“I want the Regia on lockdown,” Lady Everstar said, rounding a corner at a high rate of speed with her assorted councilponies in tow. “Nopony comes in or goes out without my say-so, and I want flyers apprehended and brought to the castle grounds for interrogation. I want the chief of the police here in an hour or less, or he’s going to be replaced with a pony who can move more quickly. Move the wounded from the wall into urgent care, even if they don’t look like they need it.”
She threw open the doors to her throne room, a throng of nobility, soldiery, and other assorted mares and stallions of import doing their level best to keep up with her while keeping composed. They were the only ones doing so. Lady Everstar’s crown was missing, her dress was singed, and she reeked of smoke and fuel. A large bloody cut ran across her chin, and she favored one hoof, but despite all of that, the Flame in her chest burned brightly and the spark in her eyes spoke of dangerous energy.
“Captain Roughshod, your Guard will draw up a poster offering a reward for information leading to the apprehension of the agents involved in the attack on my city. Not only will this reward poster be put up here, it will be circulated across the Kingdom proper. I want the ponies responsible for this…atrocity…found and brought to justice.”
The Captain bowed hurriedly, locks of reddish mane falling over the patch covering one eye before disappearing through a side door in the gallery, walking just short of a run. Lady Everstar turned back to the officials cluttering her throne room. “The rest of you, if you have not been assigned duties, you are to assist with supplying relief efforts throughout the city. Keep the roads clear around your estates, cooperate with the Guard and constabulary, and don’t go anywhere.”
There was silence from the crowd below the dais, and Lady Everstar’s hoof slammed down on the stone floor with a thunderous crack, as the air in the throne room became noticeably warmer, her Flame flaring brightly. “Leave!” she demanded.
There was a stampede to the door, and the throne room was empty save for the Lady in record time. She collapsed onto her throne, exhausted and shaking, glad for the lack of company. She’d been hard-pressed to keep the fires from spreading, and though she wielded great power, it was an effort to keep it focused. The storms she had wrought were difficult in particular, currents of fanciful air slipping from her grasp at every distraction.
Thirteen Guards on the parapet and parade ground were killed in the explosion at the gate, and another nine caught in a secondary explosion that came from within the crowd of protestors they had been watching. Civilian casualties from that blast had numbered in the dozens. Thankfully, the third bomb had claimed no lives, though property damage to the shop fronts was severe enough to warrant extensive remodeling. The fourth and final explosion, claiming the airship, had cost the lives of all hooves on board, a hundred and twenty-two lost souls. Also caught in the blast and subsequent fire were nineteen yard workers, four weatherponies, and eight other ponies of the Navy. The total casualty list, nearly four hours later, came to just under two hundred ponies in her service, and several dozen civilians, the number yet to be determined.
Twilight allowed herself a shuddering sigh, massaging her head as she regained her composure, the bright light shining in her chest dimming just a little. To get it back to its normal self, she would need more time, spent in proper meditation. She wiped away water from the corner of one eye, telling herself it was a product of the smoke, and spoke.
“Turquoise, you can come out. I know you’ve got something for me.”
There was a rustle of silken wings, and a young mare with a coat of light blue and a mane of shocking white detached herself from the ceiling, spreading her wings wide to slow her fall. She came to a halt scant inches above the ground, hovering in place, before folding her wings neatly and kneeling before her liege.
“Milady,” she said calmly. “I bear…news. I fear you will not like it.”
Twilight said nothing, merely motioned for Turqouise to continue, contemplating a burn on her dress.
“The attacks were synchronized to shepherd the caravan containing your daughter towards the airfield, and were conducted using simple explosives rigged with clockwork fuses. We’ve tested the ruins for explosive residue, and determined the alchemical components. They’re old stock from our munitions factories, at least twenty years, if not more. We think that whoever set off these bombs got the explosives from a disposal site.”
“So they’re either very good, or they’ve got a pony on the inside of an ammunition disposal ground,” Twilight mused.
Turquoise flinched. “We believe the latter, Milady. The rest of the attack seems too…amateurish for them to have done this kind of thing before. As it was, they barely managed to accomplish their goal of shepherding the caravan towards the ship.” Her voice grew troubled. “Milady…there is more. Please, do not be angry with me, Milady, I beg of you.”
Twilight looked at Turquoise for the first time, and the mare took a few steps backwards, ruffling her wings nervously. “Turquoise,” she said quietly, “Is there something wrong with my daughter?”
“I received a call from Captain Fidelis using the usual network, Milady,” Turquoise said softly. “There was an attack on the train. Explosives rigged to the car in which your daughter was riding.”
There was a crack of thunder, a terrible rush of light, and then, quite without meaning to, Lady Everstar felt her magic shatter every window in the throne room. Turquoise fell back with a yelp, feathers flying from her wings and fur from her chest to reveal shining gossamer and smooth chitin. The temperature in the room rose to that of the air near a bonfire, and Turqouise scrambled back to her hooves.
“Milady!” she called. “They were small charges! They merely separated the car from the rest of the train!”
Twilight, hovering several meters in the air, made a titanic effort of will, and the heat dissipated. The blinding light dimmed, and as she sank to the ground, the glass from the shattered windows rained down onto the floor with a tinkling crash. Turquoise noticed that the glass fell not in panes or shards, but in drops, warped and molded by intense heat. Even at the height of her shock, Lady Everstar had directed her anger towards an acceptable target. If she had not, there was a very good chance one of her most faithful servants would have been reduced to an ashy smear before she could draw the breath to scream.
“Where are they?” the unicorn snarled, her dress smoldering away to cinders, revealing the bright Flame burning on her belly.
Turquoise knelt in obeisance, keeping her wings flat to the floor, uneven though they now were. “We do not know, Milady. Captain Fidelis ordered the train reversed, but they were unable to determine what exactly transpired in the train car. Tracks lead from the car along the south side of the rails, and from there into the thickest of the woods. They did, however, find elf-shot in the car.”
With a focus now available for her anger, Lady Everstar took several deep breaths, composing herself. The fire in her breast flickered and burned a little lower, though it was still too bright to look directly upon, a beacon of shimmering white fury. Lady Everstar took her throne once more, steam escaping from her nostrils as she contemplated what course of action was best to take.
At last, she spoke. “Turquoise, please repair your disguise. Contact the Hives nearest the Forest, as well as Homehive. Alert Queen Feldspar that I’m going to be borrowing some of her drones. Until such time as we discover what has happened to my daughter, my personal energies will be directed towards finding her. In the meantime, please return to your station and continue working on discovering the group or groups behind the attacks today.”
Lady Everstar’s horn flashed a brilliant purple, and her crown reappeared on the floor in front of her, dusty and covered in soot. It glowed faintly with heat. “I want the ponies responsible for the attacks brought to justice,” she growled, “And the ones responsible for the attack on my daughter dead and their heads mounted on pikes. Leave me now.”
Turquoise bowed once more, green fire enveloping her as she took to the air once more, sailing out through a conveniently opened window. Already she was humming out a message to every one of her brothers and sisters in the city, making sure her Lady’s commands were heard from here to Homehive and beyond.
Twilight watched her go, brow creased with worry. Wherever her daughter was, she needed to be found quickly. There were worse things in the Everfree than wild animals, much worse. As she began to prepare to receive guests, among them the chief of the constabulary, her thoughts turned once more to the identity of the ponies who had attempted not just to kill soldiers and civilians, but to assault her daughter or worse.
It was clearly somepony with access to the plan, somepony who was present when she had gone over the route for the parade a few days prior, or somepony who would have stumbled across the plan after the briefing. They’d need to have moved quickly and efficiently, and above all, not aroused any suspicion that they were passing information along. In short, a spy. An experienced agent, no less. But who? She was sure that nopony had been present at the briefings that wasn’t associated with the Guard in a major capacity. The plans themselves hadn’t been committed to paper, merely indicated on a map of the city which anypony could have picked up at a bookstore for a paltry sum. Whoever it was had been there, at the meeting, or had been one of the subordinates the captains were allowed to speak to about the plan.
Twilight’s eyes widened, and she gasped as she came to the realization that the only ponies who had known the route as well as the backup route were the ponies who were escorting her daughter out of the gates.
Serale’s personal Guard had a spy in the ranks.
The grove in the middle of the Regia was not well-used, only available through a single door in one of the lesser-used utility corridors. It was so inaccessible by design, though it was never kept locked. The peculiar magic in that grove did not respond well to being contained, though it could have cared less about being hidden.
Within the grove grew seven trees, planted close as saplings and carefully nurtured, kept in trust by a group of farmers near Ponyville whose charter had ended centuries ago. Rowan, ash, yew, maple, apple, thorn and oak grew together, branches twining together in very carefully made patterns that seemed like nothing but chaos to the untrained eye. They were kept well-watered with rain drawn from the culverts on the highest tower, and though they had enough sun to grow, the grove itself was kept in a perpetual, sleepy twilight most of the time.
It was in this grove that Twilight Sparkle knelt, making her preparations. Most of her magic could be done without such tools as circles or runes now, but in delicate cases such as this, it paid to be careful. In the small clearing made by the trees, a cavern of roots and branches with only one entrance, she had drawn an intricate circle, made of interlocking lines that curved in graceful arcs, runes connecting them. In the center of the circle lay a small seed. Which seed was placed in the circle depended on the need, but for now, she had taken a berry from the rowan tree, the tree of travelers and divination. It seemed appropriate.
With a few murmured words and an outpouring of power that, in her youthful days, would have seemed more than massive, Twilight Sparkle felt her consciousness pour forth from her body, borne on wild tides of magic that she could only begin to grasp, and without any warning, begin to expand. First she became aware of the grove, then the castle, then the city, then the surrounding countryside, the Everfree Forest and into Equestria…
With a grunt, she reigned herself back. It was difficult, especially for a mind as inquisitive as hers, and Radiant Zenith had warned her of the draw inherent in the spell when she taught it to her, long ago. Too many would-be diviners had ended up as happily crooning vegetables as their minds scattered on the wind, examining far-off points of the universe. But she possessed a stronger will than most anypony, and she was able to draw herself back in, a single consciousness borne on the magical current of the Everfree Forest.
Immediately, she felt inquisitive nibbles from the denizens there, testing her to see if she could make a decent meal or thrall. But she bit back, not to kill, but merely enough to warn, and soon enough, she was left alone. Sending herself deep into the Forest, she found the tracks easily enough. They were spelled iron, strong enough to ward away most magic of the Forest, though conductors on that track still exercised the utmost caution. Though she was not a denizen of the Forest, she still felt a wave of nausea and repulsion as she forced her will down the tracks much faster than any train could even hope to go.
She found the site of the crash like a normal pony would find a house fire. The train had returned, of course, reversing itself for the passengers that had been left behind, but the train was not her goal. Twilight made her will congeal, forced herself to gain eyes to see and ears to hear, a ghosting of herself that bent down to examine the tracks with eyes made only of magic, to allow her to see what she could not in person.
The explosion had damaged the wards on the track, or else they had been damaged with an explosive before the train had arrived. The cold fire of the iron was not as strong here. Though the train car with the actual arrows had gone, Twilight could still see the trails left behind by the bolts as shimmering snakes of energy through the air. Elf-shot, from a properly made bow, found its target almost unerringly. But either the occupants of the car had been extremely lucky, or the Fae had shot to warn. She felt no death on the tracks or near them.
The north side of the track, however, was a different matter. There she could feel maybe a dozen recently-killed ponies quietly moldering away, little bits of their souls still clinging to their bodies, enough for a determined necromancer to use if they cared. It was also notable that the attack had come from only the north, and only the north. Even in the depths of winter, she could feel the difference in energy on both sides of the track. The southern side spoke of summer stars, and sweet wine and languid passions, the hallmark of the Seelie. The northern side, in contrast, was bitter winds, blood and fierce hunger and desperation. Unseelie, then, had lured the would-be ambushers into the woods and killed them. But why then attack the car?
A slight tug from the south side made her turn her head. She followed an eddy of magic alongside the tracks, and caught impressions of fear, confusion, and apprehension. The Guards, then, had travelled alongside the south of the tracks. None of the shining tracks of elf-shot fell here, which meant that they had been let go. A smart move, Twilight thought. Wars between the Courts had been started for less than arrows fallen in territory belonging to the other side.
The trail came up short, and Twilight saw the blood on the branches of the trees before she noticed anything else. She knew then what had been done. Somepony had bartered for passage here, at a gate into the heart of one side’s territory. The blood looked familiar to her, and it took only a cursory examination to realize that Cobblestone had made payment; most likely at the behest of the thing she called Hob. Wherever they had gone from there, Twilight realized, was anypony’s guess, as well as whether or not they had arrived safe, sane, and together. With a grimace, she let her consciousness disperse, returning to her body in the grove, many miles away. She hoped Cobblestone realized exactly what she had pledged when she bled on the forest floor of the Fae.
Creed shivered and drew his cloak close as he shouldered his way through the wind, which was digging claws into him like a wild animal. The way was dark, and the constables and Guards were out in force, but tonight was important, and he would not be gainsaid when his compatriots back at the inn begged him to stay.
“It’s none of your business if I stay or go,” he had said. “I need to meet somepony tonight, and I can handle myself.”
He’d turned down the offer of an escort, made absolutely sure that nopony was following him, and even ducked into a nearby tavern for a quick drink to give the impression to a potential tail that he was simply looking for a quiet drink. The mood that night was dour, and all talk was about the bombings on the upper tier of town. He studiously avoided getting drawn into a conversation, letting the words wash over him like a balm for his admittedly frayed nerves.
Ponies were afraid. Protestors had died, guards had died, and one of the Kingdom’s airships, the juggernauts of the skies, had gone down in flames today. Curfew had been imposed in certain sections of the city, though thankfully not around here. Above all other questions remained the one that was the most simple and direct. Who was responsible?
Creed finished his beer, leaving coin on the counter, and continued outside after a quick peek out of the windows. He was relatively certain he hadn’t been followed, but it never hurt to check. Bracing himself, he headed back out into the bitter wind, now laden with mixed sleet and rain.
It was cold tonight, colder than it had been the past few nights, when the League had been busy planting its bombs. Creed would normally have decided against such rash action, but the committee had agreed that a bigger gesture than a protest was needed, especially in light of the attack on the arena. The bombs they had planted used the very last of their explosive, but if things went well tonight, the obsolete charges would be replaced with something considerably more substantial.
The sound of a clock tower rung out over the city, letting all know that the hour was nine. Creed was almost late, but he had accounted for every possibility, and his destination was a mere block away. Quickly, he turned the last corner, his destination in sight.
The building was constructed largely of brick, but was easily three times the size of any structure near it, brightly painted with images of cavorting ponies, mugs in hooves, and the outside shone with magelights in a dozen colors, lending the illusion of movement to the painted images. The roof was made largely of glass, a horrendous expense, but it too was enchanted to keep the panes clear of any ill effects from the weather, including the freezing temperatures. This place was known as Place du Rivage, and indeed, a balcony did extend out from the back over the great river that ran through the city, though few would be using it on a night like tonight.
Normally, a pony like Creed would be turned away at the door, but then, he wasn’t going to the door. Ducking down the alley, he found the side door, left surreptitiously unlocked, and pulled it open. Inside, just as he was told he would, he found a small bag, inside of which was a jacket, tie, and a small bottle of cologne. The washroom was on his left, and he emerged a scant ten minutes later a changed pony. Nervously, he straightened his tie. He didn’t want to keep Lady Hedera waiting, but he felt that somehow, showing up disheveled would be looked upon even more unfavorably. Silently, he satisfied himself that he looked presentable, slipped through the kitchens, where he wasn’t spared a glance, and emerged into the Place du Rivage.
The club was perhaps a bit empty that night, but for the Rivage, that didn’t mean much. The Rivage was famous for its cuisine, and had at one point been a restaurant of some acclaim, but recently it had found new life as a proper dancing club, and some of the biggest and best names in music played the stage nightly. Currently on the stage was an eighteen-piece swing band, and the dance floor was, as usual, packed with couples swaying and swinging to the beat.
He cast an eye around the room, looking for Lady Hedera’s table, and found it. The table was the one of the few private booths in the place, and every table save one was empty, curtains drawn back and waiting forlornly for a customer with the clout and coin to claim it. Lady Hedera’s table, by contrast, was hidden behind thick red velvet curtains, embroidered in gold. Creed drew a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet stench of cigar smoke, and pushed to the table, drawing the curtains aside.
What he saw before him made his heart skip a beat and his cheeks flush. Instead of Lady Hedera’s long blonde hair and blue eyes, a pair of lovely golden orbs peered at him beneath a bob of white hair. She wore a long, tight dress of green fabric, patterned with sequins, a slit up one side showing off the graceful curve of one leg. It contrasted well with the deep, dusky black of her coat, and Creed could smell perfume, something floral, rising from that coat.
Lily batted her eyelashes and Creed’s world spun. “Good evening, Mister Creed,” she said. “Lady Hedera sends her apologies; her duties to the Lady keep her tonight. She sent me instead.”
“I…” Creed stammered. “I wasn’t expecting you. It’s good to see you again, Lily. How have you been? I haven’t seen you since…”
“The last time you came by the House,” Lily said with a smile. She gestured to the chair across from her. “Please, have a seat. I ordered some wine, it should be by shortly.” Noticing the expression on his face, her smile turned rueful. “The vintage in question is sealed in wax. They remove the wax at the table to see that no…atmosphere has been added to it before we drink.”
Creed nodded, taking his seat. He’d have to watch her carefully as she drank, keep an eye on her for signs of drugs or poison. Though even that may not be enough, the poison might be in the glasses. He almost wished Lady Hedera was here now. There’d be no way he could keep his head around Lily.
“You look nervous, Mister Creed,” Lily said. “I promise, nothing untoward will happen tonight. Well,” she amended with a grin that was considerably more saucy than the sweet smile she usually wore, “Not unless you want it to. You’re a partner of Lady Hedera. She keeps her partners safe, and honors her agreements.”
“I’m not one to take ponies at their word,” Creed replied, loosening his tie a bit. “It’s kept me alive so far.”
Lily shrugged, a motion which delighted Creed, and motioned through the parted curtain for the wine to be brought. The waiter worked with admirable efficiency, placing two thin-stemmed glasses on the table at almost the same time he produced a paring knife, which made Creed a bit jumpy. Drawing the bottle forth from his cart, he pruned the wax from the top with haste, inserted the corkscrew, and with the strength and skill borne of long practice, popped the cork. He bowed, placing the bottle on the table, and retreated through the curtains, drawing them behind him.
Lily, without prompting, poured the wine, leaving two glasses for Creed to take in a clear invitation. Her way of showing him the glasses had not been tampered with, he supposed. He selected one at random and waited. She raised her glass to his.
“A toast,” she said. “To new beginnings.”
Creed said nothing, waiting for her to take a sip. She did so, and he followed suit, waiting to swallow until he saw the telltale working of the muscles in her neck. He had to admit, the wine was good. Fruity, a little spicy, with floral notes similar to the perfume she was wearing. Lily, or Lady Hedera, or whoever had set this night up, had planned everything out perfectly. Creed had the nagging sensation he was far out of his league.
“Now, to business,” Lily said. “To get it out of the way and let us enjoy our evening.”
“The first operation was a success,” Creed said. “Not only that, it rid me of the last few ponies in the League who might have tried to get rid of me.”
“Not complete success, though,” Lily said. “The young Master Hedera is still alive, and the plan was for the carriage to remain pinned down by the Fae for a while longer yet.” She reached into a bag by her side, one Vino hadn’t noticed before, and withdrew a slim folder of red leather. “As it is, it seems that the young mage managed an escape with all ponies in tow. No telling if they all made it out, but they certainly were no longer with the car.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Creed said, taking another mouthful of his wine. It really was excellent. “Tell me,” he said, “Why does Lady Hedera want her son dead so badly? She has the House, doesn’t she?”
Lily fluttered her wings nervously. “Well,” she said, “It’s not my place, but I think I can give you an explanation. Lady Hedera never said not to, anyway. It has to do with inheritance here in the Kingdom. Vino is Lady Hedera’s stepson, and the inheritor of the House on Lord Hedera’s side by his first wife.”
“The mare in the portrait hall,” Creed said, remembering the mare with the black hair and laughing green eyes.
Lily nodded. “Her,” she said. “Vino’s the heir to the House. All of it. Once he comes of age, the House is his, and his mother, while still part of the family, will have no say into how the House is run in the eyes of the law. There’s no love lost between them, and if Vino takes the House, then Lady Hedera’s going to be in some trouble.”
She stared into her wine morosely. “Lady Hedera’s been so good to us,” she said sadly. “Given us places to sleep, work, a purpose, goals…there’s not a pony in the House who wouldn’t give everything to see her happy. And the only way to keep her happy is…”
“To kill the colt before he comes back and takes his House,” Creed said.
Lily shrugged. “It’s not good work,” she said, “But it needs doing. That’s not why we’re here.”
Creed shook himself. “Right,” he said, “The business. Sorry. You’re different from when I first met you, more forward.”
Lily gave him another roguish grin. “I’ve got to be proper in the House and serving my Lady,” she said. “But this is who I am. Not that playing the submissive type isn’t fun, but before I was in service to the Lady, I was a different type of pony. Which reminds me,” she said with a wink.
“You’re going to be taking possession of a number of items,” she said. “With the understanding that you’ll recruit more to help you use them. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Lady Everstar’s scared,” Creed replied. “Already curfews are in place, and I overheard a few Pegasi grumbling about being grounded on the way over. They’ll put up with it as long as they don’t have to leave their comfortable lives, but take away their luxuries and it won’t be long until the fire starts.”
“Fires are good,” Lily said, perhaps a bit breathlessly. “Bullets too. Bombs, better than the ones you were using, and funding as you need it. There’s also a printing-house that was just closed down on the south side that has been re-purchased for your use. I’ve read some of your work, it’s good. This’ll make it better.”
Outside the band reached a crescendo, and the ponies on the dance floor erupted into applause. Creed looked out of the curtains to see a new pony taking the stage, this one a pegasus mare wearing coattails and a strange cylindrical hat. With a flourish, she began to conjure strange items, seemingly from within it, items like a sword, a wand, and at one point, even a live rabbit.
“What are you thinking about?” Lily asked.
“It’s strange,” Creed said. “Ever since I was a young colt, I’ve wanted to change things in this Kingdom. The Lady promised us that we wouldn’t be ruled by gods or immortal masters, and yet she’s held power here for four hundred years. Did you know we tried to get her to abdicate?”
Lily’s eyes widened. “You asked her to give up her throne?” she exclaimed. “What did she say?”
“I can remember her sitting there, she looked so young,” Creed said. “It was a year or two after she died. We came to her with a petition, over a thousand of us had signed it. She had an heir, now. Somepony to take her throne, a mortal like us. We wanted her to step down, make room for ponies to rule themselves. We nearly got laughed out of the courtroom, and of course she said no. She said it was ‘for the common good’. The common good, for one pony to hold power for four hundred years and counting.”
Creed reached for the bottle and poured another glass, as his had gone dry. “Did you know ponies used to rule themselves?” he asked. “It’s true. There are records, very old ones. I’ve seen them, written in old runes when I was a kid. They decided amongst themselves what to do, how to divide work, what they wanted from life. It wasn’t always perfect, but I think it’s a better alternative to the four gods we have on thrones now.”
He took another sip of wine, and swirled it around in the glass, contemplating it in the dim light of the booth. “I believe that the common good for mortal ponies should be decided by mortal ponies,” he said. “And if Everstar and the other three goddesses don’t want to give up their power, then so help me, we’ll tear them down.”
Lily looked at him strangely, and then, without warning, she lunged across the table at him, and before Creed could react, her lips were on his own, and he could taste the wine and the mint on her breath, and he could also taste a promise of things to come.
Lily made good on those promises that night.
Aha! So the anti-Olympians are the ones behind this! I had wondered when we might get to see them again. I guess they're a bit more radical than I first assumed.
Interesting argument, but as usual, Creed doesn't see what the real problem, if there is any, is.
As is typical for every sapient race I've read about so far, the League appears to pin the sole blame on one pony. Political problems are almost never that simple. Even without Twilight, the nobles would still rule and the country would probably be off worse. But unfortunately, creating a scapegoat is much easier than any real solution, so of course they think that getting rid of one pony will solve all their problems. An immortal extremely powerful one at that. I've seen better plans.
And he says all this while doing that with a pony who clearly only does it because she was told so and drinking expensive wine. Morals are always very interesting.
Great chapter btw, I like needless destruction of objects.
5900247 And stupid too. I mean they are ruled by gods, beings that live nearly forever, and nearly unkillable, and yet still there are problems happening. Do they really think putting in a mortal, one that can be corrupted and forced out every couple of years and easily assassinated would make things better?
Especially when there are many things and dangers far more deadly and secretive behind the world, and the common ponies don't even know about them. The Shadow Forces for example. And some forces they have powerless against, such as a single Necromancer.
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The point of cycling out an elected leader is for change! Not because it allows more people to get into power. Even if the danger of corruption is there, if that were the case then no immortal would ever trust any mortal. Besides, generally immortals tend to fall into a rut, and they often don't like change: the war between Twilight and Celestia for instance. It was post of the whole major conflict! That Celestia was controlling ponies and controlling every aspect of it a lot like the authoritarian governments that end up destroying their country in the name of power, and call it peace.
I think the rebels hold a very good point in wanting mortal leaders. It's the same appeal that formed the US government, the idea is that the government is changeable as time changes so it can adapt. Do you think a single being - mortal or immortal, and even one as intelligent as Twilight - could possibly be able to adjust laws without a system somewhat similar to that? It would be an incredibly taxing career. It's why we have a huge congress (albeit one that currently rarely works), so that people from all over the country attempt to make the system work for their area, or at least prevent it from working against them.
Besides, wouldn't removing them from the distracting task of running a country just make tracking down the shadow all the easier? They could concentrate completely on the task and might have halted it before it had been able to raise an army of its own followers ...
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Agreed. It's one of those cases when the Strawmare Has a Point. Discord's reign, the Nightmare Rebellion, Celestia's "Harmony for All"... All examples of what happens when a god chooses to be a Grade A-Hole with the world, and mortals can usually do very little against the massive power, influence and experience of the deity... not even awaiting for his/her demise.
Creed also highlighs Twlight's hipocrisy: the leader who once claimed on the Rebellion first Hearth's Warming "mortals don't need gods, only each other" has become, after centuries of power, manipulations and intrigues , into the very thing she once stood against.
it's funny how mortals say that they should run themselves, yet they have no idea what they really talk about. it's a classic case of 'the grass is greener on the other side.' they think what they have currently isn't as good as what they don't have, so they destroy everything to get it. then they either realize that what they had was just as good, if not better than what they now have, or a long time passes and the whole ting starts all over again.
mortals are such silly things.
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5902148
So now, ask yourselves this. I certainly have, over and over and over again. What if they were to succeed? If, against all odds, the Contheistic League carried the day, what then would be come of the world?
5902275 it'd become divided. look at what having a goddess did to it! right now they're united under the idea that the gods need to go, but what about once that goal is accomplished? they'll all realize that they all want to rule and run the world differently. so they'll split apart, and the rest of the world will soon follow as ponies pick sides. at some point later, some pony will get it in their heads that the world would do better under one ruler, and then the whole thing will start all over.
5902297
An' lo, what fools these mortals be.
5902297 Actually, you're wrong. They wouldn't divide. Because the Shadow, Windigos, Fae, Discord, or one of the other powers that be would take over and kill everything. As you yourself pointed out earlier in 5902148 They don't know how the world really works. Why does Helgia? (If I got that name right) Do what she does? Because she is a 'noble' a high ranking person.... If there was constant change, does she REALLY think she would STILL have such a high rank? At any point at all one could go 'You. You're a commoner now' And strip her of everything she owns. She herself is nothing, a pest, just an old lady letting power get to her head. Fae? Discord? The Shadow? That random guy down the street that gets promoted to leader? They don't give a shit about her, her money, or her 'influence' at all.
The way the nations have each run as always been set in there ways, and if people want a better one they can freely go live in one of the other nations. Why do they think change will be better? Take the guy that was talking in this chapter, he said he read about when the tribes were united before Celestia or any immortal, back at the founding of the nation of equestria, and that it can happen!..... Hey guy... Did you get a little farther in that text? Did you not research enough? The ponies united alright. And what happened..... A being of higher power came out and desided to play with them and they could do NOTHING against said being.
I mean, lets look at Twilight's history. Celestia did some bad shit, so mortal went about doing change! They rised up! the mortal even accended into a god! Power beyound mortal! And what changed....
.....
... Nothing. Celestia is still there, she is still being 'evil'. Twilight founded a nation free of Celestia, and from the event Luna and Cadance also broke off and started their own nations as well, but Celestia is STILL there. Twilight did free people, they now have 5 ways they can choose to live, instead of being forced into 1, but nothing big ever changed.... Have they ever wondered... why?
5903076 i see where your coming from, but your forgetting something. the only reason celestia is still around is because twilight decided it was more beneficial to keep her around, thanks to her own serious oversight that led to the shadow being released in the first place. twilight was offered a way to kill every alicorn in the world, but she turned it down. the reason nothing changed is because twilight foresaw a time, much farther in the future, where the strength of all the immortals would be required. and even having all that strength on her side, she still made that freaky ass sword that Cobblestone was originally drawn to. so yes, only 'minor' things changed, but something did change. and the only reason more didn't change was because twilight screwed up and let loose an ancient evil that even Mother was afraid of.
5903119
Hey! It was Mother who decided to put the Shadow on Luna, and Celestia who unleashed it via torturing her sis.
5903119 Indeed. Like I said at the end, have they ever wondered why? While the nobles and the thieves and such might not be living out their dreams, they ARE protected against beings like Discord, Celestia, and so on. If they off'd Twilight? They would be defenceless, especially against the Shadow.
Even in a world of danger, they seem.... Ignorant, if the even greater and worse danger. It actually, seems kinda out of place.
Take DnD's Forgotten Realm for example, the settings for Buldar's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and a lot of other games. In most of those games, like here, there are dangerous creatures far above mortal's heads, and they all know that. Because of this, the 'lower' people, such as thieves in Winterhold's docks, never try to take out the king, or the guards. Not because they can't, but because doing so would invite much greater evil to come in, and they would have no defense against them. Adventurers who later on become heroes and save the day do come around, eventually, but not very often.
Going back to this story, who do they think will be fighting off all the dangers when the little people fight off 1 or 2 bigger badasses? 1,000 lowly ranked ponies might be able to take out 'godling' being, or at least kick her out... But then why are they going to do against the Necromancers? Changelings? The undead, creatures, horrors, Fae, and other beings of the Everfree? Who is going to keep them all in check, when the 1 being doing so before is now gone? Not the guards, not the nobles, not the poor, not the ponies, they are too weak.
I wonder if Airstream remembers something, or ever knew it. I know most people in the Fandom actually don't. Hasbro owns MLP... Hasbro also owns something else. It owns Wizards of the Coast. AKA, it owns Dungeons and Dragons. That's why in the show we have a Mantacor, Hydra, Chimaria, Cockatrees, and other DnD monsters. MLP is basically a DnD compaign. So if Airstream wanted, he could crack open a DnD monster manual and just start adding in random monsters to fill in the wild/world.
5903189 holy crap i didn't know that! man, that'd be awesome to see some DnD monsters.
5903189
I am aware. Let that suffice, for now.
5903595
(Whispering) Ta-rras-que
5902275
Depends on what you mean by success.
Assassinating Serale? Results in being obliterated pretty much.
Somehow managing to kill Twilight Everstar? One or more of the nobles would seize power, most likely.
Actually overthrowing the government? Celestia would intervene to prevent a civil war. She only lets Twilight rule her kingdom because of an agreement with her. She would most certainly try to prevent a war, if Twilight no longer exists.
If they managed to kill all alicorns? The world would be consumed in darkness.
And in the end, if they manage to conquer the darkness as well, impossible as it most likely is? The victors would rule. Within a generation, it would be a monarchy again, only with a more incompetent ruler most likely. Democracy sounds all well and good, but achieving it with a victorious war has never been done before (that I know of). From what I've learned, Democracy comes from gradual development, or from a government being torn apart by other forces so that it can be rebuilt as a democracy from scratch.
And to everyone saying things shouldn't change, let me say this:
Not every change is an improvement,
but every improvement is necessarily a change.
That works both ways however. Twilight's kingdom is not perfect. Therefore, there is obviously at least some sort of change that could be positive. I'd say a lot can be improved on, but only as a gradual process. Revolutions only do any good if there is something drastically wrong with the system.
On the other hand though, not every change is an improvement. That is the key thing to note. "The portal to hell is opened with the incantation of good intentions". EVERYONE thinks they know best. But if you fail to apply basic logic, or act with incomplete information, it is extremely likely you will cause more harm than help.
EDIT: Hasbro owns wizards, right. Tarmogoyf plz
A very good chapter...EXCEPT for the fact that THE PREVIOUS CLIFFHANGER WAS NEVER ANSWERED!!! T_____________T
Now I will have to wait X number of days...maybe even WEEKS...before finding out about that Sunborn!! T___________T
Why must you do this to us?! WHY?! @.@
5910006
Because your anguish sustains me.
5910598 I would give this a thumbs down, but then you'd probably just delay the next chapter even longer. Does the next chapter at least deal with the Sunborn??
5910821
Well, I WAS going to do a chapter on macroeconomics between the Evening Kingdom and Equestria, followed by a three thousand word description of a farmer tilling his fields. But since you seem more interested in the Sunborn, I suppose I shall have to cut that chapter.
5910900 How about Sunborn, and THEN that other stuff? I am sure a writer of your talent could make the two most interesting. I mean Anime already had a much beloved series about a Merchant, so....
Also THANK YOU for actually ending the cliffhanger! I am just sooo curious! I mean is it actually a leftover? Is Celestia making new ones? Is it something created/saved? INQUIRING MINDS NEED TO KNOW!!! @.@
5911403
If you enjoyed the exploits of Holo and Lawrence, might I recommend Maoyu? A somewhat similar vein of story with a focus of macroeconomics and infrastructure as opposed to microeconomics and barter/trade.
And in no particular order, here are answers for those questions, plus an extra. Yes, yes, no, yes.
5910900 Can we get some of the macroeconomics anyway, or am I the only person who'd be interested in that?
I might be weird.
5919582 Nope, I'd be interested in the macroeconomics, too.
Also, found a small typo:
That should be "held," not "help."
Creed's getting some pon pon tonight!
5911854
Creed not Vino.
Didn't like to see Creed drinking in this chapter at all.
I mean one of the things that made him so cool was the aspect that he was so serious and had such a strong will.
That he would allow himself to get even a little intoxicated with a pony that could very well kill him if he lets his ward down kinda made me lose some respect for him.
Won't be surprised when he dies now without doing a thing to prevent it.
Also all the deaths mentioned specifically didn't add up to the two hundred it said.
But besides that I thought the chapter was extremely good. I read it twice because I liked it so much.
~Leonzilla
You have a redundant only in there.