It's like watching a thousand knives being thrown into a baby shower. You know no matter what it is going to end horribly. It's just a question of how bad. I hope whatever powers that be can save Twilight's soul.
3510140 I was originally wanted to end this with Star Swirl and Twilight appearing like they did in Stitch, but decided to do one last capstone chapter covering what happened right after our Twilight and Star Swirl left again.
Just remember that the REAL end of the story is that last chapter of Fate. The last chapter of this is... not happy
There can be no redemption for this queen of abominations. Twilight is making Chrysalis look like a cutesy-wutesy cuddly kitty cat. Eakin, this story is--and I'm not even joking--the sole reason I have the mature filter off. You should be damn proud of the dark and twisted universe you've created. The darkest part of it all is that you still manage to make me feel sympathy for Queen Sparkle. This is the greatest, darkest tragedy on the entire site.
I'm amazed this doesn't have as many comments as the others in the Hard Reset lineup.
Eakin, you have created a beautiful thing that is so ugly. I love this story. I love the idea behind it. This is the version of Hard Reset I'd like canonize in my mind. (No disrespect to the others) You have done Twilight as a ruler in a capacity that I can stomach. Each chapter sends our ex-unicorn further and further along the scale into the pits of hell and I love you for it. Thank you for providing corrosive acidic blood as the sinfully delectable alternative to all the sugar and sap I see that comes with Princess Twilight.
Fuck Princess Twilight, Long live Queen Twilight Sparkle!
She's breaking everything to make it better and it's so grand. I love how the monologues get increasingly detached and sadistic until it's clear she's not gonna lie any longer about what she's doing. You've an eye for depravity I can only aspire to capture someday.
No, but the glory of this series is how, if any pony had thrown her a lifeline somewhere, a lot of this progressive breaking of twilight could have gone differently. I almost think the last chapter in this should be called "Breaking Myself."
It is an endless train of morality compromise and betrayal that fuels the engine of said train.
3510554 Ha! The last chapter of this is called exactly that, actually. It's already written, and once I have the next chapter finished I'll post them both and tag this complete. I'd love to have this finished before the premiere this coming weekend, although that's a stretch.
This comment encompasses most all of what I can say about this little delightfully dark side story to the Time Loop Trilogy (even though I feel unclean referring to it as a "side story", as if that belittles its impact somehow). I would say the fic warrants a Tragedy tag without question, were it not for its place in the larger story...and even so, it still might bear one.
Without that perspective, though, I'm not sure I'd be able to read it; this chapter was the cruelest yet.
Oh man... I forgot just how dark this story is... I'm getting sick to my stomach, almost, but I can't not look... DAMN you're good. I hate you. And I'm jealous of you. That's most of it, probably. Actually... Well, that WOULD make sense. You're making me SICK with envy! *Insert Pinkie doing a rimshot*
Seriously, though... I'm going to go lay down with a cold, damp cloth on my neck so I don't get sick.
3503637 That or go back to the routine of finding how to fix this. Seeing as the changling part of her is making her deranged, she would most likely strike that as definitely not a good outcome. Though there is a possible chance that she'll either find a way to drop things in between time and space so she can save them for next time, or find a different (non-changling) evil to stop the element and the changlings too, this evil still of course also possibly making her crazy in the process. But the most likely outcome is that she spends maybe 10-20 deaths on finding out how to counter the whole 'sanity-tearing changling queen hive mind'. As well as a pre-plan to eradicate the rebellion army before it even begins, if not to save her parents.
Silly Cadance, that's not how you appease your insane/murderous neighbour. Will we actually see what happens in the Crystal Empire or do Original Twi and Starswirl show up before that?
3511671 I'm probably not up for writing a whole back and forth war between Twi and the CE, but remember what Chrysalis said about creating powerful new changeling hybrids, and where she was growing it? Yeah, that we'll cover.
And Cadance was a bit blunter with Twilight than she needed to be, but I'm sure she has a few lingering issues with changelings after her wedding. She's not exactly wrong, either.
3511349 While being a changeling isn't helping, she was already pretty evil by the time she hit this loop. I mean, don't forget what the last ingredient in the 'become a changeling' potion was. In fact, that particular detail, along with a certain fire ruby, will be instrumental in her going from four broken necklaces to five...
As for the rebellion... well, I've got one more twist in mind for them. There wasn't any sign of them in Stitch after all.
Wow. Okay, when RD and Pinkie were broken, I had chills. When Flutters and AJ were broken, I nearly got sick. Rarity is bucked. Still, this story is undeniably epic. It's like a vision into the darkest corners of Twilight's psychology and how a mad-mare would go about actually conquering the world. I can't wait to see everything that happens between now and when alternate Twilight and Star Swirl show up to clip her reality from the canon one in your trilogy. I love it. I love every single word you've written. Keep it up!
The most disturbing thing about this fic? How real the core struggle is. We live the reality of evil perpetrated for the sake of good every day. It really never is black and white once you pull back and look at the bigger picture.
...I feel like I'm a bad person for being excited for this.
Uh, what was I going to say? Oh, yeah! First, yay, new chapter. Second, it's nice that you're keeping the things going. I mean, story hasn't come to a stop, or block.
Fluttershy. Again, I think you pictured her very well, I can't help but remember her first contact with Discord. Also, I thought Cadance and Shining didn't know anything about this whole mess, they would just stay safe and sound in the Empire. You mentioned Applejack would get the worst of tortures...and I have mixed feelings. I think I expected a much more elaborated plan, but...in all honestly, what you did was perfect. And Fluttershy. I cringed several times.
let's face it, she's just a filly crying out for someone to help her... it's really sad that her alternate self betrayed her like that, i can kind of see her begging that what her alternate self says is true, then crying and ranting about how unfair it is to the non-existent deity. she is hurt and scared. i bet that she only did all this because she thought that if she pretends long enough, it'll eventually be true...
All these people getting "sick" over this story, I feel sorry (and just a tiny bit of pity) for them. I for one am revelling in it. There is nothing more delicious then great evil to save the world (or whats left of it after the "saving" at least). Its not like kicking a puppy, that may be very evil but also completely unnecessary 99, 9997% of the time. Would I brutally murder my family in order to save the world? Maybe. Would I brutally murder my family to stop a time loop? Pretty likely. Would I do it to stop both a time loop and armageddon? Definitely. Every person have the capacity to commit great evil for a greater good. And this is what makes this story so awesome
The time loop is a very interesting concept, sadly its almost a carbon copy each time. This might had the same base carbon but it have been compressed into diamond. A diamond that have been polished to a shine in the blood of the innocent.
3512631 Nah, she does not believes it will become true. She believes it IS true. She is so deep in her own delusion that she twists the facts so they fit her big, big lie.
There are some moments where she does realice what terrible things she's doing to her friends, but she quickly shrugs them off. (For example, when she got into the chamber where Pinkie was). Why? Because she is completely and utterly broken. This is the first time she has managed some stability, and she is determinated to lie to herself so everything is fine.
I find it kind of funny...she used to say Celestia was too young to understand there is no 'good' or 'bad'. But in the end of Fight Fate, she ends with...I'm not going to say she's exactly like Celestia, but her mind state I think somehow becomes similar to the goddess'. And she rejects what she has done on the past.
Queen Sparkle is not a common villian. I feel as sorry for her as for her victims. She put her friends before her sanity (In a very twisted way), and this is the price she had to pay. At some point, thought, she just says 'screw my friends', and this is the first time she gets some stability and manages to have a decent live.
And then...everything starts once again.
Blah, blah blah. Sorry for the wall of text. I just love the character of Queen Sparkle.
It's interesting to see how her friends and family are the ones who are the least afraid to say their minds. Call her a monster, refuse to compare her to the mare she once was all they wish, but deep down they must think that the real Twilight still exists, or else I think they'd never even bother.
This is truly the most insane Twillight ever! How long has she been looping? Imagine the look on some ponies face when they know what Twilight has been through!
3517966 I don't know if I ever gave it an exact timeframe, but in my head its been at least several decades. Twenty years at the absolute minimum, in three-hour-or-shorter chunks
3518501 I'd call you out for that horrible pun, if I hadn't used the exact same one in the last chapter of Fate
As for sleep deprivation, the physical effects would be erased with each reset. Psychologically, I can't imagine it would help. I also doubt she has a perfect recollection of every single loop, but she probably remembers more of it than she's forgotten. I imagine some details would blur together.
3518658 I couldn't remember which fic you finally ended up resorting to that one in. I suppose they all kinda blurred together after a bit. I should probably get some sleep.
Keep up the good (though undeniably evil at the moment) work, sir.
This is the best fic ever! So delightfully dark. I love how she's using the bearer's to destroy the elements, and how she thinks what she's doing is the right thing to do. I especially liked the Pinkie Pie scene. I've never thought of how sense deprivation could affect a person, but it makes sense.
Twilight is like the Daring Do of super villians. Undeniably, unquestionably, unstoppable. ...Actually, screw the Daring Do reference. Twilight is Way stronger.
i live where this story is going but i just remembered a huge plot hole in the story the elements cant really be destroyed as proven by the season 1 promo eventually some other group will bear the elements and the city will go up in a fiery inferno fiery inferno? bit redundant isnt it?
3543695 Queen Sparkle might be wrong about them being destroyed, but forcing them into dormancy until they regrow/regenerate is just as good from her perspective.
3515012 i got the interpretation because her sanity's not all there, and thus, on some level she knows it's a lie, but she simply doesn't want to go back. back to the dieing, the invasion, and total void of hope. all she really wants is to do is rest and not have to worry any more.
3595439 Correct. That's why the deception collapsed when Twilight Sparkle told her that, after doing the spell, she would finally be able to die. That's all she really wants.
I would hug her, but then again she would probably chop off my head, like Eakin said.
I cant express enough how much I love this story. The way you break each bearer down is genius and the way you have twilight deluding herself that all she does is right and perfect and it couldn't be any other way.... is awesome.
Though I don't think its going to be much of a war. If the empire is taking refugees all twilight has to do is sneak enough changelings in there and its over. But if Shining get the shield up its over to. If he can keep a shield while poisoned like in Canterlot Wedding, he'd be an unmoveable object if hes not.
3606879 Yeah, I'm not planning to actually have Twilight lead any invasion. Her sanity is unravelling too fast for that to realistically be an option anyway.
Hopefully I get my laptop today and I can get it wrapped up for good. Trying to type out long scenes on my phone is a major pain.
Well, buck.
Also... first?
It's like watching a thousand knives being thrown into a baby shower. You know no matter what it is going to end horribly. It's just a question of how bad. I hope whatever powers that be can save Twilight's soul.
3510140
I was originally wanted to end this with Star Swirl and Twilight appearing like they did in Stitch, but decided to do one last capstone chapter covering what happened right after our Twilight and Star Swirl left again.
Just remember that the REAL end of the story is that last chapter of Fate. The last chapter of this is... not happy
There can be no redemption for this queen of abominations. Twilight is making Chrysalis look like a cutesy-wutesy cuddly kitty cat.
Eakin, this story is--and I'm not even joking--the sole reason I have the mature filter off.
You should be damn proud of the dark and twisted universe you've created. The darkest part of it all is that you still manage to make me feel sympathy for Queen Sparkle. This is the greatest, darkest tragedy on the entire site.
This is so bucking awesome. Twilight is really starting to put the hurt on anypony who disagrees with her, and it is glorious.
I'm amazed this doesn't have as many comments as the others in the Hard Reset lineup.
Eakin, you have created a beautiful thing that is so ugly. I love this story. I love the idea behind it. This is the version of Hard Reset I'd like canonize in my mind. (No disrespect to the others) You have done Twilight as a ruler in a capacity that I can stomach. Each chapter sends our ex-unicorn further and further along the scale into the pits of hell and I love you for it. Thank you for providing corrosive acidic blood as the sinfully delectable alternative to all the sugar and sap I see that comes with Princess Twilight.
Fuck Princess Twilight, Long live Queen Twilight Sparkle!
She's breaking everything to make it better and it's so grand. I love how the monologues get increasingly detached and sadistic until it's clear she's not gonna lie any longer about what she's doing. You've an eye for depravity I can only aspire to capture someday.
This really is one of my favorite fimfictions.
Fuck yeah!!
3510164
No, but the glory of this series is how, if any pony had thrown her a lifeline somewhere, a lot of this progressive breaking of twilight could have gone differently. I almost think the last chapter in this should be called "Breaking Myself."
It is an endless train of morality compromise and betrayal that fuels the engine of said train.
3510554
Ha! The last chapter of this is called exactly that, actually. It's already written, and once I have the next chapter finished I'll post them both and tag this complete. I'd love to have this finished before the premiere this coming weekend, although that's a stretch.
3510591 You can do it Eakin! I believe in you.
3510276
This comment encompasses most all of what I can say about this little delightfully dark side story to the Time Loop Trilogy (even though I feel unclean referring to it as a "side story", as if that belittles its impact somehow). I would say the fic warrants a Tragedy tag without question, were it not for its place in the larger story...and even so, it still might bear one.
Without that perspective, though, I'm not sure I'd be able to read it; this chapter was the cruelest yet.
My attention remains yet unwavering.
3510554
3510591
DAT PREDICTION
3510340 well technically it is cannon since its in the other story. this just happened before they went there.
This reminds me of the "evil" ending to Mask of the Betrayer.
I think you mean not instead of now.
Oh man... I forgot just how dark this story is... I'm getting sick to my stomach, almost, but I can't not look... DAMN you're good. I hate you. And I'm jealous of you. That's most of it, probably. Actually... Well, that WOULD make sense. You're making me SICK with envy! *Insert Pinkie doing a rimshot*
Seriously, though... I'm going to go lay down with a cold, damp cloth on my neck so I don't get sick.
3503637 That or go back to the routine of finding how to fix this. Seeing as the changling part of her is making her deranged, she would most likely strike that as definitely not a good outcome. Though there is a possible chance that she'll either find a way to drop things in between time and space so she can save them for next time, or find a different (non-changling) evil to stop the element and the changlings too, this evil still of course also possibly making her crazy in the process. But the most likely outcome is that she spends maybe 10-20 deaths on finding out how to counter the whole 'sanity-tearing changling queen hive mind'. As well as a pre-plan to eradicate the rebellion army before it even begins, if not to save her parents.
3510164
That real ending is the only reason I can read this. That, and the knowledge that it will all repair itself when Twilight next dies.
Part of me is utterly horrified, while another part is taking notes. Never know when I might want to write something in this vein, after all!
3510591>>3510554 The next chapter should be "Breaking My Neighbors"
As always, this story really pushes the buttons you don't want pushed in all the best ways. It's evil, and I love to hate that feeling
Silly Cadance, that's not how you appease your insane/murderous neighbour. Will we actually see what happens in the Crystal Empire or do Original Twi and Starswirl show up before that?
3511671
I'm probably not up for writing a whole back and forth war between Twi and the CE, but remember what Chrysalis said about creating powerful new changeling hybrids, and where she was growing it? Yeah, that we'll cover.
And Cadance was a bit blunter with Twilight than she needed to be, but I'm sure she has a few lingering issues with changelings after her wedding. She's not exactly wrong, either.
3511349
While being a changeling isn't helping, she was already pretty evil by the time she hit this loop. I mean, don't forget what the last ingredient in the 'become a changeling' potion was. In fact, that particular detail, along with a certain fire ruby, will be instrumental in her going from four broken necklaces to five...
As for the rebellion... well, I've got one more twist in mind for them. There wasn't any sign of them in Stitch after all.
Wow. Okay, when RD and Pinkie were broken, I had chills. When Flutters and AJ were broken, I nearly got sick.
Rarity is bucked.
Still, this story is undeniably epic. It's like a vision into the darkest corners of Twilight's psychology and how a mad-mare would go about actually conquering the world. I can't wait to see everything that happens between now and when alternate Twilight and Star Swirl show up to clip her reality from the canon one in your trilogy.
I love it. I love every single word you've written.
Keep it up!
Glad to see this update and on its way to getting finished. It is deliciously dark!
The most disturbing thing about this fic? How real the core struggle is. We live the reality of evil perpetrated for the sake of good every day. It really never is black and white once you pull back and look at the bigger picture.
Oh my gosh, you updated!
...I feel like I'm a bad person for being excited for this.
Uh, what was I going to say? Oh, yeah! First, yay, new chapter. Second, it's nice that you're keeping the things going. I mean, story hasn't come to a stop, or block.
Fluttershy. Again, I think you pictured her very well, I can't help but remember her first contact with Discord. Also, I thought Cadance and Shining didn't know anything about this whole mess, they would just stay safe and sound in the Empire. You mentioned Applejack would get the worst of tortures...and I have mixed feelings. I think I expected a much more elaborated plan, but...in all honestly, what you did was perfect. And Fluttershy. I cringed several times.
Oh, Twilight....
let's face it, she's just a filly crying out for someone to help her... it's really sad that her alternate self betrayed her like that, i can kind of see her begging that what her alternate self says is true, then crying and ranting about how unfair it is to the non-existent deity. she is hurt and scared. i bet that she only did all this because she thought that if she pretends long enough, it'll eventually be true...
This fic makes Fallout:Equestria and cupcake look like a hearth-warming shipping fic like I dunno any story with Nyx.
All these people getting "sick" over this story, I feel sorry (and just a tiny bit of pity) for them. I for one am revelling in it. There is nothing more delicious then great evil to save the world (or whats left of it after the "saving" at least). Its not like kicking a puppy, that may be very evil but also completely unnecessary 99, 9997% of the time. Would I brutally murder my family in order to save the world? Maybe. Would I brutally murder my family to stop a time loop? Pretty likely. Would I do it to stop both a time loop and armageddon? Definitely. Every person have the capacity to commit great evil for a greater good. And this is what makes this story so awesome
The time loop is a very interesting concept, sadly its almost a carbon copy each time. This might had the same base carbon but it have been compressed into diamond. A diamond that have been polished to a shine in the blood of the innocent.
Aahhh, self delusions.
i38.photobucket.com/albums/e132/whiterabbit75/Kuroko-Head-Desk1_zpsdaf49370.gif
3512631 Nah, she does not believes it will become true. She believes it IS true. She is so deep in her own delusion that she twists the facts so they fit her big, big lie.
There are some moments where she does realice what terrible things she's doing to her friends, but she quickly shrugs them off. (For example, when she got into the chamber where Pinkie was). Why? Because she is completely and utterly broken. This is the first time she has managed some stability, and she is determinated to lie to herself so everything is fine.
I find it kind of funny...she used to say Celestia was too young to understand there is no 'good' or 'bad'. But in the end of Fight Fate, she ends with...I'm not going to say she's exactly like Celestia, but her mind state I think somehow becomes similar to the goddess'. And she rejects what she has done on the past.
Queen Sparkle is not a common villian. I feel as sorry for her as for her victims. She put her friends before her sanity (In a very twisted way), and this is the price she had to pay. At some point, thought, she just says 'screw my friends', and this is the first time she gets some stability and manages to have a decent live.
And then...everything starts once again.
Blah, blah blah. Sorry for the wall of text. I just love the character of Queen Sparkle.
3510140
I wish I could make something like that up.
Fimfiction didn't tell me about the June chapter.
It's interesting to see how her friends and family are the ones who are the least afraid to say their minds. Call her a monster, refuse to compare her to the mare she once was all they wish, but deep down they must think that the real Twilight still exists, or else I think they'd never even bother.
This is truly the most insane Twillight ever! How long has she been looping? Imagine the look on some ponies face when they know what Twilight has been through!
3517966
I don't know if I ever gave it an exact timeframe, but in my head its been at least several decades. Twenty years at the absolute minimum, in three-hour-or-shorter chunks
3518277
So by this point she's gone a little loopy, you might say?
How much of it does she remember, and what (if any) role might sleep deprivation be playing?
3518501
I'd call you out for that horrible pun, if I hadn't used the exact same one in the last chapter of Fate
As for sleep deprivation, the physical effects would be erased with each reset. Psychologically, I can't imagine it would help. I also doubt she has a perfect recollection of every single loop, but she probably remembers more of it than she's forgotten. I imagine some details would blur together.
3518658
I couldn't remember which fic you finally ended up resorting to that one in. I suppose they all kinda blurred together after a bit. I should probably get some sleep.
Keep up the good (though undeniably evil at the moment) work, sir.
By the Dragons, I'm loving every second I spend reading this. It's so hard to find good dark fics anymore.
Oh yeah, that's good stuff! Do we get the info after the fact, or will we get to see her raze the Crystal Empire?
This is the best fic ever! So delightfully dark. I love how she's using the bearer's to destroy the elements, and how she thinks what she's doing is the right thing to do. I especially liked the Pinkie Pie scene. I've never thought of how sense deprivation could affect a person, but it makes sense.
Twilight is like the Daring Do of super villians. Undeniably, unquestionably,
unstoppable.
...Actually, screw the Daring Do reference. Twilight is Way stronger.
Can't tell if having read YCFF and its epilogue makes reading this easier... or even harder.
i live where this story is going but i just remembered a huge plot hole in the story
the elements cant really be destroyed
as proven by the season 1 promo
eventually some other group will bear the elements and the city will go up in a fiery inferno
fiery inferno? bit redundant isnt it?
3543695
Queen Sparkle might be wrong about them being destroyed, but forcing them into dormancy until they regrow/regenerate is just as good from her perspective.
Or it's a plot hole. Either way.
And Applejack turned out to be Twilight's moral event horizon for me.
I wish many a things upon that "mare", none of them pleasant.
3515012 i got the interpretation because her sanity's not all there, and thus, on some level she knows it's a lie, but she simply doesn't want to go back. back to the dieing, the invasion, and total void of hope. all she really wants is to do is rest and not have to worry any more.
3595439 Correct. That's why the deception collapsed when Twilight Sparkle told her that, after doing the spell, she would finally be able to die. That's all she really wants.
I would hug her, but then again she would probably chop off my head, like Eakin said.
I cant express enough how much I love this story. The way you break each bearer down is genius and the way you have twilight deluding herself that all she does is right and perfect and it couldn't be any other way.... is awesome.
Though I don't think its going to be much of a war. If the empire is taking refugees all twilight has to do is sneak enough changelings in there and its over. But if Shining get the shield up its over to. If he can keep a shield while poisoned like in Canterlot Wedding, he'd be an unmoveable object if hes not.
3606879
Yeah, I'm not planning to actually have Twilight lead any invasion. Her sanity is unravelling too fast for that to realistically be an option anyway.
Hopefully I get my laptop today and I can get it wrapped up for good. Trying to type out long scenes on my phone is a major pain.