//------------------------------// // A Walk in the Park // Story: The Worst Gamble // by Salocin //------------------------------// The Admiral looked behind herself, at the side of the castle facing Canterlot, within the shadow of her ship and the mountain illuminated by the rising sun. She had decided to give the Princess some time to raise the sun and grant herself a few moments to contemplate. Celestia would come around to their ultimatum, she was sure. As she passed the castle walls and drew suspicious glances from guards and citizens alike, she did not pay them too much attention. Instead, the humanoid was focused inward, attempting to communicate with her subordinate in Ponyville. But she was not able to get a response just yet. Their telepathy would only work if Kahemot really wanted to respond, and it seemed to her that this was not yet one of those times. Perhaps she was still preoccupied with convincing the Princess of Friendship, or she simply chose not to reply because she merely wanted some time to herself. All understandable, of course. But she couldn't help but wonder and worry in equal measure how she was mastering this task, even if failure would have already been reported to her. Soon her attention was drawn away from the mind and instead toward the citizens of Canterlot. Right as she traversed all the steps down from the Royal Gate, she had her eyes glued to the bewildered citizenry glancing at her. Many of them looked at her with fear, with some of the fillies hiding behind their fathers or mothers. A few even ran into their houses, barricading themselves and watching through the relative safety of their windows. What would make them fear her so much? Seheset was fully aware these poor ponies had been through a lot. They lived through a war and curfews associated with it and had to endure the cruel measures of an uncaring Princess. Who would deny their citizenry all they needed to live? They were primitive, for sure, but general post-scarcity was already possible. Of course, societies reject such concepts until a certain point of technological and spiritual development, but she could never and would never be unable to ask herself such questions. Maybe it was their inferior physiology or the fact they had been born of the shroud; what that meant, she didn't know, and Kahemot didn't dare tell her everything. But she was determined and looked forward to bringing these poor primitives into a new era. Or maybe that was just what she was deluding herself into believing, in light of all the other reasons for invading this world, personal and altruistic. Then again, fear is what may be needed, so whatever angst the equines showed, she gracefully ignored. In some way, she even enjoyed their fear, but this enjoyment was only momentary, fleeting as her attention once more passed to the streets that came alive in these early hours. The walkthrough Canterlot continued, with her taking note of the pastel-coloured facade and yellow or purple roofs protecting them and their inhabitants from the elements. It almost felt like the colour palette of this world was not made for Sylanian eyes, despite all the beauty this city and the Equestrian landscape might have. Finally, the Admiral reached a round hedge patrolled and manned by armed ponies of the Canterlot garrison - the Central Square - where just a bit over an hour ago she had landed with her ship, destroying the pristine symbol of the two sisters, the crescent and sun, now partially glass from the heat of thrusters. The soldiers and the commander from earlier, whose name she had already forgotten, looked at her with unease. The commander's gaze turned into a frown, displaying clear distrust. Squinted eyes observing her every move told her everything she needed to know about this Thestral. She would be one of the first to be subjected to check-ups to see if she would remain loyal. She also noticed the dark shape of her shuttle still standing in the square. The onboard AI was still doing its job, considering that the welcoming committee had not broken down the doors and entered the ship. Reluctantly, she thought. With stoicism, she continued her walk towards the mountains. Just as she was about to enter the Canterlot Mountainside Park, a grizzled old pony with a white beard took note of her presence, glanced upward towards the dark shape still above the city, and muttered something to himself. She just knew it was about her and couldn’t resist the temptation of interrogating this old earth pony. Seheset approached all of a sudden and inquired, "What did you just say?" The veteran mare hesitated for a moment before repeating herself, "Your kind brings trouble." "What makes you think that?" "I know your kind. You are the type to arrive in a city and proclaim yourself the new ruler of it. I’ve seen and fought you before." "You're a veteran," Seheset realized at that moment. "Changelings and again the Changelings. But not you," the mare told her. "No. My fighting days are over." "Why did you fight against the Changelings if you barely look like you can hold yourself upright, pony?" she asked, with no effort put into seeming politically correct. The Admiral knew she could afford to be direct with this insignificant earth pony. "So the young don’t have to. Now get out of here before I lose my temper." "Why don’t you believe we come in peace?" she continued asking, with the elderly pony becoming increasingly hostile. "Had you come in peace, you would not have arrived with this monstrosity blocking out the sun. Now get the Tartarus out of here. I don’t want to be interviewed," she concluded before waiting for the alien to leave, which she wasted no time doing. What an unfriendly mare, she thought. But it was to be expected. The ones most resistant to the invasion will always be the elderly, though mainly spiritually and much less physically. "In time they’ll see the light," she told herself while approaching the park. "Some life extension technology, and they will look as good as newborn and can let go of their bitterness. After all, beauty is everything." This last sentence might as well have been the mantra of Sylanian society. Ideally, there is to be beauty in everything, from war and punishment, architecture and city building to mundane concerns such as diplomacy and the way one walks. There can and should be beauty in everything. "Is there not beauty in the way I conduct myself?" she asked herself, before assuredly dismissing the question, knowing fully that she follows the Empress' Mantra to the best of her abilities while continuing to walk as though she was some model, though it’s also less overt than when a humanoid from the other civilizations presents the newest fashion trends. These thoughts vanished as she began to walk up an increasingly steepening hill. This was the green basis of the mountain, and the thing she could see at the top was a wooden contraption bridging the raging river next to her. Extra security was provided by a wooden fence. For a moment, she stopped and took a moment to look back. The river in question was sourced from the mountain itself and flowed down into channels that formed a ring around the city centre and eventually pooled in floating ponds right next to the castle before being spewed out, creating waterfalls that even the most critical of Sylanians might find beauty in. Even the castle's looks were quite to her liking. In her deepest of hearts, even she had to admit that the Canterlot skyline, with its alternating purple and yellow roofs, the whimsically shaped clean white castle, and the channels flowing with clear freshwater, had quite the appeal. As she eventually finalized her climb of the steep sandstone pathway upward, she arrived on a natural platform, and as she saw the blades of grass blowing in a strong breeze and could look not just at the castle but beyond it, as far as Clouddale she breathed deeply, in relief. After a minute of a steep march upward, it felt near-satisfying standing on the roof of the city... or at least a hill overlooking it, with the mountain just behind her. From up here, she could see Canterlot for what it truly was. A quaint if impressive piece of art - a planned city done right - and a treat for the eyes. Oh yes, this would become the centre of administration for Equus. For a moment, she let herself go, drowned into a meditative retreat into the confines of her mind, falling with her considerable backside onto the wooden bench. Oh, a few moments to herself, while the Princess mulled it over, couldn't hur- "OW!" A plump pain made itself swiftly known on her buttcheeks as she sat - for her stature - ridiculously close to the ground. She forgot these benches were not made for Sylanians! Her knees reached all the way up to her breasts, and due to her wearing a skirt, everything below could be seen! She quickly stood up and cleaned herself up, lest she'd be seen by some citizens passing by like this! Once she stood upright again, she took fast-paced looks around with her head, and cleaned her clothing before standing there awkwardly for a moment. Her cheeks ran blue, hoping that no one from the Castle balconies saw her. The increased in speed of her heartbeat passed, and eventually, she just stood next to the brown wooden bench, looking toward the city. Aside from worried citizens going hesitantly about their lives in the shadow of the mountain and the ship above, loud, polluting, and frankly, ugly vehicles made their way through the crowds of people forming on the streets. In contrast, the ship those same crowds worried so much about. Oh, how she enjoyed the sleek, sharp lines and smooth hull of her Empress-class Battleship, but unfortunately, she had to remind herself that she could not forever dwell on her favourite ship in the navy. Still feeling the need to relax, she continued standing there on top of the hill overlooking Canterlot. The Sylanian closed her eyes and fell into a trance, a beautiful rest while still standing - proud as ever - upward and facing the city, a cool morning wind continuously blowing into her face. This was the windof change. She could feel it blow straight towards total Sylanian dominance. In the end, whatever sacrifices stand in her way will be worth it. For all the privileges she will afford these primitives, they will still be, in the end, just another leaf in the beautiful tree that is the Sylanian Empire, carried by the roots that are the Empress and her ambitions. Faust already has the potential to be a world of gardens and furthermore a pivotal node from countless ones in the most glorious of civilizations to ever grace the galactic firmament. But first, the Princesses need to be dealt with. They are key to everything, and she is determined to keep that key turning, but only to open Sylanian doors. Oh, she could already grasp the glory she would receive. Not just from the Empress but from ponies adoring her and the Empire she opened up to them. Seheset could practically hear the jubilant cheers of elated and happy crowds at one of the many public speeches she will have to hold, and ideally, the General would be by her side, having overcome her troubles. As the wind of change blew into her face, she formed a smile at the future she imagined. And once she left her meditation, she looked around and saw the sun was significantly higher than before. She could feel at least 15 minutes had passed, if not more, and of course, greater warmth from the rays hitting her pale, grey skin and Kahemot had reported! "The Princess agreed. We are making our way to Canterlot shortly." Yes, she enjoyed her time in Canterlot Mountainside Park, but now she had to return. She kept the excitement about the arrival of Kahemot to the city under a stoic facade, but she could nonetheless feel her heart beating faster. Hopefully, the Princess of the Sun had made up her mind. And so, with near-sadistic glee, she smirked as she left the overlook, walking back in the direction of the Castle she would soon call home.