Conspiracy

by FallBlau

Mundus Vult Decipi

Twilight sniffed the dank air of the caverns beneath the palace as she looked around the large, empty room she found herself in. The sound of water dripping could be heard echoing off the stones as the glow of the torch she held in front of her flickered and danced, casting eerie shadows on the wall.

She walked further still, clearing a few spider webs from the entrance way, where a hideous and grotesque statue of what appeared to be a creature composed of the features of many others stood guard.

Twilight cringed inwardly at its contorted gestures as she brushed passed it, and proceeded into the darkness – her torch leading the way.

“It must be this one,” she murmured to herself, as she felt the walls. “Yes, I'm fairly sure...”

She had only been down her a handful of times before and it had been ages since she had last done so, yet Twilight found there was something that she found familiarly intrinsic about it.

Twilight made her way softly down the corridor of the vault, passing staring faces – dead faces – until she reached the end of vault, where a simple carved sarcophagus laid beneath a crack in the ceiling that let in a singular beam of light, illuminating its form.

The young mare silently trotted to the tomb until it was fully in her view. On the side of the marble sepulcher, an inscription in worn letters, proclaimed its occupant:

“Starswirl, son of Brightmoon, the Regent, Chancellor, Archmage of the Court, the King's Loyal Servant, and Friend to Many – Farewell.”

Over the lid of the tomb was carved a edifice of its occupant; the worn, withered expression of a bearded sorcerer, dressed in his fineries, laying peacefully at rest – his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest.

“Oh noble son of Brightmoon,” Twilight said as took a few few candles from her saddle bags and placed them by his side.. “How long you have had to languish here.”

She placed her hoof upon his brow, and gently petted his cold head as she lit the candles.

“How often you have had to stay here in the dark,” she said tenderly. “Quite alone and forgotten... "

“If only bones could speak, what would you say to me? How we would ruminate together. How I would tell you of my plans. I have already sent one of your murderers down to meet you, and the other is sure to follow. All that is needed now are for my friends to play their parts... Look here!”

She produced a vial from her bag – filled with a pitch black liquid.

“A potion of your own invention – whose effects instill such mad fury in those who drink it – that they loose all sense of themselves. With this, they shall feel no hesitancy, and will strike down the usurper.”

“The crown, the kingdom, and the rightful rule shall be all at once in my possession, and I shall take my rightful place as the heir to throne.”

There was a silence as Twilight searched over his stony effigy

“But is that my destiny..?

The question resounded off the walls as Twilight looked down.

“I do not do what I do because I like to be wanton or cruel,” she said in a small voice. “If I had been born to another family, I would have been perfectly content to live the remainder of my life in peace and harmony – just like any mare or stallion in this kingdom – but I have not been bequeathed that right. Instead, I was born of your family, your house, your line. And so my duty has been thrust upon me....my duty to avenge your demise, which saw you put here... quite forlorn..."

“And yet,” she said, looking away into the darkness, shuddering slightly as a chill ran up her spine. “Even now, some disquiet stirs within me. It is though I stare into precipice, knowing I must jump, and yet... I waver.”

“I am true, but I tremble at what is to come. For once I commit, there is no turning back. For once in my life, I am unsure of actions...”
T wilight stood to her feet, a deep anger growing in her voice.

“Even now, as I think of your bones resting beneath this stone and the the murder which put them there, I am filled with fury! All the passions of my soul come issuing forth all at once, and surety of my cause seems certain...”

Twilight paused as she looked down at her ancestor's likeness, a sudden softness watching over her hardened expression.

“Please,” she said, tears welling in her eyes. “If I am to do right by you, guide me, and let me be the instrument of your just revenge, oh Son of the Heavens...”

She kissed his forehead and blew out the candles, headeding back the way she came, her torch leading the way– out of the darkness, and into the light...

~

In another part of the palace, far removed from the darkness of the caverns below, Twilight's friends had gathered together in one of the bedrooms they had been given.

The air inside the little room was still. Not a single word uttered They merely sat in a circle, gazing at each other, waiting for one of them to break the silence, and address the issue that none of them wished to discuss.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Twilight reentered the room.

Every one stood to their hoofs as Twilight looked them over – their long, hard faces staring back at her.

“Hey Twi,” Rainbow greeted her.

Hey,” Twilight replied. “What's going on? Why are you all looking that way?"

They all remained silent.

“I see... well, I can't say that I blame you,” Twilight said sympathetically. “It is not with joy that I look at what lies before us, or what it may bring. Had our Monarch practiced a less coercive form of governance, this day may never have dawned for us – but it has. And so now we have a choice before us. Will we now live in fear? In submission to our Princess who we once believed to be benevolent, or shall we stand up, like the decent ponies we know we are, and rid ourselves of this tyranny?”

They all looked down, or away – none looking her in the eyes.

“If you are undecided,” Twilight continued. “Let me remind you of those you hold close – your loved ones waiting for you back home – who are counting on you to do the right thing. What will you say to them? Those who entrusted you with so much? Will you abandon them now to their fates?”

“Keep that in mind, all of you – for once we commit, there's no more turning back. We must either be all in together, or we have no hope of success.”

“So what will it be?” Twilight asked. “In or out?”

Twilight paused a moment as she let her words sink in, and watched a tumult of emotions washed over her friends faces.

Finally, it was Rainbow who spoke:

“I'm with you Twilight,” she said, standing up and trotting beside her.

A moment passed, before a familiar voice joined in.

“I am as well,” Rarity said, and took her place next to them.

“Count me in too," Pinkie said, and joined the others.

All of the ponies in the room stood beside Twilight, save the timid, yellow pegasi in the corner.

“And you, Fluttershy?” Twilight asked.

The young animal caretaker gulped, and then spoke in a very solemn way – a slight tremble rolling off her lips.

“I'm not very brave,” she said, stepping towards them. “But no pony will call me a coward.”

She felt the familiar, reassuring press of Rainbow's hoof on her shoulder as she fell in among them; everyone looking on approvingly.

“Thank you girls,” Twilight said. “This means means more than you know...”

“Well yeah, Twilight,” Rainbow said offhandedly. “I mean, what are friends for?”

“That's right, darling,” Rarity joined. “If you can't rely on your friends, who can you?”

Twilight nodded.

“Well, if we are all in agreement, then shall we take an oath?”

“An oath?” Pinkie asked.

“A promise,” Twilight reiterated. “To stand by one another, no matter what may come.”

“Yes, that sounds like a good idea,” Fluttershy said.

All the others nodded in agreement.

“Very well,” Twilight said. “Then form a circle around and give each of me your hoof.”

The friends shifted back and forth until they had formed a circle, and then placed their hoofs on Twilight's shoulders.

“Repeat after me: I swear....”

“I swear...”

The words echoed solemnly together; a somber, sad chorus. Each sentence, each phrase, each word, all crafted for one, singular purpose alone. And that was that none of them would waver, none of them would shrink, none of them would stop, until the Princess was slain and Equestria was free.

At the end of the pledge, Twilight took her goblet, which she had taken from her room, being sure to discreetly add her potion, before holding it up.

“Let us drink, friends,” she said. “And reflect upon what is to come. Though I wish all success in the coming hours, this may be the last time we meet.”

Twilight closed her eyes and took a sip from the rim, before passing to her left. Each of her friends took a drink from the cup, until, when it returned to her, there was only a little left at the very bottom.

“Almost gone, good, it shall strengthen our nerve for the task ahead.”

“About that, Twilight” Rarity asked. “How do we actually intend to... kill her?”

“A fair question,” Twilight replied. “And I will tell you: tonight, the Princess is holding a celebration in her sister's memory at the banquet hall, at which, she intends to issue the proclamation which I have shown you. But we shall act, before she has a chance to do that.

“Yes, but how exactly?” Rainbow asked. “Won't there be a lot of guards?”

“Yes,” Twilight said. “But look here...”

Twilight unfurled a map she produced from her satchel, outlining the interior plan of the palace, and pointed to a distant corner on the paper with her hoof.

“This is the banquet hall,” she said. “You should all be partially acquainted with it – it is where the main events of the grand-galloping gala are held each year. Every entrance into the room is guarded, except the open-air terrace that leads to the gardens beyond. There is no security here, the area beyond the perimeter is enclosed by the walls.”

“You all, therefore, will hide within the garden's shrubbery until such time as I have lured the Princess outside for a private audience, at which point, you shall strike.”

“And after the deed is done?” Rarity asked.

“Then you will flee. There is a concealed staircase here” Twilight said, pointing to a statue on that map “That was once used to transport materials when the palace was being built. You can disappear discreetly and hide yourself in the palace vaults – at least until everything is under control. There's no telling what sort of panic shall ensue from this, so it would be safer if you hide yourselves.”

“And yourself, Twilight?” Pinkie asked. “What will you do? Don't you think you might be in just as much danger?”

“I will try to reign the guards and guests as best I can,” she said. “Though, how much I will able to do, I cannot say...”

“But won't you be in danger, then?”

Twilight heaved a heavy sigh.

“It's a risk,” Twilight said. “But one I am willing to take – for Equestria's sake – as I hope that all of you are, as well.”

They nodded, but not before Rainbow Dash spoke:

“Twilight, I just wanted to say....that, regardless of what happens tonight... I think you are one of the bravest and selfless pony I have ever known...”

“You're an inspiration to us all,” Rarity said.

“A true friend,” Fluttershy continued. “Honest and upright.”

“Yeah, we love you Twi – all of us.”

Twilight could feel the heat in her cheeks rising as she looked down.

“I don't know what to say...” she replied meekly.

Twilight felt in that instant the warm embrace of all her friends as they crowded around her – each vying for a place close to her – as a singular tear rolled down her cheek.

"I love you all too..."

Comments

[BigD]

Hmm, torn between wanting Twilight to succeed (because that's usually not what happens in this story and I want to see what happens when it does) and hoping she fails.

[Skydasher]

Starting to remind me of the tragedy of Julius Caesar where celestia is Caesar and all of the mane 6 but applejack are the conspirators to bring down the ruler. Few chapters ago with the blind sage giving the ruler a warning that the ruler did not heed. Very much in common

[Emperor]

So looks like Twilight's going to feed the potion thing to her friends, I guess?

I mentioned it in one of the earlier chapters, but yeah, Twilight's speech really is stilted here in this story. Perhaps it's because her and Princess Celestia both speak in a very formal, Shakespeare-esque manner, but where it's believable in Celestia to speak that way in private, it's tough to believe Twilight would even speak and monologue like that when she's alone, instead of being more casual.

[VikingOtaku6]

So, it begins to come to fruition...

[Vigriff]

Did anyone else got a 'Kylo Ren' vibe from Twilight when she was talking to Starswirl's corpse?