Meeting the Chessmistress
The interior of the library was just as Twilight Sparkle had remembered it. Well-kept books lined the walls, the floor had been swept recently, the air was heavy with the scent of fresh flowers and baked bread, and a cheerful fire crackled in the hearth. A kettle hung over the flames, whistling merrily, and two cups stood on a table near the fireplace beside a tray containing milk, sugar, and lemon as well as an assortment of cookies.
“Please, have a seat!” the voice called. “I’ll be along in just a moment!”
Twilight dutifully obeyed, unsure of where the voice was coming from. She chose her favorite chair near the fireplace, staring into the wavering flames as she pondered what kind of being she would be conversing with. Her concept of a goddess was, of course, an Alicorn. If she were to be honest, her concept was Celestia. It was the closest thing to one she had known her entire life. She was expecting a towering figure that was equal parts commanding and loving, perhaps more than a little mysterious or powerful looking.
What she was not expecting was for the fire in the fireplace to expel a pony from the tongues of light as if she had been created from the flame itself. Twilight watched in fascinated awe as she stepped gracefully from the fireplace, the wavering mare of flame growing a horn and tail as the hue of her coat faded into a pleasant white and her mane became a bright, cheerful red. Her face contorted as she stumbled out of the fire, and she did something Twilight could only describe as flickering before correcting herself.
Her eyes opened, and regarded Twilight patiently. They were the deep blue of candle flame or swift water, twin pools of warm infinity that Twilight swore contained all the stars of the universe in their black pupils. They were full of good-natured humor and cheer, and were both incredibly wise and pleasantly tired. They gave the impression that this mare saw your entire soul, even the parts you were unaware of, took its measure, and found it good. Twilight felt that all her faults were laid bare before this mare, and that she knew them intimately and forgave them without hesitation.
Twilight felt immediately at ease around her, and her tentative smile was rewarded with a wholehearted beam from this unicorn, who had settled down on the opposite chair, pouring them both tea. She levitated a cup over to Twilight, who accepted it gratefully.
“What kind of tea is this?” she asked.
“Your favorite.” she replied.
Twilight took an experimental sip, finding it piping hot, but not burning. A cornucopia of flavors washed over her tongue, and she realized that this was the best cup of tea she had ever tasted. The flavor was very good, and nearly indescribable, but if she was forced to, Twilight Sparkle would have had to describe it as a sweeter, more spicy Darjeeling. Normally, this would have ruined the blend entirely, but it was surprisingly pleasant and more than a little invigorating.
She looked up to see the mare watching her expectantly. “It’s very good.” she said. “Thank you.”
The mare laughed, a wonderful sound like wind rushing through an orchard. “You’re quite welcome. It’s the least I can do for you, you’ve been through quite a lot on account of my daughters. And my son, to an extent. And you’ve been more help than you know, even if it has been a bit of a headache, rushing around to get things done.”
Twilight nibbled delicately on a piece of shortbread. “I’m not sure I follow. To be honest, I’m in the dark about this whole thing.”
The mare nodded her head. “I completely understand.” It wasn’t just an expression. “And believe me when I say that Celestia and Luna’s struggle affects more than your world.”
“What does that mean?” Twilight asked. “My world, that is. Is there only one?”
Mother nodded. “There are many worlds, Twilight Sparkle. And many possibilities to go along with them, and I can see them all. You are currently sitting in the center of Creation, Twilight. In more ways than one, because yours is the last world to approach the state it is currently in.”
“I don’t follow. Sorry about that.” Twilight said, a bit mortified.
The mare looked at her reassuringly. “Well, let’s look at it like this. If you were to get out of your chair, which of your rear hooves would hit the ground first?”
Twilight examined her position, and found it to be perfectly balanced. Whichever hoof hit the floor first would be a matter of random chance. “Either could, I suppose.”
“Right. What if I told you that every time you did that, both hooves landed separately at the same time? That is, the left hoof hit first and the right hoof hit first?”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “You mean to say that both would happen?”
The mare nodded. “Twilight, I encompass all of Creation, which contains all of everything. Every thing that was, or is, or will be. That means every single possibility is encompassed within me simultaneously. Past, present, and every future, I can see them all. Now ,the difference between a world where your left hoof hit first and one where your right hoof hit first is negligible at best. Oftentimes they end up merging together later on. But sometimes, that action is incredibly important.”
The purple unicorn thought about that. “How could something that small bring about such a change?”
“There are many universes in which a single misstep brought Celestia to her knees when she first fought Luna, resulting in an eternal night. Her sister ruled over Equestria in an eternal night, enforcing Order in her cities. But the nighttime made ponies easy prey for predators. They live in massive walled cities under her rule, farming in massive heated caverns underneath the surface. They are in constant conflicts with Diamond Dogs, and as such have evolved to a point in which they are perfect killers in tight, dark spaces. Pegasi are marginalized, and are both fast and vicious. They carry messages between the cities and enforce the law, while unicorns heat the caverns and maintain the glowing stones they use to farm, which is done by Earth ponies.”
Twilight’s mind was transported, considering all of the factors that had to have gone into that society. “That sounds fascinating.” she said, leaning forward in her seat. “I’d like to meet somepony from that world.”
Mother chuckled at her enthusiasm. “You may very well get to. It would be a short visit, however. We have much to do.”
Twilight felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. “Why is that?”
“Because we need to send you back to Equestria to restore balance.” Mother said.
Twilight’s hoof tightened on her cup. “And if I say no?” she inquired.
The mare that had created everything looked at her strangely. “Why would you refuse?”
Twilight snorted. “You know.”
“I do, but I would like to hear you explain yourself. Humor an old mare.”
Twilight set down her cup, looking at the Aether with a gaze of steel. “Because I’ve been through enough already. I’ve had everything taken from me, never had a moment’s peace since Celestia tried to use me, and now that I’ve gone and died because of Luna, another one of your daughters, I want to stay dead. Let Celestia and Luna and Discord fight. I want no part of it anymore.”
Mother nodded. “Did it occur to you that you still have loved ones alive back in Equestria?”
Twilight Sparkle nodded. “They can handle themselves without me. It’s not like I’d ever see them again. And from what I can tell, death’s no big deal.”
“That sounds rather callous, wouldn’t you say?”
Twilight shook her head. “On the contrary. Life is suffering, I know that all too well. For the first time, I’ve found a bit of peace without having to worry about anything. It’s liberating, to say the least.”
“And what if I told you that by refusing to return to Equestria, not only would you throw Creation permanently out of balance, but you would also condemn everything in it, living and dead, to permanent destruction?”
“Then I’d tell you to take Creation and shove it up your ass. I’m tired of being a pawn. Take some other dead pony and send them back. I can’t have been the only one to have died with enough magic to return.”
Mother was calm. “Of course not. But it has to be you, because not only did you die with enough magic, but you have affected so much in your world that it would be impossible for any other being in all of Creation to occupy that spot. You were the catalyst for change in your world, Twilight Sparkle. It would be like replacing the gear in a watch with a slightly different one. It simply wouldn’t work.”
Twilight’s voice became hot with anger. “You’re telling me that there isn’t another Twilight to take my place?”
“No, because they’re all filling their niches right now. You are the very last one to arrive and make her decision.”
Twilight felt her head spin just a little. “What do you mean? There are other Twilights?”
Mother nodded. “Quite a few. Or their equivalents, anyway. For example, the one who arrived before you was a dragon.”
“I don’t understand.”
The Aether nodded. “I know. Let me explain. The goddesses you worship and the god you fear are something called archetypes. Do you know what that means?”
Twilight shook her head. “I know what an archetype is. It’s a literary term. It means something that is similar in all stories. Heroic archetypes, villainous archetypes, that sort of thing.”
Mother nodded. “Exactly right, and a little wrong. My archetypes are very simple. I only have a few, and only three of those are active. Points for guessing which three.”
Twilight thought for a moment, and then the answer became clear to her. “Order, Chaos, and…Balance?”
The goddess smiled. “Right. In addition to Luna, Celestia, and Discord, there are several others. Knowledge, represented by the sea, Death, represented by sand, Emotion, ruled by blood, Strife, represented by bone, and Growth, represented by wood. There are one or two others, but you should be familiar with all of those but the first.”
Twilight’s only response was a blank stare. Mother smiled, coughing slightly. “Oh, come now. You invoked them when you freed yourself from Celestia’s control. Remember that little chant Discord taught you? It wasn’t just a spell, it was a proper invocation, from back before Celestia bound the magic in your world. Every one of the ponies following you invoked them to free themselves from Celestia’s Order. This swung your world from Order, and gave the archetypes of Death, Emotion, Strife, and Growth free reign. All of which are very conducive to Chaos. You also invoked Knowledge as well, to a lesser degree. Have you ever been to the ocean, Twilight Sparkle?”
The little unicorn shook her head, taking a tentative sip of tea.
“I think with your propensity for knowledge, you’d find quite a connection to the ocean. But I digress. What you’ll find is that the three major archetypes, the ones you know well, are active. There are seven minor archetypes, and you know five of them. The other two aren’t important right now, but you would know them as Birth, represented by clay, and Life, represented by fire. When I say life, I mean the spark that exists within all living things, Twilight. You saw it when you first invoked the archetypes as a corona of flames around ponies. You can still see it now, if you try.”
“What does this have to do with me?” Twilight asked.
“The archetypes are decided by action, which requires free will. None of the archetypes may deprive any part of my creation of free will. Not even myself. But the free will of ponies, indeed the free will of all living things, may affect the course of the archetypes. For all intents and purposes, Twilight, every mortal is in fact a god to an immortal. They’re just very weak gods. By the support of the ones they rule over, visibly or invisibly, each of the archetypes gains and loses strength. They will never be dispelled entirely, but I can assure you their influence can be greatly diminished, to the point where they do not express themselves in that world any longer. This is where your world comes in.”
Twilight was silent, merely gesturing for the goddess to continue.
“Every world has a pivotal moment in which it is decided what path it will follow. Some turn to Order, others to Chaos, and some maintain a tenuous balance. These latter always will fall into one camp or the other, though. It was never my intention for them to remain undecided. The fall is decided by events in that realm. For example, the nighttime realm I spoke of has just seen the death of a very prominent governess, one who had finally perfected a way to grow food above ground without using weapons. She developed a strain of crop that is repellent to all creatures that would prey on ponies, and it grows best in moonlight. That realm has swung towards Order.”
“So the fields protect the ponies.” Twilight mused.
“Indeed. That realm is about to enter a new age of prosperity and pave the way for the eternal night to become the best thing that ever happened to that world.”
“And I’m assuming others have swung towards Chaos? What does that look like? Death and despair?” Twilight asked.
“Actually, there’s a perfect example that I’m rather interested in. Luna and Celestia annihilated each other long ago, and Discord eventually became so chaotic that he discorporated entirely. Ponies harnessed the inherent chaotic energy in his body and supercharged themselves with it using a process that was developed by a young unicorn who discovered the magical properties of lightning. They’re a race of nomadic shape shifters now, roaming across the wide plains building cities of spun sugar and moondust. Perfect utopia.”
“And which side of the scale does my world fit into?”
Mother’s voice became grim. “Yours is a special case, Twilight. It’s teetering between Luna, Celestia, and Discord right now. It threatens to tear itself apart, and that is not the worst of it. Luna’s darker self has freed itself from her control, which should not have happened. But it did. Her destructive tendencies went with it as well as something far, far worse.”
Twilight came to a realization. “You’re talking about the Shadow.”
Mother nodded. “That…thing…was not in my design. It is not of Creation, I know that much. And it is highly destructive, and corrupt beyond measure. It is Destruction, and it lives in your world, Twilight Sparkle. This is why you are needed to return to your world.”
The fire flared in the hearth, spilling out along the floor in the shape of a giant wheel made of many spokes, almost like a flower. Most of it burned a steady gold, but one spoke cradled a tiny spark of chill blue. As Mother spoke, it spread. “If it should overwhelm your realm, Twilight Sparkle, it will spread from there into other realms, those that have chosen their allegiance. It will destroy them as well, spreading unchecked from possibility to possibility. It is a parasite, a slow poison that I can feel even now gnawing holes in my being. If it consumes Equestria, it will have energy enough to move to others. And all of Creation will cease.”
A single petal went blue, the flame deepening to black. “It is not of Creation. It is dangerous and deadly, and the only reason I ever included Destruction inside of Luna was to balance out the light she carried inside of her. For her to lose control of it should have been impossible, but it wasn’t.”
Twilight glared at her. “Why did you include something that could get lose? Especially if it was that dangerous?”
The flames continued to turn, going from blue to black over and over, spreading with greater and greater speed. “When I first created Balance, she was far too corruptible. She would always side with Discord, or Celestia. She was born in the shape of a great dragon, and her scales were the black of night and her flame the purest white. She would always end up choosing, one or the other. So I remade her, melted her down and split her in two. She had the body of Order, feeling an intense affinity for her sister, but within her I had inserted a bit of the Shadow from around the edges of Creation. I folded it deep, over and over in such a way that it could never break free without destroying her. It kept her capricious and a little cruel, like her brother.”
The flame flickered and went out with a sense of finality. Mother looked at her expectantly. “I created Luna with the spirit of Destruction in her. It kept her on edge, gave her the ability to switch allegiances between Order and Chaos without hesitation whenever necessary. But her losing control of it has endangered all of Creation.”
Twilight was suddenly aware that flames were dancing under the coat of Mother, betraying the fact that she was in fact furious. “Fortunately, there is a solution. Unfortunately, it involves you. The Shadow moves swiftly, it already spreads its roots in your world. Celestia has no time to raise your child and prepare it to do battle with that thing. But you can take her place. Declare allegiance to Order or Chaos, and from there defeat the Shadow and banish it from Creation.”
Twilight was taken aback by this. “Choose a side?”
The Aether nodded. “Yes. Right now, Order and Chaos are perfectly balanced. With your world’s alignment will come the combined power of either Order or Chaos, enough to defeat this threat.”
Twilight gulped. “But how do I choose?”
Mother gestured to the basement. “That’s why I said that you were the last to arrive. In the basement, a sort of parliament has been assembled. All of you, every single permutation of you, having created the turning point of their world, is waiting for you. Each side has elected a representative, and they will be attempting to sway your opinion on which force is the correct one to use.”
Twilight cast her gaze towards the basement door. “And what happens if I should choose one and leave the other?”
Mother sighed. “Then the balance will be undone, and swing in favor of Order or Chaos across all of Creation. With your help, one side shall prevail. It is up to you to choose which. It will not be an easy choice, but it is the only one you can make. To choose neither would doom your realm and so destroy Creation.”
“But that would destroy Creation in the long run! Isn’t too much Order or Chaos just as bad?”
Mother nodded. “Normally you’d be right. But I have ways of creating balance that might just surprise you. Your choice is important, but I can assure you that I will make sure the cosmos continues on.”
Twilight took a deep breath in. “You know what? I’m still half-tempted to just take off towards the mountains. I don’t appreciate being made a pawn again.”
“I can understand the sentiment. It must be frustrating, seeing me limit your free will like this. However, such is the role you must fill for now. Are you ready to begin?” Mother asked.
Twilight shook her head. “No. No I’m not. You and I need to straighten some things out first.”
The Aether gestured. “I’m all ears.”
“Firstly, I think that you’re incompetent beyond all reasoning for allowing Luna to release that creature, even if it was unplanned. You should have seen that possibility a very long time ago.”
“I agree, it was foolish. But I can assure you that there was exactly zero possibility that it would escape when I bound it to her.”
Twilight growled. “So you can’t predict that thing? That makes me feel a lot better about working with you. And why didn’t you step in before things got that bad?”
Mother actually chuckled at this. “Twilight, I can’t. No more than you could cast a spell to manipulate a single cell in your body. Luna and Celestia and Discord are my children and caretakers, they are responsible for affecting events in my realms. I can only ever influence things here, and subtly. Even if I could, I would never interfere with my Creation.”
“And why not?”
“Because what would the purpose of giving my children and by default yourself, free will, if I never gave you the opportunity to use it? Every choice falls along a spectrum of will, and even plans like Celestia’s came about because of the choices of her subjects and herself. When she chooses, she represents the will of her subjects. If I were to interfere, I would negate the will of her people. If I were to interfere, I would take away the greatest gift I could give you. The power of choice is one you must never underestimate, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Not even if it means the destruction of everything?”
Mother’s face wrinkled distastefully. “Twilight, I could ‘kill’ the Shadow, but I think the price paid would be too great.”
“How so?”
“It would be akin to killing a spider by burning down an entire city. The fact is, although I am omnipotent, that power and my awareness only extend to things in Creation. Since it isn’t, I cannot sense it. I cannot be more precise. Luna and Celestia couldn’t sense it either. Discord couldn’t and he probably wouldn’t. He never did see the point of listening to me or his sisters. But you, one who dwells in the world it inhabits, could bring about its destruction much more precisely than I could. And I would never willingly destroy any aspect of my creation.”
The unicorn sighed. “Why did it have to be me?”
Mother got up from her chair and hugged her. Twilight noticed that she felt unusually cold and clammy. “I know it seems silly, and unfair. But this is simply the lay of the land. We can only choose to travel it, for good or ill, or we can turn back and never know what might have been. There are those born to greatness, Twilight, and those who have it forced upon them. You were born to have it forced upon you. I wish it could be another way, but it simply cannot.”
“I could choose to keep on walking towards the mountains, still.”
Mother nodded. “You could. But I don’t think you would. You say that you would let the world burn, but I think when you say it, you don’t consider the implications. Tarantella would die. Your friends would die. Your brother would die, your followers would die. And then they would be dead for eternity, Twilight. Because soon, I would die. And with my death, Creation would die as well. And this is why I must ask you to make your choice now, because I will never deprive you of your ability to choose. What will you do?”
Twilight thought about that. She was so very, very tired. Without her, Tarantella and her friends and Radiant Zenith and all those she held dear would perish. She would perish. Everything she had ever known, everything that was or could be was at risk. She had the right to choose destruction if she wished. But inside of her, deep down, she knew.
“I’ve made my choice. And I will choose to fight again.”
Mother nodded in approval. “Thank you, Twilight. You have sacrificed much. I can think of no other being I would rather take your place, even if it could be otherwise. Are you ready?”
“No. One more thing.”
Mother tilted her head. “And what would that be?”
“Whatever I choose, from then on, you let me be. I will not be a pawn. I want to be a player.”
Mother’s gaze turned from comforting to steely. “Tread carefully, Twilight Sparkle. You know not what you ask, and you certainly don’t want to let the archetypes hear you say that. You might get what you wish for.”
The unicorn reached inside of herself, finding the steel that she had used to bend her enemies before. Her gaze narrowed, and she set her shoulders defiantly. “I’ve not been in control of my actions since birth. You are using me, just as Luna and Celestia and Discord have. You want someone who fights for creation? Fine. I’ll do it. But in return, I want power, and a reassurance that you won’t interfere with that power. Yes, I’ll die if I don’t fight for you. But I’ll drag you down with me, and you can’t give the reins to anyone else.”
The Aether rumbled dangerously outside, and Mother scowled. “You’re far too clever for your own good, Twilight Sparkle. It sounds like you want to be a goddess yourself.”
“For the price of all of Creation, that doesn’t sound too unreasonable. If I go back, I want to be able to kick Celestia’s teeth in. Let me have equal power in my own little realm. In return, you get all of Creation, and I get my assurance that Celestia will not interfere with my life again. Same goes for Discord and Luna. I no longer trust any of them.”
Mother’s cold gaze drilled into her, pinning Twilight like a nail through some exotic bug in a collection. “You are no champion.”
“No. But I am a fighter, and believe me when I say that if you give me what I want, I will fight like nothing you have ever seen. You want your enemies crushed? I can do that, but I want to make my own moves and crush my own enemies.”
“You cannot kill Celestia, or Luna, or Discord. You know that.”
Twilight laughed humorlessly, not letting her fear show. “Of course I know that. They’re integral. I just want to be able to have enough power to defend myself from them. Personally, I find your reassurances that ponies have free will, and that our actions influence the archetypes, a bit suspect. After all, I’ve spent my life having my free will yanked around. Now give it back to me. And give me the tools to keep it.”
The white unicorn’s mouth twisted into something that was neither a grimace nor a smile. “It’s not that simple. Every god or goddess expresses an archetype. That’s why I wanted you to choose a side. Order and Chaos are the two most powerful, and can do you the most good. To exist independently of them would be negating the point of you entirely.”
“Then give me one of the lesser archetypes. Knowledge, for example. There is no reason that I cannot wield the power of Knowledge and another power, is there?”
Mother flickered again, and Twilight took a step back. “Twilight, do not ask this of me. Any other boon I would grant, but not this one. The power of wielding two archetypes would kill you. You would not be a proper goddess, forever torn between two aspects of reality. I cannot give you domain over both, and expect you to perform your duties.”
“And choosing only one will permanently align me with that side. This is what I want. Let me worry about whether or not I could handle the power. But I will have the power to fight Celestia.” She locked eyes with the Aether. “I’m not asking for domain over all of Knowledge, or to become a full-blown goddess. But lend me that power. Give me the ability to truly choose for myself what it is I do. Do this for me, and I will be the fiercest warrior you have seen. I will destroy your enemies, and keep Creation safe.”
Her voice nearly caught, she was so scared, but she managed to continue. “You go on and on about free will, but from what I can see ponies haven’t had much of a choice in how they live their lives. Give me power, and let me make my choices. And those are my terms.”
Mother was silent for a long moment, and Twilight was suddenly very aware that she had just demanded the powers of a goddess from the being responsible for…everything. “Your hubris will be your downfall, Twilight Sparkle. But I am hardly in a position to deny you your request. Choose your side, and then come and take your power. I cannot guarantee it will not come without cost, but you will have it. But if you should fail in your duties to me, and your realm be overrun by the Shadow, I will have no choice. I will purge it in cleansing fire, and it will be on your head that I will have done so. Will that suffice?”
Twilight got out of her chair, making sure that both of her back hooves landed at the same time, or as close as she could make them. “I suppose. Let’s begin, shall we?” Her voice was steady, and her motions confident, but deep inside, Twilight was screaming in panic.She had no idea what she was getting herself into, and the thought of going down to the basement and making that choice terrified her.
She and Mother walked to the basement door, and Mother pushed the door open wide. “I’ll be along in a moment, I need to fetch the elected representatives for the council below. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to find two neutral parties. In the meantime, please, get acquainted with yourself.”
Twilight nodded, stepping through the door. It swung closed behind her, revealing the familiar staircase she had used so many times. Her hoof traced the worn wood lovingly, taking in every grain and flaw before she laid her hoof along the banister and slowly began her trek down the ancient wooden steps. She could see that her basement actually remained untouched, every piece of equipment still in its original place, freshly clean and greeting her cheerfully. A door opened on the side of the staircase, and Twilight’s breath caught in her throat to see a very familiar face.
Spike’s grin was luminous as she all but flew down the stairs, catching him in a tight hug as bitter and joyous tears streamed down her face. She didn’t say a word, just held him as tightly as she could, not ever wanting to let him go even though she already had back in life.
“You looked surprised to see me.” he rumbled.
Twilight laughed through her tears, her voice halting. “I suppose that I should have expected you here, it’s just that…I thought you had…”
“Moved on?” he said gently, still cradling her close. “Not without saying goodbye to you first. Never without a goodbye.”
She felt herself sobbing into his chest, the black scales feeling surprisingly warm and yielding to her. “Oh, Spike…I don’t know what to do, I just want it to all be over so badly. I just want to rest, but I can’t. I’ve got to make this choice, and I can’t do it, I just can’t. I can’t do this, Spike, I can’t do it.”
Spike released her from his embrace, holding her at arm’s length. “Twilight, you’re capable of more than you know. I know that you’re tired, and I know that you’re hurt in more ways than one. I don’t like that you have to make this choice either, but it sounds like you have to. It’s completely unfair that the burden is getting laid on you like this. But I’ll be right here to help you.”
Twilight sniffed, drying her tears. “Spike…could you just…”
The dragon didn’t need her to continue. Gently, he placed his claws around her, holding her with the same grace and care one would use to pick up a newborn. She sighed, closing her eyes as he cradled her gently there in that stairwell, feeling calm and at rest for the first time in a very long time indeed.
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Two in one day. Never let it be said that I never did anything for you.
Perfect timing.
I was mostly going "huh" throughout this entire chapter.
AND THEN SPIKE REAPPEARED, AND THERE WAS MUCH REJOICING
Seriously, I almost "D'aww"ed at that scene. Great job, Airstream.
I guess your mother's not a goat, after all...
I think I know what Twilight's choice will be...
Airstream, apparently we need to go deeper.
Because multiple worlds isn't enough. I have a feeling who the other representative is.
RIGHT IN THE FEELS D:
Dear Yahweh Adonai Allah Jehovah Shangdi Zhu ∞∞
We regret to inform you of the immediate termination of your employment here at Creation.
i know this has nothing to do with this chapter but i was wondering even though Scootaloo is dead and won't be able to have that conversation with Rainbow Dash. Could we possibly get a scene where Rainbow is talking to Scootaloo's grave???
2602109 - I must admit. I find this Twilight refreshingly honest and brusque. Call out god for being incompetent! You go filly!
She bitched out 'God' heartily and got away with it, and it was honestly... well done. When she threatens to just let it all end, I can honestly believe she contemplated it... seriously contemplated it, maybe you should add a long pause while she contemplates it... make Faust sweat a bit.
I wonder... can she choose 'Order' and still somehow kick Celestia's ass? Of course there's always 'Harmony', but really... Order and Chaos are two sides of the same coin. There is order in chaos and chaos in order. The galaxy, the universe... existence itself is nothing but a dance between the two, up until the complete end where order and chaos become synonymous and existence as a whole ends.
That was .... AWESOME!
ok, i'm making a guess here. i think she's gonna choose luna's version of order (cause she really hates discord) and celestia's gonna be punished but not killed (cause she's 'necessary' for the balance) and she's gonna live as happy and stress free a life as she can after getting rid of that shadow thing.
2602264
The past few years haven't been very kind to Twilight. It's not very hard to see that Twilight would very much like to just pack her bags and catch the nearest shuttle to who knows where. It was probably the thing that Luna did that finally pushed her over the edge and shout, "That's it! I'm done! Forget you all! I'm going home!"
Yay, I liked this chapter, also, Mother Faust.
-Mis
Well, I'm going to take a wild swing and say the next chapter will be entirely on the discussion of which side she should choose. What I want to know is will we get a choice in it to see the ending or not.
2602294 - I think she understood Luna, at least somewhat. Though yea, still probably a bit annoyed at her. Luna did promise that Twilight wouldn't be taken by Celestia, I expect she realized that dying was a distinct possibility.
She's probably a bit irked that by dying, that she's simply been thrust into the current situation, rather than finally being able to sit back, put up her hooves and rest, but it's nowhere near the level of betrayal of Celestia. Luna seems to be all about the choices, even the choice to let existence end.
after that asshole cliffhanger of an ending you pulled earlier this is the greates thing since chocolate!!!, thank you very much : D.
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Of course, there is that really, really thin edge of a coin, that isn't meant to be a proper 'side' but exists nonetheless due to 3 dimensional law.
So, what happens if Twilight flips the coin and decides it doesn't get to land on Order or Chaos?
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TakeAThirdOption
Tbh I'm hoping that Twilight doesn't let herself get shafted.
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Right, Twilight has spent the better part of 5 years fighting for the rights of all living beings, even more so fighting so that she could finally be her own mare and not pigeonholed into a role she doesn't want to play. She's a very tired mare and now she's thrust back into the hands of destiny. Ha, I'm surprised Twilight has yet to get a wrinkle on her face or grey her mane out.
I think I would be disappointed if Twilight chose to ally herself with Celestia after all that has happened.
This story is just full of surprises.
What is stopping Twilight from choosing balance? She simply assists Luna in maintaining balance between Order and Chaos? If she chooses Order, she should reserve the right to curb stomp Celestia before assisting her. Choosing Chaos is kinda a hard sell mainly because Twilight has no personal experience with a truly Chaotic world. It's kinda hard to look at that side objectively when all she's known has been Order.
I think somehow twilight will end up making her own choice in the end, am not sure how but thats my guess.
Anyway i hope she doesn't choose Celestia her plans are nothing short of monstrous.
But what if the right choice, isn't to choose at all? Too bad Aether already vetoed that idea. Though Twilight could still choose to return and try to keep a balance... or not.
Too many possible permutations! Can't wait to see how this goes! Bring on the COURT!
Also, the D'Awww at the end with Spike and Twilight.
Question: if a world´s destiny on the long run is to choose between eternal Order and Chaos, does that mean Luna, and even Celestia and Discord´s role aren´t supposed to be permanent? Even in the Nightime World is implied not to be ruled by Luna.
And isn´t it a bit unfair that the only race which makes the ultimate choice are the ponies, while the others must simply get along with it? (yes, I know this is called MLP, but still...)
2602109 Thank you for a lovely second update. A superb moment of a happier time for a very tired unicorn.
I still harbor the particular suspicion of the neutral parties being spike. The one being, that seems, multiversally, bound to her, and her alone, for all her actions, and existence. Love, hate, every gamut of action, spike is truly a constant for her. Every other aspect, alicorn, and equus, respectively, has been there in a moment of facing them in equal measure as ally and foe. Enough to drive their words as untrustworthy and to tuning them out, or their plea.
Her actions to the aether, speak volumes to just how tired she is, a nice touch, it is. Yet, something nags at me here once again. The trifold aspect, of order, chaos, and the breaker, again a nice tie in given luna's magic here. The trifold aspect, if the world can be undone, would that mean by implication, that the aethers creation of luna, celestia, and discord respectively can be killed in some manner? I say killed in the manner of meaning sending them irreversably to the aether in this case, beyond reforming.
Twilight may swing the vote to a side, but her perspective, her experience, she still has the potential to let the world burn because its still a choice. She may say, may do, to placate, and spend her remaining time with her friends, enjoying them before oblivion takes them, and in the life after should the world end. Again you raise certain points, the aether, should one guess, one analyze the nature of what was spoken, "If I were to interfere, I would take away the greatest gift I could give you. The power of choice is one you must never underestimate, Twilight Sparkle.” That line, with the power of creation behind it as its speaker, has volumes that it says. Twilight may be a pawn, but sometimes, a pawn wins by refusing to play the game, be it life, or death. Neither choice of order, or chaos, would hold appeal for twilight. Both sides have wronged her, have used her, and now seek to curry her favor. It really is her choice for what the world endures. A knife's edge choice, very nicely done. And in part, I wonder where the aspecthood of immortality is not in and of itself something that is done to ensure she has to live with the choice she makes.
Twilight is going to kill luna before this is out, isnt she? The fact luna is the swing vote, the danger, the threat of creations undoing, if twilight acts, for order, or chaos, luna is going to die. Thinking about everything, mulling over possibles, aspects, names and language. I just can't see luna living at all. Celestia, just has been at odds against twilight, yet, she's not even in the picture anymore, oddly. I may be very wrong here. Very much so, but if you wanted to efficiently accomplish what the aether asked, clear the board, and let the pieces fall as they do. You really chose the name of this story very carefully, didn't you?
Sorry for the wall of text in part. But merely the mind going and thinking about possibles.
So this is where it finally begins, and ends.
A final battle, whether physical or abstract shall ensue.
May the side of which Twilight believes in the most stand victorious.
Awaiting further releases.
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fantastic chapter as usual. glad twilight got to see spike again
2603627 I honestly wouldn't be surprised if she took measures to neutralize ALL of them. To use them to destroy the Shadow, and then to remove all the players who seek to control their world. I really see that as being one of her few alternatives to continue playing in the game, and still have her way.
Mother only said she'd have to choose between Chaos and Order, she didn't say anything about Celestia, Luna, or Discord.
My thought process before reading:
"Another chapter so soon? this is going to be horrible it was completely rushed!!!"
after reading:
"god that chapter was awesome. there better be a new one soon."
Go chaos
and once the shadow is dead get revenge
oh sweet revenge where art thou?
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Dont get me wrong here. Celestia has a great deal to answer for in her actions upon ponykind. The same of both luna and discord as well. But in the here and now, given the state of balance, its more who is being taken off the board first, and where the light of a great many actions are going to be dealt with, sadly, in a rather bloody fashion. As for killed, thats trickier, given the levels of fortitude that alicorns, and dracoequus likely possess. You do however raise a rather good point, has this been done before?
As for chaos and order, well, its more of the nature of their current aspected champions, believed or not. Yes, both sides have natural influences, but between celestia, luna, and discord, they wield them as a weapon capable of staggering ability. That is more what I mean by the statement, but thank you for a kind reply.
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Amazing. Luna for the win
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Why Luna? she is untrustworthy, always ready to backstab even her faithful followers and allies for her self-perceived "greater good" (as both Twilight and Tara can attest).
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But in her mind, her way is the only way. Luna's merely doing what she sees as being right, and as such entails her being a back-stabbing entity. Honestly, I pull for Luna just because I can-- shadowcolt1 probably has a different and much more valid reason.
...yeah, I guess I'm one of those people who does things just because they can.
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But in her mind, her way is the only way. LunaCelestia is merely doing what she sees as being right, and as such entails her being a back-stabbing freak controlling entity
See? Not so different they are
I read it this morning and thought about it all day and I have come to the conclusion that I hate Mother as much as I hate Morning Star and Celestia.
Lets start with some reasons ...
One - Her example of how awesome it is to live under NMM in one alternate universe is freaking retarded. Mother claims she is all about free will but how many ponies got to choose if they wanted to live in eternal night? One? Her daughter NMM? yeppers ... go free will ...
They existed as a prey species for a thousand years underground (how was that whole ponies loving my night sky UNDERGROUND thing working for you NMM?) because her daughter was too stubborn to Bring The Freaking Sun Back! and only the random chance of a lucky discovery would give them a chance to return to the surface again .. still without a Freaking Sun! Thanks for protecting Free Will Mother! F.U. MOM!
Two - A few days earlier Mother decided to FORCE Luna to side with Celestia against Twilight because reality was about to collapse. Where was she when Celestia came up with her plan a thousand years earlier? What? Did Celestia's free will count but Luna's did not? How much effort would it have taken to talk to Celestia (the same way she talked to Luna) and tell her STOP! you know .. the same thing she told Luna? once again F.U. MOM!
Three - For the last thousand years Celestia has been secretly mind buggering all of Equestria to live the destiny She chose, marry the people She chose and have the children She chose. Where was free will then Mother? Why no action? Why no words to Celestia? Where was the free will for all the ponies who had No Freaking Idea they were being twisted into something they had no choice in? F.U. again!
Four - More mind manipulation. For the last several years Celestia has warped the minds of ponies to the extent that they automatically want to KILL Anything that even so much as Looks Like Twilight. The only way to break that mind control is a potentially deadly spell. Did I mention that breaking free of the spell is a death sentence? cause it is. Celestia decided that anyone not mind controlled would be killed. Woots Mother! don't you just LOVE that Free Will? Or does it only count when it's Celestia's Free Will? F.U. again for all those who had no idea they were being turned into secret murderers.
Five - Lets get back to Luna. You CREATED Luna with a monster inside her and you act surprised when it gets loose? Are you THAT EFFING RETARDED? Yes ... Yes you are. The only thing that surprises me is that there are not More of them floating around the multiverse trying to end things for all time. You WATCHED Celestia torture Luna for four years straight and never once thought to tell Celestia "Stop before you break Lulu and let out the Monster Of Infinite Death that I put inside her"?! For Lulu ... F.U. YOU EFFING BITCH!
Time and time again Mother proves that the only Free Will that she values is her own and Celestia's.
This chapter did not change my mind.
Take the out Twilight. Turn around and go to the Elysian Fields and enjoy your beer. Your friends will join you soon.
On your way out the door tell Celestia, Luna, Discord and MOTHER that they can all go fuck themselves...
with that said ...I LOVE THIS STORY!
it sure gets the blood pumping ...
edit : wow that is a wall of text
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And as I said before, if the ponies have little choice, the non-ponies are simply out of the big picture. Such a good mother.
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thankee , I tried ...
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Luna's better.
That was an extremely bland way of explaining things. Seriously? Two characters just sit there, talking. Twilight, the nervous student turned into a battle-hardened, calculating leader is talking to the cause of her suffering. Of all suffering. Forever.
When 'Mother' says she is everything, Twilight doesn't really react. I think, say, a veteran of a war would probably question more the sheer pointlessness of it all, as it turns out all of it could be changed, instantly because mother is omnipotent.
But aside from the small-nit picky fucked up character reactions and 3000 word example on why exposition should be given throughout a story and not just bunged in at the end, the chapter commits the ultimate sin of being really fucking boring.
I mean seriously, this story had some potential, but it started waning after the Canterlot raid. Rushed as fuck battle scene's, and the constant, exposition. It's not just your writing, but everyone on this entire site suffer's from this, exposition. Just TELLING your readers the story is BORING AS FUCK. 'Why not X, Z,Y?' 'Because contrived reason'. All GOD and a disgruntled DEAD person do is discuss the many, many, many plot holes you have created with the inclusion of omnipotence in your story, some EVEN MORE CONTRIVED as fuck excuse for more inane bullshit arguments on 'chaos' and 'order' both of which are entirely subjective and BORING TO TALK ABOUT AND DISCUSS. DESCRIBE THEM FOR THE READER. Right now, your characters sit around and never shut the fuck up, blandly droning on and on, with nothing interesting to say apart from mediocre attempts at philopsophy 'WHY IS DER F REE WILL BADD?'
Well! Honestly Twilight is being played badly (yet again), however now she has some leverage! Why not use that?! This Creation needs Twilight to survive, needs Twilight to sacrifice even more, she deserves some perks. Like 'revive' Spike with her, that would be the least this useless creator could do.
But I get the feeling Twilight's going to be all heroic and sad and not utilizing this great position she's in...
I have a sort of hate-love relation with this story, it's amazingly written but every time I see a new chapter I know it's going to make me sad
..
awesome chapter!
poor poor twilight, will she ever stop being manipulated...she is too strong to be ignored by those with power, but too weak to be able to make her own choices unless given permission to do so. she has been through almost every kind of manipulation by this point; you should just rename the story "the manipulation of twilight sparkle". on the other side of the coin; twilight's strength of character is really shining through right now, she has been through so much, and dearly wishes to just pass on, but still does she take on that vital role at her own expense.
one thing i have to ask: would siding with order mean that she "sides" with celestia? she will be 'siding' with luna in either case if it works like that, but between discord and celestia, discord is the one that has manipulated her in a less extreme fashion.
2606520 I have to agree absolutely on the all-too-frequent pseudophilosophical trap so many writers fall into with the 'order' vs 'chaos' plot point.
No system with any type of directed activity can either be pure order or pure chaos. Pure order, nothing ever moves at all. Pure chaos... you just have completely random motion of a sea of seething fundamental particles and energy waves.
As for order and chaos in a living system, particularly when conscious choice is involved; yes indeed that is absolutely subjective. Trying to tie this into a fundamental property of the universe is illogical, as the two are completely unrelated.
And I also agree with your other point: suddenly introducing a Super God character completely negated virtually everything that has happened in this story up to this point. There was no point to anything. This creator figure doesn't even have a 'test' in mind or some brilliant plan behind her actions. She comes off as an entirely stupid and selfish personality of very opaque and jumbled motivations, which then makes it rather hard to believe she could create a world.
>>>If I were to interfere, I would take away the greatest gift I could give you. The power of choice is one you must never underestimate, Twilight Sparkle.”>>>
This creator contradicts herself so many times in this droning chapter it's agonizingly painful to my logically-formatted mind.
And yet another example of why creator gods are poor choices as characters in fantasy. Unless you happen to be a brilliantly insightful philosopher, you won't be able to handle their capacities well at all.
If she had the chance, she should go for a world with no gods or goddesses. No higher powers to screw with any ones mind. No chess game of the gods.
No gods, only mortals.
I just finished reading the entirety of both stories yesterday, and I have to say --- holy shit. You have kept my full attention from start to finish.
Also, poor Sweetie Belle. She started this story with living friends and few worries, now pretty much every pony she's ever loved is dead and she's got the foal on the way too. Talk about a shitty streak of luck.
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At least Sweetie has a future and a big sister to help. Scootaloo is a greater butt monkey in this story.
Yeah, I'm all caught up and now I can make relevant comments!
Grrr, I'm all caught up and now I have to wait for updates!
Anyways, I have been really enjoying the series so far and am excited about finally getting some exposition as to what Twilight can actually do.
Now for my two cents. Even if Twilight sides with Order, Celestia is so far out of balance that she could be considered a disorder and Twilight would be perfectly justified in kicking her flank.
Also, who do you guys think the two reps will be? My personal favorites right now would be for our normal Princess Twilight as Order and Twilight Spark from "The Empty Room" would fun for Chaos. Simply because Spark was one seriously messed up pony.
Thoughts?
Why is it that I see this whole thing ending with Twilight screwing over Mother and her sense of balance by creating the first world where Order and Chaos are equally represented and powerful?
Hmm... so Twilight's going to ascend, and become responsible to two of the minor archtypes, which by the way, are a decidedly random bunch.
Knowledge + ?????, I'm guessing Life or Death personally. Water and Fire? Regardless, Faust's dire warnings still imply a 'bad end' for Twilight, but I've learned to simply ignore that. It's just Airstream's style to torture the poor pony throughout this series.
Great job, Airstream. Instead of sounding like a woobie, Twilight is now a power-hungry jerk. Could of at least handled this with a little respect.
From now and till the end of the story: