//------------------------------// // Chapter Twelve // Story: Guilt and Hate // by Mindblower //------------------------------// Chapter Twelve ******* It was nearing dusk, and Celestia had just gone outside to set the Equestrian sun. Most of the others were exploring the ruins for lack of anything better to do, though Twilight had opted to sulk in her sleeping bag, eventually falling asleep. Scootaloo was still at camp, brushing the softly napping Centime. He was curled up on his sleeping bag, his eyelids lazily hanging over his eyes. “C’mon, Scootaloo, let’s go explore the ruins,” Sweetie Belle pestered. “Nah,” Scootaloo shrugged. “I’m good.” “There you are,” Rarity said, trotting over to Sweetie Belle. “I thought you would have been halfway across the ruins by now, darling. Anyway, are you positively, absolutely sure that they didn’t mistreat you during your brief stay in their lair?” “I’m fine, Rarity, really,” Sweetie Belle insisted. “All they did was keep me in a dorm and feed me. Hate talked to me a little. That’s all, okay?” Rarity wasn’t satisfied, but she let the matter drop. “I’m going off to find Rainbow Dash and Applejack; they should have been back by now. Fluttershy should be right outside if you need anything. ...A-Are you completely certain that they-” “Rarity,” Sweetie Belle interrupted. Rarity swallowed. “I shouldn’t be long. Don’t go wandering too far, alright?” Rarity left Sweetie Belle sitting next to Centime and Scootaloo. She noticed that Scootaloo’s cheeks were rosier than usual, and her eyes were half closed. “You don’t look so good, Scootaloo,” she said, feeling Scootaloo’s forehead. She had a fever. “I’m okay,” Scootaloo mumbled. She shivered, turning away from Centime. “I’m just tired.” “Maybe I should get Fluttershy. Just to be sure,” Sweetie Belle suggested. “You might be catching something.” “Look, I just need a nap, okay? I’m good,” Scootaloo insisted, tightly shutting her eyes. “Okay... Well, I’m going to explore. I’ll be back in a couple hours,” Sweetie Belle said reluctantly. Scootaloo didn’t answer. She was fast asleep. ===================================================================== ******* “That... That can’t be,” Scootaloo gaped, staring at the body lying in the ditch. She moved closer to the mare. “Please, please tell me this is some cruel joke, sister!” The mare shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Elie... This is no longer something that we can ignore. This is no longer something that we can let happen. We must fight back.” “H-How?” Scootaloo asked, tears welling up in her eyes. “You s-saw them; we all saw them! Th-Th-Th... They were out for b-blood. Our blood.” “I wish that there was a better way to deal with the situation, but there isn’t,” the mare said sadly. “We have tried reasoning. We have tried hiding. We have tried begging. They will never stop until we are exterminated. I am sorry, but I will have to put us through a war unlike anything we have ever seen. There is no other option left. We must fight for our lives.” “B-But what if we c-can’t?” Scootaloo asked, shivering. She couldn’t tell if the vibrations came from her sobs or from the bitter cold surrounding her. “Then we will try,” the mare finished. “But wh-what if we fa-fail?” Scootaloo cried. “What if we die again, Alexandra? What then? Will we just come back to fight again another day? I-I don’t want to live like that, s-sister...” “Then what are we supposed to do?” Alexandra asked, though her tone wasn’t angry. It was sad, almost forlorn. “We can’t go back. We can never truly redeem ourselves in the eyes of our siblings. Our mark will forever separate us from the ordinary races of ponies. Sister, we have no options other than kill or be killed.” “There m-must be a better way, Alexandra,” Scootaloo sobbed deeper into Alexandra’s pelt, wrapping her hooves around her sister in a tight hug. “I don’t want to fight them. I l-love them. And they love us!” “They do not love us, sister,” Alexandra murmured. “They wish to end us. To end all of us. Can’t you see what they wish to do to you?” she continued, pointing to the body in the ditch. “I don’t want to look at it anymore!” Scootaloo yelled, pushing away from Alexandra and facing away from the ditch. “If we war with them, we won’t be any better than they are! We will be the murderers, and everypony will see it that way!” “They will tolerate us no more if we kill them than if we don’t,” Alexandra pointed out softly. “We are far past the point of mercy, sister.” “I don’t care about them tolerating us...” Scootaloo mumbled. “I wonder if I will ever be able to tolerate myself after I take a life.” “This is fight or flee, Elie, and we have already tried the latter,” Alexandra argued, with a little more force. “They will not hesitate to hunt us down. They will never hesitate to murder us. So why should we?” “Because we’re better than murder!” Scootaloo screamed, icy tears dripping down her face as she turned furiously back to Alexandra. “You talk of survival. What about our dignity? What about our honor? We are immortal, Alexandra; what business do we have talking of survival in the first place?” “If you wish to feel the pain of death one thousand times over, then you have my permission,” Alexandra said coldly. “However, once I start this war, they will only have more of an excuse to hunt all of us down, and I will start it with or without you.” “Is that a threat?” Scootaloo hissed. “Yes,” Alexandra said calmly. “Yes, it is. Apparently this is the only way I can convince you to save your own hide, short of me knocking you unconscious and foalnapping you myself.” Scootaloo and Alexandra stood in deadlock for what seemed like hours. Snowflakes battered them and the frigid wind robbed each of them of any and all heat they had left, and they stood as if they were statues. Scootaloo finally turned away, wiping her eyes. “...What is your reason for all of this, sister? What is your goal?” “My goal is simple,” Alexandra said. “The Elements of Harmony must die.” ===================================================================== ******* “Scootaloo?” Twilight asked after she arrived in her dream. She was in the same weird, watery dimension she was when she had seen dire images of her friends in spiral columns of water. Although the ‘floor’ of smooth water was the same, the columns had vanished, and were replaced with monstrous lotus flowers that floated about in the air. Scootaloo was lying on the surface of the water, fast asleep, when she arrived. “Oh, this is ridiculous,” Twilight grumbled, continuing to prod the snoozing Scootaloo, “and... redundant.” “Ngh, stop poking me,” Scootaloo groaned, shifting. She clambered to her hooves, then stared at Twilight, confused. “Wait. How are you in my dream?” “How are you in my dream?” Twilight asked. “Don’t ask me! All I know is that I was talking to somepony called Alexandra when I woke up here. So what is this? Another dream?” Scootaloo inquired. Twilight looked around. The blueness of the horizon of her first Verba-less dream had been replaced with a faint yellow, and the gargantuan lotuses were about three meters across, each of them levitating at different altitudes. She rubbed her chin for a moment before stating, “We might be able to use those as stairs.” “Do you think something’s up there?” Scootaloo asked. She tried looking up, but at the dead center of the sky was a ball of light ten times brighter than the sun. She quickly looked away, rubbing the spots out of her eyes. “Well, nothing better to do, I guess.” Twilight bent down on her haunches before springing up onto the lowest lotus, which was still a fair distance from the ‘ground.’ Scootaloo tried to fly up to a different lotus, but when she flapped her wings, they encountered no resistance. “I guess there’s no air here,” Twilight said. “Then how are we breathing?” Scootaloo asked. “Maybe we don’t even need to breathe. I mean, this is a dream, after all,” Twilight pointed out. She was beginning to get a fuzzy feeling in the back of her mind, but she dismissed it for the time being. The pair slowly escalated, leaping from flower to flower, until they reached the top of the lotus cloud. The massive ball of light felt like it was just overhead, and it burned their scalps slightly. Twilight used telekinesis to pull another flower above their heads to protect from the rays. The itching in the back of Twilight’s mind was gradually getting more severe. She shook her head. “So what now?” “Well, I dunno. Wait until we wake up?” Scootaloo asked. Twilight paused for a moment, then paled. “Oh, no. This isn’t good.” “What isn’t good?” Scootaloo asked, beginning to sweat from the heat of the massive sun above them. “Normally I can wake myself up whenever I want, kind of like fast-forwarding. That’s not working for some reason, and I don’t know why,” Twilight began. “Well, why is that bad?” Scootaloo asked. Twilight grunted and scratched her forehead as the itching reached its peak. “Time travels faster in the dream worlds. If we’re here for much longer, it’s going to cut into real time, and we could die of thirst. Basically, we’re in a coma.” Twilight! Twilight jumped. Who’s there? Listen to me--it’s Verba--you’re not safe! Somepony is messing with your head! Hang on; I’ll be there as soon as I can. “What’s wrong?” Scootaloo asked. Twilight was just about to tell her about Verba before the entire world tilted as gravity flipped upside-down. Both Twilight and Scootaloo fell off their flower and started to fall upward, toward the burning sun. Twilight felt as if her pelt was about to burn off. Scootaloo yelled as she plummeted, but Twilight only stared in horror as she saw what the sun truly was. It was an eye. So this is how I’m going to die? Twilight asked herself in her only moment of capable thought. Somepony grasped her hoof, though, just before the heat would have claimed her. A hoof composed of runes swung her up onto a platform of sandstone, just above the blazing eye. Twilight collapsed on the surface. “Hold on,” Verba said gruffly, pulling Twilight’s legs up and centering her on the platform. She was about to ask a question before the eye exploded in a burst of fire, rocketing them both upward. Twilight would have screeched if her mouth wasn’t pressed up against the stone. After the blast had subsided, Twilight realized that she was returning to the real world. Her dream was fading, collapsing, really. Not yet. I still have questions... “That wasn’t Scootaloo,” Verba stated. “Somepony’s messing with your mind, Twilight. I don’t know who, and I don’t know why, but I’m going to find out. Just stay safe, and try not to fall asleep too often.” And with that, Twilight’s dream ended. ===================================================================== ******* “Scootaloo?” Centime asked, nudging her. Scootaloo’s pulse, breathing, and temperature had all drastically increased, and dark creases were appearing under her eyes. Twilight had woken up earlier when Scootaloo still looked normal and had gone deeper into the cavern, a worried look on her face. “What’s the matter?” Olly asked. “Scootaloo doesn’t look well...” Centime trailed off. He wiped his eyes, a knot starting to form in his stomach. “What’s wr-wrong with her?” “Hm... That’s a doozy of a question,” Olly remarked, examining Scootaloo. His brow furrowed, and for just a moment, his gaze was cold rather than lighthearted. It reverted to its normal cheer as he said, “Tell you what: I’ll go get Fluttershy, and we’ll sort this out, okay?” Centime nodded. “I’ll watch her.” A few moments later, Fluttershy rushed into the small cavern with Olly at her side and asked,“I’m here; what’s the matter?” Worry was apparent in her tone, so Olly must have told her what was going on.She felt Scootaloo’s forehead with the back of her hoof. “Oh, dear, she’s burning up. Olly, um, please, u-uh, go get a cool rock, or...” “What’s the matter?” the clear voice of Celestia asked. “Scootaloo has an awful fever,” Fluttershy explained, panic starting to creep into her speech. “Centime, d-do you know j-just how long she was asleep?” “Uh, a few hours, I dunno,” Centime said, sniffling. “Is she sick?” Olly softly placed an icy rock on Scootaloo’s forehead, and she grunted in pain, weakly lifting a hoof to bat at the source of the cold. “Y-You’re hurting her!” Centime exclaimed. He anxiously shifted on his hooves, unsure if he should remove the stone from Scootaloo’s forehead. “Shh, it’s only to cool her off,” Celestia explained, putting a hoof around Centime and dragging him away from Scootaloo. “Get off!” Centime resisted, struggling out of Celestia’s grasp. The sun goddess was unsure how to respond. “There you are,” Rarity told Celestia. “You can’t slip away from me that easily.” “Rarity, this is serious. Scootaloo’s really sick,” Celestia protested, turning to look at Rarity. “Oh, no. You’re not weaseling out of this that easily. Fluttershy’s got the situation under control, hasn’t she?” she asked. Olly nodded, looking sternly at Celestia. “Scootaloo will be fine in Fluttershy’s care for right now. In the meantime, this little talk we’re going to have is long overdue.” “But I thought everypony had to be present,” Celestia argued. Fluttershy mumbled something, but seeing that nopony heard her, spoke up. “I, um, uh... I don’t really need to hear your story... Unless you want me to, of course,” she added. “Then it’s settled. Let’s go, Celestia,” Olly finished, motioning to the center of the cavern. “Why can’t we just talk right here?” Celestia asked. Olly scratched the back of his neck. “Well... don’t take this the wrong way, Celestia, but Twilight is going to put some kind of ‘Zone of Truth’ spell near the wall of the cavern, and it’s being powered by the runes. We kind of need you to... sit in it.” Celestia stifled the urge to roll her eyes. “Fine.” ===================================================================== ******* Celestia sat in the dead center of the square, and it glowed slightly in her presence. She sat silently, biting her lip, as they expectantly waited for her to begin her story. For a minute or two, they sat in gridlock, until Olly finally decided to break the stalemate. “So...?” he asked. “Here, I’ll help you get started. ‘It was a dark and stormy night...’” “I’m thinking!” Celestia snapped. She took a deep breath. “Sorry.” “We know this hurts, Celestia. Take all the time ya need,” Applejack reassured. Olly sat back, leaning against a nearby rock. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Celestia, we really need to get this whole ordeal sorted out as quick as possible. You know that as well as I do. Probably more, since I’m not the most aware pony in Equestria. This may be the only chance you get to let off steam before you blow a gasket, and that’ll end up hurting all of us, or worse.” “I know, I know,” Celestia exhaled, shaking her head vigorously. “I just can’t force the words out!” “Then let ‘em come out on their own,” Dash said. “Let’s start easy. Where were you born?” “In the arctic desert,” Celestia managed. “I know I was born there, because that’s where I got my cutie mark.” “Okay, go on,” Olly urged. “Well... at the time, I was a pegasus, and Luna was a unicorn. We were captured by the government, and sent to some awful facility, but Skids managed to get us out.” “You weren’t born an alicorn?” Twilight asked, astonished. Celestia shook her head. “...Not that I know of. That was my earliest memory before meeting Skids. Most of it is just darkness.” She paused. “Go on,” Olly prompted. “The only pony k-kind enough to help us out of the chaos was Skids,” Celestia stammered. “He was Deception... I know that now. But until I found that out, he was the best pony I had ever seen. He was a little on the short side, and he was a little impatient,” she smiled wistfully, closing her eyes, “but, somehow, he always lit up my day... through everything. Through the constant attacks by Discord to the hopeless moments inside their stronghold. He found Luna and I and took us to the real Equestria. The Equestria during the Dark Times. “During the Dark Times, Equestria was ravaged by Discord. There weren’t any farms back then. The only food available was from factories, and it all tasted awful and dull. Ponies were crammed into tiny living spaces and almost never got to see the light of day. Not like there was any sunlight, anyway... During the Dark Times, the sun was suspended at dawn, its exact position when Magic was killed. Luna, being the Element of Magic, tried to move the sun, but it alerted Discord to our position. “Skids managed to hide most of us, but Luna was captured. We found her later in the capital city, crammed into a crate and crying her eyes out. I never found out what they did to her before she was rescued... She never told me. Skids, though, made the best out of the situation and managed to locate Discord’s stronghold, the Palace of Order.” “You mean, Deception made the best out of the situation and managed to locate the Palace of Order,” Olly corrected. For a moment Celestia looked at Olly spitefully, but it faded quickly. She simply nodded. “They’re one and the same.” “Then, um, why don’t you just say ‘Deception?’” Dash asked. “Does it really matter all that much?” Celestia answered, a little too forcefully. “Jeez, Celestia, don’t get angry about it,” Dash said, miffed. “Who was Skids, anyway?” “He was, supposedly, the Element of Honesty. He introduced me to some of his friends, too. There was Anonymity, the Element of Kindness, and finally Quicksilver, the Element of Humor. I was Loyalty, and Luna was Magic,” Celestia explained. “Skids wanted to attack the stronghold right away, but Anonymity knew that we would need the Element of Generosity, Lupa, to do so. We weren’t complete as a team without her.” “What you really mean is, Deception wanted to attack the stronghold right away, but Anonymity knew that you would need the Element of Generosity to do so,” Olly corrected. “Will you cut it out?!” Celestia yelled. Olly raised an eyebrow. “Why does that bother you so much? Aren’t you the one who said they were ‘one and the same?’” “You don’t like to acknowledge that Skids was Deception, do you?” Twilight assumed. “Anyway,” Celestia growled, glaring at Twilight and Olly in turn, “since the forces of Discord knew how dangerous we would be if we reunited, they had already taken action to prevent it. We found Lupa in a building near the center of the capital. Just as the forces of Discord intended, she was spoiled rotten and defiant. Quicksilver was able to convince her to join us somehow. To be honest, I don’t know much about it. Skids turned red whenever I asked.” Olly yawned. “What you mean is-” “Shut up!” Celestia shouted, angrily turning to Olly. Olly suppressed a chuckle, leaning against the rock wall. “Why do you even allow me to bother you?” “I don’t know,” Celestia gritted her teeth, turning away from Olly. “I just... don’t know.” “We all know you’re feeling down-in-the-dumps, Celestia. Deception sounds like the most despicable pickle of a pony I’ve ever heard of in my life,” Pinkie began, “but we won’t be able to fight her off if you don’t give us the motivation.” “So if ya finish yer story, we’ll be sure to fight by yer side every step a the way,” Applejack finished. Celestia nodded. “Okay. Once we had found Lupa, we were all set to invade the Palace of Order. I think we fought Guilt, Hate, Envy, and maybe Arrogance... either that, or we just went straight to the top and fought Vengeance,” Celestia continued. “You have a lot of gaps in your memory,” Dash observed. Celestia chuckled. “A pony’s mind isn’t designed to hold thousands of years of memories. I’m slowly forgetting everything before five thousand years ago. I don’t even remember my birth name, but Luna does. I... I’ll have to ask her about it, once we get home.” She paused, taking a breath before continuing. “Take yer time,” Applejack soothed. “Thanks,” Celestia sighed, giving herself a few moment’s to formulate her story. “Luna was getting increasingly convinced that Skids was Deception, but I wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t listen. I became bitterly opposed to Luna, so much that even Skids appeared worried. “ ‘Appeared’ is the keyword, there, Olly thought. “You sound like you were walking straight into a trap. Didn’t you ever think about that?” “At that point, it was all or nothing. They knew Lupa had joined us and were going to kill us all as soon as they were able. We reached the pinnacle of their base and defeated Vengeance, but only barely. Quicksilver, Luna, and Anonymity were all badly injured. Lupa was dead. That’s when Skids betrayed me. “First... First, he killed Luna. I don’t want t-to describe it, but it was awful. He said that I had to pay for my mistakes. An-And then, he possessed Luna. He struck me down, and then I started to hear things. ...I heard evil. Pure e-evil just started to run rampant in my mind. I suffered before I died. “After he had killed my only friends, he pulled out two gems, one amber and one dark blue. They glowed, and I remember feeling intense pain... then darkness. When I woke up, I was an alicorn. Skids was there, a-and... he revealed himself as Deception. He let me go saying that...” Celestia trailed off, putting a hoof to her forehead. “What?” Twilight asked. “H-He said that the pain of immortality was torture enough,” Celestia finished quietly. Olly folded his forelegs. “Celestia, I know how much you’re hurting, but... I’m confused. And I don’t confuse easily. If it’s been five thousand some years, why haven’t you just got a grief counselor to help with your emotional issues? I mean, I can see immortality being a let-down and all after a few decades, but you still hate Deception and mourn Skids after centuries of being nowhere near them. Is there something else we should know?” Celestia shook her head. “I can’t tell you. I haven’t even told Luna why I feel the way I do.” “Celestia, if this were the time fer secrets, we wouldn’t be havin’ this talk with ya now,” Applejack asserted. “We need ta be able ta trust each other with our lives. C’mon, Celestia. It ain’t that hard.” “Then... maybe there’s something you should know,” Celestia began, though slowly and carefully. “I... I hear voices. I think Deception may have planted magic in my mind that only I notice. We tried to find it and get rid of it after we defeated Discord, but it’s still there. It’s gotten stronger since I’ve been journeying with you, probably because-” she interrupted herself. “...Probably because why?” Pinkie asked. “Probably because I’m with the true Elements of Harmony again,” Celestia continued. “Anyway, the voice... it’s just a presence. I know it’s there, but I can’t do anything about it. I’m honestly not sure what it is, but whenever I doubt myself, whenever I feel frustrated or angry, the voice echos my thoughts. It’s as if it’s reinforcing them. I can’t think straight sometimes through the force of the voice.” “And you think Deception put it there?” Dash asked. Celestia nodded. “It’s been there ever since.” That would explain why Celestia acts so irrationally sometimes. Instead of being normal, healthy anger and sadness, like a spark igniting a fireplace, Celestia’s anger is like a spark on a dry plain. She can’t always control her emotions, Twilight thought. “What happened after you became immortal?” Celestia’s eyes watered. “I tried to kill myself... over and over again. Nothing worked. I watched my friends age and die right in front of me. I fell in love, only to have time age and eventually kill my lover. I tried everything. I... I really did. By making me immortal, by giving me that fragment of Magic... I just couldn’t bear it. Luna was a constant reminder of my mistakes. It hurt then, Twilight, and it still hurts today!” she snapped. “It’s okay, Celestia. I understand,” Twilight soothed. “You don’t!” Celestia shouted. “The reason I couldn’t tell you is because...” she glared at her hooves, trembling. “Because the more I think about it, the angrier I get, and if you hadn’t already figured it out, I don’t control anger very well!” “Calm. Down,” Twilight commanded. “Why should I?” Celestia hissed. She stopped again in mid-thought, grunting and shaking her head in pain. Her anger heightened and she yelled, “I was betrayed by the pony I love and you don’t even seem to care! You’ve never considered how much it hurt! I would do anything to just give it all up, and that’s probably why I’ve been making all of these stupid decisions!” “That’s no excuse for putting innocent lives in danger,” Twilight said sternly, though she was beginning to lose her patience. “Don’t let the voice win, Celestia. Don’t let Deception control you.” “I don’t care anymore,” Celestia growled, wiping her eyes. “I have been alive for five thousand years or more. My memory is in pieces and my heart has been broken twice over. I don’t want to keep this up anymore, Twilight; can’t you see that?!” Twilight stood up, and her eyes began to glow bright purple. “Like it or not, Celestia, you are stuck with us. We can’t abandon this journey now, and if you keep acting up, we will all perish at the hooves of Discord! Sit down and calm your mind; anger and resentment will get you nowhere.” Celestia was stunned. Her shock snapped her out of her rage. The others had a similar, astonished reaction. “D-Did she just git possessed?” Applejack asked fearfully. “Not by Discord, no,” Celestia breathed. “Twilight, where did you get those words?” Celestia asked. “I don’t know; where do I get any words? I think of them,” Twilight answered, annoyed. “What’s your point?” Celestia’s eyes were wide. “Those were the exact words Luna said to me five thousand years ago, just before we faced Vengeance at the top of the Palace of Order.” ===================================================================== ******* Arrogance was lying on a couch in her Canterlot lounge, picking at her bandages. She was covered in scars and stitches, though most of them were healing rapidly. That didn’t make them hurt any less, though. “Stupid Celestia,” she muttered, rolling onto her side. She forced my soul out of my body. That’s not supposed to happen unless I allow it! How humiliating. I’m sick of this. “Feeling better?” Hate asked, limping into the room with a splint attached to her back leg. “You still have that on?” Arrogance asked, pointing at the medical device strapped to Hate’s leg. “Huh? Oh, right,” Hate said, peeling the splint off her leg and testing the limb. “Good as new.” “I don’t understand why you didn’t just get a new body,” Arrogance said, rolling her eyes. “Because it’s important to Deception’s target. You’re one to talk; why did you stay in Diamond Tiara’s body?” Hate asked. “I like this one, even if it isn’t as beautiful as before,” Arrogance answered, “but that’s easily enough fixed. ‘Sides, the other one escaped. Silver, I think. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you?” “Uh, yeah, ‘bout that...” Hate trailed off, taking a deep breath. “I let her go.” “You... You what?” Arrogance asked in shock. “Look, it’s not a big deal, okay?” Hate defended, not meeting Arrogance’s gaze. “You said you like this one, anyway. Don’t get all huffy about it.” “It is a big deal!” Arrogance yelled. She grunted in pain. “It’ll still be a day or two before I’m back up on my hooves, and you just go and pull a Saphira!” “I thought we agreed not to talk about that. I overreacted, okay?” Hate sighed. “And she died because of it,” Arrogance hissed. “You really need to stop trying to be the hero here. It’s not only annoying, but it doesn’t help anypony, either! What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” “Shut up!” Hate yelled. “No,” Arrogance growled. “I’m not letting this go. You spared Saphira and only got her killed in the end. I bet you just dropped Silver on the edge of Canterlot. Where’s she going to go, huh? Huh?” “Arrogance...” Hate warned. “You keep saving ponies and the Elements of Harmony are going to think we’re soft!” Arrogance shouted. Flinching in pain due to her injuries, she lowered her voice and added, “It’s not like they ever notice, anyway.” “You know why I did that? And why I let Silver Spoon go?” Hate asked. “Why?” Arrogance prompted. “‘Cause I’m sick of being the villain!” Hate yelled. She swatted her hoof to the side, and a row of bookshelves toppled to the ground. She turned to glare at Arrogance. “The reason you don’t get it is because you’re an ignorant little brat who gets her kicks by laying waste to entire cities!” “And you think that saving a couple lives will atone you for that?” Arrogance scoffed. “Hate, ponies look at you with hatred because it’s your namesake. Those are the names Justice chose for us, remember?” “So?” Hate challenged. “Well, we need ponies to hate you until we achieve our goal, remember?” Arrogance asked spitefully. “After that, we can get rid of these stupid nicknames and go back to ruling Equestria. Then you can be that cheesy benevolent ruler you’ve always wanted to be.” Hate sighed, looking away and biting her lip. Her anger was being replaced by solemness. “Arrogance...” she trailed off. “I’m not sure if I’m going to be here that long.” “What do you mean?” Arrogance asked. Hate shook her head and didn’t meet Arrogance’s gaze. “Just get some rest, Arrogance. Discord should be prepping the finale, and I need to be in tip-top shape for the encore.” She vanished. “Whatever that means,” Arrogance muttered, curling up into a ball and trying her best to take a nap. ===================================================================== Hate was storming down the streets of Canterlot alone. It was night now, and streetlights flickered slightly as Hate’s slightly feral black sparks licked the metal rods. The moon hung solemnly overhead, though the night was slightly overcast. The already decrepit buildings were now beginning to crumble, breaking apart at the seams. Canterlot wouldn’t last much longer, though natural forces weren’t the only ones at work. “What does she know?” she muttered to herself. “She’s such a brat sometimes. She’ll never know emotion like I do. She’s just a spoiled little monster who’ll never know anything but murder.” “Writing a soap opera, Hate?” Deception asked from the top of a small building. “Not now, Deception,” Hate growled, not making eye contact and fixating her gaze on her hooves. “If you think I’ll let you off the hook oh so easily, think again,” she laughed, hopping down from the structure and landing in front of hate, blocking the path onward. Hate looked away, frustrated. Great, so I have to deal with this clown, too? “Go away. I’m not in the mood.” “Are you ever in the mood?” Deception asked. “Honestly, Lucifer. I’m beginning to fear-” “I told you never to call me that!” Hate snarled, her hooves crackling with energy. Her eyes flashed indigo for a moment, but reverted to green as her fury cooled. Deception didn’t look impressed, but she continued anyway: “...I’m beginning to fear that your feminine body has given you feminine traits. And a temper.” “Hold up your end of the bargain. I don’t call you by your name, and you don’t call me by mine. Fair enough?” Hate seethed. Deception paused, promising nothing. “Very well. Now, you appeared like you had something on your mind the first time I saw you. If I may ask, what happens to have your emotions in a bind?” “The Oh-So-High-And-Mighty Arrogance has decided that mercy is dishonorable, or something,” Hate explained. “Oh, so she’s complaining about you letting the filly go?” Deception smirked. “You had that coming to you, you know.” “You’d better not tell Justice!” Hate threatened, raising her hoof to Deception’s neck. “Oh, you cannot threaten me, brother,” Deception snorted. Her form distorted, and she became translucent. “I’m not really here at all, am I? Have you forgotten my... preoccupation?” Hate lowered her hoof in defeat. “...Right...” she trailed off. She scratched the back of her neck apprehensively. “Look, Deception... I need your advice.” “Oh, do you, now?” Deception grinned. “It’s about time. You have been distant, brother, and it has worried me.” “Don’t let it go to your puny little head,” Hate sneered. She looked away. “Look... are we the villains in this whole thing? You know, versus the Elements of Harmony and all?” “We have taken many lives, that is true,” Deception began, “but the Elements of Harmony have tortured, enslaved, and disgraced us. Whenever we try to retaliate, whenever we try to save ourselves, we are brutally crushed beneath their hooves like vermin. Do you think this treatment is fair?” “These Elements don’t look like they know any of that,” Hate protested. “What gives us the right to do the same? It’s been thousands of years! What’s the point of bloodying our hooves for a forgotten cause?” “So you would let our pains go unpunished?” Deception hissed indignantly. “It doesn’t matter if they remember or not; they’re the same ponies, just in different skins. They showed no mercy for us when we tried to hide the exact same way, brother. However, once my master plan is realized, we will no longer have to cower in fear before them. We will achieve our ideals, those that we have strived after for milena. If that is not what you want for our world, then I feel sorry for you,” she finished with a sneer. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Ideals,” Hate said, nodding. “So what now?” “Now?” Deception asked. “Now... we prepare. The final fight is approaching, Hate. I can only hope that the Elements of Harmony finally receive what they deserve.” ===================================================================== [Note]: I do not own anything in this story that already belongs to someone else. This story takes place BEFORE season two, but AFTER season one. Please let me know if a link doesn’t work.