//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Planetary Escape // by Tachyon Xenophile //------------------------------// ~10 years before the return of Nightmare Moon The decision was made. Equestria would not be informed of any of the foreseen catastrophes. It would be in the interest of all the other species if the ponies were weakened, as they were already far too strong. Additionally, informing them could result in all sorts of unintended side effects, including paradoxes. If Celestia knew her sister was going to return, Discord was soon to be freed, and the Crystal Empire would reappear, it would throw the world into interspecies war. However noble the intentions of Celestia, she was still a pony, if an alicorn. Although the mortal ponies might look up to the alicorns, they were still constrained by the terrible xenophobia innate to the equine species. Changelings, of which the deciders were, had none of this accursed mental defect. Neither did the draconequi. However, both races had mental defects of their own. The draconequi saw other races as inferior, which, while correct, led them to not mind if they caused misfortunes for the mortals. And the Changelings, while capable of feeling empathy, still had to eat the emotions of the endoskeletal beings. For that matter, all races of this planet had some mental weakness. The changelings at the meeting were all Council members. Rather than the obsolete totalitarian thaumocracy of Equestria, the Changeling Swarm was run by a meritocratic communism. They were the best at their tasks, and thanks to the ethicator built into the 73rd-gen hive mind, they would never put their own interests before that of the commoner. They lived in complete equality with all of their subjects. The members of the Council were: Queen Chrysalis of Department of War Professor Kaon of Department of Science Dr. Grey Goo of Department of Technology Baron Tariff of Department of Funding Head of Senate Filibuster of Department of Lawmaking Premier Shield of Department of Internal Affairs Chief Diplomat Covenant of Department of Foreign Policy Judge Equinox of Department of Justice Prime Elementalist Hypercane of Department of Magic and Shard 1UQD0 of Department of Secrets and Espionage. They were legends among their own race, and yet, despite their own powers, they had never had any feelings of superiority as compared to the less powerful members of their own kind. In fact, although the ponies didn’t know it, they had one of the fairest forms of government in the world. Queen Chrysalis called the meeting to order. “As you know, it has recently been discovered that our food supplies won’t last much longer, and our love containers either malfunctioned or were sabotaged. There are several options. We could negotiate with the draconequi, who can conjure us up some love synthesizers. We could trade with the dragons, our pony bits for their love supplies. Neither of us uses what we have for money, but the other does. We’d both get richer. However, if that doesn’t work, we do have a failsafe.” She paused, and, after a deep breath, said, “Invade Canterlot.” Gasps were heard around the table. Baron Tariff, a very rich, clever and mathematically-minded male changeling, spoke up. “That would be bad for the economy. Most entrepreneurs don’t like working with hostile powers. While war may be good for business, unprovoked invasions aren’t.” Chief Diplomat Covenant, who was highly charismatic (due to her unusual ability to read the mind of anyone of any species instantly), added, “It’s especially risky as we have a peace treaty with every race save the diamond dogs. We really can’t attack Equestria without causing every other government to boycott us or even counterattack.” Queen Chrysalis looked around at her fellow leaders. She said, in an effort to calm them, “Don’t worry. This is only a backup plan, and with luck, we’ll never need to use it.” Prime Elementalist Hypercane was very quiet, but extremely powerful for her ability to control every aspect of the weather over as large an area as a continent from afar. She looked up at Chrysalis, and said, “Very well. Backup plan.” ~3000 years after the 2nd defeat of King Sombra “…And that’s how the Sixth Anti-Changeling Genocide was justified.” The students looked at their teacher in shock. After several seconds of horrified silence, the room degenerated into a shouting match. One student yelled, “Ponies used to DO that?!?!” Another responded, “Dragons would KILL other sentients?!?!” Yet another yelled, “Draconequi would LET other races be harmed?!?!” “What was WRONG with everypony/ling/dragon/equus/gryphon/dog back then?!?!” Their teacher, Miss Endorphin, sighed. “You have to understand, they were much more uncivilized. They didn’t have the trans-species laws. They hadn’t even managed to keep peace for more than a millennium. The good news is now that we genetically engineered ourselves to fix our minds, no race dislikes each other anymore. And because we aren’t fighting with each other anymore, we have the power to lead a galaxy effectively. And with help by the Gallopfreyans, we are on the verge of exploring our own past and future.” One of the students, a unicorn named Q-Ball, raised his hoof. “If we are about to be able to time travel, can we go back in time and fix all of the bad things the ancients did?” This idea quickly gained support among the students. Miss Endorphin just smiled sadly. “It probably wouldn’t work. The Changeling Quantum Mages have looked into altering the past. It’s just too dangerous. If we change the wrong thing, our world might get destroyed.” A draconequus named Aeon asked, “But I read up on time travel physics and magic, and it said that our actions would be able to change the future.” Miss Endorphin thought about it. “It’s possible. How about this: After lunch, we’ll scrap our laser discussion for one on time travel. I know about as much as you do, which is to say almost nothing.” During lunch, the only topic of chatter was the atrocities of the ancestors, and ways to fix them. Aeon was talking with Q-Ball about the problems of quantum gravity physics versus those of Gallopfreyan time physics. Aeon was a firm believer in Gallopfreyan physics. Because draconequi were able to manipulate reality, they didn't really agree with normal physics; they needed something more permissive. Aeon tried to explain, "I'm just saying, if the Time Stallions can change the past, why can't we?" Q-Ball looked off into space for a few moments. He replied, "The Time Stallions are Neigh Immortals. Even with the alicorn operation, we are still time-vulnerable. The Time Stallions have been changing the past for millennia, they are... acclimated, I guess. We are still discovering how to time travel, it's too risky." Aeon inclined his head, and scratched it with his tail. Q-Ball noticed that Aeon hadn't moved his lower body; he'd just elongated his tail. Shaking off the feelings of pertubation that he got whenever a draconequus used his or her powers, he continued, "I just think even if we can time travel, it's way too dangerous." Aeon nodded, and said, "We'd need a paradox negator, and who knows if those are even possible. At least, we'd need it for tech-based time travel. Repurposed chronomancy with some xenomancy added might avoid the entire issue. Magic doesn't follow the laws of physics but its own, after all." The beep on Q-Ball's uniform told him that lunch was over. He put his synth cookie in his cargo pocket dimension to save for later. He smiled at Aeon. "Race you to the classroom!" he yelled happily. He teleported, but was shocked to see Aeon already standing there. "What took you so long?" Aeon asked him, winking. Q-Ball's jaw dropped. Aeon smiled. He explained, "You forgot, I'm a draconequus. We can warp time, so I slowed down the universe, including your mind, causing you to take 50 milliseconds longer than me." Miss Endophorin called the class to order, and the discussion of the secrets of the universe began.