//------------------------------// // Chapter 26 // Story: Of The Last Millennium // by BlndDog //------------------------------// Chapter 26 “Stay with the dog!” Gari called. “He’ll guide you!” “Moonbeam! Bring Scootaloo back here!” Noctis ordered. “Don’t do it,” Gari said immediately. The three guards exchanged confused looks, and then resumed undressing. If Noctis felt the defeat, he did not show it as he turned and headed across the walkway. Gari looked into the clear blue water. The moat was thirty metres deep. Thousands of unicorn skulls, crystalized in fire, stared back at her from the bottom. They were meticulously arranged in tight rows with their horns pointed straight up like the spikes of a trap pit. Though the oldest were nearly as old as the colony they neither eroded nor gathered algae. A single skull could purify the foulest well, and certainly there would never be enough wells in the colony for each unicorn to get her own. I’ll let mom explain this one to the kids. For the first time in five hundred years the vestibule of Unity Hall was completely empty: no scholars eating on the steps to the main library; no committees with boxes of paperwork and giant corkboards; no trains of children from the local schools. Gari felt rather lonely standing in the middle of the cavernous space. The big grey pillars and dark tapestries reflected a cool light even in the midafternoon sun; it used to be so calming. “So it’s been decided?” Gari said, keeping her voice low. “For the most part,” Noctis replied conversationally. “I need some assurances, Gari.” “You know I can’t agree to this, Noctis,” Gari said. “All this violence, slaughtering my children… you can’t change my mind in this matter. I am more than a thousand years old. I invented recorded history. If you keep going down this path, we will lose everything.” “Then why don’t you stop me?” Noctis said, turning around before the double doors leading to the main hall. “Because you are not a child anymore,” Gari said, “and this is not my city. My time has passed. I can be a worker; an advisor; but I will not lead. Nobody wants to live under the rule of a family of immortals. You may act, but you will have to do it without my blessing.” “And I may joust with a toothpick,” Nictis said with a derisive snort. He knocked three times and stepped back. Two fully armored guards opened the door from inside the chamber. Seeing Gari, they bowed deeply. The main chamber was built to seat a thousand, with low desks and comfortable cushions that could have served as decent beds. Now there were only a hundred or so. Forty-four of them were markedly larger than the guards at their side. A few of them wore cloaks identical to Gari’s. Some had horns, some had wings, and some neither. Not alicorns precisely, but they were certainly more than typical ponies. “Well it’s about time.” After a thousand years Candlelight was as direct as ever. Gari was taken aback by his short mane; for much of his life it had been long and unkempt. “I took the long way around,” Gari replied, crossing the floor to take a spot between Spirit and Nightshade. Looking around the room once, she sighed heavily and raised her voice so that all could hear. “Now, what’s so important about this new development that none of you would intervene? Four of my children were killed in their home, and the Midnight Guard chased two more across Equestria. I don’t care what Noctis is saying or how much support he has. We do not kill and maim to get our way, and we do not yield to anyone who does.” “Gari,” Spirit said softly, putting a light brown hoof on Gari’s shoulder. “Listen to me. A lot has changed in the last few years.” Hearing one of her most exuberant sisters speaking so gently added to Gari’s uneasiness. Spirit’s dark brown ears were tucked against her head, and her terracotta eyes would not stay on Gari. She was scared, and she was begging Gari to be scared too. “Surely our stance has not changed that much,” Gari said, though she struggled to keep her voice strong. She had not noticed it at first, but all her brothers and sisters seemed nervous. Magpie fiddled with her black silver necklace; Moondancer tapped her feet. The usually withdrawn Nightshade was nibbling on a few strands of his long red mane, something he had not done since boyhood. “Calm down, Gari,” Princess Luna said, leaning over the railing of the second floor. Not a command, but a piece of advice. “Mom!” Gari said quickly. “When did you get here?” “Two days ago,” Luna said. “Gari, listen to what Noctis has to say.” Gari narrowed her eyes suspiciously. There were no guards on the second floor. Certainly Princess Luna would not leave Equestria without her own guards. At the very least Celestia would not allow it. We’re all prisoners. Even you. “Good afternoon everyone,” Noctis said, stepping into the centre of the chamber. “Let’s forgo introduction and formalities and get to the point: we are going to war against Equestria. The fleet is ready to launch, and fifty thousand ponies are already in this city and ready to march. We will overwhelm the EUP in two weeks, and Canterlot will fall a day or two after that. All I need to know from you is this: will you be rulers of Equestria, or do you mean to remain mere children forever?” “What kind of question is that?” Gari said, taking a step towards Noctis. “We are the founders of this colony! We are the builders of an entire civilization! We are the ancestors of most of the ponies here! Who are you to threaten us?” Noctis opened his wings. Gari felt her body disappear as her vision became a uniform field of white. She could hear nothing. For a few blissful seconds she seemed to exist without a body. Feeling returned slowly, and when it did Gari bit down hard on her tongue. It’s like getting burned at the stake. By the time she regained her sense of direction somepony had placed her on a large cushion. Her vision was nothing but dark swirls, though she was in no hurry to see the damage that had been done. Even the inside of her nostrils were charred. “Don’t get me wrong,” Noctis said with a heavy sigh. “You’ve done far more good than ill, all of you. Nothing awful will happen to you, regardless of what you choose. But consider this: you are all immortal alicorns, with a greater share of magic than two of the Princesses in Equestria. You can be the most powerful rulers in the world, and you’ve all earned that right. You can solve Equestria’s problems in one day; I know you can. All the children of Equestria will be fed and housed. We will all have homes then.” “At what cost?” Asked Candlelight. Gari could almost make out the outlines of the others. “Tell me. I want you to hear yourself say the words. What will be the losses?” “Nothing at all,” Noctis replied. “I urge you again to think about this matter like rational adults; you are all intelligent and educated. Weigh the losses against the generations that will live happily in your Equestria. Think of all the wanderers, thieves, bandits and vagrants. Consider their suffering, and the suffering of their children, and their children’s children. You can stop it. I know you want to help them, and the truth is you can’t do it with orphanages and soup kitchens.” “I’ve heard it all before, Noctis,” Candlelight said. “You say that we’re educated? So are you. You know why this colony exists in the first place. We were supposed to be the sacrifice for a better Equestria. We were the things holding Equestria back. We were weak and powerless, and Celestia thought us worthless. After all we went through, do you really think we can write off anyone’s life as a fair price to pay? Let me tell you, whatever hardship we’ve endured here, it can be so much worse. Here we are citizens. Here we are safe to live out our lives, and there is no shortage of food. The last time our fleet sailed to Equestria we caused suffering beyond your worst nightmares. In your lifetime you have seen a single city in uproar; imagine a whole kingdom of millions wandering homeless. That is war. That is how every war ends. We are done here, Noctis. Sail for Equestria if you have the means. If you truly have the support of our citizens, it is not our place to oppose you. My brothers and sisters will stay here to receive your deserters and your exiles.” “You still take me for a fool, father,” Noctis said. “To take Equestria, I must face Celestia. Though my magic can defeat the EUP, I cannot set a hoof on her. Few powers can overcome alicorn magic.” Gari drove her face into the cool interior of the cushion. She could see outlines now, but the distorted colours made her head spin. “The answer is no,” Magpie said firmly. “We will not help you, and that is our right.” “So it is,” Noctis said. “I respect your rights, as I respect you. Please understand that what I will do, I will do for your sake. You deserve so much better than this, but if you must be stubborn I will leave you with your petty work.” “Good,” Magpie said. “So why are you still here?” “I am here because I still think you will change your minds,” Noctis said. Gari covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, fighting a fresh wave of nausea. She could feel the network of deep burns that covered her body. Somepony had put a cooling spell on her, making the pain somewhat bearable. Lightning. It was lightning. “You can hear me, Princess Luna,” Noctis was saying. His voice rattled the ancient glass in the windows. “Correct me if I’m wrong. “One thousand years ago, my ancestors granted you their magic. Though they built your first castle on their land and offered their service, they were not citizens of Equestria. You were supposed to change that. You were supposed to advocate on their behalf and protect them, just as Celestia protected the other races of Equestria. Other ponies were suspicious of sylvanocians because we were so different; you were supposed to show them just how valuable we were. “Instead you used our magic for your own gain. You were banished to the moon, but what about us? We were few in numbers, and all but powerless. Equestria was united against us. Your children will tell you that some five thousand sylvanocians made it to Kelp Town. That leaves three hundred thousand unaccounted for. One thousand years we’ve waited, and now our magic is finally returning. There is nothing left to wait for; now we are many. Now we are powerful. “To everypony here: if you care about justice, you will help me now. There is a piece of Equestria which belongs to the Sylvanocians, and many pieces that belong to your descendants. This colony is no home for us. We are slaves here: work animals, pets, even food if the griffins are hungry enough. The race riots, the way they use ponies in the army; you’ve written it out of our history, Gari, but it already happened and it will happen again. We don’t have peace, we have periods of peace. We have been exiled from our own cities five times in the last thousand years, and it will happen again. The truth is this is the griffin’s land, and we are not griffins. I will ask you one last time, and truly for the last time: will you lead your children and right the wrongs committed by Celestia’s reign, or will you refuse victory like you did before?” “And for the last time, no,” Magpie said flatly. The others grunted and mumbled their approval. For a while Noctis did not speak. Gari looked up slowly. He was still standing in the middle of the room, breathing heavily while the sweat rolled down his face. His small fangs were stained red; he must have bitten his lip at some point. “If that is all, Noctis,” Luna said at last, sounding rather bored. “My guards will escort you back to Canterlot. Perhaps my children will put in a good word for you, though I find that to be unlikely. Gari, do not get up. I will be with you shortly…” A sudden impact knocked the doors off their hinges. Even Noctis jumped. Dreamweaver pushed his way into the room; the heavy wooden doors grinded noisily on the stone floor. His horn was black and smouldering, and blood dripped from the corners of his glowing white eyes. His usually red muzzle was dulled with soot, and one of his ears was flopping limp atop his head. “What’s he doing here?” Gari cried, sitting up despite the pain. “Luna, why is he here?!” “I did not bring him!” Luna yelled over the rising panic. “He was locked up in Canterlot!” The others were quick to step between Gari and the intruder. On the second floor Luna rose into the air with her horn glowing. “Dreamweaver,” Magpie said sternly, though she could not hide all of her surprise. “Why are you here?” Gari could not see him at all. His answer came in the form of a gigantic magical fireball aimed at Luna. A glowing blue forcefield appeared in front of Luna; Magpie’s, Gari knew. The fireball collided and dispersed. Magpie gasped and stumbled, and a dreadful murmur passed through the room. “Gari,” Spirit whispered urgently as the others rushed forwards. “Whatever you do, don’t use magic. We’re getting out of here.” Another spell went off, then another. Each one a different colour, each one followed by the sound of a body falling to the floor. Spirit helped Gari up and guided her towards the back door. Her teeth clicked together with every spell that was cast. Twenty-six. Thirty. Forty-four. They were almost at the back door; beyond it was a short boardwalk and a one foot drop into the moat. Gari looked back. A spell struck the second floor railing; molten metal flowed like water, and everything that could burn was burnt up instantly. Her brothers and sisters lie twitching on the ground, while the guards hurried to put them on cushions and check that they were alive. No longer were they tall and imposing. Even their faces had become youthful and innocent, as they had been many lifetimes ago. That’s impossible. Luna hovered at the centre of the room, firing rapid bursts of black orbs at the unicorn below. Her face glistened with sweat, and the aura around her horn was starting to flicker. Dreamweaver’s shield spell grew so bright that Gari could not see anything inside. Spirit pushed open the back door and ran to the water’s edge. “This should help with the burns,” she breathed before throwing Gari face-first into the clear blue water. “I’m right behind you.” Gari did not surface immediately; she drank the cool sweet water and let it numb her wounds. The healing magic of the many skulls was starting to work; her skin felt like it was tightening as the burnt parts fell off and dissolved in a glowing blue cloud, and some strength returned to her muscles. Spirit’s cry reached her ears deep and distorted. A red aura surrounded Gari; the strongest she had ever felt. She was lifted out of the moat trapped in a foetal position. Dreamweaver was almost unrecognizable. Every injury was gone from his body, if it could be rightly called his body; only the pattern of his coat remained unchanged. He had almost doubled in height, and his horn was long and sharp. On his back was a pair of magnificent red wings with fresh, glossy feathers. His red mane was long and messy following his abrupt transformation; rather ugly, but that could be changed. “Surrender your magic, Gari,” he said in a voice befitting a king. “You will be spared.” The aura tightened. Gari struggled with all her might, but could not move a muscle. The blood rushed out of her limbs, and her throat became tight. Her heart felt like it would explode. Finally she fired off a spell. A burst of magic; a flash. She didn’t have a plan in mind, all she wanted to do was breathe. At first she thought it was blood going to her head, but the tingling sensation went all the way to the tip of her horn. It tickling her eyes as it flowed out of her body. She was surprised how little it hurt; her wings just felt tired, and then disintegrated into golden dust. She was a little scared, a little angry, but mostly she was exhausted. She felt smaller, and though she knew that it was no illusion she did not mind all that much. The aura faded as the last of the alicorn magic left her body. The pressure went away, and Gari fell into the moat with a small splash. Icy water closed in around her, soothing her ravaged body.