A Devious Plot
“‘...These Aesops seem to do nothing more than remind me that the entire premise is the importance of friendship. Yes, I know, it’s a kid’s show, and part of the title is Friendship is Magic, but come on, do they need to make it that obvious?’
“‘Fourth, Princess Celestia must be one of the laziest monarchs in existence, because she would rather endanger the lives of six mortal ponies, even if they ARE the show's 'chosen ones', when she could wipe out the problem without even blinking. If she cares so much about the well-being of her subjects, why doesn't she take more action into her own hooves, like when she had to banish her own sister to the moon?'
“'Fifth, the friendships between the main characters. Twilight only gets to know the rest of these mares over the course of one day, and by the end of episode 2, they’re the best of friends! I mean, I get it, opposites attract, life-changing experiences, and all that, but there’s no way bonds as strong as theirs could be made so quickly It’s like an old Disney romance, how quickly they grow close to each other. It’s just one thing after another. These flaws make things seem so unrealistic, that it goes past my suspension of disbelief, and I sincerely hope I’m not the only one who’s noticed. You wouldn’t see this kind of laziness happening if I was in charge of Equestria. I’d show these ponies what it’s like in the real world.'”
Celestia, lazy and disrespectful of the lives of her subjects? The friendships of Twilight and her friends unrealistic? Listening to him read that paper was like listening to a strange mirror version of myself. The words were right, but the opinions were completely wrong!
“Well, what have you got to say?” demanded the pegasus. The rumbling of the train was providing an ominous background noise to his speech, like the thunder of an oncoming storm. “This paper flew into my hooves more than a week ago, just after your visit to Cloudsdale. Thought you could get rid of such incriminating evidence, did you? Well, once I read it, I took it to Professor High Brow. He knew what it must mean! You, sir, are a fraud, an enemy of Equestria seeking to dethrone Her Highness, and I, Lightwing, am going to stop you!”
His accusation hit me like a gavel against a judge’s bench.
The missing piece of paper from my notebook, the one that had troubled my thoughts when I first arrived, the one I’d forgotten about. It had been missing for months, and now just shows up again with such horrible slander of ponies I knew personally? This had to be a mistake!
“I don’t remember writing any of this,” I said, truthfully. “I didn’t even know there was a TV show based on Equestria! I mean, Twilight told me Equestria has television, but it’s rare! I had no idea!”
“Don’t go spouting more of your rubbish!” thundered Lightwing, waving the paper at me, again nearly giving me a paper cut with it. “The evidence is against you! We have extensive research on the turbulent past you and your kind shared with Her Highness, and it’s not a stretch to imagine that you’d be so disdainful of her after your peoples’ expulsion from her presence! It’s clear to me that you were raised to believe ill of her, and are an emissary spreading your words and lies all across the globe while plotting to overthrow her!”
This was outrageous! I felt like I was in a courtroom, accused of high treason, and this pegasus was the prosecutor, twisting everything to my disadvantage! This came so out of the blue that my mind couldn’t come up with any reasonable explanation while I tried to protest.
“No! You’ve got it all wrong! I would never- These ponies are my friends!”
Some ponies in their seats had turned around to look at us, wondering what we were talking about. A few foals were among them, peeking around their parents.
“Are they truly?” asked Lightwing, shrewdly. “Or have they merely been tools for your sinister plot against Celestia?”
“How dare you!” I snapped, feeling myself go red in the face. “I have nothing but respect and devotion to Princess Celestia and her subjects!”
“Well, of course you would say that,” said Lightwing, with infuriating smugness. “What criminal would admit to his faults on the spot?”
“I’m not connected with the humans of the past,” I retaliated, “beyond some stupid coincidence and old stories!”
“So you say,” said Lightwing. “But how can we know that for sure? Is it not true that you have been restricting the press?”
“Restricting the-?” I spluttered, confused. “What are you talking about?”
“That article in the Ponyville Express that Dolly Tribune wrote. You obviously didn’t want her printing certain facts about you, so you had her change her first version to one that suited your liking. Very convenient to cover your tracks, I dare say.”
“It was libel!” I shouted, not even paying attention to the other ponies in the car, all peering around and pricking up their ears to listen in. “She was making stuff up about me to make her story more exciting! The second time, she was telling the truth, the truth I gave her!”
“Oho?! The truth you gave her? So you admit it, then!”
I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I’d walked right into that one. But I couldn’t let him do this to me!
“I’m not admitting anything,” I said, finally, “except that what I said in that article is the truth. I’m not even from this world, to begin with.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?” asked Lightwing, scornfully. “Are you claiming to be an alien, then, as Miss Tribune suggested in her first version?”
“W-Well, if you want to get technical about it,” I said, faltering slightly, “you could argue that I am, but the point is that I came here from a different world, one where the ponies don’t talk, fly, use magic, or have cutie marks.”
This did not seem to win me any headway with Lightwing at all. On the contrary, he looked angrier.
“So you’re saying that you repress the equines of your world?” he asked, sharply. “I should have known! You’re starting an alien takeover to do the same to us! You would strip us of our magic and our talents, and make us your beasts of burden!”
“No, no, no! That’s not what I meant at all!” I snapped, going even redder in the face. “They’ve always been like that where I come from! I didn’t have anything to do with it! I don’t want to take over anything! I’m just trying to get by until I can go back home!”
“And get your full forces to invade us!”
“Would you knock it off?! I’m not trying to take over Equestria!”
I stamped my foot impatiently to punctuate this, and at the same time, the train car rattled, sending food, drinks, and personal possessions skidding along. We must have hit a rough piece of track, but this was exactly what I didn’t need: this guy thinking I’d made it happen by stomping.
“I just woke up outside Ponyville with my memories fogged up,” I said, more calmly. “I couldn’t remember what I was doing before I came to.”
“Another likely story,” said Lightwing. “Even if that were true, you probably just had your memory erased so you couldn’t reveal any information, and that made you forget your true objectives, but the piece of paper is undeniable proof! Too bad you didn’t keep a firmer grip on it.”
There was just no winning with this guy! He seemed determined to distort everything I said against me!
“One of the very first things I did when I came to Equestria was conduct a Q&A with Twilight Sparkle!” I rallied on. “I told her several truths about the world I’m from!”
“And yet, all we have is your word on those subjects,” said Lightwing.
I clenched my fists, and bit back the curse I was longing to call this guy. There were, after all, foals on this train. It wouldn’t do to be vulgar in front of children. I had to set an example.
“Well,” I said, through clenched teeth, “since we’re on the subject of Twilight and her pals, they happen to be friends of mine, especially Pinkie Pie. I would never, ever betray them for any reason!”
“So you say,” said Lightwing, “and I still say you’re merely taking advantage of their better natures for your own benefit, using them to earn yourself a glowing reputation amongst the rest of Ponyville. What better ponies to use to rise to power than the Element Bearers themselves?”
“They’ve always been my friends first!” I retorted. “There’s days where I hardly even remember they wield the Elements of Harmony! I’d never use them for something so selfish and cruel!”
“But why not?” asked Lightwing, shrewdly. “You’re a human, are you not? If what you say is true, you and your kind are the masters of equines back where you come from. Why should Equestria be any different?”
This guy really knew how to get under my skin!
“Because Equestrians aren’t like the equines back home! They’re intelligent, can speak and reason for themselves, even have homes and societies of their own! They’re just like the humans back where I come from!”
I thought this might mollify the situation a bit, but I was dead wrong. Now his face went beet-red, his brows furrowing with anger. A chill seemed to fill the train compartment.
“So!” he said, in a deadly voice. “Not enough that you intend to destabilize the Equestrian way of life, but you have the impudence, the audacity, the unmitigated GALL to compare us to the likes of you?! Equestria is a nation of proud, strong equines, and you would dare say that we are on the same level as your fellow war-mongers?!”
“That’s not what I-”
Now he was right back up in my face again, shouting so vehemently that spit was flying with every word.
“You, sir, are a liar, a cheat, and a scoundrel! I’ll have the law on you, mark my words! If only you had been caught in your villainy sooner, but luckily, I now have that happy chance!”
That was it! I couldn’t take this anymore!
“Give me that paper!” I shouted, making a grab for it.
Unfortunately, I’d momentarily forgotten that he was a pegasus, and he jumped lightly out of my snatching reach, hovering above me with the paper clasped in the elbow joint of his foreleg.
“Hoping to destroy such crucial evidence against you?” he sneered. “I don’t blame you. It’s not very pretty writing. Rather sloppy penmanship, too.”
A dead weight fell into my stomach. It looked like I’d dug myself even deeper in my desperation.
“Oh, how the mighty fall,” said Lightwing, triumphantly. “I’m sure you planned on riding atop our backs to your home like some kind of conquering king, but you left the most crucial testimony to your ignominy to be picked up by the hooves of justice. Your plans were clever, I must say. Perhaps you might have gotten away with it too, if not for my amazing deductive reasoning. I guess you just can’t handle somepony as incredible as me screwing up your plans, but I’m ready for anything you or your kind can dish out!”
How dare he! His smugness was insufferable! I was about to protest further, but a voice from nearby made us both jump.
“Now hold up just a minute!”
Cornelius was awake, and he looked mad.
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What? What's happening? Last I remember, Dave and Cornelius were headed to the crystal empire.
I certainly hope Cornelius is against Lightning on this.
So happy to see an update, but DAMN have to be short! This Pegasus and his accusations are starting to peeve me off as well and I'd hoped there would be someone to stand up to this scoundrel and his wildly imagination and put a stop to it once and for all.
I have to see I could see this happening if such an event happened to someone who was merely writing down his opinions on a show or event and no ill-well behind it until someone comes right along and twist their words to suit their convenience and make the person looked bad by creating such slander and false justification.
Though I'm glad to see Cornelius to wake up and it looks like he's going to chew out this Pegasus Stallion for what he said to his fellow co-worker and friend and I hope that Lightwing gets what's coming to him.
Though it begs the question why DID the paper suddenly appear like that to his house by random chance? Was it or was it something else?
Can't wait to see the next chapter and I hope it's soon enough! This is VirusChris signing off!
6053981
I got confused at first too, but they are all still on the train. This pony came up to him with the paper.
Come on, Cornelius. Fight with Dave on this one!
6054011 By random chance or not, they know it belongs to the Human. Said human demands what belong to him back, and the Pegasi said no and flew out of reach. Right now, that Pegasi is a thief and breaking the law. So anything he just said is null and voided because he is a criminal and nothing he says can be trusted as he is Bias.
And all you have is wild speculation and gross assumptions. From someone who has shown clear bias and hostility on sight in front of witnesses with far more credibility than you and your 'associates'.
My god, I want to strangle that motherfucker so bad. What a goddamn idiot!
Just reading this chapter made me mad.. you better update again soon, dude. For everyone's sake.
the suspense is already killing me
This is the one issue I take with ponies. They can be so damn intolerant and bull headed. Look at their reaction to Zecora. Still hopefully Cornelius will set him straight...and not kill him.
Dave, call the guy out on it. No sir, most Equestrians are Not like humans, but you sir, with your war mongering viciousness, bigotry, specisism and demands for the heads of his enemies, are the perfect example of what You claim humans to be.
You sir are trying to vilify others to distract from your own treasonous crimes.
Sorry, Lad. I'ma stop ye righ' there.
*horn stops glowing* A wee bit o' seclusion an' silence oughta do ye righ'. Anywho, a short, yet 'motion-filled chapter tha' leaves us hangin' by th' fur o' our flanks on th' edge o' th' seat... that's some righ' fine writin', Lad. 
Here's hopin' ye have th' next bit out soon. O'erwise me Human migh' jus' go Tirek on us.
SILVER!!! When I get my hands on you!!!
Can't wait to see what happens next already. And...... I wonder why this chapter is called "A Devious Plot"........ hmmm........ Its a devious plot to get us all hooked! So you win this round, writer.... But I've got my eye on you >_>
Wow.. I was into the chapter so much that I got almost angry it was done!
Not that is a bad chapter at all, that's a compliment! :)
Though I would have loved to see some resolution or at least a valid defense point. Chances are I'll have forgotten all of that debate by the time next chapter rolls in.
Doesn't mean I won't be eagerly awaiting. Keep it up bro!
yo human bruh, u mad m8?
great chapter
Cornelius is the donkey right?
6056576 Yep
6054764 Oho, it's not a matter of 'what', but of 'who'.
Great sizzling smoke out of a dragon's nose!
You REALLY know how to hook your readers!
This chapter was so intense, I took thirty whole minutes reading it SLOWLY to get the full effect, and boy it doesn't disappoint!
Yes, this chapter is short, but strangely fitting in how such an unexpected event popped out of nowhere. I must say, for a minute I thought Cornelius was no longer on the train, but thank Celestia he is! He's Dave's only hope right now. But even if Cornelius helps, will that stop what's coming?
Your ability to create compelling new characters strikes again! I won't lie, Lightwing was infuriating (and quite raving). But man, was his dialogue strong! I wonder what kind of influence he has in Equestria? What kind of authority does he possess? And, most curious of all, how is it, that in all of Equestria, he was the one to find Dave's missing page? From the sounds of it, he found the page up in Cloudsdale. But how did it get all the way up to Cloudsdale? Sure, I suppose it could've just blown there. . .or is there something we're missing here?
So . . . that's what Dave wrote. . . . I don't like where this is going. If Lightwing told Professor Highbrow about Dave's journal page, then several other ponies must know by now. Word of Dave's pre-Equestrian life will spread, and if something's not done to clear up this issue Dave could end up in real trouble. There's no doubt Pinkie and the other ponies will have his back, and Celestia will definitely allow Dave to speak before anything is decided, but what about Minister Ironmane? This sort of conspiratorial, power-hungry human nonsense was exactly what he had been fearing would happen from the beginning. And he and Dave were finally starting to trust each other. . . .
Speaking of Minister Ironmane, is the magical trace he put on Dave in Chapter 18 still in effect?
Once again, you wrote a fantastic chapter. Sure, it's small, but it's wonderful. It makes me eager for more.
As for Dave's character. . . . Maybe he didn't understand before coming to Equestria, but I think he understands now. Though it did happen rather fast, it was his friendships with these wonderful ponies that saved his life, that gave him a home, that changed him and made him a better person. At least, I like to think so. . . .
One last thing. Blazewing? You don't have to answer this final question. Just keep it as something to think about.
Forgive me if it's weird that I ask this but, regarding Pinkie and the other ponies. . . . Do they love Dave? Mind you, when I say "love", I don't mean "kiss-kiss" love. I mean, "love" as in how Twilight said she loved her friends when she was crowned Princess; they are close to her heart and mean the world to her. Again, I apologize if it sounds crazy, but the affection I read from Pinkie and several others is just heart-warming. Although, when you think about it, isn't friendship the greatest kind of love there is?
Again, just something to think about.
Thank you again for the update and may nothing but inspiration fill your pages.
Happy Writing,
~Mr. Page
Oh come on! You cannot end it there with these emotions!
I want justice!
Lightningwing needs a tinfoil hat.
6057697 I love these comments from you.
As to that 'trace' thing, I ended up retconning that out, as I started developing Ironmane more and realized the way I'd introduced him was far too vindictive for a man of his office.
look who got his last counter.
cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/b0/5e/b05e8c247392dc10291c854161f3e3b5.jpg?itok=q3HBf0WO
I think I missed something, wasn't he on his way to the Crystal Empire?
6082643 This is happening on the train there, carrying on from the end of the last chapter.
6082327 Not bad either. All Final Fantasy's games have good music to them.
6057697
Five bits says the journal page was stolen and faked.
Noooooo! You can't stop it right there! I just got caught up.
Meh, anyway.
It's an amazing story. I normally wait until a story is completed to favorite it, but now that I'm caught up, I'm ready to do just that. The length is a dream come true to me. I have enjoyed reading this and suffered because I refrained myself from commenting on chapters from two years ago.
I may have missed this from previous comments, but is Dave semi-Christian, or does he think that a higher power maybe has been leading his life through this moments and feels he should show gratitude now and then? There wasn't any indication towards the Christian thing, though, from what I remember.
I was wondering since I myself am a Christian. A story like this is like finding a nugget of gold in a pile of mud, not to say that other stories are trash. I have recommended this story to other people, although, they might be intimidated by the length. I absolutely love that you have kept this story close to an E rating, since I have been turned off from good stories due to the constant cussing and heavy adult themes, which were still rated teen even though the heavy language, along with a bunch of other stuff, would've made it an R rated movie for sure.
Thanks for writing this story! I absolutely love it!
~Melly~
6132281 Dave is Christian. There's been small mentions of it as the story's gone on, but it's kinda difficult to keep track of everything after so many chapters. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, and I do apologize for the wait. Chapter updates coincide with my editor finding free time to look them over.
6134274
^-^ That's cool. You've done a good job with it. The fact that he's a Christian doesn't smack people in the face, and yet, you can still tell. The way people write Christianity in MLP, or other fandoms, fanfiction drives me up the wall at how they cram it so no one wants to read it. Of course, I don't think that converting the ponies to Jesus is the intended plot of your story anyway
You're welcome. This might be my top favorite. So props to you.
I don't mind update time. I'm actually very busy at the time being, so an update every now and then is fine by me. I completely understand.
I had to say this, else I would die, but when Moonlight talked about going to that one store because she heard about "somepony making a ruckus at an outrageously good bargain on toilet plungers", I died for three minutes because of a laughing fit.
~Melly~
Cornelius was awake, and he looked mad.
Haven't read this in a while. Cornelius is the dragon right?
It was a bad idea to actually read this chapter. I was originally planning to skim it.
quickly, It's