A/N: It seems that Conformity has generated quite a bit of discussion! I’m very pleased about this. You’ll learn quite a bit more about what makes her tick in this chapter. This will also be about the darkest chapter in the fic for...reasons. I must really thank my editors for their even more help than normal this chapter as well. Also, I made some minor edits to chapter 1 sinceputting it up.
Chapter 2: Discussion
“YOU AT LEAST KEPT IT ONE COLOUR WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR TEEN HUNDREDS!” Conformity finished.
“B-Blinky?!” asked Pinkie as her face fell.
“YES! WE CHOSE HER BODY AS OUR TEMPLATE! IT IS AN HONOUR! BLINKAVERA WAS CERTAINLY A MORE SUITABLE CANDIDATE THAN EITHER OF HER SISTERS! WE MUST ASK THOUGH, HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO CONFIRM THAT WE WERE ACTIVE SO QUICKLY!? WE HAD TO ADD THE WING POWER OF MULTIPLE PEGASI AND SUPPLEMENT IT WITH EARTH PONY ENDURANCE TO GET HERE ON TIME!”
“Time magic was not working,” replied Celestia.
“OF COURSE!” Conformity nodded her heads. “WHAT COULD BE MORE CHAOTIC THAN THE DISRUPTION OF SPACE AND TIME!? NATURALLY, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING WE WOULD STOP!” They gave a glare at Pinkie. “HOW APPROPRIATE THAT ONE AS CHAOTIC AS YOU WOULD BE KNOWN FOR SUCH THINGS! NOT EVEN YOUR MANE IS ORDERLY! IT MAINTAINS THAT DISGUSTING FRIZZ!”
“I hardly think that it’s appropriate to trade petty insults about our manes. It’s rather boorish,” Rarity said.
“YOU WOULD SAY THAT! PINKAMENA AT LEAST HAS THE EXCUSE OF NOT CARING! FOR YOU TO DELIBERATELY MAKE THOSE REVOLTING, ASSYMETRIC CURLS DEMONSTRATES THAT YOUR TASTE IS AWFUL!”
“Oh! It! Is! On!” declared Rarity before charging forward.
The central body of Conformity’s horn began to glow and Rarity was lifted into the air.
Celestia stepped forward. “Put her down. Now!” she whispered with a voice like ice as her horn began to glow threateningly.
“IF SHE IS WILLING TO BEHAVE HERSELF!” replied Conformity as she lowered Rarity to the ground. “THOUGH, WE WONDER WHAT YOU WERE THREATENING! WE ARE WELL AWARE OF HOW EASILY YOU COULD KILL US, CELESTIA! IF YOU GOT TRULY DESPERATE, YOU COULD SIMPLY DROP THE SUN! WHO WOULD SURVIVE THAT!? YOU!? THE GREATER DRAGONS!? THE GOLDEN-HOOVED CATTLE!? ANYONE WHO MANAGED AN INTERPLANETARY TELEPORT!? MAYBE THE CURRENT ALICORN OF DEATH IF THEY RIPPED THEIR SOUL FROM THEIR BODY! BUT EVEN IF THEY ALL FOUND A WAY TO SURVIVE AFTER HAVING THE PLANET SWALLOWED BY THE SUN, WOULD YOU REALLY BE ABLE TO SACRIFICE ALL YOUR SUBJECTS!? I KNOW THAT IN YOUR FIGHT AGAINST THE CURRENT CHANGELING QUEEN, NOT A SINGLE BYSTANDER WAS HARMED AND YOU LOST BECAUSE OF THAT RESTRAINT! YOU MAY HAVE INCREASED IN POWER, BUT YOU HAVE GROWN WEAK, CELESTIA! YOU DO NOT EVEN USE THE ROYAL VOICE ANYMORE AS IS THE SACRED TRADITION OF THE ALICORNS! EVER SINCE YOU NEARLY HARMED YOUR SISTER IN A FIGHT WITH DISCORD, YOU HAVE BEEN TOO AFRAID TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY! WE HEREBY RELIEVE YOU OF THAT NECESSITY AS WE WILL DO IT FOR YOU!”
“I will find a way to protect Equestria. I always have.”
“WE ARE EQUESTRIA! AT LEAST, WE SOON WILL BE! AND AFTER THAT, THE WORLD! WE WILL FINALLY BE READY FOR OUR PURPOSE!”
“Your purpose to defeat Discord!?” asked Twilight. “It’s already been done!”
“YES! THESE ‘ELEMENTS OF HARMONY’ WERE USED TO DEFEAT HIM! AND YET, WE DISCOVERED THAT HIS PRISON IS ONLY AS STABLE AS THE BONDS BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS AND THEIR BEARERS! AND THAT HE HAS ALREADY BROKEN FREE ONCE BEFORE, BEING RECAPTURED ONLY THROUGH LUCK! THAT IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR US, EVEN DISCOUNTING THE RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF OTHER THREATS THAT HAVE NEEDED TO BE DEALT WITH! IT IS TIME THAT SOMETHING WAS DONE TO PUT AN END TO IT ALL! HAVE YOU ALL FORGOTTEN WHAT IT WAS LIKE UNDER HIS RULE!? WE HAVE OUR PARENTS’ MEMORIES! MAYBE WE SHOULD SHOW YOU WHAT YOU SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN! WATCH! WE HAVE TRANSLATED TO MODERN EQUESTRIAN!” Conformity’s horns glowed and an image was projected onto the wall.
(/)
Within the image, there was no sense to be found. The sky visible among the floating debris flashed bright neon colours as the purple-flaming chunks of ice fired popcorn in various directions. A giant cupcake waved as it ran past, grabbing and eating a rock before gravity suddenly shifted, sending it hurtling through the air. A tree tap danced on its blue leaves across the rocking ground. A waterfall of jellybeans fell into the sky. Green lightning squeaked as it darkened the scene. A boulder’s shadow was strangled by that of a flying mouse.Nearer by, the face of an alicorn stallion dominated the image. He had a silver coat and his golden mane flowed through the air. His horn glowed as he frowned in concentration.The golden glow of his magic surrounded the large, white orb which lay on the pedestal before him. The view panned to show that a pony of each tribe was guarding him and they were surrounded by a large force field.
“Your Highness, are you sure this will work?” asked the pegasus.
“IT HAS TO WORK!” replied the alicorn. He turned towards the pegasus and his cutie mark, a crowned helmet, became visible. “FOR TOO LONG HAVE OUR BRETHREN BEEN HELPLESS BEFORE THE MONSTER! WHAT GOOD IS IT BEING THE ALICORN OF AUTHORITY, DOMINANCE AND ORDER IF WE CANNOT EVEN CRUSH THE REBELLION OF A SINGLE DRACONEQUUS!? WE ARE THE GREATEST WARRIOR OF OUR FAMILY, YET TIME AND AGAIN WE HAVE BEEN DEFEATED! NO LONGER! THIS SHALL BE THE PERFECT WARRIOR FOR THIS BATTLE! CONFORMITY SHALL GIVE US VICTORY AND FREE OUR PEOPLE ONCE MORE TO A RULE OF ORDER AND PEACE! CONTINUE TO KEEP WATCH!”
“Teleport incoming!” warned the unicorn as his eyes widened.
There was a flash and a familiar draconequus appeared. “AH, PRINCEPS! IT SEEMS THAT YOU’RE BEING NAUGHTY AGAIN! HOW FUN!”
“YOU HAVE NOT EARNED THE RIGHT TO USE THE ROYAL VOICE, USURPER!” snarled Princeps as he turned to face the new arrival.
“BUT YOUR REACTION TO ME USING IT IS SO HILARIOUS! YOU ALICORNS CRACK ME UP! LOOK AT HOW IMPORTANT WE ARE! WE CAN YELL REALLY LOUDLY! Not that I don’t appreciate the ridiculousness.”
“QUIT MOCKING OUR ANCIENT TRADITIONS!”
“But I love mocking your ancient traditions! Stirring you up is so much fun! It’s almost as fun as when I play with one of Imperatrix’s lovers in front of her!”
“LEAVE OUR SISTER OUT OF THIS! YOUR FIGHT IS WITH US, DISCORD! AS IS APPROPRIATE BETWEEN PRINCE AND USURPER!” replied Princeps.
“But where’s the fun in doing what’s appropriate!? If you could see your face when I play with your subjects, maybe you’d understand! Actually, let me help with that.” Discord snapped his fingers and a bright pink hand mirror covered in bows and butterflies appeared in his talon. He showed it to Princeps. Princeps’s reflection was wearing makeup and had done its mane up in pink bows. It reached its head out of the mirror and kissed him on the lips before punching him in the face. It transformed into Discord as he climbed out the mirror which transformed into a bouquet of flowers. The flowers tried to eat Princeps’s face, but he blasted them to ashes with a scowl.
"You’re cute when you’re angry!” Discord grinned.
“THIS IS ENOUGH, DISCORD! ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, OUR FIGHT ENDS TODAY! WE ARE DONE WITH BEING YOUR TOY! KILL US! OR DIE!” His horn began to glow, a giant sword erupted from the ground and Discord dodged.
“Really, Princeps?” Discord tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. “I thought that I was the one who was supposed to be dramatic! I’m not done playing with you!”
“THAT IS WHAT YOU THINK, DISCORD! NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, AFTER TODAY, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO!” He darted forward and sliced Discord in half with his wing.
“Let me pull myself together!” said Discord as he did so.
Princeps’s horn glowed once more and the sky darkened. Discord looked up to see a rain of arrows headed straight for him. He snapped his fingers and the arrows turned to pink chicken feathers. From the resulting pile of feathers, a giant chicken emerged, with Discord as its rider.
“Yeehaw!” Discord called out as he waved a Stetson. The chicken opened its beak in a roar to reveal rows of fangs. It pecked at Princeps. The alicorn dodged and stomped on its beak hard enough to shake the ground and leave a crater.
His horn glowed again and spears launched from the ground, penetrating the chicken like hot knives through butter. Discord jumped and somersaulted from the fowl’s back before landing on his hind legs, arms stretched open in victory. Three boulders pulled out signs, the first two saying “10” and the third saying “12”. “Thank you!” Discord bowed.
“STOP DODGING, YOU COWARD!” Princeps called out as his horn glowed again and chains sprung from the earth, grabbing the draconequus’s limbs and holding him in place.
Discord snapped his fingers. The chains transformed into snakes. The snakes bared their fangs as they flew, with wings, towards Princeps.
Princeps raised a shield and the snakes bounced off. He then sliced them up with his wings before telekinetically ripping out their fangs and hurling them at Discord.
Discord stretched out his left arm while he covered his face with his right and the fangs reversed direction.
Princeps fried them all before blasting at Discord himself who immediately teleported out of the way and directly behind his opponent. Princeps bucked Discord into a floating mountain which disintegrated from the impact.
The dust transformed into a noxious green gas which headed back for Princeps who flapped his wings. The resulting wind ripped out loose rocks and dispersed the cloud.
Discord teleported back to the battlefield again. “You’re so much fun, Princeps! I think that you’re actually trying harder than normal! Well done! Normal is boring!”
“WE SHOULD THANK YOU, DISCORD, BY WRESTLING CONTROL OF THE CELESTIAL BODIES FROM US, YOU HAVE FREED US TO USE ALL OUR POWER!” A golden glow enveloped his horn once more and a mighty army of stone ponies rose from the ground to charge at the draconequus.
Discord grinned and snapped his fingers and giant sheets of paper scooped up the army and crushed it. “Paper beats rock!”
Princeps’s face fell. His head lowered and he bit his lip before raising it once more. He scowled and bared his teeth as his breathing quickened. He flew at high speed, pinning Discord to the floor.
“Oh, Princeps! This is all so sudden!”
Golden light emanated from Princeps’s horn again and the white orb that would become Conformity and her three guards were surrounded by a magic field and froze, before hundreds of weapons fell from the sky, skewering both fighters.
Discord’s face contorted in fury and he snapped his fingers, teleporting next to the dying alicorn. His body was completely unharmed. “YOU DARE BREAK ONE OF MY TOYS!? I’LL HAVE TO PUNISH YOUR SUBJECTS FOR THIS, PRINCEPS! I WASN’T DONE PLAYING WITH YOU!”
“I’m sorry, Mortis. I failed to bring in an inmate for Tartarus,” whispered Princeps. “I just ask that you let me watch this monster’s defeat from Elysium, my cousin.” His eyes glazed over.
(/)
“OUR FATHER’S SPELL KEPT US FROZEN AND CUT OFF FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD UNTIL HIS REPLACEMENT WAS OLD ENOUGH TO CONTINUE HIS WORK!” Conformity explained as the image shifted.
“FORTUNATELY, HIS TWIN, IMPERATRIX, WHO WAS THE ALICORN OF VENUS AT THE TIME, SOON GAVE BIRTH TO A DEMI-ALICORN WHO TOOK HIS ROLE AS THE NEXT ALICORN OF MARS!”
At first the scene seemed similar to the last, despite the changes in chaos which included floating donuts, which had carrots flying through their holes. But this time, the alicorn was a smaller mare.
“SHE WAS HORRIFIED AT THE WAY DISCORD TREATED THE PONIES AROUND HER AND SHE TOOK THE TITLE OF ALICORN OF JUSTICE AND LAW!”
She had the golden mane of her uncle, but it didn’t yet flow with power the way it would in a mature alicorn and her coat was green. Her cutie mark was a golden set of scales.
“TWO HUNDRED YEARS AFTER HER UNCLE AND PREDECESSOR’S DEATH, SHE WAS FINALLY READY AND THE SPELL SHATTERED! THE UNICORN GUARD, STAR SWIRL THE SEVENTEENTH, CONTACTED HER AND PRINCESS JUSTITIA KNEW HOPE FOR THE FIRST TIME!”
“IS IT READY?!” the alicorn asked.
“Conformity feels capable of life, Princess,” replied the earth stallion. “You have poured in a lot of magic and added it to what His Highness started,” said Star Swirl. “She will certainly be powerful. For her to become more powerful than Discord would take more magic than you have, but you and your uncle have given her every defence and ability likely to help her fight him.”
“Perhaps it is best to strike while he is still unprepared,” added the pegasus stallion.
“VERY WELL!” Justitia leaned forward and fired a bolt at the white orb. It began to stir and rolled off the platform and onto the shielded ground. The grass bleached to white. “IS... SHE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!?”
“Nopony has ever wielded this kind of magic before,” replied the unicorn. “For it to have some unexpected results is... expected. The important thing is that she does the job.”
The ball rolled forward, leaving a trail of white, up to the barrier. “RELEASE ME, MOTHER!” said the orb. “I WILL GLADLY DEFEAT THE ABOMINATION, DISCORD, FOR YOU!”
The pegasus shrugged. “Good enough for me.”
“VERY WELL!” The shield dropped and the disarray spread, but Conformity rolled onwards and the white patch rapidly spread across the ground.
Soon, the whiteness had passed the horizon, but it wasn’t long before a blur flew up to the group of rebels. It stopped to reveal the scowling form of Discord. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY BEAUTIFUL CHAOS!?” he demanded. “Justitia, you have a lot of explaining to do!”
“YOUR REIGN OF HORROR IS OVER, DISCORD! WE NOW HAVE A CHAMPION IMMUNE TO YOUR PANDEMONIUM!”
Discord frowned and leaned over to glare at Conformity. He snapped his fingers. Nothing happened. He pulled a pink umbrella from thin air and poked her before dropping it as it began turning white. He glared at her again and his eyes swirled with different colours. A small patch of grey appeared on her surface before disappearing.
Justitia smiled for the first time in her life. “YOU HAVE LOST, DISCORD! IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO FACE JUDGEMENT FOR YOUR CRIMES!”
Discord snapped his fingers again and an ever-changing crystal enveloped Conformity. She bashed herself against the side to no avail as Justitia’s face froze in horror. Discord snapped his fingers again and multi-coloured polka dots filled the former field of white.
“NO... NO... PLEASE NO!”
“Oh yes!” Discord grinned as he pulled out a disco ball and hung it in mid-air. “This is more like it! Now, about your little friends...” He turned towards Justitia’s guards.
“NO! DON’T HURT THEM! THEY WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS! HURT ME INSTEAD!”
“Hurt them? I’m just going to show them how much fun it is to not follow orders!” He flew over and tapped each on the head. They quickly turned grey and their faces twisted into manic expressions of insanity.
“NO, NO! NO PLEASE! HAVE MERCY!” Justitia slowly backed away.
The pegasus’s wings flailed about, dragging his face across the floor, the earth pony began to eagerly dig like a mole, tongue hanging out and the unicorn ran about, aimlessly blasting the scenery.
“But I haven’t forgotten you, my sweet! You get to watch over them and enjoy their gifts with them!” He tapped her on the head and snapped his fingers. Justitia’s face began to bubble and six spheres rose from the mixture before blinking. She had sprouted another three pairs of eyes. “Now you’ll see everything they do!”
“NOOOOOOOOOO!” Jusitia screeched.
The image faded. “Did that really happen?” asked Twilight as she turned to her mentor.
“Yes,” replied Celestia.
Twilight frowned. “But I thought that the alicorn of justice was blind!”
"Yes. After a time, Justitia could no longer bear the vision that Discord had given her.” The others’ faces briefly bloated with nausea
“HOW CAN YOU ALL BE SO SHOCKED THAT WE WOULD WANT TO ENSURE THAT NEITHER HE, NOR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE HIM, THREATENS EQUESTRIA AGAIN?!”
“But he beat you!” said Rainbow Dash with a shrug. “We managed what you couldn’t! So we know you can’t do better than us!”
“OF COURSE! FOR ALL THE GIFTS OUR PARENTS GAVE US, WE COULD NOT LAST FIVE MINUTES! THAT IS WHEN WE REALISED THAT WE NEEDED TO BECOME STRONGER! MORE POWERFUL! TO ABSORB ALL THE POWER WE COULD SO THAT WE WOULD FINALLY BE STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAT HIM! THEN, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ASSIMILATE HIM AS WELL! HE WOULD NEVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO TERRORISE ANYPONY AND WITH ALL THAT POWER AT OUR COMMAND, NOTHING ELSE COULD THREATEN EQUESTRIA AGAIN!”
“You’re insane!” cried Star Swirl. “Even if you were able to gain enough power to defeat Discord, the fight would probably destroy the planet!”
“WE WOULD NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! IF WE CANNOT FIND A WAY TO STOP DISCORD, ONCE AND FOR ALL, IT WOULD MEAN THAT OUR PARENTS WERE WRONG, WHICH IS CLEARLY IMPOSSIBLE!”
“So you’re just going to absorb everypony until they’re all part of you!” growled Rainbow in disgust
“NOT EVERYPONY! EVERYONE! WE NEED ALL THE POWER WE CAN GET FOR THIS SACRED TASK! AND IS IT REALLY SO BAD, RAINBOW DASH!? WHEN CAN LOYALTY CONFLICT WHEN ALL ARE ONE!?” She turned her head and spoke to each bearer in turn. “WHO WOULD BE CRUEL WHEN THERE IS ONLY ONESELF TO BE CRUEL TO!? ALL ARE KIND TO THEMSELVES IF ONLY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE! WHO WOULD FEEL THE NEED TO LIE WHEN THERE IS NO ONE TO LIE TO! HOW MUCH MORE GENEROUS CAN IT BE THAN TO SHARE EVERYTHING!? WHAT GREATER FORM OF THE MAGIC OF FRIENDSHIP CAN THERE BE WHEN ALL ARE IN PERFECT COMMUNITY AND SHARE ALL MAGIC!?” She hesitated before Pinkie. “OKAY, SO WE DO NOT GET WHAT IS SO HARMONIOUS ABOUT LAUGHTER! EVEN DISCORD DID IT, WITH HIS INFERNAL CACKLING! IT WAS HORRIBLE!”
“True laughter brings ponies together in a way that shows that they enjoy their time with each other and aren’t simply forced into it, Conformity!” said Twilight. “The fact that there is no laughter within your so-called perfect community shows how flawed it is!”
“An’ Ah think yer lyin’ tah yerself if yah think that it’s so perfect!” added Applejack. "Yer unity is death! Yah don't bring together the ideas and emotions and feelings of those you absorb! Yah just harvest their raw knowledge, abilities and talent! If Granny Smith and Big Mac's hearts were really a part of yah, yah'd never be this HEARTLESS about this whole thing!"
Conformity frowned. “WHAT CAN MERE INDIVIDUALS KNOW ABOUT IT!?”
Twilight stepped forward. “I’m sorry Conformity! I think that we’ve heard enough!”
“We’ll find a way to save Equestria without your help and we’ll free everypony you’ve absorbed!” added Celestia. Their horns began to glow.
Pinkie darted in front of them. “No! Please don’t hurt Blinky!”
Conformity grinned. “YES! RATHER DIFFICULT TO HARM US IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO HARM WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE FORMER BODIES OF PONIES YOU KNEW AND LOVED! AND WE ARE AFRAID THAT WE NEED TO TAKE SOME MORE PRECAUTIONS!” They stamped their front hooves down and a cube of white stone rose around Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy!” cried the others as they turned towards the block. Rainbow flew up to the block, but found it to have no entrances.
Conformity’s bodies then slid their hooves across the floor as Pinkie’s tail began to twitch and the cube descended into the floor. “DO NOT WORRY! WE HAVE LEFT HER WITH PLENTY OF AIR! WE NEED HER ALIVE IF WE ARE GOING TO ACQUIRE THAT STARE OF HERS! BUT FIRST, WE HAVE A WORLD TO ASSIMILATE!” They flew off to horrified faces.
A/N: Well, there we go. Hopefully, this will clear up a lot about Conformity’s goals, attitude, mental state, etc. I also hope that it will demonstrate more about how dangerous she is. Monologuing is usually disadvantageous to the villain, but when every second that you delay the heroes, the larger and more powerful your army becomes, it suddenly seems less stupid. Also, I got AJ’s backtalk from Alex Warlorn.
New Chapter!
“Oh! It! Is! On!” declared Rarity before charging forward.
Why stop her? Touch her, she's zapped, elements of harmony rendered useless.
PRINCEPS . . Emperor Tarot, twin brother of Imperatrix, tarot of the Empress.
“T thought that I was the
“I thought that I was the
WE NEED HER ALIVE IF WE ARE GOING TO ACQUIRE THAT STARE OF HERS!
Why not eat her on the spot?
Vulcans don't have laughter in their culture, and they're hardly evil for it.
1537927
Because she only wants to release Discord after she believes she's more powerful than him.
Thanks. Fixed.
See above.
Vulcans supprss their emotions (for admittedly good reason). This includes positive emotions like happiness. That is what is being reffered to here. A world without laughter is a world without joy. Hardly a Utopia.
"That's as many as four tens. And that's terrible."
And think I get it: A logic-based construct goes maverick with "Remove all (humanity) to protect (humanity)."
So, like the AI from that one Will Smith movie? I think Gargoles did similar, too.
1538167 Hal was operating under the same paradox in 2001 - he wasn't allowed to lie to the humans but they couldn't know about the extra parts of their mission to Jupiter, so no humans = no conflict.
THERE WAS MUCH YELLING WITHIN THIS CHAPTER
1538167 It is indeed a similar idea.
1538288 Royal voice...No wonder Celestia phased it out.
1538288 As one of the proofreader, I can say that the original version had even more.
Anyway, I'm glad to see you got this chapter up. I'm really enjoying it so far.
Really? You need a better way to portray the Canterlock than Capslock; it winds up being too hard to read for long passages.
1538966 would Unreasonably large text be an improvement?
1539803
Or doing proper or mock smallcaps. Like Death from Discworld. SOMETHING LIKE THIS, I SUPPOSE.
The "lower case" caps were set at [ size=10 ] [ /size ] (Remove the spaces from between the brackets and what's in them.
1539818 I see what you are saying, but Death's voice always reminds me of something being engraved in your mind, not barreling one over with the force of his speech.
The problem is trying to convey great volume without resorting to 'he boomed', ' she roared' 'the voice echoed off the surrounding countryside', and the like.
Plus I bet Confy likes all the straight lines involved in Capital Letters
1539818 Hmmm... I can try something like that. Not sure how I'm going to translate that to the fanfiction.net version. Doesn't help that Conformity currently can't use real Traditional Royal Canterlot Voice. She's just doing an imitation, which is why hers isn't bolded.
1539886 This is also a good point. I like that nickname!
1538167 Yeah, Walkabout was a really good episode. And I thought the bit from Pony POV series was a lot like the speech to the AI at the end of that, and so was this.
1542751 is that the one where Dingo ends up wearing a nanite colony as power armor? That was some trippy stuff.
1543432 Sure is. Conformity, here, has reminded me of said nanite colony from the start. "The order you propose is that of the grave!" something like that.
Conformity reminds me very much of the Borg, with assimulating and "resistance is futile" and all that. I loved how it was trying to convince the elements of how wonderful it's ideals are and it couldn't find a way to include laughter.
1544055 Thank you. Conformity was indeed inspired by the Borg, just as Discord was inspired by Q. But just as Discord is not identical to Q (much as somebronies forget that), Conformity is not identical to the Borg.
Wow. I kinda feel... sorry for Conformity there. And really sorry for Justitia. *Shudders*
1545823 Yes! My plan s working!
1546443 I did mention that I had taken stff from there (and adapted it) in the author's notes.
1547635 Thanks. I'm hardly unique n adding her to Equestria though.
As for the mythology, this is not going to be the last fic in the series. Maybe.if there is demand for it, I can write some more stuff set in the past.
As for the writing quality, sorry about that. Could it be my high level of dialogue compred to everything else? I knw that some are put off by that and I am trying to work on it. Unfortunately, I find it difficult to read body language which seeps into my writing a bit.
'Tis a fun story indeed, but I can't help but feel like it really needs a cover image.
1571169 'Twould be awesome indeed. But I have no skill in art and no idea what would be appropriate that actually exists in some capacity. I suppose that I could use Edvedd's picture of Pluto, but that would be more appropriate for a future story in the series.
1575815 Not the direct successor, but A succesor, yes. Morning Star was a previous aliorn of Venus and Cadance is the current one. Of course, Cadance chose to become the alicorn of love which is fairly standard for an alicorn of Venus while Morning Star chose to become the alicorn of self-worship, hedonism and temptation. So, they kind of went opposite routes there. This becomes way more important in a fuure fic in the series which I'm tentatively titling A Debt to the Stars. I've currently got four more fics in this series being planned, including that one and am in the early stages of hatching a plan for a fifth. A Debt to the Stars won't be the one mmediately after this one though for a couple of reasons, the biggest one being that it is likely to be affected by season 3 reveals and I want to be prepared for those. Once I know what the relevant episodes say, though, I'll be ready to write that one.
Weather I should hate or pity conformity? Meh. I just see her as the Flawed Instrumentality that appears so often in fiction, where opposed to creating a unique whole, special traits are crushed rather than adding to the whole. But the thing is that she wasn't CREATED to bring about any sort of unification, she was created with a mind of her own to be a WEAPON for a war that's OVER and FAILED to do what she was born to do. Makes you wonder if she's doing all of this just to prove that she's not a failure.
1591597 That's been my thought on her as well.
She won't stop - ever - because nothing is ever going to justify her existence enough to satisfy the holes in her logic.
The only choices are to annihilate her wholesale, or to find a place for her, a role and an acceptance. They couldn't do it for Discord, and he at least acknowledged having a heart.
Maybe crystal-ified Confy will be easier to relate to
1609419
What makes Conformity so dangerous is simply thus: in spite of the knowledge she's assimilated and how long she's lived: she's a CHILD! She has virtually no actual experiences of her own. And children are the most dangerous monsters.
1591597 There's certainly some of that involved. Though, I would say, yet again, that while thereis some instumentality influence here, Conformity was based more on the Borg.
1609419 As I said, she's very stubborn.
1609755 An excellent point.
I'm liking the debates.
1609755 agreed.
1610272 That's exactly what I'm talking about. Stubbornness is like any hard surface, the more in direct opposition you are, the harder it is. Everything she's being asked to do right now equates (in her mind) to "give up, and in effect admit that your Alicorn Parents were wrong about your potential and wasted precious resources on you.". Though to be fair to the girls, it is kind of hard to be sensitive or subtle when dealing with a world eater - if not conceptually impossible, since it would require being willing to sacrifice the world to prove a point.
1549149 I think the issue Some(at least two) people are having with readability in this fic has a lot to do with pacing-everything seems quite quick, almost anticlimactically so, like a series of events rather than a story. I get a very similar feeling watching the 2-part episodes of the show, like there's too much content for 44 mins of cartoon. I still like them (and this, hence the fave^-^;) but i don't think I'll ever be able to shake the feeling of disjointed 'rushed-ness' of them.
1679280 Ah. I see what you mean. Hmm... That's something I'll have to work on. The fast pace for this one is deliberate due to the fact that I wanted the premise clear from the first chapter and the fact that nopony can really afford to dawdle though. Still, there will be some slowing down later.
So what's next?
1779333 Next chapter is currently being editted. So it shouldn't be too long before you find out.
insulting Rarity's mane? this can't end well..... yikes, okay it didn't
Okay, do like the "She's holding back her full power" idea, since it's what I go with too, but there has to be something between. "immolate the planet" and "Do nothing" Also just have to say, so far, and this is going to sound odd. I really dislike the being Conformity. The being, not the character. I like her out of verse as a character, but in verse as a pony/person.being/whatever. not so much. If that makes sense.
okay, right up till the end, that fight with Discord was HILARIOUS.. and then the end..... damn Mood Whiplash. but, really really well done Mood Whiplash.
Okay second battle.... damn.. yeah this is getting dark, but not that bad just... damn!
Seems a bit odd for that to come from AJ. not to mention it seems to be calling on knowledge they wouldn't really have so soon. Not saying it's wrong, just odd for her to say it like that IMO.
Oh buck... this is... not good
Okay pacing was a lot better here, then again it was almost all dialog. But still never dragged or felt rushed. The backstory was interesting, and still really really not liking Conformity as a being, but liking her as a character. Overall a much better chapter then last time and the story really is looking good.
2835489
Keep reading. (Also, remember that Celstia has limited knowledge in this situation and is afraid of harming ANY of her subjects.)
As long as you like the character, that's great.
That's pretty much what I was going for, so good.
As I said, I got that from a reviewer. It's just her opinion based on what she's seen happen to her family.
Glad you are liking things though.
You accidentally a word in here. Maybe all the shouting made it run away.
Chocobo power!
This sentence must be pregnant.
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