Opening Salvo
The next few days pass in a blur as Genesis and Equestria prepare themselves for war.
The day after Luna's press conference, Genesis flies to Canterlot, where the princess holds another conference in Genesis' Convention Hall, where Luna talks to thousands of worried ponies about the raids, how Chrysalis' changelings had been testing our defenses, and stresses again and again that Thorax and his changelings have been cooperating with Equestrian authorities and have already withdrawn to their hive, so that any changelings found within Equestria's borders will be from Chrysalis's brood.
With cameras recording her every word, Luna announces that the Equestrian Army will be deployed in three days, and while they'll initially carry standard armor and equipment, TechInc will soon supply them with rifles and body armor. Samples of both are brought on stage for everyone to see, and I can feel the shock in the air: the Equestrian armed forces have been outfitted with spears, swords, and bows for centuries. What's onstage makes those weapons hilariously obsolete.
Luna goes on to say that the majority of soldiers will be dispatched to protect cities and communities from changelings while rangers will search for Chrysalis' hive; she'll need one to operate, and if we destroy it, Chrysalis will lose her base of operations and the ability to wage a successful campaign. In the meantime, Luna asks that all of Equestria continue on with life as usual. Until the war ended, she says, not giving into fear is our greatest defense.
With the prepared information given, Luna opens the floor to questions from the audience. The first comes from a pony who wonders why we should even be concerned. He pointed out that changelings rely on ambush attacks, and our army is better trained, better equipped, and vastly outnumber our foes. Luna acknowledges that, but warns that enemies who have nothing to lose are often more creative and daring when taking on a superior foe. Chrysalis, Luna says, is like a cornered animal: when backed into a corner, she can still lash out and inflict serious damage. We would be wise not to underestimate her.
The next speaker, an elderly unicorn, asks why we even needed new weapons. To him, it seems like TechInc is trying to replace magic. Glasseye's quick to reply that the assault rifles are not supposed to replace magic, pointing out that not every soldier in the armed forces can cast spells. Rather, the goal is to have magic and non-magical weapons working together to overcome any enemy the army might face. Luna also states that Equestria will use this time to upgrade and modernize the armed forces to keep it in the best shape possible.
The next speaker, a griffin, is eager to know why Princess Celestia and the Bearers haven't stopped Chrysalis already. Luna isn't happy to reveal that they had already left to search for Chrysalis, but that all communication with them has been lost. Luna has no choice but to declare them missing, and presumably captured by the changelings.
“Celestia's been captured?!” Beakbreaker whispers to me. “But how could the changelings get her?!”
The hall echoes with frightened whispers. Luna struggles to quiet everyone, explaining that she's taking over Celestia's duties, and would be sending one of the armed forces' most elite units to track down and free Celestia and the Bearers. While the tempest of whispers and murmurs quiet down, fear remains thick and heavy in the air.
The questions continue for another half hour, ending with Luna cautioning us all that we need to be aware of personality changes in our friends and family. And while ponies, donkeys, and other equines can best a changeling in a one-on-one fight, we should avoid doing so.
As the conference finally comes to an end, Luna thanks everyone for coming, and to stay safe. As she departs Genesis on her zeppelin, Luna reassures everyone that everything that can be done to ensure everyone's safety will be done. But I sense that, despite her words, those who attended this conference are still afraid of what's coming.
***
Despite having the high position of Luna's emissary in Genesis, there's not much for me to do as the city prepares for war. Tasking myself to keep an eye out for any sign of changeling infiltration, I head through the city day and night, watching as TechInc employees and their families go about their lives while engineers, electricians, and technicians install new security devices and scanners. Nothing out of the ordinary happens, but during one of my many walks down the streets, a thought comes to me on how I can work to keep Beakbreaker safe from harm.
When Glasseye manages a break between one of his endless stream of meetings, I meet him and propose an idea: While TechInc has the best technology in Equestria, joining forces with Medicomp could ensure that pony bodies and artificial limbs of both steel and flesh could reach their fullest potential. And not only that, but a partnership would make for a terrific PR opportunity, painting both corporations as heroic partners setting aside their differences to help give Equestria the technological edge it needs to win the war.
And, as I point out, such public goodwill would last long after the war was over.
It isn't long before Glasseye is engaged in a conference call with my old boss, and it isn't long afterwards that he emerges from his meeting room and has his secretary ready a press release saying that the two companies have decided to join forces for the good of Equestria.
With the first step completed, I ask Beakbreaker if she could call Coin Counter to see if she can remain in Genesis as Medicomp's envoy. Of course, she quickly deduces what I'm doing, but she still makes the call without commenting on my scheming ways. It takes an hour of heated discussions, but Beakbreaker manages to arrange her stay in Genesis. I almost dance as the phone's hung up. If I can bring my parents up here, those I care about more than anything will be protected from the chaos that's inevitably going to erupt on the surface.
I make the call, and ask Mom and Dad to come join me in Genesis.
They say no.
My first question after retrieving the phone from the floor is why. They feel safe at home, Mom points out, and that I don't have to worry about her or Dad, as they're already fortifying the house with all manner of spells and charms to protect themselves. Keeping my voice steady, I remind Mom about how the changelings can be more dangerous than we realize. But either from age-induced nostalgia for a time gone by, stubbornness, or something else, my parents refuse to leave. I almost erupt at how stubborn they are, but manage to keep myself composed long enough to negotiate a compromise: We'll get in touch every day to confirm the password, and, if the war gets to the point where Changelings directly attack Saddle Lanka, they'll come up to Genesis. Mom and Dad concede to those agreements, and though the matter is settled, I'm fuming as I hang up. Beakbreaker will be safe, but my parents are still in great danger.
When the day comes for Luna to deploy the Equestrian army, I'm still worried sick. Beakbreaker, bless her, assures me that my parents will eventually see reason, but I can't shake the dread that lingers with me like a dark fog following a ship at night. The feeling stays as Beakbreaker and I head to an observation platform at Genesis' airport. Canterlot lies below us, and even from up here I can see the decorations, streamers, and festivities that have been set up. It looks like Canterlot officials want to mark the deployment with a celebration from eras past when civilians would cheer their protectors off to war.
The crowds around us go quiet as Luna's zeppelin floats into place beside Genesis. The princess walks onto an extendable platform and gazes down to the city below. Cameras roll as she gives the royal decree that, due to a state of war that exists between Equestria and Chrysalis, she hereby deploys the army to ensure Equestria's safety and to bring an end to the conflict.
And just like that, the army marches and flies forth from Canterlot. There are hundreds of them, then thousands as fully armed and armored soldiers leave Equestria's capital on hoof, on train, by airship, and by their own wings, their armor, swords, and arrows glistening in the bright sunshine. I've never seen so many soldiers at once, and even from up high, watching them fan out across the countryside is awe-inspiring, a fact mirrored by the cheers of the crowds around me and those below.
I let myself get swept up in the enthusiasm. After all, with an army that well equipped and trained, we can take on anything thrown our way.
***
It takes three days for all the divisions of the military to reach their destinations, set up camp, and begin their patrols. I get a call from my parents about how magnificent their garrison is; they rave about how marvelous the soldiers; Dad even jokes that it's me who should come down and join them to be safe. And for the next few days it seems he might be right. There are no reports of fighting, to the point where it doesn't feel like we're at war. Glasseye still keeps Genesis busy by continuing work on the armor and rifles while moving the changeling detector to the front of the line in R&D so it can be perfected and mass produced as quickly as possible.
With my purpose of finding hidden weapons now... well, canceled, I spend most of my time helping Beakbreaker set up her new laboratory in the Monolith by moving equipment into position as Gusty flies in shipment after shipment from Medicomp's labs in Manehattan. When all is said and done, Beakbreaker has a private lab all to herself where she can work without interruptions by anxious peers and CEO's wanting constant updates. She jokes that she might need an assistant and asks if I want my old job back. It's a tempting offer, but I have to decline, as my duties as an emissary come first.
With Beakbreaker and the city secured, I head to a situation room near the top of the Monolith. While primarily the control room where pilots and engineers keep the city flying, it's been converted into a place where Glasseye can keep an eye on any raids and issues on the surface, thanks to a wall that's covered with a map of Equestria, and keep Genesis out of harm's way.
I had figured to check in and see how things were going, but the place is busier than I thought it would be. Glasseye's manning the control booth.
He's not happy.
“Glasseye? What's wrong?”
He points to the map. A red dot lights up a remote corner of the southeast.
“Farming community," Glasseye says. “A squad found a changeling trying to impersonate a farmer. The thing slipped away before they could capture it.”
“That doesn't sound so bad.”
Glasseye shakes his head. “It's the first salvo, my boy, the ripple that precedes the oncoming storm.”
The words barely leave his mouth when a console beeps. An engineer types something into his computer, and a red light flashes on the map. Details come in, reporting that a changeling was found trying to suck a donkey dry on the outskirts of a remote village. Thankfully, it was driven off, and the donkey, while shaken, is none the worse for wear.
It's unnerving to watch the map and know that each of the two red dots was an attack. But I should have expected this. After all, we're in a war. One side had to make the opening shot, and Chrysalis just did so.
The storm, it seems, has made landfall.
I try to avoid talking about the attacks at dinner, not wanting to spoil what will be one of the few moments of respite Beakbreaker and I will get for the indefinite future. But where I desire peace and quiet, Beakbreaker can't stop talking. Considering how poorly the changelings have fared on the first day of the war, she wonders if these attacks are actually raids from changelings desperate to get food. If we' can keep our lucky streak going, she theorizes, the changelings may starve before they can mount an all-out attack. I hope so.
The following morning has the newspaper proudly proclaiming that our brave soldiers proved their worth as they pushed the cowardly changelings back. The papers said, and everyone I heard throughout the day agreed, that Chrysalis and her changelings would have second thoughts about the war, retreat, and sue for peace. And for a few days after, everything is calm.
Perhaps everything will turn out all right after all.
***
At the end of the war's first week, a report comes in that that a remote village has been attacked by over twenty of Chrysalis's changelings. Though the assault was beaten back, the changelings managed to drag one pony off; she was found a few hours later in a cocoon in the nearby forest. She was alive, but so drained of life that she was little more than skin and bones.
More reports came in about villages being hit. Twenty or so changelings would charge in, grab as many ponies as they could, and drag them off, using their superior speed to outrun the soldiers stationed nearby. One trading town on Equestria's northern border had gone silent. Then, more and more stopped communicating. When squads went to investigate, they would either find all the residents drained and barely alive, or they wouldn't find anyone at all.
It wasn't long before a pattern emerged: the changelings weren't interested in holding territory or trying to defeat our army. They were employing hit-and-run tactics, striking hard and fast to grab food before retreating to safety.
My calls home became more and more frequent, and every time I almost yelled at my parents to leave Saddle Lanka and join me. They weren't blind to what was happening, but kept assuring me that they were still employing spells and charms on the family home, only going out when necessary. All the communities that had been raided - they pointed out - were small and far away from the main population centers of Equestria. Saddle Lanka was large and garrisoned by hundreds of soldiers. It would be suicide for any changeling army to launch an assault or even try to sneak in. Besides, staying home and shoring up had inspired other ponies to do the same, making Saddle Lanka an example of courage, one that would inspire other communities to do the same.
Naturally, their safety means more to me than inspiring other ponies to ignore common sense. But my parents aren't swayed, no matter how much I plead. All it ever leads to is changing our passwords every day, and me feeling nauseous every time I hang up the phone.
Luna isn't blind to what's happening. She has the army increase patrols, cast shields around remote towns, and make security checks around the clock. To everyone’s relief, including my own, the number of attacks dwindle to nothing. Our efforts are beating back the changeling raids.
Then ponies start vanishing. Someone will head home from work or go out for a short stroll, only to disappear. A foal's parents would put her to bed, only to come back an hour later and find her gone. A teacher would go to the bathroom at a university and never emerge. An elderly pony would take a nap at a retirement home and his caretakers would later find his empty wheelchair. And in all the cases there are no signs of a struggle. Windows are closed, there's no blood, and not even a sign of forced entry.
The reports keep coming in. Ponies are vanishing with no discernible pattern. Even communities fortified by shields aren't immune. But at that point it doesn't matter, for panic begins to set in. Terrified families board up their homes and turn them into fortresses. Skyscrapers and stores are surrounded by the best magic possible so as to create places of refuge against the unseen terror in their midst.
It isn't long before we get photos and reports of cities being deserted during the day, and being abandoned at night.
Luna's words about not giving into fear now ring hollow and empty.
***
While Equestria struggles to deal with the raids, Genesis remains of an oasis unaffected by the chaos. But while it's a refuge, it's not immune to fear. My hurried walks among the city and visits to Glasseye's control center reveals that nobody's sure what to do, where to go, or what they can do to stop Chrysalis and her minions. Glasseye is having his researchers and workers work as quickly as possible to mass-produce changeling detectors, armor, and rifles, but it does little to lift spirits, including Luna's; she's struggling to keep things from falling apart, a difficult task without Celestia or the Bearers.
Wanting to get a break after getting a report about another twenty citizens going missing, I make my way to Beakbreaker's apartment, but she doesn't answer the door. Unlocking it (she let me have a copy of her key), I find it empty. Her lab's empty, too. Perhaps she wanted to get away from the war as well, but where would she go? If I were her, I'd want to be away from others in a setting that would remind me of happier times... and there's only one place here that could do it.
I take a taxi to Genesis' only park, which is squeezed into a distant corner of the city against the walls and the nearby suburbs. I head through the numerous trails winding their way past thick trees and foliage, and the numerous ponies looking for a respite from the world's worries.
I finally locate Beakbreaker on a bench at the park's far edge. If she sought solace here, she hasn't found it, as she's more nervous and high-strung than I've seen in a long time.
“Beakbreaker?” I ask. “What's wrong?”
Beakbreaker wipes her eyes. “Just wanted to get away from all the gloom and doom, you know?”
“Is there something else?” I ask. “Something you'd like to talk about?”
Beakbreaker hesitates. She bites her lip, and then finally gives in. “Oh, Silverspeak, it's my parents.”
I take a seat beside her. “What's wrong?”
She wipes her eyes. “I haven't heard from them in months. Silverspeak... what if Chrysalis' changelings have gotten my parents?!”
My stomach twists into a knot. “Have you tried calling your parents recently?”
“I can't! Zebras don't use telephones. If they were in trouble, we would have gotten a runner or something, but we haven't!" She tries to slow her breathing as it speeds out of control.
I take hold of her shoulders and speak in my calmest voice. “Beakbreaker, how many zebras live out there? Several thousand?”
She nods, wiping away a tear.
“Now, a few hundred changelings couldn't take them all down without a few escaping and running off to get help. If we haven't gotten any runners, that means that everything's probably okay.”
Beakbreaker breathes deeply. “I suppose so... but what if something has gone wrong?! What if they've been taken over? What if my parents-”
“Then we'll help them." But how? Think, Silverspeak... What can you do to try and help? What are your resources, your contacts, your... wait, that's it! "Tell you what: When I see Glasseye next, I'll ask him if he can send a messenger to the zebra homeland and see if anything's wrong.”
Beakbreaker sniffs. “You'd do that?”
“Of course. It's the least I can do."
I can almost see the tension flowing from Beakbreaker as she relaxes just a little. I look out to the horizon beyond the dome's edge.
We sit together for a while.
Lights snap on throughout the park. The sun will be slipping under the horizon soon.
“You know, I just realized something,” I say. “I don't think I've ever asked you about your home. Where you live, what you do, what type of food you eat, that sort of thing. I mean, here we have hay fries, hay burgers, gourmet dishes from Canterlot and Manehattan's high-end restaurants, but I have no idea what zebras eat.”
Beakbreaker's grateful for the distraction. “Zebras are foragers, mainly. We graze on whatever the savanna brings us: berries, fruits, vegetables, that sort of thing. We don't do much farming because our tribes move with the seasons. The only communities that settle down grow hardy things. Potatoes, root vegetables, things like that. Have you ever had fire-roasted squash seasoned with herbs? Truly exquisite. I'll have to ask my parents to make some for you... though as a heads up, when you meet them, they're probably going to ask me if you're going to be my husband.”
“What?”
“They always wanted their only daughter to find a good zebra... they'd probably get shocked at the idea of me marrying a pony.”
My heart pounds. “Would they object?”
“Well... I don't know. A relationship like that isn't forbidden, but I can't remember the last time it happened.”
“Would I have to... ah, join your tribe if we were to get... you know... married?”
“Oh, there'd be ceremonies. Tribal wear, body paint, dancing around a fire, that sort of thing. Nothing too extravagant.”
“That doesn't sound so bad.”
“After which we'd have to go into the jungle and bring down a tiger to prove our bravery.”
“That... wait, what?!" She can't be serious! She... oh, the sneaky little devil. She's smiling. Then she laughs.
“Just kidding. Nobody does that anymore.”
I wipe the sweat away. “Well, good. I don't know a thing about bringing down tigers.”
“Me neither.”
We both share a chuckle.
The sun sets on the horizon. A bird chirps from a nearby tree.
“Beakbreaker?”
“Yes?”
“What would you say to your parents if they wanted us to be married?”
She looks at me, puzzled. “Well, I would tell them the truth. That we aren't.”
“Oh.”
“Why do you ask?”
“Nothing, nothing,” I say quickly. “I mean... I don't want to do anything that might embarrass them or give a wrong first impression.”
“I don't think you could embarrass them even if you wanted to. They've had guests and visitors before who aren't knowledgeable about our culture, and they get a kick out of watching them try to fit in. If anything, you'd give them a good-natured laugh.”
“That's good to know.”
We go quiet as the sky darkens above us. But it's not from a lack of anything to say. I just enjoy being here with Beakbreaker, and I believe she feels the same.
“Silverspeak?”
“Yes?”
“You came to the park looking for me, didn't you?”
“Well... Yes.”
“You wanted to distract me from anything that was worrying me, weren't you?”
How to answer this tactfully? For all my skills and practice, I'm at a loss for-
She takes my hoof and kisses it.
“I appreciate it.”
My cheeks turn bright red.
***
It's a joy to see Beakbreaker feeling a little better as I escort her back to her room. That joy stays with me as I head up to Glasseye's quarters, and then into the ethereal garden to discuss the latest updates on TechInc's weapons and tools with Luna. To my surprise, the princess is smiling as we enter the gazebo.
“Your Highness? You seem quite cheerful tonight.”
“Because we've had a breakthrough that could turn the tide of this war," Luna says. "A squad investigating the latest disappearances has discovered how the changelings are kidnapping ponies." She conjures a screen of a bedroom that's been torn apart. In the center of the floor where a rug should be, there's a gaping hole.
“The changelings have been tunneling beneath Equestria, and some of those tunnels head up into homes and buildings. The reason we couldn't find them earlier is due to powerful magic used to conceal the holes.”
The bedroom vanishes, replaced by a map of Manehattan criss-crossed by dozens of red lines.
“These are all the tunnels we've found in Manehattan," Luna says. From what we can tell, there are hundreds, if not thousands of miles of them. I suspect they lead to a newly established hive hidden somewhere dark and deep within the earth. But until we can confirm that, I have ordered our forces to not speak of these tunnels. If we catch the changelings by surprise, our chances of victory will be doubled. And if we capture Queen Chrysalis, the changelings will be leaderless and scatter, ending the war.
"Glasseye, We will have need of your equipment and weapons as soon as possible," Luna says. "Once we triangulate the approximate location of the hive, we will have to launch an assault as quickly as possible.”
“Don't worry, your Highness. I'll order our production to be doubled tonight.”
Luna nods, pleased. “Good.”
I study the tunnels, looking to Saddle Lanka. There aren't any lines there, thank goodness. But where are these tunnels leading to? There has to be a hive nearby, somewhere where Chrysalis could establish a base of operations.
But what if it's not in Equestria?
"Princess?”
Luna looks to me.
"Beakbreaker mentioned to me earlier that she hasn't heard anything from her parents in the zebra homeland... what if Chrysalis has set up a hive there?"
Luna ponders the map. "It is possible... and we have not had word from the zebras in many months." Her newly-found hope gives way to grim determination. "Glasseye, have Genesis head to the zebra homeland as quickly as you can. I cannot divert any of our forces to investigate, so Genesis will have to fulfill that role."
“And it will, your Highness, though it will take us three days to reach the zebra homeland at top speed.”
“Understood. But take no unnecessary risks or put yourself in any danger. If something should go wrong, retreat at once. While I will send some units, you will be fear from help, and we cannot risk losing your city."
Glasseye nods. "It will be done."
"Good. Now, until I announce the result of our searches to the public, none of what we have said here tonight must leave this place. Is that understood?"
I nod, and so does Glasseye.
"Now, there is one last thing I wish to discuss tonight... something that will affect you, Silverspeak."
"Me, your Highness?"
“Genesis needs all the assistance it can get in not only producing our armor and weapons, but in having those who are willing to fight. For that reason, I am sending someone to join you."
"Who is it?" I ask.
Luna glances behind her and nods.
Someone walks towards the terrace, their shadow falling upon the wall of leaves. The sun makes it difficult to make them out, but my eyes adjust, and I...
No.
No, no, no, this can't be real.
My heart's pounding so loud I can barely hear Glasseye's stunned voice beside me.
“Your Highness, is that...”
“Yes,” Luna says. “It is.”
With three pairs of eyes staring him down, Mangus Bluehorn backs away like a loathsome insect retreating into the darkness from whence it came.
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.............. okay seriously dude? they were captured? celestia, far beyond chrysalis? the bearers, wielding a power beyond even discord?
.......... sighs. i really have no idea what you are doing with this story dude. i am seriously curious why you decided to just kill off celestia and the mane six so arbitrarily..... okay maybe i am being presumptuous here, but ultimately my mind is treading back to similar stories where character like the mane six and celestia are just 'removed' from the fight. it just makes no sense at all.
even if they are not dead, them being captured is just as unsensible. not against changelings.
it feels more like a tactic to artificially make the changelings more dangerous than they really are. just as the hwole gun thing, the machinery stuff that somehow does not use magic, just does not fit.
seriously, what is going on with this story?
..... sorry dude. i gave a fair bit of praise to your previous story, but this one.......
I think it's pretty obvious that Luna is actually Chrysalis, and that she was captured at the same time as Celestia and the mane six. The end of the chapter really makes no other sense otherwise, because Luna wouldn't do something like that to SIlverspeak. Let's see how long it'll take before he realizes something isn't right... probably when Mangus inevitably lures him into a trap and tries to kill him.
Like the story before it, I think this one also has Deus Ex overtones in that SIlverspeak is like JC here and doesn't realize (at first) that he's working for the enemy. And meanwhile "Luna" will have taken over all of Equestria and deem him as public enemy number one or something like that. The prologue chapter, I think, wasn't just a nightmare. He'll have to become like that again to save everyone, probably.
5981273 It's happened before? Repeatedly? Less often for Celestia, admittedly.
And given the title, and other hints, I'm still wondering if the changelings are the real enemy.
Also, wow. Toggling the track unread state found a *bunch* of stuff.
5981352 Oh, I didn't think of that. I thought Luna had just turned evil.
5981352 and that opens the plot hole of chrysalis somehow capturing both alicorns and the mane six at the same time. that is simply contrived all on its own.
and it thus wouldn't surprise me if they re all dead now if that is all true..........
i enjoyed his first story but this one............ i have no idea what is going on.
5981409 they were never captured hwen they all had the elements of harmoyn on hand. and celestia was captured once by chrysalis, hwo one largely because of a fluke (more than likely if she knew about her powre boost, she would have boasted, warning celestia). the second time was by parasitic dmeonic vines that had fed upon the tree of harmony's power.
them all being capturedl ike that is immensely contrived. luna replaced bychrysalis is even more so, cause he ability to mimic personality is very, very weak. and i have a sneaking suspicion that they are all now dead....... cause why not?
and what do you mean by trakc unread state?
5981432 This story was never showing up as having new chapters, but I noticed it in my feed and read it then. In the author's note he had advice on what to do if that was happening, and when I did it it also found 8 other chapters from other stories that hadn't shown up.
5981446 weird.
either way i am not liking the direction this story is going. and it is even more disappointing because i rather liked the story before it. it had its flaws but was summed up nicely. more so its reliance on plot convenience was mostly minimal.
here we have apparently all the mane six gone or even dead, celestia gone or dead as well, mabye even luna, and it just does not feel right at all. it is all forced conflicts left and right and artificially making changelings more of a threat than they really are. heck you didn't need to kill em off, the changelings could have just been using the tunnels to keep away. them being killed is compeltely uneeded and unlikely.
and the story has become so disappointing that i am actually thinking they are all just dead here. can't help but believe they are.
5981273
I think the idea is to find a way to remove the "big good" of the universe to make way for the 3rd party story perspective. If Celestia and the mane 6 could just stop the situation,..then whats the point of the rest of the story with no conflict?
I think its been shown plenty of times in various circumstances that Celestia and Luna, while wise and powerful, aren't perfect. Anything could have happened to remove them and the mane 6 from a situation.
I'm curious to see what will happen next.
5981995 that is sadly unlikely. maybe if it was just celestia, or just the mane six, but both the mane six and celestia just vanishing like that? that is plain and ismply contrived. even if the changelings could inexplicably overpower them, they couldn't get all of them.
put simply it is a 'convenient' plot device to remove them and it ultimately contradicts itself.
5982048
Sure its a plot device. Do you want to read "The Monster Below: Nightfall" about Silverspeak, or do you want to read "Genergic Changling War where Princess Celestia and the Mane 6 fix it all"? Its a literary device to remove some of the 'big goods' from a universe to generate a story IN that universe to involve other "weaker" characters.
Plus youre jumping to a lot of conclusions. Luna FEARS theyre captured, but she doesnt know whats up. Any adventure story can explain why a distant campaign can hinder or prevent communication.
5982056 be honest i don't want another story about silver speak, because his story was complete.
and there are far more clever methods than inexplicable defeat of far too powerful character to create a situation where they cannot just solve the problem. and even then if the changelings location is unknown, HOW would they find them to begin with?
besides there are two simultaneous plot holes here. luna protects dreams. she could use dreams to determine celestia's and the mane six's status.
and if this isn't luna and is something else, someone would quickly comment on the fact she does not just use that ability and likely expose her.
I'm still waiting for Pony Jenson.
5982152
Luna's dream walking capability isn't very explored in this fic. She may have limits we don't know about.
5982582 if there are limits they need to be addressed rather than just offhandedly saying there are limits.
also they have to actually make sense and not exist solely to make her unable to do that.
5982589
If that author has an idea for limits, he will write it. Heck, if Luna had that capability, she would've done so already. Seeing she hasn't, either the author
1) Forgot about it
2) Luna (can't do it)/(is being blocked.)
If he forgot, but doesn't want to rewrite everything, handwaving in small doses does happen. Luna isn't all powerful, its not that hard to imagine.
It generally a good idea to expect a character has no abilities until the author tells you/foreshadows about it. All we know is that Luna is an alicorn (of varying capability, we don't have a gauge to measure her up to besides 'stronger than average'), has Night related abilities(of unstated limits), and has a orb-thing that creates conference rooms. Heck, in canon, we don't exactly know the specifics of how Luna finds dreams. Is it like a phonebook, or does she have to blindly search? Does she have a sense? Is that floating a hallway what she sees or a construct for the CMC's convenience?
If a person named Deadpool walks by, there's a good chance he's a cancer ridden insane merc.
Or he's whatever that Piece-o-shit that Xmen movie had.
Twilight is generally assumed to a be a strong unicorn. Until the author states whether she casually tosses rocks or just better than the average population due to low magic levels, we can't say how strong.
Assume whatever you want, but don't believe it as fact until it is stated.
5982636 that seems like it makes sense, but the logic is heavily flawed. if there is a creative reason for that, then perhaps. more often it is used to be lazy.
for example i read a gorn story some time ago that had pinkie pie kidnapped, mutilated to the point she decides to commit suicide, and basically aj and rainbow dash die too somehow. all against a back ground unicorn.
this story is chock full of factors that are ignored. luna's dream walking, the fact the entirety of equestria would mobilize if someone as essential as pinkie pie vanished, applejack and rainbow dash actually being competent inviduals and not slasher fic blondes. and all thse factors are ignored or waved away because if any of these factors were applied, the story would cave in on itself. and all the excuses that kept on piling up were utterly weak explanations.
if you want to remove a player from the field, do it in a sensible way. celestia AND the mane six both captured at the same time? completely unreasonable. that is just a lazy plot device. its easy to them to just disappear or die.
theft of the elements of harmony? that could be a bit more reasonable. taking one of the elements would largely disable them. and the hwole changeling tunnels would make that quite applicable.
5982838
1) It hasn't been stated whether the Elements got captured or got lost/diverted. And considering Chrysalis has shown being capable of defeating Celestia, and the M6 being overwhelmed by a mass of changelings before, its not too far fetched. Besides, at the moment, we simply DON'T KNOW. They could have been split up. They could've gotten stuck in a cave. They could've been individually dropped down holes, as you've mentioned. They could be having tea. We can't see them yet, so its just a list of possibilities right now. If it is shown Celestia choked on a banana, causing them to be distracted, then you can complain.
2) You were reading a gorn fic. That stuff, along most porn fics, I seriously doubt you're supposed to take them seriously. Its like asking why Daffy doesn't get his head blown off when shot.
Bloody hell, the infamous Cupcakes is just blood and guts for the sake of blood and guts. It barely qualifies as a story.
3) Random quote (paraphrase. really) from somewhere I can't remember: Alicorns tend to have to be removed through some contrived event for a post apocalyptic story to make sense.
Obviously, this depends on alicorns being pretty bloody powerful to make sense, but the gist is that sometimes, you have to suspend your sense of disbelief. It happens. The entire country mobilizing to kick the crap out of the changelings would take the story in a direction the author doesn't want. Is it a bit of railroading? Yes. But this isn't focused on Equestria blowing changelings up. Could he have chosen a different enemy that doesn't need the Elements out of the picture and the general populace not doing anything? Maybe. But that goes back to the whole rewriting thing. If the author has a good reason, you can go ask him. What you see as weak explanations I see as a bit strange, but for the most part fine. I'm being entertained. Good enough. Until then, this is Greenback's fic, and he will write what he likes.
If this is what you want, then you should leave now. Greenback wants to write about Silverspeak. Deal with it, or find something else.
5982989 there was no more story to tell with silverspeak.
and your logic falls flat the moment you said chrysalis beat celestia without stating the important context that she won by a fluke. she did not know she had more powerful than celestia, and if she did, she would have given celestia a heads up via boasting and cause her to fight more carefully rather than just trying to blast chrysalis through a wall. thus, fluke. celestia would not take the same risk with chrysalis twice.
and what else could be happening than them being captured or killed? they would have sent a message by now or given some kind of sign. hell if somehow messages sent by an alicorn are being blocked, rainbow dash can just signal with a rainboom. unless those aspects are being ingored as well.
5983012
1) Have we ever been given an exact statement of Celestia's strength? Have we been given a statement of exactly how strong Chrysalis is either? No. So while its possible Celestia used more power, its also possible Chrysalis amassed more power. We also don't know what kind of combat spells Celestia can cast. Some of theorized that when Celestia goes all out, she tends to vaporize things around her, bad when she has allies to take care of.
2) WE DON'T KNOW. Greenback doesn't tell us, so all we know is they're unable to contact Luna. If Greenback feels like spoiling it, great! But more likely, we're going to have to sit and wait like the characters are. Sometimes, thing happen for the sake of plot. This is Silverspeak's story, not Equestria burning Changelings story.
3)
That may be what you feel, but Greenback clearly has found something for Silverspeak. If you don't want to read about Silverspeak, then don't.
Oh I'd LOVE to hear how Mangus was able to walk free. He murdered countless ponies and drained them of their magic, then slaughtered a bunch more. To me that's more than enough of a reason to keep him imprisoned for life. Even in such a tolerant society as Equestria those kinds of crimes should be inexcusable!
Well, we'll see I supposed.
This is still not registering as a new chapter for me and I've untracked and retracked my bookshelf a few times since the last time you posted that suggestion in a blog post.
I didn't finish reading this chapter until after participating in a discussion about an MLP version of the Suicide Squad...
I'm not sure Mangus Bluehorn could ever make a sacrifice heroic enough to earn my forgiveness. His freedom certainly falls on the "what the heck are you thinking" side of the strange bedfellows scale. I mean, why not just release Tirek to fight Chrysalis if you're going to release Mangus, right? He was a unicorn naturally, but part of his punishment was going that he would be stripped of his horn anyway, in addition to losing his wings and imprisonment in the Canterlot dungeons. It wasn't stated that he'd be turned to stone, though.
Considering everything that's been written about Mangus, Luna's a bit of a troll for forcing him and Silverspeak to work together (if she's the real Luna). "Builds Character" my ass, it's a total dick move that turns around any advances Silverspeak has made toward redemption to this point. Granted, Silverspeak is expected to relapse and give in to the temptation of becoming an Alicorn again, and if anything could drive him to that at this point where he has so much going for him, Mangus could be that catalyst. Mangus represented everything that Silverspeak hated about himself. Sure, Silverspeak felt pity after hearing the guy's sentence, but Luna just threw much of that out the window. It wasn't mentioned, but it will be interesting to see whether Mangus was truly de-horned, or if that part of his sentence was commuted as well, since he was a natural unicorn where Silverspeak was not.
Luna may as well have just told Batman to suck it up and stop dwelling on his parents... and oh, by the way he now has to work with the Joker as equal partners "for the common good."
Oh crap! He's back! Kill him, Silverspeak! Kill him before he kills everyone! *Starts throwing random weapons to Silverspeak*
Well this story has taken a rather disappointing turn.
I can understand a need of the mane six and celestia to not be able to just fix things, however it is a lot to ask for us to just buy that something overpowered both Celestia and the mane six simultaneously. Even if it wasn't Chrysalis, which would have been hard to accept, we are talking about the greatest force in equestria along with equestria's oldest protector. The mane six might be vulnerable enough if ambushed, but Celestia would be too great a countermeasure for that to happen. She could hold off whatever assailant came along long enough for the mane six to regroup and attack.
It's an honestly pretty steep suspension of disbelief here.
I knew Mangus Bluehorn would eventually come back.
Magnus-?
BULL####!! Send that no good piece of ######## right back down to the dungeons where he belongs!!
5981446
What was the fix to get the other stories to show? I've noticed this before but don't know how to get around it.
No... No! NO! NO! NO!