//------------------------------// // Die Wahrheit wird euch frei machen (teil eins) // Story: Mein Kampf // by Darkswirl //------------------------------// "Thou dares to threaten our sister in front of us?!" I shouted suddenly, flicking my wings open and stretching them to their full length. To any other pony, I would have seemed like a demon as my eyes glowed pure white. Likely, they would be a simple quivering ball of horse at the mere sight of me like that. Unfortunately for me, Chrysalis was not one of those ponies. "Indeed, I do dare threaten a tyrant who sends her own kind off to war for her own personal gain." Chrysalis spat, loosing her calm, slightly joking demeanor. I took a proverbial step back. "Tyrant? Tyrant?! Doth thy even know of the hardships that we hath faced throughout the years in order for our ponies to live peacefully, without fear of a dragon suddenly deciding it wanted an easy meal?! Doth thy remember the times when Ponykind lived in constant fear of Discord?! Surely, thou should remember if thou knowst our full name!" I shouted angrily, spitting in the face of the creature who so foolishly decided to call my sister a tyrant. But there was no fear nor fury played out across her face as she wiped my saliva from it. Instead, there was only a slight smile as her eyes filled with laughter. "She doesn't know..." she whispered, I assume to herself. "Marvelous! This will speed things along quite nicely! Burning Heart!" At call, the gray-coated Unicorn trotted in from the adjacent room; pushing his way past immobile Changelings. When he had reached the clear center, where Chrysalis and I stood, he took up a space next to the Queen and awaited his orders. "Captain, would you be so kind as to show Princess Lunarias what she needs to see? The Dusk is approaching..." "The light of truth shalt shine upon her snout, milady." Burning Heart replied with a nod before turning towards me. "Princess, if you would accompany me into the library, please." As he turned to leave, I cast a wary glance at Chrysalis. "I assure you, no harm will come to you while you are within this sanctuary. We need you more than you know, Lunarias. And when the light of truth finally shines in your eyes...I believe you will be more than willing to help us." At that comment, the Changelings around me began climbing up the walls once more as I turned to follow the Captain of the Guard. Whatever they had to show me, I was immensely curious of- but not especially trusting. ῼ "Give us one good reason why we should nary paint the room with thy blood." "Because everything thou hath read is the truth. Thou knows the facts of the war, as thou hath been through them personally. Hath thy never questioned why the dragons suddenly invaded without warning? Thy sister learned of the mineral deposits underneath towns but could do nary a thing about it unless they were moved. The entire Second Dragon War was staged as an excuse to add to her coffers, castle, and armory." "Tis a lie!" "Is it?! Consider the records I hath just presented to thee! A whole, battle hardened military at the time was available to defend Equestria! A leader, knowing full well the dragon's capabilities and tactics after the first war in command- and where doth she send her army?! To Zebrica in order to 'quell a local uprising in order to secure good relations'! Hundreds of ponies died for that! And where did all those harvest minerals and gemstones go to, hm? Thou hath never even been aware of such doings, hath thee?! Straight to the furnaces to be smelted into coin or armor- armor that sat in storage for years on end when Equestria's finest needed it!" the Captain of the Guard shouted angrily, placing his hooves upon the table and leaning forwards towards me. I didn't want to believe. I couldn't This stallion had just showed me unquestionable proof- written, legal documents from ponies that were long since dead -that my sister had planned almost every single war that Equestria had fought in. And every outcome was the same: cities that sat atop proverbial gold mines were destroyed- cities that held no significant power sometimes, even! -so that the royal pockets would remain full! I had been living off of the wealth of murdered ponies for years on end, and I was too horrified to speak. To horrified to see the light of truth. "Thou speaketh lies!" I shouted in rage, flipping the table onto Burning Star and slamming myself onto it. "Princess, p-please! We only wish to better Equestria!" "Better Equestria with your blood!" I shouted in blind fury, channeling all of my magic into the table until a sickening pop could be heard and a pool of blood began forming under me. But I was not finished yet- oh no. Chrysalis would face my wrath, along with every black robed pony I came across while searching for her. My rage had fueled my body so much that it had started to morph in order to contain the power, and I didn't even notice it. ῼ "Chrysalis!" I shouted again as I continued trotting forward, the halls behind me smeared with blood and bits of flesh from the few foolish ponies who had either attempted to halt my advance or 'talk some sense into me'. I had cleared out every room within the caverns except one. This final room sat at the end of a long hallway. Its door was but a simple wooden slab with an eerie green light glowing from underneath. I turned and bucked down the door with such strength that anypony behind it would surely have been killed by the force. Unless, of course, that somepony had caught the door in her magic before it had a chance to strike. I leapt onto the door, straining Chrysalis's magic as she struggled to hold me aloft before, with a simple flick, she sent me flying into the opposite wall. I glared and let out a roar as I charged, trampling down many bulbous, green pods that sat on the floor while many more hung from the ceiling. I couldn't see past the thick membrane that protected them, but I knew enough that whatever these things were, Chrysalis was responsible for them- and what we had seen at Stonehill. As I bent my head down to impale the Changeling, she flipped open her wings and dodged my attack, causing me to crash into the wall. I spread my own wings and gave chase, following her as she weaved to a fro- dodging my every attack. Her face was what confused me the most, causing me to drop my guard for a moment. She was not scared, nor worried, no furious. She looked as though she was simply...Disappointed, like a mother towards its foal after it had stolen a dessert. Sensing my defense drop, I found myself being held tightly in Chrysalis's magical grasp only to meet the wall again with a sickening thud. "Thou art what occurred to Stonehill!" I shouted, feeding myself with whatever anger I could muster. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Lunarias!" "Stop calling us that!" "A disease had stricken the town, and had we not been there to offer them new life- all would have perished!" "And what of the tortured skeletons?!" Chrysalis flared her wings and threw me downwards- too fast for me to recover. As I hit the floor violently, I felt Chrysalis land on top of me and press her hooves onto my legs, holding me down. "The conversion process is not kind to all..." she said rather sadly. "There were...Mutations that we could not be reversed, and only impeded their lives! It was mercy, Lunarias! I love all of my children, pure or converted! Do you?!" "Every citizen of Equestria is a child to us!" I shouted in reply. "THEN WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO LET YOUR SISTER DO WHAT SHE DOES?!" As the furious Changeling panted softly, cooling herself down, my emotions and logic caught up with me in an instant. Every memory I had ever had of my sister- that proud, elegant, caring ruler was shattered. Everything I knew and had grown up around was a lie. How many others- the castle staff -new of my sisters doings? Had they suspected from the documents? Why hadn't they said anything? I realized that I could not trust anypony any longer- perhaps not even Skyward Sword. And then, I began questioning why my sister had allowed me to come here. She knew what lay in waiting, didn't she? She had expected me to investigate, find the culprits, and have them executed for their threats against the crown. She had expected me to play the role, once again, of an unquestioning, loyal soldier. That is why she allowed me to come. Everypony in the town was in on the conspiracy. Everything suddenly made sense: why Noble Thornguard's castle lay so barren- he had given up his possessions to the common folk! -,why the townsponies were afraid of me- they feared I was like my sister! -and why Burning Star had come down so suddenly to the dungeon- he was making sure I had spoken to the prisoner!... But why? My mind reeled with questions. Why had they imprisoned one of their own? Perhaps she had caused the fire? Was it an accident? "There never were any snow wolf attacks, were there?" I asked calmly. "No. It was I, and the guard- along with every other pony in this town -let the truth into their eyes. The missing guard are currently training to battle as soldiers, rather than mere guards. And what about you? What will you do, now that you have learned everything there is to know?" "...I will speak with a friend."