The crowd screamed as Celestia stared at the ax buried in her shield. Even Celestia seemed surprised at how close the ax was to her face. It had stopped only a few inches away, with most of one side being completely inside the shield. "Luna! Stop this madness at once!" Celestia dropped her shield as the crowd started to calm down. The battle ax hit the wood stage and sunk in the boards with a smooth SHING.
"Move sister. This cur took everything from me! Now step aside while I take his life." Luna picked up her ax once more.
"You're scaring ponies, Luna!" The crowd had once more began screaming. I hovered above Luna, waiting to see if I needed to intervene. "What are you doing?! Having a public execution like this! Have you gone mad?!" Celestia had to raise a shield once more as Luna swung the ax at her.
"He needs to be punished! Would you rather I let him go free!?" Luna pulled back her ax and hit the shield around Celestia and the assassin again. "I thought he had escaped once! I had to search through every dream in the city to find him, and I won't let him escape this time!" I flinched back at that, memories of the nightmares from the previous night coming back to me. The crowd also reacted as they heard this, some running and locking themselves in nearby buildings.
Celestia's shield pulsed as it blocked another swing of the ax. Ok, that's enough of the ax swinging. I swooped down and grabbed the ax in my talons. I felt a mild resistance as I pulled it away, but I seemed to have surprised Luna enough to make her release it. I grabbed it in my telekinesis as I landed beside Celestia. I glanced at the assassin for a moment and I clenched my claws in anger. Shaking my head, I turned back to Luna.
'Luna, he didn't take everything from you. You still have your daughter to take care of.' I glanced at Celestia's slightly cracked shield. ‘You’re acting irrationally. Now come back into the castle, and I will take care of this pony.’ I glared at the dazed pony being held by a blue aura. ‘Trust me. He won’t escape this time.’ Luna looked unsure for a moment before huffing.
“Very well. But if I find out he escaped, I will hold you responsible Captain Night Wing.” Luna’s face turned serious as she stalked in the entrance to the castle. Ouch. I’ve gone from brother, to Captain. My head shook in disappointment as the assassin hit the ground with a thud. Apparently Luna didn’t want to hold him anymore. The now unconscious pony floated up in my magic and I carried him into the castle. Celestia fell in step beside me.
‘Are you ok Celestia?’ My eyes checked her for any wounds.
“I’m fine. Physically anyways. I’m worried about Luna though. I understand her anger, but she has to control it better than this. I’m afraid she will lose control and hurt someone.” We heard a quiet crying as we approached a meeting room. “It seems Luna has met up with Midnight’s family. You take this cretin to the prison while I comfort them.” Celestia split off from my path and entered the side room. I saw Luna hugging some of Midnight’s family as they cried together. Even Saphire seemed to be effected by the mood. Her normally happy expression was gone as she rested in her crib.
The empty halls echoed the clicking of my claws on the marble flooring, and soon another set joined mine. I looked to the side as Crimson Claw walked with me. Neither of us said anything as we descended into the currently empty prison. The few torches provided little light under the castle, and I had to fight from slipping on the damp stone stairs. The first few cells got passed up as we went further in. When we had reached the last cell I casually tossed him in and slammed the door. Crimson and I both stood there for awhile and just stared at the pony laying in the floor.
“He was young.” Crimson stated quietly. It wasn’t sad or angry. Just a statement. “I know you didn’t want this to happen Night. And I know the same of Celestia and Luna.” He turned to look at me as a groan came from the cell. “But it happened. My brother is dead and now I am king. For the safety of my people, I am cutting off the major trades. Griffins will still be allowed to come and go, but I don’t want many in Equestria right now.” He looked back into the cell as the pony stood up slowly. “I can’t risk anymore being killed. Maybe in a few years, we can talk about reaffirming our alliance and trades. But not right now.” Crimson reaches into the cell and grabbed the prisoner’s neck with his claw. He had a conflicted look in his eyes as the pony choked, before he pulled the pony into the bars with a CLANG. The pony fell back in an unconscious heap. “He’s yours to punish.” Crimson turned and walked away while I just stared at the pony, thinking deeply.
“Chirp.” I grabbed Crimson’s attention before he left. ‘How were you so sure none of us had any ill will toward Midnight? I know I acted pretty angry around him when he first started dating Luna.’ Crimson simply looked at me for a moment before answering.
“You're not the only one with bugs planted everywhere. Though, if you didn’t realize that, then yours aren’t working.” Crimson turned back around and left the room. I thought of the implications of what he said, and my talons curled up in anger. Lytra should have known about this. Her job was to sneak around and find these kinds of things. It seemed I had a Queen to hunt down.
Changeling spies everywhere!
I wonder if the Griffon's spy is Chrysalis?
9465277
No.....but Chrysalis will come in soonish
I don't see this chapter as short, merely a chapter that effectively builds up and connects the next arcing event. I do assume Crimson was talking about changelings, but then that begs the Question, who(/which hive) was spying for Crimson? What has and will happen to the dark asassin pony Luna has captured? I look forward to reading about it in the up coming story updates.
Okay, this is interesting. PR over this event is going to get many nobles looking to "prevent further abuses of power" and "ensure the Crown is under the law." That Luna is going to lose massive public favor is also quite clear. Sad, but clear. That said, perhaps our bird friend should remind Harmony that she sent a human, the multiverse's best problem solvers and gloriously mad survivors, to Equestria. To fix these things. Instead of relying on her own original plan. At least, that would be my reaction to this. (As well as doing everything possible to do the exact opposite of what she seems to want to do. Humanity is also the most contradictory race out there as well.)
Eh, seems like the end of the last chapter that was chopped off and served to us as a next chapter. But i wont complain because im really enjoying the frequent updates.
9465500
well Night wing probably would do that. except harmony erased his memories about NMM. And their whole conversation. so...yeah.
9465559
*Twitch*
...I have the overwhelming desire to smack my staff over Harmony's head for being a stupid Greek king from whatever story you like and creating a gorram self-fulfilling prophecy that she had brought someone over to fix! And then proceeded to screw him over and recreate it! I don't care what Universe you're from or what you do there, but you just don't do that!
(Not mad at how you've written thus far btw, that's just my general reaction to high INT/low WIS characters like that. And, subsequently, the reaction of my Wizard who has a natural 19 Intelligence and a natural 17 Wisdom. (And 14 Charisma, but that is entirely beside the point.))
I just hope someone smacks some sense into her soon if this keeps up...
Well done!
9465580
Lol, I’m mad at Harmony too. And I’m the one who wrote it! XD I’m not trying to paint Harmony in a good or bad way. I’m simply making her look like the guardian of the planet. Being a guardian usually means you need to care for the many over the few. And that is what Harmony is like. She does care for individuals, but she also is trying to make sure the world doesn’t fall into destruction.
9465603
True, and you've done well doing so. It doesn't change the fact that you've also added in that often fatal hubris such beings develop. "I've seen the picture more clearly than you have, and I have more experience so I say this important person must become evil or broken For The Greater Good." Nothing in the entire multiverse is as terrifying as a being in the position to say that or something similar and make it so.
For often times they railroad themselves onto a single option or set of options, despite usually having access to people capable of reading the future or enhanced predictive skills most of the time. They focus on the solution they believe MUST work to exclusion of anything new which could change their plans for the better. Such as the massive Chaotic variable a human mind and spirit throw into the equation.
Though, even without his knowledge, there is a slim chance he could "Stop the key from turning," simply by being a good brother despite it all. Slim, (and were I writing that would definitely be an 18 on the d20 at least) but still there. After all, the best laid plans of God's and Demons are oft foiled by a foolish human in the wrong place at the right time.
and thus my life is great, bow before this chapter from the gods, it's almost midnight and i haven't slept a wink since yesterday. night, great chapter. hope to see more soon
9465628
Personally, I just want to see him manage to understand/relate/befriend Discord way ahead of schedule, (unless the Discord thing already happened and my memory is garbage) thus setting Fate's loom on fire and hurling it out a window.
9465663
*Gives an almost unsettling smirk*
And who said that wouldn't be a distinct possibility? Humans tend to make irrational decisions when properly distracted.
Of course, Gravity is the only one here who could say for sure, but that certainly would be amusing.
9465670
Indeed, the sons and daughters of Prometheus are renowned for their tenacity. After all, the spirit of humanity is fire, mankind makes it's own fate.
As things progress, Harmony is going to have a harder and harder time forcing history back to the right path. 'twas loneliness that doomed Luna before, but now she has a nocturnal brother, every bit as immortal as she. She has a stubborn connection to the world through him, and above all else, she has a daughter.
let love undo hate, let caring undo spite, let faith undo mistrust. let a newborn's cry undo the machinations of Fate.
intresting turn off invent
9465559
Will harmony at least give those memories back after the NMN incident happens?
9465872
Yes. And he is going to be understandably furious.
9465739
9465670
History has already changed much. If not for Night then the griffins wouldn’t have been found so soon, and Midnight would have married Golden. Then he wouldn’t have died after marrying Luna, and she wouldn’t have a duaghter. Also, Starswirl would have had to make the mirror portal to deal with the sirens. Originally Luna turned due to Lonliness. Now she will turn due to loss and distrust.
9466301
I would not be suprised in the slightest
9466318
Harmony is going to ruin the future she's trying to create. Loneliness was easily remedied, after a thousand years and an unreasonable amount of magic. Imprisonment on the moon weakened her, the crushing loneness sapped her fury.
But if she goes mad due to imagined betrayal, then that same span of years will embitter her, it will be the final and ultimate confirmation of Celestia's treachery and the element's collaboration thereof. It will drive her to bloodlust in the name of undoing Celestia's good works.
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This future won't end with rainbows, it will end with a dead student and sororicide.
9466333
What’s Sororicide? I had to look that up XD. Didn’t even know that was a word. Killing of ones sister.
9466333
I admit, while that wouldn’t be the worse case scenario, it is a distressing one. Organic creatures can be unpredictable and fickle.
Though I’m paraphrasing I believe a Mister Desmond Tiny said it best, ”Just because I write the show and set the stage doesn’t mean my actors will stick to their roles.”
At the moment it seems like the three way alliance between the Ponies, Griffins and Changelings is falling apart. The changelings are suspected of betrayal by keeping valuable information to them selves, the griffin have all but officially closed their borders. After all I don’t think the average griffin has the money or endurance to sail/fly over what is basically an ocean.
9465580
It sounds like buyers remorse.
She obviously didn’t think her original plan was good enough. So she sought outside help to make changes but now she’s afraid that he might be making to many changes that will lead to an even worse future. So she’s trying to keep things on the canonical railroad by suppressing or isolating any changes that have already been made.
This response honestly sounds surprisingly human. We tend to fear the unknown for the danger it could potentially bring and we stick with what we know will make us safer. I have probably read at least a hundred self insert fanfics were the protagonist tried their hardest to keep the narrative on track and only making minor changes when it can save lives.
To me it makes sense,would you rather have a certain future where even when things get rough good always pulls through or an uncertain future that could potentially be better or worse then the certain future?
9467123
Exactly! That last bit is how Harmony is reasoning this. Why have an uncertain future, when I know it will turn out ok this way?
You did'nt set the link for discord to be a permanent one.
How do you keep a earth pony from just going poof? Don't know about you but don't like it when things just poof out of my reach