Chapter Thirty Two
Chapter Thirty Two
"Um... Princess Luna?" Twilight spoke up, bringing the attention of the night princess to her. "Is there any way that I could speak to someone privately? Away from the others?" she asked.
Luna tilted her head in curiosity at the request. "We apologize, Twilight Sparkle, but attempting to maintain a cohesive environment, at the same time as sectioning it off, is not a possibility. If thou doth have something to say in private, thou couldst wait 'til morning comes. Or thou couldst trust thy friends to be understanding and respectful of what thou doth have to say," she replied.
Twilight looked around, her cheeks feeling warm as she considered what to do. What she had to say was really, really important. But at the same time, what she had to say was private in nature, and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted the others to hear it. But then again if she didn't say it now, she didn't know when she might have the opportunity to say it again.
She found herself feeling like she was being asked to perform on stage in front of others. She felt like she was in Trixie's place, but lacking the showmare's confidence in what she did in front of others and being the center of attention. Even if these were her friends and she still trusted them, that didn't exactly make it any easier. Making matters worse was the fact that all eyes were on her currently, expecting her to say something after hearing her request. She couldn't exactly say nothing now, not under these circumstances.
"Do we have enough time to talk? When exactly is dawn?" Twilight asked, wondering if everything could be postponed.
"Time, like all other things, Twilight Sparkle, is relative here. We hath seen entire years play out in the course of a single night. Thou art in no danger of running over an allotted time for the night. Speak freely and without worry," Princess Luna insisted, doing her best to ease the younger unicorn's worries.
So much for that idea. Looking around at all the faces looking back at her, she realized that there wasn't much else she could do other than be honest; anything less and somepony might be suspicious about why she asked about a private setting. So she took a breath to steady herself, and summon her courage before addressing them.
"What I wanted to do was apologize. But thinking over it, I've come to realize that I've got a lot of ponies to apologize to for everything I've done," Twilight said slowly. So far no interruptions, that was a good start. She turned to face Rarity and the rest of their little group of friends first. "Girls... I'm so sorry for not telling you about Ulquiorra in the first place. I always planned on letting you all in on it from the beginning. I was going to tell you the first day at Sweet Apple Acres... but Rarity, you were busy and I didn't want to disturb you with all your work. And Rainbow Dash, you were at a weather conference and I had no way of getting in touch with you. And I didn't know if we could just wait for you to not be busy, and Ulquiorra had to return to Canterlot before sundown, and I didn't know when he'd be able to make a return trip. I guess I could've just told Applejack, Pinkie and Fluttershy, but then we'd need to explain everything a second time, and be asked the same questions, and get the same shocked reactions again. It just seemed so... redundant to do. And then when we did get everypony together, we were all surrounded in Ponyville, everypony was practically hanging onto him, and there was no good time to drop that information, otherwise there'd be pandemonium. So I had to concoct the "foreign dignitary" story for the time being, and it was kind of true at the time. And I know it wasn't right to lie, but I didn't know what else to do at the time and... oh girls I'm so sorry!"
It was an honest, heartfelt apology they were viewing right now; a lot different from the apology they were issued at the top of the mountain in front of the dragon's former cave. No attempt at justification of her actions, no attempt at making herself look like the good filly, just pure apologizing for what she'd done. Without a word, Applejack stood up from where she was sitting, and walked over to her, before pulling the unicorn into a comforting hug.
"It's a'right now, Sugarcube, we understand. Or at least ah do anyway. Ah reckon it would be a might strange tryin' ta explain Mr. Cifer ta me, and then turn right around an' try givin' the same explanation ta the others. But jus' don' do it again, a'right?" Applejack asked.
Twilight just nodded in response, the gesture seeming to be enough for Applejack as she soon untangled herself and went back to her previous spot, allowing Twilight to properly see the four other faces of acceptance and understanding of her friends.
That had been the easier of apologies. Now came the more difficult one. Slowly she turned her attention to Ulquiorra as he stood by Princess Luna's side.
"Ulquiorra I... oh I don't even know how to do this one. Lying is one thing, but I didn't lie to you, I attacked you not once, but three times. I did more than attack you, I tried to kill you, and you didn't even do anything wrong that would remotely justify my actions. Even after what happened earlier in the day back in Ponyville, it's still no excuse. I still feel terrible just thinking about that, both by the facts and by my own actions."
Ulquiorra stood and observed silently. He failed to understand exactly why Twilight Sparkle and the others felt the need to apologize in a profuse manner for something that amounted to a misunderstanding. He also failed to understand what motivated Twilight Sparkle to stand up and approach him. And he certainly failed to understand whatever possessed the unicorn to rear up on her hind legs, and wrap her forelegs around his frame in the manner she was doing right now.
If nothing else, at the very least it provided an opportunity to make an observation on the contrast between her and Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie possessed surprising strength from what he could tell; had she attempt to deliver the same bear hug to Yammy Llargo that she did to him, it wouldn't be an unbelievable exaggeration to assume the Diez Espada would find himself completely overwhelmed, his hierro cracking from the strain put upon it.
Twilight Sparkle, on the other hand, had made the deliberate move to avoid entangling his arms in her embrace, and by comparison was barely applying any pressure at all. She seemed perfectly content to simply apply the minimum amount of force necessary to hold onto him for the time being.
"I'm sorry, Ulquiorra," she stated, her voice muffled as her face was currently against him.
"I see no reason why I should forgive you for what you did yesterday," Ulquiorra replied as he looked down at her. She looked back up with sadness in her eyes to meet his empty gaze. Sadness and disappointment. "To forgive you would first require me to blame you for something that was done. I do not. In my opinion you've done nothing wrong, so there's nothing that needs to be forgiven," he explained.
Curious. The look of surprise and doubt on her face at hearing his words.
"But I... I..." she stammered in uncertainty, "I attacked you. I intended to murder you where you stood for what you did. Or for what I thought you did."
"And currently I'm alive and unharmed. I fail to see why a continued issue must be made of what transpired," he stated. "If there is no new business to warrant this continued position, then I request to be released."
Twilight remained silent, but gave a small nod and slid her forelegs away from his frame and set back down on all fours again. Slowly she turned around to face... 'Tia. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it instead. This went on several more times, each time an effort being made to say something but coming up with nothing that seemed appropriate.
"I..." she finally got out, but that was as far as she could actually get into her attempted apology.
There was the old saying that hindsight was twenty/twenty. And now that she was here, she was agreeing with that saying. If she had simply managed to stay calm, keep a cool head and not succumb to so much hostile emotion. If she could have simply put more thought and less feeling into what she had to say, this entire situation could've played out so differently, been resolved so much better than it had been.
"You don't need to apologize to me, Twilight, it's quite alright," Princess Celestia stated in a reassuring manner.
For Twilight this was a dividing moment. On the one hand... hoof... she was being told by the one that caused her so much grief, that she had no obligation to apologize for what she'd said and did. Her objections were more or less being validated before her.
But on the other hoof, when she thought about the things she'd both done and said, she felt the need to apologize. She'd reacted when she was emotionally destabilized and not thinking things through properly, reacting in a blind manner full of hostility. She'd accused the sun princess of doing horrible things, yelled in her face, cursed her out, physically assaulted her, and then more or less dared her to send her to the moon. Now that she was thinking much, much clearer and wasn't so excited, she really did feel horrible for what she'd done; horrible enough she wanted to crawl into the deepest hole she could find, and just hide herself away, ashamed of what kind of monster she'd been.
"I should, though," she muttered quietly.
"Alright, I'm confused now. What exactly happened?" Rainbow Dash asked. "Is this about what happened earlier in the throne room?"
"In a way it is, I'm afraid," Princess Celestia replied with a sigh. She was going to have to approach this subject carefully. "Today Twilight learned a very important, but also very hard, lesson. And I'm afraid the way in which she went about learning it, was under less than desirable circumstances. And I'm equally afraid that I'm to blame for such," she explained.
Three mentions of "afraid" in a single statement, rather interesting really, as far as he was concerned. Perhaps it was worth seeing how this played out.
"What're you talking about, Princess? What're you to blame for?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"In all honesty I'm to blame for a great, great deal of pain and suffering that occurred today. It was no emotional exaggeration when Twilight said I used you six, I truly did. I had you all come to Canterlot in order to try and ensure you were still yourselves, and hadn't been replaced by changelings. And in the process of attempting to safeguard you, I wound up utilizing your presence to further convince Chrysalis that Ulquiorra had indeed betrayed us, and that I was no more. By not informing you about this, I can't even begin to consider how much emotional, and potentially psychological, harm my actions might've caused. I can't begin to apologize enough for what I've done, nor do I have any right to ask any of you for your forgiveness," Princess Celestia replied and looked down at what more or less served as the ground.
She allowed her explanation to sink in for a moment before continuing to address them.
"Perhaps what I should regret most, out of everything worth regretting so far, is the fact that I didn't, until just now, consider just how severe the possibility of psychological trauma was. As unusual as he is, Ulquiorra is still one of my subjects by virtue of being in Equestria. And as one of my subjects, I ordered him to fake defection over to an enemy force, and make it convincing to everyone involved. As bad as that was, I can't even begin to say how sorry I am, if I wound up making any of you believe that I might one day ask the same from any of you; make you go on some mission, and leave even your friends wondering if you'd really betrayed everything. And to think of it now... oh my little ponies, I'm so, so sorry if any such thoughts occurred here today. I swear, on the honor of the royal diarchy itself, nothing of that nature will ever be allowed to transpire," she stated.
A statement of such a nature piqued Ulquiorra's interest. He wouldn't vocally confirm it, but the possibility of such wasn't something he'd truly considered occurring. If asked, he would assume the ponies would be upset more with the sum total of Princess Celestia's actions, rather than the possibility that they might be used in the same way he was. And while he truly doubted she would ever do something like that, that wouldn't prevent the possibility of such a thought entering their minds. Of all the things the Elements of Harmony could choose to be upset about, that one was out of left field even for him.
Perhaps she'd given this more thought than he'd assumed.
Off to the side, he noticed as Applejack's posture softened, a look of relief crossing her features. Perhaps such a thought had indeed entered their minds.
"I'm not perfect, not by any measure, no matter how much my subjects wish I was. Wisdom and age doesn't mean you don't make mistakes, and I've made quite a few mistakes in my rule; and I'm afraid that I'll make many more before my rule eventually draws to a close. I'm not proud of what I've done in the past, and I'm quite certain I won't be proud of what I do in the future when I make mistakes. I'm going to mess up, and my subjects won't take the revelation well, and there's sadly nothing I can do to stop it from happening," she paused and raised her head to look back at them. "But you, my little ponies, I prefer to think of you as my friends rather than my subjects. And my actions today were not how a friend should act. It was so, so wrong to trick you like that, no matter what the reasoning was behind it. I can't expect you to forgive me for what I did. I can't even ask you to forgive me. All I can rightfully do is apologize for my actions, and whatever suffering I might've caused, and try to earn back the trust you once had in me. Even then, nothing will ever go back to the way it was, that's an impossibility," she concluded.
Everyone remained quiet at this, not saying a single word. Not even Luna or Ulquiorra spoke up. It was as silent as the surrounding was dark and oppressing.
Finally Rarity took it upon herself to break said oppressing silence. "Princess, I-" she began, but was summarily interrupted before she could go any further.
"Please, Rarity, I would appreciate it if those I consider to be my friends, wouldn't feel the need to use such formalities around me; not after what I've put all of you through," Celestia stated with a sigh. As if to emphasize her point, one by one, the royal adornments she wore so proudly dissolved and were blown away like ash by an unseen and unfelt breeze, leaving nothing but her, and her alone behind. "There's nothing that would be considered rude, wrong... or even blasphemous, to refer to me by my given time, or some variation thereof. If anything it would be a big help to me, to better be among others, and not so revered all the time," she explained.
"You mean... you want us to simply refer to you as "Celestia" like you're nothing more than the average commoner pony?" Rarity asked, finding herself feeling quite baffled by this sudden development. "Oh my... I must say that will certainly take time to get adjusted to."
"Let me see if I've got this straight," Rainbow Dash spoke up now that the ball had gotten rolling. "You're abdicating? No more "Princess Celestia" looking over Equestria? Is... is that even possible?" she asked. The very ideas was... scary actually.
"No nothing like that, I'm not abdicating my throne and tasking Luna with watching over both the day and night, that would be utterly cruel," Celestia replied and shook her head. The last thing she needed was her ponies getting anymore scared than they might already be. "For better or worse, my rule will continue. What I ask of you, however, is not to see me as some ruler of high authority, but just another pony who's as prone to errors in judgement as anyone else. And... someone in need of a group of understanding friends... even if she doesn't deserve them."
Twilight watched as her friends approached, moving to the side to give them room as they came up to Princess... to 'Tia to offer her their forgiveness and support. They had... a lot more forgiveness in them than she felt she had in herself right now. They were taken in by the words and the demeanor and... well everyone could see that they were all willing to oblige in her request to treat her like a regular pony. Did she think that a few words could undo what'd taken place? Did they believe... nevermind, she really didn't feel like considering it right now. She just shook her head... and promptly smacked her muzzle against Ulquiorra's arm. She'd wound up walking over to where he and Princess Luna were standing and watching the scene unfold with neutral expressions.
"Lesson number four," she mumbled to herself.
"Pardon?"
It came as no real surprise that Ulquiorra had managed to hear her, his ears were deceptively sharp despite the fact they were pressed against the sides of his head rather than mounted up top where they'd have a greater range of motion. He'd effortlessly heard her this time just as he had when she'd mused on the possibility of his Hollow hole being an illusion.
"Lesson number four in friendship: apologize," Twilight stated in explanation, gesturing with her head over in the direction of her friends who were all close at hoof to offer 'Tia whatever she needed. Currently it was Rainbow Dash pulling her into a hug as she hovered off the ground. "And by the looks of it lesson number five: forgiveness."
Ulquiorra looked away from Twilight Sparkle's current position and back over to Princess Celestia, the rest of the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and Spike as well. They all seemed quite loyal, supportive, and comforting in nature.
So long as it wasn't him at the center of the pile.
"I see no further reason to remain here. The others have been briefed on the theory, informed of how they're needed, business has been concluded," he stated simply, his voice carrying enough firmness that it disturbed the emotional fest taking place.
"Business hath not yet been concluded. There art still several topics that need to be discussed," Princess Luna replied. Ulquiorra said nothing in response, and went back to is silent observations. She took it as an opportunity to speak, since now everypony was more or less focused on her. "We wouldst ask..." she started, but paused and cleared her throat, before working her jaw back and forth as if to make it pop. Finally she spoke up again. "I would like to ask that you, all of you, extend the same consideration that you would my sister. You are all my friends as well, and I would like to be treated in the same manner. I wish to be known simply as Luna by my friends, rather than "Princess Luna" all the time. Being royalty is lonely business," she explained.
"Oh my. My head is starting to swim with these sudden developments," Rarity commented. However her demeanor quickly changed as her appearance brightened. "But it really is such an honor, to find oneself in a position where they can regard royalty as friends, and address them in such a manner. I for one shall be quite happy to fulfill your wishes, Luna."
"Me too! Me too!" Pinkie stated and bounced in place excitedly.
"Marvelous!" Luna stated and pulled Twilight into an excited hug, easily lifting her right off the ground, and resulting in a startled squeak from the smaller pony. "We... I apologize, Twilight Sparkle, I found myself carried away for a moment," she said as she set her back down.
To Ulquiorra it was all quite curious to observe. In every conversation he'd been involved in with Princess Luna, she had spoken in an ancient and archaic version of the current language, and referred to herself in the sense of being multiple entities speaking as one. Currently she was speaking in a modern dialect, and using a singular reference with regard to herself. He couldn't help but wonder the reasoning behind this. Perhaps it was due to being banished to the moon for one thousand years, and left unable to adjust as the common dialect changed, and simply continued speaking in the same manner she had for what was likely the majority of her life.
"Let there be hugs all around!" Luna stated happily.
"I choose to refrain from such," Ulquiorra replied simply and took a step back. He'd already been engaged in more close physical contact with others in his time here than he ever had back in his own world. And it was quite enough for him.
There were amused chuckles all around in response. He paid them no mind.
"Um..."
It was a quiet little statement, but one that was still heard nonetheless. A statement that'd come from a concerned looking Fluttershy, currently situated next to Pinkie Pie.
"I know that we've done apologies and all already, but... well I... there's something that I kind of need to say... if nopony has any objections, that is," she said softly.
"You?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously, "what've you got to apologize for, Fluttershy, what'd you do wrong?" she asked.
"It was... back at the dragon's cave last week. I was so terrified at the thought of having to face that big, mean dragon, that I just wanted to get out of there so badly. I tried talking to it, I really did, but it didn't seem to do any good. I thought for sure we were going to get eaten... but then Ulquiorra stepped in and distracted the dragon to keep it from hurting us. He was so, so strong, and fearless, and I suddenly didn't feel afraid anymore, because I just felt like the situation was under control. But then things went wrong, and the dragon captured him, and suddenly I was scared all over again. And then... then when Ulquiorra actually started beating the dragon without even trying I didn't feel scared again. But then I saw the look in the dragon's eyes. He looked so scared, so terrified and hopeless, so full of despair as Ulquiorra just so effortlessly overpowered him. Suddenly this big, mean dragon, was finding out what it was like to be weak and helpless against somepony even stronger than he was, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. It was like the dragon suddenly became this... really big bunny rabbit or something and..." she paused to try and compose herself before continuing any further.
"The dragon could've hurt us all, could've killed us all, and all because I wasn't assertive enough to do what I was asked to do and make it leave. And when Ulquiorra had to step in and save all of us, what did I do? Suddenly when it's the dragon that's in trouble and not us, I defended it instead of my friends, because I felt sorry for its predicament, because I didn't want to feel guilty over my own weakness being the reason it was going to die. I know it was wrong, but... but I just couldn't stand to see it be killed, and know that it was all my fault," she stated before turning her attention to where Ulquiorra stood. "And you Ulquiorra, I'm so sorry for how I treated you. You saved us, but at the time I just didn't see it, all I saw was the look in the dragon's eyes when it realized it was helpless. I was so mad with myself, but I didn't realize it until long after I yelled at you and... I'm a... I'm a bad pony!" she wailed, her voice much higher than was normally characteristic for her.
The more Ulquiorra observed, the more he doubted the legitimacy of Princess Luna's statement about their minds being well rested. Fluttershy's demeanor didn't appear to be that of someone who was physically and emotionally calm. It was entirely possible they'd been brought here in a calmed state, but that seemed to be the extent of it.
Rainbow Dash was the first pony to go to Fluttershy's side, and try to reassure her that she wasn't a "bad pony" as she put it. Perhaps it was due to the "best friend" status she mentioned earlier. The others weren't far behind her.
"Has this matter been concluded now?" he asked as he turned his attention back to Princess Luna, and away from the scene of Fluttershy resting her head on Rainbow Dash's shoulder.
"You are quite an impatient one, Ulquiorra Cifer," she stated in response, not pleased with the Espada's perceived anxiousness to leave. "We are quite close to being finished. But one matter still remains that must be addressed directly, and we believe amongst friends is the best. This matter pertains to Chrysalis," she explained.
"Chrysalis?" nearly all those present asked in unison. Were they rehearsed in expressing their surprise, or was it simply a matter of coincidence?
"Luna? Do you really believe this is the appropriate setting for such a discussion?" Celestia asked curiously.
"Why not? We have made ourselves seven new friends who we regard as being of equal importance as ourselves. If not among them then who? And if not now then when?" Luna asked. Her sister made several attempts to say something in response but in the end she chose to remain silent instead. Seeing as everyone was looking back at her, she chose to continue in her address. "During our interrogation of Chrysalis to try and gain information regarding Ulquiorra Cifer's theories, Chrysalis requested an audience with our sister, wishing to negotiate for the pardoning of her hive in exchange for her own life."
Not so much as a word was being uttered in response. They were all staring at her, like she'd burst into some foreign language. Only her sister and the Arrancar weren't wearing confused looks on their faces. Undeterred she pressed on with the explanation.
"Chrysalis is claiming that she was acting as a mother to protect her children, those being her hive. She is claiming that they were starving to death at the time, and their attack was one of utter desperation for basic survival. And now she is pleading on their behalf, willing to end her own life for their benefit," she concluded.
"It's gotta be a trick," Rainbow Dash stated quickly and dismissively, not buying it for a moment that Chrysalis could possibly be remorseful and in possession of redeeming qualities. It was impossible! "She's gotta be lying, planning a coup or something."
"It's indeed a possibility. However the fluctuations in her reiatsu didn't match those of someone who was feigning remorse or despair, in an effort to arrange a counterattack at a later date," Ulquiorra replied as he stood with his hands tucked into his pockets, his posture and position more or less unchanged since the moment everyone had arrived.
"Wait a second," Pinkie spoke up, "you mean you can tell when somepony's lying just by looking at them? You're like a living polygraph or something?"
Polygraph? In this world?
After seeing Twilight Sparkle in possession of a respirator, he really couldn't doubt the possibility of such technology existing in this world.
"Not quite. I can detect the fluctuations in a being's reiatsu that coincide with their emotional state. While it isn't infallible, I find it difficult to believe that any individual could consciously produce such fluctuations deliberately, when they have no knowledge of the concept of reiatsu to begin with. It would be no different than Rarity attempting to perform a Kidō right now," Ulquiorra explained.
"I'm afraid I really don't understand," Rarity replied and tilted her head. She got the basic gist of it all, but hardly anything else.
"Precisely. You possess no knowledge of the mechanics of Kidō, and could no more perform a Byakurai, than Chrysalis could willingly force her reiatsu to fluctuate in the manner I witnessed. I believe it's safe to assume Chrysalis is being truthful, in her desperation about the current suffering of her hive," he stated. Whether or not she was talking about the plight of the entire changeling species, or just her own hive, he wasn't certain yet.
It was an explanation that made sense to Twilight. Like in her case, she knew about Ulquiorra's sonido, his pesquisa, his hierro, and lastly his Cero. But just because she knew of them, that didn't mean she could replicate and use them herself... at least not yet anyway. But the concept of a pony's mana exerting a very real physical pressure on the surrounding territory that could be felt to the point it could cause discomfort to others wasn't something anypony outside of their little group had any knowledge of; at least no knowledge she'd heard of. If the intensity of the felt reiatsu that Chrysalis could produce was indeed in flux, and such fluctuations were tied to true emotional disturbances, then scientifically speaking it's possible she did have some sense of remorse.
Scientifically speaking anyway.
"So... Chrysalis ain' specifically evil... Huh. Didn' really see that one comin'," Applejack replied and scratched at the back of her head.
"You're telling me," Rainbow Dash stated, "somepony like Chrysalis, motherly and caring? She strikes me as more the kind to be sadistic, cruel, ruthless, heartless and..." she came to a stop in her description when she turned her head and realized she was using terms that could easily apply to Ulquiorra just as well as they could Chrysalis. "Uh... no offense."
"None taken," Ulquiorra replied. At least they were catching on to what he was and understanding it better.
"Mind if ah ask a question?" Applejack spoke up. "While this is interestin' an' all, what ah don' get is why we're bein' told 'bout it. Wha' exactly are we supposed ta do with this information?"
"This is... a sensitive and complicated matter we're currently facing. With this new information, I don't believe this is a decision that can be made alone. All of you are our friends. I'd like to know your opinions on what's the best course of action to take," Celestia explained and looked around at all of them before continuing. "Located within gryphon territory is a special facility we'd planned to send the changelings to. They would be housed, properly fed through the magical properties unique to the particular geography in question, and prevented from escaping, while at the same time being allowed to live. But Chrysalis has informed us that her hive only has a few years left to live unless she gives birth to a new brood; something that wouldn't be possible at the facility due to gender segregation. And even if she were to now, it's likely that the changelings would eventually go extinct within the facility. And with this new information, I find myself at a moral crossroads. I feel Chrysalis must pay for what's occurred, and all of the ponies she put in harm's way. But the death of her entire species isn't something I believe is reasonable. But I honestly don't know what to do with them. I can't simply banish them from Equestria, because there's nothing to prevent them from returning yet again, just as they've done in the past. And even if Chrysalis truly did wish only for the wellbeing of her hive, there's nothing to say that ten years down the line, she wouldn't make yet another power grab. And after so, so long of ruling alone, I don't feel comfortable making such important decisions all by myself anymore. This matter is too big for one, or even two, to make on their own. I need to ask you for your advice, my friends. What do you believe we should do?"
Spike and the others remained silent and looked at each other. First they were welcomed into the fold as being friends -not subjects but friends- to the Princesses of Equestria, and told they could refer to them by name in a completely casual manner, and now they were being asked to weigh in on an important matter like this? That was both quite awesome, and quite intimidating at the same time.
"What exactly are the available choices?" Spike asked, wanting to know just what he was getting into before he actually suggested anything.
"There are several options to choose from, but none of them are quite simple," Celestia stated in explanation before continuing on to explain what could be done. "The first option is to simply proceed as intended, and ship the changelings to the facility, and let them deal with the matter. The positive is that Equestria won't have to worry about another invasion. However the negative is the possibility of the extinction of a somewhat sentient species."
They were quiet while waiting for Celestia to list off the next option. While this one would certainly get the changelings out of their manes, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't eventually find a way to escape. The confines were physical in nature, and everything physical, no matter how well secured, wasn't impenetrable. At best it was a temporary solution. But how long would temporary be? Would the walls outlast those they had to hold?
"The second option is to assume Ulquiorra's theory is correct, and Chrysalis wasn't acting on her own but was being used. In which case we forgive them and set them free, and hope the kindness they're shown will convince them to not try any hostile takeovers again," Celestia continued. Nopony said anything just as before. But the looks on their faces suggested skepticism. She couldn't really blame them, even she was skeptical, considering her history with Chrysalis. Undaunted she continued. "The third option is by far the most distasteful available. We fulfill Chrysalis' request to select a new queen, and try to establish a peaceful coexistence with the changeling race, and hope that a peaceful integration is at all possible."
"Uh..." Rainbow Dash muttered and scratched the back of her head with her hoof, "why exactly is that one distasteful?" she asked.
"Because, Rainbow Dash," Celestia began and sighed, "if we were to allow Chrysalis to select a new queen to take her place, it would require that she die first, for a new queen to be born. Social insects like the changelings won't have more than one queen per hive. Chrysalis pleaded on behalf of her hive, and offered her own life in exchange for their freedom and wellbeing. As much as I wish there was another way, I really don't believe it's a possibility. Chrysalis may be a mother, she may want what's best for her children, but she's still quite proud and greedy. It would only be a matter of time before she eventually starts asking for greater and greater concessions. I don't believe long term peace could be had with her alive. Maybe another queen, but not her..."
Everyone present was silent at Celestia's words, and even long after she finished talking none of them made so much as a peep, her words weighing heavily on their minds. Was she really asking them what they all thought she was asking?
"Then ultimately the choice is the death of the entire changeling race, or the death of Chrysalis. Regardless of how the matter is phrased, those are the only two options that can be arrived at," Ulquiorra elaborated plainly. Princess Celestia had used far too many words in trying to cushion the blow that was dealt to her subjects in trying to seek out their advice on the matter.
More silence. At least until Rainbow Dash decided to break it by being noisy.
"I have to refuse. I'm not gonna actually vote on killing somepony. I'm no murderer," she stated firmly and stamped a front hoof. She didn't care what Ulquiorra said earlier, she was going to prove him wrong no matter what!
"I can't do it," Twilight added quickly, "I can't, I just can't, I'm sorry. I can't face that again, not after what happened today already. Please don't make me do this," she pleaded as she began breathing at a much quicker pace.
Luna extended a wing to stroke Twilight Sparkle's back and pull her into a calming hug, curious as to what exactly had happened today that she'd missed out on. Was she still this upset over what happened with regard to Ulquiorra Cifer? Or had something else taken place and caused her trauma?
"You are under no obligation to partake in the matter, Twilight Sparkle. It is not a matter of voting, but rather asking for your own opinions and advice. We are not taking tally, and deciding the fate of the changelings based on a matter of ballots," she said softly.
Ulquiorra nearly quirked an eyebrow at seeing Twilight Sparkle's reaction. Was her current predicament the result of his utilizing her forcefield to keep Ponyville contained, in an effort to dispatch the changelings? Were all of the residents of this world so caring, that they felt sorrow even for the loss of an enemy, that saw them as a source of food and something to exploit? If that was the case, then he wondered if he could truly rely on them when he couldn't be present.
The more he observed these ponies, the more he found himself doubting the notion that they possessed any redeeming qualities. Emotionally they were unstable, and seemed to fluctuate from one extreme to another with very little warning. When it came to a logical discussion about the possibility of killing an enemy, they found it distasteful, yet in the heat of the moment, they were as violent as any Arrancar. And in their interactions it almost seemed like they felt a compulsion to apologize to, and forgive others, regardless of what had been done. He had forced Twilight Sparkle to aid him in exterminating all the changelings in Ponyville, and she had wound up apologizing to him for attacking him in Canterlot.
There was also the issue of the other ponies regarding Princess Celestia's actions, and his own supposed betrayal. Forgiveness seemed to be serious business in this strange world. He couldn't help but find himself curious as to what the outcome would be should one refuse an apology, refuse to forgive for some transgression. It all made for an interesting thought exercise, but practical application would have to wait for another time; another time when he wasn't trying to figure out what the Princesses would seek the counsel of these seven, who were emotionally weak, and unprepared to face such a question.
And then, like a Cero to the face, it hit him. What if they weren't truly seeking the counsel of these ponies and the dragon? What if it was, instead, an effort to teach these seven about the brutality of the real world beyond their comfort zone, and get them adjusted to making hard and painful decisions about sensitive matters? If that were truly the case, then a great deal of what Princess Celestia had been doing up to this point suddenly made a lot of sense when applied to that context. If this had ultimately been the goal, then it was logical that she wouldn't give heavy consideration to the potential for emotional trauma, as it would simply be par for the course.
This matter would require a great deal of reevaluation. That much he was certain of.
Rainbow Dash was the first to raise her hoof and speak up, interrupting the silence that surrounding all present.
"I just got an idea," she stated quickly and turned to face Twilight, "Twi', without going into totally complex and Eggheadian terms, how much power do you think Discord would need to use to cross dimensions?" she asked.
Twilight frowned at Rainbow Dash's choice of wording. But it was indeed a legitimate question, so she chose not to scold her on using made up terms. "I can't say for certain, Rainbow Dash, all I can say for certain is that the requirements to do so would be substantial. Starswirl the Bearded had a great deal of theories regarding interdimensional travel, and what alternate realities and universes might be like, as well as the process for opening and maintaining a gateway between the worlds. But they were only theories, as even he didn't have the magic strong enough to actually put his theories to the test. So... assuming Discord didn't simply bypass the magical requirements through an act of chaos, I guess he must've used a great deal of magic to do something like that. But why, Rainbow Dash? What's this have to do with your idea?" she asked.
"I'm getting to that. Chrysalis launched this attack due to hunger and starvation, right? Meaning they needed something to eat, right? But changelings only eat love, right? Well if Discord has enough magic to bring him," she paused and gestured to Ulquiorra, "here from his own dimension, and bring him back to life in the process, then wouldn't he have enough magic to make it so the changelings could eat and survive on other stuff like other ponies do? If the changelings could make it on fruits and vegetables, wouldn't that solve all the problems we're facing with them?" she asked.
"I'm afraid it's not quite that simple, Rainbow Dash," Celestia replied, a touch of sadness in her voice as she closed her eyes. The idea presented was certainly one that was worth thought. However it was a solution that could make an already difficult problem all the worse if implemented. "Chrysalis' hive is much, much smaller than it was when they launched their invasion against Canterlot during the royal wedding. But there are still hundreds of changelings currently alive, that would need to be taken into consideration. Could the current state of the crops sustain two hundred more mouths to feed, and ensure nopony starves once winter sets in?" she asked. "And the matter of feeding them, doesn't even take into account the need of housing them."
Rainbow Dash had started out very enthusiastic about her idea. But hearing Celestia talk quickly brought her down from her emotional high, as the words of wisdom easily sunk in. She'd never stopped to consider the possibility that they might have to share their own food supplies with the changelings if they were converted. The idea of everypony starving had never even entered her mind.
However she wasn't about to simply let the matter go just like that.
"I'm not saying that they'd have to live here in Ponyville with us. Equestria's a pretty huge place, lots of territory out there, surely they can find somewhere to set down and develop in," she quickly suggested.
"Even if that could work, Rainbow Dash, there's also the moral and ethical issues that would be involved in such a decision," Twilight pointed out, "the changelings have been what they are, been doing what they've been doing for as long as they've existed. It's all they've been, it's all they know. Is it right to force them to become something completely new, simply because we'd find it more convenient for ourselves to deal with? How would that make us the better of the two species?" she asked.
Rainbow Dash groaned internally. Why was this so hard to do? Why couldn't everypony just quit thinking of how to make things difficult for her?
"Hello," Rainbow Dash said as she waved her hoof around in the air, "we don't go around feasting on others like they do. We're trying to look into a way to actually help them out here. What's the harm in changing their dietary needs, in favor of something that's more common and less harmful? You can't seriously be telling me that the better option is to leave them as they are, Twi'," she stated.
"That's not what I'm saying at all, Rainbow Dash, I'm asking about the ethical matters of upsetting the natural order of an entire species, and potentially affecting the surrounding environment and ecosystem in the process. Who are we to say that we're the right ones to be making this sort of decision all by ourselves?" Twilight asked, not even waiting for a response before continuing on with her verbal assault. "If we do this, then what comes next in the name of improving conditions from our viewpoint? What species would we target next, because we've determined they have deficiencies that need to be addressed? Where does it all end?"
It was an interesting contrast between the thought processes of the two ponies. Whereas Rainbow Dash focused on idealism, Twilight Sparkle focused on the scientific aspect to explain why simplistic thinking wasn’t called for in this situation, and what could go wrong with attempting such a recommendation.
Unfortunately the cyan pegasus didn’t respond kindly to being politely informed that she was nonsensical and devoid of critical thinking skills. What ensued was a back and forth argument between the two ponies, that quickly escalated from simple arguing, to all out shouting at each other. What was right, who was right, what was the proper course of action under these circumstances? Did saving the lives of an entire race, and allowing them to peacefully coexist with the rest of the world, justify what was suggested about being done?
Intellectually speaking it was all quite interesting from his point of view. However he could certainly do without the method of delivery. The fact the others were silent and simply observing, heads moving back and forth as if watching an organized sport involving a ball being served between two competitive participants, did nothing at all to help the matter.
Making matters worse was the fact Ulquiorra knew that once logical points could no longer be pointed to, the two would stoop to insults and personal attacks against one another, and degrade into petty bickering. He didn't even want to guess at what the two would find at fault with the other, and throw it out in retaliation.
And with his current position, he was more or less at the physical center of the shouting match.
The veins in his head and neck so desperately wanted to throb right now.
Instead he settled for a single stomp on whatever it was that served as the ground of this world. A stomp that resonated like a clap of thunder directly overhead, effectively silencing all the participants, startling others who hadn’t been participating, and eventually bringing their attention back to him.
To be perfectly honest with himself, he'd been surprised at how effective it had been. Perhaps it had been Princess Luna's handiwork? Or did his Espada powers continue to function in this world? As much as he'd like to explore it, he unfortunately had to leave it be for now, and address the more important matter at hand.
"I didn't choose to come to this world for the purpose of listening to your bickering," he stated calmly, "you have no desire to be instrumental in the death of an entire race. That fact is noted and understood. That doesn't change the fact, however, that something must be done about the situation at hand. The only reason Chrysalis and the rest of the changelings are still alive, is because Princess Celestia requested that I follow some convoluted plan to allow for their capture rather than extermination. And now that all the facts are in evidence, it would appear ultimately that same fate is going to befall them regardless. Death is ultimately the answer that will be arrived at, the only questions will be where will it occur, and how quickly will it occur?" Ulquiorra asked in a rhetorical manner, cutting to the bone of the matter in short order. "The logical course of action would be to kill the changelings rather than allow them to live. Simply because they're destined to die doesn't make them any less of a threat to the kingdom's safety. That, is ultimately, the long and the short of the matter. You can quibble over the details all you want, but eventually you'll all arrive at the same conclusion."
It had been a long, wordy way of relaying the simple message of "shut the fuck up" but it felt appropriate to do so in such a manner. These ponies were bickering far too much over what should've been a simple decision. Leaving the changelings alive would only provide them the opportunity to escape and attack again sometime down the line.
Perhaps the most confusing matter at hand regarding these ponies, was Princess Celestia herself. She had gone out of her way to convince him to not eliminate the changelings and their hive. She had planned on their capture and imprisonment in some far away facility, where ultimately they would all die regardless, the only difference would be the speed at which this came about; years of misery opposed to being gone in an instant. Did Princess Celestia simply not wish to give the order that would result in them being wiped out?
Or... did she have no qualms with seeing them die, and simply wished for it to be a matter that would result in them suffering for years? Perhaps his observation about her potential for tyranny wasn't that far off after all.
And now that he had gone down this path of consideration, a new possibility was presenting itself. What if in her planning, Princess Celestia hadn't simply not taken the emotional wellbeing of her subjects into consideration? What if she truly had, and chose to go ahead regardless, knowing full well that they would be disturbed? Had everything that occurred been part of a grand effort to educate these six on the brutality the world was capable of, and motivate them to become emotionally numb to what took place around them?
If that were the case, then he would truly need to readjust his outlook on many, many things in this new world.
Celestia tried not to groan too loudly. While a number of good things had come from this dream meeting of Luna's, frustration and the threat of a migraine was turning this experience into a nightmare. She hadn't wanted things to so quickly devolve into this bickering and issuing ultimatums as it had. And putting Twilight and her friends in this position truly hadn't been one of the better ideas they had. She needed to step up and do something while it was still an option.
"I apologize for dragging all of you into this matter. There's no excuse for getting you involved in something so sensitive and complicated. I won't ask you any further on the issue with the changelings. I'll figure something out tomorrow. But thank you for at least hearing the situation, it means a lot to me," she stated.
"Perhaps now would be the proper time to conclude tonight's meeting. I have doubts that anything meaningful could be further added at this point," Luna stated as she stood up, preparing to send those assembled back to their own individual dreams. There were other matters that needed to be tended to anyway.
"Tha's prob'ly a good idea," Applejack agreed and gave a nod.
Seeing as things were about to be split up, Twilight turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash, knowing there was something that needed to be tended to first.
"No hard feelings over what was said?" she asked hopefully. She felt bad enough about the whole Mare Do Well incident, she didn't need to feel bad about their shouting match as well.
"No hard feelings..." Rainbow Dash agreed and left it at that.
Ulquiorra had assumed that would be the end of it. However it seemed Princess Luna had left time for one last hug between the ponies before the meeting was dispersed.
The next thing he knew, he was back standing in the throne room, Princess Luna by his side, and the channel in the marble still unattended.
"Most unusual," Ulquiorra commented, uncertain of what else to say on the matter.
"It can be to those that are uninitiated," Princess Luna agreed, "what now?"
"We see what develops in the morning. Until then we wait..."
The stone floor of her cell was cold, and seriously uncomfortable against her carapace. And the bunk that came furnished with the room was far too small for her to fit on it. That amounted to a long and unpleasant night, filled with no dreams, and utter misery.
The floor could've been tolerated if that was all she had to put up with. Left to her own thoughts and misery, she could've eventually fallen asleep, restless as it might be.
Unfortunately for her, the hard floor had been the least of her problems. These cells might be enough to suppress her magic, but nothing could suppress her connection to her hive, to her children. Throughout the night she could feel everything they were experiencing. Their terror, their desperation, and even their deaths. Many of them had sadly not survived the night, what little reserves they carried with them, utterly exhausted by yesterday's actions. And here she'd been by herself, unable to do anything to console her children as they called out for her, begging her for help.
Her misery, however, was distracted at the clip-clop of hooves against stone flooring coming in her direction. Casting a wayward glance in the direction of the sound, she eventually saw Celestia approaching, an iron key wrapped in her magical aura and inserted into the lock, allowing the door to be opened before she finally stepped inside.
"After giving the matter much thought," she began slowly, "I've determined to allow you and your hive to leave Equestria's borders in peace. No harm will come to you, and you'll be allowed to find a new location to live," she explained.
Chrysalis tried to chuckle at her words, but the only noise that came forth were soft rasps.
"A fat lot of good your kindness does us now," she whispered, "most of my children died last night. I myself am so weak from starving myself for so long, I can't even move anymore. We're dying, Celestia, setting us free now hardly seems worth it..."
Celestia sighed as she stepped over to Chrysalis' prone form and sat down on her haunches. There was nothing she could say that was appropriate in this situation after she'd caused so much pain, suffering, and misery. Instead she remained silent and closed her eyes, as she lowered her head, touching her horn to Chrysalis' horn. Immediately a pink aura appeared around her body, and began flowing into the changeling's body, like it was fog being sucked up by an exhaust fan.
"There's nothing I can do to make the situation right. But the least I can do is supply you and the others, with provisions for your journey," Celestia explained. She had over one thousand years worth of love in her, to give freely in whatever manner she saw fit. She had more than enough to spare the remaining changelings, so starvation wouldn't be a main concern for at least a while. It was the very least she could do for them, before sending them out into the world.
Chrysalis remained silent, utterly stunned by Celestia's generosity in giving her own love so freely in order to feed her, and by extension the rest of her children. At the first whiff of such a delectable delicacy, she eagerly lapped at the flow to quell her own overwhelming hunger, and to stash away as much as she could for later, in an effort to make up for so, so long of going without.
It was a slow but steady flow that continued for several minutes before finally terminating, Celestia letting out a winded sigh as it ended. Being fed on, even voluntarily, proved to be a tiring experience to take part in, on par with any involved physical activity. But it should prove to be sufficient for the intended purpose.
"Despite everything that's happened between us over the years, Chrysalis, I never wanted to see you suffer needlessly. I take no joy in your misery," Celestia said soothingly as she stroked the changeling's mane with a wing.
"Closer..."
It was a hoarse whisper, but still loud enough she could hear it. Barely. Curiously she leaned in closer.
"Closer... please..." Chrysalis croaked weakly, unable to manage enough strength to raise her voice any higher than it was.
Celestia leaned in closer still, to better hear what Chrysalis was trying to say, barely a foot away from the changeling's face at this point.
Without the slightest bit of warning, Chrysalis projectile vomited some thick green goo in her face, sending her stumbling backwards, and falling over in surprise at the sudden act. She tried desperately to clean the filth off her face, only to find that it'd already hardened in place, and now had the consistency of plaster. She realized only too late that this wasn't vomit, but rather the goo changelings excreted to hold ponies prisoner. Immediately she tried to cast her magic, only to feel the reverberations of her horn from being firmly encased in the hardened mixture and rendering her powerless.
It was only after her failed attempt, that she remembered the insides of the cells were insulated to negate the use of magic. Even if her horn was free, she still wouldn't have been able to do anything.
Complicating matters, was the goo was enveloped nearly her entire head, the only exception being her eyes, with her mouth firmly held shut, and leaving her unable to call for help; unable to even breathe! And she'd come here without an escort of guards because she hadn't believed it would be necessary. How foalish of her.
"My dear Celestia, you truly are an idiot," Chrysalis cackled as she stood back up to her full height. "You just provided me with a rather substantial meal out of the kindness of your heart. Did you truly believe I'd be so weak, I couldn't speak above a whisper? You're quite gullible in nature to fall for such a trick."
Celestia tried to move, but quickly found herself pinned to the ground, Chrysalis standing over her and peering down at her with great excitement. "You really fell for that sob story, like I said, you're quite gullible. I made you feel sorry for us and our plight, and you willingly walked right in to give us your unconditional love, ready to save us even after all we've done to you. I really should thank you for accepting that we were starving so badly we were on the verge of death, it made everything so much easier," Chrysalis gloated and chuckled further. "Now my dear princess, I intend to take every last ounce of love you have to offer for your subjects, and give it all to my children! No longer will they have to worry about starving to death, or compete over what food is available, we'll no longer have to resort to cannibalism to survive! Those of my hive that're still alive will soon know the beauty of life!"
Celestia could feel herself being forcefully fed on at this point. Through the haze of the goo encrusting her face, she could see the pink fog-like field of her love being drawn into Chrsyalis' body again, driving the changeling queen to greater and greater heights of ecstasy and excitement as she gorged herself. This situation was going very bad, very fast, and all because she had a heart. Immediately she began kicking to try and get away, knowing that if Chrysalis gorged herself on enough love, her strength would return in full, and she'd be a substantial threat to everyone all over again.
"Struggle all you like, Celestia, it won't do you any good. I'm not stopping until I've absorbed every last drop of love you have in you," Chrysalis stated and grinned evilly.
And then a white hand was driven completely through her chest, as if she were nothing more than tissue paper, quickly entering Celestia's view with a loud, wet, visceral crunch as the exoskeleton and underlying soft tissue gave way to the greater force. Immediately the feeding stopped as Chrysalis gasped in pain and surprise.
"What?" she croaked out, struggling to turn her head around.
Ulquiorra had appeared directly behind her without her even realizing it, and impaled her with his own hand, the booming staticy echo of his sonido trailing behind him.
"As I said yesterday, you spend far too much time talking," he stated simply, twisting his blood covered arm in her chest before forcefully ripping it back out, her body being dragged along for the ride as hooves dragged against the stone floor, before popping free, the action causing Chrysalis' body to slide across the floor, before slamming against the bars of the cell, and dropping to the floor like a stone.
Celestia could say nothing, only watch helplessly as events played out before her, while her mind raced at everything that had happened; not the least of which being the fact Ulquiorra had just saved her. Even after everything she'd done, he still saved her. Immediately she scrambled to her hooves and tried to get the changeling goo off her face again.
"Hold still."
She felt as Ulquiorra placed a hand on her withers, the other she could feel groping around on the mask of hardened goo that covered her face. She barely had time to assume he'd found a seam or something to grab onto, as the next thing she knew the mask was broken and forcefully ripped off. She could feel bits of fur being ripped from her face in the process, the goo having solidified over some of the longer and less maintained hairs and entangling them into the mix. But at the moment she was too preoccupied with sucking down deep, ragged breaths of air to actually voice her discomfort.
Fingers, it seemed, came in quite useful. Perhaps he had good reason to doubt the idea of them having built this world with their hooves and their magic.
"How," she panted, "how long?" she asked. When had he arrived and when did he make the decision to actually step in and rescue her rather than letting her be feasted upon?
"Once I realized the matter had escaped your control," he explained and dropped the solidified remnants, the structure cracking and breaking against the hard floor. He then briefly turned his attention to Chrysalis as he heard her ragged gasps for air, before turning back to Princess Celestia. "Despite everything that was discussed last night, I still possessed doubts about the truthfulness of Chrysalis' pleas. When I realized you were going to the dungeon unescorted, I decided to follow and observe. Changelings by nature are infiltrators, it would make sense if deception was their special talent. It would seem she managed to fool everyone involved... myself included," he admitted.
"Celestia..."
Both of their attentions turned away from the matter at hand in order to look down at Chyrsalis' prone and bleeding form. Considering the injury she sustained, it was remarkable she was still alive and breathing, nevermind the miracle that she could still talk.
"Don't punish my children, please... there's only a few left alive..." she coughed weakly. Slowly she turned her attention back to Ulquiorra as he stood over her, looking down at her with those cold, empty eyes of his that had left her unnerved since she first saw them.
"The one," she stopped to try and breathe and swallow, "the one that... that motivated the attack on Canterlot. It was... it was... was..."
They remained silent as Chrysalis strained herself to speak. Unfortunately she never managed to reveal the name she was trying so hard to say, as her injury finally caught up with her, leaving her desperately gasping her air, her body twitching... and then nothing. All the tension in her body was released as she went limp against the ground, giving one last exhale as her green eyes rolled back in her head.
Ulquiorra remained silent as Princess Celestia stepped forward to examine the lifeless body, confirming the fact that Chrysalis was indeed dead instead of playing another trick.
"She's gone..." she said as she slowly stood back up and hung her head.
"And with her, our only lead," Ulquiorra replied.
It had been nothing more than a theory, the basis of which being the two events he'd been present to partake in, and minor statements made by those involved about the uncanniness of his timing. His logical mind demanded that there be some sort of connection, something to make sense of the seeming randomness of it all. With her last words, Chrysalis seemed to have confirmed that there was indeed another player involved, but had died before she could properly share what she'd known. Whoever or whatever was out there and engaged in this game of chess against them, Chrysalis had taken that information to the grave with her.
In his haste to save Princess Celestia, had he just condemned Equestria?
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War approaches fast…I think. It would be the most logical reason for Celestia to throw her beloved ponies out of their peaceful and idealistic perceptions of the world.
the entire time Celestia was talking to Chrysalis i was waiting for Cifer to murder her violently then just walk off with nary a word like a bad ass.
Was that a hit on TCB in this story?
Bravo, my good sir.
The rest of the chapter was good as well, even if it was just talking in a void.
An interesting chapter filled with revelations and character interactions. And so the changelings are condemned, not all that surprising on Chrysalis's part. Ulquiorra got hugged by a pony, cannot really say that I saw that coming. Great work.
Damn if this wasn't another riveting chapter
The twist at the end was excellent.
Now I wish I was an artist...
Woah........never EVER mess with Celestia when her pale White shadow is around.
That settles that, I guess. Now to prepare for the coming storm.
Aw... No party with a sudden surprise attack on the side...
Anyway, looks like Ulquiorra was right in the first place.
Only question is what will happen to the Changelings... :/
If it weren't for Ulquiorra being in this story, I was half expecting the chapter to end with 'And in the darkness of the Canterlot dungeons, the Queen of the Changelings fed.'
...So let me get this straight. Celestia was horribly racist against the changelings a long time ago, and now that the situation is so bad it's understandable why Chrysalis would attack Celestia at the first chance she got, that's when she needs to die.
...So what exactly was wrong with Rainbow Dash's idea of changing their dietary needs? They're talking about Discord here. He can change an entire species' dietary needs, but he can't provide enough food, and seeds, so they can go off and grow their own food? The entire reason they invaded in the first place was because they wanted food. If they can't eat love anymore, they have no real reason to invade. Was everyone just holding the idiot ball today?
3698612
Pretty much. The others are still too weak (willed and minded) to be making hard decisions, and Ulquiorra just plain wants to eliminate the changelings, both because of the threat they pose, and because it would be the merciful thing to do.
Besides with Chrysalis dying, she can become the tragic villain that others will mourn the loss of.
And besides the above, the changeling arc was stretching on for eternity.
Celestia's kindness is understandable, as the act of killing another is not something she could stomach doing. At the same time, can't blame Chrysalis for taking advantage of that kindness.
It would be interesting if somehow Aizen was the one who was working with the changelings. Who would Ulquiorra side with then?
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw9428-06b7d7f7836a255b73a1bc3a71c7ae44.gif
Awesome chapter!
Ah, Ulquiorra got huggsies!
And there was a lot of discussion, guess it helped clear the air between them. 
Below are the typos I found:
*their little group first of friends first. - their little group of friends first.
*And... someone who in need of a group - And... someone in need of a group
*a lot more forgiveness to them than - a lot more forgiveness in them than
*sides of his head rather mounted - sides of his head rather than mounted
*looking back at her she chose - looking back at her, she chose
*interestin' an' all what ah - interestin' an' all, what ah
*hive. Chrysalis plead on behalf of her hive, - hive. Chrysalis pleaded on behalf of her hive,
*lives of an entire races, and allowing - lives of an entire race, and allowing
*years worth of love to her, to give - years worth of love in her, to give
*last drop of love you have to you," - last drop of love you have in you,"
*behind her without her eve realizing - behind her without her even realizing
3700369 god damn you! I can't remember why I wrote that comment and I'm too lazy to read the chapter again!
could you remind me.
3700411
Because that was the first time Celestia saw and felt the destructive power of Ulquiorra's cero up close.
3700523 thanks.
Time for analysis of the situation:
-Hidden party (to be labelled Enemy X until further notice) motivated an attack on Canterlot by Changelings hive, confirmed by Chrysalis, yet their identity remains unrevealed, changeling queen expired before identity could be released.
-Probability of Enemy X waking dragon before Elements and Cuatro Espada could arrive- 62%
-Probability of Discord being aware of Enemy X- 74%
-In the event of Discord knowing the identity of Enemy X, the probability of Enemy X and Discord being locked in long combat- 87%
-In the event of Discord and Enemy X being locked in long combat, probability of Discord's chaotic rule before his imprisonment being him keeping Enemy X from gathering resources- 63%
-In the event of Discord's chaotic rule pre-imprisonment being him keeping Enemy X from gathering resources, probability of Enemy X and Discord being unable to do direct combat against each other- 56%
-In the even of Discord and Enemy X being unable to do direct combat against each other, probability of Celestia and Luna being guided to the Tree of Harmony to beat Discord by Enemy X- 62%
-In the event of Celestia and Luna being guided to the Tree of Harmony to beat Discord by Enemy X, probability of Enemy X being a creature of Order and naturally opposed to Discord- 57%
-In the event of Enemy X being a creature of Order naturally opposed to Discord, probability of Discord bringing Ulquiorra was out of desperation to battle Enemy X- 89%
-In the event of Discord bringing Ulquiorra was out of desperation to battle Enemy X, probability of Discord choosing Ulquiorra because of his undying and unquestioning loyalty to those he's sworn himself to- 97%
-In the event of Discord choosing Ulquiorra because of his undying and unquestioning loyalty to those he's sworn himself to, probability of Enemy X attempting to convince Ulquiorra to assist Enemy X because of their similarities- 83%
>Conclusion: If all events listed are according to calculation, Enemy X and Discord battle each other via manipulating others. Discord's goal is to free the world from Enemy X, whereas Enemy X intends to create an absolute order, a World of Silence, which Discord is obviously opposed to. Ulquiorra Cifer will likely have to bring his A-Game against Enemy X.
>That's right, Segunda Etapa + Lanza Del Relampago.
>Report concluded.
>Commentary is accepted, all further edits are denied.
>End log.
3700734
That's a very interesting theory right there.
In other news, 2,000 reviews, and a quarter MILLION words to the story, and we're not even close to being done yet! That puts us nearly 75,000 words past the story of Cuatro.
My I must say Fluttershy's apology felt very genuine and I forgive her for that. Mainly when she said it felt like her fault that the dragon would die in the first place, Not by Ulqys intervention then I understood greatly on why she defended the dragon.
I personally like the fact Tia as well as Luna are now considered friends to the main six officially speaking.
Chystalis you stupid idiot.
I must say her idiocy is pretty spot on where the MLP comics does its own expanded depiction of her.
Greedy, arrogant and foolish.
A new queen would definitely need to be in order.
Chrysalis only used her children as an excuse to the point where she may have fooled even herself, she wanted to rule over Equestria not just feed her own subjects but subjugate another kingdom for it.
She wanted to be full rather then content. Shes an idiot for it. *sigh*
Now for that little thing she pulled at the end of her death if anything she tried to scare them out of spite before she died to sow everlasting worry in a kingdom, making a monster out of nothing.
However since this IS a story and its going to be a long one at that she was telling the truth because thats how it has to be.
That scene played out in my head perfectly.
The winds of change is blowing through Equestria...how these winds will change Equestria is unknown, however we do know that this will be one hell of a ride!
Whelp, just killed off one of my favorite villains.
That's what happens when you touch the Lightbringer! Get speared, Queen Bitchalis! WREKD.... I know who instigated the invasion! It was Albert Wesker!
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All in favor of seeing Wesker break his fist against Ulquiorra's face?
3698612 There is also the question of "What other things could we change to make the world better?" What if the ponies think that other species shouldn't eat meat? Or if they think there shouldn't be other species at all?
3710826 Get permission from the changelings, there, problem solved. Only make these changes with the person's/species' permission. No moral problem.
If they get to the point that they would do the things mentioned, they were going to go down that path anyway.
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One of the problems with peacefully integrating changelings into pony culture would be the need to revamp the justice system to take new things into consideration.
3708998 YES...YES!!
Makes me want to laugh like the Joker!
>>>But there are still hundreds of changelings currently alive, that would need to be taken into consideration. Could the current state of the crops sustain two hundred more mouths to feed, and ensure nopony starves once winter sets in?">>>
Yeah, two hundred more is wayyyyy too many! The ponies would never have any emergency food stores because disasters never hap-... uhm... ok, so maybe the previous daily disasters already wiped out their food supplies.
Such a shame ponies can't eat things like grass and flow-... uhm... ok, so maybe... uhm... I got nothing.
3700734 Enemy X is clearly... Papa Smurf!
brobible.com/files/archive_2/Buzz/CartoonMustaches/Papa_Smurf.jpg
Because it's always the ones you least suspect.
It is quite curious... If Celestia couldn't bear to let any of the Changelings die... Whether it be the entire hive or just Chrysalis. How is it possible that Twilight had made the conscious decision to allow Ulquiorra to massacre the Changelings at Ponyville? The only thing I can think of is that Twilight, being so utterly inexperienced in the matter of dealing death, simply made a rash and morally subjective move in the heat of a situation she was unfamiliar with. Then again... Maybe Celestia really was setting this all up so that she could have complete and utter control over the fate of the Changeling race, where she could decide to make them suffer for as long as she desires.
Seriously think about it... She was able to feed Chrysalis from her (apparently) enormous supply of love. Perhaps she was planning to continue feeding the hive with very small dosages, just enough to keep them alive, and watch them suffer as they continue to hang on the edges of starvation until they eventually kill themselves from the torture of it all. Well... granted that she would even allow them to do as such.
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Well to the first point, Twilight was put in a difficult position by Ulquiorra. He more or less said that he was going to kill the changelings regardless of whether or not she helped, but promised that the resulting death toll could be much, much higher if she didn't aid in their containment. She was put in a very difficult position to consider and knew there was no easy way out.
As to the second point, sadly a matter of the story suffering from an effort to get closure to the changeling arc. Some aspects just couldn't be addressed to the depths they were desired, simply because they were taking far too long to get to. And if I dragged out the discussions in this arc a few more chapters, the lag would hurt.
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You know... After some more thought, I can't help but extend some more from what I was saying earlier. After seeing that last scene that you just sort of threw in there, I couldn't help but feel that Celestia actions taken in "freeing" Chrysalis seemed a little too deliberate. I'm thinking that she was just as aware of the potential that Chrysalis would once again try something against her as Ulquiorra was. And it is because of such that I believe that the pony behind everything that's happened so far is in fact Celestia.
Think about it... Chrysalis really would be a loose end from the perspective of the pony/creature behind the dragon attack/changeling invasion. And I can't help but feel that said pony/creature was actually hired by Celestia herself, and that Celestia has been orchestrating all of this. Why would Celestia intentionally delay Chrysalis's execution? Perhaps she wanted Chrysalis to die in such a way where all blame would be removed from her? And given the context of Chrysalis's death, it really has been. It can now all be chocked up to Celestia's personal bodyguard doing his job, more or less. So I'm thinking she used Ulquiorra in her round-about plan to execute Chrysalis. Either way, the name of the pony/creature behind those events was no longer a "danger" of being revealed and no ties could be made back to her.
And following that line of thought, one would examine that Celestia has been using Ulquiorra just as much as she has been using the Elements.
So... I conclude with this. Celestia... You tyrannical bitch. Just what are you up to?
3701014 This was bound to happen, and I'm okay with this
3723672 Trash...
3724634 awesome
80% of the story made me nearly go insane trying to figure out all the what if's you've put into this chapter. while the other 10% made me feel, as said in the last chapter or so, "scarred shit less".
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Well that's 90 percent. What about the other 10 percent?
4407496 Can't speak for Teph here, but I'll admit you've posed a rather large amount philosophical and psychological detail into this. More so than a lot of other fictions care to deal with. I've been studying psychology on close to three years so far, and this is one of the few fictions that pose a realistic front on not just one fictional character, but upon a good vast majority of them. This is not even considering the plot itself which is as intricately woven as some of the more in depth series like game of thrones. I've spent roughly 40% of my reading on the plot, 40% on the psychological baggage your interpretation of the characters have, and an additional 10% on the overwhelmingly cute moments that are occasionally seen here.
As for the last 10%. Shippers be shipping.
(Not implying Ulq x Luna or Ulq x Rainbow at all, though gotta love that concubine comment by Twilight, lol.)
Ugh I hate the idea of evil changlings. It just doesn't make sense. Most races in a fantasy setting aren't just evil for no reason. Changelings should be able to co exist with other races. Not saying they will with no complications, but the possibility is there.
I think that outcome would probably be me. XD
I have to wonder why Ulquiorra, despite all his intelligence, never thinks to just tackle or drag away the threat rather than brutally murdering them on the spot. After all, in order for the whole "love consumption" thing to work, Chrysalis has to remain in close proximity to her victim. All Ulquiorra had to do to save Celestia was grab Chrysalis and drag her away from Celestia. Problem solved.
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The short answer to that question, is that he's learned much since his last run in with Ichigo. He didn't confirm his death the first time around, and we all know how that turned out for him. So he's become genre savy enough to know that it's best to kill a threat outright, and not leave them around to get strong enough to be a credible threat.
A longer answer, is that Ulquiorra could see Chrysalis growing stronger as she fed, and knew that he had a limited window of opportunity to strike, before he wouldn't be able to hurt her.
Another answer is that Ulquiorra had determined that keeping Chrysalis alive served no purpose to them since she had no relevant or vital information to give them, and he had serious doubts that she would even be beneficial in any capacity.
The full answer, however, is that I didn't want to do a story where defeated villains redeemed themselves, and were given full trust as if nothing happened. That's been done to death in countless animes, and I wanted to do something different. If I'd gone the route of reforming Chrysalis, there would be the fact that Ulquiorra would never extend her any measure of trust, and would always be suspicious of anything she had to say or do. And the fact that she was used against them once already, he would constantly be wondering if she was going to be used against them again at some point, and that would distract him from the wider investigation that would need to be carried out. This distrust would put him at odds with the ponies, or put Chrysalis at odds with everyone else, making her believe there would be no chance of redemption, and she'd always be seen as a villain, no matter what she might try and do.
I really would've loved to explore the idea of Chrysalis being reformed. But that storyline would've interfered with the overall larger picture that I've been working to craft. And much as I hated to do it, I had to kill off Chrysalis. But I at least made her a sympathetic villain, guaranteeing that there's going to be fallout for others.
Once again, Celestia's foolishness nearly costs her country greatly. Good thing for her Ulquiorra is there to bail her out.
How the hell did Celestia run the country before the Elements of Harmony were awakened? Has the fact that they exist made her more complacent or something? Does she just believe that Equestria's superweapons will solve anything that slips past her? If you think about that was basically the opening episodes.
Hey Author, are you deliberately trying to make me hate this story in this chapter?
Because so hurt as Twilight were emotionally and somewhat mentally by Celestia, I don't think anything would forgive Celestia even less beg Celestia for forgiveness in less than 5 hours since they were forced to talk to Celestia, a few hours or minutes after the incident. LIKE WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BULLSHITTINGLY NON EXISTANT LOGIC IN THIS CHAPTER AND THE CHAPTER WHERE TWILIGHT FORGAVE CELESTIA!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
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Well the logic of this chapter is complicated. The shift in tone for Twilight was meant to help draw lines between the real world and dream world. Like how Luna was explaining that a mind at rest is calmer than a mind that's exhausted and awake. In the dream world, nobody is being subjected to adrenaline rushes, they can just discuss matters is a calm and orderly fashion.
Twilight also noted that things could've proceeded differently, if she could've just kept her cool, and not relied exclusively on emotion when trying to come to terms with the destruction of her mental image of Celestia.
A lot of it boils down to showing that she and the others are trusting Ulquiorra, despite knowing what he is, and what he's capable of. It's also to show that he's starting to rub off on them in little ways.
You noticed Twilight cursing out Celestia something fierce in chapter 28. Did you wonder why she was using human profanity instead of equestrian profanity? That was to show that she's favoring Ulquiorra's more straightforward approach to doing things, even if his tactics seem distasteful.
But really, in this chapter, Twilight's not trying to forgive Celestia because she believes she actually deserves to be forgiven for what happened. She's just willing to apologize for how she ripped into her, because she prides herself on being logical; being Celestia's prized student and all.
Or at least that' what I was going for.
The last 15-20% of this chapter reminded me of this:
Plot Twist:Chryssie really was concerned for her changelings...until Celestia fed her love.
Who knew feeding from the God Empress Who Can Do No Wrong would also feed into Chryssie's narcissism?
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For the longest time, I honestly considered Chrysalis reforming, and becoming an ally to the others in the face of this threat. But then I realized that if I went that route, the rest of the story would be bogged down with Ulquiorra making it clear that he has no reason to trust Chrysalis under any circumstances, which would serve as a hindrance to her allying with the others; doubly so since she was used, and any information she becomes privy to could be fed to whatever enemy was operating things from behind the scenes. And all of their interactions being plagued with Ulquiorra regarding her skeptically, and her being hostile towards him for such simply wouldn't have made for an interesting read.
In the end the only option I had available was to let Ulquiorra do what would be expected of him.