Memoirs in Ink and Blood

by Corah Il Cappo

Civility

Today was day one hundred and sixty four since my banishment. I knew because I had marked each individual day on the bark of an oak tree in the midst of my little camp.

Despite what some would say of me, I was not ignorant of survival. I lived in the lap of luxury yes, but that was only half my job. The other half was organizing trade in the areas no other pony dared to tread. The badlands of the Griffon kingdoms, the savannas of Zebrica, and the harsh deserts of Saddle Arabia were all common destinations of mine. I knew how to fend for myself.

I had no food, but managed to make do with leaves and grass clippings. I brewed tea from bark, and continually bathed and washed my clothing in a small creek nearby. I wove sticks and branches together into a makeshift shelter. It was nothing compared to the palace lifestyle I had left behind, but it was better than having nothing.

Despite my harsh surroundings, I refused to sacrifice my civility. I was a prince of Equestria, not some mindless beast. The sun moon and stars may have lost their course, but I knew that one day they would be returned to their rightful order, just as I would one day be returned to my rightful place among Equestria's nobles.

Of course, returning there would be nigh impossible. Not without bloodshed anyways. A usurper still sat upon my throne. A usurper who could squash me with less than a thought. There was no way I would be able to throw down somepony who wore the mantle of a god.

At least, I could not do it alone.

With an army at my back, it would be possible to overwhelm her, and deliver a victory through sheer numbers. It would take thousands, perhaps even millions to equal her power. There was no way I could get that many ponies over to my side, even with my impressive charisma. It was an impossible task, and I knew it.

But sometimes we need to seek the impossible. Sometimes dreams of the impossible are the only thing we can believe in. They're what wake us up in the morning. They're what drive us, even when we have nothing left to live for. We strive to attain them, knowing full well they are impossible. We dream that we will be the ones to make the impossible reality.

Now, impossible dreams danced about in my head. Driving me, compelling me to make them reality. I knew not how I would do so, and so I waited. Surely if I waited long enough, a flash of inspiration would come to me.

One hundred and sixty four days later, and I was still waiting for it. I tried meditation, blending strange herbs into my teas, standing on my head for long periods of time to stimulate blood flow to my brain. Nothing. My mind was completely devoid of any useful ideas. I thought about trying to slip into Ponyville, and raising a small army from there. But they were no warriors. Farmers, artists, candy-makers yes, but soldiers they were not.

I needed the guards.

Of course, getting them to listen to me would be nigh impossible. The guards weren't loyal to the Prince, and whatever sway I had as Celestia's nephew was worthless now that she was dead. They were loyal to only two ponies Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor.

As if by some ironic twist of fate, Shining Armor himself crashed into my camp. He stumbled into the clearing, smashing his way through the shelter I had constructed. He tumbled to the ground, looking more bedraggled than I had ever seen him. He glanced up at me with bloodshot eyes, blinking several times as if in disbelief.

"Well that's certainly one way to make an entrance."

I helped him to his hooves, and soon we were reminiscing over tea. For the first time in one hundred and sixty four days, it felt as though life was normal. No longer were we two men at war against the gods. We were simply two ponies sharing a cup of tea between friends. We talked and laughed together just like we used to in the halls of the Royal Palace in Canterlot. For just a few moments, everything was as it should be. All was right in the world, or at least our section of the Everfree.

Slowly but surely, reality crept in on our conversation. Our topic turned to the struggles we had both been facing since our recent expulsion from Canterlot. It seemed that between the two of us, I had been faring slightly better. He explained his situation to me, as well as the conflict that boiled in his chest. He wanted Cadence back, more than anything else in the world. Yet the task he was set out to do was impossible.

Of course, the impossible can drive us to do crazy things.

"She's baiting you."

I spoke my mind, something I was rarely able to do back home in Canterlot.

"She's dangling a carrot in front of your jaws, but the second you snap for it, she'll pull it further back. She doesn't want to give you back Cadence, even if she could. Cause the second she does, she loses the hold she has over you. You're being played for a fool here, Armor. She's playing chess here, and you're just a pawn in the game. Things will never be the way they once were, but that doesn't mean we need to settle for what it's become. I've never been one to settle for less than the best. What about you? Will you settle for this?"

I could feel a shift in him. His eyes were ablaze, and his face was set like steel.

"Never again."

Comments

[BronyPonyMan]

who here thinks it would be an awesome ending if the 'rebels' manage to use the Elements of Harmony on twilight, and they cause her ex-friends, her mentor, and her foal-sitter to appear before her and strike her down? i think that would be an amazing ending!

[Shpadoinkle]

5106671
If written well, it could be a good ending.

I don't believe this story will allow for such an ending where good prevails simply because it must.

[Voidedstory]

5106769 I don't think it ever will.

If good wins, it will be because it fucking earned it. Not because it must win by right of its alignment.

(I doubt this'll be any more than a bittersweet ending, though, so.)

[Hestia]

I hope Blueblood and Shining Armor have a good plan for overthrowing Twi. I'm afraid they're gonna need it.

[DarkParable]

Twi is most likely to win here. Even with all that's being stacked against her by Luna and Discord. Shining and Blueblood are pretty much non-issues. The only way I can even see Twilight being laid low is by a deus ex machina. Most likely her godhood abandoning her for doing something so far afield from what granted it in the first place.

[nighters]

what good is a goddess who does nothing? only stagnation limbo is left afterwards, what kind of life is that for a mortal turn god? in the end she be waiting for death release begging for a mortal end maddening the unavoidable end is gone? pure insanity for the mind!
I pity the gods at time's for all there greatness and powers it mean nothing in forever after. the mortal people are more important more precious in the end were gods can only look on with envoy or live in pointless ignorance to a cold truth.

[Psitally]

Awesome chapter! I can see that some action might start soon so i can't wait!

[Veo Skride]

I personally feel that no matter what force they throw at Twilight it won't be enough. She has unimaginable power and a very smart mind to go with it. Between these two facts she would easily be able to come up with a solution to crush any opposing force while using the least amount of energy possible. Even with a surprise attack the surprise only lasts so long, she will be able to hold her own until she has a chance to fight back.

[Mossflower]

I'm starting to feel like nothing they do will matter in the end. If Discord is the only one close to being a match, then everyone else would just be drops in an ocean - maybe if every sentient race on the planet rallied against here would she be unable to hold, but then she could merely fight a moving battle, if only discord can keep up with her she can simply pick off the opposition one by one. In the end i think the only option would either be the elements or if she simply stopped...

[TheGreatEater]

I can't wait until the new EoH are used against Twilight. And see her lose everything. After all that power, all that growth, after becoming a goddess who slew those who loved her. See her lose it all and be powerless to stop it. After all the higher you go, the more higher the fall, and as of now. She's hit the peak where even other Deities can not reach. She feels she's all powerful, untouchable, the most powerful of beings in all of existence and not even harmony can touch her. To see her fall will be truely a thing of beauty.

[Corah Il Cappo]

5110131

"Je ne sais quoi" is a French expression meaning "I don't know what". It's frequently used to say that while you know something, you just can't quite put your finger on what it is.

For a French idiom that means something closer to "finishing touch" I'd try "Coup de Grace".

[The_Foreman]

5107042 I've always been a fan of evil winning. particularly if someone chooses evil because good is wrong. sadly this is not the case here

[Clockwork Dawn]

5110555 I rarely say this about the characters, but every now and then, a fic or story rolls around where there is just a character so evil they simply must be expunged from the universe. This is one of the times. Honestly, this fi reminds me of the last couple of issues of Invincible. I f you haven't read that comic you should, it kicks ass. But either way, the writer said something that was pretty fitting for this situation.

"Sometimes the smart thing to do, isn't always the right thing to do."

Or something along those lines. Either way, its good to here someone else agrees with me on this.

[Via]

I just realized something:
This is incomplete.
YEESSSS! More chapters.

[Horusa]

Well,
i just finished the Monster we made.
My expression can be summorized in one word:
Fuuck.
No bad intentions in that word.
The story just struck me, and gave me pretty hard blows.
Very well made story, and Great way of telling the story.

When i will gather enough courage to continue, i will read the sequel, but this needs some time to sink in.

Great job though.

[Cyro The Lone Shadow]

5110616 Don't be so sure about Twilight losing, this IS a dark story...

[TheGreatEater]

5400495

Twilight losing wuldn't end the dark side of it. You have to take into account that right now nopony knows the truth. That's why ther's the semblance of peace. But what happens when she's outted and no longer needs to hide? What happens to those who band against her, vs those knowing the truth side beside her (Either from fear, gravitating towards the powerful, or more darker emotions)?

Even then with her power. Any true loss would be a Pyrhic Victory where many ponies lives are lost. But I'm against how easy she's had it so far. Easily kills 2 alicorns, all of the Elements of Harmony (and some how with that great evil, they haven't moved to 6 new ponies to go after her), and yet not one bad thing happens to her. No true road blocks. All the hardship is on the Good Guys, but none on Mary Suelight. It's why I root for the good guys in this fic. Heck I forgot if anything happened to discord, but there are no Tireks or EoH anymore. And even a Princess of Magic should have no logical means of standing in his way.

After all the only thing that could have stopped him, she no longer is capable of wielding atm.

[Daring Cammie Do]

The sun moon and stars may have lost their course,

Comma between 'sun' and 'moon', and a comma between 'moon' and 'and'.

A usurper still sat upon my throne. A usurper who could squash me with less than a thought.

An

[The Countess of Tuscany]

6765460 Tis not so! Usurper begins with a long u sound (sounding as a y) and therefore you would say "a usurper." The usage of a/an is determined by the sound of the first letter rather than simply whether or not it's a vowel. A usurper, a one, an herb, an honour.

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

Despite my harsh surroundings, I refused to sacrifice my civility. I was a prince of Equestria, not some mindless beast. The sun...... moon and stars may have lost their course, but I knew that one day they would be returned to their rightful order, just as I would one day be returned to my rightful place among Equestria's nobles.

Needs a comma

[Icy_blue_orchid]

NO BLUEBLOOD