18: Of Titles and Demigods
The vast hallways of Canterlot Castle seemed to stretch forever with a gentle curve. The late afternoon sun cast the numerous planes of stained glass windows into a myriad of colors. Count Demonie was leading the royal herd, sans one alicorn, along the scenic route to the garden party which was no doubt already starting.
Not that any of the terrans knew that of course, as the Equestrian tried to get a measure of them. Thus far, Conrad had shown only cursory interest in the murals and grandiose nature of the palace architecture. Crimson, by contrast, was floored by the sheer height of the marble arches and ceilings. She’s be the first to admit she wasn’t an architectural engineer, but some rooms didn’t seem possible. Well okay, you could probably say that about almost all of the skyscrapers back home. You’d think I’d have grown out of the boonies by now.
Loki on the other hand, wasn’t paying any attention to the castle at all, and was focusing almost entirely on Demonie. His mannerisms, walking gait, posture, and above all, his absolute devotion to the idea that the nobility are the Crème de la crème, all of it was taken in by the scheming green and pink earth pony.
“Now, that lovely work of art there,” Demonie pointed towards a stained glass window, “depicts the climactic victory of the nobility over the peasant uprising of 1254 B.L.R.” The trio of terrans shared a groaned look while Demonie was basking in the majesty. “That was, of course, back before the princesses came to power, when everypony knew their place in the world.” He turned away from the glass to give the terrans a forlorn look. “I’m sure as royalty, or at least nobles, yourselves, you understand how the peasantry can be so daft sometimes.”
“Ahh, yeah,” Crimson replied while swinging her hoof. “Those gosh darn peasants, am I right?”
Conrad leaned into Loki’s ear to whisper in English. “Pretty sure the average American would have our hides if we started calling ourselves nobles, royal herd or not.”
“Ha, and here I was thinking that you were finally an official samurai.”
Demonie cleared his throat. “Pardon my interruption, but I feel we should keep moving. We mustn’t keep the princesses waiting any longer.”
“Hey, you’re the guide, go on,” Loki chided teasingly. “I want to find out what kind of food you guys serve on this planet.”
Everyone could tell Demonie was put off by Loki’s lack of tact, but he said nothing about it as he started cantering towards the party. A minute later he devised a plan of action. “Say, there has been something I was… requested to discover.” The terrans only gave him moderate attention, not that he noticed. “Seeing as how the princesses have been quite hesitant to share any information about you Earthlings and your culture, I would like to know a few things, if that is satisfactory to you.”
“Sometimes the only thing more dangerous than a question is an answer,” Conrad replied cautiously.
Demonie slowed his pace as he worriedly looked at Conrad. The slip in his aristocratic expression was brief, but noticeable. “Be that it may, life is full of risk. So, given that you are from an entirely different planet, I feel it would be a good idea to find out some aspects of your culture, to limit the possibility of insult. To start, what do you terrans typically consider the title for a pony of noble birth?”
“Fuckface," Loki replied in English without missing a beat and with a perfect poker face.
“Ah, well it certainly sounds respectable.” Demonie replied with measured grace, wholly missing Crimson’s surprised expression and Conrad’s look of extreme exasperation. He repeated the word under his breath over and over trying to get it down perfectly.
No doubt of that, Crimson mused while trying to hide her laughter. She carefully hid her face behind Conrad so she wouldn’t betray the prank.
Demonie felt he got it down a few seconds later and turned to Conrad. “Do all of you carry that title?”
“Only her,” Conrad replied quickly while jabbing a wing at Loki. Crimson snickered behind Conrad. “As my mate said, it is a rare honor.”
“Err, well,” he turned to Loki who was doing her best to look serious. “Then I must congratulate you. I’m sure it was well deserved.” Demonie turned back around to make sure he was leading them down the right path, giving Loki a chance to scowl at Conrad.
So that’s how he’s going to play it huh?
Demonie rounded a corner, prompting the terrans to do the same. Once he was sure of the path, he turned back to the earthlings. “One of the things I take in high regard is good music.” He made a show of pointing at the window they were passing. It revealed a unicorn mare with a flute standing above a dragon with its wings flared out. “Not only is our music rich with culture, it has even saved the nation on occasion. Propagating peace where others would only find war.
I would find sampling your native music to be a most enlightening experience.”
“Would you now?” Loki replied with a devilish grin. She pulled her headset’s visor down and used a hoof to type while she walked. “I can play some of our most popular music right here and now.”
Oh no, she’s got that look in her eye. Crimson’s tail flicked about nervously.
“Truly?” Demonie replied with great enthusiasm. His original poor assessment of Loki’s wearable computer moved up a notch or two. Clothing that has more uses than fashion? Incredible.
Hovering her hoof above the final keystroke, Loki addressed Demonie with a mischievous smile. “Allow me to play you, the song of my people.”
Conrad’s indifferent mood spiked with amusement once Loki’s death metal music started blasting throughout the halls. “Now this is music!” His comment was totally lost to the gut grinding music that was disturbing Demonie on so many levels it made his bile rise.
He waved at Loki for several seconds to get her to stop the insufferable racket. Eventually, Crimson couldn’t stand anymore either and cantered over and pulled the plug for him. Loki shot her a betrayed look only to be rebuffed by Crimson’s own sour scowl.
“In the interest of diplomacy, turn that shit off!” Crimson glowered before switching to English. “The locals would toss us back to Earth on our ass if we paraded through the halls playing Dethklok.”
“Ah you’re no fun.” Loki pouted and promptly clicked the audio feed back into her helmet to listen to her music.
“Thank you, Fuckface Crimson Anderson. I don’t know if my sensibilities could have handled any more of that.” Demonie thought using the title would flatter Crimson. Unfortunately, he failed to notice Crimson’s agitated eye-twitch at the inglorious title. “I think it best if we continue to the party.” His ears remained flattened by the still audible music blaring in Loki’s headset. I think I’ve learned just about enough of their culture for one day.
Hoping to avoid any more of the green and pink one’s music, Demonie cut through several shortcuts to reach the garden party.
Once the group rounded the last corner to bring the garden party into view, Loki stopped dead in her tracks and narrowed her eyes while focusing on a pony in the distance. Conrad grew worried at her stern expression, which was blunted by the tongue hanging out of the corner of her mouth. “Something wrong?”
“Yes. I sense a great disturbance in the Force.”
Crimson halted to and gave her green and pink comrade a sardonic eyebrow. “What kind of disturbance?”
A manic Machiavellian grin split Loki’s muzzle. “Someone who knows the power of the Pink.”
Celestia, Twilight, and Alexia reached a balcony overlooking the garden itself. The last several minutes had been spent in silence as Alexia digested everything she had been told. Of it all, Alexia was more than happy to leave things as they were so she had a few days to contemplate Celestia’s wisdom.
The garden below was an amazing sight to see. The artfully crafted trees and shrubberies were plentiful and strategically placed across a full one acre square patch of land overseeing the vast lowlands below the mountain. Yet for all of its aristocratic atmosphere, the blanket of streamers, party games, cakes, banners, a dance floor fit for a rave, and a DJ’s table revealed to Twilight who the planner was in an instant.
Alexia wanted nothing more than to jump right into the gathering crowd of ponies below. A navy blue stallion stood out to her above all others due to his striking similarities to Reed, the self-proclaimed priest of the Congregation of Life. Alexia checked her emotions and turned to Celestia. “The party looks wonderful, thank you.”
Celestia let off a light titter. “Oh, I only offer the space. It was Twilight’s friend Pinkie Pie who set it all up. I think she’s down there now, introducing her friends with the rest of your herd.”
The trio of alicorns looked down to see Twilight’s friends join Pinkie in introducing themselves. Were it not for the thought that danced in her head, Alexia would have flown down to join them. “Before I lose the rest of this beautiful night, I needed to ask you about how to block out the constant drone of my worshipers back home. The sound in the back of my head can be highly distracting,” she said as politely as possible. “Do you know of a way to make it stop?”
Alexia was still contemplating on whether or not she should take Thompson’s offer to have Reed quietly blackmailed into disbanding the Congregation. You would think your own focus of worship telling you to stop would be enough.
“Hmm, yes, I know first hoof how that can be dangerous,” Celestia replied with a slight worried crack in her regal mask. “There’s no time for it tonight, but I will write down all of my notes so Twilight can give them to you later.” She looked at Twilight for a wordless request.
“I’d be glad to,” Twilight replied sullenly. “I probably need to train myself in that too.”
Alexia’s brow furrowed at her sensei’s lack of enthusiasm, and initially thought it was because she assumed Twilight was sad for her. Yet Celestia’s next comment dashed any of that sentiment rather quickly. “I know it is difficult to accept, Twilight, but you must recognize what you are, so you can better understand.”
“Understand what?” Alexia blurted out before hastily trying to recover from the social faux pas. “Sorry, it’s probably none of my business.”
“You might be right,” Celestia commented with an ever so slightly frown. “But I fear my former student hasn’t quite done you justice.” She looked at Twilight who was trying to drill a hole in the floor with a hoof and was looking away with concern written all over her face.
“Justice in what? I’m sure it was a misunderstanding.” Alexia couldn’t believe it was in Twilight’s character to lead her astray.
Twilight’s silence was all Celestia needed to understand, and turned to Alexia. “Blocking the prayers of your followers is an important issue that needs to be resolved quickly, and I suggest you train your foals to do the same, the younger the better.
However, I feel it must be said,” Celestia shored up her voice of authority, tempered by a millennia of rule. “We alicorns are deities. Of that, I am wholly certain.”
“I don’t feel like it,” Twilight mumbled under her breath. Unfortunately her old mentor was used to picking up such mutterings.
“Well, umm…” Alexia shuffled nervously. The last thing she wanted to do is to let her typical style of arguing the goddess issue to insult the one pony who could help her the most. “I’m sure the Equestrian definition of god or deity differs a lot from that of Earth.”
“Does it?” Celestia challenged, earning an internal groan from Alexia. Celestia’s tone and face shifted to critical neutrality. One Twilight knew all too well whenever her old mentor started playing devil’s advocate. “Ever since Twilight started sharing information on your world, I noticed her focus was rather slanted. Science, astrology, modern culture, the phenomenon of the Internet in particular. I however know that the best way to know somepony is to learn how their history has brought them to this point. And a key part of that understanding is mythology.”
“Feels like a comprehensive field of investigation,” Alexia conceded, suppressing an irritated huff. “But I don’t see the relevance. Our species is from this world, not Earth.”
Celestia nodded with a smile. The wise old alicorn could easily sniff out Alexia’s discomfort, but felt the conversation needed to happen. “Granted, but the definition of god has evolved a great deal in your planet’s history. And seeing as how my former student has taken such a liking to you, I studied the history of the United States.
“If I may be so bold, I assume that your idea of a deity comes from the Christian god: a being of absolute power and knowledge. Is that true?”
Alexia shrugged with her wings. “In a nutshell. Seeing how I nearly died from a knife to the heart, I have no business calling myself a god compared to that.”
As I suspected. “That must have been a very trying moment.” Celestia turned to look up at the starry sky to let the conversation lapse briefly to clear the air. Alexia hoped the whole thing would have been dropped then and there, but Celestia spoke right before Alexia could suggest joining the party. “In that context, I agree with you completely. But… I think we alicorns have more in common with the gods of what you call ancient Rome and Greece. We each have an aspect, and we are hardly all powerful or omniscient. They are the closest analog that I feel we alicorns fit.”
She’s not going to let me get away with the whole “I don’t wanna talk about it” excuse is she? Fine. Alexia furrowed her brow in contemplation while using a wing to rub her chin. “I guess that argument has some merit. But even the Greek and roman gods lived above mortals. I don’t think Canterlot Castle quite lives up to the hype of Mount Olympus.”
The Equestrians giggled at that with Twilight adding, “not to mention anypony could easily climb Mount Olympus to see the place for themselves.”
“Plus, those gods didn’t live among mortals as we do,” Alexia commented with a little irritation that she had to use the word ‘mortal’.
“Quite right, Alexia.” Celestia said after recovering from the good humor before shifting back to a serious tone. “So then you must ask the opposite question. Can you really call yourself a normal pony, a mortal, after resurrecting from your assassination? Or even the prolonged lives my sister and myself have had? No other tribe of pony can live as long as we do.”
“I ahh…” Alexia wrestled with the question that she’d been fighting to avoid answering for months. Reed’s face proclaimnig her divinity flashed in her memory, souring her mood further. “I still think it’s possible to be a mortal and still have extra-normal abilities. We can die, right?”
Celestia hummed in approval. “Anything can die, Alexia. You of all people should know that. But what are gods if not mortals with, as you say, extra-normal abilities?”
Twilight’s face lit up in dawning understanding. “Are you trying to say we’re demi-gods then?”
“It’s worth considering, Twilight,” Celestia commented with a respectful nod. Alexia’s mounting irritation about the whole topic was threatening to boil over into anger, and it showed clear as day on her face. Celestia knew she had pushed a bit too far, but that was ultimately her goal. Tie just enough emotion to it, and Alexia will finally start giving the issue serious consideration, rather than stubborn refusal.
Celestia looked down to the party below which was now in full swing. “Perhaps we should save this conversation for later. For now, let’s go down and enjoy the company of family and friends.”
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Oh dear, the forces of Pink. That could be calamitous.
Also, don't remember; what's the status of the Tirekoning in this story?
Brilliant take on 'are we or are we not deities'.
Found some errors while reading:
Count Demonie was leading the royal heard, sans one alicorn, along the scenic route to the garden party which was no doubt already starting.
Think you meant herd.
---
“That must have been a very trying moment. Celestia turned...
You forgot to put in the ending quote after the period near moment.
I bet Loki's Party cannon would look more like a Blunderbuss!
The Pinknado of Doom cometh.
Discord is soon going to have the greatest day of his existence.
The forces of NATO and the warsa- I MEAN Pink and MOAR PINK WILL FACE OFF IN A BATTLE TO END ALL BATTLES
FINALLY IT IS OUT *starts reading*
5447394 Steampunk a la Tron, clearly. If anyone can mix Tron and Steampunk, it's a paladin of pink.
Happy New Year! Just turned 2015 for me as I finished this chapter. With that out of the way, I am excited for the next chapter and how they will react to Pinkie... She is much worse than Loki after all in terms of... strange powers.
Yay a new years update!!!!! It's nice seeing them interact with there Equestria cousins and I can't wait for the mane 6 and Alexia's herd to mix and mingle.
Power of the Pink! Love it!
Totally agree with 5447664 . Fun!
Keep going! ;)
... seriously? How has nobody posted this yet? I loathe memes, but this one goes beyond being merely constant repetition of something that was never funny to begin with. This is a time where it is truly relevant!
I'm too lazy to scan back over previous chapters, but haven't some of the mane 6, kind of, aged to death? Don't remember if it was this or another one.
5466404
nope, Book 1 started only a few years after season 4. the mane 6 are alive and well.
5466440 That clears things up. Not sure which fic I was thinking of, but perhaps this is my queue to do a re-read.
Alright. Voicing it. Celestia is a bitch.
I just re-read the two stories again recently, and I've got a few questions:
Did they ever start making cloud structures? The closest that we've seen that I can recall are the blimps from A White Spherical Whale in San Francisco that housed pegasi teams.
What happened to Gill Highwind? Yakim? Vanders (I don't think he was mentioned since the first story)? The survivors of the 82nd? Carter and his partner Mulder?
How widespread is Equish spoken and written? I assume everyone (and that includes the Director) in Section Nine can speak and write it. I know it was kept as a hidden language for the 'royal herd' for awhile, but I expect all the pony immigrants from around the world to the USA would start to use it as a quick way to integrate. Especially since it became the language of the Mions (I get a laugh out of the image of Agent Carter fluent in it).
No hard numbers given, but we know that 'billions' of humans have died. I assume no small amount of ponies died too, and they started off with four million according to Discord. That's a lot of ponies, but it's a tiny, tiny number compared to the humans. Except the humans have probably lost over 50% of their race, so what's the ratio or so? How rare are ponies compared to humans, especially since they probably flock together? Does each major surviving city have a kind of 'pony town', or are they almost entirely in the countryside growing food?
Well played Celestia, well played. Like any other wise mentor who tries very hard to drill the most important aspects of their lessons, they force a subject on their until they learn it the hard way.
Anyway, I'm a bit worried about the pony that Loki lied too, she does know that she'll spread misunderstanding enough that they'll have the coconut effect on the populace, meaning that they'll have a hard time believing the truth when its presented to them? I just hope Conrad and Crimson clears this up before it gets too far.
Loved it, unfortunately read the last few chapters on my mobile, and couldn't log in, so here's your sweeping comment.
The alicorn baby passcard thing was brilliant. Loki is STILL being a meme-library, which I love (allow me to play you..). Discord... I would love to see the kids call him uncle Discord, just to see a reaction. I mean, my parents had a friend, and while we weren't relate, we called him uncle, as we saw him so often. Finaly, the Alicorn mortal/deity thing. I'm happy to see the Demi-god option being used, as that's kind of how I've been leaning with my personal ideas for them. Certainly more than mortal, but not quite Gods in themselves.
Can't wait to see where you go with this.
Oh, and
...sooo I finished the last chapter quite a while ago ....will there be more? .....
I mean if it dosen't bother you...
5673539
Never fear, I haven't forgotten it. I'll try to push one out by mid March.
5673753
but anywho, I'm totally looking forward to the next chapter(s) of this, and, your life and goals permitting, getting another sequel 
please? 
I. Have. LOVED. This fanfiction. I eagerly await the upcoming updates as you get to them, and am very grateful that you've had the dedication and skill to write this story. I'm quite positive I'm not the only one to say that you've pulled off all of the elements of MLP's universe and an alien invasion into an earth-tied setting quite harmoniously and realistically (as well as one could call it realistic. Quite a feat when mixing aliens, magic, cartoons, science, military, all that XD). I know you already said you would, but I'm just gonna say it anyways, I really hope you continue writing at the very least this story to completion. And if you continued a sequel..!!!!! I might personally abstain from the first few chapters, but that's only because I love reading books in one go! Read all of book 1 and this one in a three-day period, maybe a bit overkill and the reason I'm rambling
My sleep-deprived happy-reader self awards you 10/10 mustaches