick up her payment. She'll be along shortly then we can go!" Their Mother was a mail pony and proud of it. She flew faster and made more on time deliveries than any other pony!
"Who's ready to go to... wait let me guess... The PARK!!!" They heard their mother call as she entered the house. This lead to a resounding cheer as the both galloped out the door. They flew straight out the door and straight into the chest of a police officer. He snorted and shoved them back. He reeked of cider. Not the kind they got to drink either.
"Ah, there you are... uh... Evandra? Evandra. I was sent to collect you." He spat as he grabbed Absol's sister!
"Dad!" He yelled as he grabbed a stick and hit the Stallion in the back. The Stallion grunted, dropped Evandra and drew his sword. He then swung it at Absol. Absol was suddenly on his side and he heard an odd sound. Kind of the sound one makes when they have the wind knocked out of them mid sentence? He turned over and saw his father standing were Absol just was. A sword... sticking out of... Then he heard his mother scream as she ran out with a kitchen knife. Another cop saw this and shot her with a crossbow. She fell atop her husband. Their father. Absol turned to Eve and they both started to scream and cry. Absol felt a strange emotion. Angrier than anger. Something he would soon know as fury, rage, hate. He tackled the police officer and grabbed his mother's knife. He brought it down repeatedly and when he looked up the other cop had reloaded his crossbow and was aiming at him. He seemed strangely still though. After a while he saw that he had been incased in a clear ice. Absol turned and saw Eve standing there her horn aglow and their eyes met. Tears flowed freely and with a silent communication only siblings can know and they ran together. Absol didn't even notice that they had both gotten their cutiemarks until the night had fallen on the cave they sheltered in.
"What are we going to do Evandra?" Absol choked through his tears.
"We... I don't know... We can't go back! We will run away! We will go where nopony can ever find us! Then when we are safe and have time to think, we will decide what to do." He nodded and they slept.
***
They had fled north and eventually met up with some moon crazed cultists and, under their influence, he had seen his sister twisted and turned until nothing filled her heart except the thought of revenge. He knew he loved his sister, but he also knew she couldn't love him. She was so far gone that all she felt was hatred and disdain. He had to serve her though, or she would kill him. Besides, he hated Celestia and her stupid government. Alicorns needed to stay with their families and live their own lives! He fought the corrupt and broken system, not for revenge. What was Eve even planning on doing if they won?
***
"Twi!" Rainbowdash whispered. "Do you have a kinda cage door opening spell?'
"For the fifth time Dash, they have dampened my powers. No I can't just shoot lasers, nor can I blow through the wall or magically increase Applejack's strength to buck down the doors." Twilight huffed back.
"Oh yeah... Hey Pinkie can you... I don't know... break physics or something?"
"I can't do that! Everything I do is possible I keep telling you!"
"Oh yeah... Hey AJ, can you buck down the doors?"
"Not without Twi's magic, those doors are harder than the vaults in Cantorlot!"
"Oh yeah... Hey Twi..."
"No."
"B-But you don't even know what I was gonna ask!"
"Yes I do. You were going to ask me to use magic weren't you?" Rainbowdash did not reply to that. "Yeah I thought so. Fluttershy do you have any ideas?"
"I tried to get a word out to somepony but all the animals around here are rude and mean, I didn't even have time to use the stare on any of them..."
"I understand, I guess Rarity is once again our only hope."
"We are doomed." Rainbow sighed as everypony turned to look at her. "What? I was only saying what everypony was thinking!"
"Remember the diamond dogs?"
"Oh yeah..."
"Why did they have to zap you with a memory spell...?"
"Hey Twi, can you maybe blast the walls down!"
***
Rarity finally gathered her resolve and set forth toward the town, partially because she knew her friends needed help, partially because she was out of sewing supplies. She dismounted the pile of dresses and upon choosing the best combination of dress, hat, and boots trotted toward the town. She had no idea how much her apparel saved her that day. Changelings dotted the skies but they never saw her in her naturally camouflaged and stylish hat and dress. After several days of travel she found the town and a very distraught Spike. "There's my little Spikey Wikey!" She called out to him, "I have terrible news! Twilight and the others trapped in the ruin and can't escape! I came as soon as I could but we must hurry back to save them!"
"I got a letter from Celestia! War has befallen Equestria! We have to get the group back to Ponyville! The Elements have even been stolen! I know who can help! Zecora and her family can get the rest of the town to help!" He then ran off to get help.
"A war? This is terrible! Military fashion is the worst, so tacky! Ugh!" As she trotted to the nearest salon.
***
"Ah Cantorlot! How long has it been since I was last here? Oh! Right before we made our way North!" Flash conversed with a very bored Anti-Freeze. "Hey Rogue are you even tired?"
"Not even a little! I used to have to fly the length of Equestria once a month to make sure Ponies kept good care of the land under their protection. This little trip was nothing. Besides Discord's magic helped quite a bit."
"What was it like to grow up as an Alicorn?" Flash inquired.
"Well, pretty much the same I assume. Until I was around the age I'd get my Cutiemark. Then I was taken from my sobbing mother and father. I never saw them again. From that day I was trained to become the Princess of nature. The funniest thing though was they taught me to talk in the "Royal We" but that was dropped soon after Luna was banished. Just imagine Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Twilight and Me all sitting in a room screaming, "WE THIS!" and "WE THAT!" Kinda comical really. But oh how I missed my parents... I tried to find them when my training was over but they had left the town in sorrow. I still miss them..."
"I miss my parents too... but at least I have closure, yours could still be found!"
"Not likely, it was a very long time ago. Almost as far back as you!"
"What about you Anti?"
"My parents? Well, my Dad was a wine maker and my mother was a traveling merchant. I grew up on the road learning about how to make wines and sell them. Eventually I grew up and started my own business traveling and selling fine wines."
"What happened?" Flash pressed, "I mean, how'd you end up a soldier?"
"Intelligence Officer, and well to tell the truth I was a very risky business pony. I took a route through the Everfree Forest and got raided by James's crew. I was ruined so I took up the only job I could find, I enlisted. After that I basically just went up in ranks. One promotion after another, then I was recruited for a special mission and I infiltrated the Ponyville Pilferers. I was so successful that they are now almost removed! Think about it, a town without a guild of thieves! Celestia must have been impressed because I was sent to this group called, "The..." actually I can't say, government secrets and all that. Long story short, I quickly learned I work best alone. I told this to Celestia and then the threat from the North appeared so I had to go spy for her. Everything was going well, until some strange goings on began occurring. A strange third party burning enemy camps. Then a squad of crazy ponies lead by a respectable member of the military showed up and I was frozen solid. Actually I think you were there for that part..." She smiled at them. "Still, it was getting a tad boring up there and wow do you ponies liven things up!" The all laughed at that as Cantorlot appeared beneath them.
***
James had been worried the whole trip for two reasons. One, what if Discord's spell wore off early? And two, what if Flashburn somehow lost control again? He was worried about the potential consequences of such a possibility! He was unsure if he would ever feel safe around Flash again. Imagine if he were somehow converted to the other side? James knew that he could take down Auto or Anti, even Wildpaw and Shadow but what defense did he have against such fire? What chance did any of them, other than Rogue, even have? James had watched Flashburn the entire trip and he seemed in control but... What would he do? What could he do? When he had been let loose on the Freezers James had seen what terrible power he held and yet, somehow he still managed to act so carefree and happy... How?