Advancing through an empty, icy hallway, Princess Celestia tried to distinguish any landmarks around her while keeping an eye on her captors both in front and behind her. The sound of their hoofs echoed in the walls, adding to the tense atmosphere.
After advancing to match the pace of her captor, the princess finally broke the silence and addressed Sharp Shooter. "I recall you saying something about wanting to talk, Mr. Shooter. May I know when you were planning to start?"
In reply, the pegasus only chuckled lightly and looked over at her with a calm smile. "Patience, Your Highness, just a little bit further." He replied with a casual tone that didn't soothe the princess's carefully caged rage as they stopped in front of a wall no different from any other, save for the staff hanging from a display. Sharp quickly grabbed it and then flew up into the middle of the wall, starting to rub his hoof against its surface as if looking for something.
"Although I would say that things have gotten a bit... tense with all the silence, so why don't we start with a history lesson?" Finding what he was looking for, Sharp Shooter flew back down and leveled the staff's tip against a small gap in the wall. The princess now noticed the red gem in the staff, which had a shape that fit perfectly with the gap.
Once secure, the pegasus regarded the princess again, maintaining his casual tone. "This place has quite the history if I do say so myself. It's possibly older than the three tribes and could easily be from the times of Gusty the Great," he said with excitement as the princess remained stoic.
"Quite impressive indeed; I would be even more intrigued if I wasn't so disappointed with how you have tainted such a historic location with your modern machinations. That is, of course, if what you say is true." Celestia replied in quiet defiance, maintaining her stoic expression, which soured Sharp Shooter's mood, though he didn't voice his displeasure.
"Yes, you are right, Your Highness; it is normal not to be interested in this type of thing just yet, but wait until you hear what I say. Maybe then your attitude will change." The pegasus assured before turning the staff, which was now easily identified as a key. It revealed a secret entrance to a set of spiral stairs before the group, heading down toward a lower floor with no light at the bottom.
"This way, Your Highness," Sharp Shooter beaconed her to follow as he stepped inside; the guards behind the princess poked her with spears as she followed suit, and they followed until they reached Sharp Shooter, who tapped the floor twice. Snails with bioluminescent shells lit their way to another hallway and stretched off into space.
Picking one snail up and putting it on the top of his staff, Sharp Shooter lit the way further through the open space. "I bet you are full of questions right now, Your Highness; I think it is time I start giving you some answers." Sharp Shooter started as a low tune started playing, the guards starting to hum with the music as the pegasus illuminated a mural in front of them, astonishing the princess as she paid close attention to the images in front of them
"What is this?" Celestia asked in legitimate surprise, as something she had never seen was presented before her, and Sharp Shooter started rapping.
"You see, princess ~back then, during my travels, I stumbled into this place, an ancient history, and forgotten knowledge, one that gave me the answer that none ever since has ever spoken, that confirmed to me what I had for so long suspected, ever since the great war that I have once partaken"~
Celestia gasped in astonishment when crude images of alicorns popping out of the wall appeared in front of her, as ordinary citizens, as if they were part of the cave ponies era.
"I see you are starting to understand, princess; I assure you this is not my doing; this is history and truth as it was once told." He pointed at a family of alicorns
~"There was a time when alicorns were not all that impressive, just regular ponies like any other species, and they were nice and wise, a thriving society, that is, of course, until they stumbled another race, one with bipedal legs and peculiar bird faces"~ He pointed at another image of alicorns making contact with what appeared to be bipedal creatures with beaks and arms of birds. Without skipping a beat, Sharp turned to the princess, who took a step closer to look at the image in displeasure as they started to move and wave at each other.
~"That is right, princess, this is your origin and a cautionary tale, one that describes actions that neither you nor I should either forgive or forget."~
Celestia looked at Sharp in surprise before looking back at different images of the bird tribe ~"I admit to not knowing how it started or how things played out in the end, but from what I discovered, the fight began with them."~ The image showed the bird creatures with spears and torches.
~"The bird tribe, nothing but dangerous and violent creatures, that is what they were, who replied to your race's kindness and wonder with violence and death."~ Celestia went pale when she saw the Alicorns being hunted down and captured by the bird creatures; she could almost hear the screams of fear and pain as the monster cut their wings and horns or impaled them.
Sharp Shooter kept advancing, and the rest followed as he continued talking.
~"They call them beasts, you monsters, with glee and sadistic smiles. They just kept killing and plundering. The truth is laid bare here; it was as clear as your day. For them, it was always just another game."~
Sharp finished angrily before pointing at a section where alicorns could be seen escaping into what appeared to be a city hiding within the clouds ~" And then I discovered the actions your ancestors took. The alicorns are strong, intelligent, and wise, but they all have one fatal flaw: their resolve. They could have chosen to fight. Instead, they chose to run.
Thus, here we stand today, where I can express my concern with this tale of extinction and memory of your race. Now, you must choose to fight or flee just like your ancestors did before, but before you decide, princess, allow me to remind you, in this cruel world, you either fight or end up six feet under."~
Sharp stopped and showed the monsters standing victorious atop a pile of corpses as the alicorns flew into the sky.
He pointed at an image of Alicorn passing their magic to a pair of fillies and handing them to Equestria's founders; the message was clear in Celestia's mind ~"By this point, I imagine you are wondering. "Hey, they escaped, so where are all the alicorns? Are they still in the sky? Still hiding and thriving?" I wish that were the case, yet the reality is much sadder."~
There was a new picture of the alicorns, seemly to be falling sick and dropping dead ~"One final gift of the bird savages, a sickness, effective and fast, one that was quickly spelled their end, that is until they finally took action, even if too late, the alicorn race would did not go out without a fight"~
Celestia was speechless when she saw a group of alicorns gifting their magic to three fillies before sending them to the founders of Equestria, who raised them as their own. Memories of the princess's past flooded her mind like a tidal wave.
"It's...it's me. me and my sisters." Celestia whispered, touching the figure of herself as Sharp chuckled and flew around her.
"Your prophecy, your Highness, now you see I'm your ally?" He illuminated the final image of them lifting the stars as he continued his song
~"And it was here where I saw the truth and the destiny you were meant to play. The final gift your species gave you and your sisters is power beyond measure. As a way to survive, their intentions are clearer, and their wishes are more than justified; princess, you can't repeat their actions. You can't let this chance pass. It was always your destiny, fate, and species' cry to set things right and end the madness. As the princesses of Equestria, you must take up arms, take the throne and crown, as the only true queen everyone should look up to, to show the world that you three were always the only ones fit to lead, the only ones fit to rule them all."~
He flew in front of the princess and pointed at the image of the fillies; in time, the whole room came to light, and statues of other Alicorn started to sing as the light began to dance.
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
The statues repeated in a low tune as the music gained more volume, showing more and more atrocities ~"And you can't deny"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"You know, I'm right"~
~"So step up and take your crown"~
Shaking her head, Celestia pointed at the mural and looked at the pegasus, breaking her calm. "Sharp, this is insane! You can't possibly be suggesting a world war based on an old story."
"That is exactly what I'm saying, and it's more than a story. It is history and a cautionary tale to avoid history repeating itself. Of course, I'm not suggesting that you declare war on the world blindly; No, That's stupid and, worse, counterproductive. This kind of thing requires patience and timing. Who knows? There may not even be a need for a war. Just think of it as a way to put all other races in line and what to do with those that don't comply." The pegasus descended and started to pound in time with the music with a smile.
"Listen to yourself, Sharp Shooter! This is madness. You, better than anyone, should know what war is. It only brings pain and misery. Even if—and I mean, this is a huge IF—this mural is correct, and what it represents is what you are implying, that was then and now. Things have changed, and we are better than this. The time of needing wars is and should remain in the past."
"Are you sure about that, your highness?" Sharp questioned with a smirk, taking a step closer to her
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"You talk of better times, you preach of another way, yet all I see is excuses and fantasy"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"And don't try to deny things, don't insult those who gave their lives, war is always present, and history is on my side. I know your past; what happens when two little fillies move the stars, and if you want a clearer example of war? What about the changeling, the yak, and the storm attacks?!"~ Sharp stomped the ground in anger and with an accusing tone.
~"So step up and take your crown"~
Celestia was about to reply, but Sharp wasn't done and poked an accusatory hoof at her.
~"None of those attacks we ever instigated by us, and yet they still attack and attack without remorse; one group even attacked us not once but TWICE in a row! They don't care about friendship, they don't care about us, they only care for power, and they want it all. So I must ask you, princess, to see the facts; friendship and kindness are admirable but will only lead us so far. You know I speak the truth if you care for your little ponies. As proud equestrians, we can no longer hold back. For the sake of our kingdom, we must strike first and hard, with swiftness and cunning, to set an example to our enemies and make our message loud and clear. We no longer play nice; they will either obey or be crushed under hoof and never given a chance to strike back."~
Flipping his staff, Sharp Shooter uses it on another gap; he opens the mural in three sections, revealing how the entire wall was a giant stone door.
Stepping inside, the princess was surprised to see a whole army training, well-equipped and seemingly ready for war. The army was composed of ponies and other various races, including deer, which surprised the princess the most, considering Sharp Shooter's history with that race.
"What is all of this Sharp Shooter?" Celestia demanded as they advanced through and over a bridge of stone; all of the soldiers who noticed them stopped what they were doing and saluted at them
"A well-oiled machine of war, I told you, I have been preparing. With all sorts of tricks, plans, and tools ready for use." They approach a table laden with arrows. The pegasus picked one and handed it over to the princess. "Tell me, princess, have you ever wondered how I made my fortune? Here is a clue: it's tied to how this arrow was made; it looks simple at first, but take a closer look at it, and you will see:"
He stepped aside and let her see a machine producing the munitions, which was connected to a tube feeding some Luminescent green liquid into the machine while also connecting to many other devices through a vast network of other green tubes, all leading back to a single source, strapped to a device in the middle of the metal circle.
Gasping in horror, Celestia could only stare. "Wait, that...that is not liquid, its blood, and is that...?"
~"The very one, Chrysalis, former queen and an old foe, now serving a higher purpose."~ Sharp flew by and passed his hoof at the edge of the cylinder as the changeling trash around in a fury, trying to free herself with no avail
~"Just like the others, just like old foes, tell me, princess, do you think all changelings had a change of heart?"~ He pointed to his right, and the princess saw corpses of black changelings being used to produce more arrows.
~"No, of course not, that is not how things work in real life, so it falls to me to finish the job and set the example; when your enemy attacks, you must strike back and keep striking. Otherwise, you can expect them to attempt a second attack. Such is the way things should be: the winner makes demands, and the loser gets in line, and that is how I work, finding our enemies and giving them a new role, amassing fortunes, resources, and more to your beck and call, all for Equestria, all for you my queen. The true ruler of the entire world"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
The soldiers started to sing as Sharp flew in a circle
~"And what a beautiful world would that ever be"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"Under the banner of Equestria, we can all live free"~
~"So step up and take your crown"~
Celestia stepped back, feeling sick in her stomach, until Sharp flew to her side ~"Take the deer, for example; you remember them well, right? Do you remember what happened after we left? Well, let me tell you, it didn't end well."~ He pointed at a group of them
~"Humiliated and now broken, their spirit was beyond repair, with sorrow and resentment toward the ones that started it all, their rulers, yes the same ones you spared, were now facing the people's glares. So the conflict was exploited, and their pride kept their mouths shut, and since Equestria didn't intervene, their nation couldn't do anything but crumble and turn to dust."~ The group looked down in shame and anger before resuming their work
~"And so anarchy settled in, and in a matter of months their kingdom was reduced to none, the survivors struggled their morals soiled, some escape, some weren't so lucky, and those that I didn't take in, now just plot their revenge, on the mare that didn't do anything and left them to their fate, I know it hurts, but the reality of things, is something you can't ignore, what is wrong was right, and what once right was wrong"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
Celestia looked around her, all the sad faces staring at her.
"I'm sorry, I can't do that," She defended herself
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
"No matter what you say, two wrongs would never make a right," She screamed with concern and determination.
~"So step up and take your crown"~
"I can't just step in and help other kingdoms if they don't ask. There are rules; there is the matter of their pride!"~ Celestia continued.
~"Oh, that, I understand, but princess, you have to comprehend that sometimes rules need to be broken, and no, you can't just keep doing the same; you can't trust everything to six mares to hopefully make things whole again. That is why I did what needed to be done, Your Highness, for there is no such thing as one move to fix it all."~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"And many more would not survive otherwise"~
~"Rule them all, Rule them all, Rule them ALLL"~
~"If you keep defending that fake cause"~
~"So step up, and take the crown"~
~"If you don't, then Cadence soon will be gone"~
"WHAT?!" Celestia exclaimed in horror and rage.
"You want to see what happens when we do things your way? Take a look." He points to his right, where two ponies guarded a giant rectangular crystal. Sharp Shooter gives the signal, and they touch the crystal; as it starts to emit a small light, and from its surface appears an army of caribou, deer, and diamond dogs, gathering on a snow hill.
"What am I looking at?" Celestia took a step closer.
"Mercenaries, from of all the nations you decided NOT to conquer when they attacked first, preparing an outright invasion of your niece's kingdom, the deer was just one example, but Equestria has many enemies, fueled by revenge and beyond saving, and with how weak the Crystal Empire is currently, the land is ripe for the taking. Killing your family in the process, including a child? I wouldn't be surprised if that is their main objective for many of them." Sharp explain calmly ending with a shrug and a shake of his head
"I would never let that happen!" Celestia continue in defiance
"And how are you going to stop it? Send Twilight and her friends? They are already heading to the kingdom as we speak. Go ahead and send a letter if you wish. Just don't be surprised if later you receive their heads as a response,"
Sharp's tone got more aggressive as they advanced to a lower floor ~"You feel encouraged and comforted by your noble notion of right and wrong. To let others rule and fight as they do as if there is no other choice, well, news flash. Laws have already been broken; you warn them of the danger, and you would be viewed as the bad guy. The rules on which you are so keen, well, they say to let your niece die! All those mercenaries are still other nations' problems; we intervene, and your supposed friends will spin things to their favor, just an excuse to strike, another excuse to declare yet another war."~
Celestia, scared, started to walk backward while looking everywhere as more and more soldiers gathered around Sharp Shooter. ~"Don't ask if this is right, don't ask if you should wait, ask yourself this princess, what would you rather have? your morals and pride or knowing your family will stay safe?"~
Sharp stopped, and Celestia felt herself against a wall as Sharp sat and crossed his frontal hooves. "Lives are on the line, princess; what will it be?"
Taking a deep breath and shaking her head, the princess stood tall and defiant as she stared at Sharp Shooter. "I'm more than familiar with the concept of lives on the line, Sharp Shooter. Don't forget how I have and will outlive all of you and have had my fair share of love and loss. I thank you for the warning, but I will rescue my niece and my allies my way and by the book. If you truly claim to be my ally, then you will dismantle this place, let me go, and turn yourself into the proper authorities."
Her expression softens, and she leans her head forward. "I beg you, Sharp Shooter. You have shown me how you see life. Now allow me to show you what is lacking in yours. Take me, for example to follow, and let me teach you something called compassion." she offered, extending her hoof toward him.
For his part, Sharp Shooter remained quiet for a moment before sighing in disappointment. "Now"
He ordered no one in particular, and the next thing Celestia knew, she was struck down by sedative darts that knocked her out in a matter of seconds. Sharp Shooter used his body to catch her head and shoulders before lowering her gently to the ground.
"You are still trapped in your lies, your Highness, refusing to let your true face shine." The pegasus looked at the princess in pity before looking at the wall before him. "But don't worry, my queen. I know you are in there somewhere, and I will help you see the truth, you and your sister. All of Equs would soon meet their true rulers; all they need is the proper rehabilitation."
He then addresses his soldiers, "Put her back in the gas chamber and double the dose; she is still resisting the drugs."
"Right away, sir." Two soldiers took the princess away, and Sharp Shooter admired the painting before him with yearning.
"Soon, my queen, soon you will be free to rule them all," he whispered at a painting of Celestia sitting on a throne of gold, holding a wand with orange reptilian eyes and her mane and tail on fire.