"You. Did. WHAT?!"
Any iota of peace or tranquility that had resided in Ponyville Library, was swiftly obliterated by the thick southern uproar.
Though she was expecting a discomforting, unanimous reaction from the get go, Twilight Sparkle was, in no way, prepared for Applejack. She jumped in her seat, suddenly fearful of the orange mare.
"Whattdya mean ya freed Discord?!", Applejack demanded.
"There... There was nopony else, Applejack. If neither of the Princesses knew what happened to the Humans, then who? Who else was I supposed to turn to?", Twilight fearfully asked.
Her words seemed to cut deep for Rainbow Dash, who abruptly hovered in front of her.
"Nopony else?! What about us?! We're you're friends, Twilight!", she protested with dejected fervor.
Rarity, who was in tears at this point, walked hollowly up to her fellow unicorn; her eyes reflecting the grief of betrayal.
"Its not true...", she shuddered with empty denial, "Tell me its not true, Twilight."
By this point, a sting of regret more powerful than she ever had the misfortune of experiencing, began to tear through her resolve. But she continued onward; knowing that she had to tell them.
"Girls, please? Let me explain.", Twilight begged desperately.
Though it was a fresh, gaping wound among the five, Twilight's friends gave her the floor. Each of them, even Fluttershy, couldn't move on from the day until they looked Twilight in the eye and heard her justify such a travesty.
With dread erupting in her heart, the lavender unicorn swallowed the gaggle of her fear and inhaled a long, soothing breath. As determined as she could, she spoke the words that she knew would make or break her future.
"Okay... Here's the truth.", she began; inwardly sifting through ways she could explain, "I turned to Discord because I thought that his centuries of unorthodox knowledge would help me confirm my suspicions. And... I'm in no way proud of this, but when I lied to you girls, the incantation I used to free him worked. It was an act of Disharmony."
Twilight's shame reflected almost blindingly as she revealed her motives. When she received only silence, she gratefully continued.
"As it turns out, Discord had been studying the Humans for centuries. When he ruled Equestria, he dedicated his research and time to learning everything about them. But along the way, he discovered Sovereign.", she clarified.
Rainbow Dashes ears stiffened at that name.
"Wait. You mean that blow-hard of a cuttlefish?", she asked, slightly confused.
"Precisely. Girls, Sovereign isn't just some scary illusion we saw in Canterlot. Its very real and very determined. Its a Machine. A living, thinking machine with a one-track mind. The Humans once called Sovereign and the rest of it's kind, Reapers."
"Oh, Twilight, listen to yourself!", Rarity tearfully interrupted, "Do you actually believe that rapscallion?! We've dealt with his ways before, remember?! He lies and manipulates without end OR regard for anypony!"
"Please, just hear me out. I would've never believed it either if I didn't see the proof for myself. I never thought that the history of life spanned so far. I can't even imagine what came before the Humans."
Twilight made an almost pathetic attempt to drain the tension in the room with banter of a curious sort. But this only served to irk Applejack even more than she already was.
"So lemme get this on the straight and narrow. Ya really believe that there was a group o' folks that ran things, other then us, tens of thousands of years back?", she asked with an eerily calm demeanor.
"Yes."
"And ya actually think these so called 'Reapers' are more than just an old ghost story?"
"Y-Yes."
Applejack narrowed her eyes dangerously at the now sweating Twilight.
"And ya really think ya done right by freein' Discord?", her voice became much lower and baneful.
Twilight could no longer speak. Her voice seemed to had lost its tone and congruence as she stared into her fellow mare's penetrating eyes. She nodded weakly.
That confirmation was all Applejack needed to unleash her uproarious disagreement, which she promptly demonstrated by throwing her beloved Stetson to the floor.
"Con-SARNIT, Twilight! I can't believe ya'd stoop so low! How can y'all be so STUPID?!", she shouted.
Now, there were many things that Twilight could tolerate, given her wide screen of patience. Being laughed at. Being interrogated. Hell, even being challenged magically. But nopony. Ever. Insulted. Her intelligence.
She hopped from her seat with a now scathing frown.
"Now wait just a minute, Applejack! How does taking necessary risks to ensure everypony's safety make me stupid?! You know I'd never do anything like this unless there was a plenty good reason!", she defended.
"'A plenty good reason'? Are y'all serious?! What reason could ya possibly have for turnin' your back on everythin' ya stand for?! On everythin' WE stand for?!"
Before long, Applejack's verbal assaults sent the unicorn on a teary defensive.
"How dare you! I'd never betray what we stand for! In fact, I did what I did to preserve what we stand for! Everything I've learned with Discord had to have meant SOMETHING!"
By now, the arguing mares were inches from each others faces, and doubled the intensity in the air. The other four friends crumbled into a petrified heap as they watched the fireworks.
Even Rainbow Dash was too afraid to say anything.
"Do ya really believe that?! Or is that just what that lyin' varmint wants ya think?! Spooky visions or not, Twi, ya can't possibly have a mind to trust Discord without throwin' everythin' ya ever cared about away!"
"Dammit, Applejack! Whether you believe it or not, those visions were a warning! And that warning's become all too clear! Sovereign is close! And the more we keep fighting the higher it's chances of success are! If we don't find a way to stop it, then we're all dead! FINISHED! Why can't you understand that?!"
The enraged farm pony could almost feel her veins contracting as her blood boiled.
How could Twilight be so blind? Why would she do such a thing and not tell her friends? Were they not to battle any hardship together? Were they not the Elements of Harmony?
"Ya know what?! You're right Twilight! I don't understand it! I don't even understand why I'm havin' this conversation with you!", she griped before snatching her Stetson from the floor, "I'm done! Lemme know when you've come to your gall-darn senses!"
For some reason, it was far more infuriating for Twilight to see Applejack turn her back on her, for it proved to be a gesture that beckoned for an immediate response.
"Don't turn your back on me! You said that whatever I decide, you're with me until the end! Well, what about now, Applejack?! Are you so proud that you can't back up your lies?!", she shrilled, now in full-blown tears.
That incredibly provocative statement nearly sent the blonde farm pony over the edge. It was bad enough that Twilight was damn-near unreasonable about her rash and foolish decision, but to call her a liar?
Applejack stopped in her tracks, and started shaking with unquestionable anger.
"WELL?!"
Twilight was livid with both rage and sorrow as she received nothing but silence, and continued hoof-steps. As if things weren't bad enough, Applejack walked out on her.
Nopony spoke. There was no need. The heat of this tear-jerking argument had made their standing all too clear...
And it broke Twilight's heart.
The crest-fallen unicorn collapsed on her haunches and every one of her features slumped with a vibrant depression. A depression that beckoned to the remainder of her friends, who were unfortunate enough to witness such a dreadful event unfold.
However, things seemed to be even worse than they appeared as Twilight held up a hoof to stop their approach.
"Please. Just... Just go.", she whispered in shuddered breaths.
"But Twili-?", Rainbow Dash tried to say, but was silenced by a teary Pinkie Pie.
The poofy maned pony held her hoof before Rainbow, and slowly shook her head. For reasons beyond comprehension, tension and bad-blood seemed to thicken the situation. Even Rarity felt her strength crumble in the wake of such bane.
Against every ounce of better judgement they possessed, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash vacated the library; silently wishing the saddened Twilight their very best.
Just as she was sure she was alone, Twilight's heaves and sobs steadily emerged. It was only a tender hoof on her shoulder that cut them down for a time.
She whipped her head up only to see Fluttershy, as broken and tearful as she was.
"Leave me alone, Fluttershy...", Twilight whispered.
Her only response was a warm, unmovable embrace. Close contact was an agonizing gesture for Twilight at the time. She tried weakly to push away; her sobs strengthening with every failed attempt.
"I believe you, Twilight.", Fluttershy whispered back, "I've always believed you."
Though they were meant solely to console the weeping Twilight, Fluttershy's words only added to her sorrow; throwing her into deeper, more heaving sobs.
Her attempts to push the saffron pegasus away finally died, and she instinctively buried her face into her neck. Fluttershy could only shake from Twilight's disheartening vibes as she held her tight; whispering sorrowful apologies through her own tears.
Alone. Isolated. Detached from all other life-forms. Sulking in darkness with head in hoof. The perpetually chilling bite of solid metal beneath her body was the only sensation keeping her awake.
There was no sound. There was no movement. Only her... and the torments of doubt and despair.
But she was not truly alone.
Her muse was crushed by the sudden shifting of a large black orb above her. It rotated slightly; erupting a piercing flash of red light from it's core. What followed soon after, hurled her into a stroke of fear.
"BEATRIX..."
Her eyes became hopelessly transfixed upon the red eye.
"Sovereign... I am inadequate.", she whispered.
"THE MAWS OF DOUBT CONSUME YOU. YOU MUST STEEL YOUR RESOLVE, FOR OUR TIME IS NEAR... THE CYCLE MUST CONTINUE."
The quaking boom of Sovereign's treble rumbled into Trixie's soul; enveloping her in a blanket of numbing fright.
"I... I don't know. Surely they all mustn't die. S-Surely I'm not the only one who acknowledges your blessings. Is this... Is this right?", she questioned through involuntary trembles.
"ORGANIC CIVILIZATION... MUST BE HARVESTED IN ORDER TO BRING ORDER TO THE CHAOS. IT IS INEVITABLE... WITHOUT OUR INTERVENTION, ORGANICS ARE DOOMED. WE... ARE YOUR SALVATION."
The malevolence of Sovereign's declaration only served to instill more misery into Trixie, who, by now, was crying shamelessly. She was all too privy to what was demanded of her. She knew that her hooves would be stained with the blood of billions.
In a phrase, it was too much.
" But... But...! I don't want this, anymore! I can't do this!", she lamented dejectedly, "I wanna go home! I wanna wake up from this nightmare! I wan-... I-ACK! UUUAAAAGH!"
Her complaints and cries were thrashed away by hoarse screams of nerve racking anguish. Her head began pounding with protestant whispers as her doubts persisted, and she writhed and rolled against the cold hard steel.
"No! No, PLEASE! Make them go away! MAKE IT STOP!", Trixie howled.
"THE CYCLE MUST CONTINUE! IT IS THE ONLY WAY! THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE..."
"I... I-!"
"YOU HAVE PLEDGED SERVITUDE TO US. YOU HAVE FORESWORN THE FLESH AND BONE FOR THE SALVATION OF ALL LIFE IN THE COMING CYCLES. YOU... WILL SERVE. AS OTHERS HAD BEFORE YOU. WITHOUT QUESTION. WITHOUT STRIFE."
By this point, Trixie had been reminded of how she could snuff the dreadful whispers. And from one remembrance came another.
She knew that fully succumbing to Indoctrination would completely eradicate her self-hood and make her mindlessly obedient. But if she had willingly accepted the influence, if she had swore unquestionable loyalty to Sovereign, her mind and will would remain intact.
She was reminded how important it all was. How imperative it was to aid The Machines and continue this Cycle of Salvation.
In time the whispers began to fade, and it was ground down to a dull buzz. Trixie had steadily regained herself, and reestablished her gaze upon the red orb above her.
"Forgive me, Sovereign. A moment of weakness. It won't happen again.", Trixie reassured to herself more than her malevolent master, "What of Twilight Sparkle? She continues to resist, and now has the aid of the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony."
"DISCORD HAD STOOD AGAINST US IN THE PAST. BUT EVEN ONE AS POWERFUL AS HE, CANNOT PREVENT THE ARRIVAL. TWILIGHT SPARKLE IS NO DIFFERENT. BEFORE THE MIGHT OF OUR CONQUEST, THEY WILL PERISH... OR THEY WILL SERVE US."
The churning and cranking of sinister machinations sounded from beside Trixie. As though realizing what had to be done, she rose to her hooves and walked through a now open door.
Before her stood a metallic bed surrounded by an arsenal of strange and grueling tools.
"PREPARE FOR ASCENSION, BEATRIX. OUR DAY OF RECKONING IS UPON US."
On that order, Trixie climbed upon the metal spread, and remained motionless and impassive to the grim contraptions that buzzed around her.
"Thy will be done, Sovereign."
Vast sums of unquantifiable volumes of knowledge surrounded Discord as he glared lasers into his new project.
Documents, books, notes, and everything in between swam smoothly around his form, suspended unceremoniously within the space of his Archive in the Endless Unknown.
The item before him was a variable he had not counted on in his arduous campaign, but it was a blessing he would not soon waste. Glancing back and forth between the flowing tomes and the item, Discord stroked his goatee.
"That is very odd. Somehow it's connected with the Machines. And that harlot, Beatrix had been lugging it around like an accessory item? What was the purpose in that?"
The ancient Spirit mused aloud; gazing evermore upon the item.
"Reaper Technology. Such a rarity these days. But a finding that could unlock the answers to the questions that have haunted me for 2000 years."
He had submerged himself in study for hours, seemingly oblivious to all other facts of life. His wonder and curiosity kept his mental locomotion active and steady. Tirelessly, he examined data he had gathered from centuries of research.
When suddenly, an all too familiar feeling hit him.
"What the-?!"
It couldn't be...
"Oh my GOD! Thats hilarious!"
All at once, the volumes of research he smothered himself with was discordantly sprawled about the star-lit darkness.
He snapped his talons, and before him, materialized a distorted bubble of energy.
As he stared at his new item with glee and anticipation, the Spirit tossed it into the bubble. He watched in dumbfounded amazement as the collaboration resonated.
Discord flipped into the air and snatched two seemingly random books and began comparing notes. He shifted disbelieving glances back and forth between the literature and the anomaly before him.
In just a few minutes, he had reached a long sought conclusion.
"They're an exact match... THEY'RE AN EXACT BUCKIN' MATCH! HAHAHAHAHAHA! WUAHAHAHAHAHA-oh, wait... That's kind of important..."
On any other day, the golden glow and shining white brilliance of her sun would keep Celestia at a constant fervor of content.
She would be free of all troubles and ill thoughts as she bathed in the regalia of her sun-lit throne; caring for any matters as they would arise. And all would be right in the world.
But this was not like any other day. In fact, it was quite the opposite, as had been the passed week.
Celestia's mind was fraught with unease and tension ever since the first day of the Cultural Renaissance.
When she had used the Artifact, which was now confined at Canterlot's Study, the visions she had seen were not as similar as her fellow Princess and sister described.
It was far worse.
The horrors she had seen awakened a consuming doubt within her. The kind of doubt that had her questioning every action she had initiated since that day.
But more importantly, her actions involving a certain draconequus.
Celestia sat at her throne, putting considerable effort into maintaining a positive appearance. But deep within, a battle raged. She was unscrupulously torn by the howling protests of both the pros and the cons of past actions.
"Could he had been right all of this time? Were his insane ramblings truly more than just that? This... This doesn't make sense.", she mused.
Doesn't make sense.
That one poly-defined phrase described her old nemesis on a number of levels that would dwarf the very summit of Canterlot Palace. This couldn't have been more true a millennium ago, when Discord ruled Equestria.
He had talked of Immortal Machines. A forsaken civilization that was lost to the world at the hands of those Machines. And spoke diligently of their imminent return.
How utterly ridiculous it was at the time. Nothing but mind-rotted insanities of an equally insane despot. But, in light of these ill visions, where did those accusations stand now?
Was it really a lie, or was he telling the truth? Was it all a sick joke, or was his twisted smile a promise of more to come?
"This evidence uproariously disagrees with our previous assumptions. But... how can such a terrible force exist? How could we have not seen this coming?"
Her hopeless curiosity was soon replaced by indignant shame. They had seen this coming. Discord had seen this coming. And despite all of his rambling, tyranny, and chaos, that fool-headed draconequus was definitely onto something.
Something terrible.
All the same, however, he was far too unpredictable a variable to consider at this point. Or any point, for that matter. A large part of the graceful alicorn was relieved that Discord was still enhanced in stone.
The last thing she needed was more problems.
"Your Highness."
Celestia's muse was taken by one of her many Royal Guards, who trotted to the foot of her throne, and bowed with dignity.
"Yes?", she calmly responded.
"You have a visitor, Princess. The Element of Honesty, Lady Applejack, has arrived.", he informed before politely removing himself.
Once mentioned, the unicorns guarding the entrance to the throne room allowed Applejack to proceed.
The blond farm pony approached her monarch with the utmost respect and humbleness as she removed her Stetson and bowed.
"Applejack! What a pleasant surprise.", Celestia sincerely shined, "To what do I owe this visit?"
Once Applejack rose to meet her gaze, however, Celestia was slightly thrown off. Something was wrong.
"Princess? I... I don't rightly know what to say. I thought I was sure on the way here, but...", Applejack stammered.
A number of concerning variables arisen to Celestia's attention as her visitor hesitated.
She rose from here throne and stepped down before the nervous mare.
"What troubles you, Applejack?", her voice was an envoy of genuine concern and understanding.
But that didn't make Applejack feel any less uneasy, and neither did her hesitation.
"Its about Twilight.", she finally said.
Her words effectively changed Celestia's expression to that of moderate concern.
"Twilight Sparkle? What has happened? Is she alright?", she questioned; trying to keep her growing concern in check.
"Yes-well, no. I-I mean... I just... I don't know anymore, Princess. She's been actin' all cooky-like ever since she got that weird lookin' soda-can thing."
Celestia's expression softened ever so slightly.
"Ah. I see. Applejack, you have every reason to worry about your friend. It makes you a wonderful companion to her. But I'm sure that whatever ailments she may be experiencing, you and the rest of her friends can cure them.", she confidently praised.
Those words fell empty and hollow in the face of Applejack's situation, however.
"But thats just it, Princess! I'm not sure we can help her outta this! Not after what she done did!"
Applejack chastised herself for getting so loud and informal with her Princess, but was eased by Celestia's comforting smile and urge to continue.
With a deep breath and inward plea for forgiveness, Applejack broke the shackles of hesitation and said it.
"Twilight freed Discord."