//------------------------------//
// Tea Time 
// Story: The Abundance 
// by defender2222 
//------------------------------//

"And sometimes we play chess with other people's lives"

-Magneto





"He's WHAT?!?!" 

Fluttershy cringed. Even though she was one of the most powerful beings in the world, with abilities and magic that allowed her to reshape the world at a whim, and whose body had been remade into that of the most glorious of immortal stock... she was still Fluttershy. It didn't matter if there was nothing that could truly hurt her; she would still feel the urge to tremble and curl herself up into a small ball when faced with an opposing force.

The force, in this case, was in the form of a pristine white alicorn with a grand purple mane that seemed to twinkle like diamonds.

"He's... he's... coming to tea."

Rarity gave her friend a sour look. "Darling, I want to make sure I understand this right... Doubt, the monster that corrupted Twilight and drove her away from harmony... who helped create Nightmare Moon and whose actions have led to the need for all of us to take our rightful roles as rulers of Equestria... he is coming to have tea with us?"

"He said we could do hot coco if we wanted."

The fashionista let out a suffering sigh. "Fluttershy, my dear, he is the enemy. We can't socialize with him. It would cause a scandal... our little ponies might think we have become monsters ourselves... it would be the WORST... THING...."

"Ever," Fluttershy said, finishing the quote. When Rarity huffed a little Fluttershy smiled and shrugged. "Sorry... but you have said that a few times."

"The classics never go out of style," Rarity stated, taking a nibble of a sugar cookie that lay on her plate. She had always dreamed of having tea in Canterlot Castle but now that she had done it several times she found the whole experience had become, sadly, rather pedestrian. When you could travel anywhere with a blink of an eye having an afternoon bite in a fancy castle just couldn't live up to the hype. "Now then, we must figure out a way to politely decline his offer and suggest that he spend some time in the dungeons."

Fluttershy rapidly shook her head. "Oh no no no! The dungeons are not ready yet! I found out that they put 900 count thread sheets on the beds when it needed to be at least 1500. And the jacuzzi isn't getting as hot as it should."

"You do realize that ponies that go to the dungeon our prisoners... we don't have to treat them like guests at a grand resort."

Fluttershy blinked. "But... but if we are mean to them they will never join us." Rarity blinked, considering this idea.

"Fluttershy brings up a good point," Faith said, entering what had once been Celestia's bedroom. Several guards flanked him, including a age progressed Sweetie Belle dressed in the most beautiful of uniforms, but he paid little heed to her or her guards. In fact, if it weren't for the leg irons he wore he would have appeared to have been just another stallion coming to join two lovely mares for a bite. "Unless, of course, you want to just kill all that disagree with you and be done with it. Can't recommend that path, especially since you are already trotting on thin ice, but I suppose it is up to you." Faith settled down and stared at the empty cup before him. "Would you like to be mother?"

"Huh?" Rarity said in an utterly undignified manner.

Faith flashed her a look of utter disdain. "Serve... would you like to serve." He brought his right hoof up and scratched the base of his horn, right were the magic dampener had been clamped upon it. "I would but I am currently without my magic."

"I will serve," Fluttershy politely, her horn encased in a golden glow as she began to pour Faith a cup. "Would you like a straw."

Faith rattled the chains that bound his forelegs. "Please. And a bit of lemon, if you would. I tend to like a little bit to my tea." He smiled as Fluttershy did as he requested. His eyes slide over to lock onto Rarity's, the silver alicorn smile conveying utter amusement at the rage that the white alicorn was attempting to conceal. She hid it well, but when you were as old as Faith was... and as evil as he had once been (and yes, he could admit that he had been quite evil during points of his long life) you could just tell when an enemy was seething. "I would have thought you would know the proper way to serve tea in Canterlot, my dear Rarity. You have so worked hard to achieve a standing here... such a good student."

"If I didn't know any better I would say you were mocking me," Rarity said with all the snooty airs she could.

"Yes, and it is quite clear, looking around, that you do not know better." Faith leaned down, sipping the tea through the straw. It wasn't the same as using his magic to take a drink but beggars couldn't be choosers. He'd only discovered his love for tea-time after Twilight had introduced him to the concept. Oh, he knew HOW it was done... but he'd never really had a chance to sample the drink until he'd returned to being Faith. Now he loved the stuff more than Twilight did and the poor mare was constantly having to get him to not partake in the daily ritual. "Now then... I suppose we have much to discuss."

"Oh yes," Fluttershy said. "You have been very mean and rude and...well... we'd like it very much if you gave us Twilight back."

"I've been rude? My apologies. But as for you final point, I confess I am confused. You know that I am not controlling Twilight... or you would if you were yourself, Queen Fluttershy." Faith stuck his tongue out and nabbed a biscuit, pulling it into his greedy mouth. "But then, you two aren't alone in those skulls of yours, are you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Rarity said.

"I am talking about my dear older sisters, who have taken up residency in your gray matter."  Faith pursed his lips as he leaned back in his chair. "Kindness, Generosity... I wish I could say it was a pleasure."

Something flashed in the eyes of the two female alicorns, which was enough to confirm Faith's theory. 

"You lost the right to call them your family when you betrayed the elements and fell into darkness," Fluttershy said, surprising even Rarity with her brashness.

"And they lost the same privilege when they left me on my own, confused and befuddled without any guiding hoof." A snarl appeared on his lips but he quickly tapped down his anger. "I was like a newborn and you and the rest of the family failed me. You abandoned me and stayed where you were tucked away. And then, when I dared to interact with the world, you piled scorn on me because you felt we should be above those things."

"You failed yourself, Doubt," Rarity said.

"Ah... now which one of you is saying that," Faith said with a smirk.

The white alicorn leaned forward. "You are such a rude-"

"That isn't very kind of you, Queen Rarity." He shook his head sadly. "Can't abide by your own rules? Tsk tsk tsk."

"Please... please don't do that," Fluttershy said.

"Do what?" Faith asked innocently.

"Try and turn us against each other. It won't work." Fluttershy smiled slightly as she sipped her tea. "Others have tried that but we are stronger than you assume. We won't fall just because you point out a few small details."

"That confident, are you?" Faith asked. "Well then, I was going to spend more time sowing the seeds of distrust, but I so do hate repetitiveness, especially when it is futile, so let us move on." 

"Thank you," Fluttershy said. "Now, if it is ok with you, could you tell us where to find the rebels and Twilight."

"I haven't the foggiest. I left before Twilight got close to whatever cave they are held up in. My apologies." Faith leaned over the table, locking eyes with Fluttershy. "Next topic: You are going to fail."

"Excuse me?"

"You and your friends... this whole new rule that you've set up... you are going to fail... be overthrown." He waved a hoof at her dismissively. "Don't worry... every rule is overthrown. Nothing is truly eternal."

"Except you," Rarity pointed out. "And now us."

"Living forever and being eternal are two different things, my dear." Faith snatched another biscuit and munched upon it. "To be eternal is to last forever unchanged. None can claim that. All of us grow and change and evolve. I am not the same creature I was a 1000 years ago and I will not be the same 20 minutes from now. Everything is changing and growing. Such is life and not even an immortal is immune to that."

"And that is why you think we will fail?" Fluttershy asked, using her magic to snag a cookie.

"Of course. Nothing is static and already things are in motion that will challenge you."

"And those are?"

"The rebellion, for one," Faith pointed out. "You should have seen them coming, my dears. You overthrew Celestia and Luna and set up great change in this land... that will always cause strife. Change is violent and messy. "

"But we are offering something better," Rarity countered, wanting to shut the smug alicorn up (and not wanting to talk about anything that was 'messy'). "We offer the ponies of Equestria peace and joy and happiness. All that have joined us know only love and the glory of life. We are eliminating strife and conflict and war. We are setting up a utopia where all are free to live their lives and never fear being hurt." 

"Oh, is that all?" Faith asked, a bit of sarcasm coloring his words. "You can't dream just a bit bigger?"

Rarity tisked as she took a sip of her tea. "That is your problem, you know? You believe that darkness is a part of life; you think of it as something needed, as something that must exist and that it can't be removed. You look upon this world, see all that is wrong, and just shrug your shoulders and refuse to do anything because 'that is the way it is'. What a sad, pathetic view from a sad, pathetic creature. Life has been hard on you and you've decided that since your existence has been cruel then all of life must be cruel. You have the power to help others, to make a difference, and you refuse! Instead you sit there on your plump behind, spouting off your little theories and sarcastic speeches and contribute nothing. And one of us 'little ponies' dares to try and save this world you belittle and mock. I tell you now that darkness is nothing more than a disease and we five will cut it away. We will save this world and that eats you up inside because if every pony is happy then you'll be the only one left around to be miserable."

Faith slowly turned to Fluttershy. "It isn't that plump is it?" He glanced at his flank in worry.

Rarity began to growl.

"My dear, foolish queen... you can no more remove darkness from this world than you can stop the sea from churning. Even with your mighty power there are still some things that you cannot control; one such thing being the nature of living creatures. Don't get me wrong, you are doing quite well... very fine job you did on your own sister, by the way. But that is only the emotions... not the nature. You create a choice and there will always be those that side against you. Some might simply believe that you are wrong. Others may cling to the old ways or perhaps want something new. Some just want to go against everypony else. It is our nature to resist and not always follow and because of that there will always be a rebellion.”

“Then we will just crush those that dare to fight against us.” Rarity declared. When Fluttershy stared at her with an open mouth and horror in her eyes, Rarity waved off her friend’s concern. “We offer them kindness and joy and they push it aside… they are no better than Discord. They are enemies to harmony and must be destroyed. Do you believe Discord deserves anything than what he got?” 

“No... no he didn't. And if others won't listen to us and became just as much as a threat..." Fluttershy gulped before turning a steely gaze upon Faith, "then they will have to fall."

“Such is the way of rule,” Faith said, wishing he could use his magic to wipe the crumbs from his upper lip. “Of course, you run into the danger of force.”

“The danger of force?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow.

Faith brought his hoof down onto a biscuit, crushing it. “Apply too much force and one of two things will happen: subjects will be squished away, escaping your hoof and finding new places to dwell, leaving you with a more wide-spread problem. They will drift off, find others that don't know your name, and spark rebellion in their hearts. Then you will find yourself suddenly with too big of a world and not enough hooves.” He waved at a knife sitting on the table. “Their other option is that they will harden and press back.” He looked at the biscuit in annoyance, brushing the crumbs away. “And, of course, there is still the dangers from within.”

“W-within?” Fluttershy whispered.

“You honestly don’t think that you five can rule forever without fighting, do you?” Faith rolled his eyes. “Yes yes, you say that you can't be turned against each other. I say that is fooling yourselves. Fluttershy, what if a friend paints a terrible painting and asks you what you think… would you tell them it was ugly and you hated it?”

“N-no!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “That wouldn’t be nice! It could hurt their feelings.”

“So you would lie… I can’t imagine Queen Applejack would like that.”

Rarity wasn’t buying Faith’s argument for a second. “Friends argue all the time, Faith. You’d know that if you truly had some. We bicker and we feud but we always make up. Will there be disagreements? Of course there will be! But we will overcome them like we always do.”

Faith pursed his lips, before glancing at Fluttershy. “Yes, disagreements. You’ve had a lot of them and that was fine when you weren’t playing chess with a nation as the board. Now such disagreements can result in the deaths of millions.”

“We won’t let that happen,” Rarity said.

“What is greater… five or one?”

The fashionista frowned. “Five, of course.”

Faith laid out five cinnamon sticks. “Five.” He slammed his hoof down, crushing them. “One. One force will always be mightier than five splintered armies. And that is exactly what you are setting up here. The fact that you can’t see that shows me just how useless it is to hope that you will come to your senses. I had hoped there would be some chance of peace between all of us, that you would be willing to work to correct the mistakes you have made... I see you are too entrenched. Pity. Let slip the dogs of war then.” Faith bowed to Fluttershy. “I find I am no longer in the mood for tea. I would like to be shown to my cell now.”

“O-of course!” Fluttershy stammered, waving for the guards to escort Faith away. The abstract gave Rarity a dark smile as he was led away.

“Faith!” Rarity called out. She rushed over and, to his surprise, gave him a hug. “I am sorry if I upset you. I hope you can forgive me.” Before he could answer, she leaned in and whispered. “I am generous in everything… in happiness and wealth… and in pain. Remember that.”

“Oh… I will,” Faith said coolly. "Believe me, I will."