Chapter 7: Occlusion
“All right, Spike, remember that this is a secret mission!” said Twilight. “Don’t let anypony know where we’ve gone!” A large checklist and quill floated in front of her, ticking off items as they flew into her saddlebags. The display case for the Elements opened and the Elements lifted in her aura. The Element of Magic tucked itself into her saddlebag.
Pluto winced.
“What’s the matter?” asked Twilight.
“It might not be a good idea to bring the Elements that we won’t be using,” replied Luna.
“Why not?” asked Twilight. “Shouldn’t we have them with us in case we need them?”
“Unless you are wearing them, there is a chance that they will be stolen or confiscated,” replied Pluto.
“Is that likely?” asked Rarity.
“That depends on what Morning Star has done to the populace by the time we get to Canterlot,” Pluto responded. “And if you do wear them, he may realise that there is something strange about them. We do not want to give him extra advantages.”
“I would also prefer to avoid the panic that seeing the Elements in public may cause,” added Celestia.
“Wouldn’t all that apply to Kindness?” asked Twilight.
“One Element should be easier to smuggle,” said Luna. “We’re not planning to confront Morning Star yet. We are just gathering intelligence and supplies. And rescuing Plutonia’s dog. We will simply run if something goes wrong. The Element of Kindness is just a safety precaution for Fluttershy in case Morning discovers her.”
“All right.” Twilight nodded. “Then we all know what we need to do before leaving.”
“I’ll just go and finish off my preparations,” said Rarity as she headed for the door.
“Excuse me!” called Pluto as she raised a hoof. “Er ... Rarity?”
Rarity froze and turned around. “Yes, Pluto?”
Pluto bit her lip and slowly lowered her hoof. “I have ... some experience with transformation and illusion magic.” Her coat turned grey and her wings and horn were absorbed by her body. “But ... disguising cutie marks is ...a bit ... beyond me ... and mine is rather distinctive.” She pointed at the cage of bone surrounding a pair of red eyes in the darkness on her flank.
“She’s asking for a dress,” said Luna.
Pluto scowled. “Even though I am not a princess anymore ...” She shot a glare at Celestia. “My fund is fairly large. Even with the fact that I am not allowed to access most of it for another one thousand one hundred years.”
“Oh, I have the perfect dress for you, Pluto!” said Rarity. “You don’t need to pay me for it! This is for a secret mission, after all! Think nothing of it!”
“And Spike,” said Twilight as she packed the Element of Kindness, “remember to guard the other Elements.”
“Got it,” said Spike as he gave a salute.
(/)
Three unicorns, three pegasi and three earth ponies headed for the Ponyville train station. The smallest earth pony was wearing a pink, frilly dress which obscured her cutie mark. She waddled awkwardly as they traversed the town. “Before we decide on covers, let us make one thing clear,” said the filly, “I am NOT going to be her daughter!” She flicked her head towards the white pegasus with the pink mane and three suns for a cutie mark.
“Very well,” said the pegasus with a small smile. “You can be Crescent Moon’s.”
The filly half-lidded her eyes as she turned towards the black unicorn with the grey mane and silver crescent cutie mark. “’Crescent Moon’? Really?”
“It is more effective on the commoners than you might guess,” said the unicorn.
“I call this one ‘Sunny Skies’,” said the pegasus as she quickly inclined her head.
“Well, I guess that I am ‘Waning Moon’ then.” The filly sighed and rolled her eyes as she wiggled her shoulders.
“You can be nobles on your way home from vacation and I can be your hoofmaiden,” said Sunny. “Would you like that?”
Waning grinned. “Oh, I would like that very—“ Then she stepped on her dress and fell face first into a patch of mud.
“Oh my goodness! Are you all right?” asked Fluttershy as she flew over.
“I have been better,” said Waning as she got back to her hooves. “Let us keep moving. I will be able to breathe easier once we are on the train and in the privacy of our car.”
“Is something wrong with the dress?” asked Rarity as she walked over.
“I am sorry,” sighed Waning. “I do not wear clothes very often. Not since I was forbidden from wearing royal regalia. And I would be more used to barding. It is closer and I have had to practice with it anyway.”
“I ... see,” said Rarity as she lifted a hoof to her mouth. “So, how exactly ...?”
“Not outside,” said Waning. “Too many witnesses. We will talk more on the train.”
“Well, there’s the ticket office,” said Twilight as she pointed at a small building.
“Got it,” said Rainbow as she rose higher into the air. She darted off in a blur towards the window. “A car for nine to Canterlot, please?”
(/)
“Finally!” sighed Waning as she settled into her seat and Twilight closed the compartment. “So, ‘Operation: Get on the Train to Get us into Canterlot without Using any Obvious Magic’ worked. We can relax for now.”
“Yes. And also get Fluttershy ready. I brought your dangerous mission outfit!” announced Rarity as she held a hoof to her chest.
“You have a dangerous mission outfit?” asked Waning as she lifted an eyebrow and turned towards Fluttershy.
“Um ... I don’t wear it very often.”
“What is it made out of, mithril? Shadesteel? Adamantine? Darkwood?”
“It isn’t barding,” replied Rarity.
“Pity,” sighed Waning. “That is what I get for getting my hopes up.”
“Why aren’t you allowed to wear regalia anyway?” asked Rarity.
“It is part of my punishment,” said Waning.
“Why did yah get punished?” asked Pinkie as she leaned forward and pressed her face against Waning’s.
Waning leaned back. “It is not exactly the highlight of my life, even if recent events are reminding me of it.”
“How are they doing that?” asked Pinkie.
“It is reminding me of how I got into trouble in the first place and resolved to be a much better Cosmic.”
“What happened?” asked Pinkie.
“Do you really have to know?”
“If they’re really related, it could help us with our mission,” said Twilight.
Waning sighed. “Fine. If you must know, I will tell you. It started seven hundred years ago.”
(/)
Welcome to the world, Little One, said the voice. You can call me “Uncle Mortis”. I will be your guide. Until it’s your turn to join me and pass on the scythe to your own successor. I liked your parents back when I was alive. I was actually worried that they wouldn’t be able to give me a successor, but they pulled through in the end and here you are. With them as your parents, I’m sure that you will be very special.
“Goo gah!” squealed the tiny, yellow alicorn filly with the purple mane.
(/)
“How do you know about that?” asked Pinkie. “Did you look into the past with your mighty alicorn magic?!” She flailed her hooves about in the air.
“Mortis told me.”
“Oh.”
(/)
But most of the story takes place four hundred years after that:
The small alicorn glided down to the palace doors.
“Good afternoon, Princess,” said the guards as they bowed.
“Yeah. Hopefully tomorrow’s will be better,” she replied. Her aura shoved the shaft of her scythe into one of the guards’ mouth. “Take this. We don’t feel like carting it around today.”
She walked down the passage, magically unstrapping her shadesteel barding. “I can’t believe that I had to fly to Oxtralia and back the day before my birthday!” she growled. She swung open the doors of her room, inclining her head in acknowledgement of the bowing guards. She flung her barding to the floor and climbed onto the bed. “I should be relaxing, having fun and planning my party! Not flying around the world for work!”
It’s part of the job, Pluto. It’ll get easier as your magic grows. said Mortis.
Pluto rolled her eyes. “Always the job! Don’t I deserve some time off!? Just a few months ago, I had to off-offish-officiate at Dad’s funeral!”
And you’ve been complaining about it ever since, said Mortis. Your father was very old for a demi-alicorn. He wasn’t going to be around forever. And one of the perks of our job is that you can still talk to him.
“And what am I supposed to say. ‘Hi, Dad! How’s death?’, ‘Oh, same old. Same old.’”
Hey! The dead can be interesting to talk to!
“I suppose,” sighed Pluto as she wriggled, making a deeper indentation in the bed. “No offence. But seriously, you don’t turn four hundred every day! I should celebrate! I should have a party! I could have a decade-long party for a milestone this big!”
Except for the fact that you can’t because you have important work to do.
“Ugh!” Pluto gagged and stuck out her tongue. “You keep saying that, but no one believes it. No one cares about my work. They’d only care if I stopped doing it! And yet, I’m still expected to learn magic, flight, farming ... Why farming!? Why would I need that!? And everything I grow ends up looking like a Nightmare Night decoration!”
You’re an alicorn. It’s your duty to understand all the tribes of pony.
“Yeah. At least Aunt Celestia didn’t saddle you with an extra one.” She lowered her eyelids.
It may have been dangerous, but you have to admit that the creation of the pyrippi was impressive.
“Hey!” She lifted her head from the bed. “I could make a bunch of bat-winged, fanged ponies anytime I wanted to!” She held a hoof to her chest. “Of course, if I did it, I’d be smote!”
Several were considering smiting her. You voted against it. If I recall, you said that they were “really cool” and that you were impressed that you aunt could be so “edgy”.
“I remember. I was in a better mood. Not that they care what I vote anyway. I don’t know why I bother going to meetings. What’s the point in learning all this politics if I can’t use it!?”
You’re still young and inexperienced. They will recognise your ability in time.
Pluto threw her hooves into the air. “So, I get all the drawbacks of being an adult, with none of the perks? You know what? I’m tired of this! I’m going to have some fun! It’s my birthday! If anyone complains, well, at least it’ll mean they’ve finally recognised my importance!”
Pluto, I’ve seen things like this before. Trust me! It doesn’t ever end well! You will regret this!
“Yeah. I’m not listening to you anymore. I’m my own mare now!” She jumped off the bed, smiling, and rushed to the balcony. Then she bellowed, “We declare a month-long holiday of non-stop partying to celebrate Our birthday! There will be singing, dancing, games, feasting, and plenty of other fun! Let this week be dedicated to Our glory!”
(/)
Day by day, more entities crawled out of the cemeteries and more recent corpses spontaneously reanimated themselves. The nuisance was easily dealt with at first, but their numbers swelled daily. As they were scattered around the planet, it was difficult for any single cosmic to get rid of them without neglecting their other duties. I refused to listen to requests for aid. The other cosmics were pulled out of their normal duties to try quell the ever rising tide of undeath. But with the weak being easily eliminated, the stronger ones amassed and developed smarter tactics. They had no need for rest and learned quickly. A fortnight later, they amassed in large armies to attack the civilians.
“Wee!” squealed Pluto as she spun in the centre of the dance floor, her tiara glittering.
Celestia stood next to her, frowning. “I know that you’ve been avoiding me, Pluto.”
“That is what ponies generally do to their bosses while on holiday,” said Pluto as she continued to spin. “I’d hoped you’d take the hint.”
“You can’t ignore me forever.”
“It’s just a vacation,” said Pluto. “But if it feels like I’ve been gone forever, at least it’s working.”
Celestia shook her head. “It may just be a vacation for you, Pluto, but it’s more serious for the rest of the world.”
“Good. About time my importance was realised.”
Celestia’s scowl deepened. “You’re truly willing to risk this? You have a duty to protect the citizens of the world from threats like this!”
“They’re just some undead!”
“The average citizen is a lot less capable of protecting themselves than you are, Pluto.”
“I am awesome, aren’t I? About time that was recognised.”
“And what about the dangers to the civilians?” Celestia scowled. “We’re already worried about what’s going to happen to them!”
“If the others are worried, let them pick up the slack. Let them feel what my job is like.”
“We are given our assigned duties for a reason, Pluto.” She hung her head and sighed. “The other cosmics will not be pleased with you.”
“At last they’ll finally pay attention to me.” Pluto scowled quickly before returning to her dance.
Celestia gave another shake of her head. “They are not happy with our family at the moment, Pluto. They don’t trust it. You are playing with fire.” She stomped her hoof against the floor. “They won’t let you off easily.”
“They’ve never acknowledged my importance before now.”
“We’re all important.” She lifted a hoof to her chest. “Which is why we all need to do our duties. This is serious, Pluto.” She slammed the hoof back down again.
“Seriously awesome!” replied Pluto. “I need to hire this band again!”
A guard charged through the doors, almost tearing them off their hinges as he skidded across the dance floor and pressed his face against the stone. “Princess! The undead are rising from another cemetery! Please, your Highness! Help us! Ponies are hiding, terrified, in their homes!”
THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH, PLUTO! This needs to be fixed now! LET ME OUT!
“Really?” asked Pluto.
YES!
“That’s ridiculous!”
NOT AS RIDICULOUS AS YOUR ATTITUDE! LET ME OUT SO THAT I CAN FIX THIS!
“I can’t just...”
YOU CAN AND MUST! YOU’VE LEFT THIS TOO LONG ALREADY
“Um, I’m not normally supposed to—“
LET! ME! OUT!
“Okay!” Pluto’s horn wrapped itself in darkness and a large key appeared in the air. The key twisted and the air parted, allowing a mass of alicorn-shaped shadow to stride in. Pluto’s scythe flew into the room and hovered before him.
“It ends now.” Tiles tore out the ground and the windows shattered as the streak tore through the doors in the scream of the sonic boom.
The scythe spun like a circular saw as it passed through undead as if they were made of air. With every slice, bodies crumpled to dust and spirits were released. Buildings quaked in the gale force that followed him as he sped from city to city. A black, fuzzy mark spread across Equestria in minutes, purging the undead in whirling slaughter.
He dove into the ocean and trawled it, flying through the water as easily as the air. The water churned in the unending reaping of the scythe. The wave from when he flew out of the ocean did not fall until he had made significant progress in tearing through the undead of Zebrica. The black stain swept across the planet in a wave of judgement, hunting down the undead from the smallest microorganisms to the great whales. From the luvcats to the mighty dragons, all were torn apart by the scythe. By the end of the day, the planet had been purged.
Mortis swept back into the hall where Pluto sat, open-jawed, while the Sun set. He pointed the scythe at her. “NEVER make me do that again, Plutonia! EARN this scythe!” He placed it at her hooves and walked back into paradise.
(/)
Within the starlit void the desks of the Cosmic Council were focused on one point. Pluto sat shivering under the glares.
“Plutonia of Pluto,” began Noa, evergreen deer of Earth, “you have been convicted of dereliction of duty to the point of criminal negligence of a degree that threatened every life on the planet. You knew that your job was to guide souls to the afterlife and to prevent them from festering on Earth and becoming undead, yet you did nothing.” She slowly paced in front of Pluto’s desk, wearing a smile. “Even your own family has agreed. We have heard your defence already, but would you like to add anything for us to consider before the sentencing?”
“Please!” Pluto begged as she placed her hooves on her desk and leaned forward. “Have mercy! I’ve learned my lesson! I’ll always listen to Mortis from now on! I was upset! And it was my birthday! Can’t you be lenient towards a foalhood mistake!?”
“You were born a Cosmic,” replied Noa, turning towards Pluto and looking down at her through narrowed eyes. “Those who were born Cosmics have no foalhood! We didn’t and neither do you. We are always dealing with some crisis or another. You should feel lucky. If you had been born a couple of millennia ago, instead of ruling your people, you would have had to have been put into hiding, like all the other alicorns from that time. I have heard enough. It is time for sentencing! What are the suggestions?”
Limbs slowly rose, but one hoof shot into the air.
“Aunt Celestia!?” asked Pluto as she leaned forward. Why would she be so eager to suggest punishing ME when we’re family!? How could she!?
“Very well,” sighed Noa as she rolled her eyes. “If you’re so eager, what is your suggestion?”
“I cannot condone another member of my family defying the Council, even in so small a way,” said Celestia. “As such, I suggest that we make an example of her and give her punishment six, variation two.”
“Punishment six, variation two!?” cried Pluto as she leaned forward and slammed her hooves on her desk.
“Silence!” cried Noa. “You are currently at our mercy! I suggest that you don’t encourage harshness!” She exhaled and closed her eyes. “Opinions on the suggestion?”
A white, cloven hoof rose into the air.
“Yes, Jokel?” Noa cocked an eyebrow.
“It’s worrying for an alicorn so young to already be defying the Council,” the white elk said.
“What!?” cried Pluto.
“It suggests that we should keep an eye on her in case she decides to be inspired by Luna,” Jokel continued.
“I’d appreciate it if you avoided using my sister as the go-to example for defying the Council, Jokel,” said Celestia. “Or would you rather we discuss your past mistakes as well? It was fairly recent that your ‘pre-emptive measures’ nearly caused a new ice age.”
“Fine,” sighed Jokel. “But I still suggest the addition of five centuries probation.”
“What!?” Pluto cried again. “I’m not even five centuries old!”
“Responses?” asked Noa, raising an eyebrow and sweeping her gaze across the assembled.
More limbs rose.
“Yes, Gazenju?”
A large, red ram lowered his hoof. “I would like to say that contrary to popular belief, I think that undead are bad. Therefore, I second the suggestion.”
Noa rolled her eyes. “All in favour?”
“Hold on! I’m not ready to vote on this!” said a large, multicoloured zebra as he stomped a hoof.
Noa raised an eyebrow. “The motion’s been seconded, Zaida. What else do you want to discuss?”
“Just because you and Jokel have issues with Equestria, doesn’t mean that all of us want to be particularly harsh to one of their foals,” replied Zaida.
“She was endangering the world by neglecting her duties,” said Noa.
“The problem wasn’t unsolvable,” said a large springbok doe with a gleaming streak on her side. “We could have dealt with it if necessary.”
“And is this really appropriate for a foal seeking attention?” asked another, older caribou who wore red, had a long beard and a red nose. “I normally find that a year of coal gets the message through to foals.”
“I have better things to do than to clean up foals’ messes,” said a black donkey dressed in a dark gi. “When I clean up messes, it’s because I’m being being compensated.”
An older alicorn mare slammed her hooves down. “So you’re punishing my daughter for the sake of your own convenience!?”
“We have other duties,” said Noa. “We shouldn’t be spending time fixing problems caused by another. If we have to be harsh to ensure that the message sinks in, so be it.”
“I’d have welcomed the chance for some decent exercise,” said a caribou doe as she swung an axe.
Noa rolled her eyes. “This isn’t the Last Use of Antlers, Prancer. We can’t risk the balance because you felt like dismembering something. We all know what was at stake. It’s time to vote. Are all in favour of the suggested punishment?”
Once again, limbs rose.
“That’s a majority. Plutonia of Pluto, under the order of the Cosmic Council, you have been sentenced to punishment six, variation two with an amendment of five centuries’ probation! This will be detailed for all present. Felt? Do you mind?”
The old, yellowing alicorn with the red and white mane sitting behind the desk marked “Felt of Saturn” stopped writing and passed Noa a scroll with her aura.
Noa unfurled the scroll with her own, deep green aura and said, “You have been stripped of your title and will now be treated as a commoner for all purposes. You may no longer respond to or otherwise acknowledge the title ‘Princess’, even as a pet name. You may no longer wear the attire of royal office. You may no longer have guards or any other form of military. You may not write, modify or veto laws. You may not involve yourself in the administration of a territory. You may not live in a palace or other royal abode, or even stay as a guest there for a single night. You may not receive any form of honour or privilege for your standing at all. You may no longer collect taxes and half of your portion of the treasury shall be confiscated as fines. This revoking of privileges shall remain in effect until you prove that you have earned back your title.”
“You CAN’T do this!” Pluto slammed her hooves down.
“We just did,” replied Noa. “Dismissed.”
Pluto shoved her desk aside as she got up.
You do realise that Celestia did that to help you, right?
“If that’s how she does it, I don’t want her help,” Pluto growled softly.
She was making herself sound harsh to convince them to give you a lighter sentence. You do realise that the worst sentence they’ve given for similar charges is death—
“And one hundred and twenty six years in Tartarus. Yes. I’m the warden now. I’m aware.”
Celestia walked over. “I am sorry, Pluto. I—“
“No! You do NOT get to call me that! You no longer have the RIGHT!” Pluto tossed her head and walked away.
(/)
“And from that moment, I have strived to be the best, most professional warden that Tartarus has ever seen and then this happens!” She threw her hooves into the air and shot a glare at Sunny.
“I don’t get it,” said Rainbow with a shrug. “If Princess Celestia got you a smaller sentence, what’s the problem?”
Waning closed her eyes and lowered her head. “It is true that I could have received a far worse sentence. Possibly. However, are you aware that the most lenient sentence for a similar crime was being told, ‘Please don’t do that again, if that’s okay with you’?”
Crescent frowned. “That was to Discord. And that was because most of the Council, including Noa, was afraid of him and did not believe that they could enforce a harsher punishment.”
“That is true.” Waning nodded slowly.
“So, they would have never treated you that way, because you are not anywhere near as scary as Discord,” Crescent finished.
“Perhaps,” Waning said with a nod. “In any event, I am not proving myself worthy of the scythe by letting it get stolen by prisoner number one! Expiration has been magically enhanced by every holder of the seat of Pluto since Tartarus himself. It is not something that should be in enemy hooves. I have not made my addition yet, because I am ‘too immature to modify a major artefact’ and also because the other members of the Council do not realise how awesome the ability to shoot flaming skulls which explode on impact will be.”
(/)
Morning Star smirked as the final statue of Celestia morphed into his own form. “As promised, We will leave the windows for now! However, it is time that We began fulfilling Our other promise! Let Us fetch the hueceva!”
Right and Discord followed him down to the lower levels.
The passage was covered in beds which were separated from each other by hanging sheets and curtains. Rusty, metallic tables had been pressed against the sides of the corridor and covered in dirty medical equipment and dead flowers. The wall had “Get Well Soon!” carved into it. The central bed was covered in a mound of soil. Two statues of Morning Star had been moved into the passage and dressed in scrubs and First stood gazing at the mound of dirt.
Morning Star raised his eyebrow at the decor. “How is the patient?!” he asked.
“He will be fine, your Magnificence,” said First as he bowed.
“Good! It is time to focus on fulfilling Our promise to you!” He flew into the air and placed a hoof under Discord’s chin, lifting it to face him as he hovered. “Discord, I need you to take us to the top of the Canterhorn Mountain. We have business there.”
“I live to serve you, Sweet Fluttershy.” Discord bowed and snapped his talon. With a flash of light and a squeak, they were at the top of the mountain.
Morning’s horn flashed and an oval barrier surrounded them. With a second flash, a parabolic barrier was added. Grond twirled three times in his aura and he said, “We promised you a reign of eternal night! An ending of daylight! This is step one in achieving that!” He raised Grond and lifted his hooves into the air. He then smashed Grond and his hooves into the mountain.
Cracks ran down the mountain and First’s bones nearly fell apart in the quake. The lightning bolts lit the sky in splendour. However, the acid which flowed from Grond sank into the resulting hole to be mixed with the lava that shot out of the newly-formed shaft in a spray of the Earth’s lifeblood. Morning beat his wings, lifting the pyroclastic cloud into the air and spreading it across the sky in a dark grey blot of choking smog. He tapped his hooves, forming ridges and funnels of stone which helped channel the lava along the barrier and around Canterlot.
He lit his horn and several lumps of pyroclastic cloud moulded into giant sculptures of his face. When he spoke, they spoke with him. “Citizens of Equestria! We bring you good news! You have been ruled by lesser goddesses for too long! It is time for you to know the rule of a god greater than any other! We shall unite the planet under Our hoof and all shall know the pleasure of serving Emperor Morning Star!”