Chapter Thirty One
Chapter Thirty One
Deja vu. It was the best way he could think of to explain what he was experiencing right now. It was a dark, boundless void of absolute nothingness, stretching on as far as his eyes could see, and infinitely beyond even that extensive unit of measure. There were no sights, no sounds, no smells, no physical sensations of any sort to experience; not even ground beneath his feet.
An absolute nothingness, with only his presence, and that of Princess Luna beside him, to provide contrast.
"What is this place?" Ulquiorra asked, noting that unlike the last void he could hear his own voice and was not limited purely to his own thoughts and observations.
"This, Ulquiorra Cifer, is a world that few art ever allowed to experience. 'Tis the realm of dreams, and 'tis our domain to watch over during the night. Thou hast been granted passage here due to the severity of the situation," Princess Luna explained.
A strange explanation. The realm of dreams? During his conversation with Princess Luna in the Canterlot throne room she'd touched his forehead with her horn, he sensed her reiatsu increasing...and then they were here in this endless blackness that didn't even seem to have a floor to it.
Then again with everything he'd seen in a period of less than two weeks -the most recent encounter being a large sentient insectoid that explained how they fed on intangible emotions like other species did vegetables- perhaps this wasn't all that hard to believe. Perhaps it was time to stop being skeptical about everything. Could it truly be that in this world, things really were as simple as they appeared, and there were no underlying connotations to wrestle with?
Unlikely. But for now he was simply an observer and nothing more.
"For what purpose?" Ulquiorra asked. What good would this do him right now? As he spoke he noticed the void beginning to fill with what appeared to be wisps of semi-dense fog.
"Due to the circumstances we find ourselves in, we believe communicating with our friends at once is most prudent. And a resting mind is infinitely sharper than one suffering from sleep deprivation. Hence a conversation in the realm of dreams is the proper way at current time. Now be silent, we must concentrate in order to locate the dreams of our friends, and bring them forth. 'Tis not an easy task."
Ulquiorra watched in silence as Princess Luna closed her eyes and sat down on whatever served as ground in this darkened emptiness, her horn glowing as wisps of the fog-like structures began moving back and forth in front of her, being sorted through like the card holder drawers at an old library. It appeared she knew what she was doing, but to him it was all a mystery, as he saw no inner details to indicate what she was seeing, sensing, or otherwise trying to locate.
"Huzzah! We hath found Rainbow Dash!" Princess Luna stated with excitement as she opened her eyes. However once she did her eyes went wide with surprise. "Oh dear. Thou may wish to-"
She was interrupted as a multicolored blur came hurtling through the fog, with all the excitement of a body crashing through a plate glass window, bits of the ethereal material flying in every direction like shrapnel.
"-duck," Princess Luna finished.
A loud thud immediately sounded as the multicolored blur came to an immediate halt against Ulquiorra's frame, making it very easy to identify the source of the destruction as Rainbow Dash herself, dressed in a brightly colored blue and yellow spandex getup, symbols of confusion flying around her head like planets orbiting in a solar system at high speed.
"Who put that mountain there?" Rainbow Dash asked as her head bobbed about freely.
"That's the second time you've regarded me as a mountain after having crashed into me," Ulquiorra commented as he looked down at her, "and what precisely are you wearing?"
At hearing his voice, Rainbow Dash shook her head to rid herself of the dizziness and the spinning confusion symbols, before looking up at him through the goggles that still hung on her face. "Hey what're you doing here? And get your hands off the Wonderbolts greatest Captain ever!" she stated and leaped away from him. "You could get arrested for doing crazy stuff like that!"
The strange outfit, the title of Captain and the name of the organization he recognized from hearing once before. It was enough for him to get the jest of what her dream had been about. Without a word, he pointed behind her until she turned and saw Princess Luna looking back at her.
"Princess Luna? What's going on here?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"We art afraid 'twas necessary to interrupt thou's dream of excellence, Rainbow Dash. Due to certain circumstances, we didst believe conversing with everypony at once, and immediately, was the best option. And to avoid disturbing anyone's sleep, a meeting in the realm of dreams is the only way to achieve such," Princess Luna explained.
"Hold up. This is a dream?" Rainbow Dash asked, finally stopping to remove her goggles and peel back the hood of her Wonderbolts uniform. "So I'm not the greatest Captain ever?"
"Not currently, but perhaps one day thou shalt be. For now though, thou art our friend, and 'tis a matter of importance that we speak with all our friends," Princess Luna explained. "If thou wilt be patient, we shalt set out to locate the others now."
Rainbow Dash watched curiously and scratched her head in confusion, as Princess Luna went back to browsing through the fog to find the other ponies that made up the Elements of Harmony. She then turned her attention to Ulquiorra as he stood and observed in silence.
"So how'd you get here anyway?" Rainbow Dash finally asked in a low whisper. "I thought you said you didn't sleep. And if you don't sleep you can't dream... at least I don't think you can..."
"Royal escort. Apparently the situation has changed," Ulquiorra replied simply and left it at that. Princess Luna requested silence as she worked, he intended to allow her such.
More silence between them, as Princess Luna worked to locate the others. Silence that Rainbow Dash seemed intent on disturbing and violating, in the same way her mane violated the basic laws of biology.
"Um..." she mumbled as she looked in his direction again, uncertainty apparent on her face as she did so. "Look I've tried ignoring stuff, but it's not working, and I really need to know. What you said earlier during the chase... did you really mean all that stuff back there? About me being like... like you?" she asked.
He studied her in silence as she waited for an answer. The fact her muzzle was no longer bandaged, and her voice was no longer distorted, at least lent credibility to the notion of this truly being the realm of dreams rather than real life. He'd inspected the damage himself, there was no way the swelling would've gone down that fast after everything that'd happened today; especially not after she crashed into him again just a few minutes ago.
"Does it disturb you to consider the possibility that you don't know everything about yourself?" Ulquiorra asked her. It was an entirely rhetorical question to ask, as he knew full well it was a source of discomfort and disturbance to many, to be confronted by facts about themselves, that they had never given consideration to for whatever reason. It was no surprise that the pegasus was disturbed by his observation regarding her personality and her nature.
"More than I care to admit," Rainbow Dash mumbled. "I've gotta know. Please? I have to know if that's what I'm really like."
Ulquiorra now found himself in an interesting situation. What exactly should he do? Should he be brutally honest with Rainbow Dash in answering her question, and let her deal with the aftermath since she wanted to know so badly? Or should he exercise self-restraint, and make an effort to spare her feelings, in an effort to maintain whatever group cohesion they possessed as he still needed their help? Like it or not, he needed these ponies, just as they needed him. He had to adjust his manner of behavior accordingly to ensure success, or the consequences to be had would be disastrous.
However before he had the chance to say anything in response Princess Luna spoke up as she turned her attention toward them. "We require silence in order to perform the task at hoof. If we art to locate the rest of our friends, we must be able to concentrate properly. We request that thee keep thy discussions to thyself until all art present and accounted for," she stated, her voice carrying an edge of tone that indicated it wasn't a mere request to be considered and potentially ignored, but rather an order of conduct to abide by.
The two watched in ordered silence as Princess Luna returned to the task at hand -or hoof depending on who was questioned- of trying to locate the others bearers of the Elements of Harmony, various wisps of fog being sorted through, and pushed aside in favor of new and unexplored ones.
It was likely going to be a long wait in this strange, strange world.
Rarity. Applejack. Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy. Spike. Twilight Sparkle. One by one each of them was brought forth from their own dreams, in a state ironically looking like they were being telepathically carried through, while still in their sleep, and gently placed on whatever served as the ground. Ulquiorra assumed that once the six had been located and brought forth, that would be the last of it, and the meeting could be started.
That is until Princess Luna brought forth Princess Celestia, just as she had the other six, and deposited her off to the side. Most curious.
"Our sister doth need to be read into what is taking place. And as said, a resting mind is far sharper than one that is deprived of sleep," Princess Luna stated in response to the unasked question.
It made a considerable amount of sense. During his efforts to inform Princess Celestia of recent developments, discoveries, and theories she'd been short and not allowed a proper explanation. Considering the potential sensitivity of the situation, it was only logical to bring her in as well.
He observed as one by one, the others began to rouse from whatever slumber had been induced upon them by Princess Luna, likely for the purpose of avoiding another run in as was experienced with Rainbow Dash. The fewer redundant explanations he had to carry out the better.
"Wha's goin' on?" Applejack mumbled as she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "An' why's it so dark?"
"This doesn't look anything like the lecture on the realities of transdimensional theory I was giving at Canterlot University," Twilight mumbled in a similar manner, before shaking her head to try and clear the drowsiness away. Looking around, she didn't see anything familiar except for her friends and... why was Princess... why was... 'Tia... here as well?
"Welcome back dear friends," Princess Luna spoke up, hastening the transition into a fully awake status. That was assuming one could truly be awake in the realm of dreams. Perhaps it was best to instead classify their presence, as a conscious-like state suitable for communication in a dream realm crossroads meeting.
That didn't sound right. That didn't sound right at all...
"My word, whatever happened?" Rarity asked as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. The look on her face easily told her confusion as she looked around. "Before we turned in, weren't we all at the library at Twilight's insistence?"
"I think so," Fluttershy replied and rubbed at the back of her head, feeling like she'd landed on it.
"Yeah, Twilight called us all over to apologize to Dashie about the whole Mare Do Well thingy, and then we settled in for a sleepover," Pinkie stated, seemingly the least fazed of all of them.
"I'll take your word for it," Spike replied as he stood up finally. "What I wanna know is why we're all here in this black... place..." he said as he looked around and found nothing but themselves present.
"Thou art all still sleeping so there is no need to worry. Thou were brought from thine own dreams, into the realm of dreams directly, so that we might speak with each of thee without disturbing thy much needed rest," Princess Luna explained.
"Ooh! Ooh!" Pinkie Pie stated and bounced enthusiastically. "That means we can have a dreamland pajama party!"
Ulquiorra found himself caught off guard as the entire area was flooded by a blinding flash of light that faded away as immediately as it came, leaving all of the ponies -and Spike- behind and dressed in what he could only assume passed for night clothing in this world. The mortals of the group were wearing what appeared to be T-shirts that were color coordinated to fit each of them. The Princesses were dressed in a similar but significantly more regal manner in terms of shirts, and for some reason, they had socks on their hind legs as well.
"What happened?" he asked evenly as he faced Princess Luna... who seemed to be having a hard time controlling her emotional state.
"Lucid dreamers," she snorted, "sometimes have considerable," she tried to suppress a growing chuckle, "control over the way things play out in the dream world," she finished, sounding as if she was in a rush to complete her sentence before a bout of giggles could overtake her.
Rainbow Dash's response was far more vocal, and floored her as she roared with uncontrollable laughter that left her powerless to speak.
"What exactly is so funny?" he asked. He was responded to by a mirror being summoned before him.
His appearance had been utterly defiled.
Just as the others had been dressed in a manner he assumed was appropriate for sleep, he too had been dressed. Fluffy white bunny slippers on his feet. A two piece pair of dark blue pajamas with stars, crescent moons, and clouds. And a night cap with a fluffy white ball on the very end of it.
By now all of the others were joining in on the hysterics, even Twilight Sparkle. For whatever reason, the ludicrousness of his getup seemed to have a paralyzing effect on them.
"Leave me out of whatever nonsense you find amusing," Ulquiorra replied simply, grasping the neck of the top by two fingers in the collar, and ripping it off his frame, the pants and slippers in tow, and leaving him behind clad in his normal Espada garb -jacket included- the nightcap nowhere to be found. "Now is not the time for foolishness."
Princess Luna continued chuckling for several more seconds, before finally getting ahold of herself and straightened up, coughing and clearing her throat to get the attention of the others, and more or less bring them under control.
"Ulquiorra Cifer is correct. 'Tis quite serious, and not the time for joyous laughter," she stated, "the matter at present requires all of us to be on the same page, and at the same time due to the complexity of what we art currently facing."
"And what exactly are we facing, dear sister?" Princess Celestia asked, speaking up for the first time since her arrival here. It'd been a very, very long time since she'd last been here with Luna.
Princess Luna looked over at Ulquiorra and nodded once. He regarded her for a moment, before finally stepping forward to address the gathered masses.
"Six of those present have already been made aware of the situation and the theories regarding it. This explanation is for the benefit of the other three who were not present originally, as I can't verify their level of knowledge," Ulquiorra explained as he faced Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and Spike. He waited a moment to ensure they understood, before continuing the briefing.
"Due to several statements made by the ponies Fluttershy and Rarity, a matter too significant to be passed off as merely being coincidence, has been brought to our attention. My arrival in Equestria occurred approximately thirteen days ago, due to the deliberate actions of Discord. For reasons completely unknown to us, the spirit of chaos chose to cross the boundaries between dimensions, in order to locate me, and bring me back to life here in this new world. In that time, two specifics events have occurred within closer proximity to one another. The first occurred four days after my arrival, and came in the form of a dragon taking up residency in caves nearby; not an entirely unusual occurrence from what I've heard. However no one present seems to remember the last time a dragon settling in for a nap awoke a mere ten hours into it; a time that strangely coincides with the arrival of a group of six ponies sent to motivate it to leave."
He paused briefly in his explanation to evaluate the three who were most likely to benefit from his words. So far they seemed to be paying attention to his words, and didn't appear to be hopelessly lost. That was good. He could continue.
"Eight days afterward brings us to the second event that has occurred, that being the changeling invasion. Again this is not an impossible or unlikely occurrence from what I've heard. However the timing of this event is highly suspicious. Individually either one of these occurrences could simply be regarded as a normal occurrence, or a matter of simple coincidence, as they have taken place in the past; however not with such frequency. From these two separate incidents, we can gather three specific similarities. They are-" Ulquiorra began but was interrupted as Twilight Sparkle began speaking.
"Both events resulted in us being targeted, and directly involved in a manner that could cause the Elements of Harmony to become unusable, and render Equestria defenseless. Both events also occurred within a period of less than twenty four hours that coincided with each of your two visits to Ponyville, and meeting with us. And both events didn't occur until after you arrived in Equestria," she stated.
Silence. Utter silence as everyone looked at her in either surprise, confusion, or amazement.
"Am I right?" she asked as she looked back in his direction. "Listening as you talked, it seemed like the only three things that really made sense, and directly corresponded," she explained.
Quite impressive. Twilight Sparkle had been able to correctly extrapolate the three significant factors from each of the two events, simply by listening to him give a briefing of what each event consisted of, and how the timing was suspicious when viewed by someone who wasn't native to this world, or accustomed to whatever routine was had. A rather respectable degree of critical thinking.
"That is correct," he replied and nodded once. That saved him from needing to give the details. "You can see why this appears to be suspicious," he said, more to Princess Celestia than anyone else present.
"I'll admit that when the matter is presented in such a way it... does seem rather strange. Now that you mention it, it's quite strange. I don't really seem to remember a frequency of crises occurring like that before," Princess Celestia stated and rubbed her chin with her hoof. "But ultimately what do you think it means? Do you believe there's a significance to all of this?" she asked.
"I do. However I see little point in explaining the matter to you specifically at present time," Ulquiorra replied flatly.
"Say wha'?" Applejack asked, utterly surprised by what he'd just said.
"Ulquiorra Cifer, what art thou getting at?" Princess Luna more or less demanded to know.
Ulquiorra chose to ignore their questions directly, opting to address Princess Celestia directly instead. They would get their answers, but only in the manner that he determined to be most appropriate. "To put in simple terms you don't trust me. This in and of itself is a wise policy to maintain, but your distrust wavers considerably from one moment to the next, and is unacceptable. What has to be said is of considerable importance, and there is no room for indecision. You need to commit fully to a single standard. Either distrust me, and I will work with those present that are willing to assist. Or drop your suspicions, and accept the facts that you have seen for yourself. Twice since my arrival, I have taken actions that have saved the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, despite knowing that while they remain alive, my existence could one day be threatened by them. Twice I have essentially saved the world of Equestria through my own intervention, when you have been unable to do so on your own," Ulquiorra explained, pausing to let his words sink in.
He could hear the mumbles coming from the others present, but his focus was primarily on Princess Celestia as she remained silent. And seeing as she was saying nothing in opposition, he pressed on in his address.
"There's nothing I can do that will make you trust me. I'm not naive enough to believe that a few good deeds, regardless of their size, will undo what you've seen when you've scanned my memories. But like it or not, this is an impasse that cannot be addressed without cooperation. Regardless of how you may feel about my actions during our staged combat, this is an issue of true severity that we're all facing right now. Like it or not, there's reason to believe that I'm your best hope of protecting Equestria from future dangers."
Celestia remained silent as she listened to Ulquiorra talk. She had to admit that he was technically correct, about how his actions had saved Equestria twice already. Had the dragon killed Twilight and her friends... or had Fluttershy remained undiscovered as the changelings increased the density of their invasion... she knew what the answer was to both scenarios, but she didn't want to think about it.
"And what brings you to this conclusion regarding your continued importance to this world?" she asked cautiously. He was presenting her with a rather demanding and tall order right now.
"Because you apparently trust Discord, despite the nature of his being, and what he's capable of doing if he so wishes. And for whatever reason, Discord has seen fit to bring me into this world. This brings us back to the topic of earlier discussion concerning the statements made by Fluttershy and Rarity. These statements have resulted in the discovery of five very specific questions for which we currently have no answers," Ulquiorra explained.
"Five? I thought you said there were only four questions," Rainbow Dash stated.
"Yeah, Ulqy, what gives?" Pinkie asked.
"The fifth question was discovered after you left for the evening to return home," Ulquiorra replied, before returning his attention to the three who hadn't been present the first time around. "Do you care to hear the questions?"
It was entirely rhetorical in nature as he planned on informing them regardless of what they wished. The matter was far too big for this group to be fragmented, no matter how much he might try on his own to make it work. From what he'd seen, these ponies relied on teamwork almost like they relied on air or food.
And swaying Princess Celestia over to their side would be quite beneficial if it could be done. To have the support of both halves of the diarchy would greatly bolster their chances of success.
"...What are these questions?" Princess Celestia finally asked, wanting to get to the bottom of his whole matter at once. Once she had a better understanding of what Ulquiorra was thinking, she could better decide how to proceed from here on out.
"Keeping in mind the two previously mentioned events, regarding the dragon, and then the changelings, the first question is whether or not Discord knew of these events, and how they would transpire if they were allowed to play out uninterrupted. Did he know that these six would die, or that Equestria might fall if something wasn't done to change the events of the future?" Ulquiorra asked.
The others had already sat through this and three other questions, and were very familiar with what was up. Instead of worrying about the details, they watched the other three to see what reactions they'd have. So far just blank looks and silence.
Ulquiorra took it as a cue to continue speaking unopposed.
"Assuming the first question is accurate, and he was taking preventative measures, the second question is why Discord chose me specifically. In my world alone, four other Espada died before I did, along with countless other Arrancar. I don't even want to consider what the available stock was, if the spirit of chaos was actively browsing who knows how many other different worlds and realities. What exactly was it about me specifically, that caused him to decide I was right for the job?"
Celestia had no answers to offer up at this question. Why exactly had Discord selected Ulquiorra? She suspected it wasn't the simple matter of him being interesting in nature, and a perfect candidate for learning about the magic of friendship; at least not entirely. Now here he was, asking the same question she was suspecting. What had made Ulquiorra so special? What separated him from the other Espada?
Then again, from Ulquiorra's own report, out of all the others he seemed to be the most calm, cool, and level headed, as well as the one most likely to follow orders that were given by one in charge. And his strength was quite noteworthy; that was impossible to deny, even if she hadn't given the matter her utmost priority. Perhaps he was selected for being a near-perfect blend of all the above, and those traits allowed him to best fit whatever Discord had in mind?
Off to the side she saw Twilight heavily engrossed, a chalkboard hovering in front of her, as she scribbled about like mad on it, her tongue cocked out of the side of her mouth in concentration. However she had little time to observe her student's work, as Ulquiorra began speaking again.
"Assuming Discord was indeed taking preventative measures in order to protect Equestria, the third question is why he himself is not able to act in a direct manner. From the research of Equestria's history regarding his last appearance, it seems safe to assume Discord's powers and abilities are limited only by the boundaries of his own imagination and self restraint. If Discord's abilities are as vast as they seem, why would he be unable to directly interfere with future events that would soon transpire? Why would he need the help of an outside party, if a simple snap of the fingers and the will to do something, was all that was needed?"
Now Celestia felt the sensation of nervousness running up her entire spine. She'd never stopped to consider the notion of something being beyond Discord's control. It was true he kept his powers in check, and had never directly targeted other living beings in a manner that would kill them... at least not to an extent she was ever aware of. Could it be true that Discord's powers couldn't be used in a manner that would directly cause death, and that's why he hadn't done anything regarding the dragon? No that couldn't be it, Discord wouldn't have had to kill the dragon, he could've just made it leave the caves and head elsewhere via teleportation.
Or, knowing Discord's penchant for random chaos, he could've simply turned the dragon's smoke into cherry pie filling.
Off to the side she heard the loud gulp of nervousness coming from Spike as he began to bite at his nails. Twilight seemed too stunned to do anything but stare, the chalk she'd held now resting on whatever served as the floor here.
And just like a predator detecting blood and injury, Ulquiorra continued even further, unabated by the fear around him.
"Assuming Discord did know of the events that were about to occur, and needed an outside force to act in order to save not only Equestria, but those that hold the Elements of Harmony, the fourth question is how much he knows. Specifically, what events does the future hold, that he himself is incapable of dealing with despite his vast powers? If the spirit of chaos was incapable of dealing with either a solitary dragon, or the changeling invasion, then what will the third event be that he's powerless to affect?"
"W-w-what!?" Twilight shrieked at his words. Discord powerless to do something? It was impossible! Discord was quite possibly the most powerful being in existence, bound only by the depths of his own imagination, and able to do whatever he wanted, the only thing more capable than him being the Elements of Harmony themselves... well that and his friendship with them, especially Fluttershy and Pinkie, but still... the idea of Discord being... being... she gulped nervously, unable to finish that thought.
She suddenly felt something very soft and downy laid across her back. Looking up she saw Princess... she saw 'Tia... sitting next to her, and extending a wing over her out from under the shirt Pinkie had dressed her in. Apparently she could tell how upset she was and, was responding accordingly.
Right now, despite everything that'd happened previously, she really didn't feel it within her to shirk away. Right now it was all so comforting, as her mind considered the possibilities she was presented with. The terrible, horrible, frighting possibilities that just oozed pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel!
"These are certainly some disturbing thoughts to entertain," Princess Celestia stated, uncertain what else to say as she tried her best to be both comforting, and sagely at the same time. "So you have reason to believe that what's happened so far, is just the beginning of whatever events might be unfolding?" she asked.
Now it was Ulquiorra's turn to be silent in thought. For a moment anyway.
"I believe it's the safest assumption to make," he replied, uncertain of what else to say in response to the question. What reason did they have to assume that only two incidents would be all there was, and the matter had been concluded? Things simply didn't work that way... at least not back in the dimension he came from. "At present time the hypothesis can be neither confirmed nor denied. However the timing of everything that's happened up to this point is highly suspicious; too suspicious to be coincidental."
"So there are no new theories on the matter?" Rarity asked.
"At present time no. The interrogation of Chrysalis revealed nothing beneficial. If anything it only deepened the mystery at hand," Ulquiorra replied.
"Wait a second," Twilight spoke up, "Rarity? You and the others knew all about this already?" she asked.
"Quite so, darling, Ulquiorra read us in on it after you left our little group. I must say it's rather dreadful to consider," Rarity replied. "We intended to tell you and Spike about all of this at Ulquiorra's request. But last night... well tonight actually, was so chaotic in nature, we all figured it would be best to wait until you were better rested and able to focus, before dropping this unpleasant discovery on you," she explained.
"Making this a most proper setting, as everypony is thinking clearly at present, and not overcome by emotion or exhaustion. If we doth wish, we could spend the entire night discussing, and thou wouldst not feel the least bit tired," Princess Luna explained.
"If y'all don' mind, ah'd like ta hear jus' what this fifth question is that Mr. Cifer was talkin' 'bout earlier, before we move onta anythin' else," Applejack spoke up.
"Thou may think otherwise after hearing it," Princess Luna muttered, before turning to the Espada and nodding for him to inform them of what he had her, hoping that they could cope with the revelation on top of everything else.
Ulquiorra nodded in response before stepping back out of the crowd to address all of them directly. "The entire basis for the original four questions, has been the assumption that the two incidents over the last eight days were separate incidents, the only connection being those that hold the Elements of Harmony being targeted and threatened. We cannot ignore the possibility that this hypothesis is entirely incorrect. We must also consider the possibility that these two incidents are actually connected directly. If such is the case, we are presented with the fifth question; is another party involved in the matter? If so, then we must ask who, or what, this other party is. Further, we must ask how this party relates to Discord; specifically, what type of entity has sufficient influence that Discord himself cannot directly interfere, with whatever plan has been put into motion? And if this is truly the case, then how is my involvement beneficial?"
There were many different types of silence that would be experienced. The current silence that overtook the group, was what could best be described as a dead silence. Not a single word from anyone present.
Being that they were all... he wasn't entirely certain what they were right now. Dream representations of their physical beings perhaps? Whatever they were, he found that it was impossible to utilize his pesquisa here to gauge the fluctuations in their respective reiatsu levels. He couldn't even establish a baseline reading right now; he might as well be staring at a pile of rocks right now.
"You believe..." Princess Celestia began, being the first to actually speak up after being presented with the last question, "that somewhere in this world, there's a mystery being with enough power to eclipse Discord, and is actively targeting Twilight and the others, because they hold the Elements of Harmony?" she asked.
He examined her. Reiatsu wasn't detectable in this world, but facial expressions were. Hers were minute in nature, not the stone chiseled appearance she attempted to maintain throughout the day when dealing with her subjects and petitioners. If he had to guess, he would say hers were of concern. Perhaps she was seeking to assure the holders of the Elements of Harmony that such a situation was an impossibility?
"It is merely a theory to try and make sense of what has been happening, and provide a logical explanation for everything. Right now the "bigger fish" hypothesis seems to make the most sense, in explaining what has happened over the course of the last thirteen days. My appearance in your world, preempting two serious incidents, either of which would cause devastation to Equestria and the surrounding territory? If you possess a more likely theory I would be interested to hear it," Ulquiorra replied. If there was something to believe in he would much rather believe that someone or something was directly responsible for everything that was going on, rather than the notion of everything truly being random chance and coincidence.
"Um..." Fluttershy spoke up, "I guess I could always ask Discord if something's up. If he knows then surely he'd tell us... I think..."
"Would he?" Applejack asked as she stood up and faced the shy pegasus. "Ah know Discord's reformed an' all, but ah still don' trust 'im all that much. Ah don' think he'd be honest even if we asked 'im directly. Y'know how much he loves his games an' all," she pointed out. "Jus' 'cause he ain' exactly evil, don' exactly mean he's good either."
She hadn't forgotten about the conversation she'd had with Ulquiorra at their first meeting; she wasn't certain she actually could forget something like what he'd dropped on her so casually. She'd never before considered the possibility that Discord wasn't evil, and now that she had given it consideration, she wasn't certain what to think anymore. It did kinda make sense when you looked at it; Nightmare Moon had been destroyed by the Elements of Harmony and left Princess Luna unharmed, and Nightmare Moon's goal of eternal night would've had the effect of depopulating the world through mass starvation, so she could've been seen as evil. But Discord? If he was evil, then how come he was only encased in stone rather than being destroyed?
Unfortunately that line of thinking had the unintended consequence of leaving her questioning a lot of other things since then. What if this entire time, she'd been looking at things wrongly? If Discord wasn't evil then who was? Were the changelings evil? And if they were, did that make locusts and grasshoppers evil as well? They all more or less behaved similarly in the name of survival, choosing to focus on themselves than those around them that might be affected by their actions.
And if Discord wasn't evil, and the changelings weren't evil, then what in this world truly was evil?
Ulquiorra remained silent and observed their interactions. He was certain that the hypothesis of there being something worse than Discord loose in their world would have driven them into hysterics; the original four questions had certainly disturbed the majority of the group earlier on in the evening. Perhaps not having physical bodies was what kept them calm right now. Without a physical body hardwired to engage in the fight or flight response, and no corresponding adrenal gland, perhaps it was impossible to panic. Then again that theory didn't explain Spike's nervous reaction only a few minutes ago.
He could speculate as to the perceived inconsistency... but at the moment he became distracted as Rainbow Dash spoke up.
"So lemme see if I get what you're saying, because I'm kinda lost here," she stated as she stood up from where she'd been sitting. "In addition to your theories that Discord decided to involve you to prevent disasters in Equestria, you also think there's something out there right now that's worse than Discord, using various villains and threats against us, is just getting started, and can somehow prove resistant to what Discord can do, when we don't even know the full limits of just what Discord can do?" she asked.
"Correct," Ulquiorra replied. A rather vague generalization of what he'd been explaining up to this point, and devoid of the finer points of discussion, but correct nonetheless. At least Rainbow Dash was able to follow along with the train of thought.
"Ha! I knew it!" Rainbow Dash yelled excitedly and turned to face Twilight. "See, Twi', I told you so! That means it's gotta be real; Slender Mane DOES exist!"
Slender Mane? A most curious statement for the cyan pegasus to be making.
"Ugh," Twilight groaned and hung her head, "Rainbow Dash, we've been over this before; numerous times in fact. "Slender Mane" is nothing more than an urban legend designed to keep foals from trying to venture into the Everfree Forest. No such creature could possibly exist," she stated.
"Oh yeah, sure, an urban legend to keep foals out of the Everfree Forest, as if it isn't dangerous enough with what's known to be inside there. Come on, Twilight, that's just a stupid coverup story to hide the real truth of the matter," Rainbow Dash objected. "You've got all those books in the library that talks about this very subject. Creatures of old from beyond the stars just lying in wait, creatures that could make Discord burst into flames just by looking at him. How can somepony as well read as you, not believe in Slender Mane?" she asked.
"Rainbow Dash, those are nothing more than works of fiction. H.P. Lovecolt was a fictional writer, not a scientist, or even an archeologist. His works were meant as a source of entertainment. They're not meant to be taken seriously. I can say with certainty that nothing like Slender Mane, or anything from Lovecolt's novels, exists in this world," Twilight stated firmly.
Ulquiorra quirked an eyebrow. Were these two quite serious about whether or not fictional creations existed in this world?
Then again, he was asking his question about the interactions between a pegasus and a unicorn... in the presence of a dragon, two alicorns, and a handful of other talking ponies. Who exactly was he to be passing judgement in this case?
"Oh come on, Twilight, you can't just write it off as being the work of fiction. They could exist and nopony knows, because anybody who sees them goes mad from the revelation. They could be out there in the Everfree Forest right now, hiding in plain sight, and anybody who sees them goes insane and is never heard from again!" Rainbow Dash protested.
"Rainbow Dash," Twilight muttered through grit teeth, stopping only to take ragged breaths in an effort to calm herself before she said something she'd regret... again. "The physical requirements for such a creation to exist would be astronomical, to the point of physical impossibility. The size of such, able to dwarf even a large dragon, would require a massive bone density, to ensure their skeletal structure doesn't snap under their own weight. The density needed to support their frame would cause them to weigh so much, simply trying to move would cause a fatal heart attack to occur from just trying to move a single limb. And with each step they could successfully take, if they existed, they'd cause the ground to quake, and everypony would notice it. What makes you think such a being could possibly exist in this world, when they're scientifically impossible?" she asked, hammering the physical impossibilities home as hard as she could.
"Exhibit A," Rainbow Dash replied without missing a beat, gesturing with her foreleg in Ulquiorra's direction. She'd seen the physically impossible things he'd done in his time here, ranging from the dragon, to the flying, to withstanding her Sonic Rainboom, and withstanding his fight against Princess Celestia. That had to amount to proof of concept or something... right?
Rather curious. Rainbow Dash was using his presence and existence, to try and prove her theory about fictional creatures existing in their world was a possibility? Rather well played actually.
Off to the side, he noticed as Pinkie Pie burst out laughing, clapping her front hooves together in absolute amusement, as Twilight Sparkle sputtered in response. It would seem the one regarded for being the most intelligence had been bested by the one regarded for being... not the most intelligent. Had Rainbow Dash set this entire discussion up at the mention of "Slender Mane" and lead the unicorn into a trap? He wouldn't admit it out loud, but even he was mildly impressed if that was truly the case.
The mayhem, however, was interrupted as Princess Luna brought her wings forward, placing her two forward primaries between her lips, and performed what he could only assume was a whistle in the archaic royal voice, bringing everyone's attention back to her, instead of what else was currently going on.
"As much as we art entertained by this witty banter, we wish to make something quite clear. What is being discussed is nothing more than speculation and unconfirmed hypothesis. We can assure thee that throughout history, there hath been no beings in existence who couldst overpower Discord. There is no reason to be concerned or afraid of such a notion," Princess Luna said as she did her best to reassure them. "We called all of thee here, so that thou might be brought up to date on the matter in an organized manner. Not so that thou may be terrified by ghost stories... even if it is the ghost telling the stories," she finished and chuckled weakly at her little joke. Sadly none of them seemed to share her humor.
"So then ultimately we've got five very good, and very disturbing, questions to which we have no answers, and a great big mystery on our hooves that deals with a lot of coincidence, that might or might not be connected with your appearance in this world," Spike elaborated, getting the gist of it all rather quickly. "Now that we've all got an idea of what the theory is, what're we supposed to do exactly?"
"One of two things," Ulquiorra began as he stepped forward into the middle of the gathered group. "The first available option was to read you, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia in on the theory, and present each of you with the questions in an effort to gather knowledge. You and Twilight Sparkle were specifically informed, due to the simple fact I have found myself in a position where I need your help, strange as it may sound. As it was explained to the rest of your group, you're far more knowledgeable about the day-to-day occurrences in Ponyville than I am. If something were out of place, you would be far more likely to notice it than I would. I need you seven to keep me informed, and alert me of anything that stands out as being unusual," he explained, hoping this would be the last time such an explanation was necessary.
Twilight blinked. "Did you just say you needed us?" she asked.
"Trust me, Twi', it isn't easier to believe the second time hearing it," Rainbow Dash stated before turning to face Ulquiorra directly. "You said one of two things. If that's the first, then what's the other one?" she asked.
"Currently my permission to travel has been rescinded, due to the matter of my resurrección still being accessible, despite Princess Celestia's attempts at sealing it off. This is a result of trust issues, complicated by emotional and physical exhaustion from the day's events. And while she's free to do as she pleases, for whatever reason she wishes, I believe the current situation necessitates my free travel, if I'm to continue protecting you from the unexplained, and unexpected dangers that are potentially coming. If there truly is something making a move against the kingdom then, logically speaking, we will need to work together in a unified manner," he explained. He then slowly -almost deliberately slow- turned his attention to where Princess Celestia sat silently. "Wouldn't you agree with that assessment of the situation, Princess Celestia?"
On the outside, Celestia was the picture of calm and serenity, showing no visible signs of anything at all being wrong. It was the same veneer she wore when hearing petitioners from all walks of life, for long hours without end.
On the inside, however, she was a raging mass of absolute fury. She saw what Ulquiorra had done over the course of this conversation of his, and how he seemed to have done so without any effort. He'd made her ponies scared with his theories, and then more or less placed everypony's focus directly on her, putting her in a predicament where she had to make an unfavorable decision, and make it in a specific way, or she would be seen as the bad one; that was provided she wasn't already seen as such for what she'd done. Making her all the angrier, was the fact that Luna had helped him orchestrate the entire confrontation.
Was this his idea of payback for something she'd done to him over the course of his stay? Was that what this was about? She certainly hadn't seen anything vindictive in Ulquiorra's personality, but then again she hadn't seen the fact that he'd been hiding his release from her either. She wasn't entirely certain what to believe anymore. Right now she felt like she was facing off against him in a game of chess, and he was awaiting her next move, while already being fully prepared to counter no matter what piece she played.
Begrudgingly, she had to admit he was intelligent. To come up with something like this, while she'd been distracted trying to tend to Twilight's emotional meltdown, wasn't likely the easiest of things to do.
Her thought process however was distracted by the feel of something touching her foreleg. Looking down she found it to be Twilight, her hoof resting on her leg as she silently looked up at her, the look in her eyes quite similar in nature to those of a foal that was looking for acceptance from its mother. There were so, so many things she could say right now on the subject, and some of them were not very appropriate for young ears; not even those of someone with an extensive vocabulary of vulgarities, as Twilight had demonstrated possessing. But looking into those eyes, the eyes of the little filly she'd wound up causing so much unintended pain, only one thing came to her mind right now, only one conscious thought that she could hear above all others.
Checkmate.
"You present an interesting situation for consideration, Ulquiorra. I admit I hadn't considered the possibility of another party actually getting involved, and manipulating others to attack the Elements of Harmony, in an effort to throw Equestria into chaos. Perhaps bringing Discord under control has blinded me," she stated as she closed her eyes and sighed, doing her best to exercise diplomacy. "I have to admit that you have indeed saved the country, and quite possibly the world, twice already, and I should trust you more than I have been. I apologize for that. I will... reinstate your freedom of travel."
She hated being put in this predicament. But at the moment there was very little she could do in response. She'd have to wait for the proper opportunity to present itself before she could really do anything. Right now the only option available to her, was to allow things to happen at their own pace, all the while waiting and watching for the proper opportunity to respond accordingly.
"Yay!" Pinkie cheered excitedly. "This calls for a party! The biggest and bestest blowout Ponyville's seen yet! We've gotta make up for Ulqy missing his "Welcome to Ponyville" party and his "Welcome to Equestria" party and both of the "Ulqy saved the world" parties we missed out on!"
"Such extravagances aren't necessary," Ulquiorra commented dryly.
And perhaps the proper opportunity had just presented itself, in the form of the pink earth pony's obsessive focus on celebrations. This could have potential. She would've stroked her chin, if she didn't think the display would attract unwanted attention.
"Yes, Pinkie, a grand celebration to recognize our newest resident of Equestria, as well as our newest hero, does sound quite appropriate. We shall all be in attendance for this get together, once you can get it organized and kicked off. The only question is... should it be hosted in Ponyville or in Canterlot?" Princess Celestia asked as she slowly turned her gaze to Ulquiorra, grinning a small but mischievous grin at the Espada.
He didn't like parties? Well that was going to be too bad for him, as she intended for him to attend, and be not only the guest of honor, but the center of attention. And she was going to ensure his attendance, by being there as well. All things considered, it would be quite minor compared to everything that'd happened today. But in a way it felt quite fitting.
"You can count on me, Princess, this is gonna be the biggest blowout anypony's ever seen before!" Pinkie stated and bounced excitedly.
Ulquiorra remained silent in response. What could be said in response to this latest turn of events was something even he wouldn't say out loud.
He'd made the mistake of underestimating Princess Luna, and she'd nearly crushed him with her presence. Here he was eight days later, and his underestimating of Princess Celestia had him condemned to experience whatever it was that served as Pinkie Pie's obsession with noisy and colorful celebrations.
Well played, Princess Celestia, well played indeed.
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You capture Ulquiorras personality perfectly
Ha! There was many comical moments to be found beneath the chapter's seriousness
This isn't Waking Nightmares, Rainbow
I love how Celestia got back at him at the end. A small victory, yes, but a win is a win
Inb4 Slender Man crashes the party.
Yeah, Man, not Mane.
'Tia, 'Tia, 'Tia...
Will you ever learn that Ulquiorra doesn't, "get back", at others? He's not vindictive. He's pure logic.
Also, it is a fact that Ulquiorra will not only be the centre of attention;
He'll be the proverbial soaked mattress. 'Cause let's face it - saying he's a wet blanket is an understatement.
That was a cheap shot Celestia made, even if it did hit. Mandatory party, poor bastard. Great humor involved.
Rainbow Dash won that round with exhibit A, I wonder if there will be a round two.
Awesome chapter.
really accurate XD
3664700 *rimshot*
The funny thing would be that the next doozy happens at the party and then Celestia realizes that it was her fault...
Why do i foresee Ulqy finding a way out of this?
Oh god ulqy has quite the time ahead of him. I wish him all the luck.
And I loled at Dashes brilliance by using Ulqy as exhibit A besting Twi xDDD
Inside Ulquiorra's Head: FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-
The plot thickens!
Uchiha reference?
This is gonna be fun, can't wait for the next chapter.
3665198 Indeed
Celestia's paranoia is really reaching new heights, after looking into his head like she did you'd think that she'd understand that he's a creature ruled by logic even more so than Twilight. Continuously assuming that he's going to go wreak havoc just seems silly... even if we all do kinda secretly want to see it happen.
And below you will find this chapter's edits:
*far as his eye could see, - far as his eyes could see,
*seeing, sensing or otherwise - seeing, sensing, or otherwise
*excitement as the opened her - excitement as the opened her
*see why this appears to be - see why this appears to be (there's an extra space between 'this' and 'appears')
*Princess Luna muttered ,before - Princess Luna muttered, before
*turning to the Espada, and nodding - turning to the Espada and nodding
*Rather curios. Rainbow Dash was using - Rather curious. Rainbow Dash was using
*me informed, and alert of anything - me informed, and alert me of anything
*while she'd been distracting trying - while she'd been distracted trying
Oh, you think so now. But when Cthulhu comes and kills everyone and everything you love and drives you to madness, you won't be laughing then...
3664645
Yep, sometimes humor is just plain needed. Just like when Ulquiorra deconstructed the notion of using a Mortal Kombat fatality.
3664700
Meanwhile you've been missed around these parts.
3664711
Yes but sometimes the cheap shots are the best shots. Let there been dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor.
3664767
Be careful what you wish for.
3664790
Because he's just that good.
3664882
I just plain couldn't resist that one. The whole setup was so serious it needed something as a tension breaker.
3666092
Oh but she will be. She'll be laughing the laugh of the insane from witnessing what should not be.
3666654
Actually, that's REALLY what I'm wishing for...
Just the amount of guilt Celestia would feel as well as the fact that they'll all come to the horrifying conclusion that the mastermind (if there is one) might be able to influence ponies emotions or basic thoughts, such as revenge.
The next chapter is gonna be good, I hope.
3666669
Well "good" is one way of putting it...
3666673
Good to read? Yes.
Good for the ponies?
Oh HELL no...
Something too vulgar for the guy with no emotion to say; even after he told twilight a large number of profanities including the f bomb... This scares me.
3666654 That was well-thought on his end
But knowing this chapter, he should be more open-minded to even the most ludicrous of scenarios 
3666731
It's like when he told Nnoitra that he was disgusting. For some reason Ulquiorra seems to be the go to unit of definition for when determining how bad something really is.
3666734
Yeah but what's more brilliant? His discovering the five questions from just a few pieces of dialogue in a few minutes, explaining why spine ripping won't work, or using the Elements of Harmony against Celestia?
Oh, boy… Oh, boy… she IS serious… she really put him into a corner like that… crapbaskets, she's good… I still say the party's an excuse for her to watch him and make sure he stays in line. SHE'S PARANOID AND WEAK-WILLED, I SAY! PARANOID AND WEAK-WILLED!
3664700 YOU'RE BACK, MAN!
3666789 The former, considering his undiluted intelligence
No doubt about that
3666654 And you did an excellent job at doing that.
Dude, I actually found this around the first time you posted it up...around May? I don't remember but anyway, I've finally got around the reading it and I can say that this is one fucking interesting story and I love it!
I need sleep
And Pinkie
Its all going to end bad at that party
3668664
Thanks, but to be honest, you really haven't seen anything yet in terms of story content. Nobody really has.
Someone please draw this.
3666092 Wouldn't it be Colt'thulhu?
3669340
Maybe...
3672505 And the 9th Element of Harmony: The Element of Mindless Obedience to Your Supreme Overlord!
OBEY!
fc00.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/365/1/9/celestia_obey_poster_by_bernd01-d4kwo0q.png
Question 6: What if Discord just set all this up to make them drive themselves insane with circuitous conjecture while he eats popcorn and laughs at their conspiracy theories which are about as outlandish as those featured on "Ancient Aliens".
Discord: "Oh my! I haven't been this entertained since those cosmic trolls the Greys told the Pharoahs the pyramids would make them immortal! Ha ha ha ha!"
I wish I could tell them who it is that is behind everything, the one who has orchestrated every event since chapter one. The culprit is none other than Charlie_K. And before that... Hasbro Incorporated.
3668936
I shall take this challenge! Too bad you guys won't be able to see it when it's done . . 
This story needs one more like.
3679433 Oh faust youre right
Oh sweet mother Faust
, this next chapter's going to be the best. Any comments 3665353?
well considering something more powerful than discord we have 2 possible things.... 1# Faust. 2#Aizen(final form). considering 1 # as correct Faust is just trolling. considering . 2# other fail plan from Aizen Sousuke rsrsrssrsrsr
3690525
Yes Ulquiorra is dead. Meaning she shook hands with a dead man, played chess with a dead man, observed a dead man eat, and slept on a dead man's lap.
3665198
I'm pretty sure Ulquie's thoughts would fall more along the line of this:
"This was an unexpected turn of events."
Because, you know, emotionless with the exception of slight irritation.
3690661
But, he also technically isn't a man.
If I were Celestia, I would have added "However, in order to best understand what you're capable of, and how best to make use of your abilities should your theories be true; I ask that you reveal any other abilities you may have been keeping secret. Now would be the best time to do so as well, seeing as there is no way for others to eavesdrop on a conversation in a dream."
And if Discord wasn't evil, and the changelings weren't evil, then what in this world truly was evil?
Yessss AJ you have started down the path of Nihilism.
Here is your free "Nothing really matters" mug, button, and hat.
3664645
I love you simply for the fact you just made a waking nightmares reference. Not gonna lie, I was about to make one myself, but you beat me to the punch. Still love you though. A moustache for your greatness.
Nyu~
4636550 Thanks
Ya know, H.P. Lovecolt is a name with really unfortunate connotations. I bet he got accused of pedophilia an awful lot.
3894023 Despite outward appearances, he is indeed of the male gender.